UPDATED MAY 19, 2008: This story was updated to include the finalists of the Editorial Layout category.
Editor’s note: Charles Whitaker is an assistant professor at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and director of Medill’s Academy for Alternative Journalism, a summer residential program designed to train and recruit minority journalists to work at AAN papers. This year, for the first time, Medill helped AAN with the administration of the AltWeekly Awards contest.
The finalists for the 13th annual AltWeekly Awards run the gamut from investigations of errant public officials to stories about green living. Representing the best writing, design and web innovations among the 129 member publications of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, the finalists for the 2008 AltWeekly Awards were selected from more than 1,400 entries.
L.A. Weekly leads the pack with finalists in eight different categories, including Arts Criticism, News Story — Long Form, Website and Special Section. Judges acknowledged two of the paper’s contributors for excellence in multiple categories: Nikki Finke for Blog and Media Reporting/Criticism and Jeffrey Anderson for Investigative Reporting and News Story–Long Form.
Santa Fe Reporter and Washington City Paper closely followed with seven finalists in six different categories. Santa Fe Reporter scored finalists in Cover Design, Editorial Layout, Column, Arts Criticism, Blog and two in Illustration. Washington City Paper finished with entries in Arts Criticism, Blog, Editorial Layout, Music Criticism, Photography and two in the Feature Story category.
In three of the writing categories, the finalists include young reporters who are alumni of AAN’s diversity program, the Academy for Alternative Journalism. In the large circulation division of the Music Criticism category, Jonathan Cunningham (AAJ class of 2005), now music editor of the New Times Broward-Palm Beach, is a finalist for “Freaks Come Out at Night.” Isaiah Thompson (also in the AAJ class of 2005), a reporter for Miami New Times, is a finalist in the Investigative Reporting category for “Swept Under the Bridge: Sex Offenders Set up Camp,” a story that was awarded an IRE certificate earlier this year. Gus Garcia-Roberts (AAJ class of 2007), is a finalist in the large-circulation News Story–Short Form division for a series of pieces he contributed to Cleveland’s Scene. Matt Saldana of Jackson Free Press is another alum, and will receive an award for his contributions to “Road to Meadville” in the Public Service category.
This year, the contest introduced two new categories, Public Service and Innovation. Public Service recognizes the impact that stories and series done by member publications have had on their communities. The inaugural finalists include the Baltimore City Paper, OC Weekly, Phoenix New Times and San Francisco Bay Guardian in the large-circulation division and Fort Worth Weekly, Jackson Free Press, Nashville Scene and Weekly Alibi in the small-circulation division.
The Innovation category focuses on creativity in journalism, which may be expressed in print, online or a combination. The first recipients of this award include City Pages, The Pitch, Westword, Orlando Weekly, Santa Barbara Independent and Tucson Weekly.
Finalists are listed in alphabetical order by newspaper. If four finalists are listed in any given category, it indicates a tie or an honorable mention in that category. The winners will be announced at the 31st Annual Association of Alternative Newsweeklies Convention, which will be held June 5-7 in Philadelphia.
AAN will showcase the design work in a Flickr Gallery. Finalists should send materials to Heather at hkuldell (at) aan [dot] org.
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Click for Design, Miscellaneous (including Cartoon), Web, or Writing categories.
