The AAN CAN sales rep who generates the most money in new business between Oct. 11, 2007 and Jan. 25, 2008 will receive a 10-day European dream trip for two. The trip includes round-trip airfare and 3 nights each in London, Paris, and Rome. In addition, the sales manager of the winning rep also wins a trip for two to Europe. Sales reps must sell at least $10,000 in new business during the contest period to be eligible to win. For more details, travel restrictions, moral support and/or sales ideas, call Tiffany Kildale at 202.289.8484.

Continue ReadingAAN CAN Announces New Contest: Win a European Vacation

Mike Smith will replace Chris Ferrell, who announced his departure to start a new media company last month. Smith, who has been with the company since 1997, will also be associate publisher of Nfocus magazine. "It was important to me and the Scene to search internally for Chris Ferrell's successor," says Stuart Folb, group publisher of Village Voice Media, which owns the Scene. "After interviewing Mike, there was no doubt that my search was over and that he was the right person for the job."

Continue ReadingNashville Scene Names New Associate Publisher

The San Francisco Bay Guardian has signed on to the Chauncey Bailey Project, which will continue the investigative reporting the Oakland Post editor was pursuing when he was murdered a few months ago, Editor & Publisher reports. More than two dozen Bay Area journalists and organizations are taking part. "A group of us agreed to put aside competitive rivalries and work together to send a crucial message: that you can't kill a journalist with impunity," Guardian executive editor Tim Redmond tells AAN News. "The combined weight and resources of our community will come down on you and push until all the facts are out and everyone involved has been brought to justice."

Continue ReadingBay Guardian Joins Group to Continue Slain Journalist’s Work

As we reported last Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee has strongly passed a federal shield law known as the Free Flow of Information Act. Congressional leaders in the House of Representatives want to build on this momentum and bring the House version of the bill to the House floor for a vote on Tuesday, Oct. 16. The bill needs 218 votes to successfully pass on Tuesday. AAN is a member of the Shield Law Coalition, and urges its members to call their Representatives before Tuesday's vote -- please ask them to vote yes on H.R. 2102 and vote no on any amendments that would weaken its protections.

Continue ReadingHouse Vote on Federal Shield Law Planned for Next Week

The ten young journalists who spent eight intensive weeks this summer at the Academy for Alternative Journalism at Medill School of Journalism were among the best that program director Charles Whitaker has seen, he tells AAN News. Two of them have already been offered jobs by AAN papers. This year also marks the first time the fellows have produced a website, rather than a print product. Whitaker says he hopes to grow the website as an alumni resource over the coming years.

Continue Reading2007 AAJ Class Was ‘Ambitious and Industrious’