Anagrams - April 2015

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Advertising and BNC contests open May 1, introducing ICES ANA News

Steve Pope joins ANA board ANA News

people for the newspaper ­industry. ­Developed by the Illinois Press ­Association, ICES will have the same categories and circulation classes that our members are used to.

In the 2015 rules packet you will also have instructions on how to set up an online account for your organization in the new system. It’s a very easy and straightforward process. Should you have any questions or need help in ­creating your account, please contact Julie O’Keefe at ­j.okeefe@ananews. com or call her at (602) 261-7655, xt.110.

The packet also contains rules for eligibility, ­circulation divisions (automatically calculated by the system to take out the guess work), which categories are for online entry, which should be entered by mail – and how to create labels for your mail-ins plus where to send them.

Here are some general items to keep in mind as you gather and prepare for the contests. ­Entry dates are May 1–29. ­Mail-in entries must be postmarked or received

by May 29, 2015. Our new online system does not allow us to accept

Steven Pope currently holds the ­ osition of General Manager for AZ p Local Media and also as Publisher for the Daily News-Sun, the Mesa Tribune, Gilbert Tribune and the Chandler ­Tribune. In this role Pope is responsible for the publication of 14 community newspapers and shopping guides, 16 websites, and a direct mail magazine in the greater Steve Pope ­Phoenix and General Manager, Tucson ­areas.

Az Local Media Pope is a long term vetPublisher, eran of the Daily News-Sun, newspaper East Valley industry. Over ­Tribune his career he has worked in senior ­management positions for Gannett, Knight Ridder, Swift Communications, Media News Group and Huckle Communications and Freedom communications.

Immediately prior to moving to ­Arizona Pope was Chief Operating ­Officer for Huckle Communications ­located in Minnesota. In this role Pope was responsible for management of 13 newspapers, 17 web sites and ­assorted regional publications across Southern Minnesota.

See Contests and Convention on page 5

See ANA board member, page 2

ANA is proud to bring its ­membership the annual Excellence in ­Advertising and Better Newspapers Contests for 2015. Since March, we have been ­featuring and promoting the contests in our weekly e-newsletter, This Week @ ANA and encouraging all our ­members to participate in the 2015 BNC and ­Excellence in Advertising contests.

In case you missed it, ANA has moved its contest management to ­Innovative Contest Entry Systems (ICES), a ­newspaper contest system built by newspaper

Payson Roundup, supporting literacy project in its community �������������������������� page

April 2015

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Taking a look at newspaper’s biggest expense: newsprint ����������������������� page

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Connecting with readers, don’t forget the small things or the big ones either ������page

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ANA board member continueed from page 1

Page 2 | ANAgrams ■ April 2015

Science School (Board of ­Directors), Habitat for Humanity (Board of ­Directors), Vail Valley Youth ­Foundation (Board of Directors), Vail Valley Chamber & Tourism Bureau (Past Chairman), Bravo Music Festival (Past Chairman), Rotary (Board of ­Directors), Vail Valley Wine ­Auction (Past ­Chairman), Vail Leadership Institute (Executive Board), the Vail Valley Charitable Foundation and as a founding board member for the Round Up River Ranch. Over the years Pope has been very active in Chamber ­activities and has been Chairman or President of numerous Chamber of Commerce organizations.

At the state and national level Pope is currently on the Board of Directors for the Local Media Association and the Certified Audit of Circulations and is on the Board of Advisors for the Virgla Corporation.

Steve has three children ages 33, 30 and 18 years old. His wife Carolyn is a published book and newspaper author, a flight attendant for United Airlines and is a ski instructor.

www.ANAnews Get access to ­upcoming events, videos, member benefits, public notices and our media directory.

.com

Prior to his work with ­Huckle was responsible for Freedom ­Communications publications in Colorado Springs, CO, Jacksonville, Alton, IL, Lima, OH, Sedalia, MO and Seymour, IN. Prior to his Freedom work Pope was General Manager for Colorado Mountain News Media and Publisher for the Vail Daily and before that Publisher/General Manager for the Observer & Eccentric Newspaper Group in Michigan and Vice President for the parent company HomeTown Newspapers. Pope has also ­operated his own newspaper and internet ­consulting company.

Pope holds a Bachelor of ­Science ­degree from California State ­University, San Bernardino, California in ­economics. He also holds a ­Master of Business Administration degree from California State University, Dominguez Hills with a concentration in marketing.

Pope believes in community ­service and has served on ­numerous Boards in every location he has lived. In ­Arizona he serves on the boards of the ­Benevilla and Mesa ­Chamber of ­Commerce ­organizations. In­ Minnesota he served on the ­Faribault Main Street Board of Directors and the Paradise Theatre for the Arts Board. In the Colorado Springs area he served on the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the Board of Directors for the Sports ­Corporation, The Fine Arts ­Center Board and the Colorado Springs Economic Development Council. He was also active at the committee ­level with the el Pomar Foundation and worked with the Care and Share organization as Co-Chair for the 2009 truckloads of Hope campaign. In the Vail area his community commitments ­included the Gore Range Natural­

ANAgrams is a quarterly e-publication produced by the Arizona Newspapers Association 1001 N. Central Ave., Suite 670 Phoenix, AZ 85004-1947 Office (602) 261-7655 • Fax (602) 261-7525 www.ananews.com ANA Staff Paula Casey Executive Director / ext. 102 p.casey@ananews.com Julie O’Keefe Communications Manager / ext. 110 j.okeefe@ananews.com Sharon Schwartz Network Advertising Manager / ext. 108 s.schwartz@ananews.com Cindy Meaux Ad Placement Manager / ext. 112 c.meaux@ananews.com Liisa Straub Accounting Assistant / ext. 105 L.straub@ananews.com

The Arizona Newspapers Association (ANA) was established in 1930 and incorporated in 1956. It is the successor to the ­Arizona Press ­Association of 1905, and the ­Arizona Daily Newspaper ­Association of 1922. The ­Association is governed by an 11-member board of directors elected by the member newspapers. The ANA is a ­nonprofit trade association representing more than 115 A ­ rizona newspapers.

