editor colorado
Official publication of the Colorado Press Association / coloradopressassociation.com / Vol. LXXXVI, No. 8
Meet SYNC2’s new VP of Marketing PAGE 6
August 2015
Convention gets reboot
‘Future growth potential for CPA’
New location, time frame and theme for annual convention Staff report A new place, a new date and a new theme — that is what the 2016 Colorado Press Association annual convention has in store. The convention is moving from the Downtown Denver Westin to the Denver West Sheraton in Lakewood. The timeframe the convention is held is moving from the traditional late February meeting to May 12-14, 2016. And with all the changes to the convention and to the industry, the theme of the 2016 convention is — perhaps fittingly — “Keep Calm and Press On.”
Recommendations made to allow freedistribution, online, monthly publications to be full CPA members
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Staff report After more than two decades, the debate on whether or not free-distribution papers should be allowed to be members of the Colorado Press Association could be resolved. During a five-hour workshop on Aug. 13 in Denver, the Membership Committee — along with a small, but wide range of CPA members from Holyoke to the Denver Post — made a recommendation to change the bylaws to create silos of full membership, including silos for: • Legal Papers • Free-Distribution Newspapers • Online Only • Monthly Publications Legal publications — meaning they meet the standards to produce legals according to Post Office regulations and legislative requirements — are currently the only newspapers allowed to be full CPA members.
See CONVENTION, Page 9
changes to 2015 contest
New time frame and classes are just some changes Staff report The annual contest has too many categories. It needs to be more competitive. The awards show goes on for far too long. This was some of the feedback from Colorado Press Association members who took a recent online survey, and they said they wanted change. In addition, with the 2016 annual convention moving its time frame by nearly two months, the annual Better Newspaper Contest will also have a shift in time frame — about two months.
See MEMBERSHIP, Page 10
See CONTEST, Page 12
NEWS YOU CAN USE
Coming soon: the Colorado e-editor
Question of the month
Starting in September, the CPA members can start receiving the Colorado e-Editor on a biweekly (once every two weeks) basis.
On July 15, 2015, the U.S. Department of Labor issued an interpretative Guidance Memo on the misclassification of employees as independent contractors. Is this memo a game changer, or is this something that has been done frequently before under different names?
The e-Editor will provide more timely updates as well as links to industry trends. If you’re not already on the CPA’s mailing list and want to receive e-Editor updates, email coloradopress@colopress.net
See page 7 for answer
Newspaper readership on rise The Newspaper Association of America recently released a report saying newspapers are in better shape than ever based on extended reach via mobile and digital media. NAA says digital media now reaches eight in 10 people in the United States every month, tallying 176 million adult unique users (March 2015 – up from 164 million in November 2014). The report also said millennials make up the majority of digital newspaper readers (84 percent women, 80 percent men between ages 18-24).
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colorado editor
August 2015
Colorado Newspapers
colorado editor ISSN #162-0010 USPS # 0122-940 Vol. LXXXVI, Issue 8 August 2015
Colorado Editor is the official publication of the Colorado Press Association and is published monthly at 1120 Lincoln St., Suite 912 Denver, CO 80203 p: 303-571-5117 f: 303-571-1803 coloradopressassociation.com
Subscription rate: $10 per year, $1 single copy Staff Jerry Raehal Chief Executive Officer jraehal@colopress.net Board of Directors OFFICERS Chair Terri House The Pagosa Springs SUN terri@pagosasun.com President Keith Cerny Alamosa Valley Courier krcemail56@gmail.com Vice President Bart Smith The Tribune bsmith@greeleytribune.com Treasurer Matt Lubich The Johnstown Breeze mlubich@johnstownbreeze.com Secretary Larry Ryckman The Denver Post lryckman@denverpost.com DIRECTORS Mike Wiggins Grand Junction Daily Sentinel mike.wiggins@gjsentinel.com Beecher Threatt Ouray County Plaindealer beecher@ouraynews.com Lisa Schlichtman Steamboat Pilot & Today lschlichtman@steamboattoday.com Jason Woodside Aurora Media Group jwoodside@aurorasentinel.com Bob Hudson The Pueblo Chieftain bhudson@chieftain.com Matt Sandberg The Summit Daily News msandberg@cmnm.com Periodical postage paid at Denver, CO 80202. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Colorado Editor 1120 Lincoln St., Suite 912 Denver, CO 80203
In the News People on the move People on the move this summer include: Lynn Bartels, political reporter at The Denver Post, who has left that position to become communications director for the State of Colorado’s Republican secretary of state, Wayne W. Williams. After nearly 35 years in journalism, including the Rocky Mountain News (19912009), Bartels took a recent buyout at the Post. At Digital First Media, Editor-inChief David Butler announced he will retire this fall, citing “personal and professional reasons.” Butler will asDAVID sist in the search BUTLER for his replacement for DFM, the secondlargest newspaper group in the country by circulation. Butler took his current post in April 2014. He is a longtime newspaper executive, including editor of the New Haven Register, editor and executive vice president for news for the Los Angeles Daily News, and vice president for news for MediaNews Group.
The ChronicleNews launches fully integrated website The Chronicle-News in Trinidad last month rolled out a fully integrated news website. Said General Manager Allyson Sheumaker in an article in the newspaper, “It’s something we’ve been working on for a long time. It will be another way we can serve our readers and advertisers.” The site will carry electronic editions, unique ALLYSON content, news produced by the news- SHEUMAKER paper’s editorial team, plus state and national news from the Associated Press. The site is integrated with social media, including The Chronicle-News feeds for Facebook and Twitter. Said Editor Eric Monson: “The website is really its own unique publication, but it gives us the opportunity to pull together all we’ve done in the past and what we’re planning to do in the future. It gives us immediacy, right off the bat.” Rather than publishing news once a day, the paper can now break news in minutes, including weather, accidents, crime and sports in whatever medium readers prefer.
What’s new in Colorado news? The Colorado Editor wants to hear from you. We’re on the lookout for news about your staff, publications and businesses for our all-new columns and features in the Colorado Editor – your monthly membership newspaper from Colorado Press Association. Send us your “breaking news” on: • New Hires • Promotions • People Moving On • Anniversaries • Retirements • Contest or Staff Awards & Honors
• New Building or Equipment Projects or Updates • Meetings, Seminars and Training • Community Projects • College-Related News and Events • Industry news that affects you • And any other personal news your staff members might want to share
Send your news items of 150 words or fewer (photo also welcome) to Cheryl Ghrist – cghrist@colopress.net – using subject line “Colorado Editor News.”
Fort Morgan Times hires new reporter Stephanie Alderton has joined the reporting staff of The Fort Morgan Times. Her beats will include agriculture, police, courts and the town of Wiggins. Alderton is a graduate of Metropolitan State University in Denver, earning a bachelor’s degree in journalSTEPHANIE ism to go along with ALDERTON a previous associate of arts degree in creative writing at Arapahoe Community College. Since graduation from Metro State, she has completed internships at Evergreen Newspapers, The Fence Post, the Brighton Standard Blade and the Aurora Sentinel. She grew up in Minneapolis, moving to Aurora in 2008, where her father is the pastor of a small church. “We’re excited to have Stephanie on board … and think she’ll have a great impact on the Morgan County community,” said Times Editor Thomas Martinez in a recent article in the newspaper. “She has a varied background that will play well with a lot of the coverage she will be doing.” Said Alderton: “This is my first opportunity to cover an eventful, diverse small town like Fort Morgan. I can’t wait to get to know the people here and tell their stories.” In her spare time, she enjoys poetry, blogging, baking, watching Netflix and “seeing the world.”
