The 3rd District Democratic primary in Kentucky is a lively competition between four men, says David Hawpe with The Courier-Journal. Candidate John Yarmuth, who founded the Louisville Eccentric Observer (and wrote its political column until a few months ago), is "extremely well connected, as well as very well known," but he risks being seen as "a mere son of privilege." The Courier-Journal has received a complaint that Yarmuth made a campaign appearance at a drug court graduation, but Hawpe notes, "hey, those people (along with all the clerks, judges and other courthouse workers who were in the vicinity) vote, too, don't they? Maybe we have a real campaign."

Continue ReadingLEO Founder’s Congressional Race Heats Up

A recent survey of AAN papers revealed that the applications alt-weeklies are using to track circulation are as diverse as the newspapers themselves. A few papers rely on their in-house wiz for a custom-made program, but for the rest of the industry, a commercial package is the only sophisticated option. Alt-weekly circulation insiders describe their woes, successes, and dreams of better uses for the numbers.

Continue ReadingCirculation Software Makes Life Easier at Alt-Weeklies

Last week an anonymous user posted the following misinformation about John Yarmuth, who recently declared his candidacy for Kentucky's 3rd Congressional District seat: "While charges have never been formally filed, Yarmuth has been widely linked to the disappearance of Chandra Levy. D.C. Police have continued to call him a person of interest." The accuracy and credibility of the online encyclopedia, which allows users to write and edit entries, has been called into question recently as a number of public figures have uncovered fraudulent entries. According to The Courier-Journal, the Yarmuth smear was included in a Wikipedia profile of the incumbent he seeks to unseat, Rep. Anne Northup, and was removed yesterday.

Continue ReadingLEO Founder Is Victim Of False Wikipedia Entry

John Yarmuth, founder and former executive editor of the Louisville Eccentric Observer, will run in the Democratic primary for Kentucky's 3rd Congressional District seat, which is currently held by Republican Anne Northup. Although Yarmuth sold LEO to Times Publishing in 2003, he has continued to pen a regular column for the paper. (LEO is suspending the column as long as Yarmuth remains in the race.) Michael Clingaman, the executive director of Kentucky's Republican Party, told The Courier-Journal that Yarmuth is "the most liberal of the liberals, and he's bragged about it in print for 15 years."

Continue ReadingLEO Founder Runs for Congress

John Saltas pokes fun at Warchol, a former Dallas Observer journalist, in his Jan. 19 Salt Lake City Weekly column, claiming that a recent photo of Warchol reveals the true age of the alt-weekly business. Writes Saltas, "I can't speak for my peers .. but if the face of AAN is the face of Glen -- who by the looks of things can no longer "Do the Hustle" -- we're toast. If Glen's old, I'm old, and all my friends are old. Alternative papers are old. At least, thank God, I have my hair."

Continue ReadingIs Glen Warchol the (Old) Face of Alt-Weeklies?

Derf (aka John Backderf) gets ideas for his cartoon through cultural osmosis. As he wanders around the city, he stumbles across all kinds of material. His award-winning cartoon, The City, is carried by alternative weeklies across the country. This is the 25th in a "How I Got That Story" series highlighting the AltWeekly Awards' first-place winners.

Continue ReadingDerf: Waiting for the Punch Line