AAN News

Creative Loafing Writer Named Atlanta's 'Journalist of the Year'new

The Atlanta Press Club bestowed the honor on senior writer Mara Shalhoup at their annual gala last week. Shalhoup was cited in part for her three-part series on the rise of the Black Mafia Family, a cocaine-trafficking network with ties to a music label and violent crimes. "Since late 2004, my editor and I knew what an important story the Black Mafia Family's was," Shalhoup says. "Creative Loafing deserves a round of applause for its devotion to publishing the series." She will receive a $1,000 prize.
Creative Loafing (Atlanta) Press Release (PDF file)  |  05-08-2007  8:28 am  |  Honors & Achievements

Alt-Weeklies Win Three James Beard Awardsnew

City Pages' Dara Moskowitz was the big winner last night as the annual James Beard Foundation Media Awards were announced in New York. She took home first place prizes in two categories: Newspaper, Newsletter, or Magazine Columns and Newspaper Writing on Spirits, Wine, or Beer (which she shared with The Wall Street Journal's Eric Felten). The Cleveland Scene's Elaine Cicora placed first in the Newspaper Feature Writing Without Recipes category. This marks the second year in a row that Moskowitz has won a James Beard Award.
James Beard Foundation  |  05-07-2007  2:49 pm  |  Honors & Achievements

Boise Weekly Wins Two First-Place Awards from Idaho Press Associationnew

The alt-weekly received first-place honors for Shea Anderson's work in the political reporting category and for Nicholas Collias's work in the environmental reporting category. The Weekly also took home honors in several other categories, including headline writing and investigative reporting. The full list of Idaho Press Association winners can be found here (PDF file).
Boise Weekly  |  05-07-2007  2:13 pm  |  Honors & Achievements

How Does Portland Do it Differently?new

That's the question we're going to try to answer on Thursday, June 14, the opening day of the convention. In an AAN convention first, our hosts at Willamette Week have assembled a panel of lively and articulate local experts to discuss the region's unique approach to public-policy issues that have national resonance, including land-use planning, mass transit, assisted suicide, sustainable development and medical marijuana.
PortlAANd 2007  |  05-04-2007  4:42 pm  |  Association News

Ruh-Roh! Portland Hotel Filling Up Quickly

AAN's room block at the Portland Hilton has already sold out for the night of Wednesday, June 13. You can still reserve a room at the Hilton that evening, but you'll be asked to pay more than the convention rate of $129. (For the time being, the Hilton still has rooms available at the convention rate on June 14, 15 and 16.) For those on a tight budget, we've added a small block of rooms at $129 at the Paramount, a boutique hotel located less than two blocks from the Hilton. So if you are planning to arrive on June 13 and want to save a few dollars, call the Paramount Hotel at 503-223-9900.
PortlAANd 2007  |  05-03-2007  6:59 pm  |  Association News

Bob Norman & Village Voice Media Hit With Lawsuitnew

Former South Florida Sun-Sentinel writer Buddy Nevins has sued the New Times Broward-Palm Beach writer and VVM for defamation and invasion of privacy/false light, the Sun-Sentinel reports. Nevins claims that Norman falsely stated that he was forced out from the daily paper over a story that later had to be corrected. Nevins also alleges that Norman falsely claimed he had an "unholy alliance" with lobbyist Ali Waldman that "ruined" him as a reporter. "This may get interesting, but there is no joy in Pulpville tonight," Norman writes on his blog, the Daily Pulp. "I like Buddy and believe he's done awesome work in his career ... but I stand by my work and wish Buddy the best."
South Florida Sun-Sentinel  |  05-03-2007  2:16 pm  |  Legal News

2007 AltWeekly Awards Finalists Announced

The finalists include stories about a unitard-clad unicyclist, tuberculosis testing in prisons, and a cancer that may be caused by the implosion of the World Trade Center on 9/11. Other honorees that emerged from the 1,481 entries include a comic strip starring Republican strategist Ralph Reed and an illustrated guide for African-Americans to navigate DC's posh Georgetown neighborhood. L.A. Weekly and Style Weekly are the big winners this year, with the former setting a contest record with 13 winning entries. (FULL STORY)
AAN  |  05-03-2007  11:17 am  |  Association News

