Seattle Weekly, The Village Voice and Westword have all won 2008 Prevention for a Safer Society (PASS) Awards, which honor journalists "who try to focus America's attention on our criminal justice system, juvenile justice system, and child welfare systems in a thoughtful and considerate manner." The awards are sponsored by the National Council on Crime and Delinquency.

Continue ReadingThree VVM Papers Win Criminal Justice Reporting Awards

Publisher Alan Leveritt said yesterday that about a third of the 41 people who work at the Times and the company's other publications will see temporary pay reductions of 4-7 percent starting next month. Lower paid employees were exempt from the cuts. The paper says it also recently laid off a receptionist and converted a full-time job on El Latino, its Spanish language weekly, to part-time.

Continue ReadingArkansas Times Institutes Temporary Pay Cuts for Some Staff

Judge Caryl E. Delano has ruled in the CL CEO's favor, denying major creditor Atalaya's motions to take control of the company, Wayne Garcia of Creative Loafing (Tampa) reports from the courthouse. Though Eason will retain control, the judge is suggesting mediation for the two sides to come up with a mutually compatible reorganization plan instead of using the one put forth by Eason earlier in the bankruptcy proceedings.

Continue ReadingBen Eason Retains Control of Creative Loafing

A story published in the Weekly that exposed environmental abuses by Texas energy producer TXU has won a 2008 Investigative Reporters and Editors Award in the local-circulation weeklies category. The story, which analyzed more than 25 million EPA emissions records over 10 years, was a joint project of the Weekly and the Center for Public Integrity.

Continue ReadingFort Worth Weekly Wins Investigative Reporting Prize

The controversial executive training program known as NXIVM has filed a lawsuit against the Albany alt-weekly for allegedly conspiring with one of NXIVM's critics to publish false information about the organization in a story published last year. The suit seeks $65 million in damages. Metroland editor and publisher Stephen Leon says NXIVM does not have a strong case and that the paper hasn't been served with the lawsuit yet.

Continue ReadingMetroland Gets Sued for $65 Million