DECEMBER 2016 | EDITORANDPUBLISHER.COM
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A Section
Features
Departments
BUILDING BOTS
Protecting the Institution
DATA PAGE
With the election finally over, the press learns to adopt a more aggressive approach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 34
Longtime family-owned dailies sold in 2015 and 2016, type of newspapers acquired from 2004-2016, top 10 journalism schools in the U.S., minorities and women in the newsroom . p. 18
GroundSource is helping news organizations build community via text messaging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 8
‘WE’VE GOT IT COVERED’
Postmedia launches first brand campaign for its Sun properties. . . . p. 9
FILLING THE VOID
Spanish language newspaper, La Prensa Sonoma, now has a free monthly print edition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 10
GOING PUBLIC
Arizona Republic creates website to make it simple for citizens to access public records . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 12
2016 EPPY Award Winners Honoring the best in digital media p. 40
CRITICAL THINKING
Soured on Snowden
Do you agree with the Washington Post’s editorial board and its article opposing a pardon of Edward Snowden? . . . . p. 20
How the Washington Post’s statement on the whistleblower sparked controversy and conversation within the media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 52 Cover illustration by Tony O. Champagne
PRODUCTION Production directors and managers reflect on 2016 and look ahead to the new year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 28
NEWSPEOPLE
TAKING FLIGHT
New hires, promotions and relocations across the industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 59
The Drone Journalism Lab releases its operations manual to the public . . p. 14
SHOPTALK
PHOTO OF THE MONTH
Bridges Mark Zuckerberg destroyed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 66
Ian Austin/ Hometown Oneonta (Oneonta, N.Y.) & The Freeman’s Journal (Cooperstown, N.Y.) . . . . . p. 16
Columns INDUSTRY INSIGHT
BUSINESS OF NEWS
DIGITAL PUBLISHING
The do’s and don’ts of managing a declining print product. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 22
Five things journalists and PR people should know about each other . . . . p. 24
Why publishers are shifting away from Facebook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 26
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editorial
Turn the Page
H
ello December! The new year is right around the corner, and for many of us, it can’t arrive soon enough. Let’s admit it, 2016 was a tough one. You only have to look at a list of some of the beloved celebrities we lost: golfing legend Arnold Palmer, actor Gene Wilder, actress Doris Roberts, director Garry Marshall, actor Anton Yelchin, boxing champion Muhammad Ali, journalist Morley Safer, musician Prince, actress Patty Duke, comedian Garry Shandling, former first lady Nancy Reagan, novelist Harper Lee, musician David Bowie, actor Alan Rickman…the list goes on. While it was painful to read their obituaries, there was one obit we didn’t read this year: newspapers. For more than a decade, critics have predicted their deaths. Although journalism has moved to other platforms, the print product still has some life left in it. Sometimes the life that needs to be sustained is not even about the actual physical paper you hold in your hands, but it’s about the facts and truth being printed on it. For instance, this past election year was a turbulent one. Since the last election four years ago, the news landscape seems to have turned more toxic and full of noise as the media gets more and more segregated. Voters were getting their information from more than one source, leading to inaccuracy and confusion. It didn’t help that our new president, Donald Trump, was adding fuel to that fire each time he spoke. For months, it was the media versus Trump (remember all the media outlets he banned because he didn’t like what he read or heard or how he threatened to sue the New York Times?) It seemed like every day there was a news bite of Trump slamming the media. As Trump saw the amount of newspapers and other media outlets throw their support to his opponent, he was quick to blame the media for “rigging” the election. The Arizona Republic broke with tradition and decided to endorse Hillary Clinton. It was the first time in the paper’s 126-year history that its editorial board endorsed a Democrat. Other papers that traditionally endorsed Repub4 |
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lican candidates, like the Dallas Morning News, the Houston Chronicle, and Cincinnati Enquirer, also chose to endorse Clinton. “The media, virtually all forms of it, virtually all aspects of its ownership, virtually all of its employees, on an institutional and operational basis, has come to see itself as a firewall against Donald Trump,” USA Today’s Michael Wolff wrote in October. “Indeed, in an altogether new sense of itself, the imperative quite seems to be to prove it can be a firewall—that it can claim a historic role in the defeat of Trump and the election of Hillary Clinton.”
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Although journalism has moved to other platforms, the print product still has some life left in it.
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Banding together, that’s what the media did. What else could they do to protect its institution from so much negativity? Even if it meant losing subscribers or having to deal with threats, they exercised their First Amendment. And that’s what the newspaper will always be a symbol for freedom and truth, and that’s why the newspaper still lives and breathes today. In this month’s issue, you’ll find our 2016 EPPY Award winners, honoring the best in digital media; Gretchen Peck writes about the Washington Post’s position on opposing a pardon for Edward Snowden; and we expand on some of my thoughts here on how we can protect the media. In what ways can we heal and move on after this year’s volatile election coverage? What can we do defend the integrity of journalism? Is it a return to community journalism or private ownership? 2017 is almost here, and we don’t know yet what it will bring. But one thing is for certain it’s time to turn over a new leaf, or more appropriately, it’s time to turn the page.—NY
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11/18/16 12:42 PM
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comments ))) they currently are buying at the expense of all traditional media. It’s where they are putting their money because it’s where their (our) audiences have gone. DEAN ABBOTT BORRELL ASSOCIATES
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Newspapers Will Always Have a Niche
KIM WILLIAMSON
It delights me to read this and to hear reference to John Oliver’s brilliant commentary. (“Shoptalk: The Value of Newspapers,” October 2016) Unless we run out of trees (and can probably use bamboo) newspapers will always be the base-line, reliable source and place to go for in-depth info. And, yes, we sit through endless zoning commission meetings, because that’s what true journalists know they must do. We appreciate the addition of the online approach to news, but I have faith that newspapers will always fill a niche.
Covering Religion Won’t Guarantee New Readers
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illustration by tony o. champagne
Is Religion Reporting Legitimate News? Tim, your comments about the media’s disdain for religion news are right on target. (“Business of News: Finding Faith,” October 2016) But it’s way too late to start plugging the holes in the boat. Bloggers, podcasters, discussion boards, even Facebook groups, have filled the void that newspapers created decades ago. I worked in the newspaper business from 1974-1996. Even back then, it was difficult to find “someone in the newsroom” who considered religion “legitimate news.” Today, as a publicity expert, I often recommend that people first target faithbased bloggers, podcasters and other new media that have loyal audiences. JOAN STEWART
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Don’t Pander to Readers Tim Gallagher commits a straw man fallacy when he writes that many editors and journalists don’t report on religion because they find religion “shallow or unscientific, yet they report on sports they find frivolous.” (“Business of News: Finding Faith,” October 2016) Steee-rike. Newspapers deal in facts. Mickey Mantle existed. Joe Namath exists. Every famous sports figure reported on, living or dead, provably has been or is. Every one. At the very most, the very most, of the thousands and thousands of religions that mankind has had and will have, at the very most only one of them is true, and there is no citable likelihood, especially given that disastrous history, that even one of them is. 6 |
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Here’s a challenge notion: Rather than these editors and publishers “getting over ourselves,” others should consider getting over pandering.
These stories about gaining readers by covering religion rear their heads every few years—going back to the ’70s. Never happens. (“Business of News: Finding Faith,” October 2016) Probably won’t work because it isn’t just “religion” but a whole mentality. As for more coverage, how’d that effort by the Boston Globe work out a couple years ago? AL PACCIORINI
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Investing in Data Could not agree more with George Sylvie, in that investing in data will pay off over time, but readership surveys are looking in the wrong place. (“Revenue 2017,” October 2016) To really find out what the future holds, ask your local advertisers what they want. Our recent survey of over 7,500 small and medium business owners revealed a number of dramatic changes in the way SMBs perceive advertising overall. Gone are the days where we just expose their message to our readers. Today we have to help them expose their message to our market. That notion incorporates many of the above “marketing” examples, but also needs to include the full range of digital products and services
JEAN HART GILLETTE COAST NEWS GROUP
EPPY Awards Should Recognize Student Media Websites E&P annually touts that these awards recognize “excellence in college and university journalism.” (“2016 EPPY Award Winners Announced”) Yet in recent years, what gets recognized are not student media websites or content, but academically-run news services. This isn’t to knock the exemplary work of the NYCity News Service or News21 at Arizona State, this year’s winners. But it’s not surprising that websites run or overseen by full-time professionals or faculty win E&P’s awards. I find it disappointing that E&P chooses to award such university-run news services over the websites of student media operations which are also training and developing the next generation of journalists. ERIC JACOBS
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Send us your comments nu.yang@editorandpublisher.com “Comments,” Editor & Publisher, 18475 Bandilier Circle, Fountain Valley, CA 92708 Please include your name, title, city and state, and email address. Letters may be edited for all the usual reasons.
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11/17/16 5:05 PM
the A section VOLUME 149
FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2016
ISSUE 12
> Look Ahead
Building Bots GroundSource is helping news organizations build community via text messaging By Sean Stroh
W
ithin a relatively short period of time, bots have emerged as one of the more intriguing new technologies available on the market. However, the question of how to most effectively utilize it remains a bit murky for news organizations. Andrew Haeg, founder of GroundSource and Reynolds Journalism Institute fellow, is exploring how his community engagement platform can transform bot-driven messaging to improve news coverage and strengthen the relationship between newspapers and their local communities. “The age of conversation offers up the potential for every reader to develop their own personal relationship with a newspaper,” Haeg said. When a company or organization first signs up with GroundSource, they can set up a unique phone number that is used solely to interact with sources via text or voice. By sharing that specific number to the community, ordinary people can message in a particular issue on their mind or respond to a question posed to them by texting in a key word. As more sources interact, GroundSource automatically develops detailed profiles of each source by occasionally asking them demographic questions. Additionally, users can label and organize their audience into different segments by selecting people who respond to specific prompts, or by filtering for demographics. Users can also now set up Facebook Messenger bots and link them to GroundSource as well. “We’ve had quite a bit of interest from newspapers, and have a good deal of success with four or five newspapers during our beta phase printing a phone number in the newspaper, and generating many dozens, if not hundreds of response, with minimal promotion,” Haeg said. “The problem has not been generating response, or getting thoughtful answers, but figuring out what to do with all of the good stuff.” Haeg noted that early-stage projects with several news organizations have suggested that when properly deployed, people enjoy corresponding with bot-driven messaging. At the Center for Collaborative Journalism in Macon, Ga., a partnership with the Macon Telegraph and Georgia Public Broadcasting to build a community-wide listening post through GroundSource is
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} GroundSource enables journalists to connect with communities via text message.
already underway. Local residents have been encouraged in print, over the air and at community meetings to text into the designated number and opt in to ongoing communications. According to Haeg, his team is looking for a few additional news} GroundSource automatically builds detailed profiles papers to serve as test sites for a more for each source. “full-fledged deployment of GroundSource.” “It would involve putting the phone number on every story published, essentially as a replacement for the contact number often printed next to a reporter’s name,” he said. For more information, visit groundsource.co. editorandpublisher.com
11/17/16 4:47 PM
the A section
‘We’ve Got It Covered’ Postmedia launches first brand campaign for its Sun properties
An example of an advertisement for the Ottawa Sun’s sports section as part of Postmedia’s “We’ve Got it Covered” campaign.
P
ostmedia, Canada’s largest newspaper group, has launched the very first brand campaign for its Sun properties, which include the Toronto Sun, Ottawa Sun, Calgary Sun and Edmonton Sun.
As part of the “We’ve Got it Covered” campaign, the media company is emphasizing four key pillars of the Sun’s newsrooms: local news, sports, politics and entertainment. “The engaging ads highlight our newsrooms’ commitment to covering the news that matters most to our readers in a fun and irreverent manner,” said Rene Vierling, vice president of marketing for Postmedia. “The new brand campaign reflects the editorial voice of our Sun properties with its emphasis on the importance of local news.” In an effort to tailor the campaign to local audiences, Postmedia’s marketing department worked closely with each individual newspaper market. For example, the city of Calgary in the province of Alberta, where Rachel Notley serves as premier, residents may see an ad that asks: “Is Notley creating more jobs or job losses? Politics. We’ve got it covered.” To coincide with the hiring of Guy Boucher as Ottawa’s new head coach of the city’s NHL team, Postmedia reassured locals: “Goodbye Cameron. Welcome Boucher. Hello Playoffs? Sports. We’ve got it covered Ottawa.” “The overall creative strategy and concept was developed with the brand voice and four content pillars at the forefront, as affirmed by our editorial leadership team,” Vierling said. “We then collaborated with local leaders in editorial and marketing departments to identify some of the most relevant topics in market per category and created the headline copy.”
M-F
Saturday
Sunday
Weekly
Calgary Sun
182,000
235,000
206,000
486,000
Edmonton Sun
152,000
209,000
197,000
413,000
Winnipeg Sun
111,000
122,000
109,000
270,000
Toronto Sun
643,000
851,000
775,000
1,794,000
Ottawa Sun
132,000
161,000
138,000
315,000
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According to Vierling, the campaign will also be used as “a creative platform for other creative needs supporting our reader acquisition strategies and partnerships.” Postmedia originally acquired Sun Media Corporation’s English language newspapers and specialty publications in April 2015. The five Sun newspapers located in Ottawa, Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg, collectively attract more than 3.2 million readers each week, with the Toronto Sun drawing the largest portion of readership in the group. Though the brand campaign marks the first collective marketing effort by Postmedia specifically for its Sun properties, the media company has developed a number of different promotional campaigns for its other news publications. Most recently, it launched the “At Your Fingertips” campaign, which focused on both local and generic characters representing content categories such as news, business, sports and politics. The “We’ve Got it Covered” brand campaign will run in print and digital into 2017. –SS
> Did You Hear?
Sun Newspaper Readership
editorandpublisher.com
An example of an advertisement for the Calgary Sun’s politics section as part of Postmedia’s “We’ve Got it Covered” campaign.
