Help me find some good, free alt newsweeklies in small cities (under 200,000 pop.)
March 3, 2006 6:02 AM Subscribe
Help me find some good, free alt newsweeklies in small cities (under 200,000 pop.)
I'm designing a prototype of a small-town community newsweekly for a journalism workshop, and I want to talk to people who have actually produced them.
I'm looking for any and all successful alt weeklies, but especially ones with an arts and entertainment focus.
I'm designing a prototype of a small-town community newsweekly for a journalism workshop, and I want to talk to people who have actually produced them.
I'm looking for any and all successful alt weeklies, but especially ones with an arts and entertainment focus.
From Portland, OR: Willamette Week and The Portland Mercury. The former is more arts/music/local news and the latter has the same focus, but is written by slightly snottier hipsters.
posted by pikachulolita at 6:14 AM on March 3, 2006
posted by pikachulolita at 6:14 AM on March 3, 2006
This is my local alt weekly, the Jackson Free Press. Started as entertainment-minded, but is progressing toward politics and local coverage of bigger news items. Based in Jackson, Miss.
posted by fijiwriter at 6:15 AM on March 3, 2006
posted by fijiwriter at 6:15 AM on March 3, 2006
A similar question was asked recently: What are some of the better free weekly rags where you live?
posted by hooray at 6:23 AM on March 3, 2006
posted by hooray at 6:23 AM on March 3, 2006
The Out and About is Wilmington, Delaware's (pop. about 80k) monthly.
posted by amro at 6:23 AM on March 3, 2006
posted by amro at 6:23 AM on March 3, 2006
Seven Days of Burlington, VT is an alt newsweekly based in a small city covering a small state.
posted by Xalf at 7:10 AM on March 3, 2006
posted by Xalf at 7:10 AM on March 3, 2006
In Charlottesville there's C-Ville Weekly and The Hook. The former has a stronger emphasis on the arts, but both definitely mix the two.
posted by waldo at 7:44 AM on March 3, 2006
posted by waldo at 7:44 AM on March 3, 2006
The Wire in Portsmouth, NH, is a phenomenon: a cultural catalyst and a great, original paper in its own right. It was created as a startup just a couple of years ago by a very smart and talented group of young professionals. It's totally independent and full of great content each week. In addition, they position themselves in the community in such a way as to galvanize the various local scenes in our city of about 20,000: music, arts, literary, food, etc. They make stuff happen.
You can e-mail me (in my profile) if you'd like to know more or would like to use my name when getting in touch.
posted by Miko at 8:08 AM on March 3, 2006
You can e-mail me (in my profile) if you'd like to know more or would like to use my name when getting in touch.
posted by Miko at 8:08 AM on March 3, 2006
I posted this in the other thread that was mentioned earlier, but I was late. Here's a directory of most of the alt-weeklies in the US and Canada. Smaller ones aren't included due to some arcane rules of membership to the AAN, which has a lot of resources of its own that might be helpful to you.
posted by BigFatWhale at 8:14 AM on March 3, 2006
posted by BigFatWhale at 8:14 AM on March 3, 2006
CityBeat in Cincinnati is good, free, and I write for them.
posted by tizzie at 9:56 AM on March 3, 2006
posted by tizzie at 9:56 AM on March 3, 2006
Buffalo may be a tiny bit larger than what you're looking for (just shy of 300,000 in the city proper), but we have a couple decent arts rags.
artvoice is the oldest, largest, and most widely read. It is also the most "serious." There's also Buffalo Beast which is a lot of fun, and seems to thrive on being as offensive as they can on a regular basis. (Their page is down, but a blog about the most recent "Special Blasphemy" issue is here. The cover alone should pretty much tell you what they're about.
We also have one called Current, which I have never seen anyone read, I picked up once and found even a sex column couldn't keep my attention on the subway, and upon websearch seems to be located in the suburbs. So screw them.
posted by Kellydamnit at 10:37 AM on March 3, 2006
artvoice is the oldest, largest, and most widely read. It is also the most "serious." There's also Buffalo Beast which is a lot of fun, and seems to thrive on being as offensive as they can on a regular basis. (Their page is down, but a blog about the most recent "Special Blasphemy" issue is here. The cover alone should pretty much tell you what they're about.
We also have one called Current, which I have never seen anyone read, I picked up once and found even a sex column couldn't keep my attention on the subway, and upon websearch seems to be located in the suburbs. So screw them.
posted by Kellydamnit at 10:37 AM on March 3, 2006
Miko beat me to it, but I was totally going to plug my home-town paper, the Wire. I like the Portland Phoenix too.
posted by dseaton at 11:59 AM on March 3, 2006
posted by dseaton at 11:59 AM on March 3, 2006
Ha, my first thought was also Flagpole. If you want a prototype, that's it.
Another one, not as established (or as good), but still an example with a lot of potential, is The E11eventh Hour (or "The 11th Hour", if you're so inclined) from Macon, Ga., and also publishing local editions in Statesboro and Valdosta. Unfortunately, their website is... well, nothing right now. I'm not sure how you can get a copy, but I'll be looking out.
posted by SuperNova at 11:59 AM on March 3, 2006
Another one, not as established (or as good), but still an example with a lot of potential, is The E11eventh Hour (or "The 11th Hour", if you're so inclined) from Macon, Ga., and also publishing local editions in Statesboro and Valdosta. Unfortunately, their website is... well, nothing right now. I'm not sure how you can get a copy, but I'll be looking out.
posted by SuperNova at 11:59 AM on March 3, 2006
Free Times and Scene Magazine
As of the 2000 Census, Cleveland, OH, had a population of about 480,000, so it might be bigger than what you are looking for.
posted by bwilms at 5:40 AM on March 4, 2006
As of the 2000 Census, Cleveland, OH, had a population of about 480,000, so it might be bigger than what you are looking for.
posted by bwilms at 5:40 AM on March 4, 2006
The Bellingham Weekly hailing from Bellingham, WA is most excellent. Although I certainly preferred its old name, back when it was called "The Every Other Weekly and only came out twice a month.
posted by blindcarboncopy at 9:02 PM on March 4, 2006
posted by blindcarboncopy at 9:02 PM on March 4, 2006
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by hydropsyche at 6:10 AM on March 3, 2006