Monday, February 1, 2010
News Atlanta Free Press loses staff, addresses shutdown rumors
Posted by Patrick Saunders on Mon, Feb 1, 2010 at 7:59 PM
Atlanta Free Press is down (another) editor and an art director, but is apparently still breathing. With the way things have gone for them since opening Dec. 10, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if their offices were attacked by piranha. Big gay piranha.
So the LGBT news publication last went through its share of drama in late December when their editor resigned after it was revealed he had been fired from Southern Voice for fabricating quotes and sources. This time around, a story by Atlanta Progressive News claims that AFP had "apparently" ceased production because, well, no one can find it. APN did a search throughout the city’s LGBT-frequented businesses and could not find any issues available.
AFP publisher and Nightlife Media Group co-owner Matt Neumann told CL that Atlanta Free Press is still in business but was not able to pull together the last two weeks’ issues after parting ways with Interim Editor Xanna Don’t over “creative differences.” Neumann says that he and Don’t got into what he called “a pissing match” over the editorial direction of the paper. In particular, the publisher thought Don’t was giving too much coverage to lesbian-related stories and events, and he wanted more of a newsy focus as opposed to a nightlife focus.
“It wasn’t going in the direction that I wanted it to go,” Neumann says. “I thought that it was better at this time to do a restart rather than put out something that was going to be another problem.”
Neumann also said that he and Don’t clashed over whether or not to let a paid advertiser place an editorial in the paper---typically a big no-no. AFP was about to run an ad for the play “A Sordid Affair” and Neumann wanted to run an article written by the play’s producers.
“They took out two full-page ads in the paper,” said Neumann. “If they want to write a story about the play that sounds self-serving then honestly, so what? We’re not talking about a political indiscretion here, we’re talking about a play promoting a play.”
While Don’t confirmed her opposition to the “Sordid Affair” editorial, she said that the reason the last two weeks’ issues never hit the streets was because no one was getting paid.
“They owe me money, they owe Loren [Hoffman, art director] money, they owe the printer money,” says Don’t. “And that’s why there is no more ATL Free Press.”
Hoffman backed up that claim, while also saying that Nightlife Media Group co-publisher Chip O’Kelley misled her about why one of the issues didn’t get printed.
O’Kelley reportedly told Hoffman that the reason the issue didn’t print was because the file Hoffman sent to the printer was corrupt. Hoffman called the printer, Chris Lewis, who reportedly told her that the file wasn’t corrupt and that the reason it wasn’t printed was that Nightlife Media Group had not paid him.
“The only thing they had to do was pay the printer and they couldn’t do that,” says Hoffman.
Lewis, the printer, refused comment to CL and directed all questions to Neumann.
Neumann disputes Don't and Hoffman's claims, saying, "They were operating well outside of the budget and I had to put a stop to it."
He claims Don't has been paid in full and that Hoffman is paid in full as well, with the exception of an invoice submitted last week. He also says the printer is "fine" and that a new issue of Atlanta Free Press is ready to go and will hit the streets this Thursday, Feb. 4.
Neumann also said he is recruiting a new staff to produce content and is ordering new newspaper boxes adorned with the AFP logo.
Regardless of the particulars, this is the second major setback to Atlanta Free Press in less than two months in existence. Until the third, please enjoy. We'll continue to keep you posted on all the shenanigans.
