Official Publication of the Arizona Newspapers Association for distribution to all employees of ANA-member newspapers
A N Ag r a m s A community newspaper for community newspaper people.
June 2007
Briefs Better Newspapers Contest The Arizona Newspapers Association’s Better Newspapers Contest entry deadline is June 8, 2007. No late entries will be accepted, so turn those tearsheets in TODAY! Lumberjack wins six awards Northern Arizona University’s student-run newspaper, The Lumberjack, recently took home six awards for advertising excellence in the College Newspaper Business & Advertising Managers Competition, including Ad Manager of the Year for senior Nicole Heinicke. For more information, surf to www.cnbam.org. ASU students win 35 SPJ awards The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication swept the Society of Professional Journalists regional awards for the ninth time in 10 years. The awards recognize the best collegiate journalism work in Arizona, California and Nevada. Honorees were awarded certificates May 5 during a luncheon held as a part of the National Writer’s Workshop at California State University, Fullerton. More than 90 awards were presented to journalism students from 18 colleges and universities. The complete winners list is available at cronkite.asu.edu. Hispanic ad spending up 14% Advertising spending across Spanish-language media continues to outpace general market media, increasing 14.4 percent last year to nearly $5.6 billion, according to a Nielsen Monitor-Plus analysis of spending across six media segments. Newspapers had the most modest growth, up 4.3 percent to $110.4 million. MySpace to offer news, video Social networking site MySpace. com announced May 15 that they will begin launching video channels that will feature news and lifestyle video from partners including The New York Times and National Geographic. Facebook launching free classified ads Facebook, the popular social networking site, plans to challenge newspapers by launching a free classified site. Twenty-two million people use Facebook and most of them are young adults in high school and college. According to ComScore, Facebook is the nation’s sixth most visited Web site. Users can create classified listings in four categories, housing, jobs, for sale, and other. For now, Facebook plans to keep the classified listings free.
U.S. Army says journalists are a security threat Page 3
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Arizona supreme court orders in camera review to determine public access to e-mail records BY DAVID BODNEY
Last month the Arizona Supreme Court unanimously concluded that government officials cannot simply pronounce their email communications “personal” and therefore beyond the reach of the Arizona Public Records Law. In Griffis v. Pinal County, (April 25, 2007), Arizona’s highest court ruled that a judge must be allowed to inspect such records in camera to determine whether they constitute “public records.” The supreme court placed the burden of proving that the e-mail messages are “purely private” on the public official who wanted them withheld. The case involved 90 e-mail messages sent and received on the government’s computer system by Stanley Griffis, the former Pinal County Manager. The Arizona Republic had requested access to all e-mail messages generated or received by Griffis on the County’s computer system from Oct. 1 to Dec. 2, 2005. Though the County
produced over 700 e-mails, it withheld 120 that Griffis characterized as “personal.” At the time of The Republic’s request, Griffis was under investigation by Pinal County for purchasing $21,000 in sniper rifles and ammunition with County funds. The County Sheriff had questioned Griffis’ purchases, and Sheriff’s deputies seized most of the rifles from a vehicle at Griffis’ residence. The Pinal County Board of Supervisors promptly initiated the investigation, and Griffis left office a few months later. Shortly after leaving office, Griffis went on an African hunting safari. The County notified Griffis of its intention to release the 120 “personal” e-mail records to The Republic, but gave Griffis an opportunity to take legal steps to protect the records from disclosure. Without first notifying The Republic, Griffis obtained a preliminary injunction to block release of the 120 e-mails that he considered
personal. Phoenix Newspapers, Inc., which publishes The Arizona Republic, moved to intervene and dissolve the injunction, and the County joined PNI’s efforts. After redacting a privilege log created by the County, Griffis voluntarily disclosed 30 of the 120 e-mail records at issue. The trial court concluded that the 90 remaining e-mail records were subject to inspection under A.R.S. § 39-121 et. seq. (The “Arizona Public Records Law”), but that personallyidentifying information – such as social security, bank account and credit card numbers – should be redacted. Griffis opposed in camera review, arguing that the remaining 90 e-mails fell entirely outside of the ambit of the Arizona Public Records Law. The Arizona Court of Appeals reversed the trial court’s judgment, rejected the lower court’s conclusion that the records were “presumpCONTINUED ON PAGE 11
Reynolds Center releases study on newspaper blogs Three-fourths of the nation’s largest newspapers now offer blogs on business-related topics, according to a study released by the Donald W. Reynolds National Center for Business Journalism at Arizona State University. These popular online Web journals written by reporters get breaking news to readers more quickly, according to 60 percent of the business bloggers who responded to the study. However, more than half of respondents also said this takes away from their regular reporting time. “Newspapers, reporters and businesses are grappling with the pros and cons of blogging,” said Andrew Leckey, director of the Reynolds Center, which funded the study. “Our practical research was designed to see how widespread blogging on business topics actually is, what’s propelling it and how it affects the overall news process.” The two-part study consisted of a content analysis of 100 randomly selected newspapers and a survey that received 44 responses from active business bloggers. Their blogs represent topics ranging from individual industries to investments and corporate governance. The research was conducted by Stephen Doig, the Knight Chair at ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of
Journalism and Mass Communication, working in conjunction with the Reynolds Center staff. Other content findings: • Business blogs haven’t caught on at smaller papers. While 38 of the largest 50 newspapers have a business-related blog and 24 of them have two or more, fewer than one in 10 papers overall has one. • Some business bloggers post frequently, particularly at larger papers, but the median number of postings overall is just three per week. • The median number of reader comments to business blogs over a two-week period was nine, but many received no responses. The survey of bloggers also found that: • Half of the responding business bloggers said they receive one ANAgrams Arizona Newspapers Association 1001 N. Central Avenue, Suite 670 Phoenix, AZ 85004 - 1947
to five reader comments for each posting, while one-third received no responses. • Half the respondents said it was their own idea to start the blog. • Only two respondents said they get paid extra for their postings. “Newspapers clearly need to be experimenting with blogs as another way of reaching readers beyond the printed page,” Doig said. “But it’s less clear at this point that blogs give an immediate payoff in increased readership for most news sites.” 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. “PRSRT STD” U.S. POSTAGE PAID PHOENIX ARIZONA PERMIT NO. 3429
ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
JUNE 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 Vacant Vacant (602) 261-7655......................office@ananews.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
Legislation in southern states introduced to eliminate public notice in newspapers, allow internet publishing BY JOHN FEARING EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
It has already happened, just not in Arizona. T h e Tennessee and Texas legislatures are working on a bill to allow publication of public notices on the internet. That is, instead of in newspapers. I have worked with state legislation for 14 sessions now. You should be thankful that we also have a professional lobbyist who really knows how the system works, and how to work the system. I learned that generally, it takes several years to polish legislation and win its adoption. That means if this legislation follows that pattern, we have a long, hard fight ahead of us. In Tennessee, the language of the bill is enough to confuse even a governor. It starts out saying in
part, “…there is a need to provide the greatest distribution of such notices to the general public; and … technology has advanced to provide additional means for the distribution and dissemination of such public notices….” Continuing on its first page, it says the bill should not affect publication of notices in newspapers, but should be on the internet too. Five pages later, on the last page, it reads, “In addition to any other public notice requirement of any section in Tennessee Code Annotated, when the public notice web site meeting the requirements of § 1-3-118 is available, publication may also be accomplished by posting the required notice on such public notice web site consistent with the requirements of such section.” That is a big flip. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see the real intent. Those who are pushing these bills include a software company in Los Angeles that wants to be the internet publisher for
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.
