Armond White, who recently took over as the new chairman of the NY Film Critics Circle, has tastes and opinions that have proved controversial in critic and fan circles. There's even a blog, "Armond Dangerous," devoted to "parsing the confounding film criticism of Mr. Armond White." But White says he doesn't mind, and that he's not stirring the pot just to stir the pot. "I don't say these things to call attention to myself or to get a rise out of people. I say them because I believe them," he tells New York. "We're living in times when critics get fired if they don't like enough movies. People don't need to hear what mouthpieces for the movie industry tell them. They need to hear the truth."

Continue ReadingNew York Press Film Writer Discusses His Criticism

E.W. Scripps Co. exempt employees will see a 5 percent pay cut and the salaries of nonexempt employees will decline by 3 percent. The cuts also include a suspension of the company's 401(k) match and a freeze of the Scripps pension plan. The pay freezes are expected to last for at least a year.

Continue ReadingMetro Pulse Parent Company Implements Pay Cuts

"Today the East Bay Express ran a lengthy story that accuses Yelp of manipulating review order for money," the user-generated review site's CEO Jeremy Stoppelman writes. "As we've said many-a-time we do not do this." He criticizes the story for relying heavily on anonymous sources and adds that the piece essentially overturns its "accusatory thrust" at the end.

Continue ReadingYelp Responds to East Bay Express Story

As part of ongoing cost-cutting by its parent company, the 26-year-old alt-weekly will publish its last print edition next week. Its website will remain, and the paper may resume publishing when the economy improves, according to Maurice Jones, president and publisher of the Virginian-Pilot, which owns Port Folio. The Pilot is also laying off 30 employees, including some at Port Folio.

Continue ReadingPort Folio Weekly’s Print Edition to be Suspended

"You're not picking cotton under a blazing Mississippi sun, man. You're not digging ditches in pools of raw sewage. You draw cartoons," San Diego CityBeat columnist Edwin Decker writes in response to alt-weekly cartoonists who've recently lamented the downturn in the alt-cartoon market. "There are a bizillion artists out there, writing, drawing and sculpting in obscurity, never to be paid a dime for their labor of love, or receive fanfare -- going out of their effin' minds every day craving something that resembles an audience or a paycheck." MORE: Lloyd Dangle of "Troubletown" responds, calling Decker's column "some of the most humorless, self-pitying, gen X, real-artists-must-starve hyperbole I've seen in a long time." And comic artist Jason Yungbluth has a bit of advice for Decker: "Let me suggest that you actually demonstrate some solidarity with the brothers of your profession instead of evacuating your bowels on them."

Continue ReadingColumnist to Alt-Cartoonists: ‘Don’t Tell Me About Hard Times’

Six businesspeople tell the East Bay Express that sales reps from the popular user-generated review site promised to move or remove negative reviews if their business would advertise. "In another six instances, positive reviews disappeared -- or negative ones appeared -- after owners declined to advertise," the Express reports. Similar accusations were made by California small business owners last fall. Yelp officials deny that they move negative reviews. "We wouldn't be in business very long if we started duping customers," chief operating officer Geoff Donaker says.

Continue ReadingMore Accusations of ‘Extortion’ by Yelp