AAN News
The New York Press Celebrates 20 Yearsnew
"The New York Press' early years involved a lot of tough slogging, making pitches to recalcitrant advertisers (most of whom are out of business today), attracting writers for minimal fees and continually missing the deadline for our printer in the Meatpacking District," writes founder Russ Smith. "But mostly, we had a lot of fun." He talks about the history of the paper, the future of alt-weeklies, and how his conservative political commentary often got the paper -- which also ran pieces by liberal stalwarts Alexander Cockburn and David Corn -- mislabeled as a "Republican paper." As part of the cover package, the Press also published a timeline of notable events in the paper's history.
New York Press |
04-24-2008 2:50 pm |
Honors & Achievements
Metro Pulse Story Leads to Gay Athlete's Induction to Hall of Famenew
Jackie Walker, a Knoxville-area high school football star and all-American linebacker at Tennessee in 1970-71, will be posthumously inducted into the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame July 17. "The city and the university were reminded of his distinguished career last fall," the New York Times reports, after an article in Metro Pulse "introduced Walker to a new audience and asked a pointed question: Had his sexual orientation denied him Hall of Fame recognition?" Metro Pulse editor Coury Turczyn tells AAN News that the original piece, by Betty Bean, "most definitely put things in motion," adding that "several of the interview subjects were made aware of the issue in the process of being asked about it," including people "who nominate athletes for
various halls of fame." Read more on Walker's induction from Metro Pulse.
The New York Times | Metro Pulse |
04-24-2008 12:26 pm |
Industry News
L.A. Weekly Eliminates #2 Editor Positionnew
Deputy editor Joe Donnelly's position was cut by Village Voice Media, LA Observed reports. "I can tell you that Joe Donnelly was one of the reasons the L.A. Weekly has been so strong over the past few years," Weekly editor Laurie Ochoa says. "The good news is that Joe plans on doing a lot more writing, much of which we plan to publish. He's been the guiding force behind so many books through the years -- I think it's time he writes his own book." According to LA Observed, Donnelly will do just that -- he plans on writing a novel. Also, longtime copy editor Sheila Beaumont, who has worked at the paper for 26 years, has retired rather than make the commute to Culver City, where the Weekly is moving next week.
LA Observed |
04-24-2008 10:52 am |
Industry News
Boston's Weekly Dig Brings The Internet to Print
Boston's Weekly Dig Press Release |
04-24-2008 1:38 pm |
Press Releases
The Associated Press Taps Verve Wireless to Build Mobile News Network
Dig Communications Press Release |
04-24-2008 9:04 am |
Press Releases
Toronto Film Festival Taps Alt-Weekly Critic as Programmernew
Matthew Hays, who has been film critic for the Montreal Mirror since 1993, joins the programming staff of the Toronto International Film Festival as Canadian feature programmer, according to a press release.
Toronto International Film Festival Group Press Release |
04-23-2008 8:49 am |
Honors & Achievements
Cartoonist Jen Sorensen Releases New Book
The creator of the AltWeekly Award-winning comic strip "Slowpoke" has just released her latest book, Slowpoke: One Nation, Oh My God!, which collects her comics and commentary from the past four years. The book also features an introduction by Ruben Bolling, creator of "Tom the Dancing Bug." Sorensen is currently touring the West Coast to promote the book, and will hit the East Coast next month. This week she'll be in Berkeley and Portland -- check her site for details.
(FULL STORY)
Ig Publishing Press Release |
04-21-2008 9:21 am |
Press Releases
The Village Voice Gets Colorful This Spring
The Village Voice Press Release |
04-21-2008 10:47 am |
Press Releases
Bruce Spotleson Takes Over as Las Vegas Weekly Publishernew
He replaces Pat Kelly, publisher for the past six years, who "traded our local glitz for a beachcomber's life in Mexico," according to the Weekly. Spotleson, who helped launch the Weekly in 1998, has also worked on the editorial side within the New Times chain. There have been other moves in the paper's offices recently. Sales manager Nelson Oshita is now associate publisher, and the paper picked up two new staffers from Las Vegas Life: managing editor Ken Miller and associate editor T.R. Witcher.
Las Vegas Weekly |
04-18-2008 12:16 pm |
Industry News
SGI Recommends Steps to Ramp Up the Independent FOIA Ombudsman
The Sunshine in Government Initiative, of which AAN is a member, is today releasing recommendations for developing the independent Office of Government Information Services within the National Archives and Records Administration. The recommendations, which can be seen in full on the SGI website, focus on ways the Archives can effectively provide fair, authoritative mediation services as a way of giving the public an alternative to costly litigation to resolve FOIA disputes.
(FULL STORY)
Sunshine in Government Initiative Press Release |
04-18-2008 11:42 am |
Press Releases
Tags: Editorial, Management
Alt-Weeklies Honored by Fort Worth SPJ Chapter
AAN members took home a fair share of the honors last week in the First Amendment Awards competition sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists' Fort Worth pro chapter, winning a combined three first places among eight print categories in the Texas-Oklahoma contest. Fort Worth Weekly took first place in the Reporting on Open Government and student categories, while the Houston Press finished first in the Defending the Disadvantaged category. The Weekly also won an additional second-place award, and the Press took one more second- and third-place finish.
(FULL STORY)
Fort Worth Weekly Press Release |
04-18-2008 8:45 am |
Honors & Achievements
Circuit Court Affirms Immunity for Pure Third-Party Web Contentnew
Earlier this month, in Fair Housing Council of San Fernando Valley v. Roommates.com, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reaffirmed prior rulings that interpreted the Communications Decency Act as broadly immunizing website owners from liability based on content posted by third parties. However, the court introduced a new test to determine if a website is outside the scope of Section 230 immunity, according to Davis Wright Tremaine LLP. "Under the 9th Circuit's test, if a website 'materially contributes' to the allegedly illegal content, as opposed to providing 'neutral' tools for communicating information, it may forfeit its immunity," the law firm says. Applying this test, the court found that Roommates.com was in part a content provider, so it was not immune from claims under the federal Fair Housing Act and similar state laws that prohibit discriminatory housing practices. AAN joined an amicus brief in support of Roommates.com's position in the case. Here is the L.A. Times' report on the case.
Davis Wright Tremaine LLP |
04-17-2008 1:38 pm |
Legal News
Serialized Comic in The Coast Leads to Booknew
"Hall of Best Knowledge is several things rolled into one: a bizarre self-help book; an eccentric college text; a guide to life from the unlikeliest of guides. It's hard to categorize (typographical novel? graphic metafiction?), even harder to explain," the National Post reports. The book's creator, Halifax-based graphic designer and artist Ray Fenwick, says the book was originally serialized in the The Coast after being rejected by other newspapers. "They were able to look past its weirdness," he says. The book is available now from Fantagraphics.
The National Post |
04-17-2008 8:55 am |
Industry News
Report: Online Video Views Up 66 Percent from Last Yearnew
AP via the Washington Post |
04-17-2008 2:53 pm |
Industry News
Sophisticated Tracking of Web Video Gives Marketers a New Edgenew
The Washington Post |
04-17-2008 2:52 pm |
Industry News
