Category Archives: In the news

EXCLUSIVE: Editor-in-chief Ken Booth leaves AL.com

Posted on December 3, 2009 by | 1 comment

The editor-in-chief at the state’s biggest Web site has gone. Ken Booth left AL.com after 10 years, announcing his departure via Twitter:

twitter - kenbooth
“Today I left al.com after a great 10 years and am striking out in a new direction. All is well and I’ll share more about my plans soon.”

Booth oversaw editorial coverage and managed production and upkeep of the site. He previously worked as online editor for OrlandoSentinel.com. When interviewed by e-mail, he added:

“I’m leaving to pursue some other online business opportunities. My 10 years with al.com and Advance Internet has been a rewarding experience and I’ll certainly miss working with the people there. I will not miss my long commute from Madison to Birmingham.

“My immediate plans are to join an associate to help him grow an editorial and e-commerce Web site. I’ll be prepared to share more about that soon.”

We asked AL.com president and chief executive officer Cindy Martin for a comment, but have not heard back from her. No word as to if or how the position will be filled. According to a company insider, the departure was sudden and no additional information was given to staff.

Update Dec. 9: Robert Sims, Internet editor at the Birmingham News, will join AL.com as director of content. This position will replace editor-in-chief.

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EXCLUSIVE: 4Love Magazine to launch in September

Posted on December 1, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Birmingham photographer (and former Post-Herald shooter) Karim Shamsi-Basha has launched a Christian publication, 4Love Magazine.

4love magazine preview coverThe print and online publication features three former Coastal Living editors on the masthead.

A preview issue is available on the magazine’s Web site, 4lovemag.com.

The launch party takes place from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at the Folk Art Gallery, located in the Young and Vann Building, 1731 First Ave. N. [map].

Scheduled to attend is magazine advisory board member Samir Husni, a magazine consultant known as Mr. Magazine. Husni will talk about “why Birmingham continues to lead in an industry rocked by the economic meltdown.”

Update: The actual bimonthly magazine launches in September 2010. (Note: We’ve changed the post title to reflect this update.)

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In Mobile, Twitter + TV + billboard = suspension

Posted on December 1, 2009 by | 2 comments

Twitter billboard for Local 15 in Mobile

Mobile NBC affiliate Local 15 (WPMI) has tweeted its way into trouble. A billboard showing off the station’s live headlines from its Twitter account provided this unfortunate juxtaposition, shown above in this photo captured by a driver.

The headline, “3 Accused of Gang Rape in Monroeville,” sits next to the smiling trio of anchors.

The station’s general manager and news director were suspended for a week over the incident.

Even more shocking? The billboard doesn’t actually show the station’s Twitter account name! It’s @LOCAL15NEWS, by the way.

Should the station have handed out suspensions over the incident? Will this ultimately hurt the news department’s credibility?

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EXCLUSIVE – Magazine roundup: Portico, Shelby Living, Thicket

Posted on November 20, 2009 by | 5 comments

From the world of Birmingham-area magazines …

• Birmingham lifestyle magazine Portico has recently relaunched its Web site, porticomag.com. What do you think?

• EXCLUSIVE: Shelby Living launched today. This quarterly lifestyle magazine on Shelby County, from the publishers of the Shelby County Reporter weekly newspaper, also has a site at shelbyliving.com.

• EXCLUSIVE: What’s up with Thicket magazine? We last reported in August that two of the four founding partners had left to run Birmingham Magazine. Since then, the September/October issue has been published, but no sightings of the November/December issue.

We asked senior editor and founding partner Todd Keith if Thicket had folded. Keith responded, “I wouldn’t say that. We are in discussions with several groups as well as individuals about the magazine and looking at a number of possibilities.”

When pressed further about the missing issue, the two partners who left but are still listed on the site, the current state and future of the magazine, and which groups or individuals were in discussions with Thicket, Keith responded, “We should have a more clear picture of where Thicket is going in the first quarter of 2010 and feel free to check back in at that time.”

Hmm …

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Commercial to feature former ABC 33/40 reporter Chris Osborne

Posted on November 16, 2009 by | 1 comment

Red Cross officer lost part of leg to motorcycle accident

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Video: Chris Osborne’s aha moment
for Mutual of Omaha commercial

Chris Osborne lost part of his left leg following a 2004 motorcycle accident. Instead of slowing down, he went to physical therapy and learned to use a prosthetic leg. Osborne also visited other amputees in the hospital to help them in their recovery.

His story is featured in a new series of commercials for Mutual of Omaha to air in the spring. The insurance company visited 25 cities, including Birmingham, to record inspirational stories for its aha moments campaign. Osborne’s commercial made it to the Top 10.

Osborne is chief branding officer for the Birmingham chapter of the American Red Cross. Before, he worked as a reporter for ABC 33/40.

He told the Birmingham News:

“I’m extremely honored that so many people thought enough about me and my story to vote. There were some really incredible ‘Aha Moments’ from people here in Birmingham and around the country.”

