The alt-weekly contrarian launches a new weekly column this week in City Paper under the header "Right Field." Smith will also continue writing his "Mugger" column for New York Press, which he sold late last year. But he and his family left Manhattan to return to Charm City, where he co-founded the City Paper (it was originally called City Squeeze) in 1977 and sold it a decade later.

Continue ReadingRuss Smith Returns to Baltimore

A few weeks ago the Baltimore Sun launched "LiVE!" its version of the ubiquitous daily paper sop to "young readers." Baltimore City Paper wasted no time in starting its own new weekly "Advice Column for Journalists Looking to Get in on the Lucrative Alt-Weekly Market." Here's a sample: "After more than two years with virtually no homegrown pop-music coverage ... three LiVE! covers in a row devoted to the hot musical acts of today. Ga-zinga! You surely are giving us a run for our money, pop-music-wise, which, of course, as everyone knows, is a big reason people pick up a publication like ours. And that's the idea, right? A publication like ours? Except folks gotta pay for yours."

Continue ReadingBaltimore City Paper Razzes the Sun

Media critic Michael Anft announces he is ending his 20-year on-and-off relationship with Baltimore City Paper and retiring "to flip through heretofore-unread copies of The New Yorker and Harper's." Anft takes a parting shot at "the mostly uninspired local product we unfortunate viewers/readers/listeners have spewed at us."

Continue ReadingAnft Bids Farewell to City Paper

Batimore City Paper Editor Andy Markowitz and his wife, Barbara Frye, plan to travel and perhaps work in Europe for the next few years. Markowitz has served on the AAN Editorial Committee since 1999 and is the most prolific contributor to the aan.org editorial discussion group. Arts Editor Lee Gardner will move into the editor’s chair upon Markowitz’ departure.

Continue ReadingMarkowitz Leaving Baltimore City Paper

Originally Baltimore's alt-weekly was known as the City Squeeze and edited by "recent Johns Hopkins grad and inveterate pain-in-the-ass Russ Smith," Michael Anft writes. Anft takes a page from Smith's book and offers some biting suggestions for the Baltimore City Paper at the quarter-century mark, including spending more money on younger staff, instead of "aging hippies."

Continue ReadingBaltimore City Paper Bitten on 25th Birthday