A few weeks ago the Baltimore Sun launched "LiVE!" its version of the ubiquitous daily paper sop to "young readers." Baltimore City Paper wasted no time in starting its own new weekly "Advice Column for Journalists Looking to Get in on the Lucrative Alt-Weekly Market." Here's a sample: "After more than two years with virtually no homegrown pop-music coverage ... three LiVE! covers in a row devoted to the hot musical acts of today. Ga-zinga! You surely are giving us a run for our money, pop-music-wise, which, of course, as everyone knows, is a big reason people pick up a publication like ours. And that's the idea, right? A publication like ours? Except folks gotta pay for yours."
Marcus Leach is a poor kid from one of Kansas City's worst neighborhoods, but his gangsta debate brilliance has universities across the country clamoring for him. Unfortunately, Leach's achievement is lost on state education activities bureaucrats, offended that his coach would try to break their rules to take her team to the most prestigious debate event in the country. Staff writer Joe Miller tells how Central High school's debate squad is losing its "War of Words." (First in a series)
Nigel Jaquiss of Willamette Week and Pete Kotz of the Cleveland Scene win special citations in the 2002 National Awards for Education Reporting. Kotz' citation was for opinion writing in the 100,000 and above division for "Welcome to Cheaptown." Jaquiss was recognized for feature writing in the under 100,000 division for his story “Anywhere, U.S.A.: Portland is in Danger of Losing the One Thing That Makes It Unique." He won a first place in this contest last year in investigative reporting.
It's a tale of two cities, tale of two concerts, as one reporter covers the Dixie Chicks' first stateside concert since singer Natalie Maines, well, you know, while the other heads one county over to cover rightwing radio host Mike Gallagher's anti-Dixie Chicks show. "From the saber-rattling, baby-with-a-rattler antics of talk show host Mike Gallagher and his fellow Goebbeldygook-spouting rightwing radio rip-and-readers to the bait-and-tackle interrogations of Diane Sawyer, discussing and dismissing the Dixie Chicks has become an industry unto itself."
Publisher Al Johnson, a media sales veteran, launches Omaha Pulp this week, with the help of three former staffers from Omaha Reader -- editors Timothy Schaffert and Leslie Prisbell and Production Manager Justin Wolta. Johnson says he hopes to be profitable by August. John Heaston, publisher of the Omaha Weekly Reader, says he welcomes competition that will keep Omaha's media scene lively.
