Official Publication of the Arizona Newspapers Association for distribution to all employees of ANA-member newspapers A community newspaper for community newspaper people
MAY 2007
USPS increases postage
A N Ag r a m s
Page 8
BRIEFS Merrill retiring after 37 years of teaching journalism at ASU Bruce Merrill, 69, will retire May 15 as a professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, but will remain director of the Cronkite/ Channel 8 poll through the 2008 presidential election. The Phoenix resident founded the former ASU Survey Research and Public Opinion Research Centers and Cronkite/Channel 8 Poll. He was also a director of the university’s former Center for Urban Studies. Young people do like to read newspapers...online While newspaper circulation continues to slide, online readership is growing among younger readers. According to the latest data from the Newspaper Association of America, newspaper Web sites audience increased 13.7% in the 25-to-34 age group. McClatchy Sees Better Deal With Yahoo Ad Project In a move that could shift the balance of power in the newspaper industry, McClatchy Co. has abandoned a nascent national online advertising partnership with Tribune Co. and Gannett Co. to join a rival group of publishers that is in the final stages of negotiating a broad deal with Yahoo Inc. Final agreement on the Yahoo deal, including McClatchy’s involvement, could be announced as early as next week. The network would establish a common online platform among a large group of newspaper Web sites that would allow an advertiser to easily purchase advertising space across multiple newspaper sites. Diversity slipping in U.S. newsrooms The percentage of minority journalists working in America’s daily newsrooms, including online journalists, declined slightly to 13.62 percent this year, according to the American Society of Newspaper Editors annual newsroom census. “We have to remember that diversity isn’t just about numbers, it’s about making our news reports better. Diverse staffs lead to better journalism,” said Dave Zeeck, ASNE president. The survey also found that minorities account for 10.9 percent of all supervisors in newsrooms and 392 of the 932 newspapers surveyed had no minorities at all on their full-time staff. The survey sampled represented 65.87 percent of all U.S. dailies.
Rim Country Gazette becomes EXPLORER wins ANA’s first new member in 2007 lawsuit against The Rim Country Gazette is a with a strong two-page opinion sec- town of Marana free newspaper serving Payson and the surrounding area. The newspaper was born of a need for objective news coverage in a growing community, and a mission is to provide a well-written voice that is at once informative, objective and entertaining. Established in 2006, the free weekly tabloid is distributed through restaurants, supermarkets, convenience stores and other business locations. The emphasis of the Rim County Gazette is on thorough coverage of local issues including politics, water, the forest, entertainment options,
tion incorporating a thought-provoking editorial, editorial cartoons, and a lively exchange of viewpoints by readers. The Gazette also strives to provide strong coverage of the smaller local communities that too often get little ink. Former Payson Roundup reporter and Rim Review editor Jim Keyworth serves as editor-in-cheif, and Greg Mulligan is the Gazette’s publisher. “We believe this team has the experience and passion to produce a newspaper that is capable of dominating the market,” said Keyworth.
Standing (left to right): Ann Haver-Allen, managing editor; Bill Rappaport, chief operating officer; Susan Grover, correspondent; Jim Keyworth, editor-in-chief. Seated: De Jo Goodman, Advertising Manager; Summer Allen, child prodigy; Pat Rollins, Advertising Consultant; Carole Mathewson, Staff Writer. Not pictured are: Pia Wyer, photographer; Jason Allen, advertising art director; Greg Mulligan, publisher; and Michelle Goodman, advertising assistant manager.
Spring convention highlights Almost 140 people participated in ANA’s 2007 Spring Advertising, Marketing and Circulation Workshop last month. In addition to excellent sessions on increasing your newspaper’s bottom line, John Lindsey, Western Newspapers, Inc., hosted a fun-filled and informative roundtable luncheon with some of the top movers and shakers in the advertising industry. Many folks also enjoyed ANA’s annual Advertising Awards Happy Hour, but if you missed it, we’ve listed all the winners for you on page 10. And if you got tied up and missed out on Lisa Griffin’s super Adobe InDesign training, you can
still catch Kevin Slimp at the fall convention, where he will also teach a class on InDesign. With so many opportunities to learn and so many things to take advantage of, I’m surprised that more of you didn’t show up! ANAgrams Arizona Newspapers Association 1001 N. Central Avenue, Suite 670 Phoenix, AZ 85004 - 1947
TUCSON, Ariz. -- A Pima County Superior Court judge has ordered the town of Marana to pay the EXPLORER more than $10,000 in attorney’s fees and costs after the weekly newspaper prevailed in a public records suit against the town. Judge Leslie Miller issued the order March 15. It was filed March 27. The $10,185 award is about half of what the EXPLORER spent on the case. The newspaper so far has paid $19,732 to Phoenix law firm Perkins, Coie, Brown and Bain for representation in the case. The EXPLORER was the only news organization to pursue the matter in court. EXPLORER Publisher Melanie Larson said: “We are very proud to have protected ‘truth and the American way’ by empowering other small independently owned newspapers to stand up for what is right and keep our communities safe from potential backroom deals within local districts and jurisdictions in the future.” The EXPLORER sued the town last June after Marana officials refused to release several records pertaining to its former parks and recreation director, including his job evaluations. Sources had told the EXPLORER that the employee had accessed pornographic Internet sites on his town computer. The EXPLORER sought several records to determine any connection between the resignation and either the employee’s job performance or Internet use. Marana initially provided only copies of the performance reviews CONTINUED ON PAGE
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