DESIGN CATEGORIES
COVER DESIGN circulation 55,000 and over
Dallas Observer: Dark Horse, Best of Dallas and Delivering Death by Alexander Flores
Los Angeles CityBEAT: Dead on the Vine (Unregulated Produce), Prison Overcrowding and DEA Suicide (Men’s Bathroom) by Matt Ansoorian and Jordan Crane
SF Weekly: Future Games, Just Say No, and Wheelchairs of Fortune by Darrick Rainey
COVER DESIGN circulation under 55,000
The Independent Weekly (Lafayette, LA): Throw Me Something, Senator!, Getting Hitched and Newsmaker of the Year by Kevin Pontiff
Louisville Eccentric Observer: Music Issue, What, Me Worry? and Sultan of Spin by Ron Jasin and Britany Baker
Santa Fe Reporter: Hosed, Oh the Horror and Hot, Hot, Hot! by Angela Moore
EDITORIAL LAYOUT circulation 55,000 and over
Philadelphia City Paper: Truth in Prints by Reseca Glasser
PW-Philadelphia Weekly: Top 10 Drug Corners by Sara Green
Washington City Paper: Sects Appeal by Pete Morelewicz
EDITORIAL LAYOUT circulation under 55,000
Boston’s Weekly Dig: A Straight Guide to Pride by Staff
Santa Fe Reporter: For Your Eyes Only by Larry Kohr
Style Weekly: Eco Chic by Mark Jeffries
ILLUSTRATION circulation 55,000 and over
Miami New Times: The Suitcase Murders by Brian Stauffer
Miami New Times: Guarimba by Brian Stauffer
PW-Philadelphia Weekly: The New Anxiety by Edward Kinsella III
ILLUSTRATION circulation under 55,000
Folio Weekly: This Sucks by Ken Garduno
Santa Fe Reporter: Hosed by Dale Stephano and Angela Moore
Santa Fe Reporter: The Big Suck by Jon Krause and Angela Moore
PHOTOGRAPHY circulation 55,000 and over
Baltimore City Paper: Pamela Leak, Los, Lafayette Gilchrist, New Flesh, For the People by Rarah
City Pages (Twin Cities): Boy, Interrupted by Nick Vlcek
Philadelphia City Paper: Stenton Avenue Reprise by Michael T. Regan
Washington City Paper: And on the First Day, It Happened Before, Battle Over Heavy T, Members Only and Corrode to Nowhere by Darrow Montgomery
PHOTOGRAPHY circulation under 55,000
City Newspaper: You’re Getting Warmer, Of Bowlers and Bats, Tagged, Play With Your Food and Good Humor by Jeff Marini
Independent Weekly (NC): The Longest Road Home by Jeremy M. Lange
Nashville Scene: How to Grow a Rock Band, Lap Dances, Next Big Nashville, Hit Man and Man in the Middle by Eric England
Orlando Weekly: Best of Orlando Section Openers by Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORIES
CARTOON Click to see Flickr gallery
Tom the Dancing Bug by Ruben Bolling
Los Angelopolis by Max Kornell
Slowpoke by Jen Sorensen
Mr. Fish by Dwayne Booth
INNOVATION circulation 55,000 and over
City Pages (Twin Cities): Twin Cities Rock Atlas in print (PDF) and online by Peter Scholtes, Jeff Shaw and Kevin Cannon
The Pitch: Smoke & Mirrors: story and podcast by Eric Barton
Westword: Paint the Town Read: in print (PDF) and online by Amy Haimerl and Kenny Be
INNOVATION circulation under 55,000
Orlando Weekly: Downtownopoly (PDF) by Shan Stumpf, Jeffrey C. Billman and Bob Whitby
Santa Barbara Independent: Locals Only by Matt Kettmann and Aly Comingore
Tucson Weekly: Project White House: Presidential Candidate Contest (PDF), Run for President, Project White House Deadline Extended, Speaking of Presidential Campaigns, Let the Games Begin! and Project White House the Blog by Jim Nintzel and Staff
PUBLIC SERVICE circulation 55,000 and over
Baltimore City Paper: Watching the Inspectors: I.G. Popped, Where Credit is Due, Not Up to Code, On the Block, HUD-aches, Defame Game, Open Perjury, Nightmare Neighbor, In Ruins and Watching the Inspectors by Edward Ericson Jr.
