Press Releases
Bay Windows and South End News announce hiring of new editor
Posted On: 01/16/2008
Bay Windows and South End News co-publishers Sue O'Connell and Jeff Coakley are pleased to announce that Laura Kiritsy has been named editor-in-chief for both newspapers. Former editor Susan Ryan-Vollmar will formally step down next week to take a position with the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation.
Kiritsy has been with the company since 2000. In 2002 she was named Associate Editor. Kiritsy's tenure has been distinguished with important coverage of Beacon Hill politics. During the 2004 Constitutional Convention - the first of many to deal with the issue of civil marriage rights - Kiritsy broke the news of state Rep. Cheryl Coakley-Rivera's decision to come out publicly. She also broke the news of state Rep. Gene O'Flaherty and state Rep. John Rogers's decisions to oppose any attempts to amend the state constitution to ban the marriages of same-sex couples. Her ongoing coverage of the New Hampshire presidential primary received national attention.
In 2004 she was awarded the Sarah Petit Memorial Award for Excellence in LGBT Media by the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association. She also holds three awards for excellence in coverage of social issues and general news from the New England Press Association.
"Laura is uniquely qualified to edit both of our newspapers," said co-publisher Jeff Coakley. "Her work is a critical component of what we do, and we're looking forward to what she will accomplish with both papers and their websites."
"Her weekly column on politics is a must-read for local activists and political insiders," said co-publisher Sue O'Connell, who added that Kiritsy planned to continue writing the column.
Kiritsy said she was "honored" to be named editor-in-chief of Bay Windows and South End News. "I look forward to continuing the tradition of commitment to quality community journalism that has long distinguished both papers."
Ryan-Vollmar was editor-in-chief of both papers for three years. During that time Bay Windows and South End News won 14 editorial awards from the New England Press Association including a special award for Bay Windows's extensive coverage of the civil marriage rights debate.
"Susan Ryan-Vollmar raised the bar on what could be accomplished by a small, independently-owned publication covering a crucial local issue - gay marriage - that also held national importance," said O'Connell. "Her work on the historic same-sex marriage battle was the best in the country."
Bay Windows is New England's largest weekly newspaper serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. South End News is a general-interest newspaper serving the South End neighborhood in Boston.
Bay Windows acquires stake in EDGE Publications
Posted On: 10/31/2006
Bay Windows Inc. and EDGE Publications Inc. today announced a strategic partnership, cementing a relationship between New England's two largest publications for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) community.
Bay Windows is one of the country's most recognized GLBT brands, delivering high-caliber news and entertainment coverage to New England for over 25 years; combined with EDGE, a network of GLBT local online magazines that deliver eight major channels of local and national coverage to over 550,000 readers per month in major cities across the Northeast US, the new chain of publications in print and on the web will offer readers a definitive resource for news and entertainment coverage.
"The Bay Windows/EDGE connection strengthens two well-established, respected brands," said Bay Windows co-publisher Sue O'Connell. "We have some truly exciting plans for the next evolution of gay media."
As part of the new partnership, Bay Windows has taken a substantial equity position in EDGE's corporation, and O'Connell as well as co-publisher Jeff Coakley will oversee a range of new marketing and advertising sales promotions.
"Our advertisers will enjoy a whole new menu of value-added, cross-media opportunities," stated Coakley. "There can be no doubt that leveraging integrated advertising across both EDGE and Bay Windows will deliver the most comprehensive gay and lesbian audience available in New England."
EDGE offers local online portals in Boston, Providence, Provincetown, New York and Philadelphia; as the company continues to expand into new metropolitan areas, both media organizations will expand their reader bases.
"We couldn't be more thrilled about the opportunities this presents," said David Foucher, EDGE's publisher. "Our teams have been collaborative in the past; this partnership expands our horizons together."
Bay Windows takes four NEPA Awards
Posted On: 2/14/2006
Bay Windows was honored with four awards from the New England Press Association at the organization's annual awards ceremony Feb. 11. Ethan Jacobs collected three awards and the paper was honored for its coverage of Pope John Paul II's death.