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.
governments. I don’t think I will go into the arguments we will have to use to rebuff this public-knowledge threat. I just want to tell you that in states where this has been introduced, the newspaper association folks have talked to the sponsors of the bills. Those legislators quickly point out that it was explained to them as being complimentary to newspapers. When they are shown the last paragraph, they understand the twist. There are a number of examples of such bill-supporter explanations. In Tennessee, the bill did not get out of committee. But it is expected to return. In Texas, as of this writing, the bill was adopted by the Senate and is being considered by the House. There have been murmurs that a similar bill will be brought forth the Arizona legislature in the coming sessions, but we are working hard to make sure that our newspapers come out on top.
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 Advertising Services Assistant Aaron Empie.......................................... Ext. 103 a.empie@ananews.com Communications Manager Perri Collins.............................................Ext. 110 p.collins@ananews.com Statewide NIE Coordinator Pat Oso.................................................. Ext. 109 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!
JUNE 2007
NIE planning for the upcoming school year? We have what you need!
KKK reporter awarded Zenger
Planning for the new school year? Need quality materials, low prices and teacher training? You’ve come to the right place. Copper Project: ANA has received funding from Phelps Dodge to help NIE programs use the curriculum, “Copper: More Than Metal”. The program is available on a CD and can be run as a 16-page tab or in-paper series. Contact Pat Oso to obtain an application for funding. NIE Pages: Cost is $1.00 per 1,000 circulation (example: $35.00 for circulation of 35,000). Pages are meant to be run in-paper but can also be printed and inserted into school papers or collected into tabs. All pages are written in accordance with the Arizona State Standards for Education. AZ History: This series begins with Arizona’s prehistory (PaleoIndian) and will continue through World War II. Each page contains a section on Arizona History, Arizona Names & Places and Arizona State Symbols. Living With Urban Wildlife: This series contains five pages. Each page contains a section on Urban Wildlife, Mythology of the Constellations and Arizona Rocks & Minerals. Features urban wildlife including mountain lions, black bears, javelinas and woodpeckers. First Peoples of Arizona: This series contains 21 pages. Each focuses on one of Arizona’s twenty-
The University of Arizona department of journalism and the Arizona Newspapers Association Foundation have named Jerry Mitchell the 2007 winner of the John Peter and Anna Catherine Zenger Award. Mitchell, an investigative reporter for the Mississippi Clarion-Ledger, has worked since 1989 pursuing evidence about killings during the civil rights era. His work so far has helped put four Klansmen behind bars and inspired countless other investigations. Authorities in Mississippi and six other states have re-examined 29 killings from the civil rights era and made 28 arrests, leading to 22 convictions. The Justice Department is now re-examining more than a dozen more deaths from the era. For more than 50 years, this award has honored people who have made extraordinary contributions to
one Indian tribes. Written in partnership with the Heard Museum, each page, from interviews with elders of each tribe, this series shares a look at the past, present and future goals of Arizona’s Native American nations. Reading Readiness: This ongoing series of information and activities for parents will explore child development at different ages and stages and provide practical, cost-free and inexpensive activities to help a young child be ready to read. What else does ANA offer? Free NIE Activity Calendars – Download from our website at no cost. Click on NIE, then Activity Calendars. There’s a new one for every month of the school year. Workshops – Pat Oso, State NIE Coordinator for ANA, will come to you and provide one or more workshops for teachers during the school year. Cost is $250 per workshop plus hotel accommodations. Contact Pat at p.oso@ ananews.com or 480-586-1593 to schedule a workshop in your area. Mentoring – Pat Oso can help you streamline or enrich your NIE program. Pat will gladly spend a day or two meeting with newspaper staff, school district administrators, principals, teachers or sponsors. Give her a call and let her know how she can help your NIE program blossom.
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freedom of the press and the people’s right to know. “Jerry Mitchell’s reporting exemplifies the type of courageous work the Zenger award is designed to honor,” said UA journalism department head Jacqueline Sharkey. “His determination to continue informing the public about these crimes and their impact on individuals, families and our society sets an example for every journalist.” The Zenger award will be presented at the Arizona Newspapers Association annual meeting and convention on Saturday, Sept. 22, in Scottsdale, Ariz. The presentation will be part of an awards luncheon at which Freedom of Information awards honoring Arizona reporters also will be presented. Mitchell will offer the keynote address and speak to classes in the UA Journalism Department. Mitchell, who has received more than 20 national awards, says he is humbled by the Zenger honor. “To win an award named after Zenger, knowing what they mean to journalism in this country, it’s incredible. If that weren’t enough, the list of past winners is phenomenal and include many of my heroes, such as Woodward and Bernstein,” Mitchell said. The Zenger Award is named for a husband and wife team of pioneering journalists. John Peter Zenger was editor of the New York Weekly Journal in 1734 when he was jailed by British colonial authorities on charges of seditious libel. He had criticized the corrupt administration of New York’s governor, William Cosby. While Zenger was imprisoned, his wife, Anna Catherine Zenger, continued to publish the newspaper. Zenger’s subsequent trial and acquittal is considered a landmark case in the history of freedom of the press, helping to lay the foundation for the First Amendment.
Is This What the Army Thinks of Us? BY PAUL McLEARY COLUMBIA JOURNALISM REVIEW
It looks like it’s official: the United States Army thinks that American reporters are a threat to national security. Thanks to some great sleuthing by Wired’s “Danger Room” blogger Noah Shachtman, the Army’s new operational security guidelines (OPSEC) hit the Web in a big way yesterday, and the implications they have for reporters -- who are grouped in with drug cartels and Al Qaeda as security threats to be beaten back -- are staggering. Make no mistake, this is a very big deal, and every American citizen, not just reporters and soldiers, needs to understand the implications
of the Army’s strict new policy, because it directly affects how citizens receive information about their armed forces: information that it has every right to get. Shachtman reproduces a slide from the new “OPSEC in the Blogosphere,” document, which lists and ranks “Categories of Threat.” Under “traditional domestic threats” we find hackers and militia groups, while “non-traditional” threats include drug cartels, and -- yes -- the media. Just to put that into some perspective, the foreign “non-traditional CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
JUNE 2007
IRE celebrates Bolles, holds annual conference in Valley of the Sun Join the best in the business as the Investigative Reporters and Editors honors Don Bolles and the 30th anniversary of the Arizona Project at it’s annual conference, June 7 - 10, 2007, at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa. Every year, over 1,000 investigative journalists meet for a few days to learn how to do their jobs better through panels, workshops
and roundtables covering the latest developments in the field of investigative reporting. The conferences have become known for the practical tips and story ideas shared by prize-winning members in quick-hit sessions. To register or for more information, log on to www.ire.org or call event coordinator Ev Ruch-Graham at (573) 882-8969.
