Mullen Goes Altie on You
Try keeping a secret in this town. Salt Lake City may be growing, and changing, and adding a big-ass mall downtown that promises to be life-changing. Still, you can’t keep something about a little job change quiet for long.
Today marks the official start of my new job. Yes, I am the new editor of City Weekly, a 60,000-plus circulation alternative newspaper in Salt Lake City. John Saltas founded the paper 22 years ago. Back then it went by the name Private Eye, which remains the title of Saltas’ regular column at the front of the paper.
We had hoped to break the news on our own deadline, which happens to be today, but so it goes. When Salt Lake Tribune business writer Dawn House called yesterday, I had just finished meeting with my new staff at CW’s very cool Main Street office. (More to come on the cool factor of the CW office) I was sitting in Saltas’ office when Dawn called. It was a hoot. Saltas told her he wasn’t ready to announce my appointment until Wednesday. House, like any decent reporter, refused to give up and demanded the story on her own timetable. I would have demanded the same thing were I in her place.
You go, Dawn.
Not that this is an earth-rattling story. We’re still fighting a miserable and losing war in Iraq, aren’t we? And didn’t the U.S. Supremes just bitch-slap George W. Bush for his administration’s hands-off approach to auto emissions and unbridled greenhouse gases in the environment?
Naturally, most of what I told House ended up on her cutting room floor. She spent an unbelievable amount of newsprint today trying to prove what I think she cosiders a conspiracy behind my predecessor, Ben Fulton, taking a leave of absence. BTW, if Ben chooses to return to CW in some other capacity in four months, I plan on keeping options open for him. But House didn’t ask me about that.
Oh well. I’m not sure she came close to capturing why I want to edit CW, but then most trad news people have never taken such a risk. Working at an altie paper is a total gas, I promise. Much more fun than sitting in press row behind a glass partition, a daily newspaper ID badge dangling from your neck and watching the state Legislature all day.
Here is what I’m looking forward to:
First, I’m back in my ‘hood, right where I belong and love to be. I’ve been a newspaper journalist for 26 years, and spent six of those as a reporter at the Twin Cities Reader in Minneapolis and the Dallas Observer.
Without hesitation, I tell you those were the finest and most productive years of my professional life. I had unlimited freedom. I received careful and creative editing. I developed an actual “voice.” And our staffs had high morale — a welcome change from the snarky, grousing comments and insecurity that punctuate life in most traditional newsrooms.
Second, as House mentioned in her story today, readership of alternative newspapers has been growing, while readership at dailies is either stagnant or declining. I like the idea of heading up a newspaper that, instead of constantly ruminating and stressing over how to gain readers in the elusive 18-34 age category, tries to attract them with basic, good journalism. What a concept.
Now. Does that mean CW is doing good journalism? Mostly, but certainly not enough of it. I told the staff we’re going to “own” certain stories in and around Salt Lake City. This is the purpose of “alternative journalism.” We’ll use traditional reporting and editing tools to get our stories. We’ll run all the traps. No one will accuse us of taking short cuts or lacking reporting or writing quality. The fact is, dozens of stories fly well under the daily newspapers’ and local TV news programs’ radar. Guess whose shoulders it falls on to dig them out and make them interesting and worth reading?
You got it. Your friendly neighborhood altie paper.
Do I sound crazy-excited? I am. I’m going to keep this blog going as well as contribute regularly to CW’s own site. If you haven’t access to the print version, please visit http://www.slweekly.com when you can.
Tomorrow’s issue is the annual “Best of Utah” — a record-setting 208 pages, publisher Jim Rizzi tells me. Can’t wait to read it. BTW, I’ll be pimping the “Best Of” in a guest appearance on FOX-13 early morning news tomorrow (that’s Thursday, April 5). Tune in between 6:30 and 7:30 a.m. if you can. I’ll be the one wearing the least amount of pancake make-up and with middle-aged woman bags under my eyes.
April 4th, 2007 at 6:34 am
Congratulations–this looks like it will be a great fit. Success to you and to CW!
April 4th, 2007 at 8:36 am
All I can say is, Hallelujah! I have been a little worried that City Weekly would eventually follow the dumbing down trend, sacrificing hard news for, say, “Who’s Sexy This Afternoon?” pieces. This is great news. Congratulations!
April 4th, 2007 at 8:43 am
Congratulations, Holly. I really believe that the City Weekly is a better altie than the majority of those in bigger cities. I’m looking forward to seeing where you take it.
Feel free to call into KRCL tomorrow morning, too, and we’ll get you on to plug the new gig and “Best of Utah” issue. No pancake make-up required.
-Dave M.
