June 2019 - Editor & Publisher Digital Edition by Duncan McIntosh Company

10 Sales Stories and How They Did It

Newspapers are navigating into advertising dollars with determination and success JUNE 2019 | EDITORANDPUBLISHER.COM

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The companies doing well in our industry are the ones coming up with innovative products designed to meet the needs of our customers in today’s fast-paced digital world. They’re not looking back to the way things were. They’re looking forward to the way things have to be. And they’re thriving. At PRINT® 19, you’ll meet the creative minds behind some of these exciting new companies, and hear from speakers including Nicholas Thompson, editor-in-chief of Wired magazine, addressing the future of business. The discussion will be frank, honest, and maybe even uncomfortable. But it might also be exactly what you need to hear in order to survive. See you there.

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A Section

Features

Departments

GOING LIVE

2019 Pulitzer Prize Winners

CRITICAL THINKING

Austin American-Statesman launches new streaming radio station. . . . . . p. 8

COLLABORATING COMPETITORS

This year’s awards honor the fallen, and the perseverance of newsrooms . . p. 29

California newsrooms band together to investigate police misconduct . . . . p. 9

10 Sales Stories and How They Did It

A STEP FORWARD

Newspapers are navigating into advertising dollars with determination and success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 38

New England Association of Circulation Executives elects first African American president . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 12

If you could put all your resources into one revenue project, what would it be and why? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 15

DATA PAGE Important local news topics for daily life; local news media in urban, suburban and rural communities; how Gen Z, millennials and Gen X read the news . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 18

PRODUCTION

‘THE LAST COLUMN’

When is the right time to repair, replace and refurbish printing equipment? p. 26

CPJ project honors the works of journalists killed in the line of duty . . . . . . p. 13

NEWSPEOPLE

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

New hires, promotions and relocations across the industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 44

Arizona newspaper takes action against a drug crisis in its community . . . . p. 14

SHOPTALK

PHOTO OF THE MONTH

What is local news? . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 50

Eric Albrecht /The Columbus Dispatch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 16

Columns INDUSTRY INSIGHT

BUSINESS OF NEWS

DIGITAL PUBLISHING

Research tells us more about getting people to pay for online news . . . . . . . . . . p. 20

When violence strikes a community, newspapers should focus on the root p. 22

To stop misinformation from spreading, journalists shouldn’t rely only on social media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 24

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editorial

Mixed Emotions

n April 15, hundreds of newsrooms around the country huddled around their computer screens to watch Pulitzer Prize administrator Dana Canedy announce this year’s list of winners. Among the 14 journalism category award winners were the South Florida Sun Sentinel for its coverage of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Fla. and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for its breaking news reporting of the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue. A Special Citation award was also given to the Capital Gazette for its coverage of the shooting that took place in its newsroom that killed five employees a year ago this month. Typically, winning a Pulitzer is cause for celebration. Champagne is poured. There are shouts, hugs and tears around the newsroom (you will find plenty of smiles in our photo spread inside this issue). But for the papers mentioned above, it was a day filled with mixed emotions. “It’s hard to celebrate when you remember that 14 children and three young adults were killed at their desks, in the hallways or while confronting the killer. Over the course of the year, we’ve also gotten to know their grieving families. We recognize that everyone connected to this horrific event will forever carry scars,” the Sun Sentinel published in an editorial the day after winning their award. Capital Gazette reporter Chase Cook called the gathering “subdued” when he and the rest of the paper’s staff came together to watch the Pulitzer announcement. “There was definitely no exciting pop-off like there may have been at other papers,” Cook said in a Baltimore Sun article. “It was a little confused. Was it OK to cheer? It’s a complicated feeling. I think we were all overcome with excitement, but also the reminder of the worst day of our lives.” In the Post-Gazette newsroom, there was a moment of silence for the Tree of Life synagogue shooting victims. “This is not a moment of celebration, it cannot be,” Post-Gazette executive editor 4 |

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Keith Burris told the newsroom after their win. David Shribman, emeritus executive editor, added, “We are not so much celebrating as affirming…the job we were put on this earth to do. Let’s dedicate ourselves to the memory of those whose lives were lost.” They may feel conflicted for celebrating, but I raise a toast to them. These papers may have won a Pulitzer for covering tragic events in their own communities and even their own workplace, but they were honored for doing their jobs. Jobs that come with death threats, bomb threats and harassment. Jobs that even cost them their lives. The Reporters Without Borders recently released its annual Press Freedom Index, and the U.S. dropped three places to 48th place in their global rankings, falling into the “problematic” category. “It’s never been a more dangerous time to be a journalist, and press freedom has never been under greater attack than it is now,” Rebecca Vincent, director of the UK bureau of Reporters Without Borders, told CNN. “It’s not just the places anymore that are traditionally thought of as being hostile, it’s everywhere now—including democracies.” But as Canedy reminded us in her opening remarks on April 15 “the press will endure,” and there is still hope for the future of journalism “even as security threats to journalists are greater than ever. And there is hope even as some degrade the media as an enemy to the very democracy it serves.” As journalists, we’re told to not let our emotions get in the way of our reporting, but I feel that hope is one emotion that we must always use. Without hope, the Capital Gazette wouldn’t have been able to return to their newsroom. Without hope, the Sun Sentinel wouldn’t have been able to produce articles that will result in changes with their school system and law enforcement. Without hope, the Post-Gazette wouldn’t have been able to unite its community through its compassionate coverage. Let’s continue to hope and lift each other up.—NY

CORPORATE OFFICES (949) 660-6150 FAX (949) 660-6172 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jeff Fleming jeff@editorandpublisher.com MANAGING EDITOR Nu Yang nu.yang@editorandpublisher.com GRAPHIC DESIGN Meredith Ewell ASSISTANT EDITOR Evelyn Mateos evelyn@editorandpublisher.com CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Rob Tornoe, Tim Gallagher Matt DeRienzo SALES AND MARKETING CONSULTANT Wendy MacDonald, ext. 231 wendy@editorandpublisher.com CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING SALES Jon Sorenson (800) 887-1615 FAX (866) 605-2323 classifieds@editorandpublisher.com SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES (888) 732-7323 CIRCULATION ASSISTANTS Emily Wells Horneff Dustin Nguyen PRODUCTION Mary Monge TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR David Kelsen OPERATIONS MANAGER Jennifer Chen, ext. 214 jennifer@editorandpublisher.com

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comments ))) journalism. Advertising has its place to promote newspapers, but one shot ads are not the proper way to go about it. BRUCE WOOD

Submitted on editorandpublisher.com

Online Business Model Doesn’t Work For News Good analysis, but let’s begin with a basic certitude, online news does not work as a business model. (“Shoptalk: Journalism’s Dunbar Number,” April 2019) Despite massive efforts by everyone from the New York Times to the Guardian to Facebook to monetize news, the simple fact is that the online “pull” driven broadcast model which defines the World Wide Web cannot aggregate an audience sufficient to pay the bills. The only effective method for monetizing news is through plain old ink-on-paper. Yes, big boxes and targeted online advertising (as well as freebies, such as Craigslist) have eaten into the local advertising market, but their impact has been less than the far more toxic focus by publishers on an unsustainable online business model.

Journalists Shouldn’t Take Sides I’m hesitant to agree with this column. (“Business of News: Stop Naming Killers,” April 2019) Yes, I hate the fact that shooters crave and enjoy publicity that comes from seeing their name in print, the web or on TV. However, you write, “Put attention on the innocent and not on the guilty.” This ignores a fundamental practice in journalism: We call them “suspects” until a jury declares them “guilty.” To assume the police have the right person is not objective journalism, even if the evidence appears overwhelming. We are not here to take sides, but to report the truth. Can you provide us some practical steps to take to minimize this publicity while still giving readers the full story? Keep in mind that just about everyone arrested has family and friends also looking for objective journalism in our work, not a presumption of guilt. On the flip side, we cannot give the families of victims any false hope that the suspect will be found guilty because of passionate writing. Two suggestions: 1) Run an editorial that criticizes the actions of the 6 |

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PHILIP S. MOORE

shooter, even if the arrestee is still presumed innocent. Run more editorials on the victims and celebrate their lives. Run even more editorials encouraging residents on their duty to help law enforcement with witness testimony and evidence. 2) As with other stories, write dispassionately. Avoid describing the scene or actions in anything other than cold, hard facts. Allow witnesses to speak so that you may accurately reflect your findings, but do not join in their emotions. Do not write with hopes of winning journalism awards. GREGORY NORFLEET

Submitted on editorandpublisher.com

Changing the Words Repeating their choice of tools for committing mass murder gets a free pass. (“Business of News: Stop Naming Killers,” April 2019) In fact, it seems the more times media repeats “shooter,” the better. What if the terms “murder,” “mass murder” and “murderer” were used instead of shooter? Not killer. Murderer. Why let murderers hide behind their weapon of choice then diminish their responsibility by focusing on firearms instead of the decision to murder? JAYCEE

Super Bowl Ad Money Could Have Been Spent Elsewhere While I appreciate the sentiment, I have to agree. (“Critical Thinking: Was the Washington Post’s Super Bowl Ad a Wise Investment?” April 2019) As a retired weekly newspaper publisher, I can think of many other ways this money could have been spent to provide more quality

Submitted on editorandpublisher.com

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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EPPYFPad19.qxp_Layout 1 3/14/19 9:47 AM Page 1

2019 CALL FOR ENTRIES Begins June 4

Honoring the Best in Digital Media The EPPYTM Awards, presented by Editor & Publisher, honor the best in digital media across 30 diverse categories, including excellence in college and university journalism. Now in its 24th year, this international contest has broadened its scope and also includes categories for investigative features, mobile apps,

videos, webcasts, advertising/marketing, photography and community service. Entries to the EPPYTM Awards are judged by a panel of notable figures in the media industry, chosen by the staff of Editor & Publisher.

For more information, please contact: Entry deadline: Aug. 23, 2019 Martha McIntosh at martha@editorandpublisher.com eppyawards.com

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the A section VOLUME 152

FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE 2019

ISSUE 6

> Look Ahead

Going Live Austin American-Statesman launches new streaming radio station By Evelyn Mateos

hile other newspapers are experimenting with artificial intelligence and virtual reality, the Austin American-Statesman in Texas is betting on radio. In early April, the Statesman launched its new streaming radio station, Austin360 Radio, which can be found at austin360radio. com. It’s also displayed at the top of the newspaper’s three websites: austin360.com, statesman.com and hookem.com. The station features news briefings on the hour, soul and funk music, and popular local radio host JB Hager headlines a daily show Monday through Friday from 2 to 6 p.m. In addition, Statesman reporters will come in and speak about their beats, and their podcasts will be repurposed into shorter radio bites. The station also features some sponsored content. So, why radio? “We talk a lot about our third revenue stream, with print and digital being first and second,” Scott Pompe, vice president of advertising, said. “I think people are starting to realize that digital alone is not getting us to the ‘promised land.’” } Scott Pompe 8 |

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Pompe explained that this audio strategy idea as their third revenue stream was born from their podcasting success and parent company, GateHouse Media’s, past radio pop-up stations. The paper was purchased by GateHouse in April 2018. This project took about three to four months, and Pompe said that Rob Connelly, director of digital audio for GateHouse Media, was instrumental in putting everything together. “We had a little bit of the required skill set already, and then Rob got here and said, ‘Hey, let’s build out your podcast area,’” Pompe said. Last December, Connelly and Pompe began to research where there was a gap in the market and tossed around ideas for a radio station asking, “How can we incorporate all the great content that we generate every day?” By January, plans began to form and were quickly put into motion. In addition to Connelly’s experience, Pompe had five years of practice in radio. He also had a team made up with a handful of advertising reps that could sell broadcast and sponsored content. “We had the right tools to put it all together,” Pompe said. When asked what is essential for others to know when creating a radio streaming service, Pompe said have at least one broadcast expert and someone that understands how to program and put the project together. Take the time to understand your market and ask, “What format is currently lacking? Could it bring in a new audience that can be monetized?” he added. Most importantly, “We shouldn’t default to the limiting idea that ‘We’re a newspaper, so we should only have a news format,” Pompe said. “We’re rich in news, sports and entertainment content and should strategically leverage it to engage an audience.”

“I think people are starting to realize that digital alone is not getting us to the ‘promised land.’”