When free speech struggles against fear BY RONALD K.L. COLLINS FIRST AMENDMENT CENTER
Censorship is cyclical. If censors always prevailed, the present would never move forward, at least insofar as ideas and ideals are concerned. The quest for truth imposes its own term limits on the guardians of the status quo. And yet, the censor — like a junkie fixed to his junk — persists. Of course, in the end the censors always lose, but along the way they can inflict heaps of prosecutorial pain. Such a lesson, and more, can readily be found in pair of new books — Christopher M. Finan’s From the Palmer Raids to the Patriot Act: A History of the Fight for Free Speech in America (Beacon Press), and Kenneth D. Ackerman’s Young J. Edgar: Hoover, the Red Scare, and the Assault on Civil Liberties (Carroll & Graf). Though in different ways — one more panoramic, the other more microscopic — the two works succeed in offering up much to consider in our post-9/11 world, a world in which “security” too often takes on a talismanic quality in trumping liberty. The struggle for free speech From the Palmer Raids to the Patriot Act is, essentially, a book about the struggle for free speech in America and those who have fought that fight in the face of zealous opposition. It is, notes author Finan (president of the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression), “the story of our triumph over government censors.” Even so, the victory is never final — “the fight continues,” he readily adds. Heed those words. Finan’s engaging book is a work of many well-told stories, all true. It is the story of Mitchell Lavrowsky, who was brutally assaulted by government agents during the infamous 1919 Palmer raids because of fear of communism. It is the account of New York Gov. Alfred E. Smith who was brave enough to veto “Red Scare” legislation. It is the
record of Margaret Sanger and her husband, William, standing up to the fetishistic preoccupation of Anthony Comstock et al. with prosecuting any form of sexual expression. It is the real-life tales of two spirited publishers, Barney Rosset (publisher of D.H. Lawrence’s novel Lady Chatterley’s Lover) and Lawrence Ferlinghetti (publisher of Allen Ginsberg’s poem “HOWL”), who jeopardized their livelihoods in the name of artistic freedom. And it is the story of the courageous struggle of the American Civil Liberties Union and the National Coalition Against Censorship, among others, to eliminate the excessive and liberty-denying tenets of the PATRIOT Act. Finan’s book brings an important point into sharp focus, namely, the free-speech purpose is often in the struggle, in the fight to look Power in the eye and assert, against all odds, that inalienable right to speak one’s mind as one sees fit. The heroic ideal is to strip one’s sleeves and show one’s scars and then proudly say, “these wounds I had on Crispin’s day.” Indeed, there is powerful emotion there. It is the heroic sentiment of the late comedian Lenny Bruce (1925-1966), whose life was destroyed by the State. And CONTINUED ON PAGE
Cuillier wins top dissertation prize BY KATE HARRISON
An assistant professor in The University of Arizona Department of Journalism will receive three awards this summer -- including the national prize for the top dissertation in journalism and mass communications -- from the field’s top professional association. The Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication will give the Nafziger-White Dissertation Award to David Cuillier at its national conference Aug. 9-12 in Washington, D.C. Cuillier’s dissertation, finished May 2006 under the advisement of Dr. Susan Dente Ross at Washington State University, employed seven surveys to examine public attitudes toward press access to government records, finding, among other things, that those who are engaged in their communities are more likely to support freedom of information. Cuillier, who joined the University of Arizona in summer 2006, teaches courses on public affairs reporting and computer-assisted reporting. Also at the AEJMC conference, Cuillier will receive the top faculty paper award in media law. His paper, also regarding public attitudes toward freedom of information, was selected from nearly 100 manuscripts judged by media law scholars.
In teaching, Cuillier was named a Great Ideas for Teaching scholar, and will present his teaching exercise at the conference. His teaching idea describes how professors can use interactive slide-show scenarios to teach journalists the laws and ethical considerations in accessing public records. His idea was one of 25 selected for presentation at the conference, out of 60 submitted for consideration. At the conference, one grand prizewinner will be announced from the 25 presentations. In 2004 Cuillier was a Great Ideas for Teaching scholar for an exercise that teaches interviewing, and in 2006 Cuillier won the grand prize for an exercise that taught access to public records by having students research a house for sale.
Capitol Times staffers earn honors from Dolan Media
The Arizona Capitol Times didn’t exactly fit into any of the 15 received two Sammy Awards at categories, but represented work too the Dolan Media Company annual good to go unrecognized. journalism summit held last month These awards were among in Scottsdale. 46 Samuel B. Spencer Journalism Phil Riske, Jim Small and Bill Awards presented. The “Sammy” Coates were honored with a third awards recognize the best of Dolan place award in News Photography Media’s journalism for the previous for their photos of the immigration year. march in April 2006. The category Privately held Dolan Media Co., honors deadline news photos on their based in Minneapolis, is the parent artistic and technical excellence and company of the Arizona Capitol how well they illustrate the accompa- Times and Arizona News Service. nying story. Riske also received a special merit award for his series of stories that led to State Treasurer David Petersen’s resignation. Editorial Chairman John Kominicki, publisher of the Long Island Business News, said the story From left: Bill Coates, Phil Riske and Jim Small
JUNE 2007
Catholic Sun recognized as best in Christian press The Catholic Sun Newspaper was recently recognized among the “Best of the Christian Press” at the annual Associated Church Press convention last month in Chicago. The Catholic Sun garnered an award for excellence in four categories: editorial or opinion piece, in-depth coverage, newspaper design and best regional newspaper. “The writing in The Catholic Sun earns a blue ribbon: clear, economical, compelling. The headlines atop serve well, with inspired touches. The volume of original content throughout each issue is substantial,” wrote Duane Stoltzfus, chair of the communication department at Goshen College in Indiana and a former staff editor at The New York Times, who judged the category.
The diocesan newspaper received high marks for its coverage of the immigration crisis. “These are very well-written articles that help the reader better understand and feel the human dilemmas associated with the immigration debate...The human stories add a strong emotional component to the writing,” wrote Ken Waters, a professor of journalism at Pepperdine University and a former magazine editor. The Catholic Sun received and award of excellence for its November editorial, “Planned Parenthood slows down Komen’s race for cure” and for the May spread dedicated to exploring the novel-turned-film “The Da Vinci Code.”
