At a panel discussion earlier this month at the 92nd Street Y in New York, Tony Ortega talked about web publishing and the print media industry, along with Voice publisher Michael Cohen, Gothamist publisher Jake Dobkin and Alana Taylor of Mashable.com. While noting that, like most papers, the Voice is struggling to do more with less right now, Ortega says the product isn't the problem. "Newspapers have never been more popular in their history," he says. "It's just that our advertisers have no money to spend."

Continue ReadingVillage Voice Editor: Industry Woes are a ‘Business Model Crisis’

Last year, John Sakowicz began writing "smartly prescient" pieces on the impending financial collapse for the North Bay Bohemian, editor Gretchen Giles writes, so she kept publishing him and even dubbed him contributing editor on the paper's masthead. However, as Sakowicz's work at the Bohemian landed him a local radio show and "expert" status at the Institute for Public Accuracy, some people started digging into his background. Ultimately, Giles found that she couldn't confirm some details of Sakowicz's biography, and the paper has cut ties with him. "It appears that Sakowicz, while talented at understanding and predicting the economic moonscape, does not have the exact background he claims to have, one that we underscored by repeatedly printing it at the end of his articles," Giles writes in a mea culpa. "A credible publication cannot publish the works of writers whose credentials cannot withstand scrutiny."

Continue ReadingAlt-Weekly Parts Ways with Writer After His Credentials Are Questioned

The Lark Street Business Improvement District's annual Champagne on the Park ball honored the Albany alt-weekly -- along with Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood -- because their "contributions to the neighborhood have been critical to the growth of the district," the Albany Times-Union reports. Metroland is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

Continue ReadingMetroland Honored by Local Biz Group

As pressure mounts on Craigslist to tighten its erotic advertising policies in the wake of masseuse Julissa Brisman's death, Rhode Island's attorney general has expanded his focus to include thephoenix.com. But publisher and chairman Stephen Mindich isn't backing down. "I'm not apologizing for carrying adult advertising," he tells the Boston Herald. “What are you going to do? Take down the entire Internet?” ... (Brisman) wasn’t killed by an ad, but by a person."

Continue ReadingBoston Phoenix Publisher Defends Adult Ads

Independent senior editor Matt Kettmann tells us via email that the paper has published about 50 stories since the Jesusita wildfire started on Tuesday afternoon at www.independent.com/jesusita. The paper has been doing up-to-the-minute coverage with a staff of about a dozen -- on top of putting out a print edition this week as well. Kettmann says its an example of "how weeklies can handle pretty important and heavy loads."

Continue ReadingAs Fire Blazes, Santa Barbara Independent Reports — Often

California's capital city is weighing an ordinance to replace news boxes on the K Street mall area and replace them with city-owned and operated modular racks, the News & Review reports. The city's proposed rule would allow dailies first pick of space in the modular racks, followed by weeklies, then semi weeklies and monthlies.

Continue ReadingSacramento Looks to Modular News Racks in Downtown Area

Brad Tyer, the Observer's managing editor, is one of 19 journalists selected for the prestigious Knight-Wallace Fellowship at the University of Michigan for the upcoming academic year. He will focus on environmental justice issues. Each fellow receives a stipend of $70,000, supported by gifts from foundations, news organizations and individuals.

Continue ReadingTexas Observer Editor Named Knight-Wallace Journalism Fellow

Las Vegas Weekly has the best entertainment website with fewer than one million unique monthly visitors, and Baltimore City Paper is the best weekly newspaper-affiliated website, according to the 2009 EPpy Awards, which "honor the best websites in the media world." This is City Paper's second EPpy -- it won the Editor & Publisher and Mediaweek sponsored contest in 2006 as well.

Continue ReadingTwo Alt-Weeklies Win EPpy Awards