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the A section

Collaborating Competitors

California newsrooms band together to investigate police misconduct

or decades, the law had ensured that California police misconduct records would be preserved, while also making it nearly impossible for anyone to access them. According to the Los Angeles Times, beginning around the 1970s, California slowly started becoming one of the most secretive states. Only recently have things started to change. On Jan. 1, Senate Bill 1421 went into effect, which requires public disclosure of all police misconduct documents. To make the most of this opportunity, 39 California newsrooms (and counting) banded together to form the California Reporting Project, which include the likes of the Bay Area News Group, Los Angeles Times, KPPC and KQED. The idea was to team up and request as many documents as possible. The project seems to have come together quickly and suddenly as Megan Garvey, } Jack Leonard

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managing editor for Southern California Public Radio, recalled. It started with a call from KQED just about a month before the bill went into effect. The collaboration involves regular phone calls to each other and uploading all the requests that have been made. Once the records have been obtained, they are placed into a cloud-based shared space so all newsroom partners can access them. According to Garvey, 1,350 requests so far have been made to state and regional agencies in all 58 counties. Currently, the newsrooms are mainly focusing their energy on requesting documents and obtaining them. “Many police unions have rushed into court to try and stop the release of records arguing that any incident that occurred before the law took effect should not be made public,” Jack Leonard, LA Times metro investigative editor, said. Fortunately, the project has had more wins than losses so far. If something truly newsworthy is found in the documents, then a story is written right away. As of press time, there have been 54 published stories, although Garvey believes there might be more out there. Both Garvey and Leonard said stories are not currently being shared between news organizations or being collaborated on, but they hope that they can ultimately work together to thoroughly investigate cases and complete writeups. “It’s a strange experience to tell my competitors what we’re doing, but it also feels pretty good,” Leonard said. “(By) banding together, we’ll be able to get the most thorough look at what this aspect of policing is really like in California. How have agencies, disciplined police officers who have committed misconduct, serious misconduct while on the job, and how do they vet officers who use deadly force?”—EM

} Megan Garvey

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the A section From the Archive OF THE MONTH After being inspired by a local reporter who had covered an unpredictable college basketball game, the Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI) recently created TweetsToText. The service aims to help any journalist tweeting from live events (regardless of their topics) and converting those tweets into copy. RJI senior editor James Gordon and others at RJI’s Futures Lab initially noticed that, like the local reporter, many sportswriters were really active on Twitter and ended up repurposing those tweets in their reporting. However, they noticed journalists often weren’t eager to download or install new apps, so they placed the service directly on Twitter. “We like this idea because (journalists) get to interact with this service on a platform they are already using,” Gordon told E&P. The service works by asking users to follow @TweetsToText and mention the handle in the first tweet they would like to have converted into text. When finished, the user must tweet at the handle again and then check their direct messages for a link to the text. The design uses Twitter’s Account Activity API to listen for those mentions, and those notifications provide the bot (that is TweetsToText) with the identity of the user accounts and the tweets. Gordon said that the Futures Lab began developing the service last August and the initial functionality took about a month to put together, but the process to improve the service is still a work in progress. TweetsToText is currently live in beta. For more information, visit tweetstotext. io. –EM

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 Staff artist Ruth Pessaro “paints” comics for the Cocoa (Fla.) Today. The paper prints 14 strips and six panels all in color, and has run daily color comics since its 1966 founding. This photo originally appeared in the Sept. 24, 1983 issue of E&P.

Based on a survey of 2,792 U.S adults ages 18 and older who have a Twitter account Share of all tweets from U.S. adult users are created by… Top 10% tweeters Bottom 90% tweeters

80% 20%

% of U.S. adult Twitter users who say they…

Use Twitter once a day or more Have tweeted about politics in the last 30 days

Top 10% tweeters

Bottom 90% tweeters

81%

47%

42%

13%

% of U.S. adult Twitter users who…

Are women

Top 10% tweeters

Bottom 90% tweeters

65%

48%

Source: Pew Research Center, survey conducted Nov. 21-Dec. 17, 2018

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the A section Tornoe’s Corner

The AP Stylebook 2019 says the percent sign is now acceptable when paired with a numeral.

LEGAL BRIEFS Judge Rules in Favor of the Courier Journal in Database Case As reported by the Courier Journal, in Louisville, Ky., a Franklin Circuit Court judge has ruled that the Kentucky State Police must provide the paper with its entire database of 8 million citations and arrests since 2003. The Courier Journal had requested an electronic copy of the database and all its publicly available fields in 2017 but the agency had declined

to provide it. They stated it would be too time-consuming to manually redact confidential information from its existing system and too expensive to create a new electronic one, which they quoted would cost $15,000. The judge recognized the burden but said the State Police hadn’t provided evidence the burden would outweigh its duty to provide public records.

Devin Nunes Files Defamation Lawsuit Against McClatchy Co. According to the New York Times, U.S. Rep. Devin Nunes is suing McClatchy Co. over what he calls a “character assassination.” The lawsuit seeks $150 million and the deletion of an article published last May in his hometown news source, the Fresno (Calif.) Bee. The article was about Alpha Omega Winery, a company Nunes partly owns, and a lawsuit by a server who was aboard a San Francisco Bay cruise in 2015 which was attended by the winery’s top investors and which editorandpublisher.com

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the server said had included drugs and prostitution. The article said it was uncertain whether Nunes “was aware of the lawsuit or was affiliated with the fund-raiser.” Nunes claims that he was not involved with the incident on the cruise. The Bee reported that Nunes never responded to questions during the reporting, and after the article was published, he never asked for a correction.

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the A section

A Step Forward Warren C. Dews Jr. named first African American president of the New England Association of Circulation Executives

“Local newspapers should thrive because people need trusted news.”

fter 102 years, the New England Association of Circulation Executives (NEACE) has its first African American president. Warren C. Dews Jr., a Bronx, N.Y. native, was named president at the NEACE spring conference in May. Dews began his career in media in 1993 working at what is now called The Journal News in White Plains, N.Y. as a telemarketer. Throughout his long career, Dews has been in charge of advertising, marketing, sales and operations. Most recently, he worked for New England News} Warren C. Dews Jr. 12 |

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papers Inc. for nine years, where he served as vice president of circulation and vice president of audience development, sales and marketing, before leaving as chief consumer of sales and events officer in April. He is currently the chief operations officer of the National Press Institute for Audience Growth. When asked what the biggest lesson he’s learned so far in his career was, Dews said it’s that “newspapers forgot who they really were.” They have spent the last several years giving away their content, he explained. “You can’t give this away. Local newspapers should thrive because people need trusted news,” he said. “People can get news anywhere, but is it trusted?” Dews also told E&P that the industry must put money back into local journalism and a good way to do that is through events. “Be engaged with your community by being not just the place where they can get news

and information, but the place where they can go to a nice concert or have a nice conversation about a topic—that’s important to the community.” Looking ahead, Dews already has ideas for what he plans to do at NEACE. “My goal is to make sure publishers see NEACE as important. That they send their people to our training so that organizations partner with us and we don’t have these silos.” He also hopes to make publishers realize that the sales and circulation departments are just as important as the writing that goes on in their newsroom. As the first African American leader of the organization, Dews said the accomplishment felt “really good because diversity to me is very important in this community… We have Hispanics, we have blacks, we have people from different countries and their voices need to be heard too—a lot of newspapers don’t have that diversity.” Dews believes his new role is a good step forward for diversity, but he is also aware that it took 102 years for NEACE to have its first African American president. “Diversity is key,” Dews said. “We need to work on it, but if you don’t have that, still realize that people need to see themselves and read about themselves in the paper.”— EM editorandpublisher.com

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the A section

‘The Last Column’ CPJ project honors the works of journalists killed in the line of duty

ince 1992, 1,337 journalists have been killed in the line of duty, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). To honor their works, CPJ, with support from News Corp, the Dow Jones Foundation, and HarperCollins Publishers, recently launched “The Last Column,” a book and digital campaign that highlights the human cost of reporting the news. The project also includes a mini-documentary, a series of live events and educational content to raise awareness of CPJ’s work, including their Global Campaign Against Impunity. The website (thelastcolumn.com) captivates readers right away as the names of the deceased journalists appear one-by-one

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on the screen to form a thick black box. The book (also available on the website) is dedicated “to all journalists” and features an

introduction by CNN’s chief international correspondent, Clarissa Ward, and the last works of journalists killed in the line of duty including Daniel Pearl of the Wall Street Journal, Marie Colvin of the Sunday Times of London and Jamal Khashoggi of the Washington Post. The documentary features interviews with family, friends and colleagues of the journalists. “With ‘The Last Column,’ we hope to inspire everyone to learn more about these brave journalists, celebrate freedom of the press, and protect those out there who continue to inform their communities in the face of threats and hardship,” Courtney Radsch, CPJ advocacy director, said in a press release.—EM

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the A section

Enough is Enough Arizona newspaper takes action against a drug crisis in its community TheDailyCourier Sunday • November 18, 2018

24 Pages

• $2

Community Call to Action

OUR CHILDREN ARE DYING

Fentanyl

} Max Efrein

Pills laced with fentanyl are circulating in the Prescott area

fter two teenage boys died from an overdose of fentanyl last November in Prescott Valley, Ariz., the Prescott News Network decided that enough was enough and decided to launch the “Stop Fentanyl Now” campaign. The Prescott News Network publishes 10 newspapers including the Prescott Daily Courier, Prescott Valley Tribune and Chino Valley Review. According to Tim Wiederaenders, senior news editor for Prescott News Network, the boys, who were well-known athletes in the community, took what they believed was pure Percocet, but the pills were actually laced with fentanyl. “We’ve now seen at least three people who’ve died in our community because of fentanyl,” Wiederaenders said. “How many more people need to die before they make this a deterrent?” So, in November, the Daily Courier ran a community call to action on its front page featuring a large black box that read “Our Children Are Dying” in large letters. The newsroom was inspired by the IndyStar’s 2015 front page design about the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which also included a large black box and the words “Fix This Now” in large text. “We’ve basically made the promise that if you’re a dealer and you’re going to sell this kind of stuff to our kids and you get caught, we’re going to promise you a spot on our front page,” Wiederaenders explained. The campaign aims to not simply report the facts, but to tackle all angles of the crisis and support a call for legislation. In addition, parent company of the Daily Courier, Western News & Info, Inc, donated $10,000 to Yavapai Silent Witness, an organization that helps take dealers and their drugs off the street.

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Here’s what you can do about it

nough is enough. In recent months our community has buried young people and taken others to the hospital with uncertain futures because there are dealers in this community selling disguised and deadly fentanyl-laced pills and other street drugs to our children.

Yes, a portion of the responsibility also falls on our youth who are chasing a high, but these dealers are selling a land-mine killer drug, and they know it. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid more powerful than heroin and up to 100 times more potent then morphine. One pill taken unaware can overdose and kill. And it has. There have been more synthetic opioid overdose deaths in Yavapai County than any other type of overdose death. In just the first half of 2018 there have been 42 fatal overdoses. Our Partners Against Narcotics Trafficking task force reports nearly 70 percent of all their arrests involving fentanyl were specifically these mimic pills sometimes stamped with “M-30” to give the appearance of typical, less potent prescription drugs like the painkiller Oxycodone. Fentanyl can also be sold in

daily courier editorial capsules, as a powder, spiked on blotter paper, mixed with marijuana and cocaine or substituted for heroin. This masked drug is highly addictive, creating a lucrative business opportunity for drug pushers. Some experts say the reason more dealers are lacing street drugs with fentanyl is “intentional adulteration” to expand the population of addicted opioid users in a community. We must do something, and it must be now before another one of our children is killed. Parents, grandparents, teachers, coaches and business leaders, it’s time we

take a stand together. PANT tells us there are approximately 50 drug dealers in our community peddling fentanyl. The Daily Courier is announcing today that we are donating $10,000 to Yavapai Silent Witness specifically earmarked to help take these dealers and their drugs off our streets and out of our children’s hands. Silent Witness will parcel the reward money in amounts they feel is most effective. We challenge other local businesses and organizations to join us. Let’s send a message to these dealers that they are not welcome here. Let’s send a message to our children that they are worth fighting for. If you know of a dealer selling fentanyl-laced drugs in our community, call Yavapai Silent Witness at 1-800-932-3232. You never have to give your name.

