Official Publication of the Arizona Newspapers Association for distribution to all employees of ANA-member newspapers A community newspaper from community newspaper people
Get local news on your Nintendo Wii
MARCH 2007
A N Ag r a m s
Page 9
ASU’s new journalism school breaks ground in downtown Phoenix Samantha M. Novick Cronkite News Service
Plans for a large college campus downtown took a step forward Wednesday when Walter Cronkite joined officials from Arizona State University and the city at a groundbreaking for the new home of ASU’s journalism school. The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, a program with 1,800 students, is the centerpiece of a plan to create a campus of 15,000 students in downtown Phoenix by 2020. Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon said the campus will help revitalize downtown. “Not only is education the best investment we can make as a city for our future, but it builds an economy,” Gordon said. “We’re going to be training future leaders here. Other cities throughout the country are going to be fighting to do the same thing that we’ve done now.” Last March, Phoenix voters approved a $223 million bond issue championed by Gordon to fund development of the downtown ASU campus. Of that, $71 million will go toward the six-story journalism building, which also will house KAET, the university-run public television station. ASU President Michael M. Crow said having the journalism school downtown will benefit students and the community. “The principal goal is a major urban campus with schools connected to industry, connected to neighborhoods and connected to services,” Crow said. “This school, built in the heart of the city, will be a critical element to creating a learning environment for journalism.” Slated to open in August 2008, the new home of the Cronkite School will house two TV studios and control rooms, eight computer news labs and teaching and seminar space. Christopher Callahan, the Cronkite School’s founding dean, said moving downtown will benefit the program and its students. Cronkite said he was impressed with the way the city and university worked together to make the new building a reality. “It’s a great day for all of us, I hope,” Cronkite said. “Certainly is for me.”
By the numbers... $223 million The amount of the bond passed by Phoenix voters in March 2006 to develop an ASU campus downtown 20 acres The size of ASU’s downtown campus August 2008 The opening of the downtown journalism school 1,800 The number of journalism students who currently attend the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication $71 million The estimated cost of the new journalism school 6 stories The height of the new building 20 minutes The distance between the downtown Tempe campus and the downtown Phoenix campus by light rail
Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon, former “CBS Evening News” anchor Walter Cronkite and Arizona State University President Michael M. Crow at a groundbreaking ceremony for the new journalism school. (Cronkite News Service/Sam Nalven)
Artist rendition of ASU’s new journalism school
2007 Marketing, Advertising and Circulation Workshop Save the date! April 11 – 13, 2007 is the Arizona Newspapers Association’s Spring 2007 Marketing, Advertising and Circulation Workshop. Come join hundreds of newspaper staff members as they improve their skills, rethink their publications and take part in an experience like no other. Register now and reserve your space at this year’s awards presentation. Join other advertising professionals and publishers in honoring the best of Arizona’s newspaper ad designers. Hors d’oeuvres and cocktails will be served at the awards happy hour. Don’t miss all the fun! The 2007 Marketing, Advertising and Circulation Workshop will be held at the Chaparral Suites Resort in sunny Scottsdale, Ariz. Reserve
your hotel room before April 2, 2007 for special conference room rates of $139. In addition to fantastic speakers, exciting, cutting edge presentations, we will also hold a buffet lunch with an interesting twist. The Roundtable/ Best Ideas Luncheon will give you the opportunity to share advertising needs and ideas with advertising executives ANAgrams Arizona Newspapers Association 1001 N. Central Avenue, Suite 670 Phoenix, AZ 85004 - 1947
at each table. John Lindsey, Group Marketing Director for Western Newspapers, Inc., will moderate the roundtable. You can find more details about the sessions on the ANA Web site, www.ananews.com. Scheduled speakers include: CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 “PRSRT STD” U.S. POSTAGE PAID PHOENIX ARIZONA PERMIT NO. 3429
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
MARCH 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 (520) 730-4298.............. carranza57@cox.net 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.... jweigand@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
Questions, guidelines and a personal note John Fearing Executive Director
If one newspaper asks a question, surely others need to know the answer. Over the years, providing those answers has proven interesting and challenging. A newspaper staff member recently asked, “Do you have anything on the upcoming elections and the press? Local election officials tell us the 75 foot rule applies to the press and photographers.” “The requirement that a notice be posted relating to the 75-foot limit at polling places has been in place for many years, providing: No person shall be allowed to remain inside these limits while the polls are open, except for the purpose of voting…[and] a person violating any provision of this notice is guilty of a class 2 misdemeanor (ARS 16515). “Moreover, there has never been an exception for members of the press to the 75-foot limit. The Elections Dept. does, however, like to accommodate the press by
allowing them to take photos of the polling place the night before, etc – but otherwise, only voters are allowed within the 75-foot zone while the polling places are open,” said attorney John Moody. Moody, of Miller, LaSota & Peters, PLC, in Phoenix, provides the answers for our Advertising and Newsroom AnswerLine.
Marketing, Member Revenue
Government / Public Policy
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 hot line for access issues. ANA is responsible for 12 seats on this board of directors. ANA Appointees Dan Burnette, West Valley View; 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 (Thursday-Saturday), 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.
best practices,” said PNRC President Mark W.C. Stodder, in a recent news release. “We think these guidelines will help encourage open government and give citizens better opportunities to become more informed,” he said. To get a copy of the guidelines, and more information about public notice laws, go to www.pnrc.net. PNRC, founded in 2003, is supported by national and state press associations, including the Arizona Newspapers Association.
Public Notice guidelines Newspapers and government entities who are required to print public notices now have a set of guidelines to follow. The Public Notice Resource Center released a set of “Best Practice” guidelines on Feb. 20, to help government officials and local newspapers bring greater awareness of government actions. “Transparency in government requires both public bodies and newspapers that provide the official records to do their part in following
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 e-mail 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); Teri 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.
A personal note I have been in and out of the office lately, thanks to a medical condition. The good news is that the treatments are working and I am feeling better. I had started off the year gangbusters. Visiting newspapers in southern Arizona the first week of the year, and up to the White Mountains the next week. Then the doctor slowed me down. But not for long. I’ll be seeing you real soon.
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 Ad Services Assistant Kelley Towne.......................................... Ext. 103 k.towne@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
Join a Committee If you would like to join a committee, ask your publisher to send an e-mail to j.fearing@ananews. com. Your ideas are what makes this association valuable. Join a committee and make a difference!
