Over a week ago, Ciaran McEvoy told me that the LA Weekly gave Steven Mikulan his walking papers on October 9th.
(This is a very belated entry because this is the same day that Mr. Sprocket got laid off from his new job and not only have I been trying to finish sewing orders, I've been busy helping him try to find jobs in his field~which are very scarce at the moment.)
This was sad news for the LA Weekly, where Mikulan had worked for 25 years as a theatre critic and later, reporting on local politics and high profile trials.
LA Observed was the first to announce Mikulan's firing.
Marc Cooper praises Mikulan's writing. Peter Hong of the LA Times left the following comment there:
"Steve Mikulan’s trial stories read like a Los Angeles version of Murray Kempton’s dramatic courtroom storytelling. His reports from the Phil Spector trial were gutsy and lucid. Steve, by his example, pushed others in the mass market press corps to be more ambitious — precisely what an alternative press guy is supposed to do, right ?"
I spoke to Kevin Douglas Grant, senior editor at Neo Tommy about how I met Steven and through him, the great group of journalists I got to sit with at the first Phil Spector trial.
I wish Steven the best. He is one of the finest writers I've ever had the pleasure to meet.
UPDATE:
Steven is now writing for The Wrap. Here is his latest piece on the Anna Nicole Smith drama, the preliminary hearing of Howard K. Stern and doctors Khristine Eroshevich and Sandeep Kapoor on drug charges.
Monday, October 19, 2009
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5 comments:
It is incredible the way the news media in this country has had to blood-let the past couple years, with more to come. His "Phil Noir" pieces were the best. And journalists at the local level don't make a lot of money, I have known a couple.
Meanwhile, did you know that the Spector PR guy has been relieved of his duties also? This according to the myspace/teamspector page, which also posts some blasts at Rachelle, as well as a devastating review of the BBC documentary "The Agony and Ectasy of Phil Spector". Both the film maker and his subject are trashed in the review which was taken from the respected journal The Hollywood Reporter.
Wes J.
Hi Sprocket-
just to let you know we've been at the preliminary hearing every day so let me know if you need any info.
Katie
I'm sorry they had to let him go, tough times in the press.
I'm happy he's landed a new job.
Steve's one terrific writer.
I wasn't always wild about his coverage of the Spector trial, but I am glad he's landed on his feet.
Many people would really like to hear more information from what is going on in the preliminary hearing.
Unfortunately news coverage has gotten more and more scant.
Most of the places are just picking up the AP version by Linda Deutsch as to what is going on. That is truly sad considering how questionable her reporting is, there are so many things in her reports that can be pointed out as incorrect.
I remember how questionable her reporting was during the first Spector trial where I could watch for myself.
JMO
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