Free Republic

Where is the outrage over the racist use of the word n**** at an awards ceremony by powerful editor and owner Michael Lacey of the Phoenix New Times, who also owns at least half a dozen other weeklies across the country, including Village Voice weeklies? Other prominent persons of influence have been forced to step down for similar remarks, including Senator Trent Lott, talkshow host Don Imus, and Gov. George Allen of Virginia had to drop his presidential bid. Arguably Lacey’s remark was even more derogatory than Lott’s or Allen’s.In his acceptance speech at the Society of Professional Journalists...

In a quiet end to a highly contested investigation, the Justice Department signed a consent decree on Saturday with New Times Media and Village Voice Media, two newsweekly chains that it had accused of dividing markets when they closed competing papers in Cleveland and Los Angeles last October, according to representatives of both companies. The Justice Department is expected to file a complaint and a competitive impact statement today, along with the consent decree, they said. There is no admission of guilt in the consent decree, but each company is required to aid the opening of new weekly papers in...

New Times contributor is fired for faking story about nonexistent NBC "reality" show. BY TONY ORTEGA New Times L.A. freelance writer Antoine Oman was fired last week for fabricating a story about teenage rape victims Tamara Brooks and Jackie Marris. Oman, who had a short history with the alternative weekly, was escorted from New Times' offices on Friday afternoon and made no comment. His story, published in last week's issue, claimed that the NBC television network was about to announce that Brooks and Marris had been signed to host a new prime-time reality show produced by an amoral lowlife named...