ANA Board of Directors President Don Rowley Publisher – Arizona Daily Sun 1st Vice President Donovan M. Kramer, Jr. Co-Publisher – Casa Grande Dispatch 2nd Vice President Kit Atwell Executive VP – Western News&Info, Inc. 3rd Vice President Manuel Coppola Publisher & Editor – The Nogales International Secretary / Treasurer Rebecca Bradner Publisher – Green Valley News and Sun, Sahuarita Sun Steve Pope General Mgr. – AZ Local Media, Publisher – Daily News-Sun, Mesa Tribune, Gilbert Tribune and the Chandler Tribune Inside Tucson Business, Explorer News Marc Marin Publisher – Arizona Silver Belt and Copper Country News Charlene Bisson Publisher – Sun City Independent, Sun City West Independent, Surprise Independent, Peoria Independent, Arrowhead Ranch Independent and Sun Life Magazine.

Chase Rankin Publisher – Arizona Daily Star Chris Stegman VP Advertising – The Arizona Republic Past President Pam Miller Publisher – Verde Independent/The Bugle

New Public Notice promotional ads available for download ANA News I am happy to report that we have recently concluded a very successful 2015 Legislative session. The Lobbying team had been very apprehensive that we would see this kind of success as the session opened. There were numerous bills introduced which would continue to erode public records, a bill which would have been a complete re-write of the open meetings law as well as “yet another” public notice bill. After only 81 days in session, we can say that we were able to defeat, kill or help obtain a veto of all the most damaging bills to keeping government open.

By Paula Casey That said, we fully expect to see more of these kinds of bills in the next 2016 Executive Director, ANA session. To prepare for any future Public Notice bills, we have created a new set of promotional ads which can help educate your readers to the VALUE of public notices. Each ad discusses a different kind of public notice and what the notice is for. The Yuma Sun design staff created this new set and you have the ability to per-sonalize the ads to include your own local Governmental seals (Govt. entities you print notices for) at the bottom of the ads.

It is the suggestion of the legislative team that you routinely run these ads throughout the year as a way to be more proactive with your community.

We have also posted a set of public notice ads created by NNA which can also be personalized for your newspaper in several sizes, with or without color.

Other important things to continue doing in preparation for the 2016 session are: As in the past, we ­cannot say how Image not to scale ­important it is for you all to meet and build your relation-ships with your local ­legislators. Tell them how important their support was to your business and to keeping your community informed.

Give Legislators a forum for their thoughts to be shared with the public by running their Op Ed’s, more importantly, be fair in your coverage.

Continue to upload your notices to the PublicNoticeAds.com website. Promote the Public Notice website in your newspaper and on your websites using the ads available at: www. ananews.com/publicnotices/promote-publicnotices/.

Keep your link to the PN website in a prominent position on your website. Make it easy for your read-ers to find the link to your notices.

Another great way to highlight Public notice is to write stories which highlight a public notice Image not to scale in your community. Highlight a new public works project or a budget increase that is in a notice. Tie them together by showing the notice next to the story. We need to continually show the importance of public notices to the public.

Images not to scale. These are just two samples of the black and white public notice ads available for download. These are built with a blank tag line area at the bottom so that you can add a personalized message to your community with your organization’s logo.

April 2015 ■ ANAgrams | Page 3

Mark your calendars!

The 76th Annual Meeting and Fall Convention September 25 – 26, 2015

Ideally located, less than 15 minutes south of Sky Harbor Airport and minutes from Tempe, Scottsdale and Chandler.

Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd.

Chandler, AZ 85226 All parking and valet is complimentary.

Each room features one king size bed or two double beds, a 40” flat screen TV with premier channels, in-room safe, coffee maker, hair dryer, iron/ironing board and ­complimentary high-speed wireless internet.

ADA rooms are available based on hotel availability. In room dining is always a phone call away, available 24 hours a day.

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Advertising and BNC contests and Fall Convention continueed from page 1

entries after the posted deadline, so get your entries submitted as soon as possible. The contest period dates for entries/materials is between May 1, 2014 and April 30, 2015. Previous entries are not eligible.

Individual entry fees remain at a very reasonable rate of $10 per entry. So, to improve your chances, enter unlimited entries per category with just a low fee for each. As in contest past, plaques will be awarded to First Place winners, and certificates to Second and Third Place winners in each category.

We’ll be e-mailing the 2015 entry and rules packet next week (April 30) to publishers, managing editors and ad directors. If you haven’t already, now is the time to start organizing your contest entries! Help us get the word out and forward this newsletter to publishers, editors, writers, ad managers and web and graphics teams.

As you get your entries ready, don’t forget to make plans to attend the ANA Fall Convention and Annual Meeting. We are also pleased to make another announcement – the 2015 convention will be at a new venue!

Our event will be at the exciting and conveniently located, Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino on September 2526.

Ideally situated, less than 15 ­minutes south of Sky Harbor Airport and­ minutes from Tempe, Scottsdale and Chandler. Free transportation is ­offered to its neighboring attractions ­including 36 holes of Troon Golf, Rawhide­ Western Town, Aji Spa and Koli ­Equestrian ­Center. There’s also the Phoenix Premium Outlets mall neighboring the hotel location.

Wild Horse Pass Hotel and Casino is a premier hotel featuring tastefully appointed rooms with a wealth of amenities at a reasonable price.

