A community newspaper for community newspaper people Official publication of the Arizona Newspapers Association for distribution to all employees of ANA-member newspapers
Acrobat 8: What’s all the fuss about?
JANUARY 2007
Page 11
A N Ag r a m s
ANA makes changes to ad networks
Postal reform bill adopted...finally
Just like your newspaper, advertising is the fuel that keeps the wheels of the Arizona Newspapers Association turning. With that in mind, ANA has increased network ad rates, effective Jan. 1, 2007. The price for a 2by2 display ad now costs $699, while a 2by4 display ad now costs $1398. These ads run in 60 newspapers statewide, with a total circulation of 621,543. The new deadline for 2by2 and 2by4 ads is Tuesday 5 p.m., the
The National Newspaper Association this week urged President Bush to sign into law the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act, the first major legislative reform of the United States Postal Service since 1970. NNA President Jerry Tidwell, publisher of the Hood County (Texas) News, said passage of the legislation on the final day of the 109th Congress, before dawn on Dec. 9, capped more than a decade of work by community newspaper publishers and other major mailers. NNA Postal Committee Chairman Max Heath hailed the passage as a breakthrough in the long impasses over price caps, repayment of over-funded pension accounts and various labor matters. Heath and the NNA Postal Committee oversaw NNA’s work on the bill since NNA first endorsed postal reform in 1996. “The Postal Service is affected by the Internet and so are newspapers,” Tidwell said. “We foresaw a decade ago that the regimen of costly postal rate cases and pricing that depended upon an ever-growing First Class mail stream needed to come to an end. But we believe, along with Postmaster General Jack Potter, that print media are going to be in our lives for some time to come. The Postal Service has to be able to deliver our mail promptly and at an affordable price for either of our institutions to survive.” Tidwell congratulated and thanked the key bill sponsors: Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., and Thomas Carper, D-Del., and Reps. Tom Davis, R-Va., John McHugh, RN.Y., Henry Waxman, D-Calif. and Danny Davis, D-Ill. He said their leadership in the face of repeated stalls in five successive Congresses had been remarkable. Heath said the bill contained
week prior. Ads for the Arizona Statewide Classified Advertising Network (AzCAN) are $330. The deadline for classified ads is Tuesday 5 p.m., the week prior. AzCAN is printed in 92 Arizona newspapers, reaching over 1.1 million readers. For more information about the changes or these programs in general, contact the Network Advertising Manager, Sharon Schwartz by phone at (602) 261-7655 ext. 108 or by email at s.schwartz@ananews.com.
What is your newspaper doing for National Sunshine Week? March 11-17, 2007 is National Sunshine Week! Sunshine Week is a national initiative to open a dialogue about the importance of open government and freedom of information. Participants include print, broadcast and online news media, civic groups, libraries, non-profits, schools and others interested in the public’s right to know. Though spearheaded by journalists, Sunshine Week is about the public’s right to know what its government is doing, and why. Sunshine Week seeks to enlighten and empower people to play an active role in their government at all levels, and to give them access to information that makes their lives better and their communities stronger. Anyone can be a part of Sunshine Week. In the first two national Sunshine Weeks, not only journalists, but also students, teachers, private citizens, librarians, civic
leaders, public officials, bloggers, non-profit groups were involved. The only requirement is that you do something to engage in a discussion about the importance of open government. It could be a large public forum or a classroom discussion, an article or series of articles about access to important information, or an editorial. The extent to which you participate is up to you. “This is not just an issue for the press. It’s an issue for the public,” said Andy Alexander, ASNE Freedom of Information chair, who is chief of the Cox Newspapers’ Washington bureau. “An alarming amount of public information is being kept secret from citizens and the problem is increasing by the month. Not only do citizens have a right to know, they have a need to know.” “We’re going into our third year of Sunshine Week, and the concept CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
ANAgrams Arizona Newspapers Association 1001 N. Central Avenue, Suite 670 Phoenix, AZ 85004-1947
many provisions that will help community newspapers. “We looked for an iron clad guarantee that within county mail would not see a continuation of the unjustified increases that the Postal Service wants in 2007,” Heath said. “The bill sponsors assured us of their support in holding the Postal Service to the intent of the price cap law, and we will be watching closely to see that it works. “Also,” he said, “there are several provisions in this bill put there expressly at the request of NNA, including a provision that solves the ‘wandering route’ problem where the Postal Service believed it had to charge higher postage when a few households on an in-county route happened to fall over a county line.” NNA’s Director of Public Policy Tonda F. Rush said the passage had been a hard fought battle by NNA’s Congressional Action Team. “Some of us began to think we would never live to see it,” she said. A year of rulemaking and setting up of procedures will follow the President’s signature. Mailers may not see the effects of the change until 2008, she said. New postal rates set under the old law are expected in May 2007. Among the provisions in the new law are: - Price caps for Periodicals, First-Class and Standard Mail, to be set by USPS within a cost of living index. - New Postal Regulatory Commission powers, including a role in setting service standards, which are now only informally-recognized for periodicals, as well as subpoena rights for USPS information. Preservation of Within County Mail, which USPS is required to CONTINUED ON PAGE 6 “PRSRT STD” U.S. POSTAGE PAID PHOENIX ARIZONA PERMIT NO. 3429
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
JANUARY 2007
ANA/Ad Services Board of Directors President Pam Mox One-Year Director/Non-Daily Green Valley News and Sun (520) 625-5511.................... pmox@gvnews.com First Vice President John Wolfe One-Year Director/Non-Daily Independent Newspapers Inc. (Phoenix) (480) 497-0048..............................jsw11@aol.com Second Vice President Don Rowley Two-Year Director/Daily Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff) (928) 774-4545...................drowley@pulitzer.net Third Vice President Terry Alvarez Two-Year Director/At-large East Valley Tribune (Mesa) (480) 898-6582...............talvarez@aztrib.com Secretary/Treasurer Michael Chihak One-Year Director/Daily Tucson Citizen (520) 806-7735.. mchihak@tucsoncitizen.com Directors Tom Arviso Two-Year Director/Non-Daily Navajo Times (Window Rock) (928) 871-7359................................................ ............... tomarviso@thenavajotimes.com Ward Bushee Two-Year Director/Daily Arizona Republic (Phoenix) (602) 444-8087............................................... .......... ward.bushee@arizonarepublic.com Teri Hayt Two-Year Director/At-large Arizona Daily Star (Tucson) (520) 573-4220..............terihayt@tucson.com Dick Larson One-Year Director/Daily Western Newspapers Inc. (928) 634-5898... dlarson@westernnews.com Elvira Espinoza Two-Year Director/At-large La Voz (Phoenix) (602) 444-3835............................................... .............. elvira.ortiz@lavozpublishing.com Mike Quinn Past President Today’s News-Herald (928) 453-4237....... quinn@havasunews.com
Arizona Newspapers Foundation Board of Directors The foundation is an educational, charitable nonprofit corporation for education. Its primary mission is to teach newspaper people and teachers how to use a newspaper in a classroom. Its goal in 2007 is to become revenue independent. Chairman of the Board Josie Cantu-Weber, Tucson Citizen (928) 453-4237.....jweber@tucsoncitizen.com Vice Chairman Joann Carranza, Territorial Newspapers (520) 294-1200.............jcarranza@azbiz.com Treasurer Lee Knapp, The Sun (Yuma) (928) 183-3333...........lknapp@yumasun.com Secretary Pam Mox, Green Valley News & Sun (520) 625-5511.................... pmox@gvnews.com Directors L. Alan Cruikshank, Fountain Hills Times (480) 837-1925..................alan@fhtimes.com Steve Doig, Cronkite School of Journalism, Arizona State University (480) 965-0798...............steve.doig@asu.edu Bret McKeand, Independent Newspapers, Inc. (623) 972-6101................... SCIbret@aol.com John Wolfe, Independent Newspapers Inc. (480) 497-0048..............................jsw11@aol.com Jeff Weigand, Southwest Valley Sun (623) 386-7077.... jwiegand@swvalleysun.com
ANAgrams is published every month by the Arizona Newspapers Association 1001 N. Central Ave., Suite 670 Phoenix, AZ 85004-1947 (602) 261-7655 • Fax: (602) 261-7525 www.ananews.com www.publicnoticeads.com
U and Us: This is not a financial plug You – dear reading Editor and Publisher and Ad Manager, are missing in action! We – myself and the remainder of the staff of the Arizona Newspapers Association – are pretty much just a catalyst. Our mission is to protect us in the legislature, and improve revenue for members. But no association succeeds by itself. I think we have forJohn Fearing gotten that very Executive Director central theme. You created an association for Arizona newspapers to perform specific tasks. But did you then wash your hands – job well done? It appears so for most editors and publishers.
content in one access point lets you compete with the big boys nationwide. Craigslist has grown in Arizona from a site for Phoenix, to one for Flagstaff, Sierra Vista, Prescott and other cities. That content is getting better. It is what the public wants – and it is free. Local branding is what your franchise is based on. Our classified aggregation on the web preserves your local branding. Web users in your town should be learning that your classified printed ads, and now your classified web content, is the best of the best without the “web community” messiness.
promotion ads for PublicNoticeAds. com but they aren’t used much either. The legislature starts in a few weeks and already there is talk about bills to put public notices on government websites instead of in your newspaper. Even if you don’t publish public notice ads, you should run the promos. They teach legislators what the newspaper industry has done to make the notices more valuable and more available to the voter. Half of the more than 40 newspapers who have signed up for the classified aggregation program don’t even upload their ads to it. So publishers and editors and ad managers, what is your role in assisting newspapers state-wide succeed?