Jacobs took third place in Government Reporting for a story about how changes in federal funding of sexual education could impact the state's heath ed curricula (see "Will Abstinence-Only Funding Hamper State's Sex Ed Curricula?" Oct. 14, 2004). He won a second place award in Social Issue Feature Reporting for a story about the issues facing LGBT parents trying to find welcoming schools for their children (see "Public, Private . . . Or Parochial?" March 3, 2005). And he won first place for his coverage of Boston's gay nightlife scene (see "Club Dead?" Feb. 3, 2005). Judges praised Jacobs's story as a "lively read" and noted that it "[f]ulfills a key goal of any alternative weekly - or any news outlet for that matter: Tackling issue that are highly relevant to readers."
The paper's April 7, 2005 coverage of Pope John Paul II's death won a third place Special Award. That issue included criticism of the mainstream media coverage of the pope's death, interviews with LGBT Catholics about their hopes for a new pope and a timeline of the Church's increasingly restrictive attitude toward gay Catholics under Pope John Paul II. Judges wrote: "A newspaper must be courageous, especially a newspaper serving an advocacy function for a niche audience. Bay Windows showed its courage by taking the rest of the media to task for ignoring an important issue in laudatory coverage of the death of Pope John Paul II."
Bay Windows is New England's largest LGBT publication according to Verified Audit. In addition to the New England Press Association, the paper is also a member of the National Gay Newspaper Guild. Bay Windows has won awards for Best Small Business from the Greater Boston Business Council and a National Lesbian and Gay Journalist Association award for feature writing. The paper is published each Thursday.
Bay Windows confirmed as New England's largest GLBT newspaper
Posted On: 2/14/2006
Verified Audit Circulation, the nation's leading newspaper circulation auditing firm, has confirmed that Bay Windows is the largest newspaper serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities in Boston and New England.
The numbers speak for themselves. In data culled from Publishers Statements, as compiled by Verified Audit, Bay Windows has a weekly circulation of 20,088 while the number two newspaper in the market distributes over 4,000 less newspapers each week (15,963).
"We are please that Verified Audit has been able to confirm what we've known for many years: not only is Bay Windows the most respected GLBT news source in the region, but that it is also the most widely read," said co-publisher Sue O‚Connell.
"Now that the audit is complete I'm sure our advertisers are even more pleased with their decision to reach the GLBT community through Bay Windows," added co-publisher Jeff Coakley.
View specific data from Verified Audit.
About Bay Windows:
Bay Windows is New England's largest publication for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender readers. For more than two decades, Bay Windows has brought its readers award-winning articles and editorials on everything from the AIDS crisis to the Vermont civil union and Massachusetts marriage battles. Established in 1983 by founding publisher Sasha Alyson, Bay Windows was sold in 1985 to James Hoover. In 2003, co-publishers Jeff Coakley and Sue O'Connell acquired the newspaper from Hoover.
Tooting our horn
Posted On: 2/10/2005
Bay Windows was honored at last weekend's New England Press Association Awards. Associate Editor Laura Kiritsy won second place for her coverage of the May 17 start to same-sex marriages in Massachusetts. Judges praised her "succinct, solid reporting of a historic happening." Bay Windows also won first place for last year's "It Takes Two" wedding guide supplement (you can find this year's version in this week's issue). "Excellent coverage both editorially and in advertisements," judges wrote. "Excellenttreatment of a controversial issue." The paper also won second place for "In Paper Circulation Promotion" for its Stop & Shop distribution promo.
Bay Windows and the South End News Announce New Editor
Posted on: January 4, 2005
Susan Ryan-Vollmar has been named editor-in-chief of Bay Windows and the South End News. Ryan-Vollmar replaces Andrew Rapp who announced his resignation in November.
Bay Windows is New England's largest weekly newspaper serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered communities. The South End News is a general interest newspaper serving Boston's South End.