April 4th, 2007 at 11:06 am
Hee! Congratulations on becoming the new “name editor” of the CW. Your new associates are relieved that you are taking on this onerous and thankless task.
So: who at the Trib is responsible for writing and proofing headlines? Someone owes you the beverage of your choice.
April 4th, 2007 at 11:24 am
[…] Holly Mullen: Name Editor By ginny I read just now on her blog that […]
April 4th, 2007 at 12:59 pm
WOW great news. I have read CW and Private Eye since I retired in 80. Looking forward to some more good stuff like Lyn Pacler did on DeeDee some years ago.
April 4th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
Well, hot dog! Mullen brings the Miller family another newspaper to read! Congratulations, Holly. Sounds like a good fit for our fav Utah journalist. Feet to the fire (them, not you)!
April 4th, 2007 at 7:50 pm
Congrats, Holly! So glad things have worked out in your favor. SLC is lucky to have you and your unique journalistic talents.
April 5th, 2007 at 7:35 am
You go girl! You’re the best and we await some hard hitting, old fashioned journalism. I’m happy for you - all of Utah should be too.
April 5th, 2007 at 10:11 am
I’m so excited!! This may be just what CW needs to balance out all the testosterone over there.
April 5th, 2007 at 11:04 am
I think most people who have read your stuff over the years have wondered why you weren’t running CW since the start. You’re perfect for the job! I can’t wait to hear more about the inside scoop on the city’s “big ass mall” and maybe even a story or two about how the PTA is ‘bitch slapping’ the legislature for that school voucher bill.
I think the Deseret News really should reprint your stuff just to see if anyone really reads their paper or just subscribes because it is the only true newspaper. Congrats!
April 5th, 2007 at 8:33 pm
Congratulations !
As most liberals/progressives read CW to get some news that the mainstream press doesn’t provide, some real journalism is definitely needed.
I don’t know if you can’t do anything about their funky ads…
April 11th, 2007 at 3:53 pm
I have to join the chorus and say that I am so excited to hear that you’re taking charge. I have missed the stories that a great Weekly can do. Cheers!
April 15th, 2007 at 8:24 am
Wondering what Ben did wrong. Hmmmm. Recalls Saltas’ comments on making Ben editor in 2003:
-0-
by John Saltas
e-mail a link to this article
Astute readers of this publication—all of our readers are astute, even the ones who don’t normally pay attention to such matters—know by now that City Weekly has been without a full-time editor for the past several weeks. In place of the recently departed John Yewell, Managing Editor Ben Fulton has toiled as interim editor. This marks the third time Ben has bridged the gap between editors, filling in after Tom Walsh left for Florida, after Christopher Smart returned to The Salt Lake Tribune, and now. In each instance, Ben has done remarkably well. Sure, he can write—but manage? Who knew?
I’ve known Ben and worked with him for more than a decade. As I know, and as A& Editor Scott Renshaw also notes, there are actually two Bens. There’s Ben and then there’s the persona of “Ben.” You know Ben—the guy who has written more copy for this paper than anyone, be it on any subject of any length, up against any deadline and the fulfiller of every last-minute demand from an editor on high. That Ben has a slew of professional writing awards hanging over his head, and in my view, has few equals in this or any market. That Ben is also well-respected among his peers in the world of alternative journalism and currently resides as a member of the admissions committee for the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, a position that keeps him uniquely in tune with our industry, locally and nationally.
That Ben is our choice to take over as editor of City Weekly. After this issue, he will take a short paid leave—small compensation for the many extra hours he works. Upon returning, he will officially become head of our editorial department. In many regards, he’s been doing that for a long time anyway. Ben has a special rapport with budding writers and the respect of veteran wordsmiths. Ben has a keen eye for our type of stories, an undeniable sense of mission, a soothsayer’s ability to nail the essence of any tale, a solid ethical and moral core and he’s as loyal as they come. That Ben is the one you will come to know even better in the years ahead as he places his special brand on these pages.
We’ll deal internally with “Ben.” Without going into details, let’s just say that “Ben” is not without quirks. Without sounding too mushy, although that Ben has the respect of every staff member at City Weekly in and out of the editorial department, “Ben” is equally and steadfastly admired by his co-workers even while he confounds them. “Ben” is a worry-wort, a comedian, a scholar, an impersonator and an affable yet eternal victim. He literally redefines the word “self-flagellation,” so tough is he on himself. You’ve seen members of religious sects whack themselves bloody with cord and ropes? “Ben” can top that. I’m convinced that’s his way of keeping all of the rest of us guessing. More likely, as common with talented and brilliant people, “Ben” is consumed with the curse of being only nearly perfect.
It’s the combination of the two Bens that make him special, though. We are pleased and proud to name both of them as editor of City Weekly.
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