MARCH 2007
Spring 2007 workshop speakers CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Mark Henschen has been the circulation director in Escondido since 1995. He also served as group circulation director for 16 properties in Howard Publications from 1996 until 2002. This interactive session will walk you through all the basics to get the most out of every sales channel you have. See and understand the impact of EZ-Pay on your units. Advances in technology have been both exciting and challenging. Bringing this information directly to the people in the production process is a priority. Lisa Tackett Griffin, a staff member at the University of Tennessee/Tennessee Press Association Institute for Newspaper Technology, is recognized as a pioneer in the areas of computer pagination and remote printing methods for newspapers. Michael Leeds, Sales Training Coach, specializes in coaching sales professionals to increase sales and profitability, and has been assisting small and mid-sized businesses since 2002. Leeds’ sessions covers many ways to get in front of your customers, and discusses how to increase sales opportunities while concentrating on improving your team’s “batting average”. Learn how to sell “value-added” advertising programs that include potential single copy, bulk, and paid sampling sales. Bill Shannon, Circulation Director, Daily News, Longview, WA, will show you where to find the opportunities and how to put together an effective sales presentation. Bill has created, designed, and implemented numerous newspaper marketing strategies and promotions during his more than 24 years in circulation, marketing, distribution, and customer service.
Sunshine Week Seminar A statewide series of forums and access training sessions will begin March 15 in Tucson to celebrate National Sunshine Week. The day will feature a two-hour afternoon session for journalists that will include training in access to public records and meetings, followed by a discussion Then, from 7-8:30 p.m. a public forum will include Hill and local officials and journalists to discuss open records access in Arizona. Both events are free. Journalists are encouraged to attend the afternoon session, at the University of Arizona Department of Journalism, Room 340 of the Marshall Building, 845 N. Park Ave. Please RSVP to David Cuillier at 520-626-9694 or at cuillier@email. arizona.edu. Refreshments will be
provided. The access training is based on the Society of Professional Journalists’ national newsroom on-the-go training program. Topics include ideas for document-driven stories, strategies for requesting records and handling denials, and new laws affecting access to public records and meetings. The public forum will be at the University of Arizona Student Union Memorial Center, third floor Grand Ballroom North, 1209 E. University Blvd. The event is sponsored by the First Amendment Coalition of Arizona, the Arizona Newspaper Association, and the University of Arizona Department of Journalism as CONTINUED ON PAGE 6
Teach your students about the real world with help from Newspapers In Education Pat Oso NIE Coordinator
Need applied math activities for your teachers? Here’s one for them to put in a learning center for independent study...and it can be used over and over again. You will need: 1 colored file folder Scissors Glue stick 1 envelope 1 or 2 real estate pages – preferably with photos of homes for sale and prices Access to a laminator Process: 1. Label the colored file folder “Mortgage Math” 2. Cut out a photo of a home for sale and the sales information. Glue it to the front of the folder. 3. Laminate the folder. 4. Glue the face of the envelope inside the file folder. 5. Place the “Mortgage Math” lessons inside the envelope. 6. Place the real estate pages inside the file folder. 7. Place in learning center for independent study. “Mortgage Math” lessons (Type these three lessons, cut them out and glue to 3x5 cards. Laminate if desired.) 1. You have decided to buy a house. You have qualified for a home loan of $250,000. Find a house on
the real estate pages that falls within this amount. You will finance the house for 30 years at an interest rate of 7.2%. How much is your monthly payment? 2. Congratulations! You have qualified for a $400,000 home loan. Find a house that falls within that amount on the real estate pages in this folder. You will finance the house for 25 years at an interest rate of 6.5%. How much is your monthly payment. 3. You have decided to buy a home for yourself and a condo for your mother-in-law. You have qualified for a total loan amount of $350,000. Find a home and a condo that will fall within this range. Finance the house for 30 yrs. at 6.2% and the condo for 25 yrs. at 5.7%. What will the monthly payment be for each? Newspapers can help students understand real-world situations and how math (or language arts or science or history) will play a very real role in their lives. For more ideas about student activities using newspapers, or for more information about Newspapers in Education, contact Pat Oso at p.oso@ananews.com.
Free workshop for Latino high school students The Arizona Latino Media Association is celebrating its 10th anniversary as the host of a free High School Journalism Workshop in partnership with Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. It is an event designed to acquaint Latino students with realworld journalism, to give a taste of the fast-paced excitement of writing on deadline. This journalism workshop: • Encourages youths by giving them real-world experience in three platforms, including print, radio and broadcasting. • Provides interviews of real Arizona newsmakers, people who are covered by the state’s media every day. • Is a great opportunity for students to meet and work with
Latino journalists in a competitive environment. • Students are awarded scholarships and prizes by a panel of professional journalists. Students cover press events and interviews featuring local celebrities and news subjects, then write stories in an afternoon competition simulating on-deadline reporting. During the writing phase, news professionals and teachers are on hand to advise students about writing. ALMA members believe it is critical for working Latino journalists to serve as role models for young writers, to staff the nation’s newsrooms with journalists who reflect the cultural mix of their communities and inspire young writers to pursue reporting careers. For more information, log on to www.almaweb.org, or contact Anita Luera at AnitaL@valledelsol.com.
MARCH 2007
MOVIN’ ON UP... The Winslow Mail has a new publisher: Arizona native Brett Weaver. His job will be to oversee the overall business aspects of the Winslow Mail and The Reminder. “I look forward to meeting the
William Wilczewski has been promoted to assistant editor at Nogales International. After majoring in communications at Canisius College in Buffalo, N.Y., Wilczewski began his eightyear career in journalism. He has experience as a military journalist and general assignment reporter, and was sports editor for the Nogales International from January 2004 to May 2005.
people of the Winslow community,” Weaver said. Brett’s newspaper resume is lengthy and varied. He started as the circulation director for the Arizona Daily Sun, oversaw the assembly, distribution and marketing departments at the Hanford (Calif.) Sentinel. He spent time in Hawaii at the Kauai Publishing Company, then returned to the Arizona Daily Sun until 1999. Weaver was publisher of an entertainment monthly until early 2002, and then joined Western Newspapers, Inc. as circulation director for the Kingman Daily Miner. Former publisher Doug Wells will continue to be publisher of the Williams-Grand Canyon News and Navajo-Hopi Observer.
Retired Arizona Republic ad director receives lifetime achievement award Chuck Cornelius is the recipient of the 2007 Eric Anderson Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the Newspaper Association of America. The award honors individuals for outstanding careers in classified advertising. Cornelius has been the classified advertising director of the Arizona Republic since February 2003. He retired in September 2006. Prior to joining the Arizona Republic in 2003, Cornelius was the director of advertising for the Gannett Company in McLean, Va. He has also been the classified advertising director of the Cincinnati Enquirer/Post in Cincinnati, Ohio for 11 years. Prior to joining Gannett, Cornelius was classified advertising manager at the Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle and at the Jackson (MS) Clarion-Ledger. Cornelius is a past president of
the Southern Classified Advertising Managers Association. He has also been a regular discussion leader at the American Press Institute and has participated in numerous other classified advertising seminars and conferences. He attended Middle Georgia College and is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology. The Eric Anderson Lifetime Achievement Award is presented annually to recognize a retired classified executive who spent a substantial portion of his or her career devoted to efforts which benefit classified advertising on the local, regional or national levels. The award is named for the late Eric Anderson, former senior vice president of the Newspaper Advertising Bureau, one of the seven newspaper industry organizations that merged to form NAA in 1992.
