San Francisco Bay Guardian

Infobox Newspaper
name =


caption =
type = Alternative weekly
format = Tabloid
foundation = 1966
ceased publication =
price =
owners = Bruce Brugmann
publisher = Bruce Brugmann
editor = Bruce Brugmann
language =
circulation = 149,153 [cite web |url=http://aan.org/alternative/Aan/ViewCompany?oid=oid%3A81 |title=San Francisco Bay Guardian |accessdate=2007-02-22 |publisher=Association of Alternative Newsweeklies ]
headquarters = 135 Mississippi St.
San Francisco, CA 94107
USA
ISSN =
website = [http://www.sfbg.com/ sfbg.com]

The "San Francisco Bay Guardian" (also known as the "SF Bay Guardian", "Bay Guardian", and the "Guardian") is a free alternative newspaper published weekly in San Francisco, California. The paper is owned mostly by its publisher, Bruce B. Brugmann.

The "Bay Guardian", launched in 1966, is known for reporting, celebrating, and promoting left-wing and progressive issues within San Francisco and (albeit rarely) around the San Francisco Bay Area as a whole. This usually includes muckraking, legislation to control and limit gentrification, and endorsement of political candidates and other laws and policies that fall within its political views. It also has comprehensive movie and music reviews, an annual nude beaches issue, and an annual sex issue. The "Bay Guardian" is one of several alternative newspapers in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, including the "SF Weekly" (its major competitor), "East Bay Express", and "Berkeley Daily Planet".

Best of the Bay

The "Guardian" publishes an annual "Best of The Bay" issue that lists the best restaurants, business, and activities in the Bay Area, based on a readers' poll and staff recommendations. Published annually since 1974, the "Guardian" claims that its "Best Of" issue was the first annual guide of its kind and was copied by other publications.Fact|date=February 2007

Goldie Award

The "Guardian" gives the "Goldie Award" annually for excellence in the arts and similar areas.

Anti-unionism in employment

The "Guardian" put down an attempt by its employees to unionize in the 1970s.cite news |first=Tom |last=Wetzel |title=Small Is Not Beautiful: Life at the Bay Guardian |url=http://www.workersolidarity.org/sfbg1.htm |publisher=Workers Solidarity Alliance |date=Fall 1987 |accessdate=2007-02-22]

In 1975, "Guardian" staffers, with the aid of Newspaper Guild Local 52 and International Typographical Union Local 21, signed union cards to seek higher wages and benefits. The paper had previously won a legal settlement and moved to a new building. Nevertheless, publisher Bruce Brugmann claimed there weren't enough funds to increase pay or benefits. The day after Thanksgiving, he fired five senior staffers who had helped organize the union effort.

Newspaper staffers voted to join the Newspaper Guild and, on June 15, 1976, they called a strike to force Brugmann to offer a labor contract. Brugmann retained a few management staff and hired scab replacements. In August, Cesar Chavez offered to mediate the strike, but Brugmann refused. Finally, in 1977, another election was called, but this time votes by replacement workers carried the day and the new staff voted not to join a union.

Lawsuit against Weekly

In March, 2008 the Guardian won a predatory pricing lawsuit against its local rival, the SF Weekly, based on allegations the Weekly undercut the Guardian by selling display advertisements below cost while supporting itself on cash infusions from its parent, Village Voice Media, in an effort to force the Guardian into bankruptcy. In May, 2008 the judge in the case awarded punitive damages, raising the jury's $6.3 million award to $15.9 million, and issuing an injunction prohibiting the Weekly from selling advertisements below cost. [cite news|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/20/BAUO10PNGQ.DTL|title=Judge raises damages in case against SF Weekly|author=Meredith May|date=May 20, 2008|publisher=San Francisco Chronicle|url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/20/BAUO10PNGQ.DTL]

References

External links

* [http://www.sfbg.com "Bay Guardian" Website]