Rio Blanco celebrates 130 years of newspapers On July 12, the Rio Blanco County Historical Society hosted a celebration of 130 years of newspapers in the community.
Among the speakers were Mitch Bettis, owner of The Rio Blanco Herald Times and president of Arkansas Business Publishing Group, and Annette Lyttle, wife of Bill Lyttle, the great-grandson of James Lyttle – who started the first newspaper in the area on Aug. 5, 1885, the same year the Town of Meeker was established. As reported by Ellene Meece in the Herald Times (from “Ropin’ the Past,” by Rich Lyttle, a descendant of the founder and who worked for the newspaper from 1949-1962), James Lyttle was a printer’s apprentice from Pittsburgh who moved to Leadville in the early 1880s, where he worked on a newspaper. Purchasing equipment of his own in 1883 from a defunct paper in Kokomo (near Leadville), he began looking for a place to start his own newspaper. Hearing about the new town of Meeker he headed that way, teaming with John V. Jack Houston (a fellow pressman he’d convinced to come along to Colorado) to publish the first edition of the Meeker Herald on a Washington hand press – now on display along with some of the paper’s original type and type cases in the White River Museum in Meeker. However, without enough revenue to support two staff members, Houston moved on to become Meeker’s postmaster. Lyttle ran the newspaper until his death in 1925. His son, R.G. Lyttle, Sr., published it until its sale to K. James Cook in 1964. The Cooks subsequently sold it in 1992 to Sureva Towler, who had worked for the Washington Daily News and the National Endowment for the Arts. Towler published the paper for just a year, but struggled, and the Cook family came back to revive the newspaper, with publisher Mike Cook. After 18 months, the Cooks sold the paper to Glenn and Donna Troester in 1995, who ran it for the next five years. During that time, the paper was combined with the Rangely Times with two editions, one for Rangely, one for Meeker. Next it was sold to Kerry and Joy Murdock, who a year later sold to the current owners, Mitch and Meg Bettis in March 2001. Along the way, the newspaper made its final name change to The Rio Blanco Herald Times.
Stay up to date at coloradopressassociation.com
colorado editor
August 2015
Q&A
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10 questions with Merle Baranczyk
“You can’t be a newspaper editor in a small town for any period of time without becoming a part of the community.”
By Cheryl Ghrist Contributing Editor This issue, “10 Questions” checked in with Merle Baranczyk, owner of Arkansas Valley Publishing Company and its four newspapers – The Mountain Mail in Salida, Herald Democrat in Leadville, The Chaffee County Times in Buena Vista and The Park County Republican & Fairplay Flume in Bailey – and editor and publisher of The Mail. The storied Mail recently celebrated 135 years of service to the southwest Colorado community, pressing on through various owners, names and pub schedules. Merle and his wife Mary purchased the newspaper in 1978, making some big changes of their own.
Q
You edited a weekly for the Colorado Springs Times group, which went out of business in 1974. The story is that one of your resumes then landed on the desk of The Mail’s owner, and Ken Johnson was impressed enough to hire you as his new editor and publisher. Is that true, and how did you begin your journalism career prior to the Times?
A
When starting my job search when the weekly group I was working for shut down, I found “How to Land an Executive Job” at a library. The book suggested sending out letters to the heads of companies where you wanted a job. I sent out 150 letters, one of them to Ken Johnson. Ken passed the letter on to Ed Walthall, his outside properties director, who hired me. The Mountain Mail at the time was in tough, tough shape. They probably were having some difficulty finding someone to run the paper. I started as the sports editor of The Pulaski News in Pulaski, Wis., as a high-school junior. A year later I was named the editor. The News is a community newspaper for Pulaski, a farm town of about 1,800 near Green Bay. It is put together by the high-school journalism class, one of the few newspapers in the country where high-school kids put out the community paper. It’s still the case today – high-school students still put the paper together, writing, editing and selling ads. In college I wrote and took photos for the student newspaper, graduating from the University of Wisconsin in 1969. With the Marines in San Diego for the next couple of years, I had some great career experiences. After the Marines, I was visiting my sister in Colorado Springs when my ‘60 Olds F85 burned out its transmission on Pikes Peak’s Gold Camp Road. It was either ride out of town on a bike or get a job. I got a job and met and married Mary, who worked for a competing weekly.
Courtesy photo
Mary and Merle Baranczyk at the National Newspaper Association convention in October 2012 in Charleston, S.C., where he became the new NNA president. Established in 1885, the association is the largest newspaper organization in the country.
Q
In 1977, you stopped using wire service news at The Mountain Mail, going to an all-local format, and changed from a broadsheet to a tab. Did you see immediate success from those changes for both the paper and the community, and did that help influence you to buy the newspaper the following year?
A
People kept telling me they wanted more local news. So we dropped the AP and went totally local. People still kept telling me they wanted more local news. What they meant by local, I found out, was small-town gossip news of who was visiting from out of town, etc. But the move saved a considerable amount, funds we put into reporters and covering local news, local news of all types, I should add. At the time we dropped the wire we had already been working at purchasing the newspaper. We’re still an all-local paper. Instead of paying for a wire service, we put that money into the newsroom.
Q
Situated on the Arkansas River, Salida is the county seat and most populous city in Chaffee County.
Founded in 1880, it became a major link on the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad line. After World War II, the railroad influence gave way through the 1970s to ranching and mining work. Today, the focus is on tourism, including skiing, rafting and kayaking, and outfitting. How did that affect your newspaper and the community from the ‘80s on?
A
When mining busted in the 1980s, some 3,100 miners were out of work, including 900 or so in the county. The Upper Arkansas Valley went into an economic depression. Instead of railroads and mining, the valley started mining tourism. The Upper Arkansas is blessed with natural resources, including the Sawatch Range and the Arkansas. With a rich history and a historic downtown, rafting, skiing, fishing and the arts developed over the next three decades. We looked at how we could best serve this market and began publishing seasonal visitor editions. These publications served the market and provided income and stability to our newspapers.
Q
Over the years, how have you seen the relationship with the community and yourself, your family and your newspaper evolve, and what have been the dividends on both sides? And how personally involved have you been?
A
You can’t be a newspaper editor in a small town for any period of time without becoming a part of the community. When Mary and I first came to Salida, the community was leery of a couple of young outsiders. That gradually changed over the years as we became involved in church, chamber, Rotary, centennial committee, fundraising, community-development projects, judicial-nominating committees and arts programs.
Q
After serving as vice president, you were named president of the National Newspaper Association in 2012. In your acceptance speech, you said community newspapers are still a vital force, and that NNA continues to fight on their behalf. What steps did you take as president to do that?
