So many local media sources emailed me last week with reports of the impending demise of Real Talk that I mentioned the scuttlebutt while trying to reach founder Jay Levin for his take. This morning his assistant got back to me:

Dear Kevin,

LA Observed's statement that RealTALK LA missed payroll is absolutely untrue. It is true that we are re-organizing even while we prepare our next issue and will have more to report at a later date.

Joanne N Thomas
Executive Asst. to the Publisher
RealTALKLA Magazine and Website

There you have it — sort of. The questions I have are, first, when will the magazine publish a second issue? Second, what caused them to "reorganize" after a single issue? Also, have any staffers not been paid or been let go? And is it true that the billboard campaign spent more than Levin knew, and have those bills been paid?

* I'd also ask: Since email went out from a RealTalk staffer announcing "suspended operations" as of May 15, and referring to the magazine in the past tense, what gives?

Previously:
RealTalk goes live on the web