FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Big, Fat, Awesomeness News at Dig Boston
BOSTON, MA — Dig Boston announced today that Editor J.
Patrick Brown will be departing in October, and Urban Daddy Boston Editor, Dan
McCarthy will step in as the new Editor.
J Pat, as he is known, joined the Dig almost four years ago, and climbed the ranks
starting out as an intern, then served as Calendar Czar, Staff Writer, Associate Editor,
Managing Editor, and finally Editor since last July. Steering the editorial team through a
tumultuous time of change and then exciting growth, Brown has been an
indispensable leader.
“I’m proud of what my team and myself were able to accomplish, and I sincerely
believe we had the greatest of runs. Now, I’m looking forward to finding something
equally challenging and rewarding, like learning how to juggle piranhas or negotiating
a peace treating using nothing but pantomimes,” he explained while working off of
three separate Google docs simultaneously.
“By the way, Jeff’s still an asshole,” he added.
In addition to Brown’s departure, Lauren Metter, former Web Editor and current
social media guru and Cady Drell, Arts and Entertainment Editor extraordinaire, will
also be departing to take on new challenges. Metter has started her own social media
management company, Metter Media, while Drell will pursue other opportunities in the
publishing world and beyond. Earlier this month, Lifestyle Editor and Honest Pint
columnist, Heather Vandenengel also departed to take a sabbatical, and afterward will
serve as News Editor for All About Beer Magazine while traveling the country as a
freelance writer.
According to founder and Publisher, Jeff Lawrence, this kind of wholesale
turnover is great for the departing staff, as well as Dig Boston, adding, “This editorial
team carried us through one of the most challenging times in our history and will
undoubtedly be a huge asset wherever they end up because of it. It also gives us the
chance for a new vision, and with that, huge editorial growth.”
McCarthy will work with Lawrence, and Chris Faraone, who is being promoted to
News and Features editor, to create a new editorial team. He also brings an exciting
and entirely different approach to alternative media with his extensive new
media and journalism background, and is already chomping at the bit to take the Dig
to the next level.
“This is an uncertain, and yet wildly exciting time to be a part of alternative media. Or
any media,” McCarthy says. “And for those with grit, and a willingness to challenge
popular consensus, fantastic things are possible. I’m excited to step into the Dig and
remind the region why they fell in love with alt-weeklies at their zenith. And to not be
locked in a bedroom office 18 hours a day in solitude, always about two steps away
from going Howard Hughes and storing my own urine. The Dig has offices, right? …
Wait, are you recording this?”
In addition to the editorial changes, Dig Publishing LLC, publishers of Dig Boston
and DigBoston.com, also announced today that its August 2013 sales finished 122%
over August 2012, the single highest monthly Year-to-Year growth in the company’s
14 year history (breaking the record of 93% growth set just last month, July 2013). For
the year, Dig Publishing’s sales are up 33% through August.
Lawrence, attributes the record growth to multiple factors, including DigBoston‘s
“dedication to its core mission of delivering intelligent and comprehensive local Arts &
Entertainment coverage along with fearless investigative journalism on local issues” as
well as a “commitment to local advertisers eager to reach our desired readership
through a multi-pronged media approach.”
Lawrence added, “While the highest volume growth has come from our core products
(ad revenue in the weekly print magazine and digboston.com), the highest percentage
gains (over 100%) are coming from new revenue streams such as our niche publishing
division (producers of the A.R.T., Together Festival, and Cambridge River Fest show
guides), and our more non-traditional streams such as Social Media Management
Services.”
VP of Sales, Marc Shepard, summed up the success as well saying, “Ultimately, our fate
rests with support from the local Arts, Entertainment, and Business communities,
something any alt-weekly forgets at their own peril. We can’t imagine a better
environment for us than Boston and are grateful for the support of our many local
partners. The future looks fantastic and Boston will continue to have a strong
alternative voice for a long time to come.”
Founded in 1999, Dig Boston and digboston.com are Boston’s always witty and never
dull guide to nightlife, opinion and events. Dig Boston is also Boston’s ONLY
alternative voice and can be found online, as well as weekly inside hundreds of orange,
black or otherwise strange looking colored boxes around the city and beyond, and
inside your favorite places throughout the area.
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Contact us
Phone: (617) 426-8942
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