Leslie Wylie left the MP. Rumors are also flying that very interesting people have thrown their hats into the ring for the MP editorship. One candidate I know (that I will not mention because of that's not cool) would definitely put the MP back on track with investigative and policy analysis. The KNS hasn't squelched the Shopper, so the MP might just suffer it OK. I was doing some music reviews for KnoxVoice, but my editorial contact left them so I don't know their situation.

True happiness is knowing you are a hypocrite. -- Ivor Cutler

The memo Silence posted says Conley will be "involved in the editorial direction of the paper." Don't know if that means editor or what. No mention of where Joe Sullivan fits in. Why did Leslie leave?

P.S. On KV, my impression is that they are being pretty aggressive, and trying some innovative things. I also get the impression that the publisher has some bucks to ride out the rough early days of a startup, but that's just idle observation, no real info to that effect.

Although I haven't always agreed with the Metropulse's positions, and I think that there have been times that its newsprint could have been used for more worthwhile subjects, I don't think that the growth of monopolies in media ownership is a good thing, nationally or locally.

Metro Pulse will still be tops though as it has the name recognition & people are used to getting it. Life without the Metro calendar or the now defunct 520.com could be pretty sad. I hope Jack Neely remains. The literary quality of the Metro Pulse has always made it most interesting to me. Neely's articles read so well, always have a human or historical touch, and he's an outstanding writer. Too bad about Leslie, she seemed like a young-minded innovator. I wonder where she'll end up?

It's good news for Knoxville Voice though. They deserve a break like this. They work really hard. Hopefully their readership will increase.

I've looked a couple of times at the Knoxville Voice. The thing that struck me was how few ads there were. Like it or not, ad revenuce pays the salaries and printing. I don't know who supports it, but it didn't look like enough ad revenue to pay the freight.

The Shopper goes from Holston Hills to Halls, accross the North end of the county to Karns and now covers everything in West Knoxville out to Cedar Bluff. I'd be interested to see a comparison of the circulation of MP (which is available free in newspaper boxes and also at pick-up places like grocery stores) and the Shopper which I believe is delivered free of charge (like the Farragut Press-Enterprise). Though they are far different in style, content, etc., it seems to me that once West Knox people get used to it, the Shopper is the second biggest paper in these parts.

There is room for MP and community papers. MP may in fact grow with the help of Scripps (as the Shopper did after it was purchased by Scripps). From an outsiders perspective, KV will find it hard to overtake MP as the 'alternative' read.

KV will find it hard to overtake MP as the 'alternative' read.

Maybe, but I don't think West Knox Republicans (or suburbanites in general) are Knoxville Voice's target market. Or downtown real estate developers, for that matter. Which seems to be where MP has been going for a while. This just makes it official. But we'll see. It seems like an opportunity for KV.

"Goosip and Lies" has already disappeared from the Shopper. I'd keep an eye on MP's "Ear to the Ground." It was already pretty tame last week. More like a who's who society page and some powers-that-be press releases, if I recall.

This seriously has to be a joke. This is awful. The headline had might as well read the government takes over the papers. Thank God for Knoxville Voice and of all things even the Fountain City Focus. That being said some of us at the Daily Times in a way wish Scripps would buy them so we could have the union and the pay raise, but there is also something to be said for not working for "the man." I still hope this is a joke. BTW, I've wondered how Knoxville Voice as a start-up with few ads offers full benefits for it's workers. I've also wondered what happened to the Scripps motorcycle mag, it was kind of cool.

Isn't Brian Conley the pinhead that emailed a threat to SKB? With that idiot in charge, I don't see it as a great loss for Knoxville. Wouldn't that be the same as Bill Hobbs running an "alternative/independent newspaper?"

it is so conservative that it can't possibly in any way provide the kind of news or editorial content I want to read. A great little community paper, but its heavy tilt to the right turned me off early on. I doubt if anyone outside of Fountain City would find it interesting.

All we want is the best employees. Blount Today taking care of the rest.

Maybe I can pick up all the escort/massage/porn/swinger/strip club ads when Scripps bans them.

I noticed the young lady who works as a freelance umpire was already advertising in Washington DC a couple of weeks ago. She must have heard about the buyout before we did and decided to seek employment elsewhere.

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Less is the new More - Karrie Jacobs

Folks: Please relax. Knoxville didn't lose (or gain) much today when the announcement came of Scripps' purchase of Metro Pulse. The loss came on the day that Joe Sullivan sold MP to Brian Conley. Heck, maybe it came on the day Betty Bean quit writing "Ear."

As to the editorial independence of the Shopper-News, look no further than today's column. While reporters at other papers are seemingly content to go off on the Ragsdale p.r. spin -- "we're no worse than all the rest, hey, look at them!" -- I started tracking the so-called nontaxpayer funded hospitality account. There will be more next week.

I've published the Shopper every Monday since 1971. My name's on my stuff. If the day comes that my name is on somebody else's stuff, I'm out the door.

Biggest difference in pre- and post-Scripps? It's Monday evening and I'm home with my dog -- not out carrying papers because a carrier didn't show up for work. -- s.

I think R.Neal should sell Knoxviews to Scripps and become a new section of the lovely yourhub.com. I'm curious as to why Conley sold the paper and if Leslie knew what was coming down when she turned in her notice to go work with horses?? Maybe now Conley can concentrate on the old building over by Rocket Squirrel's house. I didn't like the MP being owned by a developer but I still think it was one step up from what has happened now.
On the subject of local news, The Journal is not a scandal sheet any longer since Renee Hamby wrestled it from her ex, but it needs more of niche. I enjoy reading Colvin Idol and who got arrested but most of their hard news is a Sentinel re-hash. I read the Focus for the pictures, their news is blatantly country Repub slanted but I don't think they try to hide it or make excuses for it.