The 20th-century American journalist A.J. Liebling once wrote, “Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one.” After a career working in the news industry with big-city corporations like the New York Times, Rolling Stone and Vibe magazines, Weehawken resident and journalist Larry Jaffee said his most rewarding work comes from writing for a little-known and independent publication he prints from the cliffs of the Palisades.
Since 1992, Jaffee has published a quarterly newspaper, called The Walford Gazette, that covers all the news fit to print about one of the writer’s guiltiest pleasures – an English soap opera called “The EastEnders.”
Jaffee and his publication have been the soap’s strongest supporter and best critique on this side of the pond, even saving the show from permanent cancellation in America in 2003.
“I’ve always been something of an Anglophile.”
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“The show is so much different than anything on American television,” Jaffee said. Like stateside soap operas, Jaffee conceded there’s a fair share of adultery, murder and amnesia on the show, but said there is an aspect of “kitchen-sink realism.”
“That term was a sub-genre of the 60s that dealt with common, everyday problems like unemployment,” he said, likening the show to the sit-com “Roseanne.”
Taking place in a suburb east of London, Jaffee said the show reminds him of life along the Hudson River.
“It’s similar to living in Hudson County and being in the shadow of New York City,” he said. “The fictional town of Walford is a melting pot of nationalities, cosmopolitan in a sense with the London skyline looming in the backdrop.”
In addition to his newspaper, Jaffee also published a book about the show, called “Albert Square & Me: The Actors of EastEnders,” a collection of 52 interviews with the cast. His second book, “In a Walford State of Mind,” is scheduled to be released by the end of the year.
“The EastEnders” is televised on channel 21 on Wednesday nights at 10 p.m. For more information about The Walford Gazette visit the website: www.wgazette.com.
God save the show
Back in 2003, Jaffee and The Walford Gazette singlehandedly saved the television show from cancellation in the US. By energizing his clientele to raise money, Jaffee was able to donate thousands of dollars to the network, ultimately keeping the show on the air.
“I literally did everything in my power,” he said. “It’s a wonder I didn’t get fired, because all of my time was spent trying to raise money.” It worked. Jaffee and his supporters were able to raise upwards of $20,000.
“I called the network and asked what they would need to keep the show on the air,” Jaffee said. “They told me they needed $19,000 in a month. So, that’s what we did.”
Much of Jaffee’s business comes from television stations like a public broadcast channel in North Carolina that televises “The EastEnders.” Instead of coffee cups and baseball caps, the network gives viewers a copy of The Walford Gazette as a gift for donations to the station.
But, Jaffee’s biggest subscription – more than half of his total income – comes from Fargo, North Dakota.
“Fargo was our first customer,” Jaffee said. “I was thinking we were going to be rich because we hadn’t even hit the major markets yet. But, for some reason – maybe because they are so isolated or close to the Canadian border – Fargo loves ‘The EastEnders.’ ”
What’s with England?
Jaffee moved to the township only three months ago and said it’s much quieter than his former home in Manhattan. But for the longtime journalist, his heart will always been in England.
“I’ve always been somewhat of an Anglophile,” he said. The author likes almost everything about England, including matchbox cars and, of course, The Beatles.
“I don’t want to sound unpatriotic,” Jaffee joked. “But, I almost wish they won the war so we could all be walking around with British accents.”
For more information, visit: www.wgazette.com.
Sean Allocca can be reached at editorial@hudsonreporter.com