The U.S. is sending nearly 1000 athletes to compete in the Maccabiah Games, the event sometimes referred to as the "Jewish Olympics" that takes place next month in Israel. Jewish News of Greater Phoenix reports that one of the competitors is none other than Phoenix New Times senior staff writer Paul Rubin, who will be on the men's fast-pitch softball team in the masters division. It won't be Rubin's first time at the games; he's a veteran, having won two gold medals and one silver medal while playing softball for the U.S. in 1985, 1989 and 1993. "Representing your country and your religion is a very important honor, and I'm taking it very seriously," he says.

Continue ReadingWho Knew? Phoenix New Times Staffer Heads to the Maccabiah Games

In his latest book, A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity, the controversial Fox News host reflects on his days attending Boston University in the 1970s. He notes that once he was bitten by the journalism bug, he started being published in Boston's alt-weeklies. "I ran around Boston annoying the hell out of everyone, but bringing back good, crisp copy," O'Reilly writes. "In addition to the Free Press [BU's student paper], I got stuff published in the Boston Phoenix and the Real Paper. Then, I recycled the articles into class assignments. Somehow, this worked out great. How could I get a bad grade if somebody had paid me for a piece and it ran on page two?"

Continue ReadingWho Knew? Bill O’Reilly Wrote for Alt-Weeklies in the 70s

John Dickerson has been named the 2008 Livingston Award winner for local reporting for "The Doctor is Out," a three-part series on medical standards and regulation in Arizona. The Livingstons are limited to journalists under the age of 35 and are the largest all-media, general-reporting prizes in the country. This marks the second year in a row that an alt-weekly has won the award, which comes with a $10,000 prize. Dickerson's series is also an AltWeekly Award finalist in the investigative reporting category.

Continue ReadingPhoenix New Times Scribe Wins Livingston Award

James Parker's essay in the Boston Phoenix -- "Unauthorized! Axl Rose, Albert Goldman, and the renegade art of rock biography" -- has been selected for the annual book that the Phoenix says has "become, next to free Radiohead tickets, the rock critic's highest professional honor." Rebecca Schoenkopf's piece on Hall & Oates for the now-defunct LA CityBeat is also included in the book, which won't be out until October.

Continue ReadingAlt-Weeklies Make it into ‘Best Music Writing 2009’

Between them, Phoenix New Times and the Tucson Weekly won 26 excellence in journalism awards in the Arizona Press Club's annual contest. New Times took home 19 awards, including first-place wins for Arts Writing or Criticism; Blogging; Children, Families and Seniors Issues Reporting; Features Column Writing; Growth and Development Reporting; Public Safety Reporting; and Sports Enterprise Reporting. The Weekly won seven awards, including a first-place finish in the Film, Video and Television Writing or Criticism category.

Continue ReadingArizona Alt-Weeklies Win Big in State Press Contest

As pressure mounts on Craigslist to tighten its erotic advertising policies in the wake of masseuse Julissa Brisman's death, Rhode Island's attorney general has expanded his focus to include thephoenix.com. But publisher and chairman Stephen Mindich isn't backing down. "I'm not apologizing for carrying adult advertising," he tells the Boston Herald. “What are you going to do? Take down the entire Internet?” ... (Brisman) wasn’t killed by an ad, but by a person."

Continue ReadingBoston Phoenix Publisher Defends Adult Ads

Last week, the Boston Phoenix's parent company announced it was cutting salaries across the board and laying off six employees. Turns out one of those being laid off is special to AAN: Phoenix senior managing editor and former AAN president Clif Garboden. "This place has given me the opportunity -- on the job, and in AAN -- to work with hundreds of intelligent and committed people you'd never encounter in the real world," he says. "Many of them were also crazy, of course, but that can have its charms."

Continue ReadingVeteran Boston Phoenix Editor to Leave May 29

Phoenix New Times' John Dickerson, Style Weekly's Amy Biegelsen and The Village Voice's Elizabeth Sara Dwoskin have all been named finalists in the 2008 Livingston Awards for Young Journalists competition. The Columbia Journalism School, an AAN associate member, has two current students and six alums among the finalists as well. The winners of the Livingstons, which award three $10,000 prizes to journalists under the age of 35, will be announced June 3.

Continue ReadingThree Young Alt-Weekly Writers in Running for Livingston Awards