See 10 QUESTIONS, Page 11
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colorado editor
August 2015
$10,000 challenge kicks off Money meant to raise money for scholarship fund Staff report Kicked off by the generous donation of Richard Ballantine, chairman of Ballantine Communications, the Colorado Press Association’s Philanthropic Action Committee is seeking to raise at least $10,000 to help fund the Foundation’s scholarship fund. In March, the Press Association’s Foundation — which is run through the Denver Foundation — awarded out $19,500 in scholarships to six college students and three high school students who had a focus on journalism education. However, due to lack of donations in recent years, the Philanthropic Committee was considering dropping the scholarship offerings from six college students to three, and from three high school students to one or two. In hopes that the Foundation can continue to offer all nine scholarships, Ballantine is donating $5,000 to the scholarship fund to start off the $10,000 challenge. “We’re thrilled Mr. Ballantine made the donation with a focus on the very fabric of the future of journalism — students who want to enter the field,” said Jerry Raehal,
CEO of the Colorado Press Association and SYNC2 Media. “People say the industry is crumbling, but last year we had the largest turnout in scholarship applications in recent history, which shows the interest is RICHARD there, and we want to BALLANTINE be able to continue to foster it. “We would love to raise $10,000. Heck, we would love to raise more. It’s a program that is needed and appreciated.” If you wish to donate online, you can go to www.denverfoundation.org and click the ‘Donate Now’ button at the top of the page. Select the ‘Family, Donor and Corporate Funds’ option on the following page. Under Designation, select Other and key in Colorado Press Association Fund in the field below. If you wish to donate by mail, please make a check out to The Colorado Press Association Fund and send it to: The Colorado Press Association Fund c/o The Denver Foundation 55 Madison Street, Suite 800 Denver, CO 80206 For more details, contact Raehal at jrae-
hal@colopress.net or 720-274-7171. This year’s winners Six college students received $2,500 scholarships, while three high school students received $1,500 scholarships. Recipients, their respective home cities and colleges/universities are: College recipients: Metropolitan State University of Denver – Jhocelyn Avendano, Thornton; Justin Fye, Denver; Jose Salas, Thornton; Colorado State University – Marissa Isgreen, Fort Collins; Colorado Mesa University – Matt Scofield, Grand Junction; University of Colorado Boulder – Jordyn Siemens, Boulder. High School recipients: Anna Blanco, Louisville; Gretchen Cope, Highlands Ranch; Haasini Ravisankar, Boulder.
Other fundraising options
The Philanthropic Action Committee also is raising funds for the Foundation through sales of the recently published book, “Colorado Newspapers: A History & Inventory, 1859-2000.” The book is available for sale — $49.95 not including mailing costs — at www.coloradopressassociation.com/resources. Proceeds, minus binding costs, go to the Colorado Press Association’s Foundation
Funds. Foundation money can be used for scholarships and other educational opportunities. The CPA and the Committee has developed a marketing plan to increase sales on the books, including developing house ads (print and online) that they hope CPA member papers will run. More details are coming. The Committee is also looking at new options to raise funds at the annual convention, which starting in 2016 will be held in May.
About the PAC
The Philanthropic Action Committee meets at least three times a year with a focus on: • Working as the charitable arm of the CPA, focused on educational opportunities that enhance the industry. • Establishing fund-raising mechanisms and projects to be funded. Current committee members include: Committee chair Ralph Loos; Bob Hudson; Dan Petty; Doug Bell; Bob Sweeney and Jean Williams. If you’re interested in joining the Philanthropic Action Committee or any other CPA committee, contact Jerry Raehal at jraehal@colopress.net or at 720-274-7171.
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colorado editor
August 2015
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Keep readers engaged during summer months Summer months bring increased travel and varying schedules for everyone, presenting a challenge to the media enterprises seeking to engage audiences. How do media stay relevant to audiences that are on-the-go? The answer is simple: innovation. Newspapers across Caroline the country have Little dedicated time, dollars and staff to improving their President products to meet the and CEO, NAA changing needs of their audiences. From fresh mobile apps to community events to niche partner sites and products, newspapers are expanding their offerings to better serve readers no matter where they are.
Community-based events and Guides Newspapers are taking advantage of the flexibility in schedules during the summer to plan and host unique events for their local communities. With direct access to their subscribers, newspapers serve as the perfect platform to promote events in their specific markets. For example, for the past six years, the Chattanooga Times Press held She, a two-day Expo for Women that draws attendees of all ages. Vendor booths offering new products and services, free health screenings, cooking demonstrations, entertainment and more are all part of the fun “girl’s weekend,” held each year in July. Similarly, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution leveraged the warm Georgia weather and free popsicles to increase its subscribers’ digital engagement. At its annual Decatur Book Festival, attendees were simply asked to enter their information and register for a digital account to receive a refreshing summer treat. Another example of a summertime community-focused event is The Honolulu StarAdvertiser’s sponsorship of the Hawaii Career Expo, which aims to match qualified applicants with quality companies. The event promotes the newspaper’s commitment to its readers and to overall community advancement. Newspapers in destination locations produce interesting and innovative summer-themed content and products. It is the most obvious way for some newspapers to stay relevant during the season. Summer-themed content and products boost audience and advertising engagement. For example, the Asbury Park Press produces a comprehensive Jersey Shore Summer Guide, filled with all the information Jersey shore goers need to know about restaurants, shopping, entertainment, and activities.
Innovative smartphone and tablet apps More and more people will be tapping their mobile devices this summer, offering more opportunities to capture audience. In fact, just this past spring, the audience engaging with newspaper digital content reached a new monthly high with 176 million unique visitors, according to comScore data from March 2015. The data show that the increased usage of mobile devices contributed significantly to the growth in audience. In fact, those who use only mobile
devices to consume digital newspaper content have increased by an impressive 53 percent in the last year. Understanding that mobile is key to engaging audiences on-the-go, several developed new apps (or updated old ones) to retain current readers and attract new ones. In Southern California, The Desert Sun created a summer playlist on Spotify. Staffers got together to create a list to resonate with readers during the summer. The effort is interactive because readers are asked to share their favorite summertime songs, too. Following the success of The Washington Post’s tablet app, the paper recently announced that it is testing two versions of its mobile site that will aim to provide a linear news experience and give readers a “bundle” of articles that are handpicked by editors, making a user’s experience more customized. The New York Times also updated its NYT Now mobile app. Designed with social media users in mind, the app focuses on curating the top articles across The Times and other outlets. Users can view as many articles as they’d like, free of charge – the app will attempt to generate revenue by building a broad audience to which the paper can sell ads. And earlier this year, USA Today launched a sports app to help fans stay up-to-date on sports news and live sporting events. Readers who download the app also have access to its “Best.Scoreboard.Ever” feature, which aggregates sporting events occurring in real-time and ranks them to help app users determine which events they want to watch.
Niche partner sites and products The digital components of many newspapers are attempting to appeal to specific, targeted audiences through niche partner sites and products. Summer presents a great opportunity for readers to dig deeper into a topic that interests them. An example is The Wall Street Journal’s Logistics Report, a vertical site that launched in late April and focuses on global trade and transportation infrastructure issues. The newspaper’s expertise in this area, combined with its audience’s interest in these issues, is key to success. In addition, since 2013, The Tennessean’s 12th & Broad has collaborated with community partners to create unique events, experiences and stories that showcase Nashville’s creative culture. Members of 12th & Broad receive tickets to its events, home delivery of its quarterly magazine, and a digital subscription to The Tennessean, as well as perks from its various partners. The Dallas Morning News has also found success in appealing to niche markets by utilizing print products. Its award-winning lifestyle magazine FD Luxe offers exclusive content on fashion, art, dining, design, travel and more. It also publishes FD Love, which covers weddings, and FD House, a luxury living magazine. The magazines are specifically designed to appeal to an “onthe-go” audience. As these examples show, the summer—and seasons beyond—can be bright for the newspaper media industry. Niche and digital products allow publications to engage with their readers wherever they are, providing the personalized and immediate information they are looking for while traveling. And with targeted community events, publications can take advantage of the slower pace and beautiful weather to involve the local audience and further increase engagement and customer loyalty.
