Marc Eisen, who is currently executive editor of the Madison alt-weekly, is leaving the paper at the end of August as a part of cost-cutting measures, publisher Vince O'Hern says in a column. Eisen was editor until he moved into the executive editor spot last fall to have more time to write. He worked for Isthmus from 1978-1986, and then rejoined the paper in 1988. "These are difficult, challenging times in journalism," Eisen tells the Capital Times. "There's no one more expendable than the executive editor." The other staffer that falls victim to the cuts is 18-year veteran writer Tom Laskin. "These departures were not pleasant decisions to make and we do not relish saying goodbye to these folks. We hope to work with them again in the future," O'Hern writes. "Change can be and, in this instance, is hard. But the consequences of not changing, of not responding to the challenges of the business climate, would ultimately be harder."
Alternative newsweeklies across the country have bucked the trend of unquestioned support for the president and the new war in Afghanistan. They’ve also paid the price for their criticism, with retribution ranging from yanked ads to death threats.
