"The best newspapers maintain a wall between publishers and editors, and nothing crosses it but the budget. The Reader is no exception," Michael Miner writes. But he notes that's about to change with the hiring of James Warren -- an editorial veteran -- as the paper's new publisher. Warren, who says he hopes to "be pretty involved" on the editorial side, adds that he thinks his appointment "is an implicit affirmation of the link between quality journalism and a successful business," and Creative Loafing Inc. bosses are saying the move shows the Reader's commitment to editorial excellence. But as the paper's editor points out, it is important the business and editorial sides stay in their own corners. "It's good to hear the board and Warren acknowledging how important journalism is to the success of the company," Alison True says. "Because we're looking forward to getting the resources to support it. But if that wall disappears, so does our credibility."

Continue ReadingChicago Reader’s New Publisher Hopes to ‘Be Pretty Involved’ Editorially

A routine veto message from California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger may have had a hidden meaning for the bill's sponsor, according to the San Francisco Bay Guardian, which reports that if you add up the first letter of each line of the message, you get "Fuck You." The bill in question, which would have expanded the financing powers of the Port of San Francisco, was sponsored by state Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, who earlier this month shouted "You lie!" at the governor and told him to "Kiss my gay ass" at a fundraiser. While a Schwarzenegger spokesman maintains that the message is simply "a strange coincidence," the Guardian's findings have the political world buzzing. READ MORE coverage of the incident from ABC News, the New York Times, NPR, and the Wall Street Journal.

Continue ReadingBay Guardian Finds the ‘Fuck You’ Code Inside Gov’s Veto Message

The Weekly has been printed at Idaho's Snake River Printing for the past seven years, but that will change next week. The paper will now be printed in another state -- at Utah's Print Works (which also prints the Salt Lake City Weekly). "This has been a difficult decision because of our desire to keep our business local," publisher Sally Freeman says. "But circumstances beyond our control have forced us to make this difficult decision." Editor Rachael Daigle says that there just weren't many local printers that could handle the paper's print run of 30,000 each week; as an added bonus, she notes, the printer switch will allow for more color in the Weekly.

Continue ReadingBoise Weekly Makes ‘Difficult’ Decision to Go with a New Printer

As part of a bankruptcy judge's August decision to turn Creative Loafing, Inc. over to its creditors, the Tampa paper had to vacate its old office building, which was owned by the Eason family. This week is Creative Loafing (Tampa)'s first in its new offices, located in the historic Ybor Square area, and editor David Warner is already impressed with a seemingly simple aspect: being able to get out of the office and walk around. "That may not sound like much, but after five (!) years cooped up in a former fruit warehouse where you had to get in your car to do anything outside the office, this was, literally, a dream," he writes.

Continue ReadingCreative Loafing (Tampa) Settles into New Digs

After Westword started taking applications for a position reviewing the Denver area's medical marijuana dispensaries, Phoenix New Times decided it would "do the same regarding the Valley's drug of choice" -- meth. "The column will focus on a few things: Quality of the drug, of course, but also the safety of users," James King writes. "We want to know where to find quality meth that won't kill you right away."

Continue ReadingPhoenix New Times Seeks Meth Critic

James C. Warren, who was previously co-managing editor of the Chicago Tribune and before that the Tribune's Washington bureau chief, was named the Reader's new president and publisher today. He will start on Nov. 2. "If I bought into much conventional wisdom concerning high-quality print journalism, I'd be entering the fields of clean energy solar panels or medical robots. But I don't," Warren said in a statement. "Rather, I believe The Reader can be an even greater success if it is provocative, makes those in power squirm and yet is willing to entertain and have fun."

Continue ReadingLongtime Chicago Journalist Named Publisher of the Chicago Reader

Audit Bureau of Circulation figures released yesterday show weekday newspaper circulation down more than 10 percent since last year. "The figures join a list of indicators of the industry’s health -- like advertising and newsroom headcounts -- that, after years of slipping, have accelerated sharply downward, as newspapers face the greatest threats since the Depression," the New York Times reports.

Continue ReadingCirculation at Daily Papers Continues its Slide

Richard Karpel, who joined the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies as its executive director in July 1995, is leaving AAN for the same position at the American Society of News Editors. His last day will be Nov. 25, although he has agreed to help the association in an unofficial capacity after that date to assist in the transition to a new staff chief executive. "I have been at AAN for the better part of my adult life, and it has been an incredible ride," he says. "I want to thank all of the AAN members past and present who have made my time here such a rich and rewarding experience." MORE: Here's ASNE's announcement.

Continue ReadingAAN’s Executive Director Stepping Down

The New York Times reports that newspaper websites "are not holding on to ad dollars, even while overall internet advertising is creeping back." The reasons why are complicated, but a number of industry folks tell the Times that more ads are going to ad networks, niche sites and low-cost alternatives to newspaper websites.

Continue ReadingNewspapers May Miss Out on Online Advertising’s Growth