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E&P 2023

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Publisher of the Year

Leonard WOOLSEY President of Southern Newspapers, Inc. President and Publisher The Galveston County Daily News Galveston, Texas

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E&P Quick Reads E&P In-Depth THE HEARST DEVHUB

THE OPTIMISTIC LEADER

E&P Voices AD SALES LIFE

Publisher of the Year Leonard Woolsey reflects on four decades in the news business..................................p. 26

Exploring the role of budget season in news revenue growth.................. p. 14

CHECKING IN ON THE SOCIAL SCENE

What are you afraid of? Resist the culture and confines of fear............ p. 16

Firmly rooted in Morganton, North Carolina................................. p. 10

Legacy social sites still perform for news media publishers intent on growing audience and enriching engagement...................... p. 32

Making the most of what little Twitter offers.................. p. 18

PHOTO OF THE MONTH

FACT-CHECKING

Innovators of data-driven reporting............................................. p. 6

ZIP CODE DATA

Newspaper companies are finding a boost in their zips.............. p. 8

THE PAPER

Donna Knight, customer service representative, Leader Pubications, Niles, Michigan.................................p. 12

A sharp weapon in the misinformation fight.................. p. 36

Cover photo credit: Jennifer Reynolds/The Daily News

Re-open the recruitment gold mine with a job board...............p. 40

REVENUE ROUNDUP — JOB BOARDS

THE CORNER OFFICE

NEWS MEDIA TODAY

DIVERSITY SPOTLIGHT

Los Angeles Times invests in De Los — editorial and design directors share their journey and vision for the community-driven brand........ p. 20

TASAKA’S TECH TALK

Getting mobile: Native mobile apps put news publishers in control of content and their futures............... p. 22

E&P Extras NEWSPEOPLE

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

COMPANY PROFILE

Street Light Media Group: A boot-strapped online news publisher finds success in hometown markets.......................... p. 52

OPERATIONS

Operation All-Stars shine bright...................................... p. 54

NOVEMBER 2023

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editorial

Finding the way forward By Robin Blinder

hen Mike and I took over E&P four years ago, one of our priorities was to celebrate the people who make up this industry. We often talked about becoming the “People Magazine” of the news media industry. And we’ve kept that focus by expanding NewsPeople, adding salutes so that more people can be recognized for their contributions and concentrating more of our editorial on people and faces. We can always do better, but we believe that the people who work in the challenging environment of news deserve to be celebrated. One of my favorite salutes every year is Publisher of the Year. This year, we had many deserving nominees, but one person stood out as much for his can-do and positive outlook as for his countless contributions to news media. Leonard Woolsey, president of Southern Newspapers, Inc. and president and publisher of The Galveston County Daily News in Galveston, Texas, is the epitome of a Publisher of the Year. I’ve only known Leonard for a few years, but his popularity in our industry and especially among those who work or have worked for and with him, is impossible to miss. Leonard is an undying advocate for our industry and its importance in our democracy. He is, by all accounts, a motivator, a collaborator and a creative problem-solver. As Lissa Walls Cribb, Southern Newspapers’ CEO, said, “Our industry is in desperate need of people who share Leonard’s belief in the critical role newspapers play in

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NOVEMBER 2023

the communities they serve and his dedication to developing a viable, sustainable business model to ensure that role continues. He is realistic about the challenges, but optimistic and determined to find the answers.” It’s that realistic optimism that sets Leonard apart from the pack. It’s difficult to be optimistic when we are inundated with war, conflict, controversy and closures. It takes a special outlook to look forward and not be pulled down with the masses. But to be “Pollyanna” about challenges also doesn’t solve them. Realistic expectations with optimism and determination is crucial. That’s what Leonard brings to our Publisher of the Year for 2023. If his skateboarding stature on our cover doesn’t lift your spirits, his hairstyle will. And if you don’t already know Leonard, we hope you enjoy reading Gretchen Peck’s profile and getting to know him. He’s definitely a one-of-a-kind individual and deserving of recognition for what he does for his company, his community and our industry. So, if like me, the barrage of bad news is wearing on you, take Leonard Woolsey’s advice. “I find you can either dwell on the pain, or you can find a way forward — and believe that you’ll find a way forward,” Woolsey said. I believe we’ll find a way forward — together. 

PUBLISHER Mike Blinder 406-445-0000 ext. 1 mike@editorandpublisher.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Robin Blinder 406-445-0000 ext. 0 robin@editorandpublisher.com INDUSTRY NEWS EDITOR Cindy Durham cdurham@newspapers.org CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Gretchen A. Peck gretchenapeck@gmail.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Rob Tornoe, Doug Phares, Richard E. Brown, Guy Tasaka CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER John Newby 815-326-9061 john@editorandpublisher.com DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING SALES Peter Conti, Jr. 804-852-5663 (cell) Peter@editoranpublisher.com CHIEF MEDIA TECHNOLOGY EVANGELIST Guy Tasaka Guy@EditorandPublisher.com BILLING AND ACCOUNTING 406-445-0000 ext. 0 office@editorandpublisher.com MEDIA JOB BOARD 406-445-0000 ext. 4 jobs@editorandpublisher.com SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES 406-445-0000 ext. 7 circ@editorandpublisher.com DESIGN AND PRODUCTION DESIGN2PRO Howard Barbanel 516-860-7440 howard@design2pro.com www.design2pro.com BUSINESS MAILING ADDRESS Editor & Publisher Magazine 1028 Crutcher Station Drive Hendersonville, TN 37075-1457 www.editorandpublisher.com 406-445-0000 Editor & Publisher is printed in the U.S.A.

Robin Blinder is E&P’s editorin-chief. She has been with E&P for four years. She can be reached at robin@editorandpublisher.com

America’s Oldest Journal Covering the Newspaper Industry With which have been merged: The Journalist, established March 22, 1884; Newspaperdom, March 1892; The Fourth Estate, March 1, 1894; Editor & Publisher, June 29, 1901; Advertising, June 22, 1925.

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E&P Quick Reads VOLUME 156

ISSUE 11

FOR THE MONTH OF NOVEMBER 2023

The Hearst DevHub Innovators of data-driven reporting By Bob Sillick

he public’s voracious appetite for news and information, especially on digital platforms, requires the constant evolution of digital reporting tools so that news outlets can satisfy that appetite and attract more ad dollars and digital subscribers. Hearst Newspapers is leading that evolution with its DevHub program. It was born in Hearst’s San Francisco Chronicle } Tim O’Rourke, newsroom vice president, content strategy, through the work The Hearst of Tim O’Rourke, DevHub former managing editor, and a small team of developers. They initially built bespoke designs for larger newsroom projects and a Fire

} Hearst DevHub’s ODtracker is a first-of-its-kind nationwide database tracking

overdose deaths. Launched in August 2023, the tracker has a drop-down that lets the user customize the visual based on their location(s). More than 25 journalists worked on the project.

Tracker tool during the catastrophic 2017 and 2018 wildfires in the West. Then, they created a COVID-19 tracker that was the first public-facing tool of its kind in California. “When we started to work beyond everyone’s expectations, we realized we

didn’t have enough people who could be journalists and coders. Hearst funded an expansion so we could become a separate team, building data-driven reader tools, trackers and other types of big interactive projects for other Hearst newspapers,” O’Rourke said.

} The heat trackers for California and Texas allow the user to input an address to see how their weather compares to local ‘climate normals.’

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NOVEMBER 2023

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E&P Quick Reads

} The Migration Tracker allows the user to track net migration in 2020-2021 by U.S. county.

With increased fentanyl overdoses and other drug problems in San Francisco, the Chronicle and the DevHub team launched a first-of-itskind nationwide database tracking overdose deaths in August 2023. “It’s one of our biggest projects of the year. More than 25 Hearst journalists were instrumental in bringing the project to our readers. It covers 1,210 US counties. Several Hearst newspapers are publishing localized versions of the project,” O’Rourke said. Alejandra Matos is the interim managing editor of the Houston Chronicle. She said the Chronicle’s editors } Alejandra Matos, and reporters interim managing don’t require editor, Houston much technical Chronicle knowledge to use the resources the DevHub creates and provides to work more efficiently. “The DevHub allows us to tell stories differently, in a more engaging way. The templates and tools empower reporters and editors to create content, such as interactive maps and a collection of quotes from various people on specific topics,” Matos said. editorandpublisher.com

} The live storm map by the San Francisco Chronicle shows the near real-time precipitation across California and the weather warnings issued in the San Francisco Bay area.

Data and graphics journalism are integral to Hearst Newspapers’ content strategy. Dan Kopf is the data editor at the } Dan Kopf, data San Francisco editor, San FranChronicle. He and cisco Chronicle his team write data-based stories and collaborate with reporters in the newsroom to add data analysis or data graphics to their stories and ensure that their stories use data appropriately and accurately. “The DevHub helped us with a big project last year, creating a tool to show who owned every home in the Bay Area based on assessor records. Some people were unhappy to see their ownership published, but, for the most part, people thought it was very interesting. Even local government asked us where we obtained that data and how can they access it, too,” Kopf said. The many trackers the Hearst DevHub has developed are only one of its focus areas. It also creates bots to help journalists and a set of templates, dubbed the Click 2 Publish program, so that local journalists can publish interactive stories with just a few clicks. O’Rourke and his team also conduct

regular workshops and training sessions with Hearst journalists and collaborate with them to improve the various DevHub tools and create new ones. “Members of my team are currently hosting an AI Academy for our newsrooms. A few months ago, we hosted a two-day data graphics workshop to help journalists learn how they can do more innovative visual journalism,” O’Rourke said. Secrets of the Cal Academy is the newest journalism project created by the DevHub team and the visual, design and digital teams at the San Francisco Chronicle. A combination of video, still images and photogrammetry, a 3D-modeling technology, creates a unique discovery experience of Cal Academy’s scientific collections.  Bob Sillick has held many senior positions and served a myriad of clients during his 47 years in marketing and advertising. He has been a freelance/contract content researcher, writer, editor and manager since 2010. He can be reached at bobsillick@gmail.com.

NOVEMBER 2023

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E&P Quick Reads

Newspaper companies are finding a boost in their zips By Bob Miller

ndustry executives in circulation audit and data mining say zip code-level data tied to e-editions have sparked more advertising interest. Newspapers armed with the correct data can report larger penetration numbers in crucial zip codes and recapture national advertisers who dropped their inserts. Industry leaders say many former insert clients who desire geographic clarity are leaning toward run-of-press advertising. Alliance for Audited Media (AAM) is a tri-party nonprofit organization that works with advertisers, ad agencies and publishers to ensure the legitimacy of circulation figures. It has introduced new circulation-auditing rules allowing the stacking of print and e-edition circulation numbers as long as the digital copies can be tied to zip codes. “What’s really important these days is run-ofpress advertising as FSI(freestanding inserts) continue to dwindle, and many retailers take their advertising either online } Ken Shultz, senior vice president of or into run-ofauditing, Alliance for press and do Audited Media away with FSI,” AAM Senior Vice President of Auditing Ken Shultz said. “And one of the things (advertisers) want to know is, where’s my ad going? “Now publishers, for the most part, know who their digital subscribers are

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NOVEMBER 2023

and can trace them to a specific zip code. They can better communicate to the buyers where those run-ofpress ads will go and help publishers tell the stories to the buyers, and the buyers understand where that digital circulation is.” According to executives with Tactician Media, a St. Louis-based data company that works with publishers, advertisers are interested in zip code data } Michael Lombardo, from online CEO, Tactician publications. Media Tactician tracks data from 3,000 publications using API from Google Analytics. CEO Michael Lombardo said geographic data, coupled with the brand value and existing reach of print newspapers, can give advertisers a reason to spend more with publishers instead of third-party programmatic platforms. “If I am Barnes-Jewish Hospital, I want to know that I’m marketing to people in and around St. Louis County and maybe Saint Charles County, but I’m not so concerned about people in Atlanta seeing my ad. By having that digital data, whether it’s a website or e-edition at the zip code level, we can then align that with print to tell a total audience penetration story that is surprising to newspapers and advertisers. “What we found is it rivals and beats TV and radio combined. When you look at print plus digital, it’s probably the highest it’s ever been.”

Lombardo gave examples of national and regional banking and agriculture advertisers that returned to newspapers based on this data, adding that the print-digital zip code combo is an excellent way to reclaim political ad dollars. He said the 2024 election season is an opportune time for newspapers to focus on their digital data. “If a congressional candidate looked at a newspaper and said, ‘You’re great, but you only get 11% penetration in this Congressional District that I’m interested in advertising in.’ Well, with print-plus-digital, we can say, ‘No, we’re really getting 60% of the registered voters in this district or county.’” Understanding geographical online data, Lombardo said, is “existential” for publishers. But it’s not just about the ad dollars. It’s about where to deploy resources. “What the data is telling us is the future is following migration patterns. It’s an American phenomenon right now. We can see where all the data is, so publishers with the data are well positioned in those (growing) areas … The newspapers taking advantage of that will exist, and the newspapers that don’t will disappear.”  Bob Miller has spent more than 25 years in local newsrooms, including 12 years as an executive editor with Rust Communications. Bob also produces an independent true crime investigative podcast called The Lawless Files.

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E&P Quick Reads “It’s a funny thing about life, once you begin to take note of the things you are grateful for, you begin to lose sight of the things that you lack.”

From the Archive

― Germany Kent, American print and broadcast journalist, television personality, actor, businesswoman, producer, philanthropist and author

Walter Bender of MIT spoke about the “digital highway” (at the Newspaper Features Council meeting in Philadelphia). — Editor & Publisher, October 16, 1993

Tornoe’s Corner

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NOVEMBER 2023

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E&P Quick Reads

The Paper

Firmly rooted in Morganton, North Carolina By Bob Sillick

ust like growing a beautiful garden, regreening the many communities that have become or nearly become news deserts takes a vision to recreate the special relationship between a newspaper and its community. That special relationship has been eroding in Burke County/Morganton, North Carolina, for some time because of corporate ownership of The News Herald, the traditional newspaper for the area. It was clear to Allen VanNoppen, a veteran local journalist and marketing professional, that his community would soon be a news desert. Lee Enterprises, owner of The News Herald, reduced the staff and days of publication, closed its office in Morganton and moved to the nearby town of Drexel in June 2023. VanNoppen had been considering launching a more communityoriented newspaper for some time. That vision became The Paper, Burke Country’s only all-local print and digital newspaper. Its first issue was published in February 2023. Bill Poteat is the editor of The Paper. He and VanNoppen were both reporters for The News Herald, and their many years as colleagues resulted in Poteat joining VanNoppen at The Paper. “There is a phenomenal lack of local news here, which is no fault of the staff of The News Herald. Corporate ownership is stripping these local papers of their content. People kept coming to me on the street and asking me to start my newspaper. I have talked about it casually for 20 years,” VanNoppen said. Eight months later, The Paper has a paid print circulation of 1,870 and

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NOVEMBER 2023

} Allen VanNoppen, owner of The Paper in Morganton, North Carolina,

spoke about launching their weekly with Mike Blinder, publisher of E&P, on a recent “E&P Reports.”

is the only weekly, home-delivered newspaper in Burke County/ Morganton, NC. The Paper’s stories are added to its website the same day the print version is published. According to VanNoppen, The Paper’s long-term revenue model is one-third from readers, one-third from advertising and one-third from philanthropy — and the editorial model is only local news. “Our goal is to set a new standard for how a local newspaper needs to look, conduct itself and cover and write everything about the community. We’ve won some North Carolina Press Association awards that reflect that. People come into our office to thank us. I can’t tell you how proud that makes us feel,” VanNoppen said. Currently, The Paper has a staff of eight compared to three reporters at The News Herald. The Paper added three new reporters in September 2023, all experienced North Carolina

journalists. Sandra Wilkerson Queen is the education/business and industry reporter. Josh McKinney is the assistant sports editor, and Saydie Bean, a summer 2023 intern at The Paper, has been hired as a general assignment reporter with an emphasis on law enforcement. “We made a point of being downtown with people in the office Monday through Friday and on Saturday. Our doors are open, and we invite anyone to come in for a coffee, share a story, complain, or introduce themselves. We want community engagement. We want to rebuild what a local newspaper is and what it means to a community,” VanNoppen said. During an October 2023 E&P Reports vodcast series, Mike Blinder, publisher of Editor & Publisher, asked VanNoppen what he tells others who would like to launch a newspaper to avoid their communities becoming news deserts. editorandpublisher.com

E&P Quick Reads “Are they sure there is an appetite for local news? What was the main newspaper, and why is it not there? The key to success is the team you put together. Invest in your team. We are successful because we have an experienced, credentialed team of journalists. The first edition sent a loud message to the community that these guys mean business, and they know what they’re doing,” VanNoppen said. Bill Ostendorf, president of Creative Circle Media, a newspaper consulting, software and design firm, assisted VanNoppen in launching The Paper. “We helped Allen and his team formulate their plan, select vendors and design their print and web products, beginning several months prior to their launch,” said Ostendorf. “Since we focus exclusively on helping local and familyowned publishers, we’ve helped dozens of communities and entrepreneurs launch new newspapers or web sites, save their local paper from closing or buy them away from large venturebacked chains. We see a growing number of communities that want to get back to having a local paper, in print and online. “The team at The Paper has been one of the most impressive startups we’ve worked with. They are producing 36- and 40-page weekly papers that are absolutely packed with high-quality, local content from week-to-week,” he said. “It’s not easy, but they are

growing and expanding and commanding attention.” Ostendorf initially thought that launching The Paper was a long shot, but he conceded that } Bill Ostendorf is the president VanNoppen had of Creative Circle the chops to do Media, a newspaper it. “Launching a consulting, software print weekly in and design firm a market with that consulted and assisted VanNopan entrenched pen in the launch of daily was one The Paper. of the longest long shots among the local startups we’ve helped. I really challenged Allen about the viability of taking on a daily paper, but he was adamant and had the skills that made him a viable candidate to pull this off — reporting and writing background and running a local marketing firm. He knew a lot about the business, and he wisely hired an experienced staff so he could hit the ground running,” said Ostendorf. Ostendorf told E&P about some of the things that have aided the success of The Paper. “The Paper is a real beacon of hope. We believe a viable portion in any market desires a quality print product. They’ve proven if you invest in a modern, high-quality web site and pay attention to it, you can win

readers and paid subscribers online, too,” said Ostendorf. “The Paper’s web site is dynamic and changes significantly from week to week to reflect each issue’s top stories.” “Newspapers, including print newspapers, were never going to die and they aren’t being killed by the Internet,” said Ostendorf. “They are being destroyed by remote and disinterested and greedy corporations. Their web sites are horrible. Their local news is almost non-existent. And The Paper is helping prove they really are vulnerable. “People who see newspapers on the brink aren’t looking in the right place. We work exclusively with family-owned papers, and they aren’t struggling anything like these chains. They didn’t gut the product or the staff. They are investing in new technology. And many of them are doing just fine,” concluded Ostendorf.  Bob Sillick has held many senior positions and served a myriad of clients during his 47 years in marketing and advertising. He has been a freelance/contract content researcher, writer, editor and manager since 2010. He can be reached at bobsillick@gmail.com.

