newsclips
FEBRUARY 2014
Canadian News Hall of Fame Needs a Home Courtesy of the Toronto Sun Family Blog - by John Cosway Raise your hand if you recognize the name Arthur Ford. Or Gerald Filon. Or John W. Dafoe. Young, or old, don't feel guilty if you didn't know they were the first three inductees into the Canadian News Hall of Fame in 1966. Ford was a longtime editor of the London Free Press; Filon was publisher of Le Devoir from 1947 to 1963 and Dafoe, a posthumous inductee, was editor of the Manitoba (Winnipeg) Free Press from 1901 to 1944. Many more solid contributors to Canadian news gathering would be inducted, but the collective accomplishments of these men and women are nowhere to be found other than in a list of names on a bare bones Web site. On the Toronto Telegram/Toronto Sun front, those media greats include Hall of Fame inductees Ted Reeve (1972), J. Douglas MacFarlane (1985), Doug Creighton (1988), Trent Frayne (1992), Peter Worthington (1997), Douglas Fisher (2000) and Les Pyette (2013). The shame of the Canadian News Hall of Fame is it does not have a
Newseum in Washington, D.C.
WHAT’S INSIDE:
home for its Wall of Fame and, until last year when Lloyd Robertson and Andy Walsh were inducted, it had been dormant since 2002. The Hall of Fame had inductees from 1966 through 2001 annually except for 1996, when no names were added. When Gordon Donaldson, previous chair of the Hall of Fame died in 2001, it appeared the Hall of Fame died with him. There were no inductees from 2002 to 2011. Kudos to Ian Connerty, current chair of the Canadian News Hall of Fame, for resurrecting the Hall of Fame last year and for his enthusiasm this year. This blogger met Ian this week at the Hall of Fame presentations and he appears to be someone who gets things done and this is one thing that needs to get done for the preservation of the history of Canadian print and broadcast media greatness. "The Fame is currently in search of a new permanent home since the Ontario Club closed up," says Ian. "Our artifacts are in storage for now. Last year, we met with folks at Ryerson about locating the Hall in their new Communications building, but that didn't work out. We are looking for other options." Ryerson would have been an ideal location. While media in the United States have the Newseum in Washington, D.C., to showcase the history of American print and broadcast media, Canada has an embarrassing void. How the Newseum sums up its museum: "The Newseum - a 250,000-square-foot museum of news - offers visitors an experience that blends five centuries of news history with up-to-the-second technology and hands-on exhibits." In Canada, no news museum, not even a wall to hang the Canadian News Hall of Fame plaques, which are now sitting in storage gathering dust. Ed Patrick, longtime president of the all-but-defunct Toronto Press Club (now known as Toronto Press and Media Club and still homeless) singled out the Toronto Star's John Honderich at this week's Canadian News Hall of Fame dinner when talking about the need for a new showcase for the Hall of Fame. Continued on Page 4 >>>
BNC FINALISTS ANNOUNCED
COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER PREPAREDNESS PLAN
The finalists of the BNC Awards announced in alphabetical order.
A checklist to ensure your newspaper is prepared during emergency situations.
See Page 6
See Page 16
SIZE MATTERS A large photo will help you deliver information, interest and impact to your readers.
See Page 16
MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE ONTARIO1 COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS ASSOCIATION February 2014 www.ocna.org
ASSOCIATION NEWS
Waste Diversion Ontario and the In-Kind Advertising By Anne Lannan OCNA Executive Director
Please watch for correspondence in the next two weeks about administrative changes to the In-Kind Advertising program for 2014. As you know, any steward who contributes to the Blue Box Program in this province is responsible for paying 50% of the net operating costs for the municipalities operating them. Ontario’s Minister of the Environment, dating back to 2005, has allowed newspapers to contribute their responsibility through InKind Advertising to promote education and awareness of the Waste Streams to Ontarians. Municipality’s cost to operate the Blue Box program has increased significantly over the years. Newspapers commitment has risen from an average of $1.9 million to $6.1 million in 2013. The time frame for the 2013 allocations was extended to the end of March 2014 for municipalities to use their lineage. If a municipality has used all their 2013 lineage and wants to start taking advantage of its 2014 allocation, it may make use of it beginning in February 2014. Unfortunately due to arbitration matters between Stewardship Ontario and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, the steward allocations for 2014 have not yet been determined. At this point OCNA and the Canadian Newspapers Association are working on the assumption that our commitment will be similar to 2013 levels. This means that individual newspaper allocations by municipality will be status quo for 2014 until an announcement is made. The other significant change to the program is that municipalities can deal directly with their local newspapers to plan their campaigns, work on their creative, and book their own insertions. The municipalities still have to prebook their insertions with Waste Diversion Ontario (WDO), the organization responsible for administering to In-Kind Advertising Continued on Page 4 >>>