“We journalists are condemned to journey between the truth of us and they, all passionately held, in order to paint the truths of reality. There can be no false equivalence in facts. They are stubborn, they are unyielding and they are precious.” The New York Times’ Roger Cohen during a lecture on the responsibility of journalists at Indiana University
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the A section
Filling the Void Spanish language newspaper, La Prensa Sonoma, now has a free monthly print edition
D
espite the number of newspapers continuing to dwindle each year, Sonoma Media Investments, owner of several papers in the northern California region, has decided to complement one of its online publications with a print edition. La Prensa Sonoma, which initially began as an online Spanish language news website last year, is now also being offered in the form of a free monthly print newspaper. The publication is distributed on the last Tuesday of each month to approximately 20,000 households in predominantly Latino neighborhoods in Sonoma County. Another 10,000 copies are dispensed in high traffic public locations as well. According to the latest census numbers, Latinos compose more than a quarter of the county’s population. “Our printed edition newspaper targets a very specific Spanish-language audience living in the Southwest of Santa Rosa, and other cities in Sonoma County, such as areas in Sonoma, Windsor, Healdsburg and Cloverdale,” said La Prensa Sonoma editor Ricardo Ibarra. “Because of the low access to technology among some of the lower income Latino population, the distribution of our paper makes sure our readers are informed about local issues, which concerns all of Sonoma County’s residents.” A portion of the stories in La Prensa Sonoma are written by reporters from The Press Democrat and then translated to Spanish, primarily with articles involving local issues. The remainder of the stories are written by Ibarra. In addition to community news, Ibarra said the print edition provides beneficial material for Latinos in the county, including information on becoming a U.S. citizen and obtaining a drivers license. The first print issue, published this past September, left several organizations and
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} La Prensa Sonoma editor Ricardo Ibarra with the first print edition of the newspaper
“We have become, in a very short time, a trustful resource to understanding local issues.”
public institutions so impressed that they requested to have a chunk of newspapers delivered to their offices. Copies can now be found at places like Santa Rosa Junior College, Sonoma County Library and Sonoma State University. “Overall, I’d say we’ve had a warm welcoming through social media too, where readers have sent us pictures of them with the paper,” Ibarra said. Meanwhile, online traffic to the paper’s website (laprensasonoma.com) has contin-
ued to grow every month since launching in October 2015. As of press time, the site averaged nearly 10,000 monthly unique visitors. “The online version has helped to fill the information gap for the Spanish speaking community,” Ibarra said. “We have become, in a very short time, a trustful resource to understanding local issues, such as housing, rent control, immigration policies, minimum wages, business and also access to entertainment.”—SS editorandpublisher.com
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2017 M PA C O N V E N T I O N
BE A PART OF OUR CREW AT THIS YEAR’S CONVENTION IN GRAND RAPIDS, JANUARY 26-28, 2017 Would you like to connect to Michigan’s media decision makers? Exhibit space is still open for this event. Contact Lisa McGraw at 517-372-2424 or email lisa@michiganpress.org.
the A section
Going Public Arizona Republic creates website to make it simple for citizens to access public records
T
he Arizona Republic’s watchdog editors have just made the search process for public records in Arizona a whole lot easier with the creation of azpublicinfo.com. The website was developed through a $15,000 Knight-Cronkite Alumni Innovation Grant awarded to Republic digital producer Stephen Harding by Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. The grant, created by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, is designed to promote digital innovation in newsrooms. “We are constantly fighting for public records and it’s getting harder,” said Republic editor Nicole Carroll. “We wanted to educate our citizens about their rights, and make it as simple as possible for them to request public records. We take seriously our mission to educate and empower the public while keeping our government transparent and accountable.” The formation of the site was overseen by Harding, news watchdog center director Cherrill Crosby, news assistant Jessica Ramirez and government accountability editor Pat Flannery. Additionally, reporters from across the newsroom researched agency information to make sure the site was comprehensive. Users can identify the agency that holds the public records they are looking for through a quick search on the website. A simple, easy-to-use template then generates and sends an email requesting the information. The site also provides a list } Nicole Carroll, execuof common tive editor of The Arizona Republic reasons that re-
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} The website simplifies the process of obtaining public records from government agencies.
Flexibi
tion. According to Carroll, the site has received positive feedback from the public. “They are grateful. We’ve had so many people thank us for demystifying public records, for making it easier for people to interact with government,” Carroll said. “These are public records and the public should have easier access to them.” When Harding’s application first reached the Cronkite School of Communication last year, associate dean Kristin Gilger, saw the project as a perfect fit for the grant. “After we received the grant from Knight Foundation president Alberto Ibargüen, he challenged our alumni to disrupt the status quo in journalism. We kept that in mind when reviewing applications such as Stephen’s project, which is using technology to increate government transparency,” Gilger said. “The website is a valuable resource } Creation of the site was overseen by (from left) news watchdog to the public, reporters across center director Cherrill Crosby, digital producer Stephen Harding, the state and our students at news assistant Jessica Ramirez and government accountability editor Pat Flannery. the Cronkite School.” –SS cords may be rejected and offers strategies for overcoming these obstacles. Examples of public records available include professional licenses, home valuations, inspection records for businesses, accident reports and a county sheriff’s expense reports. Typically, the public doesn’t need to pay to look at a public document and read it, though a small fee does apply if a copy is needed. However, a public agency cannot charge you for the time it takes to find the document or to redact it for your inspec-
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the A section
SAY WHAT?
Tornoe’s Corner
New Vocabulary for the Modern Era
Starchitect (noun): A famous or high-profile architect “But the historic hood has now become the darling of luxury developers. And with starchitectdesigned condos and attractive prices, the boom has only just begun, according to the 2016 Douglas Elliman/Knight Frank Wealth Report.”
Project7:T-E&P-9x5.4375 10:05 AM Page 1 — Zachary Kussin, 4/13/16 The New York Post
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the A section
Taking Flight The Drone Journalism Lab releases its operations manual to the public
} Matt Waite instructs a pair of journalists on how to fly a drone at the first ever Drone Journalism Boot Camp this past August. The boot camp, sponsored by the Google News Lab, trained 62 journalists on new FAA requirements for drone pilots and how those rules impact newsrooms.
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n response to the Federal Aviation Administration drone guidelines formally taking effect this past August, the Drone Journalism Lab decided to release its operations manual as an open source, Creative Commons-licensed document. The 23-page guidebook (found at dronejournalismlab.org) covers everything from how to conduct a preflight briefing to the ethical issues journalists should consider before flying a drone. “The reaction to the manual has been great. We’ve heard from a dozen different news organizations that are using it exactly as we had hoped—a starting place for their own internal policies and procedures,” said Matt Waite, a professor of practice in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications and the founder of the Drone Journalism Lab at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “We only know about the ones who reach out to us which is the great and terrible thing about giving something away. People can do as they wish with it and there’s no strings attached, so our ability to track it is limited.” Under Part 107 of the FAA Regulations, the operator of a drone is required to be at least 16 years old, proficient in English and pass a test “that includes knowledge of airspace, airspace operating requirements and the use of aeronautical charts” as well as other key points. Waite’s manual defines three key roles in each drone flight—the pilot, the observer and the journalist—with the pilot being the only federally required position. The role of the observer is to inform the pilot if something enters the area and is of concern, while the journalist is there to ensure everything needed for the story is being
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captured. The legalization of drone journalism comes after a nearly five yearlong journey for Waite, who originally founded the Drone Journalism Lab in November 2011. Less than two years after its founding, he received a cease-and-desist order from the FAA. The journalistic benefits of drones, especially for disaster } A DJI Phantom 4 controller sits coverage, was something Waite awaiting a connection to the drone recognized almost immediately before a demonstration flight at a when he fell upon a company University of Nebraska-Lincoln farm at the first ever Drone Journalism selling them at a digital mapBoot Camp. ping conference in San Diego in 2011. At the time, Waite had recently left the St. Petersburg Times (now the Tampa Bay Times) as a reporter covering hurricanes and other natural disasters. “Having been a newspaper reporter on the ground at tornadoes that destroyed homes and lives for miles, or hurricanes that were hundreds of miles wide, it is really hard in the economy of words that you have in a story to tell it with any impact,” Waite said. “A drone, rising just a hundred feet off the ground, will do so much more, so much faster, than a writer could ever do.” However, Waite cautioned journalists moving forward to avoid the temptation of seeing drones as merely a toy. “Under Part 107 you are a federally licensed pilot and considered as such by the FAA, and you need to take your responsibility for the aircraft and everyone around it seriously. If newsrooms start pressuring employees to do unsafe things, you’re going to see your first drone based wrongful termination lawsuits,” Waite said. “The first journalist to hurt someone with a drone is going to be an international news story, and not the good kind. Don’t be that person. Don’t be that newsroom.” –SS
} A DJI Phantom 4 drone hovers over a University of Nebraska-Lincoln farm during a demonstration flight at the first ever Drone Journalism Boot Camp. editorandpublisher.com
11/17/16 4:47 PM
the A section > Wise Advice “What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve ever received?”
From the Archive
Get out of your office and circulate among the troops. You need to build strong alliances and encourage others rather than coerce. How much time do you actually spend with the members of your team? How much do your team members know about Samantha Johnston you? Not simply as their boss, but as a person. This isn’t about making your coworkers your friends, although as long as everyone knows the pluses and minuses of that, being friends is okay. Rather, this is about knowing, as people and as individuals, those who are on your team and who are most important to your operation’s success. This is about giving of yourself in a meaningful way to those with whom you work alongside. It’s very much an investment in the culture of your organization. Samantha Johnston is the publisher of The Aspen (Co.) Times, a publication of Swift Communications. Previously, she served as the executive director of the Colorado Press Association.
Charley Hathaway, Albany (N.Y.) Times-Union news editor, hobbles into the editorial room on crutches. Hathaway, who suffered a leg injury prior to Albany’s record snowstorm (41 inches of snow had fallen), braved the huge drifts for five consecutive days to help put out the paper. This photo originally appeared in the Jan. 10, 1970 issue of E&P.
LEGAL BRIEFS Minnesota Newspaper Owners Sue Each Other
As reported in the Duluth (Minn.) News Tribune, Gary and Edna Albertson, the minority owners of the Timberjay weekly newspapers in Minnesota, have filed a lawsuit against majority owners Marshall Helmberger and Jodi Summit for financial improprieties and violations of shareholder rights. The Albertsons are seeking a court order to either sell off the company or force Helmberger and his wife to buy out their share of stock in the paper and pay a “reasonable return.” Helmberger, the Timberjay’s publisher, has called the lawsuit a “very desperate” ploy by the Albertsons to exit the newspaper business. According to court documents, the Albertsons purchased a 46 percent share in the Timberjay company in 1997 for $33,000. They also own the Tower News and Cook News Herald in Minnesota.
Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Filed by the New Hampshire Union Leader
According to the New Hampshire Union Leader, a judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the newspaper against the city after police refused to release the identity of a woman who committed suicide hours just hours after being discharged from the state psychiatric hospital. The Union Leader filed a Right-To-Know request with the Nashua Police Department following the suicide, but was given a redacted report that withheld the name of the victim. The newspaper was eventually able to uncover the identity of the victim following its own independent investigation. The judge ruled that the public interest had already been satisfied by the newspaper’s ability to determine the victim, 63-year-old Joy Silva, and publish her name without the assistance of a Right-ToKnow request.
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photo of the month
FIRED UP Ian Austin/Hometown Oneonta (Oneonta, N.Y.) & The Freeman’s Journal (Cooperstown, N.Y.) A crew member inflates a hot-air balloon during the Susquehanna Balloon Festival at Neahwa Park in Oneonta, N.Y.
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Send us your photos! E&P welcomes reader submissions for our Photo of the Month. sean@editorandpublisher.com.
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data page Independently Owned Dailies in the Western United States
Longtime Family-Owned Dailies Sold in 2015 and 2016 NEWSPAPER Junction City (Kan.) Daily Union
% of independently owned newspapers in each state
Arizona
California
21.4%
Oklahoma
11.8%
Oregon
0%
Montana
18.2%
Utah
Nevada
16.7%
Washington
41.2%
Wyoming
New Mexico
YEARS OWNED PRIOR TO SALE
Montgomery
130
Mead
127
26.3%
Lawrence (Kan.) Journal-World
Simons
125
Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch
Wolfe
118
23.5%
Columbia (Mo.) Daily Tribune
Waters
111
Jones
100
Lilly
93
Mooney
87
Borg
86
Rutland (Vt.) Herald
Mitchell
69
Martinsville (Va.) Bulletin
Haskell
67
Dillie
64
Weybret
56
Greeneville (Tenn.) Sun Texas
Idaho
Erie (Pa.) Times-News
FAMILY
16.9%
Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer Rome (Ga.) News Tribune
28.6% 20%
Bergen County (N.J.) Record
Elkhart (Ind.) Truth
22.2%
Lodi (Calif.) News-Sentinel
Source: Dirks, Van Essen & Murray, 3rd Quarter 2016 Report
Type Of Newspapers Acquired 2004–2016 Newspaper acquisitions by major media firms
DAILY
NONDAILY
TOTAL
130
313
443
Digital First Media
82
149
231
Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.
11
9
20
Civitas Media
35
63
98
tronc/Tribune
8
58
66
BH Media Group
32
49
81
10/13 Communications
3
44
47
New Media/GateHouse
Source: University of North Carolina Database
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Top 10 Schools for Journalism in the U.S.
Minorities and Women in the Newsroom
Bachelor’s in journalism; based on a number of characteristics including the quality of the overall school and the starting and mid-career salaries of graduates within the major
% of full-time leadership positions in the newsroom
Amongst All Newsroom Leaders
1 Emerson College 2 The University of Texas-Austin 3 Northwestern University 4 New York University
White 86.97%
Men 62.89%
Minority 13.03%
Women 37.11%
5 University of Southern California Amongst Minorities
6 University of Maryland
Leader 19.41%
7 Boston University 8 University of Missouri-Columbia
Non-Leader 80.59%
9 Syracuse University 10 George Washington University
Source: 2016 ASNE Diversity Survey of 737 news organizations, including 646 print-only and 91 online-only
Source: Collegefactual.com
Social Media Use by Age % by age group using daily or a few times per week
18-29
30-44
45-54
55-64
65+
87%
80%
67%
60%
52%
32%
39%
18%
10%
4%
50%
40%
15%
11%
3%
53%
31%
11%
3%
1%
Source: Vox/Morning Consult poll, September 2016
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DECEMBER 2016 | E & P
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critical thinking
If you have a question you would like to see addressed, please send it to sean@editorandpublisher.com.
J-school students and industry vets tackle the tough questions
“The Washington Post wrote in a recent editorial that it opposed an outright pardon of Edward Snowden since his revelations about the National Security Agency’s international operations had possibly caused ‘tremendous damage’ to national security. Do you agree with the Post?”
