Anna Zanes Shakes Up Music Media
The recently appointed editor-in-chief of Alternative Press is tackling a legacy with a new sensibility.
By Gutes Guterman
Photos by Ben Turok
Published
"Editor's Desk" is a column that offers a behind-the-scenes look at lives of editors-in-chiefs who shape the voice, vision, and direction of their publications.
The first issue of Alternative Press hangs on Anna Zanes’ fridge. In front of her sits issue 414 with 070 Shake on the cover, her second as editor-in-chief. She looks between the two proudly.
Anna Zanes is a seasoned media figure, an IYKYK addition to the landscape, responsible for some of the most exciting content in the last few years. She came to Alternative Press after a short stint at Paper Magazine (it folded three months into her job as Executive Editor) and, most notably, her dual role as Managing Editor and Online Editor at Office Magazine, where she was stationed for nearly seven years. “Change is scary. I was terrified to leave Office. They were family to me,” she said about her move to Paper. But that fear was abandoned with her move into music media, and her role at AP. “Music is something I care about more on a personal level,” she says.
Alternative Press, founded in 1985 by Mike Shea, emerged as a seminal voice in alternative music journalism, chronicling the vibrant underground music scene in Cleveland, Ohio. Initially conceived as a modest DIY effort, the magazine rapidly gained traction, becoming a vital platform for bands and artists outside the mainstream.
In its formative years, Alternative Press distinguished itself through its grassroots ethos and unwavering commitment to authenticity. It provided a much-needed outlet for the burgeoning punk, indie, and hardcore scenes, offering coverage of artists and subcultures overlooked by mainstream publications.
Throughout the 1990s, Alternative Press experienced exponential growth, mirroring the ascendance of alternative rock onto the global stage. Bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Green Day, alongside a myriad of underground acts, featured prominently within its pages, solidifying the magazine's reputation as a tastemaker within the music industry. “And then towards the late 90s, early 2000s, a lot of magazines started pivoting into categories to save themselves in a changing landscape,” Anna recalls. One that, much like today, values niche-ness and specificity. “_Revolver _became the metal magazine, so AP became the emo magazine, which is the AP I grew up with.”