IN THIS ISSUE... 03 ..............................REGISTER FOR OCNA’S SPRING CONVENTION 05 .......................MARY KNOWLES AWARD RECIPIENT ANNOUNCED 06 .............................................BNC AWARD FINALISTS ANNOUNCED 10 .................................................MUNICIPAL ELECTION GUIDELINES
NEWSCLIPS VOLUME 03, ISSUE 05 3228 South Service Rd. Suite 116 Burlington, ON L7N 3H8 p.905.639.8720 f.905-639.6962 e. info@ocna.org w. www.ocna.org
OCNA BOARD PRESIDENT
Gordon Cameron
FIRST VP INTERIM
Dave Adsett
SECOND VP
Andrea DeMeer
SECRETARY/ TREASURER
Dave Harvey
PAST PRESIDENT
Mike Mount
DIRECTORS
Abbas Homayed Mike Power Rick Shaver Ray Stanton John Willems
OCNA STAFF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Anne Lannan
CONTROLLER
Todd Frees
MEMBER SERVICES
Karen Shardlow Kelly Gorven
ACCOUNTING
Lucia Shepherd
AD*REACH
Ted Brewer Carolyn Press Erica Leyzac
12 .................2013 ONTARIO JUNIOR CITIZENS AWARD RECIPIENTS 16 ........................COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER PREPAREDNESS PLAN 26 .........................................................WHEN IS YOUR CREATIVE TIME? 30 .....................................................................................SIZE MATTERS February 2014
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MEMBER NEWS
Registration Available Online for OCNA’s Spring Convention and BNC Awards Gala
OCNA MEMBER UPDATES
Join OCNA for the 2014 Spring Convention and Awards Gala on Friday, April 4, 2014 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Vaughan. Take advantage of the information sessions being offered, including What’s Hot in Advertising and Editorial and How Technology is Revolutionizing Community Newspapers. The day will also include the introduction of OCNA’s 2014/2015 Board of Directors, Quill Award Presentations and of course, the BNC Gala where first, second and third place winners of the Better Newspapers Competition will be announced. See the full Convention Agenda on Page 9 or on www.ocna.org under the Spring Convention section of the Members site. OCNA members can now register for this year’s Spring Convention online at www.ocna.org/registration2014. Home for the convention this year is the Hilton Garden Inn located in Vaughan. Book before March 11 to receive the special room rate of $129. To register go to: http://hiltongardeninn.hilton.com/en/gi/groups/personalized/Y/ YYZVAGI-OCNA2-20140402/index.jhtml?WT.mc_id=POG. If you would prefer to speak with a live person, please call 905-660-4700 and provide the group code OCNA2. For more information, please contact Karen Shardlow at k.shardlow@ocna.org or 905-639-8720 x 232.
REVIEW REPORTER RETIRES Dianne Cornish, reporter with Waterdown Flamborough Review, has decided to call it quits after a successful 40-year career in the newspaper industry. She began her career as a journalist writing obituaries for the Sudbury Star in the early 1970s before moving to community news. She worked as a reporter and editor for Peterborough Sun and moved on to work as a reporter for a group of papers including Milton Today, Country Routes, Nassagaweya News and the Halton Business Journal before joining Halton Hills This Week. Dianne joined the team at the Review in 2001 as a fulltime reporter covering city council, school board, sports and feature stories. Best wishes to Dianne as she enjoys retirement.
BREAKING NEWS
Newspaper layout expert goes freelance • More than 20 years’ experience in newspaper production Deadline-driven, meticulous • production professional • Reasonable rates • References available
KAWARTHA MEDIA GROUP PUBLISHER RETIRES
If you are an established or start-up newspaper looking for a reliable design and production expert to work from home, give me a call...let’s chat.
Bruce Danford, publisher of Kawartha Media Group, has announced his retirement after leading the Kawartha Division of Metroland Media for 13 years. His career began more than 35 years ago when he joined This Week’s sister paper in Oshawa. He transferred to Peterborough in 2001. Bruce overlooked the creation of several publications including Brock Citizen, Kawartha Lakes This Week, Peterborough This Week and Gold Book phone books.
613-612-5373 • patti@pattimoran.ca www.coroflot.com/pattimoran
February 2014
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ASSOCIATION NEWS
>>> Continued from Page 2
In-Kind Advertising Program Updates
HELP WANTED
program, but if the municipality plans to deal directly with their newspapers, our members don’t have to wait to receive insertion orders from AdReach. There is also more interest for municipalities to take part in more online advertising in 2014 as well. Full details will be outlined in the letter to follow.
