Stout will continue writing about local music but will head up the TL's NIE program. Kudos.
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Alan K. Stout stepping down as Weekender editor
Stout will continue writing about local music but will head up the TL's NIE program. Kudos.
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38 comments:
One step closer to the door.
Seems like a good move for a good guy. Good for him.
He was forced out
NIE? Are you kidding? Good move? Doesn't one of the adult TL carriers usually handle that gig?
9:28 is clueless. I happen to know Alan pretty well from a few years ago when I worked there. He really loved the NIE program when he worked with it before. He was probably offered the opportunity to return when the manager's position became open, simply because he did such a great job with the program during the short time he was there in '04-'05. I know for a fact that he was not forced out, and that he was the one that told the company he was looking for a change. He was then offered what most would see as a better position at the company, and he took it. He's got a family now and was probably starting to outgrow The Weekender, though I'm glad he'll still be doing some writing. I'm happy for him. It's a great fit. Good for him. As a young writer, he was always super-nice to me and very supportive.
NIE is a pretty big job and a pretty tough job. It brings in lots of revenue and helps boost circ. And there really is a great educational value. Someone with journalism, teaching, marketing and fundraising experience is the perfect fit. That's Alan K. Connor is a smart man.
Agree with 10:22. Seems like a great move for AKS and his sort-of-goodbye column displays his usual class. Very nice. The big question is ... who steps in at The Weekender?
Happy Easter!
Connor takes a beating on this board sometimes, but it appears he is getting to know his staff and has made some good moves of late. Making Stout NIE manager while he still does some of the music beat is wise, and putting Butkiewicz in as managing editor and Konopki in as sports editor were also good moves. Three good guys, all in the right job. We need to give Mr. C some credit here.
Congrats to Dave, Alan and Joe - three of the most hard-working and nicest guys at the TL.
What 12:42 a.m. said.
what is he in his 40's now? He was not a good fit at the Weekender and it's time he moves onto something other than just a "pop music" beat.
Good for him.
AKS is probably in his late 30s. He introduced some fun stuff to the Weekender, he did a nice job with it, and I think he still does really well with his music column when he talks to local songwriters and musicians. I really liked this week's piece on the local hip-hop guy. It's cool to see him keeping some of that, yet also moving on in a dignified way and on his own terms. I've also been to a few Concert For The Cause shows. It's a pretty amazing event. He's cool with me. Good for him.
I worked with AK for years. He always did a lot more than just music. News, general features, other arts and entertainment stories, sports, copy desk ... I recall him moving around a bit, though the readers always knew him best for the music stuff. Seems like a nice move for him. Congrats.
Congrats to Alan. He's a family man now and this is a better fit.
So many changes at the TL who can keep up. Interesting though that Alan was in charge of NIE a couple of years ago before taking over the Weekender. Was this his choice? I hope so. He is a good guy and would hate to see him being pushed out. Too many good people at the TL have been replaced by people who know nothing about the area and the TL. The CV seems to have the edge these days.
Agree with 7:57 to some degree, but there doesn't seem to be anything sinister with this one. Alan loved NIE. If I recall, he went to The Weekender only when the GM and editor resigned at the exact same time and the company needed someone with his experience to go help put the paper out. He always indicated to me he'd go back to the TL eventually. He did a nice job with The Weekender, but anyone that's seem him lately sees a guy with a great new wife and a man glowing about the birth of his daughter. It seems he gave The Weekender his best for two good years and has gone back to doing what he enjoys more. And as long as he keeps writing about some music, the readers probably won't even notice. Happy for him.
"The CV seems to have the edge these days."
Little late posting April Fool jokes.
People pushed out don't write columns like this one. Good for Alan K.
It was a cost cutting move to tranfer his salary from the Weekender over to the TL. The Weekender's revenue isn't growing and they had to cut costs. Rachel will probably be the new editor (with no or a token ibncrease in salary) much like Christie was the GM/editor.
