Tue
Dec 9 2014
04:08 pm
Alt-weekly Knoxville Mercury to launch in February 2015
By: R. Neal

Matthew Everett says a new alt-weekly, Press Forward Knoxville Mercury, is set to launch in February 2015.

According to the announcement, "it will be independently owned and committed to Knoxville-focused stories, from investigative reports to illuminating profiles to entertaining features. Metro Pulses's most recent editorial team will run this new paper with regular contributions from MP's best-known reporters and columnists."

There's an event Thursday, Dec. 11th, at 5PM at the East Tennessee History Center (601 S. Gay St.) for information on "how you can help Knoxville press forward" and "help get this buzz-worth project off the ground."

UPDATE: Knoxville Mercury Kickstarter

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JMG's picture

Cool. Can't wait.

Submitted by JMG on Wed, 2014/12/10 - 7:48am.

Cool. Can't wait.

Matthew Everett's picture

Just a note of clarification:

Submitted by Matthew Everett on Wed, 2014/12/10 - 10:56am.
(in reply to JMG)

Just a note of clarification: Press Forward isn't the name of the new paper. It's just the name we've been operating under for the last few weeks as we got this thing started—a pun, and a metaphor for what we're trying to do.

The official new name will be announced at the event tomorrow night.

Maybe a little confusing, but we needed some way to identify ourselves while we came up with the right name for the paper. It's something we intend to work with for a while.

j.f.m.'s picture

Knoxville Mercury

Submitted by j.f.m. on Thu, 2014/12/11 - 8:54am.

I'm not involved in any of these projects, just for the record, but this seems relevant:

(link...)

michael kaplan's picture

another time, another Mercury

Submitted by michael kaplan on Thu, 2014/12/11 - 10:39am.
(in reply to j.f.m.)

(link...)

j.f.m.'s picture

There was also briefly a

Submitted by j.f.m. on Thu, 2014/12/11 - 10:47am.

There was also briefly a Knoxville Mercury in the 1850s.

michael kaplan's picture

neat. i think there was also

Submitted by michael kaplan on Thu, 2014/12/11 - 11:27am.
(in reply to j.f.m.)

neat. i think there was also an older Knoxville Voice, right?

reform4's picture

From the meeting

Submitted by reform4 on Thu, 2014/12/11 - 5:37pm.

Organized under a non-profit umbrella to "protect fr
the vaugeries of private ownership." Smart.

Major team members: Coury, Jack, Matthew Everett, Tricia Bateman (art), Jerru Collins, and expect a host if other MP contributors to be involved.

jbr's picture

That seems like a good start.

Submitted by jbr on Thu, 2014/12/11 - 5:37pm.
(in reply to reform4)

That seems like a good start.

R. Neal's picture

Knoxville Mercury Kickstarter

Submitted by R. Neal on Thu, 2014/12/11 - 6:21pm.

Knoxville Mercury Kickstarter

Mike Knapp's picture

Non profit status journalism

Submitted by Mike Knapp on Thu, 2014/12/11 - 6:23pm.

= multiple revenue streams, less private owner hoarding potential, shared control, public records of finances.
Looking forward to it, perhaps making a tax deductible donation around April!

R. Neal's picture

From the Kickstarter

Submitted by R. Neal on Thu, 2014/12/11 - 6:28pm.

From the Kickstarter page...

"Knoxville Mercury will be a for-profit subsidiary of The Knoxville History Project, a non-profit organization run by Jack Neely that is dedicated to promoting awareness of the history, literature, music, and other culture of Knoxville. While we're getting all that set up, Knox Heritage will be acting as interim fiscal agent for both The Knoxville History Project and the Knoxville Mercury."

michael kaplan's picture

some comments on the meeting

Submitted by michael kaplan on Fri, 2014/12/12 - 10:07am.

1. about 150 people attended

2. atmosphere was festive and celebratory

3. nearly everyone was dressed in black

4. Jack Neely MC'd but didn't talk too long

5. Kim Trent said she was in Cuba when Metro Pulse "was killed" and the thinking began on the island.

6. David Dewhirst talked about his first day in Knoxville

7. Frank Cagle said the beginnings of the downtown renewal happened under the Ashe administration

8. Coury Turczyn spoke very coherently about the new project and announced that one donor has already contributed $250,000

9. a Kickstarter page has been set up

10. food and wine were served

jjstambaugh's picture

It sounds like it was a

Submitted by jjstambaugh on Thu, 2014/12/11 - 7:38pm.

It sounds like it was a pretty nice affair.
Those of us at the Hard Knox Independent wish them the best of luck!
We think Knoxville is about to have a number of competing papers, which will be a great thing for readers.
Best,
JJ. Stambaugh, Editor
Bill Dockery, Managing Editor
Crystal Huskey, Publisher

Matthew Everett's picture

Tamar Wilner, an MP writer in

Submitted by Matthew Everett on Fri, 2014/12/12 - 12:01pm.

Tamar Wilner, an MP writer in the early '00s, has written a pretty thorough—exhaustive, even—story for the Columbia Journalism Review on the Mercury.

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