Freelance Writer
Connecting with Newsmakers Your association wants to help you connect with newsmakers who make decisions that impact your readers. Ontario’s Community Newspapers are spread across this entire province and we realize you don’t have journalists stationed in Toronto to attend press conferences. So OCNA is taking the press conferences to you via Editorial Board Conference Calls. This is a program for community newspaper journalists to attend scheduled press conferences via a toll-free conference call line and ask specific questions to individuals about matters that are important to your community. Last month’s Conference Call was with the President of the Ontario Provincial Police Association who spoke about the cost of community policing and the status of salary increases. It is an issue that is being discussed in communities across the province. Who are some of the other newsmakers, either provincially or federally, that you would be interested in hearing from and interviewing? Your association can reach out to them to participate in this important forum to communicate with Ontarians. Call me at 800-387-7982 ext 228 or send me an e-mail at a.lannan@ocna.org with your thoughts.
Ontario Junior Citizens of the Year Award Judges Meet the important people who played a large role in determining the top 12 finalists of the 2013 Ontario Junior Citizens. Bottom (from left to right) Jeff Lanthier, Manager, External Relations, Direct Energy; Vino Jeyapalan, TD Bank Group Scholarship Recipient; Kelly Gorven, Junior Citizen Coordinator, Ontario Community Newspapers Association; Mike Pearson, Editor, Stoney Creek News. Top (left to right): Brenda Jefferies, Editor, Flamborough Review; Jennifer Vandermeer, Editor, Ingersoll Times & Norwich Gazette.
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South Bruce Weekender & Kincardine Independent London Publishing Corp. is looking for a freelance writer for a long term contract with the South Bruce Weekender and award-winning Kincardine Independent newspapers. If interested please contact John Miles for further details 416-712-7883 or john@lpcmedia.ca
>>> Continued from Front Page
Honouring 100-Plus Media Professionals Why single out John? Canada's media conglomerates and surviving independents should come to an agreement on the financing of accommodations for a new Canadian News Hall of Fame/media museum. Have journalists across the country research the inductees and the history of Canadian media and contribute their findings to the Hall of Fame/media museum. Or honour the inductees with an online virtual media museum, displaying each of their Hall of Fame plaques, along with their biographies and photographs, plus other media-related material. With the successful 2013 inductions of Les Pyette and Boris Spremo still fresh in the minds of media across Canada, it is time to strive for a new home for the Hall of Fame before the 2014 inductions. Whether a physical building, or a professionally-designed Web site, Canadian media should collectively do no less to honour the 100-plus greats of the news business. Set a deadline and get it done. www.ocna.org
ASSOCIATION NEWS
Insurance Bureau of Canada Community Award in Memory of Mary Knowles Recipient Announced Linda Plumridge, Comptroller, Fort Frances Times Linda has spent nearly her entire life surrounded by newspapers. Her involvement with the Fort Frances Times began 50 years ago, after her brothers Don and Jim Cumming decided they wanted to take on the largest carrier route and signed up every home in a new subdivision. They later announced to Linda, who was seven at the time, that she would be the lucky one to deliver those papers. Without hesitation, she took on the role and spent three years as a carrier. In 1970, with both parents employed at their family-owned newspaper, she began working the front counter after school. In 1976 she became a full-time employee with the Fort Frances Times as accountant and comptroller and has served the company since. Despite her dedication to the newspaper and printing business, Linda manages to volunteer with various initiatives within her community. In fact, her contributions date back to 1976 and to this day she still dedicates her time to bettering the Rainy River District and Fort Frances community. The Cumming family instills a culture of volunteerism within their organization. Since 1976 she has been a Beta Sigma Phi member, helping to coordinate the Daffodil Drive for the Canadian Cancer Society across the Rainy River District. She volunteers with the Fort Frances Canadian Bass Championship as a member of the board of directors. She helped raise $750,000 to build a new public library and participated in a drive of the Riverside Foundation which raised $650,000 to install a new digital Mammography Unit in Fort Frances. She has been a member of the Rainy River Valley Safety Coalition since 1994. She is the current president of the Safe Communities Rainy River District and helped bring the World Health Organization Conference to the Rainy River in 2002, when the Rainy River District was recognized as a ‘World Health Safe Community’. In addition, she became the co-chair of the Diversity Committee and maintains that position today. Finally, Linda was as a member on the board of directors of OCNA from 2003 until 2009 and served as treasurer. Linda is always prepared and willing to step forward, provide leadership, share ideas and go the extra mile to accomplish growth and success. Both her current volunteer work with the Diversity Committee and the Safety Coalition occupy a minimum of 1.5 days a week. However, with her hard work and effort, playgrounds are safer in February 2014
that they are inspected monthly. Curb eases have been installed on all corners where curbs exist. The number of recorded incidences of falls with seniors has declined. In addition, a methadone treatment facility has been created in Fort France to deal with drug abuse. Generally, Linda prefers to applaud the hard work of others and chooses not to receive any accolades for her efforts. However, everyone deserves recognition once in a while, which is why OCNA is proud to recognize Linda with the 2013 Insurance Bureau of Canada Community Award in Memory of Mary Knowles. Linda will be invited to accept her award during the OCNA BNC Gala on Friday, April 4 at the Hilton Garden Inn. The Insurance Bureau of Canada Community Award in Memory of Mary Knowles is coordinated by the Ontario Community Newspapers Foundation. It wishes to recognize those in the community newspaper business who contribute their own time to the betterment of their communities. The award also recognizes the intimate connection community newspapers have with their communities. Mary Knowles was a dedicated newspaper employee and active community member who died from breast cancer in 1996. Congratulations to Linda and all of this year’s nominees for showing such leadership and dedication to your communities.