Metro image
LMA conference coming to Denver CPA members receive discount to attend Two great opportunities are coming to Denver for CPA members this fall, according to a press release. First, the Local Media Association’s Tech Expo is being held in partnership with the Local Media Consortium. And, second, LMA is holding its major Innovation Conference – Media 3.0 – right on the heels of the Tech Expo. First, the Local Media Tech Expo is free to local media executives. This will take place on Sep. 28 and 29 and will feature up to 50 of the most progressive R&D partners in the industry. The expo will feature programming on the floor from various revenue stages as well as tours, demos and one-on-one meeting times. For more information, visit localmedia. org/technology. Second, there is the Local Media Innovation Conference – Media 3.0. The CPA’s sponsorship means reduced rates for CPA members. This conference — Sept. 30 to Oct. 1 — is all about transformation. A keynote address from Innovation Media Consulting VP & Partner Juan Señor will outline the top takeaways from WAN–IFRA’s” Innovation in World News Media” Report. The day two keynote features Mashable, Yelp and Yahoo! in a
session that focuses on “Creating Cultures of Experimentation, Accountability and Scale.” In addition, the conference will have two tracks to choose from – one track is all about company transformation case studies. There will be transformation case studies from The Victoria Advocate, Scripps (broadcast), The McClatchy Company and Cox Media. All sure to inspire. A separate track is dedicated to sales and sales management issues such as training, analytics and arming your sales force for success. Along with this, both tracks will feature debates. There will be debates on separate vs. integrated sales teams and separating digital and traditional duties in newsrooms. And finally, there will be one-on-one meetings with media buyers representing 17 major retailers (meetings scheduled on first-come, first-serve basis). The best part? CPA members can attend for LMA member prices. For more information, visit localmedia.org/innovation. For more information contact Peter Conti, Sales and Marketing Director, Local Media Association at 804-360-9434 or peter.conti@localmedia.org.
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colorado editor
CPA attorney appointed to police body-cam group By Jeff Roberts CFOIC Steve Zansberg, attorney for the Colorado Press Association and president of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, has been appointed to serve on a new state committee that will study and report on issues related to the use of body-worn cameras by police officers in Colorado. The study group, assembled by STEVE the Colorado ZANSBERG Department of Public Safety, is mandated by HB 151285, which also establishes a grant program to help law enforcement agencies purchase body cameras, train officers and manage the video data. The 15-member panel will study policies and best practices throughout the nation and make recommendations on questions such as when cameras must be turned on and off, when to require notification that a camera is in use and when another person’s consent is necessary. Other questions involve public access to recordings and for how long those videos should be retained. The new law requires that one panel member represent an organization that advocates for government transparency. Zansberg, a partner in the law firm of Levine Sullivan Koch & Schulz, recently helped draft the Media Law Resource Center’s model policy on public access to recordings made by police bodyworn cameras. “I believe that with certain limited and justified exceptions, the public interest is strongly advanced by public inspection of records that memorialize peace officers performing their official public functions,” Zansberg said. The first meeting is scheduled for Aug. 25. The panel’s report is due Mar. 1, 2016.
August 2015
Getting to know DOUG HAY SYNC2 Media’s new VP of Marketing to take the wheel
D
oug Hay started as SYNC2 Media’s VP of Marketing on July 20 — and then promptly got in a car and traveled the Western Slope meeting with member newspapers to learn more about their needs and taking part in Regional Trainings.
“Doug brings a great passion for advertising and news industry,” said Jerry Raehal, CEO of SYNC2 Media and Colorado Press Associaiton. “In the short time he’s been here, he’s already looking at many long-term plans that will benefit both CPA member papers and SYNC2 Media.” SYNC2 Media is the for-profit affiliate of the CPA. Hay has more than 20 years of successful sales, sales management and marketing experience. Fifteen of those years were spent in the media industry working for regional Colorado companies BizWest Media and Lehman Communications. Hay also spent 9 years with the Gannett Corporation serving as an award winning Classified Advertising Manager for the Fort Collins Coloradoan. In his free time, he enjoys running, playing all sports, listening to live blues music and spending time with his wife Kathryn and his college-aged sons, Griffin and Keaton. WHAT’S YOUR VIEW OF THE NEWSPAPER INDUSTRY AND HOW SYNC2 MEDIA FIGURES IN? There are more media buying options than ever before. Newspapers are still a great buy. We all need to believe that, prove that with case studies and testimonials and share that message to a much broader audience. Aggressive, fact based, informational promotions using readership demographics and success stories will lead the way. SYNC2 provides an efficient way for agencies and direct sales clients (retailers etc) to purchase all of Colorado with one call. We also provide a great revenue stream for CPA member newspapers. Think of SYNC2 as a cross between an additional advertising salesperson on your staff and an evangelist for the 21st century newspaper. YOU’VE WORKED IN AND OUT OF THE NEWSPAPER INDUSTRY. WHAT DOES THE WORK YOU DID OUTSIDE OF THE INDUSTRY HELP YOU WITH SYNC2? I successfully launched four new products during my time outside the industry. I learned how to leverage current technologies to connect more quickly with business to business prospects as well as how to optimize those tools to increase the visibility of the product or service I was offering.
SYNC2 will implement a number of those techniques to increase our visibility among our target audiences. YOU’VE MET WITH SEVERAL NEWSPAPERS ALREADY. WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM THOSE MEETINGS? Everyone is hungry for new revenue producing ideas. And, surprisingly, SYNC2’s services are not well known within a number of papers. We will help remedy that by holding monthly Ad Manager forums where ideas can be shared. We will also begin ad sales training seminars that will run the gamut from AD Sales 101 to selling digital. You may even grow tired of hearing from us as our communications to member papers will increase substantially over the next few months. WHAT’S YOUR SHORT-TERM AND LONGTERM GOALS FOR SYNC2 MEDIA? Short term goals are to increase the visibility and awareness of SYNC2’s offerings among all of our audiences — member newspapers, agencies, direct sale client and even other press associations. We will leverage that increased visibility into more active accounts buying into all of our member papers. Long term goals are to position SYNC2 Media as a thought leader in media sales and as the “go to” vendor of choice among agencies and companies looking to reach the desirable demographics of our member papers’ audiences. WHAT DO YOU THINK THE GREATEST BENEFIT SYNC2 MEDIA HAS TO OFFER? We offer exposure to agencies and direct clients for papers of all sizes. The penetration rates of smaller market papers within their communities are high; a fact that agencies and larger advertisers often overlook . So SYNC2 presents all of the available markets to those prospects. For those member papers willing to participate, we offer revenue enhancement through our statewide network program also. I’m looking forward to getting all of our members up to speed and on board with these great programs.