AFN reporter awarded for accuracy Jason Ludwig, Ahwatukee Foothills News’ education reporter, was honored with the Arizona School Public Relations Association’s Award of Excellence in the “news media for consistent and accurate reporting on education” category. Ludwig was lauded for his fairness and for being willing to tell both sides of a story, rather than manipulating the public for the newspapers own interests. The Arizona School Public Relations Association is a professional organization that provides support to educators involved in school public relations, as well as professional development activities for school public relations specialists.
BY DANIEL BURNETTE
The West Valley View will be getting a new building, albeit in familiar territory. The 29,000-square-foot building will be on six acres of land on the northeast corner of Eliseo C. Felix Jr. Way and Riley Drive in Avondale. The new building, expected to be occupied in 16 to 20 months, is near the former carnival grounds of the Billy Moore Days celebrations. The View offices currently are at 200 W. Wigwam Blvd. in Litchfield Park. The building, a former tire shop, is owned by the city. The current home of the View has about 6,000 square feet. “It will be a bit of a homecoming for us,” said Publisher Elliot Freireich said of the move to the newspaper’s fourth location. The new building will also rep-
resent the opportunity to produce the newspaper completely in-house, as it will be equipped with an offset printing press. The View currently contracts out the printing of its newspaper. The new building will contain some environmentally friendly features, Freireich said. The building’s orientation will minimize the solar effects on air conditioning. The paper will be designed and printed on a system that goes directly from computer to plate, eliminating the use of chemicals that would otherwise run down the drain, Freireich said. The process will also eliminate the need for running water in the processing of the plates. “The press will be the most resource-friendly that a printing press can be,” Freireich said.
Tribune wins APME awards BY JILL REDHAGE
Gemme promoted to Eloy editor Maricopa Monitor gains two new staff members BY KATHY L. HALL
Lindsey Gemme, staff writer for the Maricopa Monitor, has accepted a promotion to the position of Editor of the Eloy Enterprise, a Casa Grande Valley Newspapers publication. Lindsey’s been an outstanding resource for The Monitor for nearly two years, establishing a rapport with the educational community in particular. She’s also won several journalism awards while with The Monitor. We will miss her and wish her the best in her new position. Judith Hasbrouck has joined the staff of the Maricopa Monitor on Feb. 18 as an intern. She and her husband, Rich, have lived in Maricopa since 2005. Judith has a varied background and has lived a rather adventurous life, traveling to Asia and Europe, as well as living in Korea and New Zealand. She brings with her project management skills from her years working for companies like IBM.
West Valley View unveils new building plans
Upon her arrival, Judith jumped right into the fray and kicked off the long overdue Community Soundoff section. As an intern, Judith’s input on the Monitor’s pages in the future will certainly expand and evolve. “I love the chance, through the newspaper, to get to know the community better, not only the movers and shakers but my fellow residents. I’m also very much appreciative of the professionalism and camaraderie amongst the Monitor staff,” says Judith. Gloria Savko comes to the Monitor from a 12-year career with the Las Vegas Review-Journal. She’ll be covering education, as well as some of the city’s committee meetings and other community news. “As the city grows, so will our news coverage. I look forward to being a part of that growth,” Savko said.
Tribune journalists produced the story of the year and photo of the year in 2006, the Arizona Associated Press Managing Editors announced May 5, at its annual awards banquet in Prescott. Overall, Tribune reporters, photographers, graphic artists and page designers collected seven first-place awards. The Tribune also swept the enterprise reporting category. “It’s gratifying that Tribune journalists won such a wide range of awards,” said Tribune executive editor Jim Ripley. “I think it demonstrates how dedicated our newsroom is to providing quality journalism for its readers.” Judges awarded story of the year to Mark Flatten’s “Dying to Drive,” a three-part series that juxtaposed vehicular death statistics and the 2004 deaths of Dobson High School students Shayna Linneen and Krystal Ebel with Arizona’s lenient
teen driving laws. The photo of the year by Lisa Olson showed children peering over a wall at a house fire. First place in enterprise reporting went to Mary K. Reinhart and photographer Leigh Shelle Robertus for their series, “Being Katrina: The Storm We Didn’t See.” The Tribune’s graphics team won both first and second places in the non-photo illustration and informational graphics category. For first place, graphics designers Scott Kirchhofer, Scott Sheils and Gabriel Utasi combined efforts to create a three-dimensional display of the new Arizona Cardinals’ football stadium, which used detailed graphics to show readers how the retractable roof operates. The artists also integrated all of the stadium’s vital statistics — even the number of bathrooms and escalators.
Williams named AP bureau chief The assistant bureau chief for The Associated Press in Texas has been named chief of bureau for Arizona and New Mexico. Michelle Williams succeeds Linda Wienandt and has been serving as interim chief of bureau since mid-February. Williams will oversee the AP’s news and business operations for Arizona and New Mexico. She’ll be based in Phoenix.
The 40-year-old began her AP career in 1989 as an editorial assistant in the Nashville, Tennessee, bureau. She advanced to a reporting position and in 1991 moved to Milwaukee, where she covered the arrest and trial of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. She also has served as a correspondent in Chattanooga, Tennessee; supervisory correspondent in San Diego; and news editor in Texas.
