Every week Riverfront Times holds a mirror up to St. Louis and challenges the city to look itself in the proverbial eye. Ever since its founding in 1977, the RFT has valued the craft of journalism in the very best sense — and backed it with a commitment to bring context to a complex and vibrant city. All that and an arts and entertainment section that’s unmatched in its coverage of the local cultural and nightlife scene.

RFT readers aren’t the only ones who know quality when they see it. In 2006 alone, our writers have taken home some of the nation’s most prestigious journalism honors — including awards from the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, the National Association of Black Journalists and the James Beard Foundation. You never know quite what to expect from the RFT each Thursday — except that the stories you find will be as diverse and unpredictable as the town that gives rise to them.