editor colorado
August 2016
Official publication of the Colorado Press Association / coloradopressassociation.com / Vol. LXXXVII, No. 8
A new sight
for websites
CPA, SYNC2 Media complete website reboots By Joshua Roberts For the Editor Colorado Press Association officials checked off a lingering yet highly important item from the to-do list earlier this month — finish rebooting the CPA and SYNC2 Media websites. The site addresses, www.coloradopressassociation.com and sync2media.com, remain the same, but similarities to the old sites just about end there. “It needed to be done, it was hanging over us,” said Jerry Raehal, CPA chief executive officer. He added, “We feel it will
enhance both CPA and SYNC2 Media by having the two sites essentially combined.” Instead of two separate sites, the two entities now are on the same site, but with specific sections and different information within those sections. He said refurbishing the websites, which had remained basically the same since 2012, was a goal he’d set since taking over at CPA two years ago. The original target was to have it completed by the end of last year, but it got pushed back as other needs emerged. However, after the annual convention in May, attention
went back to the project. “It was, ‘We have to get this done now,’” the CEO said. “It’s been a big project in the last two months.” The website overhaul was spearheaded by TownNews.com, a digital and content management company that has more than 1,600 media clients. “We are delighted to partner with the Colorado Press Association,” said Marc Wilson, TownNews founder and chairman in written statement. “I have personal ties to Colorado journalism as a graduate of the University of Colorado, and
See WEBSITE REBOOT, Page 8
We need you … To join the Online Network There is power in newspaper advertising. And there is power in internet advertising. What happens when you combine them? Simply, the best online advertising option around. Much like their print companions, Colorado Press Association member websites bring a highly desirable demographic: an affluent, educated and engaged audience. They also have a
high trust factor. So for a business looking for the best ROI on online advertising, news websites are premium places. Which is why SYNC2 Media and CPA have worked to bring a Statewide Online Network Advertising program forward — exclusive to CPA members. This program can leverage the power of CPA member pub-
lications to provide both SYNC2 Media and CPA member’s clients the ability to place online advertising on newspaper websites across the state. They will be able to do so with one call and with almost no work to CPA members. All you need to do is join.
See ONLINE NETWORK, Page 8
NEWS YOU CAN USE
YOU’VE GOT MAIL … AND REVENUE
MULTI-FLAG MEMBER RATE DEADLINE
NEW BOARD MEMBER SOUGHT
What if you could increase ad campaigns by $600 or more? Now you can with SYNC2 Media’s value added email service. “Clients’ print budgets are shrinking but their overall budgets are not,” a release states. “Recover that lost revenue your clients are using with other vendors.” SYNC2 Media offers a white-label, digital platform, which includes email blast services, to CPA members. To learn more, contact SYNC2 Media at 303571-5117 or at ads@sync2media.com
CPA members seeking to apply for the new multiflag rate membership dues have until Sept. 14 to turn in application letters for the board to review. The board will use the following criteria to base its decision: common ownership; multiple flags; 40 percent common content. primarily free distribution; same staff; production out of the same office; and contiguous circulation. Groups that receive discount agree to: participate in CDAN, CoSCAN and other network programs; and must upload to the digital archive. Please send letters to CEO Jerry Raehal at jraehal@ colopress.net or to the CPA office (address on page 2). Call 303-571-5117 if you have questions.
The CPA and SYNC2 Media Board of Directors has an opening after Larry Ryckman, of the Denver Post, resigned his position on the board. For more information or if interested, contact CEO Jerry Raehal at jraehal@colopress.net or at 303-571-5117 by 5 p.m. Sept. 9. Ryckman was on the board for several years and was on the executive committee as the board treasurer. Ryckman’s resignation was accepted at the August board meetings. Lisa Schlichtman, of the Steamboat Pilot & Today, who was serving as the board secretary, was named treasurer, and Beecher Threatt, of the Ouray County Plaindealer, was named secretary.
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colorado editor
August 2016
Colorado Newspapers
colorado editor ISSN #162-0010 USPS # 0122-940 Vol. LXXXVII, Issue 8 August 2016
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 President Bart Smith The Tribune bsmith@greeleytribune.com Vice President Matt Lubich The Johnstown Breeze mlubich@johnstownbreeze.com Treasurer Larry Ryckman The Denver Post lryckman@denverpost.com Secretary Lisa Schlichtman Steamboat Pilot & Today lschlichtman@steamboattoday.com Past President Keith Cerny Alamosa Valley Courier krcemail56@gmail.com DIRECTORS Mike Wiggins Grand Junction Daily Sentinel mike.wiggins@gjsentinel.com Beecher Threatt Ouray County Plaindealer beecher@ouraynews.com Jason Woodside Colorado Community Media jwoodside@ coloradocommunitymedia.com Vincent Laboy The Montrose Daily Press vincentl@montrosepress.com Matt Sandberg The Summit Daily News msandberg@cmnm.com Becky Justice-Hemmann Berthoud Weekly Surveyor becky@berthoudsurveyor.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
SYNC2 Media adds new member
Gabbi Steele has joined SYNC2 Media as an advertising assistant. Steele has previous ad department experience via three different internships at the Craig Daily Press and the GABBI Steamboat Pilot & STEELE Today. As an advertising assistant, Steele will work with CPA member papers and SYNC2 clients on insertion orders and ad placement, among other tasks. “We’re excited to have Gabbi as part of our team,” said CEO Jerry Raehal. “She comes highly recommended, and she has already shown she is a quick learner.” Steele can be reached at 720-274-7174 or at ads2@sync2media.com.