Member failure
Another chance
Local branding
The ANA staff and a very devout member-volunteer has spent most of the year creating a single database for your classified ads online. Combining your word-ad
But your readers don’t know about it. We monitor your pages and know that very few – maybe one or two newspapers – have promoted the new web availability. A series of print and web ads we sent you never saw the light of day. Disappointedly, we should have guessed. There are several excellent
Marketing, Member Revenue
Government / Public Policy
Classified ad aggregation
Objectives ANA revenue enhancements; Assist members with political advertising sales; ANA directory; Statewide online classified ads; Public Notice promotion; Effective communications to members; Digital archiving of newspapers; Recognize advertising business partners in ad awards contest; The Committee Dick Larson, Chairman, Western Newspapers; Steve Stevens, Today’s News Herald, Lake Havasu City; Lisa Miller, The Sun (Yuma); Mark Bollin, Green Valley News & Sun; Terry Alvarez, East Valley Tribune (Mesa); Blake Dewitt, Western Newspapers; Cindy Meaux, Ad Placement Manager, ANA; Sharon Schwartz, Network Advertising Manager, ANA; John Alexander, Foothills Focus.
First Amendment Coalition
Objectives Provide journalists from member newspapers with educational information and a legal hotline for access issues. ANA is responsible for 12 seats on this board of directors. ANA Appointees Dan Burnette, Arizona Capitol Times; Joseph Reaves, Arizona Republic; Terry Ross, Yuma Daily Sun; Josie Cantu-Weber, Tucson Citizen; David Bodney, Steptoe & Johnson; Ben Hanson, Daily Courier; Linda Wienandt, Associated Press; Mark Kimble, Tucson Citizen, and Kevin Kemper, University of Arizona.
Education Task Force
Objectives Conventions: Spring Marketing Workshop in May (Wed-Fri) and Fall Convention in October (Thur.Sat), First two days of both are computer training and half-day of sessions eliminated; Regional Education – Need trainers; On-line training -- too expensive? List Serves for various professions; NIE – fund raising; curriculum; marketing; Update Public notice laws and Ad guidelines; Constitution Day Sept. 17 – create NIE material; NIE Training at conventions; half-day session; NIE Regional North/South full day NIE training. Additional volunteers needed. The Committee John Wolfe, Chairman, Green Valley News & Sun; Michael Chihak, Tucson Citizen; Pat Oso, Statewide NIE Coordinator, ANF; Paula Casey, Business Manager, ANA.
Objectives Build on 2003, including creating a formal plan for 2005/6; Re-craft Legislative Alert; Note key legislation that requires editor/publisher calls; Simplify way editors/publishers can send an email to key legislators on issues; Create a grid noting each legislator’s committee assignments; Match legislative leadership to Editors & Publishers; Host Legislative Breakfast in January 2006 instead of Legislative Lunch in Fall; Further build allies/ government access groups; Continue “Public Access Counselor” legislation and emphasize “Training;” Support banning suits against public records requestors. The Committee Teri Hayt, Chairman; Independent Newspapers (Phoenix); Michael Chihak, Tucson Citizen; Janet DelTufo, Wickenburg Sun; Melanie Larson, The Explorer (Tucson); Tery Hayt, Arizona Daily Star (Tucson); David J. Bodney, Steptoe & Johnson, Phoenix; Ward Bushee, Arizona Republic (Phoenix); Tom Arviso, The Navajo Times (Window Rock); Kevin Kemper, University of Arizona; John Moody, ANA Legislative Counsel, Jennings, Strouss & Salmon, Phoenix.
Awards Committee
Objectives Study contest entries and develop an online contest submission form; Study and reshape Hall of Fame criteria, make them less subjective and Improve bios; Work with the University of Arizona to improve the Zenger Award; FOI – broader distribution of news release to improve publicity; Improve ad agency category. The Committee Don Rowley, Chairman, The Sun (Yuma); Perri Collins, ANA; Paula Casey; Business Manager, ANA
Finance Committee
Objectives This committee reviews the monthly financial reports and questions the staff on budget variances, in order to report to the full board. It also is responsible for working with the staff to develop the annual budget for ANA and Ad Services. The Committee The secretary-treasurer, past president, and one additional director are appointed to the Finance Committee each year. Currently Michael Chihak, Tucson Citizen, is chairman; Mike Quinn, Past President, and Terry Alvarez, East Valley Tribune.
Legislatively, you had a chance to redeem yourself. Have you talked to your state senator and representatives about newspaper issues? Do care? Or do you believe that such conversations are not important and are self-serving? You answer the question. CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
ANA Staff Executive Director John F. Fearing........................................Ext. 105 j.fearing@ananews.com Business Manager Paula Casey............................................Ext. 102 p.casey@ananews.com Media Buyer Cindy Meaux........................................... Ext. 112 c.meaux@ananews.com Network Advertising Manager Sharon Schwartz.....................................Ext. 108 s.schwartz@ananews.com Network Ad Sales Representative Don Ullmann............................................ Ext. 111 d.ullmann@ananews.com Communications Manager Perri Collins............................................. Ext. 110 p.collins@ananews.com Statewide NIE Coordinator Pat Oso................................................... Ext. 110 beartracks@cox.net Receptionist/Tearsheets Lorraine Bergquist.......................................Ext. 0 l.bergquist@ananews.com
Find your name here! If you would like to be included in one of our committees, ask your publisher to send an email to j.fearing@ananews.com. Your ideas are what makes this association valuable. The collective intelligence of our members is how ANA improves its service. There are several vacancies on committees so there is no waiting. Join a committee and make a difference!
JANUARY 2007
A new year can be a new beginning
By Pat Oso
By Pam Mox
A new year can be can be a great opportunity to look at your company’s mission statement. Many find that their mission has varied somewhat. Web reporting has added a whole new layer to newspapering, welcomed by some and feared by others. Those embracing Web-based journalism are developing videos, podcasts, and dedicated Web features attracting new readers and even some true- blue print readers. Faced with the inevitability of the growing online readership, it only makes sense to position for it. Some papers have employed “mojos”, mobile journalists who have armed themselves with video cameras, digital recorders and laptops. They report the local news uploading directly to the web site, creating a flow of breaking hyper-local news, videos and recordings. Thinking, “Web first”, is not the way we are accustomed to thinking, but it may be the best way to gain readership. The Web has also changed the classified business. Auto dealers are placing their inventories online, real estate listings with photos and virtual tours and even Ebay has items for sale from your market. Craigslist is placing employment ads online free and sites like CareerBuilder. com offer job descriptions for jobs in your area.
But none of these can cover your market like you do. They won’t be able to report on the local production of Madame Butterfly, the little league game or the 94 yearold WWII veteran who just wrote his memoirs. The value we offer is content that is LOCAL, LOCAL, LOCAL. If anyone wants to know what a community is like- schools, the job market- our community newspapers are the best source, including our Websites. Your association has worked hard to develop ways that allow you to participate in resources that in many cases would not be cost effective for you to do on your own. ANA’s Statewide Aggregated Classified Ad Network is one such tool. It gives your classifieds statewide reach and competes with the wider appeal of sites like Craigslist. It looks like your site and does not take away your sales appeal, only enhances it. This is just one of many ways that your ANA is addressing the issues that face us all. Please take the time to look into this program, visit ananews.com/classified/, for details including a Q & A section or call Sharon Schwartz for details at (602) 261-7655, Ext. 108 or email s.schwartz@ananews.com. More than 40 Arizona newspapers are already committed. Are you?
Attorney’s spokesman reassigned after bout with journalism professor Marnette Federis Student Press Law Center staff writer
A Maricopa County Attorney’s Office spokesman has been reassigned after a heated e-mail correspondence with an Arizona State University journalism professor over whether journalism students should be allowed to cover the office’s news conferences. Professor Stephen Doig said he first contacted Public Information Officer Bill FitzGerald after other faculty members raised concerns that the county attorney’s press conferences were not open to their journalism students. Doig said he wanted to send students from his honors class to cover the press conferences. In response to Doig’s inquiry about how students could acquire the proper credentials, FitzGerald stated that because of security, the office could not open media conferences to “folks who are not credentialed representatives of ‘legit’ media.” FitzGerald also said staff members
NIE commited to customer service
of ASU’s student newspaper and television stations were already allowed to cover news conferences. “We are not a teaching institution,” FitzGerald stated in the e-mail. “I am not responsible for credentials ... that is your problem.” But Barnett Lotstein, special assistant to the county attorney, said there is no written policy against student journalists covering the news conferences for class assignments. Credentials, space availability and security concerns are what determine access to the press conferences, Lotstein said. Doig maintains that a government official cannot decide who is or is not a member of “legitimate media” under the First Amendment. He told FitzGerald in their correspondence that journalists “who happened to be students” should have access to a news conference. CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
We all know that good customer service is key in any successful business. Offering an affordable product that customers want and need with easy access is a goal businesses strive for. When there are kinks in the chain, it becomes necessary to take a good look at customer needs and service, especially in a program such as Newspapers in Education. Identifying the customer is the first step. Identifying the needs of the customer is the second. Providing information about the product to the customer is third, and making sure that customer is treated well is always important. So the first question is, “Who is NIE’s customer?” Who uses NIE? Answer: Teachers and students. The next step is to determine the needs of teachers and students. This is the challenging part. First, talk with teachers at different grade levels. What are they required to teach? (Every grade level has different requirements.) What methods work best with their students? How are they integrating the newspaper into those lessons? Do they need to learn more ways to utilize the newspaper across the curriculum? What do you need to do to meet as many of these needs as is possible and practical? If teachers are only using the newspaper for cur-
rent events, take a look at providing training. Talk with the professional development people at the school district. See if you can become part of their training programs. Many districts have teams of teachers that specialize in geography, reading, civics, etc. Ask to speak with them or become part of their team. Get involved. NIE professionals understand how valuable the newspaper is as a teaching tool, but teachers need to learn the multitude of ways they can use the paper. How do you market your NIE program? Is it easy to order? Is delivery smooth? Try running short inpaper lesson plans for teachers and parents. Run ads about your program and any teaching aids you may be offering with the newspaper. Can your teachers contact you easily? Are you responding to their emails? Can teachers order online or fax an order to you? Make it simple. Finally, make sure delivery is as problem-free as possible. Nothing is worse for a teacher than having a lesson plan in place and no newspaper. Granted, teachers are the most creative people in the world and can improvise when necessary, but why ruin their day? NIE has a customer who relies heavily on our quality product and quality service. Let’s make sure we deliver.