The OCNA is grateful for the generous support of the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) to help create the Insurance Bureau of Canada Community Award in Memory of Mary Knowles. Together, we are committed to recognizing dedicated newspaper employees who are constantly making a difference within their communities.
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ASSOCIATION NEWS
OCNA Better Newspaper Competition Finalists Announced OCNA is proud to recognize the outstanding quality of work produced each week by our member newspapers and showcase it to readers and advertisers.
Class 6 (Circ. 22,500 - 44,999) Sponsored by Northern News Services Sudbury Northern Life Waterloo Chronicle What’s Up Muskoka
Best College/University Newspaper Website Centennial College - The Toronto Observer Ryerson University - The Ryersonian University of Waterloo - Imprint
Listed in alphabetical order below are the finalists of the Better Newspaper Competition.
Class 7 (Circ. 45,500 and over) Brant News Mississauga News Newmarket Era/Aurora Banner
Premier Awards
First, second and third winners will be announced at the BNC Gala on Friday, April 4.
General Excellence Awards
General Excellence Awards recognize overall achievement by circulation class in editorial, advertising and layout. Class 1 (Circ. 1,999 and under) Barry’s Bay This Week Barry’s Bay, The Valley Gazette Minden Times Class 2 (Circ. 2,000 - 3,499) Haliburton County Echo New Hamburg Independent Winchester Press Class 3 (Circ. 3,500 - 6,499) Eganville Leader New Liskeard Temiskaming Speaker Nunavut News/North
Class 8 - College/University Algonquin College, Algonquin Times Niagara College, Niagara News University of Waterloo, Imprint
College & University
College & University Awards recognize the outstanding work of Journalism students in Photography, News Writing, and Feature Writing. Student Feature Writing Sponsored by Ontario General Contractors Association Ryerson University - Angelina Irinici Ryerson University - Samuel Greenfield University of Waterloo - Amanda Guderian & Majuratan Sadagopan
Class 4 (Circ. 6,500 - 12,499) Sponsored by Metro Creative Graphics Huntsville Forester Niagara This Week, Town Crier Uxbridge Times-Journal
Student News Writing Sponsored by Ontario Journalism Educators Association Ryerson University - Emma Jarratt Ryerson University - Samuel Greenfield & Derek Kirk University of Waterloo Erwin-Michael Melocoton
Class 5 (Circ. 12,500 - 22,499) Elmira-Woolwich Observer Midland/Penetanguishene Mirror Orangeville Banner
Student Photography Loyalist College - Emily Cumming Loyalist College - Justin Tang Niagara College - Rick De Vries
February 2014
Premier Awards honour individual works in both editorial and advertising categories such as Best Editorial, Best Feature Photo, Best Front Page, Best Local Retail Layout, Best Original Advertising Idea, etc.