colorado editor
August 2015
National FOI Summit coming to Denver Registration is open for the 2015 national FOI Summit, to be held at the Curtis Hotel in Denver on Oct. 9-10. The “open government” portion of the two-day conference, co-sponsored by the National Freedom of Information Coalition (NFOIC) and the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition (CFOIC), is on Saturday and will feature panels on issues related to police body-worn cameras, government emails and open data. Most of Friday’s panels will focus on organizational matters for NFOIC-members such as the CFOIC. A Saturday-only conference rate of $75 is available for those who register by Sept. 1. The price includes the NFOIC’s “Hall of Fame Luncheon,” which honors “an individual who has left a legacy at the state and local level for their service, accomplishments and contributions to keep state and local government records and meetings open and accessible to residents.” SATURDAY’S AGENDA: Policing the Police: Should police body-cam videos be publicly available? Do citizens have the right to record police conduct? What redaction policies and procedures should occur? What are the challenges to store and maintain the digital files? Can the public access police internal affairs reports? When do records become public during/after an investigation and why? Hall of Fame Luncheon and Keynote Speaker (TBA) Here Today, Gone Tomorrow: What use is a robust public records act if the emails, texts, and other digital records “self-destruct” before the public can even ask to see them? Or where shoddy record keeping puts a financial burden on the petitioner to access and view
these records? If the digital files are stored outside of government servers, what rights do citizens have to access those public records? How can you challenge a denied response where the records custodian claims their search turned up nothing to meet your criteria? Why the inconsistencies across jurisdictions for the same type of records requests? OpenData – No Need to Ask: FOI and OR requests are expensive, time-consuming and often frustrating – sometimes for both sides. Proactive open data policies and procedures can make access to public information cheaper and easier for everyone. A consistently applied definition of a “data set” including what is available right now from public agencies, to what is being (digitally) generated each day by agencies and organizations, determining what data should be public and how it should be made more accessible, will take a dedicated effort from public organizations and members of the public. The need to work together on policies and practices that create and complement best practices to collect, organize, manage and report public information can result in win-win results for both record custodians and record petitioners. Both public organizations and the FOI community must share an understanding of what open data is most useful and how to make it cost- and time-affordable for the public to access it. The full agenda is at http://www.nfoic.org/2015-foisummit-agenda. More details will be added soon. Register at http://www.nfoic.org/register-2015-foisummit. Those needing a hotel room can make reservations at the Curtis until Sept. 8 at the special conference rate of $139/night.
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question of the month On July 15, 2015, the U.S. Department of Labor issued an interpretative Guidance Memo on the misclassification of employees as independent contractors. Is this memo a game changer, or is this something that has been done frequently before under different names? The following is a memo from the Zinser Law Firm about the Department of Labor's Guidance Memo and its potential impact on newspapers. Note: Nothing in this Legal Q&A should be relied upon as legal advice in any particular matter. The DOL’s new Guidance Memo is potentially a real game changer. It is part of the administration’s overall war against independent contractors. One has to always keep in mind that organized labor hates independent contractors. The current administration is very pro-union. This Guidance Memo is doing the bidding of labor unions everywhere. The message is consistent with the new position on independent contractors adopted by the National Labor Relations Board in a recent case involving Federal Express drivers in Connecticut. The NLRB’s Decision attempts, by stealth, to impose a single factor test: “Does the Publishing Company have greater bargaining power than an individual contractor?” That is really stretch-
ing the law. This Guidance Memo tries to stretch the definition of “employee.” It also focuses on economic dependence of the individual contractor. Disturbingly, it places very little value on the intention of the parties. It is clear to this writer that the DOL is going to take the position that most individuals are employees – not independent contractors. However, the DOL Guidance Memo is inconsistent with much of current case law supporting independent contractor status. Fortunately, for the newspaper industry, there is an exemption under Section 13(d) of the Fair Labor Standards Act. If an individual is engaged in the delivery of newspapers to the consumer, he/she is exempt from the minimum wage, overtime, and child labor provisions of the Act. Unfortunately, that exemption does not help with other types of contractors. Buckle your seatbelt and get ready for a rocky ride with the DOL’s new interpretation on independent contractors for purposes of the FLSA.
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colorado editor
August 2015
‘Watchdog Workshop’ in Fort Collins
Be a FOI machine with the FOI Machine FOIA Machine, an easy way for people to file and track freedom-of-information requests, is now available via the Colorado Freedom of Information of Coalition thanks to a new partnership. The National Freedom of Information Coalition teamed up with FOIA Machine to provide the free service to the CFOIC and other NFOIC-affiliated organizations around the country. The technology helps users prepare, file and track FOI requests to public agencies at the federal, state and local levels
following the applicable laws of a specific jurisdiction. After creating an account, requesters can use either an email-like form or a guided wizard. FOIA Machine emails those FOI officers selected by a user, and it allows a user to track the status of his or her requests as well as agency response times. It also lets a user create a template for sending the same request to multiple agencies. When creating a request, you can choose
to make it public or keep it private. Public requests can be searched and viewed by other users. “NFOIC members’ knowledge and expertise is vitally important in helping citizens navigate public records laws,” said FOIA Machine Project Manager Coulter Jones. “We’re excited all FOIA Machine users will now benefit from NFOIC’s expertise and that this platform can help NFOIC members access public records.”
Investigative Reporters & Editors — more commonly known as IRE — is holding a special Watchdog Workshop on Sept. 25-26 in Fort Collins. “Get the tools and the tricks of the trade that you need to be a better, faster, watchdog journalist,” according to a news release. Register early as space is limited. This training will offer several of IRE’s core sessions that will improve a reporter’s ability to find information on the Web quickly, and point to key documents and data that will help him or her add depth to the daily work and produce quick-hit enterprise stories. In addition, this workshop provides tips on bulletproofing stories, digging deeper on the Web with social media, search engines and much more. These sessions are designed for reporters, editors, and producers from small, midsize and large publications, TV, radio stations, Web-only news sites and news blogs. Freelancers, students and journalism educators are also encouraged to attend. IRE’s experienced trainers and a group of veteran reporters will be at the Watchdog Workshop on Sept. 25 at the Fort Collins Coloradoan in the community room. An optional Computer-Assisted Reporting Training Session is offered Sept. 26 morning at Colorado State University in Clark A-70. Attendees in this hands-on workshop will learn how to use Excel, a powerful electronic spreadsheet for deadline and beat reporting on budgets, salaries, election data and more. Also, learn how to dig deeper using the Internet and find valuable datasets for stories. Class size is limited; register early to reserve a seat on a first-come, first-served basis. Go to https://www.ire.org/events-and-training/ event/2136/ To get directly to the registration site for nonIRE members, go to https://irenicar.wufoo.com/ forms/watchdog-workshop-fort-collins-co/ . If you have any questions about the event, feel free to contact Tricia Morgan, the event coordinator for IRE. She’s at 573.884.7556 or tricia@ire.org.
colorado editor
August 2015
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marketplace WINNEMUCCA PUBLISHING SEEKS A HANDS ON EDITOR WINNEMUCCA PUBLISHING SEEKS a hands on Editor to manage the editorial departments. Previous writing experience required. Pre-employment drug screening. Email resumes to hrjames@winnemuccapublishing. net.
