It's All About Winning

ConventionDaily Saturday 6 | 18 | 05 It’s All About Winning Photos by Wells Dunbar By Ayana Taylor

bundle of nerves and excitement bounced A through my body as I walked into the AAN awards luncheon. Handing a ticket to the young lady at the door, I felt my anxiety Awards grow. After getting the go-ahead from luncheon Ruth Hammond, AAN Editor, I host motioned to my peeps standing just Dan Savage plays up the outside, who were waiting to convention's find out if they’d been cleared sailor theme. to come in. Once seated, we examined the awards program. There were 162 finalists for 19 categories. Mosi Secret, one of my fellow Convention Daily reporters, asked me where Happy to be #1, Ayana Taylor shows off her glitzy trophy. my name was. I pointed to it on the back of the program under the News Story – Short against a mus- er papers kick ass.” The tight feeling in The trophies at the bottom of the Form category. box arrived a little worse for the wear. tache, I was 15 years my stomach grew more constricted with Once we’d found a good old. I was babysitting. every category. “Arts Criticism… Column… table, we grabbed some food from the buffet and sat The missus was out of town…” Food Writing…,” he announced each cat- down. More people were settling into tables with “I had to masturbate three times after egory and the winners for honorable men- coworkers or convention friends. Finally, the awards reading this,” he said. Then he laid into tion, third, second and first places. announcements began. I started trembling and the convention’s “Anchors Away” illus- Finally my category came up. As each noticed that my foot was tapping the floor. All kinds tration of a sailor showing off his bulging name was called, the suspense thickened. of things were running through my mind. Stories arm muscles. “This is the gayest thing I Then I heard my named called. “Ayana of past award banquets had my head swimming. have ever seen!” His comedy helped Taylor, first place,” said Savage, adding My main concern was keeping my clothes on. ease my nerves, but my feeling of hope “and Ayana is covering this event for All of my fears subsided when Dan Savage, edi- and dread only intensified as the awards Convention Daily news.” I was shaking tor of The Stranger, started his commentary. He were given out. There were two kinds of as I walked up to the table to collect my dogged the San Diego Reader and its editor for gag trophies. All of the big papers got trophy. Walking back to the table, I began seeming anti-homosexual. “I wasn’t going to talk the smaller pink cheerleading trophies, to reflect on the times I said, “Any place about the gay thing until I saw the cover story of and the smaller papers got large trophies would do. Just being recognized is really the Reader on mustaches,” he said as the crowd with a little karate man on top. “He is awesome.” I realize now that was a load laughed. He read: “The first time my lips brushed kicking up,” Savage said, “because small- crap. I love being number one.

INSIDE: Confronting Craigslist [2] Hot Layouts [2] Award Winners [3-6] Trip to Tijuana [7] Our Pulitzer Winner [8] Marketing [8] Don’t Hate, Participate

By Jennifer Derilo