Sunshine Week fast approaching CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 just continues to build momentum,” said American Society of Newspaper Editors President David A. Zeeck, executive editor of The News Tribune in Tacoma, Wash. “We’ve built even stronger relationships with our existing partners, and we’re continually finding new groups and individuals who want to join the fight against unwarranted government secrecy at all levels,” said Zeeck. Two recent national polls show that Americans associate open government with effective democracy, and that the public is concerned about the rise in secrecy among government at all levels. • In a Scripps Survey Research Center poll, 62 percent of respondents said “public access to government records is critical to the functioning of good government,” but only a third of Americans think that the federal government is “very
open.” • In an AccessNorthwest project at the Edward R. Murrow School of Communication at Washington State University, 81 percent of respondents said democracy requires government to operate openly. The first national Sunshine Week was created in 2005 by more than 50 journalism groups whose members wanted to initiate a conversation about why people should have better access to government records. Sunshine Week is led by the American Society of Newspaper Editors and is funded by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation of Miami. For more information, public forums, classroom activities, online packages, essay contests, editorial cartoons and more, log on to www. sunshineweek.org.
JANUARY 2007
Photographs can violate privacy By Randy Hines
All of us have vivid memories of newspaper photographs. In some cases, we wonder how editors could have let them be published. A few have been especially gruesome, such as accident or crime scenes with dead bodies partially hidden by sheets. Others are often in blatantly poor taste, such as the topless photos of celebrities enjoying a vacation at the beach. Many Arizona newspapers joined the rest of the country in running photos of the Amish schoolhouse shootings this fall in rural Pennsylvania outside Lancaster. Unfortunately, the “crime” committed by photographers was shooting the Amish, whose culture and religious beliefs forbid photos of their faces because they are interpreted as “graven images.” The most common explanation given for this aversion to photographs is that offered by the Pennsylvania Dutch Convention and Visitors Bureau: “Many Amish believe that photographs in which they can be recognized violate the Biblical commandment, ‘Thou shalt not make unto thyself a graven image.’ Please follow our lead in taking no photographs in which faces are recognizable.” Grieving survivors and family members were captured on film by news crews from around the world. Those unfamiliar with their customs saw great photo ops of horse and buggy transportation, straw hats with other unusual attire, and the sad faces of the Amish. What many of those photojournalists did not see was a town of peaceful pacifists torn to pieces by this senseless tragedy. Fortunately, the judgment of editors stepped in and prevented such photos in many cases. (Television crews were much more insensitive.) Photo editors and other newsroom leaders often apply sound decisionmaking in a vast majority of tough ethical situations. This wisdom usually goes unnoticed. What stands out is the occasional lapse. Another visual issue, photo manipulation, also came to the front burner this fall with Katie Couric’s miracle diet that dropped 20 pounds off her frame in CBS’s Watch! magazine. The concern of professionals regarding digital retouching is reflected in guidelines adopted by various journalistic organizations. The Society for News Design adopted a new ethics code, the first in its 27-year history, on Aug. 30. According to its preamble, members “have an obligation to promote the
highest ethical standards for visual journalism—for all journalism—as they apply to the values of accuracy, fairness, honesty, inclusiveness, and courage.” The New York Times has an enviable policy to prohibit photo manipulation without disclosure for a valid reason: Images in our pages that purport to depict reality must be genuine in every way. No people or objects may be added, rearranged, reversed, distorted or removed from a scene (except for the recognized practice of cropping to omit extraneous outer portions). Adjustments of color or gray scale should be limited to those minimally necessary for clear and accurate reproduction, analogous to the “burning” and “dodging” that formerly took place in darkroom processing of images. Pictures of news situations must not be posed. In the cases of collages, montages, portraits, fashion or home design illustrations, fanciful contrived situations and demonstrations of how a device is used, our intervention should be unmistakable to the reader, and unmistakably free of intent to deceive. Captions and credits should further acknowledge our intervention if the slightest doubt is possible. The design director, a masthead editor or the news desk should be consulted on doubtful cases or proposals for exceptions. The Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics provided plenty of advice to Arizona photojournalists during October’s tragic shooting in southeast Pennsylvania. The code deals with photos on several fronts when it states that journalists should: • Make certain that headlines, news teases and promotional material, photos, video, audio, graphics, sound bites and quotations do not misrepresent. They should not oversimplify or highlight incidents out of context. • Never distort the content of news photos or video. Image enhancement for technical clarity is always permissible. Label montages and photo illustrations. • Avoid misleading re-enactments or staged news events. If reenactment is necessary to tell a story, label it. • Be sensitive when seeking or using interviews or photographs of those affected by tragedy or grief. • Show compassion for those who may be affected adversely by news coverage. Use special sensitivCONTINUED ON PAGE 10
Pulitzers to allow more online material NEW YORK (AP) — Reflecting the reality of how news is presented online, the Pulitzer Prize will allow newspapers to submit video and interactive graphics as part of their entries for the top prize in American print journalism. The Pulitzer Prize Board announced the change Nov. 27, and also replaced the Beat Reporting category with a Local Reporting category. Allowing more online material “was the next logical step,” said Sig Gissler, administrator of the Pulitzers. “It emphasizes blended journalism and that’s where newspapers are today.” Online material was allowed to be part of all entries for the first time this year, but was restricted in 13 of 14 categories to written stories or still images. The exception was the Public Service category, which has allowed material such as streaming video and databases since 1999. The photography categories
remain restricted to still images. In the categories of breaking news reporting and breaking news photography, the board will continue to allow entries to consist solely of work published online. Other categories, however, must include some material from the newspaper’s print edition. Creating the Local Reporting category “places particular emphasis on local news coverage, which is really the lifeblood of newspapers both in print and online,” Gissler said. Entries can either be a special project or sustained coverage of city, state or regional issues that matter to the paper’s core readership, Gissler said. Beat reporters are still eligible to submit their work in other categories. The 2007 Pulitzer Prizes, for work done in 2006, will be announced April 16. More information can be found at http://www.pulitzer.org.
The news media meltdown By Paul K. McMasters
The press is in deep trouble — plagued by legal, economic, technological and professional problems. All of which prompts the question: Will the bad news stalking the mainstream press wind up killing the messenger? There are plenty of reasons for worry in the past few days’ headlines alone. The Supreme Court rejected an effort by The New York Times to block a U.S. prosecutor’s access to two reporters’ telephone records, further damaging journalists’ ability to protect confidential sources that have become increasingly important as the government has become increasingly secretive. In California, a federal court launched an investigation to find out who may have leaked “improper communications” about a grand jury inquiry to a Washington Times reporter writing about military secrecy. In Washington, a federal magistrate punished The New York Times for failing to identify two FBI sources by ruling that the Times could not use information it had gained from the sources in its defense of a libel case brought by a former government scientist. There was a time when such news was infrequent and courts were not routinely hostile to the idea of First Amendment protection in such cases. But today, the threats are neither abstract nor trivial. When hauled
into court to protect their sources or themselves, journalists can be sent to prison or their employers fined into oblivion. In the past few years, subpoenas for reporters’ notes, telephone records and sources have increased dramatically. To resist is costly and dangerous. Things are not any better on the business front. News organizations are losing readers, ratings and revenue. Some of the nation’s finest newspapers have been sold or are now on the auction block. To stanch financial losses, both print and broadcast newsrooms have cut back coverage and have fired hundreds of professionals who gather, report and present the news. And if that were not enough, the American public shows little interest in or sympathy for the press. Worse, the press is losing the public’s trust. The latest survey by the Pew Research Center shows a sharp decline in trust for even the news organizations ranked highest by respondents who were asked if they believed all or most of what the news organizations reported. From 1998 to 2006, The Wall Street Journal dropped 15 points (41 percent to 26 percent). In television news, CNN dropped 14 points (42 percent to 28 percent). Local print and TV news suffered similar declines. Should Americans really worry CONTINUED ON PAGE 11
JANUARY 2007
Business journalism center introduces two investigative reporting awards Two awards celebrating the best in print and online investigative business journalism were initiated today by the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism at the Cronkite School at Arizona State University. The Barlett and Steele Awards, named for the two-time Pulitzer Prize winning investigative business journalist team of Don Barlett and Jim Steele, will annually award a firstplace prize of $5,000 and runner-up prize of $2,000. The initial awards will be given in the fall of 2007. “Intensified by corporate scandal, investigative business journalism has become a major part of our training workshops for journalists,” said Andrew Leckey, Director of the Reynolds Center at ASU. “Since Barlett and Steele represent the highest standard of the field, we are delighted this award will carry their names.” Barlett and Steele, who won two Pulitzers with The Philadelphia Inquirer and two National Magazine Awards at Time, have worked together more than three decades. They are contributing editors to Vanity Fair. “Don Barlett and I are deeply
honored that the Reynolds Center has established this award in our name,” said Jim Steele. “But, more importantly, we are gratified that it is providing leadership to recognize and encourage in-depth reporting of business.” Entries must have appeared between July 1, 2006 and June 30, 2007. Submission deadline is August 1, 2007. More details about the awards and Barlett and Steele will soon be posted on www.BusinessJournalism.org. More than 4,700 journalists have participated in the one-day workshops, online training seminars and self-guided online tutorials of the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism. It also runs the BusinessJournalism.org Web site, funds business journalism internships and conducts practical research in the field. The Center is funded by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, a national philanthropic organization founded in 1954 by the late media entrepreneur for whom it is named. Headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, it is one of the largest private foundations in the United States.
