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P.J. Corkery, who was editor of the Phoenix in the early 1970s, died Saturday at Stanford Hospital in California after fighting non-Hodgkins lymphoma for two years, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. He was 61. After the Phoenix, Corkery went on to have a long and fruitful journalism career -- he was a columnist for the San Francisco Examiner, the author of the best-selling Carson: The Unauthorized Biography, and wrote for numerous newspapers and magazines. He also served as a judge for 2001's AltWeekly Awards.

Continue ReadingFormer Boston Phoenix Editor Dies

Spending across the major U.S. media fell 3.7 percent during the second quarter of 2008, and 1.6 percent during the first half of the year, according to new data released this morning by ad tracking service TNS Media Intelligence. Media Daily News reports the decline, the steepest since 2001, reflects the worsening of the U.S. economy, and a slackening of demand from major marketers for most major media. TNS senior vice president for research Jon Swallen notes that spending in 2008's second half is likely to be "bolstered by the Summer Olympics and political elections," but warns that "sustained improvement will most likely depend on a turnaround in consumer spending that rejuvenates corporate profits and encourages marketers to expand their advertising efforts." The newspaper sector was the hardest hit, with total newspaper ad spending down 7.4 percent year-over-year, and local newspapers down 7.1 percent.

Continue ReadingAd Spending Falls At Steepest Rate Since 2001

That's according to managing editor Andrew Beaujon, who notes that the paper recently produced new promotional magnets and pens, on top of making promo hats earlier in the month. "As you may have read, we are facing budget cuts," Beaujon writes. "So I guess I'm wondering whether the hats are a tactic to comfort or maybe confuse us -- perhaps if our heads are warm, we may not worry so much about our newsroom possibly going kablooey?"

Continue ReadingWashington City Paper Has a ‘New-Found Promotional Intensity’