Complimentary wireless internet in guest rooms and meeting space, no resort fee, no shipping receiving/

fees, complimentary parking and valet, use of lounges, outdoor space and ­separate entrance to hotel and­ meeting space.

ANA is bringing in several notable trainers from the publishing industry or this year’s training and workshop schedule.

On our program to date, Ed ­Henninger, nationally-respected Ed Henninger newspaper consultant and foremost design expert for large and small newspapers. ­Henninger Consulting has served hundreds of ­dailies, weeklies, business journals, church-affiliated newspapers and niche ­publications throughout the United States, Canada and ­Europe.

Janet DeGeorge, president of Classified ­Executive ­Training & Consulting since 2001.

She ­specializes in Classified Sales Training, the training of new ­classified ­managers, outJanet DeGeorge bound sales training, and redesigns of print products and rates to uncover new revenue sources. He will also be available for a 20 minute individual consultation free of charge.

Amie Stein, Director of Training and Development at Local Media Association (LMA), will be conducting multiple workshops including: “Monetizing NaAmie Stein

tive/Social/Mobile/Video, Advanced Digital Sales Development, and Fundamentals of Sales, Event Marketing.

Josh Hoffner, with Associated Press, a journalist with nearly 15 years of experience writing, editing and managing major news stories at the world’s largest news orgaJosh Hoffner nization, including nine years in New York City. Session yet to be determined.

As you can see we have already started signing up an all-star line up of professionals to bring you current and relevant training for today’s news world.

We’re looking forward to another exciting and successful convention and would be delighted for all our members to take part in what promises to a truly remarkable event.

ANA Excellence in Advertising and

Better Newspapers Contest

2O15 April 2015 ■ ANAgrams | Page 5

Payson Roundup cultivates literacy through new book festival Newspapers must constantly seek new readers. One way publishers can reach out to younger generations is to ­support literacy projects in their communities, according to John Naughton, publisher of the Payson Roundup.

Literacy – the ability to read and write – is essential to ­fully developing a sense of well-being and citizenship. Research shows that children who are solid readers perform better in school, have a healthy self-image and become lifelong learners, adding to their viability in a competitive work world.

Yet, many of our state’s children lack the motivation to read. They don’t see their parents reading; often there are no books, magazines or newspapers in the home. Many parents report that they are too busy to read to their children. These factors can severely hinder a child’s success in school.

In our information-driven society, illiteracy has evolved into a social ­issue. Studies show that 60 ­percent July 25, 2015 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. of America’s prison inmates are ­illiterate and 85 percent of all ­juvenile Payson campus of offenders have reading problems.

Gila Community Over one million children drop out College of school each year. This costs the nation $240 billion in lost wages, 201 N. Mud Springs tax revenues and expenditures for Road social services.

Payson, Arizona The newspaper industry is on the Activities will front lines of the literacy ­battles. include: For many years the Newspaper • Book readings by ­Association of America (NAA) authors ­supported Newspapers in ­Education (NIE) programs at newspapers and • Storytelling for schools throughout the nation. kids Following a merger with NAA, the • Book signings American Press Institute (API) did • Author exhibit additional research about youth tables media literacy. Today, API offers • Local food expanded programs to help teachvendors ers use newspapers in classrooms.

• Musical These programs provide tools to ­entertainment equip youth with skills and healthy media consumption habits needed to properly understand and evaluate media stories, while developing the abilities to detect misinformation.

The Payson Roundup, (recognized 12 times by ANA as Newspaper of the Year) continues to supply local schools with 150 papers per edition. Now it has become the primary media sponsor of Payson’s first book festival, set for July Page 6 | ANAgrams ■ April 2015

www.paysonroundup.com 25, 2015 at Gila Community College (GCC) in Payson. “The ­Payson Roundup strives to be a positive influence within our Rim Country communities,” says Naughton.

Arizona Professional Writers (APW), formerly known as Arizona Press Women, is partnering with GCC to present the one-day event, which will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in several areas of the campus. This family-oriented event is offered to the public free of charge. A children’s element will feature story time, a young writer’s workshop and an opportunity to meet “Story Monster.”

Due to budget cuts, many schools no longer sponsor ­author visits, so few children have ever met an author in person. “Our goal is to promote literacy and showcase ­Arizona authors,” says Carol Osman Brown, director of the Rim Country District of APW, a statewide organization. She adds, “We want to foster a love of reading by providing a friendly environment that encourages personal interaction between Arizona authors and readers of all ages.” More than 40 authors from throughout the state will be available to sign books and talk about writing both fiction and nonfiction books representing many genres. In addition, there will be entertainment and food from local vendors. More ­information is available at the website: www.paysonbookfestival.org. Proceeds will benefit scholarship funds.

“We hope newspapers throughout Arizona will add the Payson Book Festival to their Calendar of Events listings for July. This will encourage a wider group of readers to attend this new event and meet some very interesting authors,” comments Brown.

Naughton adds, “Newspapers have evolved to keep pace with society’s hunger for more information. We now ­provide breaking and updated stories in print and on a ­variety of ­digital and mobile platforms. But we need to keep ­developing a diversified customer base. The Payson Roundup is pleased to support this endeavor, one that will surely grow with time.

“Certainly we have a vested interest in literacy, and what better way than to allow the reader to personally ­interact with the author. We offer a special thank you to the ­Arizona ­Professional Writers organization for their work on this ­project and the state-wide publicity that has already­ garnered some 40 authors to the Payson Book Festival,” he said.

Available NOW!

Special announcement: we have expanded the directory to include broadcast media and changed the name to the: 2015 Arizona Media Directory.

This expansion as an opportunity that broadens our format and will also help to further get our member’s information out to a wider scope of advertisers, advertising agencies and PR firms.

In addition to information about ­Arizona and Nevada ­newspapers, you will also find our ANA Advertising Media Kit which includes information on our pre-printed insert delivery ­program, our statewide display ­network programs and our national press release service.