A:
The decision by The Washington Post to speak out against Edward Snowden in an editorial, while seemingly hypocritical, may not be entirely unwarranted. Snowden, a former CIA employee who leaked around 1.5 million documents from the National Security Agency (NSA), helped the Post secure a Pulitzer Prize by working alongside them to report Kaitlyn McGarvey, 19 the story. sophomore, Ohio University Although the newspaper calls for (Athens, Ohio) Snowden’s trial and arrest in a U.S. McGarvey is a journalism court, it’s safe to say the publication major. She has been writing is certainly making waves for openly editorials for The Post, the student newspaper, since throwing one of its most valuable August 2015. sources under the bus. How inclined will leakers be to reach out to the Post in the future now? While the editorial did not completely condemn Snowden for all of his actions and even credited him for influencing “necessarily reforms” to surveillance laws, they are clearly not happy about his decision to leak information about PRISM, an overseas NSA Internet-monitoring program. The paper described the program as being “clearly legal and not clearly threatening to privacy.” “Ideally, Mr. Snowden would come home and hash out all of this before a jury of his peers,” the editorial said. “That would certainly be in the best tradition of civil disobedience, whose practitioners have always been willing to go to jail for their beliefs.” Some are calling for the condemnation of Snowden and others are begging that he be pardoned. One thing is for sure: as long as the whistleblower has asylum in Russia, it doesn’t seem as if any figureheads in the American government are considerably concerned about granting amnesty right now. The rest of us seem to be divided either calling Snowden a hero or a threat to national security. On one hand, he has prompted legislation that has increased our protection as citizens. On the other hand, he has clearly broken some heavy laws and, arguably, has risked our national security. Should we excuse “necessary evils” such as Snowden’s if they serve to help the public? To what extent should we obey the law? These are all hard questions to answer, but if there was one thing I pulled away from Daniel Ellsberg’s decision to publish the Pentagon Papers in 1971, it’s that sometimes there is a need for rule breaking for the sake of government transparency. 20 |
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A:
In releasing National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance data to four news organizations—The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Guardian and The Intercept—Edward Snowden provided American citizens with knowledge vital to the continued sanctity of their right to privacy. For that service he deserves a pardon. That’s not what the Washington Reed Anfinson, 62 Post editors think. owner, Swift County MonitorThe Post argues that while release of News in Benson, Minn. and the Grant County Herald in NSA’s metadata gathering was justified, Elbow Lake, Minn. the taking of information on its lawful overseas PRISM intelligence initiative Anfinson has owned the Monitor-News since 1990 wasn’t. The Post does acknowledge that and the Herald since 2014. America’s intelligence agencies have been unable to point to any harm to its operatives caused publication. Its editorial enlists our sympathies by references to “best traditions of civil disobedience,” a willingness of to go to jail in support of beliefs and actions, and a trial before a “jury of his peers.” These catchphrases come off hollow in light of the reality Snowden faces should he return. Rules for Snowden’s trial would be set under the Espionage Act. It prohibits voicing his deeply held conviction on the NSA’s violation of privacy rights. It does not allow Snowden to argue a higher purpose in releasing the data. He can’t say that exposing NSA’s data gathering operation started a necessary national dialogue about security versus privacy rights. He can’t talk about how his act has led to new protections. Further, as a contract employee, Snowden is not entitled to the protections of a whistleblower. Had Snowden not revealed NSA’s spying programs the intelligence agency’s work would have continued unchecked. We can only speculate on how much more invasive it would have become. Digital technology’s rapid and unstoppable evolution guarantees the tools to quietly eavesdrop on citizen telephone conversations, online reading and viewing habits, and digital text exchanges will only get better. President Dwight D. Eisenhower feared the power of the militaryindustrial complex to subvert democracy. In the face of the growing power of the intelligence-digital technology complex we face a far greater danger to our rights. The evolution of digital technology will always put citizens a step behind the massive, dispassionate corporations and America’s intelligence gathering machine. Only through the individual courage of citizens like Edward Snowden will we have the ability to safeguard our freedoms. editorandpublisher.com
11/17/16 5:34 PM
industry insight
When Two Become One The do’s and don’ts of managing a declining print product By Matt DeRienzo
“R
eality Check,” a paper published in July by University of Texas journalism professors Hsiang Iris Chyi and Ori Tenenboim (bit. ly/2eBAVfn), argues that newspapers lost their way over the past decade by attempting to compete in the realm of free online content. As a result, they argue, their original, “core” product—print—suffered, while newspaper brands were degraded by forays into clickbait stories and poorly designed online platforms monetized by annoying popup ads. Their conclusion—that newspapers should effectively dump their online presence and focus on improving the dead tree edition—is laughably out of touch with the reality of reader habits, advertiser demands, and common sense about the most effective ways to report and present the 22 |
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news and engage with a community about its information needs. But the introduction to their paper is accurate for many newspaper companies as a standalone statement: “Twenty years into U.S. newspapers’ online ventures, many are stuck between a shrinking market for their print product and an unsuccessful experiment with digital offerings.” And it raises questions: How can newspapers better manage and respect the role of the print edition without handcuffing digital growth? What can digital operations learn from the traditional success of print, and vice versa? Strengths of the print edition include: yy A declining but core, loyal, and importantly—paying—base of readers. yy Advertising rates that, although declining at an even faster rate than subscriber revenue, still command
much higher CPMs than digital. The ability, via organization of each day’s edition, to guide readers through what the newsroom has found to be the most important news of the day in an organized, digestible, way, with an end point. The front page signals the importance editors have assigned to the top stories of the day. Digital, on the other hand, serves: yy The vast majority of the community that feels better served by digital platforms that provide immediacy, depth, unlimited connections between different pieces of information, and an interactive consumption and conversation about the news. yy Advertisers who want to target an audience most likely to be interested in their product, when they’re most likely to be interested, in formats that are more likely to engage them. editorandpublisher.com
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In an attempt to juggle both, newspaper companies have funded digital resources (or, more accurately, protection of profit margin) by cutting the infrastructure associated with print. Pressrooms and circulation departments have been outsourced, print deadlines have been pushed back, page count cut back, delivery options curtailed. And customer service has suffered tremendously, something that’s been far more damaging to customer relationships than a skimpier print product. The business practice abuses of print customers have done far more to degrade newspaper brands than publishing online content that wouldn’t have appeared in a traditional print edition in the olden days. Meanwhile, newsrooms that are attempting to be “digital first” while continuing to put out a print edition find themselves with tails wagging dogs—tied to staffing plans, work schedules, story formats and word counts that wouldn’t be chosen in a purely
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digital operation. Newsrooms with content management systems that serve both print and digital at the same time by their very nature limit digital. Digital operations could learn from the curative and organizational strengths of print. The resurgence of email newsletters, for example, shows in an age of information overload the value of the role an editor can play in guiding readers to what is most important for them to see on a given day. And newspapers can’t ignore the way readers and consumers have all kinds have been empowered by the web. That should apply to the user experience of the print edition. Raising prices indiscriminately, providing poor customer service and failing to be transparent about it doesn’t fly anymore. The reputation of the brand is at stake. If newspaper companies intend to be in business beyond the next few years, of course the University of Texas journalism
professor duo’s prescription for dumping digital does not make sense. But increasingly, newspapers might want to think about separating the print and digital businesses into distinct and separately managed operations that could even include, as the University of Texas report suggests, separate branding.
Matt DeRienzo is a newsroom consultant and a former editor and publisher with Digital First Media. He teaches journalism at Quinnipiac University and the University of New Haven in Connecticut, and is interim executive director of LION Publishers, a trade organization that represents local independent online news publishers.
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business of news
From Both Sides Five things journalists and PR people should know about each other By Tim Gallagher
J
oni Mitchell said she was on a plane looking down at clouds when she wrote the timeless folk song, “Both Sides Now” that’s been covered by everyone from Frank Sinatra to Tori Amos. I spent 29 years as a journalist and the last nine on the public relations side and I can fairly conclude both sides too often have an unfair and inaccurate view of the other. Some journalists think the PR person would mislead or outright lie to get a favorable piece written about their client. Some PR people think every journalists comes to work every day with an agenda. Neither view is true. With that in mind, let me offer five things each side wishes the other side knew. What PR professional wish journalists knew:
B
Print journalists are not as important to PR people as they used
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to be. This kills me and most of the former print people now working in public relations. But our clients are exploring direct messages to the audience they want to reach through social media. the record” really means this C “Off conversation never happened. Most of us have a lot of sympathy for how difficult your job is and we can often tell you “off the record” what’s happening and how it might play out. I had one reporter use the information I provided as a “hypothetical question” to the source. I am done with that reporter. discredit information from D Don’t me just because I work for one of the sources. I have often had reporters shut notebooks when I offer additional background or sources of information. In order to pitch you, I prepared myself with background. I
often know a lot about the topic. I was frustrated with a reporter who continuously told me she knew all about water issues in California because she covered water issues in another state. She refused offers to help with background. Her story was so inaccurate I had a difficult time getting my client to talk to a reporter for six months. I want you to get it right. That helps both of us. PR professional is never enE Acouraging the source you want to interview to hide out. Our advice routinely is to “get ahead of the story.” We are always advising our clients to do an interview with a trusted reporter or at the very least release a statement. reputation really matters. F Your The first question our client is going to ask us is, “How can you expect me to trust the press?” Most PR professionals know the roster of local reporters and editorandpublisher.com
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who can be trusted to do their homework and get it right. We prepare our clients for the tough questions you will and should ask. But we also monitor the results and when you have a reputation for being tough and fair, you’re most likely to get cooperation from the source. What journalists wish PR professionals knew: need to start every conversaB You tion with, “Are you on deadline?” or “Is this a good time to talk?” The deadline game has changed, of course, but you can engage us in a conversation about your pitch only when I don’t have editors starting me down. what I do for a living and C Know would you please read the last four or five stories I’ve written.
Nothing infuriates me more than a pitch that has nothing to do with my area of coverage. It also shows disrespect for my work when you haven’t even read what I write for a living. that my job today D Understand involves writing for a print deadline but often also demands that I tweet or create another social media version of the story. Read our website. Follow me on Twitter. See how I do my job these days and talk to me about how this might help. stand next to my source E Don’t and coach him or her. Yeah, I get it. Your client might not be used to interviews, but putting words in his or her mouth is not going to help this story. assume this is going to F Don’t be a hit piece. Or that I have an
agenda from my editor. It’s fine to ask me about the aim of what I am writing, when the story will run, and other questions about the direction and timing of the story. But it’s infuriating when you assume I am “out to get you.” I earn respect in my field for being fair and accurate, not for doing hit pieces.
Tim Gallagher is president of The 20/20 Network, a public relations and strategic communications firm. He is a former Pulitzer Prizewinning editor and publisher at The Albuquerque Tribune and the Ventura County Star newspapers. Reach him at tim@the2020network.com.
DV &M
THE WATERS FAMILY HAS SOLD
COLUMBIA (MO) DAILY TRIBUNE 15,000 daily circulation 17,000 Sunday circulation
TO
NEW MEDIA INVESTMENT GROUP We are pleased to have represented the Waters family in this transaction.
Dirks, Van Essen & Murray Santa Fe, NM
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t: 505.820.2700 www.dirksvanessen.com
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digital publishing
Friend or Foe? Why publishers are shifting away from Facebook By Rob Tornoe
I
n the world of digital journalism, the one constant we’ve all grown accustomed to is change. I bet you can relate to just how frustrating it can be sitting at conferences hearing about the next, great thing, knowing chances are good it won’t even be an afterthought three years from now. Well, change has come again for many publishers, but this time it isn’t some new social network promising the world, or a shiny new app offering untold digital riches. It’s actually a word we use everyday—Google. Just like Rip Van Winkle, it appears fatigued publishers are starting to wake up from a long, Facebook-induced slumber to suddenly remember the long-forgotten importance of SEO (search engine optimization for the uninitiated), and are redeploy26 |
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ing their engagement resources to make a play to grow their search traffic. Back in September, Time hired noted SEO expert Jon Hawkins as the publisher’s new vice president of growth, a high-level position that places a lot of importance on making search a larger part of their digital growth strategy. And recently, Thrillist Media Group hired Benjamin Maljevec as the company’s first director of SEO, giving him a dedicated team in an attempt to grow search traffic. “We need to make sure we have a diversified amount of traffic coming in and have all areas of referral traffic growing,” Beth Buehler, the newly-named COO at health publisher Rodale, told Digiday. “So when Facebook changes its algorithm, while it hurts, it doesn’t cripple us because we still have a healthy amount of search traffic
coming in.” According to many industry insiders, Facebook’s recent decision to make articles posted by publishers less visible in users’ news feeds has been the tipping point, capping off a yearly decline in the organic (i.e. unpaid) reach of their articles. “I’m hearing more and more recently about publishers losing traffic to Facebook’s changing algorithm and looking to Google,” said Clare Carr, vice president of marketing at Parse.ly, a popular analytics platform that tracks data for a number of high-profile media websites. Carr points to the success of the New York Times, which recently re-published stories from their archives that go all the back to the 1970s, as just one example how publishers are reexamining the potential impact of search traffic. Previously, the editorandpublisher.com
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stories were buried in non-Google friends PDF, but the Times deployed its resources in order to retag and republish thousands of stories specifically for a play at search engine traffic. Others, such as Vox and the Boston Globe, have used information cards and stacks as a way to provide background and contextual information on popular Google topics. They also offer the added benefit of linking back to original content, helping increase their Google page rank. In Vox’s case, they also made their cards embeddable, so their links also appear on other sites. Facebook has only themselves to blame. The social media network has tried to play the pied piper to anxious publishers looking to grow traffic, but have only managed to frustrate newsrooms with their constantly-shifting priorities and numerous algorithm changes. Facebook has claimed all this has been done in an effort to promoted trusted, quality content, and that as a result publishers who create quality content will more naturally find its way into the Facebook feeds of its users. But that doesn’t correspond to data from Parse.ly, which shows a dip in Facebook’s share of referral traffic following its most recent changes. International News Media Association (INMA) research also says 79 of the top 100 digital publishers in the U.S. saw traffic from Facebook decline over the second quarter of 2016. It doesn’t help that Facebook is notoriously stingily with their data and analytics,
often leaving publishers in the dark when it comes to the true effectiveness of their strategies. Back in September, Facebook was forced to apologize for overestimating the average time users spent watching their videos, in some cases by as much as 60 to 80 percent. “Part of the reason publishers are always distrustful of Facebook or any self-proclaimed ‘utility’ is the lack of transparency in the algorithms which humans clearly tune for Facebook’s success,” said Jason Kint, CEO at Digital Content Next, a trade organization for publishers. “If Facebook refuses to accept the responsibility of a media company, then like a utility company they shouldn’t get to secretly program who gets what water.” The gripes publishers have with Facebook don’t end there. According to a recent report done by the INMA, more than half of respondents aren’t too thrilled with the ad revenue they generate from their content on Facebook. They’re also pretty dissatisfied about how the social media giant has been at communicating changes in their products. “Many publishers view doing business with Facebook as a sort of Faustian dilemma: They can get rich, but they might lose their souls,” said Grzegorz Piechota, a research associate at Harvard Business School who wrote the report. “Or, to be precise, they can get access to vast audiences and make some money but risk diluting their brand and losing their direct relationship with users.” There is a level of irony in publishers
shifting slightly away from Facebook over algorithm changes, when it was those same types of tweaks that caused them to sour for Google in the first place. The difference today is Google really seems to have tightened up their quality control, making the content newspapers already published more valued and visible in their search results. That also means it’s harder today to game Google’s results, and publishers are going to have to do more than fill their sites with “What time does the Super Bowl start?” stories if they’re going to be successful in growing their search traffic. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t non-breaking news opportunities to grow traffic, even for local publications. “If you can get someone who is searching for the history of the town and they can uncover your newspaper, that’s their new entry point in thinking about their local news as opposed to seeing the latest Facebook post,” Carr said.
Rob Tornoe is a cartoonist and columnist for Editor and Publisher, where he writes about trends in digital media. He is also a digital editor for Philly.com. Reach him at robtornoe@gmail.com.
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pcfcorp.com | 1.877.PCF.6668 PCF_E+P_2016_Qtr_PG.indd 1 editorandpublisher.com
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production BY NU YANG
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LOOKING BACK AT 2016 How did the past year look for production? We asked a few directors and managers to tell us.
N
ewspapers around the country went through many reinventions this past year, including on the production and operations side. Whether it was installing new press machines, consolidating work sites, or finding new revenue strategies with printing, production directors and managers from many newspapers had their hands full.
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We asked a few of them to reflect on 2016, what their successes and challenges were, and what they hope to accomplish in the new year.
Looking back at 2016, what were some of your successes?
} Marty Black, Vice-President, Production, The Honolulu StarAdvertiser
} Robert E. Munford, General Manager, Pacific Publishing Company, Inc. (Seattle, Wash.)
