Former writers of the District Weekly, which shut down in March, have launched the website GreaterLongBeach.com. Dave Wielenga, former writer for OC Weekly and the now-defunct New Times Los Angeles, is the publisher of the new site.
Alison True has been fired as editor of the Chicago Reader after twenty-six years with the paper. According to senior editor Michael Miner, the decision was announced during a staff meeting this morning by Reader publisher Alison Draper. Said Miner, "I consider this act unfathomable — a tragic misjudgment by two people, Draper and [Creative Loafing CEO Marty] Petty, whom I respect. I suppose they have a vision of tomorrow's Reader they think True is wrong for."
According to Chicago Business, True was caught completely off guard by the move.
Three male cast members of MTV's hit show 'Jersey Shore' grace the cover of Village Voice's annual Queer Issue, which hits the streets today. The New York Post reports that the cast members weren't told how their pictures would be used. In a tweet responding to critics of the Voice's decision to run the photos, editor Tony Ortega said, "It's only unethical if you think being a gay icon -- or gayness itself -- is somehow bad."
In a farewell column cloaked as a "Memo to Self," outgoing editor-in-chief of The Pitch C.J. Janovy tells readers (and herself):
Part of the reason you're handing over The Pitch to a new editor is because, after nearly 20 years as a journalist in this town, you've pretty much said everything about the city that you want to say -- for now, anyway.Janovy will be replaced by Westword web editor Joe Tone, who starts on June 28.
. . . it's time for me to do something else — and it's time for me to see what someone else can do with The Pitch.
A new report by Ernst & Young says that declining per-unit prices of digital content will be counteracted by the rapid increase in overall digital media consumers. As a result, "revenue potential from the Internet and mobile devices [will] be key for big gains."
BMF: The Rise and Fall of Big Meech and the Black Mafia Family, by Creative Loafing (Atlanta) editor Mara Shalhoup, has been picked up by British publishing company Milo Books for distribution in the U.K. The book -- which first appeared in the U.S. this past March -- is based on Shalhoup's three-part series exposing the links between hip-hop label BMF Entertainment and an international cocaine-trafficking network. The series won first place in the Website Content Feature category of the 2007 AltWeekly Awards.
Phoenix Media has announced that Carly Carioli (pictured) will be replacing Lance Gould as editor of the Boston Phoenix. Former Phoenix staffer (and 2010 AltWeekly Awards judge) Dan Kennedy reports that Carioli will oversee the print and web content of three AAN members: Boston Phoenix, Portland Phoenix, and Providence Phoenix. The change at Phoenix Media comes on the heels of the significant layoffs of top employees last month, which included CFO/COO Richard Gallagher and corporate controller Michael Notkin.
Former L.A. Weekly editors Laurie Ochoa and Joe Donnelly are set to release the first issue of Los Angeles based quarterly journal Slake in early July, according to LA Observed. The full color publication will feature narrative journalism, fiction and poetry by several former L.A. Weekly writers, including current food columnist (and Ochoa's husband) Jonathan Gold. In addition, there are plans for a yet to be launched website that "will be one of the first websites designed from scratch to take advantage of the display capabilities of the iPad."
Donnelly left the Weekly in 2008 after his position was eliminated and Ochoa parted ways with the paper last year after holding the editor in chief position for eight years.
The judging process is finally complete and the 159 finalists of the 2010 AltWeekly Awards have been established. Nashville Scene led all papers with eleven awards. In the large-circulation division, Boston Phoenix will snag ten awards and L.A. Weekly will pick up nine prizes at the awards ceremony next month.
The final rankings of the winners will be revealed at the AltWeekly Awards luncheon on July 16 in Toronto during AAN's 33rd Annual Convention. Gustavo Arellano, staff writer for OC Weekly and author of the nationally syndicated weekly column '¡Ask A Mexican!', will host the ceremony.
To see the full list of finalists click here.
With primary elections taking place in several key states today, here's a sampling of what some AAN papers are saying.
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