Open government hall of fame seeking nominations for heroes There are heroes among us. Heroes who may be well known within their respective states and communities, but whose labors have gone unrecognized elsewhere. Heroes whose efforts have kept state and local government records and meetings open and accessible to their fellow citizens. It is time to recognize these heroes in the same way we recognize the heroes of the federal Freedom of Information Act. The Open Government Hall of Fame honors those whose lifetime commitment to citizen access, open government and freedom of information has left a legacy at the state and local level. The Open Government Hall of Fame is open to anyone who has made a substantial, sustained and lasting contribution to open government or freedom of information within one particular state. Even if the nominee has been active in national efforts or national organizations, the judges will only consider accomplishments at the state level. Nominees may come from government, the media, the non-profit
sector, the legal profession, or any other area of endeavor that involves citizen access to government records, meetings and procedures. Nominees may be living or dead, active or retired. Nominations should include a cover letter identifying the nominee and the person or group making the nomination, and adequate support material to demonstrate the worthiness of the nominee. Please send all nomination materials to: Charles Davis Executive Director NFOIC Headquarters University of Missouri 133 Neff Hall Columbia, MO 65211 Nominations must be received by February 1, 2007. All nominees will be evaluated by a screening committee of SPJ and NFOIC leaders, who will select the winners. For questions, please contact Charles Davis at 573/882-5736 or daviscn@missouri.edu.
The future is online, not in print By Bill Will
The news last month that a big chunk of the nation’s largest daily newspaper companies are partnering with Google (print) and Yahoo (online) to sell advertising means that lights have finally gone on in newspaper executive suites around the country. Our industry’s future is online, not ink. Your Web site readership and advertising business will increase, your print readership and profits will decline. The only question is timing. It’s already happening at metro dailies. Your county seat weekly will follow the same trend, just five or perhaps even 10 or 20 years later. My reaction to the Google and Yahoo announcements was more disappointment than surprise. Disappointment that newspapers will be giving tech companies a big cut of profits to rent technology they could have deployed themselves. Here’s how it should have been done. I’ve floated these ideas before in this column and informal chats with people in the business. I’m repeating them because I’m stubborn and bitter that Google and Yahoo are stealing the glory. 1. It’s all local. Start with your ZIP code. 2. Identify the newspapers associated with the ZIP code. Every ZIP code, from the remotest corner of Wyoming to the most densely populated northeastern city, has one or more weekly or daily newspapers that circulate in that ZIP code. 3. Make readers buy a subscription. Publishers and circulation managers have been trying to do that since time immemorial. What’s different now? The Web gives us the biggest carrot imaginable. Subscribe to your weekly newspaper, and you get a print and/or online access to your local paper, but also to every other community newspaper in the country that offers a Web site. Same goes for daily newspapers. Want to read the New York Times, Washington Post or LA Times online? You’d damn well better be a paid subscriber of the local daily newspaper as deter-
mined by your home ZIP code. I’m a newspaper junkie. Would I pay for an individual subscription to each of the dozen or so daily newspaper Web sites I read regularly? No. Would I grumble if my subscription to the local daily also brought free access to ever other daily in the nation? No, again. I’m cheap, and I’d gladly pay up and also realize what a great bargain I was getting. I don’t think I’m alone in that feeling. 4. Share the wealth. A cookie or some other simply technology embedded in my Web browser or computer identifies me as a subscriber of weekly paper X or daily paper Y. If I head to another newspaper Web site, across the state or across the country, and click through or make a purchase through an ad there, my “home” newspaper gets a small commission on that transaction for driving eyeballs to that site. 5. Sell national (and local) advertising easily. A great deal of regional and national print advertising is placed based on the demographics of individual ZIP codes. Advertisers love messages targeted to the people they want to reach. Would they love the ability to target any ZIP code in the country? You bet they would. The pool of advertising prospects would also increase. Many companies that find newspaper advertising too expensive or ineffective would come to the game if they could more effectively hit their target markets. Same goes for local advertisers. A theater with empty seats or a restaurant with idle tables could direct an ad or coupon to only the readers in their target ZIP code at a reasonable cost. That’s it. That’s the plan. No technical hurdles to overcome, just political ones. We’ve got to cooperate as an industry. Or hand that industry over to the Googles and Yahoos of the world. OK, rant over.
Arizona Newspaper of the Year awards To win the Arizona Newspaper of the Year Award, you must enter in both the Excellence in Advertising Competition and the Better Newspapers Contest. Entry packets for the Excellence in Advertising Competition will be mailed out to all member newspapers this month. Keep your eye peeled! You could be the next winner!
JANUARY 2007
Cross-ownership merry-go-round
By John F. Sturm
Here we go again...and again... and again. The Federal Communications Commission has once again issued a notice calling for comments on newspaper ownership of broadcast stations (both radio and TV) in the same market. By my unofficial count, this will be the ninth and 10th times since 1997 that the Newspaper Association of America has filed extensive reasons and substantial evidence demonstrating that if this ban ever made sense, it certainly does not 30-plus years later. A single, inescapable fact that emerges from every one of those proceedings: Newspaper-owned television stations in those markets around the country where the ban never took effect (the “grandfathered” markets) provide more and better local news and public affairs programming than other television stations do. That’s it, pure and simple. And that’s the primary public interest criterion that the FCC examines: service to the public. Interestingly, a federal appeals court in 2004 actually affirmed the FCC’s repeal of the across-the-board ban on cross-ownership. The court just didn’t accept the commission’s rationale for its new cross-media rules, so it threw out the new rules.
Now, the FCC will try again. What’s new this time around? Actually, not much-with one exception. We all know that with each passing year, there are more media outlets and more services that provide, among other things, news, information, and opinion of infinate variety to the public. They seem to grow like weeds, and they are all competitive to local newspapers and local broadcast stations. What is new this time around is that there is no way a reviewing court can be critical of the FCC’s analysis of issues relating to crossownership, such azs the importance the agency will likely accord the Internet as a source of local news and information. Much has occured on the Web in the past few years, and the NAA will make a persuasive case that the Internet now provides enormous competition to local newspapers. A meaningful amount of that competition comes from independently owned “media outlets” devoted to local news. These data are essential for making the case that no crossownership rule is needed now or in the future. Here we go again. John F. Sturm is the president and chief executive officer of NAA.
Salaries, job market improving for journalism school graduates Bachelor’s degree recipients in journalism and mass communication reported a median starting salary of $29,000 in 2005, according to an annual national survey. Those working at dailies reported $28,000, those at weeklies, $24,980. The University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication conducted the survey for the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, a national organization of professors who teach journalism, mass communications, telecommunications, public relations and advertising. The job market in 2005 improved over the previous four years, but it still fell short of the peak in 2000. An article in the November issue of AEJMC News detailed the findings. Other survey findings included these: 1. The growth in starting salaries at dailies exceeded the inflation rate, while starting salaries at weeklies increased the same as inflation. 2. Master’s degree recipients in 2005 reported a median salary of $37,000, up from $33,000 in 2004. 3. Those reporting their first job in television reported a median starting salary of $23,000. 4. Advertising, $28,000. 5. Public relations, $30,000. 6. Magazines, $29,000. 7. Newsletters and the trade, $30,500. 8. Web, $32,000. 9. First jobs outside communications, $29,100. 10. Three of 10 employed bachelor’s degree recipients in 2005 reported that they wrote and edited for the web as part of their jobs.
11. About four in 10 expect job opportunities for journalism and mass communication graduates will be greater in 10 years than at present. 12. The $29,000 median starting salary for journalism and mass communication graduates was almost $2,000 below what liberal arts students as a group earned. 13. In 2005, 81.4 percent of the bachelor’s degree recipients reported that they completed their degree in four years or less. 14. Three-quarters of graduates said they had at least one concrete job offer when they left the university, compared to 69.6 percent in 2004. 15. The percentage of bachelor’s degree recipients with a fulltime job on Oct. 31, 2005, was 62.3, up from 59.7 percent in 2004 and 56.1 percent in 2003. 16. In comparison, in 2000, 75 percent reported that they were employed in the field and 82.4 percent said they had at least one job offer. 17. In contrast, business administration and management graduates earned $40,976, accounting degree graduates earned $46,188, marketing graduates earned $37,446 and computer science graduates earned $50,892, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. 18. Eight in 10 students surveyed think most people will get their news from the Internet in 20 years. A more detailed report is available at www.grady.uga.edu/annualsurveys. Summarized by Bill Keller, University of Alabama Department of Journalism.
