The Association of Alternative Newsweeklies voted last week to add its name to
a growing list of organizations supporting Senator Patrick Leahy's Child
Protection, User Empowerment, and Free Expression In Interactive Media Study
Bill" (S-714), an alternative to the Gorton-Exon Communications Decency Act.

AAN's board of directors opposes the CDA because it would criminalize
publishing activitities which are currently legal in print and would force
operators of online services to censor their users, which would place an
unreasonable burden on operators of small systems.

The 104-member organization's membership includes such newspapers as the
Boston Phoenix, Washington City Paper, Miami New Times, Chicago Reader,
Phoenix New Times, LA Weekly, San Diego Reader, San Jose Metro, San Francisco
Bay Guardian and Seattle Weekly. The newspapers reach more than 5 million
readers each week.

Dan Pulcrano
Metro
San Jose, California
Phone: 408 298-8000
Fax: 408 271-3521
E-mail: dp@livewire.com
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