West Marin Citizen
Encyclopedia
The West Marin Citizen is a weekly newspaper based in Point Reyes Station, California
, that covers the western region of Marin County. After a pilot edition, the paper published its first issue on July 5, 2007.
Joel Hack launched the Citizen in reaction to a change of ownership at the Point Reyes Light, a long-established, Pulitzer Prize
-winning newspaper also based in Point Reyes Station. The change in regime had led to a different editorial tone, reliance on interns, as well as staff firings and defections. Hack characterized the Citizen as practicing "community service journalism". Former Light managing editor Jim Kravets was the paper's first editor.
Writing in the Columbia Journalism Review
, Jonathan Rowe called the Citizen the "Light’s journalistic opposite—heavy on straight news and local opinion, and choc-a-bloc with meeting reports and other miscellany".
Contributors have included members of the local Latino Photography Project, whose work ran as an ongoing series called "La Vida". In August 2008, the Citizen won six awards from the National Newspaper Association based on the paper's first six months of reporting.
In mid-2008, a group of residents formed a limited liability company
with the intent of merging the Light and Citizen to create a single community-owned newspaper, but by the end of the year, could not come to terms with the Lights publisher on a price or the terms of the proposed buyout. The group, reconstituted as the Marin Media Alliance, focused its effort towards community ownership solely on the Citizen. The effort was not successful.
In October 2010, Hack retired as editor and publisher, turning the paper over to advertising director Linda Petersen.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, that covers the western region of Marin County. After a pilot edition, the paper published its first issue on July 5, 2007.
Joel Hack launched the Citizen in reaction to a change of ownership at the Point Reyes Light, a long-established, Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
-winning newspaper also based in Point Reyes Station. The change in regime had led to a different editorial tone, reliance on interns, as well as staff firings and defections. Hack characterized the Citizen as practicing "community service journalism". Former Light managing editor Jim Kravets was the paper's first editor.
Writing in the Columbia Journalism Review
Columbia Journalism Review
The Columbia Journalism Review is an American magazine for professional journalists published bimonthly by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism since 1961....
, Jonathan Rowe called the Citizen the "Light’s journalistic opposite—heavy on straight news and local opinion, and choc-a-bloc with meeting reports and other miscellany".
Contributors have included members of the local Latino Photography Project, whose work ran as an ongoing series called "La Vida". In August 2008, the Citizen won six awards from the National Newspaper Association based on the paper's first six months of reporting.
In mid-2008, a group of residents formed a limited liability company
Limited liability company
A limited liability company is a flexible form of enterprise that blends elements of partnership and corporate structures. It is a legal form of company that provides limited liability to its owners in the vast majority of United States jurisdictions...
with the intent of merging the Light and Citizen to create a single community-owned newspaper, but by the end of the year, could not come to terms with the Lights publisher on a price or the terms of the proposed buyout. The group, reconstituted as the Marin Media Alliance, focused its effort towards community ownership solely on the Citizen. The effort was not successful.
In October 2010, Hack retired as editor and publisher, turning the paper over to advertising director Linda Petersen.