Feature Writing (Circ. -9,999) Sponsored by O’Donnell, Robertson & Sanfilippo Bracebridge Examiner Manotick Messenger Minto Express
Arts & Entertainment Glanbrook Gazette Niagara This Week, Grimsby Waterloo Chronicle
Health & Wellness Elmira-Woolwich Observer Georgina Advocate Kanata Kourier-Standard
Best Business & Finance Story Blue Mountains Courier-Herald Kitchener Post Vankleek Hill Review
Heritage Sponsored by Fort Frances Times Burlington Post Orangeville Banner Richmond Hill/Thornhill Liberal
Best Editorial (Circ. 10,000+) Fergus Wellington Advertiser Peterborough This Week Sudbury Northern Life Best Editorial (Circ. -9,999) Manitoulin Expositor Minden Times Vankleek Hill Review Education Writing Sponsored by Ontario Journalism Educators Association Brant News Vankleek Hill Review What’s Up Muskoka Environment Ontario Northumberland News Nunavut News/North Oshawa This Week 6
Feature Writing (Circ. 10,000+) Sponsored by O’Donnell, Robertson & Sanfilippo Collingwood Enterprise-Bulletin Kanata Kourier-Standard Milton Canadian Champion
Best Investigative News Story Bracebridge Examiner Sarnia/Lambton This Week Vankleek Hill Review Best News Story (Circ. 10,000+) Sponsored by Hydro One Networks Inc. Clarington This Week Etobicoke Guardian Nepean/Barrhaven News Best News Story (Circ. -9,999) Sponsored by Hydro One Networks Inc. Bracebridge Examiner Manotick Messenger Prescott Journal
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ASSOCIATION NEWS
Best Rural Story (Circ. 10,000+) Sponsored by Ontario Federation of Agriculture Burlington Post Collingwood Enterprise-Bulletin Guelph Tribune Best Rural Story (Circ. -9,999) Sponsored by Ontario Federation of Agriculture Gravenhurst Banner New Hamburg Independent Parry Sound Beacon Star Best Feature/News Series (Circ. 10,000+) Clarington This Week Oshawa Express Richmond Hill/Thornhill Liberal Best Feature/News Series (Circ. -9,999) Barry’s Bay, The Valley Gazette Deep River North Renfrew Times New Hamburg Independent Sports & Recreation Story Clarington This Week New Hamburg Independent Orangeville Banner Humour Columnist of the Year Fergus Wellington Advertiser - Kelly Waterhouse Manotick Messenger - Jeff Morris Markham Economist & Sun - Bernie O’Neill Columnist of the Year Manotick Messenger - Jeff Morris Newmarket Era/Aurora Banner - Debora Kelly Waterloo Chronicle - Bob Vrbanac Stephen Shaw Award for Reporter of the Year Sponsored by Ontario Power Generation Clarington This Week - Jennifer O’Meara February 2014
Kawartha Lakes This Week - Barbara-Ann MacEachern Waterloo Chronicle - James Jackson
Community Service Sponsored by Young Drivers of Canada Aylmer Express Barrie Advance Oshawa This Week
Editor of the Year Burlington Post - Don Ford Ottawa Hill Times - Kate Malloy Peterborough This Week - Lois Tuffin
Best Vertical Product Barrie Advance Bracebridge Examiner Ottawa Hill Times
Best Feature Photo (Circ. 10,000+) Ajax/Pickering News Advertiser Clarington This Week North York Mirror
Best Front Page (Circ. 10,000+) Sponsored by Laurentian Publishing Ajax/Pickering News Advertiser Grimsby Lincoln News Sudbury Northern Life
Best Feature Photo (Circ. -9,999) Eganville Leader Elmira Independent King Connection Best Photo Layout Ajax/Pickering News Advertiser Barrie Advance Blue Mountains Courier-Herald
Best Front Page (Circ. -9,999) Sponsored by Laurentian Publishing Bracebridge Examiner Huntsville Forester King Connection Parry Sound North Star
Best Sports Photo Barrie Advance London Community News Milton Canadian Champion Best Spot News Photo Manotick Messenger Newmarket Era/Aurora Banner Oshawa This Week
Best Sports Section Sponsored by Metroland Media Group Ltd., Southwestern Ontario Division Elmira-Woolwich Observer Kitchener Post Milton Canadian Champion
Best News Photo Ajax/Pickering News Advertiser Brant News Oakville Beaver
Special Section (Circ. 10,000+) Georgina Advocate Oakville Beaver Oshawa This Week
Photographer of the Year Ajax/Pickering News Advertiser - Ryan Pfeiffer Burlington Post - Nikki Wesley Oshawa This Week - Ron Pietroniro
Special Section (Circ. -9,999) Bracebridge Examiner Eganville Leader Nunavut News/North Best Creative Ad Listowel Banner Milton Canadian Champion Stoney Creek News
Cartoonist of the Year Cambridge Times - C.A. Gray Ottawa Hill Times - Michael de Adder Scugog Standard - Walt Radda 7
In House Promotion Barry’s Bay, The Valley Gazette Milton Canadian Champion Scugog Standard Local Retail Layout Sponsored by Metro Creative Graphics Elmira-Woolwich Observer Orangeville Banner Scugog Standard Original Ad Idea (Circ. 10,000+) Alliston Herald Burlington Post Vaughan Citizen Original Ad Idea (Circ. -9,999) Manitoulin Expositor Minto Express New Hamburg Independent Salesperson of the Year Etobicoke Guardian - Sharlene Thompson Scarborough Mirror - Bruno Gervasio Vaughan Citizen - Howie Taylor Use of Process Colour Burlington Post Fort Frances Times Tilbury Times Best Community Newspaper Web Site/Web Portal (Circ. 10,000+) Mississauga News Ottawa Hill Times Sudbury Northern Life Best Community Newspaper Web Site/Web Portal (Circ. -9,999) Beeton, New Tecumseth Times Bracebridge Examiner Manitoulin Expositor ONLINE Special Project/Event/ Breaking News Coverage Mississauga News Oshawa This Week Ottawa Hill Times www.ocna.org
