John Sugg will leave Tampa in late August to become senior editor at the company’s flagship paper, Atlanta’s Creative Loafing. Senior editor “in our lexicon means that I’ll be the lead writer and that I’ll be building and leading the writing team,” says Sugg, who is "second on the masthead" under the paper's editor, Ken Edelstein.
Philadelphia City Paper's Howard Altman lets The Inquirer's Tony Ridder have it right between the eyes. the daily is laying off editorial staff due to financial woes. Altman gives Ridder some advice on surviving a downturn –– ditch the focus groups, concentrate on the city not the 'burbs, bring the reporters back when times improve and don't abandon foreign reporting.
Philadelphia City Paper celebrates its 20th anniversary this week with a big paper and a big party. In those two decades, the paper has had only two owners. Editor David Warner says one spent "15 years squeezing a nickel until the buffalo turned blue," and both preserved the integrity of the news against incursions from the advertising side.
The AAN Convention in New Orleans featured 521 attendees, 44 exhibits, seven new AAN members and one great party. Not to mention Hazel Reinhardt, Leslye Geller, Rick Bragg, Andrei Codrescu and Oliver Stone. Plus a jazz funeral and some amazing beds. Who could ask for anything more?
"They've been doing these jobs for a while now," says Jeff vonKaenel, explaining why he recently named Kathy Barrett and Dave Schmall publisher at their respective weeklies, Chico News & Review and Sacramento News & Review. Both had been serving as general manager.
