AAN News Feed

Northwest Alt-Weeklies Pick Up SPJ Awards

SPJ NW — Fri, 24 May 2013 16:50:00 -0400

Four AAN members were recognized in the 2012 Society of Professional Journalists Northwest Excellence in Journalism awards.

Portland's Willamette Week picked up 10 first-place awards out of 11 overall categories. Missoula Independent picked up four awards overall, including first-place in the Social Issues Reporting category. Pacific Northwest Inlander won seven awards on the night. And Seattle Weekly received two awards.

See the full list of winners here.

AAN Releases 'Best Alternative Longform Journalism' eBook

AAN — Fri, 24 May 2013 11:30:00 -0400

Just in time for summer reading season, AAN has released Best Alternative Longform Journalism, a free eBook anthology featuring previous winners of AAN's annual journalism contest.

The eBook is available exclusively through Longform.org and includes author interviews which give a behind-the-scenes look at how each story came together.

The twelve chapters were selected from the Arts Feature, Feature Story, and Long-Form News Story categories of the 2011 and 2012 AAN Awards.

Founded in 2010 by Aaron Lammer and Max Linsky, Longform.org curates the best longform writing — past and present — from across the web and has grown to include a fiction section and a weekly podcast interview.

AAN is offering this eBook through Longform.org to showcase some of the best alt-weekly feature writing to a smart, loyal audience that has a genuine appreciation for the craft.

BEST ALTERNATIVE LONGFORM JOURNALISM
The artist who infiltrated a Hugo Chavez-owned island near Philadelphia and turned it into a massive art project; the desperate Nashville couple that pursued expensive — and illegal — stem-cell treatment in Tijuana; and the "fly-in abortionista" who travels to perform abortions in far-away clinics that can't find local doctors to do the job. These remarkable stories take place in our neighborhoods every day, and alt-weeklies tell the tale like no one else. Selected from the winners of Association of Alternative Newsmedia's annual journalism contest, 'Best Alternative Longform Journalism' is a collection of 12 longform reporting triumphs from the masters of the genre.

Introduction by Rachael Daigle

Chapter 1: "Undercover" by Sharyn Jackson, Santa Fe Reporter

Chapter 2: "The High Cost of Hope" by Brantley Hargrove, Nashville Scene

Chapter 3: "Blow Hard" by Gus Garcia-Roberts, Miami New Times

Chapter 4: "Lawrence Williams: No Romeo" by Caleb Hannan, Seattle Weekly

Chapter 5: "Intent to Harm" by Saul Elbein, Texas Observer

Chapter 6: "Wheelchair Hell in Men's Central Jail" by Chris Vogel, L.A. Weekly

Chapter 7: "A Bloody Injustice" by Dave Mann, Texas Observer

Chapter 8: "You're in Bad Hands" by Alan Prendergast, Westword

Chapter 9: "The Island" by Holly Otterbein, Philadelphia City Paper

Chapter 10: "The House that Jack Built" by Adam Gold, Nashville Scene

Chapter 11: "Life in the Belle Jar" by Wyatt Williams, Creative Loafing Atlanta

Chapter 12: "Little Brother Breaks Up" by Grayson Currin, Independent Weekly

Download a copy of Best Alternative Longform Journalism at Longform.org.

Creative Loafing Charlotte Editor Mark Kemp Steps Down

Creative Loafing Charlotte — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:57:00 -0400

Managing editor Kim Lawson will take over as editor-in-chief.

Metro Silicon Valley Wins Release of Health Foundation Documents

Metro Silicon Valley — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:00:00 -0400

The weekly newspaper Metro Silicon Valley has scored a victory for public transparency with Judge Carol Overton's ruling that the County of Santa Clara must release documents on the political activities of the nonprofit Santa Clara Family Health Foundation. Information from the documents appear in today's issue of Metro, and on the SanJoseInside.com website.

The documents, released to Metro on Friday, shed new light on how a recent ballot initiative was passed and how union-affiliated political groups interact with local nonprofits to influence public policy behind-the-scenes. "These are the Pentagon Papers of local politics," said Metro Executive Editor Dan Pulcrano. "For the first time, the public will see, how groups here hatch schemes to tap the public treasury, as well as what they say in secret when they think their actions will never come to light."