Postal reform bill adopted CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 carry at preferred rates. - Restoration of preferred rates to Outside County mail under 5,000 -- a preference that was lost in the mid-80s. - Within County rates for requester publications. - Within County rates for wandering routes. - The end of costly 10 month long rate cases. And a new PRC role will begin, in which complaints about improper rates will be considered and mandated audits and reviews
will occur. - A review of the need for a postal monopoly. - A report to the President from USPS and PRC on the quality of data on periodicals’ costs. - Shifting the cost of USPS military pensions back to the general federal treasury, which will trim about $78 billion from USPS costs.
JANUARY 2007
Annual conference tackles needs of weekly publishers The Inland Press Association appreciates the challenges facing non-daily newspaper publishers. That’s why it sponsors the Weekly Newspaper Conference each year. The 2007 conference will be held March 1 - 3 at the Sheraton Tucson Hotel & Suites in Tucson, Ariz. The conference’s practical sessions will address the pressing needs of weekly and non-daily newspaper publishers and department heads. • Seize the Day: 10 Steps to Peak Performance. This can be an exciting period of growth and opportunity for community newspapers that proactively embrace the Web. take steps to research and analyze their markets, and emphasize local content, according to Peter Jackson of the SalesSTAR Academy, a sales training and consulting firm. Jackson will share a 10-point plan for com-
munity newspapers to perform at use of interns and inexpensive, high their best. quality products. Find out how to • Growing Audience by Diver- lessen the load on your news staff sifying Newspaper Operations. while increasing the appeal of your How are weekly newspapers grow- paper. ing the business with preprints, niche • The Power of Weekly Newspublications and interactive media? papers: Content Still Matters. Jim Normandin, publisher of the Weekly newspapers can train their Telegraph Herald in Dubuque, Iowa staffs to produce engaging content will lecture. that builds readArizona Newspapers ership and creates • Innovations for Staff- Association co-spon- positive word-ofing Your News- sorship allows staff mouth for your paper for Qual- members from ANA newspaper. Learn ity and Afford- member-newspapers about content a b i l i t y. T h e to attend at Inland decisions and High Springs presentations that member rates. (Fla.) Herald can truly impact has utilized practical, adaptable your newspaper’s readership. methods for making itself a train• The Legal Issues of Online ing ground for aspiring journalists. and New Media Publications. Learn how you can boost the read- What are the legal issues stemming ership-building ability of your print from online operations? How should and online content through effective newspapers handle the complica-
tions of reader-submitted blogs and other contributed content? • Taking Your Community Online for Increased Revenue and Impact. Local news Web sites, even in smaller markets, have a tremendous advantage over the competition. Discover how to apply that advantage to generate revenue using a workable, near-term plan. Learn how to understand your online audience in order to sell advertising and more effective drive traffic to your site. The fee for members is $399 per registrant. Non-member fee is $539 per registrant. Rooms at the Sheraton Tucson Hotel & Suites can be reserved by calling (800) 3253535. Register by Feb. 15, 2007 for the $149 per night room rate. Online registration is available at www.inlandpress.org by selecting “Event Registration”.
especially Spanish speakers. Latino and Asian immigrants come from an array of countries and dialects. Regional geography often plays a role, exemplified by what one would hear among Spanish speakers in south Florida versus south Texas. Immigration patterns occur over years and often involve specific sending locations in small towns or neighborhoods whose residents leave to join relatives and friends at specific U.S. destinations or workplaces. Any apparent randomness can be misleading. Tracking these patterns is fodder for excellent local coverage. From where are people coming? What social networks have they established in your marketplace? A majority of undocumented immigrants enter the United States using legal documents as students, visitors or temporary workers only to overstay their visas and become undocumented. Dramatic images of undocumented immigrants crossing rivers and deserts are valid but only part of the story. It’s harder to pinpoint a European exchange student who decided not to go home. Immigration can be complicated within a single family. One parent might have legal status, the spouse might not, and a child born in the United States would be a U.S. citizen. An immigrant married to a U.S. citizen can petition for legal status. Immigration status can be fluid based on family situations or changing immigration laws applied
have our homes repaired or attend fundraising dinners wearing our finest clothes. Stop, talk and listen. They are under your noses. Immigrant-owned businesses, clubs, organizations and local media are beacons to potential stories. They can sprout up from radio shows, weekly newspapers, shopper publications and bulletin boards long before they might eventually penetrate your news operation. School student enrollments are excellent bellwethers of your city’s future, and the foreignspeaking students provide the guideposts to the evolving change. Finally, strive to be as neutral as possible with language and terminology. Many monikers exist on either side of the debate, and much like the abortion rights debate — some labels are loaded. Words like invasion, flood, hordes and using illegals as a standalone noun can possess a deeper connotation. Illegal alien is a legal term for an undocumented person yet offensive to some people regardless of national origin. I’ve yet to read a national news magazine cover that uses a term like illegal employer or alien employer when referring to those companies that flout U.S. immigration laws. Covering immigration only will grow in magnitude and complexity in coming years. We owe it to all readers to become more authoritative and versed in this important subject.
Digging deeper and moving past clichés on immigration
By Gilbert Bailón
Family lineage is personal to many journalists, yet coverage about immigration too often is riddled with stereotypes, ignorance, false assumptions and broad generalizations. Whether flowing from one’s family experience or interaction with immigrant workers every day, editors can be led astray by simplistic solutions or dwelling only on impassioned sound bites about illegal immigration. Immigration is a highly layered subject that existed long before the United States was founded. Few news organizations have devoted efforts to groom expertise needed to provide multidimensional and contextual coverage. Immigration laws are federally enforced yet intensely local in impact. They involve international public policy yet affect local entities like schools, hospitals and police departments. Conflicting studies are cited to show either economic benefit or damage created by undocumented immigration. For editors trying to solve the complexity of covering immigration, here are some fundamentals. One cannot divine a profile of immigrants based on language, appearance or job function. While immigrants, legal and illegal, are more prevalent in some jobs, determining one’s right to work in the U.S. requires more than a passing glance or an accented conversation. Immigrants who speak a native language other than English too often are lumped into a single pot,
distinctly to people from countries such as El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, China or Cuba. An array of work visas exist for both highly skilled and unskilled workers and students. Immigrants of all varieties have closer ties than ever to their native countries due to modern technology that provides international communication using cell phones, text messaging, the Internet as well as easy access by air and land to Mexico and Latin America. The continuous movement of people in both directions offers avenues for local coverage. Recent immigrants and second or third-generation U.S. citizens of the same nationality might have different political views, language abilities and levels of acculturation in the United States. No “Hispanic” stance on immigration policy exists. Avoid the broad brush strokes when labeling people as Hispanic leaders. For whom and how do they speak for a specific subgroup? The newly arrived and the older generation Latinos might have conflicting views and priorities. Probe below the surface. Resist the temptation to sanctify the undocumented, yet do provide coverage that balances contributions with problems that can arise with an immigration surge. “Searching for a better life” and “emerging from the shadows” are wellworn clichés. Undocumented immigrants are not ghosts hiding in the dark. Journalists and readers encounter them every day when we eat at restaurants, drive past construction sites, stay in hotels,
Bailón is publisher and editor of Al Día in Dallas. This article first appeared in American Editor.
JANUARY 2007
Cronkite students win Hearst Awards Two Arizona State University students have placed in the photojournalism competition of the Hearst Journalism Awards Program. Deanna Dent, a senior majoring in both journalism and art, was awarded fourth place for her entry in the portrait, Deanna Dent, 22 personality and feature category. Her entry included photographs taken at a concert, a protest rally and a women’s shelter. Jeremiah Armenta, also a senior, placed eighth for his portfolio depicting a graffiti artist, a monster truck driver and migrant workers. Dent credits Assis- Jeremiah Armenta, 26 tant Dean Kristin Gilger
for her involvement in the competition. “She’s a strong push in the journalism program at ASU. She told me about it and encouraged me to enter, and I decided it was worth a try,” said Dent. “I will be happy if I’m still shooting 30 years from now,” said Dent. The winners were selected from among 70 entries submitted from 39 journalism schools nationwide. Arizona State University placed first in the Intercollegiate Photojournalism Competition with the most accumulated school points from the first of three photo competitions.
The Daily Star cuts online reader comments TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — A Tucson newspaper has temporarily eliminated online reader comments from some stories, citing a slide into tasteless, vulgar, hateful and obscene language. Bobbie Jo Buel, executive editor of The Arizona Daily Star, said Dec. 11 that editors will monitor comments posted on its StarNet Web site to see whether readers get the message. The newspaper went through a similar episode after the startup of its Web site more than a decade ago, pulling the plug on all its Internet
reader comments because of similar violations of the Star’s standards. Buel said offensive, racist comments have become increasingly common, particularly involving crime stories. One option will be to allow comments on only certain stories and columns, according to Buel. She said she remained hopeful that shutting down all comments from Internet readers won’t be necessary again. Comments have increasingly violated the standards, Buel said in the online explanation of the decision.