Comments (33)
Showing 1-33 of 33
Shenanigans indeed. And you've only charted a snapshot of the skeletons to be found in the closet. Rumor has it that Nightlife Media Group also still owes the previous printer of the Gaydar publication, located in Gainesville, tens of thousands of dollars in back printing bills...and that an account rep at that printer was fired over the outstanding NMG bill. This may or may not be true. If substantiated, such a fact would render anemic Gaydar's 'free classified ad space for job postings during a down economy' gesture. Paid bills to vendors - employers - would help the economy too. Nightlife Media group has been an underdog in the Atlanta market its entire existence. ‘Underdog’ status was once part of the company narrative, a verbal band aid to hide or excuse incompetence, inconsistency or a lack of ethical operating standards. Advertisers, bar goers and individuals in the community were willing to overlook (although still laugh at) weak production values (little things like coherent narrative flows in the writing, spell check, gridded page layouts) to a certain degree when the publisher was the undisputed upstart, scavenging ad revenue at the margins from the market leaders. That dynamic changes when the market leaders fail, and the 'underdog' is the only game in town for several weeks running. When all ad revenue to be had from an insular market flows mostly to the 'underdog', little excuse remains to stiff printers, contributors and designers. Indulge in a roundup, shall we? Failure to vet first editor of ATL Free Press? Check. Failure to manage the resulting fallout well? Check. Failure to understand the conflict inherent in 'pay for play'? Check. Failure to put out publications consistently or with any level of quality control? Check. Lying to interim editor and art director/designer about the reason publications didn't go to print? Check. Failure to pay the interim editor and art director/designer for services rendered? Check. Smearing the interim editor and art director/designer in the press as a method of spin and damage control? Check. Misleading the press and the community repeatedly over months? Check. Outright refusal to include coverage or photos of a fundraiser party for a kids’ charity, held at a local restaurant, because that restaurant does not pay for ad space? Check. Failure to pay past or present printing bills to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars? Check. Failure to offer publications that can be trusted or taken seriously? Check and double checked and underlined in red.
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As someone who is lgbt and cares about the gay community, it is disheartening to read such untruths about Xanna Don't and Loren Hoffmann. I was witness to several of their very long days (and nights) trying to put out the very best newspaper product possible. They both cared very much about TRUTH and quality content. The masthead of the ATL-Free Press said "News and Arts" and they covered both. Don't did report news. The cover story of "one" of the two issues not printed was a news story on the Eagle 8. If the reason the last two weeks of the paper failed to come out was because Xanna and Loren were no longer with the paper, as Matt Neumann says above, then why are those stories on the website? www.atlfreepress.com
Funny how fast the content on http://www.atlfreepress.com came down after this article and the ensuing comments were posted
"Pissing match?" NMG had no creative input into ATL Free Press. Matt Neumann never fought me on the Sordid Lives/Affair affair. I told him I was interviewing Georgette Jones, country music royalty and a cast member, and he voiced no objections. He had no problem running their grammatically incorrect self promotion elsewhere. Loren and I put together the whole paper, on our own, and I stand by our work. We were asked to step in and we did. We saved it after the PR fiasco with its first editor, someone I refused to work with once I learned he fabricated sources in his previous works. Last I heard, that editor hadn't been paid for his short tenure either. These "restarts," as Neumann calls them, sure do seem to cut down on his staffing costs. I know I am still owed quite a bit of money; his statement that I have been paid in full is a bald-faced lie. But the last time I saw Neumann, I pressured him so hard to pay the writers I had recruited that he opened his wallet and handed me cash for them on the spot. I purchased money orders and made sure they got paid. It must be difficult to value quality content when you lack the intellect to understand it. As for too much lesbian-related coverage, I'm sure Wayne Fishell, Trey Toler, David Reeves, Psychic Terry, The Stage Door, Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, the almost exclusively male cast of The Hurt Locker, patrons of The Eagle who are now civil plaintiffs against APD and the City, The Atlanta Bucks Rugby Team, Winston Johnson and Coretta Scott King, and, most recently, The Eagle 8 defendants would be very surprised to hear they're classified that way. But you would have to actually read the paper to get a true overview of the diverse coverage we provided in a very short time. For a gay news publication to thrive in Atlanta, the people publishing it will have to have a better motivating factor than “pissing” off the previous editor of Southern Voice. Spite won’t cut it. For any GLBT publication to serve Atlanta, it will need the motivation of credible, caring professionals who are sincere about achieving excellence in their craft and the pursuit of truth. We’ve had enough of grade school dropouts trying to thug their way to an easy buck.
Can you give me fair warning to make some popcorn and put on my pajamas so I can continue to read this saga in a more apropos setting? kthxbai
It's a safe bet that when Xanna Don't is involved with an organization, there is going to be a saga and ongoing drama! This latest news shouldn't be a surpise to anyone.
I find it very interesting that Xana is the same person who criticized a straight girl for organizing the Eagle protests. It takes work to be a team, looks like all of these folks fail at working together to better the gay community. You could learn something from that straight girl.
Gaydar & staff have always been unprofessional, and as someone who personally knows the kind of unprofessional and down-right temper-tantrum-like behavior Xanna Don't displays publicly it's a wonder the AFP lasted as long as it did. Your personal behavior will make it's way into your professional world, all I know. Move over & let's those who are capable do it!
