We got very sad news in San Francisco today. A strong progressive voice for 48 years, the San Francisco Bay Guardian, has closed. The Guardian was a leader in progressive opinions, giving a voice to the down-trodden and disenfranchised in our community. The Guardians "Clean Slate" voter guides were invaluable to the progressive community in evaluating candidates and our many local and state ballot initiatives. It was an early voice of support for the gay community and a muck-raker in the finest tradition, keeping a bright light shining on the comings and goings at City Hall. Founder Bruce Brugman is a staunch advocate for access to public records, helping found the California First Amendment Coalition and Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, and served on the Board of the SF Sunshine Ordnance Task Force, and President of the Northern California Chapter of the Society for Professional Journalists. His was the driving voice behind the Guardian. I was very concerned when it was acquired by SF Media Co. last year, especially with the departure of Tim Redmond (who now publishes 48 Hills) and those fears have now been born out. SFBG reporter Joe Fitz Rodriguez has posted some nice screen caps of important Guardian front pages at his Twitter feed. You can still access SFBG issues here.