Seattle Weekly fires a production employee over a campaign prank, the Seattle Times reports (second item). Plastering the news editor's office with campaign posters was the offense.
Pittsburgh City Paper has hired at least five former In Pittsburgh employees since its parent company bought the rival alternative newsweekly last month. It is also looking at picking up some of the closed paper's regular contributors and syndicated material.
Radio-station operator Saga Communications is the new owner of Champaign, Ill.'s The Octopus, which it bought earlier this month from Yesse! Communications. Senior Vice President Wayne Lada says Saga plans to add staff and build circulation.
Jennifer Gonnerman and J.A. Lobbia of The Village Voice win awards in the newspaper category of the 2001 Front Page Awards by the Newswomen's Club of New York. Gonnerman's award is for in-depth reporting on prison murder, while Lobbia's is for beat reporting on housing.
Amber Barton, head of the mailroom at Steel City Media, says weird mail coming to the Pittsburgh City Paper and its sister radio station is nothing new. After an anthrax scare last week, though, she handles the mail with latex gloves.
Creative Loafing Savannah has merged with Connect Savannah, a community weekly. The non-AAN alternative weekly was owned by Debbie Eason founder of the Creative Loafing chain, and its publisher Kyle Sims.