#StopFentanylNow

COMMUNITY FORUM MONDAY, NOV. 19

The Prescott Valley Police Department is hosting “Overdose Epidemic” featuring expert local panelists, 6 p.m. at the Prescott Valley Public Library. See page 5A

inside SPECIAL EDITION

TALK OF THE TOWN

Our “Home for the Holidays” special insert features Arizona’s Christmas city in Prescott, and much more! SEE INSERT

City of Prescott councilman Jim Lamerson asks if it’s time for residents to purchase a portion of the Dells 4A

TODAY’S WEATHER LOW 59˚ HIGH 28˚

Partly cloudy Details, 2A

Local ................................. 3A Opinions ........................... 4A Obituaries......................... 8A

FLYING HIGH TURKEY DRIVE

The annual Flying High Turkey Drive begins at noon Monday at local Fry’s Food and Drug locations 8A

Sports ................................ 1B Life .................................... 6B Business............................ 1C

DAYS PAST Back at the ranch: Sharlot Hall’s Life at Orchard Ranch 9A

} Tim Wiederaenders

Wiederaenders said they have published 30 stories related to the campaign so far, keeping readers up to the date on the issue as well as providing detailed information on suspected fentanyl dealers, including printing their mugshots in the newspaper. Max Efrein, a Daily Courier reporter actively involved in the campaign, has written a majority of the stories. “I’ve been receiving a lot of emails from members of the public as well as victims, families and people who have some sort of stake in the matter that have thanked us for being not only reactive, but proactive because there have already been a number of deaths,” he said. “We’ve also noticed there has been somewhat of a slow down within the drug distribution in our area.” The Daily Courier has no specific end date for the campaign, but it is clear that it will go on for as long as it takes in order to see change.—EM } The front page of the Daily Courier that launched the “Stop Fentanyl Now” campaign.

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critical thinking

If you have a question you would like to see addressed, please send it to evelyn@editorandpublisher.com.

J-school students and industry vets tackle the tough questions

“If you could put all your resources into one revenue project, what would it be and why?”

If I could pour my funds into a revenue project of my choice, I would begin my own podcast about the north Philadelphia area, specifically the surrounding neighborhoods of Temple. Since high school, I have been interested in broadcast journalism. I took a course in which we produced the school news every morning and quickly developed the required skill sets, such as writing, reporting and Dean Galiffa, 21 directing, for a local broadcast news junior, Temple University, operation. Philadelphia, Pa. After becoming camera and audio Galiffa recently transferred to equipment savvy, I found that apTemple University from Delaplying my interviewing skills to my ware County Community College (DCCC) and completed his newfound knowledge of broadcast first semester at the university. media could fulfill my genuine He has interned for multiple interest in telling people’s stories. I media outlets, including the Online Reporter Project for felt natural in front of a camera or the Pennsylvania NewsMedia behind a microphone. Association and was executive As a revenue project, podcasting editor of the DCCC school newspaper. is a fairly new and inventive way for young journalists, like me, to share their ideas and adapt to the ever-changing world we live in. By using the booming platform of podcasting in the news, I would have an outlet to showcase a combination of my creativity and journalistic skills. I want to make a significant contribution to the important content being produced in mass media, and turning a profit is just a benefit. That is why, for my revenue project, my podcast would center around how Temple has implanted and gentrified the surrounding north Philadelphia neighborhoods and the impact that has had on community members, students, faculty members and the like. Each episode would spotlight a specific topic of Temple’s continuous attempts at expanding. Between the constant constructions on campus, to the empty lots being built up for a new apartment building, the podcast would focus on interviewing subjects in direct line with these topics. Sources would likely include students, faculty members, realtors and land owners and community members. editorandpublisher.com

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I would launch an innovative, accredited, highperforming and tuitionfree university program for students of journalism and communications. Fresh and exciting, boosted by waves of positive publicity from a highly enthusiastic media community, we use the promise of free tuition, world-class education and realworld experience, to attract young, talented minds into an industry that Scott Pickering, 47 general manager, East Bay needs a jolt of adrenaline. Media Group, Bristol, R.I. A decade of cuts to our personIn his current position, nel and products have damaged Pickering is responsible for a more than just our image; they’ve handful of tasks as a general stunted the next wave of young manager, publisher, news director and sales director. talent and killed too many of the He has been an editor and feeder programs for this industry. managing editor for the same Our newsrooms are talented, with a company, and a regional editor for Patch. priceless array of experience and local knowledge—but they are old and getting older. We need more than just better technology to boost our revenues. We need better minds and better energy. We need the top 5 percent of college students to enter the fields of engineering, IT and communications. We need them to be excited about this industry, and we need doors opened to them when they graduate (debt-free) and launch their careers. The next great revenue idea will not come from a new widget, sales tactic or piggyback on Google or Facebook, which is like a flea hitching a ride on an 800-pound gorilla. It will come from the next wave of smart people who work together, collaborate, brainstorm and discover new pathways. We don’t just need youth; we need creative, intelligent and entrepreneurial youth. We need enthusiasm for the industry. And we need a great story to tell. Free tuition plus the promise of a great job would be a great story to tell the next generation of journalists and communications leaders. Is it fanciful? Well, the premise of the question is to dream big. Perhaps a university president and a few angel investors are listening. 

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photo of the month

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Send us your photos! E&P welcomes reader submissions for our Photo of the Month. evelyn@editorandpublisher.com.

OFF WITH HIS HEAD ď ˝ Eric Albrecht/The Columbus Dispatch Bert Cambron, an employee of Dayton National Cemetery, working at Camp Chase Confederate Cemetery on the Hilltop after vandals took off the head of the statue of a Confederate soldier.

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data page Important Local News Topics for Daily Life Based on 34,897 U.S. adults

% OF U.S. ADULTS WHO SAY EACH LOCAL NEWS TOPIC IS… Important for daily life

70%

Weather

44%

Crime

41%

Traffic and transportation

37%

Prices Government and politics School

Important, but not for daily life

20%

41% 33% 41% 50%

24% 19%

Interesting to follow

31% 37%

9% 14% 12% 13% 28% 29%

Jobs and unemployment

15%

Community activities

14%

45%

28%

Arts and culture

10%

40%

32%

Sports

10%

Restaurants, clubs and bars

24% 33%

30% 36%

Source: Pew Research Center, survey conducted Oct. 15-Nov. 8, 2018 *Those who think each local news topic is neither important nor interesting not shown

Cybersecurity Terms to Know ANONYMIZING PROXY: Special tools that allow users to bypass security filters in order to access blocked websites.

COMPILER: A program that translates source code into executable machine language. ROOT: The central nervous system of a computer or network. It can install new applications, create files and delete user accounts. Anyone with root access has ubiquitous and unfettered access. SHODAN: A search engine for connected devices, allowing hackers access to baby monitors, medical devices, thermostats and other connected devices. TOR: The Onion Router, otherwise known as “Tor,” was originally developed by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory to route traffic in random patterns so as to confuse anyone trying to trace individual users. Source: “2019 Tech Trends Report,” Future Today Institute

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Local News Media in Urban, Suburban and Rural Communities Based on 34,897 U.S. adults

% OF U.S. ADULTS WHO SAY LOCAL NEWS MEDIA… Mostly cover the area where you live

Mostly cover another area

62%

Urban

35%

51%

Suburban

48%

41%

Rural

57%

% OF U.S. ADULTS WHO SAY LOCAL NEWS MEDIA… Have a lot of influence

Do not have much influence

44%

Urban

54%

38%

Suburban

60%

30%

Rural

69%

Source: Pew Research Center, survey conducted Oct. 15-Nov. 8, 2018 *Respondents who did not give an answer are not shown.

How Gen Z, Millennials and Gen X Read the News Based on a survey of behavioral data across 194 million desktop screens, 240 million mobile phones and tablets, and 1 million digital panelists

WHERE THEY GET THEIR NEWS Social media

News sites

55% 28%

Portal sites

40% 35% 14%

Gen Z

45% 23%

27%

25%

Millennials

Gen X

Millennials

Gen X

WHO DOES NOT PAY FOR NEWS?

Gen Z

WHO READS BUILT-IN NEWS (APPLES NEWS, NOTIFICATIONS, FLIPBOARD, ETC.) THE MOST?

Gen Z

Millennials

Gen X

Source: “From Viral to Tribal: The Next Frontier of Publishing” report, comScore, February 2019 editorandpublisher.com

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industry insight

Habit-Forming Journalism Research tells us more about getting people to pay for online news By Matt DeRienzo

n unprecedented amount of formal research on digital subscription models, and a few frantic years of legacy media organizations and startups alike experimenting with them, are beginning to provide a blueprint for getting readers to pay for online news. It starts with the basic understanding that convincing someone to purchase a digital subscription is different than print. So much news has been free online and for so long. And a digital subscription is not a tangible, manufactured product that people automatically associate a dollar value with. In most cases, you are also competing with the fact that someone could search for comparable content and get at least 60 to 70 percent of what they were looking for, for free, instantaneously. Is that extra 30 percent of value worth paying for, or is what’s available for free elsewhere good enough? That’s why even news organizations that are pursuing a traditional “paywall” subscription model should be paying atten20 |

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tion to the research and experiments with membership programs. Paying for a digital subscription might be an expression of support for the mission and existence of local journalism in some cases as it is a transaction to unlock access to specific coverage. If that’s the case, transparency about your business model, and an explanation of the resources that go into local reporting, are key. So is asking for support. “... if you ask, many will give. At least, if you don’t ask and don’t convey the difficulty of the work you do, your readers will never have an opportunity to monetarily express their support for the journalism your outlet produces,” Shan Wang wrote for Nieman Lab last year. A report by the Tow Center for Digital Journalism found that readers who support journalism organizations through paid membership programs aren’t in it for the free coffee mug, T-shirt or tote bag. They give because they believe in the mission and work of the organization and were compelled by a message about it that resonated.

It also emphasized engagement. “Sites such as De Correspondent in the Netherlands anticipate that its reporting staff will spend approximately one third to half of its working time in communication with readers.” That’s the second level of a concept that any news organization focused on reader revenue is familiar with by now—the subscription funnel. Poynter’s Kristen Hare boils it down to awareness, engagement, conversion and retention. Building the funnel is one of the pillars of the Knight Foundation’s “Table Stakes” program, which has helped guide a variety of legacy news organizations through digital transformation over the past few years, and whose leader, Douglas K. Smith, described it this way: “... get them to come, get them to stay, get them to pay and get them to stay paying—and at every stage, get them to recommend.” It’s really about readers forming a habit in their relationship with your brand and your content. One of the biggest predictors editorandpublisher.com

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of likelihood that a reader will purchase a digital subscription is how frequently they are returning to a news organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website. The Medill Local News Initiative at Northwestern analyzed 13 terabytes of subscriber and readership data from the Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle and Indianapolis Star, and found that how often a reader came back to a site was more important than how many stories they were reading per visit or how much time they were spending with each article. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our data analysis shows that in this new era for local news, metrics like page views and time spent on articlesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;two commonly cited benchmarksâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;are not nearly as important as the number of readers who are frequent users,â&#x20AC;? the projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leader, Tim Franklin, told Poynter. The project also offered insight into what kinds of stories those most loyal readers were consuming (slightly different for each

D V M & A

market), and what they werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. Stat, a Boston Globe-founded site focused on bioscience, eliminated a popular column that addressed everyday lifestyle questions about health as the newsroom put a laser focus on serving the needs of those most likely to subscribe, who tended to be bioscience and health care professionals who were looking for more specialized information. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All news organizations ought to focus on identifying their value proposition in an increasingly distributed world, whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brand or voice or hard-hitting investigative journalism,â&#x20AC;? according to Nushin Rashidian, co-founder of Cannabis Wire, which produced a comprehensive report on marijuana legalization in California and charged $199 for it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Those that focus on a niche have a leg up, and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re embracing it.â&#x20AC;? A general interest newspaper such as the Charleston (S.C.) Post & Courier canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t necessarily stop covering broad commu-

THE SUNDERLAND FAMILY

HAS SOLD

nity news and go all in on something like cannabis or bioscience. But it saw digital subscriptions spike after it de-emphasized page views and went with a â&#x20AC;&#x153;quality over quantityâ&#x20AC;? approach, dropping the articles it posted per day to about 30 instead of 50 to 65. ď Ž

Matt DeRienzo is vice president of news and digital content for Hearstâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newspapers and websites in Connecticut. He has worked in journalism as a reporter, editor, publisher, corporate director of news for 25 years, including serving as the first full-time executive director of LION Publishers, a national nonprofit that supports the publishers of local independent online news organizations.

