Anderson Valley Advertiser
| Type | Weekly newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Owner | Bruce Anderson |
| Founder | Eugene Jamison |
| Founded | 1952 |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | Boonville, CA 95415 United States |
| Website | theava |
The Anderson Valley Advertiser is a newspaper covering Mendocino County.[1] The paper was published weekly in broadsheet starting in the 1950s until 2024, when it went digital only. Under longtime publisher Bruce Anderson, the paper has achieved a cult status due to its controversial writing. The New York Times, Editor & Publisher, Newsweek, Los Angeles Times and The Irish Times have each profiled the paper.[2]
History
In 1952, Eugene Jamison published an eight-page brochure that was periodically mailed out to residents in the Anderson Valley.[3] On January 25, 1955, this brochure was expanded into a weekly newspaper called the Anderson Valley Advertiser.[4]
In 1984, Bruce Anderson purchased the paper. Anderson claimed to publish "the liveliest, most interesting county weekly anywhere." He penned a column called "Eyesore of the Week" critiquing local buildings or roadways, and in his editorials criticized everything from McDonald's chicken nuggets to county welfare programs.[5]
In 2004, Anderson sold the paper to David Severn, a longtime contributing writer and hardware store clerk. Anderson then moved to Eugene, Oregon and launched a new publication called The Eugene AVA.[6][7][8] The paper failed after three months. In 2007, Anderson reacquired the Advertiser in Boonville from Severn.[9][10] In 2024, the Advertiser discontinued its print edition and went online only.[11]
Masthead
The old masthead in the print version billed the paper as "America's last newspaper."[12] It featured mottoes borrowed from the French Revolution and the Industrial Workers of the World:
- Fanning the Flames of Discontent! (The IWW's Little Red Songbook is sub-titled "To Fan the Flames of Discontent")
- Peace to the Cottages! War on the Palaces! (The motto of Georg Büchner's Hessian Courier)
- All Happy - None Rich - None Poor
Various quotations are distributed throughout every issue of the paper. Examples include:
- "Be as radical as reality."[12] - Lenin
- "Newspapers should have no friends."[12] - Joseph Pulitzer
Contributors
Contributors include:
- Robert Mailer Anderson
- Alexander Cockburn
- Jeffrey St. Clair
- John Jonik
- Flynn Washburne
References
- ↑ Gemperlein, Joyce (May 12, 1996). "A Really Free Press". The Philadelphia Inquirer. pp. 22, 23, 24, 31.
- ↑ Schiller, Lucy (May 13, 2026). "Crank Lit". Columbia Journalism Review. Retrieved 2026-05-14.
- ↑ Heimann, Mark (February 26, 1997). "A Conversation with Eugene Jamison, Founder of the Anderson Valley Advertiser". Anderson Valley Advertiser. Archived from the original on November 16, 2018. Retrieved 2026-05-13.
- ↑ "Gene Jamison Starts Newspaper In Anderson Valley". Mendocino Coast Beacon. January 29, 1955. p. 1.
- ↑ "Paper talk of tiny Boonville". Enterprise-Record. Chico, California. Associated Press. August 21, 1984. p. 15.
- ↑ Anderson, Bruce (June 2, 2004). "America's Greatest Editor Moves On". CounterPunch.org. Retrieved 2026-05-14.
- ↑ Anthony Robertson, Blair (November 14, 2004). "Turning A Page | Controversial paper's publisher quits, moves to Oregon". The Sacramento Bee. pp. A3.
- ↑ Brown, Patricia Leigh (2004-11-30). "He Ranted, He Raved, He Rode Out on His Own Rail". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-05-14.
- ↑ Anderson, Glenda (July 4, 2007). "Mendocino County Bruce Anderson repurchases Anderson Valley Advertiser after Oregon newspaper's failure to launch". The Press Democrat. Santa Rosa, California. Retrieved 2026-05-14.
- ↑ Smith, Dave (February 26, 1997). "Mendocino Talking: Bruce Anderson". Anderson Valley Advertiser. Retrieved 2026-05-14.
- ↑ Frederiksen, Justine (May 9, 2024). "Final print edition of the Anderson Valley Advertiser out this week". Fort Bragg Advocate-News. Retrieved 2026-05-14.
- 1 2 3 Frederiksen, Justine (May 3, 2024). "Final print edition of the Anderson Valley Advertiser out this week". Ukiah Daily Journal. Retrieved July 4, 2025.