This directory is packed full of information. We hope you will find the 2015 directory a useful planning tool.

As part of your membership with ANA you’ll be receiving a ­complimantary copy in the mail.

Additional directories are available for $40, call (602) 261-7655

Connect with readers; deliver what your community wants There’s nothing workforce centers. more satisfying Go beyond the newsroom. Newsthan looking at rooms regularly review everyday covyour product— erage and plan special projects. Expand whether it’s the the discussion. Include the entire newsprint or digital paper family—representatives from all edition—and say- departments—as they likely represent ing to yourself, a cross-section of your readers. Think “We’ve got it of other individuals who have a pulse Jim Pumarlo covered. We’re of the community—the United Way diNewspaper connecting with rector, the chief executive officer of the Consultant and our readers.” largest employer, the community ed Trainer It matters little director, the leader of a civic club, the whether a newspaper has a circulation morning coffee roundtable at the bakof a few hundred or several thousand. ery, the go to volunteer who seems to News organizations must connect with be involved in every civic project. ­readers—their customers—if they are Be inquisitive. Reporters are paid to to remain relevant. ask questions. One reporter, recalling That means delivering the chicken his editor’s nose for news, recalled, “If dinner—and steak, too. No matter he saw a city crew digging up a sidehow big your walk, he’d stop and operation, don’t ask, ‘What are you forget the little Rethink your beats. Is your doing’? There’s a things. And, no newsroom structured to moni- good chance other ­matter how small tor the things most important passers-by had the your newsroom, to your readers? Think beyond same question. Your take the time to the standard public affairs staff can’t be evpursue the big beats of local government. erywhere, so turn ­projects, too. all your employees I put news into reporters. In­reports into two still in them a simibuckets: stories readers should read lar mind-set. Encourage them to bring and stories they like to read. The two you the news. lists need not be mutually exclusive.

Don’t forget second-day stories.

The key is to regularly connect with Scan any newspaper, and coverage is your community. Here are a handful of likely dominated by reports of meetways. ings and events. Stories detail the facts Rethink your beats. Is your newsroom behind an action, the quotes from the structured to monitor the things most decision-makers detailing the whys of a important to your readers? Think be- particular decision. Remember, every yond the standard public affairs beats action has a reaction. Second-day stoof local government. For example, the ries are just as important—sometimes local economy plays a huge part in more important—than the original repeople’s lives. If you regularly check port. Follow-up stories likely include in with the city council administrator, new names and faces. You are expandit’s equally wise to put other individu- ing your network of news sources and, als and organizations on your list—the most importantly, your readership chamber of commerce, union leader- base. ship, government agencies that handle agriculture subsidies, bank presidents, See Connect, page 14 April 2015 ■ ANAgrams | Page 7

Why strengthening the Freedom of Information Act is so important NAA News President Obama has routinely ­ romised greater transparency within p the federal government. Now, Congress is making strides towards achieving this critical goal.

The House of Representatives and Senate are currently considering nearly identical bills to strengthen the Freedom of Information Act

By Caroline Little (FOIA), which proPresident and vides the general CEO, NAA public, including journalists, with access to federal government records.

This legislation has received broad support across media organizations, including the Sunshine in Government Initiative, a coalition of which the Newspaper Association of America is a member. And here’s why: Openness instead of secrecy would be the “default” key within the ­government.

The legislation would require ­agencies to release documents under a “­presumption of openness,” reaffirming the principle that information should never be kept confidential to protect government interests at the expense of the public. Agencies

Page 8 | ANAgrams ■ April 2015

would need to prove specific harm that could result from disclosures before withholding documents. While this policy has been in place since 2009, the legislation would ensure future administrations honor this objective for openness.

The process of obtaining FOIA ­records would be much more efficient.

Citizens and journalists would receive requested information in a more timely fashion and would be updated on the status of their request or reason for denial. Federal agencies would be allowed to withhold information on policy deliberations for only 25 years – currently, there is no limit.

More records would be available.

The legislation would require agencies to post frequently requested information online. This will give citizens and journalists more timely access to key information and a deeper understanding of what the government is doing – or not doing.

Why is this important?

The Freedom of Information Act remains a powerful, though currently inefficient, tool to obtain public information. Last year, several key stories were brought to light as a result of reporters’ FOIA record requests.

The Associated Press was able to show that people accused of Nazi war crimes had continued receiving Social Security

payments after leaving our country. In another instance, a reporter reviewing military ballistics tests found that the Marine Corps had issued armored vests that failed to protect against bullets – and 5,277 vests were quickly recalled, perhaps saving lives. Likewise, records obtained through FOIA revealed that some firefighter safety equipment failed to work properly when exposed to heat or moisture, rendering it ineffective in crisis situations.

Without these records and journalists’ diligent research, none of this would have been brought to public attention. Our armed forces and firefighters may have been directly harmed as a result.

The Freedom of Information Act was enacted in 1966. It remains critical for creating and preserving an open and accountable government. However, it must be updated to keep up with changing technology and a persistent mindset within federal agencies that information belongs to the government not the general public.

Congress came very close to passing FOIA reform legislation last year before the end of the 113th Congress. Now, members in both the Senate and House are working in a bi-partisan fashion to move these bills forward in the new Congress. The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved its FOIA reform bill, S. 337, which is sponsored by Senators John Cornyn, Patrick Leahy, and Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley. The House bill (H.R. 653), which is sponsored by Representatives Darrell Issa and Elijah Cummings, was reported out of committee last week.

We applaud the bills’ sponsors and the congressional leadership for turning their attention to this good government legislation. We hope that this momentum bodes well for bipartisan, bicameral action early in the new Congress.

Standard Mail Carrier-Route prices drop in second filing NNA News PRC remands USPS case a second time.

