David Zahniser Leaves the LAWeekly
Yes I know, the LAWeekly has a kind of avant-garde quality to it but over the last year it was seriously taking up the empty void created by the Los Angeles Times when the latter began its trek towards urban irrelevance.
David Zahniser – the Z-man of the Z-files, began steering the LAWeekly in a direction that replicated some serious journalism that hasn’t been seen in decades. he wrote topics few main stream media (MSM) reporters or their bureaus would touch. Some of those were:
- That’s Not Permitted – José Huizar ignored the law, expanded his house, then used insiders to make things okay;
- Powered by Payments – ACORN bills itself as grassroots, but it’s on the mayor’s payroll;
- School Board Money Frenzy – Massive cash gushing into campaigns backed by Villaraigosa could outdo the $2.3 million raised by Riordan;
- Revolving Door – Doling out dough to current and ex-girlfriends, Alarcón spent a small fortune to win a post he no longer wants;
- Targeting a Weiss Guy - Westside homeowners are furious with their pro-development city councilman;
- Urine Luck, L.A. Gangs! – Piddling programs – like teaching kids to install urinals – dominate Antonio’s plan to save the city’s youth;
- Do As We Say, Not As We Do – Smart growth’s biggest boosters still love suburban living. (A series of articles exposing the limits and failings of LA’s Smart Growth policies)
- Splitsville: Villaraigosa Spins his Wrecked Marriage – Watch out for whiplash;
- LAX Expansion Betrayal? - Thinking they’d won, Westsiders eyeball an even more intrusive runway plan;
- Failing the Smell Test – City claims Westside traffic will ease, thanks to two skyscraper condos;
- The Final Hours of Miguel Contreras – The 911 call said he went in for a card reading. But the death of the labor leader prompted a prostitution raid. What really went down at the botanica?
David Z, has moved on to the Los Angeles Times. clearly LAWeekly’s loss, and the Times gain but it remains to be seen if he’ll have the same sort of freedom to go after the cities sacred cows and policymakers or whether he’ll be reigned in by the papers editors.
WitnessLA.com writes
“David Zahniser, one of Los Angeles’ best journalists, gave notice Thursday and is headed to the L.A. Times to cover Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and local politics. For the past 18 months, he’s covered City Hall for the L.A. Weekly and written “The Z Files,” his column taking Antonio and others to task for occasional bouts of duplicity or otherwise putting their own interests ahead of the public.”
What makes David so valuable is his depth, commitment and intense desire to be first with a story–all attributes that describe a good reporter, but to the millionth degree in his case. He chases down leads on weekends, to every part of the city. If someone won’t return a phone call, expect to see David paying a special home visit. He’s jabbering on the phone – constantly, unless he’s in a city meeting, attending a press conference, grabbing coffee with a source, or writing.
This guy is no 9-to-fiver with weekends off. In a typical week, David will make at least 100 telephone calls. His best sources can expect several calls daily. No one works harder for a story tip, nor does anyone enjoy the pursuit of a story more than David, whose engaging, informed tone tames even the most reluctant sources. His insights and productivity earned him recognition as the best city hall reporter in a Los Angeles Magazine profile by RJ Smith last November.
If you can’t beat them, hire em. Hopefully this hire is a turnaround for the Los Angeles Times and not one of those acquisitions meant to continually stifle our faith in the media.