The foundation refused to provide documents or grant interviews in March when Metro first wrote about a campaign to raise county taxes by a half-billion dollars over the next 10 years. A ballot initiative was approved by voters in November 2012. Directors of nine local non-profit organizations wrote a March 29 letter that attacked Metro's initial reporting on the political activity of two nonprofits as "bad for free speech."

On April 16, Metro filed a request for records under the California Public Records Act (CPRA). SCFHF responded ten days later with a letter denying the CPRA request. "Per the direction of our attorney, the PRA does not apply to the Foundation, as it is a private, nonprofit corporation. Therefore, the Foundation is not obligated to and hereby elects not to produce any records responsive to your Request. The Foundation now considers this matter closed," wrote Board Chair Dana Ditmore.

County officials disagreed, however. Noting that Santa Clara Family Health Foundation executive Kathleen King was a county employee and that the documents resided on county email servers, the county determined that the documents were public records that should be made available to the public. "Our position is they were clearly public records," county counsel Donald Larkin argued at the hearing.

SCFHF held an emergency meeting on on Monday, May 13 and sued the county on May 15 in an attempt to block the disclosure. (The county has access to the electronic records because the Health Foundation uses servers and email addresses of Santa Clara Family Health Plan, the public agency that established and provides office space to the non-profit foundation.)

"The Application is denied," Overton wrote in the May 17 Santa Clara County Superior Court ruling. "Petitioner has failed to establish that the subject records in the possession of Respondent are not public records within the meaning of the Public Records Act.

"Moreover, Petitioner has otherwise failed to substantiate its claim that it will be irreparably harmed unless the Application is granted."

Metro was represented by noted First Amendment lawyer Judy Alexander.

Links

Foundation Funded Political Campaigns, Not Kids

Chavez Wanted to 'Shame' York, 49ers over Contribution

Board of Supes President Lets Organized Labor Write His Letters

Announcing the 2013 AAN Awards Finalists

2013 AAN Awards — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:00:00 -0400

Every year AAN honors the reporters, artists, columnists, photographers, web producers, editorial assistants, creative directors, and editors of the alternative news industry who stubbornly refuse to do anything but kick ass, week after week, regardless of what the conventional narrative says.

The finalists of the 2013 AAN Awards show that alternative journalism is thriving in places like Spokane, Nashville, and Colorado Springs, as well as in bigger cities from Chicago to Los Angeles to Miami.

They aren't afraid to call out a Texas statehouse for its assault on women's health or to expose a corrupt Nassau County police force. They tell stories that are communal and intensely personal, bizarre and heartbreaking. They go where others fear to tread, and sometimes risk violating interstate commerce laws just for the sake of a good brew. They give voice to those who are often ignored and those have gone silent.

And they tell these stories in creative, unexpected formats, with stunning detail.

The finalists below were selected as the most outstanding from a field of over 900 entries submitted by alternative publications across the U.S. and Canada. The finalists were chosen by judges at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University, who had the daunting task of reviewing each entry and selecting the best of the best.

The winners will be announced during a reception on July 13 at the AAN Annual Convention in Miami. Just like last year's reception, attendees of the 2013 edition can expect a spirited celebration to honor outstanding alt-journalism and the hard-working people who produce it everyday.

Writing Categories

Online Categories

Design Categories

Outside-the-Box

WRITING CATEGORIES

ARTS CRITICISM circulation under 50,000

Colorado Springs Independent: Pulling the Strings; King Lear; and Beautiful Disaster by Edie Adelstein

INDY Week: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy; Shame isn't as shaming as it thinks it is; and Disappointing Disney adaptation of pulp hero John Carter by Craig D. Lindsey

The Pitch: Lincoln; Skyfall; and Flight by Scott Wilson

ARTS CRITICISM circulation 50,000 and over

Austin Chronicle: The Bourne Legacy; Take This Waltz; and Anna Karenina by Kimberley Jones

Dallas Observer: Breaking Down Monstrous Coupling; Dallas Homeless' Are Showing Art; and On the Hunt for Dallas' Best Street Art by Betsy Lewis

Houston Press: Punk-Goth Magnificence; The Nacirema Society; and Mamet's November Lacks Bite by D.L. Groover