Give the gift of industry knowledge this year Gift a subscription to the magazine for out-of-the-box thinkers. E&P digs deep and delivers stories that stimulate ideas, money-making strategies and hard-hitting opinion that moves you to action.

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NOVEMBER 2023

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photo of the month

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

A beautiful rainbow graced the skies on the west side of Niles in Michigan after a rainstorm on September 12, 2023. — Donna Knight, customer service representative, Leader Publications (the Niles Daily Star/Edwardsburg Argus and the Dowagiac Daily News/Cassopolis Vigilant), Niles, Michigan.

ad sales life Exploring the role of budget season in news revenue growth By Richard E. Brown

lthough daunting for some, budget season has always been a therapeutic and comforting time for me. It’s when our focus shifts to the outlook for the upcoming year. This is when we create comprehensive game plans involving contingencies, market nuances and gap analysis and align projects to meet potential objectives and stretch goals. We diligently put everything in place to view things in three dimensions: mitigate risks, address issues head-on and navigate relationships that contribute to the community’s perceived value of the organization. Although it can be exhausting and tenuous due to the meticulous details and demands, there’s a certain beauty in it. This process also brings us closer to our colleagues and the individuals we’ve enjoyed working with throughout our careers. Amid this, one thing has become evident to me — many organizations, especially news media startups, stumble over a particular challenge. They view revenue growth as a simple linear function. While it might appear overly simplistic to be a substantial topic, let’s examine a typical scenario involving a startup in the news industry aiming to increase its revenue. Whether the objective is to increase audience size or boost sponsorship sales, the path is far from linear. Achieving an arbitrary 10% year-over-year growth requires a deep dive into the organization’s intricate financial ecosystem, the opportunities it presents and the audience and community it serves.

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NOVEMBER 2023

There are also several factors to consider. What’s the year’s active account or subscription goal, and when do they need to be active? It’s also essential to understand the weekly pace needed to achieve that goal, the time it takes to close new deals, deal length and tenure. This level of detail matters greatly during budgeting season. Revenue and cash flow are other pieces of the puzzle. If you sign an annual advertising deal in the middle of the year, only half the revenue will manifest through the fiscal year. So, a 10% growth goal should actually be more in the 20-25% range. Here’s another vital factor that’s often overlooked — churn and lost accounts. Some organizations struggle in the first quarter of the upcoming year, making it improbable to achieve the corresponding revenue objectives right from the start. What happens when advertisers don’t renew

their deals or subscriptions lapse? This can disrupt the carefully planned revenue growth. This is a common occurrence in the world of budgeting, but for those new to the process, it’s crucial to address these aspects meticulously. Churn and renewal rates should account for another 5% to 10% addition to your growth target, pushing the original 10% to a potential 30-35%. Now, let’s discuss contingencies essential for sustaining growth because with growth comes costs. Imagine a scenario where one sales executive or manager is managing too many accounts. Planning for an additional sales executive halfway through the year might become necessary. Contingency plans should be in place if the original strategy doesn’t pan out, ensuring an effective EBITDA. These plans also need to cover turnover in various departments and unforeseen expenses. editorandpublisher.com

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Understanding both best and worstcase scenarios throughout the year is in your best interest. As effective revenue leaders, always have projects in place that contribute to your bottom-line earnings. Ensure these projects are tangible and executed strategically to enhance revenue streams. Budgeting season also allows the synthesis of strategies, products, and projects. Questions about how to improve or adjust can be raised. Develop hypotheses regarding potential changes and implement projects to test them throughout the year. Like a litmus test, budget season challenges your strategies, subjecting them to stress tests and potentially revealing areas for improvement. This period serves to ensure the cohesiveness of your models and gain a comprehensive

understanding of the dynamics within your community and market. In some aspects, budget season takes on the role of an exercise, refining skills and thought processes. It strengthens the ability to foresee changes in the news media world and the revenue department’s functionality. If you love this season, that’s fantastic. I hope it’s an effective and well-thought-out planning process. But for those who might be new or find this season overwhelming, don’t hesitate to lean on your colleagues and ask questions. This experience unlocks a door that can’t be closed, giving you a broader understanding of your organization. You gain a deeper appreciation for the contributions of everyone involved, connecting you to the bigger picture you serve. 

Is Your Plan Working? “There’s a lot of meat on that bone” -David Dunn-Rankin, CEO, D-R Media after a strategy session with Phares

It does not have to be hard, long or expensive to have ‘big thoughts,’ to understand your data and to assemble a business plan that makes sense for today and the future. That’s what WE do. We work with you to understand how to structure your business for today—and tomorrow.

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Richard E. Brown is a News Media Alliance Rising Star recipient, the former director of renewals and digital sales strategy at LPi, and the former director of digital operations and sales of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He recently served as the head of digital subscriber churn for Gannett | USA TODAY NETWORK and is now the senior director of retention for The Daily Beast. He is a member of the board of directors for the Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation and is the owner of RE Media Holdings, LLC. Richard is available for consulting and can be reached at www.richardebrown.co

Sold:

Cribb, Cope & Potts is pleased to have represented:

Scott and Jeanne Olson in the sale of the Polk County Itemizer-Observer, Dallas, Oregon to Country Media, Inc. Our mission is to do the best job for our client on every assignment, every time. Please contact any of our Directors for a confidential discussion.

John Cribb JohnThomas@cribb.com 406-570-5595

Randy Cope RCope@cribb.com 214-356-3227

Jeffrey Potts JPotts@cribb.com 916-673-9778

NOVEMBER 2023

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the corner office

What are you afraid of? Resist the culture and confines of fear By Doug Phares

OMO, or the fear of missing out, is a powerful thing. It’s so powerful, in fact, that learning to utilize it is the cornerstone of every Sales 101 course. And it works for one very simple reason — fear is an extremely potent motivator. As human beings, fear is a fact of existence and has been since before our ancestors were even walking upright. In a more primitive setting, fear of the saber-tooth tiger can keep you from being eaten, and fear of poison keeps you from eating something you shouldn’t. In other words, being afraid keeps you safe and protected. But fear is an inherently defensive feeling. It can lead to hunkering down and weathering the storm, but staying safe and growing are two very different things. In business, these two actions may sometimes be mutually exclusive. Fear may have worked as a motivator to keep our ancestors out of the jaws of predators, but it’s not half as effective in the workplace. Intense fears at work come in many forms, whether that’s fear of the boss, fear of doing the wrong thing or fear of taking a risk. This doesn’t just apply to people on the bottom rung of the organizational ladder, either. Whether you’re in middle management, the CEO, or a solopreneur, fear can limit your options and send you down specific, unpleasant paths. I know, because I’ve seen it. Early in my career, I ended up in a culture dominated by someone dead-set on instilling fear. When someone stepped even a toe out of line, the response was always that person’s yelling, censure and general unpleasantness.

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And for a while, I could hunker down and handle it. My work got done, and I got through the day by mentally calculating how to follow the rulebook and avoid bringing any penalties on myself by doing something new. My motivations were entirely rooted in fear, precluding me from finding new ways to grow my role or help the company. It was extremely unhealthy and unproductive. I handled the situation all right — after all, getting through the day isn’t hard when you know what buttons not to press. But I wouldn’t say I liked coming to work, and I, like many of my talented coworkers, quickly found a way to leave on my own terms. The rest of the staff decided to hunker down.

That organization collapsed shortly after many of us left, and I firmly believe that the leadership’s culture of fear had everything to do with that. The leader everyone feared was himself so afraid of mistakes that he made it impossible for any growth within the organization. And this led to its inevitable end — a stagnate, failing business. As you look at your motivators, ask yourself this question: Am I playing to win or not to lose? My fear-driven boss was playing not to lose, so the business never had any wins to keep it going. As you examine your motivators, try to identify sources of fear. Maybe you fear conflict at work, being fired, or editorandpublisher.com

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SEPTEMBER 17-23, 2021 / VOL. 43 / NO. 45 / LAWEEKLY.COM

even that your spouse isn’t happy with your hours or how much money you’re bringing home. Don’t just stop at your own motivation, though. What about your company as a whole? Does the sales team fear being yelled at? Or do they feel supported to try new things and stretch their talents to get the best results? What about your directors? Are they motivated to color in the lines so they don’t get in trouble with the board, or are they empowered to take risks and try to create new growth for the organization? After I left that culture of fear, I found a new culture of empowerment. Eventually, I learned that making a mistake didn’t have to be like stepping on a landmine. Instead of resulting in carnage, mistakes could be resolved with honest discussions about how to make better decisions in the future. I started to flourish in that role. I was happy to be in the organization and brought in better results because I wasn’t trying to keep my head down to avoid the saber-tooth. And in my career today, I work hard to enable others to take those same risks in their work. If you’re experiencing a great deal of fear in your workplace, it may be time to make some significant changes. As I said, fear will always be a part of being human. But it shouldn’t be the primary motivator for yourself or your organization. Because if fear and threats are the only management tools being used, the only possible outcome is collapse.  Doug Phares is the former CEO of the Sandusky News Group. He currently serves as managing director of Silverwind Enterprises, which owns and provides management services to small businesses. He can be reached at doug@silverwind.biz.

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Tımes

STEELE COUNTY

$8.95

Wednesday, September 15, 2021 www.SteeleCountyTimes.com Blooming Prairie, Minnesota

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SAN DIEGO BUSINESS JOURNAL

Vol. 42, No. 34

August 23 – 29, 2021 • $5.00

THE COMMUNITY OF BUSINESS™

MVP Launches Fourth Fund FINANCE: VC Firm Recruits Investors to S.D.

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A WET SURPRISE!

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STAFF PHOTO BY JOEY BUNTON Moore Venture Partners (MVP), has Members of the Owatonna and Austin varsity soccer teams get a wet surprise in stride during their game Thursday night at Lincoln Elementary School in Owatonna. As they launched its fourth fund (MVP IV)were to chasing the ball around the field, the sprinkler system came on giving everyone an unexpected shower. See sports section for more details on the game itself. continue backing companies in the life science and technology space across all stages of BY KAY FATE the 2003 event. handmade quilt for a “I think it’s very safe er intended to become It’s never stopped their growth. STAFF WRITER This year, the Bloomgrand prize – passed the to say we broke our a yearly tradition in growing. Coughlin began the ing Prairie Cancer million-dollar mark last Paint Blooming Prairie Blooming Prairie, but As one of San Eunice Coughlin fundraising as a way Group auction raised weekend. Pink (one-year) record,” “they made me out to be Diego’s oldest would be proud. to honor her daughter, $22,000 alone on Friday Coughlin’s first event she said Monday. such a hero,” Coughlin The fundraising Darla, who died of cannight, said organizer raised $1,700 to donate Krejci estimated said at the time, that she traditional vencer in 2000. She passed event she started 20 Cheri Krejci. They to the annual Eagle’s about 200 people turned did it again. ture capital firms, the torch to others in years ago with famraised $53,000 over both Cancer Telethon, held out each night – but emThe following year, it See IN 20 YEARS on A3 ► the community after ily members – and a nights. in Rochester. It was nevwas $6,400. it continues to grow the fund by Terry Moore tens of millions Founding Managing Partner of dollars, accordMoore Venture ing to Brady BeauPartners champ, who joined the firm earlier this year. The size of the BY KAY FATE the big things, what STAFF WRITER are you doing about the fund has not been disclosed. little things?” “Moore Venture Partners has beenWhen Gwen and Ed The sign is a mural,

In 20 years, Paint the Town Pink tops $1M mark

Photo Courtesy of The Century Club of San Diego

The Century Club of San Diego will welcome fans back to the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course in January.

The Fans Will Be Back in 2022 TOURISM: 120,000 Attendees Expected at Farmers Insurance Open By MARIEL CONCEPCION The Century Club of San Diego is welcoming back fans to the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open, the annual professional golf tournament held at Torrey Pines Golf Course each January. Last year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the nonprofit which supports local charities and drives civic impact, held the Farmers Insurance Open as a made-for-TV-only, no spectator event,

said The Century Club of San Diego’s NBC as well. If you ask the San Diego CEO Marty Gorsich. Next year (Jan. 26 Tourism Authority, we also have a masthrough Jan. 30), when it allows guests sive impact on tourism. Our last economback on the green, it is projected to at- ic impact report conducted a few years tract roughly 120,000 attendees and have ago showed it was at $34 million annually. an economic impact of over $34 million, But when you look at some of the other he said, just slightly more than in 2019. elements, it is hard to say. How do you “We help the city and also have an eco- measure something like broadcast? There nomic impact via tourism,” he said. “We are other economic impact measures that are the only event on national and inter- come into play.” national TV for San Diego - we are on Kerri Kapich, chief operating officer at ¨Century Club page 37 the Golf Channel a couple of days and on

ResMed Reports $3.2 Billion in Revenue

Ellendale mural is up for debate

Reiss opened Two Doves

¨Moore page Boutique 36 on Ellendale’s

Lawn Love Sold To Austin Co. TECH: Acquisition Creates

BIOTECH: Demand Growing; New Product Launched

¨ResMed page 40

DEVELOPMENT: East Village Becoming ‘The Downtown of the Future’

Strategic Powerhouse

an early resident and generous community benefactor. These days, though, the once-bright sign looks more like an overused whiteboard – the

1 (1)

2 (2)

3 (3)

Gross leasable sq. ft. # of buildings

Frontera Business Park

9255 Customhouse Plaza, San Diego 92154

Ocean View Hills Corporate

914,488 9

1 (1)

(2)

(3)

Healthpeak Properties

JLL

Clarion Partners

Pomerado Business Park

North County Corporate

511,344 9

Center

Joshua Way & Progress St., Vista 92081

6 (5)

7 (6)

8 (7)

9 (8)

10 (9)

Source: CBRE

Mickey Morera

Warehouse, Light, Industrial, Manufacturing Warehouse, Light, Industrial, Manufacturing

Poway

493,898 5

Vista

leasable square footage

Gross leasable sq. ft.

# of buildings

1,389,411

Submarket

989,096

Kidder Matthews Cushman & Wakefield

Ted Cuthbert

Cushman & Wakefield

Aric Starck

Listing agent

The Irvine Company CBRE

Scott Diggs,Rachael Eckardt

The Irvine Company

Rancho Bernardo

Brad Black

CBRE

UTC

Matt Carlson, Mike Hoeck, Jeff Oesterblad, Ryan Egli

Center

Alexandria Tech Center

10065, 10121 & 10151 Barnes Canyon Rd; 9605, 9645, 9685-9725 & 9855 Scranton Rd; 5505 Morehouse Dr, San Diego 92121

619,241

Sorrento Mesa

CBRE

Cushman & Wakefield

Brian Starck

La Jolla Square(1)

4225-4275 Executive Square, San Diego 92121

593,988

UTC

Del Mar Heights

3111 & 3131 Camino Del Rio N., San Diego 92108

506,816

Mission Valley

Scott Diggs

15051, 15073, 15253 & 15333 Avenue of Science Avenue of Science, San Diego 92128

The Irvine Company

471,937

Rancho Bernardo

Jay Alexander, Tim Olson

Jones Lang LaSalle

Kilroy Centre Del Mar

3579-3811 Valley Centre Dr., San Diego 92130

540,693

Centerside I & II

Innovation Corporate Center

To the best of our knowledge, this information is accurate the list, omissions and typographical as of press time. While every effort is made to errors sometimes occur. ensure the accuracy and Business Journal. Eric Alderete, Please send corrections thoroughness of or additions to the Research ealderete@sdbj.com. This list may not be reprinted Department at the San Diego in whole or in part without prior written permission from the

Deutsche Bank AG Squire Family Trust Barings

footage as of August 8,

Listing company

Scott Diggs Brent Wright

UTC

844,559

Irvine Co.

