AAN is now accepting applications for both regular and affiliate members. The deadline to apply for membership is May 1, 2015.

Download the 2015 AAN Membership Application here.

Prospective members are
assessed by the AAN membership committee in terms of how they strengthen AAN’s character, and each application will be voted on by the general membership at the association’s annual meeting in Salt Lake City on July 18.

Why join AAN? View some of the AAN Membership Benefits here

To encourage membership from online-only and other alternative media outlets beyond the organization’s alt-weekly
newspaper roots, over the past decade AAN has actively expanded the membership definitions and criteria.

Most recently, in 2013, a new class of membership was introduced. Where Regular members have long been defined as serving a “general interest” audience, the new Affiliate membership seeks members that serve a niche: music magazines, LGBT newspapers, publications for ethnic communities and all other kinds of topic- or audience-focused media are encouraged to apply for Affiliate membership.

To apply for Regular or Affiliate membership, please send AAN a package that includes the following:

• A completed membership application form.



• For applicants with a print publication, nine (9) copies each of the three issues that best represent your work
  from 2014 and up to February 1, 2015. (For distribution to the members of the Membership Committee.)



• Online-only
  publications should send the URLs to the three issues that represent your best work from 2014
  and up to February 1, 2015. URLs should include links to at least one example per week—if your site has these—
  of a longform story; a news story; a feature story; arts and entertainment coverage in the areas of music, stage,
  movies, etc.; listings and food coverage. Online-only
  publications may also submit PDFs of those same weeks.



• Please do not submit “Best Of” or similar special issues.



• A nonrefundable check of $150 payable to AAN to help offset the expense of the admissions process.

All membership application materials must be received in the AAN office by 5 p.m. on May 1, 2015. Please write “AAN Application” on the package
and send it to:

Association of Alternative Newsmedia
116 Cass Street
Traverse City, MI 49684

Applicants are encouraged to read the AAN’s membership guidelines and to consider attending the AAN Annual
Convention in Salt Lake City. Not only is the information-sharing at the convention one of the benefits of
AAN membership, but it is an unparallelled chance to meet current AAN members and introduce your publication
to them in advance of the general meeting’s vote on membership applicants.

Please contact AAN Executive Director Tiffany Shackelford at tiffany[at]aan.org with any questions or for additional information.