ARTS FEATURE circulation under 50,000

East Bay Express:The Shrinking Stage by Rachel Swan

Memphis Flyer:Disappearing Ink by Chris Davis

Nashville Scene: Rebel Girls by Steve Haruch

Seven Days: Last Picture Show by Margot Harrison

ARTS FEATURE circulation 50,000 and over

L.A. Weekly:Video Paradiso by Karina Longworth

Philadelphia Weekly: Flash Forward by Tara Murtha

Philadelphia Weekly: Mad Recent by Brian McManus

BEAT REPORTING circulation under 50,000

Monterey County Weekly: Environmental Reporting by Kera Abraham (Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5)

North Coast Journal: Environmental Reporting by Heidi Walters (Part 1; Part 2; Part 3)

The Pitch: Tech Reporting by Justin Kendall (Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5)

BEAT REPORTING circulation 50,000 and over

Chicago Reader: Race Reporting by Steve Bogira (Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6)

New Times Broward-Palm Beach: Environmental Reporting by Chris Sweeney (Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5)

Philadelphia City Paper: Fiscal Policy Reporting by Daniel Denvir (Part 1; Part 2; Part 3)

Sacramento News & Review: Homelessness Reporting by Nick Miller (Part 1; Part 2; Part 3)

BREAKING NEWS circulation under 50,000

The Athens NEWS: Athens Power Outage (Part 1; Part 2; Part 3) by Jim Phillips

Colorado Springs Independent: The Waldo Canyon Fire (Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5) by Pam Zubeck, Bill Forman, Chet Hardin, Kirk Woundy, Edie Adelstein, Bryce Crawford, Kirsten Akens, Jeff Koch, Matthew Schniper, J. Adrian Stanley and Claire Swinford

Orlando Weekly: Sick of It (Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5) by Billy Manes

BREAKING NEWS circulation 50,000 and over

Austin Chronicle: Esme Barrera Murder Case (Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5) by Jordan Smith and Monica Riese

Metro Times: Hell Breaks Loose by Curt Guyette

Miami New Times: The Miami Zombie (Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5) by Kyle Munzenrieder, Francisco Alvarado, Tim Elfrink, and Gus Garcia-Roberts

COLUMN circulation under 50,000

Flagpole Magazine: Columns by Pete McCommons

Folio Weekly: Columns by Denise M. Reagan

Jackson Free Press: Columns by Donna Ladd

COLUMN circulation 50,000 and over

Creative Loafing Atlanta: Columns by Rodney Carmichael

Houston Press: Columns by Margaret Downing

Miami New Times: Columns by Chuck Strouse

COLUMN -- POLITICAL circulation under 50,000

Creative Loafing Charlotte: How Obamacare saved my life; South Carolina campaigning has infected national races; and The Prairie Populist: George McGovern by John Grooms

Jackson Free Press: A Romney Runs Through Us; The Southern Strategy's Last Stand?; Beware the GOP's (Un)Scientific Sexism by Donna Ladd

The Source Weekly: Guns Don't Kill People, The NRA Kills People; Don't Buy The Bulletin's Self Serving Sob Story; and Let's Make Sandy Hook the Fulcrum for Change by Bruce Miller, Eric Flowers, Jim Stenson O'Neal

COLUMN -- POLITICAL circulation 50,000 and over

Miami New Times: Columns by Tim Elfrink

Phoenix New Times: Columns by Stephen Lemons

NOW Magazine: Columns by Enzo Di Matteo

ELECTION COVERAGE circulation under 50,000

Boise Weekly: Grand Old Punch-Up by Zach Hagadone

Creative Loafing Tampa: RNC 2012 Coverage by Creative Loafing Staff

Pacific Northwest Inlander: One Word and Wedding Day by Heidi Groover

ELECTION COVERAGE circulation 50,000 and over

Philadelphia Weekly: Desperate Ballot Measures by Randy LoBasso

Phoenix New Times: How Undocumented Immigrants Helped Change Phoenix's City Council Race and SB 1070 Fuels a Movement of New Voters by Monica Alonzo

Willamette Week: 2012 Portland Mayoral Race - The Evolution of Eileen Brady; Precinct Zero; Bus Boy; The Road to Hales; What Money Can't Buy; Campaign Confidential; Jefferson Smith Cited for 1993 Misdemeanor Assault; Police Report And Victim Contradict Smith's Version of 1993 Assault; and Knocking Himself Out by Corey Pein, Nigel Jaquiss, Aaron Mesh, Heidi Groover, and Laura Frazier