Newspaper mailers still face uncertainty with 2015 postal rates, as the Postal Regulatory Commission has now twice kicked back the U.S. Postal ­Service request for new rates to go into effect April 26. Because the Postal Service has to provide 45 days’ notice before new rates ­occur, it would

By Max Heath have needed final rates by March 12.

NNA Postal But on March 18, Committee the PRC ­indicated Chairman it still wasn’t happy with the proposal for either ­Periodicals or Standard Mail.

So the following is useful as a guide for the rates that may be ahead, amidst the PRC’s criticisms of USPS data. But final rates will not be known until the PRC is happy, unless USPS decides to gamble on implementing new prices without the PRC blessing. That has happened in postal history, but usually ends up in the courts.

Here is what has gone on so far.

The Postal Service re-filed parts of its 2015 price case after certain sections of it were remanded (rejected and sent back for correction) by the PRC. There were two notable changes affecting newspapers.

Most notable was the ­changing of Standard Mail Carrier Route Flats ­prices from slight increases (1-2 ­percent range) in the original filing to decreases (1-3 percent range, with one price, HighDensity Plus minimum price, down 11.4 percent) in the second filing. This price is for 300 or more walk-sequences pieces per route. The changes occurred for

several reasons, including PRC’s order to make presort discounts equal between for-profit and nonprofit rates.

If these numbers stick, newspapers with shoppers would enjoy lower costs. The changes are to Part F of the 3602-R. Periodicals rates suffer from similar uncertainty, which is complicated by the fact that in recalculating the rates, USPS wound up with a smaller increase than the law would have allowed. Because Periodicals are thought to be “under water” or failing to cover costs, USPS is required to explain any rate that does not hit the price cap ceiling.

But to date, it had not.

In the second filing, there was one change in the Periodicals pricing from that originally proposed. Advertising pound prices (Part B, 3541) were decreased less than in the original proposal, but nothing else. Bundle charges would still be increasing rather sharply.

The complexity of this rate filing centers primarily on new incentives being granted for Flats Sequencing System mail, even though the machines are in high-demographic, metro areas that include only 30 percent of the flats volume in the country. (The term “Flats” See Prices Drop, page 14

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April 2015 ■ ANAgrams | Page 9

Production: The Power of Print Still Prevails

By Jim Falzone GM, North of Boston Media Group

Sorce and reprint permssion: E&P It’s less exciting than a hot new app and won’t be a top- printing ­consolidation trends continue, this reduction for ic for your next newspaper revolutionizing webinar, but needed storage space can be very helpful. newsprint continues to be one of the top three expenses Newspapers relying on the post office for delivery will for most newspaper companies, and it’s worth another ­often see the greatest benefits from printing on lighter look. It is a fertile area for expense reduction but also for ­basis weights. The newspapers themselves are lighter, so innovation. the ­postage expense is reduced. The more pages and ­copies The last decade saw page sizes shrinking from 13.5-inch- ­printed, the greater the savings. But it is a ­complicated es wide down to 11-inches and 10-inches wide. Reducing ­formula; the varying prices for each basis weight of newspage size further is still an area for savings but typically it print need to be considered. The type of mailing from involves significant capital investment. The Berliner format ­standard to saturation also plays an important role in the (a tall ­tabloid, typically 12.4-inches wide by 18.5-inches decision. High density and saturation mailings often deliver tall) and three around presses (allowing for compact broad- the highest savings on lightweight newsprint. sheet ­format) come with big newsprint savings but require “Publishers and printers are still using 27.7 pound and 30 expensive press and packaging center modifications. pound, which has been the staple in newsprint for years,” So if we can’t quickly and cheaply make the newspa- said Dustin Seidman, vice president, Papers Unlimited Inc. per narrower, the next logical move is His company has been in the reseller to consider making the paper thinner. market since 1975. “I would say to defMany publishers already made the initely shop around for the best price.”

“In many cases, it is still switch from 30 pound newsprint to He added there has been a drop in cona break-even proposition 27.7 pound newsprint, so the next obsumption, but there is still a demand for printing on light weight. vious step is to go thinner. and prices have come down in 2015.

However, there are other “I could tell you that we are selling If you have the ability to shop around ­financial benefits to printing more 42.5 gm (26 pound) paper than for newsprint and you’re continuing on lighter stocks. More pages we have in the past and have a couple the switch to lightweights, the pricing per pound means you will customers converting downward from will vary from mill to mill. Don’t ­assume use fewer rolls of paper and, 45 gm (27.7 pound). We are also makyour current standard weight ­supplier therefore, incur less trucking ing 40 gms (24.6 pound) newsprint as will also have the best pricing on ­other and warehouse expense. well. So, we do anticipate that the lightgrades. Pricing is determined by a weight trend will continue,” said Dean ­company’s equipment and the volume Diorio, Kruger Inc. sales representative. demands for each grade of paper.

Dioro’s statement is supported by reports from the Pulp Besides a place to save money, newsprint can also be a and Paper Products Council showing that average “gram- way to make money. As production ­manager positions conmage” of newsprint is down 0.3 percent in the United solidate and publishers delve into digital revenue streams, States, comparing January 2015 to January 2014. some age-old newsprint ideas are worth revisiting with a The savings is not linear, however. The printing yield is modern twist. higher on lightweight paper meaning you can print more Reglar old gray newsprint can become staid and boring pages per pound of newsprint. However, the price per to readers and advertisers. A minor change like printing pound is almost always higher for lighter basis weights. In on bright white paper can shake things up a bit. Considlayman’s terms, this mean you will use less paper, but the er ­running the local high school football team’s photo on paper itself costs more money per roll. bright white stock with advertising support as a banner or In many cases, it is still a break-even proposition for on the back side of the “poster.” The sales pitch to adver­printing on light weight. However, there are other finan- tisers is unique because you are asking them to be part of cial benefits to printing on lighter stocks. More pages per something new on a page that will certainly be noticed by pound means you will use fewer rolls of paper and, there- readers. To reduce cost, just run the dink sheet (two pages) fore, ­incur less trucking and warehouse expense. As the or full or half roll alongside your standard newsprint rolls as Page 10 | ANAgrams ■ April 2015

part of your regular press run. The content for these special pages can range from local festivals, sports team photos, arts and entertainment events, and more.

