AAN News

Group of Alt-Weekly Vets to Buy East Bay Express

In a press release issued this afternoon, Village Voice Media says it is selling its Emeryville-based paper to an investment group led by current editor Stephen Buel, AAN veteran Hal Brody, and Express co-founder Kelly Vance. Monterey County Weekly founder and CEO Bradley Zeve is also one of the investors. Brody, who owned Pitch Weekly in Kansas City until he sold it to New Times in 1999, will take over as publisher. The Express, which was founded in 1978, has been owned by New Times/VVM since 2001. "It's great that Hal and Steve will be taking over the Express," VVM chief executive officer Jim Larkin says. "They are amazingly talented people who will devote themselves to continuing the paper's excellence." Editing the Express "is the best job I've ever had," Buel says. "It will be an honor to build upon the legacies left by the founders and Village Voice Media." (FULL STORY)
Village Voice Media Press Release  |  05-17-2007  5:09 pm  |  Press Releases

Huffington, Taibbi and Hamsher to Talk Politics in Portlandnew

That's Arianna Huffington (pictured) of Huffington Post and NPR, Matt Taibbi of Rolling Stone, and Jane Hamsher of firedoglake.com. They'll share ideas about national and local election coverage in a Friday afternoon panel at this year's convention. The panel will be moderated by Willamette Week editor Mark Zusman.
PortlAANd 2007  |  05-17-2007  11:40 am  |  Association News

Looking for Some Web Training?new

We'll have it for you next month in Portland, where there will be at least a dozen different Web-focused presentations and panels, from an eyetracking seminar by a representative of Poynter Institute to sessions on web metrics and analytics, and online real estate marketing.
PortlAANd 2007  |  05-16-2007  12:11 am  |  Association News

Popular Consultant to Address Alt-Weekly Management Challenges

Given their unique organizational cultures, hiring and retaining staff at AAN papers presents a distinct set of challenges. Laura Dell, who serves as a management consultant for several alt-weeklies, understands what's at stake as well as anyone. Following several highly rated presentations at the last two AAN conventions, Dell returns for an double encore this year in Portland. She'll help publishers and senior managers hire the right people ("Smart Hiring: Attracting and Capturing the Best"), and she'll work with editors to increase staff motivation and productivity ("Talent Management: Directing and Energizing Editorial Staff").
PortlAANd 2007  |  05-14-2007  5:58 pm  |  Association News

Keith Olbermann Presented With First Annual Molly Ivins Award

At a midday reception in New York last Wednesday, Olbermann accepted the award from AAN president and Memphis Flyer publisher Ken Neill. Olbermann spoke of the crucial role that alt-weeklies played post-9/11 as "the way out of the maze" of suspended disbelief; of the continuing importance to think and question what those in power do and say; and of his foray into the realm of political reporting and commentary. (FULL STORY)
AAN News  |  05-14-2007  10:52 am  |  Association News

AAN President Ken Neill's Remarks in Presenting the Molly Ivins Award

This was the introduction given by AAN president Ken Neill as he awarded Keith Olbermann the first annual Molly Ivins Award on Wednesday, May 9, 2007. (FULL STORY)
AAN  |  05-14-2007  10:50 am  |  Association News

Borrell: Auto Ad Slide to Continuenew

Editor & Publisher  |  05-14-2007  9:23 am  |  Industry News

Don't Know the Difference Between ROI, RoAS, CPM, and CPA?new

If you've been drowning in the alphabet soup of web metrics and analytics, have we got a lifeboat for you! Executives from the Overland Agency -- one of Portland's leading brand marketing and interactive advertising agencies -- will teach AAN convention attendees how to talk "letters" and "numbers" with online media planners/buyers, as well as how to align their presentations with advertisers' objectives.
PortlAANd 2007  |  05-11-2007  4:15 pm  |  Association News

Facebook to Offer Free Classifiedsnew

New York Times  |  05-11-2007  11:20 am  |  Industry News

Talking 'bout Food in Portlandnew

That's what we'll be doing in the editorial stream on the opening day of the convention, when Pulitzer winner Jonathan Gold joins a panel of AAN editors to chew over the best ways to write about food and cover the restaurant industry. Also on the panel's menu: reader reviews and restaurant blogs. Two days later, panel moderator Kelly Clarke, arts & culture editor at Willamette Week, will lead a morning stroll through Portland's bustling, delicious Farmers Market, where AAN foodies can graze on gratis samples from some of Oregon's finest farmers, cheesemakers, bread bakers and sweets makers.
PortlAANd 2007  |  05-10-2007  7:03 pm  |  Association News

AAN Presents First Annual Molly Ivins Award to Keith Olbermann

The award recognizes a journalist or media figure whose reporting or commentary has had a profound impact on the public's understanding of vital national issues. It will be presented to the Countdown host in a ceremony to be held this afternoon in New York City. "I'm utterly honored," said Olbermann, "largely because I'd still like to be Molly Ivins when I grow up." To recognize Olbermann's achievement, AAN will donate $2,000 in his name to the Molly Ivins Fund for Investigative Reporting at the Texas Observer, where the Ivins served as co-editor from 1970 to 1976. (FULL STORY)
AAN  |  05-09-2007  8:53 am  |  Association News

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