Heron (pictured) was promoted from his position as managing editor to replace Ric Bohy, who left the paper two weeks ago. "Kim has had a huge hand in keeping our editorial staff together through many changes over the past few years. He has demonstrated unwavering integrity and has a truly honest work ethic," says Publisher Lisa Rudy in the Metro Times story announcing the change. Heron has been with Metro Times for nine years; he previously worked at the Detroit Free Press from 1979 to 1995. He is also known for "The Kim Heron Program," an FM jazz show that has had a 17-year run.

Continue ReadingW. Kim Heron Tapped as Metro Times Editor

When Steve Billings thought about what kind of food reviewer he wanted to be, he knew one thing. He didn't want to write dish-by-dish accounts of dining out. Instead, in his award-winning column for Metro Santa Cruz, he writes of the philosophy behind making sauerkraut, the goals of an organic farmer and other topical subjects. This is the 19th in a "How I Got That Story" series highlighting the AltWeekly Awards' first-place winners.

Continue ReadingSteve Billings: It’s Not Just About Food

It its column "The Buzz," a Metro Silicon Valley competitor, The Wave Magazine, describes court documents related to an undercover investigation of unlicensed San Jose massage parlors that allegedly were being operated as brothels and employing illegal immigrants. The Wave suggests that "these houses of ill repute got the word out and drummed up demand by placing so-called 'escort' and 'massage' ads in alternative newspapers, including the Metro Silicon Valley." The Wave then quotes a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent as saying, "We do watch and monitor how those mediums are used to facilitate crime, one of those crimes being prostitution." The column goes on to discuss other incidents involving adult advertising at alternative weeklies.

Continue ReadingThe Wave Magazine Connects Ads in Metro Silicon Valley to Prostitution Bust

A young man was serving a life sentence for second-degree murder, and a forensic psychologist who worked on the case didn't believe the teenager had done it. So he turned to Ann Mullen, then a writer at Detroit's Metro Times. She dug around and wrote an in-depth story on the flaws in the Detroit Police Department's investigation. Six months later, the young man was freed. This is the 13th in a "How I Got That Story" series highlighting the AltWeekly Awards' first-place winners.

Continue ReadingAnn Mullen: Righting a Wrongful Conviction

The Oct. 19 issue spotlights the newspaper's past, from top stories to the "massive rhetorical demolition derby" of letters to the editor. Sarah Klein describes the "strange characters" who have staffed the office, W. Kim Heron provides updates on where some of those characters have gone, and in the editor's column, Ric Bohy and the present staff reflect on the aims of the Metro Times and the importance of alternative journalism. A special pullout section featuring artists' interpretations of the Metro Times is available as a PDF.

Continue ReadingDetroit’s Metro Times Celebrates 25 Years with Special Issue

David Cohen, formerly a co-owner of Metro Newspapers, sold Silicon Valley Community Newspapers to the parent company of the San Jose Mercury News, according to a press release issued on Friday afternoon. SVCN, which was formed in 2002 when Cohen and former partner Dan Pulcrano split up the Metro Newspaper chain, now publishes eight free-distribution community newspapers with a combined weekly circulation of more than 157,000. The papers are distributed in the South Bay area, where the Knight Ridder-flagship Mercury News is the only daily newspaper. According to the release, Cohen will report to Knight Ridder general manager/targeted publications Greg Goff, previously an executive vice president at Village Voice Media.

Continue ReadingEx-AAN Member Sells Chain to Knight Ridder