The Liberty Tree is a newspaper appearing in Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.
Description[]
The newspaper serves Liberty City. As of 2001, the newspaper has been active for over 50 years. It was first introduced on the Liberty Tree Editorial promotional website for Grand Theft Auto III, used to reveal several gameplay features in the game in the form of news stories. The Liberty Tree Offices are located in Bedford Point in Staunton Island.
Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories[]
The manual that accompanied the game was provided by the newspaper. Liberty Tree was featured prominently in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories through Ned Burner, who pretends to be a preacher. He gives missions to protagonist Toni Cipriani from a confessional box in the Liberty City Cathedral saying that they will help save him.
Burner would report on each story: an athlete on steroids, the stealing of diamonds, chaos on Staunton Island and the death of three celebrities. Burner would eventually be killed by Cipriani under orders from Donald Love, as Burner witnessed the killing of Avery Carrington.
The user guide for Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories is in the form of a copy of the Liberty Tree, foreshadowing the absence of motorcycles during the events of Grand Theft Auto III.
Grand Theft Auto III[]
Several Liberty Tree news stories related to the Leone Crime Family, the Yakuza and the Colombian Cartel were available on the Liberty Tree Editorial promotional website, giving further background information about several major characters prior to their introduction in the storyline. The website was updated monthly with in-universe newspaper articles from February 1 to October 18, 2001, to coincide with the game's release date on October 22 and the in-game Liberty Tree newspaper headline "Ten Years For Love!", a news story about the Liberty City Bank robbery in which Claude is arrested after being betrayed by his girlfriend and accomplice Catalina. The news story is shown in the introduction cutscene.
Soon after Claude's escape from the prison convoy in Give Me Liberty, a news story about Carcer City Police chief Gary Schaffer being cleared on charges of corruption due to the disappearance of many witnesses was published by the Liberty Tree, foreshadowing the events of Rockstar North's Manhunt two years later.
Influence[]
The newspaper appears to be inspired by the real-life The New York Times newspaper serving New York City.
Articles[]
Note: These newspaper articles can be read on the official Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories website and in the game's manual.
October 1998[]
- Liberty City Ranked Worst Place in America. Again. by Frenchie Cockmaven, October 30th, 1998.
- "Motorcycles Kill Kids and Must Be Banned" Say Protest Group by Gaylord Morrisen, October 30th, 1998.
- R.C. Hole In Another Probe by Anul Garbaskar, October 30th, 1998.
- RAILS Breakfast Cereal Under FDA Scrutiny by Beverly Clamhopper, October 30th, 1998.
- Swapmeet Season Starts Tonight by an unknown editor, October 30th, 1998.
- How To Lose Friends And Alienate People? by an unknown editor, October 30th, 1998.
- A Hole Too Far date and author illegible - seen during Bringing the House Down.
Note: These newspaper articles are archived from the official Grand Theft Auto III website, which is no longer available.
February 2001[]
- Car Jacking Back in Vogue by an unknown editor, February 1st, 2001.
- Crime Report Card: Stay Home and Watch TV! by Stan Wayridge, February 1st, 2001.
- 'The W' to Drop in on Liberty City by Paul Civille, February 1st, 2001.
- Business Man Cleared of all Charges Returns to Liberty City by Jayne Kwiatowski, February 1st, 2001.
March 2001[]
- From Baseball Bats to Rocket Launchers by Chris Carruthers, March 1st, 2001.
- Donald Love coming to Liberty by Paul Marchiando, March 1st, 2001.
- Porter Tunnel Six Months Behind Schedule by Andre Perkins, March 1st, 2001.
- Report Confirms Liberty has NO Tourist Industry by Mark Reed, March 1st, 2001.
- Entertainment by Morgan Merryweather, March 1st, 2001.
- 'Red Light' Licenses up for Renewal by Thomas Shaw, March 1st, 2001.
April 2001[]
- Salvatore Leone: Just a Business Man by Julius Cohen, April 1st, 2001.
- Police Helicopters To Help Fight Crime by Trudy Fink, April 1st, 2001.