Prairie Mountain Media adds South Platte Sentinel to group The JournalAdvocate, part of the Prairie Mountain Media group, on July 26 announced the purchase of the weekly South Platte Sentinel. For more than 28 years, owners DELINDA Delinda Korrey KORREY and Ken McDowell published 1,472 issues of the Logan County publication that is now the official property of the Journal-Advocate, which noted that all Logan County residents will receive a copy of the Sentinel KEN in their mailboxes MCDOWELL each Wednesday. Said Korrey: "It is with sadness but also with much happiness that we pass the reins of Logan County's weekly community newspaper to a company that has long invested in northeastern Colorado. Our readers and our advertisers have helped make this newspaper a success and when we decided to take a new journey with our lives, it was important to find a purchaser who also cared about our community." McDowell told readers that, "Our very first issue on May 11, 1988, did not go off without a hitch. McIntosh has come out with the new PageMaker program … on that first Tuesday night the software locked up and we had to start that first issue all over from scratch." He added that "we have not missed a Wednesday publication in the 28-plus years," through
"snowstorms, the Flood of '97, computer malfunctions, late-night elections and sports and just about anything else you can imagine that threatened that streak." News Editor Forrest Hershberger, Advertising Manager Sarah Matthews and Production Assistant Callie Marin will stay with the newspaper, but will now work out of the Journal-Advocate office at 504 N. Third St., Sterling, Colo. Korrey and McDowell will also write future columns for the newspaper. The Journal-Advocate is a division of Prairie Mountain Media, owners of newspapers serving Akron, Brush, Burlington, Estes Park, Fort Morgan, Julesburg, Lamar and a total of 17 media companies in the state.
Newsroom changes at The Denver Post Buyouts, retirement and other decisions have changed the editorial landscape for The Denver Post this year. In April, Editor Greg Moore resigned, replaced by Lee Ann Colacioppo on May 31. Soon thereafter, a buyout offer announced in April has resulted in big editorial changes at the major daily newspaper, with 20 people taking that option. On June 20, longtime TV and media columnist Joanne Ostrow announced on Facebook that she was taking the buyout option after more than 32 years at the newspaper. And on June 22, The Post announced JOANNE that Editorial Page OSTROW Editor Vincent Carroll, formerly with the Rocky Mountain News (for 27 years, 19 as editorial page editor), also was part of the buyout roster, replaced by Chuck Plunkett. Carroll joined The Post in 2009, taking VINCENT the editorial page CARROLL job in 2013. His last day at The Post was July 1. A journalism veteran of more than 20 years, Plunkett joined The Post in 2003, reporting on politics and government until becoming politics editor in July 2011. WOODY Other familiar PAIGE names on the buyout list included: Cyrus McCrimmon, photojournalist for both the Rocky Mountain News and The Post; Neil Devlin, longtime prep sportswriter and prep sports editor for The Post; and Irv Moss, veteran sportswriter who retired after 60 years with The Post.
The latest big name to leave was sports columnist Woody Paige, who moved to The Gazette in Colorado Springs as of Aug. 7 after 35 years with The Post. Paige will reportedly be writing two columns a week, in addition to his regular appearances on the ESPN sports talk show, "Around the Horn." Paige joined the Rocky Mountain News as a columnist in the 1970s, moving to The Post in 1981.
Veteran sportswriter Moss retires after 60 years with The Post Chances are if you've read a sports story in The Denver Post in the last, say 60 years, you've read something Irv Moss has written. Moss, who worked as a full-time reporter for the newspaper since spring of 1956, ofIRV MOSS ficially retired on June 24 at the age of 81, although he will continue to contribute reports on the Colorado Rockies' minor league activity through August. Moss was born in Denver and a 1952 graduate of West High School. He attended Colorado A&M in Fort Collins, but left when his father became ill. Moss began his career at The Post in 1953 as a copy boy in the newsroom, distributing wire-service copy and the like to various editorial departments. He left the newspaper two times to do electrician work, but returned Feb. 8, 1956. That spring, Sports Editor Chuck Garrity asked Moss if he'd like to try covering a men's fast-pitch softball league, and he was off and running, hired as a sports writer in June. His first beats included City Park softball, high school sports and Mile High Kennel Club greyhound racing. His Post career was interrupted once more, when he was drafted into the Army in 1957. He was supposed to be in the signal corps, "but when I got to Germany the place I was stationed had a pretty good Army baseball team," said Moss. "I ended up the public information person for the team," contributing stories to the Stars and Stripes office in Stuttgart. Back at The Post in 1960, he began covering prep sports again. He would also write about Air Force and Wyoming college football, the American Basketball Association's Denver Rockets, the NBA Denver Nuggets, the Denver Broncos and the Colorado Rockies. He also worked as a public information officer at 10 Olympic Games, beginning with the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. In recent years, Moss was a general assignment reporter, working on many beats, and wrote a regular feature titled "Colorado Classics." He was the recipient of the Football Writers Association of America's Lifetime Achievement Award this year, and is in the Colorado High School Activities Association Hall of Fame.