Scott Diggs, Tyler Jemmett

Rob Merkin, Matt Nickels

507-583-4431 | bptimes@frontiernet.net

Resler served as executive director of the Steele County Historical Society for 13 years before joining the Foundation seven years ago. “Through my work with the Historical Society, I got to know some of the trustees,” said Resler. “I was looking for parttime work and the Foundation See OWATONNA on A5 ►

RETIREMENT OPEN HOUSE When: Tuesday, Sept. 28 from 3-5 p.m. Where: Owatonna Foundation, 108 West Park Square, Owatonna

INSIDE

The Irvine Company CBRE

Jay Paul Company

American Assets Trust

John Dillemuth, 85, Owatonna Glen Stark, 83, Owatonna

Serving Blooming Prairie and Steele County since 1893

2021 BLOOMING PRAIRIE EDUCATION FOUNDATION BANQUET

2021

Owner

The Irvine Company

Swift Real Estate Partners

AREA DEATHS

Business ............................... A6-A7 Farm Living ................................... B9 Public Notices .......................... B12 Calendar........................................ B8 History ............................................ A5 Public Safety.............................. A4 Classifieds .................................. B13 Hometown Living .................... B6 Sports ...................................... B1-B5 Community................................. A12 Opinions ........................................ A2 State Fair....................................... B11 Faith................................................. A13 Owatonna School Page ..... A8

 Ranked by gross leasable square

as of August 8, 2021

Building class

UTC Rancho Bernardo

808,419

724,000

The Plaza

4320-4380 La Jolla Village Drive & 4365 Executive Dr., San Diego 92121

$1.00 | Volume 130, No. 8

BentallGreenOak

editor. Some companies have declined to participate or or to imply a company's size or numerical rank indicatesdid not return a survey by press time. It is not (1) the intent of this list to its quality. endorse the participants Also located at 1224-1225 Exposition Way and 1222 Innovative Drive.

LARGEST OFFICE PARKS LARGEST OFFICE PARKS Ranked by gross

Eastgate Technology Park

4755-4875 Eastgate Mall, 9515-9890 Towne Centre Dr,, San Diego 92121

Summit Rancho Bernardo

16620 W Bernardo Dr, San Diego 92127

16397, 16399, & 16409 W Bernardo Dr., San Diego 92127

4707, 4727 & 4747 Executive Dr., San Diego 92121

Rancho Vista Corporate

and her ability to get that many people – who often have strong opinions – behind projects is amazing.” Resler brought a steady hand to the organization, said Einhaus, who served as president when Resler was hired. And he said her work at the History Center positioned her well for the post.

2021

TIAA

CBRE

La Jolla Commons

STAFF PHOTO BY DEB FLEMMING

Those who work with Laura Resler, executive director of the Owatonna Foundation, describe her as very disciplined, diplomatic and caring. Traits and qualities, they say, will be missed when Resler retires later this month. “Dealing with trustees can be like herding cats,” said David Einhaus, past president of the board and a current trustee. “At one time, there were more than 30 trustees

Owners

Suberry Properties Square One Development Murphy Development Company

JLL CBRE Irvine Co.

Rich Danesi Ryan Spradling

Light, Manufacturing

THE LIST

2 3 4

footage as of August 8,

JLL

CBRE Cushman & Wakefield

Tyler Jemmett

R&D Warehouse

Rank

but said she’ll leave the choice up to the public. Either way, it will require money, which requires fundraisers and donors. See ELLENDALE on A10 ►

 Ranked by gross leasable square

Listing companies

Erik Parker

Bill Dolan

R&D, Ligh5t, Manufacturing

Poway

Source: CBRE

(4)

Listing agents

Joe Anderson

Barry Hendler Andy Irwin, Joe Anderson

Warehouse

Miramar

Sorrento Mesa

Name (Last Year) Address

Warehouse

Mission Gorge

Torrey Pines

(NR)

Building Type

Manufacturing, Warehouse Manufacturing, Distribution Warehouse, Light, Industrial, Manufacturing

Vista Otay Mesa

651,279 5 623,228 11 588,795 8 544,352 5 530,850 2

Park

Lavelli Way, Poway 92064

(9)

(10)

Submarket

Otay Mesa

679,090 26 665,229 3

Park

Canyon Ridge Technology

Brown Deer, Carroll Park Dr., Carroll Road, San Diego 92121

Torrey Pines Science Park

Pacific Technology Park

Vantage Point

895,495 9

Park

Waples St., San Diego 92121

14400-14500 Kirkham Way, Poway 92064

N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla 92037

(6)

(7)

(8)

Otay Mesa

Center

1450, 1424, 1462 Corporate Center Drive,(1) San Diego 92154

Rancho Vista Business

Poinsettia Drive & Business Park Drive, Vista 92081 The Campus

2001, 2055, 2065 Sanyo Ave., San Diego 92154

Mission Trails Industrial

Mission Gorge Road, San Diego 92120

(4)

(5)

7 8 9

This is the artwork commissioned by Gwen Reiss to replace the existing mural. It was hand-drawn by Albert Lea native Chandler Anderson, and would be photographed, scanned and printed onto panels that are then attached to the building.

representation of 1900s Ellendale. Reiss has commissioned Albert Lea native Chandler Anderson to create the new look – and the new format –

‘I’ll miss the people’

NEWS EDITOR

Laura Resler will be retiring as executive director of the Owatonna Foundation later this month. An Open House to celebrate Resler’s retirement will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 28.

LARGEST

INDUSTRIAL PARKS LARGEST Ranked by grossINDUSTRIAL leasable square footage as of August PARKS 8, 2021

THE LIST

Rank Name (Last Year) Address

(NR)

LARGEST OFFICE PARKS Page 18 LARGEST RETAIL CENTERS Page 20

mural faded about three years after it was last repainted, Reiss said. She’s on a mission to remedy that but said she would like a more “authentic” looking

BY DEB FLEMMING

¨Lawn page 36

THE LISTS ¨XX page xx

Save Today. Secure Tomorrow.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

The original mural of Ellendale was a vibrant depiction of an early-1900s street scene. The colors faded significantly about three years after it was last repainted, said business owner Gwen Reiss. She’d like the public to vote on whether to keep this mural or replace it with a new one.

LawnStarter, the leading provider of on-demand lawn and outdoor care, has acquired San Diego-based Lawn Love Inc. for an undisclosed amount in a cash-and-stock deal. The acquisition will allow both businesses to better capitalize on the growth of on-demand services, said Lawn Love CEO Jeremy Yamaguchi, adding that it will

LARGEST INDUSTRIAL PARKS Page 18

LEADERS: Nonprofit and Corporate Citizenship Finalists Announced

about 16 feet by 16 feet, painted on metal and hanging on the side of the building that houses the Ellendale Caf?, run by Russ Goette. It’s a full-color street scene featuring a train chugging through several townspeople and bustling businesses and a representation of Dr. E.Q. Ertel and Ellen Dale, after whom the town is named. Ertl was

Owatonna Foundation’s executive director retiring

By FRED GRIER

year. opportunity for the company to capitalThe San Diego life science company’s ize on growth beyond the fourth quarter. ResMed (NYSE: RMD, ASX: RMD), quarterly dividend increased by 8% to the leading global manufacturer in sleep $0.42 per share. According to the fourth Industry Outlook apnea therapy, reported their Q4 earnings quarter earnings for the period ending In June, Phillips (NYSE: PHG) recalled on Aug. 5 and recorded $876.1 million in June 30, income from operations in- millions of sleep apnea and ventilator derevenue — a 14% increase from the pre- creased 8%. vices for safety concerns. Following this vious year’s same period. ResMed’s total A recent recall for a competitor’s ven- announcement, ResMed’s CEO, Mick revenue for fiscal year 2021 was $3.2 bil- tilators as well as ResMed’s launch of a Farrell made a statement reiterating the lion — an 8% increase from the previous new sleep apnea machine have created an

By NATALLIE ROCHA

P.12 P.24

Main Street last year, it was with an eye toward maintaining a vibrant downtown in the Steele County town of about 800 people. But something bothered Gwen, and she could see it every day, out her front window. “That sign looks bad,” she said, “and if you don’t take care of

Saturday, October 2

Blooming Prairie Servicemen's Club

The Honorees: Distinctive Service

Doug and Judy Myers (1960)

Honored Staﬀ Member

Athletic Hall of Fame Andrea Herdina Simon (1986) Sheila Lembke Wiese (1986) Dave Oswald (1951) Jeanne Kruckeberg Ide (1986) Heather VanRavenhorst Larson (1987) Lori Kruckeberg Mattson (1984) Heidi VanRavenhorst Bell (1989) Amy Noble Seitz (1986) Sue Ulrich Cook (1984)

Julie Naatz (1974)

Alexandria Real Estate

Tickets available at New York Life Ofﬁce, BPEF on Facebook

The Irvine Company Kilroy Realty The Irvine Company

Ascendas-Singbridge Group

editor. Some companies have declined to participate or or to imply a company's size or numerical rank indicatesdid not return a survey by press time. It is not the (1) intent of this list to endorse its quality. Previously listed as Executive the participants Square

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news media today

Making the most of what little Twitter offers By Rob Tornoe

miss Twitter. I hate X. But despite all the terrible changes to the platform, I’m still posting, reading, scrolling, liking and bookmarking. I am far from alone in the world of journalism. What’s wrong with us? Since Elon Musk purchased the platform for $44 billion last year, every single change he’s made seems specifically designed to make X worse for journalism. First, it removed blue check marks from verified reporters, making it virtually unusable during large breaking news events, such as the conflict in Israel. Next, it was charging to use Tweetdeck, which has become an essential tool for many reporters (soon Musk might start charging everyone to use X). The latest blow is the decision to remove headlines from stories shared on the platform, making it less likely a reader will actually click through and easier for misinformation to spread. What does it add up to? A billionaire who speaks a great game about free speech but harbors a not-so-hidden disdain for reporters and their media outlets. Journalists “think they’re better than everyone else,” Musk posted on his account to his hundreds of millions of followers after allowing anyone with a credit card to purchase a verified account. He also throttled access to news sites and banned journalists from reporting his comings and goings using publicly available information. Some reporters have publicly exited the platform. Veteran ESPN writer and author Howard Bryant

| E&P |

NOVEMBER 2023

bolted last year, proclaiming that “Twitter’s not that important” before deactivating his account. But most are just posting slightly less than before Musk’s takeover, according to research published earlier this year by the Tow Center for Digital Journalism. The Tow Center found that, on average, journalists posted 3% less on the platform after Musk’s takeover. However, there was a stark ideological divide — reporters at right-wing outlets, like Breitbart and The Federalist, increased the number of daily posts on average. In contrast, journalists at most mainstream outlets, like The New York Times and CNN, posted less. “I am using it so, so much less,” said MSNBC host Chris Hayes. “It’s upsetting in so far as there was something there that had tremendous value that, out of sheer narcissism and malice, [Musk] destroyed. And not out of any market incentives because I think he’s lost millions of dollars while doing it.”

While Hayes said he mostly used the platform formerly known as Twitter to aggregate information and expertise from a news perspective — functionality that Musk has essentially broken — most of us justify our efforts out of a desire for people to find and read our story. But that has always been a mirage. About seven months ago, NPR left Twitter after the platform labeled the network “U.S. state-affiliated media,” lumping it in with propaganda outlets like Russia’s RT and China’s Xinhua. The impact on the news organization’s web traffic has been minor, dropping just 1%, according to a memo circulated to NPR staff and obtained by Neiman fellow Gabe Bullard. NPR’s main account on X has nearly 9 million followers. However, the memo said, “The platform’s algorithm updates made it increasingly challenging to reach active users; you often saw a near-immediate drop-off in engagement after tweeting, and users editorandpublisher.com

www.editorandpublisher.com/voices

rarely left the platform.” Bullard wrote the numbers confirmed “what many of us in news have long suspected — that Twitter wasn’t worth the effort, at least in terms of traffic.” At the Philadelphia Inquirer, where I work as a reporter, X currently accounts for just 4% of total web traffic, unchanged since the pre-Musk Twitter days of 2021. The company’s response to the platform’s changes is more automation and a shift to making the story’s headline the main copy of the post. The Inquirer will still devote manpower to breaking news, big sports events and large enterprise stories, but as the platform becomes less useful and reliable for news distribution, they will put less effort into it. These traffic scores underscore another critical point — most of your readers aren’t on X. According to a 2021 Pew Research Center survey, just 23% of adults in the U.S. said they used Twitter — less than YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and even LinkedIn. Earlier this year, a new Pew survey found that six-in-10 Americans said they have taken a break from the platform. “Hyperfocusing on Twitter distorts news coverage by amplifying stories that strike a chord on the platform but matter less to people in the real world,” Kai Falkenberg (a newsroom

lawyer who is currently the general counsel at G/O Media) wrote in a column for Poynter.

Ways to make X better for those sticking around So, you haven’t left X yet and plan to remain until the lights get turned off? Fine. Here are a couple of ways you might be able to improve your experience slightly. First, download the Control Panel for Twitter browser extension, an excellent free tool that lets you roll back many of Musk’s terrible changes. You can restore headlines to links, hide posts quoting accounts you’ve blocked or muted, and even bring back the little blue bird logo. The best feature is the ability to delete the “following” timeline and enjoy a chronological timeline of accounts you actually follow by default. I wish there were a way to roll back the changes made to TweetDeck, but I’ve yet to find anything that makes it worth the $8 Musk is charging (though I don’t often schedule posts or use many functions beyond just scanning multiple lists at once). Why hasn’t an alternative been created? Another of Musk’s changes was to the company’s API pricing structure, making it prohibitively expensive for a third party to develop a similar tool.

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There’s HootSuite, but at $99, it’s hardly an alternative to paying X. Some free web browsers — The Browser Company’s Arc browser and Vivaldi — will allow you to tile windows to mimic TweetDeck’s appearance, but in my testing, it was a bit clunky. I’ve settled on a hack using the many lists I’ve created and curated over the years. First, go to your Lists and select the one you want to follow. The URL will look something like this: https://twitter.com/i/ lists/1453463171914780672. Select that long number, and in Twitter’s search field, write “list” followed by the number. Select latest, and bookmark that URL for use later. Rinse and repeat for all the lists you want to follow. It’s not as convenient as having them all side-by-side in one panel, but nothing on the platform is easy to use anymore.  Rob Tornoe is a cartoonist and columnist for Editor and Publisher, where he writes about trends in digital media. He is also a digital editor and writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Reach him at robtornoe@gmail.com.

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diversity spotlight Los Angeles Times invests in De Los De Los’ editorial and design directors share their journey and vision for the community-driven brand By Gretchen A. Peck

n July 2023, the Los Angeles Times unveiled “De Los,” described as a new “community-driven brand and platform” expressly for Latino audiences across metropolitan Los Angeles and the country. At De Los, a team of Latino journalists and digital creators share their storytelling through journalism, commentary, graphics and comics, and social shareworthy videos. Three months in, E&P asked De Los’ Editorial Director Fidel Martinez and Design Director Martina IbañezBaldor about the mission and hopes for De Los. Q: Heading into De Los’ debut, what did you know already about the (potential) audience?

Ibañez-Baldor: At the time, about 1.5 years ago, we knew that there were 2.8 million English-dominant Millennial and Gen Z Latinos in Los Angeles. And 52% of all Angelenos under 30 were Latino. We also learned from focus groups that there was a desire to see this community lifted and to have these stories told with authenticity by Latinos from these communities. Martinez: We also didn’t launch De Los blindly. In 2020, the team behind De Los launched a news product called “The Latinx Files,” a weekly newsletter focused on covering this long-underserved community. It was a valuable case study in learning how to tell stories for Latinos, not just about them. Many of the insights gleaned from this project — which is still ongoing — were then scaled up for De Los. These included the underlying belief that we needed

| E&P |

NOVEMBER 2023

} The De Los team comprises an impressive group of Latino journalists — among

them General Manager Angel Rodriguez, Community Editor Jessica Perez, Assistant Editors Christian Orozco and Crystal Villareal; Reporters Alejandra Molina, Chelsea Hylton and Andrea Flores, and Art Director Diana Ramirez. “Everyone on the team has a passion for storytelling and uplifting stories from Latino communities,” according to De Los Design Director Martina Ibañez-Baldor.

to establish a two-way street of communication with our audience. Q: When De Los launched, you asked the community to share story ideas, leads and feedback. What was the response?

Ibañez-Baldor: Our email has been flooded with responses! We have been overwhelmed by the response — from story tips, pitches, and feedback. In our how to get involved page, we linked to a survey asking readers what they most wanted to see in De Los. One of the top responses was “things to do,” and accordingly, we have created a weekly “De Los Weekend guide.” We also use Instagram stories to source community stories. In a story we published about “What former first-gen students wish they knew about college,” we crowdsourced tips and advice from our followers through an Instagram stories questionnaire.

Q: The journalism is intentionally in front of the paywall and freely accessible. What factored into that decision, and is it a long-term strategy or a temporary one to build buzz/audience?

Ibañez-Baldor: The L.A. Times has historically ignored and often vilified Latino communities in L.A. and flamed the fires of racial tensions — take the Zoot-Suit Riots, for example. This has rightfully led to distrust between the Times and Latino readers. We knew we could not build a product for this community and ask them to pay for it right off the bat. Martinez: Right, to what Martina said, we knew we weren’t launching in a vacuum, that the paper had a less than stellar past with the audience we are hoping to serve. As such, it didn’t seem right for us to build something for them and then expect them to pay us. editorandpublisher.com

editorandpublisher.com/diversity

As per the longer-term plan, it’s unclear. Our primary goal is to establish trust first. Q: How are you measuring engagement? What stories have inspired a lot of commentary or conversation?