- Medicine and Healthcare: Zaibatsu Release Equanox by Brian Robinson, April 1st, 2001.
- Insurance Costs Soar by Bill Tautz, April 1st, 2001.
- Pollution "not bad for health" by Thomas Stewart, April 1st, 2001.
May 2001[]
- Gangs Rife on our City Streets, Corruption Everywhere by Walt Karl, May 1st, 2001.
- Mackerel Factory to Expand by Kristen Burns, May 1st, 2001.
- Mayor O'Donovan Denies Misuse of Government Funds Over Nail Gun Fiasco by Joel Stahlman, May 1st, 2001.
- EDITORIAL: Advertising Good for America by Jeffrey Veselik, May 1st, 2001.
- "The Powers of the Fugue, A Mystery Uncovered" by Morgan Merryweather, May 1st, 2001.
June 2001[]
- Hand Grenades Not Fit For City Life by Howard Child, June 1st, 2001.
- Spank Here to Slay by Bob Malkin, June 1st, 2001.
- Yakuza Operating With Impunity by Thomas Jones, June 1st, 2001.
- Liberty City Community College: THE WORST UNIVERSITY IN AMERICA by Johnny Ryan, June 1st, 2001.
- Love to Chat? by Louie Schaffer, June 1st, 2001.
July 2001[]
- Turf Wars and Triads Lead to Power Vacuum at the Top by Walt Jefferson, July 1st, 2001.
- Leone: Like Father, Like Son? by Johnnie Blain, July 1st, 2001.
- Toni Cipriani: Loves His Momma's Sauce by Nicholas Morris, July 1st, 2001.
- Luigi Goterelli: "I'm a Night Club Owner, Not a Pimp!" by Paul Mill, July 1st, 2001.
- Killer Bees: Not a Threat In Liberty City! by Frederic Pierce, July 1st, 2001.
- Opera with Morgan Merryweather by Morgan Merryweather, July 1st, 2001.
August 2001[]
- Strange Tramps Seen All Over Liberty City by Irene Kelly, August 15th, 2001.
- Ambulance Drivers Threaten Industrial Dispute by Benjamin Mill, August 15th, 2001.
- Bayreuth Be Damned by Morgan Merryweather, August 15th, 2001.
- Internal Affairs Investigate Links Between Yakuza and Police by Clint Glen, August 15th, 2001.
- Francis International Airport a Center for Smuggling by Frederic Pierce, August 15th, 2001.
September 2001[]
- "I Love It Here!" An Interview With Donald Love by William Mazyck, September 6th, 2001.
- Internal Affairs Called In by Bob Jefferson, September 6th, 2001.
- Porter Tunnel Delayed (Again) by Ken Dellamonica, September 6th, 2001.
- Spank Menace Grows. No New Information. by E. Crume, September 6th, 2001.
- Cocks Stuff Beavers by Frederic Pierce, September 6th, 2001.
October 2001[]
- Another Punch in the Gut for Organized Crime by Peter Armstrong, October 18th 2001.
- Elderly Asian Man Held After Failing to Satisfy Immigration by Amy Salzburg, October 18th 2001.
- Have You Seen This Woman? by Kelly Sue DeConnick, October 18th 2001.
- Liberty Tree Wins Award. No New Information. by Adam Tedman, October 18th 2001.
- DOG BAN UPHELD by Gregory Lau, October 18th 2001.
- Ten Years For Love! by an unknown editor, October 22th 2001.[1] Published after Introduction.
Employees[]
Writers/Journalists
Gallery[]
The instruction manual of Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, fashioned as an October 1998 issue of the Liberty Tree newspaper.
Illegible "Not Ferry Good" news story related to the ferry strikes, found as litter in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.
Illegible "A Hole Too Far" news story related to the abandoned Fort Staunton Train Station in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, appearing during Bringing the House Down.
Logos[]
See Also[]
- Liberty Cock – another newspaper serving Liberty City.
References[]
- ↑ Grand Theft Auto III release date.