National FOI Day Conference The National FOI Day Conference will be held on March 16, 2007, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The conference brings together access advocates, government officials, lawyers, librarians, journalists, educators and others to discuss the latest issues and developments in access to government information and the public’s right to know. The ninth annual FOI Day Conference is sponsored by the First Amendment Center. Sunshine Week will co-sponsor the event, which will be held in cooperation with the American Library Association, OpenTheGovernment.org and the
Coalition of Journalists for Open Government. More than a dozen nationally known speakers and presenters will appear on the program, and the agenda will include discussions of government secrecy, publication of classified information and access priorities for the coming year. The American Library Association will present its annual James Madison Awards, and new reports and publications will be released. As the conference agenda is finalized, program details will be announced on the First Amendment Center Web site: www.firstamendmentcenter.org.
Former CNN anchor invites public to his lecture Former CNN anchor Aaron Brown invites the public to his keynote lecture, “Journalism in Our Times” at Arizona State University’s Gammage auditorium on March 8, 2007 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are free and available at Borders Bookstores, the Changing Hands bookstore in Tempe and ASU bookstores. A ticket is required to attend the lecture. Brown is the 2007 John J. Rhodes Chair in Public Policy and American Institutions, in the Barrett Honors College at ASU.
MARCH 2007
New bill threatens to change access to records, poses dilemma for Arizona ombudsman office Leah Duran Cronkite News Service
The state’s ombudsman-citizens’ aide on Tuesday said a bill that would restrict his access to documents that are “protected under federal law” is broad enough to “blindfold” his office. “This position was created because we wanted open government,” Patrick Shannahan told the House Committee on Government, which held the bill. “This bill interferes with our ability to accomplish our job.”
“A blanket prohibition would just blindfold us.” - Pat Shannahan Arizona Ombudsman-Citizens’ Aide
HB 2563, sponsored by Rep. John Nelson, R-Glendale, also would restrict the ombudsman’s access to information on government-owned facilities classified as “critical infrastructure.” It would
amend legislation passed last year that expands the state ombudsman’s role to include reviewing public records disputes between the public and local government officials. Kevin DeMenna, a lobbyist for the city of Phoenix, which asked Nelson to sponsor the bill, said the change is needed to make sure people who lack proper clearance don’t see such information. He said the bill conforms with changes being made around the country. “The ombudsman is an office designed to break down walls, but these are walls that should not be broken down,” DeMenna said. The ombudsman acts as an independent, impartial, confidential legislative office to mediate disputes between citizens and agencies. Shannahan called the language the bill’s reference to “documents protected by federal law” vague and said it could be cited by government officials to restrict his office’s access to a slew of records. “A blanket prohibition would just blindfold us and wouldn’t allow us to do our job,” Shannahan said.
Almost every piece of paper containing citizen information, such as documents from the state Department of Economic Security, is protected by the federal government to some degree, Shannahan said. Shannahan also said the bill is unnecessary because federal law trumps state law. “If federal law denies me access to a document, I wouldn’t be able to look at it anyway,” Shannahan said. Nelson, the bill’s sponsor, said the change is needed to protect sensitive information compiled by police and fire departments and utilities. “I live a few miles away from the nuclear generating station,” Nelson said. “I don’t want somebody getting into that data … without knowing they have a real reason to get that information for a real honestto-goodness problem.” In the process of determining whether certain records are public, the ombudsman’s office often looks at confidential records that the general public cannot access, Shannahan said. Releasing confidential records
to the public is a felony. “There is not a problem with leaks coming out of my office,” Shannahan said. Shannahan noted that his office will recommend whether a record should be made public but cannot compel an agency to release it. In those cases, a citizen’s only recourse is to file a lawsuit. The Ombudsman-Citizens’ Aide office was set up 10 years ago to mediate disputes between citizens and state government. Last year lawmakers and Gov. Janet Napolitano approved expanding the office’s role to include reviewing public records complaints involving counties, cities, towns, school districts and other local government offices.
“I don’t want somebody getting into that data...” - John B. Nelson R-Glendale
Record fourth quarter for online newspaper viewership, study reports Arlington, Va. – Monthly unique visitors to newspaper Web sites averaged more than 57.6 million in the fourth quarter 2006, a record number and the largest in any quarter since NAA began tracking online usage in January 2004. According to the data, which is part of a new report by Nielsen//NetRatings for the Newspaper Association of America and takes into account home and work Internet usage, this represents a 6.9 percent increase over the same period last year (53.6 million). In a year-over-year comparison, the average unique audience for newspaper Web sites grew by more than 10 million in 2006, an increase of more than 22 percent over 2005 numbers. October 2006 broke some records of its own; more than 58.7 million people visited newspaper Web sites that month, more than any month on record. This figure represents an eleven percent increase from the same period a year ago. “Newspaper Web sites continue to shatter records each quarter as they execute innovate strategies to expand the newspaper footprint,” said NAA Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer John Kim-
ball. “These sites continue to grow newspaper readership and increase revenue streams, attracting young and affluent consumers to a continually evolving medium.” For the year’s fourth quarter, more than 36 percent of all active Web users visited newspaper Web sites, with visits averaging 43 minutes a month during the quarter. Users generated more than 2.8 billion page impressions on average, a
13.1 percent increase over the same period a year ago. To see data for previous quarters, please visit http:// www.naa.org/Trends-and-Numbers/ NetRatings-Chart.aspx. These numbers come on the heels of a separate study from Nielsen//NetRatings indicating that traffic to blog pages at the top 10 newspaper Web sites grew a staggering 210 percent in December (compared to the same month a year
ago), with unique visitors to blog pages accounting for 13 percent of overall newspaper Web site traffic that month. “Newspapers update their Web sites to meet changing consumer demand,” Kimball said. “The latest news, blogs, podcasts and other features makes these sites one-stop shops for consumers seeking immediate access to news and information.”