t the AltWeekly Awards ceremo- A ny Friday, Dan Savage donned a t-shirt emblazoned with what some alternative weeklies may be afraid to ask in this post-9/11 world: CAN’T WE Peter Zollman, right, HAVE CRAIG KILLED? Surely it can’t talks with Los Angeles CityBeat publisher be that difficult to hire someone, Charles Gerencser Savage muses. But Classified after Zollman's talk. Intelligence guru Peter Zollman has a better idea: let’s just beat Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist.org – Even Carl Ferrer, vice president and his clonies. and co-creator of Backpage.com, Offer free ads, new categories, has nary a murderous bone in his forums/feedback, and “agents” or RSS body. “Alt-weeklies can provide a (Really Simple Syndication). Bulk up Craigslist-type service. Unlike with television, cable companies and dailies, they have very little line mobile services. “Create a communi- ad to risk. We should really be ty and know your customers’ needs,” thanking Craig for showing us how Zollman coaches. Want a good right classifieds should grow.” hook? “Emphasize the value of the The alt world isn’t quite ready print/online combo.” to be grateful. Pitchforks were A nice, swift kick to the balls: “co- erect and torches ablaze at Wells Dunbar opetition,” making nice with your ene- Savage’s suggestion from today’s mies. “The daily papers are your best allies,” its flaws as well. There’s a smarter way to luncheon. he’s quick to point out, “because they’re so rebuild that model.” Still, hers is a hopeful But Zollman just chuckles at the blood- bad at what they do.” face in a downpour of dour ones. “What we thirsty mob. “You think you’ve got prob- While Penelope Huston, classified man- can learn from Craigslist is to grow organ- lems? Work for an airline or radio. Yours ager for the Santa Barbara Independent, ically.” are relatively easy to address.” agrees with Zollman, she also believes that “by replicating Craigslist, we’re replicating How to Get Picked Up on the Streets By Mosi Secret Staff eeping with the AAN convention’s theme of change, design guru Robert Newman Editor K talked to art directors and editors about what an alternative weekly should look like Ruth Hammond and how it should visually engage readers. What exactly is the visual alternative media? Designer Incisive cartoons, alluring photographs, shocking graphics and bold headlines have Paul Stroede always had a place in the alternative press. And the freedom from the constraints of news- Reporters/photographers stand sales allows for covers and interior layouts that go beyond what’s considered good Jennifer Derilo, Wells Dunbar, and proper. But that doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for improvement. Newman gave R. L. Nave, Tommy Purvis, a few suggestions to put a little color back in the pages, so to speak. Mosi Secret, Ayana Taylor According to Newman, alt-weeklies need to simplify layouts while maintaining a strong visual presence. They should make the text more readable and the papers easier to navi- Association of gate. Alternative Newsweeklies And art directors shouldn’t be afraid to find inspiration outside of the alternative press. 1020 16th Street NW, Suite 400 Web sites, dailies, tabloids and magazines all have something to offer. Papers can have Washington, D.C. 20036 spicy tabloid-style covers or text-heavy layouts for hard-hitting features or top 10 lists like (202) 822-1955 those in magazines. [email protected] The most important thing is to create a distinctive personality, Newman said. Know your audience and create a visual appearance that your readers can instantly identify with. There’s no reason that all alt-weeklies should look the same. 2 2005 AltWeekly Award Winners

