May 11, 2006 at 13:13:29

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Great Speckled Memories

By Jonathan Springston, Posted by Matthew Cardinale (about the submitter)     Page 5 of 6 page(s)

opednews.com     Permalink

1972 and 1973 marked the time some original staffers began leaving The Bird to pursue political activities full-time.

New members came on board and began toning down the paper, both in layout and content, putting more emphasis on local news and investigative pieces. Female staffers had also begun to demand equal pay and opportunities, as the feminist movement grew stronger.

The death of Ausburn in 1972 also contributed to a more basic format. Clever graphics and sketches gave way to simpler drawings and more photographs.

The Midtown community was changing too. The hippies and the rest of the artistic community slowly departed the area, leaving mainly winos and dope peddlers, thus leaving the paper with fewer vendors.

The Bird tried putting the paper in more stores and purchasing several vending boxes at $35 to $40 a pop to boost sagging sales. This method created some success but the move was not extensive enough.

Falling finances forced staffers to work for free again. Financial issues forced the paper back to biweekly publication in 1973 and finally to monthly in 1976.

The Atlanta Gazette and Creative Loafing both launched in the mid-1970s, drained advertising from The Bird, and proved to be formidable competition.

Ominous signs of closure began looming in 1973 when staffers kicked around the idea of folding the paper before a last ditch effort was made to save The Bird.

Throughout 1976, staffers held benefit dinners, rummage sales, and asked for money and resources to save the paper but to no avail. October 1976 saw the last issue of The Bird published with the caveat that production would be suspended “indefinitely.”

Several other factors contributed to The Bird's demise in addition to those mentioned above. A lack of a political consensus and the heavy workload for little or no pay factored greatly in the decision. Staffers, after all, needed funds to eat and pay rent.

The Great Speckled Revival

In 1984, two separate groups tried to revive The Bird. One group was comprised of some original staffers while the other was comprised of newcomers. Lack of interest, misunderstandings, and lack of funding made for a short revival.

The third and latest reincarnation of The Bird was recently launched at the April 1, 2006, antiwar rally at Piedmont Park. This is the same day The Atlanta Progressive News print edition also debuted. In full disclosure, Barry Weinstock of The Bird currently does the printing for The Atlanta Progressive News.

Barry Weinstock, who helped print The Bird during the initial run and edited during the second run, is leading the latest charge to bring back the paper along with Tom Ferguson and Darlene Carra, both involved with the second Bird run.

Volunteers launched bird.thinkspeak.net to supplement the monthly publication.

Content includes international and national political news as well as some cartoons, letters, and stories from other writers who wish to send their work in to the paper for consideration.

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