The ordinance, passed last winter to bar the door-to-door distribution of menus, brochures and the like, also bans many circulation practices for free newspapers, Editor & Publisher reports. The law reads: "It shall be unlawful for any person to distribute or to cause others to distribute ... newspapers, periodicals and directories of any kind on any public way or other public place or on the premises of any private property in the city in such a manner that is reasonably foreseeable that such distribution will cause litter," including "leaving stacks of paper on the ground without any means of securing them," a distribution tactic used often by free dailies and weeklies. There doesn't appear to have been any enforcement of the law against newspapers thus far, E&P notes.

Continue ReadingChicago Law Bans Many Free-Paper Distribution Practices

"The Reader is officially a one-section tabloid -- but that's not the only change," Chicagoist reports. "It's also coming out a day earlier ... and the layout is a lot more open and colorful, with more call-out text and larger graphic elements." Chicagoist's final verdict: "It's a change, but we're liking it." The Reader also has an open comments page on its site, where scores of Chicagoans have been weighing in on the redesign.

Continue ReadingThe Chicago Reader Debuts its New One-Section Tabloid Format

The Free Flow of Information Act 2007, introduced by Senators Arlen Specter (R-PA), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Richard Lugar (R-IN) last month, will be considered today by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Saying the bill "would bring the federal government in line with 49 states and the District of Columbia," the Washington Post editorializes for its passage: "The legislation has gone through many constructive changes since it was first introduced in 2005 and deserves to become law." In addition to its opinion, the Post also runs opposing op-eds about the shield law. U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald argues that the bill "poses unique obstacles to the protection of national security," and that the system isn't broken to begin with: "A compelling case has not been made for jettisoning the legal framework that has guided this process for the past 35 years," he writes. Yet former U.S. solicitor general Theodore B. Olson disagrees. "From the Valerie Plame imbroglio to the Wen Ho Lee case, it is now de rigueur to round up reporters, haul them before a court and threaten them with fines and jail sentences unless they reveal their sources," he writes. "The legislation would not give reporters special license beyond the type of common-sense protection we already accord to communications between lawyers and clients, between spouses and in other contexts where we believe some degree of confidentiality furthers societal goals. [It] is well balanced and long overdue, and it should be enacted." UPDATE: The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the bill this afternoon by a 15-2 vote.

Continue ReadingFederal Shield Law Heads to Senate Committee Today

As we reported last month, a Phoenix suburb is in the process of deciding whether to remove the Phoenix New Times from its public library. The Chandler Library Board met on Sept. 20 to hear complaints from a lone resident against the paper, and will make its decision Nov. 15. The Phoenix-based ACLU chapter has sent a letter to the board urging it not to remove the paper and the other materials under consideration from the library, according to the Arizona Republic. "It's premature to say, 'We'll sue you,' but we wanted to add our strong feelings on the issue," says legal director Daniel Pochoda. "The neighborhood public library is the one institution -- the historical bastion of free speech -- that should always stand firm against pressure to censor newspapers or books."

Continue ReadingACLU Weighs In on Library’s Possible Banishment of Alt-Weekly

Last month, the Independent announced that it had partnered with 12 local media outlets in the region to create SoCoAds.com, a classified web portal designed to compete with Craigslist with local ads gleaned from more than 500 national websites. ColoradoBiz thinks that SoCoAds.com may already have a leg up on Craigslist, since the site can buy advertising. The media companies have collectively invested $50,000 in premium ad and broadcast space to support SoCoAds.com in a big one-month starting push. In addition, ColoradoBiz reports the site won't allow prostitution services and other questionable listings, "because Colorado Springs is not that kind of market."

Continue ReadingMore Details on Colorado Springs Independent’s Classified Web Portal