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D EXVLQHVV $ WHDP RI MRXUQDOLVWV FRXOG GR LW RQ WKHLU RZQ 3OXV WKHUH LV SRWHQWLDO EHQHILW IURP WKH XQREWUXVLYH EXW XQEORFNEOH DGYHUWLVLQJ VSDFHV EXLOW LQ WR WKH LQWHUIDFH

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business of news

Cause and Effect When violence strikes a community, newspapers should focus on the root By Tim Gallagher

n agitated military veteran walked into a VA clinic in Austin, Texas in April, and while in a waiting room with hundreds of people, shot himself to death. He was the 19th military veteran to kill himself in a VA facility in the last two years. In Thousand Oaks, Calif., near where I live, a military veteran walked into a dance club and bar last November and killed 11 people before killing himself. (A deputy sheriff who tried to capture him was killed by friendly fire.) Life goes on in Austin and Thousand Oaks where people now attach bravery to the area code (with social media hashtags like #805Strong, the Ventura County area code) and discuss how the community came together after the tragedy. There were concerts and memorials. Many people gave money to the families of the victims.

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These examples are the most horrific, but our news pages are filled with the incidents that attract the TV trucks from out-of-town: domestic violence that ends in multiple deaths; hate crimes; “suicide by cop” and more. Newspapers often report these stories in two stages: a two- or three-day coverage of the “senseless tragedy” featuring stories of the deceased followed by reporting on the memorials or community ceremonies and fundraisers. I suggest that newspaper reporters and editors have an obligation to break through the traditional way of covering such a tragedy or any other social ill, and report both the root causes and whether meaningful change is accomplished. It’s fine for people to attend memorials and give donations. It helps us to salve the wounds and support the families. But after those ceremonies are over, we are obliged to strip

the sentiment and report the underlying situation that caused the tragedy to begin with. Here are some examples: Domestic violence, bullying and multiple shootings: Physical and verbal violence plague our communities. Get at the root causes of violent behavior by young people. Why do so many of them resort to physical or verbal violence? Where do they learn this behavior and how do we unravel this? In my community, the local school board in the weeks after the shooting spent no time talking about or giving additional funding to conflict resolution programs in grade schools. (These are tested and effective programs that teach children to resolve their differences peacefully.) No counselors were added to any school budget to help children deal with their issues caused by editorandpublisher.com

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bullying or violence. In the same vein… Gang violence: There is endless coverage of shootings, followed by the occasional march against gang violence. We should be covering the sociologist and law enforcement officials who know the root causes of gang violence and have some solutions for how we mitigate it. Health care for veterans: We all run articles from Washington when there’s a hearing that decries lack of care. But there is a deeper story here. VA hospitals are severely undermanned. The medical professionals are poorly paid and many in the field stay away because of their medical school debt and the opportunity to make more in the private sector. Your community probably loves Memorial Day and Veterans Day services that you cover, but the larger story is in the treatment they fail to receive when returning home. This is a serious issue that only seems

to get attention when a veteran kills himself or others. Homelessness: We cover the opening of homeless shelters. How rarely does our coverage focus on the issues that create homelessness? Here’s what I mean. When a property owner proposes to build housing in the community, especially “low income housing,” we cover the “not in my backyard” argument in the context of a city council dispute. It isn’t. It is the root cause of homelessness because if you don’t build additional homes, supply and demand drives the cost of housing out of reach for many who are just a paycheck away from being homeless. Racism/Anti-Semitism: When there’s a swastika painted on a synagogue, we react with shock and horror. We fail to write openly about everyday racism that divides us, but instead spotlight a single action without proper context. Cops as mental health counselors:

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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With the shortage of mental health funding, most local governments are, in effect, asking their police officers to become the mental health counselors for those struggling with mental illness on the streets or in homes. This is a secular shift in America and it’s not being covered with the depth it deserves. I know that we can do better. We owe this to our communities. 

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.

Daily Newspaper 6ROG Rochester Sentinel Rochester, IN Cribb, Greene & Cope is pleased to KDYH UHSUHVHQWHG WKH Wilson family in their sale to Paxton Media Group.

John Cribb

ribb@Cribb.com 406.579.2925ȱ

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Gary Greene

reene@Cribb.com 434.227.0952ȱ

Randy Copeȱ

ope@Cribb.comȱ 214.356.3227

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digital publishing

Beware the Rabbit Hole To stop misinformation from spreading, journalists shouldn’t rely only on social media By Rob Tornoe

y this point, the phrase “fake news” has become as ubiquitous in newsrooms as “election night pizza.” It’s a term that conjures up images of bad actors in foreign governments diligently working to undermine our democracy, or cynical profiteers looking to take advantage of a general lack of sophistication on social media to make a quick buck. But sometimes, we’re the ones creating the fake news. Mary Kulundu, a reporter on Agence France-Presse’s fact check desk, recently wrote an eye-opening story about Kenya’s plans to introduce the death penalty for convicted wildlife poachers. As it turns out, the story was completely false, but that didn’t stop it from easily spreading to a large number of legitimate news websites, with many racking up more than 100,000 shares each. I won’t name them here, but some pretty

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hefty newspapers and online publishers wrote versions of the story, which Kulundu found were ultimately sourced to the Chinese news agency Xinhua. Unfortunately, most simply didn’t bother attempting to seek confirmation from anyone in Kenya’s government, choosing instead to source another outlet’s report, which sourced a different outlet’s report… and down the rabbit hole we went. Katy Lee, a colleague of Kulundu’s on the fact check desk, wrote in a Twitter thread she thought the story revealed how funding cuts at major newsrooms matched with the demands of online publishing can be as much a source of misinformation as troll farms in Russia. “Why did sites run the story without checking it? Some (because) they want content that gets clicks and don’t give a rat’s arse about standards,” Lee wrote. “Others because they no longer have staff with the time to check these things with Kenyan

authorities, or the judgment to consider it necessary.” “Is it the end of the world if tens of thousands of people wrongly think Kenya is introducing the death penalty for poachers? Maybe not. But this kind of sloppy journalism is now everywhere, because content = clicks = money,” Lee added. Reminding reporters to follow the basic rules of journalism seems a bit basic for a 2019 column on digital journalism, but unfortunately that’s where we find ourselves. The demands for faster publishing continue to smack head-on with the shrinking size of newsrooms across the globe, creating an ecosystem that invariably leads to shortcuts and errors. Journalists can’t do much to stop bad actors from cynically exploiting social media networks unwilling or unable to prevent misinformation from being spread on their platforms. But we can take care of things on our end, and first on the list is simply editorandpublisher.com

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checking the facts behind what you’re putting out, regardless if you’re a reporter or an editor. Second on the list, and almost as important, is to limit your reliance on Twitter. Among the worst habits reporters and editors have picked up (including myself) is an over-reliance on Twitter to help with everything from gauging public opinion to choosing the angle of our storytelling. According to the Pew Research Center, just 24 percent of adults online use Twitter, making it the least popular among the major social media platforms (even LinkedIn). Its demographics also skew to the younger side (18-29), meaning it’s not very representative of most communities newsrooms cover. In a terrific piece that surprisingly didn’t find much love in the left-leaning corners of Twitter, New York Times data reporters Nate Cohn and Kevin Quealy broke down how Democrats on social media are largely dominated by outspoken progressive activists, while those who don’t typically post political content online are outnumbered roughly 2-to-1 by more moderate and diverse Democrats. Central to Cohn and Quealy’s reporting was data provided by the Hidden Tribes Project, a year-long study conducted by the nonprofit initiative More in Common that attempted to research the growing trend of online polarization and tried to find solutions to the problem. Unfortunately, it’s the most polarized voices on Twitter that generally get noticed and written about by journalists. That’s especially true when it comes to covering politics, where Twitter becomes the equivalent of a digital bar frequented by activists, partisan pundits, campaign operatives and even the candidates themselves. As a tool, Twitter has obvious value to journalists. Following the right experts on your beat can enhance your reporting and make you aware of things you might otherwise have missed. During breaking news events, it’s an invaluable tool for gaining information instantaneously on the ground from just about any location on the planet. Unfortunately, it’s breaking news events where reporters relying on Twitter are at their most vulnerable, with crackpots, partieditorandpublisher.com

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san hacks and fake news purveyors hard at work spewing out misinformation. Twitter can also be an exercise in group think, allowing reporters to unintentionally spread false narratives and foster the growth of widely-held assumptions. A recent example occurred in January when early reporting based on videos on Twitter painted teens on a high school trip in Washington, D.C. in a negative light, largely because they happened to be wearing proTrump “Make America Great Again” hats. Daniel Funke, who covers fact-checking and misinformation for Poynter Institute, said newsrooms—with their social media teams in the lead—should develop a breaking news checklist for reporters, producers, and editors responsible for covering live events. “(These) people are on the frontlines of misinformation every single day. They are seeing these things more than anyone and they weren’t empowered to do anything about it,” American Press Institute’s Jane Elizabeth, who authored a report on how the structure of newsrooms makes them susceptible to fake news, told Poynter last year. Ben Smith, editor-in-chief at BuzzFeed News, spoke on a panel at this year’s Campaign Journalism Conference, and suggested using Twitter to gauge where the conversation is going, rather than feeling the need to write up what’s being written on the social media platform at any one time. “You want to do the story that’s going to blow up on Twitter in three days,” Smith said. “The worst thing you can do to a reporter is, ‘Oh, my God, did you see this tweet? Can you write it up?’” 

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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production BY JERRY SIMPKINS

Running a Smooth Operation When is the right time to repair, replace and refurbish printing equipment?

epair, rebuild, buy used or buy new? Several questions come to mind when we are looking to maintain or upgrade our current printing capabilities. We all want the latest and greatest equipment. With many properties consolidating, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s now provided a glut of used equipment and opportunities for some great deals. To help us navigate the waters, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve spoken with two companies

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that offer a long history of in-depth experience in our industry. The first company I spoke with was The Siebold Co., Inc. (TSC) based out of Harrisburg, Pa. Their expertise in our industry is what has impressed me most. In addition to hands-on experience, their key individuals have worked for some of the top players in our industry including Ryco Graphic Manufacturing, Goss Interna-

tional, Rock-Built Finishing, and Hall Contracting Services. They also have a tremendous background not only in newspaper operations but commercial printing. The next company I spoke with was The Network, a leading provider of packaging equipment sales and service to our industry. Located in Sebastian, Fla., the company is led by Keith Hockenbery, who started The Network in 2010 after leaving

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Muller Martini. At the same time, many equipment vendors were going through layoffs caused by a decline in the industry and challenges in the world economy. He started his company with other displaced engineers and service techs and now employs his own staff. In full disclosure, the companies I spoke with are ones I’ve done business with before, and based on my experiences, I’ve been pleased with them. They’ve provided excellent customer service and I respect the expertise they have. I’ve dealt with many companies who provide great services to our industry but simply can’t list them all here. This is not an endorsement of these companies, but is meant to provide useful information that may help you to make a better decision as you seek to maintain, expand or upgrade. I’ll tell you up front the general consensus is that plenty of good, reliable equipment is currently available and it’s a great time to buy. With that said, it’s also a tough time for some newspapers to think about capital investments of any sort. But as many of our companies expand into commercial printing as a result of less profitable properties moving their printing, opportunities now exist for those in the growth mode to secure some wonderful deals on used equipment. How has your business changed as a result of consolidations becoming more and more common in our newspaper industry? TSC: Consolidations have created new projects for us like our recently completed Concord Monitor DGM 850 press installation, and on the other side, it opened up opportunities to purchase well-cared-for equipment which are no longer in production. The Network: Our business was built on consolidations starting in 2010 and has been growing every year. We average 10 machine moves a year, typically taking from a shutdown facility to a facility that has taken on new or additional production demand. How is the supply of used equip-

ment in the marketplace? TSC: A lot of used equipment is available but is not all marketable in today’s production environment. We find the more automation and upgrades on the equipment, the more likely it is to sell quickly. The Network: There is an abundance of used equipment available, inserters, stackers and tie-line equipment. With the glut of used equipment in the marketplace, how has it impacted the price to the end user? How does this compare to the sale of used equipment five or 10 years ago? TSC: As the prices for equipment fall, it benefits the buyer. However, the cost of installation and upgrades has increased which eats into the savings for the total project. The market is very different, particularly in the newspaper space than it was five or 10 years ago. Newspapers that are not printing outside publications are more likely to exit and print elsewhere than invest new capital for additional equipment. The Network: Inserters are selling for at least 50 percent less than they were five years ago; stackers and tie-line equipment are holding their own on price. Are sales of used equipment brisk? Or do most companies prefer new? What are the advantages and/or disadvantages of each? TSC: We are in a unique position in the market with the ability to offer our OEM— DGM and Smith branded equipment as well as offering used equipment options. While we would not describe the market for used equipment as “brisk,” there are still many active buyers seeking this option. Given the current inventory available and the lower cost of used equipment, the demand is very strong for used equipment. The Network: Very few new inserters are being sold; I’d estimate 1 in 30 inserter installations are new equipment. Is “off-brand” aftermarket equipment growing in popularity or do most companies prefer OEM parts? Is it worth the extra cost for OEM parts?