At the Eagle-Tribune in North Andover, Mass., we’ve heard positive things. “I LOVE the bright white that we have because of the posters in the paper this week,” said subscriber C. Maloof in a letter to the publisher. She goes on to say that it was so much easier to read and she could do the puzzle without the pencil poking through the paper.

So another interesting use for heavier stocks and bright white is for a Sunday supplement with comics and puzzles.

Besides bright white stock, there are more dramatic colors of newsprint being used by publishers today including pink for Breast Cancer Awareness sections and green that can be used around the holidays or St. Patrick’s Day. But these controversial colors can sometimes lose impact as they affect the quality of photos when printed on this overpowering stock. It’s purely subjective, but publishers either love or hate these saturated colors. A printing trick that accomplishes a similar color effect without degrading photo quality is to put a slight color tint behind the text using page layout programs such as QuarkXpress or Adobe InDesign. Your pagination hub or copy editor should know how to do this pretty easily. It’s just creating a box that covers the entire page and setting the color to 10 percent magenta or green. Photos will pop and the colored page can’t be missed by readers. It won’t be full bleed meaning the color won’t go out to the edge of the page, but it will cover the majority of the page, and there is no limit to the colors that can be created.

Spadeas and gatefolds also present a unique opportunity for advertisers and new revenue with minimal incremental cost from your press room. Newspapers benefit when their ads are most effective, and an attention-grabbing position like a spadea (a half sheet, which flaps over the front of a section) is sure to be seen by readers. The press crew may grumble about the additional set-up time or slower press speeds, but the newsprint expense is low. Publishers who charge a premium for this position can help offset some of the headaches occurred in the pressroom, and the legitimate need for more time. If your production facility isn’t comfortable running these, you can start small by offering them on preprinted sections so the daily deadline isn’t affected.

Another often overlooked newsprint idea is Kraft newsprint or heavier ground woods. Typically the stock is relegated to the unglamorous role of wrapping TMC products delivering preprints to non-subscriber homes. Its sturdy

composition makes it the perfect solution for tricky labeling machines and the inevitable battering of postal delivery. However, this stock can also appeal to advertisers for specific unique products.

A cheer card is a landscape-oriented broadsheet-sized page that usually displays a message of support to a local sports team. “Go Wild Cats” or “State Champion Mustangs” are examples of typical encouraging sentiments. The back sides of these pages offer prime territory for advertising sponsors. The sturdy nature of Kraft paper is perfect for these pages as they will be held up in the air by sports fans or hung on walls at schools or businesses.

The distribution of the cheer card will help determine the advertising rate. If you are just printing them and dropping off a thousand at the appropriate school, the rate can be low. If you plan to insert the cheer card for your entire market to enjoy, the advertising rate will need to be a little higher to cover your newsprint and production expenses.

Kraft can also be used to wrap your entire newspaper. This is something you would want to reserve for very special (highpaying) advertisers. Depending on your market, it could be the grand opening of a longawaited Starbucks, a large new museum exhibit, or to announce a new bank entering your market. You may want to consider keeping your masthead at the top of the wrap, but the rest of the sheet (front and back) is sold to the advertiser. It is the ultimate premium position, yet fairly inexpensive to do. The trickiest part is that you likely have to stack down your press run, and then run it through the inserters with this wrapper in the “head” as the jacket and your newspaper in line with the other preprints going into this wrapper. For single copy sales, you may want to negotiate that this wrapper goes inside the paper instead of outside the paper and just wrap your home delivery copies. It’s a big idea and curmudgeonly publishers will hate it, but it can drop more revenue to your bottom line in one day than almost anything else you can do. This requires no special tools or equipment.

Calling a 15-minute meeting with your ad manager and production supervisor regarding newsprint will likely be met with groans, but unless you have looked at it in the past twelve months, you are likely leaving easy money on the table.

Jim Falzone is general manager of the North of Boston Media Group, a collection of CNHI-owned dailies, weeklies, magazines, and digital products in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

April 2015 ■ ANAgrams | Page 11

John Hatcher

Kevin Schwartz

Lisa Griffin

Rob Heller

Tracey Trumbull

Kevin Slimp

Ed Henninger

The Biggest Names in

Newspaper Design

in one place over three incredible days in October!

Since 1997, newspaper designers, publishers, editors and technical staff have gathered at the Institute of Newspaper Technology. The Institute is internationally-recognized as the leading program of its type in the world.

Held each fall on the campus of The University of Tennessee (Knoxville), the Institute offers basic and advanced classes in InDesign, Photoshop, Social Media, Layout & Pagination, Illustrator, Cloud Technology, Color, Digital Journalism, Photography, video production, network management and much more.

Classes are hands-on and held in state of the art labs in the UT College of Communication. Most sessions fill to capacity, so take advantage of this opportunity before it’s too late.

October O t b 15 15-17, 17 2015 vversion eers versi ve errsion

ROXEN

TM

2001 14

Growing Newspapers They seem to be popping up everywhere Kevin Slimp The News Guru

I

kevin@kevinslimp.com

’m in the midst of one of those crazy, multi-town, trips that leaves little time for remembering what happened yesterday because I’m too busy getting ready for today.

