AAN News
How Does Your Editorial Department Stack Up?
For many years, AAN editors have traded information on the editorial listserv about staff sizes, freelance rates and other nitty gritty information. In Toronto, editorial staffers will really get down to brass tacks by reviewing the results of an editorial standards survey that will ultimately be collated to create a benchmark document for AAN editorial departments. The survey will be available following the convention in the AAN resource library.
Whether you are attending the convention or not, filling out the survey will only add to its usefulness. If you are heading to Toronto, be sure to attend the Editorial Standards session from 3:45-4:45 pm on Saturday, July 17, which will be moderated by Editorial Committee members Jimmy Boegle, editor of Tucson Weekly, and Hank Sims, editor of North Coast Journal. The session will consist of a lively free-wheeling discussion about how editors are using their budgets and staff -- and hopefully generate new ideas and inspiration.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SURVEY LINK (Must be logged in to your AAN account)
Whether you are attending the convention or not, filling out the survey will only add to its usefulness. If you are heading to Toronto, be sure to attend the Editorial Standards session from 3:45-4:45 pm on Saturday, July 17, which will be moderated by Editorial Committee members Jimmy Boegle, editor of Tucson Weekly, and Hank Sims, editor of North Coast Journal. The session will consist of a lively free-wheeling discussion about how editors are using their budgets and staff -- and hopefully generate new ideas and inspiration.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SURVEY LINK (Must be logged in to your AAN account)
AAN |
06-30-2010 2:56 pm |
Association News
Publisher Says Chicago Reader Will "Push" Line Between Editorial and Advertising
More details have come to light on the CL, Inc. decision to fire long-time Chicago Reader editor Alison True. Speaking to senior editor Michael Miner -- who on Friday described True's firing as a "tragic misjudgment" -- Reader publisher Alison Draper indicated that the paper's next editor will be expected to collaborate more often with the business side:
"The editor of the Reader," said Draper, "has to work closely with sales to find innovative ways to take our fair share of the dollars that are shrinking and shrinking quickly." She promised me that she wouldn't "blur" the line between editorial and advertising, but she would "push" it. The distinction was clearer to her than it was to me.Miner goes on to explain that True was fired at a Starbucks after the paper's Best of Chicago issue came out. It was, Miner says, the "fattest, most successful issue in years, a triumph True and Draper should have been sharing in." (FULL STORY)
Chicago Reader |
06-29-2010 5:53 pm |
Industry News
Alison True Out as Editor of Chicago Reader
Alison True has been fired as editor of the Chicago Reader after twenty-six years with the paper. According to senior editor Michael Miner, the decision was announced during a staff meeting this morning by Reader publisher Alison Draper. Said Miner, "I consider this act unfathomable — a tragic misjudgment by two people, Draper and [Creative Loafing CEO Marty] Petty, whom I respect. I suppose they have a vision of tomorrow's Reader they think True is wrong for."
According to Chicago Business, True was caught completely off guard by the move.
According to Chicago Business, True was caught completely off guard by the move.
Chicago Reader / Chicago Business |
06-25-2010 5:55 pm |
Industry News
Early Registration Deadline for Toronto Approaches
Members and non-members have until the end of the day tomorrow, Friday, June 25 to receive the early registration discount for AAN's 33rd Annual Convention in Toronto. The discounted rate for members and associate members is $325 per person, and the discounted rate for non-members is $425 per person. Both rates will increase by $50 per person after Friday night.
In addition, when three representatives from the same member paper sign up, that paper will get a fourth registration free of charge. This offer will remain valid after the early registration deadline.
Click here to register online.
As of today, June 24, the Hilton Toronto still has a very limited number of rooms available at AAN's discounted rate of $139.00 (CAD) per night. Click here to reserve a room at AAN's group rate and contact the AAN office if you encounter any difficulty obtaining the group rate through their site.
READ MORE (FULL STORY)
In addition, when three representatives from the same member paper sign up, that paper will get a fourth registration free of charge. This offer will remain valid after the early registration deadline.
Click here to register online.