Arts Criticism Cartoon Circulation < 50,000 Fewer than five publications First Place: First Place: Film Reviews: “Persian Crack-Up,” “Slowpoke,” Jen Sorensen “The Prodigal Father” and “Of Stars and Skies,” Second Place: Godfrey Cheshire, Independent Weekly “BEK,” Bruce Eric Kaplan Second Place: Third Place: Film Reviews: “All in the Family,” “The Passion of “Hoagie Dip,” Jay Bevenour Michael Moore” and “Preaching to the Choir,” Nicholas Collias, Boise Weekly Honorable Mention (tie): “Lance Boyle,” Kirk Anderson Third Place: Book Reviews: “Daddies Dearest” and “No News is Honorable Mention (tie): Bad News,” “Topics,” Harley Schwadron Margot Harrison, Seven Days Five or more publications Honorable Mention: First Place: Theater Reviews: “Hurts So Good,” “Hot for Alien “The City,” Derf (John Backderf) Trannies” and “Fun for All,” Second Place: Ryan Masters, Monterey County Weekly “Tom the Dancing Bug,” Circulation > 50,000 Ruben Bolling (Ken Fisher) First Place: Third Place: Column—Political Reviews of Film, Art and Music: “No Pain, No Gain,” “Sutton Impact,” Ward Sutton Circulation < 50,000 “Bare-Naked Lady” and “A Nice Set of Pipes,” Honorable Mention: First Place: Kent Williams, Isthmus “No Exit,” Andy Singer Andrew Wheat: “King’s Court,” Second Place: “Indictment Heat Hits the Lobby,” Film Reviews: “About a Boy,” and “Texas’ First Postmodern Lobbyist,” “Lands of Milk and Honey” and “Crying Time,” Column Andrew Wheat, The Texas Observer John Powers, L.A. Weekly Circulation < 50,000 Second Place: Third Place: First Place: Hit & Run: “School Bucks,” Television Reviews: “Prime Jane,” The XX Files: “Steal Away,” “Friends Like These” and “Community Inaction,” “Adventures in the Skin Trade” and “[Expletive Deleted]” and “Tainted Love,” Paul Bass, New Haven Advocate “Smooth Operators,” Jennifer Loviglio, City Newspaper Third Place: Joyce Millman, The Boston Phoenix Second Place: Spin Cycle: “Don’t Be Hatin’,” Honorable Mention: Citizen’s Journal: “Driving Lessons,” “Legislating Under the Influence” Book and Film Reviews: “From Latvia With Love,” “Sunday Mourning & the Moral Mandate” and “Leapin’ Larry Raises the Stakes,” “Agent Provocateur” and “The Red Stuff,” and “Hate Group Groupie?”, Kyle Whitmire, Birmingham Weekly Brendan Bernhard, L.A. Weekly Mark Kelly, Birmingham Weekly Honorable Mention: Third Place: Frank Talk: “New Kid on the Block,” Arts Feature “Pecking Order,” “It’s About Time” “Homeland Security on ICE” and Circulation < 50,000 and “Going Out of Style,” “Voting Records Are True Lies,” Frank Cagle, Metro Pulse First Place: Melinda Ruley, Independent Weekly “Jingle Bell Crock,” Honorable Mention: Circulation > 50,000 Susan Cooper Eastman, Folio Weekly Danehy: “If a Kid Doesn’t Go to High First Place (tie): Second Place: School,” “Don’t Believe What Some Idiot Freedom Watch: “The Criminal-Justice System “The Conversation Artist,” John Rodat, Metroland Lawyers Say” and “May Ronald Reagan Messes Up,” “Hiding the Gulag,” and Rest in Peace,” “Street Artists Fight to Perform in Boston,” Third Place: Tom Danehy, Tucson Weekly Harvey A. Silverglate (with Carl Takei and “Artistic Warning,” Margaret Regan, Tucson Weekly Circulation > 50,000 Dan Poulson), The Boston Phoenix Honorable Mention (tie): First Place (tie): “Seeking Son House,” First Place: The Works: “Property Tax Roulette,” Rich Gardner, City Newspaper Courtside: “What They See and What They Don’t,” “The Grand “The Government Is Lying to You” and Honorable Mention (tie): Inquisitor” and “Justice Junkies,” “Hey Preservationists,” “Twas Awe Like a Tewibble Dweam,” Steve Bogira, Chicago Reader Ben Joravsky, Chicago Reader Dave Hickey, The Texas Observer Second Place: Second Place: Circulation > 50,000 Sentences: “Bear Witness,” “The Long “Tower Inferno,” “Partners in Slime” First Place: and the Short of It” and “Upper Case,” and “Development Pressure,” “Lunatic Fringe,” Anonymous, Pittsburgh City Paper Matt Smith, SF Weekly Michael