} Al Waldron, Manager of Com-
mercial Printing Sales/Marketing, The Santa Fe New Mexican
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Black: In addition to meeting daily deadlines, budgets and quality expectations, we began or completed several major upgrades to our production operation. In prepress, we converted to Kodak “chemistry-free” plates and removed our plate ovens and processors. This saved about $60,000 in annual expense. In press, we received approval for a $1 million project to replace obsolete technology on our manroland Regioman presses. In packaging, we upgraded our SAM package planning to Version 10 and completed a $200,000 replacement of grippers in two SLS2000 inserters. Munford: We had a significant intake on new education based print clients due to the closure of a regional competitor’s facility and had to get these accounts streamlined into our processes and practices. Accounts were working in a common software platform InDesign but were using a variety of different practices on the individual files that the previous print provider was just altering and fixing without educating the clients on best practices for their files. High school and college newspapers have a large staff turnover and require a consistent stable page handling practice that can be handed off by the advisor to new incoming staff members to maintain consistent print results. This was accomplished with a small team set to train multiple schools staffs at the same time at hosted events at the district level and then follow ups via phone and one-on-one in-plant visits. Waldron: The Santa Fe New Mexican took Best in Show in the 2016 Southern Lithoplate/Inland Press Association Print Quality Competition. This is an annual print contest and we received first place in the Black and White Division and runner-up in the Color Division. Another success was an increase of over 20 percent in commercial revenue and print customers over 2015.
What were some of your challenges and how did you overcome them? Black: Meeting higher production demands with less people is an ongoing challenge. We continue to ask our managers, supervisors and line personnel to find ways to do things more efficiently and effectively. Munford: One of the most significant challenges has been a limited pool of experienced and trained staff
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A THANK YOU TO THE NEWSPAPER INDUSTRY. in offset prepress and press related staffing positions. With all the hype on newspapers and printing industry woes and the digital revolution, we have had to beef up and expand our internal training and development of staff as we hire and from internal candidates that will serve us in the coming years through a mentoring and training process in core areas not served by trade and craft schools. Many school or programs today are focusing on “digital” only process and training and not enough “grounded” foundation work in how things actually run on press. We have to reeducate many on file settings and formats for differences in web placement versus sheet fed and offset settings to get desired outcomes. Waldron: A local printer closed down and we had to immediately take on a large influx of customers needing a printer. Along with that we had the ongoing issue of finding and training new employees while retaining the current staff. Another challenge is to keep the older equipment maintained and running 24 hours a day. Our customers count on us to be on time. So delays of even an hour can be critical. To overcome the immediate growth we had to ramp up the staff to take on the increase of new business and added a maintenance shift to stay on top of equipment issues.
What kind of strategies do you have targeted for next year? Black: The number one strategy is to further improve teamwork with all departments. No one department can meet all of its goals by itself. By working with other departments, we hope to find ways that we can save the company time and money. Munford: We are expanding our focus on color and consistency between crews using not only our presets more and run ups to set and achieve color (coldest web) but also focusing staff differently on crews placing more sets of eyes on color and having desired “printed” sample as well as computer screen proofs to run from in the pressroom. Updates to the new Adobe InDesign CC platform is also underway to better support both internal newspaper teams and are numerous education and commercial clients as they migrate off older machine based packages of Adobe is our only other project. Waldron: The biggest issue we have is available press time during the middle of the week. We are in an enviable position of being able to be selective about adding print customers. We want to continue to grow our commercial revenue, year over year, and expand the area where we serve customers. To do so, we will have to get creative to maximize the available open press time. Some pressruns that are not as deadline sensitive will be moved to open press time on less busy days.
What do you hope to accomplish in 2017? Black: The number one priority is to complete the $1 million “Interbus Loop” upgrade on our manroland presses. We have a number of smaller projects we plan to complete that will improve our backup systems and reliability. We also plan to improve our
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Dear Fellow Print Professionals… At Southern Lithoplate, we try very hard to listen and hear what every one of our customers has to say about their business, their needs and their expectations. Recently, we commissioned a blind survey to learn what our customers truly thought about SLP over a number of traits. We are gratified and humbled by the results. We learned our customers ranked SLP #1 among their suppliers in Commitment to Prepress and Pressroom Production. That means a lot to us. We have been diligently developing new technologies and solutions that we hope demonstrate our commitment to print. Products like Liberty NXP No-Process plates, our exclusive CRON-ECRM CtP and SLP Solutions are examples of our commitment. We were also very pleased that SLP’s Service Value when compared to competitors was rated Much Better by 81 percent of respondents. Testimony to our efforts to reduce your production costs, downtime and improve your profits. So, on behalf of the entire team at Southern Lithoplate, I wish to thank you: For your continued support. For your trust. For your business. We are committed to you and to print. And to growing further with you. Yours in America,
Edward “Trip” Casson Chairman and CEO Southern Lithoplate
SLP.com/commitment (800) 638-7990
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training and development so we are not overly impacted by the expected retirement of several long-term employees. Munford: A complete conversion to chemistry free plates is already underway in the prepress department with shift leads from press directly involved in achieving desired run ups and waste control within tighter start numbers. Our goal is to further enhance our green position with less waste water and doing away with chemistry purchases for the coming year. Waldron: One of the goals we have every year is to retain experienced employees. This is the key to making sure we provide quality printing for our own products and to our commercial customers.
When you look at the industry, what are you most excited about for 2017? Black: The revenue challenges in our
industry are well-documented. We are hopeful that we will see progress in several areas; digital advertising, subscriptions and other revenue initiatives. Munford: At least in our area, we have seen a “reach back” to traditional print with less reliance on the claims that digital and social media is the total solution. Many current clients and incoming new ones have stepped back from sole sourcing their communications or marketing outreaches to digital only and social media solutions as they see more and more of these programs falling short or flat response wise. We have begun to see a return to augmenting programs with print or leading with print and pushing responses to the print piece to digital. Waldron: Newspapers seemed to have stabilized and some are even gaining in print circulation. This means that regional print centers can continue be a critical
partner to local newspapers that cannot support a production facility.
What is on your overall wish list for 2017? Black: Improved staffing and development, well-maintained equipment and backup systems, steady workload and revenue. Munford: We currently do not have our eyes on any new equipment installations for 2017. We currently have an ongoing focus on staffing, training and resetting our shifts into new patterns that will allow for more flexible overlaps in staffing coordinating more color work as it enters our shift patterns. Waldron: A new digital press that would help to continue the growth we have experienced this past year. This is an area that I believe will continue to grow and provide new revenue.
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25 35 Under
We’re Looking for the Future Generation of Newspaper Leaders Editor & Publisher wants to recognize the next generation of newspaper publishing leaders, and we need your help. We’re talking about people who are young, bright, and capable of tackling whatever the changing newspaper climate throws at them. People with business acumen to lead through trying times and vision to implement bold, new strategies to move their newspapers forward. Please help us by nominating a newspaper up-andcomer (or yourself) for our “Publishing Leaders — 25 Under 35” feature article that will appear in E&P’s April issue. Nominations are open to men and women age 35 years and younger. Candidates may be publishers, editors, advertising executives, circulation managers or other newspaper leaders. Nominees must own or work for a print or online newspaper.
Deadline: Feb. 13, 2017 Nominate online: editorandpublisher.com/25under35
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PROTECTING THE INSTITUTION
illustration by tony o. champagne
By Nu Yang and Sean Stroh
With the election finally over, the press learns to adopt a more aggressive approach
l
ike it or not, our incoming Commander in Chief changed the rules of journalism. Come January, Donald Trump will become the 45th president of the United States of America, and as we look back at this past presidential campaign, the media has a lot of self-examination to do. Washington Post media columnist Margaret Sullivan called out the media a day after the election, saying journalists didn’t want to believe Trump could win, so they turned the other way.
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PROTECTING THE INSTITUTION “It would be too horrible. So, therefore, according to some kind of magical thinking, it couldn’t happen,” she wrote. And although Sullivan believes journalists didn’t create Trump, she believes they did not take him or his voters seriously enough. James Poniewozik of the New York Times wrote in an article last month, “The press covered Hillary Clinton like the next president of the United States. The press covered Donald Trump like a future trivia question (and a ratings cash cow)…From the get-go, too much coverage of the race has been informed by a belief, overt or unconscious, that Mr. Trump couldn’t win.”
Make no mistake, both Clinton and Trump were guilty of avoiding reporters and news interviews, instead choosing to appear on late night talk shows or taking to social media to reach voters. With Trump on his way to the White House, the next four years will be a tough period for the press. We got a taste of it during his campaign, where it often seemed as if he was running two of them—one seeking the presidency, and the other aimed at attacking the media. Whether it be decrying the “dishonest” press or alluding to a global media conspiracy against him, Trump held no punches when it came to expressing his distaste of seemingly standard practices
Newspapers Owned by the Largest 25 Companies: 2004 and 2014 2004 Public 576 (32%)
Investment companies 352 (20%)
2014 Private 848 (48%)
Public 377 (17%)
Private 791 (36%)
Source: UNC Report University of North Carolina database
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Investment companies 1,031 (47%)
of journalism. We can’t sit back and take those punches anymore. Now more than ever, the need to protect journalists and the freedom of press in this country has never appeared more evident.
A HISTORY OF TENSION As outrageous as Trump’s ongoing battle with the media was to watch, the concept of a politician wary of the press is nothing new, especially from the country’s highest office. Despite being known as the media darling during his presidency, John F. Kennedy secretly approved the wiretapping of a New York Times reporter. Meanwhile, Lyndon Johnson felt journalists spent too much time reporting on the realities of the Vietnam War instead of accepting the government’s version of what was happening. And although Richard Nixon ultimately met his downfall thanks to a pair of relentless Washington Post reporters, his opinion of journalists was never a positive one. His vice president, Spiro Agnew, appeared to be expressing the opinion of his boss when he famously called the news media “the nattering nabobs of negativism.” Even our very first president, George Washington, couldn’t escape the scrutiny of the press, as newspapers became heavily critical of his administration’s domestic and foreign policies by the end of his first term. The relationship between the media and those seeking or holding the highest public office in this country has been contentious, to say the least, from the very beginning.
SETTING A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT However, to simply disregard Trump’s antics over the past year and a half as being ordinary would be reckless. While his distaste for the press isn’t
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Now more than ever, the need to protect journalists and the freedom of press in this country has never appeared more evident. atypical at all, the viciousness of the attacks his campaign leveled toward reporters is at an entirely different level—and poses a dangerous precedent for the future. The public nature of his hostility was a first in many respects. Toward the end of 2015, Trump slammed New Hampshire’s largest newspaper, the Union Leader, after its publisher Joseph McQuaid declared in an editorial that the “Trump campaign insults NH voters’ intelligence.” That same day, the former Republican Party candidate let loose at one of his rallies in the state. “You have a very dishonest newspaper, it’s also a failing newspaper,” Trump told the crowd. “I believe in hitting back. I watch this guy, and honestly, he’s a loser.” Just a few weeks later, he managed to amplify his attack on The New York Times by singling out the name and ethnicity of one its investors—Carlos Slim. Slim, a Mexican billionaire, is the largest shareholder of The Times, with about 17 percent ownership. He has also personally donated $500,000 to the Clinton Foundation. “I know why I get bad treatment in The New York Times: because it’s owned by Mexico,” Trump said at a campaign rally back in February. “I don’t know if you know. A rich guy in Mexico actually has power at The New York Times. I wonder why they don’t like us, you know? I just wonder.” Once again, this wasn’t the first time a presidential candidate from the Republican Party threw a jab at the paper. In the final days of the 1996 election, Senator Robert J. Dole urged his supporters not to “let the media steal this election.” “The country belongs to the people, not The New York Times,” Dole said. And yet, Dole never made specific references to any single person at The Times, alluded to a media conspiracy against him or invoked the ethnicity of its investors as a derogatory trait, which Trump did on multiple occasions very publically. Another first may also soon be headed our way as well. Despite numerous obstacles standing in their way, Trump’s son-inlaw, Jared Kushner, has explored the idea of a Trump-branded television network. While Trump has expressed little interest in the idea publically, who’s to say he would turn down such an opportunity if it arose?
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Largest 10 Newspaper Companies in 2004 Ranked by the number of papers owned
Company Type: Public Investment Private
2004
Total Papers
Total Circulation (000s)
Gannett
177
6,796
Liberty Group Publishing
159
838
Journal Register Co.
151
2,120
CNHI
149
1,256
MediaNews Group
97
2,698
Herald Media
92
828
Advance Publications
89
4,136
Lee Enterprises
79
1,377
Ogden Newspapers
71
937
Knight Ridder
64
4,185
Source: UNC Report University of North Carolina database
BECOMING THE ENEMY The consistency and viciousness of Trump’s public attacks on the media led to a mob mentality amongst his supporters against journalists. This collective view of the media as being the enemy was never clearer during his rallies, where reporters were confined to the “press pen,” typically situated at the center of each crowd.
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PROTECTING THE INSTITUTION
Largest 10 Newspaper Companies in 2014 Ranked by the number of papers owned
Company Type: Public Investment Private
2014
Total Papers
Total Circulation (000s)
New Media/ GateHouse
379
3,138
Digital First Media
208
4,574
Gannett
197
4,884
CNHI
128
1,159
Lee Enterprises
111
1,520
Civitas Media
98
694
Tribune Publishing
95
3,444
Shaw Media
82
450
BH Media
76
1,367
Ogden Newspapers
75
1,367
Source: UNC Report University of North Carolina database
At one Florida rally, a Trump supporter hurried over to the press pen, raised his middle finger and called the journalists “traitors” while declaring himself a “patriot.” At another in Ohio, the crowd chanted in unison to “Tell the truth!” as reporters filed into the press pen. Additionally, Trump banned as many as a dozen news organizations from attending his events, including The Washington Post and Des-Moines Register, before deciding to end his media blacklist in the first week of September. “I’ll tell you what, I think the media is among the most dishonest groups of people I’ve ever met,” Trump said to raucous cheers
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at a rally last February. “Believe me, if I become president, oh, do they have problems. They’re going to have such problems.” At one point, he even threatened to “open up” libel laws, if elected, to give public figures like him more ability to sue news outlets whose reporting he disliked. Though comparisons between Trump and Adolf Hitler may have seemed outlandish at first, the latter’s infamous censorship of the press sounds eerily like Trump’s vision as president. Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s propaganda minister, supervised more than 3,600 newspapers at one point, and met with editors of the Berlin newspapers on a daily basis to inform them what could be printed and what could not. Every editor was expected to praise Hitler and senior Nazi officials in their newspapers.