JUNE 2007
Newspapers are a way of life for one small-town family BY BRIAN INDRELUNAS
People work in buildings scattered around downtown to publish this city’s daily newspaper, and a visit to any of those buildings is likely to turn up a member of the Kramer family. Donovan M. Kramer Sr., the owner and publisher, is in his office in the mornings, while his wife, Ruth, lays out the classifieds. His son, Donovan Jr., runs the newsroom as associate publisher and managing editor. His daughter, Kara K. Cooper, heads the advertising office. “There’s four of us children, and we all worked here growing up,” Cooper said. Now, Cooper brings her 9-yearold daughter Zoe over after school. “She’ll fax things and help check in ads,” she said. “She’s starting to create some ads, and she’s really proud of that.” Cooper said putting out the Casa Grande Dispatch each weekday afternoon and Saturday morning is more than a family business; it’s a way of life. “It’s something we all love or else we wouldn’t do it,” Cooper said. More than 40 years after Kramer Sr. bought the Casa Grande Dispatch, running the newspaper is still a family affair. The Dispatch is one of a shrinking number of daily newspapers owned and operated by a family. The son of a newspaper owner himself, Kramer Sr. became editor and publisher of The Blade of Fairbury, Ill., after graduating from journalism school. He said he wanted to move west and began looking into areas with the potential for growth. “He was very interested in the Casa Grande Dispatch, and we came out here on a vacation,” Ruth Kramer said. “At the time it wasn’t available.” So the family returned to Illinois until opportunity called in a most unusual way. “My youngest son accidentally
This sign stands outside the headquarters of the Casa Grande Dispatch in downtown Casa Grande. The Dispatch is one of a shrinking number of daily newspapers owned and operated by a family. (Cronkite News Service/Brian Indrelunas)
shot me and put me in the hospital,” Kramer Sr. said. “While I was in there, I got a couple of Editor and Publisher (magazines). There’s this ad: ‘Southwest weekly paper for sale.’ The Casa Grande Dispatch, just the paper I had been looking at.” Kramer Sr. bought the newspaper in December 1962 and moved to Arizona in the spring of 1963 to take the reins. He turned the weekly Dispatch into a daily newspaper by the 1970s and also purchased or started weekly newspapers in five other Pinal County communities. Casa Grande Valley Newspapers Inc. publishes the Arizona City Independent, Coolidge Examiner, Eloy Enterprise, Florence Reminder and Blade-Tribune and the Maricopa Monitor. The family also owns the White Mountain Independent, which is published in Show Low. Cooper said her father bought that paper with the expectation the family would get away occasionally to the mountains. But Pinal County’s growth got in the
way of those plans. The county, which had a population of 63,000 in 1960, had grown to an estimated 271,000 residents in 2006. “We’ve experienced so much growth, which has been good, but it hasn’t given us the flexibility to travel,” Cooper said. T h e c o u n t y ’s growth has provided not just more subscribers and advertisers but also the newspaper’s top story. Every summer, the Dispatch runs a series of articles focusing on a single issue, Kramer Jr. said. “I think three out of four years we’ve done it on growth,” he said. “It’s hard to find
anything more important.” Although they’re now heading two of the paper’s divisions, Kramer Sr. said Kramer Jr. and Cooper have had to work just as hard as anyone else to reach their current positions. “We never put them up on any pedestal or anything,” he said. “They’ve done a very good job, worked their way up.” Kramer Jr. said the family intends to keep the business, possibly through another generation. He said his three children have all worked at the paper. “My daughters are going into other fields; my son I’m not sure about,” he said. “We’ll just have to see how that plays out.” Kramer Jr. said the family has had no shortage of offers from potential corporate buyers. “We just haven’t been interested in selling,” he said. “I guess we wouldn’t know what to do if we weren’t publishing newspapers.”
Donovan M. Kramer Sr., owner and publisher of the Casa Grande Dispatch, stands outside his home in Casa Grande on April 26, 2007. Members of the Kramer family say newspapers are a way of life for them. (Cronkite News Service/Brian Indrelunas)
Kara K. Cooper sits at her desk April 26, 2007, in advertising office of Casa Grande Valley Newspapers Inc. Cooper is the daughter of Donovan M. Kramer Sr., the newspaper’s owner and publisher. (Cronkite News Service/Brian Indrelunas)
Donovan M. Kramer Jr., associate publisher and managing editor of the Casa Grande Dispatch (Cronkite News Service/Brian Indrelunas)
JUNE JUNE2007 2007
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supplemental materials have been written in accordance with national and Arizona State Standards for Education. “First Peoples of Arizona” Written with our friends at the Heard Museum, this tab features the past, present and hopes for the future of each of Arizona’s 21 Native Nations. Tribal elders were interviewed and quoted throughout this supplement meeting the need for 1st person reporting in Arizona classrooms. Filled with hands-on art and newspaper activities. Appropriate for grades 3-12. “El Día de Los Muertos” This bi-lingual supplement covers one of the most important festivals in Mexico. Lovingly and carefully written with staff from the Heard Museum, students will learn the difference between this festival that is of equal or greater importance
than Christmas and Halloween. The traditions, art, music, food and beliefs of Mexico come alive as students learn about this joyful holiday. Appropriate for grades 4-12. “Copper: More than Metal” Did you know that without copper we would still be depending on kerosene lamps and horse-drawn carriages? Why is copper so important to our modern lifestyle? Where does it come from? How did it get there? How do we transform it into a form that works in thousands of ways in our daily lives? Filled with science, handson experiments, newspaper activities and more, this supplement, written with folks from Phelps Dodge, takes us deep into the Earth and beyond. Appropriate for grades 4-12.
“Nature’s Billboards” Perfect for springtime when our deserts are bursting into glorious bloom! Written with friends at the Desert Botanical Garden, this supplement explores pollination in all its facets. Filled with beautiful pictures for coloring and hands-on experiments, this is sure to be a favorite in your elementary science classes. Appropriate for grades 3-6.
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JUNE 2007
ASU wins grant to start new Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, a Knight News Challenge winner, will receive a major grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to establish a new center at Arizona State University devoted to the development of new media entrepreneurship and the creation of innovative digital media products. The grant, announced today by Knight Foundation President and CEO Alberto Ibarguen, will launch the Knight-Kauffman Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship at the Cronkite School. The program will be an “incubator” in which students will learn how to create and launch digital media products. The three-year, $552,000 Knight gift matches dollar-fordollar a grant earlier this year from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, part of a $5 million Kauffman grant to ASU’s University as Entrepreneur program. A search for the Knight-Kauffman Center’s founding director will be launched immediately. The Knight grant, unveiled at the Editor & Publisher/Mediaweek Interactive Media Conference and Trade Show in Miami, is part of the foundation’s new Knight News Challenge. The Knight News Challenge is designed to nurture “innovative ideas for using digital news and information to build and bind community in specific geographic areas,” according to the foundation. “We want to spur discovery of how digital platforms can be used to disseminate news and information on a timely basis within a defined geographic space, and thereby build
entrepreneurial and bind commuskills to help nity,” Ibarguen lead the changs a i d . “ T h a t ’s ing media induswhat newspapers try and provide and local televia setting where sion stations used they can invent to do in the 20th their own innocentury, and it’s vative digital something that products.” our communities The ASU still need today. president said The contest was the center was open – and will particularly sigstay open next nificant because year – to anyone it was created anywhere in the through the world because vision of both ‘community’ is the Knight something we all “The Knight-Kauffman Foundation and can define.” Center will give our students Kauffman FounThe Knight creative and entrepreneurial dation, which News Challenge he described funded 25 indiskills to help lead the changas “two of the viduals, compaing media industry and pronation’s great nies and univervide a setting where they can forward-thinksities. The largest invent their own innovative ing philanthropic grants went to digital products,” said ASU organizations.” the Media Lab President Michael Crow. Students and Comparative from journalMedia Studies ism, computer Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Tech- engineering, design and business nology, journalist/Web developer will come together in the KnightAdrian Holovaty, VillageSoup in Kauffman Center for Digital Media Maine, MTV, Northwestern Univer- Entrepreneurship to create innovasity’s Medill School of Journalism tive new media products and learn how to be digital entrepreneurs. and the Cronkite School at ASU. “Emerging technologies, new ASU President Michael Crow thanked President Ibarguen for his methods of storytelling, interactivity leadership in media and the Knight with news consumers and innovative Foundation for “this generous and ways of thinking about the news all give promise for a better news media important gift.” “Communication is undergoing future, a future that can engage news a technological revolution,” Crow consumers, build communities and said. “The Knight-Kauffman Center increase participation in the democwill give our students creative and racy,” said Cronkite School Dean
Christopher Callahan. “The Knight-Kauffman Center will harness that promise and develop innovative new products while growing a cadre of talented young entrepreneurs trained to meet the news needs of a new generation.” The Knight-Kauffman Center, which will open in August, will work closely with the New Media Innovation Lab, a research and development institute established last year at the Cronkite School that works with major media companies on digital product development. The Knight-Kauffman Center will be housed on the Tempe campus for one year, then move to the digital media wing of the Cronkite School’s new state-of-the-art complex in downtown Phoenix in August 2008. This grant is the Knight Foundation’s second major gift to the Cronkite School. In 1995, the foundation gave the school $1.5 million to create the Knight Chair in Journalism. Knight Chair Stephen Doig, a Pulitzer-winning journalist who specializes in computer-assisted reporting, will work closely with the Knight-Kauffman Center. The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation funded the contest with $25 million over five years to help journalism continue moving into a digital future. Applications for the next Knight News Challenge round can be submitted at www.newschallenge.org starting July 1, with the application deadline Oct. 15. The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has given out more than $300 million since its 1950 founding.