Little, Washington City Paper Third Place: Third Place: Second Place: KC Strip: “Jail Baited,” “Star Stuck” Nation: “Cuba Cages Librarians,” “The Lighter Side of Torture,” and “Dream On, Chiquita,” “GOP’s Heart of Darkness” and Casey Logan, The Pitch Tony Ortega, The Pitch “John Ashcroft’s Achievements,” Third Place: Honorable Mention: Nat Hentoff, The Village Voice “Paint by Numbers,” Andrea Grimes, Dallas Observer Downing: “Watching You,” Honorable Mention: Honorable Mention: “A Dog’s Life” and “Up in the Air,” Calhoun: “The Joke’s on Us,” “The 60 Million Dollar Man,” Margaret Downing, Houston Press “Where’s the Rest of Him?” and “True Lies,” Steve Fennessy, Creative Loafing (Atlanta) Patricia Calhoun, Westword continued on next page 3 Cover Design Feature Story Circulation < 50,000 Circulation < 50,000 First Place: First Place: “Nader Wins!” “Von Who?” and “Alleged Victims: Jackson Family Wants “94 Reasons Not to Vote for Bush,” Closure From the Church,” J.J. Marley, art and photo director; Donna Ladd, Jackson Free Press Brook Pifer, photographer; and Second Place: Glenn Ferguson, illustrator; “Alien Odyssey,” Orlando Weekly Brad Summerhill, Reno News & Review Second Place: Third Place: “The Parking Issue,” “Sight for Sore Eyes,” “With a Vigilant Eye” and “FCC,” Travis Durfee, Metroland Kris Adams and Alfred Hall, designers; Honorable Mention (tie): Nancy Santos and Jason Zwiker, photogra- “Tom Metzger Sings Karaoke,” phers; Didier Diels, San Diego CityBeat Charleston City Paper Honorable Mention (tie): Third Place: “The Visionary Blues,” “No Soldier Left Behind,” “Nuclear Shuffle” Stephanie Kinnear, Ventura County Reporter and “The Aftermath,” Orlando Weekly's pre-election cover was one of three Angela Moore, Santa Fe Reporter covers that helped it take first place in Cover Design Circulation > 50,000 Honorable Mention: for papers with a circulation of less than 50,000. First Place: “Biotech Gold Rush,” “The Brat Boom” and “Learning to Hit a Lick,” “Married With Problems,” Mara Shalhoup, Creative Loafing (Atlanta) Beth Allen, art director; Second Place: Rory McNamara, photographer; Ben Fishman Editorial Layout “Too Dumb to Die,” Trevor Aaronson, and Gordon Studer, illustrators; Pacific Sun Circulation > 50,000 New Times Broward-Palm Beach Circulation > 50,000 First Place (tie): Third Place: First Place: “Kids Rock,” Ryan Ward, Cole Gerst “An American Family,” “Becoming ‘Ungay’,” “Forgotten” and and John Curry, L.A. Weekly Celeste Fremon, L.A. Weekly “DELLeted,” Chris Street and Shannon First Place (tie): Honorable Mention (tie): Cornman, “Coffin Classics,” “The Deadliest Day,” Eric Alan Barton, Oklahoma Gazette Michael Shavalier, Miami New Times New Times Broward-Palm Beach Second Place: Second Place: Honorable Mention (tie): “The Art Is in the Mail,” “Falling on Deaf Ears” “Psyched Out,” Karen Steichen, art director; “Lizard Is a Rat,” and “The Education of Lance Hill,” Jay Vidheecharoen, assistant art director; Justin Berton, East Bay Express Dora Sison, Gambit Weekly Tra Selhtrow, illustrator; Seattle Weekly Third Place: Third Place: Food Writing “The Incredible Wicker Motorcycle,” “The Chiva Game,” Jay Vollmar, Westword Circulation < 50,000 “Fox5” and “Mac Daddy,” Honorable Mention: Pete Morelewicz, Washington City Paper “Wave Action,” Kara Brown, Metro Silicon Valley First Place: “Kraut in the Act,” “Bowled Over” and Honorable Mention: “Reclaiming Meatloaf,” “Eat Me,” “Gay Marriage Issue” Education Steve Billings, Metro Santa Cruz and “Black Box Backlash,” Circulation < 50,000 Karen Steichen, art director; Second Place: Jacobson/Fernandez, illustrators; First Place: “Walking the Floor Over Stock,” Rick Dahms, photographer; Seattle Weekly “Command Performance,” Terje Langeland, “Artichoke Virgins and Other Annoyances,” Colorado Springs Independent and “Of Fish and Fists,” Jesse Yancy, Jackson Free Press Editorial Layout Second Place: “Why Luis Can Read,” Third Place: Circulation < 50,000 Carole Bass, New Haven Advocate Gut Instincts: “Burger Patrol,” Give It Your Best First Place: Third Place: Niggle” and “From the ’Hood to Henrietta,” “The Blogger,” “No Soldier Left Behind,” Adam Wilcox, City Newspaper Don Eggert, Seven Days Zachary Smith, Santa Fe Reporter Honorable Mention (tie): Second Place: Honorable Mention: Clean Plate Club: “The Menu As Masterpiece,” “Out Damned Spot!”, “School or Scam?”, “The Burrito Wars” and “Rabbit Food, Monica McGregor, Ventura County Reporter Jennifer Barnett Reed, Arkansas Times Reconsidered,” Third Place: Circulation > 50,000 Melanie McGee, Mountain Xpress “Style: The Home Issue,” First Place: Honorable Mention (tie): Kris Adams, Charleston City Paper “Flawed Priorities,” Flash in the Pan: “The Third Jerusalem Honorable Mention: Tara Servatius, Creative Loafing (Charlotte) Artichoke,” “Beet Surrender” and “Me Regeneration,” Second Place: “Frolicking in the Fungal Jungle,” Ari LeVaux Kat Vellos, Folio Weekly “The Girl in the Bathroom,” aka Chef Boy Ari, Missoula Independent Kendrick Blackwood, The Pitch Third Place: “HCCS’s Gift Basket Bonanza,” Josh Harkinson, Houston Press Honorable Mention: “School of Life,” Lisa M. Collins, Metro Times 4 Food Writing Illustration Media Reporting/Criticism Circulation > 50,000 Circulation < 50,000 Circulation < 50,000 First Place: First Place: First Place: “Beyond Urban Rustic,” “The Post-Puck “Best of Northern Nevada Art,” Owning the Airwaves and Media Monopoly Generation” and “Koreatown’s Top 40,” Rick Sealock, Reno News & Review series: “Cross Talk,” “The Beast by the Tail,” Jonathan Gold, L.A. Weekly Second Place: “A Confluence of Dunces,” “Currying Favor,” Second Place: “Summer Books,” “Talking Heads,” “Radio Free Gonzales,” “The Cow Says Oink,” “Sex, Death & Oysters” Joe Bluhm, Orlando Weekly “The Uprising” and “Policing the Airwaves,” Lisa Sorg, Elaine Wolff, and “Osso Buco Me? Osso Buco You!”, Third Place: Robb Walsh, Houston Press Gilbert Garcia, “Steve McQueen,” Michael Cary, Third Place: Mario Zucca, C-Ville Weekly Abraham Mahshie and “Two Sides of Beef,” Honorable Mention: David Martin, Philip Dawdy, Seattle Weekly “Inside the Black Box,” Richard Borge and San Antonio Current Honorable Mention (tie): Angela Moore, Santa Fe Reporter “Marking Time,” “How Now Mad Cow?” The San Antonio Current Circulation > 50,000 report is also and “Daddy, Help!”, First Place: Mark Stuertz, Dallas Observer the recipient of the “Boss Doolittle,” Connye Miller Award Honorable Mention (tie): Rick Sealock, Sacramento News & Review for Media Reporting. “Where There’s Smoke,” “Tried and True” Second Place: Second Place: Connye Miller and “Cottage Industry,” “What’s Eating Us?”, Ryan Greis and “Deconstructing Al,” Sara Roahen, Gambit Weekly Sean Hughes, Cincinnati CityBeat Brenda Bell, The Texas Observer Third Place: Third Place: Format Buster “Above It All,” “Bogus Outrage” and “Reagan Ain’t God,” Circulation < 50,000 Robert Meganck, Washington City Paper Jeffrey C. Billman, Orlando Weekly First Place: Honorable Mention (tie): Honorable Mention: “Dyer, Annotated,” Jeffrey C. Billman “Blood on Their Hands,” “A Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy” and J.J. Marley, Orlando Weekly David Hollenbach, Phoenix New Times and “The Monitor,” Second Place: Honorable Mention (tie): Fiona Morgan, Independent Weekly “Come Here Often?”, “The Cuba Factor,” Circulation > 50,000 Neil Boeschenstein, John Borgmeyer, Sheppard Fairey, Miami New Times First Place: Paul Fain and Ben Sellers, C-Ville Weekly “At the Ripping Point,” Third Place: Investigative Reporting Eric Celeste, Dallas Observer “107 Reasons to Vote for Bush,” Circulation < 50,000 Second Place: Paul McMorrow, Seth McM. Donlin and “A Tale of Two Papers,” “Feed Your Head” Joe Keohane, Boston’s Weekly Dig First Place: “Booty Call,” and “Secret Agents,” Honorable Mention: Susan Clark Armstrong, Folio Weekly Dan Kennedy, The Boston Phoenix “Divided We Stand,” Third Place: Inlander Staff, Pacific Northwest Inlander Second Place: “Rate of Exchange,” Jake Bernstein and “Gary Webb, R.I.P.,” Circulation > 50,000 Dave Mann, The Texas Observer Marc Cooper, L.A. Weekly First Place: Third Place: Honorable Mention: “The Zeitlist,” “Credibility Gap,” “Unethical or Accidental?” L.A. Weekly Staff, L.A. Weekly “LA’s Real Drinking Problem,” Chip Jacobs and Kevin Uhrich, Pasadena Weekly and “Newsday: Game Over,” Second Place: Christopher Twarowski, Long Island Press “15 Candidates! We Can Help: The Reader’s Honorable Mention: Guide to the Big Showdown,” “Honor Among Thieves,” Terje Langeland, Harold Henderson, Ben Joravsky, Ted Kleine, Colorado Springs Independent Music Criticism Tori Marlan, Michael Marsh, Michael Miner, Circulation > 50,000 Circulation < 50,000 Grant Pick, Kate Schmidt and Mike Sula, First Place: First Place: writers, and Tom Chalkley, illustrator, “The 30-Year Secret” and “Who Knew,” Sound Patrol: Reviews of Ike Turner’s Chicago Reader Nigel Jaquiss, Willamette Week “His Woman, Her Man,” Wilco’s “A Ghost Is Third Place: Second Place: Born” and Eminem’s “Encore,” “Homicidal Tendencies,” “Sick District,” Bob Norman, René Spencer Saller, Illinois Times Van Smith, writer; M. Wartella, illustrator; New Times Broward-Palm Beach Second Place: and Joe MacLeod, art director; Third Place: “Sound Poems” and “Buying Blare,” Baltimore City Paper “Blue Mob,” Sara Bir, North Bay Bohemian Honorable Mention: Aina Hunter, Scene Third Place: “Coors Bitter Brew,” “Minority Report” and Honorable Mention: “Untitled” and “Rock & Roll Digger,” “The Square in Still Life,” Newsday Circulation Scandal Investigative Steve Palopoli, Metro Santa Cruz Enzo DiMatteo, NOW Magazine Series, “Loseday,” “Dumping Newsday Every Honorable Mention: Day,” “For a Few Dollars More,” “Cleanup or Latin Beat: “Sabado Gigante at Chino Latino,” Shakedown” and “Unbelievable!”, “Mundo Rico” and “Salsa’s Sun and Lisbon by Christopher Twarowski and Long Island Press Night,” Sylvia Pfeiffenberger, Independent Weekly news staff, Long Island Press continued on next page

5 Music Criticism Circulation > 50,000 First Place: I’m All Ears: “Why Don’t We Do It on the Road?” “Shake Your Tits,” “Playing Doctor,” Melissa Maerz, City Pages (Twin Cities) Second Place: “Riddle Me This,” “The Bomb Squad” and “Buy These Records,” Jonathan Valania, PW-Philadelphia Weekly Third Place: “Joiners In Believing,” “A New Small Future,” “Weddings and Funerals,” Alec Hanley Bemis, L.A. Weekly Honorable Mention: “Happy in Hoboken,” “The Kids Are Alright” and “Whose Blues?”, Chris Herrington, The Memphis Flyer Nick Goodenough earned a first place for his photos covering Ventura, California's music scene. News Story—Long Form Above is Jorge, lead singer of The Casualties, trying to catch his breath. Circulation < 50,000 Special Section First Place: News Story—Short Form “Cancer Wars,” Circulation > 50,000 Circulation < 50,000 Renée Downing, Tucson Weekly First Place: First