L.I.A.Q.: Least Infrequently Asked Questions
What is your circulation, coverage & distribution area?
We deliver 15,000 copies––10,000 to homes, 5,000 to cafes––across roughly 100 city blocks. Home delivery is mostly concentrated in the Upper Haight, and we branch out to shops along Divisadero, in North of Panhandle, Lower Haight and Cole Valley. See The Beat’s Haight Ashbury Map
What is The Beat’s mission? (Usually put: “Why do you pullout your hair every month?”)
The Haight Ashbury, though a bustling shopping district & tourist area, is a true neighborhood––with familiar faces, gorgeous back yards, active citizens… While you could write a whole book on whether the spirit of the 1960s is still here, people living here today are doing new things and making the present an awfully interesting place in space-time… Somebody’s got to help these folks talk to each other––and document their history––and right now, The Beat is blessed to be serving that purpose.
How old is the paper?
The Beat began in December 2003, and was originally part of the San Francisco Observer group of newspapers. We have been independent and solo since July 2005. We are still a member of the San Francisco Neighborhood Newspaper Association, an organization that handles group advertising for community newspapers: www.sfnna.com
Who writes the crime log?
We’ve seen lower-ranking officers bristle when Park District Captain John Ehrlich gets credit for the whimsical blotter, so it seems like it’s a collaborative effort. The captain’s byline is on the column––maybe we shouldn’t give him all the glory… The crime log is the most-read feature in the paper, though some readers feel it’s too sarcastic when referring to punishments that befall street folk. The officers at Park Station seem like a compassionate bunch, so we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. But we welcome letters and submissions from those who take issue with the log…
Why is the paper named The Beat when that group of poets was centered in North Beach? Or does the name simply refer to the newspaper term?
Our research department is currently investigating this. True, the Beats’ energy did inspire and help provide the foundation for the hippies (“Beatnik plus LSD = hippie” says Diamond Dave Whitaker). And true, beat is journalism jargon––and a policing term, as well of course. Bottom line is the current mismanagement did not name the paper, so this is all speculation on our part, too.
In truth, not one person has posed this question to us. Shame on you.
What is the capital of Washington, DC?
That’s a trick question. But we’d have to say Cleveland Park.
Is your headquarters really in the Magnolia Brewpub?
That is a slight exaggeration.
How can I get involved?
How can’t you get involved? We could benefit from any number of talents. Reporters, columnists, photographers, designers, cartoonists, web-savvy folks, copyeditors––you name it, we need it.
Or, start small, and simply write us a letter to the editor about a neighborhood issue that’s close to your heart.
email us to let us know how you’d like to help out:
jbates (at) haightbeat.com