Freedom of speech book reviews CONTINUED FROM PAGE
for what? Word crimes. If there be a moral to such tragic stories, it is this: The very purpose of the First Amendment is to rid us of the existentialistic need for Camusian martyrs. The First Amendment
is a promise to the living that the government will tolerate much that it fears. By that measure, Christopher Finan does an admirable job in revealing how America’s most fundamental freedom has too often become its most vulnerable one.
Freedom and fear
The frontispiece for Young J. Edgar is the text of the First, Fourth and Fifth Amendments. It is an apt introduction to this remarkable book and the vocation of its anti-hero; it is also a salutary reminder of what can go terribly wrong when freedom succumbs to fear. If the past is indeed prologue, then there is ample reason to read Kenneth Ackerman’s stimulating yet sober accounts of J. Edgar Hoover’s career and its lasting impact on our national security and freedom. Ackerman, a Washington, D.C., lawyer by day and writer by night,
knows how to combine a good narrative with solid research. He engages his readers immediately with his captivating portrayal of Attorney General Harlan Fisk Stone offering a 28-year-old Hoover the job of acting director of the FBI. What follows — for a 48-year run — is the stuff of which fascinating history is made. Truth is not always user-friendly. Our villains, like our heroes, are not always one-dimensional. So, too, with J. Edgar Hoover. On the one hand, he did solve the Lindberg babykidnapping case. He did capture or kill the likes of “Machine Gun” Kelly and “Baby Face” Nelson, not to mention John Dillinger. And he did introduce scientific crimefighting to the FBI, something that has assuredly benefited the public. On the other hand, notes Ackerman, he also oversaw “decades of FBI abuses: black bag jobs, covert wiretaps, and systematic violations of law.” This was the man, after all, who black-
mailed presidents. One of the strengths of Young J. Edgar is the author’s unflinching willingness to show the complexities of the times. Unless someone turns up a heretofore-unknown cache of papers stored in a chest locked away in a basement somewhere, Young J. Edgar will long be the definitive account of the Red Scare of 19191920 and the roles played by Palmer and Hoover in ordaining that state of affairs. Hence, it is a book well worthy of the public mind. If in the half-century in which he ruled over the FBI Hoover became a monster, it is because We the People allowed it to happen. When we feared “the Reds” in 1919 or 1950 or 1970, we either gave Hoover more power or allowed his already immense power to swell to the bloating point. In the process, as AckerCONTINUED ON PAGE 10
JUNE 2007
Arizona Republic receives Red Cross recognition
Political diversity in the newsroom
The Arizona Republic was recognized by the American Red Cross Grand Canyon Chapter on May 11, 2007, with the Deborah King Humanitarian Award in the corporate category. The Deborah King Humanitarian Award recognizes one individual and one business who, by consistent actions over a period of time, reflect the true humanitarian spirit of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The Arizona Republic has
Is the American voter smarter than a fifth-grader? With initial presidential debates already completed for both major parties, watch for growing criticism to be lobbed toward the media about their coverage of the race for the White House. It’s inevitable every four years that the conservative camp claims the press is too liberal while the liberal voters complain about the conservative media. And each side picks its ammunition from the sundry list of research findings regarding journalists and their political ideology. For example, the Pew Research Center indicated that surveys show an increase in the number of national journalists who describe themselves as liberals. That percentage jumped from 22 percent in 1995 to 34 percent in 2004. On the local scene, the selfproclaimed liberal numbers increased at about the same pace, up from 14 percent to 23 percent. Only 7 percent of national journalists claimed to be politically conservative while 12 percent of local media members were in that category. What’s often overlooked is that large middle-of-the-road category, both for voters and for reporters. The Media Research Center pointed out, from that same study, that 54 percent of national and 61 percent of hometown journalists call themselves moderates. A recent book helps sort out the political media landscape. It’s The American Journalist in the 21st Century: U.S. News People at the Dawn of a New Millennium. The inexpensive, 304-page paperback should be in every Arizona newsroom. The fall 2006 compilation describes the political leanings as well as the educational training of journalists today. The book is the fourth in a series that’s tracked journalists every decade since the 1970s. Much of its work stems from a telephone survey back in 2002 of 1,149 journalists. It found a slight shift to the right, but pointed out that the news gatherer is still more than twice as likely to be liberal than the general population. As mentioned above, it’s nothing new for critics to pick their arguments, and back them up with whatever sources support that belief. Sure, it’s a given that most journalists have been to the left of the reading public. (By the way, I’m thinking online readership studies may reflect a different ideology from the typical newsprint subscriber.) However, one factor is usu-
demonstrated their commitment and support to the American Red Cross locally and nationally through their generous contributions of resources, knowledge and time – furthering the vision of the American Red Cross Grand Canyon Chapter to “partner with the people of Arizona to develop and foster safer families, neighborhoods and worksites…and promote a system of community self-sufficiency and compassionate response when emergencies arise.”