colorado editor
August 2016
Q&A
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10 questions with Kelly Rayl
By Cheryl Ghrist Contributing Editor This issue, “10 Questions” checked in with Kelly Kahler Rayl, business manager for the Yuma Pioneer in the city and county of the same name in northeastern Colorado, bordering Nebraska and Kansas. The area is small in population but rich in agricultural history, both farming and ranching. Husband Tony Rayl is the publisher and editor of the Pioneer. They live within the city limits of Yuma, with a view of wheat fields a block away. They have six children (three daughters and a son at home, one son at Front Range Community College in Fort Collins, and their oldest son in Denver, a project manager for JHL Constructors), one grandson, two dogs (Paisley, a Corgi/Shih Tzu, and Miya, a Pit/Boxer) and cat Patches, "our female Garfield." You're from Yuma, went to Yuma High School, Regis Jesuit High School and the University of Colorado-Boulder. What did you study, and how did you come back to the area? I went to Yuma High School, and our children are the fifth generation to live in Yuma County. I studied English, Literature and Media at CU Colorado Springs, University of Phoenix (online) and Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colo. While I was trying to go to school in Colorado Springs, I worked full-time at the Amateur Basketball Office in the Olympic Training Center. I did a little bit of everything in their office, including licensing FIBA (International Basketball Federation) officials. I came home from Colorado Springs because I ran out of money and my boyfriend was a jerk. I landed a job at the public library in Yuma as the Children's Services director (storyteller). Eventually, I moved into the head librarian position. I finally managed to get my B.A. at the University of Phoenix where my credits could all be counted up. I tried for a while to get a Media Specialist degree … kids started coming. When did you start at the newspaper, and what all do you do now? I began working at the Yuma Pioneer in 2008 as the business manager. There are four people employed at the newspaper currently. I'm business manager, advertising, reporter, production and circulation. The only thing I don't do is run the press. Tony Rayl is publisher, editor, reporter, pressman and production. Jim Chouinard is publisher, plant manager, pressman, production. Tonya Graton is compositor and production. We all contribute to the layout and design of the newspaper, but the bulk of the design is by Tony and Jim. The newspaper is owned by Yuma Pioneer Inc. Who is involved in that company, and when did it form? There have been four owners of the business since 1886. The company was formed in 1889. We purchased the paper from the Roger Chance family in 2003. Tony owns the majority of stock, plus Jim and I. Yuma County formed in 1889 (when 13 new Colorado counties were created), after cattle trails were established around 1870, the railroad came through in 1882, and homesteading picked up steam around 1885. When the Yuma Pioneer flag touts it has come out "Every Thursday Since 1886," it shows it was really in the thick of it. What presses or hot-type supplies do you still have (there's a past mention on Facebook about maybe getting one of the old presses working again)?
Above: An artsy portrait of Kelly and Tony Rayl of the Yuma Pioneer. Right: Kelly Rayl in her "UV-free zone, processing plates" in the Pioneer darkroom. Courtesy photos We own and operate our own King Press, and upgraded the plate production to a digital computer to plate system in 2013. The press has been our weakest area of production because it's old. Still runs beautifully with a lot of elbow grease and problem-solving. We can still get parts, have them made at our local machine shop, or come up with a better idea to keep the "Green Monster" running. Weak, but by far one of the best assets of our business. Worth the work. As business manager, you've been the main contact for Colorado Press Association and SYNC2 Media on the ad side for some time. What are the challenges and or advantages of selling advertising in a close-knit community journalism market like yours? Being persistent even when you feel like you are getting nowhere is a challenge. As far as small and closeknit go, yes, it's very traditional. The same businesses over and over are asked to contribute to projects and nonprofit organizations. It's grassroots, and we stay actively involved in the community in many areas.
Yuma is about 3,500 population, in a county of about 10,000. You're surrounded by other small cities and towns, many with their own newspapers: Sterling, Haxtun & Fleming, Holyoke, Wray, Akron, Otis. Is there rivalry or camaraderie among you? Do you ever help each other out on news coverage or anything else? Yes, we do reach out to others for coverage and try to help them out also. As far as rivalry, of course we want to stay competitive. I feel the newspaper in each community is important to support. Newspapers are the most consistent and accurate source of news and history for any geographic location. That might be the librarian in me talking, but even working in the industry I still believe that it's true and an important role.
How do you think web journalism and social media are shaping the newspaper industry, specifically as it pertains to smaller markets such as yours? Wow! That's a big question we have all been trying to answer for a while. Access to information is incredible! The web can reach a great number of people. Being the spot on the web that people look at depends on many different things. The news, your speed, a reliable ISP. Remaining active in all areas is a challenge. Our print subscription list has stayed consistent. Maybe that's a small-town thing.
You have a poll question on your website, such as "Why is there so little interest in being on the city council and voting for city council? Or "Should Apple 'play ball' with the FBI in regards to the San Bernardino shooter's iPhone?" How much interest do you generate from that, and do you do follow-up reporting on the results if it's a hot topic? Not a whole lot of activity there, but if there is, you bet we follow up. Need to listen any way we can, opinion polls, comments on social media, Letters to the Editor, Joe Blow down the street. Always listen.
You offer digital subscriptions all over the world. Do many growing up in the Yuma area stay with you once they're out in the world? Most of our digital subscribers grew up in the area or have family ties. I believe the person that lives the farthest away is in New Zealand. We have print subscribers in New York. Many of the people that live far a way have moved to the digital subscription because the USPS mail takes too long.