WHO’S THE BOSS? While Trump’s antics presented its own set of unique challenges for the media, journalists continue to face another threat—the emergence of a “new media baron” With many newspapers struggling to survive, a new class of owners which lack any journalism experience have entered the fray. In fact, the vast majority of newspaper outlets across the country are no longer independently owned and operated. Instead, consolidation is now the norm. According to a recent study by the University of North Carolina, the three largest companies own about 900 papers that have a combined circulation of 12.7 million. If you refer to the sidebars in this story, you will see over the course of 10 years, the changing tide of privately-owned newspaper companies as more of them became businesses owned by investment groups. Though billionaire owners like Jeff Bezos with the The Washington Post, and John Henry with The Boston Globe, have made a positive journalistic impact on their respective papers, casino magnate Sheldon Adelson’s mysterious purchase of the Las Vegas-Review Journal in December 2015 offered a more troubling picture. After Adelson was confirmed as the buyer, a number of red flags surfaced, particularly when it came to how the newspaper would cover his personal interests in a region with little alternatives for local news. In Clark County, which contains Las Vegas and nearly three-quarters of the state’s population, the only other daily paper is The Las Vegas Sun, and even that is published as a section within the Review-Journal. If the public’s perception of Adelson’s influence in the paper’s daily coverage remains uncertain, inside its newsroom, the verdict has been much clearer. According to a New York Times article published last May, at least a dozen journalists had quit since the new ownership. The University of North Carolina study also suggested that saving community journalism and returning to private ownership will help save newspapers. “Without a local paper, there is a strong risk of news deserts
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The industry’s
Biggest emerging across vast regions in the country with communities that can least afford it with political, economic and social consequences for society as a whole,” the report said. The report continued that “to survive and thrive in the digital age, community newspapers need to transform their advertising departments and develop revenue strategies that more closely align with the marketing needs of their local businesses.” But perhaps it’s a return to the basics of journalism that will lead to a revival. Michael Oreskes wrote in the Columbia Journalism Review, “To build, or rebuild, bonds of trust we need to be a lot more thoughtful about what political journalism needs to look like. But you can’t do that in the heat of an election. You can’t, in fact, do it around political journalism at all, at least not national political journalism. We have to be there the rest of the time, too. That means stronger roots in communities, both geographically and in terms of affinities. To rebuild trust, we have to start showing up in communities where we haven’t been much seen in recent years.”
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Despite the hostility and negativity the press had to endure this past year and the rise of a “new media baron,” journalists still have to do their jobs—find the truth and report it. This election showed the cracks and weaknesses in all media, but now we must learn to heal and become stronger. In an interview with media analyst Ken Doctor, New York Times executive editor Dean Baquet said covering Trump gave them “courage…I think he made us—forced us, because he does it so often, to get comfortable with saying something is false.” Dylan Byers of CNN said that Trump provided journalists with a unique challenge. “In his frequent lies and baseless
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insinuations, he went against the thing journalists claim to value most: truth… he challenged fundamental American values. In attacking the media, he threatened the freedom and safety of the press itself.” No longer can journalists just write “he said, she said” journalism, Byers said. They toughened up and became more aggressive in their reporting especially when it came to fact-checking. Washington Post reporter David Fahrenthold told Byers, “In 2008, there was the news story, then there was the fact-check. Now fact-checking has become the news story. This is a good thing for journalism. Fact-checking is not a separate endeavor.” The past election has taught journalists that they are at the frontlines, and they can’t be passive reporters, now that readers have more choices to pick where they want to get their information. Martin Baron, the Washington Post executive editor, told Jim Rutenberg of the New York Times, “If you have a society where people can’t agree on basic facts, how do you have a functioning democracy?” Moving forward, the newspaper industry has to fight against the threat of fake news and shed light on the facts. Now is the time for newspapers to take the lead. “The cure for fake journalism is an overwhelming dose of good journalism,” Rutenberg continued. “And how well the news media gets through its postelection hangover will have a lot to do with how the next chapter in the American political story is told.” And we need more good journalism. We can’t afford to lose more reporters. We can’t afford to shut down more newspapers. But with the struggles taking place in our newsrooms (and the recent collapse of the Gannett and tronc acquisition is another indicator that more challenges lay ahead of us), the industry will need more allies in this new presidency. Unfortunately, we won’t find them in Washington.
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HONORING THE BEST IN DIGITAL MEDIA CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2016 EPPY AWARD WINNERS
E&P ANNOUNCED THE WINNERS OF ITS 21ST ANNUAL EPPY AWARDS ON OCT. 26 AT EDITORANDPUBLISHER.COM. This year’s EPPY Awards saw more than 300 entries. Winners were selected from an international list of nominations to honor the best digital media websites across 31 categories, in addition to categories for excellence in college and university journalism. Each category was separated into websites with more than 1 million monthly unique visitors, and those that receive less than 1 million. Winners must receive a score in the top one-third of the average score across all categories within their division. As a result, there may be no winner in categories not reaching this threshold. A big thank you goes to our panel of judges. EPPY judges are leaders in all facets of media, including website design, marketing/advertising, editorial, technology, education, and management. Congratulations to our 2016 EPPY winners!
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} The Hutchinson (Kan.) News received an EPPY for Best Daily Newspaper Website with under 1 million unique monthly visitors. The news staff and digital developers coordinated to build specialty sites which display community coverage ranging from multimedia stories about the Cosmosphere, a local Smithsonian affiliated space museum, to reports on the rise of earthquakes in the region.
} The staff of Toronto’s Globe and Mail was recognized this year as Best Daily Newspaper Website with 1 million unique monthly visitors and over. The paper also won for Best Business Blog with 1 million unique monthly visitors and over.
} The San Antonio Express-News won an EPPY for Best News Website with under 1 million unique monthly visitors. Pictured are Melissa Fletcher Stoeltje, Lisa Krantz, LeAnna Kosub, Greg Anglin, Nan Keck and Lindsey Gawlik. The newspaper also won an EPPY for Best Investigative/Enterprise Feature on a Website with under 1 million unique monthly visitors.
BEST NEWS WEBSITE WITH 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS AND OVER
BEST WEEKLY OR NON-DAILY NEWSPAPER WEBSITE WITH UNDER 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS
The Wall Street Journal
(TIE) Sonoma Index Tribune (TIE) Las Vegas Weekly
BEST NEWS WEBSITE WITH UNDER 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS
ExpressNews.com
BEST BUSINESS/FINANCE WEBSITE WITH 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS AND OVER
San Antonio Express-News
CNNMoney
BEST DAILY NEWSPAPER WEBSITE WITH 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS AND OVER
BEST BUSINESS/FINANCE WEBSITE WITH UNDER 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS
globeandmail.com
GOBankingRates.com
The Globe and Mail BEST DAILY NEWSPAPER WEBSITE WITH UNDER 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS
The Hutchinson News
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BEST SPORTS WEBSITE WITH 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS AND OVER
ESPN
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BEST SPORTS WEBSITE WITH UNDER 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS
JR Radcliffe Now Media Group BEST SPANISH-LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER WEBSITE WITH 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS AND OVER
Univision Noticias Univision BEST INVESTIGATIVE/ENTERPRISE FEATURE ON A WEBSITE WITH 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS AND OVER
} The Sonoma Index Tribune staff
The Sonoma (Calif.) Index Tribune and the Las Vegas Weekly both won an EPPY for best weekly or non-daily newspaper website with under 1 million unique monthly visitors.
The Drone Papers The Intercept BEST INVESTIGATIVE/ENTERPRISE FEATURE ON A WEBSITE WITH UNDER 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS
Trapped in a dying body: How ALS robbed Walter Root San Antonio Express-News BEST COLLABORATIVE INVESTIGATIVE/ENTERPRISE REPORTING WITH 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS AND OVER
The Panama Papers: Politicians, Criminals and the Rogue Industry That Hides Their Cash
} Pictured from the Las Vegas Weekly are (left to right): Geoff Carter, senior editor; Mike Prevatt, associate editor; Rosalie Spear, calendar editor; Leslie Ventura, staff writer; Spencer Patterson, editor; and Brock Radke, managing editor.
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and more than 100 others BEST COLLABORATIVE INVESTIGATIVE/ENTERPRISE REPORTING WITH UNDER 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS
ASPIREist Media & Efran Films BEST NEWS OR EVENT FEATURE WITH 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS AND OVER
Homicide’s toll on a mid-size city (TIE) Chattanooga Times Free Press
Foreign Influence (TIE) The Intercept BEST NEWS OR EVENT FEATURE WITH UNDER 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS
Twist of Fate
} ASPIREist won four EPPYs this year, including one for Best Innovation Project with under 1 million unique monthly visitors. From left are Neal Weinberg, Debi Nova, Clint Smith, Shiza Shahid, Philippe Cousteau Jr., Michal Zebede, Geena Rocero, Seth Maxwell, Solly Granatstein and Shawn Efran.
CJOnline
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} The Chattanooga Times Free Press received two EPPYs this year for Best News or Event Feature on a Website and Best Community Service on a Media-Affiliated Website with 1 million unique monthly visitors and over. Pictured (from left to right) are Shelly Bradbury, Doug Strickland, Ken Barrett, Ellis Smith, Joy Lucachick, Joan McClane and Matt McClane. (Photo by Dan Henry/The Chattanooga Times Free Press)
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} CNN won four EPPYs for Best Business/Finance Website, Best Business Reporting on a Website, Best Social Media/ Crowd Sourcing and Best News or Event Feature Video with 1 million unique monthly visitors and over. Pictured is the CNNMoney staff in New York. (Photo by John R. Coughlin/ CNNMoney)
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} The Boston Globe’s “Live Political Happy Hour with Joshua Miller” received an EPPY for Best Webcast with 1 million unique monthly visitors and over. Pictured is Joshua Miller (left) interviewing Gov. Charlie Baker.
} The Kansas Agland podcast hosted by Hutchinson (Kan.) News reporters Amy Bickel and Kathy Hanks won an EPPY for Best Webcast with under 1 million unique monthly visitors.
BEST BUSINESS REPORTING ON A WEBSITE WITH 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS AND OVER
BEST INNOVATION PROJECT WITH 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS AND OVER
BEST COMMUNITY SERVICE ON A MEDIAAFFILIATED WEBSITE WITH 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS AND OVER
The Business of Guns
2050 Demographics
The Poverty Puzzle
CNN Money
The Staff of The Wall Street Journal
(TIE) Chattanooga Times Free Press
BEST BUSINESS REPORTING ON A WEBSITE WITH UNDER 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS
BEST INNOVATION PROJECT WITH UNDER 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS
Shortcut to the American Dream Sarasota Herald-Tribune BEST MAGAZINE ON A WEBSITE WITH 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS AND OVER
Bloomberg Businessweek BEST MAGAZINE ON A WEBSITE WITH UNDER 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS
ASPIREist BEST USE OF DATA/INFOGRAPHICS WITH 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS AND OVER
The Visuals Staff of The Wall Street Journal BEST USE OF DATA/INFOGRAPHICS WITH UNDER 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS
Fentanyl (TIE) Globe and Mail BEST COMMUNITY SERVICE ON A MEDIAAFFILIATED WEBSITE WITH UNDER 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS AND OVER
ASPIREist BEST USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA/CROWD SOURCING WITH 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS AND OVER
Love Story CNN Worldwide
The Center for Public Integrity
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Univison received an EPPY for Best Spanish-Language Newspaper website. Pictured is the Univision News team at its U.S. headquarters in Doral, Fla.
BEST USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA/CROWD SOURCING WITH UNDER 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS
BEST NEWS OR EVENT FEATURE VIDEO WITH UNDER 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS
Temple DNC News
The Knights of D-Day
Temple University—Department of Journalism
The Brandon Sun
BEST MOBILE APP WITH 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS AND OVER
AP News The Associated Press BEST NEWS OR EVENT FEATURE VIDEO WITH 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS AND OVER
Nigeria: An Economy Divided CNN Worldwide
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BEST NEWS WEBSITE UNDER 1 MILLION
BEST SPORTS VIDEO ON A WEBSITE WITH 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS AND OVER
NBCNews.com Refugee Olympic Team Profile NBC News Digital BEST SPORTS VIDEO ON A WEBSITE WITH UNDER 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS
BEST INVESTIGATIVE/ ENTERPRISE FEATURE ON A WEBSITE
Water polo? No, it’s underwater rugby Yahoo Singapore
editorandpublisher.com
Congratulations on winning two EPPY Awards!
Melissa Fletcher Stoeltje
Lisa Krantz
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BEST INVESTIGATIVE/ENTERPRISE VIDEO WITH 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS AND OVER
A Year in Space TIME BEST INVESTIGATIVE/ENTERPRISE VIDEO WITH UNDER 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS
} The Sacramento Bee won an EPPY for Best Photojournalism with 1 million unique monthly visitors and over for “No Safe Place: Afghans risked their lives for U.S. now struggle in Sacramento.” Photos by Renee C. Byer, Sue Morrow and Nathaniel Levine
ASPIREist Media & Efran Films BEST WEBCAST WITH 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS AND OVER
Live Political Happy Hour with Joshua Miller The Boston Globe BEST WEBCAST WITH UNDER 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS
Agland podcast The Hutchinson News BEST PHOTOJOURNALISM OF A WEBSITE WITH 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS AND OVER
No Safe Place: Afghans risked their lives for U.S., now struggle in Sacramento The Sacramento Bee BEST OVERALL WEBSITE DESIGN WITH 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS AND OVER
Bloomberg News BEST REDESIGN/RELAUNCH WITH 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS AND OVER
Verywell BEST REDESIGN/RELAUNCH WITH UNDER 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS
InsideClimate News BEST USER EXPERIENCE WITH 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS AND OVER
AJC.com The Atlanta Journal Constitution BEST ONLINE MEDIA KIT WITH UNDER 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS
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} The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists received an EPPY for Best Collaborative Investigative/Enterprise Reporting with 1 million unique monthly visitors and over for “The Panama Papers: Politicians, Criminals and the Rogue Industry That Hides Their Cash.” Pictured (top) are Chris Zubek-Skees (left) and Ben Wieder from the Center for Public Integrity data team, and (at right) from the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists team (from left) Frederik Obermaier, Gerard Ryle, and Bastian Obermayer.
BEST ONLINE ADVERTISING/MARKETING CAMPAIGN WITH 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS AND OVER
BEST NEWS/POLITICAL BLOG WITH UNDER 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS
The AJC Atlanta Newcomer’s Guide
David W. Moore
Cox Media Group /The Atlanta Journal Constitution
iMediaEthics
BEST ONLINE ADVERTISING/MARKETING CAMPAIGN WITH UNDER 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS
BEST COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY NEWSPAPER WEBSITE
CONVERS.O.S (Converts)
CUNY Graduate School of Journalism
TyC Sports
NYCity News Service
BEST BUSINESS BLOG WITH 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS AND OVER
BEST COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY NEWS OR EVENT FEATURE
Gen Y Money
NYCity News Service Staff
Globe and Mail BEST NEWS/POLITICAL BLOG WITH 1 MILLION UNIQUE MONTHLY VISITORS AND OVER
Glenn Greenwald The Intercept 48 |
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The End BEST COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY INVESTIGATIVE OR DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
News21 Voting Wars Walter Cronkite School of Journalism, Arizona State University
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da·ta /’dad , ‘dād / e
e
noun
facts and statistics collected together for reference or analysis Data is the currency used by media buyers and sellers to conduct thousands of transactions each day.
} CUNY Graduate School of Journalism’s NYCity News Service won two EPPYs for Best College/University Newspaper website and Best College/University News or Event Feature for “The End: New Yorkers Ponder Their Final Exits,” a look at how New Yorkers deal with the specter of death. Pictured are some of the students who produced the feature.
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} The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University’s News21 Voting Wars, an investigation of voting rights and election participation, received an EPPY for Best College Investigative Feature. Pictured is Emily Mahoney, the Carnegie-Knight News21 Chip Weil fellow from the Cronkite School, interviewing Josh Spring, the executive director of the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition in Cincinnati.