Martinez: We are fortunate to have a highly engaged audience on our social media platforms. One of the benefits of this is that you get instant feedback when our stories go live. Seeing the reactions and dialogues that some of our stories have elicited has been heartening. Among these are pieces about Latina women over the age of 35 navigating fertility and IVF treatments and a thoughtful essay on the evolving and diminishing role the Spanish language has on defining Latino identity. These conversations tend to confirm my theory that Latinidad — the vague, many-tentacled idea that ties more than 60 million people in this country together — is in flux and undergoing redefinition. The engagement we’ve received

} Martina Ibañez-Baldor,

} Fidel Martinez, editorial director,

feels like seeing the new contours of identity taking shape in real-time.

younger than any other racial or ethnic group in this country, and as a result, they’re exceptionally digitally savvy. They over-index in usage for platforms like TikTok and Instagram. As such, we’re devoting efforts and resources to meet them where they are. Right now, the next big milestone is our Dia de Muertos coverage. It began in 2021 as a digital altar — an online tool where our readers could leave ofrendas or offerings to loved ones who have passed — and has since expanded to include audio, video and a live event component. More long term, it’s my personal hope that we expand to docuseries and podcast production to reach our audiences wherever they might be. That also includes geographical coverage areas beyond Los Angeles and Southern California. After all, Latinos are being underserved here and across the country. Sooner or later, someone’s going to get to these audiences. I hope that it is us. 

design director, De Los

Q: What’s your hope for De Los over the next year?

Martinez: The De Los team takes pride in being experimental. We consider ourselves to be platform agnostic because we believe that the old “Field of Dreams” mantra of “if you build it, they will come” no longer applies to journalism. Our target audience is

} “It’s been heartening seeing the reactions and dialogues that some of our

stories have elicited. Among these are pieces about Latina women over the age of 35 navigating fertility and IVF treatments and a thoughtful essay on the evolving and diminishing role the Spanish language has on defining Latino identity,” Editorial Director Fidel Martinez explained to E&P. editorandpublisher.com

De Los

Gretchen A. Peck is a contributing editor to Editor & Publisher. She’s reported for E&P since 2010 and welcomes comments at gretchenapeck@gmail.com.

NOVEMBER 2023

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tasaka's tech talk

Getting mobile

Native mobile apps put news publishers in control of content and their futures

By Guy Tasaka

obile apps are now used more than mobile web browsers. eMarketer estimated that in 2022, the average American spent over four hours a day on mobile devices, and over 90% of that time spent was using a mobile app. This ubiquity of mobile apps in everyday digital habits presents both risks and opportunities for news publishers. While websites remain important touchpoints, failing to understand and invest in mobile apps risks ceding ground to aggregators again. Yet, done right, apps provide publishers with a potent means of deepening reader relationships and revenue in an increasingly mobile-centric world. Publishers have been slow to embrace the change 16 years after the introduction of the smartphone. A mid-2021 Pew Research Center audit of the 97 most trafficked news outlets showed that only 66% had mobile iOS and Android apps.

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The benefits of controlling the full user experience Unlike websites, apps allow publishers to control the full user experience in a seamless, branded environment. Native app experiences can be tailored to optimize content discovery and engagement. For example, apps can showcase different types of stories via dedicated feeds or tabs — like breaking news alerts, sports scores, lifestyle features and other content. Video and audio content can be embedded natively within apps, facilitating immersive digital storytelling. Interactive graphics, quizzes and other gamified formats are also app-friendly. Push notifications enable publishers to deliver breaking news in real time. All of these engage readers in ways impersonal websites struggle to match.

Sessions/user/month Avg time/session Adviews/user/month

Website design and development has made great strides using responsive design and progressive web app, or PWA, technology. However, the strength of a native mobile app is its position in a publisher’s media portfolio — having one of its most loyal audiences. Native mobile apps attract a very different consumer, and perhaps that’s a reflection of the past decades’ focus on “pageviews at any price” audience strategy, where publishers focused on search engine optimization and social posting to grow their web traffic. In my former role as head of mobile product and strategy at a media company (that no longer exists), we compared an aggregate of five different properties’ digital audience data. I’ve since validated similar numbers with other publishers and mobile tech vendors. I encourage you to take a look at your data through a similar lens:

Desktop

Mobile Web

Native Mobile App

2.03

2.15

13.74

2 min: 50 sec

1 min: 36 sec

4 min: 35 sec

151 editorandpublisher.com

editorandpublisher.com/tech

We also looked at the adoption rate as a percentage of total digital monthly active users, meaning monthly unique visitors, to project the number of users that would convert to monthly native mobile active users. The adoption rate was 1.03%; it was a very tight range, with the highest being 2.5%

Content strategies for engaging mobile users News publishers must view a mobile app as an information tool for its readers, emphasizing the platform’s immediacy. Push notifications and geolocation should be used to deliver breaking news and announce local events and expiring subscriber deals. Many national outlets have attempted this, but no one has as deep local business relationships as local publishers. I’m a huge believer in curation over creation. Publishers’ apps should be tools that aggregate relevant information for the user.

Monetization opportunities Beyond engagement, native apps unlock appealing monetization models for publishers. Oxford’s Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (RISJ) 2023 Digital News Report found that 21% of U.S. adults pay for some form of digital news product, with local news subscriptions showing particular momentum. Apps provide a natural “home” for managing these subscriptions and accessing gated content. Apps also enable innovative native advertising formats. For instance, sponsored content can be blended into news feeds reminiscent of social media marketing. Segmented push notifications can help drive engagement with ads. Such native formats outperform banner ads on webpages. The number of ad opportunities in native mobile — due to the high engagement and dwell time — dwarfs any other digital media except streaming video and audio. Publishers should be aware of this unique advantage native apps offer. editorandpublisher.com

Ceding ground to aggregators Of course, publishers are not the only ones capitalizing on the news app ecosystem. Aggregators like Newsbreak, SmartNews, and Apple News are gaining significant market share. Newsbreak hit 100 million monthly active users in 2021, and SmartNews surpassed 20 million U.S. users by late 2022. According to Similarweb and based on store downloads and installs, the top three news apps are Newsbreak from Particle Media, SmartNews, and Google News’ Daily Headlines. A few things to note: both NewsBreak and SmartNews focus on local news, and NewsBreak just launched a self-service ad manager akin to Google and Facebook’s ad portal. These platforms leverage algorithms to surface relevant headlines from a variety of sources. The personalized curation provides convenience readers appreciate. Yet for publishers, aggregators present an existential threat long-term. Relying on aggregators means losing control over branding, analytics and monetization. Worse, aggregators have little incentive to drive subscriptions back to publishers’ owned outlets. Over time, ceding app ground to intermediaries will undermine vital reader relationships and revenue streams. This sounds really familiar again.

Making native apps a strategic priority For news publishers seeking sustainable futures, the implications are clear. Native mobile apps can no

longer be an afterthought or “niceto-have” product. They must become a strategic priority integrated across the organization. What does this look like? First, publishers should ensure apps target specific user needs, like localized news and special interests and be highly useful. Trying to replicate an entire website experience diminishes the app’s purpose. Design, content and features should optimize for mobile use cases. Second, while apps require dedicated resources, today’s landscape may warrant more investment into user acquisition and analytics over product development. App vendors like BLOX Digital and Whiz Technologies offer quality and affordable app solutions. Low-code solutions provide affordable alternatives to custom-developed apps. The core mobile competency for publishers is now understanding their app users and effectively promoting the app, not necessarily building it from scratch. Focus on the unique use cases and advantages mobile apps offer. Ultimately, the future of news is mobile, and thus, it lies in thoughtfully designed apps that reach loyal audiences. Publishers who seize this opportunity now will reap the benefits for years to come through deeper reader ties and revenue. But those who continue prioritizing websites risk losing the mobile news battle — and, with it, their long-term viability. The strategic imperative is clear: to thrive in today’s digital landscape, investing in app experiences must be publishers’ top priority. 

Guy Tasaka is a seasoned media professional with a 35-year track record of leading change in the industry. He has collaborated with renowned organizations such as Macworld Magazine, Ziff-Davis and The New York Times, where he honed his expertise in research, strategy, marketing and product management. As the former chief digital officer at Calkins Media, Guy was acknowledged as the Local Media Association’s Innovator of the Year for his work in advancing OTT and digital video platforms for local news organizations. He is also the founder and managing partner of Tasaka Digital, specializing in helping media and technology companies navigate business transformations using his extensive experience and forward-thinking approach. Guy can be reached at guy@tasakadigital.com.

NOVEMBER 2023

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} E&P’s 2023 Publisher of the Year Leonard Woolsey. Photo: Jennifer Reynolds/The Galveston County Daily News

THE OPTIMISTIC LEADER Publisher of the Year Leonard Woolsey reflects on four decades in the news business

eonard Woolsey, Leadership Conference in president of Southern Chicago — where Woolsey Newspapers, also learned he’d been Inc. (SNI) and elected vice president of president and publisher of America’s Newspapers. The Galveston County Daily Woolsey is also the past News, is Editor & Publisher’s president and current 2023 Publisher of the Year. } By Gretchen A. Peck chairman of the Texas Press Woolsey accepted the award Association. from E&P’s Publisher Mike Blinder Donnis Baggett, executive and Editor-in-Chief Robin Blinder vice president at the Texas Press during America’s Newspapers’ Senior Association, told E&P, “When

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[Leonard] took office as president, during his acceptance speech, he said, ‘I don’t know how you feel out there, but I think it’s time that newspapers got a little of their swagger back.’ That lit up the room; it really did. That optimism, that can-do spirit was like a spark kindling a fire.” After collaborating with Woolsey on legislative initiatives, Baggett admired Woolsey’s talent for advocacy. “He’s a dynamic, off-the-cuff speaker editorandpublisher.com

EditorandPublisher.com/Exclusives

and comes across well in a hearing room when legislation is being heard,” Baggett said. “Southern Newspapers is a shining example of how to run a company, in my opinion, and I think most people in our industry would agree with that. … They chose the right guy for this generation of management,” Baggett said. “He’s one of my top-five favorite people I’ve met in 50 years in this business — just a jewel of an individual.”

A CALLING TO NEWS “This started at the kitchen table when I was a little kid,” Woolsey traced his interest in news to his childhood. “My mother was an immigrant. She grew up in Scotland, and when she was 21, packed a suitcase and a one-way ticket on a steamer. She came to the U.S. because she wanted to have her children in America, be part of the American dream and support democracy. She read the paper to us every morning at the kitchen table.

} Leonard Woolsey and his wife,

Maryrine, dance to ‘80s music at a Missouri Press Association meeting.

“To me, the newspaper was the authority on the world. We always held it in such high esteem. She would preach to us about democracy and why America was wonderful and the best place in the world,” he said. After college, he went to work for a newspaper.

} Leonard Woolsey speaks at the 2023 Daily News Press Run, an annual event that

helps fund Newspapers in Education (NIE). Photo: Stuart Villanueva/The Daily News editorandpublisher.com

“It was more than a job. It was a calling, and I think maybe my mother embedded it in my DNA somehow,” he said. Michael Gebhart, now the president and CEO of Southern Community Newspapers, hired Woolsey early in his career, recalling that he was “a star in the making.” “Leonard helped me learn that a key to good management is to surround yourself with good people,” Gebhart told E&P. “I was blessed to have accomplished that by having Leonard on our team. He made everyone better.” From 1995 to 2014, Woolsey served in various roles for Paxton Media Group, including president and group publisher for several Atlantamarket titles. “Even though I came up on the advertising and revenue side, that’s just the skillset I bring to the table, but I have so much respect for and fight tooth and nail to protect our journalists and editorial teams because that is the show,” he said. In 2014, Woolsey was recruited by Southern Newspapers. At the time, Dolph Tillotson was president (he is now chairman), and talent scouting was part of his role. He’d gotten to know Woolsey at conferences and spent several years seeking him out at events or when he was passing through Georgia. “There were two or three things that stood out about him,” Tillotson said. “He has really good knowledge of the newspaper industry and our business. He had great insight into advertising, sales and marketing. But he had other intangible things beyond that, one of which was that he’s really creative.” Woolsey said it felt like being drafted by the Astros. He didn’t know much about Galveston — let alone that it was an island. His wife is a native Texan, so she was excited by the prospect of his new role as publisher of The Daily News. He discovered the newspaper was the oldest in the state, with a rich history of family ownership. NOVEMBER 2023

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THE OPTIMISTIC LEADER

} The Daily News Publisher and

Southern Newspapers President Leonard Woolsey is seen here with United Way of Galveston Executive Director Lindsey White. Photo: Carla Peoples

“It means so much to the community and the state, and it was now my responsibility to see it forward. It has a long history of editorial excellence,” Woolsey said. In 2019, he was appointed president. He’s read a lot about Steve Jobs and owns a poster with a Jobs quotation: “Let’s go invent tomorrow, rather than worrying about what happened yesterday.” “What that means to me is that you can recognize and acknowledge that you have a situation, but the sooner you quit whining about it, the sooner you can find something to make from it and find a way forward,” he said. Lissa Walls Cribb, Southern Newspapers’ CEO, reflected on hiring Woolsey. “Leonard first appeared on our radar when he made presentations on generating revenue, hiring and retaining people at what was then SNPA meetings,” she told E&P via email. “We were so impressed with him that we asked him to present at our company’s annual revenue meeting. Not only were his presentations excellent, but he also ‘fit’ with our group of publishers and sales directors.

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} Guests listen to The Daily News Publisher Leonard Woolsey speak during the 40 Under 40 Celebration Mixer at Marais in Dickinson. Photo: Carla Peoples

} A surfer and skateboarder, Leonard

Woolsey keeps both “rides” close at hand in The Daily News office. Photo: Jennifer Reynolds/The Galveston County Daily News

“Leonard in 2014 was very much the Leonard of today,” she continued. “He is a highly engaged operator with deep knowledge of all aspects of operating a newspaper, a leader

inside and outside the building, and a strong value system in sync with the SNI leadership. He leads with a steady hand, an open mind and a servant’s heart. He supports his colleagues with humor, integrity and courage.” Walls Cribb lauded Woolsey’s leadership during COVID-19 as one of his greatest accomplishments. “Our industry is in desperate need of people who share Leonard’s belief in the critical role newspapers play in the communities they serve and his dedication to developing a viable, sustainable business model to ensure that role continues,” she said. “He is realistic about the challenges but optimistic and determined to find the answers. … He is simply a talented executive, a valued colleague and a treasured friend.” Woolsey’s respect for her leadership is mutual. Southern Newspapers has seen significant gains in digital audience. They’ve resisted the temptation to undervalue subscriptions with churninducing entry offers. “Instead, we’re trying to build a healthy model for subscriber revenue,” Woolsey said. Print endures. “The future is digital,” Woolsey said. “But that doesn’t mean the future is without print. Print will always be a powerful tool to move people to make editorandpublisher.com

Thu, Feb 10, 2022

Wed, Feb 9, 2022

THE OPTIMISTIC LEADER

decisions and to think critically.” On his return flight from Chicago, he noticed the four people seated around him, in their 40s and 50s, he estimated. Woolsey is 61. “Four of us were reading. One had a Kindle, and three of us had books. There is still power in print. Print means something. It’s tangible. We react emotionally to it — like standing before a painting that suddenly speaks to you.” “The Daily News has a larger audience than it ever has in the 181-year-old newspaper’s history because of its digital products and our print products,” he said. Southern Newspapers is preparing for a post-cookies era. “We still have cookies for now, but the cookie will crumble. Those of us building strong war chests of first-party data will be in a better position,” Woolsey said. Yvonne Mintz is editor and publisher for The Brazosport Facts and vice president of content and ethics for Southern Newspapers. She’s been with the company for 26 years and said Woolsey is “a fantastic collaborator.” “He gives us all a chance to present our views and is open to changing his mind if we have a great idea. But when he feels very strongly about something, he digs in and helps you understand his way of thinking — but not before hearing you out thoroughly. And that’s something that I really admire in a leader,” Mintz said. She also appreciates how Woolsey keeps journalism top of mind. “I think it’s so important for editors to have a seat at the table when it comes to business decisions,” she said.

THE LIFELONG STUDENT When people who know Woolsey describe him, inevitably, they use the adjective “optimistic.” “I find you can either dwell on the pain, or you can find a way forward — and believe that you’ll find a way forward,” Woolsey said.

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} From the left, Mayor Dedrick Johnson; Titilayo Smith, Community Development & Grants administrator; Theresa Mayfield, local history librarian; Brenda Broussard, archive assistant; Cheryl Loewen, library director; Leonard Woolsey, Daily News publisher; and Commissioner DeAndre’ Knoxson, of District 1, celebrated the transfer of Texas City Sun (owned by The Galveston Daily News) archives to Moore Memorial Library. Photo: The Galveston County Daily News

} Leonard Woolsey’s family is seen

here during a recent family vacation to Bailey, Colorado. Left to right is Alec Woolsey, Maryrine Woolsey and Ally Woolsey.