"Outside of my children, I have two obsessions: gay politics and city politics," said Ryan-Vollmar. "I couldn't have designed a better job for myself."
"We are thrilled to have Susan join the company," said co-publisher Sue O'Connell. "Massachusetts is ground zero in the national debate over gay marriage. We want our coverage to be a must read for everyone interested in the issue."
"The South End is Boston's most vibrant and diverse neighborhood," said co-publisher Jeff Coakley. "Susan brings the vision and skill necessary to best serve this community,"
Ryan-Vollmar was news editor of the Boston Phoenix for five years from 1999 until this past August. She was also a staff reporter for Bay Windows in the
mid-1990s. She holds a master's degree in print journalism from Boston University and taught journalism at Northeastern University as an adjunct professor this past fall. She lives in West Roxbury with her partner and their two daughters.
Bay Windows' Associate Editor wins journalism award
Posted On: 9/16/2004
Bay Windows is proud to announce that Associate Editor Laura Kiritsy has been awarded the Sarah Pettit Memorial Award for Excellence in LGBT Media by the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA). Kiritsy was recognized for her outstanding writing and reporting, particularly on the past year's historic events surrounding same-sex marriage in Massachusetts.
The NLGJA is a national organization of GLBT journalists working in all forms of media. The organization annually presents its Excellence in Journalism Awards to recognize exceptional work by journalists. The Sarah Pettit Memorial Award for Excellence in LGBT Media honors the respected journalist who died Jan. 21, 2003 at the age of 36. Pettit was a senior editor for arts and entertainment at Newsweek and was a pioneering figure in GLBT media. She co-founded Out magazine, served as its editor-in-chief and vice president, and was the arts editor for the now defunct weekly news magazine OutWeek.
Kiritsy has worked at Bay Windows since 2000, serving first as a staff reporter and in her current role as associate editor, where she oversees the paper's news section. She will receive her award at an October 4 ceremony to be held at the Mark Taper Auditorium in Los Angeles.
Bay Windows publishes nation's largest gay and lesbian wedding planning guide
Posted On: 5/20/2004
On Thursday May 20, 2004, Bay Windows, the largest New England newspaper serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community, published It Takes Two, the largest Gay and Lesbian Wedding Planning Guide ever published in the United States.
The special supplement to Bay Windows is 64 pages and contains advertisements from over 85 companies, including Shreve, Crump & Low, Hyatt Hotels, Holiday Inn and Legal Sea Foods
"It Takes Two is a natural evolution from our weekly in-paper wedding planner," said Jeff Coakley, co-publisher. "When the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court made their ruling on November 17, 2003 in favor of same-sex civil marriage, our phone started ringing with inquiries from wedding planners about how to reach the gay and lesbian community. The in-paper section was in response to that need."
"Once again, business is leading the way on gay and lesbian civil rights" said Sue O'Connell, co-publisher. "Just as corporate America was more progressive than the government when it came to granting domestic partnership benefits, these businesses are doing their part by extending a warm invitation to our community".
Both Coakley and O'Connell noted that the increased ad revenue has allowed Bay Windows to devote more resources to cover the same sex civil marriage issue.
Bay Windows Editor, Andrew Rapp, noted that "It Takes Two serves two purposes. First, it provides same sex couples who plan to marry a resource book of gay-friendly providers in the wedding industry. Because most gay couples have not planned a wedding before, finding the right businesses for their special day is an exciting challenge."
"Second, it commemorates this historic event for all gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender citizens of Massachusetts. The victory celebrated on May 17 is not only a victory for those who can now marry, it is a victory for all of the community members who worked to bring equality to our state's marriage laws."
Bay Windows and the South End News Announce New Ownership
Posted On: 8/14/2003
Sue O'Connell and Jeff Coakley have acquired local publications Bay Windows, New England's largest newspaper serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered community, and the South End News. O'Connell and Coakley will serve as co-publishers, actively involved in day to day operations. Andrew Rapp will remain as editor-in-chief of both weekly newspapers.