FEATURE STORY circulation under 50,000

Cleveland Scene: The Soul of Super Pimp by Kyle Swenson

Jackson Free Press: Rebel Land by R.L. Nave

Metro Pulse: Young and Sick by Cari Wade Gervin

Pacific Northwest Inlander: The Sick and the Damned by Luke Baumgarten

FEATURE STORY circulation 50,000 and over

Isthmus: Collaterally Damaged by Nathan Comp

L.A. Weekly: The Man Who Smelled Too Much by Gendy Alimurung

Miami New Times: From Porky's to Hell by Michael E. Miller

Westword: The Girl Who Fell to Earth by Alan Prendergast

FOOD WRITING circulation under 50,000

Charleston City Paper: The Post-Husk Era; Rye Revival; and Guy Fieri and the Perils of Middlebrow Food by Robert Moss

INDY Week: Eating Invertebrates at the Museum of Life and Science; Growing Kiwis in North Carolina; and Is There a Future for North Carolina Hops Farming? by Lisa Sorg

Style Weekly: Into the Fire and The Girl From Ipanema by Melissa Scott Sinclair

FOOD WRITING circulation 50,000 and over

Miami New Times: Working at Miami Restaurants and Food Trucks: The Inside Scoop by Laine Doss

OC Weekly: Jason Quinn Will Meet You at the Playground by Michelle Woo

Seattle Weekly: The Artisan Food Movement Digs for Gold; The Seattle Dog: An Oral History; and Charitable Korean at Chan by Hanna Raskin

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING circulation under 50,000

Boulder Weekly: The Ghosts of Valmont Butte (Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8; Part 9; Part 10) by Joel Dyer, Jefferson Dodge, and Elizabeth Miller

Fort Worth Weekly: Death by Indifference by Betty Brink

The Texas Observer: The Deadliest Place in Mexico by Melissa del Bosque

INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING circulation 50,000 and over

New Times Broward-Palm Beach: Coral Capers (Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4) by Chris Sweeney

SF Weekly: San Francisco's Transit Agency Has Neglected Maintenance for Years by Joe Eskenazi

Village Voice: Rikers Violence (Part 1 and Part 2) by Graham Rayman

LONG-FORM NEWS STORY circulation under 50,000

Charleston City Paper: Skip ReVille was Unstoppable Until a Mother Found Him Out by Paul Bowers

Cleveland Scene: Methbusters by Kyle Swenson

East Bay Express: How Much Garbage Does It Take to Treat a Patient? by Kathleen Richards

LONG-FORM NEWS STORY circulation 50,000 and over

Baltimore City Paper: Minding Her Own Business by Edward Ericson Jr.

Long Island Press: Identifying Princess Doe by Jaclyn Gallucci

OC Weekly: When a Mentally Ill Child Becomes a Mentally Ill Adult by Michelle Woo

MUSIC CRITICISM circulation under 50,000

Fast Forward Weekly: Canadian Music is Boring by Josiah Hughes and Mark Teo

Jackson Free Press: A Musical Family Affair; From the Ukulele to ‘60s Pop; For the Sheer Joy of It by Briana Robinson

Nashville Scene: Ain't Talkin' About Hate; Blunderbuss on the Tracks; and Who's First by Adam Gold

MUSIC CRITICISM circulation 50,000 and over

Las Vegas Weekly: Coachella; Neon Reverb Report; and Peter Gabriel by Spencer Patterson

Miami New Times: Miami Rapper SpaceGhostPurrp Releases Debut; Thurston Moore and KURT During Art Basel Miami Beach; and Madonna Strips for Dirty Dollar Bills by Sean Pajot

Willamette Week: The Last of the Jewish Cowboys; Japandroids; and 24-Hour Party People by Martin Cizmar

PUBLIC SERVICE circulation under 50,000

Colorado Springs Independent: Fire and Failure: The Waldo Canyon Tragedy - Inside the Nightmare; Seeing Through the Haze; Misfire; and Fire Proof by Pam Zubeck

Fort Worth Weekly: The Keystone Pipeline Battle - Your Land is My Land; Drawing a Line in the (Tar) Sand; and Down But Not Out by Peter Gorman

Style Weekly: Voices Carry: Evolution of the Modern Fight for Women's Rights - Culture Shock; Mission Aborted; Crimes of Expression; and Red Faced by Melissa Scott Sinclair, Jason Roop, Scott Bass, Vernal Coleman, Scott Elmquist, Thad Williamson, Adria Scharf, Dale Brumfield, and Zack Budryk