TSC: Siebold offers OEM parts for DGM presses and Smith spray bar customers along with a full line of Goss single width parts. Our quality standards are the same for everything we sell and we stand behind them 100 percent. The Network: Parts are an issue for some, but not all existing equipment. Some vendors are not supporting the equipment at all and others have stepped in to fill some of the voids, especially when it comes to PLC and machine control. Other items can be difficult to find and buying used is often the best alternative. What equipment is popular/the hot seller today? TSC: Customers seem to be looking for more automation as a way to hedge against the tight labor market. This allows them to produce products with smaller press crews. Equipment with register controls, motorized ink fountains with presets and spray bar dampening are normally the top of the list. The Network: Typically, a customer will repurpose what they have. If they don’t have what they need, they will purchase the most economical solution so far as capital cost vs. operating cost. If a new machine cost 80 percent more than used and only reduces production/operating cost by 15 percent, it’s not going to fly, especially when you face the reality that circulation and volume of preprints are declining. Do you rebuild/refurbish used equipment? TSC: We have the ability to offer used equipment rebuilt or selectively refurbished depending on what the customer wants. We have service technicians who can service units and folders including boring worn side frames, replacing eccentrics, and installation of reconditioned cylinders at customer sites. The Network: We find the best solution to fit the need. We have taken out customer inserters, shipped them to our warehouse to be cleaned and refurbished prior to being shipped to their new home, and installed and commissioned by us. We have shipped directly from one site to another, installed, commissioned, and repaired on a

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time and material basis. We have also sold used inserters as refurbished. Do you sell equipment “as is” and if so, what would you recommend to the buyer? TSC: We do sell equipment “as is” but predominantly to dealers rather than end-users. Recently, most of those sales have been to companies outside of the U.S. Some buyers have strong maintenance teams and would rather do the work themselves, but in my experience having the equipment inspected and major issues addressed prior to shipment is the best solution. The Network: When we sell or move a piece of equipment, we discuss all the “what ifs” and build their budget accordingly. Is used equipment as a result of downsizing or consolidation being sold in the USA or overseas? TSC: Our core market for used equipment is North America and some of the Caribbean Islands. The Network: We do not operate outside of the US/Canada but others do. What are the “hot” departments for equipment today? TSC: We see interest in all areas, particularly when consolidation is driving the project. The production requirements almost always touch all departments so upgrades are needed to achieve the desired volume and make the financial model work. We’ve seen activity for new and used equipment being driven by consolidation or the need to add commercial print strength to the facility. The Network: Inserters and tie-line equipment. What makes your company stand out from the pack? TSC: We are a full service supplier, so mechanical and electrical installations are a core part of our business. Our 70,000 square foot parts and service facility is home to DGM, Smith Pressroom Products, TSC Press Drives and Controls, and our newly acquired press parts businesses DR Press Parts and Lion Web Components. The investments we have made in our 28 |

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facility and staff put us in a great position to service our customers throughout the graphics arts and material handling industries. The Network: We have grown over the years. In 2010, we used all contract labor. Now we use company employees that have been with us many years. We provide full support for Heidelberg /GOSS and GMA/ Muller inserter lines, including electronic and machine control support. We are known for our inserter operator training and are the only company that is rated A+ by the Better Business Bureau.

Explore Your Options Who you decide to look to for your equipment or repair needs is, in my opinion, a very personal decision based on their reputation and/or past experiences you’ve had with an organization. There are dozens of individuals and companies around today that market new and used printing equipment. So, find someone you’re comfortable with, do your homework and look at a few different options before making any large purchase. I’ve said many times we need to spend the company’s money like it is our own. Make smart decisions that not only make your job easier but also show a positive return for the company that helps put a roof over your head. As you explore various options for equipment, don’t discount options that allow you to preserve the equipment you have on-hand. Many equipment companies have shut down product lines and don’t offer the services they used to. Other times the only option may be an expensive upgrade or simply being forced into buying replacement equipment because parts are no longer available. One company I’ve discovered can provide help for solving many problems with drives, electronic equipment, hydraulics/ pneumatics, servo motors, AC and DC drives, PLCs, power supplies, monitors, touch screens and other electronics is Industrial Repair Service. The company has grown from one location to six repair facilities over the last five years and now has locations in Arizona, California, Georgia,

Illinois, Missouri and Texas. I first explored this option by necessity, when I simply couldn’t survive the sixweek lead time a vendor required to get a part. Exploring the options the price was favorable: the warranty was solid, and the time it took to service and repair the part took days instead of weeks. Obviously, a major advantage of repairing, refurbishing, or rebuilding electronics versus buying new is the cost. Industrial Repair Service boasts that the cost of repairs typically runs about half the cost of new. My recent experience for repair of a drive component actually beat that by a long shot, costing roughly 15 percent that of purchasing a new part. Another advantage is they fix old and obsolete equipment. When you pull a drive off your machine, that’s inoperable your first call might be to the original supplier; however, OEMs are constantly phasing out equipment and often don’t make that particular series any longer, and often, they don’t offer a retrofit but they will gladly sell you an upgrade. In this case, it’s wise to explore a repair option to the current electronics verses an expensive upgrade or replacement. They also offer an interesting warranty. The warranty doesn’t start when they ship back the repaired part, but starts the day you plug your repaired unit in. This provides a huge advantage allowing you to build back-up inventories and not affect the warranty while a part sits on the shelf. There are several options to keep your equipment up and running: repair, replace and/or refurbish them. Options for replacement include buying used or buying new. Then, there’s always the baling wire and crazy glue some of us tend to use. The important part is exploring all your options and making the decision that is right for your department and your company. Keeping the operation running smoothly and on-time should be our end goal.  Jerry Simpkins has more than 30 years of experience in printing and operations in the newspaper industry. Contact him on LinkedIn.com or at simpkins@tds.net.

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2019 PULITZER PRIZE WINNERS

This year’s awards honor the fallen, and the perseverance of newsrooms By Evelyn Mateos

n a day that typically honors professional journalists from around the world, this year’s announcement of the Pulitzer Prize winners on April 15 broke from tradition by first recognizing the staff of the Eagle Eye student newspaper of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. for their coverage of the tragic shooting that took place inside their school February 2018. “These budding journalists remind us of the media’s unwavering commitment to bearing witness— even in the most wrenching of circumstances—in service to a nation whose very existence depends on a free and dedicated press,” Pulitzer administrator Dana Canedy said during her opening remarks. The Eagle Eye staff wasn’t alone. The South Florida Sun Sentinel won in the Public Service category for its reporting of the Parkland shooting, and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was awarded a Pulitzer in Breaking News Reporting for its coverage of the massacre at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue. The Washington Post took home three prizes in Criticism, Feature Photography and Editorial Cartooning, while the New York Times earned two prizes for Explanatory Reporting and Editorial Writing. A special citation award was also given to the Capital Gazette of Annapolis, Md. to honor the newsroom’s “journalists, staff and editorial board for their courageous response to the largest killing of journalists in U.S. history…and for demonstrating unflagging commitment to covering the news and serving their community at a time of unspeakable grief.” The citation includes a $100,000 bequest by the Pulitzer Board “to be used to further the newspaper’s journalistic mission.” For a complete list of winners and finalists, visit pulitzer.org. 

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 The staff of the South Florida Sun Sentinel react after winning the Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. (Photo by Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette photographer Stephanie Strasburg reacts in the paper’s downtown Pittsburgh newsroom after it was announced that the paper’s staff was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

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2019 PULITZER PRIZE WINNERS

WINNERS:  Public Service South Florida Sun Sentinel  Breaking News Reporting Staff of the Pittsburgh PostGazette  Investigative Reporting Matt Hamilton, Harriet Ryan and Paul Pringle of the Los Angeles Times  Explanatory Reporting David Barstow, Susanne Craig and Russ Buettner of the New York Times  Local Reporting Staff of the Advocate, Baton Rouge, La.  National Reporting Staff of the Wall Street Journal  (From left) Paul Pringle, Harriet Ryan and Matt Hamilton of the Los Angeles Times after learning they won the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting. (Photo by Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times)

 International Reporting Maggie Michael, Maad al-Zikry and Nariman El-Mofty of the Associated Press Staff of Reuters, with notable contributions from Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo  Feature Writing Hannah Dreier of ProPublica  Commentary Tony Messenger of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch  Criticism Carlos Lozada of the Washington Post  Editorial Writing Brent Staples of the New York Times  Editorial Cartooning Darrin Bell, freelancer  Breaking News Photography Photography staff of Reuters

 David Barstow, New York Times senior writer, addresses the newsroom after his shared win with Russ Buettner, investigative reporter (left) and Susanne Craig, investigative reporter (right of Barstow) was announced. Also on the staircase: Dean Baquet, executive editor (second from right) and Matt Purdy, deputy managing editor (right). (Photo by Hiroko Masuike/New York Times)

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 Feature Photography Lorenzo Tugnoli of the Washington Post  Special Citation Capital Gazette, Annapolis, Md.

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â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Magnified and Sanctified Be Your Nameâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; On April 15, the staff of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette was awarded a 2019 Pulitzer Prize for its Breaking News Reporting of the Tree of Life synagogue massacre. We are deeply humbled by this recognition. We are honored. We are proud. And we wish this tragedy never happened. We join the Pulitzer Prize judges in recognizing the tireless work of our colleagues for their compassionate coverage of this terrible event. But we do not celebrate. Instead, we dedicate this honor to the memory of those whose lives were lost.

2019 PULITZER PRIZE WINNERS

 The Advocate newsroom celebrates after they won the Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting. (Photo by Chris Granger/Advocate)

 The staff of the Wall Street Journal reacts to their Pulitzer Prize win for National Reporting. (Photo by Stephanie Aaronson/Wall Street Journal)

 (From left) Associated Press video journalist Maad al-Zikry, correspondent

Maggie Michael and photographer Nariman El-Mofty, winners of the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting (AP Photo)

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 St. Louis Post-Dispatch metro columnist Tony Messenger reacts with his editor Marcia L. Koenig in the newsroom after it was announced he won the Pulitzer Prize in Commentary. (Photo by David Carson/St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

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2019 PULITZER PRIZE WINNER FOR LOCAL REPORTING

TILTING THE SCALES A Jim Crow law still colors justice in Louisiana For 120 years, a Jim Crow law allowed Louisiana courts to send defendants to jail even if jurors could not agree they were guilty. The law was crafted to diminish the voices of black jurors, and a year-long Advocate investigation revealed that it was working as designed. Black people were underrepresented on juries, and black defendants were more likely to be convicted by divided juries. Black jurors were much more likely to dissent with the verdict than white jurors. The Advocate published its finding beginning Easter Sunday, April 1, 2018. Seven months later, more than 900,000 people voted to change the law and require unanimous convictions, so now Louisiana has the same standard of justice as the rest of America.

Louisiana Owned for 177 Years

2019 PULITZER PRIZE FINALIST FOR EDITORIAL WRITING

2019 PULITZER PRIZE WINNERS

 ProPublica’s Hannah Dreier (center) celebrates winning this year’s Pulitzer Prize in Feature Writing by raising a glass with her peers. (Photo provided)

 Carlos Lozada hugs his family members in the newsroom at the Washington Post office after winning a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/Washington Post via AP)

 Brent Staples, New York Times editorial board member, in the newsroom when his Pulitzer Prize win for Editorial Writing was announced. (Photo by Hiroko Masuike/New York Times)

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ď ˝ Darrin Bell hugs his wife Makeda Rashidi in the newsroom at the Washington Post after he was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/Washington Post via AP)

ď ˝ Samples of the editorial cartooning that won Darrin Bell the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in the category. (Images provided)

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2019 PULITZER PRIZE WINNERS Lorenzo Tugnoli of the Washington Post won the Pulitzer Prize in Feature Photography for his photos of the tragic famine in Yemen.