Place: Second Place: “Another Carswell Conviction,” “Summer Guide 2004,” “Dump Life,” Susan Cooper Eastman, Folio Weekly “Prosecuting Patsy” and “Doing the Math,” Inlander Staff, Pacific Northwest Inlander Betty Brink (with Brooke Gray), Second Place: Third Place: Fort Worth Weekly “There Goes the Neighborhood,” “The Best of Greater Rochester,” John E. Citrone, Folio Weekly Second Place: Erica Curtis, City Newspaper “Call Me,” “File Not Found” Honorable Mention (tie): Third Place: and “Pepper Jacked,” “Annual Manual,” “The Companies He Keeps,” David Holthouse, Westword Jennifer Strom, Independent Weekly Kirk Ross, Grayson Currin, Byron Woods, Third Place: York Wilson, Liz Holm and Kelly Lojk, Honorable Mention (tie): “Firing Line,” “Carrying the Torch” Independent Weekly “The Golden Hour,” and “Cooked Book,” Emily Pyle, The Texas Observer Honorable Mention: Josh Harkinson, Houston Press “7 Nights,” Circulation > 50,000 Honorable Mention: Don Eggert, art director; Paula Routly, First Place: “Kidnapping the Kidnapper,” and writer/editor; and Matthew Thorsen, “Confessions and Recantations,” “Days of Fear, Days of Horror,” photographer; Seven Days Ann Mullen, Metro Times Borzou Daragahi, Long Island Press Circulation > 50,000 Second Place: First Place: “Insane Asylum,” Photography “Best of L.A.,” Steve Fennessy, Creative Loafing (Atlanta) Circulation < 50,000 L.A. Weekly Staff, L.A. Weekly Third Place: First Place: Second Place: “Catch Him If You Can” and “Lord of the Lies,” “Nick at Night,” “Restaurant Guide 2004,” Paul Rubin, Phoenix New Times Nick Goodenough, Ventura County Reporter Byron Beck, Willamette Week Honorable Mention: Second Place: Third Place: “Molecular Damage” and “Civil Outcome,” “A Gullah Tale,” photo essay, “Marketing 215: Making a Good City Great,” Paul Rubin, Phoenix New Times Nancy Santos, Charleston City Paper City Paper Staff, Philadelphia City Paper Third Place: Honorable Mention: News Story—Short Form “Haiti After the Coup,” “50 Years of Rock and Roll,” Circulation < 50,000 Alan Pogue, The Texas Observer Bruce VanWyngarden, editor; Chris Herrington, music editor; First Place: Honorable Mention: and Carrie Beasley, art director; “Not About Intimidation,” “Words vs. Deeds” “Rites of Spring,” The Memphis Flyer and “X Marks the Boycott,” Walter Coker, Folio Weekly Ayana Taylor, Jackson Free Press Circulation > 50,000 Second Place: First Place: “Smuggler’s Woe,” “Roach to the Rescue” “Let’s Have a War,” and “The Plea of Tony the Beaver,” David Butow, Los Angeles CityBeat Paul Bass, New Haven Advocate Second Place: Third Place: “Northeast of Kandahar,” “Zone of Contention,” “Clinic Wins on Appeal” Teun Voeten, L.A. Weekly and “Noise in the ’Hood,” John Borgmeyer, C-Ville Weekly Third Place: “Praying for Recovery,” Honorable Mention: Max Whittaker, photographer, and Don Button, “The Election That Won’t Die,” designer, Sacramento News & Review “Problems in Pepperhill Park” and “Florida vs. Orkin,” Honorable Mention: Jeffrey C. Billman, Orlando Weekly “Prettyboy Reservoir,” Uli Loskot, Baltimore City Paper 6 AAN Tour of Tijuana Early Friday morning AAN convention goers loaded Story and Photos by Tommy Purvis two buses and headed south of the border to expe- rience the sights and sounds of Tijuana firsthand. The participants got a windshield view of the pover- ty in the shantytowns south of Smugglers’ Canyon as well as the opulent living in the hills overlooking the city. Toward the end of the tour, some editors from New Times papers just wanted a piece of the gambling action at Caliente racetrack. But, alas, the bus headed instead to lunch at La Diferencia.