Month
Unique Audience
Active Reach Pages Per Percentage Person
Page Views
Time Spent (mm:ss)
Visits Per Person
Oct. 2006 Nov. 2006 Dec. 2006 Q4 Average
58,717,539 58,129,985 56,013,742 57,620,422
37.18 36.33 34.68 36.06
2,975,449,790 2,792,081,066 2,688,692,759 2,818,741,205
44:04 41:59 42:55 42:59
8.16 7.93 7.80 7.96
Year
Unique Audience
Active Reach Pages Per Percentage Person
Page Views
Time Spent (mm:ss)
Visits Per Person
2006 2005
56,404,313 46,120,640
36.19 30.77
2,674,022,250 1,939,338,257
41:14 38:37
8.00 7.49
50.67 48.03 48.00 48.90
47.38 41.77
Source: Nielsen//NetRatings Custom Analysis The NetRatings newspaper total represents a de-duplicated visitor total taken from its combined home and work panel of Internet users. The target adult sample (16 years or older) has access from a non-shared PC at work and access from home (i.e. an individual who might read a national newspaper plus their local newspaper online is only counted once.) The NetRatings newspaper total represents the de-duplicated reach of hundreds of sites collectively.
MARCH 2007
BEWARE
of phony classified pet ads Fraudulent pet classified ads are on the rise. According to the Federal Communications Commission, pet scams have risen 20 percent from this time last year. While classified advertising meets the needs of legitimate buyers and sellers, it has also led to a number of scams and frauds that are perpetrated through classified pet ads. The scam begins when someone calls to place an ad offering purebred puppies, exotic birds or unusual non-native pets for low, low prices. The primary way to contact these advertisers is by e-mail, and many scammers prefer to place their ads using the anonymity of the Internet. When a prospective buyer responds to the ad, he or she receives an e-mail from a seller who claims to have moved to Africa or Asia, or from someone who directs them to a “former customer” who now lives in another country. In their e-mails to prospective buyers, the sellers seem extremely excited to have found an “loving parent” for their pet. Some of the e-mails also have photos of the supposed puppy attached. They then attempt to get the buyer to send them a money via Western Union and promise to ship the puppy (or other pet) the next day. The buyers send the money and never see a pet. Sadly, there are criminals who prey on people through print and online classified ads daily. But there are steps that you can take to make your readers a little more safe.
Know Your Buyer Transactions with local buyers are safest. Get a local phone number, and call it to make sure it works. International scammers often send e-mails with terrible grammar and spelling mistakes. If it smells fishy, check it out. Don’t be afraid to contact the advertiser several times until you feel comfortable enough to publish the ad.
Secure Payment First Don’t print a single word until you have payment in hand. Many scammers use stolen credit card numbers to pay for the ads. Obtain a billing address, or make sure that the check clears before placing the ad. Too good to be true? Products that are priced way too low should raise a red flag. For instance, if a motorcycle is stated to be in “excellent” condition and yet is priced thousands below book value, you should proceed with caution. While not all bargains are scams, you may see clues of fraudulent activity when you contact the seller.
Who should I notify about classified ad fraud? The Federal Trade Commission has a toll free hot line: 877FTC-HELP (877-382-4357), and their online complaint form can be accessed from www.ftc.gov. Education and communication is the key to prevent this crime. Look through each classified ad carefully, and you could save your customers and your newspaper a lot of headaches.
ANS celebrates centennial By Perri Collins
Complete with moving speeches, live music, gourmet food and ice sculptures...no, it wasn’t the Academy Awards, it was the 100th anniversary of the Arizona News Service. The Arizona News Service, which publishes the Arizona Capitol Times and various legislative newsletters and booklets, has been owned by the Creighton family since its inception in 1906. It was purchased in 2005 by Dolan Media Co. of Minneapolis. Ned Creighton began serving business clients by providing information on Arizona territorial government early in the 20th Century, founding Arizona News Service in 1906 to publish a legislative newsletter. In 1946, Ned’s son, Robert, added the Messenger, which was later renamed the Arizona Legislative Review. Robert’s son, also named Ned Creighton, took over the business in 1970, and his wife, Diana, joined the firm in 1980. In 1982 they renamed the newspaper again, this time to the Arizona Capitol Times, to reflect its expanded coverage of state government In 1984, they added the online service LOLA (Legislation On Line Arizona), one of the first services in the U.S. to provide bill-tracking and extensive coverage of the legislative process and state government.
“Due to the hard work and perseverance of Ned and Diana Creighton and now, a talented, knowledgeable team, we continue the tradition upon which ANS was founded,” said Publisher Ginger Lamb. The Arizona News Service plans to build the relationship with their customers by finding new and better ways of delivering information to them. “Whether that’s through additional resources, reporting in new formats, or adding new products or services – our goal is to help them achieve their goals and hopefully help them do their jobs more efficiently,” said Lamb. Besides the Capitol Times, the Arizona News Service publishes the daily Arizona Legislative Report, the Yellow Sheet Report, an insider newsletter published between legislative sessions; the Green Book, an annual guide to the Arizona Legislature; and various magazine-format publications on the workings of state government. “We’re committed to providing speed, accuracy, fairness and insight in our reporting,” she said. So after 100 years, what does the future hold for the Arizona News Service? “More special publications, special events and the introduction of new services and products geared toward the Capitol community.”
Sunshine Week Seminar CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 part of national Sunshine Week and a series of workshops to explain and celebrate freedom of information. Sunshine Week has grown widely across the United States since it was first introduced nationwide in 2005. The increasing participation can be attributed to newspaper professionals who care about freedom and see freedom of information and
open access to government as cornerstones in the foundation or our nation’s success. Newspapers across the country have taken steps each March to remind their readers if the importance of open government. Will your newspaper be one of them? Sunshine Week began in Florida in 2002, when the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors launched an effort to combat secret initiatives in the state’s legislature. It is funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. More information about the nationwide push can be found at www.sunshineweek.org.
The future, past and present of Arizona News Service and the Arizona Capitol Times: Jim Dolan President and CEO of Dolan Media; founder Ned Creighton; and Publisher Ginger Lamb.
Public notice bill approved by Senate Senate Bill 1195, which would allow county boards of supervisors to conduct delinquent tax sales online and reduce the publication notice requirement to once, was approved by the Senate February, after its adoption of an amendment requested by the ANA. The amendment removed lan-
guage pertaining to the posting of such notices on county Web sites and added the requirement that the newspaper that prints the list and notice of such sales shall also post the notice on a website that posts the legal notices of ten or more Arizona Newspapers. The bill will now go to the House.