1 Abdullah Abdul Wahed Mansour, right, stands with his comrades on the front lines of an area called al Zunuj on the north side of the ancient city of Taiz. He lost a leg in a land mine explosion on this front two years ago. The front line that encircles the city has not moved significantly in the past two years. Sporadic gunfire is exchanged, but neither side is seriously pushing to gain territory. (Photo by Lorenzo Tugnoli/Washington Post) 2 Taif Fares gasps for air in the intensive-care unit of al-Sadaqa Hospital in Aden, Yemen, on May 21, 2018. She was born with a heart disorder and needed constant care. Taif died a few days after this photo was taken. (Photo by Lorenzo Tugnoli/ Washington Post) 3 A militiaman occupies a frontline position in the al Zunuj area on the northern side of Taiz. The battle lines encircling the city have not moved significantly in the past two years. The two sides exchange sporadic gunfire, but neither is seriously pushing to gain territory. (Photo by Lorenzo Tugnoli/ Washington Post)

ď ˝ Lorenzo Tugnoli (center right) reacts as people in the newsroom at the Washington Post celebrate the announcement of his Feature Photography Pulitzer Prize win. (Photo by Jabin Botsford/Washington Post via AP)

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ď ˝ The staff of the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Md. was awarded a Special Citation for their courageous response to the attack on their newsroom on June 28, 2018. (Photo provided)

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10 Sales Stories and How They Did It Newspapers are navigating into advertising dollars with determination and success By Evelyn Mateos

ears ago, a great portion of readers sought out newspapers because they were filled with coupons, job listings and apartment ads. Now, a majority of readers are searching online for those needs. This new atmosphere has made it more challenging for newspapers to land clients, but that doesn’t mean they have stopped going after advertisers. Newspapers across the country, and even beyond our borders, have found ways of utilizing resources already in place in newsrooms, closing gaps in the market and finalizing deals with advertisers to increase revenue. E&P has compiled a list of these ideas for your newsroom to try. From newsletters to virtual sales events, these snack size strategies have a big bite.

Owning the Day When the BH Media Virginia Group was tasked to come up with initiatives that would drive up fourth quarter revenue, the News & Advance created Own the Day. The yearlong revenue proposal offers advertisers a package including a front page sticky note on the print edition, a desktop note, a mobile presence, and an email blast. For this offer, the Lynchburg newspaper targeted new clients or clients they wanted to work with more. The Own the Day package was deployed by News & Advance last September (although it had already been used at several other BH Media’s Virginia markets including Charlottesville, Bristol, Roanoke, Martinsville and Danville). News & Advance advertising director Kevin editorandpublisher.com

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Smith told E&P that all the client had to do was say they were interested, get their name down, and the newspaper would allow them to start whenever was best for them. Clients had a two week window to jump on board. “Some (clients) wanted to sign up, but they ran into budget constraints,” Smith said. “We reminded them (that) they can sign up for a year. So if they don’t want to start until Jan. 1, they can start Jan. 1 with their new budget year.” As a result of the campaign, News & Advance attracted 11 clients equaling $45,000 in revenue. The Lynchburg, Danville and Martinsville markets combined drew 25 new or reactivated clients totaling $69,000.

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10 Sales Stories and How They Did It Connecting With Readers Face-to-Face In today’s digital world, it’s easier than ever to connect advertisers with consumers. Yet, the Daily Herald Media Group in Arlington Heights, Ill. has systematized an approachable method to do so—face-to-face through events. The Daily Herald spent the last eight years developing their strategy. “In the beginning, it was mostly events that were just matching the newsroom with readers (such as) a sportswriter’s event,” Eileen Brown, vice president/director of strategic marketing, said. “But then we started to expand to include advertisers for the revenue component.” Brown shared that a smaller event might be a gardening class in a nursery, while one of their bigger events is their Fittest Loser experience, a 12-week weight loss competition, which in its first year drew a total of five contestants. But over the years, the event has gained sponsorship from the local hospital, fitness club and the grocery store, and is now signing up about 350 contestants. At times, sponsors will approach the paper with ideas, and at others times, the Daily Herald will approach advertisers with ideas. How an idea originates and is planned varies, but one constant for the organization is striving for the perfect marriage of an event— one that fulfills the needs of the readers as well as the needs of the advertisers. While the Daily Herald declined to share revenue numbers, Brown did say, “It is a revenue source for the company that has grown every year. And I think it’s (important) to stress that we’ve gotten people to advertise with us that would normally never advertise with a newspaper, people who stopped advertising with us to reengage, and current advertisers to spend more.”

the Winnipeg Free Press, and more recently, the Boston Globe and Postmedia. According to an International News Media Association (INMA) report, although medical marijuana has been legal in Canada since the early 2000s and recreational marijuana since 2015, Postmedia recently launched TheGrowthOp.com, a standalone website to educate consumers about the market. The website utilizes the Postmedia network of more than 160 publications. One of those publications, the Financial Post, also launched its own weekly newsletter, the Cannabis Post. According to the INMA report, “The newsletter is 100 (percent) in compliance with the complicated rules surrounding the promotion of cannabis products and companies because subscribers must verify their age when signing up.” The newsletter includes a list of how the top 10 cannabis stocks by market cap performed the previous week, cannabis business related events, notes on the latest trends or insights on the industry, and a tweet of the week from various industry players. Advertisers come into play with the single “big box” ad and a sponsored quote at the end of the newsletter, providing them with a space to share their thoughts concerning the industry. A newsletter like this not only delivers information where there is a gap, but it also creates advertising opportunities. The INMA report said Cannabis Post currently has a subscriber list of 20,000 and an “open rate has often been more than double the industry benchmark for similar newsletters in Canada.”

Podcasts Are Unstoppable

A Pot of Gold

} U.S. podcast advertising revenue is expected to grow more than 110 percent by 2020.

} As more states legalize marijuana, more newspapers are tapping into the market.

As more governments legalize the use of recreational and medical marijuana, newspapers are developing new ways to tap into that group of advertisers by creating content through websites and newsletters. The Denver Post did it. So did Digital First Media, 40 |

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According to the second annual IAB and PwC Podcast Revenue Study, the U.S. podcast advertising revenue is expected to grow more than 110 percent by 2020 to $659 million. As reported by Business Insider, 55 percent of U.S. respondents over the age of 18 say they always or sometimes pay attention to podcast ads versus radio (45 percent), TV (44 percent), music streaming services (41 percent) and online video ads (34 percent). editorandpublisher.com

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The Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and the New York Times are among the legacy newspapers investing in podcasts, and while the Guardian has also been in the playing field for some time, the media organization is now seeing the pay off with its latest podcast launch, Today in Focus. Launched this past November, Today in Focus is a 20-25 minute briefing of the biggest news stories around the world. According to Digiday, the podcast accounts for a quarter of all its total listens and audience figures have grown 30 percent month-on-month. The Guardian runs 30-second geo-targeted ads that run across Acast’s network and sponsorship ads that are produced by the Guardian for specific podcasts and audiences, like Bose, the podcast’s first sponsor, according to Nieman Lab. Nieman Lab also reported in September that all of the U.K. edition’s ad slots had sold out several months prior to its release. The publication also recently started to use the platform to drive listeners to its membership program by running ads within the podcast.

Digital Billboards

saging, and 15 second commercials from third party advertisers. The newspaper shared with E&P last year that in less than six months, 45 clients had signed on, and 85 percent of the $100,000 monthly incremental revenue stemmed from non-traditional newspaper advertisers. “We leveraged our strengths to provide video content that was relevant to consumers and advertisers and, as a result, created a new profit center using the latest (digital out-of-home) technology that generated over $1.2 million in annual incremental revenue during its first year,” Star-Advertiser publisher Dennis Francis said last April. Both the Star-Advertiser and the Times include sophisticated facial detection technology, solely for the purpose of measuring how many times content is viewed and to organize consumer data by approximate gender and age. They also articulate how this information is important to companies so that they may understand how effectively their ads perform on the digital billboards.

The Right ‘Kind’ of Video

} Digital billboards, such as the one seen here with the Honolulu Star-Advertis-

} “Feel good” Facebook videos have proved to be successful for the USA TODAY NETWORK.

In April, the Tampa Bay Times began utilizing billboard technology by creating a newspaper rack equipped with 24-inch flat-screen monitor that was displayed at selected retail shops. Called TimesVision, the digital billboard features news content and marketing, in-store promotions, and advertising on a seven minute loop. As of April, there are 53 TimesVision monitors around Tampa Bay, according to Conan Gallaty, the Times’ executive vice president and chief digital officer. In 2017, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser launched its own digital billboard network after some research found that the decline of broadcast media audiences left many advertising clients in the area with insufficient channels to utilize commercials they had created. The newspaper began putting these screens in retail stores, and soon, 100 screens had been installed across Honolulu and Oahu. The screens features Wi-Fi, and loops news briefs, point of sale mes-

Despite the rise and fall of the pivot to video on Facebook, the USA TODAY NETWORK has found a way to turn a profit on the platform. The network launched a feel-good video series on Facebook called HumanKind in 2015, featuring acts of human kindness. The following year, it launched AnimalKind, a series focused on telling the stories of animals. According to a Digiday interview with Russ Torres, vice president of digital video content and strategy, after adding the shows to Facebook Watch, viewership soared to hundreds of millions of monthly views per show. That success led to the creation of MilitaryKind in 2018. MilitaryKind offers inspirational stories of the U.S. Armed Forces. A quick Facebook search will show that HumanKind currently has 5 million followers, AnimalKind 5.8 million, and MilitaryKind 3 million. Video length for all three shows can vary, but Torres shared that

er, are a new way for advertisers to reach consumers.

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10 Sales Stories and How They Did It viewers will typically watch 95 percent of the video, which is great news for advertisers. For example, MilitaryKind videos are about three minutes long, which makes them eligible for mid-roll ad breaks. The shows also generate revenue from YouTube and Xumo, and project has brought in national advertising sponsors, such as Geico and Chick-fil-A. Michael Kuntz, president of national sales and brand partnerships, told Digiday, “You’re going to continue to see more brands pursue these opportunities—we’re seeing the evidence both through Facebook mid-roll ads and sponsorships.”

Virtual Sales Events

Friendly Competition Nothing encourages people more than a little friendly competition. At the five newspapers in the BH Media Alabama Group, a sales competition called Let’s Play Takeaway has motivated sales teams to get to the next level, while increasing revenue for the paper. The competition takes place over a six-week period between sales representatives across the } Steve Smith, Dothan Eagle publisher five markets, which include three dailies: the Dothan Eagle, the Opelika-Auburn News and the Enterprise Ledger. The contest is aimed at quickly capturing advertising dollars already flowing within the market, but not directed at the Alabama Group. Now in its third year, this year’s competition took place from mid-February to the end of March with 19 sales reps participating across the group. Sales reps competed individually and the contest rewarded the top revenue producers with cash bonuses. There were rewards for the overall contest and daily and weekly prizes sprinkled in as well. By the end of the competition, 78 previously dormant accounts had reactivated, resulting in more than $51,000 in incremental revenue. “The competitive aspect of the contest injects some fun and energy between the individual sales reps,” Dothan Eagle publisher Steve Smith told E&P. “It adds excitement to the normal day.” Smith also said this is relatively quick and easy to set up. First, they completed an audit of where advertising dollars were going and what media was being used. Each sales rep came up with at least 20 prospects to target. To be eligible, the prospects must have been spending ad dollars with other media but not with the Alabama Group in the previous six months. All media is audited and targeted, Smith said, including broadcast, print, niche, magazines, direct mail and social media.