Neat desk or not, and what’s hanging on the walls of your office? Not neat. Always seem to have several projects going on at once and I hate to file. We have many paintings by local artists. Many talented artists live here. I also have quite a few watercolor paintings and sculptures that were done by our children. Old pictures of Yuma. Thank-you plaques from various nonprofit organizations.
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colorado editor
August 2016
Colorado Press Women marks Diamond Anniversary Colorado Press Women (CPW) – a statewide organization of journalists, editors, public relations and other professional communicators – recently celebrated the 75th anniversary of its founding. The July 26 program featured presentations about CPW history and the publication of a history of Colorado newspapers. The organization also honored its 2016 Communicator of Achievement, Carol McCandless Anderson. Bob Sweeney, publisher of The Villager newspaper in south metro Denver, was on hand to present CPW with a copy of "Colorado Newspapers: A History and Inventory, 1859-2000" by Jane C. Harper, Craig W. Leavitt and Thomas J. Noel. After Harper, its initial champion and a member of the Colorado Press Association (CPA) staff, became ill and couldn’t complete the project, Sweeney took charge of the manuscript and boxes of background materials stored in the basement of CPA's former office. Leavitt, a master’s degree candidate at the University of Colorado Denver (UCD), edited and added to the manuscript along with Noel, a prominent historian and UCD professor. The book, which can be purchased from the Colorado Press Association, is a fascinating look at the state’s many newspapers and their stories, Sweeney noted. He said newspapers are the best chronicles of history we have, adding, “I believe the printed word is not done." Following Sweeney’s remarks, Anderson was honored as CPW's 2016 Communicator of Achievement, given annually to a member who has excelled professionally and given time generously to the organization and the community. Anderson, a University of Colorado journalism graduate, has built much of her career around public involvement and communications work for several engineering and technical companies, currently for the Denver regional office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. At the EPA, she serves in a grant-funded position as the region’s lead reviewer for documents issued under the National Environmental Policy Act. Anderson, who has served CPW as secretary and president, has volunteered with many organizations and has been involved in Democratic Party politics for most of her life. An-
Left: Carol Anderson (left) was presented Colorado Press Women's 2016 Communicator of Achievement award by Sandy Graham, chair of the award committee, at the organization's 75th anniversary event. Photos by Ann Lockhart derson will now vie for national Communicator of Achievement; the winner will be announced at the National Federation of Press Women conference in Wichita, Kan., in September. CPW was begun in Denver in 1941 by 58 women dedicated to fostering the highest ideals of American journalism. Founders included Katherine Prescott Bemis, former editor of the Littleton Independent; Catherine Dines Prosser, women's page editor of The Denver Post; Helen Black, drama editor of the Rocky Mountain News; Ellen Kate Dier, co-publisher and editor of the Alamosa Courier; and Eudochia Bell Smith, a former reporter at the Rocky Mountain News and the Houston Chronicle. The first president was Elisabeth Kuskulis, a freelance journalist. Dues were $2 a year.
Above: The Villager Publisher Bob Sweeney spoke at the CPW event and presented the group with a copy of "Colorado Newspapers: A History and Inventory, 1859-2000." Courtesy photos
colorado editor
August 2016
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How to: Resolve open-government disputes without suing the government Download the state-by-state Alternative Dispute Resolution processes report by Matthew Aeschbacher at http://coloradofoic.org/files/ 2016/08/CFOIC_ADR-State-by- State-Evaluation_081716.pdf By Jeffrey A. Roberts CFOIC Executive Director Litigate or give up. Those are your legal options in Colorado if a government entity improperly withholds public records, charges you out-of-line fees for inspection or drags its feet on a records request. The same is true if you suspect that a public body violated the Open Meetings Law. State agencies and local governments have the upper hand in freedom-of-information (FOI) disputes because most people – and many news organizations these days – are reluctant to sue, even though some legal costs are recoverable if you prevail in a lawsuit. Citizens who consider handling their own lawsuits are justifiably intimated by the prospect of going up against city attorneys, school district attorneys or the Colorado Attorney General’s Office. In many other states, however, litigation is not the only way to challenge FOI denials. At least 26 states offer some sort of disputeresolution process as an alternative to suing the government when violations are alleged. Ohio’s Senate Bill 321, signed by Gov. John Kasich in June, is the newest. Beginning this fall, Ohioans will have an inexpensive and relatively quick way of resolving public records disputes – without getting lawyers involved. For a $25 filing fee, a special master of the Ohio Court of Claims will attempt mediation. If that doesn’t work, the court will issue a binding ruling or, in a case
involving new legal questions, refer the matter to regular litigation. “This bill is intended to facilitate faster, easier and less expensive access to government for taxpayers,” said Ohio Senate President Keith Faber, a Republican, when he introduced the bipartisan measure in April. “It’s about keeping government open, accountable and accessible to our citizens.” Should the Centennial State emulate the Buckeye State? Should Colorado adopt another state’s alternative dispute resolution (ADR) process or, perhaps, develop its own? To encourage a public conversation on this topic, the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition engaged Matthew Aeschbacher (University of Denver, Sturm College of Law, 2015) to research ADR processes in other states. His paper is now available for download on CFOIC’s website. In states without ADR procedures, “the cost and delay of dealing with the court system frustrates meaningful access to information,” Aeschbacher wrote. States that offer mediation or another method of dispute resolution, he concluded, “increase the effectiveness of their sunshine laws by holding violators accountable.” ADR processes also can save tax dollars that otherwise might have been spent on legal costs. Aeschbacher examined freedom-of-information ADR processes in 25 states (Ohio’s law was too new to include). He found that effective processes have certain elements in
