AAN Announces Launch of AltWeeklies.com

Posted on September 24, 2004

AltWeeklies.com is a new web portal featuring news, arts and investigative reporting from more than 100 alternative newsweeklies in North America. A venture of the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies (AAN.org), AltWeeklies.com is a resource for bloggers, journalists, web editors and other media professionals, as well as a syndication service for AAN member newspapers.

The launch reflects AAN's dual strategy for AltWeeklies.com. The benefit to the public is that readers can find content from AAN newsweeklies at a single source instead of having to make their way down a list of web links to 125 papers. Criticism of mainstream media during the run-up to the Iraq War and during the present election season has forced readers to find new, alternative sources of news and information.

"At a time when many others in the media are gorging on celebrity gossip and transcribing the views of unnamed 'senior administration officials', alternative newsweeklies continue to provide smart, engaging coverage of serious issues delivered with personality and a point-of-view. At AltWeeklies.com, you'll be able to see it all in one place," said AAN executive director, Richard Karpel.

AltWeeklies.com also functions as a syndication service for AAN member newspapers, which include L.A. Weekly, Phoenix New Times, Austin Chronicle, Creative Loafing Atlanta, Boston Phoenix, San Francisco Bay Guardian and the Village Voice.

"AltWeeklies.com isn't a typical syndication service," according to Clif Garboden, the president of AAN and senior managing editor of Phoenix Media Communications Group. "Participation is voluntary and limited to AAN publication members, who are invited to post any stories they've published. All sales are negotiated between member papers; AAN doesn't set or collect fee, nor does AAN take any percentage of the sales."