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EPPY 2016 Judges Pete Adler – Canada.com
Matthew Carroll – MIT Media Lab
Chris Sosa – RedEye Chicago
Ross Lasley – The Internet Educator
Javier Moya – The Gang Tab – Revista Don
Jodi Glusco – WRAL.com
Dustin Barnes – The Clarion-Ledger Yvonne Latty – New York University, Carter Journalism Institute/Reporting the Nation/NY in Multimedia
Mike Casey – MSG Varsity Bernie Oravec – Williamsport Sun-Gazette
Maria Bastidas – Mundo Hispanico
Jimena Catarivas – La Rasa
Robert Long – Kiplinger Washington Editors – Kiplinger.com
Nora Paul – University of Minnesota, School of Journalism, Institute for New Media Studies
Peter Bhatia – The Cincinnati Enquirer Media
Paul Cheung – Associated Press
David Lucas – Thomson Reuters – Reuters Pictures Online
Troy Piekarski – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Jak Boumans – Electronic Media Reporting
Bill Church – Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Laura McAdoo – The Seattle Times Brandon Bowers – Today’s New Herald Christine McKenna – Columbia School of Journalism – Interport Frank Bridgewater – Honolulu Star-Advertiser Andrew Mendelson – CUNY Graduate School of Journalism Meredith Broussard – Arthur Carter Journalism Institute, New York University Summer Moore – The Times of Northwest Indiana
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Edward Pikulski – Times Shamrock Communications Chris Coates – The News Journal – DelawareOnline.com Samantha Ragland – The Palm Beach Post Kevin Dale – Cronkite News at Arizona PBS Adam Sears – The Bulletin Janet DeGeorge – Classified Executive Training Kevin Siu – The Globe and Mail Roberto Escardo – The Walt Disney Company Latin America
Josh Sweigart – Cox Media Group – I-Team Andrew Green – Thomson Reuters Daniel Tedford – Southern California News Group Nathan Griffiths – Associated Press Matt Teli – The Atlantic Journal-Constitution Erik Hall – Roanoke Times Julia Thompson – The Arizona Republic Chris Harper – Temple University & Washington Times Allen Vaughan – Springfield News-Leader Keith Jordan – Upstream Digital Media Liz White – Record-Journal Colleen Kelly – Star Tribune Robin Yee – Ngee Ann Polytechnic Allen Klosowski – SpotXchange Jose Zamora – Univision Jaci Verdana Smith -The News Journal Leah Betancourt – Leidos
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Nominate your paper, submit your ideas Enter via email: (Subject line: E&P 10) editor@editorandpublisher.com
Enter online at: editorandpublisher.com/10newspapers Our March issue will profile what we have long labeled “10 Newspapers That Do It Right.” Never meant to be a “10 Best” list, instead it spotlights select newspapers that have earned a notable achievement in at least one particular area, carried out a successful innovation, implemented cost-savings procedures, or developed programs that have generated revenues or increased circulation. The objective of the story is to bring ideas together and share the best and the brightest in one comprehensive feature. All ideas are welcome.
Deadline: January 16, 2017 Please include: • Your name / contact info • Name of nominated paper • Daily or weekly? • Circulation • Notable innovation, achievement, story, procedure, etc. • Your ideas to help newspapers succeed and grow
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Soured on Snowden How the Washington Post’s statement on the whistleblower sparked controversy and conversation within the media
By Gretchen A. Peck
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I
n September, the Washington Post’s editorial board told the world what they collectively thought of Edward Snowden, the National Security Agency contractor who blew the whistle (so to speak) on a mass surveillance program that until then had operated in the shadows of government servers and without the knowledge of the American people.
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Soured on Snowden The news organization no longer had to protect its source. That was not part of the pact with Snowden, who first took the information to Laura Poitras and Glenn Greenwald, now of The Intercept. They introduced Snowden to the Washington Post, the New York Times and the Guardian, which published some, but not all, of the information he delivered to them. Then, Snowden revealed himself to the world. The reporting and analysis the Post did in the wake of the reveal earned the newspaper a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 2014. Despite the Pulitzer, the editorial board felt it needed to take a position on the possibility of a presidential pardon as President Obama’s second term concludes, but it was more than a definitive law-and-order stance. Beyond simply advocating for Snowden’s prosecution for laws and contracts he admits to breaking, the board agreed with a report by the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence that Snowden had possibly
even more fascinating and strange is that Post journalists and editors did, in fact, determine which documents and what information to publish—not their source. The opinion went on to question Snowden’s judgment about releasing other documents that were not in relation to the surveillance program, and for choosing an odd ally in Russia, though it seems that Snowden didn’t actually “choose” Russia but was forced there when his U.S. passport was revoked. The board also implied that Snowden’s refusal to come back to the States to face charges is an act of cowardice. Granted, the editorial board is not the same as the newsroom team, and many of those colleagues may have a different take on Snowden and his worthiness of pardon.
The Backlash Three days after the board’s opinion was published, the Post’s own media columnist, Margaret Sullivan, wrote about Snowden, referring to him as a “patriot” and deserving of a presidential pardon.
interest.” What the Post’s board had done was a historical first, Greenwald said and it became “the first-ever paper to explicitly editorialize for the criminal prosecution of its own source.” So what was the motivation? There is plenty of speculation about why the editorial board felt the need to publish a statement on Snowden at all. Perhaps it was motivated by the pending end of term for the current president, who may be considering presidential pardons as a final act. Perhaps the release of the Oliver Stone movie on Snowden—cited in the opinion piece—had something to do with it. Maybe the board wanted to get out in front of that? It didn’t take long for the world to hear from Snowden via Twitter: “To defend from critics, @WashingtonPost attacks the story they broke. Which won the Pulitzer for Public Service.” But it doesn’t seem as though the public was tuned in enough to take much notice of the board’s publication; con-
“(Journalists) need whistleblowers. But the whistleblower’s goal is to get information out, and the journalist’s job is to get the story.”
caused “tremendous damage to national security.” The statement was a study in rhetoric. The word choices were purposeful and packed a punch. “I was surprised by how strong it was, but by being strong they were very clear,” said Lucy Dalglish, Dean of the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland. “There was no ambiguity.” What makes the soured relationship
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Within a day of the board’s opinion, Glenn Greenwald of The Intercept responded with an opinion of his own, “WashPost Makes History: First Paper to Call for Prosecution of Its Own Source (After Accepting Pulitzer).” Greenwald pointed out the New York Times and the Guardian had voiced opinions that Snowden be allowed to return to the United States and face no charges because the disclosures were “in the public
versely, it garnered a lot of attention in media circles. The Washington Post was mocked and criticized for what seemed like a breach in its long history of source protection. “Anticipating that the Wash Post editorial board will call for the prosecution of all who have leaked govt secrets to Bob Woodward,” Jack Shafer, senior media writer at Politico, tweeted. However, maybe this started a long
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overdue debate about what it means to “protect” a source, and whether the pact ends when the source’s identity has been revealed—and in such a bold, internationally intriguing way that Snowden chose to reveal himself to the world. “If you make a promise to a source, you should keep it,” Dalglish said. She cautioned against labeling the board’s position as a “betrayal” for two reasons: We do not know the promises—if any—made to Snowden about protecting his identity or anything he revealed to the publishers, and, since Snowden himself chose to come forward rather publicly, what else is there to protect, she suggested. “There has always been tension—always—between journalists who want information and their sources,” she added. “In many instances over the years, a journalist’s ability to protect a source has been limited…Journalists are not whistleblower protectors. That’s not to say that they don’t sympathize with whistleblowers. They do. They need whistleblowers. But the whistleblower’s goal is to get information out, and the journalist’s job is to get the story.” When she first read the editorial board’s opinion, Raquel Rutledge, investigative reporter with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, called it a “great surprise.” “I related vicariously to the situation as an investigative journalist. My visceral feeling was a sense of betrayal, but that was short lived,” she said. “As I processed it, and my rational brain took hold, I became not only okay with it, but respectful of it— for a couple of basic, but important reasons, none of which has anything to do with whether or not I agree with the content of the editorial.” Without judging the content of the opinion, Rutledge said it was okay for an editorial board to differ in opinion with journalists and editors in the news organization. “We, as journalists, are constantly having to preach to the public that there is a real and true wall between our editorial departments and our newsrooms. Readers seldom seem to believe it,” Rutledge said. “They regularly blur opinion pieces with news and read biases into news stories that, in reality, have bled over from their own perceptions and reactions to what they’ve read in commentary. “The important of the distinction between the Post’s news and editorial departments is critical for the integrity of the entire operation. Its existence actually counts on it, especially in a time when a growing number of media outlets are failing to uphold that standard.”
Lucy Dalglish, Dean of the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland
Raquel Rutledge, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
investigative reporter
Just the Facts There were others in the press who challenged the editorial board’s statement, not because they snubbed a source, but because they felt the logic was flawed.
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Soured on Snowden A Brief Timeline of Edward Snowden and the Press Early 2013
Edward Snowden works for Booz Allen Hamilton as an “infrastructure analyst” for the NSA based in Hawaii. He is terminated in June 2013.
May 16, 2013
Snowden has his first direct exchange with Washington Post reporter Barton Gellman.
May 24, 2013
In an e-mail to Gellman, Snowden requests that the Post publish, within 72 hours, information about PRISM, a surveillance program that gathers information from Facebook, Microsoft, Google, and others.
June 5, 2013
The Guardian reports that the U.S. government has obtained a secret court order that requires Verizon to turn over the telephone records of millions of Americans to the NSA.
June 6, 2013
The Guardian and the Washington Post break the story about PRISM.
June 9, 2013
The Guardian and Washington Post disclose Edward Snowden as their source for the intelligence related leaks.
June 12, 2013
The South China Morning Post publishes the first interview with Snowden since he revealed his identity.
Nov. 3, 2013
A letter, purportedly written by Snowden, is published in the German magazine Der Spiegel. The letter, titled “A Manifesto for the Truth” says, “mass surveillance is a global problem and needs a global solution.”
May 28, 2014
NBC News airs an interview with Snowden.
Sept. 29, 2015
Snowden joins Twitter.
Sept. 17, 2016
The Washington Post publishes an editorial stating that Snowden should not receive a pardon and should accept some “criminal responsibility” for the leaks. Sources: The Washington Post, CNN
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Trevor Timm of the Guardian took that counter position in an op-ed called “The Washington Post is wrong: Edward Snowden should be pardoned.” In it, he chastised the board for perpetuating the very premise that Snowden “dumped” 1.5 million documents. He pointed out, “The House intelligence committee did not point to a single concrete example of how national security was harmed solely by the Snowden disclosures.” And he went on to challenge the board’s assertions that Snowden could’ve gone through “proper channels” to reveal the information; nor did he choose Russia for asylum. Some of the criticisms were even harsher. Daniel Denvir penned a piece for Salon.com which began, “There is a special place in journalism hell reserved for The Washington Post editorial board now that it has called on President Barack Obama to not pardon National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden.” Denvir referred to the board as cynical and intellectually dishonest in its rationale and asserted, “Defending one’s sources, of course, is a bedrock value of journalism.” They say that slopes are slippery, and this feels like one of those. Though it seems highly unlikely that Snowden will return to his homeland to face prosecution, the Post’s editorial board challenged him to do just that, implying that anything less would be cowardly and patently unmartyr-like. The board minced no words stating its concurrence that Snowden’s actions are worthy of charges and prosecution. That raises still more questions about what role the news organization might play in such a prosecution, and if its people could be compelled to offer damaging testimony about working with the whistleblower? Dalglish doubts it. “I’m wracking my brain for a reason why they would need the Post to present evidence. There’s nothing in question here,” she said. Should Snowden actually be brought back to face prosecution, Dalglish expects that the publishers’
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Snowden is more of a polarizing personality. Some call him a patriot; others want to see him tried for treason. What future whistleblowers think of him is anyone’s guess.
involvement in that prosecution would be limited to simple questions like: “Mr. Gellman (Post reporter Barton Gellman led the coverage based on the documents Snowden provided), this is your story. Do you stand by it?” Would it put the newspaper’s own process of due diligence and editorial judgment under the public microscope, as well? In his definitive rebuttal to the Post’s position, Greenwald reminded the board that it was its own newsroom that determined what to publish, not the source.
What about the Whistleblowers? While the public may have been nonplussed about the editorial board’s position, it was probably very interesting to fence-sitting whistleblowers around the nation who may be considering coming forward with sensitive information, as well. Could the statement have a chilling effect on them and on future publisher-source relationships? Some suspect it may; others fear that it may. When asked if he thought would-be whistleblowers had taken notice of the editorial board’s statement, David Robinson, investigative reporter, The Journal News (White Plains, N.Y.) and lohud.com, said, “Yes, because many potential whistleblowers are media savvy.” Kristina Scala Nasuti, investigative reporter at the Burlington County Times in New Jersey, said, “If the public shied away from responding to this, there’s no telling if future whistleblowers will think twice about stepping forward. I think that it’s a matter of developing trust within the community that will determine what information is revealed to a news organization—and maybe a little bit of luck to go along with it.” “I happen to have had a whistleblower who provided me with key information that led to a series of stories on fraud in a taxpayer-supported program, which resulted in dozens of criminal convictions, more than $100 million in taxpayer savings, and like the Post, a Pulitzer Prize,” Rutledge said. She continued, “The information included personal and confidential information, though it did not relate to national security. Still, we had discussions with our attorneys and with our sources about what lengths we would go to defend them. Ultimately, it
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is up to the source whether the risk of breaking laws is worth it. That is not a decision any journalist should be making or encouraging. I think we need to be comfortable that they are aware of the potential consequences of their actions before we publish, and as I said, it’s important that we clearly communicate to what extent we can or will protect them. But, as journalists, it is also our job to maintain that distance from sources, so we don’t become too cozy to be able to continue to report fairly. I’m not saying that it is easy, but considering all the details in the Snowden case, with so much at stake, that impartiality is vital.” In the case of Rutledge’s Pulitzer-earning series “Cashing in on Kids,” Rutledge said there was an initial call by local government to prosecute a whistleblower. “That quickly died when it became clear the public was incensed at the lack of oversight of the program, resulting in millions of dollars being scammed. The whistleblower was almost universally the public’s hero.” Snowden is more of a polarizing personality. Some call him a patriot; others want to see him tried for treason. What future whistleblowers think of him is anyone’s guess. “Courageous, good-intentioned whistleblowers are few and far between as it is,” Rutledge said. “In the end, Snowden’s actions resulted in some changes and an informed public, which was his stated intent in sharing the information. So while he’s personally suffering the consequences, some potential whistleblowers might perceive it as having been worth it for the greater good. Tough to say.” “I think the bigger chilling effect to whistleblowers these days is the fact that the government doesn’t really need the media anymore to make a case,” Dalglish said. “That is absolutely causing a chill. With digital trails, the government can go and see who had access to information. Then, they unwind the yarn ball, get to the bottom of it and reverse engineer the story. “There haven’t been that many subpoenas in recent years because they don’t need the journalists as often anymore. They just follow the electronic trails. There are some stories being done with pretty sophisticated encryption…but the fact that the government has that ability now is absolutely chilling to whistleblowers.”