He also believes it’s his role to enable those around him to be successful and attain their professional goals. “I have grown as a manager, a leader and a person because of the quality of the people here at this newspaper. … I care about them and want the best for them,” he said. “They’re looking to me to make the right decisions, to guide the newspaper, to make the right financial decisions, to

make the right strategy decisions and also to recognize them as people, not just as employees,” he said. Woolsey also cares about the community and finds his editorial columns keep him in conversation with the public. “He understands the importance of newspaper editorial pages and what they can mean in a community if they’re strong, vibrant and courageous,” SNI’s Tillotson said. His columns inspire comments from the community, on the website and social media, and in more personal settings, like the grocery aisle. He hopes the editorials help connect people through their shared experiences. Woolsey’s college sweetheart and wife of 43 years, Maryrine, encouraged him to compile his columns in a book; they now total three volumes. The couple has two adult children — a son and a daughter. Woolsey exudes pride when he speaks of their character and accomplishments. His family keeps him humble and laughing. “They’re proud of me, but I promise you, in their universe, I’m just goofball dad,” he said. editorandpublisher.com

One of Woolsey’s favorite pastimes is skateboarding. In the late 1970s/early 1980s, he competed in the sport. The experience allowed him to travel and see the country. He said the pinnacle of his competitive skate career came when he was invited to perform some tricks for Hollywood icon Adam West at a Kansas City Auto Show one year. As a kid, he’d been obsessed with Batman and recalled precisely how West approached him at the event — emerging from a crowd, his sports coat casually flung over his shoulder. Afterward, West told him he’d done a good job and signed the bottom of his skateboard. Back home, his mother insisted on putting clear tape over the autograph to protect it. Woolsey still has the skateboard. He’s also a surfer and, for many years, a cyclist. He recently retired his bike in favor of a new interest. He’s learning to play guitar. “I’m the best guitar player in this small little room in the top corner of the house,” he said. In his 40s, he learned to play the piano. “Music is a fun experience. It’s another language to learn,” Woolsey suggested. As you go through life, there are so many cool things to do. … Life is too short not to unpeel all the layers out there.”

} Daily News Publisher Leonard Woolsey (center right) and Chief Revenue

Officer Michelle Robinson (right) presented a $5,000 check to Galveston College President W. Myles Shelton and Director of Development Kelly Kennedy on June 28. Photo: The Galveston County Daily News

When you speak with Woolsey, you sense he’s future-focused. “One of the theories in the book ‘The Tao of Pooh’ is about water running downstream. It doesn’t matter how big the boulders are in the way; it finds a way to go over it, around it. The Eastern philosophy suggests that progress will find a way. Sometimes it is not obvious. Sometimes, water has to go under the

rock; sometimes, it goes around to the left or the right. “I read that book in the 1990s, and it changed how I view the world. If there’s a big boulder in front of me, I focus on how to get around it,” Woolsey concluded.  Gretchen A. Peck is a contributing editor to Editor & Publisher. She’s reported for E&P since 2010 and welcomes comments at gretchenapeck@gmail.com.

Congratulations

LEONARD WOOLSEY 2023 E&P 'Publisher of the Year'! from your friends at

} Kevin Young, head of audience for The Economist, said that having direct communication with your audience — through a

website, newsletters and branded mobile app, for example — is a failsafe in the event any particular social app shutter or decline as a source of traffic and engagement.

CHECKING IN ON THE SOCIAL SCENE Legacy social sites still perform for news media publishers intent on growing audience and enriching engagement

his moment in E&P asked how all time feels like both an of this has influenced evolutionary milestone social strategy for for social media and multiplatform news a pivotal point for news media publishers and where publishers who have come they are finding the to rely on social media for biggest audiences extending their journalism’s and most meaningful } By Gretchen A. Peck reach. They’ve contended with engagement today. leadership changes at X/Twitter and have been given the opportunity to SOCIAL BROADENS IMPACT hang a digital shingle on several new OF PUBLIC MEDIA social platforms, like Post, Threads, As the community engagement and Mastodon and Bluesky. social media editor, Sabrina Herrera A cloud of uncertainty lingers over leads a small social media team at news publishers’ relationship with Connecticut Public, a state-wide, Meta/Facebook moving forward, based community-supported PBS and NPR on regulatory initiatives and the tech member station based in Hartford, platform’s ongoing threat to ban news Connecticut. The station operates three from its apps should it be legislatively TV stations and a radio station and compelled to compensate news outlets produces a website, newsletters and for content. podcasts. Social media is a key means

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NOVEMBER 2023

of communicating with its audience of more than one million monthly readers, listeners and viewers. The social team comprises just two members. With limited resources, the team takes a measured approach to new social settings. Herrera said, “We don’t necessarily rush to be active on all the platforms, but our first order of business is to ensure we can manage each one. That’s a safety issue, and we want to protect our brand at all these places.” Herrera remarked on the dilemmas they’ve faced in the wake of changes to leadership and platform at X/Twitter. “Our mission is to continue to serve our audiences,” she said. “So, what does that mean if we decide to leave a platform? I feel like we’ve never faced many of these existential questions around social media.” editorandpublisher.com

EditorandPublisher.com/Exclusives

To complicate the X/Twitter dilemma, that particular platform delivers the largest audience of followers for Connecticut Public — roughly 32,000. It also brings the most traffic back to the website and is particularly adept at breaking news. “We’ll stay on the platform, but we’re not going to innovate on the platform,” Herrera said. Instead, they’re looking to TikTok and Instagram. “We don’t get as many clicks to our website from Instagram as we do from other sources, but we get a lot more comments and shares. There is value in that, in terms of informing our audiences,” Herrera said. “We put a lot of effort into our Instagram Reels these past couple of years, and since we created them for Instagram, we also began sharing them on the TikTok platform,” she said. Connecticut Public is planning a “get to know you” video series for social. Each episode would follow a staff member for a behind-the-scenes look at their role. “There isn’t much awareness of the different functions in a newsroom and how those roles are changing. I think bringing our audience closer to the process will help build trust,” Herrera said.

} Sabrina Herrera, community

} Gabriella Vukelić, social media editor,

It’s also an opportunity to introduce the public to other ways to access CT Public’s journalism. “For example, they may only know us through the radio station, but they may not know that we also produce a podcast, so it’s a way to build awareness of everything we do,” she said. Asked what she finds most rewarding about her role, Herrera said, “For me, it’s fulfilling to see the impact of the journalism on people around us. … Having impact, having the ability to guide the content and see the impact is what the impact is; I feel really grateful for that,” she said.

NEWSDAY TAPS INTO SUPER-USER AUDIENCE

engagement and social media editor, Connecticut Public

} Community Engagement and Social Media Editor Sabrina Herrera conducted a Connecticut Public-hosted listening session. editorandpublisher.com

Newsday

Gabriella Vukeli is the social media editor for Newsday in Melville, New York, where she leads a team of two social media producers. Together, they manage several social channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. Based on audience, engagement and site functionality, they painstakingly and creatively repackage Newsday’s journalism so it’s visually striking and share-friendly. “We’re restructuring headlines. We’re using art to the best of our ability, whether it’s a static photo, a gallery of photos or a vertical video,” she explained. X/Twitter remains a lucrative source of traffic and conversions for Newsday. “We’ve actually been thriving on Twitter,” she said. “This is something I want to deep dive into — why that is — but my theory is that the people who are sticking to Twitter are ‘super users.’ That’s worked to our benefit. They are super users who are really interested in local news on Long Island.” Over the past year, Newsday has made strides in growing its TikTok audience — to 5,431 at deadline. Vukeli is energized by what the future holds for social. She sees each app as having a distinctive value proposition and a different method of storytelling. It allows the team to be creative and encourages innovation. NOVEMBER 2023

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CHECKING IN ON THE SOCIAL SCENE

She’s also undaunted by the prospect of any one social app shuttering. “There will always be another platform that people will migrate to.” “While it’s not ideal, when you work so hard to build a following and deliver all this information to an audience, you want it to continue and stick around,” she said. “But if it comes down to one day a platform is just gone, there always will be something else. I think we’re so ingrained with social media in today’s society that there can’t be just nothing.”

A SMART APPROACH TO SOCIAL RESOURCES

Kevin Young has a long, illustrious career as a journalist with BBC News and Bloomberg, and today, as head of audience for The Economist, the international news magazine and brand. He leads a social team of 11 based in both New York City and London. “As a subscription-based publisher, social media platforms are an important short window for our journalism and to try to bring in new audiences,” Young said. Throughout his career, he’s seen a cultural shift in social media. “The idea used to be there was a town square, and we’d gather in that one place, and we’d all be able to communicate en masse,” Young said. “I think we’ve seen a splintering of platforms. I think some have become less interested in news. Some have become more volatile as sources of news. Everybody has gone off in different directions, and the landscape has been divided up slightly more than before.” How news media publishers use the platforms and measure social ROI has changed, too.

} Kevin Young, head of audience, The Economist

“It used to be about size when these social platforms were beginning,” Young said. “When I worked at the BBC and Bloomberg, when we hit our first million [followers] on each platform, it was a huge moment. … The size of the audience was really seen as key. Now, I think it’s quality over quantity, and smaller platforms can be worth the effort.” Young spoke of their vast audience on Instagram, approximately 6.3 million followers. “So, Threads as a platform, from day one, had a large potential audience for us,” he said, adding that they’ve gained 800,000 followers on Threads. The Economist was an early Twitter adopter. “Twitter remains a very important platform. It is still our top platform in terms of driving traffic to our website,” he noted. Young reported that their “organic” Facebook traffic has declined in recent years, though The Economist’s marketing team has found that paid, targeted ads on Facebook still drive conversions.

Instagram is becoming a more valuable tool, especially for reaching younger audiences. “Four years ago, we introduced the ‘link in bio’ feature, a hack for driving people back to our own stories and websites. Of our 6.3 million followers on Instagram, two-thirds are aged 18 to 34. That’s an audience of about 4 million young people who now have a relationship with The Economist. Some are the next generation of Economist subscribers,” he said. Young said he’s been monitoring regulatory efforts that have already begun to change the relationship between social platforms and news publishers. He cited Meta’s blockade of news in Canada as a cause for concern, but also a teachable moment. “This shows the value of owning platforms and bringing audiences into the publisher’s own ecosystem. The Economist now has 15 newsletters, none of which is affected by an external platform deciding which people or countries can’t read them. The Economist also has an app and can send material to people through that directly. This reiterates that social media platforms are fantastic shop windows for content. However, it’s essential to get audiences to our own platforms to, first of all, be able to communicate directly with those people, but also to ensure that no external force can interfere with how publishers communicate with their readers.”  Gretchen A. Peck is a contributing editor to Editor & Publisher. She’s reported for E&P since 2010 and welcomes comments at gretchenapeck@gmail.com.

EditorandPublisher.com/Vodcasts

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NOVEMBER 2023

Hosted by Mike Blinder editorandpublisher.com

E&P’s Publisher of the Year 2023

Congratulations, Leonard Woolsey, President of Southern Newspapers! Thank you for your continued partnership with AdCellerant.

Learn how a partnership with AdCellerant can help grow your digital revenue at: www.adcellerant.com

FACT-CHECKING A sharp weapon in the misinformation fight

} By Bob Sillick

ccuracy is the core principle of quality journalism. When editors and journalists are dedicated to reporting the facts in a balanced manner, the public is more likely to trust what they write and publish — and become better informed and more involved citizens. Traditionally, the job of most factcheckers was to ensure information was accurate: people’s names were spelled correctly, statistics were cited clearly and statements by those interviewed were thoroughly vetted. The internet, however, added another dimension to fact-checking. The web became an easily accessed source of information and an open platform for individuals

Number of organizations created

Number of organizations created vs. year 20 15 10 5 0

1995

2000

2005

and groups to post misinformation, distorted facts and less-than-credible conspiracy theories. The web’s fact-checking challenge and its use in political campaigns in the early years of the century impelled the Annenberg Public Policy Center to launch FactCheck.org in 2003 and the former St. Petersburg Times (now the Tampa Bay Times) to launch PolitiFact in 2007. PolitiFact is now a nonprofit project operated by the Poynter Institute.

36.6% For proﬁt media outlet

6.4% Academic initiative

} The IFCN’s 2022 State of the Fact-Checkers Report survey found that 57% of

verified signatories were nonprofit organizations, 36.6% were for-profit media outlets, and 6.4% were academic institutions. NOVEMBER 2023

2015

2020

fact-checking organizations that responded to IFCN’s State of the Fact-Checkers Report survey launched in 2015 – 2020, with a sharp drop-off in 2021 and 2022.

57% Non-proﬁt organization

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2010

} The oldest fact-checking organization dates back to 1994. The majority of the

What is the best description for your fact-checking initiative?

Year

Major news organizations, such as The Washington Post and The New York Times, quickly expanded their fact-checking staffs, especially as the political environment fractured, resulting in more misinformation. A September 2023 article from The New York Times reported a recent Monmouth University poll, which found 30% of Americans still think the 2022 presidential election was fraudulent, despite the efforts of fact-checkers at the Times, other publications and independent factchecking organizations. The Time’s reporters wrote, “The number of fact-checking operations at news organizations and elsewhere has stagnated, and perhaps even fallen, after a booming expansion in response to a rise in unsubstantiated claims about elections and the pandemic.” During the writing of this article, fact-checking became even more challenging as major news outlets were suddenly flooded with misinformation prompted by the chaos in the U.S. House of Representatives and the horrendous events in Israel and editorandpublisher.com

EditorandPublisher.com/Exclusives

the Gaza Strip. For example, in a mid-October Axios article, Wendy McMahon, CBS News CEO, said the network found only 10% of more than 1,000 videos of the Israel-Hamas war it analyzed were usable. Specialized fact-checking organizations are proliferating, too, such as Science Feedback, founded in 2015 in France. As climate change became a fertile ground for scientific misinformation and misinterpretations, it added the Climate Feedback blog to “verify the credibility of claims related to climate change, the environment and Earth sciences.” The Health Feedback blog aims to counter unsound statements about the pandemic and new vaccines.

6.3% 15.1%

Meta’s Third Party Fact-Checking program Grants donations or membership subscriptions

19.4%

9.7%

US $20,000 - US $50,000

9.7%

US $100,000 - US $250,000

15.1%

US $250,000 - US $500,000 US $500,000 - US $1,000,000 More than $1,000,000

} In 2022, fact-checking organizations had more significant financial resources than in 2021, with 24.7% having budgets of more than $500,000.

} Angie Drobnic Holan, director,

International Fact-Checking Network

a societal problem that fact-checkers and journalists must address in the countries where it’s happening,” Holan said. The IFCN’s 2022 State of the FactCheckers Report survey found that 57% of verified signatories were nonprofit organizations, 36.6% were for-profit media outlets, and 6.4% were academic institutions. More of these signatories had more significant financial resources than in 2021, with 24.7% having budgets of more than $500,000. 45.2% 29% 6.5%

} Despite the public perception of Meta and its many social media sites as major

sources of misinformation, Meta’s Third-Party Fact-Checking Program is the primary funder of IFCN fact-checking organizations. In 2022, it contributed 45.2% of those organizations’ total incomes. editorandpublisher.com

US $0 - US $20,000 US $50,000 - US $100,000

EXPOSING MISINFORMATION ON A GLOBAL SCALE Another Poynter fact-checking program, the International FactChecking Network (IFCN), was launched in 2015 to address the same online misinformation problem fact-checkers and media outlets were experiencing worldwide. Fact-checking organizations and media groups can become verified signatories to the IFCN’s Code of Principles and then access IFCN grant opportunities, training, events and the global fact-checking community. Angie Drobnic Holan is the director of IFCN, which received a recordbreaking 61 new applications in 2023. As a result, it paused accepting new applications until January 2024. “We’re receiving many applications from groups in smaller countries where there is an increasing awareness that the misinformation on the web is

24.7%

Despite the public perception of Meta and its many social media sites as major sources of misinformation, Meta’s Third-Party Fact-Checking Program is the primary funder of IFCN fact-checking organizations. In 2022, it contributed 45.2% of those organizations’ total incomes. “Following the first international conference in 2014, fact-checkers wrote an open letter to Meta suggesting it work with fact-checkers because of the significant amount of misinformation they found on its social media sites. Meta launched its program at the end of 2016,” Holan said. Holan added the program promotes a two-way conversation between factcheckers and Meta, and fact-checkers are not hesitant to tell Meta when improvements and changes are needed. “I think Meta deserves some credit for supporting fact-checkers’ work online. Not all of the tech platforms do. TikTok does. On the other hand, YouTube does not have a similar program, although Google and YouTube have also provided grants to fact-checking organizations,” Holan said.

FACT-CHECKING IN WISCONSIN’S HIGHLY COMPETITIVE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT Wisconsin is a pivotal swing state for many presidential elections, even more so during recent election cycles. According to Greg Borowski, executive editor of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the state is often a focal point NOVEMBER 2023

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FACT-CHECKING

of all sides of a campaign or an issue, resulting in many ads and flyers and social media attention from candidates, PACs and other organizations. “Fact-checkers are calling balls and strikes. Some might argue that’s not the role of a journalist and is inherently biased. I disagree. Our job is to have a consistent strike zone and to let everyone — readers and politicians alike — know what it is. Then readers can use our information and rating to draw conclusions,” Borowski said. The Journal Sentinel has been a PolitiFact partner since 2010 and was one of the first state-level PolitiFact sites. During his more than 30-year career, Borowski has witnessed the rise of the fact-checking movement and how that work has changed. “The main thing that has changed is how misinformation can be targeted and delivered. Tactics are much more

} Greg Borowski, executive editor,

When asked for his advice to journalism students who may want to become fact-checkers, Borowski said reporting experience isn’t necessary but will give students a good foundation. Understanding the mechanics of government will add to their factchecking skills. “As important as the hunger to get to the bottom of a claim, a deft prosecutorial mindset to examine fully any claim and clear thinking to explain your conclusions to readers in a direct, straightforward way are the skills of a good fact-checker,” Borowski said. 

sophisticated, as are the tools that can deliver the message directly to specific groups via geolocation, emails, text messages, Facebook ads, etc. It’s harder to address and even — often — harder to know what message is being sent, where and by whom,” Borowski said.

