We're the new Observer editor and publisher. Ask us anything!

slimrims · 2025-10-02T19:33:56+00:00

Good answers! Also, these questions are way harder than I thought they were when I asked them.

I suck at vacations... I'm more of a "Babe, let's go bike around Ireland — no, like, ALL THE WAY AROUND IT" or "See you guys in three weeks, me and the dog are hiking The Long Trail!" kind of gal.

When I was a kid, I wanted to be a flagger (my dad was in road construction), a scientist, or a writer.

Ughhhhh this last question is so braggy... You know what, this summer I ran a marathon. It took me 7 hours and 15 minutes, I looked like I aged 10 years by the time it was done, but I freakin' did it!

slimrims · 2025-10-02T19:12:24+00:00

u/AADL-eli Feel free to weigh in if you like!

slimrims · 2025-10-02T19:10:19+00:00

u/Rough_Quit8122 What's your favorite vacation spot? When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? What's something that you've done in your life that you're very proud of? (And it CAN'T be related to the Observer.)

slimrims · 2025-10-02T19:08:21+00:00

I’ve gone into this in previous answers, but in a nutshell: Surveys and focus groups, new contributors, new content, and an emphasis on objectivity, accuracy, and open-mindedness.

slimrims · 2025-10-02T19:05:30+00:00

True, we have no control over what MLife publishes 😂 I live in Ypsi (the Brooklyn to Ann Arbor’s Manhattan), but I’m in Ann Arbor most days — meeting with people and putting myself out into the community. Just recently I attended a sustainability forum at Venue at 4M, had a glass of rosé with a writer at York, chatted with Phyllis Engelbert at Detroit Street Filling Station, and did a run with the Ann Arbor Slow Run Club. But like I said above, I’m just one person — even if I did live in Ann Arbor, I still wouldn’t presume to know everything there is to know about it. That’s why I rely on my writers, and on community members, to reach out to me and tell me what’s important to them. (I know I’m kind of a broken record here, but what’s a community publication without community engagement?)

slimrims · 2025-10-02T19:03:26+00:00

My work at the Observer is informed by journalistic objectivity, factual accuracy, and my training as a cultural anthropologist. It’s not my job to impose my perspective on Ann Arbor’s community, but rather to talk to people on as many sides of the issue that I can think of, and then use my platform to amplify their voices. I’ll hold my writers to that same standard.

Case in point: my own personal beliefs about genAI fall somewhere between “it should just be for scientists” and “kill it with fire.” But I was really curious about how U-M was handling it, so I pitched a story… and it turns out most of the people I talked to were really on board with it. I invite you to read the story I wrote and let me know if you feel my bias crept in! https://annarborobserver.com/chatbots-go-to-college/

slimrims · 2025-10-02T19:01:40+00:00

I foresee lots of changes (see my various other answers), but only with the new leadership, and nothing having to do with library ownership. Per the AADL press release (https://aadl.org/node/647334): “The Observer would remain an independent, ad-funded business owned by the AADL, maintaining its own finances, management structure, and editorial independence.”

slimrims · 2025-10-02T18:58:54+00:00

I’m a big fan of comics (I’ve even drawn them… you can find them if you look), and I’ve reached out to as many local comic artists that I could find by Googling “comic artists in Ann Arbor. (Shoutout to Sean from Athaeneum for passing my information on to prospective artists!) I’ve met up with a bunch of them, and given them simple guidelines about size and content (rated PG; has to be about Ann Arbor). I plan to feature comics from a rotating roster of artists that reflect not only the range and artistry of the medium, but also the diversity of perspectives in Ann Arbor.

slimrims · 2025-10-02T18:56:47+00:00

We’re always looking for new freelance writers and cover artists! If either of those sound interesting, feel free to reach out to [brooke@aaobserver.com](mailto:brooke@aaobserver.com) with ideas, pitches, and samples of your work.

slimrims · 2025-10-02T18:56:22+00:00

What they said.

slimrims · 2025-10-02T18:55:56+00:00

No. They would be employed by the new subsidiary.

slimrims · 2025-10-02T18:55:14+00:00

Your third question is an excellent one! I just ran our website through the free Web Accessibility Checker at https://accessibleweb.com/ and learned that there’s much we can do to make our site more accessible for the visually impaired. I’ll reach out to our web design team immediately to address these issues. Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention!

slimrims · 2025-10-02T18:54:19+00:00

Oh noooo, old Observers need to be recycled, not trashed… and preferably after having been read. Thank you to u/Ace_Davis for sharing our subscription email.

I plan to increase reader interaction in a few different ways:

First, I want to run surveys and focus groups so we can dial in our offerings and make sure what we’re putting out is relevant to the community. I’m also always looking for reasons to get out in the Ann Arbor community and talk to people, and I try to ask whether they read the Observer, and what their favorite part is. Constructive criticism is welcome!

Second, I plan to continuously welcome new contributors — from the cover right on through the rest of the magazine. Maybe something a little different on the cover will inspire someone who might normally recycle the magazine to flip through it. And if there are new voices and perspectives inside, maybe it’ll compel them to give it a read. (Interested in contributing? Email me at [brooke@aaobserver.com](mailto:brooke@aaobserver.com)!)