"After serving as associate publisher of both publications for the past five years, I am thrilled to carry on the torch in a new capacity," said Sue O'Connell. "I look forward to building on our past successes."
O'Connell's publishing career began at The Boston Phoenix. She is also the host of "One in Ten," the award-winning weekly radio show focusing on issues relating to the gay and lesbian community heard each Sunday in New England on the FNX Radio Network.
Coakley has spent the majority of his career in publishing, serving primarily in management roles for various directory and newspaper publishers. He served as the Director of Classified Advertising at The Boston Phoenix for several years. Coakley was also part of the original management team at The Boston Globe's Boston.com.
"This opportunity fulfills one of my life's dreams, and I am proud to take on the role of publisher of two of the best community newspapers in America," said Jeff Coakley. "Sue and I share the same vision for how to make these newspapers an even more vital resource to the communities they serve."
Veteran publisher James Hoover spent twenty years managing the day to day operations of both publications. He has sold the publications to O'Connell and Coakley and will remain involved on an advisory level.
For biographies of Sue O'Connell and Jeff Coakley, see below. For photos, please email soconnell@baywindows.com
About Bay Windows
Bay Windows, New England's largest gay and lesbian newspaper, is a member of the National Gay Newspaper Guild, National Newspaper Association and New England Press Association. Bay Windows has won awards for Best Small Business from the Greater Boston Business Council; a NEPA (New England Press Association) award for arts feature and editorial; and a National Lesbian and Gay Journalist Association award for feature writing. Bay Windows publishes each Thursday. For more information, call 617-266-6670.
About the South End News
The South End News is a general interest newspaper serving the South End neighborhood in Boston. The South End News has won a NEPA (New England Press Association) award for general excellence, spot news and a community recognition award from the South End Neighborhood Crime Watch. The South End News publishes each Thursday. For more information, call 617-266-6670.
Jeff Coakley Bio
Jeff Coakley is the co-publisher of Bay Windows, New England's largest newspaper serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered community, and the South End News, a general interest newspaper serving the South End neighborhood in Boston.
Coakley has spent the majority of his 18-year career in publishing, serving primarily in management roles for various directory and newspaper publishers. For several years he served as the Director of Classified Advertising at The Boston Phoenix. While there he, along with Sue O'Connell, created and managed "One In Ten," a monthly supplement established to address the issues of the Phoenix's gay and lesbian readers.
From there he joined the Boston Globe where he was part of the original management team at Boston.com, the Globe's successful website. He was responsible for online product development and was instrumental in creating Boston.com's Help Wanted, Real Estate and Automotive sections. He also directed the advertising sales activities of these popular online sections.
For many years Coakley has been actively involved in Boston's gay and lesbian community. He recently served as co-chair of the 2003 Fenway Community Health Men's Event, a record-setting fundraiser that attracted over 1,500 people and raised a quarter of a million dollars.
Coakley is a graduate of Babson College with a Bachelor's Degree in Entrepreneurial Studies. A Woburn, MA native, he now lives in Boston with his partner Gregg.
Sue O'Connell Bio
Sue O'Connell is the co-publisher of Bay Windows, New England's largest newspaper serving the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered community, and the South End News, a general interest newspaper serving the South End neighborhood in Boston.
She is also the co-host of "One in Ten," the award-winning weekly radio talk show focusing on issues relating to the gay and lesbian community heard each Sunday in New England on the FNX Radio Network.
In the early '90s, O'Connell moved to publishing, becoming the entertainment sales manager for The Boston Phoenix. She was also a columnist for the print version of "One in Ten." In 1998, she joined Bay Windows/South End News as associate publisher.
O'Connell began her career as music director at KISS-108 (WXKS-FM), and later as program director at WBOS. She has also had stints in the music business, serving as New England promotion manager for A&M Records and Geffen Records.
She received her Bachelor's Degree in Mass Communication from Emerson College.
Known as a community activist since the '80's, O'Connell has served on the national board of governors for the Human Rights Campaign and volunteered at the Boston AIDS Action Committee and the Fenway Community Health Center.
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