ASSOCIATION NEWS
Syndicated Columnist on OCNA Web Site Jon Svec is the former editor of a weekly newspaper in Saskatchewan, the Shellbrook Chronicle. He now writes a syndicated column from his home province of Ontario. This general interest piece touches on everything from politics to sports to everyday observations, adding insight and opinion to whatever is on the national consciousness during any given week. He covers a wide range of topics, and tries to maintain a lighthearted undertone while presenting these issues with a unique perspective. He is able to draw upon his literary background in order to create a diverse and interesting column that his readers look forward to delving into each week. He has experience with community newspapers, and realizes that the draw for these publications is focusing on local content. He also believes, however, that readers crave quality writing that shines a light on common as well as national topics. He is able to break doiwn these issues down into digestible terms, creating interesting copy that entertains as it informs. It is a new take on the traditional column, and is sure to give your readers something to look forward to each week. For more information, e-mail jonsvec@mycolumn.ca.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Do you have: • New Employees • An Upcoming Retirement • A New Special Section Share your updates and photos with us! Send all information to: newsclips@ocna.org
CLASSIFIED AD
February 2014
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ASSOCIATION NEWS
2014 OCNA SPRING CONVENTION
Hilton Garden Inn Vaughan, ON April 3 - 4, 2014
CONFERENCE PROGRAM:
Thursday, April 3rd 9am-12pm 12pm-3pm
cnrie Board Meeting OCNA Board Meeting
3pm-5pm
Annual General Meeting - OCNA/OCNF/ cnrie Independent Publishers’ Sessions Welcome Soiree at Dave & Busters
6:30pm-10pm
Friday April 4th 8am-9am 9am-12pm
12pm-2pm
2pm-4:30pm 5:30pm-6:30pm 6:30pm-10pm 10pm-1am
February 2014
Breakfast What’s Hot in Advertising & Editorial • Offering hot topics for both Advertising and Editorial - more info to follow Lunch • Introduction of 2014/2015 Board of Directors • Quill Award Presentations • Premier, Kathleen Wynne (to be confirmed) How Technology is Revolutionizing Community Newspapers BNC Gala Reception BNC Gala Dinner Celebratory Gathering at the Great North American Grill 9
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ASSOCIATION NEWS
What Newspapers Should Know About the Municipal Election The following is information from the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 and Regulations passed under it relating to campaign expenses of candidates and other relevant matters. The full Municipal Elections Act, 1996 as amended and the applicable regulations may be found at http://www.mah.gov.on.ca/Page219.aspx.
recorded for donations more than $10. The financial statement is a public document. Clerks are required to make all financial statements available in an electronic format free of charge. The limit on contributions donated in money, goods, or services from an individual, corporation or trade union is $750 to any one candidate, regardless of the number of offices the candidate was nominated for during the election period. The limit on contributions to a candidate who is running for mayor in the City of Toronto is $2,500. The maximum total amount a contributor may contribute to candidates in the same jurisdiction is $5,000. Each municipal council and each school board is a separate jurisdiction. Only the candidate and those persons authorized by the candidate can accept campaign contributions. Contributions can only be accepted during the campaign period and only from a person or entity entitled to make a contribution. For the purpose of this Act, costs incurred for goods and services by or on behalf of a person wholly or partly for use in his or her election campaign are expenses.
Dates to Remember Nomination Period: Jan. 2, 2014 - Friday, Sept. 12, 2014 at 2pm Final Day to Withdraw: Friday, September 12, 2014 Voting Day: Monday, October 21, 2014 Council Terms Begin: Monday, December 1, 2014
Contributions and Expenses Please note there are no advertising blackout periods nor requirements to print that ads are ‘authorized by’. Limits for newspapers selling advertising for less than market value: If goods and services used in a person’s election campaign are purchased for less than their market value, the difference between the amount paid and the market value is considered a contribution. The value of free political advertising, provided that such advertising is made available to all candidates and is in accordance with the Broadcasting Act (Canada) is not considered to be a contribution.