Bob Sillick has held many senior positions and served a myriad of clients during his 47 years in marketing and advertising. He has been a freelance/ contract content researcher, writer, editor and manager since 2010. He can be reached at bobsillick@gmail.com.

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REVENUE ROUNDUP Re-open the recruitment gold mine with a job board

nce upon a technologies and time, newspapers opportunities for had an easy-tonewspapers and all media work gold mine: to re-open the recruitment classified advertising. People gold mine with a robust sold and bought almost job board. anything; businesses listed Mike Blinder, publisher of jobs, and workers searched Editor & Publisher, knew he } By Bob Sillick for them. Then, the internet wanted to mine recruitment and new technologies made the gold as soon as he took over the recruitment process more accessible, publication in September 2019. and suddenly, the gold mine’s ceiling “One of my first goals was to build collapsed, and newspapers lost a a job board. I approached Poynter and lucrative revenue source. America’s Newspapers to collaborate, Fast-forward to the 21st century, and I’m so proud of how we’ve made and there are more sophisticated that work on the Poynter website’s

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NOVEMBER 2023

} Mike Blinder, publisher, Editor & Publisher (E&P)

editorandpublisher.com

EditorandPublisher.com/Revenue

} Michael Dawes, vice president,

} Kenny Katzgrau, CEO,

} Janet DeGeorge, president, Classified

homepage. You can’t miss the job openings, and they’re on all of Editor & Publisher’s pages and featured in our newsletter. We use Jobcase for Partners software for the job board,” Blinder said. Blinder added that the best way to promote a job board and its listings is to externalize them beyond the vertical on news pages. Available technologies allow the latest job openings on the E&P Media Job Board to come automatically from an RSS feed and appear on E&P’s LinkedIn page, which is where he wants them. “Our number-one asset as publishers is our content. It attracts eyeballs not only to your web pages but also to your social media and email marketing. That is where you should be placing any verticals,” Blinder said. Jobcase for Partners not only powers Editor & Publisher’s Media Job Board but also job boards for more than 500 media companies across the country. Formerly known as Recruitology, the company was acquired by Jobcase in 2021. Michael Dawes, vice president at Jobcase for Partners, agrees with Blinder that the focus of a job board is to attract passive job seekers. “Many people may not be actively looking for a job, but a myriad of widgets placed on media outlets’ primary news sites and all their various content pages will increase exposure and engagement. People

can also sign up for job alerts, and our technology will send job seekers notifications of openings that match their search criteria,” Dawes said. According to Kenny Katzgrau, CEO of Broadstreet, its ad management software is a general-purpose tool for publishers so they can offer a variety of advertising opportunities in their media kits, including a simplified approach to promoting open roles resembling a job board. “Some of the best people an employer might want to hire are currently employed. One of our dynamic widgets populates job listings on multiple pages of the E&P site. Mike wants to engage with the people perusing the Media Job Board and present those jobs to all of his readers,” Katzgrau said.

asks about open positions and touts his ability to promote them, potential advertisers are more likely to become actual advertisers. “Ideally, a publisher has some method to measure how many applications a job board client receives. Publishers will post jobs but have no insight into how it’s performing, which puts them in a bad position for a renewal conversation. You want that data because if you can fill that first role via your job board, then those employers will want to post future jobs,” Katzgrau said. Dawes recommends that publishers promote their job boards in their newsletters as another channel to reach passive job seekers. Publishers should also develop a robust email program if they don’t already have one and use it to expose that audience to job listings. “Jobs are relevant content. Let people opt into receiving curated jobs once a week in newsletters. Promoting a job board should also be an element of local media outlets’ events — especially job fairs. The average small newspaper using our software for a job board and aggressively promoting it could generate a half million dollars annually in revenue,” Dawes said.

Jobcase for Partners

editorandpublisher.com

Broadstreet

PROMOTING A JOB BOARD MAXIMIZES REVENUE “I would not recommend a publisher obtain job board software and expect employers to post their jobs and pay for the listings; it can’t be a self-service product. Business owners are busy and may not even know local media have job boards. You should have a job board, but don’t marginalize it. Put those job listings in front of the audience,” Katzgrau said. Katzgrau, who also owns Red Bank Green, a New Jersey news site, integrates the site’s job board into his ad sales conversations. When he

Executive Training & Consulting

SEAL MORE DEALS WITH AD REP TRAINING After many years as a recruitment advertising manager and classified advertising director, Janet DeGeorge NOVEMBER 2023

| E&P |

REVENUE ROUNDUP

founded Classified Executive Training & Consulting in 2001. She said attracting passive job seekers is particularly important since the unemployment rate is so low, which typically causes a significant decrease in job board traffic. Not only is promoting a job board critical, but she also highly recommends any media outlet with a job board have a trained employment advertising specialist. “To be successful, you must have at least one salesperson who specializes in recruitment and is specifically trained to sell to that market. It is no different than selling to the automotive or real estate markets. With knowledge of the recruitment industry, a local media ad rep will more likely close the sale,” DeGeorge said. “With regular advertisers, you can measure an ROI from their ad spending, but employment advertisers need not just 10 résumés, but 10 that qualify. Understanding what will make any employer invest in your job board takes training and involvement in the local employment community.”

} Will Hill, president and CEO, Kairos Communications & Broadcasting

CUSTOMER SERVICE DRIVES JOB BOARD SUCCESS IN RIVERTON, WYOMING Will Hill, president and CEO of Kairos Communications & Broadcasting, is hyper-focused on serving his community in Riverton, Wyoming. He purchased the business in 2019, which includes the County 10 news site and three radio stations. “Our job listings were only sponsored content originally, but in early 2020, we included a separate plugin to create a job board. It’s probably been the best thing we have ever done,” Hill said. The plugin inserts the newest jobs into County 10’s weekday post, “Today

in the Ten.” The jobs also appear in the weekly job roundup on the website and on the three radio stations. Most listed jobs are local, from the Wyoming energy sector, schools and healthcare, but Hill said Maven, a global optics company, has posted a local management position. Although the company doesn’t need to advertise in Wyoming, it supports local sports by sponsoring County 10’s sports coverage. When the company saw the local engagement on County 10, it realized it could attract new employees for local positions by posting on the job board, which is seen on the sports page. “People are listing jobs with us and finding it beneficial, but we want to attract more passive job seekers in our small community. We love it when someone says they saw a job on County 10 and shares those listings,” Hill said.  Bob Sillick has held many senior positions and served a myriad of clients during his 47 years in marketing and advertising. He has been a freelance/ contract content researcher, writer, editor and manager since 2010. He can be reached at bobsillick@gmail.com.

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NewsPeople Paul Reynolds has been named regional publisher for the Adams Publishing Group (APG) of Ohio. He is responsible for APG’s seven daily and weekly publications in Ohio, which includes the Athens Messenger, Athens News, Circleville Herald and Logan Daily News. Former regional publisher Marka Sonoga will apply her sales skills and experience as the new regional advertising director for APG Ohio. Mary Kunasch, Waushara (Wisconsin) Argus/Resorter publisher, has retired after 56 years with the paper. Globe Publisher Sue Mizell has retired, ending 34 years in the newspaper industry. She’s stepping down after 11 years with the newspaper in Ironwood, Michigan. Heidi Ofstad, who has been with the newspaper for 20 years, starting in circulation and most recently as director of advertising, has been named to succeed Mizell as publisher. Camila DeChalus joins CNN Worldwide as a White House reporter based in Washington, D.C. She previously was a congressional reporter for The Washington Post where she covered key players on Capitol Hill and the most pressing issues facing the country. The Times and Sunday Times are the latest U.K. news titles to join the “digital landgrab” for U.S. audiences, appointing Katie Davies to the newlycreated role of U.S. editor. Davies, who will be based out of New York, working

EditorandPublisher.com/Newspeople

in parent company News Corp‘s offices, joins from The Independent — another U.K.-founded publisher seeing substantial U.S. digital audience growth — where she oversaw the U.S. editorial team. CNN has announced that Paula Reid has been named chief legal affairs correspondent for the network, based in Washington, D.C. Reid, who has been with CNN since 2021, has been at the forefront of CNN’s coverage of the ongoing federal and state investigations into former President Trump, the 2020 election and the events of January 6, 2021. After eight years as president and publisher of the Quad-City Times (Davenport, Iowa), Debbie Anselm accepted the position of executive director of the Iowa Newspaper Association. Barbara Wall, a board member of Gannett Co. and The Freedom Forum, will serve as the next chair of the American Press Institute’s board of trustees. Wall retired from Gannett in 2020, where she worked for 30 years in positions across the company. In addition to Wall, who also serves on the board of the News/Media Alliance, the board welcomed four new members, including Steve Grove, CEO and publisher of Star Tribune; S. Mitra Kalita, co-founder and CEO of URL Media and co-founder

and publisher of Epicenter-NYC; Geraldine Moriba, senior vice president and chief content officer of TheGrio; and Ross McDuffie, chief portfolio officer at the National Trust for Local News. Wall succeeds longtime chair Kevin Mowbray, president and chief executive officer at Lee Enterprises. Rhonda Pringle, the longtime Baltimore Business Journal publisher and market president, has been named director, diversity business initiatives for American City Business Journals, the BBJ’s parent company. Shyla Raghav has been named chief climate officer with TIME. In announcing her promotion, TIME President of Sustainability Simon Mulcahy said Raghav has spent her entire career working on climate solutions and advocating for climate action. He said she has been instrumental in the design and launch of a groundbreaking product, the TIME CO2 Planet Portfolio. Tom Skilling, who has been forecasting the weather on WGN-TV for the past 45 years, has announced plans to retire on Feb. 28, 2024. University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Advertising Associate Professor Huan Chen has been named chair of the Advertising

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Department, after serving as interim chair since last November. The Intercept has added two distinguished names to its newly formed board of directors: Los Angeles-based musician, philanthropist and investor Adam Gunther and Michael Mann, a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of law firm Crowell & Moring. Blue Ridge Public Radio has named Jose Sandoval as its afternoon host and reporter and Felicia Sonmez as its growth and development reporter. Bilingual in Spanish and English, Sandoval previously worked in public media, most recently as a digital producer at Northern Public Radio in DeKalb, Illinois. He also served as an intern for NPR’s Content Development Team on several podcast launches. Sonmez worked as a print journalist for more than a dozen years, most recently as a national political reporter for The Washington Post. Longtime media executive Michael LaBonia has been named senior vice president of advertising sales at the Las Vegas Review-Journal. A former Hearst Media executive, LaBonia succeeds Chase Rankin, who accepted the role of president of Lee Enterprises’ Western Division last month. The Financial Times has appointed Alison Killing as a senior visual investigations reporter, leading a

NewsPeople

Heidi Wright, COO of EO Media Group and publisher of The Bulletin in Bend, Oregon, has been elected president of America’s Newspapers. In addition to Wright, the following officers were elected for 2023-24: Vice President — Leonard Woolsey, president of Southern Newspapers and president and publisher of The Daily News, Galveston, Texas; and Treasurer — Matt McMillan, CEO, Press Publications, White Bear Lake, Minnesota. Cameron Nutting Williams, chief revenue officer of Ogden Newspapers, becomes immediate past president. Three industry executives were elected to second three-year terms on the board of directors: Matthew Gray, senior vice president and general counsel, Community Newspaper Holdings; Camille Olson, partner, Seyfarth Shaw; and Tim Prince, senior vice president, Boone Newsmedia. Five additional industry executives were elected to initial terms on the board: Daisy Donald, principal, head of Americas, FT Strategies; Patrick Dorsey, publisher of the Santa Fe New Mexican; Jeremy Gulban, CEO of CherryRoad Media; Susan Patterson Plank, vice president of public notice and strategic transformation, USA TODAY Network; and Zachary Richner, director of Richner Communications.

newly-created visual investigations team. Killing is a licensed architect and investigative journalist who utilizes large datasets, open sources and spatial and visual techniques. In 2021 she was part of the team awarded the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting for an investigation that uncovered a secret network of detention camps in Xinjiang, China. The Capital B Gary newsroom in Indiana welcomes Jenae Barnes as its health and environment reporter. Barnes is a 2023 Wake Forest University Environmental and Epistemic Justice Fellow. The Wall Street Journal has moved Paul Beckett, a top Washington editor, away from his job leading the D.C.

bureau to focus on securing the release of detained reporter Evan Gershkovich. Mark Appleby, the Tulsa (Oklahoma) World’s audience growth and distribution director, has retired after almost 46 years with the company. The Indiana Local News Initiative, a nonprofit organization that has raised more than $10 million to ensure all residents of Indiana have access to the news and information they need, has hired Bro Krift as its founding chief executive officer. Krift joins the Initiative from his role as executive editor at the Indianapolis Star, which he joined in 2021. G/O Media has named seasoned journalist Jen Glennon as editor in chief of Kotaku, one of the nation’s leading digital media outlets for

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NewsPeople gaming news. Glennon is a longtime gaming editor who joins Kotaku from Inverse, where she most recently served as senior gaming editor, a role in which she directed the vision and scope of the gaming team. Kyle Pope, editor and publisher of the Columbia Journalism Review since 2016, has left the magazine to join Covering Climate Now (CCNow), a group that fosters climate change coverage and helps newsrooms train reporters in climate issues. He co-launched CCNow with Mark Hertsgaard, the environment correspondent for The Nation, in 2019. Campbell Brown, a former TV anchor and education advocate who for years was Meta’s most prominent representative to the media industry, has announced plans to step down this year to pursue other opportunities. The Society of Professional Journalists swore in its 107th president, Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins, and its membership has elected the 2023-24 board of directors and regional coordinators. Blaize-Hopkins, the first Black woman to become SPJ president, is a journalism professor at Santa Monica College. Other additions to SPJ’s 2023-24 board include: Emily Bloch (vice president), who covers national trending news for the Philadelphia Inquirer, and Daniela Ibarra (secretary-treasurer), a journalist at KSAT-TV in San Antonio. Elected as at-large directors (two-year terms) were: Chris R. Vaccaro, a media executive, professor and author from Long Island, and Wesley Wright, a college journalism adviser at Florida

Media mogul Rupert Murdoch has stepped down as the chairman of Fox Corp and News Corp, ending a more than seven-decade career in which he created an empire spanning from Australia to the United States. His son, Lachlan Murdoch, has become chairman of News Corp and continues as the chair and CEO of Fox.

Atlantic University. Two additional atlarge directors (president’s appointees) are: Carolyn Burt, an audience engagement producer at Southern California News Group, and Reginald Hardwick, news/public affairs director at Illinois Public Media. New regional coordinators are: Stephenie Overman (Region 2), a freelance journalist; Michael Koretzky (Region 3), editor of Debt.com; Joe Radske (Region 6), who teaches at North Dakota State University and Minnesota State University – Moorhead; Loretta McGraw (Region 7), an English as a second or foreign language educator, freelance journalist, producer and music promoter; Laura Garcia (Region 8), afternoon/evening news editor at The Texas Tribune; Donald W. Meyers (Region 10), a multimedia journalist at the Yakima Herald-Republic; Ankita M. Kumar (Region 11), journalist, content strategist and product manager currently working for Ovis; and Jennifer Ellis (Region 12), creative services managing editor at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Guardian US has appointed Kai Falkenberg as its first-ever general counsel. Most recently, she served as executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary at G/O Media, a digital publishing company that includes Quartz, Gizmodo, Deadspin, Jezebel, Kotaku, The Root and The Onion. Kerwin Speight has joined the faculty of the Poynter Institute. He is an award-winning television journalist, with more than 20 years of journalism and leadership experience, and a strong track record of producing local news and programming. He most recently led editorial strategy at REVOLT Black News. The newest member of the Poynter Institute board of trustees is Lori Waldon, president and general manager of KOAT TV, the Hearst Television-owned ABC affiliate in Albuquerque-Santa Fe, New Mexico.

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NewsPeople Yolanda López, Voice of America’s acting director, has left the news organization to take a position outside the federal government. Acting Director for VOA Programming John Lippman was named to succeed López as VOA’s acting director. Guardian US has announced the creation of its first-ever investigations team, to be led by Michael Hudson, most recently senior editor at the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. Hudson will lead a new editorial unit to investigate corporate and government misconduct, attacks on human rights and other urgent challenges facing the United States. Guardian US also announced that UK Investigations correspondent Stephanie Kirchgaessner is moving into a new role as deputy head of investigations for the U.S., and that Will Craft — most recently of American Public Media — will serve as data editor. U.S. Southern Bureau Chief Oliver Laughland is also joining the team, serving as investigative correspondent while continuing his multimedia and narrative journalism. The News/Media Alliance has expanded its public policy team, with a final key role being filled with the hiring of Neil Quinter as its new senior vice president, global government affairs. Prior to joining the Alliance, Quinter served as chief counsel to U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein and as minority chief counsel and staff director of the Subcommittee on Technology, Terrorism & Government Information of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. Before that, Quinter served as an elected member of the Maryland House of Delegates, where he served on the Judiciary Committee. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press has welcomed new legal fellows — Zachary Babo, editorandpublisher.com

Acquisitions Scott and Jeanne Olson have sold the Polk County Itemizer-Observer in Dallas, Oregon to Country Media, Inc. Country Media, founded in 2000, is a family-run company focusing on local journalism. Carol and husband Steve Hungerford oversee the business from the central office in Salem. Veteran newspaper executive David Thornberry serves as Country Media’s chief executive. Former CNN boss Jeff Zucker has agreed to acquire newsletter startup Front Office Sports, according to Axios. This is Zucker’s first acquisition since launching RedBird IMI, a $1 billion investment fund focused on media, entertainment and sports.

