"I had a great morning today," CityBeat publisher Will Swaim told L.A. Weekly on Friday. "I came to work and hurled in the 'executive bathroom,' brushed my teeth and made the announcement." Swaim and senior editor Matt Fleischer both say there hadn't been any chatter about the paper closing in the last few weeks, and there wasn't any discussion of making CityBeat biweekly or online-only. MORE: The Los Angeles Times says the paper's closure "will -- at least temporarily -- silence more critical voices on arts and entertainment in Los Angeles."

Continue ReadingMore on the Los Angeles CityBeat Closure

Southland Publishing president Bruce Bolkin announced this morning that the alt-weekly's March 26 issue will be its last. "For 6 years, the Los Angeles CityBeat has offered a fresh perspective to the readers of Los Angeles, and Southland is extremely proud of its writers and entire staff who have contributed to the paper," says Bolkin.

Continue ReadingLos Angeles CityBeat Shuttered

The committee passed The Free Flow of Information Act (H.R. 985) yesterday, and the legislation will now go to the full House for a vote. Several Republicans on the committee criticized the bill, which would prevent a federal court from compelling testimony from journalists or their sources in most cases.

Continue ReadingShield Law Passes House Judiciary Committee

Brand X is a "new multimedia editorial product" being rolled out by the Los Angeles Times "aimed at younger, social-networking readers who are interested in culture, technology, entertainment, food, events, volunteering, style and the outdoors." It will take the place of Metromix in L.A. and will be headed up by former alt-weekly editors Deborah Vankin and Dean Kuipers.

Continue ReadingLA Times Turns Metromix into ‘Brand X’

Mike Seely's Seattle's Best Dive Bars: Drinking & Diving in the Emerald City "chronicles the nooks, crannies, and characters in over 100 bars within the Seattle city limits," he writes. "By and large, these places are the most distinctive, preservation-worthy bars in a city where watering holes of their ilk are swiftly disappearing. What they have in common isn't so much attributes, but a state of mind -- you just know one when you see one."

Continue ReadingSeattle Weekly Managing Editor Releases Book on Dive Bars

Stephen MacMillan Moser, who writes the alt-weekly's "After a Fashion" column, was arrested yesterday on arson charges, the Austin American-Statesman reports. He is suspected of setting his roommate's car on fire in the City Hall parking garage earlier this month. The Chronicle reports that Moser has been released on personal bond and is now staying with friends.

Continue ReadingAustin Chronicle Columnist Charged With Arson