OC Weekly: They Got the Sheriff: Blazing Saddles!, Angry Asian Rap Stalls Case, Kissing the Pinky Ring, Furious and Curiouser, They Got the Sheriff, Magnum Enforcer, She’s the (Under) Sheriff, Draw Your Own Conclusions and Crossing the Thin Blue Line by R. Scott Moxley
Phoenix New Times: Target Practice: Breathtaking Abuse of the Constitution (PDF), Who’s Sorry Now? (PDF), He Just Doesn’t Get It (PDF), Wilenchek’s a Liar and There’s More (PDF), Extraordinary Contempt (PDF), Power Play (PDF), Information Blockade (PDF), Inhumanity has Its Price (PDF) and Flushing Them Out (PDF) by Staff
San Francisco Bay Guardian: Exposing the Media News scandal: Off the Record, Judge Opens Secret Media Merger Files, Between the Sheets, Barons of Monopoly, Brown Must Fight the Media Monopoly, What We Know Now, Reilly’s Right to Sue, Media Trial to Proceed — In Public, Barons Back Off Newspaper Trial and Beyond the Reilly Settlement by G.W. Schulz and Staff
PUBLIC SERVICE circulation under 55,000
Fort Worth Weekly: Gas Drilling coverage: Mineral-Rights Mania (PDF), Perilous Profits (PDF), Time is on Their Side (PDF), Fighting Back (PDF), Paper Promises (PDF), Digging Deeper (PDF) and Hot Water (PDF) by Staff
Jackson Free Press: Road to Meadville: We’re Sorry (PDF), In the Interest of Justice (PDF), Fighting Back in Klan Nation (PDF), The Klansman Bound (PDF), Seale the ‘Last’ Case? We Doubt It (PDF), Dredging Up the Past (PDF), The Truth Can Hurt (PDF), Profile of a Klansman (PDF), Strange Bedfellows (PDF) and Cold Cases Bill Must Pass (PDF) by Donna Ladd, Kate Medley and Matt Saldana
Nashville Scene: Mayor Bubba Smackdown: Tripper for Sure, Stupid Political Tricks, Idea Man, Dean for Mayor, Inclement Bob, 40 Days and 40 Nights, True Crime, Yankee Doodle Dean, See Bob Run and Read Their Lips by Jeff Woods and Liz Garrigan
Weekly Alibi: Alibisexuals: Tasteful Reads, Family Values, Unnatural Indecency, Pride Radio Streams to Albequerque — Without Local Content, Revolting Drag Queens, Grown Up Gay, Absolutely Fabulous, Four Corners’ Clash, Culture Shock and Thin Line by Staff
SPECIAL SECTION circulation 55,000 and over
L.A. Weekly: LA People 2007 by Staff
NOW Magazine: The Green Issue by Troy Beyer, Stephen Chester and Bryan Gee
Willamette Week: Restaurant Guide 2007 by Byron Beck and Staff
SPECIAL SECTION circulation under 55,000
Arkansas Times: 50 Years After by Staff
North Bay Bohemian: Arcadia by Staff and Contributors
The Texas Observer: “Beloveds” Molly Ivins (1944-2007) by Staff
WEB CATEGORIES
BLOG circulation 55,000 and over
L.A. Weekly: Deadline Hollywood Daily: NBC Shake-up: My Final Wrap & Analysis, WGA Talks Collapse: East Strike On! and Worst Talent Deal Ever? by Nikki Finke
PW-Philadelphia Weekly: Philadelphia Will Do: Harassment, A $500 Appearance Fee and Queena Bass, Milton Street’s ‘American Idol’ Audition and Alycia Lane Arrested! by Daniel McQuade
Washington City Paper: City Desk: On Scene at the Eastern Market, Yuppies, Goths, and Other Groups I Don’t Identify With and Tax-Scam Hearing Liveblog by Staff
BLOG circulation under 55,000
Nashville Scene: Nashville Cream: What’s in a Name?, I Saw You Doing Something Somewhere Around Here and You are Kinda Famous and How I Became the (Cherry) Bomb by Matt Sullivan, Chris Slack and Tracy Moore
Santa Fe Reporter: Blogging Bill: There’s Something About Bill, The BIG Isuue and Richardson’s NM Supreme Court Nominees are Big Contributors by Staff
Seven Days: Stuck in Vermont: Rosie’s Girls, Black Fly Festival and Viva La Voce Puppet Opera by Eva Sollberger
Weekly Alibi: Alibi WeBlog: 10 Best Media Objects of 2006 (Part 1), Beyond Beirut and Overheard at the State Fair by Jessica Cassyle Carr, Jeremy McCollum, Kyle Silfer, Wes Edling and John Millington