MARCH MARCH2007 2007
Dedicated Tribune writer remembered for her love of life Katie McDevitt East Valley Tribune
Toni Laxson, a dedicated Tribune reporter for more than seven years who took readers into unique kitchens, introduced them to new dishes and even ventured inside dark crime scenes, died Saturday after a long battle with cancer. She was 47. Laxson, a food writer and former crime writer described by her sister Kadel Laxson as having a “generous spirit and a kind heart,” died at about 4 a.m. on Feb. 11, 2007, at Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn hospital. Her sister and cousin Marilyn Gauthier were at her side. Born Sept. 28, 1959, in Mesa, Laxson attended high school in Tucson and earned her journalism degree from the University of Texas. Laxson’s work earned her multiple awards, including third place for a lifestyle features piece from the Arizona Newspaper Association and a lifestyle reporting award from the Arizona Press Club. “She saw the movie ‘All the President’s Men’ and decided right there and then she wanted to be a journalist,” her sister said. Cancer didn’t stop her from writing. While undergoing chemotherapy, Laxson worked daily at the
Tribune up until the last few months of her life when she went home to fight her disease. Despite her illness, she kept in touch with friends and
colleagues. “She worked hard for readers, even as she battled cancer,” said Tribune Executive Editor Jim Ripley.
(East Valley Tribune/Jennifer Grimes)
Community loses newspaper publisher, leader Thelma Grimes San Pedro Valley News-Sun
Marguerite Jennings, publisher and editor of the San Pedro Valley News-Sun’s predecessor in the 1950s, died in January at age 90 after complications from a broken hip. “The family is very proud of my mother and what she has done for this community,” she said. “Throughout her life even her adversaries admired her. She was well loved by the family and the community. She and this family are so much a part of the history of the San Pedro Valley.” Marguerite, was born Jan. 31, 1916 on her parents’ ranch in Mescal. In 1932, Jennings graduated from Benson Union High School as the Salutatorian and went on to graduate as the salutatorian of Arizona State University in 1936, earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism. For postgraduate work, Jennings attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. Marguerite married Russell Jennings in 1941. The couple moved to San Francisco where she became the acting editor of Coast Banker, a
west coast banking magazine. After having their first of four children in Los Angeles in 1944, Marguerite said she wanted a good country upbringing for their children and the family returned to Arizona, settling on 10 acres in St. David. Marguerite and her husband were the first to put natural gas lines into St. David, becoming the first company to bring natural gas to Cochise County. From 1951 through 1958, Marguerite was publisher and editor
Marguerite Jennings, 1916 - 2007
of the Valley Sun, a newspaper in Benson now called the San Pedro Valley News-Sun. In 1957 Marguerite tried her hand at selling real estate and soon became the designated broker for all Strout Realty offices throughout Arizona. Among a long list of accomplishments, Marguerite was published in the 1975-76 edition of Who’s Who in American Women. In Benson, Marguerite has served on Benson Economic Enterprises Inc, was president and general manager of Strout Western Realty, was secretary of Jones-Wilson Insurance and Investments, was president of the Benson Youth Council, the San Pedro Valley Artists and the Benson Festival Committee and was secretary of Benson Hospital. She also served a stint on the Cochise County Advisory Council on Air Pollution, as the president of Cochise County Alcoholism Council, on the Cochise County Bar Association and the Cochise County Hospital Association. Her leadership will be missed.
“Toni was a wonderful, caring woman,” Ripley said. Generous with praise and encouragement, Laxson also kept the newsroom well-fed with baked goodies and treats, Ripley said. Her fellow reporters remember those sweets, as well as how she made them laugh and how her strength brought courage to everyone. “I don’t think she ever gave up,” said Scottsdale columnist John Leptich, who has known Laxson for years. “She knew it wasn’t good, but she was a fighter.” Laxson is survived by her older sisters Kadel Laxson, with whom she lived in Tempe, and Marilee Laxson, who resides in Houston. Also, she is survived by her father, Grady Laxson, stepmother Nilene Laxson and cousins David Croom, Karen Graff and several others who live out of state. Laxson donated her body to the University of Arizona College of Medicine, so there will be no formal memorial service. She will later be interred near her mother and aunt in Resthaven Park Mortuary & Cemetery at 4310 E. Southern Ave. in Phoenix.
MARCH 2007
Cutline Commandments By Randy Hines
People are drawn to photographs. Research repeatedly has shown how powerful they are in advertisements. One study by Cahners, for example, found that 98 percent of top-ranked ads used a picture or an illustration. It makes sense, then, for the news-editorial side to take advantage of the news photos that run alongside their stories. When eyes gravitate to the photographs, they almost always move to the caption to get a better understanding of what they just viewed. A well-written cutline, therefore, is a perfect way to get the readers so interested in the accompanying article that they can’t wait to read it. We already know from other studies that more than twice as many people read the caption than will read the copy around it. So improve your cutlines to entice more readers to continue their reading about that topic over in the lead paragraph. Alas, too often the cutline is one of the last details the copy desk is worried about. Most wire photos will come with already-written captions. The latest Associated Press Stylebook, in fact, has a whole section that deals with photo cutlines. Nearly all AP captions follow a simple formula: * The first sentence of the caption describes what the photo shows, in the present tense, and states where and when the photo was made. It must ALWAYS include the day and date the photo was made. * The second sentence of the caption gives background on the news event or describes why the photo is significant. * Whenever possible, try to keep captions to no more than two concise sentences, while including relevant information a newspaper editor or reader will need. Because of that formula, your copy desk needs to alter cutlines if you’re using two or more photographs to illustrate the same story. Otherwise, that second sentence will read exactly the same under both pictures. It makes readers wonder why you don’t read (and edit) your captions so you don’t waste space with such needless repetition. Some Arizona newspapers probably have their own set of guidelines for writing effective captions that help readers understand the photo with it. At the top of every list should be the commandment: Thou shalt not write a cutline without seeing the actual cropped photograph that will run in the newspaper.
Too often readers are provided a caption with three names as recipients of an award, only to see two faces in the photo above it. What happened? Who didn’t show up for the photo op? Or who was too far off to the side when the picture was taken that we didn’t want to waste a column to squeeze that individual in with the other two? Totally ridiculous cutlines have run that were probably written correctly when the journalist looked at the original photo that was supposed to run. Later on, after updates on wire stories or the addition of a big local story to the page, that photo gets cropped and people disappear from view. Those same individuals, unfortunately, are identified in the caption that’s printed. Thou shalt not editorialize is another rule to heed. Identifying someone as brilliant for creating a great Super Bowl commercial for GoDaddy.com might find considerable disagreement among those who watched the event Feb. 4. Thou shalt not repeat the obvious is a third maxim for caption writers. Your readers can see that someone is behind the wheel of a vehicle. You might instead tell why (prepares to leave a flooded neighborhood), where and when. Thou shalt not use clichés is a final guideline. We sometimes have people off to the side “watching” the main action. If that’s all they’re doing, crop them out of the photo. Those with older AP books may have its list of “Ten Tests of a Good Caption”:
1 Is it complete? 2 Does it identify fully and clearly?
3 Does it tell when? 4 Does it tell where? it tell what’s in 5 Does the picture? it have the names 6 Does spelled correctly, with the proper name on the right person?
