San Francisco Latino and Mission District activist groups want a public apology from freelance cartoonist Dan Siegler, reports the San Francisco Examiner. Siegler's "Puni" cartoon in the Sept. 15 edition of SF Weekly is a parody of Mayor Gavin Newsom's "Mission Possible" effort to take back the Mission District's "Miracle Mile." The phony message from the mayor asks, "Who exactly are we taking back the Mission from?" and encourages readers to select "the groups that you want removed from the Mission" from a list of 35. Among the choices are "pregnant tweenage Mexicans," "geriatric tamale sellers," and "white dot-com leftovers."

Continue ReadingActivists Call SF Weekly Cartoon Offensive, Want Apology

Amy Fisher, best known as the Long Island teenager who shot her lover's wife in the face, appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show on Sept. 27 to discuss her new autobiography, If I Knew Then… The book is co-authored by Robbie Woliver, editor-in-chief of AAN member paper Long Island Press, where Fisher is a columnist. During the interview, Oprah asked Fisher what she's learned as a result of her ordeal. "Obviously, it's not nice to shoot people," Fisher replied, laughing. "I'm more self-reflective. I learned to be more compassionate."

Continue ReadingLong Island Press Lolita Releases Book, Chats with Oprah

Chicago Tribune media critic Steve Johnson weighs in on the Chicago Reader's recent redesign, writing, "Suddenly a publication that looked a little murky and, perhaps, vulnerable, has a new air of vibrancy." Next year, Time Out New York is scheduled to launch its Chicago edition, which will compete directly with the Reader by publishing comprehensive entertainment listings. Reader editor Alison True tells Johnson, however, that the redesign wasn't prompted by Time Out's imminent arrival. "A paper that takes 12 years to redesign doesn't make impulse decisions," she says. (Free registration required.)

Continue ReadingRedesign Gives Reader “A New Air of Vibrancy”

Russ Smith, founder of Baltimore City Paper and co-founder of New York Press, talks to Gawker about the state of alternative papers. He thinks the industry is dealing with "the brain drain of talented youngsters who, 20 years ago, would be fresh blood but are now involved with Internet projects." Smith then tells writers Andrew Krucoff and Chris Gage that editors hoping to sustain alt-weekly success need to "focus on the quality of writing, rather than knee-jerk politics and Quentin Tarantino hagiography."

Continue ReadingNew York Press Co-Founder Says Weeklies “At a Crossroads”

Wayne Laugesen of Colorado's Boulder Weekly believes there are times when a member of the media must cease being a spectator and take action. As such, he traded his usual pen for a sledgehammer and smashed a bunch of windows, reports Westword media critic Michael Roberts. Laugesen felt that an order directing homeowner Paul Wenig to reinstall antiquated windows he'd removed from his historic residence needlessly endangered two children who lived there. To Laugesen, destroying the windows was the obvious solution. Of the incident, he wrote in his Sept. 9 column: "Every broken window was a score for fatherhood, husbandry, and God-given liberty."

Continue ReadingBoulder Weekly Columnist Hammers Home a Point