Has Jill Stewart Ruined the L.A. Weekly — Or Made It Better?
The Nation doesn’t like the L.A. Weekly under Jill Stewart. Quoted as agreeing are Tim Rutten and a cast of other holier-than-thou types. I say she has improved it — and so do Matt Welch and Kate at Fishbowl L.A.
You can see what I think of the Weekly‘s relevance by comparing how often I used to link it (basically never) with how often I link it now. Whether it’s coverage of Tennie Pierce, Hector Marroquin, or the Stephen Yagman trial, the L.A. Weekly has been kicking the L.A. Times‘s behind all over the room on local stories for months now.
I freely admit that I have a bias. I am friendly with Jill and see her at the Yamashiro gatherings almost every month. But I praised Jill long before I ever met her; I seek out her company because I admire her, not the other way around. Scroll down this link and you’ll see the proof in several posts dating back to as early as 2003. She’s a fearless journalist who calls ’em the way she sees ’em, and she recognizes a good story when she sees it.
I think the Weekly is lucky to have her.