Four Utah media organizations, including Salt Lake City Weekly, have threatened to sue Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt for his policy of routinely deleting official e-mails, The Salt Lake Tribune reports. Media attorneys argue Leavitt is destroying records of "the governmental present and historical past." Managing Editor Chris Smart tells the Tribune, "Those e- mails belong to the taxpayers and the voters. The fact that he has not recognized this is of great concern."

Continue ReadingUtah Media Challenge Governor Over Deleted E-mails

Erik Wemple, a former Washington City Paper senior editor, returns to become editor, the paper announces today. Wemple replaces Howard Witt, who left the paper for the Washington bureau of the Chicago Tribune. Richard Byrne, interim editor and media columnist, is leaving the paper to become executive editor of TheGlobalist.com.

Continue ReadingNew Editor at Washington City Paper, Associate Editor Leaving

Tom Bartel and Kris Henning, founders of City Pages (Minneapolis), are launching a glossy monthly called the Rake in March. Bartel sold City Pages to Village Voice Media-predecessor Stern Publishing in 1997. The Rake may compete with City Pages, published by Tom Bartel's brother, Mark Bartel. Tom says his brother is his best friend, but: "We've been rivals since we were kids. This is no different."

Continue ReadingNew Monthly Coming from City Pages’ Founders

Utah has liberalized its liquor advertising laws, and Salt Lake City Weekly has lost no time in snagging a Jim Beam ad. It appears on page 7; on page 25, in a full-page ad donated by the paper, the Church of Latter Day Saints is given space to argue that alcohol advertising is a threat to society. Publisher John Saltas tells the Salt Lake City Tribune the timing was a coincidence.

Continue ReadingSalt Lake City Weekly Gives Mormons/Jim Beam Equal Time

News racks in downtown Philadelphia have been corralled by a non-profit charged with developing the center city. Philadelphia City Paper Publisher Paul Curci was supposed to be part of the committee planning the installation, but he says he got no chance to comment and was told only the day before the corrals were installed. Nevertheless, Curci says he has no complaints about them.

Continue ReadingNews Racks Corralled in Philly

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

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

Howard Witt has resigned as editor of Washington City Paper, effective Nov. 16. “Please join me in congratulating Howard,” Jane Levine, publisher of City Paper's parent Chicago Reader Inc., says in a memo to staff. "The search will take as long as it takes to find a good editor," Levine says. Meanwhile, Associate Editor Richard Byrne has been named interim editor. MORE: The Washington Post reports Friday morning that Witt is leaving to take a job covering the State Department for the Chicago Tribune.

Continue ReadingWitt Leaving Washington City Paper

"Being ahead was a lot less complicated than being alone," Andy Newman, editor of Pittsburgh City Paper, tells the Pittsburgh Business Times. The staff plans to meet this week to redesign and remake City Paper after its parent company bought rival newsweekly In Pittsburgh last month and closed it. City Paper has since then absorbed a number of former In Pittsburgh employees. Newman says he would rather "drive carpet staples" into his gums than conduct a focus group, but admits he's asked some other journalists for input on the new design.

Continue ReadingLife After In Pittsburgh