City Pages Responds to 'Best Of' Auctioneernew

Dan Lacey "thinks he is incredibly clever," writes Jonathan Kaminsky. As we reported yesterday, the man behind the Faithmouse blog has put his City Pages "Best Of" award up for auction on eBay, but lacking an actual certificate, he offered to draw one for the winner instead. Now City Pages is getting into the auction game. "If anyone wants the real deal, and not that phoney-baloney certificate that Lacey drew up in his spare time, I snatched it from our ad people before they got around to sending it out," Kaminsky says. "I've got it sitting right here at my desk, and I'm ready to talk turkey."
City Pages  |  05-03-2007  10:19 am  |  Industry News

Nineteen Papers Apply for AAN Membership

That's almost twice as many as last year, and the most since 2001, when 22 papers applied. This year's hopefuls are spread across 14 states and one Canadian province, and include many repeat applicants and several other papers with pre-existing connections to AAN. And in a new twist in the admissions process, AAN prepared a report that provides background information on the companies and individuals who hold ownership stakes in each paper. (FULL STORY)
AAN News  |  05-02-2007  3:27 pm  |  Association News

Coalition Applauds Reintroduction of Federal Shield Lawnew

The Free Flow of Information Act was introduced today in the House by U.S. Reps. Rick Boucher (D-VA), John Conyers (D-MI), Mike Pence (R-IN), Howard Coble (R-NC), Greg Walden (R-OR) and John Yarmuth (D-KY). A similarly bipartisan group of legislators will introduce an identical bill in the Senate. AAN is a member of an alliance of over 40 media companies and professional organizations that issued statements of support for the legislation. The bill would "establish important and balanced ground rules for compelled disclosure of sources and information from reporters," according to a press release issued by the Newspaper Association of America, which organized the coalition. Thirty-two states and the District of Columbia currently have shield laws in place.
Newspaper Association of America Press Release (PDF file)  |  05-02-2007  2:07 pm  |  Press Releases

Early Registration Deadline is Fridaynew

Be sure to register by Friday, May 4, to save $50 on registration rates for the Portland Convention. It's quick and easy to register online. Don't forget the registration bonuses for AAN member papers: Pay for two registrations and get one free; pay for a third and get one more for free. Our online system automatically calculates each paper's freebies.
AAN  |  05-02-2007  1:47 pm  |  Association News

Fewer Book Reviews in Print, More Onlinenew

The New York Times  |  05-02-2007  12:39 pm  |  Industry News

Seven Alt-Weekly Writers are Livingston Award Finalistsnew

Amy Biegelsen (Style Weekly), Sarah Fenske (Phoenix New Times), April Jimenez (Long Island Press), Jared Jacang Maher (Westword), Mara Shalhoup (Creative Loafing Atlanta), Todd Spivak (Houston Press) and Emily Witt (Miami New Times) are all up for the awards, given to three journalists under the age of 35. The winners, who each receive a $10,000 prize, will be announced June 5.
The Livingston Awards Press Release  |  05-01-2007  3:18 pm  |  Honors & Achievements

Why Aren't More Latinos Working at Alt-Weeklies?new

"Latino journalists unfortunately fall quickly to the lure of the supposed glory of a daily byline," reasons OC Weekly reporter and ¡Ask a Mexican! columnist Gustavo Arellano. He tells the Rocky Mountain Chronicle that many Latinos stay away from alt-weeklies' low pay and often controversial positions and opt for "the security of a daily." Even so, he says there are "very, very few Latino journalists in mainstream media." In the sprawling Q&A with Vanessa Martinez, Arellano also touches on his forthcoming ¡Ask a Mexican! book, right-wing talk radio, and getting kicked off MySpace.
Rocky Mountain Chronicle  |  04-30-2007  1:02 pm  |  Industry News

Supreme Court Will Not Hear Letter-to-the-editor Libel Casenew

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press  |  04-30-2007  8:45 am  |  Legal News

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