From The Journal's Town Dandy:
"The North Coast Journal had been deemed worthy of admission into the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, journalism's most exclusive fraternity...we were very nearly done in by the sickly remnants of our public service mission. Here's what the AAN membership committee had to say about the Journal: '[I]t's a little too rah-rah -- take, for example, the story about the local food co-op and how wonderful it is for the community.'... Luckily it appears that our team's heroic imbibery in Portland more than made up for our sometimes schmaltzy, substandard copy."
From the AAN, regarding its member papers: "What ties them all together are point-of-view-reporting; the use of strong, direct language; a tolerance for individual freedoms and social differences; and an eagerness to report news that many mainstream media outlets would rather ignore.
Well, obviously The Journal qualifies!
Point-of-view-reporting? Check! The Journal's Bob Doran is the master of the point of view – in fact, we're not sure he knows how to write without incorporating the first-person pov.
"...when I called him at a Bozeman motel."
"In the '80s and early '90s when I was chef at the Silver Lining..."
"In 1994, I was hired as assistant manager for the about-to-open WildPlatter Café..."
"On my way to town that Saturday morning I ran into a couple..."
Strong, direct language? Check, again!
And again, Doran does his part:
"...the potential fine for saying fuck or shit or some other arbitrarily banned word is huge."
"Rooster McClintock getting all twangy and shit on Saturday..."
"All I can say is, what the fuck?"
Tolerance for individual freedoms and social differences? News ignored by mainstream media? Checkity check! In fact, only five words are needed to remind us all of The Journal's hard-edged reporting and vital journalistic contribution to the social diversity of the North Coast community: "What's up with your hair?"
7 comments:
Aw, don't be a hater!
We still love "What's Up With Your Hair?" Admit it -- you do, too.
FYI, here's the schedule for the next two issues of the Journal.
June 28: Hard-rockin'.
July 5: Hard-hitting!
Dear Postmaster,
Wow, you nailed me. Right to the cross. To paraphrase my Rasta brethren, yes-I, I'm all about the I&I -- and it's true, I've been known to engage in "culturally insensitive language" of late. Shit! I can't stop it with the I's, I guess it's compulsive.
BTW, at the risk of further inflaming your disfavor, I'll point out that I shot that duck helmet photo, and the cute cover shot of my friend Willoughby for What's Up With Your Hair?
Regarding the AAN thing, the membership recommendation committee split 7 to 3 in favor of letting us in, so I guess we are not like totally alt. But we are officially alternative.
Anyway, I'm glad to see you are a faithful reader.
And I don't understand why that asinine, utterly stupid "What's Happening Humboldt" thing, or whatever it's called, always has to mention Pick up the North Coast Journal and read Bob Doran's The Hum. What is that all about. Is he somehow connected with FoxTV. Great....first it's Arkley and now Rupert Murdock. I knew it was a right-wing rag. Alternative, my ass!
that asinine, utterly stupid "What's Happening Humboldt" thing, or whatever it's called
You mean that despicable little fascist segment produced by the guy from The Delta NationalSocialists?
A guy I know told me that was Charles Hurwitz's favorite local programming. Figures.
Yeah, that's the one.
I heard there's a syndication of those things around the country. Someone showed me a YouTube of "Houston Happenin's" and "S'up Scotia". But, "Yo, Yolo County" is just pure trash.
If Hurwitz wasn't sponsoring all of them clandestinely, they might be worthy of public consumption. They're just a waste of my time when I'm trying to watch King of the Hill.
Delta NationalSocialists? What the Hell is that? Sounds like pinko commies. Is it some kind of college frat or something?
Is it some kind of college frat...
It's a lot like a college frat, but instead of throwing keggers they are dedicated to promulgating FASCIST AMERIKKKANA!
Yikes! Remind me to stay away from their them and their kind.
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