AAN News

Michigan's Alt-Weeklies Weigh In on Auto Industry Bailout

As chatter increases about a potential federal bailout of the foundering American automotive industry, Michigan's alt-weeklies are addressing the crisis. Lansing's City Pulse is "having some serious doubts about this bailout," adding: "Like giving spare change to an alcoholic outside a liquor store, it would be a waste to hand these companies $25 billion and expect everything to be OK." In Detroit's Metro Times, longtime columnist Jack Lessenberry takes a different tack, arguing that it would be "extremely foolish" to let the auto makers fail, and that it would lead to "something very like the Great Depression."
City Pulse | Metro Times  |  11-20-2008  8:24 am  |  Industry News

Verve Wireless Partners with Local Search and Paid Listings Network

Partnership Extends Publishers' Local Platform to Mobile (FULL STORY)
Verve Wireless Press Release  |  11-20-2008  9:24 am  |  Press Releases

How I Got That Story: Alan Prendergast

In the seventeenth installment of this year's "How I Got That Story" series, Westword staff writer Alan Prendergast talks to Angelica Herrera about his stories on local district attorney Carol Chambers. The two articles, which earned the veteran alt-weekly writer a first place finish in News Story -- Long Form, specifically examine Chambers' controversial use of Colorado's "habitual offender" statutes, which give prosecutors leeway to seek longer sentences for repeat offenders regardless of the nature of the crimes. In this Q&A, Prendergast discusses the roots of the story, how Chambers reacted, and why alt-weekly writers shouldn't shy away from covering the same ground as the daily. "Sometimes the temptation with weeklies is to shy away from stories that the dailies are already doing," he says. "But, often those stories in the dailies are poorly covered, or there are just a lot of questions left unanswered." (FULL STORY)
AAN News  |  11-18-2008  12:41 pm  |  Association News

Boise Weekly Raises Nearly $13K at Cover Art Auctionnew

On the seventh anniversary of the event, the Weekly once again auctioned off a year's worth of cover art to fund a worthy cause. Last week's haul brings the total to date raised by the event to more than $78,000. The beneficiary of this year's auction has yet to be determined, but in the past the paper has funded causes like childrens' arts organizations and a work of public art.
Boise Weekly  |  11-18-2008  11:00 am  |  Industry News

Columnist Invites Dan Savage 'To See the Real Utah'new

Salt Lake Tribune columnist Sean P. Means says he doesn't "like that Savage and others have singled out Utah for their wrath" with a proposed boycott over the Mormon Church's support of California's ballot initiative banning same-sex marriage. But Means says he'd "rather engage Savage in this discussion," so he has invited him to come to Utah. Means says he'd even buy drinks for Savage and Salt Lake City Weekly founder John Saltas, who publicly dropped the "Savage Love" column last week, "to let the healing begin."
The Salt Lake Tribune  |  11-18-2008  9:55 am  |  Industry News

Scholarships Available for College Religion Courses

Religion Newswriters Association Press Release  |  11-18-2008  11:54 am  |  Press Releases

Two New Motions Filed in Creative Loafing Bankruptcy Casenew

Last week, Creative Loafing asked a bankruptcy judge to authorize CEO Ben Eason to hire the investment banking firm that brokered the Reader/City Paper purchase to evaluate the company's business plan, seek new financing, and prepare the company to be sold if necessary, Atlanta Magazine's Steve Fennessy reports. Meanwhile, Eason's largest creditor, Atalaya Capital Management, asked the judge to lift the automatic stay that prevented CL from defaulting on its loan, arguing that the value of the company is falling with each passing day due to the bankruptcy filing and to "downward trends in the advertising industry." Eason tells Fennessy he stands by his decision to expand. "I think it's one of the smartest things we've done," he says. "I'd rather be navigating [the economic downturn] with Washington City Paper and Chicago Reader and [syndicated column] Straight Dope than without them." MORE: The Reader's Michael Miner weighs in, and City Paper consolidates its office into one floor.
Atlanta Magazine  |  11-17-2008  12:11 pm  |  Industry News

Artvoice Offices Hit with Two Gallons of Paintnew

Last week, "at the tail end of one of the few weeks in the past year in which we did not publish anything snarky about anybody, someone threw two gallons of paint on our front doors," Artvoice editor Geoff Kelly writes. "Seems a waste; we hadn't even earned it. Nonetheless, we were cleaning up all morning."
Artvoice  |  11-17-2008  11:45 am  |  Industry News

The Stranger Reworks 2004 Election Cover

If this week's cover looked strikingly familiar to readers of the Seattle alt-weekly, it's because the two papers are almost visually identical, with new text. The lead of the '04 cover, "Do Not Despair," has been replaced with this year's "Rejoice. Revel. Repeat."

0408 The Stranger
AAN News  |  11-17-2008  9:25 am  |  Industry News

Three AAN Members Take Home Press Club of Dallas Awardsnew

The Dallas Observer, Fort Worth Weekly, and Houston Press were all honored when the Press Club's announced its 50th annual Katie Awards Saturday night. The Press won a total of three awards in the large newspapers division, including a first-place win for Column. The Observer, which also competed in the large newspapers division, won one award. In the small and medium newspapers division, the Weekly took home a total of four awards, three of which were first-place finishes -- in Business reporting, Investigative Series or Story, and Specialty Reporting.
The Press Club of Dallas  |  11-17-2008  8:37 am  |  Honors & Achievements

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