common: independence, neutrality, enforcement capabilities and a progressive approach that applies “a sliding scale of dispute resolution methods to different types of FOI disputes.” One of the most powerful FOI agencies is the Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission, which hears complaints from people who have been denied access to government records and proceedings. The commission can order the disclosure of public records and nullify decisions made during illegal meetings, but most cases are resolved through mediation. Recent budget cuts, however, have lengthened the time required to resolve disputes. This prompted the Center for Public Integrity to lower Connecticut’s previously high mark for public access to information in its latest State Integrity report. Iowa ranked first for public access to information in the 2015 State Integrity report, largely due to the creation in 2012 of the Iowa Public Information Board. Attorneys for the board settle most public records disputes informally, usually within 24 hours. Cases that can’t be resolved informally go to the board’s presiding officer or an administrative law judge. The Iowa board has subpoena power and can require compliance with the state’s Freedom of Information Act; its orders are subject to judicial review. The new ADR process in Ohio is expected to cost $650,000 annually. Dennis Hetzel,
executive director of the Ohio Newspaper Association, told the CFOIC he still has questions about how the process will work in practice but expects it to be an improvement over the current system. “My hope is that it’s going to be a simple, low-cost solution for fairly and quickly resolving a lot of open-records disputes,” Hetzel said. “I think it will eliminate some of the more egregious stonewalling that goes on.” Russell Weisfield, who sued the Arvada City Council in 2014, is one Coloradan who would like to see an FOI dispute-resolution system put in place here for both openmeetings and Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) complaints. His lawsuit accused council members of violating a state Open Meetings Law provision, added in 2012, that prohibits public bodies from voting in secret to adopt policies or take “formal action.” Weisfield and Arvada settled the suit last December because the case was taking a long time to resolve and legal costs were piling up. “It is very difficult for private citizens to force adherence to the law,” Weisfield wrote in an email to the CFOIC. “Many governments can balk at the law or threats from the public to sue since few will carry through on such threats. Even if someone does sue … the financial costs can be large.” “Having a place where someone can turn to file a complaint and have it investigated and possibly resolved would be a benefit to the public,” he added.
‘I still want the names’
Colorado Supreme Court won’t hear appeal by teachers’ union in sick-leave records case By Jeffrey A. Roberts CFOIC Executive Director The Colorado Supreme Court on Aug. 1 declined to review a state appeals court decision holding that sick-leave records are not part of a public school teacher’s confidential personnel file. The denial of certiorari means that Golden parent Kathy Littlefield will finally get the names of teachers who called in sick from four Jefferson County high schools over two days in September 2014. Some of the teachers said at the time they were taking “collective action” to protest school board policies. When Littlefield requested the teachers’ names, the Jefferson County Education Association sued to block their release. The union lost in district court, and the Colorado Court of Appeals upheld the lower court’s decision in January. “I still want the names,” Littlefield said. “Those teachers could transfer to the school where my kids are at, and I’d like to know who they are. I think other parents would like to know too.” Attorneys for the union contended that teacher-absence
records are private and protected from disclosure under the personnel files exemption of the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA). The records sought by Littlefield, they claimed, are “a classic example of information maintained because of the employeremployee relationship” that must not be disclosed to the public under CORA. The Court of Appeals, however, held that this phrase in the open-records law – “information maintained because of the employer-employee relationship” – refers to information “of the same general nature as an employee’s home address and telephone number or personal financial information.” The appellate court noted that “a teacher’s absence is directly related to the teacher’s job as a public employee.” It added that sick-leave records pertain to language in CORA that requires disclosure of “any compensation, including expense allowances and benefits, paid to employees by the state, its agencies, institutions, or political subdivisions.” Because the Court of Appeals’ ruling stands, it is now a binding decision that may help determine the outcome of a separate government-employee records case pending in Arapahoe County District Court.
A judge last week heard arguments in that case, which involves complaints and disciplinary actions against Cherry Creek School District bus drivers, requested by 9NEWS for recent stories on school bus safety. As in the Jeffco case, government-employee unions have sued to block the release of the records, claiming they are part of a driver’s confidential personnel file. 9NEWS attorney Steve Zansberg, who is president of the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, disputed that argument in court, noting the Court of Appeals’ narrow construction of the personnel records exemption. The exemption applies only to “information that is highly personal and private,” he said, not to information related to a public employee’s job performance. The CFOIC has intervened in the bus driver records case on the side of 9NEWS as have The Denver Post, KCNCTV, KDVR-TV, KMGH-TV and the Associated Press. The CFOIC, the Colorado Press Association and several news organizations submitted friend-of-the-court briefs in the Jeffco sick-leave records case. Jeffco school district attorney Craig Hess said Monday he would respond to Littlefield’s CORA request later in the day.