As of today, June 24, the Hilton Toronto still has a very limited number of rooms available at AAN's discounted rate of $139.00 (CAD) per night. Click here to reserve a room at AAN's group rate and contact the AAN office if you encounter any difficulty obtaining the group rate through their site.
READ MORE (FULL STORY)
AAN |
06-24-2010 7:28 pm |
Association News
Can a Redesign Boost the Bottom Line?
Ron Reason's recent redesign of Creative Loafing (Atlanta) was a bold articulation of the notion that any redesign effort should consider the question of revenue. His fresh treatment of alt-weekly mainstays such as the adult classifieds -- rebranded as "wink*" in Atlanta -- and use of creative advertising concepts like peel-away ads are just two examples of how a redesign can "give advertisers a reason to be excited about print again."
Can a similar approach work for your paper?
Reason will be in Toronto to provide a peek into the Atlanta alt-weekly's makeover and share tips on how to approach the overhaul of your print product, including the often overlooked task of incorporating your sales team into the process. Ron Reason is a visiting faculty member at The Poynter Institute and a design consultant who has assisted a variety of newspapers and magazines across the globe in rethinking the visual aspects of advertising.
"I always advise clients: why just switch fonts? Why not redesign for growth?" Reason explained on his blog. His session will leave you with plenty of ideas on how to lure in new clients with innovative marketing offerings that blend seamlessly with editorial content to create a finished product that advertisers will want to be a part of.
Can a similar approach work for your paper?
Reason will be in Toronto to provide a peek into the Atlanta alt-weekly's makeover and share tips on how to approach the overhaul of your print product, including the often overlooked task of incorporating your sales team into the process. Ron Reason is a visiting faculty member at The Poynter Institute and a design consultant who has assisted a variety of newspapers and magazines across the globe in rethinking the visual aspects of advertising.
"I always advise clients: why just switch fonts? Why not redesign for growth?" Reason explained on his blog. His session will leave you with plenty of ideas on how to lure in new clients with innovative marketing offerings that blend seamlessly with editorial content to create a finished product that advertisers will want to be a part of.
AAN |
06-23-2010 5:38 pm |
Association News
Former Metro Spirit Publisher Lands New Gignew
Bryan Osborn, who stepped down as publisher of Metro Spirit in April, has taken over as publisher of The Laurinburg Exchange, a daily paper in North Carolina.
The Laurinburg Exchange |
06-23-2010 4:41 pm |
Industry News
Tags: Management
A Majority of Corporations Admit to Using Social Media WIth No Official Strategynew
Online Media Daily |
06-23-2010 10:28 am |
Industry News
What is the 'Secret Weapon' of Alt-Weeklies?
Culture maven Patricia Martin says that in addition to being technologically savvy, the next generation of consumers is politically aware, hungry for knowledge, and are attracted towards brands that project authenticity.
All of this, Martin says, augurs well for alt-weeklies, which -- unlike mainstream media -- are uniquely positioned to capitalize on these trends.
"Some media outlets are doomed if they don't read the cultural trends," Martin says. "But independents have a secret weapon, they just need to optimize it."
The highly sought after keynote speaker and author of Renaissance Generation: The Rise of the Cultural Consumer and What it Means to Your Business, Patricia Martin will explain why she's bullish on the future of alt-media during an afternoon session at AAN's convention next month. Her award-winning consulting firm LitLamp Communications uses culture to connect brands with communities of consumers; and in Toronto she will demonstrate how alt-weeklies can use the lessons she's learned to create "emotional bonds" with their readers that will translate back to advertising dollars.
Martin's spot-on appraisal of the current cultural transition will be the final session on Friday, July 16, and is guaranteed to give convention attendees plenty to talk about as the evening's festivities commence.
All of this, Martin says, augurs well for alt-weeklies, which -- unlike mainstream media -- are uniquely positioned to capitalize on these trends.
"Some media outlets are doomed if they don't read the cultural trends," Martin says. "But independents have a secret weapon, they just need to optimize it."
The highly sought after keynote speaker and author of Renaissance Generation: The Rise of the Cultural Consumer and What it Means to Your Business, Patricia Martin will explain why she's bullish on the future of alt-media during an afternoon session at AAN's convention next month. Her award-winning consulting firm LitLamp Communications uses culture to connect brands with communities of consumers; and in Toronto she will demonstrate how alt-weeklies can use the lessons she's learned to create "emotional bonds" with their readers that will translate back to advertising dollars.