PUBLIC SERVICE circulation 50,000 and over

Austin Chronicle: The War on Women's Health - Jumping the Shark on Women's Health; The Destruction of Texas Health Care; Perry's Magic Wand; The War on Women's Health; Do No Harm; Perry's Tantrum; and It's About Community by Jordan Smith, Michael King, and Jason Stout

Long Island Press: Membership Has its Privileges - Is Nassau County Police Department Selling Preferential Treatment To Private Citizens?; D.A. Probe Ongoing; Nassau County Top Cops Surrender; and Nassau Cops Indicted by Shelly Feuer Domash and Christopher Twarowski

SF Weekly: Barred from Freedom: How Pretrial Detention Ruins Lives by Albert Samaha

ONLINE CATEGORIES

INDIVIDUAL BLOG All Publications

Charleston City Paper: Haire of the Dog by Chris Haire

New Times Broward-Palm Beach: Pulp by Chris Joseph

Phoenix New Times: Feathered Bastard by Stephen Lemons

MULTIMEDIA All Publications

City Pages (Twin Cities): Reinventing the Wheel by Mike Kooiman, Bre McGee, and Erika Wolf

INDY Week: Corrosion of Conformity: An Oral History of 30 Years by Bryan C. Reed, D.L. Anderson, and Grayson Currin

Long Island Press: Clam Wars by Christopher Twarowski, Rashed Mian, and Jon Sasala

Long Island Press: Ripple Effect by Rashed Mian, Christopher Twarowski, Michael Conforti, Scott Kearney, and Sal Calvi

MUSIC BLOG All Publications

City Pages (Twin Cities): Gimme Noise by Reed Fischer

Miami New Times: Crossfade by Jose Duran, Sean Pajot, Arielle Castillo, and Kyle Munzenrieder

Nashville Scene: Nashville Cream by Edd Hurt, Lance Conzett, D. Patrick Rodgers, Seth Graves, and Adam Gold

STAFF BLOG All Publications

Chicago Reader: The Bleader

Nashville Scene: Pith in the Wind

Philadelphia Weekly: PhillyNow

DESIGN CATEGORIES

Links to the winning cover design, illustration, and photography work will be added soon.

COVER DESIGN circulation under 50,000

Boulder Weekly: Covers by Dave Kirby and Sue France

Folio Weekly: Covers by Chad Smith, Walter Coker, and Denise M. Reagan

Santa Fe Reporter: Covers by John Lang and Corey Johnson

COVER DESIGN circulation 50,000 and over

City Pages (Twin Cities): Covers by Mike Kooiman

New Times Broward-Palm Beach: Covers by Alex Izaguirre

Washington City Paper: Covers by Jandos Rothstein

EDITORIAL LAYOUT circulation under 50,000

Mountain Xpress: Fantastic Voyager by John Zara and Nathanael Roney

Nashville Scene: Food & Drink by Elizabeth Jones

YES! Weekly: The Silver Ball by Katie Thompson

EDITORIAL LAYOUT circulation 50,000 and over

Baltimore City Paper: Never Mind the Crab Cakes, Here's the Cheese Fish by Ryan "Rarah" Stevenson, Frank Klein, Alex Fine, and Joe MacLeod

Dallas Observer: The Year of Eating Fabulously by Tracie Louck and Catherine Downes

Philadelphia City Paper: Big Vision Awards by Reseca Peskin and Brenna Adams

ILLUSTRATION circulation under 50,000

Boise Weekly: Mind Over the Apocalypse by Adam Rosenlund

Pacific Northwest Inlander: Scholastic Fantastic by Jeff Drew

Seven Days: Year of the Snake by Jeff Drew

ILLUSTRATION circulation 50,000 and over

Chicago Reader: Spring Books by Johnny Sampson

Metro Times: 'Straight' Talk by Desiree Kelly

Riverfront Times: Code Dead by Tim Lane

PHOTOGRAPHY circulation under 50,000

Creative Loafing Tampa: Republican National Convention Photos by Joeff Davis, Chip Weiner, Nick Cardello, and Robert Azmitia

North Bay Bohemian: Photos by Sara Sanger

Pacific Northwest Inlander: Photos by Young Kwak

PHOTOGRAPHY circulation 50,000 and over

Baltimore City Paper: Photos by Ryan "Rarah" Stevenson

Creative Loafing Atlanta: Photos by Joeff Davis, Dustin Chambers, and Brandon English

