Tom Gascoyne, who resigned from CN&R in March after 11 years with the paper, has a new biweekly publication called The Chico Beat. According to his column in the inaugural issue, the paper has an initial print run of 10,000 copies. "Here's how it happened. Two out-of-work journalists stumbled across a generous offer they couldn't refuse and the rest is history," Gascoyne writes. The other unemployed journalist is award-winning reporter Josh Indar, who also used to work for CN&R. Without mentioning his former employer by name, Gascoyne adds, "That paper, by the way, is a fine paper, has always been a fine paper and will continue to be a fine paper -- just different."

Continue ReadingFormer Chico News & Review Editor Launches Competing Paper

StoryCorps, a national oral history project sponsored by the Library of Congress and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, has recorded more than 7,000 interviews over the past three years. Cathy Resmer was invited to participate after a producer read an essay she had written for Seven Days, where she is part of the editorial staff. Since StoryCorps subjects interview each other in pairs, Resmer recruited Jules Fischelman, a friend who donated the sperm that Resmer and her partner used to conceive their infant son. Resmer describes the recording experience in an Aug. 9 Seven Days feature; an excerpt, in which Resmer explains how Star Wars influenced her desire not to use an anonymous donor, was broadcast Thursday on Vermont Public Radio and is now available for download.

Continue ReadingSeven Days’ Cathy Resmer Adds Her Voice to America’s Oral History

The Project for Excellence in Journalism recently posted comments about the future of alternative newspapers submitted by Richard Karpel, executive director of AAN; Matt Gibson, publisher of The Missoula Independent; Julia Goldberg, editor of the Santa Fe Reporter; and Alison True, editor of the Chicago Reader. The discussion is one of nine that were conducted via e-mail to supplement PEJ's report, The State of the News Media 2006, which was issued earlier this year. The four panelists share their thoughts on the New Times/Village Voice Media merger, the aging of the alt-weekly audience and the long-term outlook for mainstream-media organizations.

Continue ReadingPanel Discussion on Alt-Weeklies Available Online