Jailed journalists on the rise NEW YORK (AP) — When Iranian journalist Mojtaba Saminejad was sentenced to two years in prison for insulting the country’s Supreme Leader, it was not for an article that appeared in a newspaper. His offending story was posted on his personal Web blog. Nearly one-third of journalists now serving time in prisons around the world published their work on the Internet, the second-largest category behind print journalists, the Committee to Protect Journalists said in an analysis released Dec. 7. The bulk of Internet journalists in jail shows that “authoritarian states are becoming more determined to control the Internet,” said Joel Simon, the New York-based group’s executive director. “It wasn’t so long ago that people were talking about the Inter-
net as a new medium that could never be controlled,” he said. “The reality is that governments are now recognizing they need to control the Internet to control information.” Other imprisoned Internet journalists include U.S. video blogger Joshua Wolf, who refused to give a grand jury his footage of a 2005 protest against a G-8 economic summit, and China’s Shi Tao, who is serving a 10-year sentence for posting online instructions by the government on how to cover the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. The U.S. government and military has detained three journalists, including Associated Press photographer Bilal Hussein, who was taken into custody in Iraq nine months ago and has yet to be charged with a crime.
Spokesman reassigned CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 FitzGerald stated in one of the e-mails that he is “not compelled to admit” students despite Doig’s “half-assed” attempts to threaten him. He also called Doig a “condecending (sic) oaf” and told him to “get lost.” Doig described FitzGerald’s response as “stupidly unprofessional.” “I didn’t really care what he was saying about me,” Doig said. “The thing that I couldn’t accept was his apparent belief that it was wholly within the right of public officials to be able to decide who is a journalist.” Doig said “willful exclusion” of reporters is not unheard of, though quite rare, and in the past, public officials have used their power to limit access and punish reporters for unfavorable articles. “Public officials should not have in their mind the belief that a particular class of people or particular category of people are not journalists,” Doig said. Lotstein said FitzGerald has
been reassigned because the e-mails were “inappropriate” for a public information officer. But Lotstein also said there was a misunderstanding in the email exchange in which FitzGerald seemed to be under the impression that Doig was requesting to have his entire class attend the press conferences. Doig’s request was actually only for a small number of students to attend the media briefings. “The job of a journalism school is to prepare a student to join a media organization once they graduate,” Doig said. “If you go through journalism training without having the opportunity to go see a press conference situation ... then [students] wouldn’t be as prepared as they should.” Doig and Lotstein said they are currently working on an agreement that will allow journalism students to cover the county attorney’s news conferences. Copyright 2006 Student Press Law Center. Reprinted with permission.
LEGAL SERVICES FOR ANA MEMBERS Advertising, Newsroom & Circulation AnswerLine Jennings, Strouss & Salmon, P.L.C. Phoenix (602) 495-2713 www.jsslaw.com First hour free to ANA-member newspapers (publishers, editors, circulation managers, advertising managers). Coverage: Political advertising/public notices; general advertising issues; libel; fair reporting and editing; privacy; circulation; Web sites.
AzFAC Media Hotline Perkins Coie Brown & Bain Phoenix (602) 351-8000 www.perkinscoie.com Funded by First Amendment Coalition of Arizona Inc., of which ANA is a member. Available to all bona fide journalists in the state. No cost up to initiation of litigation. Coverage: Access to federal and state records and meetings; access to court proceedings and records; access to public places; opposing gag orders; protecting confidential sources; opposing subpoenas and search warrants; obtaining camera access inside courtrooms.
ANA Human Resources Hotline Steptoe & Johnson, L.L.P. Phoenix (602) 257-5200 www.steptoe.com Up to two hours of consultation and advice available to publishers and department heads of ANA-member newspapers. Coverage: Laws and regulations governing employment and labor relations. Issues such as sexual harassment; disability, gender, age, race and religion discrimination; Americans with Disabilities Act; drug and alcohol testing; union campaigns; wrongful discharge claims; employee discipline; wage and hours issues.
JANUARY 2007
A look at the Unique Selling Proposition By John Foust
One of the best headlines I’ve seen was in a recruiting ad for a trucking company. With just four words, the ad went to the heart of a common problem faced by longdistance drivers: “Be home every weekend.” There are two levels of relevance in advertising. The first generates polite agreement, but not immediate action. If the trucking ad had emphasized equipment, cargos or routes, the reaction might have been ho hum. Although those things may be relevant, they probably aren’t deal makers. Then there’s the second level: motivational relevance. Would a prospective trucker – perhaps one with prior experience – be motivated by having weekends at home. You bet. “Be home every weekend” is no puffed up ad slogan. It’s a deal maker. That ad reminded me of Rosser Reeves, one of the giants of the advertising industry. In his book “Reality in Advertising,” he popularized the concept of the Unique Selling Proposition, the USP. Reeves believed that each advertiser should propose a specific benefit. He explained that the proposition must be one which the competition does not – or cannot – offer. It must be unique. Motivational relevance goes beyond the standard “features and benefits” approach to advertising. Not every benefit is a deal maker. Today – as in Reeves’ day – advertisers can put success or failure squarely on the shoulders of the motivational relevance of their messages. For example, I’ve met several people who bought cars from a particular dealership, because the
service department is open until midnight. With their work schedules, it is important to be able to have their cars serviced during non-traditional business hours. They could have bought the same models elsewhere. But those other dealers had less desirable service hours. As you work with your clients, why not develop your own USP? One way to accomplish this is to help your clients establish motivational relevance in their advertising. Here’s a closer look: 1. Start with features and benefits. When you meet with an advertiser, see yourself in the role of a police detective. Ask questions, look around, search for clues. The more you learn, the easier it will be to uncover the uniqueness of that business. 2. Find a problem. Now shift your attention to your client’s prospective customers. What is important to them? In other words, if they are looking for a trucking job, are they frustrated by the prospect of being on the road on weekends? Or if they have busy schedules, are they putting off their auto service because there’s not enough time during the work day? 3. Watch your language. “Be home every weekend” is a strong headline. “Work convenient hours” is weak. Both sell the same benefit. But it’s not just what you say, it’s how you say it. John Foust conducts on-site and video training for newspaper advertising departments. For information, you can contact him at: jfoust@mindspring.com or by phone: 919-848-2401.
Promotions Rowley promoted to circulation VP Jim Rowley was promoted to vice president of circulation for Tucson’s Newspapers, the joint operating agency of the Arizona Daily Star and the Tucson Citizen. Rowley, 59, had been vice president of market development since 1997, leading the newspapers’ marketing, research, community relations and product development efforts. Before coming to Tucson, the 40-year newspaper-industry veteran was marketing and online director at the Wilmington (Del.) News Journal. In 2003, Rowley was awarded the Newspaper Association of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Marketing.
Jim Rowley, Tucson’s Newspapers
Hall named Maricopa Monitor editor Kathy L. Hall has been named editor of the Maricopa Monitor. Hall started work at the Monitor on Sept. 18 as a staff writer. Within a week she was named acting editor. And now she is being named editor. “Kathy has exhibited sound editorial judgment and leadership skills,” said Kara K. Cooper, Casa Grande Valley Newspapers, Inc.
“Kathy has a genuine love for Maricopa and its residents. It’s only right that she is named now so that she can make plans to move to the area and so residents know we are looking to have along-term relationship.” Hall began her career as a reporter for the Apache Junction News, and replaces Betsy Rice as editor.
Ruland managing editor at Larson Greg Ruland, former news editor of The Camp Verde Journal, has been named managing editor for Larson Newspapers. Ruland said he is excited to take on the new challenges of the managing editor post. “I can’t wait to start working
closely with our staff and the Sedona community,” he said. Ruland started his career in journalism as managing editor of his college newspaper. He also wrote news, features and sports for the Colorado Springs Sun, a now defunct daily paper.
Online newspaper advertising reports tenth consecutive quarter of double-digit increases; Web advertising grows 23 percent in Q3 Vienna, Va. - Advertising expenditures for newspaper Web sites increased by 23 percent to $638 million in the third quarter versus the same period a year ago, according to preliminary estimates from the Newspaper Association of America. The increase reflects the tenth consecutive quarter of double digit increases for online newspaper advertising since NAA started reporting online ad spending in 2004. Across the first nine months of the year, newspaper Web sites experienced a 30 percent increase in online advertising spending versus the same period last year. Print and online expenditures together totaled nearly $11.8 billion for the third quarter of 2006, a 1.5
percent decline from the same quarter a year ago. Spending for print ads in newspapers totaled more than $11.1 billion, down 2.6 percent from the same period a year ago. “Newspaper publishers are winning on the Web, as newspaper sites continue to attract consumers looking for immediate access to news and information,” said NAA President and CEO John F. Sturm. “Publishers have generated more than 5 percent of their total advertising dollars through their online properties since the beginning of the year, demonstrating that newspapers are monetizing their strong online properties. This is our tenth consecutive quarter of double digit online ad spending increases and we
expect this upward trend to continue as publishers build brand loyalty with Internet properties that consumers and advertisers value.” Among the print categories, classified advertising fell three percent to $4.1 billion, retail ad spending was down 0.3 percent to $5.3 billion and national advertising was down by 8.3 percent, coming in at $1.7 billion. Within the print classified category, real estate advertising climbed 10.5 percent to $1.35 billion; recruitment advertising was down 10.1 percent to $1.1 billion. Automotive was down 11.7 percent to $968 million. All other classifieds fell 0.5 percent to $694.5 million. “The continued strong show-
ing in real estate is evidence that the newspaper industry remains attuned to local markets,” Sturm said. “Even as some advertisers gravitate toward newspaper Web sites for listings, print publications continue to experience growth in this important category.” NAA is a nonprofit organization representing the $55 billion newspaper industry and more than 2,000 newspapers in the U.S. and Canada. The Association focuses on six key strategic priorities that affect the newspaper industry collectively: marketing, public policy, diversity, industry development, newspaper operations and readership. Information about NAA and the industry also may be found at www.naa.org.