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colorado editor
August 2016
obituaries Irene Hyatt
Former columnist for Boulder Daily Camera Irene Hyatt, who wrote a weekly bridge column for the Boulder Daily Camera throughout the 1960s and 1970s, died Aug. 1, 2016, at the age of 87 at her home in Westminster, Colo. She was born June 29, 1929, to Buell and Mildred Hunter in Hartner, Kan. She grew up in Nemaha, Neb., in southeast Nebraska on a farm alongside the Missouri River. An early high school graduate, she attended the all-women Maryville College on a music scholarship. She finished her degree at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln, where she met her future husband, Charles "Chuck" Hyatt. Hyatt married her husband in the early 1950s and the couple moved to South America, where she became fluent in Spanish and worked as a teacher. They spent nearly a decade in Bolivia and Colombia. They also later traveled to Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Her main hobby was Contract Bridge, as she achieved the status of Life Master and became one of the premier women's players in the country. Besides her column for the Camera, she also wrote to many pen pals in numerous states and Japan. Hyatt is survived by daughters Jo Hyatt of Boulder, and Debbie Hyatt of Denver; and grandchildren Matthew Kohen, Brendan and Sean Caldwell, and Charles Stuckey, all of Denver. She was preceded in death by her father in 1997; her mother in 1992; her husband in 1984; and her son Charles "Chico" Hyatt in 1965. Services took place at Crist Mortuary Chapel in Boulder, Colo., on Aug. 9, followed by interment at Mountain View Memorial Park in Boulder.
Tom Kensler
Retired Denver Post sportswriter Thomas C. Kensler, III, a longtime Denver Post sportswriter, died July 22, 2016, at St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood, Colo., following two surgeries after he suffered a brain aneurysm on July 6. Kensler, 64, had an award-winning newspaper career of four decades and a huge following of fans. He had retired from The Post in June 2015. Kensler was born in Ohio, an "Air Force brat" who returned to his home state to attend Ohio State University, earning a master's degree in 1975 with a focus on business administration and city planning. But his real interest was sports, and he began his journalism career as a "one-man sports department" at the Pampa (Texas) News in 1977. He moved on to cover football at West Texas A&M for the Amarillo Globe-News, and Oklahoma and Oklahoma State at The Daily Oklahoman in Oklahoma City in the 1980s. He was hired by The Post in September 1989. Kensler mainly covered college sports and golf during his 25 years at The Post. He was honored with National Sportswriter and Sportscasters Association best-in-state awards in Texas, Oklahoma and Colorado.
Kensler loved to play golf, had a singledigit handicap, and planned vacations with family and friends to famous courses. He covered every professional golf tournament in the state since the early 1990s, and is said to be the force behind the founding of the Rocky Mountain Golf Writers Association. He also loved trout fishing and traveling to the New Orleans Jazz Festival, where he proposed to his wife Pam in 2003. Kensler is survived by his wife; a sister, Christy Chiordi; nephews Jeremy and Chad Chiordi; brothers-in-law Stephen (Audrey) Woelfel, Greg Woelfel, and Christopher (Rebecca) Woelfel; his mother and fatherin-law, Eleanor and Lawrence Woelfel; and many aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews. A service took place Aug. 6 at the Archdiocese of Denver Mortuary Chapel in Wheat Ridge, Colo., followed by a private inurnment.
Unity Township, Pa. She was born Nov. 22, 1934, in St. John, Kan., to Milo C. and Ida R. Hamilton. Prior to her retirement, she worked in the Classified Ads Department of the Rocky Mountain News in Denver. She was an avid reader, and also enjoyed gardening, quilting and cross-stitching. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, James L. Shuler, in 1988. She is survived by her daughters Ruth (Bud) Bolland of Latrobe, and Sharon G. (Steve) Guier of Sweet Springs, Mo.; son James H. (Karen) Shuler of Cascade, Colo.; sisters Bonnie (Carl) Hunsicker of Murfreesboro, N.C., Vicki Sue (Ed) Lance of Minneapolis, Kan., and Kay (Phil) Bross of Cincinnati, Ohio; four grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren. A service took place at Drinkwine Family Mortuary in Littleton, followed by interment at Littleton Cemetery.
Carl C. Squires, Jr. Rocky Mountain News & Denver Post distributor
Betty Shuler
Retired Rocky Mountain News classified ads employee Betty L. Shuler, 81, of Latrobe, Pa., formerly of Littleton, Colo., died July 30, 2016, in the Mountain View Specialty Care Center,
Carl C. Squires, Jr., 83, a former distributor for the Rocky Mountain News and the Denver Post, died July 12, 2016. He was a native of Colorado and a graduate of West High School and the University of Denver, where he was on the wrestling team. He went on to serve in the Navy, then earn a Ph.D. at the University of Northern Colorado. He also worked as a real estate broker and a principal and administrator for Denver Public Schools. Squires was a Mason and a Shriner, and enjoyed skiing and tennis. No services were held; interment was at Olinger Crown Hill Cemetery in Wheat Ridge, Colo.
