AAN News
Boise Weekly Sends Reporter to Cubanew
"We've never sent a reporter to Idaho Falls, much less Havana," Weekly editor Shea Andersen tells the Idaho Press-Tribune. But last week, when Idaho Gov. Butch Otter and his trade mission group traveled to Cuba, they were accompanied by Nathaniel Hoffman, who is reporting on the trip and on Cuban life for the Weekly. Access was arranged "using nothing more magic than a letter to the Cuban government requesting a visa," according to New West Boise. A spokesperson for Gov. Otter says they "were amazed" that Hoffman's visa was approved. "We were told that the Cubans were not allowing reporters in," Jon Hanian says. "They turned down over 2,000 requests, including Barbara Walters'."
The Idaho Press-Tribune |
04-16-2007 1:46 pm |
Industry News
Los Angeles CityBeat Editor's Book Named a 'Michigan Notable Book'new
Dean Kuipers' Burning Rainbow Farm: How a Stoner Utopia Went Up in Smoke was selected as one of the 20 most notable books about Michigan from 300 nominees. Published in June 2006, the book examines the lives of Michigan marijuana activists Tom Crosslin and Rolland Rohm, who were shot and killed by the FBI and state police during a standoff at their 34-acre campground in the fall of 2001. Kuipers, a Michigan native, tells the Dowagiac Daily News that national interest in his book remains strong, and a movie deal could be in the cards.
Dowagiac Daily News |
04-16-2007 12:51 pm |
Industry News
Alt-Weeklies Take Home SPJ Awards in Texasnew
The Fort Worth Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists presented a total of seven First Amendment awards to Fort Worth Weekly and the Houston Press last week, the Houston Chronicle reports. The Weekly won a first-place award in the "Student" category for their collaborative effort with students on excessive use of Tasers by law enforcement. In addition, the Weekly won two second-place and one third-place awards, while the Houston Press won two third-place and one second-place award.
Houston Chronicle |
04-16-2007 8:44 am |
Honors & Achievements
Steve Monaco's Couch Pundit Blog Returns to City Pages
City Pages is proud to announce the return of Steve Monaco and the Couch Pundit blog
(FULL STORY)
City Pages Press Release |
04-16-2007 2:30 pm |
Press Releases
'The Donald' Unseats Gilbert Gottfried as 'Unsexiest Man'new
This year, Donald Trump tops the list of the 100 unsexiest men in the world compiled by the Boston Phoenix. As "unsexiest," Trump has been proclaimed the winner of the Golden Gilbert, the trophy named in honor of last year's winner Gilbert Gottfried. The Phoenix says Trump "was the clear winner because he is both an ugly person and an unattractive man -- the worst of both worlds!" As an "honorary member of the rodded gender, thanks to a conspicuous Adam's apple and complementary set of brass balls," Ann Coulter placed 80th, four behind the Phoenix's male editorial staff.
The Columbus Dispatch |
04-13-2007 5:18 pm |
Industry News
Former LA Weekly Books & Restaurants Editor to Run Tribune's New Entertainment Sitenew
Deborah Vankin will be the editor of LA Metromix, a self-described "local entertainment site aimed at 18-to-34-year-olds" set to launch in June, according to LA Observed. She was most recently a senior editor at Variety. In addition, frequent Weekly freelancer Alie Ward will oversee the new website's events coverage. The Tribune Co. already operates Metromix sites in other cities where it owns dailies, like Chicago and Baltimore.
LA Observed |
04-13-2007 3:29 pm |
Industry News
Tags: Editorial, Management
Former Alt-Weekly Writer Named Congressman's Communication Director
Last we heard from John Spragens, it was April 2006 and he was departing the Nashville Scene a jobless man. Now he's been named the communications director for Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN). Reached by AAN News, Spragens suggests a headline: "Alt-weekly writer sells soul, wears suits from time to time." On a more serious note, he thinks his "transition from the Scene to D.C. really says something about the paper's important role in Nashville. I've never seen an alt-weekly with such a respected voice in the community, and I learned a lot -- and had a great time -- working there."
(FULL STORY)
The Office of U.S. Congressman Jim Cooper Press Release |
04-13-2007 1:42 pm |
Industry News
Tags: Editorial, Management
Portland Through the Eyes of the New York Timesnew
Willamette Week is understandably biased
on the issue. So if you aren't sure yet whether you're attending this year's AAN convention (or you simply want to use the Time's new double-click dictionary to look up words like "chic," "funky," "spritely," and "unneurotic"), here's 36 Hours in Portland, Ore., with the Gray Lady.