WEB PRESS OPERATOR The Sheridan Press is accepting applications for a web press operator. The Sheridan Press is a six-day daily (afternoons and Saturday mornings) newspaper with a commercial print operation that is dedicated to customer service and good printing. We have a 10unit Goss Community web press with SSC folder and q-fold. We have excellent benefits including health and dental insurances, profit sharing, life and disability insurances, paid vacations and more. Sheridan County, Wyoming offers the best outdoor recreational opportunities in Wyoming. The Bighorn Mountains are minutes from town as is the Tongue River Canyon, Lake DeSmet and all of the opportunities for fishing, hunting, hiking, backpacking, snow machining and skiing in the Bighorn National Forest. Send your letter, application and resume to: Becky Martini, Human Resources becky@thesheridanpress The Sheridan Press; P. O. Box 2006 144 E. Grinnell Sheridan, WY 82801 www.thesheridanpress.com
SEEKING REPORTER TO JOIN HOLYOKE ENTERPRISE TEAM Full-time reporting position open at The Holyoke Enterprise, an award-winning weekly newspaper in Northeast Colorado. Team Enterprise is looking for an addition to the young, well-experienced staff in this county-seat community. Beat includes community news, sports, school and local government. Responsibilities also include photography, pagination, proofreading. Cameras provided. Some evening and weekend work. Contact publisher Brenda Brandt 970-854-2811 (office) or 970-466-3150 (cell). Email résumé and writing samples to bbholent@chase3000.com
CONVENTION Continued from page 1
Why a new location
In recent years, the convention has been held at the Westin Hotel in Downtown Denver, and two more years were remaining on the contract with the Westin. However, construction at the hotel scheduled for February 2016 made hosting the convention at the downtown Denver location impossible. The construction problem broke the contract with the Westin for 2016 but not 2017. The Westin agreed if the CPA signed a new contract with one of its sister hotels for the next two years, it would relinquish the 2017 contract. Enter the Sheraton Denver West. After reviewing several of proposals from hotels, the CPA convention committee agreed to host the convention at the Sheraton Denver West, where it will be conducted in 2016 and 2017. The Sheraton Denver West was the most affordable option for both the CPA and for members who plan to attend, but it is still a high-end hotel. Parking is free, and room rates for those attending should be less — $125 in 2016 and $129 in 2017. It also offers a lower food and beverage minimum as well as lower food costs, so attendees should be able to get more and the CPA will pay less. “If we ordered the same food and beverage as last year, it would save us about $10,000,” said Jerry Raehal, CEO of the Press Association. It offers several close by dining options, as well as access to the light rail for those who want to travel to downtown Denver. The CPA will likely have the entire convention space to use, and all of it on the same
floor. “I’ve been to the Sheraton West and it is a nice hotel that could serve our needs,” said Jason Woodside, Aurora Sentinel ad manager and Convention Committee member.
Locations moving forward
The issues with the Westin contract were timely for the CPA, as a recent online survey of CPA members showed the majority of membership would like the convention to move around. While the convention is at the Sheraton the next two years, that doesn’t mean it will remain in Denver in the future as 60 percent of those surveyed said they would like the convention to move around the state. The CPA Board of Directors approved a motion at its June board meeting to give the convention committee the ability to do just that, though the preference is that the convention be held in Denver every other year, and travel to other cities in the state during the other years. But if the rates in Denver are exceedingly high, this gives the convention committee the ability to take the convention where the rates will be reasonable and attendance is expected to be high.
Why a new date
The annual convention has historically been held in Denver during February so it could run in conjunction with the legislative session, and the convention was expected to remain at the Westin Hotel in downtown Denver through the 2016 and ‘17 conventions. One concern about hosting the convention in February is it limits attendance because of weather concerns.
Nearly 20 percent of members who registered for the 2015 convention did not attend, mostly because of a snowstorm during the convention. More than 60 percent of those who took the survey said they wanted the time of year the convention was held changed, signifying that April or May would be the top choices. At its June board meeting, the CPA Board of Directors voted to move the convention to either late April or early May in 2016 and moving forward. The new schedule is based on the annual convention being held in conjunction with the first Friday in May — other than on the years that would cause Mother’s Day to be the same weekend (like in 2016). On the years it would be the same week as Mother’s Day, the plan is to move the convention forward or back a week. In 2017, the convention would be May 4-6; in 2018, May 3-5; in 2019, May 2-4, etc. There was some concern about how this would affect the annual meeting, which has historically been held with the annual convention; however, the CPA bylaws state that the Board of Directors can move the annual meeting at its discretion.
‘Press On’
This year’s convention theme is “Keep Calm and Press On,” — a trendy phrase based on a motivational poster from World War II — and will focus on how the term ‘Press’ is changing. “We’re looking at bringing in some great speakers who can talk to all kinds of issues with newspapers,” Raehal said. “We saw a large increase in attendance last year, and we were told a lot of that was due to the strong speaker line-up. We hope to continue bringing a great convention, and we think the changes of location and timeframe with a focus on our changing industry will help us accomplish that.”
Denver Post honored for digital news efforts The Denver Post was recently honored with the prestigious 2015 National Murrow Award for overall excellence for large online organizations from the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA). The Post competed against newspapers such as The Washington Post, the San Jose Mercury News and The New York Times, and also won in two other categories, news series and sports reporting. The RTDNA website posted the winning Den-
ver Post multimedia package, “State of Hope,” detailing the use of a liquid form of marijuana for ill children, with reporting by John Ingold, photography by Joe Amon, and videography by Lindsay Pierce. The winning Post news series was “Mental Health in Colorado,” about the failings of the state mental health system, with reporting by Jennifer Brown, photos by Craig F. Walker, and videos by Mahala Gaylord and the newspaper’s video staff. The sports reporting winner was “Bridal Veil Falls
Ascent,” about paraplegic climber Sean O’Neill’s ascent of the frozen falls, with reporting by Jason Blevin, video by Helen Richardson and editing by Eric Lutzens.The Post previously has won national Murrow honors, but this marks its first overall excellence honor. Since 1971, the awards have been regarded as broadcasting’s version of the Pulitzer Prize. The awards will be officially handed out at a gala on Oct. 12 at Gotham Hall in New York City.