colorado editor
August 2016
7
Iris Chyi, John Oliver and hundreds of journalists leave me no choice but to write this column Those of you who write columns for a living know what I’m talking about. This is one of those days when I’m not sure what to write. It’s not that I lack subject matter. The options are almost endless, and I don’t have the inclination or space to cover everything in one column. Let’s begin four days ago. I received an email from Iris Chyi, Ph.D, faculty member at The UniKEVIN SLIMP versity of Texas School of Journalism and author of “Trial and Error: U.S. Newspapers’ Digital Struggles toward Inferiority.” Dr. Chyi and I have corresponded over the past few years, primarily comparing notes on studies we’ve conducted concerning the health of newspapers. She and her colleagues in Texas take a close look at what’s going on in the metro newspaper world while I tend to spend more time conducting research among non-metro newspapers, although we share an interest in newspapers of all types and sizes. Her latest research, based on numbers from 2007 through 2015, covers 51 major metro newspaper in the United States. In her email, she summed up the results when she wrote, “Inmarket online readership has shown little or no growth since 2007, and more than half of them have seen a decline since 2011.” So when I read a story about the Toronto Star, which just made a (New Orleans) Times-Picayune style announcement that the newspaper will be reallocating resources toward the digital workspace, I say, “Good luck with that.” Then, there’s the John Oliver video story. You’ve surely seen this video many times by now. Like most journalists I’ve heard from concerning the video, my immediate response was, “Yes! Someone outside the newspaper world finally gets it.” I’ve only had time to watch the 20-minute video twice, so forgive me if I’ve left out something important, but it seems
to me John had three main points: 1) We need newspapers. They’re the only source of real journalism left. 2) The revenue model for newspapers isn’t working for the big metros any longer. 3) Moving resources and energy to digital (including a concern for “clicks” over “news”) has not been, and is not, the answer. Folks actually wrote to me after watching the video and said they had just subscribed to their local newspapers after seeing it. To me, it seemed like the type of good publicity our industry needs. All of this brings me to the third topic of the day: David Chavern, CEO of Newspaper Association of America (not to be confused with National Newspaper Association), being ticked off at Oliver over the video. He had some pretty harsh words for Oliver – Google “NAA” and “John Oliver” to read the details – and the public response to his criticism was both quick and pointed. On a side note, 15 years ago I was the director of communications for a very large organization. One of my jobs was to make sure 1,200 spokespersons, located in different cities, kept from saying the wrong things in front of cameras. When Chavern wrote a post Monday on the NAA website, accusing Oliver of “petty insults and stating the obvious,” he set off a flurry of negative responses to his own statement on social media. Someone should have stopped him. Obviously, no one did. I’ve noticed something that isn’t exclusive to the journalism world. Earlier in the year, while watching presidential debates, I would look at the screen and say, “Do none of these people have communication directors?” More than likely, they all did. My guess is some of those communications directors told their employers they shouldn’t say certain things, and others were scared to suggest they knew better than their bosses. The response to John Oliver’s video was overwhelming. Hundreds of journalists wrote or sent links to the video to me before I had any idea what they were talking about. A manager at one of the big papers in New York wrote, asking me to write to John Oliver and explain not every news-
paper operates the same way. He asked me to share the data I had collected, showing community publishers are having really good years and print hasn’t been forgotten in the vast majority of newspapers across North America. For too long, I’m afraid, voices that should have been heard in journalism have stayed quiet in fear of making their stockholders, publishers, deans, clients or whoever angry. John Oliver was one voice, expressing thoughts shared by thousands of journalists around the world. Sure, he didn’t tell the complete story. That wasn’t his goal. Using humor, he suggested that it’s time to take our responsibilities as journalists and readers seriously. Because, as he so skillfully shared, good journalism is badly needed, and newspapers are the core of good journalism. I’ve been writing columns aimed at journalists for 22 years. When I write one like this, my first thought is often, “I wonder who I will make mad this time.” Fortunately it seems, my views are usually shared by many others and, like most journalists, I take that responsibility seriously. I appreciate the work of Dr. Chyi because it’s not the type of research that lends itself to huge grants from digital companies and foundations. They go more for the shiny stuff. It’s important, however, to be reminded of what is real, and folks like Dr. Chyi and John Oliver did that in August.
Setting realistic goals Derek placed more ads in the paper than anyone else on the sales team. Low volume clients suddenly increased their expenditures. And large clients started running even bigger ads. Revenue was JOHN rolling in. FOUST Then it all fell apart. First one advertiser, then another, complained about invoicing. Quickly it became evident that Derek had been placing ads in the paper without permission. His scheme worked for a while, because some of his clients didn’t check records carefully. At first, the paper rationalized that refunds
were a cost of having a high-energy sales person with a poor eye for details. Then they realized that the problem was deeper than that, and eventually had to let him go. Justice prevailed, but that wasn’t the end of the story. The accounting department worked overtime to clean up the mess. And the ad department hired a replacement. But in an inexplicable act of greed and stupidity, the ad manager gave the new person a goal that was ten percent higher than the pre-refund amount generated by Derek. In other words, the new person would have to produce more revenue than a crook. Although this is an extreme example, it illustrates the fact that some managers need a better understanding of what it takes to set realistic goals. If you are involved in the goalsetting process, here are some points to keep in mind: 1. Fairness is in the eye of the beholder. If
a sales person feels a goal is unfair, it is either (1) truly unfair or (2) you need to do a better job of explaining how you arrived at the goal. 2. Goals impact morale. When a person makes progress toward a goal, morale soars and she can be self-motivated to work even harder. On the other hand, when a person finds himself falling short week after week, he can get discouraged and say, “What’s the use?” 3. Morale is contagious. Although sales people spend a big part of each day working independently, they are part of a team. When there are problems, they are often likely to talk to each other than to the boss. 4. Consider multiple factors when setting goals. Across-the-board increases are common, but inherently out of touch with reality. Let’s use the ten percent figure at Derek’s paper to illustrate. If you’re looking for an overall ten percent increase, see that figure as an average. Some accounts could project a five