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Math mentoring needed in today’s newsrooms
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2
By Matt Baron
For a newspaper reporter, I’m a bit of a freak. While dining, I can figure out a 20-percent tip in the blink of an eye. While driving, I have this peculiar habit of multiplying and dividing numbers within license plates I see during my travels. Standing in the batter’s box during my little league baseball career, I was more focused on how many points my batting average would drop if I made an out than on the pitcher trying to get me out. Despite these symptoms, I have not gone insane or become an engineer. Maybe that’s because in recent years, I’ve found more journalistic outlets for my numerical penchant. From 1997 to 1999, I wrote a weekly column called “By the Numbers” that eventually was syndicated. In the column, I sought to educate and entertain readers about numbers, from the serious (not being duped by the term “average”) to the frivolous (just how many flakes are in a snowball?). At the urging of a longtime editor, I have now turned my attention to another audience-fellow journalists. My debut training session, called “Go Figure: Making Numbers Count For The Reader,” came at the Wisconsin Newspaper Association’s annual convention in February. Those who attended the session conveyed the same truth I hear from press associations and newspaper editors when I discuss “Go Figure” with them: There is a huge need for mathematical mentoring in the newsroom. In a craft where words are our specialty, digits are often nothing less than an Achilles heel or a pain in the neck. But this need not be the case. All it takes to surmount this belief is the same level of skepticism that prompts our editors to exhort us, “If your mother tells you she loves you, check it out!” Along those same lines, if someone tells you a statistic … go figure it out! Numbers are here to stay, so you might as well transform them from a big pain to a big plus. All too often, however, reporters fail to recognize that applying math fundamentals is no different from tapping into the investigative skills we use to root out corruption or get to the heart of a complex topic. And crafting an article with numbers is no small matter. After all, a story can’t get very far without running into numbers. So rather
U and Us
than dread figures, or merely tolerate them, it is imperative to turn them into an ally that helps drive home points and brings stories to life. One of my first attractions to journalism, when I began writing for my weekly newspaper at 15, was sports writing-and all the statistics that are part of that package. But the more I expanded in the fieldcovering city hall, criminal courts, business, breaking news, and features-the more I recognized we keep score on competitions and conflicts well beyond any playing field or gymnasium. The tricky part is putting those numbers in their proper context. What does a $2.2 million tax increase or a 12-game winning streak mean to John Q. Citizen? Depends on a few variables, not the least of which is the population covered by his taxing body or, as in the case of the winning streak, the team’s historical record. When an association survey reveals that “only 20 percent of merchants” favor a certain policy, how significant is that? Not at all when only five merchants took the survey! Many of us have contended with folks whom I call “numbureaucrats,” those slippery types who use numerical mumbo-jumbo to intentionally or innocently numb the minds of unwitting reporters. Politicians love tossing out huge numbersthe key is to be quick to put them on the spot about putting those figures in context. If they can’t, that may be as much of a story as the numbers they’re spouting. And what about that daunting duet: million and billion? Because of their semantic similarity, the vast gap between a million and a billion is not as readily apparent as it ought to be. It’s tempting to pair the two items like cousins at a family reunion. They may not be as tight as siblings, the rationale may go, but they are in the same group photo. Not by a country mile, though. The first mistake is viewing them as words spelled out and not as numbers drawn out: 1,000,000 and 1,000,000,000. One million is a thousand thousands and one billion is a thousand millions. In other words, increasing your income from $1,000 to $1 million is the same, proportionally, as seeing it climb from $1 million to $1 billion. Oops, there we go again, spelling it out rather than drawing it out. Because of space constraints, journalists of necessity have steered clear
of the stream of zeroes involved in either of the numbers. And as for a trillion (1,000,000,000,000) and beyond, forget about it. Here are some frames of reference to give million and billion more perspective: One million seconds is slightly more than 11 ½ days; when you turn one billion seconds, you are about four months shy of your 32nd birthday. About three-quarters of one million people reside in Indianapolis. More than one billion people live in India. And if you ever need to be reminded of the difference, just remember to zero in on the figures by drawing them out, commas and all. Another pesky issue is something I call “specific stat syndrome.” By the way, did you know that 18.37 percent of North American college students drink at least 10 beers a week? Of course you didn’t know. Neither do I. Neither, for that matter, can anybody else-there is no way we can measure such an activity with 100-percent accuracy. But the figures’ specificity can give an air of authority where none exists. As multiple media sources barrage our senses, we become especially susceptible to buying into data that purports to go the extra mile. Heck, some probably claim they go the extra 1.07 miles. Let them say whatever they want. But when it comes time to write the story, you’re better off rounding. Matt Baron of Oak Park, Ill., is the owner of Inside Edge: Public Relations & Media Services. He has more than 20 years of journalism experience, from community newspapers to national magazines. He can be reached at 888.713.5894 or online at www.mattbaron.com.
Photographs
Is it self serving to want Congress to adopt a journalists shield law? If your answer is yes, think about stories metro newspapers print about important federal issues many want kept secret. Is it self-serving for an editor to help thwart Arizona legislative efforts to increase the exemptions to the Public Records Act? Already I know of drafts of such legislation. Is it self-serving to think that public notice ads are an advertising issue not a news issue? Have you seen your school district budget? News folks might have, but readers haven’t because the schools have lobbied to have the information posted on a state website instead of in a newspaper. Redeem yourself. Put January 11, 2007 on your calendar and take a trip to Phoenix to meet your legislators and others. You can register by calling (602) 258-7026. Come to the luncheon at the Arizona Capitol Times from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Then walk on over to the House and Senate offices and knock on your local representatives’ doors to say hello. Drop off a few talking point sheets we will give you. Newspapers can and will thrive if you believe in the whole picture.
Corrections On page eight of the December 2006 ANAgrams, the frequency and circulation of Maricopa Connection was incorrectly stated. Maricopa Connection is going from a twice monthly to a weekly and from a circulation of 6,000 to 10,000 in Jan. 2007. On page six of the December 2006 ANAgrams, Sundown School is mistakenly referred to as Sundance School.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 ity when dealing with children and inexperienced sources or subjects. • Show good taste. Avoid pandering to lurid curiosity. Just because a picture is unusual or dramatic is not necessarily a reason to publish it. Many problems could be avoided if a simple “Why?” test were applied during those harried moments preceding decisions on publishing questionable visual images. The idea behind this is that you should have a persuasive reason before publishing this type of mate-
rial—a reason solid enough that it could be used as an explanation to second guessers or judges. More courts today are recognizing the private citizens’ right of privacy. Use your cameras carefully and be especially wary of electronic or darkroom manipulations. Dr. Randy Hines teaches in the Department of Communications at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pa. He can be reached by phone at (570) 372-4079 or by email at randyhinesapr@yahoo.com.
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Media meltdown CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
whether the news media are in the middle of a meltdown? Many believe they have access to all the news and information they want, without the major media. The Internet, for example, oozes information. Record numbers of Americans are now posting content online themselves, either on personal Web pages or blogs. Others blithely boast that they get all the news they need from family and friends, or from late-night comics Jon Stewart, David Letterman and Jay Leno. And while these alternative sources of information make a vital contribution to the national conversation, the problem is that they are largely derivative. For the most part, they live off the facts, enterprise and resources that the mainstream press provides. Most have a different take on professional standards or journalistic goals. More importantly, they lack the expertise, the resources and the will to fight the long and expensive legal battles that regularly confront the mainstream press.
Imagine what this nation would be like if there were no major newspapers or network news operations. Or if the press were in a permanent state of economic disarray or government subservience. The framers of our Constitution recognized how dependent democracy’s vigor is on the existence of a strong press. They recognized that not all elected officials are created equal when it comes to competence or honesty. So they provided constitutional protection for a press that would keep the citizenry informed and government accountable. While the First Amendment protects the press from overt government censorship, it can’t fully protect the press from full-time government hostility or part-time citizen apathy. Only Americans who recognize that bad news for the press is worse news for democracy can do that. Paul K. McMasters is one of the nation’s leading authorities on First Amendment and Freedom of Information issues.
