AAN News

Willamette Week Tightens Belt, but Santa Fe Reporter is 'Doing Well'new

In his yearly report to readers, Willamette Week publisher Richard Meeker says the Portland, Ore., newsweekly's financial situation has been "lousy." Advertising is down since July and the paper is more than ten percent below budget for the year. But the news isn't all bad. Meeker says WW's "total audience has remained steady" and its sister paper, the Santa Fe Reporter, is having a good year. Nevertheless, WW has laid off several staffers and transferred one staff writer to Santa Fe. Editor Mark Zusman tells AAN News that the paper laid off three classified sales representatives, one designer, and staff writer (and "Queer Window" columnist) Byron Beck, while Corey Pein moves to the Reporter. Although the paper will "be lucky to eke out a small profit this year," Meeker says he and Zusman are "eager to tackle the challenges we all now face, and more committed than ever to continuing -- and improving -- the quality of reporting and thinking we do." More on Beck's departure from the Portland Mercury and Just Out magazine.
Willamette Week  |  11-12-2008  8:33 am  |  Industry News

Alt-Weeklies Seek to Help the Economy by Promoting Local Shopping

The readers of more than 70 alternative newspapers are being urged to spend at least $100 of their holiday money this fall at locally owned stores in their communities -- a move that could pump more than $2.9 billion into urban economies during this recession-plagued season. The Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, the American Independent Business Alliance, and East Bay Express publisher Jody Colley helped develop the unprecedented project, and AAN helped line up 73 North American papers to participate. "If every one of the 17.5 million readers of these weeklies were to spend just $100 with local, independently owned merchants, the impact would be enormous," Colley says. (FULL STORY)
AAN  |  11-07-2008  10:58 am  |  Association News

Fairfield County Weekly Combines Offices with New Haven Advocatenew

To save costs in an ever-tightening economy, two of the three New Mass. Media papers will now share office space in New Haven. Staff members have been given laptops and cellphones and will seemingly be traveling in the Fairfield County area -- about 20 miles from New Haven -- quite a bit.
Fairfield County Weekly  |  11-05-2008  11:56 am  |  Industry News

Biz Paper Weighs in on the Providence Phoenix's 'Journalistic Niche'new

As the Phoenix celebrates its 30th anniversary, Providence Business News looks at how the alt-weekly is flourishing "at a time when daily newspapers in Rhode Island and elsewhere are struggling." One University of Rhode Island professor says the paper provides a function "critical to political life in this state," and Phoenix associate publisher Steve Brown says the paper has succeeded by "knowing [its] audience and sticking with them." Ty Davis, who launched the paper (as The New Paper) in 1978, says he's not sorry that he sold his paper to the Boston Phoenix in 1988. "My objective was to give Rhode Island a solid alternative weekly," he says. "I succeeded and, from that standpoint, I have no regrets."
Providence Business News  |  11-04-2008  8:51 am  |  Industry News

Will Swaim Named Publisher of LA CityBeat

Will Swaim has been named publisher of LA CityBeat and New Angeles Magazine, effective Nov. 10. Swaim was most recently the founding editor and publisher of The District Weekly, a non-AAN weekly in Long Beach. Prior to that, he was OC Weekly's founding editor in 1995, and went on to become publisher of that paper as well, before stepping down in January 2007. At CityBeat, he'll be reunited with former Weekly colleague Rebecca Schoenkopf, who is now CityBeat's editor. "LA CityBeat and New Angeles are terrific publications," Swaim says in a release. "I'm thrilled to have this chance to use what I've learned in Orange County and Long Beach to help them reach their enormous potential." (FULL STORY)
Southland Publishing Press Release  |  10-31-2008  3:16 pm  |  Press Releases

L.A. Weekly Lays Off A Handful of Staffersnew

LA Observed is reporting that the Weekly has laid off longtime editor and columnist Marc Cooper, managing editor Sharan Street, copy chief David Caplan, staff writer Matthew Fleischer, senior designer Laura Steele and assistant to the editor Pandora Young.
LA Observed  |  10-31-2008  2:39 pm  |  Industry News

2009 AAN Convention Comes to a Desert Destination Resort in Tucson

Next June, AAN members will descend on the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort & Spa in Tucson for the association's 32nd Annual Convention, hosted by Tucson Weekly. "This is one of the nicest places AAN has ever used for a convention," says San Francisco Bay Guardian executive editor Tim Redmond, who visited the property along with other AAN board members for a meeting last month. Read here for more about the convention and the lush Starr Pass resort. (FULL STORY)
AAN News  |  10-29-2008  1:29 pm  |  Association News

AAN Hires New Advertising and Awards Coordinator

The Association of Alternative Newsweeklies has hired Jason Zaragoza to the newly created position of advertising and awards coordinator. His first day with AAN was Oct. 14. Zaragoza takes over for Stephanie Roswell in handling the logisitics of the AAN CAN classified network, and for Heather Kuldell in coordinating the AltWeekly Awards. "Jason is smart and organized, and he has an incredibly professional attitude for someone so young," says AAN executive director Richard Karpel. "We're counting on him to keep AAN CAN and the awards contest running smoothly." (FULL STORY)
AAN News  |  10-23-2008  1:49 pm  |  Association News

The Other Paper Parent Company Will Delist its Stocknew

American Community Newspapers, which purchased the Columbus, Ohio, alt-weekly in May 2007, announced on Tuesday its intent to voluntarily remove its stock from NYSE Alternext (formerly the American Stock Exchange). The move will "save management time and attention" and also "eliminate listing fees and result in reduced expenses," according to a press release. The company expects its last day on the exchange to be Nov. 11, but shares could continue to trade on an over-the counter basis after the delisting takes effect.
American Community Newspapers Press Release  |  10-23-2008  9:14 am  |  Press Releases

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