Mark Donald has been involved with the Observer on and off for more than ten years, including stints as associate editor and staff writer. Since leaving the paper in 2004, he has worked at Texas Lawyer and D magazine. He begins in mid-January, following the departure of Julie Lyons, who is stepping down to write a book based on her Bible Girl columns.

Continue ReadingDallas Observer Names New Editor

Publisher John Weiss says he was asked a couple months ago by one area Starbucks store to pick up the Indy's news racks there. When he asked why the paper was being kicked out, the manager told him an individual had complained and the corporate office decided to pull the paper, KOAA-TV reports. "Starbucks has a non-solicitation policy and the standard operating procedure is to carry only the New York Times and the local paper, i.e. the Colorado Springs Gazette," the coffee giant says in a statement. Weiss says it sets a double standard: "Just allowing one newspaper, which is very, very conservative, into their stores, we don't think provides the balance this community needs." The Indy went through a similar ban eight years ago at King Soopers grocery stores, according to KOAA. The stores eventually brought the paper back after receiving multiple complaint letters and phone calls from customers.

Continue ReadingColorado Springs Independent Dropped from Starbucks

A recent surge in newspaper theft has a coalition of Bay Area newspapers -- including the East Bay Express and the San Francisco Bay Guardian -- asking local authorities to help pursue thieves both on the street and at the recycling businesses where they fence the stolen goods, according to the Berkeley Daily Planet. The Express is doing more than just asking cops for help, though. The Planet reports that after complaints to local police failed to result in the apprehension of a man repeatedly seen stealing papers, the alt-weekly hired a private investigator. On his first night out, the private eye caught the thief with more than 500 copies of the Express -- and nearly as many Bay Guardians -- in his truck. Express publisher Hal Brody says that stopping the thefts will take more than arresting street-level thieves -- rather, he thinks cops need to target the recycling businesses that accept the contraband. A meeting between Oakland police and local publishers to discuss how to stem the tide of theft is planned for the near future, the Planet reports.

Continue ReadingBay Area Papers Try to Combat Wave of Free Paper Theft

In October, as the New Times grand-jury probe fiasco bubbled to the surface, reporter Ray Stern was given a criminal citation for disorderly conduct after an argument over taking photos of public records at the sheriff's office. Stern said Monday that a Phoenix prosecutor offered him a fine of $100 or attending anger management classes in exchange for a guilty plea, the Associated Press reports. "I'm not going to (plead guilty)," he says. "I know I wasn't yelling."

Continue ReadingPhoenix New Times Reporter Rejects Deal in Public Records Case

Attorneys for the alt-weekly have filed legal papers with the California Court of Appeal arguing that a judge erred in finding the Indy in contempt of court for refusing to turn over all the crime scene photographs taken by Paul Wellman. The paper's attorneys argue the judge failed to provide any evidence there was "a reasonable possibility" that Wellman's unpublished photos "will materially assist" the defense attorney who asked for them. The legal standard required by California Constitution to penetrate California's shield law requires a reasonable possibility, the Indy reports.

Continue ReadingSanta Barbara Independent Fights Contempt Charge