Will Swaim now oversees all of OC Weekly’s business operations and editorial content in a promotion announced recently by Village Voice Media CEO David Schneiderman. Swaim, who once wanted to be a priest but became a punk rocker instead, is “the spiritual and intellectual leader” of the alt-weekly, Schneiderman says.
Kristen Lombardi of the Boston Phoenix is singled out by CJR for her coverage of the story of pedophile priests being shielded by the Catholic hierarchy. "Her prodigiously reported pieces documented the sorry history of Geoghan's career, as well as the still sorrier protection of that career, and too many others like it, by the church and by Cardinal Law," CJR writes.
So a Catholic deacon, a Benedictine monk, a Greek Orthodox priest and a lawyer all walk into a hotel. No, this isn’t the Santa Fe Reporter's annual bad joke issue. These were the participants who joined the Reporter's editorial staff for a roundtable discussion of the national scandal involving the Catholic Church and pedophilic priests. Among the participants was the lawyer who brought suit about 10 years ago against New Mexico’s Archdiocese for victims alleging they were sexually abused by New Mexico priests. Those suits were eventually settled for approximately $50 million. Because New Mexico dealt with these issues in the early ‘90s, its Archdiocese has already instituted many of the measures other churches will likely now adopt, such as psychological screenings and AIDS tests.
Cleveland Free Times Publisher Matt Fabyan says he’s “jazzed” that native son David Eden has come on board as editor in chief. Eden has been busy his first weeks on the job, dealing with a redesign and a new job at the same time. Eden has 15 years experience at major dailies such as the Dallas Times Herald, The Minneapolis Star and the Detroit News, as well as TV experience on PBS. “Good stories told well,” sums up his philosophy.
Another front has opened in the Boston news box war. Still embroiled in a lawsuit over whether free-circulation newspaper boxes can be banned in Boston's Back Bay, plaintiffs say the city took their boxes away from sites near Red Sox stadium on opening day, while the paid daily boxes weren't touched, Seth Gitell of the Boston Phoenix reports.
In a six-article package, three female writers from The Village Voice ask what it's like to throw a punch? Hit the mat? Go long? Take a slap shot? Compete against members of the less-fair sex? Laura Conaway gets the dirt from women athletes. Plus: Alisa Solomon reports on corruption in women's collegiate sports, and Candace Rondeaux gives a preview of the upcoming fight over Title IX—a law that the National Wrestling Coaches Association says discriminates against men.
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.