Formula to calculate the candidates spending limit: • Head of municipal council: $7,500 + .85 per eligible elector • Member of municipal council or school board: $5,000 + .85 per eligible elector During the period that begins on the day a candidate is nominated, and ends on voting day, his or her expenses shall not exceed an amount calculated in accordance with the prescribed formula. Within 10 days after nomination day, the clerk must give candidates a final spending limit.
Joint campaigns/Running on a slate - There is nothing in the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 that would prevent like-minded candidates from campaigning on the same platform or identifying themselves as a group or slate. However, each candidate must keep their campaign finances separate and any joint expenses (for example, signs with two candidate’s names on them) must be divided between the campaigns.
Other Considerations
For the purpose of this Act, a candidate’s election campaign period for an office shall be determined in accordance with the following rules [and subject to some variations set out in the Act]: 1. The election campaign period begins on the day he or she files a nomination for the office 2. The election campaign period ends on December 31 in the case of a regular election, but can be extended if campaign has run a deficit.
New for 2014 - Voters are required to show identification in order to vote. The requirement to show identification that has your signature on it has been removed. Reporting and photography at polling stations - Under section 47(1) of the Municipal Elections Act, the only people who may remain in a voting place when the vote is being taken or counted are election officials, candidates, and scrutineers. Please note that the clerk designates each voting place, and the designation may include the entire property of the building where voting is taking place. There are also strict regulations about interfering with voters, influencing voters, showing/looking at ballots, etc. Reporters and photographers should be aware that penalties for contravention of the Act are fines of up to $25,000 for individuals and up to $50,000 for corporations and trade unions, or up to six months in prison.
A contribution shall not be made to, or accepted by, or on behalf of a candidate outside his or her election campaign period. Contributions received outside the campaign period that cannot be returned to the contributor, or any anonymous contributions, must be turned over to the clerk. An expense shall not be incurred by or on behalf of a candidate outside his or her election campaign period. Contributions accepted by the candidate must be reported in the financial statement to be filed with the clerk by the candidate, which includes the name and address of any contributor who made a total aggregate contribution, including the value of goods and services, exceeding $100. Funds collected at fundraising events must also be February 2014
The Municipal Elections Act, 1996 does not prohibit campaigning on voting day. While there are restrictions on advertising for federal and provincial elections on voting day, these ‘blackouts’ do not exist for municipal and school board elections. 10
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ASSOCIATION NEWS
New Opportunity for Newspaper Entrepreneurs Frank and Paulette Touby, owners of Toronto’s The Bulletin and veterans in the business, have created a new licensing opportunity for other professionals looking to create their own opportunities. For 15 years The Bulletin, a Downtown Toronto monthly community newspaper, has succeeded and been profitable for its owners based on a unique paradigm they have perfected. It is published by CBNG, which is licencing The Bulletin brand and services to media and newspaper professionals in Canadian municipalities who share one distinct feature: they publish in a community, in any province, with a minimum of 6,000 condominium apartment units. The Bulletin is a real community newspaper, not a flyer or puff sheet. It’s produced by professional journalists. Being in a large city of neighbourhoods, it reports on and to 14 distinct, connected communities. The Bulletin serves a specific market of readers who aren’t able to receive community newspapers on their doorsteps. That’s because they live in condos where carrier delivery isn’t allowed. Carriers aren’t permitted to walk the halls, dropping paper at apartment doors. Mail is the only option. The only person who can access condo residents’ mailboxes is a Canada Post mail carrier. The Toubys have developed the model that works in this circumstance. For more details, please see http://thebulletin.ca/?p=6802
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INTERN OPPORTUNITY North Huron Publishing Company North Huron Publishing Company offers a paid internship for a journalism student with a farming background for the summer of 2014. Duties include writing feature stories for The Rural Voice, some reporting for The Citizen and writing feature stories for our tourist magazine Stops Along the Way. Send résumé to: Keith Roulston, North Huron Publishing Company Inc., P.O. Box 429, Blyth, ON N0M 1H0 or email: keith@northhuron.on.ca
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ASSOCIATION NEWS
Outstanding Ontario Junior Citizens Announced Making a difference - one star at a time. Inspiring others - one star at a time. Building community - one star at a time. Ontario’s young stars are shining brighter than ever! The 12 final recipients of the 2013 Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year Awards are an amazing group of individuals whose leadership, ideas, creativity and generosity are fine examples of the outstanding youth of today. These finalists represent a diverse group ranging in age, interests and backgrounds – but one thing they all share is their desire to make a difference, both locally and globally. The final recipients and their families will be invited to a special presentation, officiated by the Honourable David C. Onley, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, in the spring 2014. This year, nominations came pouring in from across Ontario. All of these wonderful nominees are being recognized with certificates by their local community newspapers. Each and every one of the young individuals nominated goes above and beyond what is expected of someone their age. The Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year Awards is promoted through the 300+ member newspapers of the Ontario Community Newspapers Association (OCNA) with the support of corporate sponsors TD Bank Group and Direct Energy. Nominations of eligible youth aged six to 17, are received through member community newspapers committed to recognizing the outstanding leaders who are making a difference in their communities. Nominees may be involved in community service; young people who are contributing to their community while living with a physical or psychological limitation; or individuals who have performed acts of heroism or bravery. Candidates are also recognized for being ‘good kids’ who show a commitment to making life better for others. A panel of judges unanimously agreed on the final award recipients.