WEBSITE circulation 55,000 and over
Austin Chronicle: Austin Chronicle by Staff
Boston Phoenix: The Phoenix by Staff
L.A. Weekly: L.A. Weekly by Staff
WEBSITE circulation under 55,000
Arkansas Times: Arkansas Times by Staff
Santa Barbara Independent: Santa Barbara Independent by Staff
Seven Days: Seven Days by Don Eggert, Bob Kilpatrick and Cathy Resmer
WRITING CATEGORIES
ARTS CRITICISM circulation 55,000 and over
Austin Chronicle: Waiting for the Barbarians, Afterplay, and Take Me Out by Robert Faires
Chicago Reader: Hometown Heroes, Constant Crises and Men Behaving Badly by Lee Sandlin
L.A. Weekly: Badlands, Margot at the Wedding: Born Identities and Iron Butterfly by Scott Foundas
Washington City Paper: Squaresville, U.S.A., Reality Checks and The Mod That Failed by Jeffry Cudlin
ARTS CRITICISM circulation under 55,000
Independent Weekly (NC): Durham Author David Guy Distills a Lifetime of Work, The Final, Unfinished Novel of the Late, Great Larry Brown and New Stories From the South: More Than Confederates and Kudzu by Adam Sobsey
Santa Fe Reporter: An Amnesiac to Remember, Film By Numbers and The Big Picture (PDF) by Emiliano Garcia-Sarnoff
Style Weekly: Women’s Work, Flight of Fancy and Shallow Waters (PDF) by Thomas Peyser
ARTS FEATURE circulation 55,000 and over
Houston Press: Black Box Office by Troy Schulze
Miami New Times: Artist as Prisoner by Rob Jordan
Riverfront Times: The Case of the Shanghai Shamus by Malcolm Gay
ARTS FEATURE circulation under 55,000
Arkansas Times: The Amazing Mohja (PDF) by David Koon
Fort Worth Weekly: And Now, Wearing the Geeksta Crown (PDF) by Jimmy Fowler
New Haven Advocate: Art of the Living Dead (PDF) by Betsy Yagla
San Luis Obispo New Times: Faire Play (PDF) by Ryan Miller
COLUMN circulation 55,000 and over
OC Weekly: “Ask a Mexican!” Feb. 1, April 5 and Nov. 15 by Gustavo Arellano
Riverfront Times: Top Ramen (Chicken Vegetable Flavor), Domino’s Pizza New Oreo Dessert Pizza and Double Cheeseburger by Malcolm Gay
Westword: Ladies Plight, Exhibitionists and The Nigerian Scam Strikes Again by Patricia Calhoun
COLUMN circulation under 55,000
Colorado Springs Independent: “Public Eye”: Mike Jones Shares His ‘Art’, The Return of Charlie Duke (Sort of) and The Myth of a Killer in Love by Cara DeGette
The Memphis Flyer: Last One Standing, One Vote at a Time and Improvident Borrower by John Branston
San Luis Obispo New Times: Gone to Pot, Pop a Local Wheelie and I’m All Ears (PDF) by The Shredder
Santa Fe Reporter: “Zane’s World”: Complainocracy, Illusion of Progress and Neo Anti-Development? (PDF) by Zane Fischer
COLUMN — POLITICAL circulation 55,000 and over
Creative Loafing (Atlanta): “Metropolis”: No More Illegal Ramaramadingdongs!, The Mystery of the Mayor’s Jet-setting and Water, Water Everywhere — Not! by John Sugg
Los Angeles CityBEAT: “American Babylon”: No Home For You Here, Copycat Nation and Show Me the Ideas by Andrew Gumbel
PW-Philadelphia Weekly: This Election is Murder, Cop Out and Finally We Care by Kia Gregory
The Village Voice: Mike Bloomberg, Free At Last, Benchwarmers and Rudy’s Brain by Tom Robbins
COLUMN — POLITICAL circulation under 55,000
Arkansas Times: A Burning Issue, Frailty in God’s President and Mike’s Humble Roots by Ernest Dumas
Birmingham Weekly: Leapin’ Larry Goes Back to the Future, Letter of Our Laws and The Sticky, Sticky Truth by Kyle Whitmire
New Haven Advocate: Why I’m Returning to Iraq, Kurdistan on the Brink and Women in a Hostile Nation: Part 1 (PDF) by Daniel Smith
FEATURE STORY circulation 55,000 and over
Dallas Observer: El Tren de la Muerte by Megan Feldman
Washington City Paper: Letters From an Arsonist by Dave Jamieson
