AAN News
Think of it as Kinda Like AAN East
A new twist this year: The final day of the convention will feature sales training seminars for beginning- and intermediate-level sales staff that will be accessible under a separate, less-expensive registration schedule. The idea is to provide regional training for papers in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions who would have sent sales staff to AAN East, which was canceled this year. We've lined up two highly regarded professional speakers -- Rita Bailey and Dianne Ciotta -- to provide the training. This special program is $125 for AAN members and $200 for non-members (until May 16) and the separate registration includes access to the Bailey and Ciotta sessions, as well as the convention parties on Friday and Saturday. Fully registered convention registrants will also be allowed to attend these special sales-training seminars.
AAN |
04-03-2008 7:03 pm |
Association News
Convention Website Open for Business
This year's AAN Convention heads back to the East Coast --
Philadelphia, to be exact. The Declaration of IndependAANts, the
association's 31st annual convention, will be hosted by the
Philadelphia City Paper from June 5-7 at the Pennsylvania Convention
Center. As always, AAN has lined up a mix of special speakers,
brass-tacks programming, and plenty of food, drink and revelry. New
Yorker reporter and Pulitzer Prize winner Seymour Hersh (pictured) is the
featured speaker at Friday's First Amendment Lunch, while OC Weekly
staffer and "Ask a Mexican!" columnist Gustavo Arellano will host
Saturday's AltWeekly Awards Lunch. The convention website -- where
you'll find registration information, event schedules, and programming
details -- is now live and accepting registrations. Be sure to register
before May 2 to get discounted rates.
(FULL STORY)
AAN |
03-27-2008 5:51 pm |
Association News
Santa Barbara Independent Wins AAN CAN Contest
Doug Elder and Robby Robbins have been named the winners of the AAN CAN European Dream Trip contest, which ended on Friday. As the sales rep and sales manager who generated the most new business between Oct. 11, 2007 and March 21, they will each be awarded a 10-day trip for two that includes round-trip airfare and accommodations for three nights each in London, Paris and Rome. Elder and Robbins ended up with a final tally of $19,928, placing well ahead of the runner-up, John DeMartino of the Independent Weekly, who finished with $2,888.
AAN |
03-24-2008 11:16 am |
Association News
Google's Search-Within-Search Feature Alarms Some Publishersnew
The New York Times |
03-24-2008 2:25 pm |
Industry News
Major Media Companies Keep Forming Ad Networks to Fight Portalsnew
The Associated Press via Editor & Publisher |
03-24-2008 1:44 pm |
Industry News
State of the News Media: Mixed Forecast for Alt-Weekliesnew
The annual report issued by the Project for Excellence in Journalism finds the alt-weekly industry still struggling with an aging readership, stalled circulation, and increased competition, especially online. However, the report notes that the overall reader migration from print to web might eventually benefit alt-weeklies, since online is "a platform well suited for a sector that specializes in niche, intensely local content." Also noted: small and mid-market papers are seeing the most growth in revenue; and alt-weekly readers are "perfect" media users, with "a tendency to be avid consumers of other media, more so than the public overall."
The Project for Excellence in Journalism |
03-18-2008 11:50 am |
Industry News
Federal Court Says Craigslist Isn't Subject to Fair Housing Lawsnew
A federal appeals court ruled Friday that Craigslist should not be held liable for discriminatory housing ads posted on the site, the Associated Press reports. The decision upholds a Nov. 2006 ruling by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Eastern Division, which ruled that Craigslist serves as an intermediary party, not a publisher, and that the federal Communications Decency Act protects sites that allow users to post unedited messages and communicate freely in forums.
The Associated Press via the San Francisco Chronicle |
03-18-2008 9:12 am |
Legal News
AAN Hires New Director of Sales and Marketing
Rick Mundy has joined the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies as director of sales and marketing. He has a more than a decade of experience in newspapers, in sales, marketing, and publishing at various community newspapers, and also as federation manager at the Newspaper Association of America. Mundy's immediate focus will be on revitalizing the AAN CAN classified program. His first day on staff was March 4.
