AAN News
North Carolina's Independent Weekly Announces Cutbacks, Two Layoffsnew
"After a year in which we had the most employees on staff in the paper's history -- 35 -- last week the Indy laid off two people, a reporter and the promotions coordinator, as well as reduced our freelance budget by 10 percent," Lisa Sorg writes in her editor's note this week. Sorg tells local blog Bull City Rising that the laid off employees are Vernal Coleman and Marny Rhodes, and that she and a number of other managers are taking voluntary pay cuts.
The Independent Weekly | Bull City Rising |
12-19-2008 3:28 pm |
Industry News
Portland Mercury Spoof Cover Draws Letter from National Geographicnew
For the paper's Halloween issue, the Mercury ran a cover disguising itself as an issue of National Geographic, which has trademarked its yellow-banded cover design. This week editor Steve Humphrey says he received a letter from National Geographic's executive vice president that proves "not everybody in the world is a humorless dick." The letter said the magazine's first instinct in similar cases is to issue a cease-and-desist letter, but it recognized that the Mercury cover "was not malicious appropriation, but all in good fun." The letter also urged the Mercury to encourage its readers to buy subscriptions to National Geographic.
The Porland Mercury |
12-19-2008 2:54 pm |
Industry News
Huffington Post Poaches Concert Previews from Other Sitesnew
HuffPo's Chicago site "straight stole our entire Bon Iver Critic's Choice," reports the Reader's Whet Moser. "They didn't ask permission." He notes that the "read the whole story here" link at the bottom of HuffPo's page is pointless: "(T)hat is the whole article, dumbass." This aggregation-gone-wild led Moser to check the other concert previews on the Chicago site, and he reports that "there's a whole list of concert previews from us, Time Out Chicago, Centerstage, and the Onion's Decider," reprinted in full. MORE: Gambit Weekly's Kevin Allman, the San Francisco Bay Guardian's Steven T. Jones, and Gawker's Ryan Tate weigh in.
Chicago Reader |
12-19-2008 12:03 pm |
Industry News
Alt-Weekly Cartoonists and Others Cry Foul Over Contest Fee Hikenew
Ted Rall, who is president of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists president, has written an open letter to the Overseas Press Club of America president over an increase in the awards entry fee from $150 to $175. Rall accuses the organization of using the fees as a "revenue enhancing" operation at the expense of "beleaguered cartoonists," and says that at least 11 cartoonists will not enter the contest this year. The list includes other alt-cartoonists Mikhaela Reid (The Boiling Point) and Jen Sorensen (Slowpoke).
The Daily Cartoonist |
12-19-2008 11:03 am |
Industry News
Long Island Press Editor Releases Book and Launches Nonprofit
Robbie Woliver tells AAN News via email that Alphabet Kids - From ADD to Zellweger Syndrome: A Guide to Developmental, Neurobiological and Psychological Disorders for Parents and Professionals was "the book I could have used 15
years ago." Inspired by his own child, he chose to write the book to "provide a road map for parents to help them muddle through the
alphabet soup of diagnoses so many children are receiving these
days -- many of which are incorrect." In the course of researching and writing, Woliver says he and his wife became inspired to start a nonprofit called Your Day Away that provides a day of respite and support for parents of children with special needs. The nonprofit kicked off in November, and will run as a daily ongoing organization starting next month.
AAN News |
12-18-2008 10:42 am |
Industry News
Alt-Weekly Takes Heat for Co-Sponsoring Inauguration Party with Demsnew
"Put it this way, if The Oregonian cosponsored an inaugural party celebrating any politician's victory, you can be sure Willamette Week would be all over it," writes Oregonian political correspondent Jeff Mapes. The party in question is the "Change Is Here Dance Party" at a local club, which is set to take place Jan. 20 and is cosponsored by the Democratic Party of Oregon and the Portland alt-weekly. But WW editor Mark Zusman tells the Oregonian he didn't even know about the joint-sponsored party. He says that he thought that the night was to feature two back-to-back parties, not one co-sponsored event. "For the record, I don't like what we have done," Zusman says. "At all."
The Oregonian |
12-18-2008 9:05 am |
Industry News
Laid-Off Daily Paper Cartoonist Finds a Home at Cityviewnew
Last week, we reported that axed Des Moines Register cartoonist Brian Duffy was given the chance to publish his farewell cartoon in Cityview. Now the alt-weekly has announced that it will continue publishing cartoons by Duffy each week.
