Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
Fresh off his firing at Mountain Xpress, crusading journalist Cecil Bothwell has taken up with a new Ashvegas alt weekly that appears will directly compete with his old MountainX colleagues.
Cecil, who turned his firing into a glorious crown of victimhood/hero-ness, will carry his reputation right on into a brand new administration. We can’t wait to see his first big story.
When will the new Asheville City Paper hit the streets? Can the Ashvegas market support two independent weekly newspapers, a market already crammed with more niche publications than we can list? Wonder how MountainXers feel about this news? Can we cram yet another newspaper box on the streets of Ashvegas???
O, the questions.
Here’s the press release:
Columbia City Paper, a two-year-old alternative news weekly based in Columbia, S.C., has launched a sister paper in Asheville. Veteran journalist Cecil Bothwell has signed on as a business partner at Asheville City Paper and will take over the news desk.
…
The Asheville City Paper, targeting n 18-45 liberal demographic, will feature hard-hitting investigative journalism and will cover national politics, local news and music. Additionally, the paper will feature nationally syndicated columns from Ted Rall and Dan Savage.
Comics will include Red Meat, Perry Bible Fellowship, Get Your War On and Strip Wax.
Like Columbia City Paper, the Asheville edition will also feature original humor in sections like Letters to the Reader and Gov. Easley’s horoscopes.
Contacts:
Cecil Bothwell, news editor, at [email protected]
Todd Morehead, managing editor, at [email protected]
Columbia City Paper
Cecil Bothwell is an idiot.
I couldn’t agree more: I also enjoy talking to people that don’t agree with Don Yelton.
It’s worth noting that the Asheville City Paper doesn’t yet posit itself as even a potential weekly paper — the release says they’ll publish once a month at first and attempt to go twice a month soon. It’s true that Bothwell titles his story on the matter with "Does Asheville need an alt-weekly?" — but it seems that, according to the statement from City Paper, there are not as yet plans to go weekly.
Well if you read Susan article today in the ACT you will see that what you say is so true. It is impossible to write without some bias showing through.
Special interest papers are just that. I think that the paper coming to Asheville states that it is liberal…does that mean it is better than the Mountainx or ACT. Don’t think so.
If you really want a good arguement you will read all sides of an issue unless you are so narrow minded to only think one way.
Frankly I enjoy talking with people that do not agree with me..
I once thought that the main rule of all local media including the Citizen-Times is "Celebrate the Dominant Culture." I decided this a few years ago when the C-T came out with a huge front page story on Billy and Ruth Graham, and around the same time, another big story on First Baptist Church.
But after reading the Xpress and blogs more, it now seems that the rule is "Celebrate the Dominant Culture of Your Market Segment."
This new paper’s description of their market makes it clear that Cecil will continue to write for (it’s too harsh to say "pander to") the same market segment, partly by implying opposition to all development and supporting those who believe that opposing all development is responsible environmental policy.
His investigative pieces are better than Asheville usually can expect (e.g. about then-sheriff Medford’s son), but until he is more objective about development and allows for the possibility that some kinds of development, somewhere in Asheville, could be good, then he’ll be doing only what every other commenter does — celebrating the dominant culture of their market segments.
"I can hear some heavy & irregular breathing….coming from the ‘SUITS’ at MX."
How well you know the MX management. So corporate, so establishment. So overrun by right-wing money and Republican values. Why, I bet that at this very moment they’re quaking in their Armani three-pieces so hard that they can barely keep their tipplers of warm 50-year-old brandy and $100 cigars steady.
Its great that Cecil is going to be back at it and keeping all those little politicians under a watchful eye. Maybe they will start doing their job which is suppose to be for the people and by the people!
As for the Asheville City Paper…..that’s great news! The MX could use a some competition for a change.
James
All-righhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhht!
I can hear some heavy & irregular breathing….coming from the ‘SUITS’ at MX.(It may take a few weeks…but there’s gonna be a ‘New Sheriff’ back in print & on-line!)
And …if Cecil’s stellar track record proves anything …several LOCAL POLITICIANS …and even the Shrubster in D.C….had best GET BUSY AND DO THE RIGHT THING …’OF,BY, AND FOR THE PEOPLE’………onaccountacuz:
BOTHWELL IS BACK IN BUSINESS!
Oh…….YEAH!
-Twain …in shout it from the roof tops mode ….up in SPNC. 🙂
*****
He didn’t waste any time did he?
Congrats on the new venture!