Julia Dacy and Mayeesha Galiba — who will support the organization’s efforts to provide free legal services to journalists and news outlets through litigation, friend-of-the-court briefs, pre-publication review, the Legal Hotline and more. The Marshall Project, the Pulitzerwinning nonprofit media organization covering criminal justice, has announced the launch of its second local news operation in Jackson, Mississippi. The newsroom has two reporters: Daja E. Henry and Caleb Bedillion. Henry joins The Marshall Project from The 19th, an independent, nonprofit news organization reporting on issues important to women, women of color and the LGBTQ+ community. Bedillion comes from The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal in Tupelo, where he served as the politics and investigations editor. The Hollywood Reporter has announced the appointment of Joe Shields as president of business operations,

Publishing company Multi Media Channels (MMC) has acquired Peshtigo Times and Times Saver. The company publishes 33 weekly and four monthly print publications, and operates 27 digital channels, serving the central, northern and eastern areas of Wisconsin. Mather Economics has acquired Sophi Inc. With this acquisition, the breadth of Mather’s capabilities (advisory, managed services and technology) combines with the depth of Sophi’s products (paywall and content automation software) to provide a full suite of products that deliver on customers’ most urgent business transformation needs.

a newly created role. This expansion in leadership comes in the wake of significant strides in operating profitability for The Hollywood Reporter over the past three years along with ambitions to expand its business in events, video, branded content and international operations. Members of the Online News Association have elected two new leaders — Ethar El-Katatney, news product strategy lead for the Americas at Bloomberg, and Ryan Kellett, vice president, audience, at Axios Media — and re-elected four incumbents to the 2024-25 board of directors: Charo Henríquez, editor, Newsroom Development & Support, The New York Times; Versha Sharma, editor-in-chief, Teen Vogue; Graham Watson-Ringo, senior director of member strategy, News Revenue Hub; and Elana Zak, newsletter strategy director, The Washington Post. Guardian US has announced that Matt Mittenthal is appointed head of communications. He has spent the past six years leading communications NOVEMBER 2023

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NewsPeople first for BuzzFeed News and later supporting the wider company, BuzzFeed, Inc., from 2017 until summer 2023. ABC News has appointed Deborah Roberts as co-anchor of “20/20,” after her elevation to contributing anchor of the program one year ago. She joins David Muir as co-anchor and will also continue to report across all programs and platforms as senior national affairs correspondent. CalMatters has added seven people to its team. Stella Yu joins CalMatters to cover politics. Jennifer Burger was named editor of the CalMatters College Journalism Network, which pays and trains students to cover higher education trends and policies. Adriana Heldiz was named assistant visuals editor, working as a photo editor, photographer, video journalist and graphics designer. Hans Poschman manages transcription for Digital Democracy, a new CalMatters project to bring transparency and more aggressive journalism to its coverage of state government. Carolyn Jones covers K-12 education, focusing on state education policies that affect students, teachers, families and communities. Justo Robles joins the California Divide team covering economic inequality. Shreya Agrawal is a fall intern covering healthcare.

A veteran editor whose team recently won two Pulitzer Prizes in a single year has become the Houston Chronicle’s next executive editor. Kelly Ann Scott joins the Chronicle from Alabama Media Group, part of Advance Local, where she served as editor-in-chief and vice president of content, leading a team of more than 120 journalists. There, she oversaw the state’s largest digital news site, AL.com, and launched several new initiatives, including The Lede, a daily e-edition curated for subscribers in Mobile, Huntsville and Birmingham; the Alabama Education Lab, the state’s first philanthropy-funded journalism initiative; and Reckon, a digital news startup.

Journal’s coverage of banks, investment firms and deals. Recently, Cimilluca held the post of deals editor. NPR has promoted Whitney Maddox to vice president, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. In her current role, Maddox has led twicemonthly company-wide antiracism workshops (STAR) with more than 1,000 staff members, as well as other leadership and diversity trainings to support more than 250 Member Stations across the country. Maddox also facilitates inclusion and belonging workshops across the organization for leadership and staff to help individuals and teams advance DE&I goals across the company. FROM THE LOS ANGELES TIMES:

Catie Beck, an Emmy award-winning journalist, has been hired by Scripps News as a national investigative correspondent. She previously worked for six years as a national correspondent for NBC News. NewsNation has re-signed Dan Abrams to a new multi-year deal where he will continue as host of the primetime program “Dan Abrams Live” (weeknights, 9 p.m. ET). The Wall Street Journal has tapped Dana Cimilluca to serve as Wall Street bureau chief. He is responsible for the

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NOVEMBER 2023

Ruthanne Salido is the new director of The Los Angeles Times’ multiplatform desk, overseeing all copy editing and serving as co-chair of the Standards and Practices Committee. She has served in this role on an interim basis since February, and has worked at The Times for three decades, helping with the paper’s transformation into the digital era. The Los Angeles Times is expanding its Features team to deepen coverage of

life in Southern California. Colleagues from the Utility and Arts teams will join Features in the coming months as part of the expansion. They include Sonaiya Kelley, Todd Martens, Paula Mejia, Ada Tseng, Deborah Vankin and Steven Vargas. They join Deborah Netburn and Laura Newberry, who moved to Features in May, and Jessica Roy, who started in September. Lila Seidman has also joined the team for a threemonth rotation. The Los Angeles Times has announced that Christi Carras is joining the Company Town team to cover the business of entertainment. Carras joined The Times in June 2019 as a summer intern. Since then, she has worked as an entertainment news writer on the Fast Break team and as Sunday reporter for Calendar. In her new role, Carras will cover Hollywood labor, production, court cases and other general assignment entertainment industry news for the section. Anabel Sosa has returned to the Los Angeles Times as its inaugural California Local News fellow. She has joined the Sacramento bureau covering state politics and policy. This is her second stint covering the statehouse; she was a summer intern in 2022. editorandpublisher.com

NewsPeople FROM THE WASHINGTON POST: The Washington Post has named Scott Vance as managing editor, overseeing the International, Business and Sports departments. A 28-year veteran of The Post, Vance has spent the last decade as a deputy managing editor working across the newsroom to shape both the daily report and longerterm enterprise. Amy Fiscus has joined The Washington Post as deputy national editor. She joins The Post from The New York Times, where for the past two years she has been the deputy editor of The Morning, the news organization’s flagship daily newsletter. In addition, Roz Helderman has taken on an expansive new role as senior National investigations editor. She has been at the center of some of The Post’s biggest

stories of the past decade and was a key member of the reporting teams that won the Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for coverage of Russia’s interference in the presidential election and in 2022 for coverage of the Jan. 6 attack. And, Peter Wallsten becomes senior National enterprise editor. Most recently, he edited Caroline Kitchener’s Pulitzer Prize-winning work on abortion. Bryan Pietsch has been named an international breaking news reporter at The Washington Post. He joined The Post in 2021 to become a breaking news reporter in Seoul, his first time back to South Korea since he was adopted as an infant by American parents and raised in Minnesota.

York Times, where he has worked as an award-winning senior video editor since 2016 and was also a frequent contributing writer to the Times’ Culture and Style departments on a range of must-read subjects. Nicolás Rivero has joined The Washington Post as a Climate Solutions reporter. He will write for the Climate Solutions vertical, reporting on the ways humanity is working to address the planet’s most vexing and profound environmental problems. He joined the staff from the Miami Herald, where he covered climate change in South Florida. FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES:

Shane O’Neill has joined The Washington Post as the full-time writer of the Style section’s newsletter, Style Memo, which launched in September. He comes from The New

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Terri Ann Glynn has joined The Athletic as its new newsroom operations director. She joins The Athletic from The New York Times,

NewsPeople where for almost two decades she was a go-to operations partner for several desks, including Business, Special Sections, Newsroom Development and Newsroom Research. Chris Johnston has joined The Athletic as a senior hockey writer. He brings a wealth of experience from his more than 20 years in the industry, including extensive broadcast work with TSN and Hockey Night in Canada and writing at the Toronto Star, Sportsnet and The Canadian Press. Bora Erden has joined the Graphics department at The New York Times as a graphics editor focused on utilizing new technologies, including machine learning, artificial intelligence and computer vision to do advanced mapping, 3-D modeling and programmatic image analysis for visualizations in breaking news and investigative projects. He joins the staff from SITU, an architecture group that specializes in investigative reconstruction. Claire Gordon has joined The New York Times as the supervising editor of “The Ezra Klein Show.” She will be stepping into the role of show running, editing and managing the team. She previously was the showrunner and the executive producer of Netflix’s Emmynominated “Explained,” produced by Vox Media. Mike Wilson, who recently served as acting Sports editor, has been named deputy editor of The Great Read. He joined The New York Times in January 2021, as deputy editor for enterprise and investigations in Sports. Five skilled reporters from Sports — Ken Belson, Joe Drape, Kevin Draper, Tania Ganguli and Jenny Vrentas — are bringing their talents to the Business Sports Pod at The New York Times. They will ambitiously

| E&P |

NOVEMBER 2023

The News/ Media Alliance has elected Tony Hunter, chairman and CEO of McClatchy, as its board of directors chair. He succeeds Maribel Perez Wadsworth, former president of Gannett Media.

examine the power, economics, institutions and personalities that drive the big-money world of sports, among other topics. Chris Stanford has joined the Home team as The New York Times’ first deputy editor in Seoul. He started at The Times in New York in 2013, and — in 2020 — became an editor with the Express desk as part of its expansion to London. Sara Ziegler has joined the News Print Hub at The New York Times as the sports content editor, managing the sports presentation for print and helping to inform digital planning priorities as well. She previously spent a little over one year in Sports as the strategy and operations deputy. Isabella Kwai has joined the Express team in London as a general assignment and breaking news reporter with The New York Times. She has been with The Times for six years in a variety of roles, reporting from Australia, Hong Kong and most recently from Europe, where she has written on geopolitics, business and culture. The New York Times has announced promotions for Andy Parsons and Gillian Wong — to deputy Asia editors. Parsons has been acting deputy

Asia editor since May 2022 and Wong has been China editor since 2018. Jaclyn Reiss is The New York Times’ first-ever assistant editor for targeted email. The goal of targeted email is to send relevant Times journalism to subsets of its audience, delivering value to readers and bringing them back to the site. She has been with The Times since the fall of 2020. Emmanuel Morgan has joined Culture at The New York Times as a general assignment reporter. He will focus on pop culture news and the intersection of sports and culture. Morgan has reported on the National Football League and combat sports for the Sports desk since 2021, covering stories like the 2023 Super Bowl and an underground fight club, which was selected as a Great Read. Monty Wolper has joined The New York Times as head of product marketing. She joins the staff from Vimeo, where she led the product marketing team that created a fantastic product marketing campaign about Vimeo’s new AI-powered video creation suite. Before that, she held a variety of roles at Dropbox, Squarespace and Intel. The New York Times has welcomed six journalists — Alan Blinder, David Chen, Juliet Macur, Shawna Richer, Kurt Streeter and Billy Witz — to the National desk. They will take on a range of assignments that will enhance the paper’s coverage and expertise in covering the United States. Shauntel Lowe, an assistant editor in Sports, has joined Metro as the editor in charge of The New York Times weekly Metropolitan section. She is already well known in Metro: At the start of the pandemic, when the world editorandpublisher.com

NewsPeople of sports essentially shut down, she came to Metro and worked closely with the staff for two months. Andrew Das, Jeré Longman, Tariq Panja, Rory Smith and James Wagner have joined the International desk at The New York Times. Their mission will be to report on sports — as well as the people, businesses and ideas that animate them — and what they reveal about societies around the world. Hilary Moss has been promoted to deputy editor, visuals, for The New York Times Home team. In this role, she will be responsible for programming visual experiences across desktop

Obituaries The Committee to Protect Journalists is investigating the journalists killed in Israel and Gaza and is compiling a list of the dead, missing and injured: https://cpj.org/2023/10/journalistcasualties-in-the-israel-gazaconflict/ Philadelphia journalist Josh Kruger was shot and killed inside his Point Breeze home. Police responded to reports of gunshots on the 2300 block of Watkins Street, where officers found Kruger shot multiple times. He was rushed to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, where he died. Kruger was a freelance journalist who had dedicated his life to advocating for some of the city’s most vulnerable people. Foxboro’s Jack Authelet, whose passion for local history and civic boosterism was exceeded only by his commitment to community journalism, died Sept. 18 at Life Care Center in Attleboro, eight days shy of his 91st birthday.

editorandpublisher.com

and mobile home screens, overseeing The Times’ daily presentation and working with desks to convey the paper’s most ambitious journalism, adding explanation, narration and visual vibrancy. The New York Times has announced new hires and a promotion at Well. Dana Smith joins Well as a reporter, Sarah Collins joins as an assistant editor, and Julia Calderone is promoted to assistant editor. Hanna Ingber has joined Express at The New York Times as special projects editor. Her decade of New York Times experience in strategic and editing roles will help the team as it experiments with new types of coverage, story presentations and voice.

Ed Fancher, a psychologist who started The Village Voice, the nationally known alternative weekly newspaper, with two partners in 1955 and remained its publisher until new ownership dismissed him 19 years later, died Sept. 27 at his home in Manhattan. He was 100. Observer Media Group Executive Editor and CoOwner Lisa Walsh has died at 69. Walsh was a pillar in the Sarasota-Manatee community; a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister and daughter; and the backbone of one of the most successful media companies in Florida. Lucy Morgan, a pioneering Tampa Bay Times journalist, died Sept. 20. The cause of death was complications from a fall in May. She was 82. Morgan was renowned for her work from Tampa

The New York Times has announced a new title for Mark Getzfred: news director, days. In announcing Getzfred’s new title, Michael Slackman, who oversees the daily news report, said the new title “simply reaffirms the work he already does while also emphasizing our commitment to news as a pillar of our report.” Brian Rosenthal loves a good spreadsheet. Rosenthal, who joined The New York Times in 2017 as a Metro investigative reporter, is bringing his talents and affinity for Google Sheets to the paper’s Investigations desk. Lars Dolder, Anna Venarchik and Reece Taylor Williams have joined The New York Times as members of its Editing Residency. 

Bay to Tallahassee, where the press gallery of the Florida State Senate is named in her honor. In 1985, she won the Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting for exposing corruption within the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office. Braxton “B.I.” Moody III, a longtime business and community leader in Crowley, Acadia Parish and Acadiana — and the namesake of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s college of business — died Sept. 13 at the age of 97. Moody was chairman of The Moody Company and of Louisiana State Newspapers, Inc., both located in Lafayette. Dolores Sanchez, a longtime community leader who was the publisher of a chain of bilingual newspapers that provided a critical voice for residents in the predominantly Latino communities on Los Angeles’ Eastside and neighboring cities, has died. She was 87.

NOVEMBER 2023

| E&P |

company profile

Street Light Media Group A boot-strapped online news publisher finds success in hometown markets By Bob Miller

or Tom Sofield’s bootstrap online publishing company, success has been about finding the right spaces. The spaces between larger markets. The spaces left by metro newspapers. The space above the coffee shop. The space between not charging for content but still collecting from readers. Sofield has found Goldilocks positions to provide ongoing local journalism for a decade. Now three websites strong, Street Light Media Group is growing in readership and revenue, a much different place than traditional publishers who have fled the markets Sofield’s team serves. Street Light Media Group is based in Bucks County, Pennsylvania — one of the largest counties in the state. The county sits between Trenton, New Jersey and Philadelphia. Sofield’s websites provide traditional local journalism for a handful of communities within the larger metro footprint, and he draws a readership large enough to attract local advertisers. Sofield’s data shows that 82% of Levittown, Pennsylvania adults check levittownnow.com regularly. It fills a journalism gap vacated when neighboring larger newspaper companies peeled back their reporting staffs. Sofield runs the operations with two full-time equivalent reporters. However, that has fluctuated from the fully employed to several contractors, some of whom had left other news organizations. Readers can even find Sofield’s byline on the websites today. For example, he recently filed stories regarding construction on a new bridge in New Hope and union backlash over a Republican mailer.

| E&P |

NOVEMBER 2023

} Tom Sofield, as an owner/operator, still does some local reporting for his news websites.