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} Mike Martoccia, Wehaa director of national digital marketing and sales

Auto dealers were one of the biggest markets newspapers lost when advertising began to shrink. But recently, newspapers like the Seattle Times, Omaha World-Herald and the Roanoke (Va.) Times were able to recapture those missing ad dollars by working with Wehaa, an internet company specializing in turn-key solutions for publishers. By establishing an initiative called Automotive Virtual Sales Events and Promotions, the company was able to gather auto dealers in a virtual event hosted by a participating newspaper. The program includes a sub domain on the newspaper’s website that will redirect to the virtual event, dynamic widget banners that rotates live inventory, social media advertising, print advertising and a detailed tracking report. The tracking report includes how many cars are sold, how many users were directed to a vehicle’s detailed page, social media reach, and because phone calls during the event are traceable and recorded, the company will add this to the report as well. Mike Martoccia, Wehaa’s director of national digital marketing and sales, told E&P these are all things auto dealers typically do on their own, but by partnering with newspapers they can get the data without the extra work as well as reach a wider audience. Martoccia said the virtual event has been deployed with success in about 100 different markets (both large and small) across the country since it was created two years ago, including at the papers listed above. Seattle recruited six automotive dealers, sold 1,551 vehicles and received 11.4 million page views, while Omaha recruited eight automotive dealers, sold 491 vehicles and had 7.6 million page views, and Roanoke recruited seven dealers (including automotive, boat and RV), sold 169 vehicles and saw 760,000 page views. Martoccia noted that a newspaper typically generates about $5,000 to $10,000 per virtual sales event.

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said. “We also set up a contest page and drove traffic to it using print, digital, social and email tactics.” The contest also offered the chance to win a generator valued at $1,000 (courtesy of Hartmann) over a period of four weeks. The contest received more than 2,000 entries from more than 700 people. More than 80 of those people opted to be contacted to set up a free estimate for a home generator. The Pocono Record handed that list of people over to Hartmann, who then followed up with these potential new clients. Fairbanks said the newspaper ran more than 50 promotions total last year and generated $130,000 from the } Wehaa partners with newspapers to help them recapture ad dollars from auto dealers. Pictured is the landing page from a Custom Advertiser Promorecent Omaha World-Herald’s virtual tent sale. tion. Because every program is built uniquely, they each yield different results. Some promotions can generate $1,500 while Power of Promotions others can generate $15,000, Fairbanks said. In Stroudsburg, Pa., the Pocono Record implemented a strategic advertiser program that left clients thrilled. Known as the Custom Advertiser Promotion, the newspaper designed a unique Acing the Quiz media plan for each advertiser that reached their target audience Two years ago, the Seacoast Media Group in Portsmouth, through engagement, email, mobile, web, data, social media, and N.H. launched a Best of Seacoast event. One of the winners was the brand awareness. Harbor Eyecare Center (Best Optometrist). The business used to Stephanie Fairadvertise with Seacoast Media, and after winning in their catbanks, advertising egory, Jim Sambold, a multi-media consultant for Seacoast Media, sales manager, reached out to help them grow the practice. explained that each The company wanted a creative way to educate people on eye program is created health, while also grow their patient list. Seacoast Media pitched a to fit the client’s campaign centered on quizzes, now known as the Harbor Eye Vineeds. Recently, a sion Health Quiz Bundle. local electrical comThe campaign was deployed over a four month period last year, pany, Hartmann and it included custom quizzes, promotions, giveaways, and email Electrical Contractblasts. After users took a quiz, they were prompted to share their ing, sponsored a email address for a chance to win a prize (for example, $250 tospecial section of wards their next pair of glasses). content in the newsEmails were scheduled to go out once a month in coordination paper. with the giveaways. The emails highlighted eye health as well as “They received a different developing profit centers. Promotional emails and quizzes full page ad in the were also sent to Seacoast Media’s opt-in database. Sambold told section and a flight E&P that the quizzes were taken 608 times by 330 participants. By } The Pocono Record ran a Custom Advertiser of digital display ads the end of the campaign, the eye care center had acquired 250 new Promotion in March for a local electrical company, on PoconoRecord. patients, and Seacoast Media netted $22,000.  which generated leads and revenue. com,” Fairbanks 8

Sunday, March 3, 2019 |

Pocono Record

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NewsPeople Emma Moody has been named the standards and ethics editor of the Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires, succeeding Neal Lipschutz. Most recently, Moody served as deputy chief news editor. Prior to that, she was the Page One news editor. Moody joined the Journal in 2009 as markets editor before she became deputy editor of money and investing. Her previous stints include Bloomberg News, The Australian in Sydney, Australia and The Advertiser in Adelaide, Australia. Photo by Earl Wilson/ New York Times

Susan Chira has been named editor of the Marshall Project, the non-profit newsroom covering the criminal justice system in the United States. She succeeds founding editor Bill Keller, who retired in April. Most recently, she served as senior correspondent and editor focusing on gender issues for the New York Times, Chira began her career at the Times as a reporter on the Metro section. She also reported for the business, style and national desks before she became a foreign correspondent in Tokyo. Chira was also part of the Times team that was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 2018 for their coverage of workplace sexual harassment issues.

AP Photo

Will Weissert, political reporter for the Associated Press, has relocated from Austin, Texas to the Washington Bureau to cover the 2020 presidential campaign. During his stint in Texas, Weissert covered the 2018 Senate race between Sen. Ted Cruz and Beto O’Rourke as well as O’Rourke’s current presidential campaign. In his new role, Weissert will cover policy issues animating the campaign, including immigration. Weissert joined the AP in 2000 as a correspondent in Guatemala City before serving six years in the Mexico City bureau and more than three years in Havana, Cuba. His first AP assignment in the United States was in San Antonio, Texas. 44 |

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ACQUISITIONS Larry and Roberta Atkinson have sold the Mobridge (S.D.) Tribune, Potter County News in Gettysburg, S.D., the West River Eagle in Eagle Butte, S.D. and the Monday Reminder shopper to J. Louis Mullen of Buffalo, Wyo. The transaction also included the group’s web printing operation, Tribune Quick Print, and the advertising specialty sales operation, which are based in Mobridge. Julie Bergman of Grimes, McGovern & Associates represented the sellers. Mullen owns seven other community weekly newspapers. The Anchorage (Alaska) Daily News, which is owned by the Binkley Co., has acquired the Arctic Sounder, which serves the North Arctic and the North Slope, the Bristol Bay Times/Dutch Harbor Fisherman, which serves Dillingham, Naknek, King Salmon and Southwest villages, and the Homer (Alaska) Tribune from Alaska Media LLC. Terms of the sale were not disclosed. San Diego Community Newspaper Group (SDCNG) has purchased the majority of San Diego Community News Network’s (SDCNN) publications, including the Mission Times Courier, La Mesa Courier, San Diego Downtown News and San Diego Downtown News. This acquisition makes SDCNG the largest independent newspaper group in the region. Over the years, control of the newspapers has passed between SDCNG and SDCNN. The owner of SDCNN has retained control of one publication, Gay San Diego. The Appen Media Group has acquired the Dunwoody Crier weekly newspaper from publisher Dick Williams. Terms of the sale were not disclosed. Appen Media Group plans to continue publication of the newspaper in its current format to its existing 18,000 households.

P.J. Browning, president and publisher of the Post and Courier in Charleston, S.C., has been elected president of the South Carolina Press Association. Browning has more than three decades of newspaper experience. In the past, she has served as the president and publisher of the Sun News in Myrtle Beach, S.C., the Telegraph in Macon, Ga. and the Centre Daily Times in State College, Pa. Browning is also currently the senior vice president of Evening Post Industries, president of Evening Post Industries Newspaper Division and president of the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association. Elected to two-year terms on the executive committee were: Nathaniel Abraham Jr., publisher of Carolina Panorama in Columbia, S.C.; Katie Goodman, general manager and advertising director for Bluffton Today and Jasper County Sun Times in Ridgeland,

S.C., and Mike Mischner, group publisher for Camden (S.C.) Media Co. Re-elected to continuing terms were Katrice Hardy, executive editor of the Greenville (S.C.) News; Vince Johnson, publisher of the Sumter (S.C.) Item; and Richard Whiting, executive editor of the Index-Journal in Greenwood, S.C. Timothy D. Burke, publisher of the Palm Beach Post and Palm Beach Daily News in Florida, has stepped down from his role to join the LRP Media Group in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. as senior vice president and publisher of human resources products. He first came to the Post 25 years ago as executive sports editor. Over the years, Burke served as deputy managing editor, editor, vice president of digital media and multimarket vice president for former parent company, Cox Media Group. In the latter role, Burke managed content and digital operations for the Post and Daily News as well as the Atlanta (Ga.) Journal Constitution, editorandpublisher.com

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By Evelyn Mateos evelyn@editorandpublisher.com

NewsPeople

Brian Skoloff, an Associated Press video journalist, has been appointed West deputy news director for video. Skoloff will oversee and drive video coverage across 13 Western states and will be located in Phoenix, Ariz. He will work closely with video journalists and contribute text reporters and photographers across the territory while collaborating with video editors in Washington and London. Skoloff began with the AP in 2000 as a reporter in Arkansas and was later based in Fresno, Calif., San Francisco, West Palm Beach, Fla., Ocean Springs, Miss., Salt Lake City, Utah and Phoenix, Ariz., where he has been based since 2012. (AP Photo) Austin (Texas) American-Statesman and the Dayton (Ohio) Daily News. He became publisher of the Post 10 years ago and publisher of the Daily News five years later. During his tenure, Burke most notably created the Post’s first digital staff and website. He came to the Post from the Miami (Fla.) Herald and also worked at newspapers in Dallas and Springfield, Mo. Jennifer Hicks has been appointed editor of news partnerships for Dow Jones. In this new role, Hicks will be the Apple platform owner, determining the daily lineup for Apple News+ and collaborating with commercial colleagues across Dow Jones. In addition, Katharine Bailey has been named general manager, senior vice president of the Wall Street Journal digital. Janet Hasson, president and publisher of the Providence (R.I.) Journal, has retired. She came to the Journal in 2015, after four years as president and publisher of the Journal News Media Group in White Plains, N.Y. During her career, Hasson has also served as senior vice president of audience development at the Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press in Michigan. Hasson began her career at the Spokesman (Wash.) Review, where she served for 15 years. Peter Meyer, publisher of the Cape Cod (Mass.) Times and head of a division of newspapers in eastern Massachusetts and New Hampshire, will succeed Hasson.

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Tricia Johnston has been appointed publisher of the Goshen (Ind.) News. She is a former group president and publisher for GateHouse Media in Michigan, where she was based at the Holland Sentinel. Johnston has also served as advertising and marketing manager for daily newspapers in West Chester, Pa., and Willoughby, Ohio. Postmedia Network Canada Corp. has appointed Mary Anne Lavallee executive vice president and chief operating officer. In her new role, Lavallee will be responsible for operational matters, particularly focusing on digital growth including product and technology, sales and marketing, commercial operations and subscriber acquisition and retention management. Tom Schultz, managing editor of the Watertown (Wis.) Daily Times, has announced his retirement. He has served as a full-time member of the newspaper’s staff for nearly

53 years and as managing editor for 45 years. Schultz has also been a past president and member of the Hall of Fame of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association and the Wisconsin Associated Press Managing Editors Association. Susan Smith Richardson has been named chief executive officer of the Center for Public Integrity. She will be the first African-American leader of the nonprofit investigative journalism organization. Richardson was most recently the editorial director of newsroom practice change at Solutions Journalism Network, a New York-based nonprofit. Prior to that, she was editor and publisher at the Chicago Reporter. Richardson also served at the Texas Observer, Chicago Tribune and the Sacramento (Calif.) Bee. Charles Westmoreland, managing editor of Columbia (Mo.) Daily Tribune, has announced he will depart from the paper this summer to return to Alaska with his family. Westmoreland joined the Tribune in 2017 following the retirement of longtime editor Jim Robertson. During his tenure, he often filled multiple roles, and in 2018, he became involved with overseeing and restructuring other GateHouse Media newspapers in central and northwestern Missouri. He also led the Tribune’s editorial board and served as its primary editorial writer.

Janine Gibson has joined the Financial Times as an assistant editor in the newly-created role of editor of special projects. Most recently, she served as editor-inchief of BuzzFeed UK. Prior to that, Gibson served the Guardian for 17 years, where she led the transition from print to digital, rising to become deputy editor and head of the newspaper’s online operations.