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colorado editor
MEMBERSHIP Continued from page 1
August 2015
5 1
“Change is difficult,” said Bryce Jacobson, Greeley Tribune general manager and Membership Committee chairman, as to why it has taken so long to build consensus on such changes. “Our industry has experienced a major change over the past decade, prior to this change the prosperity that we experienced was good, really good and many of our members wanted to sustain that for as long as they could.” But change to the membership criteria was needed to reflect a transitioning industry and for the future of the CPA itself. “Future growth potential for CPA is the biggest benefit of the Silo format,” said Vincent Laboy, the Montrose Daily Press publisher and Membership Committee member. “For too many years we have tried to add members to our organization and forced them to all fit under the banner of traditional, legal newspapers. If we are going to execute on the boards’ direction of being more inclusive, we have to have a way to add memberships standards and guidelines that fit with different media formats.” The proposed criteria to become a full-member is to publish a certain frequency — daily, weekly, or monthly depending on the silo — and produce a certain amount of editorial to advertising ratio on regular basis — no more than 75 percent advertising. The committee’s recommendation is to eliminate the associate level all together “The biggest benefit (to eliminating the associate level) that I see is that now people are either members or they are not,” Laboy said. “There were so many discussions about what benefits each tier gets and what they shouldn’t. In the end most everyone on our committee was in agreement that membership has to have commitment.” CPA staff is developing the proposed bylaw changes to be reviewed by legal counsel and then the board of directors at its Sept. 11 Board Meeting. After review, the board will need to decide if it wants to hold a special meeting to propose the bylaw changes to go into effect in 2016, or wait until the 2016 annual meeting, moved to May this year, to go into effect in 2017. According to the CPA bylaws, “This Association may amend or annul all or part of these by-laws at any annual or regularly called special meeting, but no change shall be made unless the official call for such meeting, issued 30 days prior to the meeting, shall state that such changes will be considered, and shall give generally the purport and tenor of such proposed changes, along with the recommendation of the by-laws committee. Amendments to these by-laws may be adopted only by a twothirds vote of the Regular Members present, in person or by proxy.” With the proposed format, more silos can be added as needed depending on the Association’s direction in the future. The recommendation is the CPA keeps the business membership category, but change it to “associate ally,” and it would be open to businesses that support the news industry, but not newspapers. The Association would still retain memberships for individu-
“The old structure was out of date and in some cases unfair,” Jacobson said. “The national rate portion of the rate structure is out of date alone. Non-dailies don’t get national advertising very often, and hence their dues are larger than they should be, dailies rarely get to charge MORE MEMBERSHIP TYPES: the national rate any more so The Membership Committee has made a it really isn’t applicable any recommendation to change the CPA bylonger.” laws to create silos of full membership, There is also concern about the amount of money the including silos for Legal Papers, FreeCPA loses each year. At the Distribution Newspapers, Online Only 2014 annual meeting, the Publications, and Monthly Publications membership voted to change the dues structure and it was noted that the dues should NO MORE ASSOCIATE LEVEL: cover the costs of the CPA The committee’s recommendation is to services. eliminate the associate level all togethBut when CPA staff did a pro forma in 2015 on what er, meaning you are either a full memthat would look like, it meant ber of the CPA or not a member. that CPA members would have a 41% rate increase — a number that the commitNEXT STEPS: tee felt was too high to ask At this point, the recommendation is membership to pay. just that. Bylaw changes first have to be The thought process is if more people are at regular accepted by the CPA Board of Directors rates, the CPA would be at its Sept. 11 meeting, and then apable to better serve all of the proved again by the full membership. membership while at the same time, making the loss the CPA faces less severe. NEW DUES: At the Aug. 13 meetThe CPA staff is working on proposing, the committee did not als for new membership dues, some of approve a recommended which include potential discounts. Produes structure, but did give direction for CPA staff to posals are scheduled to be presented to look into prior to the Sept. the CPA Board at the Sept. 11 meeting. 11 CPA Board meeting so it can be voted on. Recommendations will likely include MONEY MATTERS: potential discounts for newsThough not part of its charter, the compapers that upload a digital paper to the CPA’s digital mittee is also asking the SYNC2 Board archive through NewzGroup, of Directors to increase the holdback participate in the network the CPA’s for-profit affiliate takes from programs, and/or are part of 10 percent to either 15-20 percent to group ownership. help offset losses. The committee is Though it was not part of also asking the SYNC2 Board to look at the committee’s charter, the who the for-profit affiliate sells advercommittee strongly encourtising into. ages the SYNC2 Board of Directors to consider increasing the holdback commission for newspapers from als and retired executives. Entering the Aug. 13 meeting, the biggest 10 percent to 15 or 20 percent for SYNC2 Media, the for-profit advertising subsidiary concern about changes to the membership of the CPA. criteria centered on public notices. The “Obviously no paper wants to give a question was would a CPA membership larger holdback,” Laboy said. “However, in change have implications on who could doing the math, most papers will still make receive legal notices. their membership dues back, even with the In a survey conducted by the National increased holdback. Combine that fact with Association Managers, 16 of 35 press associations that took part in the survey stated all the other benefits members get, who wouldn’t want to be a member?” they had full membership available for freeThe committee also wants the SYNC2 distribution newspapers, and most of them Board of Directors to look at how it sells to reported that while there have been some members and non-members of the CPA. questions about which papers can receive Currently, the placement fee is the same. public notices, its been rare and not conThe SYNC2 Board of Directors approved sidered a major issue. It seems more like an at its June board meeting to have a higher internal issue rather than a legislative one. holdback for non-members, which is being Those who voted in favor of the proreviewed by an attorney. The committee also posed changes include: Brenda Brandt, Bob wants the SYNC2 Board to consider selling Sweeney, Merle Baranczyk, Vincent Laboy, to only CPA members, an issue that was Al Manzi, Christine Moser, Reid Wicoff, divided during the Aug. 13 meeting. Matt Lubich, Keith Cerny, and Samantha There are issues that still need to be Johnston. There were no nay votes. worked through, but Jacobson said he was proud of the work done by the Membership Committee. “I am excited that this group got together. The Membership Committee originally Representatives from the largest daily and began meeting monthly this year to figure out another decades old-problem — coming one of the smallest non-dailies and everything in between got in a room and didn’t up with a new dues structure. leave until a solution was found,” he said. The old dues structure was a complex “I am sure there might be changes to the formula based on national advertising rate basics of our proposal but it is well thought and circulation. out and ready to be applied.”
takeaways to be aware of
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About ‘due’ time
Nobody wins a turf war This story has a cast of five characters: 1. The advertising sales person worked hard to build relationships with clients, learn their objectives and develop marketing plans. Since he had previously worked as a copywriter at an ad agency, he had unique marketing insights. 2. The graphic designer saw herself as an artist, and indeed had impressive design skills. However, she had no contact with advertisers. Her goal was to make each ad John a work of art. She Foust resisted suggestions and acted like she was threatened by others’ knowledge of ad design and creativity. 3. The advertising director managed the sales person and the graphic designer. Her goal was to oversee ad revenue. She wanted everyone to do their jobs, follow the rules, keep quiet, leave her alone and make money for the paper. 4. The big entity in the background was the corporate newspaper office, which had ironclad policies for its newspaper properties. In their minds – and in their employee manual – sales people sell and creative departments create. 5. The advertiser in the story had little confidence in the ads the paper created for him. Although the ads looked good, they didn’t produce the results he needed. As a result, he was seriously considering cutting back – or not renewing – his ad contract with the paper. Tensions had been building for several months. The inevitable collision was set off when the advertiser approved a series of ads which were proposed by the sales person. When the graphic designer saw the layouts – with copy written, type specified and illustrations selected – she hit the roof and complained to the ad manager. It was the classic case of a complainer and a person who wants the problem to disappear. In the interest of a quick fix, the ad manager told the sales person to “stop being creative.” What happened in the end? The sales person found another job. The ad manager eventually left the advertising industry, after experiencing nearly 100 percent turnover in the sales department. The advertiser took his advertising elsewhere. The graphic designer celebrated the hollow victory of regaining control of the paper’s creative product, but lost the chance to develop ads for that advertiser. So in reality, everybody lost. In today’s competitive advertising environment, it is crucial for sales and creative departments to work together. If sales people have unique creative talents, encourage them to use those skills in developing ad campaigns. And if graphic designers are particularly effective in explaining creative techniques, encourage them to talk with advertisers who want inside information on the production of their ads. It’s called teamwork. What would have been the right approach? In my opinion, the ad manager was in position to come up with a solution. She could have seen the conflict as an opportunity to challenge a bad company policy. And she could have encouraged everyone on her staff – not just the two at the center of the controversy – to bring their talents to their jobs. Tire pioneer Harvey Firestone once said, “The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.”
colorado editor
August 2015
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10 QUESTIONS Continued from page 3
A
In 2010-2011, NNA’s marketing committee had developed the “We Believe in Newspapers” marketing campaign, so this was a logical extension of NNA. The NNA president does a considerable amount of traveling to state press associations, so on our visits Mary and I took the marketing campaign with us. While metro newspapers had taken a big hit with the economy tanking in 2009-2011, newspapers – in all their forms and with all their tools – were doing substantially better. In small-town America, newspapers were then and still are, without question, the number one and in some cases the only source of a community’s news. In communities like Salida and thousands of others across the country, the newspaper is the source of news, where readers look for news that’s fair, accurate, objective, timely and complete. Small-town radio news today typically consists of the “news” director picking up the local newspaper and reading it. This was NNA’s message, that community newspapers remained a vital force in the communities they served. And that message continues today. Community newspapers have and are incorporating digital tools but their main effort remains covering the news of their towns, schools, hospital districts and counties, etc.