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Slimp reviews newly released Adobe Acrobat 8 Professional Can I actually be that old? Can Adobe Acrobat really be up to version 8? Let’s see, Adobe releases a new ver-sion of Acrobat every 18 months. That would be 8 times 1.5 years. Where did those twelve years go? It seems like only yesterday I reviewd version 7. Adobe is Kevin very sneaky. With each upgrade, they seem to add at least one feature that publishing professionals must have. In Acrobat 5, it was the ability to convert gradients to smooth shades, thus ending the days of banding in gradient fills. In version 6, Adobe added several important features. The Separations Preview made it possible to visually find color problems in a PDF file. The PDF Optimizer made it possible to correct problems right in Acrobat and save the file as a new PDF. The most important addition for newspaper folks, however, was the Preflight ability to create sets of standards by which all PDF files can be measured. Acrobat 7 Professional heralded the ability to convert spots to process colors, using the Ink Manager. To go a step further, version 7
Slimp
made it easy to convert one color, spot or process, to another. Now, with my 30th birthday a distant memory (no jokes about my age), could it really be that Acrobat is up to version 8? I’ve been involved in the beta testing for Acrobat 8 for several months now, so it was no surprise when the FedEx box arrived on my desk with the newly released Acrobat 8 Professional inside. Have they done it again? Has Adobe added one or more new features that make Acrobat 8 Professional indispensible to the publishing professional? I’d like to string you along, but you probably already know the answer. Yes! Here’s why: - A cleaner user interface. Adobe likes to tout the new, clean look of Acrobat when the application first opens. The user is greeted with a pretty screen that allows you to click on a button to begin a process. Most of us, however, will click on the “Do not show at startup” button to make this screen go away when the application begins. - Adobe continues to improve the ability to easily create and combine files. Combining multiple files into one PDF gets easier all the time. And not just PDF files. To test this feature, I instructed Acrobat to combine a PDF file, an EPS file exported from QuarkXPress, a JPG file and an InDesign document. Surely, I thought, Acrobat would be
stumped by the Quark EPS. But there it was, before my eyes. It worked perfectly. - Collaborate and share reviews with others. Version 8 introduces the concept of shared reviews. By publishing comments to and retrieving comments from a server, separate from the PDF file, reviewers can see each other’s comments. - Advanced print-based features. In addition to the preflight and ink manager tools, Acrobat 8 Professional intro-duces improved advanced printing features. Acrobat now includes the ability to create watermarks, crop pages and set up pages in booklet form. - The Ad Department is going to like this one: Acrobat Connect offers a way to interact with clients and others in real time. For a monthly fee, Acrobat users can open their documents into personal meeting rooms, so they can be shared with others over the Web for live collaboration. Screen sharing, audio and video conferencing, whiteboarding and other features are possible with Connect. - OK. Here it is. The one feature we’ll all come to depend on. Acrobat 6 Professional offered the ability to create preflight profiles. This meant the user could have Acrobat search throughout a PDF file for any potential problems. In our business, we’d look for things like OPI comments, RGB color, fonts that weren’t embedded and more. Acrobat 8 Professional
has added the ability to fix certain problems when they arise during a preflight. For instance, I created a preflight to look for various potential issues in a newspaper ad. One possible problem was the presence of OPI comments. These pesky little programming comments can play havoc when PDF files go to the press. Now, with Acrobat 8 Professional, I can create a profile that 1) finds OPI comments and 2) removes the comments after they’re found! Let me give you a moment to catch your breath. OK. You can correct such problems with a new feature called the “fixup.” Basically, you instruct Acrobat to fixup a particular problem when it is found during a preflight. I could tell you more, but I dare not. Yes, like many things, Acrobat gets better with age. It gets closer all the time to the magic standalone application we’ve dreamed of since its inception. There are still a few things Acrobat Professional can’t do without the help of plug-ins, so don’t throw away your copies of PitStop or Quite a Box of Tricks. But it’s getting closer all the time. Acrobat 8 Professional is available on the PC and Mac platforms. Upgrades are available from previous versions. For more information, visit http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat.
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ANA Job Bank www.ananews.com/jobbank
Positions Available EDITOR/REPORTER/GRAPHIC PERSONNEL FOR HISPANIC PUBLICATION: We are looking for an editor/reporter and graphic personnel for a Hispanic publication in Arizona. The right candidates will speak and write Spanish fluently and have strong verbal and customer relation skills. Editorial candidates will have a degree in journalism or commensurate experience and knowledge of Associated Press style. Graphic Personnel will need graphic design background, Macintosh computer knowledge, experience using MulitAd Creator, Adobe InDesign, QuarkXpress, Photoshop, Illustrator and similar software. All full time positions with excellent benefits. NSE EEO. Send resume and clippings to: Job Placement Division, 1748 Arizona Ave., Yuma, AZ 85364 NEWS EDITOR: Produces and edits news pages as assigned by the Editor/Managing Editor. Produces and edits appropriate special sections as assigned by Editor/Managing Editor. Directs activities of copy editors. Journalism degree or commensurate experience. Management experience desirable. Extensive reporting, writing and editing experience desired. Excellent spelling, proofreading and editing skills required. Knowledge
ANA can help you Our Job Bank helps journalists and others find openings at Arizona newspapers. 1. Positions Available are published once in ANAgrams and provided to prospective applicants for 30 days, unless the newspaper asks the ad be continued. 2. Positions Wanted are published once in ANAgrams at no cost. Ads should be mailed to us or faxed to: (602) 261-7525. You can also e-mail them to Perri Collins, p.collins@ananews. com. 3. Only member newspapers may advertise help wanted. All ads are also posted on the ANA Web site at http:// ananews.com/JobBank.
of Associated Press style a must. Needs strong verbal and customer relations skills. Needs good organizational skills. Send resume to: Personnel Director, Prescott Newspapers, Inc., 8307 E. Hwy 69, Prescott Valley, AZ 86314 or email to pnihr@prescottaz.com EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: New Mexico Press Association seeks a strong leader to fill its executive director position. Duties include: managing office of 15, oversight of ad networks, supervising eClipping service, provide services to member papers, aid in lobbying state legislature, advocate for open records/meetings, maintain/control budget. For more detailed explanation of the job, visit www.nmpress. org. Send resumes and applications to sgr@nmpress.org or PO Box 3015, Albuquerque, NM 87190. WEEKLY NEWSPAPER EDITOR OR REPORTER: Great opportunity for experienced journalist to join our growing company. Send your resume, references, a few clips and salary requirements to Annette Weaver, Human Resources, Casa Grande Valley Newspapers Inc., Box 15002, Casa Grande, AZ 85230-5002, or email them to aweaver@TriValleyCentral.com. (Nov. 5) EXPERIENCED NEWS PHOTOGRAPHER NEEDED. Immediate full time position available, located in Show Low, Ariz. covering areas of central and southern Navajo and Apache Counties. Qualified applicants must be proficient in Photoshop. Salary is commensurate with experience and knowledge of news photography and how to correctly adjust photos. Send resume, references, samples and salary requirements to Greg Tock, White Mountain Independent, P.O. Box 1570, Show Low, AZ 85902; fax (928) 537-1780; email: gtock@wmicentral.com. (Nov. 8) LEAD PRESS MAN: The Sierra Vista Herald / Bisbee Daily Review is seeking a lead pressman. Duties include running a fifteen unit SSC Goss Community Press, supervision of the press crew, overseeing and scheduling press personnel, preventive maintenance and running our CtP system. We are located in beautiful Sierra Vista, AZ, just one hour south of Tucson. The Sierra Vista Herald / Bisbee Daily Review are award-winning, seven day a week, morning newspapers that have a total circulation
of about 10,000. We also print several weekly, thrice a weekly and specialty newspapers. Four years worth of experience running Goss community presses, or the like. Two years working with or in prepress and camera. Experience with Macintosh computers and InDesign are a plus. If interested, please send your resume to Philip Vega, Sierra Vista Herald, 102 Fab Ave., Sierra Vista, AZ 85635, or e-mail to philip.vega@svherald. com. (Nov. 2) SEEKING REPORTER: The Payson Roundup, a 7,400 circulation, twice-weekly newspaper in Payson, Ariz., has an opening for a reporter who will cover local government, higher education and general assignments. Preference will be given to reporters who have the ability to cover sports on occasion. Along with consistent nutsand-bolts coverage of assigned beats, reporters are expected to develop enterprise and in-depth pieces on issues of importance to our readers. The Roundup has a record of excellence in community journalism and this year was named the state’s “Non-daily Newspaper of the Year” for the eighth year in a row by the Arizona Newspaper Association. The paper’s six-part series on affordable housing received the “Housing Hero Award” from the governor of Arizona this summer, and we are now completing a series on the foster care system. To see more, visit our Web site, payson. com. Send resume and five clips to editor Autumn Phillips, 708 N. Beeline Hwy., Payson, AZ 85541. SEEKING TALENTED NEWS EDITOR: We are looking for an experienced leader for our newsroom. Responsibilities include ensuring the daily production, managing the operations of the news, working with the city editor and section editors to ensure content is complete, accurate and balanced, and communicating with pre-press to ensure pages are finished on schedule. Must have five to ten years experience as assigning editor, city editor or copy editor. Must have good news judgment and excellent writing skills; Fouryear degree in Journalism or English preferred.Qualified candidates may submit resume and cover letter with salary requirements by mail to 467 West Patrick Street, Suite 11, Frederick, MD, 21701 or by fax to (301) 662-6538 or by email to jobs@fredericknewspost.com. (Nov 15)
Calendar Jan. 3, 2007 • 11 a.m.: Marketing Committee monthly conference call
Jan. 8, 2007 • Arizona Legislative session begins
Jan. 11, 2007 • 11:30 a.m. ANA Day at the Capitol: Publishers & editors meet the legislators for lunch at Arizona Capitol Times, Phoenix.
January 15, 2007 • Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
March 1-3, 2007 • Inland Weekly Publishers Conference in Tucson
March 5-9, 2007 • NIE Week: The NIE Week 2007 theme is “Now I Get It! Improving Comprehension With Newspapers.”
March 11-17, 2007 • National Sunshine Week
April 11-12, 2007 • InDesign CS Training with Lisa Griffin. Chaparral Suites, Scottsdale.
April 11-13, 2007 • Spring Advertising, Marketing and Circulation Workshop. Chaparral Suites, Scottsdale.