Shabiroon Jumaralli (pictured) and Jarrett Keohokalole, recipients of 2006 AAN Diversity Internship grants, contributed far more to their papers than their names and the cachet of diversity. For two months, Jumaralli served as sole staff photographer while Atlanta's Creative Loafing was filling the position. And Keohokalole proved a journalist of all trades at the Honolulu Weekly, where he distinguished himself in articles capturing the distinct flavor of island politics. Both interns applied their educations not just on the job but on the run, learning things, as Keohokalole put it, that you can't learn in a classroom.

Continue ReadingInterns Render Mission-Critical Assistance

A 15-year veteran of D.C.-based publications, Davolt (pictured) will be responsible for the content of AAN.org and AltWeeklies.com. He served as a writer and editor at the Washington Business Journal from 1999-2005, followed by a stint at Employee Benefit News. Davolt is eager to bring his diverse experience to bear on his new job. "Given the forces of darkness arrayed against the free press right now, this is an exciting time to support alternative newsweeklies," he says.

Continue ReadingAAN Hires New Editor

AAN member L.A. Alternative has printed its final issue, reports online journal LAObserved. In a letter to staffers, owner Martin Albornoz says that the weekly's "problem has never been attracting loyal readers, but the cutthroat competition with our corporate rivals has made it harder to get and keep new advertisers." The newspaper was previously known as the L.A. Alternative Press; the name was shortened in Nov. 2005 when the paper shifted from a biweekly to a weekly schedule. Albornoz says that the news organization will experiment throughout October with online publishing. "The fact that we lasted this long is still a feat," he says. "In fact, it's a real testament to the authentic voice we've created together."

Continue ReadingL.A. Alternative Ceases Print Publication