The two papers swept the Newspaper Feature Story category in this year's contest, which is administered by the Association for Women in Communications. The Loaf's Mara Shalhoup won in the circulation above 100,000 category, for Learning to Hit a Lick, which also won the Feature Story category in this year's AltWeekly Awards. And the Express' Kara Platoni won in the under 100,000 category, for The Ten Million Dollar Woman. The awards were presented this weekend in Lubbock, Texas.

Continue ReadingCreative Loafing and East Bay Express Pick Up Clarion Awards

Creative Loafing Inc. CEO Ben Eason informs us that he has named Michael Sigman to head the chain's flagship paper in Atlanta. Sigman worked at LA Weekly for 18 years, first as general manager, then later as president and publisher of both LA and OC Weekly, before leaving parent company Village Voice Media in Jan. 2002. Following his departure from VVM, Sigman took over as president of MajorSongs, the publishing house of his late father, the songwriter Carl Sigman, and issued a limited-edition box set of recordings of some of his father's songs.

Continue ReadingSigman Named President and Publisher of Creative Loafing Atlanta

Hartford Advocate Editor Alistair Highet calls the listings calendar his paper's "universal point of interest." The calendar is -- and long has been -- indispensable for most alt-weeklies, attracting readers who don't necessarily agree with a paper's perceived political stance. But the marketplace is increasingly crowded with online and print publications listing concerts and theater times. Freelance reporter Charlie Deitch speaks with AAN members to find out what they're doing to fend off competitors' attempts to infringe on the alts' longtime stronghold.

Continue ReadingThe Listings Calendar: Alts’ Mainstay Faces Stiff Competition

Scott Walsey, publisher of Creative Loafing (Atlanta), will leave the paper at the end of the year, reports CL editor-in-chief Ken Edelstein. Walsey has been at the paper for 26 years, and has served as its publisher since the 2000 merger between Weekly Planet and Creative Loafing, Inc. "He's provided employees with leadership, stability and a great sense of humor," writes Edelstein. "[Walsey is] a wise and decent person who did things like remind folks to place family and friends above work." CL's next publisher will be Scott Patterson, an experienced newspaperman who has published dailies, community papers and shoppers.

Continue ReadingCreative Loafing Publisher Stepping Down