New York Times |
04-13-2007 12:49 pm |
Industry News
The Stranger's Blog is Seattle's 'Big One'new
In an overview of the Seattle blogosphere's best and brightest, the Post-Intelligencer says the Slog -- the "chatty little sister to The Stranger" -- is one of the city's most popular blogs. The key to the Slog's success? "The diversity of topics and seemingly incessant posting ... gets readers checking back," the P-I says, citing the blog's 725,000 page views in March and 3,000 RSS subscribers.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer |
04-13-2007 8:00 am |
Industry News
NUVO Offers Kurt Vonnegut Package for AAN Members
As news spread of the literary icon's death, NUVO was busy getting together a package for alt-weeklies to run to celebrate the Indianapolis-born author's life. All three pieces were written by A&E editor David Hoppe, who knew Vonnegut well, and are available via AltWeeklies.com (where editors can also find pricing information):
- "Kurt Vonnegut: The Exit Interview" -- a 2,000-word interview conducted Feb. 2007 (published April 12, 2007)
- "Kurt Vonnegut, 1922-2007" -- a 800-word obituary (published April 12, 2007)
- "Kurt Vonnegut Talks About Our Screwed Up World" -- a 1,400-word interview conducted Sept. 2005 (published Sept. 28, 2005)
AAN Staff |
04-12-2007 5:40 pm |
Association News
Ward Sutton Retires 'Sutton Impact' Comic Stripnew
The Minneapolis native is telling his clients the strip will be discontinued after next week's edition, City Pages reports. The weekly cartoon began in 1995 as "Schlock 'n' Roll" and now runs in many AAN papers. "Sutton denies this is the end of his political cartooning career," Corey Anderson writes. "But after nine years, it will be a much-needed break from weekly deadlines."
City Pages |
04-12-2007 2:20 pm |
Industry News
FOIA Reform Bill Approved by Senate Judiciary Committee
The OPEN Government Act will now head to the full Senate for debate, according to a statement released today by the Sunshine in Government Initiative, a coalition of media groups that includes AAN and has promoted FOIA reform since 2005. Last month, the House of Representatives passed a similar bill by an overwhelming margin. Both bills would restore meaningful deadlines for government agencies; require agencies to create hotlines and tracking systems for requests; create an ombudsman to resolve disputes and avoid litigation; ease the recovery of legal fees if a requester is forced to sue; and penalize agencies for delays. AAN members are encouraged to contact their senators to voice support for the bill.
(FULL STORY)
Sunshine in Government Initiative Press Release |
04-12-2007 1:50 pm |
Legal News
Tags: Editorial, Management
Creative Loafing (Charlotte) Celebrates 20th Anniversarynew
"Hey, this is cool," Matt Brunson remembers thinking when he was offered the opportunity to write for the alt-weekly in 1988. "I'll be able to earn a couple of extra bucks before this paper folds within the year." Twenty years later, he's Creative Loafing's associate editor and A&E editor. "When this paper started, hardly any of us really knew what we were doing," writes former editor-in-chief John Grooms. "It was [Creative Loafing's] first expansion into another city, and the nuts and bolts of how to do it, more often than not, were up in the air." He says the paper has succeeded because it's "been a source of good writing and quality information, speaking to the reader directly and urging readers to talk back as loudly as they want."
Creative Loafing (Charlotte) |
04-12-2007 10:26 am |
Industry News
The Georgia Straight is a Finalist for Canadian Investigative Awardnew
Jared Ferrie's September story about the Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka has been named a finalist in the Canadian Association of Journalists' annual awards for outstanding
investigative journalism. Winners will be announced May 26.
Canadian Association of Journalists Press Release |
04-12-2007 8:15 am |
Honors & Achievements
Sen. Feinstein Resigns from Subcommittee After Alt-Weekly Exposenew
In January, Metro Silicon Valley and North Bay Bohemian reported that Sen. Dianne Feinstein's husband Richard C. Blum was a major beneficiary of contracts from the Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee (MILCON) that she chaired. Last month, Feinstein quietly left the subcommittee after six years of service. "Perhaps she resigned from MILCON because she could not take the heat generated by Metro's expose of her ethics," reporter Peter Byrne speculates. "Or was her work on the subcommittee finished because Blum divested ownership of his military construction and advanced weapons manufacturing firms in late 2005?" Whatever the explanation, Feinstein's resignation caused a stir amongst a number of right-wing pundits, who claim liberal media bias is keeping the story out of the mainstream media. UPDATE: Peter Byrne informs AAN that it's not just the right that's up in arms about Feinstein's conflicts: Members of Code Pink and the Raging Grannies protested outside her San Francisco home this weekend. "It is an investigative journalist's dream to watch a story mobilize people across the political spectrum -- from Rush Limbaugh's Dittoheads to the Raging Grannies and Code Pink," Byrne tells AAN News. "And having reactionary demogogues pump up a story whose research was funded in part by The Nation Institute has a delicious irony."
Metro Silicon Valley |
04-11-2007 9:00 am |
Industry News
