As more consumers adopt the use of smartphones for web browsing, the digital marketing industry is developing new ways to serve highly tailored ads to users, the New York Times reports. Mobile users can be sorted by demographic makeup and even by income; if the user downloads an application that uses a GPS tracker (like Urban Spoon), then there is potential for ads to be served based on exact location and travel patterns as well. Some privacy advocates have expressed concerns about the tracking, but the Times notes that "as long as advertisers don't use personally identifiable information, there is no current regulation or law" against such tracking.

Continue ReadingIn Mobile Ads, A Vast Potential to Micro-Target

On Friday night, the alt-weekly teamed up with record store Amoeba Music, art collective Off Space and the de Young Museum to bring the pop artist's famed Manhattan art studio to the East Bay for a free party attended by "as many as 4,000 people." Rotating crews of 15-30 people spent more than a month transforming the recently vacated warehouse -- Express sales and marketing director Terry Furry himself spent two weeks building the red couch, and another week making a proto-disco coffee table from 1,800 tiny mirrors. "When I was in art school, Warhol was mainly frowned on for being commercial and marketing himself," Furry says. "But he kind of set the tone for what artists need to be to thrive. They need to market themselves as well as their art."

Continue ReadingEast Bay Express Helps Recreate Andy Warhol’s Silver Factory

The State Bar has dismissed the final two complaints pending against Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas, including one about his handling of the 2007 investigation of Phoenix New Times that ended with the arrests of Village Voice Media executive editor Michael Lacey and CEO Jim Larkin. "No one in their right mind has ever looked to the Arizona Bar as a beacon of courage, and it has certainly upheld its longstanding reputation with this dismissal today," Larkin says.

Continue ReadingComplaint Against Attorney for New Times Probe is Dismissed

Eighty-six alt-weeklies submitted 1038 entries for consideration in the 2009 AltWeekly Awards contest. The entries were spread over 21 categories, and, as expected, the total number of entries was down from 2008, by about 25 percent. Finalists for this year's contest will be announced in mid-May, and winners will be crowned at the AltWeekly Awards luncheon, to be held on Friday, June 26 during the 32nd annual AAN Convention in Tucson.

Continue ReadingMore Than 1,000 Entries Submitted for 2009 AltWeekly Awards

Lawyers representing Baptist Hospital East in a malpractice lawsuit filed by the family of hip-hop artist Static/Major contend that the privacy law known as HIPAA protects the identity of a patient who shared a room with the musician the day he died. To buttress their claim, the hospital points to a LEO Weekly cover story about the incident as an example of why the roommate's identity should be shielded. "If this patient becomes a witness to this suit, he will be subjected to similar to scrutiny (sic), and potential embarrassment," the defendants argue in a recently filed court document.

Continue ReadingHospital Cites LEO Weekly Story as Reason to Shield Witness

The Burlington, Vt., alt-weekly has promoted three longtime employees to associate publisher positions. Online editor Cathy Resmer, creative director Don Eggert and sales director Colby Roberts will retain their current roles while taking on an increasing number of projects in the publisher realm. "Cathy, Don and Colby have emerged as real leaders at Seven Days and have a lot to do with how far we've come as a media company," says publisher and co-editor Paula Routly. "We want to recognize that by entrusting them with more responsibility for our future growth and development."

Continue ReadingSeven Days Names Three New Associate Publishers

The families that own and operate the Scranton-based company have taken a 10 percent haircut, and other managers in the chain will see their salaries decline by 3 to 5 percent. Co-publisher and CEO Scott Lynett tells AP that the deteriorating economy forced the company to make cuts, which also include employee buyouts at four of its papers in Pennsylvania. Times-Shamrock owns five AAN papers: Baltimore City Paper, Detroit's Metro Times, Orlando Weekly, San Antonio Current and Cleveland's Scene.

Continue ReadingTimes-Shamrock Managers Take Pay Cut