June 2, 2008

California Legislation Targets Free Newspaper Thieves

Source: The Berkeley Daily P***t

AB 1778, sponsored by Assemblymember Fiona Ma, passed the California Assembly by a vote of 45-24 on May 22 and is now headed to the State Senate, the Berkeley Daily P***t reports. The law would require recycling companies to identify those who bring recyclables and newspapers worth $50 or more to sell. "This should give us the ability to cut off the [poachers'] money supply," East Bay Express publisher Hal Brody says, since a full pick-up load of newsprint usually fetches $80 to $100. The Express, along with the San Francisco Bay Guardian and other Bay Area publications, has been pushing for more action on newspaper theft in the wake of a rash of heists.

June 2, 2008

Alt-Weeklies Fare Well in South Florida SPJ Awards

Source: The Society for Professional Journalists, South Florida Pro Chapter

Three AAN papers won a total of 12 Sunshine State Awards, given out by the South Florida Pro Chapter of the Society for Professional Journalists. Miami New Times nabbed four awards, including first-place finishes in Serious Feature Reporting, Arts Reporting, and the Gene Miller Award for Investigative Reporting. Creative Loafing (Tampa)'s six total awards including a first-place finish in Election Reporting. New Times Broward-Palm Beach won two awards, including first-place kudos for Non-Deadline Business Reporting.

June 2, 2008

LEO Names New Editor and Sales Manager

Source: Louisville Eccentric Observer Press Release

The Louisville Eccentric Observer, which was acquired last month by Nashville-based SouthComm Communications, has named Stephen George as editor and Tammy Norkiewicz as sales manager, according to a press release. George, who previously served as managing editor, has been with LEO since January 2005, and Norkiewicz has been an account executive with the paper since December 2005. LEO has also named former associate editor Sara Havens as the new arts & entertainment editor, and has hired 2008 Academy for Alternative Journalism fellow Phillip Bailey as staff writer. Reached via email, George tells AAN News that Bailey will still participate in the scholarship program this summer; the paper is giving him a leave of absence to do so.