AP president sees new push for open government years,” said Curley, a member of the Sunshine in Government Initiative, a coalition of media groups. The House passed five open government bills in March, including one giving the public and media more clout in FOIA requests, after Democratic leaders criticized what they called the secretive nature of the Bush administration. The measures, which were sent to the Senate, had strong Republican support. “The conversation has shifted,” Curley said. “It’s now seen as strengthening democracy through transparency.” The Bush administration has said it opposes the FOIA bill and has threatened to veto bills dealing with presidential records and whistleblowers.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) - A sea change in attitudes about government secrecy has led Congress to the verge of strengthening the Freedom of Information Act, Tom Curley, president and chief executive of The Associated Press, said Saturday. Curley told graduating seniors at Penn State University’s College of Communications that the need for open government has become a higher public priority in the last three years. When the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks were still fresh in the minds of media leaders, many felt that a freedom of information campaign would be seen as aiding terrorists, he said. But “today we stand on the brink of the first update of the Freedom of Information Act in 40
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BY RANDY HINES Dr. Randy Hines teaches in the Department of Communications at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pa. He can be reached for workshops at randyhinesapr@ yahoo.com.
ally overlooked in this quadrennial debate. Does a political disposition guarantee that one will slant news coverage to reflect one’s value system? Of course, some journalists will fall into the safe trap of interviewing sources that they know and like. Perhaps they even share the same principles. But journalists are still admonished in school and on the job to reflect balance in news coverage. And most still answer to an editor who looks for opposing viewpoints and quotes. Think back to the Watergate era of the early 70s. Journalism schools around the country were flooded with bright-eyed applicants who wanted to become the next muckraker. Shortly after that, Investigative Reporters and Editors was established to promote investigative journalism practice. Founded in 1975, IRE made international news when it sent a team of reporters to Arizona to investigate corruption that led to the carbombing death of Arizona Republic reporter Don Bolles in 1976. The types of men and women who flock to the profession and such organizations may be more liberalminded than the general public. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. A similar argument is made in The American Journalist in the 21st Century. Indiana University journalism professor David Weaver, who authored the book with four colleagues, said he thinks the pull of the media profession is felt by individuals with a certain inclination. “I think journalists in general tend to be social reformers,” he writes, and that type of reform impulse tends to be liberal in his opinion. Newsrooms have been attempting to attract and retain minorities for decades, with only modest success in most cases. Should a similar effort be instigated to make sure the staff consists of a wider spectrum of political viewpoints? Will a far-right or a farleft reporter feel ostracized by your office politics? Are those left-leaning, Watergate-era journalists—now CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
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Tech guru tackles troubling questions Freedom of speech book reviews BY KEVIN SLIMP
I had great expectations for today. After spending three hours on the phone with a software representative, I realized the product I planned to review isn’t quite ready for prime time. So I turned to Plan B. There was an application sitting on my desk that I’ve meant to try out for the past month. So I took it for a ride around the block. No luck. After several tries, it kept crashing. So I sit here with a deadline staring me in the face and nothing to write about. But, when all else fails, I know I can always turn to my trusty e-mail. And the pilot just announced we’ll be sitting here, on the runway, for at least two more hours. That should give me plenty of time. Here are a few of the questions I’ve received in the past month:
From Wade in Minnesota
This is a common problem for us. PDF files from ad agencies or “do it yourself” customers are filled with text that’s on all four plates. Is there any software or plug-ins to convert text to black? Can this be done in Acrobat? Sorry, Wade. There’s no easy way to do this in Acrobat. This can be fixed in Photoshop, but it’s a complicated procedure. Fortunately, there are several plug-ins for Acrobat that can assist you with this problem. Two long time favorites are Quite a Box of Tricks, by Quite Software (quite.com) and Pitstop Professional by Enfocus (enfocus.com).
From Tina in Mississippi
We are using Quark 5.0 & 6.5, Acrobat 5.0 & 7.0 Professional. When we try to make a PDF using Acrobat Distiller 7.0 it won’t embed Times New Roman and Arial fonts. We don’t seem to have a problem when we use Acrobat 5.0 to make
a PDF. Have you had other people with this problem? Do you have a solution or suggestion? Sounds like a common problem, Tina. When you created your Distiller settings, you most likely began with the Standard option built into Acrobat. One of the settings in this option is to never embed certain fonts. You guessed it. Both Arial and Times New Roman are in this list. Go to the Fonts settings in Acrobat Distiller (found under Settings>Edit Adobe PDF Settings) and remove all the fonts listed in the “Never Embed” list. That should do it.
From Bob in Tennessee
I have a question for you, when you have time. I’m attaching a PDF file that we were sent to use in the paper this week. It would print fine when we opened the PDF and it would drop onto the InDesign page fine. But, when you went to print the InDesign page, a message appeared saying there was a problem with a font. If you could tell me how to fix this, I’d appreciate it. I’ve seen this problem many times, Bob. This is one of those times when Photoshop can be used to fix a problem PDF file. First open the PDF file in Photoshop, at a resolution of 1000 or higher. Save the file as an EPS file. Next, create a new setting in Distiller that is exactly the same as the settings you usually use, but change the downsampling to 600. This should be done for both color and grayscale images. Click the Save As button and give this setting a new name you will remember. Finally, distill the file. You’ll have a PDF file that looks and prints like the original, but without any pesky CID fonts to cause printing problems.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10
man shows with historical acumen and rhetorical elegance, the rule of law became a mockery and the ideal of government transparency became a travesty. Unchecked and hidden power — it is the quintessential formula for tyranny. Kenneth Ackerman closes his book by asking a poignant question:
“To the extent that our modern war on terror is paralleling the attitudes of the Red scare, we have to wonder: How many young J. Edgar Hoovers are we creating today?” Well? Ronald Collins is a scholar at the First Amendment Center in Washington, D.C. His latest work, with David Skover, is The Trials of Lenny Bruce (Sourcebooks, 2002).
Political diversity CONTINUED FROM PAGE
running the ship in many states as editors and publishers—only hiring writers who mirror their own ideology? Are some of those Watergate products currently hanging their hats in journalism schools, where there’s a captive audience for their anti-establishment biases? Or did they mellow with the decades? As you can see, most of the sur-
veys and research about American journalists raise far more questions than they answer. And you, of course, can only exert influence within your own Arizona newsroom. There’s enough pressure there already today with tighter budgets and smaller staffs. Reporters don’t need to feel harassed if they don’t fit in with the newsroom environment, whether it’s liberal or conservative. But try to have a balance, for the sake of those fifth-grade voters.