The Iowa Independent | Cityview |
12-18-2008 8:58 am |
Industry News
Creative Loafing Files Reorganization Plannew
Creative Loafing (Tampa) political editor Wayne Garcia says the plan, filed Monday in the company's Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, makes the case for keeping the company in the hands of CEO Ben Eason. "The Debtor believes retention of existing senior management and existing publishers, editors, directors of shared services and key online personnel are vital to successful implementation of this strategy as the markets are shifting very quickly at this time," the plan reads. CL also filed a 10-year financial forecast and an analysis of how much the company would bring if it were liquidated. Read more from Atlanta Magazine's Steve Fennessy.
Creative Loafing (Tampa) | Atlanta Magazine |
12-17-2008 11:52 am |
Industry News
Facebook Group Asks for Santa Fe Reporter Writer's Apologynew
Corey Pein wrote a cover story last week on the College of Santa Fe, its party scene and its financial troubles, and now students have created a Facebook group called "People for a Public Apology from Corey Pein." The group says the story "grossly misrepresented" students and the college, and calls "for a retraction of the story, as well as a public apology by Corey Pein, also to be printed in the Reporter." The group currently has 83 members, including some SFR writers who seem to have joined to defend Pein and round out the conversation.
Willamette Week |
12-17-2008 10:58 am |
Industry News
News & Review and Public Radio Station Team Up for 'Letters to Obama'new
In a joint special project with Capital Public Radio, the Sacramento News & Review is seeking short "Letters to Obama" through the end of the year. "The idea is to share our hopes and dreams for the new president with each other as well as with the new occupant of the White House," the paper writes. Some letters will be published in a special inaugural issue and read on the radio.
Sacramento News & Review |
12-17-2008 9:23 am |
Industry News
Nieman: L.A. Weekly Story on Jonestown is a 'Notable Narrative'new
Nieman Narrative Digest |
12-17-2008 9:40 am |
Honors & Achievements
The Stranger Publisher Talks About the Web & the Future of Newpapersnew
In a round table discussion with representatives of other Seattle news organizations, Tim Keck discusses how The Stranger fits in to the transformation of the news business. He says that 2007 was the paper's best year ever, and '08 was slightly down due to the tanking economy. While he says that The Stranger has "probably three times the number" of online readers, he notes that print circulation hasn't dropped that much either. "The media compan[ies] that can navigate different mediums [are] going to be the ones that survive," Keck says. "The thing that really moors them is no longer the medium -- a print publication -- it's going to be the community and the brand."
The Seattle Channel |
12-15-2008 1:32 pm |
Industry News
Tucson Weekly Cartoonist Talks About His Worknew
Rand Carlson, whose cartoons have appeared in the Weekly for more than 20 years, talks to local TV station KVOA about why he loves his job. "It's like one constant joke after another," he says. "I keep experimenting, I keep twisting words around, seeing pictures in my head about what to make fun of."
KVOA-TV |
12-15-2008 10:59 am |
Industry News
2009 Diversity Grant Applications Now Available
AAN's Diversity Committee recently elected to expand the Diversity Grant Program to cover diversity-related projects as well as interns. AAN members may apply for one of the four $1,250 grants to hire an intern, or to support an editorial project that demonstrably serves people of color in that paper's market. Grant applications, which can be downloaded here, are due to the AAN office by Jan. 9. AAN News recently caught up with Diversity Chair Donna Ladd to chat a little more about the program. Click through to read more.
(FULL STORY)
AAN News |
12-12-2008 11:38 am |
Association News
Tags: Editorial, Management
Creative Loafing's Day in Court 'Was Pretty Humdrum'new
That's what sources tell Atlanta Magazine's Steve Fennessy about the first court date of the company's bankruptcy protection hearings. Next week, CL CEO Ben Eason has to submit his restructuring plan, which will then be discussed in court. In other CL-related news, The Sunday Paper's publisher and investor answer some questions about that paper's proposed expansion into two more CL cities (Charlotte and Tampa).
Atlanta Magazine | The Sunday Paper |
12-11-2008 10:55 am |
Industry News
