Tired of political rhetoric that went unchallenged, the Orlando Weekly team of Jeffrey C. Billman and J.J. Marley set about creating an annotated version of a speech by the mayor. Their format-busting work earned them an AltWeekly Award, even though Marley was rooting for a different issue to be entered. This is the 33rd in a "How I Got That Story" series highlighting the AltWeekly Awards' first-place winners.
Newmark, founder of free online classified site craigslist.org, will share his thoughts on the topic of journalism. He will also leave plenty of time for questions from the audience. Newmark will address conference attendees during the traditional AAN West lunch, which will be held this year on Saturday, Jan. 28.
Tom Christie led the staff of L.A. Weekly in kicking their year-end "Zeitlist" issue into gear. He says "it's surprising how the past year comes into focus" when compiling lists like "6 Reasons Why November 2 Wasn't a Total Gay Political Nightmare." This is the 32nd in a "How I Got That Story" series highlighting the AltWeekly Awards' first-place winners.
Whiten began working for AAN this week as editor of its alt-weekly portal, AltWeeklies.com. He received a M.A. in media studies last May from New York University, where he researched alt-weeklies and free commuter dailies. Whiten was also a freelance writer for the past four years, having reported on local politics and media for AAN member papers Boston's Weekly Dig and the New York Press, in addition to publications like Extra!, Block Magazine and the Jersey Journal.
David Butow has photographed some of the most dangerous places on Earth, including war-torn Iraq, where he documented violence and destruction in his award-winning shots for Los Angeles Citybeat. Yet he says it doesn't take him long to readjust to the L.A. mindset. This is the 31st in a "How I Got That Story" series highlighting the AltWeekly Awards' first-place winners.
To get a good cover, all you need is an old keyboard from the computer morgue, a Bible under a mechanic's spotlight, or an associate publisher willing to lie down and play dead. That's how Oklahoma Gazette art director Christopher Street and photographer Shannon Cornman came up with their award-winning cover designs. This is the 30th in a "How I Got That Story" series highlighting the AltWeekly Awards' first-place winners.
Putting out a summer guide is not every alt-weekly staff writer's idea of a good time. To produce the Pacific Northwest Inlander's award-winning special section, editor and publisher Ted S. McGregor Jr. gathered his staff in a room and wouldn't let them out until they came up with some ideas that would make the guide not only fun to create but fun to read. This is the 29th in a "How I Got That Story" series highlighting the AltWeekly Awards' first-place winners.
To create his award-winning editorial layout, "Coffin Classics," Miami New Times art director Michael Shavalier mixed studio shots of older Goths with shots of modern, drinking, club-going Goths. When designing in black and white, arresting images and good typography are key, he says. This is the 28th in a "How I Got That Story" series highlighting the AltWeekly Awards' first-place winners.
Throughout his career, Ben Joravsky has worked to illuminate issues affecting Chicagoans. In his award-winning political column for the Chicago Reader, The Works, he explains how the city treats certain individuals, shedding light on the larger schemes of government. This is the 27th in a "How I Got That Story" series highlighting the AltWeekly Awards' first-place winners.
Rene Spencer Saller began writing music reviews for a fanzine when she was in her mid teens and has since made her way in a field that seems to be dominated by "white guys." She can admire a band and still take it to task for its misogyny. Her award-winning column, Sound Patrol, appears in Illinois Times. This is the 26th in a "How I Got That Story" series highlighting the AltWeekly Awards' first-place winners.
