Matt Bors: Editor and Publisher had an article about 10 alt-weeklies that grew in 2008. I'm seeing a lot of small independent papers on that list. What are they doing right?
Kevin
Allman: If you look at that list, you'll notice two things: the papers
that are OK are in smaller markets and they're locally owned. In
smaller markets, the advertisers that make up the bulk of alt-weekly
ads have no other place to put their ads. And being locally owned is a
big advantage right now, since the alt-media conglomerates almost all
uniformly overbought. VVM, Creative Loafing, etc. -- they've all made
some of the same mistakes that the big newspaper chains like Tribune
have made.
But those growth papers aren't immune from the hurt,
either. If you read the list, you'll find that many of them have grown
with ancillary products (bridal guides, special supplements, "annual
manuals" and the like). It doesn't mean that the page count or the
profits on their weekly papers, where you would appear, are growing or
even holding steady. It means they've found new vehicles for
advertising, not editorial.
The Future of Alt-Weekly Cartoons
A cartoonist interviews an editor.