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NewsPeople
Larry Riley has been named publisher of the Coeur d’Alene Press in Idaho. For the past two years, he was publisher of the Herald-Journal in Spartanburg, S.C. Riley has also worked as a publisher of the Appeal-Democrat in California and circulation director for the Los Angeles Times.
Rick Green has been named editor of The Meadville (Pa.) Tribune. He was a design and copy editor with the newspaper from 1996 to 1998 and helped launch its first website before moving to the Erie (Pa.) Times-News. During his tenure with the Times-News, Green served as a copy editor and page designer.
Bill Church has been named senior vice president for news at Gatehouse Media. Most recently, he served as executive editor of the Sarasota (Fla.) Herald-Tribune. Church was also given the role of southeast regional editor for Gatehouse Media in 2015. He will guide the company’s news strategy and lead its Center for News and Design.
ACQUISITIONS Slechta Communications, a group of three community newspapers in Iowa, has been purchased by Anamosa Publications. Slechta publishes The Kalona News, The Lone Tree Reporter and The Highland Review. The company had owned the newspapers for the past 24 years.
Leah Wankum has been named editor of The Richmond (Mo.) Daily News. Most recently, she served as managing editor of the Muleskinner, the University of Central Missouri’s student newspaper. Mark Baldwin has been elected to the board of the Associated Press Media Editors. He currently serves as executive editor of the Rockford Register Star and The JournalStandard in Illinois. He has also worked for Gannett’s Central Wisconsin Group as executive editor of the Wausau (Wis.) Daily Herald and spent time working for newspapers in New York, Chicago and Kansas. Dave Welsh has been named publisher of Cache Valley Publishing. In his new role, Welsh will oversee a number of newspapers which include The Herald Journal and The Tremonton Leader in Utah and The Montpelier News-Examiner and The Preston Citizen in Idaho.
New Media Investment Group Inc. has acquired the Columbia (Mo.) Daily Tribune from the Waters family. The company maintains a portfolio of more than 120 daily publications across the country. The newspaper had been owned by members of the Waters family for the past 111 years.
Arthur Gregg Sulzberger has been named deputy publisher of The New York Times. He joined the Times in 2009 as a reporter and editor in the metro section. Sulzberger was also a national correspondent for the newspaper for two years, serving as Kansas City bureau chief.
S.A.W. Advisors, LLC has acquired Star Local Media from 1013 Star Communications. Star Local Media publishes 14 community newspapers in the suburbs of Dallas, including The Allen American, Carrollton Leader, Lewisville Leader, Mesquite News, McKinney CourierGazette, The (Flower Mound) Leader and The Colony Courier-Leader. The company also has 14 affiliated websites.
Deena Hardin has been promoted to managing editor of The Banner-News in Magnolia, Ark. She joined the newspaper’s staff as a reporter in July 2015.
Anamosa Publications has acquired the Riverside Current and The Wellman Advance in Iowa. Three Chicks Publications had owned the papers since 2004 and 2006, respectively. Timothy Linscott, the publisher of The Fairbury (Neb.) Journal-News, has purchased the paper from its longtime owner, McBattas Publishing. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
LaGrange Newsmedia, LLC, an affiliate of Boone Newspapers Inc., has acquired the LaGrange (Ga.) Daily News from Civitas Media. Boone owns or manages 74 newspapers along with websites, shopping guides and magazines in 74 communities in a dozen states. Paxton Media Group has purchased the Princeton (Ind.) Daily Clarion, the Mount Carmel (Ill.) Register and The Standard in Indiana from Brehm Communications. Paxton Media owns more than 30 daily newspapers across 10 states. Sun Coast Media Group has acquired the Highlands (Fla.) Today from The Tampa Bay Times. The company also owns another newspaper in Highlands County, the Highland News, as well as The Charlotte (Fla.) Sun and Lake Placid (Fla.) Journal.
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Tara Klostreich has been named general manager of the Daily News in Wahpeton, N.D., and Breckenridge, Minn. She joined the newspaper in 2006 as an advertising representative before being promoted to assistant advertising manager in 2014. Last year, Klostreich was promoted to advertising manager. Peter Kern has been appointed to the DECEMBER 2016 | E & P
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NewsPeople Tribune Media Co.’s board of directors. He currently serves as chairman of the board of Hemisphere Media Group. For the past 20 years, Kern has advised and operated media companies in the cable, broadcast, digital and publishing industries Stephen Crass will retire from his role as publisher of the Cleveland Daily Banner in January. He has held the position since April 2000. His career in the industry spans more than 40 years at seven different newspapers in Tennessee, Georgia and Missouri. Cox Media Group has announced several key hires. Kim Guthrie, who previously served as its executive vice president of national ad platforms, has been promoted to president. She originally joined the company in 1998 after working as a television news reporter. Tim Burke has been named multimarket vice president of content. He previously served as publisher of the Palm Beach Post and Palm Beach Daily News in Florida. Eric Myers has been named multimarket vice president of sales. Most recently, he served as vice president of advertising sales for the Atlanta (Ga.) Journal-Constitution. Jon Styf has been named editor of The HeraldNews, Morris HeraldNews and Herald Life in Illinois. He has been with Shaw Media, which owns the publications, for the past seven years in various different roles. Most recently, Styf was sports editor at the Daily Chronicle and the Northwest Herald in Illinois. Prior to that, he worked at newspapers in Florida, Texas and Wisconsin, including a stint as assistant managed editor at The Beaumont (Texas) Enterprise. 60 |
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Alisha Owens has been named vice president of advertising sales and marketing for the Arizona Daily Star. Since 2013, she has served as advertising director of The Post and Courier in Charleston, S.C. Prior to that, Owens was director of advertising for The Press of Atlantic City Media Group in New Jersey.
Max Smith has been named editor of the Ashland (Tenn.) City Times. He previously worked at The Tennessean, where he covered the state’s general assembly. Smith has also written articles for community newspapers in the towns of Jonesboro and Milan, Tenn. He replaces Tim Adkins, who resigned after eight years as editor. Rhonda Overbey has been named publisher of the Aiken (S.C.) Standard. She began her career in the newspaper industry in 1990 with the Log Cabin Democrat in Conway, Ark. Most recently, Overbey served as publisher of the Sedalia (Mo.) Democrat. Wanda Fix has been named community editor of The Kenbridge-Victoria (Va.) Dispatch. In her new role, she will oversee publication of community news, working with area schools, non-profit groups and other organizations to publicize their activities. Fix will also continue to provide help customers with classified advertising and subscriptions. She has worked for the newspaper for the past 16 years. Chris Fusco has been named managing editor of the Chicago SunTimes. He originally joined the paper in 2000, after working as a reporter for the Daily Herald and the Northwest Herald in Illinois. In his new role, Fusco will oversee daily print and online news coverage of the paper.
sistant editor of the Summit Daily News in Frisco, Co. In her new position, she will be second-in-command of the newsroom and oversee the copy editing staff. Smith will also serve as managing editor of the newspaper’s multiple specialty publications. She began her career with the newspaper in 2012 as a reporter covering government, business, nonprofits and educations. Will Chapman has announced his retirement as publisher of The Daily Iberian in New Iberia, La. He was first appointed to the position in 1988 and leaves as the longest-serving publisher in the Wick Communications chain of newspapers. Kate Schott has been appointed editorial engagement editor at the State Journal-Register in Springfield, Ill. Most recently, she worked as editor of the HeraldNews in Joliet and Morris, Ill. Schott has also served as an editor and reporter at various publications with Shaw Media in the Chicago region. As a reporter, she covered education, state government and politics. Tom Williams has been appointed editor of The Marion (Ohio) Star. He most recently worked as a senior editor for Consumers Digest magazine. Williams also served as news editor of The Lima News, managing editor of The Delaware Gazette and news editor of the Fremont News-Messenger in Ohio.
Jessica Smith has been promoted to aseditorandpublisher.com
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NewsPeople Paula Festas has been named chief revenue officer of Postmedia. In her new role, she will be responsible for Postmedia’s advertisement revenue strategy including national and local sales, as well as classified and transformative digital revenue growth initiatives. Most recently, Festas served as senior vice president, digital and national advertising sales at Postmedia.
Al Viera has been named managing editor of The Leader-Herald in Gloversville, N.Y. He has also served as a writer, designer and founding editor at USA Today and the nowdefunct National Sports Daily. Viera also held positions at The Record in Bergen, N.J. and the Florida Times-Union. Additionally, he recently helped Johnson Newspapers in Watertown, N.Y. consolidate production of its daily newspapers. Mary McNamara has been named assistant managing editor for arts and entertainment at the Los Angeles Times. She has had various roles since joining the Times in 1990, including assigning editor for the newspaper’s magazine, a feature writer for the Life & Style section, film reporter and television critic. Last year, she won a Pulitzer Prize for criticism. Brad Staman has been named editor of the Star-Herald in Scottsbluff, Neb. He most recently served as editor of the Gering (Neb.) Courier for the past eight years. During his tenure, the newspaper won five awards from the Nebraska Press Association. Jeff Fielder will replace Staman as editor of the Courier. He has been sports editor of the Star-Herald for 17 years.
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Arthur Browne has been named editor-inchief of The New York Daily News. He originally joined the newspaper in 1973 a copy boy. Most recently, Browne served as editorial page editor, where he led a team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2007. Eric Gertler will also assume a new role as co-chairman and co-publisher of the News. He has held various positions with the paper, including head of business development and editorial administration. Steve Warmbir has been promoted to director of digital and editorial innovation of the Chicago Sun-Times. Most recently, he served as assistant managing editor for metro news. Andrew Fraser has been named editor of the Valley News (Penn.) Dispatch edition of the Tribune-Review. He had been business editor of the Tribune-Review for the past three years. Prior that, Fraser was an assistant bureau chief with The Associated Press in Philadelphia from 2006 to 2012, and a news editor with the AP in Miami from 2002 to 2006. He also served as a deputy national editor and deputy money and investing editor with The Wall Street Journal. Jill Jorden Spitz has been named editor of the Arizona Daily Star. She has held various positions at the Daily Star since joining in 1998 as a reporter. Most recently, Jorden Spitz was senior editor of the
newspaper. She began her career reporting for the Reno (Nev.) Gazette-Journal before moving to the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel. Delano Massey has been named Ohio news editor for The Associated Press. In his new role, Massey will work with AP journalists based in Cleveland, Columbus, Toledo and Cincinnati to develop enterprise story ideas. He previously served as digital director at WEW, the ABC affiliate in Cleveland. Massey also was metro editor at the Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader and a reporter at the Akron (Ohio) Beacon-Journal. Shawn Vargo has been named executive editor of The Leader in Corning, N.Y. Since 2005, he has served as the paper’s sports editor. Vargo began his journalism career at the newspaper in 1994 as a stringer in the sports department. Prior to that, he worked at the McKinney (Texas) Courier-Gazette for eight years. Kim Johnson Flodin has been named the Associated Press news editor for Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma, where she will oversee news coverage amongst AP reporters and photographers in the three states. Flodin was the Texas-Arkansas-Oklahoma news editor for photos for six years prior to becoming interim Texas news editor this past July. He joined the AP in 2000 as a staff photographer in the Los Angeles bureau.
Ellen van Wageningen has been promoted to editor-in-chief of the Windsor Star in Canada. She is the first woman to hold the top editorial job in the newspaper’s 126-year history. For the past two years, she served as managing editor of the newspaper. van Wageningen originally joined the Star in 1989 and has served in various different roles ranging from reporter to metro editor. DECEMBER 2016 | E & P
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Business Directory
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Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation • 1. Publication Title “Editor & Publisher” • 2. Publication Number “0168-120” • 3. Filing Date “10/01/16” • 4. Issue Frequency Monthly “Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec.” • 5. Number of issues Published Annually “12” • 6. Annual Subscription Price “$99.00” • 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication (Not Printer) (Street, City, County, State, and Zip + 4) “18475 BANDILIER CIRCLE, FOUNTAIN VALLEY, ORANGE, CALIFORNIA 92708-7000” ° Contact Person “A. SALAZAR” ° Telephone “949-660-6150-217” • 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher (Not Printer) “18475 BANDILIER CIRCLE, FOUNTAIN VALLEY, ORANGE, CALIFORNIA 92708-7000” • 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor (Do not leave blank) ° Publisher (Name and complete mailing address) “DUNCAN McINTOSH JR., 18475 BANDILIER CIRCLE, FOUNTAIN VALLEY, ORANGE, CALIFORNIA 92708-7000” ° Editor (Name and complete mailing address) “JEFFREY FLEMING, 18475 BANDILIER CIRCLE, FOUNTAIN VALLEY, ORANGE, CALIFORNIA 92708-7000” ° Managing Editor (Name and complete mailing address) “NU YANG, 18475 BANDILIER CIRCLE, FOUNTAIN VALLEY, ORANGE, CALIFORNIA 92708-7000” • 10. Owner (Do not leave blank. If the publication is owned by a corporation, give the name and address of the corporation immediately followed by the names and addresses of all stockholders owning or holding 1 percent or more of the total amount of stock. If not owned by a corporation, give the names and addresses of the individual owners. If owned by a partnership or other unincorporated firm, give its name and address as well as those of each individual owner. If the publication is published by a nonprofit organization, give its name and address. ° Full Name “Duncan McIntosh Company, Inc.” “Duncan McIntosh Jr.” ° Complete Mailing Address “18475 Bandilier Circle Fountain Valley CA 92708-7000” “18475 Bandilier Circle Fountain Valley CA 92708-7000” • 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or more of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities. If none, check box None ° Full Name ° Complete Mailing Address • 12. Tax Status (For completion by nonprofit organizations authorized to mail at nonprofit rates)(Check one) ° The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes: ° Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months ° Has Changed During Preceding 12 Months (Publisher must submit explanation of change with this statement) • PS Form 3526, July 2014 • 13. Publication Title “Editor & Publisher” • 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below 10/01/2016 • 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation ° Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months ° No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date • a. Total Number of Copies (Net press run) “12,218” “12,530” • b. Paid Circulation (By mail and Outside the mail) ° (1) Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541. (Include direct written request from recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, employer requests, advertiser’s proof copies and exchange copies.) “6,276” “7,001” ° (2) In-County Paid/Requested Mail subscriptions stated on PS Form 3541. (Include direct written request recipient, telemarketing and internet requests from recipient, paid subscriptions including nominal rate subscriptions, employer requests, advertiser’s proof copies and exchange copies.) ° (3) “Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid or Requested Distribution Outside USPS” “904” “510” ° (4) Requested Copies distributed by Other Mail Classes Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail) ° c. “Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation [Sum of 15b. (1), (2), (3), and (4)] “7,180” “7,511” • d. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail) ° (1) Outside-County Nonrequested Copies Stated on PS Form 3541 (include sample copies, requests over 3 years old, requests induced by a premium, bulk sales and requests including association requests, names obtained from business directories, lists and other sources.) “4,827” “4,834” ° (2) In-County Nonrequested Copies stated on PS Form 3541 (include sample copies, requests over 3 years old, requests induced by a premium, bulk sales and requests including association requests, names obtained from business directories, lists and other sources.) ° (3) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Through the USPS by Other Classes of Mail (e.g. FirstClass Mail, nonrequested copies mailed in excess of 10% Limit mailed at Standard Mail or Package Services Rates) ° (4) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail (include pickup stands, trade shows, showrooms and other Sources) “0” “0” • e. Total Nonrequested Distribution (Sum of 154d (1), (2) and (3) “4,827” “4,834” • f. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c. and e) “12,007” “12,345” • g. Copies not Distributed (see Instructions to Publishers #4, (page #3)) “211” “185” • h. Total (sum of 15f and g) “12,218” “12,530” • i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (15c divided by f times 100) “59.80” “60.84” • 16. Publication of Statement of Ownership ° Publication required. Will be printed in the December 2016 issue of this publication. • Publication not required • 17. Signature and Title of ° Date 10/01/16 • I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner ° that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanction. (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties).
