AAN News
Creative Loafing (Sarasota) Names New Editor
Creative Loafing has named Jonathan Maziarz as editor of the Sarasota edition. He succeeds Max Linsky, who has been named manager and online editor for Creative Loafing's corporate office. "With nearly 500 columns under his belt, Maziarz has edited newspapers in the mountains of Colorado, the shores of Lake Tahoe and, most recently, on the coast of Georgia," according to a press release. "I admire the Creative Loafing philosophy of providing a serious alternative to the mainstream media, mixing a strong sense of community with an independent spirit and a sense of humor," Maziarz says in the release. "I am ready to bring my experience, leadership and enthusiasm to the CL team."
(FULL STORY)
Creative Loafing Media Press Release |
05-13-2008 11:54 am |
Press Releases
Alt-Weekly Scribe's Work on Mental Illness is Part of Growing Trendnew
The New York Times this weekend explored the movement of "mad pride," which entails people publicly speaking frankly about their experiences with mental illness. The Times noted that Philadelphia Weekly senior contributing editor Liz Spikol, who chronicles her struggles with bipolar disorder for the paper in her column and on her blog, is a leading and prominent voice in this area. Spikol says she's "so excited" to be in the article -- and so is her mom. "Imagine my mom seeing the link on Mother's Day, and keep in mind, we are a Jewish family," she writes. "We ran to WaWa to get a copy of the paper because, for some reason, I wouldn't believe it was 'real' until I saw the print edition." The Times also traces the origins of the prominent online forum and support network The Icarus Project to the alt-weekly world -- it began six years ago when "one of its founders ... wrote about his bipolar disorder in the San Francisco Bay Guardian."
The New York Times |
05-13-2008 10:16 am |
Industry News
Pittsburgh City Paper Wins Western PA Press Club Awardsnew
The City Paper took home 10 2008 Golden Quill Awards, which were announced at a reception last night. The alt-weekly finished first in five categories -- Business reporting, Criticism, Cultural reporting, Enterprise/Investigative, and Sports -- and was also a finalist in five categories. The competition "recognizes professional excellence in written, photographic, broadcast and online journalism in Western Pennsylvania."
Press Club of Western Pennsylvania Press Release (PDF file) |
05-13-2008 8:49 am |
Honors & Achievements
Judge Says She'll Raise Damages Award in SF Weekly/Bay Guardian Casenew
Judge Marla Miller of San Francisco Superior Court said Friday she's inclined to boost a jury's damages award against the Weekly from $6.3 million to $15.6 million, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Miller, in what she described as a tentative decision, said she would triple the portion of the damages that equals one year of losses, bringing the total to $15.6 million. She also said she'll likely issue an injunction barring the Weekly from continuing to sell ads below cost. She is expected to make a final ruling this week. The Weekly says it will appeal. Read more from the Bay Guardian and the Weekly.
San Francisco Chronicle |
05-12-2008 10:41 am |
Industry News
David Carr Weighs in On Phoenix New Times Arrests and Lawsuitnew
"Reporters have ended up in handcuffs in the United States before -- some have gone to jail to protect the identity of sources -- but it is a rare moment when someone here is imprisoned for the crime of typing," Carr writes in today's New York Times. He details how the tumultuous relationship between New Times and Sheriff Joe Arpaio ultimately led to the arrest of the paper's founders last year for disclosing a grand jury probe of the paper and its readers. Jim Larkin and Michael Lacey recently sued the sheriff and other officials for the debacle. "Suing people is not the core of what we do, but our arrest was just the culmination of an ongoing reign of terror that is still continuing," Lacey says.
The New York Times |
05-12-2008 9:46 am |
Industry News
Alt-Weekly Photographer: I Was Assaulted While Shooting Concertnew
Freelance photographer Nichole Torpea says she was snapping photos for Riverfront Times at a My Chemical Romance concert in St. Louis on Saturday when she was assaulted by a member of the band's security team. According to Torpea, she was taking pictures in the balcony when a man grabbed her arm, led her through a door to a stairwell and forced her to the ground. "I had no idea what was going on," she says. "He had no ID and wouldn't tell me who he was. He kept saying, 'You know what you did. Give me the fucking camera.'" He took her camera, but returned it a few minutes later after deleting all the images on the memory card. When the band learned about the incident, they offered to make amends by flying Torpea and her boyfriend to their show tonight at New York's Madison Square Garden. She initially had some misgivings about the offer but ultimately decided to let bygones be bygones. "Last weekend was pretty crappy," she says. "So if they're going to make it up to me with a good weekend, I can't complain."
Riverfront Times |
05-09-2008 12:40 pm |
Industry News
Random Lengths News Publisher Named 'Peacemaker of the Year'
The local peace group San Pedro Neighbors for Peace & Justice has named James Preston Allen 2008 Peacemaker of the Year "in recognition of the consistent coverage by his paper of the peace community, for his critical editorials and for the newspaper's hard hitting exposes of the lies and war profiteering of the war on Iraq and Afghanistan," according to a press release.
