May 21, 2008

The Stranger Removes Writer's Stories Over Possible Plagiarism

Source: The Stranger | Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"We recently discovered that an art review by Nate Lippens published in The Stranger in August 2004 bears striking similarities to an art review by John Miller published in ArtForum in the summer of 2002," editor Christopher Frizzelle wrote last week. On advice from the Poynter Institute, the paper decided to take down and reexamine all of Lippens' stories, and will re-post the ones that are OK "as quickly as we can." When contacted by The Stranger by email, Lippens wrote: "I'm, of course, deeply embarrassed by this. I feel terrible." The next day the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported it was "looking at dozens of pieces written by Lippens" after editors discovered similarities between something he wrote for the daily and Art in America magazine. Lippens has also freelanced for Seattle Weekly, which has "found no evidence thus far of any plagiarism" in the handful of pieces he wrote for them, editor Mike Seely tells AAN News in an email.

May 21, 2008

Judge Raises Damages and Issues Injunction Against SF Weekly

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

As expected, San Francisco Superior Court Judge Marla Miller on Monday raised the amount the Weekly must pay in damages to the San Francisco Bay Guardian, from $6.3 million to $15.9 million. Miller also issued a 10-year injunction, barring the Weekly from selling display ads below cost, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. In the lawsuit, the Guardian accused the Weekly and its parent company Village Voice Media of selling ads below cost with the intent of harming the Guardian. A jury ruled in favor of the Guardian in March. SF Weekly still plans to appeal. Read more on the latest ruling from the Weekly and the Guardian.

May 21, 2008

Hour Magazine Celebrates 15th Anniversary

Source: Hour Magazine

"A lot's changed since Hour's inaugural issue on Feb. 4, 1993, notably what constitutes an 'alternative' weekly," editor-in-chief Jamie O'Meara writes. "But a little soul searching is never a bad thing -- it makes you better and, hopefully, stronger." In her column introducing the special anniversary issue, O'Meara says the paper has come to be inextricably tied to the communities it serves. "In an era of mostly borderless, reflexive information sharing, it's more important than ever to have boots on the ground, and to remember that there are still smaller communities within this larger global community of ours that need tending to," she writes. "And that's where we at Hour find our strength."