7 Is it specific? 8 Is it easy to read? as many adjectives as 9 Have possible been removed? 10 Does it suggest another picture?
Dr. Randy Hines teaches in the Department of Communications at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, PA 17870. He can be reached at (570) 372-4079 or randyhinesapr@yahoo.com.
Big newspaper publishers discuss ad network to counter Internet NEW YORK (AP) — The nation’s three largest newspaper publishers are in talks to create a national network to sell online advertising, hoping to claw back some of the ad dollars that have been migrating to the Internet. The network’s founding members would be Gannett Co., publisher of USA Today and the largest U.S. newspaper company; Tribune Co., and McClatchy Co., but the network would be open to others as well, Gannett spokeswoman Tara Connell said. The story was reported last week in The Wall Street Journal. Connell said the network was still being completed, and declined to comment further on the details of the operation. McClatchy declined to comment, and Tribune didn’t return a call seeking comment. The new network, if it winds up being created, would stand apart from a separate effort being pursued by a group of other newspaper publishers to sell help-wanted advertising online in conjunction with Yahoo Inc. That group, which includes Hearst Corp., MediaNews Group Inc. and several other publishers, is also in discussions with Yahoo about expanding their cooperation into other areas. The group working with Yahoo has also said it is open to others joining.
The stocks of publicly held newspaper publishers have languished recently as advertising dollars move to the Internet and as newspaper circulation continues a long-term decline. Newspapers’ revenues from online advertising have been rising rapidly, but not enough to compensate for the sluggishness in print advertising, which still makes up most of their business. Advertising at newspaper Web sites rose 23 percent in the third quarter of last year compared with the same period a year earlier but print advertising declined 2.6 percent, resulting in an overall decline of 1.5 percent, according to the Newspaper Association of America, an industry group. Gannett, Tribune and McClatchy already cooperate in several other areas, including an online and print help-wanted advertising venture called CareerBuilder, which has grown rapidly and competes against Monster Worldwide Inc. The Journal reported that the new online advertising network would target national advertisers, an area that newspapers have tried to coordinate in the past but with limited success. Gannett’s CEO Craig Dubow referred to discussions about an online advertising network to investors in December.
Newsprint makers merge for survival By Ian Austen New York Times
Two leaders of the struggling North American newsprint industry, Abitibi Consolidated and Bowater, announced that they would merge through a stock-based transaction. The resulting company, AbitibiBowater, will retain Abitibi’s Montreal headquarters but 52 percent of its stock will be owned by the current shareholders of Bowater, which is based in Greenville, S.C. The combined operation, which will evenly divide board positions between the companies, has an estimated value of $8 billion. The Internet, declining circulation and publishers’ attempts to lower costs with narrower newspapers have combined to reduce newsprint consumption in the United States by 26 percent since 1999. Adding to the industry’s woes have been production cost increases caused by a stronger Canadian dollar and rising energy prices.
As a result, Abitibi, which is a product of earlier consolidations, has posted losses for the last two years, while Bowater was last profitable in 2001. In announcing the merger, the chief executive and president of Abitibi, John W. Weaver, and the chief executive and president of Bowater, David J. Paterson, emphasized that the merger should realize savings of $250 million a year. Mr. Weaver will become the executive chairman of AbitibiBowater; Mr. Patterson will retain the titles of chief executive and president. In an interview, Mr. Weaver said that when those savings, with $100 million of them coming from sales and administration costs, are combined with other measures, the new company would gain the “financial flexibility” it needed for investing in new products and its operations.
MARCH 2007
Nintendo debuts news on Wii SEATTLE (AP) — Rabid video gamers could get some help keeping in touch with the outside world with a new online news service from Nintendo Co. through its popular Wii console. The Wii News Channel that debuted Jan. 26 will primarily feature top news stories and photographs from The Associated Press. Consoles with an Internet connection will be able to access the free news channel, which will offer
versus international, you just blow up the map of the U.S.” The AP has a two-year contract to provide news and photos to Nintendo and would like to provide multimedia in the future, said Jane Seagrave, vice president of new media markets for the New Yorkbased news cooperative. “It’s a very innovative new application of what we’re doing generally, which is to try to get our content to new audiences on new
AP news in multiple languages. Japanese-language news will be supplied by the Mainichi newspaper and Nippon Television Network, Nintendo said. There were no immediate plans to sell advertising space, said Perrin Kaplan, vice president for marketing at Nintendo’s U.S. headquarters in Redmond. News will be displayed through an interactive map, which users can navigate with the Wii’s wireless controller, Kaplan said. “The beauty of it is it zooms in and out of areas of the world,” she said. “So if you really want to focus on regional news or national news
platforms,” Seagrave said. The AP will supply news for the Wii in English, French, Spanish, Dutch, German, and Swiss-German, Seagrave said. The Wii has been a surprise hit for Nintendo as it competes with Sony Corp.’s PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Corp.’s Xbox 360 consoles. “The Nintendo Wii demographic is definitely a wider demographic than your traditional hardcore gamer,” said Billy Pidgeon, a video game industry analyst at IDC in New York. “It kind of makes sense for other types of content to be made available on the Wii.”
Media job cuts rose to 88 percent By Joanne Morrison and Michele Gershberg
NEW YORK (Reuters) - The number of planned job cuts in the U.S. media sector surged 88 percent last year and that trend will likely continue as readers shift from print to online services, a new study showed. For all of last year, the media industry announced 17,809 job cuts, up sizably from the 9,453 cuts announced the prior year, according to the job outplacement tracking firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. That was the biggest tally of announced layoffs for the industry since 2001, when the dot.com collapse was under way. The trend is expected to continue this year, according to John Challenger, chief executive officer at the Chicago-based firm, which tracks planned layoffs, not actual layoffs. “Already this year we have seen job cuts announced by Time Inc and the New York Times Company,” Challenger said. “These organizations will continue to make adjustments as their focus shifts from print to electronic.” For the first half of this month, there have been more than 2,000 planned job cuts announced. However, in terms of total job cuts, the downsizing in the media sector pales in comparison to the auto industry, which saw 158,766 job cuts in 2006. Still, newspaper publishers, broadcasters and other media com-
panies have been cutting jobs and reevaluating their business models as a growing number of Americans turn to the Internet for news and entertainment. Since the beginning of 2007, top U.S. magazine publisher Time Inc. said it would cut 289 jobs, the New York Times Co. announced plans to shed 125 jobs and close foreign bureaus for its Boston Globe newspaper. But print media is not alone in the changes. NBC Universal, home to the NBC television network and Universal Studios film unit, announced late last year a $750 million overhaul that includes cutting nearly 700 jobs to invest in its faster growing digital operations. NBC is controlled by General Electric Co. “Until they can figure out a way to make as much money from their online services as they are losing from the print side, it is going to be an uphill battle,” said Challenger. As readers spend more time on the Web, advertisers are not far behind in moving their marketing budgets online. While most companies in the industry are building up their Internet sites and distribution to capture the growth, that has yet to offset weakness at their mainstay print or broadcast businesses. Internet ad spending is forecast to rise 13 percent in 2007 and newspaper advertising is expected to drop nearly 3 percent, according to media tracking firm TNS.
