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June 5, 2007
Kroger removes gay newspaper
Updated 8:53 p.m. with statement from Kroger The City Paper today reported that Nashville area Kroger stores have yanked Out & About, a local newspaper serving the GLBT community, from distribution racks at 34 area stores. DistribuTech, the distribution company paid by Out & About to distribute the free paper in rented space at retail stores, told Out & About publisher Jerry Jones that Kroger had requested a review of the paper's distribution contract.According to The City Paper, "On Monday, Kroger spokesperson Melissa Eads said in a statement that the papers were removed in accordance with a company policy of not offering publications that serve political or other agendas."Jones, publisher of Out & About, told The Charlotte Parker in an email: "The publication was picked up by DistribuTech on May 31. We had already gone through more than 3,500 copies in the Kroger and Harris Teeter stores and we had hoped that within six months we would be going through several thousand.' "We have not heard back from DistribuTech on the outcome of this, however based on the emails our readers are receiving from Kroger, they indicate that there never was a reevaluation going on, they just wanted us out of their stores.' "Middle Tennessee is made up of great fair minded people who want and should have access to our newspaper. We provide an excellent source of news, politics, business, arts and entertainment and featues that no other publication provides. It's important that we have the ability to reach as many fair minded people as possible and distribution through Kroger was and is one of those ways. It's expensive to rent those racks, but we were willing to meet that expense so that a greater number of people would be able to read the news and information that we produce." Eads provided the following statement from Kroger: "Kroger strives to be a store for the entire community and that necessitates remaining neutral on many issues. We think this is a fair approach to everyone. The free publication racks in many Kroger stores are managed by an outside organization that arranges distribution agreements with individual publications. We have had a long-standing policy in place that prohibits the third-party from distributing publications that promote political, religious or other specific agendas. If a publication is offered that does not meet the guidelines mentioned above, we do ask the distributor to remove it. That is what recently happened when this publication was placed on our free rack. We believe adhering to a neutral, fair policy regarding free publications is the right approach." Several readers of The City Paper have posted opinions on that paper's site. Out & About has reported on the story online, including correspondence between the paper and Kroger. Channel 4 and NewsChannel 5 also have covered the story.
Posted by Paige Clancy
at 9:13 AM
3 Comment(s) - click here to comment:
Steve Thurston said...
Good posting, Paige. You've missed a couple days but are back with a vengeance. Good for you. I'm thinking we're going to have to find/develop a "neighborhood bloggers" convention; in some really cool neighborhood somewhere.Meliora,Steve Thurstonbuckinghamheraldtrib.blogspot.com
June 5, 2007 10:40 AM
Paige Clancy said...
Thank you, Steve! May I suggest a "block party" type of convention, here in Charlotte Park?! I predict a big debate over who has the coolest neighborhood.
June 5, 2007 10:45 AM
DallasDeckard said...
Good job, Kroger! Someone needs to draw the line somewhere. If people want to live a gay lifestyle, then by all means they have the freedom to do so, but it doesn't need to be jammed down everyone else's throat 24/7. There are sufficient outlets for gays to disseminate their literature, the local Kroger doesn't need to do so.
July 6, 2008 7:54 PM
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June 5, 2007
Kroger removes gay newspaper
Updated 8:53 p.m. with statement from Kroger The City Paper today reported that Nashville area Kroger stores have yanked Out & About, a local newspaper serving the GLBT community, from distribution racks at 34 area stores. DistribuTech, the distribution company paid by Out & About to distribute the free paper in rented space at retail stores, told Out & About publisher Jerry Jones that Kroger had requested a review of the paper's distribution contract.According to The City Paper, "On Monday, Kroger spokesperson Melissa Eads said in a statement that the papers were removed in accordance with a company policy of not offering publications that serve political or other agendas."Jones, publisher of Out & About, told The Charlotte Parker in an email: "The publication was picked up by DistribuTech on May 31. We had already gone through more than 3,500 copies in the Kroger and Harris Teeter stores and we had hoped that within six months we would be going through several thousand.' "We have not heard back from DistribuTech on the outcome of this, however based on the emails our readers are receiving from Kroger, they indicate that there never was a reevaluation going on, they just wanted us out of their stores.' "Middle Tennessee is made up of great fair minded people who want and should have access to our newspaper. We provide an excellent source of news, politics, business, arts and entertainment and featues that no other publication provides. It's important that we have the ability to reach as many fair minded people as possible and distribution through Kroger was and is one of those ways. It's expensive to rent those racks, but we were willing to meet that expense so that a greater number of people would be able to read the news and information that we produce." Eads provided the following statement from Kroger: "Kroger strives to be a store for the entire community and that necessitates remaining neutral on many issues. We think this is a fair approach to everyone. The free publication racks in many Kroger stores are managed by an outside organization that arranges distribution agreements with individual publications. We have had a long-standing policy in place that prohibits the third-party from distributing publications that promote political, religious or other specific agendas. If a publication is offered that does not meet the guidelines mentioned above, we do ask the distributor to remove it. That is what recently happened when this publication was placed on our free rack. We believe adhering to a neutral, fair policy regarding free publications is the right approach." Several readers of The City Paper have posted opinions on that paper's site. Out & About has reported on the story online, including correspondence between the paper and Kroger. Channel 4 and NewsChannel 5 also have covered the story.
Posted by Paige Clancy
at 9:13 AM
3 Comment(s) - click here to comment:
Steve Thurston said...
Good posting, Paige. You've missed a couple days but are back with a vengeance. Good for you. I'm thinking we're going to have to find/develop a "neighborhood bloggers" convention; in some really cool neighborhood somewhere.Meliora,Steve Thurstonbuckinghamheraldtrib.blogspot.com
June 5, 2007 10:40 AM
Paige Clancy said...
Thank you, Steve! May I suggest a "block party" type of convention, here in Charlotte Park?! I predict a big debate over who has the coolest neighborhood.
June 5, 2007 10:45 AM
DallasDeckard said...
Good job, Kroger! Someone needs to draw the line somewhere. If people want to live a gay lifestyle, then by all means they have the freedom to do so, but it doesn't need to be jammed down everyone else's throat 24/7. There are sufficient outlets for gays to disseminate their literature, the local Kroger doesn't need to do so.
July 6, 2008 7:54 PM
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