AAN News
Newsprint Prices Continue to Fallnew
Editor & Publisher |
07-09-2007 1:01 pm |
Industry News
The Riverfront Times 'Should Not Be in a Public Place,' Man Saysnew
"My son is almost an Eagle Scout and I took him to the library so he could do some research on birds," 60-year-old Richard Greathouse says. While at the library, he picked up a copy of the St. Louis alt-weekly, and didn't like what he saw. "They use the 'F' word in there ... They have a gal here who is naked with two hearts on the front advertising DVDs for $2.95," he says. "I'm trying to raise my children as Christians and they've got a lot of Christian people that go to that library." But despite Greathouse's complaint to the library's director, the Riverfront Times isn't going anywhere. "If we took everything out of the library that was not suitable for children or teenagers we would have a very small collection and we would have a lot of patrons very upset," library director Pam Klipsch says. The paper's editor, Tom Finkel, says he respects Greathouse's freedom of speech to criticize the paper, and wishes he'd respect theirs. "It's kind of ironic that in a country where we can say what we want, someone would want to muzzle a voice because he thinks it doesn't conform to what he thinks a proper publication is," Finkel says.
Jefferson County Journal |
06-27-2007 8:54 am |
Industry News
Farewell PortlAANd 2007, We Hardly Knew Yenew
Representing 90 AAN member papers and many non-members as well, 588 alties converged on Portland last weekend for a rousing 30th annual AAN Convention. There were senators, strip club tours, former US attorneys, marching bands, scores of informative sessions, and, of course, parties galore. If you missed it, or if you just want to relive your treasured memories, you can always head over to the first-ever official convention blog, which now features blog posts by convention attendees and AAN staff, as well as links to the many folks who wrote about the confab for their own papers or websites. If you've seen coverage we're missing, you can e-mail editor (at) aan.org.
PortlAANd 2007 |
06-22-2007 11:51 am |
Association News
Dallas Bans News Boxes in Parts of Citynew
Yesterday, the City Council unanimously approved an ordinance banning freestanding news boxes from the city center and surrounding neighborhoods, the Dallas Morning News reports. Existing news boxes will be replaced by eight-window modular newsracks and standardized news boxes. The cost for publishers to distribute in the newsracks will be $179 per year for each newsrack, according to the Morning News. Currently, publishers pay a $5 licensing fee per news box. Placement in the newsracks will be determined by lotteries. Dallas Observer publisher Stuart Folb was quick to criticize the ordinance, saying "an unlucky publisher could be eliminated from the marketplace." Folb also hinted at litigation against the city if this "results in unreasonable restrictions on a publisher's ability to distribute its newspaper."
Dallas Morning News (second item) |
06-21-2007 9:31 am |
Legal News
Tags: Circulation, Management
Former US Attorney David Iglesias: 'Loyalty Has Limits'
At Saturday's First Amendment Luncheon, the former federal prosecutor for New Mexico who helped sparked the scandal presently engulfing U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and the Bush Administration discussed loyalty, politics, and the Department of Justice (DOJ) with Santa Fe Reporter editor Julia Goldberg. "I'm still processing the damage that could be done to the rule of law [by the administration]," he said. Among other things, Iglesias also said that John Ashcroft's staff at the DOJ was older and more experienced than Gonzales', and that Gonzales led a shift in the department from "working for the people" to "working for the White House." We have three video clips available from the luncheon. Part one is embedded below; part two can be found here, and part three, here. MORE: Read bloggers' reactions to the Iglesias' speech at the convention blog.
PortlAANd 2007 |
06-20-2007 3:25 pm |
Association News
AAN Elects 11 Board Members
Stephen Leon (pictured), the editor and publisher of Metroland in Albany, N.Y., was elected President on Saturday during the association's annual meeting. Willamette Week editor Mark Zusman was elected Vice President, making him the heir apparent to the presidency. Six of the nine remaining board seats were filled by incumbents running unopposed.
(FULL STORY)
AAN News |
06-19-2007 6:06 pm |
Association News
Portland Photo Galleries Are Upnew
Now you can relive those convention moments forever, through the magic power of the internet. Check the PortlAANd 2007 photo collection on Flickr, currently the home of over 200 pictures from the convention. If you took photos, you can add them to the collection by e-mailing photos (at) aan.org.
PortlAANd 2007 |
06-19-2007 4:30 pm |
Association News
Five New Member Papers Admitted to AAN
AAN members considered the applications of 19 papers, but approved only Chattanooga Pulse, Metro Spirit, North Coast Journal, Urban Tulsa Weekly and Vue Weekly at the association's annual meeting on Saturday afternoon in Portland. The meeting included spirited debate over the applications of two Canadian papers, Calgary's Fast Forward Weekly and Edmonton's Vue, which -- like Urban Tulsa -- was forced to a second ballot before it was admitted.
(FULL STORY)
AAN News |
06-18-2007 4:56 am |
Association News
AAN Board Candidates Make Their Pitch
Elections for 11 positions on the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies' Board of Directors will be held Saturday, June 16, during the association's annual meeting in Portland. Nine incumbents and two new candidates have announced their intention to run. Read here to find out what they think the issues are and why they want to serve.
