Multimedia editor Jason Sandford leaving Xpress for Ashvegas

Posted on by Jon Elliston

After serving as Mountain Xpress' multimedia editor for the past two years, veteran local journalist Jason Sandford is moving on to pump even more lifeblood into Ashvegas, his popular blog about all things Asheville.

Eye on Asheville: Xpress' outgoing multimedia editor, Jason Sandford, who's preparing to pump up the volume of his blog, Ashvegas. Photo by Anthony Bellemare

Sandford, who was born and raised here, studied journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and has worked as a reporter at publications including the Elizabethtown, N.C., Bladen Journal; the Elizabeth City, N.C., Daily Advance; the Florence, S.C., Florence Morning News; and European Stars & Stripes (while based in Germany). He also worked for nearly a decade at the Asheville Citizen-Times, as both a reporter and editor.

Now he's leaving Xpress to focus on Ashvegas, which Xpress readers voted Best Local Blog in our last two Best of WNC polls. He started the blog in 2005 to feed his hunger for spreading news and what he calls "rumors of news," and in the years since, it has grown into a lively forum for local scoops of all stripes. (See the blog at www.ashvegas.squarespace.com.)

Sandford leaves behind a rich and varied body of work at Xpress, from in-depth articles on local matters to scores of photo galleries and videos on our Web site. Given the Xpress' focus on collaboration and civic dialogue, he says working alongside community activists on stories such as the challenges facing the Burton Street neighborhood have been among the most rewarding.

"I'm proud to have worked with Mountain Xpress and its employees, who share my love of this community," Sandford says.

 

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Jon Elliston
Former Mountain Xpress managing editor Jon Elliston is the senior editor at WNC magazine.
View all posts by Jon Elliston →

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

8 thoughts on “Multimedia editor Jason Sandford leaving Xpress for Ashvegas”

  1. Media Watcher

    Oh, no, this is not good news for MX. But how does Mr.Sandford hope to make a living as a blogger?

  2. Xpress&Ashvegas; Fan

    It’s not good news for Xpress, but the same people who were forward-thinking enough to bring Jason to Xpress in the first place will be able to bring someone else in to fill his shoes. Local bloggers and multi-media self-starters should be salivating for the job position that’s about to open up.

    Best of luck to Jason, he’s done fine work at Xpress, and I can’t wait to see his blog once he’s giving it full-time attention. Thanks and keep on keeping on, Jason!

  3. Chaka Khan

    “But how does Mr.Sandford hope to make a living as a blogger?”

    Advertising?

  4. zen

    He’s the new breed of newspeople, a journalista – that’s for sure. Congratulations, Jason. And i’m sure mX will miss him.

  8. The ground's the limit

    I think that Jason Bragg should set his hopes really, really high. And talk about it a lot. Because it’s going to work out for you! You’re too classy a guy not to get this job — keep your hopes way up, buddy!

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.