FORMER DISTRICT FRAY EDITOR-IN-CHIEF LAUNCHES NEW MEDIA COMPANY

Wild Side Media Looks to Serve as Primary Voice for D.C.'s Thriving Creative Community

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Monica Alford, renowned for her innovative approach to cultural storytelling and community engagement, today announced the launch of Wild Side Media, a D.C.-based media company championing the local creative community through culture, content and curation. Wild Side Media's content mix will include celebratory journalism, inclusive experiences and authentic collaborations.

"We are crafting a living, breathing love letter to the District that extends far beyond the written word to tangible experiences and placemaking within the community," says Monica Alford, founder and CEO of Wild Side Media. "Our team is building a cohesive cultural narrative within the city by weaving together diverse editorial content, events and programming to connect locals and share their stories."

Alford's 15-year media career has been spent bringing arts & culture into sharp focus in the D.C. region, first as the managing editor of On Tap Magazine and then at the recently shuttered District Fray Magazine, where she served as editor-in-chief and director of media from 2020-2023. A distinguished leader skilled in creative and editorial vision, placemaking, cultural events curation and production, business development, and strategic communications, Alford has also played a leading role in the development of two startups: an online marketing publication and a strategic consulting firm.

Alford brings 100+ of her talented contributors, collaborators and core partners from the past decade to her creative collective, Wild Side Media, to help build her bold new vision for amplifying local voices. The company's ethos is grounded in the belief that storytelling has the power to unite communities. Wild Side Media is dedicated to shedding light on the diversity and vibrancy of D.C. through storytelling, curated events and intentional collaborations. At Wild Side Media, content will be free and events will always be inclusive, safe spaces for the entire community.

Wild Side Media will curate and host "Intersectionality in Business," a community building event for up-and-coming femme entrepreneurs, creators and curators, on March 14 at La Cosecha in tandem with Shop Made in DC's annual SHE:DC programming. Alford and her team are also bringing their very own version of Warhol's Factory to life with the Wild Side Media launch party this spring, in partnership with Brandon Hill of All Day Murals and formerly of No Kings Collective. The 1,000-person immersive experience in a surprise location will pay homage to Warhol's inclusive space and vision for Interview Magazine, but with a hyperlocal focus on the District's burgeoning arts & culture scene.

Wild Side Media's cross-platform editorial content focuses on highlighting the culture of the District, from the diversity of the hospitality industry to the vast talent within the local arts. Locals can expect daily storytelling through a journalistic lens on Instagram and TikTok, including everything from artfully packaged and professionally executed reels to on-camera interviews. Recurring segments from the Wild Side Media team will include "The Wild Side Collaborator Series," previewing new work from some of the driving forces behind D.C.'s thriving creative scene, and "In Studio with Playhaus," a weekly on-camera discussion with up-and-coming artists and curators on a variety of topics at Playhaus DC in Union Market District.

The Wild Side Media team will produce their first editorial newsletter, "Take a Walk on the Wild Side," this spring. The debut issue of Wild Side Media's digital magazine will launch in summer 2024, with exciting plans for print — both newsprint and glossy — coming soon. Wild Side Media is kicking off creative partnerships with the NoMa BID, Union Market District and The LINE DC, and will be announcing several more impactful cultural partnerships and a stacked list of upcoming events later this month.

For additional information, please visit wildsidemedia.co.

Follow Wild Side Media on social media:
Instagram + TikTok: @wildsidemediaco
Website: wildsidemedia.co

SOURCE Wild Side Media