Don't think so. Kristie was not GM/editor. When she was GM, Joe Student was editor. It was always two different jobs. Don't see why they'd change it now. Weekender still seems big and healthy. Happy for Alan, though. He's always been a good person and good for the company.
I think people just tend to move on from the Weekender editor's job after a few years. I think there's been 8 or 9 of them in the 14 years since it started.
8:18 is right. This one looks like it was Allan's move, or it was something that was offered to him, not forced on him. He still keeps some of the music beat - he writes his weekly column, he reviews some concerts and he still does the big charity show every spring - yet he spends most of his time at a job better fitted for him at this time in his life. I suspect you will indeed see a new Weekender editor within a few weeks. A new daddy can still talk to local songwriters about their music, but - trust me, I am a father -he's not going to want to be doing "Weekender Nights Out" four times a week anymore. You have to respect Allan for recognizing that.
For a while after Kristie started she was both GM and editor. I think Padden was editor when she started but he left to start Diamond City. Student was hired as editor only after Kristie couldn't handle both jobs.
The key word with Stout is and always has been CLASS. He works in an end of the business where it would be very easy to stray from ethics but he has always held true to truth and integrity, even if his musical tastes somewhat skewed the tone of certain stories. The unfortunate aspect of Alan's career is he sometimes worked under people who failed to recognize his many talents or his knack for having his hand on the music pulse of NEPA.
Agree about AKS. Class act, always. Wish him all the best.
But in defense of Kristie, I don't think anyone could be both editor and GM of a paper as large as The Weekender. It is packed with both ads and editorial. Somebody's got to be, well, the editor - the person assigning stories, editing stories, writing stories, securing artwork, ect ... the GM needs to be overseeing sales/marketing and needs to be out of the office more making deals and building relationships with advertisers. GM and also needs to be involved with promotions. They are both pretty big jobs and I'm sure it will stay as two jobs at Weekender. Even for its credibility, it needs to be.
GM and editor should always be two jobs. It helps separate advertising and editorial, and both require a lot of attention. As for the change at Weekender, good for Alan. Nice piece he wrote here. He's always been a gentleman.
Talk to the "suits." Talk in the accounting office is The Weekender's revenue has been flat for 1-2 years. They are cutting costs.
Good points 8:36. The only thing I'd add is that it's also better from an ethics point of view. You never want to have someone dealing with advertising dollars having control over what stories are/aren't printed (or given covers or higher visibility).
But that's what the Weekender always was - an advertising vehicle. Editorial is secondary. People only want to look at the model anyways.
Revenue stuff might or might not be true. Weekender is still huge Tons of ads every week. AKS move had nothing to do with it. NIE job was open. They offered it to him based on his past performance at the position and because he had recently expressed an interest in marketing. Glad he's also still doing Concert For a Cause. It has become one of NEPA's best and biggest annual events. TL and Weekender should be proud. Everybody loves it.
Nice column from, Alan K. As usual.
Good luck to him.
TL's Lisa Sokolowski to become Weekender editor?
McDonald is bringing back Lynn Steck to be editor.
Steck? Funny. That was 12 editors ago. What is she, 60 now?
BTW: Me thinks McDonald is gone back to Philly.
Did he go back?
Good. And by the way you should have stayed there cuz you cant sing worth a shit.... Concert for a Cause... was that to raise money for you to learn how to sing and play music?
10:48 is a crackhead and a cock. McDonald didn't play at Concert For The Cause IV and I don't think he had anything to do with it. You were probably "trying" to take a shot at Allan. I heard his new song on the radio a lot, and still hear some of his old songs on the radio all the time. "Summer Days" was the bomb, and one DJ said Allan's new tune was his favorite song on new album. Sorry crackhead, but the guy sings pretty well, and the money went to help some local kids agency. If you bitch about people trying to help out kids, you are a cock. No, you are a jealous cock with no life.
Any followup on this since it was first posted? Any word on who the new editor will be?
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