Washington City Paper is getting great resumes for Howard Witt's old editor's job, and for sales positions, because of media layoffs, says Jane Levine, CEO of City Paper's parent, Chicago Reader Inc. Levine tells the Washington Business Journal: "It's a great time to be hiring. There aren't many silver linings to the clouds that are out there, but this is one of them."

Continue ReadingResumes Rolling in for City Paper Editor’s Job

Julie Lobbia, a writer for The Village Voice, died of ovarian cancer Thanksgiving Day. She also worked for Riverfront Times, rising to managing editor there before going to the Voice. The diminuitive columnist, who routinely biked 100 miles a week, crusaded to save the city's rent laws, which she maintained preserve New York's rich diversity. "Injustice set her on fire," says Voice Editor in Chief Don Forst, calling her "a giant unyielding in her pursuit of the truth."

Continue ReadingJulie Lobbia: A Heart as Big as New York

The path between journalism and politics is well worn, and now two pols with alt-press connections have taken over City Halls. R.T. Rybak, erstwhile publisher of the defunct Twin Cities Reader, was elected mayor of Minneapolis, and Charles Meeker, brother of Willamette Week publisher Richard Meeker and a former Independent Weekly shareholder, seized the reins in Raleigh, N.C. Not since former Pacific Sun reporter Barbara Boxer was elected to the U.S. Senate have AANies made such political hay.

Continue ReadingErstwhile AANies Elected Mayor in Minneapolis and Raleigh

The San Francisco Bay Guardian is "choking on its own success," the San Francisco Examiner says in a guest column by Martin F. Nolan. "The newspaper's political opponents are products of a 'machine.' Bay Guardian heroes come from a 'movement,' even if they march in Tammany Hall lockstep. The favorite B.G. pejorative is 'corporate.' Does it take money for its ads? Or is it nonprofit?" Nolan writes.

Continue ReadingExaminer Examines the Bay Guardian

The nation's big dailies are squealing about a proposal to audit free-circulation newspapers. Advertisers and ad agencies like the idea, and they dominate the membership of the prestigious Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC). "Free papers are taking money away from the newspapers you print. Going forward, there is going to be a need for an ABC audit of these publications," Terry Prill, newspaper strategist and special projects, tells the dailies in an Editor & Publisher article.

Continue ReadingABC Considers Audits of Free Papers

Philadelphia City Paper's front page is one of 25 chosen for a poster, produced by the National Press Club, featuring front pages from around the world that ran the week of the 9/11 disaster. Sales of the poster will raise funds for the September 11, 2001 Family Relief Fund. (last item)

Continue ReadingPhilly City Paper 9/11 Cover Chosen

Cincinnati CityBeat has purchased a six-story downtown building and is now looking for "like-minded" tenants to share the space, the Cincinnati Business Courier reports. CityBeat will pay $790,000 for the building where Hank Williams once recorded. "We just thought it would be better to buy. It was a good deal. It's a really good building, and we wanted to stay downtown," Co-Publisher and Editor John Fox tells the business paper.

Continue ReadingCityBeat Buys a Building

Utne Reader has nominated eight AAN members in its 13th Annual Alternative Press Awards. Nashville Scene is nominated for Political Reporting. Colorado Springs Independent, LA Weekly, The Local Planet Weekly, Metro Times (Detroit), NOW (Toronto) and The Texas Observer were all nominated for Best Local Coverage. The Village Voice was nominated for Arts and Literature.

Continue ReadingUtne Nominates Eight AAN Papers for Alt Press Awards