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NEWSPEOPLE Justin Wilcox has been named publisher of the Tyler (Texas) Morning Telegraph. His new role will be in addition to his existing role as chief revenue officer for M. Roberts Media’s Texas newspapers in Tyler, Longview and Victoria. Wilcox brings 25 years of experience in the newspaper advertising and sales industry to his new role. In addition, Alyssa Purselley-Hankins has been promoted to advertising director in Tyler, and Bret Jacomet has been named director of digital sales and marketing for Tyler, Longview and Victoria. In this role, Jacomet will be responsible for growing digital sales and revenue for the newspapers as well as for the agencies focused on bringing marketing solutions to local advertisers. Thomas Krischke has been promoted to president and chief executive officer of Muller Martini North America. Beginning his career as a strategic planner at Eastman Kodak in Germany, Krischke brings more than 20 years of experience in the graphic arts industry to his new role. After his stint with Eastman Kodak, Krischke went on to work with Heidelberg Druckmaschinen, first as head of finance for the post press division before managing the entire division with full profit and loss responsibility. Krischke joined Muller Martini in 2017. Emily Weaver has been named managing editor of the Daily Record and the Mount Olive Tribune, both in North Carolina. Throughout her career, Weaver has served

Shani Hilton has been named a deputy managing editor for the Los Angeles Times. Most recently, Hilton was vice president of news and programming at BuzzFeed News, where she oversaw new programming and U.S.-based news operations. Hilton served at BuzzFeed the last six years, and prior to that, she held editorial roles at NBC4 in Washington D.C., Washington City Paper and the Center for American Progress. (Photo by Jared Harrell/BuzzFeed)

as reporter, editor, website developer/ manager, social media manager and digital journalist. In her new role, she will oversee newsroom operations for both newspapers. Weaver succeeds Lisa Farmer, who retired in March, following a 31-year career with the Daily Record. Catherine Boone has been named president and publisher of Vicksburg Newsmedia LLC in Mississippi, which publishes the Vicksburg Post, VicksburgPost.com and Vicksburg Living magazine, and owns and operates Signs First and Speediprint. Most recently, she served as the general manager of the State Journal in Frankfort, Ky., and prior to that, she worked at the Oxford Eagle and the Natchez Democrat, both in Mississippi. In addition, Jan Griffey, who served as general manager for the last three years, was named general manager of the Natchez Democrat. She previously worked at the Post since 2015. GateHouse Media has announced top newsroom leadership appointments among its New England’s southeastern Massachusetts publications. Lynne Sullivan, editor-in-

chief of the Herald News and Taunton Daily Gazette, has been named regional executive editor of SouthCoast Media Group, Herald News, Taunton Daily Gazette and the Enterprise; Beth Purdue, editor of the StandardTimes, was named the regional executive editor for engagement and community; and Rebecca Hyman, Taunton Daily Gazette city editor, was appointed to the role of regional city editor at both the Gazette and the Enterprise. Mark Walker has been named general manager and advertising director for the Sentinel-Echo in London, Ky. and TimesTribune in Corbin, Ky. Walker replaces Dave Eldridge, who returns to his full-time position at the Richmond (Ky.) Register. Walker brings extensive experience in print media and customer service to his new role. In the past, he has worked for RR Donnelley and Sons, which included 15 years as a customer service account manager. In 2014, Walker transferred to the newspaper business, working in circulation. 

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DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: The Killeen Daily Herald is looking for a hands-on mailroom manager to lead and oversee the distribution department. This is a working manager position. Candidate must be able to stand for long periods of time and lift up to 50lbs. Our day / night production operation runs seven days a week; nights and weekends will be required. • Manager must be able to oversee workflow, inventory security and organization, and the economical utilization of products and equipment. • Maintaining and improving the mailroom operation by helping to evaluate procedures and making recommendations for appropriate best practices. • Supervision and leadership of mailroom team including providing feedback and expectations on performance to employees. • Scheduling and staffing to meet business needs. • Acting as processor of mailroom time and attendance system and other related duties as identified. • Must be detailed oriented, organized, and have knowledge of all mailroom procedures and processes, and possess solid computer skills. • Must have a valid driver’s licence with acceptable driving record. • Must be familiar with inventory control protocol. • Must have strong interpersonal and supervisory skills. We offer a competitive salary, medical, dental and vision insurance. Moving expenses for the right candidate. To apply email resume to donna.sypion@kdhnews.com, fax 254-634-8204 or call 254-501-7590.

PUBLISHER: Fenice Community Media, a small, privately-owned group of Texas community newspapers, is currently seeking a publisher for its newspaper in Madisonville, Texas. The Madisonville Meteor is an award-winning community newspaper located in the county seat of Madison County along I-45 between Houston and Dallas. This is a hands-on position leading a small staff to deliver the news and information important to keep us a vital part of our communities. The publisher we seek will also be expected to be highly visible and take an active role in the community. This is a selling publisher role and the incumbent will be expected to manage an account list and lead revenue generation efforts in addition to holding profit & loss responsibility for the Inquirer and its subsidiary publications. Candidates must have a track record of successfully growing advertising revenue through personal sales efforts. The successful applicant will need to work with employees of various degrees of experience, leading a successful team to produce high-quality publications that meet our company’s profitability goals. The publisher oversees, and is directly involved as needed, all areas of the newspaper — managing the editorial product from planning to production, managing advertising sales, planning special sections, bookkeeping, distribution, analyzing monthly financials and planning for the future. Though newspaper layout is performed at our regional design hub in the Austin area, candidates must have knowledge of AP style and an eye for modern, visualoriented design, as well as experience managing digital product development — including advertising and reader content — and be fluent with social media and have experience driving engagement online. Total compensation is in the -60K range. We offer benefits including health insurance, dental and vision, as well as a generous paid time off program. If you meet the above qualifications and are ready for the challenge, please include your resume and cover letter outlining your experience and relevant accomplishments. To apply, go to https://fenicecommunitymedia.bamboohr.com/jobs/view.php?id=66

SEEKING A CAREER IN MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS? Grimes, McGovern & Associates is a 60-year-old Mergers & Acquisitions Advisory ﬁrm for the newspapers, media, events and information services industries.

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WRITER/SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIST: Ballard Spahr, a multi-practice, national law firm, is in search of a skilled, creative writer who can draft original content, edit copy written by lawyers and staff, and manage our social media platforms. We are looking for a professional writer with business acumen, an intellectually curious self-starter capable of digesting complex subject matter and transforming it into compelling, useful prose with speed and accuracy. On the social media side, candidates should have experience creating and managing corporate accounts on various social media platforms, understand best practices for emerging media, and be inspiring and articulate presenters. This position reports to the Senior Marketing Communications Manager and can be located in any Ballard location. The Writer/Social Media Strategist oversees the firm’s legal electronic alerts, including editing lawyer-authored content, managing reviews and approvals, proofreading, formatting content into templates, and maintaining adherence to firm style and branding guidelines. Responsibilities also include writing and editing other marketing content, including announcements, invitations, press releases, newsletters and website copy; managing the firm’s LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts and overseeing social media posting, policies, and guidelines; serving as a writing and editing coach for lawyers and staff across the firm; and presenting to lawyers and staff across the firm on topics involving social media, writing style, grammar, and writing/social media as a business development tool. The selected individual must be detail-oriented, able to successfully manage multiple projects and daily deadlines, and possess the ability to translate complex subject matter into accurate, concise, readable copy for a broad but educated market. Must have an understanding of current events, a passion for writing, and an eagerness to learn. A background in print journalism, particularly covering the courts and/or business beats, is preferred. Strong organizational and interpersonal skills are a must. Five or more years of writing and/or professional marketing communications experience, demonstrated writing ability, and a superior command of grammar, spelling, and usage. Familiarity with Chicago Manual and AP style is a must. The selected individual will need experience managing social media accounts in a professional setting. Ballard Spahr is not accepting resumes from search firms for this position. All applications must be accompanied by salary requirements and writing samples. Excellent compensation, a comprehensive benefits package and a generous paid time off program is offered. For immediate consideration, please visit https://ballardspahr.silkroad.com/epostings/ and apply online. Ballard Spahr is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering a culturally diverse environment. The firm encourages applications from a diverse pool of candidates, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, age, national origin, handicap or disability, citizenship, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, transgender status, sex stereotyping, genetic information, ancestry, veteran status or any other category protected by applicable law.

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shoptalk /commentary What Is Local News? By Dan Kennedy

hat is local news? A recent report by the Pew Research Center claims to measure Americans’ perceptions of journalism in their communities. But the results show that the largest share of the 35,000 people who were surveyed—38 percent—say their medium of choice is television. Moreover, the kinds of news that respondents say are “important for daily life” are an exact match for the typical fare of a local TV newscast. Coming in first was weather (70 percent), followed by crime (44 percent), traffic and transportation (41 percent), and news about changing prices (37 percent). The fifth-most-cited topic, government and politics, was far behind at 24 percent. (The survey includes a wicked cool interactive on how people are consuming local news in different parts of the country.) Reaction to the Pew survey has focused mainly on the fact that 71 percent of respondents seem to think their local news outlets are doing just fine financially, with only 14 percent saying they’ve paid for local news during the past year. “These findings unnerved those who believe that local news is hugely important in our culture and that it needs public support to survive,” wrote Washington Post media columnist Margaret Sullivan. She quoted David Chavern, president of the News Media Alliance, as saying, “I found the survey results to be really sad and disturbing.” Sullivan and Chavern are right if you’re talking about the sort of accountability journalism that we need to govern ourselves. But that’s not really what Pew measured. To me, the more disturbing finding isn’t that those surveyed misperceive the financial crisis facing local journalism—it’s that they don’t understand what local journalism is. In fact, as Laura Hazard Owen pointed out at the Nieman Lab, local TV news is doing OK financially, at least in comparison to newspapers. But the mission of TV news

isn’t really local. It’s regional. I have not come to bash the newscasts offered by local television. They perform a service. There’s no reason to be snobbish about a roundup of breaking news, the weather, sports (even though it did poorly in the survey), and the odd waterskiing squirrel or two. Yes, TV newscasts should offer more political, governmental, and investigative reporting than they do. (My Northeastern colleagues John Wihbey and Mike Beaudet are studying how to improve local TV news in advance of the 2020 elections.) But it’s not their job to cover the routine occurrences of community life—that is, what’s going on at city or town hall, schools, police, fire, and why isn’t anyone fixing that huge pothole on Main Street? Nor is such news in the wheelhouse of city dailies or of public radio. Rather, community news is uniquely the purview of local newspapers and, in a few places, various types of digital startups. And that is precisely where the crisis in journalism is unfolding. Let’s go back to the Pew survey. About half of those who responded, or 47 percent, said the local news they get “mostly covers an area other than where they live such as a nearby city” (my emphasis). A slightly higher proportion, 51 percent, said their local news “mostly covers their living area.” Those findings correlate with how satisfied people are with the local news they consume, with higher percentages of those who believe their news has more of a local focus reporting that the news is accurate, thorough, and fair. Needless to say, small daily and weekly papers are the source of most local news. But only 17 percent of survey respondents said they “often” get local news from daily papers, and a minuscule 7 percent get it from nondaily papers. Even though many papers have been eviscerated because of changing market forces and the depredations of corporate chain ownership, they still stand out as the

main source of news about what’s going on at the community and neighborhood level. We often hear about the need for media literacy, and who could oppose it? Last November, though, I wrote that we actually need civic literacy first. People aren’t reading newspapers or visiting community websites because they don’t understand that what’s in them affects their lives and those of their neighbors. What we need is to rebuild the infrastructure for local news and to educate the public about why it matters. Recently the Knight Foundation announced a $300 million, fiveyear investment for “reimagining local news, funding tested solutions, experiments and basic research,” according to president and chief executive Alberto Ibargüen. “Local news is the foundation of American democracy,” Ibargüen wrote. “But it’s in crisis. Internet platforms have decimated their business model. The past 15 years have been marked by layoffs and shutdowns, leaving swaths of the country without a broad and common baseline of shared information. When there is no agreement on fundamental facts, misinformation and disinformation proliferates, coursing through social media and search platforms, further eroding our trust in media and in each other.” Maybe the most disturbing aspect of the Pew report was that it measured the wrong thing, because the people who were surveyed didn’t know any better. That’s not their fault. It’s ours. In effect, our own poor efforts are being reflected back at us. So what are we going to do about it?  Dan Kennedy is an associate professor of journalism at Northeastern University and the author of three books, most recently “The Return of the Moguls: How Jeff Bezos and John Henry Are Remaking Newspapers for the Twenty-First Century” (2018). This article was originally published by WGBH News.

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