National NIE Week designed to improve reading comprehension Newspaper In Education Week 2007, March 5-9, reinforces a positive and relevant lifetime reading habit in students by engaging them with an authentic text - the newspaper. This year’s theme is “Now I Get It! Improving Comprehension With Newspapers.” The NAA Foundation has created a teacher’s guide and in-house ads for NIE Week. Thanks to the generosity of Abitibi Consolidated Inc., the guide and ads are available free of charge. Activities in the teacher’s guide are designed to help students improve their reading comprehension. The teacher controls the difficulty of each activity through individual selection of newspaper texts for each activity. Newspaper activities build on students’ knowledge and interest because the content is about their
community as well as events and people of interest to them. Newspapers are highly motivational for young people because they are seen as an adult medium and include something of interest for a wide range of readers. Each newspaper section contains its own text structures, which are predictable. When students become familiar with text structures, they will have better control over them and will find it easier to read the newspaper. To order your free NIE Week 2007 package, log on to the Web site: www.naafoundation.org, or write to Sandy Andrade, NAA Foundation, 4401 Wilson Blvd., Suite 900 Arlington, VA 22203.
MARCH 2007
10
The evolving technology of the newsroom By Kevin Slimp
The past few days have been a blur as I plan tomorrow’s presentation for the Iowa Newspaper Asso-ciation. In the past five days, I’ve found myself at press association conventions stretching across the map from Calgary, Alberta to Louisville, Kentucky. The topic of choice has been “New Technology for Newspapers.” The problem with this topic is that I can never use the same presentation twice. Newspaper technol-ogy is constantly changing, so I’m always researching and testing the latest products on the market. Let me share a few thoughts from tomorrow’s session.
Cameras Remember when photographers used to debate whether digital cameras could match the quality of film? I haven’t heard too many arguments lately. Digital is king and there are good cameras for the serious photographer to the ad salesperson needing a quick shot for a realty ad. Canon EOS-1D (Mark II N): Gee, that’s a long name for a camera. But it’s a lot of camera. A fast camera, shooting eight frames per second at 8.2 megapixels, the 1D boasts ISO speed of 100-1600. This is a great camera for the serious photographer who needs to get that evening slide into home plate. $3,600. Nikon D2X: Most newspaper photographers fall into one of two camps. Canon and Nikon. With lenses often costing more than cameras, it makes sense to stick with the brand you own lenses for. For serious Nikon users, the D2Xs is another great camera. Boasting 12.8 megapixels, this is another great camera for the fast action shots. $4,300. Canon Rebel XTi (400D): Not
as powerful as the 1D, the Rebel descends from a line of excellent cameras (Rebel, Rebel XT) at an affordable price. At 10.1 megapixels, the XTi boasts three frames per second at a price under $800. Nikon D80: I’m starting to run into a lot of D80s at newspapers of all sizes. The D80, sporting 10.2 megapixels, packs at lot of punch for $999.
Scanners A funny thing has happened to the scanner market. It looks like a lot of vendors are getting out of the desktop scanner business. Fortunately, Epson still offers great scanners at very reasonable prices. Most newspapers will be happy with the Epson V350. Offering 48 bit quality for $149 (US), this Epson is a perfect fit for the type of scanning we do. Newspapers that do a lot of scanning should consider the Epson V700. The quality of the scans is the same as the V350, but this scanner is Firewire compatible, meaning it works a lot faster than USB scanners like the V350. Speed has its price, however, and the price is $499.
Software InDesign CS3 and QuarkXPress 7.1: These heavyweights will continue to duke it out in 2007. Fortunately, both are quality products with a lot going for them. InDesign moves up to version CS3 with promises of “Photoshoplike” tools and faster performance for Intel-based Macs. Quark fights back by allowing two users to work on the same document simultaneously. InDesign continues to make significant gains in the newspaper
market in 2007. Quark began to show signs of life in 2006. It will be interesting to see how this battle of pagination giants pans out. Acrobat 8 Professional: This latest rendition of the Acrobat line offers tools essential to our market. The most important addition is the preflight “fix u p . ” Wi t h 8.0’s preflight tool, newspapers can find and fix problems in PDF files with a single click. Apple Aperture and Adobe Lightroom: Will either of these products make a dent in the newspaper market in 2007? It’s anyone’s guess. But don’t kid yourself. Both are powerful tools for professional photographers and make working with RAW images a speedy endeavor. Open Source Software: A buddy in Illinois tells me his newspaper group plans to produce a newspa-per using only open source software. Open source is free. Yes, free. I’ll be keeping my eye on Illinois. Publishing Systems: Mediaspan (Harris Baseview) and Managing Editor continue to lead the pack in the small and mid-size newspaper market. ATS (Advanced Technical Solutions) seems to be popping up at big newspapers all over the place. I’ve been especially impressed by ATS’ Consumer Center (online ad creation and placement). Well, there’s a lot more I could tell you about newspaper technology in 2007, but I’m limited to 800 words in my column. Tell you what, if you can catch a quick flight to Des
Moines for tomorrow’s conference, we can discuss preflight systems, Web site design services, computers, OS X, Windows Vista and more.
Legal Services Another benefit of ANA membership
Advertising and Newsroom AnswerLine Miller, LaSota & Peters, PLC (602) 495-2713
First hour free to all ANA member newspapers.
Media Hotline Perkins, Coie, Brown & Bain (602) 351-8000
Funded by First Amendment Coalition of Arizona Inc. No cost up to the initiation of litigation.
HR Hotline Steptoe & Johnson, LLP (602) 257-5200
Up to two hours of consultation and advice available to publishers and department heads of ANA-member newspapers.