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11/18/16 10:29 AM
Contact: Sales \ Ph: 1-800-544-4450 E-mail: sales@icanon.com \Website: newzware.com Who we are and what we do ICANON is a privately held company centrally located in the Northeast Business Corridor near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Regardless of application, data management is a core competency with ICANON since its formation in 1990.
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ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: The Advertising Director for the Herald-Tribune will drive revenue across our full product portfolio – print, digital, and events – through his/her assigned sales team. Job Responsibilities: Drives for revenue goal attainment, monthly, quarterly and annually while regularly reporting revenue projections and forecasts. Engages with organization and supporting teams to develop impactful and effective marketing solutions. Implements targeted, customer-centric initiatives that drive revenue growth by leveraging appropriate resources and partnering with key stakeholders. Develops sales team through recruiting, selecting and growing exceptional sales talent. Manages, develops and coaches sales team and holds them accountable against metrics. Leads the strategic development of marketing programs and digital strategies to drive revenues and achieve business objectives. Cultivates market insights and finds new opportunities while helping to grow share with the existing base of customers. Education: Bachelor’s degree in business or related field required. Work Experience: 3-5 years leading a sales team, with specific accomplishments in strategic roles directly empowering sales teams, building relationships with advertisers and all levels within an organization. Skills: Possess extensive knowledge of sales principles and practices, and an ability to coach others on them. Has demonstrated leadership experience in large sales organizations, including experience building and developing a team of sales professionals. Has deep knowledge of media and advertising industry, business cycles, key revenue and expense drivers. Possess deep and broad business acumen with strong analytical, decision making and problem solving skills. Proficient in Microsoft software applications (i.e., Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint). Competencies: Focusing on the Bottom Line – Attacks everything with drive and energy with an eye on the bottom line; not afraid to initiate action before all the facts are known; drives to finish everything he/she starts. Making Tough People Calls – Reads people accurately; can diagnose strengths, weaknesses, and potential; knows what skills are required to fill a job or role; hires the best. Inspiring Others – Is skilled at getting individuals, teams, and an entire organization to perform at a higher level and to embrace change; negotiates skillfully to achieve a fair outcome or promote a common cause. Negotiation – Can negotiate skillfully in tough situations with both internal and external groups; can settle differences with minimum noise; can win concessions without damaging relationships. Please send resume and cover letter to Danielle Brown at Danielle.brown@heraldtribune.com.com.
Fax: 866-605-2323
Help Wanted ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: The Fayetteville Observer, a GateHouse Media company, is seeking an advertising director with a successful track record of driving digital and print revenue in a fast-paced environment. This position is responsible for building effective business solution strategies based on customer, market, and business objectives. The candidate must have the ability to analyze and use regional and local marketing information to build effective sales strategies and establish and align departmental strategies with company objectives. The position reports to the Publisher and works in a collaborative spirit with fellow department heads within the business unit. As the advertising director, you will be responsible for setting sales goals, developing new revenue, fostering exceptional customer service, training sales professionals, setting and meeting revenue budgets and representing the company in the community. The advertising director will provide motivation, leadership, innovative ideas, and demonstrate a can-do attitude. The advertising director leads cross-selling efforts in print and online, and works collaboratively with his/her peers in a regional group of sister publications. Qualified applicants must possess a demonstrated ability to think strategically, to identify opportunities and to work well with a team and have knowledge of media (print and digital) business solutions, marketing trends, P&L statements, sales operations, and managing and leading in a multi-media environment. They must be an articulate communicator both verbally and in writing. A college degree in advertising/marketing is preferred but not required. Ten years of sales experience and previous media sales management experience are required. We offer competitive compensation and an outstanding benefits package with the opportunity for professional growth and development. Benefits include: vacation, sick leave, holiday pay, an attractive 401(k) retirement savings program, medical, dental, and much more. Hiring is contingent on a background check and pre-employment drug screen. To apply please submit your resume via email to Diane Cain, HR Manager at: caind@fayobserver.com
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editorandpublisher.com
11/17/16 2:07 PM
Help Wanted ADVERTISING SALES/GENERAL MANAGER in Nogales, AZ. Due to a recent promotion, The Nogales International, the leading source for local news and information in Santa Cruz County, AZ is seeking dynamic forward thinking candidates who understand the challenges of Advertising Sales in our multi-cultural marketplace. In addition to our twice-weekly Nogales International, we publish and distribute a weekly total market coverage package and provide printing/distribution services to many clients along the I-19 corridor. Successful candidates will have proven skills in increasing top line revenue and EBITDA, creating and implementing aggressive digital strategies, diversification, experience building a cohesive team and strategic planning experience. Written and verbal Spanish skills are preferred. Exceptional communication, time management and planning skills are required. Solid leadership track record of sales management experience preferably in the media business and or General Manager experience with a sales background is required. This position will oversee all sales/marketing divisions of the company, and will provide daily leadership and direction to all employees at this location. The position is open now, and we are anxious to find the right person to fill this key role in our company. We offer a competitive benefits & compensation package. Visit us at www.wickcommunications.com. Wick Communications is a family-owned community media company with newspapers, websites, magazines and specialty publications in 11 states. The home offices are in Sierra Vista, AZ, and we publish newspapers in Arizona, Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Louisiana, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon and South Dakota. The Wick family is committed to maintaining quality community newspapers while strategically diversifying the company for the future. Please send resume, cover letter and salary requirements to: rbradner@gvnews.com. CIRCULATION MANAGER: The Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise is accepting applications for our Circulation Manager who is responsible for our daily circulation operations. This role is responsible for the oversight and execution related to the marketing and service for all home delivery, single copy, digital subscriptions and NIE programs, and the continued compliance with AAM audit standards. The ideal candidate is someone that is in the newspaper business, preferably circulation, and wants the opportunity to have results through effective budgeting, creative sales campaigns, staff development and teamwork building. This position reports directly to the publisher. The Examiner-Enterprise is a Gatehouse Media newspaper. Success in this role could bring great opportunities throughout our company. Email resume to mtranquill@examiner-enterprise.com. GateHouse Media is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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Help Wanted PRESSMAN: Experienced, F/T, Benefits, Paid vacation, 401K. With experience comes $$$. The Breeze Corporation is a weekly newspaper group located in Sunny Southwest Florida. In addition to the weekly publications, we are also a Full Commercial Print Shop. We print newspapers, tabloids, magazines, coupon books and more. Our press is equipped to run both UV and Non-UV. Email your resume to hkeim@breezenewspapers.com or mail to: The Breeze Corporation, 14051 Jetport Loop, Ft Myers, Florida 33913, Attn: Henry Keim.
PUBLISHER- LAKELAND, FL: Responsible for the strategic, operational and financial success of the Lakeland Ledger and associated property Winter Haven News Chief across a diversified revenue mix, including advertising/ circulation print and digital revenues. This leader will understand the critical balance between print and digital revenue focus with continued need to diversify revenue streams across multiple business lines while serving the needs of our audiences and advertisers. About the Position: With a strong focus in digital growth, our ideal candidate will have demonstrated a progressive history of revenue growth in Digital Marketing Service offerings, including small to medium sized businesses (SMB’s). In addition, be able to evaluate market and audience opportunities for digital product development. This position is responsible for the following: Develop and Align Property Strategy, Drive Financial Results, Grow profitable revenues through Products and Services, Strategic Research and Development, Community Leadership, Organization Effectiveness. About the Candidate: College Degree or equivalent work experience, Newspaper Publisher experience in a Northeast market preferred. Increasingly responsible experience in all areas of newspaper management. 5+ years of proven leadership experience in a publishing, outside sales or editorial management position within the media industry. Strong knowledge of news and journalistic practices, newspaper production and operations and financial P&L statements. Please send resume to jim.doughton@gvillesun.com
Help Wanted WESTERN REGIONAL SALES MANAGER: King Features Syndicate Seeks Western Regional Sales Manager. King Features is the worldwide leader in distribution of comics and features to newspapers & digital media. The western regional sales manager will cover sales concerns across the western United States, including large- to mid-size markets in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington. The position requires routine travel to key markets, and requires a home office. Candidate requirements: • The candidate must possess strong organizational and managerial skills required to manage a multi-state territory for both new and existing sales across print and digital. • The candidate must possess strong communication and presentation skills required for positioning existing and new features to a customer base with print & digital products. • The candidate must be a highly motivated self-starter who will manage a home office while maintaining communication with sales headquarters. • The candidate should reside in the western sales territory with preferred residency in California. Key points: • Compensation & Benefits • Base salary • Commission • Medical/Dental benefits • Retirement benefits • Company Car Provided. • Four year degree preferred. Send Resumes to: Karen Petty kpetty@hearstsc.com.
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11/17/16 2:07 PM
shoptalk /commentary Bridges Mark Zuckerberg Destroyed By Hossein Derakhshan
M
ark Zuckerberg appeared presidential earlier this year when he gave a speech at an annual Facebook event. He said traveling around the world has worried him: “I am starting to see people and nations turning inward — against this idea of a connected world and a global community.” He showed dismay for “fearful voices calling for building walls and distancing people they label as ‘others.’” Then, like a powerful world leader, he called on everyone: “Instead of building walls, we can help people build bridges. And instead of dividing people, we can help bring people together.” That is all quite ironic to me, and I’ll tell you why. In 2014, I was pardoned and released from a prison in Tehran where I spent six years over my web activism. Before I was imprisoned in 2008, all the hype and rage on the internet was found on blogs. Blogs were the best thing that had ever happened on the internet. They democratized writing and publishing — at least in many parts of the world. They gave a voice to many silenced groups and minorities. They connected friends, families, communities, and nations around the world. They encouraged discussions and debates. All that was made possible because of a brilliant and powerful, but simple and modest innovation: hyperlinks. Those underlined, blue bits of text that made your cursor look like a hand with an outstretched pointed finger, and took you to outside sources and material on the web. The very fact that in 2016, one needs to explain to a new generation what hyperlinks (or simply links) were is already sad enough. But acknowledging that links are now practically dead is heartbreaking to anyone who remembers those times. The World Wide Web was founded on the links, and without links, there won’t
Zuckerberg killed the open web and all the bridges it had created in order to make money. be a web. Without links the experience of being on the internet will become one of a centralized, linear, passive, inward-looking and homogeneous kind. This is happening already, and despite Zuckerberg’s sermon, it is largely Facebook and Instagram who are to be blame for the demise of links, and thereby the death of the open web and all its potentials for a more peaceful world. Zuckerberg killed links (and the web) because he has created a space that is more like the future of television rather than the internet. Unlike what he preaches, Facebook has divided us into small personal bubbles of comfort. We don’t need to do anything, but to swipe with our thumbs (soon even that wouldn’t be necessary with eyeball detection systems). All the videos, images, and articles we see in our newsfeeds are picked for us based on our habits, based on our previous likes and reshares, which have taught Facebook about our preferences. Naturally, most of us only like what or who we agree with, and Facebook therefore rarely upsets, challenges, or surprises us. While Zuckerberg laments at walls and admires bridges, the fact is that his Facebook algorithms have created billions of these comfort bubbles that are even more isolating than walls. Also, he has destroyed the most powerful bridges that perhaps ever existed in the human history, the hyperlinks.
Facebook’s desire to keep users inside of it all the time is why it can generate so much advertising money. But that means it provides less and less reasons for anyone to leave its environment, in order to read an article or watch a video. Not only does Facebook prioritize native content in its newsfeeds, but it is introducing ideas such as Instant Articles or Live to bring all the content scattered around on distant corners of the web onto its own platform. Zuckerberg’s vision is not to connect people in distant islands, but to bring everyone onto a big island so nobody would ever need to use a bridge to go anywhere else. What Zuckerberg is doing, especially in the developing world, is to make people think that Facebook means the internet — and he has been quite successful. More than half of Indians and Brazilians now equate the internet with Facebook. For me, as someone who spent six years in prison at a time when being online was a serious and intellectual activity, it is heartbreaking to see how Facebook has changed the internet into little more than a portal for entertainment. Zuckerberg killed the open web and all the bridges it had created in order to make money. But when he, with an innocent face, starts warning the world about walls, divisions and intolerance, it feels like a dark Orwellian nightmare. The open web could have been a remedy at a time when closed borders rule. But Mark Zuckerberg destroyed it.
Hossein Derakhshan (@h0d3r) is an Iranian-Canadian author, freelance journalist and media analyst. He is the author of “The Web We Have to Save (Matter).”
Printed in the USA. Vol. 149, No 12, EDITOR & PUBLISHER (ISSN: 0013-094X, USPS: 168-120) is published 12 times a year. Regular issues are published monthly by Duncan McIntosh Co. Inc., 18475 Bandilier Circle, Fountain Valley, CA, 92708-7000; Editorial and Advertising (949) 660-6150. Periodicals postage paid at Fountain Valley, CA 92708, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Please send address changes to: EDITOR & PUBLISHER. P.O. Box 25859, Santa Ana, CA 92799-5859. Copyright 2016, Duncan McIntosh Co. Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Subscription Price: U.S. and its possessions, $99.00 per year, additional postage for Canada & foreign countries $20.00 per year. Single copy price $8.95 in the U.S. only; Back issues, $12.95 (in the U.S. only) includes postage and handling. Canada Post: Publication Mail Agreement No. 40612608. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Bleuchip International, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 682. Subscriber Services (888) 732-7323; Customer Service Email: circulation@editorandpublisher.com.
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E & P | DECEMBER 2016
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Out-think
Business as usual doesn’t cut it in today’s continuously changing media industry. Outsmart the future, be more innovative, challenge yourself and dare to be different Subscribe to the publishing industry magazine for out-thinkers. E&P digs deep and delivers stories that stimulate ideas, strategies that make you money and hard-hitting opinion that moves you to action
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February
23-25,
2017
Marriott Orlando World Center
Orlando, Florida
Innovation & Insight The Business of Publishing News
2017 Mega-Innovation Award Contest Nominate your paper if you have done any of these things: • Introduced a new product, service or go-to-market approach that is substantially changing your business model. • Grown digital to be a critical portion of your revenue mix. • Tapped into new audiences with a new approach to publishing. • Become less dependent on traditional newspaper advertising. • Created a culture of innovation.
The Mega-Conference is the premiere industry event for newspaper executives and the companies that do business with newspapers. Developed jointly by the Inland Press Association, Local Media Association and the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association, this conference brings together the best thought leaders tackling the hottest trends in the industry today. It’s all about revenue and innovation! View the conference agenda, learn about sponsorship and exhibit opportunities, and register at: www.mega-conference.com.
Entry form is at mega-conference.com DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES: JAN. 11
Register by January 14 to get the best rates!
KEY EXECUTIVES
Mega-Conference Joining together for media solutions
SNPA