Xanna ALWAYS knows best - or so she thinks. And when she does not get her way, she turns into a seven year old child, pitching fits and creating drama. AFP would have been better off with the former editor, even with his back history.
Xanna Don't and Loren Hoffman are both great people, whose skillsets were immediately evident when they started working on ATL Free Press. It is sad that they have been taken advantage of. Hopefully they both learned something about how rotten leadership poisons an organization.
Let me see if I get this straight? Roughly a month or so afer Xanna writes an editorial criticizing the hard-working, devoted staffers of Southern Voice for not knowing what was in store and not realzing they weren't going to get paid for their final weeks, she has the gall to complain that she hasn't gotten paid from AFP. What's the matter, Xanna? Didn't see the writing on the wall? Everyone else did, especially with you in a leadership role. In Xanna's own words.. In November, the most recent employees of Southern Voice (SoVo) and its sister publication, David, were shocked to find their workplace locked and their jobs gone. Despite common public knowledge that their parent company, Window Media, had been in federal receivership for a year due to defaulting on the terms of a $38 million loan from the Small Business Administration, the editors of what had long been considered a monopoly for gay media in Atlanta were shocked. While it’s reasonable to feel sympathy for anyone losing their job suddenly (and before the holidays), it puzzled me that these tenured journalists didn’t see it coming. Perhaps the insulation they enjoyed as a monopoly did them just as much disservice as it did the community.
Of course I saw it coming. That's why Loren and I stopped producing new content and I successfully pressured the publisher to at least give me money to pay the writers I recruited. If he hadn't, I would have paid them out of my own pocket. I don't know any of the people above who are attacking me personally, including "jstone75," but I give them kudos for their attempts at "creative" writing.
can we have some pics please? it would help the comedy i'm picturing in my head.
When Xanna joins an organization, instant drama unfolds. Look at her track record in town! And of course, she always plays the victim card, when she herself causes most of the drama herself with her childish insistence that she knows more than ANYONE else in the room.
No ax to grind - sometimes the truth hurts! Ask virtually anyone who has worked alongside Xanna and they'll tell you the same thing! She's a child who wants everything her way - and when she doesn't get it, hell breaks loose. When one is seven years old, that is understandable. When one is an adult, it's plain sad.
Whatever your personal issue with Xanna Don't, she has very little to do with the Matt Neumann and Nightlife Media Group's lack of professional standards.
First of all, I would like to say Matt Newman is a lying, fat, old tyrant/queen who subsides in an old motorized scooter because he can't even get his dejected self to workout on a treadmill before he passes out from his own revolting filth. that said aside... Xana obviously does not need partake in a company who hasn't even established their assets before running 6 published newspaper's and then decide to take a break for a month because "it is too expensive!" Honey, when you start out a business...it's OBVIOUSLY going to be too expensive, business 101 much? Sure, Xana may have her moments when she may leave us questioning her actions and make us furious, but she is as real as strong and loyal as any person can ever be in to our community. In addition, she gets things done and sure as hell does not make up her sources or stories like some so-called journalists and editors have done so in this city!
I've never met Matt N., so I have no idea what his professional standards are. But calling attacks against Xanna "axs to grind" is silly. Xanna has a history of getting involved with organizations and either leaving or being asked to leave once things don't go her way, or God forbid someone disagrees with her. That period of time is usually a few months. That's not a personal attack -it's the truth. Do you really expect the community to believe AFP's demise is all about Matt N? I don't believe it and I think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who has worked with Xanna to find her blameless. AFP was probably a sinking ship from the start, but bringing Xanna aboard helped greatly escalate its demise.
Curious, Horace, that you've never met Neumann yet so tenaciously redirect the conversation toward Xanna Don't. Your focal point betrays your bitter prejudces, young padawan. Tell you what, let's see if the Feb 4th issue of ATL Free Press hits the streets as promised by Neumann. Surely it will be available all over town in brand spanking new pick-up boxes.
