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[SOUTHERN
VOICE
Managing Editor
Christina Cash
Photo Editor
Pamela J. Cole
Advertising
Jessi McVay
Assistant Managing Editor
Chris Duncan
Production/Design
Sharon Blalock
Calendar Editor
Candace Wiggins
STAFF
John Blizzard, A1 Cotton, Mark duPont, John Frame, Jr.,Terry Francis, F.G.,
Andrea Getty,John Kappers, Kay Ix)ve, Rhonda Mensen, Terry Moffett,
Wendy Morse, Tia Nikolopoulas, Keith Robinson,Elena Rutter, David Strawn,
Candace Wiggins, Leigh VanderEls
General Policy
Southern Voice is published by SAME (Southeastern Arts, Media and Education Project,
Inc.) which is a non-profit corporation with offices at 1083 Austin Ave., Atlanta, GA 30307.
All material in Southern Voice is protected by federal copyright law and may not be
reproduced without the written consent of the Managing Editor.
The views of Southern Voice are expressed only in the editorial columns or in the editor's
notes. Opinions expressed are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinion
of Southern Voice or the publisher.
The sexual orientation of advertisers, photographers, cartoonists, and writers published
herein is neither inferred nor implied. The appearance of names or pictorial representations
does not necessarily indicate the sexual orientation of that person or persons.
Advertising is subject to the approval of Southern Voice and the publisher. Although
Southern Voice appreciates its advertisers, we cannot accept responsibility for claims made.
Services and products are not tested and appearance of advertising does not imply, nor does it
constitute, endorsement by Southern Voice. Advertising rates and conditions are available
upon request.
Southern Voice welcomes unsolicited material, including letters to the editor, but reserves
the right to edit or reject any material submitted. All rights revert to authors upon publication.
Unsolicited manuscripts not accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope cannot be
returned. Address all correspondence to: Southern Voice, P.O. Box 54719, Atlanta, GA
30308.
Southern Voice is funded in part by Chicago Resource Center and Fund for Southern
Communities.
Kovach Is Gone - Bring in the Clowns
Southern Voice is saddened and angered by the resignation of Bill Kovach, editor
since December,1986 of The Atlanta Journal/Constitution. Kovach, a progressive
journalist, nurtured Cox Enterprises-owned twin papers into Pulitzer-prize
publications in less than two years. He gave Atlanta honest and hard-hitting
journalism not seen by Atlanta readers in more than twenty years. And he showed
respect for the city-for all of the people of Atlanta-not just the white ones, the male
ones, the rich ones, or the heterosexual ones.
Grizzard and his good ole buddies are a
blight on Atlanta-they stand for everything
wrong with humankind, and with Southern
humankind in particular.
Kovach, on the other hand, stands for the
New South. He sees Atlanta for what it
is-an international and diverse city which
has historically symbolized the more
progressive, the more open mind of the
South. He sees what's right with it and
what's wrong with it It was probably his
view of what's wrong with it that got him
the boot. He was not afraid to rattle the
cages of powerful figures to get to the truth
and he wasn't afraid to print it.
Cox Enterprises, it seems, does not want
that kind of publication. At least not at the
expense of losing advertising dollars or
having their friends "upset" because Kovach
had the audacity to get too close to the truth.
No, Cox does not want to rock anybody's
boat, to lose anyone's money, or to publish a
paper that makes powerful people
uncomfortable.
Cox wants to give you an Atlanta USA
Today. They want to give you pretty
pictures, colorful graphics and very short
articles about absolutely nothing. They
think that's what you need, what you
deserve-and what you want They feel like
Grizzard does-that you are tired of reading
articles about dying African babies.
Cox/Grizzard wants to "protect" you from
these horrors. And Cox's caretaking is
going to cost the people of Atlanta the most
honest and conscientious mainstream paper
they've ever had. They don't really want
you to know anything. And that's why Bill
Kovach is no longer the editor of A/C. Not
because he had disagreements over the way
the D.C. bureau should be run.
We lost an ally when we lost Bill
Kovach.Be prepared for more of Grizzard,
more of Williams and more of the same old,
tired old journalism that Cox has delivered
in the past.
It's a pity, it's a great loss, it's a damn
crying shame.
Sum of the Parts
Southern Voice winning the GAP AC first annual Impact Award means more than just a
round of back slapping here at the office. Firstly, sharing the award with the Georgia Aids
Legislative Coalition places us in good company. It's been a pleasure following their efforts
and successes.
For the multitudes of volunteer writers, photographers, distributors, production people
and non-descript saviors, know that you are the cohesive element-the grease in the machine-
for this organization.
Without SAME there would be no Southern Voice. We'd like to recognize the board of
SAME for their farsightedness, and Rebecca Ranson and Gary Kaupman for their daily
commentary, advice and wisdom.
Finally, for the readers, without whom there'd be no purpose behind this paper. You are
our reason for being, our ends to our means and our collective conscious in matters of
editorial decisions. Thank you.
What next? This award confirms the basic principles that founded Southern Voice. You
can expect us to expand on a winning theme, bringing you more of the information that
effects your life.
To get the full impact of why the loss
of Bill Kovach is so disheartening and so
critical, consider this: Lewis Grizzard is
jumping for joy over Kovach's departure.
And he's holding hands with Dick Williams,
who's jumping just as high. You know Dick
don't you? He's the confused little man who
wrote in last Saturday's edition of the AJC
that homosexuals are synonymous with
pedophiles. He's the man who thinks
Hardwick v Bowers was a wise decision.
AND he's the man who for the past two
years has curbed his homophobic rantings.
JO GIRAUDO
Former JoumaUConstitution Editor
Bill Kovach.
Could there possibly be a connection
between Kovach's presence in the past two
years and Williams' silence? Hmmm.
Williams and Grizzard (what a combo),
as Pat Conroy reminded us in his speech,
represent the South-the Atlanta-that those
of us with any consciousness would like to
forget The Old South of bigotry, of
woman-hating, of violence and of decay.
Impact of Voice is
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