(FULL STORY)
San Pedro Neighbors for Peace & Justice Press Release |
05-09-2008 12:21 pm |
Honors & Achievements
Philly 2008: Gourmet Food, Historic Surroundings and Great Music
Philadelphia City Paper today announced the details of the evening
festivities at this year's AAN Convention, and, as always, there will
be plenty to ingest, imbibe and experience as attendees catch up with their
AAN colleagues. From the opening night "Get on Board the Love Train" reception, featuring food from some of Philly's most well-regarded restaurants, to a closing night party across the street from where the U.S. Constitution was drafted, City Paper has our party needs covered. Other events include a restaurant and pub crawl through the hip environs of an historic neighborhood known as Northern Liberties, and a Saturday afterparty for about 75 attendees at The Roots Family Picnic. More afterparties are in the works -- be sure to check the Convention website for details.
(FULL STORY)
AAN |
05-08-2008 3:51 pm |
Association News
Gustavo Arellano Honored by California's Latino Legislative Caucusnew
On Monday, the OC Weekly staffer and ¡Ask a Mexican! author received a Latino Spirit Award from the caucus. The award honors Latinos who have made a positive contribution to the state. "Why did I receive the award? Blame Hector de la Torre," Arellano says of the assemblyman who nominated him for the honor. At the ceremony, de la Torre "read some questions to and answers from The Mexican," according to Sacramento News & Review editor Matt Coker's report. "In an attempt to show the column is not frivilous [sic], de la Torre gave an example of the historial research that goes into Arellano's answers," using a column on "gringos vs. gabachos" as an example.
OC Weekly | Sacramento News & Review |
05-08-2008 1:10 pm |
Honors & Achievements
Convention Early Registration and Hotel Deadlines Approaching
This Friday, May 9, is the deadline for early registration for the 31st Annual AAN Convention, June 5-7 in Philadelphia. Early rates are $295 per person for members, and $425 per person for non-members, and each will increase by $50 per person after this Friday's deadline. Registration is available via the Convention website. Next Friday, May 16, is the deadline to book a room at the special AAN rate of $169 single or double occupancy at the Marriott. Hotel rooms can also be booked online. Remember that the hotel could sell out before May 16, so book your room(s) as soon as possible. In addition, this Friday is the deadline for trade show exhibitors to receive a confirmed listing in the convention program. If you have any questions about your listing, or the trade show in general, please contact Debra Silvestrin at debra (at) aan.org or 202-289-8484.
AAN |
05-07-2008 2:25 pm |
Association News
New Times Broward-Palm Beach Editor Heads Back to Alaska
Robert Meyerowitz tells AAN News that he's leaving the paper on May 9. He's been editor since last April, when he took over for Tony Ortega, who left to edit The Village Voice. Meyerowitz, who came to New Times from the Anchorage Press, and has also edited the Honolulu Weekly, has been named the Snedden professor of journalism at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks for the 2008-09 academic year.
AAN News |
05-07-2008 2:06 pm |
Industry News
Boston's Alt-Weeklies Draw Heavily from Boston University Studentsnew
Both the Boston Phoenix and Boston's Weekly Dig have been "a springboard" for journalists from the university, BU Daily reports. Among the alums on the Beantown alt-weekly scene are Phoenix founder Stephen Mindich and senior managing editor Clif Garboden; Dig art director Tak Toyoshima and staff writer Chris Faraone; and countless others, including former Phoenix reporter Kristen Lombardi, who broke the story of Cardinal Bernard Law's protection of pedophile priests, and former Phoenix media critic Mark Jurkowitz, who is
currently the associate director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism. "[BU] is a great resource for us," says Dig publisher Jeff Lawrence. "These kids come out with great energy and a sense that they want to do something different."
BU Today |
05-07-2008 10:36 am |
Industry News
Nashville Scene Editor to Step Downnew
Liz Garrigan says in a blog post that she'll be leaving the paper at the end of June to become editorial director of Magellan Media, an umbrella company of book imprints and (non-newspaper) publishing enterprises. "I'm attempting something pretty rare in journalism these days: a chance to make an exit while I'm still having an enormous amount of fun," she writes. "It might be a bit anticlimactic, but this is not a protest resignation, a corporate cost-cutting measure or a veiled firing." She says she hopes to continue contributing to the Scene, but "after 12 years at one place -- as political writer, news editor, associate editor, then editor -- it's time for this root-bound journalist to repot herself."
Nashville Scene |
05-07-2008 8:40 am |
Industry News
Alt-Weeklies Well-Represented in Green Eyeshade Award Finalistsnew
In the non-daily print division, AAN members comprise 16 of the 30 finalists in the Society of Professional Journalists' Green Eyeshade Awards, which "recognizes outstanding journalism in 11 southeastern states." The Memphis Flyer and Miami New Times each has six finalists, New Times Broward-Palm Beach has two, and the Independent Weekly and Mountain XPress each has one.
Society of Professional Journalists (PDF file) |
05-06-2008 9:07 am |
Honors & Achievements
Boise Weekly Nabs Idaho Journalism Honors
The Weekly took home eight Idaho Press Club awards, including first-place finishes in four categories: Environment Reporting, Light Feature, Political Reporting, and Serious Feature. "The awards received by Idaho Press Club support our belief and efforts to be the best newspaper in Idaho," owner/publisher Sally
Freeman says in a statement.
(FULL STORY)
Boise Weekly Press Release |
05-05-2008 1:37 pm |
Press Releases
