Official Publication of the Arizona Newspapers Association for distribution to all employees of ANA-member newspapers A community newspaper from community newspaper people
Register
APRIL 2007
NOW
A N Ag r a m s
for the ANA Spring Workshop!
Writing off newspapers is premature Tim J. McGuire Frank Russell Chair Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications
Workshop to feature industry experts, lively happy hour Learn how to keep the lifeblood of your newspaper flowing! Mike Leeds, sales training coach, will cover a dozen ways to grab your customers’ attention and increase your sales.
Roundtable Best Ideas Session Join us on Friday, April 13 at noon for a roundtable discussion luncheon, moderated by John Lindsey, Western Newspapers, Inc. We’ve invited: Heather Bruce • R&R Partners Linda Bishop • Abrazo Health Care Abbie Fink • HMA Public Relations Karen Hallgrisom • Air Marketing Randy Johnson • Cliff Castle Casino Jos Anshell • Moses Anshell And others!!!
Technology guru Lisa Griffin, of the Tennessee Press Association Institute for Newspaper Technology, will be teaching a course on Adobe InDesign, Wednesday, April 11, 2007 and Thursday, April 12, 2007. Wednesday’s class will focus on basics, and Thursday’s class will be for advanced students. Register now, and learn how to make Adobe InDesign work for you! Mark Henschen, the circulation director of the North County Times will be presenting Circulation Sales Channel Metrics: Maximizing Scarce Resources, a system to get the most out of every sales channel you have. See and understand the impact of EZ-Pay on your units. Bill Shannon, circulation director at The Daily News (Longview, Wash.), is speaking on Teaming Up Single Copy and Bulk Sales Success, how to sell value-added advertising programs that include potential single copy, bulk and paid sampling sales. For all of you interested in the Newspapers in Education program, Pat Oso, NIE Coordinator, will be hosting a custom NIE workshop. If you have questions about approaching school districts, marketing or recruiting teachers, come find out how to make it happen! And who wouldn’t enjoy a funfilled happy hour where we present awards to the winners of ANA’s annual Excellence in Advertising Competition? You don’t want to miss that! Register soon! You can register online at www.ananews.com or call (602) 261-7655 ext. 110 for more information. See you there!
The newspaper industry has been a lot like a gossip victim the past few years. First, people whispered forecasts of gloom behind the industry’s back. Then, the hints of doom became louder and more obvious. Now, it seems as if no one is reluctant to shout from rooftops that the newspaper industry is dying and that there is nothing that can be done. Week magazine published a full page of angst titled, “The Decline of the American Newspaper.” The Economist avoided subtlety completely last year when its cover impolitely inquired, “Who killed the newspaper?” Critics lament declining circulation and a dramatic loss of advertising, especially classified ads. They scold the newspaper industry for an assortment of sins, including the failure to recognize the digital revolution, journalistic self-indulgence, greedy harvesting of profits and arrogance. The circulation declines are undeniable. Some metropolitan newspapers have lost 10 percent of their circulation in the past three years. Classified revenues at some big newspapers are off by $50 million to $100 million in the same period. Layoffs and news-hole reductions are breathtaking. Shortsighted corporations are trying to cut their way to better profit margins. The bad news is clear, but there are some deeper complexities that must be considered, some good, some bad. • The largest newspapers are suffering the steepest declines. • Community newspapers serving their readers well are, for the ANAgrams Arizona Newspapers Association 1001 N. Central Avenue, Suite 670 Phoenix, AZ 85004 - 1947
most part, thriving. • The digital and global revolutions beleaguer every industry, including television. • Media companies used to “push” information to consumers with morning newspaper delivery or the 6 p.m. news. The Internet and 24-hour television news offer consumers the capability to “pull” news whenever they want it, so the consumption of news is increasingly fragmenting. Consumers are now in control. • Advertising is fundamentally changing. In addition to the pushpull problem, the Internet allows advertisers to narrowly target their messages to potential buyers rather than taking a scattershot approach to the masses. • Although declines are evident, the amount of advertising in a Sunday newspaper is still formidable, and profits at most newspapers remain admirable. • The business model of newspapers based on mass advertising is under assault, but if the death of CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 “PRSRT STD” U.S. POSTAGE PAID PHOENIX ARIZONA PERMIT NO. 3429
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