Army lists journalists as security threat CONTINUED FROM PAGE
threats” are listed as warlords, and Al Qaeda. In other words, the Army has figuratively and literally put the media in the same box as Al Qaeda, warlords, and drug cartels. While snake oil salesmen like Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh would surely rank the American press up there with Bin Laden and his homicidal ilk, for the Army to do so is shocking, displaying a deep ignorance on the part of at least some segments of the uniformed military over just what the media’s role in a democracy is, while sending the unambiguous message to soldiers and DoD employees that reporters are to be treated as enemies. Under the new rules, all Army personnel and DoD contractors are told to keep an eye on reporters and anyone seen speaking to the press, and that they should “consider handling attempts by unauthorized personnel to solicit critical information or sensitive information as a Subversion and Espionage Directed Against the U.S. Army (SAEDA) incident.” Steven Aftergood, senior research analyst at the Federation of American Scientists and director of the federation’s Project on Government Secrecy, raises some red flags about the new regulations, writing that the “sensitive” information as defined in the manual includes “not just vital details of military operations and technologies but also documents marked “For Official Use Only” (FOUO) that may be exempt from disclosure under the Freedom
of Information Act.” In other words, as he says, “it follows that inquisitive members of the press or the public who actively pursue such FOUO records may be deemed enemies of the United States.” Of course, Aftergood is only speculating, but his speculation falls well within the boundaries of what the Subversion and Espionage Directed Against the U.S. Army (SAEDA) manual describes as actionable offenses. Under these guidelines, reporters digging for information about military projects, funding requests, new acquisition strategies, or other military-related stories could be blown in by an antsy DoD worker or soldier who doesn’t like the tone of questioning. That’s a pretty dangerous road to begin to travel for any country, and for the U.S. it’s simply unacceptable. We have no problem with the Army, or the Pentagon, keeping various things secret. In fact, we expect them to. But a reporter’s job is to dig for truth, and when the military begins throwing up roadblocks like these, everyone loses. As a creepy little addendum to this whole sorry affair, we’ll quote what Major Ray Ceralde, the author of the new rules, told Shachtman in an interview yesterday: “A person doesn’t have to be in the military or government to support OPSEC...As a Nation, we are in this fight together, and all Americans are encouraged to practice OPSEC.” In other words, it’s open season on curious reporters.
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Ariz. supreme court reviews e-mails CONTINUED FROM PAGE
tively” open to public inspection and held that personal e-mails are not subject to disclosure under the Arizona Public Records Law. Like the trial court, the Court of Appeals had conducted no in camera review of the disputed e-mail records. PNI petitioned the Arizona Supreme Court for review of the appellate court’s decision. The newspaper emphasized the importance of public access to records concerning a public official under investigation for public corruption. PNI argued that the e-mail records were presumptively open to public inspection, and that the court should remand the case for in camera review to determine whether any information should be redacted before their release. The Arizona Supreme Court found that PNI had met its duty of raising a “substantial question” as to whether the 90 withheld e-mail messages were “public records.” The supreme court found that the “threshold showing needed to raise a ‘substantial question’ about a document’s status must be relatively low.” Indeed, the court held that PNI had met its burden merely “by showing that a government agency or public official withheld documents generated or maintained on a government-owned computer on the grounds that those documents are personal or private.” The term “public record” is not defined by Arizona statute. Still, the supreme court confirmed that public records should be defined broadly, creating a “strong presumption” in favor of public access. It recognized, however, that the law’s broad definition of public records “is not unlimited.” At several points in the opinion, the court noted that the definition excludes records of a “purely private or personal nature.” The court found that “only those documents having a ‘substantial nexus’ with a government agency’s activities qualify as public records.” The court concluded that the
categorization of a document as a “public record” requires “a contentdriven” and “fact-specific” inquiry.” It rejected “mere possession of a document by a public officer or agency” as determinative. It gave short shrift to the “expenditure of public funds” as a dispositive factor. Rather, the Court adopted a “nature and purpose” test to determine whether a document meets the definition of “public record.” The Arizona Supreme Court adopted a “two-step” process to decide whether the Arizona Public Records Law requires disclosure. Step one involves a determination of whether the document is a public record. The Court concluded that in camera review of the records is a permissible means of determining whether they possess the “requisite nexus with official duties” to compel production. “The party claiming that the disputed documents are not public records bears the burden of establishing its claim,” the Arizona Supreme Court ruled. Shortly before the Arizona Supreme Court issued its Opinion, Griffis pled guilty to six felonies involving public corruption and self dealing, including charges of fraudulent schemes and artifices, tax fraud and theft. Griffis admitted that he took $426,800 from a private bank account that he opened, illegally, to collect fees from home builders, construction companies, investment companies and developers that were earmarked to fund road construction in rapidly-growing areas of Pinal County. Griffis agreed to repay $639,035 for funds he embezzled from the County and for the costs of the investigation into his performance. On May 10, 2007, he was sentenced to three and a half years in prison. On remand, PNI has asked the trial court to conduct its in camera review with Griffis’ malfeasance in office in mind – and to hold Griffis tightly to his burden of proving the e-mails “purely personal.” David J. Bodney is a partner in the Phoenix office of Steptoe & Johnson LLP, and represents PNI.
ANA Job Bank
www.ananews.com/jobbank
Reporter
The Payson Roundup, a 7,400circulation, twice-weekly newspaper in Payson, Ariz., has an opening for a reporter who will cover education, police/courts and general assignments. Along with consistent nuts-and-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. 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 or e-mail editor@payson. com. (May 23)
Advertising Manager
The Las Vegas Optic (www. lasvegasoptic.com), a weekday daily newspaper owned by Landmark Community Newspapers Inc. (www. lcni.com), has an immediate opening for an advertising manager. The position is responsible for all aspects of leading the advertising department and reports directly to the publisher. This position is a key member of the company’s leadership team as well as an excellent growth opportunity. Qualifications: Minimum of two years experience in advertising sales in a competitive market, sales management and marketing expertise, proven success in developing new revenue initiatives, strong analytical skills as well as excellent interper-
sonal and organizational skills, ability to achieve goals through your own efforts and the work of others, ability to produce results. The Advertising Manager will develop a sales team that consistently meets and exceeds revenue goals, hire, train and retain a motivated and high-performing team, maintain, develop and grow an existing account list, develop new advertising customers for all of our products, prepare and manage annual budgets and marketing plan and be an active member of the newspaper’s leadership team. Interested persons should contact: Tom McDonald, Publisher, The Las Vegas Optic, 614 Lincoln Street, P. O. Box 2670, Las Vegas, NM 87701 or send an e-mail to tmcdonald@lasvegasoptic.com. EOE. (May 23)
Newspaper Circulation Manager
Daily, weeklies, semi-weekly and Alternate Delivery in growing communities in Arizona. Youth and Adult carrier, mail and single copy knowledge helpful. Must be able to pass a pre-employment drug test. Send resume, references and salary request to Donovan M. Kramer Sr., Owner/President, Kramer Publications, P.O. Box 15002, Casa Grande, AZ 85230-5002, aweaver@trivalleycentral.com (Apr. 20)
Reporter
The Sierra Sun, in Truckee, Calif., is seeking an experienced reporter. Submit resume and clips to Editor Jamie Bate at jbate@sierrasun.com or 12315 Deerfield Drive, Truckee, CA 96160.
Calendar June 8, 2007 • ANA Better Newspapers Contest entry deadline July 11-12, 2007 • Members needed to judge the Nevada BNC July 18-22, 2007 • AIPA Summer Workshop, NAU, Flagstaff, Ariz. September 21-23, 2007 • ANA Fall Convention
JUNE 2007
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