This is kind of sad. Patrick, it is great you called all these people because I'm sure they wouldn't have talked to me. Some journalists will do anything to preserve access, but sometimes one must look at that bridge and think "Burn baby burn, disco inferno!" I do hope Xanna, Zack, the printers and everybody else get paid. If not, the small claims court process is available to you all. It's not fair that NMG continues to exist, and likely continues to lie and cheat other people. If they're going to continue to operate, they need to be held accountable. I would just like to point out that, now that Neumann and everyone is admitting what Atlanta Progressive News reported to be "apparent"--it also means that Chip O'Kelley lied to the potential advertiser when he said that AFP has been printing all this time! I wonder how many other advertisers may have already paid money for papers that may never print? I wonder what would have happened if the advertiser did take the offer- it was $800 for 4 issues, quarter page ad, she told APN. I think the multi-issue summary of the previous commenter was thorough and compelling. But here's what I see as the list of lies, apparent lies, and alleged lies involved with NMG and AFP. Apparent Series of Lies #1- AFP's first editor Zack Hudson accused of plagiarizing in previous job. (This series of lies could get it's own article.) "Bold-faced lie" #2 Zack lies to me about fake lawsuit. Lie #3 O'Kelley tells advertiser AFP has been printing all this time. Lie #4 AFP tells advertiser AFP copies currently available. Lie #5 "Our boxes have been stolen." Apparent Lie #6 Circulation 20,000 Alleged Lie #7, 8, 9 Zack, Xanna, Loren-- Work for us, we'll pay you. Alleged Lie #10, 11 Printer # 1 and 2- Print our paper, we'll pay you. Alleged Lie #12 The reason the last paper didn't print is because the file was corrupt. (I don't even think this list is complete.) I'm still pissed, by the way, that Xanna make inaccurate statements about me and my publication (for example, that I worked for Southern Voice and owe my roots to them- not true) and refused to respond to 3 correction requests. Apparently, she did not want to admit she made a factual mistake. But at APN--I'm sure, Creative Loafing is the same--we're delighted to receive correction requests because it would be far worse to leave the inaccurate information online. However, I believe that Don't wanted the paper to succeed and that in her own way, she did the best job she could. I think we should've all realized the intrinsic corruption at NMG from the first time they said they thought it was okay that Zack had plagiarized and that he then lied to me about it. It's kind of weird though how all these dishonest people (Matt, Chip, Zack) all just kind of gravitated towards each other. I mean, they almost made it too easy to reveal.
When things aren't being treated professionally, don't throw unprofessional fuel on the fire. Don't go running to the press to make comment about personal business matters- grab an attorney if they owe you money. You're in the public spot honey, people are going to criticize. Try not to take it personally.
This is a lot of drama. I don't even live in Atlanta and I know about this Xana person. She did badmouth Laura for working on the Eagle raid- attacked her on every article that was written and facebook, constantly. Paybacks a bitch.
What do Hudson & Xanna have in common? They both fabricate details for stories. Xanna has flat out lied in her own 'zine' publication and in other print media to further her own agenda. That is a fact. Read APNEditor's remarks for example. Perhaps Gaydar should choose credible editors next go around.
Response to APNeditor- Well articulated on all counts. I also appreciate APNeditor refocusing the conversation on the actual issues here surrounding this publisher and Nightlife Media Group's staff employees. Neumann and O'Kelley are the primary scumbags here, with numerous instances of lying outright to the press and advertisers, documented over months. Response to Lyn: Get your timeline straight before shooting your mouth off. Creative Loafing writers used the phrases "confirmed" and "backed up" when referring to Xanna Don't and Loren Hoffman...presumably because they spoke to Neumann FIRST. If you were called by a reporter who asked you to respond to a quote from a publisher -a quote that smeared you, lied about your responsibility for problems with the paper, from a liar who stilled owed you money and was still hosting articles on his site you had not been paid for - that they intended to run, would YOU really hold your tongue and wait for small claims? Get real. Why would Don't or Hoffman remain quiet when they are owed money, were lied to, and it was insinuated they were at fault in the need for a paper 'restart'. If you have an ax to grind with Don't because she questioned what appeared to SEVERAL of us(at the time)to be a grandstanding straight girl re: Eagle raid...or, you are pissed because at a film festival committee meeting she objected to hard core pornography being considered for a screening during the festival...you need to separate the issues out. THIS issue is about Neumann being questioned by CL about Atlanta Free Press, regarding items published by Atlanta Progressive News, and about the state of his publication. Neumann chose to mislead and smear as a way to spin the story. When Don't and Hoffman were asked to respond, they both refuted Neumann's lies. Xanna Don't is an outspoken voice with a strong point of view, and she has a lot of integrity. Sometimes that ruffles feathers. She will have to take her lumps for her occasional caustic remarks just like anyone else. Those of you in the comments here that are choosing to direct the attacks at Xanna Don't are missing the point entirely - particularly if you've NEVER EVEN READ Atlanta Free Press or MET Matt Neumann.