Q
You set a goal of increasing NNA membership by 10 percent, saying it was imperative to increase the ranks in order to continue to represent community newspapers in Washington. How did that drive turn out, and what progress has been made regarding Capitol Hill?
A
One of the key responsibilities of NNA presidents is working to expand membership. Membership dues account for something like 80 percent of its revenues. We set a goal to increase membership but did not reach the goal that year, though the year after we did see a healthy increase. In 2013, NNA’s We Believe in Newspapers Summit, in Washington, D.C., drew some 120 people from across the country to take newspapers’ message to Capitol Hill. At the time, the U.S. Postal Service had announced a deal with Valassis (a direct mail media and marketing services company) that threatened newspapers’ revenues. At the same time, the USPS had announced it was consolidating its mail centers such as ones in Salida, Alamosa, Durango and Colorado Springs. NNA is the only entity that lobbies on behalf of community newspapers in Washington and it’s the only organization that battles the USPS for newspapers’ interests. For these two reasons alone, every community newspaper in the country should be an NNA member.
Q A
Do you have mentors or co-workers who have influenced you during your journalism career?
My high-school journalism teacher, Bernard Olejniczak, was my first mentor. His values and leadership got me started in the business. Ed Walthall, who hired me, provided knowledge of how to read financials and what was most important: circulation and the cash in your bank account. My boss in Colorado Springs, Bill James, helped us structure the purchase of The Mail. At the time, we had been looking at a partnership to buy the paper. But one of the supposed partners, a CPA, looked at the books and said the paper wasn’t worth investing in. Bill showed us how we could do it and laid out the scenario. We followed it and it worked.
Q A Q A
The National Newspaper Association’s 129th Annual Convention & Trade Show, Oct. 1-3, 2015, will be at the Embassy Suites Hotel in St. Charles, MO, just eight miles from the St. Louis Airport (STL). The room rate is $139 plus tax per night, and the hotel is located adjacent to the St. Charles Convention Center, where all the meetings will take place.
Check out the three-day program at
http://nnaweb.org/convention
www.HistoricStCharles.com
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Q A
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colorado editor
CONTEST Continued from page 1 The Contest Committee has listened and made changes, including how to make the contest more competitive. Here are 10 things to know about those changes:
TIME FRAME FOR 2015 CONTEST EXTENDED The contest period for when entries can be submitted will be from Sept. 1, 2014 to Oct. 31, 2015, which adds two months to the 2015 contest for one year. The 2016 contest will run Nov. 1, 2015, to Oct. 31, 2016, to bring the contest back to an annual cycle.
LATER DATE TO SUBMIT ENTRIES Historically, newspapers submitted entries into the contest starting in September. Entries for the 2015 contest will be accepted from Nov. 9 through Dec. 15. CPA members will be notified of the names of award winners — but not their places — in March 2016.
FEWER CLASSES TO COMPETE IN In the survey, members said they would like fewer classes in which newspapers could compete in order to make the contest more competitive. There are currently 10 contest classes based on circulation — five weekly classifications, four daily, and one monthly. The new breakdown has eight classes members — four weekly, three daily
August 2015 classifications and one monthly classification. The CPA Board of Directors is scheduled to look at different classification proposals at its Sept. 11 board meeting.
will be changed to simply “online video,” and moving “online video interview” into that category. Best Web Site will be just one category instead of six. Two categories were added: Best medium sized ad, and Best large ad.
LOWER ENTRY FEES WITH EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION
MORE ENTRIES PER PAPER
Fees for this year’s contest have been lowered to $5.50 per entry if turned in by Dec. 7 — a savings of $1.50 per entry over last year’s entry fees. On Dec. 8 fees will be $7.50 per entry. It should be noted, the CPA tried this last year, and it did not work due to system errors. Those errors should be fixed.
EASIER PAYMENT METHOD The 2015 contest will feature an online payment option so members who want to pay by credit card can. Members also can still pay by check if they want.
FEWER CATEGORIES The majority of the CPA membership stated they wanted fewer categories in the contest in the survey. The 2014 contest had 64 categories members could enter. This year’s contest will have 49 total categories. Eliminated categories include: editorial cartoon, public service, editorial layout and design, best web promotion, best ad slogan, best circulation promotion, best advertising layout and design, and online breaking news update. Other changes include combining health enterprise and feature into one category, and business enterprise and feature into one category. Online “breaking news or non-deadline video”
In most categories, the maximum number of entries per paper per category is being increased from three to five.
DIFFERENT APPROACH TO AWARDS There will only be first- and secondplace awards in the 2015 contest. Historically, awards were handed out for first, second and third place.
DIFFERENT APPROACH TO SWEEPSTAKES AWARDS There must be at least three papers competing from the same class for a sweepstakes award to be handed out in that specific division — editorial, advertising, photo & design, and/or online. If not, a sweepstakes award for that division — such as Online Excellence — will not be handed out. The reason is to ensure the sweepstakes awards have meaning. Last year, a sweepstakes award in one class was handed out when there was only one entry into that entire division.
WHAT ABOUT AP CONTEST? The Associated Press still plans to have its awards ceremony during the CPA annual convention, but at this point, AP plans to keep the contest period for accepting entries the same.
briefs Small business likes newspaper advertising According to a report from Borrell Associates – “Local Advertising Hits a Tipping Point” – more advertisers are planning to spend more over the next year than five years ago. The report looked at over 7,200 local businesses between Jan. 20-May 1, 2015. Most have fewer than 50 employees, are independently owned, have been in business for more than 10 years, and have less than $2 million in annual revenue. Over 20 percent said they were planning to reduce their newspaper budgets, but half said they planned to spend more for online and mobile advertising. Another 20 percent said they didn’t expect to buy any newspaper advertising. But of the 60 percent who said they would purchase newspaper advertising, most said they were dedicating 20 percent of their total ad budgets to newspapers. The report also noted that the smallest businesses spend the most on print advertising in local newspapers (around 25 percent who earn less than $100,000 per year), and only 10 percent of larger companies (over $2 million annual revenue) will increase their print budgets.
American Journalism Review stops publication After 38 years as a premiere journalism industry magazine, the American Journalism Review (AJR) is ceasing publication. The Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland recently announced it will stop publication, saying it can no longer provide the resources to continue. The website will continue, however, as will access to archives online (www.ajr.org). AJR began in 1977 as the Washington Journalism Review. In 1987 it was donated to the university’s College of Journalism and later renamed. In 2013, the publication cut back from 11 issues per year to three, online-only issues per calendar year.