Los Angeles Times staff writer Scott Martelle describes the fears and hopes for L.A. Weekly's role in the New Times-controlled Village Voice Media. He details the turbulent recent history of alt-weeklies in Los Angeles and speaks to several notable Angelenos. Local pol Jackie Goldberg, "a frequent target of New Times LA columnists" during New Times' previous residency in the city, says: "They were not just a gadfly, they were an assault vehicle." Martelle also speaks to a few current L.A. Weekly staff members, including editor Laurie Ochoa, and addresses speculation that Phoenix New Times editor Rick Barrs will replace her. (Barrs says that he hasn't been asked, but adds that he would "have mixed emotions about it.")

Continue ReadingLos Angeles Ponders the Future of L.A. Weekly

Amendments to the Pulitzer rules announced Wednesday will allow newspapers to submit online-only material for consideration in all 14 journalism categories. In a Washington Post article, Pulitzer administrator Sig Gissler pointed to last year's prize-winning entry from Willamette Week in the investigative reporting category as a factor in the board's decision to make the changes. The old rules forbid Willamette Week from submitting the story that was published on its Web site the day before its award-winning article appeared in print.

Continue ReadingPulitzer Board Changes Rules, Cites Willamette Week’s Winning Entry as Factor

When he covered media for the Dallas Observer, Eric Celeste wanted to do more than deliver "bee stings" to the local daily. He wanted to delve into the paper's inner workings. His award-winning article, "At the Ripping Point," examined a newspaper consulting company's role in the decline of The Dallas Morning News. This is the 21st in a "How I Got That Story" series highlighting the AltWeekly Awards' first-place winners.

Continue ReadingEric Celeste: Unveiling the Inner Workings of a Daily