Originally Baltimore's alt-weekly was known as the City Squeeze and edited by "recent Johns Hopkins grad and inveterate pain-in-the-ass Russ Smith," Michael Anft writes. Anft takes a page from Smith's book and offers some biting suggestions for the Baltimore City Paper at the quarter-century mark, including spending more money on younger staff, instead of "aging hippies."

Continue ReadingBaltimore City Paper Bitten on 25th Birthday

Pittsburgh City Paper has obtained an injunction ordering the new weekly Pulp not to place its papers in City Paper racks. The judge, however, has told both sides to reach a final agreement on other distribution issues without further rulings from the bench. City Paper Publisher Michael Frischling says he wants Pulp to “make an investment in racks.” Pulp’s Publisher Catherine Nelson, former publisher of In Pittsburgh, says what City Paper is demanding amounts to Pulp not distributing, period.

Continue ReadingPittsburgh City Paper Takes Pulp to Court

The Paper, an alternative weekly out of Grand Rapids, Mich., has ceased publication, although there are indications that it is "retooling to return as a monthly". When it became an AAN member in 1998, the Admissions Committee deemed The Paper, "the most encouraging of the new applicants."

Continue ReadingGrand Rapids Alternative Shuttered

With a terse note, Philadelphia City Paper kills its serialized novel, Transit of Venus by Anonymous D, because the local Fox affiliate threatened a lawsuit. The novel about a young woman's experiences as a TV news neophyte apparently cut too close to the Fox bone. The chapters published to date have been removed from the newspapers' Web site.

Continue ReadingCity Paper Yanks Series After Fox Threatens to Sue

A Hollywood producer has asked about the rights to Philadelphia City Paper's serialized novel "Transit of Venus" by Anonymous D, says Philadelphia Daily News columnist Stu Bykofsky. "Among the cast of characters so far is a self-cent ered, prima-donna female anchor, defiant photographers, an ineffectual news director, a lesbian PR person, naive production assistants, horndog salespeople, a bearded, lecherous general manager and a police commissioner with a brogue," Bykofsky writes. Could Hollywood resist a cast of characters like that??t

Continue ReadingHollywood Sniffing at “Transit of Venus”

Erik Wemple, a former Washington City Paper senior editor, returns to become editor, the paper announces today. Wemple replaces Howard Witt, who left the paper for the Washington bureau of the Chicago Tribune. Richard Byrne, interim editor and media columnist, is leaving the paper to become executive editor of TheGlobalist.com.

Continue ReadingNew Editor at Washington City Paper, Associate Editor Leaving

News racks in downtown Philadelphia have been corralled by a non-profit charged with developing the center city. Philadelphia City Paper Publisher Paul Curci was supposed to be part of the committee planning the installation, but he says he got no chance to comment and was told only the day before the corrals were installed. Nevertheless, Curci says he has no complaints about them.

Continue ReadingNews Racks Corralled in Philly

Washington City Paper is getting great resumes for Howard Witt's old editor's job, and for sales positions, because of media layoffs, says Jane Levine, CEO of City Paper's parent, Chicago Reader Inc. Levine tells the Washington Business Journal: "It's a great time to be hiring. There aren't many silver linings to the clouds that are out there, but this is one of them."

Continue ReadingResumes Rolling in for City Paper Editor’s Job

Philadelphia City Paper's front page is one of 25 chosen for a poster, produced by the National Press Club, featuring front pages from around the world that ran the week of the 9/11 disaster. Sales of the poster will raise funds for the September 11, 2001 Family Relief Fund. (last item)

Continue ReadingPhilly City Paper 9/11 Cover Chosen