Dallas Observer: Dallas People 2012 by Tracie Louck and Mark Graham

OUTSIDE-THE-BOX CATEGORIES

CARTOON (listed alphabetically by last name)

Ed Harrington, Style Weekly

V.C. Rogers, INDY Week

Jen Sorensen, Slowpoke Comics

INNOVATION / FORMAT BUSTER

Isthmus: My Madison Day (Print Feature and Website) by Jason Joyce, Kristian Knutsen, Stu Levitan, Dean Robbins, Judith Davidoff Michana Buchman, Joe Tarr, Jessica Steinhoff, Linda Falkenstein, Ellen Meany, Carolyn Fath, David Michael Miller, Todd Hubler, Tommy Washbush, Thom Jones, Bob Koch, Cameron Connors, Janell Palmer, Chris Majchrzak, and Lucas Graves

Phoenix New Times:Best of Phoenix 2012 by Staff

Willamette Week: The President of Beers (Print and Web Feature) by Martin Cizmar, John Locanthi, and Brian Yaeger

SPECIAL SECTION circulation under 50,000

The Athens NEWS: Athens County Annual Manual 2012 by Kristen Rogers

Pacific Northwest Inlander: Dining Out: The 10 Things to Eat Before You Die by Mike Bookey

San Diego CityBeat: The Walkers' Guide to Comic-Con by Staff

SPECIAL SECTION circulation 50,000 and over

L.A. Weekly: How to Succeed on YouTube: A User's Guide by Staff

Philadelphia Weekly: Philadelphia Weekly's Binder Full of Women by Staff

Willamette Week: Artbreaker: A Ballerina, a Best-Seller and a Violinist Take High Culture Slumming by Brett Campbell, Heather Wisner, Ruth Brown, Richard Speer, Laurie Notaro, Martin Cizmar

Questions, comments and name corrections can be sent to Jason Zaragoza at jason[at]aan[dot]org

Gambit Helps Raise Funds for Victims of Mother's Day Shooting

Gambit — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:19:00 -0400

Nineteen people were wounded in the shooting on May 12, including Gambit contributor Deborah Cotton. A benefit concert featuring local bands will be held on Thursday, May 23.

Restructuring at the Village Voice

VMG Press Release — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:33:00 -0400

Voice Media Group is making staffing changes at the Village Voice. The net effect of these changes will be to slightly reduce the number of editorial employees at the publication—by less than one full-time position—and better align the Voice with the long-term business and editorial goals of the company. This restructuring will allow the Voice to continue offering superior content and products to its New York audience – specifically film, music, restaurant, and breaking news easily accessible across both print and digital platforms – while also ensuring the sustainability of the publication.

As of next week, veteran gossip columnist Michael Musto and longtime theater critic Michael Feingold will no longer be staffers at the Voice. Voice Media Group recognizes their many achievements and honors over the years, and thanks them for their loyalty, their professionalism, and the iconic role they have played in establishing the Voice as a cultural touchstone in New York City. Feingold, named a Pulitzer finalist for criticism in 2009, has been invited to continue his association with the Voice by serving as chairman of the annual Obie Awards.

We're also pleased to announce that two new positions have been added to the Voice writing staff, which already includes 2013 James Beard Award winner Tejal Rao, along with recently hired principal film writer Stephanie Zacharek and staff writer Sydney Brownstone.

Writer/editor Laura Shunk has joined the team as a part-time staff writer tasked with overseeing an expansion and reinvigoration of the Voice's food and restaurant coverage, both on the blog and in print. As part of that restructuring, freelance food writer Robert Sietsema will no longer serve as a regular weekly contributor. However, the Voice is actively soliciting new freelance writers interested in reporting on New York's dynamic dining culture.

Additionally, management is looking to hire a new, full-time staff writer to join the Voice's exceptional reporting team. We hope to make an announcement about that hire shortly.

VMG will support the editorial staff throughout this process, and believes these changes will allow the Village Voice to grow and to continue its commitment to progressive journalism.

"We sell community. We sell connection. That's what a good alt-weekly can still provide to its readership."

Marketing Magazine — Fri, 17 May 2013 09:42:00 -0400

Christine Oreskovich, publisher of The Coast in Halifax, says that strong community ties have helped her publication thrive.

