AAN News
Jackson Free Press Adds Editorial Staff and Increases News Coveragenew
While daily papers and alt-weeklies across the country are being forced to cut staff and salaries in this tough economy, the Jackson Free Press is bucking the trend by adding a full-time editorial position. Ward Schaefer, a former public-school teacher, joined the paper this week as a reporter on the news beat. The paper says it is also increasing the daily news coverage on its website.
Jackson Free Press |
01-07-2009 11:49 am |
Industry News
Former Baseball Player & Alt-Weekly Columnist Diesnew
Joe "Prince" Henry, who played in the Negro Leagues in the 1950s and wrote the "Ask a Negro Leaguer" column for the Riverfront Times from 2005-2007, died on Friday.
Riverfront Times |
01-07-2009 10:18 am |
Industry News
Seattle Gay Bars and The Stranger Receive Threatening Lettersnew
Eleven gay bars received letters yesterday from someone claiming to be in the possession of ricin, a deadly poison. "Your establishment has been targeted," the letter begins. "I have in my possession approximately 67 grams of ricin with which I will indiscriminately target at least five of your clients." The Stranger also received a letter, which was addressed to the attention of "Obituaries," according to editorial director Dan Savage. It said that the paper should "be prepared to announce the deaths of approximately 55 individuals all of whom were patrons of the following establishments on a Saturday in January," before listing a handful of gay bars.
The Stranger |
01-07-2009 9:10 am |
Industry News
Study: U.S. Mobile Broadband Users To Surpass 140 Million By 2013new
Online Media Daily |
01-07-2009 9:14 am |
Industry News
Tags: Electronic Publishing, Management
The New Yorker Botches the History of the Alternative Pressnew
In a passage in Louis Menand's piece on the Village Voice, the New Yorker critic claimed that "after 1970, the alternative press died out" after "mainstream publications moved into the field." Russ Smith corrects the record: "Menand is apparently unaware that radical 'underground' papers like The Los Angeles Free Press and Berkeley Barb begat a new kind of weekly, papers like The Chicago Reader, Phoenix New Times and L.A. Weekly, which, until recently, were staples in their respective cities and not only produced excellent journalism but made a lot of money as well," Smith writes on his new website, Splice Today. The "sloppy article ... certainly muddies the history of not only The Village Voice, but also the weeklies that it inspired."
Splice Today |
01-06-2009 12:20 pm |
Industry News
Tags: Management, The Village Voice
VVM Memo Discusses Company-Wide Layoffs and Cutbacksnew
In a Dec. 31 memo to all Village Voice Media staffers, CEO Jim Larkin and executive editor Michael Lacey say "this year we have found it necessary to make staff reductions and have placed all staff openings on hold." The memo also details "additional measures" being taken by the company to weather the current economy storm. All VVM senior managers and officers (including Larkin and Lacey) are taking 15 percent pay cuts, all publishers and editors are taking 10 percent pay cuts, and VVM is suspending its match into the company's 401(k) plan. MORE: Westword loses three editorial staffers, The Pitch lays off several, City Pages parts ways with two, and New Times Broward-Palm Beach eliminates several positions.
Westword |
01-06-2009 9:55 am |
Industry News
Scammers Looking for Free Food Impersonate Village Voice Criticsnew
A Brooklyn restaurant "got a surprise visit by two Italian-looking guys claiming to be Village Voice food critics, and asking for some free food from the kitchen. When asked for their names, the men replied that they couldn't say because they're 'anonymous' (natch)," the Voice's Sarah DiGregorio writes. The restaurant owner "continued to chat the guys up, which apparently made them more and more nervous, until they got up and left just before their food was ready."
The Village Voice |
01-06-2009 9:22 am |
Industry News
Houston Press Food Writer Releases New Booknew
Robb Walsh's Sex, Death & Oysters: A Half Shell Lover's World Tour was released by Counterpoint on Jan. 1. "It was a 2004 cover story by the same name in the Houston Press that got the ball rolling on this book project," Walsh writes. "It gave me a great excuse to go eat oysters in England, Ireland, France and Canada and in most of the places where oysters are grown in the U.S." Walsh's other books include The Texas Cowboy Cookbook, Are You Really Going to Eat That? and The Tex-Mex Cookbook.
