Seattle Weekly Publisher Alisa Cromer has resigned, citing disagreements with Village Voice Media management about how the paper should be run. VVM CEO David Schneiderman tells AAN News Cromer's resignation "did not have to do with any financial, budgetary, or personnel issues." The shake-up means Schneiderman will spend time out West to oversee Seattle Weekly and LA Weekly, while Group Publisher Albie Del Favero will concentrate on papers in Minneapolis, Cleveland and Nashville.
Washington City Paper is getting great resumes for Howard Witt's old editor's job, and for sales positions, because of media layoffs, says Jane Levine, CEO of City Paper's parent, Chicago Reader Inc. Levine tells the Washington Business Journal: "It's a great time to be hiring. There aren't many silver linings to the clouds that are out there, but this is one of them."
A New York Press veteran takes the helm as publisher. Kim Granowitz succeeds Michael Cohen, who has returned to Miami New Times.
Julie Lobbia, a writer for The Village Voice, died of ovarian cancer Thanksgiving Day. She also worked for Riverfront Times, rising to managing editor there before going to the Voice. The diminuitive columnist, who routinely biked 100 miles a week, crusaded to save the city's rent laws, which she maintained preserve New York's rich diversity. "Injustice set her on fire," says Voice Editor in Chief Don Forst, calling her "a giant unyielding in her pursuit of the truth."
The path between journalism and politics is well worn, and now two pols with alt-press connections have taken over City Halls. R.T. Rybak, erstwhile publisher of the defunct Twin Cities Reader, was elected mayor of Minneapolis, and Charles Meeker, brother of Willamette Week publisher Richard Meeker and a former Independent Weekly shareholder, seized the reins in Raleigh, N.C. Not since former Pacific Sun reporter Barbara Boxer was elected to the U.S. Senate have AANies made such political hay.
