Voice Media Group announced today that Stephanie Zacharek will join the staff of the Village Voice as its principal film writer.

Zacharek wrote criticism and features from 1999 to 2010 for Salon.com, where she became lead film critic in 2004. More recently she reviewed and edited for Movieline as its chief film critic. She has published freelance articles and reviews for local and national outlets, including The New York Times, New York magazine, Village Voice, Rolling Stone and Spin.

“Stephanie has long been one of the most incisive and engaging of all critics,” said Alan Scherstuhl, film editor of the Village Voice. “Here is a writer who cuts to the heart of the films she sees, one able to capture that elusive sense of what a film actually feels like while still finding urgent connections between it and the world outside the theater. For the Voice she’ll continue to cover the movies she’s most passionate about, whether wide releases, indie standouts, or local screenings.”

Zacharek’s film reviews and features will appear in all of Voice Media Group’s publications, as well as on their websites and mobile platforms. VMG maintains a strong commitment to film journalism, employing two full-time writers, one full-time editor, and many freelance contributors. Its member newspapers published reviews of 850 films in 2012, printed weekly film features and interviews, and posted dispatches from national and international film festivals. VMG intends to hire a Los Angeles-based film writer and is accepting applications for that position as of today.

“These are challenging times for journalism and criticism — no publication is the same as it was ten or even five years ago,” noted Zacharek. “But the Village Voice is not only a survivor; it’s a place where film criticism has always been allowed to thrive, and even as other publications scale back, it continues to deepen its commitment to film coverage. I’m thrilled and honored to be a part of that equation.”

Zacharek will begin her new assignment April 24.