I agree with you, Gawker, that the big issue is the state of AFP and its future towards getting LGBT print media back up to speed. But your steadfast loyalty towards Xanna is amazing. Xanna has burned bridges all over town, shot off her big mouth, and ruffled feather after feather. And learned NOTHING in the process. If Xanna weren't at the epicenter of this mess, I honestly feel more people would be more sympathetic. But with her around, NO ONE is rooting for AFP. The reputation Xanna has built is her own doing and she deserves every bit of fallout. With AFP, Xanna had a chance to redeem herself and become the community leader she thinks she is. And she blew it - AGAIN. One of her first public doings was an editorial that blasted Southern Voice and its staff for their supposed insularity. She has never learned to maturely fight her battles; she fights all of her battles in a PUBLIC FORUM, for everyone to read and know about. Xanna can't disagree with someone internally; she has to take out billboards to do.
I read AFP, it had a whole page of a crossword! Let's face it the publication was doomed from the get go with the unprofessional history of the owners and editors, both of them. Matt Neumann should be held accountable for legal promises in a court room and Xanna should recognize that she isn't the most popular person for any future editing positions in this city given her own history of unprofessional behavior. Next story, this one is just about done.
That woman doesn't even know Laura and made all these crazy accusations and printed flat out lies just because she didn't like her. Because she's straight? Get real. If all these lies Xana tells are true why is Laura still working with the Eagle? She hangs out there all the time, does Xana? Why would they let Laura in the door if she was really doing what you say she was? I agree with the other guy, she seems to deserve every bit of these comments.
Wow, you guys are still talking about me. OK. Some clarifications: ---I never wanted to be the Editor; I only wanted to be a contributor. But I stepped in, when asked, as Interim Editor to keep the paper going. Neumann kept insisting, once in front of Gaydar staff, that he wanted me to retain the position; I repeatedly said no. I wrote an ad for NMG to run at journalismjobs.com and they never ran it; when they asked me about the site's billing process, I told them you simply paid up front with a card number. (Maybe that's why they never ran it?) ---Thanks to "jstone75" for his concern about any future editor positions, but I'm not seeking any of those gigs. Never was. And I don’t consider myself a community leader, just a member. I’m not self-appointing myself to any such status. ---I have met Laura Gentle and never lied about her, simply voiced an opinion. The fact that so many screen names want to make this comments section about her gives my opinion more validity. ---I think I figured out who Horace might be, and if I'm right, he wanted porn in the gay film fest quite badly. I argued for two months that it would kill the credibility of the fest and we'd lose Turner funding. He said he'd worry about Turner when they were "paying [his] bills!" I fell on my sword to make sure that didn't happen, knowing it would cost me any further involvement in it. I’d do it again. ---And as far as a factual mistake regarding the editor of APN's involvement with SoVo, I think when you do a job for an entity and they pay you, that's working for them. We simply disagree on the semantics. I think there are a lot of good people in Atlanta who see things around them that aren't quite right. I hope they won't be dissuaded by any of this from speaking up. Atlanta is a huge city that should be so much better than it is. Going along to get along is what perpetuates mediocrity.
Xanna you're wrong. First of all, the appropriate way to have responded to my correction request would've been to email or call. How nice that you decided to respond on the Fresh Loaf comment section 6 weeks later now that you're no longer working for AFP. Second of all, you didn't just say I worked for Southern Voice- you said I once worked for Sovo and "owed my roots" to them. That's not semantics, that's an unsubstantiated claim. I already had my own publication before doing any columns for Sovo on the side. Moreover, there is a difference between working for an entity and being a contractor--just ask the IRS. And there's a difference between Matt Hennie being a former editor and me having written 3 columns. A clarification at least would have been appropriate. You also wrote that I knew about Zack Hudson's apparent fabrications while at Southern Voice and then held on to the information to sabotage AFP after it's first issue. Also, not true. So shame on you, Barack Obama! I mean, Xanna Don't! for being wrong, knowing you're wrong, and then coming on here trying to make it seem like a disagreement of semantics.
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