Friday found me in Cambridge, Minnesota. Wade Weber and I have known each other since the first time he invited me to his newspaper in Mora, Minnesota, somewhere around seven or eight years ago. Since then, he’s had me back to visit one of his offices about every other year.

As we went around the room, everyone introducing themselves, I loved hearing, “I’m editor of the new paper!”

Who knew? Wade has a brand new newspaper. I always wonder why people think there aren’t new papers being created. I run into them all over the place.

Recently, six very successful non-dailies in Florida. Two in my hometown of

Wade and I looked over some of his papers in the pressroom.

Knoxville, Tennessee. Wade’s new paper in Minnesota. They seem to be popping up everywhere.

It’s no surprise that his papers are popular. His group has several titles in area communities, paid and free, each with its own local staff. At the end of the day in Cambridge, Wade and I went

People ask, “Doesn’t it exhaust you to be on the road so much?” What they don’t realize is that newspapers are fun again. This is the group in Cambridge, MN.

back to his pressroom to look over some of the papers his group publishes each week.

The production quality was excellent. Good color. Great photos. Reds were red and blues were blue. Regular training over the years will lead to those types of results.

I didn’t know it before Wade told me, but Ed Henninger had been to Cambridge to help with design just a couple of months earlier. I wasn’t surprised.

The pages looked near perfect.

I saw a story about a daily newspaper for sale a couple of days ago. Almost as a side note, it was mentioned that the paper had a profit in the 20 to 25 percent range. And why was it for sale? Apparently, that wasn’t enough for the giant corporation that owns it. So, it’s for sale.

Another thing that I noticed while visiting Cambridge that has been a common thread in visits to newspapers this year is the enthusiasm present among staffs. It’s almost like it’s fun to work at a newspaper again.

I’m glad. For three or four years, newspapers were starting to seem destined for doom. Someone, probably me, should do a study to find out how many new newspapers have been started in the past year. I’ll bet it’s a lot.

The headlines continue to be about huge corporations like Digital First, Gannett and others selling and buying papers. But don’t kid yourself. The real story this year is the renewed vitality in

the newspaper industry.

Surely you read the comments of Martin Sorrell, CEO of the world’s largest advertising group, as well as highest paid CEO in Europe, concerning newspaper advertising. In April, he said that print media is more powerful than agencies believe and advised advertisers to spend more in print.

“Publishers need to ensure their offering is as quick and simple to buy as other solutions in the market,” said Sorrell. “In doing so, they will no doubt continue to prosecute the case not only for the value of their audience but the engagement and influence of their mastheads and digital properties with those audiences.”

I couldn’t have said it better. And I certainly wouldn’t have had the audience Sorrell has when it comes to ad executives.

It pleases me to know that influential leaders like Martin Sorrell and Warren Buffett understand the value of newspapers. Frankly, though, I’m more pleased that people like Wade Weber, publisher in Minnesota, Victor Parkins, in Tennessee, and Jerry Tidwell, in Texas, do.

It’s the folks I’ve recently visited in places like Minnesota, Texas, Tennessee and Florida that give me so much optimism about the future. There’s a keynote I give now and then at conventions titled, “I wish you knew what I knew.”

Now, you know a little of it.

April 2015 ■ ANAgrams | Page 13

Obtaining Government Grants to Help Pay for Staff Training Rob Dump, owner of six Nebraska community newspapers ranging in circulation from 312 to 2,000, saw an opportunity through government grants to bring professional training to his staff.

The information provided in this case is state-specific, but the idea of seeking and finding money for training is transferable to all communities.

Prices Drop continued from page 9

Connect continued from page 7

includes newspapers, magazines and large envelopes). Newspapers have been mostly exempted from running on the machines because they don’t run well.

But because USPS has not—to date— adequately explained to the PRC what the old prices would have been for the mail that will get the new discounts, the PRC says it cannot calculate how much the increase would be for the new FSS mail. The dispute between the two bodies, however, is primarily based on incomplete calculations in the USPS filing and not in principled disagreements about rate policy. So once the commission is satisfied with the math, the increases are likely to be approved.

Have a conversation. Connecting with readers requires having regular conversations. Explore all opportunities through your print edition and digital platforms. Follow social media channels, too. Take the time to answer questions; explain the dos and don’ts of your policies in a regular column.

In a nutshell, place as much emphasis on developing informal networks as you spend resources on your established networks. Making regular stops at the city hall, cop shop or courthouse are important, but think of all the other places where people regularly gather and share the news of their friends, neighbors and co-workers.

Drop in regularly, and editors will soon develop an informal group of correspondents. Some individuals will be waiting to pass along story ideas, especially if they wind up in the newspaper on occasion. The investment of your time will provide dividends for your content and your community. © Jim Pumarlo 2015 Jim Pumarlo writes, speaks and provides training on community newsroom success strategies. He is author of “Journalism Primer: A Guide to Community News Coverage,” “Votes and Quotes: A Guide to Outstanding Election Coverage” and “Bad News and Good Judgment: A Guide to Reporting on Sensitive Issues in Small-Town Newspapers.” He can be reached at www.pumarlo.com and welcomes comments and questions at jim@pumarlo.com.

Consumers rate newspapers as the media…

Registrations submitted after this date are subject to a $10 late fee) http://goo.gl/aM6uyV Page 14 | ANAgrams ■ January April 2015 2015

with the most trusted and believeable advertisments.

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May 7, 2015 11a.m.- noon / ET Registration fee: $30 Register by Monday, May 4.

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most valuable in planning for shopping. most preferred for receiving advertising.

Arizona Newspapers Association 1001 N. Central Ave., Ste. 670 ananews.com

Newspapers Deliver!

Ernie Pyle, 70th anniversary ANA note: The following article is reprinted as a ­courtesy to our friends and colleagues at the Hoosier State Press ­Association.