percent increase and others could project 15. It’s like the old management saying, “If you’re treating everyone the same way, you’re treating most of them the wrong way.” 5. Use the S.M.A.R.T. formula. This technique has been around for a long time – and it has helped a lot of ad managers set meaningful goals. It represents goals that are (1) Specific, (2) Measurable, (3) Achievable, (4) Relevant, and (5) Time-sensitive. Wise managers get each sales person’s input in each area for each account. Derek’s replacement lasted less than a year. With realistic goals, the story could have had a different ending. John Foust has conducted training programs for thousands of newspaper advertising professionals. Many ad departments are using his training videos to save time and get quick results from in-house training. E-mail for information: john@johnfoust.com
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colorado editor
August 2016
WEBSITE REBOOT
ONLINE NETWORK
Continued from page 1
a former reporter at The Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News, Boulder Camera and Denver AP bureau. “The CPA is one of the best associations in the country, and we look forward to a great partnership with Jerry and his great team.” Raehal said the new site significantly improves CPA’s online presence for the public, association members and nonmembers. It also bolsters SYNC2 Media’s presence with potential customers. “We wanted to make it easier to navigate,” he said. “A common complaint was that it was hard to find information. We really tried to make that process streamlined. From people we’ve sent tests to, they’ve all commented that it’s easier to find information. “And two, we really wanted to create a robust members-only section. One of the big focuses we’ve tried to set up is we are here for the industry, but more importantly, we are here for our members. We wanted to do things for our members on the old site, but we were limited on how we could do that.” As an example, he said the new site allows the association to host videos, which the old site didn’t. Rather than hosting
Continued from page 1 CPA webinars on YouTube, CPA can now use its website, and attach supporting documentation like PDFs, links, and slideshow presentations. The new site is also bolstered by additional advertising, and represents the TownNews software, adaptive technology that translates to mobile, tablets or webbased browsers, Raehal said. “It’s nice for us as a press association, when we’re encouraging people to make sure their sites are mobile friendly, to have a mobile-friendly site,” he said. The new site also comes at a great cost. “At the end of the day, it will basically cost us nothing,” said Raehal, calling it an opportunity “too good to pass up.” Website construction can typically cost anywhere from $4,000 to $6,000, he said. But, TownNews accepted a tradeout deal with CPA for advertising, offsetting the construction and monthly charges. “We wanted something very unique, and it was a lot of work on their part,” he said. “This is a very different site for them, and I think the cool thing is it will be a showcase site for TownNews, something they can say (to future clients), ‘Hey, this is something different you can do, compared to our other sites.’”
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It will be similar to our print statewide ads in that it will: • Bring you additional revenue as part of a pool payout.
The Members Only section of the site offers a wide variety of tools, including access to best practice documents, ondemand training videos and other resources. However, the majority of the section is behind a paywall, and members will need to sign-up. If you’re a CPA member, you can create an account using the email address we have on file in our membership directory. If we don’t have your email on file, contact the CPA office at 303-5715177 or at coloradopress@ colopress.net
• Provide you another tool to sell your clients looking for an expanded reach via online advertising, which will also provide another revenue option in addition to the pool payout. • It’s a client need you can address.
• It will help support the CPA, which in turn allows the CPA to keep lower dues while maintaining and adding benefits for members.
All you have to do is: • Agree to participate in the program
You can do so by going to the following link: https://coloradopressassociation.formstack. com/forms/online_network_agreement
It’s a very quick process. We can also email you a pdf of the sign-up form if you prefer.
• Provide us a dedicated ad space on your website
It does not have to be on the front page. Or it can be. Our pitch to clients will be that they are getting volume advertising on the best places to advertise: CPA member websites. The more space you can give us is appreciated, but we know your website ad positions are valuable and will work with what you provide. Our team will be able to find the best size banner ad for the position you provide.
• Place code on your site
If this worries you, don’t let it. Someone from our team will be in touch to help walk you through how to place the code into the designated space. We will use the code for two reasons: One, it will be an easy way for us to upload and remove the ads from your site. And two, it will allow us to easily track impressions and click thrus to provide detailed reports to clients. Basically, it means after you place the code on the site, you have no more work to do.
You might have some questions. Let me try to answer some common ones here: • What are you selling it for?
We have not set a price yet. However, other states are selling similar online statewide banner ad programs for $1,499 at 750,000 impressions during a month timeframe. They typically have a monthly available inventory of 5-7 million impressions, which allows them to sell 5-8 ads per month. This equates to about to a $2 CPM. We will make our determination on a final price point and guaranteed monthly impressions once we know how many CPA members plan to participate, which is one reason we’re hoping you will join the program.
• How much will I get in the pool payout? How much do I get if I sell into the program?
Much like our other network programs, the pool payout is 20 percent of the sale and paid out twice a year. If you sell into the program, your publication will receive 30 percent of the total sale.
• What if I don’t like the content of a placed ad?
You have the right to refuse the ad. Simply email us that you want it taken down, and we will do so as soon as possible.
• When do you plan to launch this program?
We hope to be able to launch this program by Oct. 1; however, it will only succeed if we get buy-in from our members. CPA members are valuable and have historically supported CPA endeavors. We hope they will do so again.
To learn more, contact SYNC2 Media at 303-5715117 or at ads2@sync2media.com.