Author: AAN

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Alt-weeklies all over the country are reporting big news today, with several trying out new revenue streams, some having been bought and others having done some buying themselves. Here's the rundown:

  • The Southland Publishing group, which owns four AAN members, has been sold to MediaNews Group.
  • The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has acquired Salt Lake City Weekly, "the popular alternative publication seen by many as a Mormonbashing, gay-loving and tattoo-promoting tabloid."
  • Detroit's Metro Times has purchased the The Detroit News and will reinvent itself as a daily titled, appropriately, The Detroit Daily.
  • The Monterey County Weekly has dropped its print edition and gone exclusively online and mobile, changing its motto from "To inspire independent thinking and conscious action, etc." to "Less content; (almost) no cost. What you want."
  • The Chico News & Review is mining new revenue sources, including a large-scale yard sale, medical-marijuana dispensary, monthly topless carwashes and a weekend nightclub.
Other alt-weeklies have reported on remarkable news today, including new medical methamphetamine dispensaries in Colorado, the end of University of Texas' football program, a "bikini bookseller" featuring "sexy librarian role playing" coming to Seattle, the abolition of the University of Georgia's faculty, Jersey Shore South, a move to lease the New York State Capitol for use as a gambling casino, a "Vital Services Gaming Initiative" in British Columbia, and a plan afoot in Arizona to turn the state government over to the private Mythic Corporation. Yes, it's once again April Fool's Day -- send in any pranks we might have missed to editor (at) aan.org.

Continue ReadingBig Changes Afoot at Many AAN Papers

Editor Jon Whiten is leaving the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies; he will be replaced by current Editorial Awards and Advertising Director Jason Zaragoza. Whiten, who joined AAN in January 2006, is stepping down to focus on the local news website and arts & culture magazine he owns and operates in Jersey City, N.J. His last day on staff is March 31, but he will continue as a part-time contractor, overseeing AAN.org, for a month or two, as Zaragoza transitions from his current position into the editor role.

Continue ReadingAAN’s Editor Stepping Down

The emerging world of location-based services are helping news organizations serve their customers better and helping cutting-edge reporters succeed. An upcoming webinar from NewsU will explore how a these new platforms can be valuable reporting tools. Through AAN's partnership with NewsU, the first 25 AAN members to register will receive a reduced rate of $12.95 for the webinar (the regular rate is $27.95). Click here to get the AAN password. Click here to register.

Continue ReadingDiscounted NewsU Webinar on Location-Based Services Set for April 1

AAN members have the opportunity to participate in a live webinar from Poynter's NewsU that focuses on mobile media and producing news in the digital age. "Mobile Media 101: Producing News with Your Smartphone" is scheduled for Wednesday, March 3, at 2 pm Eastern time. The first 25 AAN registrants using the AAN discount code will get a special rate of $9.95.

Continue ReadingDiscounted NewsU Webinar on Mobile News Production Next Wednesday

AAN members can check out the latest cameras, mobile devices and apps to help you tell multimedia stories in Multimedia Tools: Your 2010 Shopping List. In this webinar from Poynter's NewsU, you'll learn about the latest gear as well as ways to get the most out of what you already have. The first 25 AAN members to register will pay just $10.95 when using the discount code (you can find it here).

Continue ReadingDiscounted NewsU Webinar on Multimedia Tools This Thursday

Scores of alt-weekly staffers descended on San Francisco's Argonaut Hotel last week for AAN's 2010 Web Publishing Conference. Publishers, editors, ad sales managers and others came together for one-and-a-half days of virtually non-stop panels and presentations on how best to manage digital publishing now and in the future. If you weren't able to make it to the conference, or want to share what you learned at a particular session, you can check out videos from nine of the 12 sessions and PDF presentations of several sessions in the Resource Library.

Continue ReadingVideos, Presentations from Web Publishing Conference Now Available

The latest installment in AAN's 2010 Sales Webinar Series will focus on "tips & tricks" for Google Ad Manager (GAM). The session, which costs $24 for AAN members, will be led by Mark Wolly, Senior Ad Serving Consultant with Google Publisher Solutions. He will point little-known (yet high-impact) features of GAM, introduce some brand new features and spend plenty of time answering questions on how you can optimize GAM.

Continue ReadingSales Webinar on Google Ad Manager Slated for Feb. 25

For the first of several opportunities in 2010, AAN members have the opportunity to participate in an online webinar that addresses the credibility of online news sites. The webinar, "News Site Credibility: Whom Do Readers Trust," is directed at editors, as well as anyone who manages user-generated content. The first 25 registrants that use the AAN-member only discount code will get a special rate of $15 (the seminar's "retail" cost is $27.95).

Continue ReadingThis Thursday: Discounted NewsU Webinar for AAN Members