Much of the material offered by HSPA can be used in your newspapers to commemorate and promote V-Day, May 8 and Memorial Day, May 25.

The materials (a copy of his last column, a short bio of Pyle, headshots, and mention of the Museum that you could use) can be downloaded from our website: http://ananews.com/ ernie-pyle-70th-annivesary/.

memoration or about the Friends of Ernie Pyle or the Ernie Pyle World War II Museum, feel free to contact me at skey@hspa.com.

I also ask that you consider ­making a ­donation to the ­museum, either perApril 18 marks the 70th anniversary of the death of­ sonally or as the newsfamous World War II correspondent Ernie Pyle by a paper. It only seems ­machine-gunner on Ie Shima in the Pacific Ocean. To mark proper that efforts to this occasion, the Ernie Pyle World War II Museum in preserve the legacy of Dana, Indiana, and Scripps Howard Foundation offer the most famous World this ­reprint of the last column written by Ernie Pyle. The War II correspondent uncompleted work was found in the shirt pocket on his body be supported by current journalists.

Thanks for considering this tribute to veterans and Ernie on that date in 1945. Ironically the subject matter was the anticipated end of hostilities in Europe, or V-E Day, which Pyle. actually occurred on May 8, 1945.

Stephen Key, Executive Director and General Counsel Hoosier State Press Association and Member of the Board of We think it is an appropriate time for us to recall the ­sacrifices made by those ­serving and who had served in our Directors of the Friends of Ernie Pyle.

Armed Forces. It’s a reminder to all of the ultimate ­sacrifice made by so many Americans to maintain the freedoms we enjoy.

If you decide to use the materials provided for your recognition of either the 70th anniversary of Ernie Pyle’s death or V-E Day, we ask that you consider adding a ­paragraph about the Ernie Pyle World War II Museum. Donations may be made through the museum website at www.erniepyle. org.

Subscribe now to have legal notices If you want to expose your readers to additional columns emailed to you based on YOUR custom

by Ernie Pyle, you could include the following link to the Indiana University School of Journalism, where your readers search criteria. can access additional stories written by him: http://journalism.indiana.edu/resources/erniepyle/ If you have any questions about this 70th anniversary com-

Want to search Arizona legal notices?

ANA Legal Services

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602-296-0955 FOI / Access

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602-351-8000

Arizona Newspapers Association

A public service provided by Arizona Newspapers Association April 2015 ■ ANAgrams | Page 15

Mark Your Calendar Webinars and Training Partners CLICK ON THE LINKS TO VISIT THE HOME PAGES

Poynter’s NewsU ­reimagined: Training for anyone, anytime, anywhere DESCRIPTION: For a decade, journalists and the educators who teach aspiring ones have turned to Poynter’s News University to acquire the skills they need in an ever-changing digital media landscape. With funding from Knight Foundation, NewsU was created to offer journalism training to anyone, anytime, anywhere.

MORE INFO: http://kng.ht/1QgfbPR

Stay engaged. Find solutions. Move forward.

DESCRIPTION: The Inland Press ­Association is a not-for-profit ­organization based in Des Plaines, ­Illinois with more than 1,000 daily and weekly newspaper members in all 50 U.S. states as well as Canada and ­Bermuda.

Inland describes its principal mission is to help its member newspapers and the industry at large thrive in their business performance, their journalism quality and their ability to respond nimbly to whatever changes arise in the media environment.

Inland is especially well known for its high-quality, cost-effective and practical continuing education for newspaper leaders and staff.

Members of Arizona Newspapers ­Association get a ­discounted rate of $15 per webinar.

MORE INFO: http://bit.ly/1wUOnsf

Page 16 | ANAgrams ■ April 2015

Webinars for Media Professionals

Happenings & Events ANA Advertising and BNC Contests See page 3 for more information

DESCRIPTION: Online Media ­Campus is a partnership of the Southern ­Newspaper Publishers Association, the Iowa Newspaper Foundation and press associations throughout the United States and Canada. Online Media Campus provides high-quality, low-cost online training to media professionals.

More than 20 programs are offered annually on writing and editorial topics, print and online advertising sales, technology, social networking, management issues and much more.

Each program runs approximately 60 minutes and is designed to be interactive.

MORE INFO: http://bit.ly/1Oc4peF

Focused on helping local media ­companies discover new and ­sustainable business models

DESCRIPTION: Local Media Association is a thriving and innovative ­association that serves local media companies (newspapers, TV, radio, directories, pure plays, and more) as well as several hundred research & development partners in the industry. LMA assists local media companies with the digital transition via cutting-edge programs, c­ onferences, webinars, research and training. LMA’s motto is “innovation, education, inspiration.” Check your membership here: http://bit.ly/1wqkxug MORE INFO: http://bit.ly/1HRAQu6

Now is the time to start preparing your entries for the 2015 competitions.

Entry dates are on May 1 –29.

We’re also proud to announce that this year begins our partnership with ICES, (Innovative Contest Entry System). a new and easier contest experience.

Entry packests will be emailed on April 30 to publishers, managing editors and advertising directors.

ANA Fall Convention & Annual Meeting — New venue for 2015!

WHEN: Sept. 25-26, 2015 Where: Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino. 5040 Wild Horse Pass Blvd.

Chandler, AZ 85226. All parking and valet is complimentary.

ANA BOD Meetings May 14, conference call, 1 p.m.

July 30, conference call,1 p.m.

Sept. 25, Dinner meeting, 6–8:30 p.m., part of the 2015 Fall ­Convention Sept. 26, ANA Annual Meeting, FOI Awards Luncheon at the 2015 Fall Convention Dec. 10, conference call, 1 p.m.

ANA Marketing Meetings June 18, conference call, 9 a.m.

Sept. 25, Time to be determined based on the ANA Fall Convention schedule.