Publish88 Joins AAN as Associate Member

Publish88 — Fri, 17 May 2013 08:40:00 -0400

Publish88® has joined AAN as an associate member.

Publish88® delivers a user-friendly, versatile and powerful software platform that allows magazine and newspaper publishers to create rich digital tablet and mobile editions using Adobe InDesign® and website content. Publish88® is already the digital publication-platform for more than forty Apps of newspapers and magazines in Mexico, the U.S. and Australia, including the largest and more influential newspaper in Mexico (El Universal) and the largest magazine publisher in the Americas (Editorial Televisa).

Contact: Emilio Arriaga B.

emilio@publish88.com

www.publish88.com

Three Weeklies to Carry Crowdsourced Comic Strip

SketchCrowd — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:00:00 -0400

Starting May 20th, three popular alternative newsweeklies will introduce readers to the world's first crowdsourced comic strip. The single-panel strip, entitled SketchCrowd, gleans submissions through its public website and features work from a new artist every week. Augusta's Metro Spirit will feature the strip in its print edition while Chattanooga's Pulse and Charlotte's Creative Loafing will publish it online.

Crowdsourcing is an emerging business trend in which tasks are accomplished by open call to freelance talent rather than a contained staff. Under the guidance of crowdsourcing principles, SketchCrowd models itself after Gary Larson's classic Far Side, but maintains its own unique feel thanks to a long list of contributors and its revolutionary application. The strip, managed by a company of the same name, is envisioned as a vehicle that offers advantages to the entire print community.

Media outlets, whether struggling or healthy, can please CFOs while appealing to their base consumer. "This is a great way for print media to affect their bottom line and establish more relevance," says SketchCrowd President T.J. Kuehn, "Not only will they find quality content at significantly reduced cost, but this is a great opportunity to pique interest and involve local readers."

Cartoonists, on the other hand, will realize more access and publicity in an industry notorious for difficult entry and overcrowding. By offering a profit-sharing model, a forum for feedback and networking capabilities, SketchCrowd aims to establish viable markets for users and proliferate talent into the mainstream media. "We want SketchCrowd to be the first place people go when they have a concept." says Kuehn, "Amateur cartoonists, housewives, mechanics - anybody with a creative itch."

Readers can't miss SketchCrowd in their respective papers. In addition to its individuality in layout and delivery, a branded header will boldly identify each entry. The work itself will remain fresh and unique as it comes not just from a new contributor each week, but from friends and neighbors. The idea, the work and the vision of the pioneering papers will surely gain comment within their communities.

SketchCrowd, founded in March 2012, maintains offices in Peachtree City, GA. Cartoonist of all ages and abilities can visit www.sketchcrowd.com to submit work.

AAN Joins Protest Against DOJ Subpoena of Associated Press Phone Records

WTFDOJ — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:38:00 -0400

AAN has signed on to a letter from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) protesting the Department of Justice's broad subpoena of the Associated Press' phone records.

"In the thirty years since the Department issued guidelines governing its subpoena practice as it relates to phone records from journalists, none of us can remember an instance where such an overreaching dragnet for newsgathering materials was deployed by the Department, particularly without notice to the affected reporters or an opportunity to seek judicial review," the letter says.

Yesterday the AP reported that the Department of Justice had obtained records listing two months of outgoing calls on both the personal and work phone lines of AP reporters and editors:

In all, the government seized the records for more than 20 separate telephone lines assigned to AP and its journalists in April and May of 2012. The exact number of journalists who used the phone lines during that period is unknown, but more than 100 journalists work in the offices where phone records were targeted, on a wide array of stories about government and other matters.

AAN was among 52 media organizations — including the New York Times, NPR, Online News Association, and Society of Professional Journalists — to sign on to the RCFP letter.

AAN Opposes Beyonce Tour Photo Restrictions

AAN — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:44:00 -0400

The Association of Alternative Newsmedia has signed on to a letter along with 19 other media organizations requesting that singer Beyonce Knowles-Carter remove the photography and video guidelines for her 2013 world tour, The Mrs. Carter Show. The tour's guidelines state, "There are no photo credentials for this show. Local news outlets, including print and online will be given a link to download photos from every show. They will need to register to access the photos."

Additionally, Mrs. Knowles-Carter's media representatives have requested that all news and media publications remove any "unflattering" photos of their client.