Sofield began his career with Patch.com as a contracted editor, where he learned the mechanics of journalism from seasoned journalists. He left his Patch job to return to his roots in Levittown, which has about 53,000 people. Sofield launched levittownnow.com in March of 2013. Three years later, he launched another website aimed at a cluster of communities just north of the Levittown area. More recently, he acquired a third website covering three other neighboring communities. That website was started in 2012 by a former newspaper editor who had left his job at a local newspaper. “When I left Patch, I didn’t come from a rich family, and I didn’t have a huge bank account, so we bootstrapped Levittown on whatever money I had saved and whatever advertising revenue we had coming in each month,” Sofield said. “And honestly, over the years, it’s been bootstrapped the entire time. We’ve had some offers, but I’ve been stubborn and wanted to run it and not have to be accountable to any partners with political or big

business ties. But it’s been good; the growth has been organic.” Sofield’s websites buck trends in today’s publishing business. He never published a print product nor charged for online subscriptions. Most of his revenue comes from local advertisers who appreciate the connections the journalists and websites have to their communities. He obtains some revenue from programmatic ads, and a sliver comes from licensing copyrights of certain materials. He also offers some sponsored content opportunities. About 10% of Street Light’s revenue comes from a membership model, even though the website has no paywall. The “In the Know Club” members receive bonuses, such as breaking news alerts, entry into monthly contests and an invitation to quarterly events. The principal message to members is their payments support exclusive reporting. The membership is $8 monthly, $20 for three months or $75 for a year. The memberships are advertised as $285 less per year than subscribing to a newspaper chain subscription. editorandpublisher.com

} Tom Sofield covers local press conferences and government

meetings. His data shows that 82% of Levittown, Pennsylvania adults check levittownnow.com regularly.

Because it covers communities so closely, Street Light’s team gets into news spaces that only a committed local news team can provide. So far, the community has been willing to support that journalism. “There’s been a huge shrinkage in the amount of government meetings being covered,” Sofield said. “For spot news, sometimes, unless it’s a murder, it’s not getting covered (by larger news organizations), so we are filling the gaps by just doing what we’ve always done. If there’s a real serious assault or car accident, we’ll cover it, and it used to be competitive. We never would try to get it first, but now we’re the only ones. It’s creating a niche for us because we’re the only one covering government meetings consistently.” Sofield said his advertisers have mostly come to his company directly after experiencing the news coverage themselves or hearing about the site from others. He said a point of emphasis in the future is to increase advertising outreach to obtain more ad revenue. “Part of our pitch is the fact that we’re locally owned; we compete against the paper that Gannett owns. There used to be a pretty strong weekly newspaper that Digital First Media owned,” Sofield said. “So we had the pitch that we’re locally owned, and I always made it my responsibility to try to work with local vendors. … Everyone editorandpublisher.com

} Proof of Sofield’s bootstrapping is his office, which is located above a local coffee shop.

} Tom Sofield, publisher of Street Light Media Group

who works with us is no farther than about 40 miles away. So, some people try to keep the money local and help the local economy, and everyone who works with us is local, from the staffing side and the vendors, whenever possible. … I meet and talk with the people and show them, ‘Hey, we’re local. I live right up the road, and my office is right above the coffee shop you go to, so we really focus on that.’ “What we’ve seen is a lot of pushback against Facebook. We’re hearing from many advertisers that it’s become too expensive and doesn’t work like it used to, so that’s been a good thing. We talked with a local ad agency, and the guy there told us he’s trying to convince advertisers who have been trained over the years to go to Facebook and social media that advertising with local publications should be something they’re doing.”

The levittownnow.com site currently shows several colorful ads. Display ads flank the left and right rails around the content in the center: one for a discount appliance center, two for attorneys, a couple of oil places, a preschool and a bank. Sofield said he and some other online-only publishers are trying to change laws that require public bodies to advertise public notices in print products. He believes his websites are the only publications serving the journalism needs in his communities. He said that public entities ought to have the choice to advertise their notices with his websites. Overall, “I think things are on an upward trajectory. Every business owner will say this, but I think if we stick to what we’ve been doing, don’t try anything too crazy, but become more aggressive in the advertising space just like we have been in the news space, that can be super effective.”  Bob Miller has spent more than 25 years in local newsrooms, including 12 years as an executive editor with Rust Communications. Bob also produces an independent true crime investigative podcast called The Lawless Files.

NOVEMBER 2023

| E&P |

operations

www.editorandpublisher.com/operations

2023 Operations All-Stars shine bright By Kirsten Staples

s we review the 2023 Operations All-Stars, it is once again a time to acknowledge and celebrate the accomplishments of the publishing operations industry’s outstanding performers for this year. The Operations All-Stars initiative is a collaborative effort between Editor & Publisher and the International Newspaper Group (ING) to recognize the industry’s top talent. This year’s winners were announced at the ING’s Indianapolis News Conference, held Sept. 27-28 at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. All three winners attended, and each received $2,000 from ING. imPressions Worldwide and CellMark generously provided airfare and lodging for each winner to attend. “The All-Stars working in Operations not only understand the mechanics of every department, but their expertise goes beyond knowing presses, inserting equipment and capital expenditures,” said Nari Walsh, incoming vice president for ING. “These individuals contribute new thinking, concepts, and sometimes unconventional methods of finding profitable solutions. E&P and ING solicit nominations for these AllStars each year to help recognize and celebrate the best of the best. This year’s three category winners and runners-up were officially announced and recognized at ING’s Conference in September for their incredible contributions to our industry.” Operations is the backbone of the publishing industry. These innovative

| E&P |

NOVEMBER 2023

} Tom Countryman accepts the Operations All-Stars award for Small Markets.

Pictured (l to r) are Mike Blinder, E&P publisher; Tom Loesch, imPressions Worldwide president; and Tom Countryman, Advance Local Media press mechanic.

leaders play a vital role in driving the industry forward, ensuring seamless and profitable operations across all facets of publishing. We hope you enjoy getting to know the winners and runners-up.

Small Market Winner

THOMAS COUNTRYMAN Thomas Countryman serves as the press mechanic with Advance Local Media, LLC, primarily based at The Patriot-News in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.

“Tom has a long and well-respected tenure in the newspaper industry, holding previous positions with Masthead — and later, Joel Birket Industries as a press installation superintendent — before moving to his current position with Advance Local. His technical skills and knowledge are unparalleled, and he is highly respected in the industry,” said Ken Coates, pressroom manager, Advance Local PA, who nominated Countryman for the Small Market category. “His willingness and ability to network and support our sister markets really sets him apart. He provides extremely valuable support to resolve complex issues, offering technical expertise, training and hands-on support,” Coates said. editorandpublisher.com

Jonathan Tolton

named 2023 Operations All-Star Editor & Publisher Magazine and the International Newspaper Group have awarded Jonathan Tolton, Senior Director – Operations, the 2023 Operations All-Star award in the Large Market category. Jonathan demonstrated his outstanding diligence and commitment during The Seattle Times’ shift to a smaller printing facility, an enormous task requiring months of preparation and coordination. Three years into this challenging transition, Jonathan has improved the quality, consistency and capabilities of the print facility, with minimal impact on customers. Thanks to his tireless dedication, we have consistent on-time runs and reduced waste, and our printing partners have praised our paper’s quality. Jonathan is an exceptional operator, leader and a true Seattle Times All-Star.

operations Small Market Runner-up

DAVID LUDWICK David Ludwick has worked at Community Impact for over 15 years as the director of operations. He was nominated by Claire Love, the chief operations officer (COO). “[Ludwick] has consistently demonstrated his critical-thinking ability, efficiency, quality and heart for customer service since his first day in the office,” said Love. “Since then, he has led the development and ongoing maintenance of the company’s custom information management system, configuration of the IT infrastructure, and project management of the company’s headquarters and newly opened Houston office. David’s most notable contribution was serving as project manager for the construction and setup of Community Impact Printing.” “I am honored to have been chosen as runner-up and deeply grateful for the recognition and award from Editor and Publisher. In all honesty, I credit this accolade to my friend and direct manager, Claire Love, who not only nominated me but has supported my growth and success at Community Impact for many years,” Ludwick said. “I am also extremely fortunate to work with several talented colleagues whose knowledge and support have contributed greatly to my success as an Operations All-Star. Community Impact is a great organization run by amazing people to deliver trusted news and information to communities across Texas. I am blessed to be a part of it,” Ludwick explained.

| E&P |

NOVEMBER 2023

} Celebrating the Operations All} Tom Loesch (left) gives the Operations All-Stars award to Large Market Winner Jonathan Tolton, senior director of operations at The Seattle Times.

Large Market Winner

JONATHAN TOLTON Jonathan Tolton was nominated by Alan Fisco, President of the Seattle Times, where Tolton is the senior director of operations. “Jonathan has been a multi-decade employee of The Seattle Times, with a deep commitment to excellence in producing our print newspaper. Over the past three years, that commitment has been tested as we undertook one of the most transformative changes in our company’s 126-year history,” Fisco said. Fisco explained that Tolton was instrumental in consolidating two print facilities into a single facility when the pandemic hit Seattle in March of 2020. “Three years into the transition, Jonathan has dramatically improved the print facility’s quality, consistency and capabilities. The staff is unified. Morale

Star awards at the ING Conference in September were (l to r) Lindsay Loesch, special projects manager at imPressions Worldwide, Rachel Ellison-Conaway, Prepress/Creative winner and creative production manager at Advance Local Media, and Nari Walsh, incoming vice president for ING and senior director of sourcing for Gannett.

is high. As a result, our outcomes are outstanding, including consistent ontime runs (97%), reduced waste and high marks from printing partners on the quality of work. This would not be possible without Jonathan, who, in addition to overseeing printing and this transition, led the consolidation of our office headquarters following the pandemic. Jonathan is an exceptional operator, leader and colleague who deserves this recognition,” Fisco added. “I am very honored to be recognized by E&P and ING for this award,” Tolton said. “To win this award allows me to spotlight my department’s tremendous efforts over the last few years,” he continued. “Operations is a department that can be easily overlooked at times, except, of course, if the paper misses editorandpublisher.com

Source Great Talent Congratulations Jarmo!

Without Blowing Your Budget

The Las Vegas Review-Journal wants to honor Jarmo Lappalainen, Maintenance Manager, for being an ING/E&P 2023 Operations All-Star Finalist! We are proud to have you as a part of our LVRJ family.

We give maximum reach to those looking for a job. And to those unhappy (or under-employed) that may not know you've got a

better "gig" available!

We salute our Operations All-Star,

Class of 2023

Seb Patane!

Seb skillfully helps commercial print customers improve the quality of their publications, while running a state-of-the-art prepress department for CNHI LLC’s North of Boston Media Group.

operations its deadlines. It took extra effort to have this continue uninterrupted throughout the pandemic. My hat goes off to all those employees who came on-site during these times to keep the presses turning. Also, a shout out to our vendors and support team, which are essential in keeping the equipment running.”

Large Market Runner-up

JARMO LAPPALAINEN Jarmo Lappalainen is the maintenance manager for the Las Vegas Review-Journal and was nominated by Janet Owens, vice president of operations. “[Lappalainen] has been with the paper since our current press went in and, in fact, was hired from the Honeywell (Finland) installation crew,” said Owens. “His knowledge and his ability to share that knowledge has been invaluable. He deals with press drive issues, press control issues, fire pumps, cooling towers and even skin divers to check out our holding tanks, among many other things. Jarmo has worked with his staff to set up the ability to troubleshoot down to the board level on our press equipment,” Owens continued. “Jarmo is constantly on the lookout for savings. We are currently running 200,000 KWh less than one year ago while printing more. In Las Vegas, that is huge. He is constantly looking for parts (used or new) that would benefit us as parts are getting difficult to find. He was able to secure parts from the New York Post, which will certainly extend the life of our press. In large part, this was due to his ability to hang on to his connections from his years in the industry,” she concluded.

| E&P |

NOVEMBER 2023

} Addressing the attendees at Septem-

ber’s ING Conference are (l to r) Richard Reinhart, incoming ING president, and Wayne Pelland, outgoing ING president.

Prepress/Creative Winner

RACHEL ELLISON-CONAWAY Rachel EllisonConaway is the creative production manager for Advance Local Media. Matt Fleming, director of operations at Advance Local Media, nominated Ellison-Conaway. “Over the years, I have had the honor of working with Rachel, both helping her grow and watching her prodigious talent for operational acumen far outpace all expectations for her job performance. Rachel has been instrumental in maintaining the highest possible quality of staff, including being a mentor and trusted leader for many of our linelevel designers. Rachel has achieved tremendous success in organizing the creative department, assigning tasks as necessary to the correct designer, overseeing both sales and client meetings to discuss workflow and guaranteeing quality, creative deliverables,” Fleming said. Fleming credits Ellison-Conaway for always taking on the challenges of her role with a positive attitude. “This has been achieved through various operational initiatives and tweaks necessary to be successful on this big scale, with upwards of 10,000 ads being created monthly. Rachel has been successfully reimagining many of the workflows within the creative department and implementing them successfully

by influencing the stakeholders on the sales side and those on the production side,” Fleming continued. “I was truly honored to be nominated as an Operations All-Star, let alone win the Prepress category! I work with a great team and have plenty of support, making my day-to-day rewarding. It was wonderful to be recognized and included at the conference this year. I was genuinely delighted to receive my award to represent the industry, company and my department,” said Ellison-Conaway of her win.

Prepress/Creative Runner-up

SEB PATANE Seb Patane, the prepress manager of North of Boston Media Group, was nominated by Jim Falzone, the company’s general manager. “Seb has always been a leader in the change from paste-up to page camera, replacing the camera with direct-to-film and later film with CTP. Now, Seb’s world is filled with acronyms and industry terms like FTP, RIP, Ink Optimization, color curves, PDF/X, page pairing, flight checking, and more. Seb epitomizes what it means to adapt to change and lead a team through various challenges,” said Falzone. “Seb possesses that important blend of technical expertise, good management skills, customer service and problem solving — which is required by the best prepress operators in the industry,” Falzone said.  Kirsten Staples is a contributing writer for Editor & Publisher. She can be reached at kstaples0329@gmail.com.

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shoptalk /commentary

Newsroom architects invent new approaches By Dietmar Schantin, Principal, IFMS

hen building digital newsrooms, we are all pioneers, no matter how much experience we’ve had over these past decades. And even after COVID drove the trend to home office and shared desks, as digital continues to evolve, there are no easy answers, roadmap or owner’s manual. Sometimes, however, the answers reveal themselves in an “aha” moment. That’s the feeling I experienced when I worked with Iztok Lemajic of the architecture and design firm Innovative Design for Living, the architect hired to solve a problem for a mid-size regional news company. It’s a problem that plagues many newsrooms; there are always physical obstacles to work around — columns and posts — that get in the way of the best-laid plans and force compromises to the coherent and logical placement of desks and departments. We devised an elegant solution (more about that in a moment). The proposal suggested a solution to an even greater problem that is universal in the news business: how to design a newsroom flexible enough to respond to the needs of the future, knowing that change is inevitable but not yet knowing how things will change. The rapid development of technology, workflows, platforms,

organizational progress and storytelling tools and techniques means the changes will likely come fast and from many directions. Newsrooms in the past stayed pretty much the same for years — even decades. Today, you have to design for the current realities and the likelihood that digital evolution will require a physical reorganization in the near future. Newsrooms today are configured in many ways but generally include a central “hub” of top decision-makers surrounded by linear rows of desks for the various departments and staff, incorporating and organized around sections and platforms. The traditional newsroom staff — journalists and editors — often now work simultaneously and side by side with visual and audio journalists, data experts, platform specialists, marketers and other non-traditional newsroom staff. One problem with newsroom space is the inflexible demands of the physical structure. Columns, corners and other obstacles may

make optimizing linear or square configurations of desks and workspaces challenging. Working around these structures often requires compromises that might interfere with a more coherent design. So you end up with individuals stuck behind a post, away from their colleagues, or whole departments isolated in other parts of the building. There are many ways to approach these challenges, which vary from newsroom to newsroom. One approach is to develop desk configurations that break away from the traditional linear designs. This solution replaces the standard linear configuration with triangular three-desk modules connected to similar modules (as many as needed) around a central decision-making hub. Unlike long, linear rows of desks, these three-desk modules can rotate around the others, changing the angles between them and those connecting to them, allowing them to move and be reconfigured as needed. This “molecular system” looks like a molecular chain, as desks can snake

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around objects that interfere with straight rows. It can be tailored to the needs of a variety of newsrooms, creating layouts that fit any space and allow fast and direct communication. Whatever the solution, architecture is an integral part of digital strategy, as important as audience, workflow and structures, people, products and technology. Ignore any of these elements, and the whole process can fall apart. Interior design supports every other part of your digital transformation and must be truly flexible to allow organizations to change teams, team size or team configuration as needed. Newsrooms also must meet the evolving needs of production in terms of lights and acoustics to allow, for instance, the shooting and editing of video and

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audio. Quiet places for face-to-face meetings are also essential. So, newsroom designs cannot be “one and done.” Design, as much as

any other component of the modern newsroom, is a critical consideration in being flexible enough to “future-proof “ operations. 

Dietmar Schantin, Ph.D., is the founder and principal at the IFMS Media Consultancy and co-founder of the AI-Collective, specializing in strategies and AI applications in news organizations. He can be reached at ds@ifms-ltd.com or @dschantin. Dietmar Schantin is a renowned figure in the media industry, having transformed the editorial and commercial operations of various media brands across the globe, including The Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones, the Handelsblatt in Germany and the New Zealand Herald. He is an expert in business strategy, technology and organizational strategies. In 2012, he founded IFMS Media LTD after serving as the executive director of WAN-IFRA, the global association of news publishers. With a Ph.D. in economics and technology, Dietmar has focused on business strategy development and transformation throughout his career. He frequently speaks at international media conferences and is a familiar face on jury panels for digital media awards. Currently based in the U.K. and Austria, he is recognized as a trusted voice in the media industry.

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