Washington City Paper: The Battle Over Heavy T by Joe Eaton
FEATURE STORY circulation under 55,000
Columbia Free Times: Virtual Goods, Hard Cash by Ron Aiken
Illinois Times: Twice Burned by Dusty Rhodes
Jackson Free Press: We Are Family: A Klan Child Fans a Different Flame by Donna Ladd
FOOD WRITING circulation 55,000 and over
City Pages (Twin Cities): Then There Was None, Port is the Answer? and Colonel Mustard by Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl
Miami New Times: Eat Shit and Die, Chew the Right Thing and Flapjack Flip-Off VII: Bananarama! by Lee Klein
New Times Broward-Palm Beach: Dancing the Lobster Quadrille, Split Decision? and The Undersea World of Toby Joseph by Gail Shepherd
FOOD WRITING circulation under 55,000
Monterey County Weekly: Miles to Go Before I Eat (PDF) by Mark C. Anderson
Nashville Scene: The Sign of Paradise, Heckuva Job, Chappy and Get Your Goat by Carrington Fox
North Bay Bohemian: First Bite: Sky Lounge, First Bite: Carneros Bistro & Wine Bar and Saint Elsewhere by Carey Sweet
Seven Days: His Daily Bread, Newfound Ground Round and Shuck and Awe by Suzanne Podhaizer
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING circulation 55,000 and over
L.A. Weekly: The Town the Law Forgot: The Town The Law Forgot, Cuhady Reformers Lose, Mario Beltran’s Wild Night, Politics Meet Street, The Trouble with Mario Beltran, Friends in Low Places, Did City Hall Fund a Gun-runner?, Taming the Wild 740 Club, Mario Beltran’s Strange Bedfellows and Mario Beltran’s Undertow by Jeffrey Anderson
Miami New Times: Swept Under the Bridge and Sex Offenders Set Up Camp by Isaiah Thompson
San Francisco Bay Guardian: The Corporation that Ate San Francisco, Dust Still Settling and Green City by Sarah Phelan
Seattle Weekly: The Worst Internal Scandal in NSA History was Blamed on Cold War Defectors’ Homosexuality by Rick Anderson
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING circulation under 55,000
The Memphis Flyer: The Loop: The Loop, MLGW Networx: Keeping Us in the Dark?, Will the City Council Get the Real Story? Will Anyone?, Networx Down and Unplugged by Chris Davis
Portland Phoenix: Conditions in Maine’s Prisons: Sluggish Response to Suicide, Punish the Mentally Ill!, Prisoners as Commodities, Prisoner Gagged, Maine Prison Bosses Violate Court Orders, Press Behind Bars, Mentally Ill Inmate Gets Care Despite State’s Objections, Stabbed in the Back, Dangerous Waits for Psychiatric Evaluations? and Exiled Maine Prisoners Report Abuse, Danger by Lance Tapley
Seven Days: Hot and Soured: Hot and Soured, Official Reactions Mixed on Allegations of Minimum-wage, Building-Code Violations and State Cracks Down on Burlington-Area Chinese Restaurant Owners by Ken Picard
The Texas Observer: Hidden in Plain Sight (PDF) by Nate Blakeslee
MEDIA REPORTING/CRITICISM circulation 55,000 and over
Boston Phoenix: “Don’t Quote Me”: Culture War, Silent Treatment and The Problem with Heroes by Adam Reilly
L.A. Weekly: “Deadline Hollywood”: Goodbye Baquet, Hello O’Shea, Dangerous Liaisons and Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid by Nikki Finke
Philadelphia City Paper: The Deluge by Doron Taussig
MEDIA REPORTING/CRITICISM circulation under 55,000
The first-place winner of this category will receive the Connye Miller Award for Media Reporting, a cash prize of $300. Miller served as the founding editor and co-publisher of The Local Planet Weekly in Spokane, Wash. The award, endowed by her husband Matt Spaur, commemorates Miller’s dedication to her newspaper’s role as a media critic and watchdog. Miller died in June 2003 from complications related to the rare disease porphyria.