The heightened level of censorship regarding the use of images featuring Mrs. Knowles-Carter is troubling. It is also part of a disturbing trend where the issuers of credentials for sports, music, arts and other events make naked power grabs for content ownership, even when their claims to that ownership are entirely contradictory to basic copyright law.

It's understandable that Mrs. Knowles-Carter's representatives are working to protect the image of their client, but the breadth of these restrictions will only do more harm than good. It is also doubtful that they will prevent the dissemination of "unflattering" imaged due to the prevalence of camera and video phones.

An open and fair society requires an honest exchange of information, and although this can be difficult to balance at times, AAN's position is that these restrictions placed upon the journalism establishment by Mrs. Knowles-Carter's management infringe upon basic freedoms and could establish a dangerous precedent regarding the relationship between journalist and public figures. AAN will continue to push back against such unreasonable restrictions on our members' ability to gather and distribute desired content.

Gambit Correspondent Among the Injured in Mother's Day Parade Shooting

Gambit — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:00:00 -0400

Gambit correspondent Deborah Cotton was hit directly by gunfire and taken to intensive care for surgery. She is in stable condition.

AAN Adds New Monetization Partnerships, Member Services

AAN — Fri, 10 May 2013 11:30:00 -0400

AAN is introducing several new services and monetization partnerships available exclusively to its members.

These free pilot programs will give publications an opportunity to monetize mobile traffic, find untapped classified revenue, and use audience insights to expose relevant content to readers.

A new members-only page has been created to serve as a central location for all of the association's services and benefits, including the AAN legal hotline.

The association has also negotiated group discounts to provide members with affordable human resource services and media liability coverage for perils such as defamation, invasion of privacy, or copyright and trademark infringement.

A brief summary of each program is outlined below, for more details visit the new Member Services and Partnerships page. More projects are in the works, so stay tuned as we roll out additional programs.

New Programs and Services

Independent Media Content & Audience Network (IMCAN) powered by cXense: AAN's Independent Media Content & Audience Network is an audience network that utilizes a group of like-minded premium publishers and innovative technology to gain audience insights, expose relevant content to readers and monetize that content.

The approach of this audience network is one that opens doors to maintaining fierce independence of our publishers while gaining the strength of scale in a digital world.

Leveraging cXense technology, the IMCAN will track the content being consumed across its publishers and identify trending topics that help it better understand the intersection between consumer, content and consumption. These insights will drive a predictive technology to offer recommended content from around the network to consumers from each of the publisher's sites.

adFreeq: Provides a FREE, self-managed classified ad service that is ideal for media sites such as newspapers, radio and television station websites, media portals, community sites and blogs. The adFreeq platform is richer, safer, more searchable, individually personalized for users, and it creates new revenue opportunities for our online publishing partners.

Onswipe: A touch publishing and monetization platform. They work with web publishers, taking their existing content and rendering their site beautifully for the touch web. Publishers can expect a lift in pageviews and engagement. Best of all, their software is free to use.

ThinkRisk Media Liability Coverage: Provides coverage for media perils such as defamation, invasion of privacy, copyright and trademark infringement, errors and omissions coverage for any services the member may be providing to third parties, and - at participants' option - breaches of network security/privacy.

Existing Programs and Services

AltWeeklies Content Exchange: Collect a stream of premium hyper-local photo and video content from your local community. Share content with hundreds of alt-weeklies.

Circulation Verification Council (CVC): CVC offers a 20 percent discount to AAN members on its audits and readership studies. CVC circulation audits include an residential & cell phone, online & mobile readership study that reports reader age, income and education demographics in addition to reader's planned purchases from over 30 retail & service categories.

Insperity HR Services: A premier, full-service HR and business services solution, offers payroll administration, benefits, government compliance help, safety assistance, liability management and a customized service delivery plan.

Legal Hotline: The AAN legal hotline is a free service for members. Kevin M. Goldberg, a member of the law firm of Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth, PLC, is available to provide generalized legal information.

To sign up or learn more about the services above, please contact AAN Executive Director Tiffany Shackelford at tshackelford[at]aan.org.

Santa Fe Reporter Publisher Andy Dudzik to Depart

Santa Fe Reporter — Thu, 09 May 2013 15:11:00 -0400

Dudzik will stay with the paper through the summer to ensure a smooth transition.