MARCH 2007
ANA Job Bank www.ananews.com/jobbank
Positions Available SPORTS REPORTER WANTED: Pueblo Publishers, Inc. has an immediate opening for a full-time sports reporter/writer/photographer to cover local high school sports for The Glendale Star and Peoria Times. Duties include reporting, writing, editing, photography and layout. We offer competitive compensation, a comprehensive benefits package, paid holidays and vacation. If you are interested in joining our independent community news team, please send resume, cover letter and clips to Bill Toops, Publisher, wtoops@ star-times.com, or fax to (623) 842-6017. (Feb. 14) GRAPHIC ARTIST: Immediate opening at a fast paced weekly newspaper. The Desert Advocate is looking for a graphic artist with web experience and working knowledge of Quark and Adobe Suite. Candidate must possess page/ad layout and web design. Must have at least two years working experience. Send resume along with salary requirements, references and three samples of best work in .pdf format. E-mail Kseemeyer@thedesertadvocate. com. (Feb. 14) EDUCATION REPORTER: A promotion from within has created an opening for an education/youth reporter at the Mohave Valley Daily News in Bullhead City, Ariz. The position involves covering four school districts and issues of interest to the youth of our community. The Mohave Valley Daily News is a morning newspaper with a circulation of 11,000, published six days a week. Send cover letter, resume, clips and references to Managing Editor Wayne R. Agner; Mohave Valley Daily News; 2435 S. Miracle Mile; Bullhead City, AZ 86442; or e-mail info to wagner@ mohavedailynews.com. (Feb. 14) C O P Y E D I T O R / PA G E DESIGNER: The Phoenix Business Journal is looking for someone with superior news judgment, the ability to work on deadline, knowledge of business community and basic financial concepts, strong interpersonal skills to edit and proof copy for news, special sections and our Web site. Other responsibilities include writing
11
headlines and cutlines for the weekly newspaper. Paginate inside pages in Adobe InDesign when needed. Edit and proof all Business Journal copy for style, clarity, spelling, grammar, consistency, context and accuracy. Copy must adhere to local Business Journal and Associated Press style. The Business Journal’s target is 100 percent accuracy. Monitor flow of all copy each day to ensure it meets production deadlines. Write headlines, sub-heads, and cutlines, and other informational or graphics copy as requested by the Editor and/or Managing Editor. Work with reporters to finalize and paginate stories. Must know Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop skills. Two years experience preferred. Contact: Ilowery@bizjournals.com. (Feb. 12) PRESS OPERATOR: The Sierra Vista Herald / Bisbee Daily Review is seeking a press operator. 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. 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 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 (Feb. 6) COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER PUBLISHER: Payson Roundup, a 7,000-circulation twice-weekly newspaper, seeks an experienced leader. This is a unique opportunity for an ambitious self-starter to take a step up and lead a newspaper that has been recognized nationally and statewide with many awards including the Arizona Newspaper Association Newspaper of the Year and General Excellence for eight consecutive years. We are seeking a publisher who has a well-rounded newspaper background including management and sales and marketing experience, excellent communication skills, and genuinely enjoys community service and the benefits of small
town living. Payson is 80 miles northeast of Phoenix. The clean air, mild climate and outdoor recreation in the nearby Tonto National Forest make Payson an attractive community for both residents and visitors. Payson Roundup is part of WorldWest Limited Liability Company, a company known for offering growth and professional advancement opportunities. If you are prepared to lead our thriving newspaper in Payson, Arizona, send resumé, references and compensation history to WorldWest general manager Suzanne Schlicht by e-mail at sschlicht@worldwest. net. (Feb. 1) CIRCULATION MANAGER: Take charge of the circulation department for the Eastern Arizona Courier and the Copper Era. The right candidate will be someone with a positive attitude and strong customer service skills. We’re willing to train if you have the right qualities. Responsibilities include the day-to-day operation and supervision of our circulation department, rack and dealer billing/collections and overseeing our newspaper carriers. We offer competitive pay and a comprehensive benefits package including health insurance, dental, vacation and a 401K retirement plan. If you believe you are the right person to join our team, send or e-mail your resume, cover letter and salary expectations to: Rick Schneider, Eastern Arizona Courier, 301 East Hwy. 70, Safford AZ 85548. E-mail schneider@eacourier.com (Jan. 16)
Calendar
Calendar March 1-3, 2007
• Inland Weekly Newspaper Publisher’s Conference. Tucson Sheraton, Tucson, Ariz. March 5-9, 2007 • NIE Week: “Now I Get It! Improving Comprehension With Newspapers” March 11-17, 2007 • National Sunshine Week March 15, 2007 • National FOI Day April 11-12, 2007 • InDesign CS Training with Lisa Griffin. Chaparral Suites, Scottsdale, Ariz. April 11-13, 2007 • ANA Spring Advertising, Marketing and Circulation Workshop. Chaparral Suites, Scottsdale, Ariz. April 21-24, 2007 • NEXPO, NAA’s annual newspaper exhibition. Orlando, Fla. September 21-23, 2007 • ANA Fall Convention
Positions Wanted REPORTER: My enterprising beat reporting earned 1st Place Best News Photo and 3rd Place Best Spot News in the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Assn. 2004 Better Newspaper Contest. I’ve got a bachelor’s degree in journalism with several years experience covering small-town politics, crime, schools, regional boards, local clubs and their civic activities. I have my own camera and experience scanning negatives and processing images in PhotoShop. Copy editing skills and a thorough knowledge of AP style with experience laying out pages in both PageMaker and Quark X-press. Resume and clippings available on request; please e-mail David Courtland at dmc2@humboldt.edu.
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 faxed to (602) 261-7525 or e-mailed 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.
MARCH 2007
12 12
Thank You to all our client partners!
Arizona Newspapers Association
Your Local Newspaper Since 1890
“Member of the Newspaper Association of America”
Western Classified Advertising Association www.WCAA.info
(909) 793-3221 Fax (909) 793-9588
www.TimesStar.com
w w w. Tr i Va l l e y H e r a l d . c o m
www.TheArgusOnline.com
w w w. S a n M a t e o C o u n t y Ti m e s . c o m www.OaklandTribune.com
TE
RN CIRC
UL
C AL
ES
N IO AT
W
w w w. M a r i n I J . c o m
N
A G
ER
IO
w w w. Ti m e s H e r a l d O n l i n e . c o m
N
MA
w w w. D a i l y R e v i e w O n l i n e . c o m
S' ASSOCI
AT
We can help you too. The Ultimate Print Source is dedicated to providing a level of service and value that creates the sense of having your own full-service print facility in house!
Wholesale Pricing, Retail Service! • Print & Deliver Inserts
• Posters
• Marketing Materials
• Brochures
• Direct Mail Pieces
• Bill Stuffers
• Rate Sheets
• Subscriber Sales Pieces
• Rack Cards
• Online Quotes & Ordering
A Higher Commitment to Service
(909) 947-5292 • Fax (909) 930-9972
Web Site: www.ultimateprintsource.com