Media
Bad Ash Best Local Radio Personality
Local arts writer
- 1. Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress
He watches all the movies — or damn near all of them (let’s not forget Justin Souther) — so you don’t have to. Despite the nickname, Xpress’ own Ken “Cranky” Hanke is a delightful gent with an unquenchable yen for cinema. - 2. Alli Marshall, Mountain Xpress
- 3. Rebecca Sulock, Mountain Xpress
Local radio personality
- 1. Ashley "Bad Ash" Davis, 98.1 The River/105.9 The Mountain They don’t call her “Bad Ash” for nothin’. Perhaps Davis says it best on a staff profile on The Mountain’s Web site: “I don’t take any crap, period. I love to play pool and party. I’m always balls to the wall. There’s no in between, either nothing at all or to the extreme.”
- 2. Matt Mittan, 570 WWNC
- 3. Laura Blackley, 88.7 WNCW
- 3. Martin Anderson, 88.7 WNCW
Local radio station
- 1. WNCW 88.7
Spindale-based WNCW, a perennial favorite among Xpress readers, dials in thousands of listeners with an eclectic mix of news and tunes. From syndicated programs like World Café to locally produced gems like This Old Porch, the station’s offerings keep us coming back for more.
- 2. WCQS 88.1
- 3. 98.1 The River
Local print reporter
- 1. John Boyle, Asheville Citizen-Times Boyle, aka “The Answer Man,” is a self-effacing wiseacre who’s also a heck of a reporter and columnist. Contacted with the news of his win, he remarked: “I'm pleasantly surprised and a bit humbled, really, but I'm still going to ask for one big-ass raise — or just to keep my job.”
- 2. Susan Reinhardt, Asheville Citizen-Times
- 3. Jason Sandford, Mountain Xpress
Local blog
- 1. Ashvegas ashvegas.squarespace.com Want the cyber-skinny on what’s moving and shaking in Asheville? Look no farther than Ashvegas, an oft-updated blog by veteran local journalist (and Xpress multimedia editor) Jason Sandford. Probing and profiling all things Asheville, the site is one more reason that what happens in Ashvegas, doesn’t stay in Ashvegas.
- 2. Scrutiny Hooligans scrutinyhooligans.us
- 3. Edgy Mama edgymama.com
- 3. My Life in Cake shortstreetcakes.blogspot.com
Local Twitterer
- 1. Jeff Fobes (@fobes) Some 11 months after he started using Twitter — the micro-blogging program that lets you send out 140-character dispatches with abandon — Mountain Xpress publisher Jeff Fobes has Tweeted and re-Tweeted more that 9,000 news bits. He’s also spearheaded Xpress’ Twitter experiments and innovations, enlisting citizen journalists in the mix.
- 2. Bruisin' Ales/Julie Atallah (@bruisinales)
- 2. Jose Ibarra (@h0zae)
- 3. Diamond Thieves Body Piercing (@DiamondThieves1)
- 3. Wendy Lou
(@ itswendylou)
Local Web site
- 1. Mountain Xpress www.mountainx.com Aw, shucks — we’re blushing. And we’re really proud of Xpress Webmaster Jason Shope and Web Assistant Patrick Conant. These guys don’t stop — and you should see what they’re working on now!
- 2. Ashvegas ashvegas.squarespace.com
- 3. Asheville Now www.ashevillenow.com
- 3. Ashville Citizen-Times www.citizen-times.com
Most overreported story
- 1. Death of Michael Jackson R.I.P., M.J. We’ll say no more.
- 2. URTV
- 3. Swine flu
Most underreported story
- 1. Local crime
- 1. Health care/insurance/reform Xpress hears your cry: Look for more coverage of these issues in the year to come.
- 2. Education-budget cuts
- 2. Death of Farrah Fawcett
- 3. Local economy
- 3. Homelessness
- 3. The long-in-the-works Pack Square Park
Free newspaper other than Xpress
- 1. take 5 www.take5online.com Tucked into each Thursday edition of the Asheville Citizen-Times, take 5 offers a quick but wide-reaching survey of the entertainment week ahead.
- 2. WNC Woman www.wnc-woman.com
- 2. Bold Life www.boldlife.com
- 3. Blue Ridge Outdoors www.blueridgeoutdoors.com
- 3. New Life Journal Gone, but not forgotten
Favorite feature in Xpress
- 1. Asheville Disclaimer
- 1. News of the Weird One’s a nationally syndicated column of weird-but-true stories. The other’s a homegrown parody page that makes local life seem a whole lot funnier.
- 2. Cranky Hanke/movie reviews
- 3. Free Will Astrology
Least-favorite feature in Xpress
- 1. Asheville Disclaimer Evidently the “Finest Page in All the Land” is not for everyone.
- 2. Edgy Mama
- 3. Cranky Hanke/movie reviews
Feature Xpress needs to add
- 1. Local sports We cede part of this beat to other publications, but we’re still in the game: Look for Xpress to keep reporting on outdoor and quirky sports.
- 2. Advice column
- 2. Savage Love
- 3. More puzzles
- 3. Gay/lesbian news
