Coury Turczyn, who was a "principal editor" of the Knoxville alt-weekly for most of its first nine years before he left in 2000, will return to the paper on Aug. 13 as editor-in-chief, according to an editorial posted on the Metro Pulse website. "More than any other individual, he shaped the paper's appealingly snotty personality and irreverent course," reports the anonymous editorialist. After living in several different states, Turczyn returned to Knoxville in 2005 to serve as an editor for E.W. Scripp's HGTV website. Scripps, which also owns the daily paper in Knoxville, acquired Metro Pulse late last month. Current editor Leslie Wylie announced two months ago that she would be leaving the paper to become a professional competitive equestrian.

Continue ReadingFormer Editor Returns to Take Reins at Metro Pulse

In a staff message sent Friday, Alison True admits there "are reasons to be distressed by a change this big," but claims there are also "reasons to be optimistic" about the sale to Creative Loafing, including the new owners' pledge to maintain editorial independence and enhance the paper's business operations. MORE FROM CHICAGO: In an anonymous post on a Reader blog, a recently hired salesperson remembers why s/he took a large pay cut to take a job at the paper: "I did it because I love the Reader, and I have loved it since I was 15 years old sneaking away from the burbs and into the city searching for the comforting yellow newspaper dispenser. ... I wanted to be around people that keenly observed the world and cared about the people living in it, the people other than themselves with stories to tell. And I found that. Here at the Chicago Reader."

Continue ReadingReader Editor Says CL Acquisition Not a Sad Day for Chicago

This weekend marks the first performances of Shannon Wheeler's "Too Much Coffee Man Opera" outside of his hometown of Portland, Ore., where it premiered last year. Wheeler, who received an honorable mention in this year's AltWeekly Awards, says after being prodded to turn his comic strip into a opera by a friend, it was a dream in which a character sang an aria that sealed the deal. "I woke up and thought, Why am I fighting this?," he tells the San Diego Union-Tribune. "It's an opportunity to learn new things." Thus far, response to the opera has been overwhelmingly positive, and Wheeler is already planning an as-yet-untitled sequel to hit the stage next year in Portland.

Continue ReadingOpera Inspired by Alt-Weekly Cartoon Hits Comic-Con

Friday, July 27 is the deadline for early registration and hotel rates for the Alternative Journalism Workshop for Writers and Designers to be held Aug. 10-11 in Evanston, Ill. Speakers include Poynter writing coach Chip Scanlan, journalist-author Alex Kotlowitz and Visual Editors' Robb Montgomery, and for the first time ever, the conference will include a separate program for design staff. Lunch and dinner on Saturday are included in the $75 AAN member early-registration rate.

Continue ReadingToday is Early Registration Deadline for Medill Conference

CEO Ben Eason tells Editor & Publisher he's not sure if the now-six paper chain will continue to use the Alternative Weekly Network (AWN) for national ad sales or switch over to the competing Ruxton Group, which currently handles ad sales for the Chicago Reader and Washington City Paper. "We have been longtime AWN folks," he says. Ruxton, which was founded by the Reader, is now owned by Village Voice Media. Eason says figuring this out is one of his top priorities. He also tells E&P that strength in the national ad market is a key aspect of this week's deal. "Now with Chicago and D.C., all of the sudden you have enough critical mass and it becomes a go-to place for ad agencies on Madison Avenue," he says.

Continue ReadingWho Will the New Creative Loafing Turn to For National Ads?