(FULL STORY)
AAN |
03-12-2008 8:56 am |
Association News
More on the Bay Guardian/VVM Verdict
"There's more to the Bay Guardian-VVM fight than ill will and purple prose," writes Boston Phoenix media reporter Adam Reilly. "The two sides have predictably divergent takes on the merits of the outcome. But they agree that its legal ramifications go far beyond the Bay Area and the alt-weekly universe." Guardian publisher and editor Bruce Brugmann tells the Phoenix that the suit sets an example for small businesses everywhere. "Everyone can use our suit as a model and template for any big chain that's coming in and trying to predatory-price them," he says. But SF Weekly attorney Jim Wagstaffe thinks that if the judge grants the Guardian's request for an injunction for the Weekly to stop all below-cost sales as the case winds its way through the courts, "the result here could dramatically harm consumers. If every one of [a publication's] ad sales is scrutinized to make sure it's not, quote-unquote, too low, then what'll happen is, publications will raise their prices to avoid getting sued." The Guardian notes that interest will accrue on the judgment at a rate of 10 percent a year. "That means the Weekly and VVM will be paying $4,000 a day in interest for as long as they seek to dispute and appeal the jury decision," the Guardian reports.
Boston Phoenix | San Francisco Bay Guardian |
03-12-2008 8:35 am |
Industry News
Traditional Media Lag Far Behind Web Companies in Data Collectionnew
The New York Times had the research firm comScore conduct an analysis of the amount of consumer data that is transmitted to internet companies, and finds magazine and newspaper publishers comparatively collect very little, making them "increasingly at a disadvantage when they compete for ad dollars" online. "Some advertising executives say media companies will have little choice but to outsource their ad sales to companies like Microsoft and Yahoo to benefit from their data," the Times reports.
The New York Times |
03-10-2008 12:32 pm |
Industry News
Reaction Pours in to Verdict in Bay Guardian/VVM Trial
A number of stories and blog posts have come out since a jury ruled in favor of the Bay Guardian in its predatory pricing suit against SF Weekly and Village Voice Media yesterday. Here are some:
- The Associated Press via the San Jose Mercury News: "SF Weekly Ordered to Pay Rival $15M for Predatory Pricing Ads"
- East Bay Express: "Guardian Wins $15 Million, Express Not Affected"
- Editor & Publisher: "Bay Guardian Awarded $15.6 Million In Lawsuit"
- The Georgia Straight: "SF Guardian Wins 'David and Goliath' Suit Over Village Voice Media's SF Weekly"
- San Francisco Chronicle: "Bay Guardian Wins Suit with SF Weekly"
- SF Weekly: "Ka-Ching!"
- SF Weekly: "Who You Callin' Guilty?"
AAN |
03-06-2008 9:47 am |
Industry News
Jury Rules in Favor of Bay Guardian in Suit Against VVM
The jurors handed down their decision in the Guardian's predatory pricing suit against SF Weekly and Village Voice Media today, awarding the Guardian more than $6.39 million in damages. Under California law, part of that verdict is subject to treble damages, bringing the total award to $15.6 million. The Weekly has indicated that it will appeal the decision. Read VVM's statement on the verdict here. The Guardian has a story on the verdict here.
SF Weekly | San Francisco Bay Guardian |
03-05-2008 5:30 pm |
Industry News
Jury Still Deliberating in Bay Guardian/VVM Trial
The 12 jurors will reconvene to consider the case this morning. For more, check the most recent blog posts from the SF Weekly and the Bay Guardian.
SF Weekly | San Francisco Bay Guardian |
03-04-2008 8:28 am |
Industry News
Orlando Weekly Publishes Details of MBI Investigationnew
A new 4,000-word Weekly story examines the inner workings of the "crusade" the Metropolitan Bureau of Investigation (MBI) went on against the paper and the spin the agency used to claim victory in the settlement reached last week. "How Orlando's morality police went from fangs bared to tail between their legs is an old story, one the Weekly has written extensively," the paper reports. The Weekly wrote critical stories that embarrassed the MBI and believes it was likely targeted because of them. "The MBI came after the paper with charges serious enough to put it out of business. The charges were dropped and the case was settled out of court," the Weekly reports. "You decide who won."
Orlando Weekly |
03-03-2008 12:53 pm |
Industry News
Bay Guardian/VVM Trial Goes to the Jurynew
The jury began deliberations on Friday and will resume this morning. Both the SF Weekly and the San Francisco Bay Guardian need nine of the 12 jurors to take their side in order to win the case. "Much like two candidates in the final days before an election, attacks from both sides are getting increasingly personal as a verdict nears," the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The daily says the trial has brought to light financial data that call into question whether the city can support two alt-weeklies at "a time when newspapers are consolidating to stay alive." Local blogger Randy Shaw agrees.
"Maybe the San Francisco market can't support two alternative weeklies," he says. "It's likely, after the outcome of this court case, there might only be one left standing." For the most recent coverage, check out the trial blogs from the Guardian and the Weekly.
San Francisco Chronicle | SF Bay Guardian | SF Weekly |
03-03-2008 8:26 am |
Industry News
