AAN News

Boston Phoenix Mobile Launches With Summer Preview Guide

The Phoenix brings a summers worth of events right to your cell phone. (FULL STORY)
Boston Phoenix Press Release  |  06-26-2007  9:24 am  |  Press Releases

Free Commuter Daily Integrates Blogger Tools & Payment Servicenew

The worldwide free daily publisher Metro launched this week a new service that automatically puts qualified bloggers on the company's payroll, integrating blog-creation tools with a complete solution for commission payments for the first time, Editor & Publisher reports. So far the arrangement is only up and running in Sweden. When bloggers achieve the requisite numbers of page views per month, a bank account is automatically created and a MasterCard sent to the author. The best blog posts can then be selected for publishing in the nationwide Metro Sweden paper and its corresponding website.
Editor & Publisher  |  06-22-2007  4:38 pm  |  Industry News

Farewell PortlAANd 2007, We Hardly Knew Yenew

Representing 90 AAN member papers and many non-members as well, 588 alties converged on Portland last weekend for a rousing 30th annual AAN Convention. There were senators, strip club tours, former US attorneys, marching bands, scores of informative sessions, and, of course, parties galore. If you missed it, or if you just want to relive your treasured memories, you can always head over to the first-ever official convention blog, which now features blog posts by convention attendees and AAN staff, as well as links to the many folks who wrote about the confab for their own papers or websites. If you've seen coverage we're missing, you can e-mail editor (at) aan.org.
PortlAANd 2007  |  06-22-2007  11:51 am  |  Association News

Former US Attorney David Iglesias: 'Loyalty Has Limits'

At Saturday's First Amendment Luncheon, the former federal prosecutor for New Mexico who helped sparked the scandal presently engulfing U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and the Bush Administration discussed loyalty, politics, and the Department of Justice (DOJ) with Santa Fe Reporter editor Julia Goldberg. "I'm still processing the damage that could be done to the rule of law [by the administration]," he said. Among other things, Iglesias also said that John Ashcroft's staff at the DOJ was older and more experienced than Gonzales', and that Gonzales led a shift in the department from "working for the people" to "working for the White House." We have three video clips available from the luncheon. Part one is embedded below; part two can be found here, and part three, here. MORE: Read bloggers' reactions to the Iglesias' speech at the convention blog.
PortlAANd 2007  |  06-20-2007  3:25 pm  |  Association News

AAN Elects 11 Board Members

Stephen Leon (pictured), the editor and publisher of Metroland in Albany, N.Y., was elected President on Saturday during the association's annual meeting. Willamette Week editor Mark Zusman was elected Vice President, making him the heir apparent to the presidency. Six of the nine remaining board seats were filled by incumbents running unopposed. (FULL STORY)
AAN News  |  06-19-2007  6:06 pm  |  Association News

Portland Photo Galleries Are Upnew

Now you can relive those convention moments forever, through the magic power of the internet. Check the PortlAANd 2007 photo collection on Flickr, currently the home of over 200 pictures from the convention. If you took photos, you can add them to the collection by e-mailing photos (at) aan.org.
PortlAANd 2007  |  06-19-2007  4:30 pm  |  Association News

Despite Progress, White House Still Opposes Federal Shield Lawnew

Last week, at the House Judiciary Committee's first hearing on HR 2102, the Federal Shield Law, a Justice Department official reiterated the Bush administration's position against such a bill, the AP reports. "History has demonstrated that the protections already in place, including the department's own rigorous internal review of media subpoena requests, are sufficient," Assistant Attorney General Rachel Brand told the Judiciary Committee. Free press advocates, including New York Times columnist William Safire, testified on behalf of the bill. "The movement to force journalists to reveal their sources is an attempt to turn the press into an arm of the law," Safire said. The AP reports that a major sticking point remains the legislation's definition of "journalist," which now includes bloggers. Spokespeople for House and Senate Democratic leaders say they like the bill but have no plans to advance it, according to the AP. Currently, 32 states and the District of Columbia have shield laws in place. AAN is a member of an alliance of over 40 media companies and professional organizations that has issued statements of support for the legislation.
AP via San Francisco Chronicle  |  06-19-2007  11:03 am  |  Legal News

Five New Member Papers Admitted to AAN

AAN members considered the applications of 19 papers, but approved only Chattanooga Pulse, Metro Spirit, North Coast Journal, Urban Tulsa Weekly and Vue Weekly at the association's annual meeting on Saturday afternoon in Portland. The meeting included spirited debate over the applications of two Canadian papers, Calgary's Fast Forward Weekly and Edmonton's Vue, which -- like Urban Tulsa -- was forced to a second ballot before it was admitted. (FULL STORY)
AAN News  |  06-18-2007  4:56 am  |  Association News

AAN Announces AltWeekly Awards Winners

The Association of Alternative Newsweeklies announced the winners of the AltWeekly Awards today at a luncheon at the annual convention in Portland. The luncheon also included a special tribute to Molly Ivins presented by her friend and radio commentator, Jim Hightower. L.A. Weekly was the big winner in the large division, taking home 13 awards, seven of which were first-place finishes. Style Weekly similarly dominated the small circulation division, earning five first-place trophies and three other awards. (FULL STORY)
AAN  |  06-15-2007  11:20 pm  |  Association News

AAN Board Candidates Make Their Pitch

Elections for 11 positions on the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies' Board of Directors will be held Saturday, June 16, during the association's annual meeting in Portland. Nine incumbents and two new candidates have announced their intention to run. Read here to find out what they think the issues are and why they want to serve. (FULL STORY)
AAN Staff  |  06-13-2007  3:54 pm  |  Association News

Verve Wireless Puts Portland In Your Palm

Sign up for wireless service two simple ways: Click here or text "Get AAN" to 21321 from your mobile device. Verve will send links to mobile versions of the AAN convention and Willamette Week websites. You'll get conference updates, schedule changes, daily poll questions and Portland trivia. Between sessions you can act like a local with Willamette Week's restaurant guide, event listings and more.
PortlAANd 2007  |  06-13-2007  11:24 am  |  Association News

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