One of the most popular annual convention benefits, this year's marketing idea-sharing session will sport the best radio and cable spots, viral marketing campaigns, and in-paper promotions produced by AAN members. Entries should focus on audience-building, special events or promotions, special section promotion and the like. Show off your mad marketing skilz by submitting your single best piece to Roxanne Cooper no later than May 15.
Former South Florida Sun-Sentinel writer Buddy Nevins has sued the New Times Broward-Palm Beach writer and VVM for defamation and invasion of privacy/false light, the Sun-Sentinel reports. Nevins claims that Norman falsely stated that he was forced out from the daily paper over a story that later had to be corrected. Nevins also alleges that Norman falsely claimed he had an "unholy alliance" with lobbyist Ali Waldman that "ruined" him as a reporter. "This may get interesting, but there is no joy in Pulpville tonight," Norman writes on his blog, the Daily Pulp. "I like Buddy and believe he's done awesome work in his career ... but I stand by my work and wish Buddy the best."
The finalists include stories about a unitard-clad unicyclist, tuberculosis testing in prisons, and a cancer that may be caused by the implosion of the World Trade Center on 9/11. Other honorees that emerged from the 1,481 entries include a comic strip starring Republican strategist Ralph Reed and an illustrated guide for African-Americans to navigate DC's posh Georgetown neighborhood. L.A. Weekly and Style Weekly are the big winners this year, with the former setting a contest record with 13 winning entries.
Dan Lacey "thinks he is incredibly clever," writes Jonathan Kaminsky. As we reported yesterday, the man behind the Faithmouse blog has put his City Pages "Best Of" award up for auction on eBay, but lacking an actual certificate, he offered to draw one for the winner instead. Now City Pages is getting into the auction game. "If anyone wants the real deal, and not that phoney-baloney certificate that Lacey drew up in his spare time, I snatched it from our ad people before they got around to sending it out," Kaminsky says. "I've got it sitting right here at my desk, and I'm ready to talk turkey."
As expected, American Community Newspapers LLC announced yesterday that it has purchased the publishing and printing assets of CM Media, Inc. In addition to the Columbus alt-weekly, the Texas-based American Community Newspapers will take over CM's community papers, magazines and printing facility. "Our decision to sell the company was a difficult one, but we believe that (ACM president) Gene (Smith) and American Community Newspapers will continue our tradition of providing Central Ohio with quality journalism," says CM president and Other Paper publisher Max Brown.
That's almost twice as many as last year, and the most since 2001, when 22 papers applied. This year's hopefuls are spread across 14 states and one Canadian province, and include many repeat applicants and several other papers with pre-existing connections to AAN. And in a new twist in the admissions process, AAN prepared a report that provides background information on the companies and individuals who hold ownership stakes in each paper.
The Free Flow of Information Act was introduced today in the House by U.S. Reps. Rick Boucher (D-VA), John Conyers (D-MI), Mike Pence (R-IN), Howard Coble (R-NC), Greg Walden (R-OR) and John Yarmuth (D-KY). A similarly bipartisan group of legislators will introduce an identical bill in the Senate. AAN is a member of an alliance of over 40 media companies and professional organizations that issued statements of support for the legislation. The bill would "establish important and balanced ground rules for compelled disclosure of sources and information from reporters," according to a press release issued by the Newspaper Association of America, which organized the coalition. Thirty-two states and the District of Columbia currently have shield laws in place.
