Atlanta Writers Club Protests Newspaper Decision

[doc]

I got this from a local mailing list and thought it might be of interest to folks here, even if you're not in the North Georgia area:

From: George Weinstein
Date: April 28, 2007 4:14:12 PM EDT
Subject: From The Atlanta Writers Club: Two Ways to Protest the Ruination of the AJC Book Review Section

As many of you know, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is eliminating the book editor job held by Teresa Weaver and might dissolve the whole book review section of the paper. We pride ourselves on our thriving literary community, so what message is the AJC delivering about us when it begins to dismantle a prime outlet for news and reviews about books?

Below are just two of the ways you can lodge your protest:

If you feel that this myopic act devalues the readers and writers of our region, please click on the link below for the petition launched by the National Book Critics Circle, and add your signature and comments alongside those by Clyde Edgerton, Darnell Arnoult, Joshilyn Jackson, Karin Slaughter, and many, many others (my entry is #202, right below Michael Connelly's):

http://www.petitiononline.com/atl2007/petition.html


There's another, even more powerful way you can make an impression on the AJC--and help bring media exposure to this situation: participate in the ATLANTA “Save the Book Review” READ-IN! Bring a book and wear your Atlanta Writers Club T-shirt to a demonstration outside the front doors of the AJC.

The following is an invitation to the READ-IN from Shannon Byrne, Publicity Manager of Little, Brown and Company:

Hundreds of readers will converge upon the Atlanta Journal- Constitution next Thursday, May 3, for a READ-IN to protest the AJC’s business practices regarding books coverage. Come to the READ-IN and see for yourself! If you have to work, please still tell everyone you know to come out to show their support!

WHAT: ATLANTA “Save the Book Review” READ-IN! Bring a book (or many books!) you love, and let’s create a critical mass of readers to put the pressure on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution to reverse its terrible decision to “reorganize” its book review out of existence! They got rid of the book review editor, and without an official champion for books within the paper, the quality of books coverage is endangered! It will become disorganized and sporadic, if not simply perfunctory, until, worse, it’s no longer there.

TIME: 10:00 AM until…you decide!

DATE: THURSDAY, MAY 3, 2007 *rain or shine

LOCATION: Converge in front of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Hold open your book and read aloud or to yourself. Trust me, you won’t be the only one. Picture hundreds of people doing the same thing!

WHO: Open to any and all writers, readers, and lovers of books and newspapers. Come one, come all Atlantans (or ATLiens), Georgians, and even you hardcore out-of-staters.

WHY: Because the city of Atlanta wants a robust, reader-friendly, intelligent book review, not just a section run on auto-pilot from above. Teresa Weaver has created and run exactly this kind of section for almost ten years now and we want the AJC to reward her expertise, not eliminate her job.

Again, if you haven’t signed the "Protect Atlanta's Book Review" petition yet, here’s the link to it:

http://www.petitiononline.com/atl2007/petition.html

This week, the National Book Critics Circle launched a big campaign to help save book review sections in newspapers nationwide, and the momentum will continue next week. Read what authors, critics, and many other voices in the world of books and publishing have been saying about the issue:
http://bookcriticscircle.blogspot.com/.

Thank so much for your support of the Atlanta literary community, and PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD!

DON'T FORGET TO BRING A BOOK!

***

I'll be there and I hope you will join me. Remember to wear your Atlanta Writers Club T-shirt--we'll have some for sale there in case you need one.

Regards,

George Weinstein
President of The Atlanta Writers Club
http://www.atlantawritersclub.org

[kailhofer]

I've been in and around newspapers all my life.

I'm afraid these people were all wasting their time. It's the wrong tactic. Newspapers are about making money. The side effect of that is people get to see news. It's not the other way around.

Newspapers are a business. A BIG business, and they think like big business. Sure, editors and writers have a passion for news, but they don't control the purse strings at any paper. Every choice is about ad revenues and circulation numbers.

They're already convinced they don't make money by paying the reviewer, or that the subscriptions lost will be inconsequential (because people who complain about not being able to read book reviews will still read the rest of the paper--these are people who like to read). One has to show a paper it will make more money, make more money for their advertisers, or increase circulation, by keeping the reviews. Find a business to sponsor the review (with an ad as a part of the review). Nothing else will be more than a temporary reprieve.

Nate