Village Voice Media announced this afternoon that Erik Wemple (pictured) had "changed his mind" and decided to remain in his current position as editor of the Washington City Paper: "Although Wemple accepted the job of editor-in-chief of the historic Voice -- even introducing himself to the staff -- subsequent discussions revealed disagreements over newsroom management," VVM explained. Executive Editor Mike Lacey said Wemple's reservations were "not unreasonable." Wemple released his own statement, saying that he continues "to believe that the people at Village Voice Media are committed to a great editorial product, as evidenced by the great newspapers that they publish across the country."

Continue ReadingWemple Won’t Be Village Voice Editor After All

That was one of the questions asked last night during a panel discussion in San Francisco on "The Coming Media Monopoly: Concentration of Press Ownership and Its Effects on Democracy." It will surprise few AAN members that panelists Stephen Buel, editor of Village Voice Media's East Bay Express, and Tim Redmond, executive editor of the San Francisco Bay Guardian, didn't see eye-to-eye on the matter. According to the "alternative online daily" BeyondChron, Buel said the Express' sale to VVM-predecessor New Times allowed the paper to hire more staff, purchase new computers and rent more office space. "In the past year, I've seen members of an alternative newsweekly buy houses in the Bay Area, and I think that's cool,” Buel said. Redmond disagreed, arguing that conglomeration results in homogenization of content and the pricing out of any true independent press.

Continue ReadingIs ‘Corporate’ Ownership Good for Newspapers?