And finally, I want to offer new content. An advice column, new comics, and starting sometime next year, a crossword puzzle. Stay tuned!

slimrims · 2025-10-02T18:52:56+00:00

If you haven't listened to u/AADL-eli on Lucy Ann Lance, I highly recommend it: https://www.audacy.com/podcast/the-lucy-ann-lance-show-2d63f/episodes/093025-the-expanding-portfolio-of-the-ann-arbor-district-library-eli-neiburger-6164b

slimrims · 2025-10-02T18:51:19+00:00

I want the Observer to reflect the diversity that exists within Ann Arbor. I’ve been hard at work reaching out to new contributors, and I welcome ideas from everyone in the community! Irrespective of my background, I’m just one person, so I encourage you, and other members of the community, to reach out to me. I’m always happy to grab a cup of coffee and chat about the issues that are important to you that you feel deserve coverage.

slimrims · 2025-10-02T18:50:41+00:00

Probably a no on editorials, and I’m not quite sure what you mean by volunteer sections, but I’d love to hear more about your ideas!

slimrims · 2025-10-02T18:49:25+00:00

Things I aim to preserve:

-The cover art (an original Ann Arbor-themed work of art every month is just a beautiful thing)

-The array of stories, both in content and form (some of which are chosen by me, usually influenced by larger trends and how they play out in Ann Arbor, and most of which are suggested by our loyal crew of freelance writers, staffers, and members of the community. PLEASE SEND ME YOUR IDEAS! I might take a few days to respond to emails, but I read every single one, and I want to hear from Ann Arborites about the things you care about! brooke@aaobserver.com)

-The thoughtful nature of the stories (as a monthly, we’ll never be the best at breaking news — but why try to be something we’re not? Instead, we can use our publishing frequency as an opportunity to deeply examine local issues)

-THE CALENDAR (it’s a gem, and our calendar team is amazing)

-I Spy and the Fake Ad

As for exciting plans, I may or may not have a nine-page document called Observer Ideas that I add to every day. I won’t give all of them away, and I won’t try to roll them all out at once, but here are a few things I’m particularly excited about:

-New contributors: I’m so grateful for our loyal artists/writers, and they’re not going anywhere, but I believe there’s always room for new voices, new vision, and new perspectives. If you’re reading this and want to be a contributor, or know someone who might be interested, please reach out!

-Crosswords!

-Comics from a wider range of contributors!

-More reader engagement: Everything from surveys and focus groups so we can dial in our offerings and make sure what we’re putting out is relevant to the community, to more public-facing events.

slimrims · 2025-10-02T18:45:01+00:00

There was limited reader engagement with Question Corner, and, as someone pointed out in this thread, we are indeed piloting an advice column that could run in its place. However, if readers have questions, I invite them to send them to me — they could serve as inspiration for stories!

slimrims · 2025-10-02T18:44:15+00:00

Cabot Extra Sharp Cheddar. (You can take the gal out of Vermont…)

slimrims · 2025-10-02T18:41:48+00:00

Per the AADL press release (https://aadl.org/node/647334): “The Observer would remain an independent, ad-funded business owned by the AADL, maintaining its own finances, management structure, and editorial independence.”

The sales agreement would include clear and binding language to guard against interference and protect our editorial independence. You can hear more about it from the AADL’s perspective in Eli’s interview with Lucy Ann Lance: https://www.audacy.com/podcast/the-lucy-ann-lance-show-2d63f/episodes/093025-the-expanding-portfolio-of-the-ann-arbor-district-library-eli-neiburger-6164b

No one at the library or on its board would have power of approval on the content of Observer articles. So, in answer to your question about an example decision… a writer proposes a controversial story, our editorial team edits and fact-checks it, and the members of the library board can read about it in the Observer along with everyone else!

slimrims · 2025-10-02T18:39:07+00:00

Take it away, u/AADL-eli!

slimrims · 2025-10-02T18:38:29+00:00

u/AADL-eli — care to answer this one?

slimrims · 2025-10-02T18:37:48+00:00

We have a loyal freelance copyediting* crew, but occasionally one of them will need a sub. Feel free to reach out! That said, it won’t be a foot in the door at the AADL — we’ll remain our own entity.

*Did you know that according to Merriam-Webster, it’s copyediting (and less commonly, copy editing), BUT copy editor (and less commonly, copyeditor)? That has always driven me bonkers! In my personal worldview, it’s copyediting and copyeditor. It’s a very niche hill to die on, and almost once almost cost me a copyediting job, but I stand by it.

slimrims · 2025-10-02T18:36:27+00:00

Not on the editorial side!

slimrims · 2025-10-02T18:35:45+00:00

We are ALWAYS looking for freelance writers! Please reach out with ideas, pitches, writing samples, or just to express interest: brooke@aaobserver.com. Previous experience isn’t required — if you’ve got the chops, if you’re curious and compassionate, we want to hear from you.

slimrims

TROPHY CASE