Interesting. Provocative. Informative. Useful. Confrontational. Funny. Irreverent... These have been hallmarks of LEO Weekly through almost all of its 28 years, especially in the beginning. While other news media spend their time trying to catch each other — or be each other — LEO has watched from the stands, throwing bon mots, brickbats, backstories, bombs and bouquets. This space typically is for setting fires, but today we are using it to let you in on LEO’s plans and how we got here.
LEO may not always be first, but it always is more interesting. And it is about to get even more so.
LEO is hiring a staff writer.
(If you think you have what it takes, go to leoweekly.com/jobs)
So why do we need a staff writer? After all, we draw on many talented, passionate freelancers and experts in their fields, in addition to actual newsmakers. In no particular order, Kevin Gibson, Marty Rosen, Pam Platt, Robin Garr, Eli Keel, Michael L. Jones, Pip Pullen, Andrew Dewson, Michael C. Powell, Brent Owen, Marsha Lynch, Deena Lilygren, Syd Bishop, Tyrel Kessinger, Ricky L. Jones, Minda Honey, Chris Kenning, Chanelle Helm, Nicole Hardin, Kyle Meredith, Kelsey Westbrook, Erica Rucker, Meredith Harris, Holly Houston, Kurt X. Metzmeier, Dan Canon, Kristina Goetz, Anna Rohleder, Lara Kinne, Meredith Harris, Cassia Heron, Chris Hartman, Jecorey “1200” Arthur, Lee Choitner, Stuart Ungar, T.E. Lyons, Amanda Beam, Susan Reigler, Marc Murphy, Shane Peabody Powell, Michael Lindenberger, Bill Doolittle, Sarah Kelley, Scott Jennings, Sean Patrick Hill, Creig Ewing, Bob Hill, Chris Kolb, Krystal Moore, Griffin Paulin, Simon Meiners, Kate Sedgwick, Connor Spratt, Bob Ehalt, Marshae Smith, Walt Smith... our dear founder John Yarmuth... and many more.
Having a writer on staff will allow LEO to be more reactive to the breaking news, providing LEO’s unique perspective. Look for more investigative reporting, more web-exclusives and more analysis of our city.
Simply, a staff writer allows us to do much more...
And much more is what we hope you’ve noticed since LEO returned to publishing under the Yarmuth nameplate in 2014. We have rebuilt LEO to offer something for all, from small slices of interesting to larger pieces of important. LEO publishes what other local media will not, cannot or just haven’t thought about.
That includes essays (“White People” by Chanelle Helm) and opinion pieces from liberals and conservatives “Why Donald Trump and Matt Bevin’s Media Strategies Are Working” by Scott Jennings and “Bevin’s Servile Toadies, McCain Slur Very GOP… NBA Team Snake Oil” by Andrew Dewson and Pip Pullen).
News features: (“Local MMA — A Cage Fight, A Death... And Regrets” by Creig Ewing and “Racial Justice In Louisville In Black And White” by Anna Rohleder). They include breaking the story on Louisville’s application to be Amazon’s second headquarters.
Then, there was our package on people seeking sobriety because, well, we all think about it.
LEO owns LGBTQ coverage through its Modern page (“Elizabethtown, We Have An LGBTQ Problem” by Deena Lilygren) and cover stories (“Trans People Are On The Vanguard, Fighting From The Margins” by Kate Sedgwick). Behold a very LEO Valentine’s Day piece (by Eli Keel) on “When Love Is (Really) Complicated: Being Asexual, Aromantic, Demisexual”?
Big Brand X paper basically no longer covers arts, save for an occasional announcement of a new season or such. LEO runs theater reviews and comedian Q&As every week. Not just lists — actual stories (“Dramaturgy: The Secret Behind Great Theater” by Marty Rosen). Contributing Arts Editor Jo Anne Triplett provides the most visual arts coverage in the city (“Now Is The Time For A Woman Or Minority To Lead The Speed Art Museum.)
Brand X also cut back on music writing, but every week, LEO runs features (“With Calls for Diversity, is Forecastle Doing Enough?” by Syd Bishop and “The Personal Is Political: LGBTQ Community is On Cutting Edge of Local Punk” by Eli Keel), interviews, reviews and the latest entry, Sonic Breakdown, an explainer on a single song from a local artist.
LEO covers food and drink five ways, including Robin Garr’s must-eats and now Kevin Gibson’s I’d Tap That... Beer column.
Of course, LEO’s staff picks and Plugged In cut through the clutter to map your week.
Finally, LEO’s Ask Minda Honey, the only locally-produced, advice columnist, regularly bails out readers from such dilemmas as: “Help! I’m Obsessed With My Cheating Ex!”
See? LEO may not always be first, but it always is more interesting.