The Memphis Flyer: Monetizing Content at The Commercial Appeal by John Branston
Nashville Scene: Identity Crisis, Who Really Gored Gore? and Afflict the Afflicted by Liz Garrigan
Santa Barbara Independent: All the News Not Fit to Print, That Dog’s All Wet and The Canine Ultimatum by Nick Welsh
MUSIC CRITICISM circulation 55,000 and over
New Times Broward-Palm Beach: Freaks Come Out at Night by Jonathan Cunningham
SF Weekly: Forgiving the Past Through Elliott Smith, It’s So Easy Being Green and Jack Kerouac’s Writing is Still Influential for Rock Icons 50 Years After On the Roadby Jennifer Maerz
Washington City Paper: Hug Life, People, People, Why are They Fighting? and Half the Man He Used to Be by Sarah Godfrey
The Village Voice: Hot Hot Heat, The Disorientation of Lauryn Hill and The Fey Highwayman by Rob Harvilla
MUSIC CRITICISM circulation under 55,000
Illinois Times: Weird Sisters, Melancholy Man and The Feminine Mystique (PDF) by Rene Spencer Saller
San Antonio Current: The Unbearable Lightness of Paul, Police Report and Haley’s Comet (PDF) by Gilbert Garcia
The Memphis Flyer: It’s a Rap, Bad-Vibe Bands and Johnny Cash’s Block Party by Chris Herrington
NEWS STORY — LONG FORM circulation 55,000 and over
Baltimore City Paper: Juvenile Disservices and The Colonel by Jeffrey Anderson
L.A. Weekly: The End of Murder by David Zahniser
The Pitch: Not Hiring by David Martin
Westword: The Punisher and A Thumb on the Scales by Alan Prendergast
NEWS STORY — LONG FORM circulation under 55,000
Cincinnati CityBeat: Dirty Laundry (PDF) by Kevin Osborne
Jackson Free Press: The State of JPD by Adam Lynch
The Texas Observer: The Governor’s Database (PDF) by Jake Bernstein
The Texas Observer: I am Sullied — No More (PDF) by Robert Bryce
NEWS STORY — SHORT FORM circulation 55,000 and over
Austin Chronicle: Red Ink on Second Street, “Texas Tough” Sex Crime Wave Hits the Dome and Lost in Cyberspace (PDF) by Wells Dunbar
L.A. Weekly: Name Game in Huntington Park, Slammed for Secret Asbestos Removal and Hector Marroquin’s Revenge by Jeffrey Anderson
Scene: Banking on D’s, Hunting the White Buffalo and The Wild, Wild West Bank by Gus Garcia-Roberts
NEWS STORY — SHORT FORM circulation under 55,000
Colorado Springs Independent: Gallagher’s Island, The Talking Wounded and Stuck in the Service by J. Adrian Stanley
New Haven Advocate: The Born Identity, Yale’s New Secret Society and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Senator (PDF) by Andy Bromage
Tucson Weekly: Dreams and Duds, Disease and Discretion and Paper Trail by Tim Vanderpool
Have links or PDFs for a finalist that we don’t? Please email hkuldell (at) aan [dot] org.
