Nearly two decades ago, Bradley Zeve bought a failing Monterey County tourist paper called Coasting and gradually transformed it into what is now Monterey County Weekly, reports Ruth Hammond. Celebrating its 16th anniversary this year, the paper owes its longevity to Zeve's approach: Plan carefully, know your audience, and be prepared to weather disasters. The result is a paper that claims the second-highest household penetration -- around 30 percent -- among papers in the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. "By having a huge household penetration, we have a lot of influence," says Zeve.

Continue ReadingMonterey County Weekly Celebrates Its Sweet 16th

San Francisco Latino and Mission District activist groups want a public apology from freelance cartoonist Dan Siegler, reports the San Francisco Examiner. Siegler's "Puni" cartoon in the Sept. 15 edition of SF Weekly is a parody of Mayor Gavin Newsom's "Mission Possible" effort to take back the Mission District's "Miracle Mile." The phony message from the mayor asks, "Who exactly are we taking back the Mission from?" and encourages readers to select "the groups that you want removed from the Mission" from a list of 35. Among the choices are "pregnant tweenage Mexicans," "geriatric tamale sellers," and "white dot-com leftovers."

Continue ReadingActivists Call SF Weekly Cartoon Offensive, Want Apology

Wayne Laugesen of Colorado's Boulder Weekly believes there are times when a member of the media must cease being a spectator and take action. As such, he traded his usual pen for a sledgehammer and smashed a bunch of windows, reports Westword media critic Michael Roberts. Laugesen felt that an order directing homeowner Paul Wenig to reinstall antiquated windows he'd removed from his historic residence needlessly endangered two children who lived there. To Laugesen, destroying the windows was the obvious solution. Of the incident, he wrote in his Sept. 9 column: "Every broken window was a score for fatherhood, husbandry, and God-given liberty."

Continue ReadingBoulder Weekly Columnist Hammers Home a Point

Readers of Gambit Weekly, New Times Broward-Palm Beach, Miami New Times, Weekly Planet (Tampa), Weekly Planet (Sarasota), Folio Weekly and Orlando Weekly have lately seen Mother Nature at her worst. Distributed in areas affected by the hurricanes that have pounded Florida and surrounding states since August, these alt-weeklies have come out on schedule -- thanks to determined staffers and contingency plans.

Continue ReadingIn Harm’s Way, Alt-Weeklies Weather Hurricanes

The Times Publishing Co., publisher of the St. Petersburg Times, has launched tbt*, a weekly paper apparently aimed at asterisk-loving young adults. According to the Times, tbt* delivers news in short chunks with colorful photos and no attempt at serious analysis, and bills itself as "zippy news for time-challenged adults." Features also include entertainment listings, shopping tips, and advice on computers and romance. Paul Tash, editor and chairman of Times Publishing, tells reporter Helen Huntley: "There's nothing else like it on the market." AAN-member Weekly Planet (Tampa) is distributed in the same area.

Continue ReadingFaux Alt Debuts in Tampa

In an opinion piece published in Boulder Weekly, AAN executive director Richard Karpel recounts a phone interview he gave to The Daily Camera. The Boulder, Colo., daily is launching Dirt, a free weekday paper targeting 18- to 24-year-olds, and its reporter wanted a comment. Karpel obliged, explaining why Dirt, like any number of similar tabloids, would ultimately fail to reach young people: Daily papers tiptoe around potentially offensive language and subject matter; they're too "objective" for passion or point of view; and they're institutions far removed from the world most young people inhabit. The Camera chose to publish his one comment that tended to make the opposite point, so he lays out his full argument here.

Continue ReadingAAN’s Karpel Predicts Faux Alternatives Will Fail

Nikki Finke, who writes the Deadline Hollywood column for L.A. Weekly, has become essential reading for those who follow the Industry, reports Los Angeles Magazine. Capitalizing on her position as both insider (with numerous longtime sources) and outsider (what studio exec would talk to an alt-weekly reporter?), she reveals, critiques and influences showbiz power. "Nikki is part of a tradition of women reporters in Hollywood who terrify people," says Vanity Fair contributing editor Bruce Feirstein.

Continue ReadingFirebrand L.A. Weekly Reporter Scorches Tinseltown