(FULL STORY)
AAN Staff |
06-13-2007 3:54 pm |
Association News
Verve Wireless Puts Portland In Your Palm
Sign up for wireless service two simple ways: Click here or text "Get AAN" to 21321 from your mobile device. Verve will send links to mobile versions of the AAN convention and Willamette Week websites. You'll get conference updates, schedule changes, daily poll questions and Portland trivia. Between sessions you can act like a local with Willamette Week's restaurant guide, event listings and more.
PortlAANd 2007 |
06-13-2007 11:24 am |
Association News
Portland Mercury Organizes 'Civic Clean-Up Squad'new
The Mercury caused quite a stir when they organized a freelance janitorial crew Friday evening to put an end to a Rose Parade tradition: the "reserved" seat. In the City of Roses, people tape off sidewalk spots up to a week in advance of the annual parade, and, according to KOIN-TV, some were even selling their spaces on Craigslist. "If you go to the DMV or the bank, you don't get to tape your spot off in advance and then come back the next day," the Mercury's Matt Davis explains. "It's ridiculous." But as a local TV news reporter says, some folks "really don't care for the idea of messing with tradition." One inexplicably frightened bystander tells KATU-TV that the Merc's peaceful group of tape-and-chalk exterminators had her a little rattled: "It is quite interesting; kind of scary. I was worried for a second what might happen."
Portland Mercury |
06-12-2007 11:40 am |
Industry News
The Big Evening Events: Booze! Food! Need We Say More?
Thursday night's opening reception at the Portland Art Museum: Mingle with other AAN-types while sipping Widmers, wine or 360 Vodka and munching on light hors d'oeuvres in the museum's outdoor sculpture garden. The big Rembrandt show is just a few steps away.
Friday's rooftop reception at Wieden + Kennedy: One of the world's top ad agencies will entertain conventioneers with Motown music and a transcendant view of the Pearl District, and AAN and Willamette Week will provide the drinks and light hors d'oeuvres.
Saturday’s "Dinner in the Sky" at Oregon Health & Science University's Kohler Pavillion: Take a streetcar to the Portland Aerial Tram, where a private car awaits convention delegates. During the three-minute ride that climbs 500 feet, you'll have birds' eye views of downtown Portland, the Willamette River and Mt. Hood. Up on top, you'll find a salmon dinner, with drinks and dessert.
Friday's rooftop reception at Wieden + Kennedy: One of the world's top ad agencies will entertain conventioneers with Motown music and a transcendant view of the Pearl District, and AAN and Willamette Week will provide the drinks and light hors d'oeuvres.
Saturday’s "Dinner in the Sky" at Oregon Health & Science University's Kohler Pavillion: Take a streetcar to the Portland Aerial Tram, where a private car awaits convention delegates. During the three-minute ride that climbs 500 feet, you'll have birds' eye views of downtown Portland, the Willamette River and Mt. Hood. Up on top, you'll find a salmon dinner, with drinks and dessert.
PortlAANd 2007 |
06-08-2007 11:04 am |
Association News
Sign Up For Twitter For Late-Breaking Convention News
Even the best-laid plans occasionally need tweaking, which is why AAN is using Twitter to send updates to convention attendees. (Wait, what's Twitter? You can read more about it at web.aan.org/twitter). We'll use it to send short text messages to mobile devices to remind folks about events or last-minute changes.
Just text "Follow Altweeklies" to 40404, and follow the instructions, or check our step-by-step pictorial on our community blog at Portland2007.AAN.org/twitter_help. If you already have a Twitter account, just add your mobile information to your account to receive updates. If you’d prefer to see the updates online only, you can check out our page, Twitter.com/AltWeeklies.
Just text "Follow Altweeklies" to 40404, and follow the instructions, or check our step-by-step pictorial on our community blog at Portland2007.AAN.org/twitter_help. If you already have a Twitter account, just add your mobile information to your account to receive updates. If you’d prefer to see the updates online only, you can check out our page, Twitter.com/AltWeeklies.
PortlAANd 2007 |
06-07-2007 4:21 pm |
Association News
While in Portland, DesertNet Will Help You Stay Connected
AAN knows a few conference attendees get a little anxious when separated from their papers. Are your writers meeting deadline? Did the cover image turn out the way you wanted? Are your ad reps making their numbers this week? Fear not, nervous nelly: DesertNet has channeled the power of the internet so you can check in with your staff whenever the urge hits. The Tucson-based web developers are sponsoring free wifi in the Hilton meeting rooms, and for those who like a little privacy with their email, the Hilton provides complementary hi-speed lines in each guest room.
PortlAANd 2007 |
06-07-2007 2:49 pm |
Association News
Citing 'Visual Blight,' Dallas Moves to Ban News Boxes in Parts of Citynew
Yesterday, the Dallas City Council agreed in principle to ban news boxes in a few neighborhoods and will vote on a measure June 20, the Dallas Morning News reports. The council would replace freestanding boxes with standardized modular units that hold up to eight publications each. In order to get placement in the communal racks, publications "would enter a city-sponsored lottery weighted toward daily publications and those with an established downtown presence," according to the Morning News. Dallas mayor and former Dallas Observer columnist Laura Miller supports the measure. "We've worked with the publishers on this for more than a year," she says. "We've talked it to death. It's time to do this."
Dallas Morning News |
06-07-2007 2:22 pm |
Industry News
Tags: Circulation, Management