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My Scoop expands into Mississippi

Posted on November 12, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Elizabeth Sparkman Fowler - My ScoopMy Scoop, a Birmingham-based online lifestyle magazine, has launched a Mississippi portal to add to its Birmingham and Nashville ones.

Mississippi native Elizabeth Sparkman Fowler will serve as editor and publisher of the new edition. She previously served on the advisory board for the company.

The site offers features on style, shopping, travel, food and entertaining.

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Scout Branding wins Peak Award

Posted on November 10, 2009 by | Leave a comment

scout-branding-logoScout Branding Company won Advertising Agency of the Year Wednesday at the American Advertising Federation Birmingham Peak Awards. The competition honors top professionals in the advertising and marketing fields.

Scout Branding is a Birmingham-based advertising, branding and interactive company.

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Birmingham reporters cover Langford trial with Twitter

Posted on November 6, 2009 by | 2 comments

fox-6-coogler-interview

Trial coverage to a big step forward in October, thanks to a federal judge and tech-savvy reporters. During the corruption trial of then Birmingham mayor Larry Langford, Twitter became a primary source of live updates throughout the eight days in session.

Federal law prohibits broadcasting from within the courtroom. And a sign just outside the courtroom instructs that cell phones must be turned off. But Judge Scott Coogler allowed members of the media to use their phones to send updates to their Twitter accounts.

Followers were able to read live accounts of testimony, arguments and the mechanics of a high-profile trial from their computers and phones. It’s likely the first time a major trial received this level of scrutiny.

Coogler told Fox 6:

“The difference is Twitter is like a reporter taking notes, if you will, instead of having to take the notes back to their office, they’re writing them on a device which then goes out.

“It’s their own interpretation of what’s going on in the proceeding, and when I looked at it, it seemed pretty clear to me.”

During the trial, Coogler instructed jurors to isolate themselves from media coverage, but also included blogs, Twitter, Facebook and other sources of information. But he also took time to praise reporters for handling the coverage with decorum in and out of the courtroom.

Trial Twitterers included:

It’s clear that for citizens and for reporters, Twitter has changed how trial news is reported and consumed.

For more, see the story and video from Fox 6.

How would you grade the media’s coverage of the Langford trial? Did you follow along on Twitter? Leave a comment at the beep. Beep.

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EXCLUSIVE: Dozens laid off this morning at Southern Progress

Posted on November 5, 2009 by | 4 comments

southern-progress-corp-logoAs part of Time Inc’s plan to lay off 6 percent of its workforce, Birmingham-based publisher Southern Progress Corporation began laying off dozens of employees this morning, according to our sources.

Update: The total number of people laid off today stands at 48, or a 12 percent to 13 percent reduction in workforce at Southern Progress.

The hardest hit groups appear to be accounting and Southern Living’s editorial staff. Others in support roles and on the business side were laid off. Several Cooking Light staffers reportedly took buyouts.

Coastal Living, Health and SPC Digital appear to have escaped this round with no layoffs.

Southern Progress magazines continued to see declines in advertising revenue in the third quarter.

Time Inc. filed notice Wednesday with the New York Department of Labor that it plans to lay off 280 workers within New York State between Nov. 2 and Jan. 31.

Update: The Birmingham News has an official statement from Time Inc.

Update: Southern Progress is also closing its corporate library and has plans to lease one of its three buildings after moving staff into the other two buildings.

Update Nov. 6: The New York Post reports that in addition to the cuts in the Lifestyle Group in Birmingham, three Real Simple staff members were laid off in New York.

If you’ve been laid off from SPC, or know someone who has, please let us know via our contact form. We’ll keep your personal information confidential.

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Do Birmingham publications suffer from a lack of diversity?

Posted on November 2, 2009 by | 17 comments

Do Birmingham publications suffer from a lack of diversity? Do they reflect the city they serve?

The questions were prompted by a glance at the redesigned landing Web page for the Birmingham News. Granted, these are just the columnists, but the News and AL.com decided these are the ones to feature prominently with mug shots.

birmingham-news-columnists

Birmingham News columnists

All white, with two women out of eight columnists. The city population itself is 73.5 percent African American.

Compare that with the recently launched B-Metro magazine, which also features its columnists on the front page of its site …

b-metro columnists

B-Metro magazine columnists

We see a little more diversity, with three men out of nine contributors, one African American.

birmingham magazine columnistsAt Birmingham Magazine, the four columnists featured are all women, all white. (See graphic at right.)

(The Birmingham Business Journal doesn’t include writers’ photos on its site.)

The questions we have:

  • Should the writers featured on a Web site (and in the publication, too) reflect the diversity of its audience and market?
  • Do advertisers care about staff diversity? Do readers care? Or publishers?
  • Does diversity make a difference to the bottom line?
  • Can publications diversify, even as they’re cutting resources and staff members?
  • Are smaller publications — Birmingham Weekly, Black and White, Birmingham Times — facing the same issues?

Your comments are welcome below.

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