Martin's spot-on appraisal of the current cultural transition will be the final session on Friday, July 16, and is guaranteed to give convention attendees plenty to talk about as the evening's festivities commence.
AAN |
06-21-2010 8:41 pm |
Association News
Should AAN Allow Online-Only Publications to Become Members?
At a town hall meeting during AAN's Toronto Convention, members will discuss the possibility of allowing online-only publications to apply for AAN membership and give them a chance to prove they can pass the same rigorous screening that print publication applicants go through.
Such a change would require only a minor tweak in the organization’s bylaws, but it would nevertheless be a dramatic move for AAN.
READ MORE (FULL STORY)
Such a change would require only a minor tweak in the organization’s bylaws, but it would nevertheless be a dramatic move for AAN.
READ MORE (FULL STORY)
AAN |
06-18-2010 11:07 am |
Association News
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Boston Phoenix Replaces Editor
Phoenix Media has announced that Carly Carioli (pictured) will be replacing Lance Gould as editor of the Boston Phoenix. Former Phoenix staffer (and 2010 AltWeekly Awards judge) Dan Kennedy reports that Carioli will oversee the print and web content of three AAN members: Boston Phoenix, Portland Phoenix, and Providence Phoenix. The change at Phoenix Media comes on the heels of the significant layoffs of top employees last month, which included CFO/COO Richard Gallagher and corporate controller Michael Notkin.
(FULL STORY)
Media Nation |
06-17-2010 6:53 am |
Industry News
Report: U.S. Ad Spending Will Increase, but Not Until 2011new
New York Times |
06-15-2010 5:41 pm |
Industry News
Toronto Convention: Innovating in Hard Times
Costs have been cut. Page count is down. Morale could be better. How do we do more than survive? This is the focus of the annual convention in Toronto. The shakeup of the past two years has, in many ways, given alt-weeklies the chance of a lifetime -- an opportunity for rebirth and reinvention. This July, in one of the most beautiful cities in North America, industry leaders, big-picture thinkers and plenty of your smart peers will be explaining how to create a blueprint for financial success. You'll learn how to focus and rededicate your company to thrive for the next decades and longer.
(FULL STORY)
AAN |
06-14-2010 2:27 pm |
Association News
Court Hears SF Weekly's Appeal in Bay Guardian Case
The California Court of Appeal heard oral arguments Friday in the SF Weekly/San Francisco Bay Guardian predatory-pricing case. The Weekly is asking the court to throw out the multi-million damage award the jury gave the Guardian in the case. A ruling is due from the appeals court within 90 days, and both sides have reportedly said they will ask the California Supreme Court to review the case if they lose at this level. The San Francisco Chronicle covered the hearing, as did both the Guardian and the Weekly.
AAN News |
06-14-2010 12:24 pm |
Industry News
Honolulu Weekly Takes it Easier on Ailing Dailiesnew
"Over the last couple of years, Honolulu Weekly has largely abandoned our old habit of taking potshots at the larger papers," editor Ragnar Carlson wrote last week. "We have simply felt that this was not the time to be nit-picking the Advertiser [which ceased publication on June 6], not with a dwindling staff of committed journalists struggling to keep it afloat." While noting that "there is a definite role for media criticism in this community," Carlson says the decision to not attack the daly is "one I feel good about."
Honolulu Weekly |
06-14-2010 11:01 am |
Industry News
Two Alt-Weeklies Pick Up a Dozen Florida SPJ Awardsnew
The Society of Professional Journalists announced the winners of its 2010 Sunshine State Awards earlier this month. Miami New Times won seven awards, including six first-place wins -- in the Light Feature Reporting, Religion Reporting, Medical/Health Care/Science Reporting, Serious Feature Reporting, Food/Beverage Writing and International Reporting categories. Creative Loafing won five awards, including a first-place finish in the Criticism category
Society of Professional Journalists, South Florida Chapter (PDF) |
06-14-2010 10:53 am |
Honors & Achievements
