The Louisville Eccentric Observer was acquired by SouthComm Communications, a company headed by former Scene publisher Chris Ferrell, according to LEO. The change was announced to staff this morning. Pam Brooks will stay on as publisher, but other LEO staffers were not so lucky. Brooks told a local blog that editor Cary Stemle, sales director Kelly Gream, and two other employees weren't offered positions with the new company. SouthComm, which was formed late last year, owns a custom publishing company based in Atlanta, as well as various Nashville websites and magazines.

Continue ReadingLEO Acquired by Ex-Nashville Scene Publisher’s Company

Caryn Brooks, arts and culture editor at Willamette Week, has been named one of seven 2003-04 fellows of the National Arts Journalism Program at Columbia University. "In addition to pursuing coursework and other activities at Columbia, the fellows will participate jointly in a research project designed to inform news organizations, arts institutions and philanthropic organizations about important trends in the current U.S. artistic and journalistic environment," the program's release states.

Continue ReadingAAN Editor Named NAJP Fellow

Three AAN papers were awarded first-place in under 200,000 circulation division of the 2002 Association of Food Journalists competition: Robb Walsh of Houston Press for food news reporting; Marty Jones of Westword for food columns and Bonnie Boots, former food editor for the Weekly Planet (Tampa), for restaurant criticism. Willamette Week takes three awards from the foodie group, a second for restaurant criticism for Roger Porter and a second and third for special sections edited by Arts & Culture Editor Caryn Brooks.

Continue ReadingAAN Food Writers Spoon up Awards

The Strip and its publisher Brooks Cloud have broken away from Magnolia Media, a partnership that brought together Birmingham Weekly, the Creative Loafing chain, and The Strip of Tuscaloosa, Ala. Cloud moves back to Tuscaloosa, resigning as general manager and ad director of the Weekly. Cloud’s new company, Monkey Media, also published Tuscaloosa Business Ink. “The Strip really needed the attention of an on-site publisher,” Chuck Leishman, publisher of Birmingham Weekly, tells AAN News.

Continue ReadingThe Strip Breaks Away from Magnolia Media