Top right: A skeleton mural, now lying on the ground, is in remembrance of the migrants who have died in the desert while trying to cross the border. Middle right: A U.S. Border Patrol truck as seen from south of the border, Bottom right: A donkey painted to resemble a zebra provides a photo opportunity for tourists on Revolution Street in Tijuana. Bottom left: Federal troops protect the offices of Zeta, a weekly paper in Tijuana, where a journalist was murdered after the paper exposed the activities of drug cartels. Top left: U.S. military personnel repair the border fence, which stretches into the Pacific Ocean. 7 One Thing Craig’s NOT Good At

By R.L. Nave

emember the days when scoop- Ring the daily and having the defin- itive answer to the question “what’s goin’ on?” was all an alternative weekly needed to attract reven– ahem, readers? Unfortunately, today’s reader’s penchant for prose is about as great as the visual appeal of what’s-his-face’s list.com. In short, alternative papers have to work harder than ever to get love, then they gotta work their asses off to keep it. Nigel Jaquiss, Patricia Calhoun and Mark Zusman At the session “Marketing, Branding and Promotions: AAN Best Wells Dunbar Practices,” moderated by Isthmus’s Linda Baldwin, 50 alt business staffers Denial, Denial, Denial shared some secrets behind their most effective marketing events. and Then a Pulitzer The increase in demand (or rather, expectations) has put pressure on alt- By Wells Dunbar weeklies to produce more, better events, which is starting to show in riday morning, Willamette Week WW editor Mark Zusman were convinced papers’ marketing budgets: $20,000 reporter Nigel Jaquiss described how it was time to approach the victim. F here, $40,000 there – previously “a conventional, business-political story” Unfortunately, their meeting proved unheard-of amounts to spend on brought down the biggest man in Oregon, inconclusive. “She got $350,000… to keep events. netting Jaquiss and his paper a Pulitzer her mouth shut,” Jaquiss said. Just as alt-weeklies have changed in the process. Jaquiss’ work revealed “Completely depressed,” Jaquiss spoke the way they market, who they’re mar- former Oregon governor Neil to sources he imagined defensive of keting to is also changing. Goldschmidt’s ongoing statutory rape of Goldschmidt, yet they too yielded infor- “Sometimes, there are two gen- a 14-year-old babysitter decades ago. mation. After several meetings with WW’s erations reading a paper,” Baldwin Jaquiss was tipped off by a document in lawyer, the article was completed, but the says. Of course, there’s the tradi- which Goldschmidt arranged to pay a story wasn’t: abreast of WW’s work, tional demographic of young singles young woman for damages incurred from Goldschmidt spun his story for city daily with a few Jacksons to burn at pub 1975 to 1978 - as long as she kept quiet. The Oregonian. To counteract, WW crawls and music festivals. On the Looking for “every other piece of paper released the bulk of the story on their other hand, “a wine tasting that costs (he) could find” on the victim, Jaquiss dis- Web site hours before the daily hit the $50 a plate is obviously targeting an covered she was brutally raped as a young stand. “As luck would have it, (The over-35 market.” adult. Related court documents “all but Oregonian) wrote a story incredibly favor- So what’s a winning formula for a named (Goldschmidt) in discussing the vic- able to Goldschmidt and against the vic- successful event? “Music plus free tim’s previous sexual history,” said Jaquiss. tim,” said Jaquiss. “All the media outlets food plus some free alcoholic bever- After receiving a stream of “denials in the Northwest basically acknowledged ages,” Baldwin offers as the formula that were, in a funny way, confirmations” that we broke the story.” before adding, “And it has to be fun.” from the victim’s associates, Jaquiss and 8