Houston Press |
01-05-2009 1:24 pm |
Industry News
The New Yorker: The Village Voice 'Changed Journalism'new
The Voice "is one of the most successful enterprises in the history of American journalism," New Yorker critic Louis Menand writes in a lengthy piece tracing the early history of the paper. "Impersonality and objectivity are part of the ethic of journalistic identity," Menand writes. "The Voice showed that you could disrespect those idols and still sell newspapers." He ends by arguing that the Voice of 50 years ago did what the blogosphere does now. "We say that's still true -- click around and see if you agree," the Voice's Roy Edroso writes. "As to the continuing relevance of the mission of our forebears, we're aware of it, and we do our best. The Voice covers the Village, and the Village, so far as we're concerned, is everywhere."
The New Yorker (subscription required) |
12-31-2008 11:25 am |
Industry News
Tags: Management, The Village Voice
The Village Voice Lays Off Three in Editorial, Including Nat Hentoffnew
The Voice parted ways yesterday with Hentoff, who has worked for the paper since 1958, as well as Lynn Yaeger, who has been there for about 30 years, and staff writer Chloe Hilliard. The 83-year-old Hentoff tells the New York Times that he will keep writing his weekly column for the United Media syndicate and contributing pieces to The Wall Street Journal. Layoffs are also being reported at one of the Voice's sister papers on the other coast. Mediabistro reports that OC Weekly has laid off managing editor Rich Kane, clubs editor Nate Jackson and staff writer Vickie Chang.
The New York Times |
12-31-2008 9:28 am |
Industry News
Utah Congressman Hasn't Spoken to Alt-Weekly in Three Yearsnew
"How many sitting Congressmen could get away with boycotting a hometown newspaper for more than three years -- refusing to be interviewed on any topic -- and never face an ounce of criticism?" asks Salt Lake City Weekly editor Holly Mullen. "Rep. Jim Matheson has, and it's time to call him out." She says Matheson hasn't spoken to the paper since August 2005, and attributes the stonewalling in part to coverage of Matheson's brother when he was running for governor in 2004. "The oddest thing about Matheson's tiff with the SLWeekly is that it seems so unnecessary," notes the Salt Lake Tribune's Glen Warchol. "As the highest ranking Utah Democrat, Matheson should be able to find some common ground with a 'progressive' newspaper in the heart of blue Salt Lake City." More from Politico.
Salt Lake City Weekly | Salt Lake Tribune |
12-30-2008 9:57 am |
Industry News
Study: Marketers Will Focus on Content Creation and Social Media in '09new
Marketers are directing their budgets toward content, custom media and social media initiatives, according to a new study. Fifty-six percent of marketing decision-makers plan to increase their content marketing spending next year, while only 13 percent said they plan to decrease it.
Online Media Daily |
12-30-2008 9:25 am |
Industry News
Papers Continue to Cut Freelance Costs
Three alt-weeklies have recently cut back in freelancer-generated content areas. SF Weekly theater reviewer Chloe Veltman writes that the paper's weekly Stage setion "will drop from three plays -- my 1,000-word column plus two 200-word capsule reviews -- to just my column." Over at sister paper the Nashville Scene, books contributor Maria Browning says on her blog that the book page has been eliminated from that paper altogether. And up in Massachusetts, Worcester Magazine will stop running the local bi-weekly comic "Action Geek."
AAN News |
12-30-2008 9:17 am |
Industry News
Forecast: Most Media To Suffer Retrenchment in 2009new
The Center for Media Research |
12-30-2008 12:38 pm |
Industry News
Film Institute: Critic Layoffs One of '08's Most Significant Developmentsnew
Los Angeles Times |
12-30-2008 9:29 am |
Industry News
Tags: Editorial, Management