includes saving the orangutans in Sumatra, Indonesia. In August 2014, Hannah will travel to Kenya as part of the Me to We Program, where she will help build a school and wells for people in need.
Faith Dickinson, 11, Lakefield
Faith created Cuddles for Cancer when she was just nine years old. After hearing that cancer patients often got cold during their treatments, Faith came up with the idea of making fleece blankets, hoping it would bring patients warmth, comfort and love. Since then, she has raised over $10,000 to help her make 500 of her cuddle blankets. They have been sent all across Canada, the U.S. and to France, England and Australia. She has also created a signature ‘soldier’ blanket for soldiers overseas and those suffering from injuries or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She recently launched a campaign called Kids at Christmas, asking the community to sponsor a child to ensure every child admitted to her local hospital is given a cuddle blanket on Christmas Eve.
Thomas Glatzymayer, 11, Manotick
Tommy is inspired to spread the message about the importance of acceptance and inclusion “for all of the Melanie’s out there” because of his older sister Melanie, who has Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS). He has helped write two books titled Melanie and Tommy Have Two Pet Rats and One Syndrome. Tommy has spoken about CdLS to thousands of people during more than 60 presentations at schools, hospitals, conferences and fundraising events in Canada and the U.S. In addition, Tommy and his sister sell dolls and rat jewelry to help fund research for the CdLS Society.
Kelsey Hroch, 17, Sault Ste. Marie
In 2010, Kelsey began making bookmarks and selling them to raise money for the Algoma Residential Community Hospice (ARCH). Since then she has expanded her products to key chains and zipper pulls. She has been able to contribute $32,100 to the ARCH, becoming the one of the largest contributors to the Hospice. In addition, Kelsey has organized and participated in Relay for Life for the past six years, participated in the Rotaryfest parade, helped with the float for the Hospice and she is currently helping to organize Cuts for Hospice. This is an event at her high school that was previously called Cuts for Cancer but she has inspired the school to make it a joint fundraiser.
Below is a synopsis of the 12 final recipients listed in alphabetical order:
Zachary Blatman, 16, Thornhill
Zachary is a leukemia survivor. In an effort to help others battling the disease, he began a charity in his own name and has so far helped raise over $65,000 for the cause. But his fundraising initiatives don’t stop there. In 2011 he raised roughly $20,000 for the United Jewish Appeal through telethons and canvasing. Zachary’s 900 volunteer hours have also been obtained through his work as a leisure buddy with the City of Vaughan, providing support to children with special needs and participation on the Youth Ambassador Council for the Canadian Cancer Society. In addition, Zachary manages to maintain an impressive 96% average in school.
Sarah Jones, 16, Guelph
Sarah is one of the founding youth of GLOWW with the Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo Wellington Dufferin Branch. As a result, she has brought an increase to mental health awareness for young people. Sarah has struggled with her own mental health, but has overcome this obstacle to speak in front of large audiences about her experience. She helped design and promote a bracelet campaign across all of the high schools in Wellington County to spread awareness of mental health. She is also a strong advocate for social media within the agency.
Hannah Bywater, 13, Callander
At the age of six, Hannah decided she wanted to help save the sea turtles of Bali, Indonesia from extinction. In the beginning, she asked for donations in lieu of birthday gifts. Since then she has made bracelets, set up lemonade stands, created a website, done public speaking and sold small wooden carved turtles for what has now accumulated to more than $10,000 for the cause, which now also February 2014
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ASSOCIATION NEWS
Anna-Sofia Lesiv, 16, Nobleton
Connor Withers, 8, Burlington
In 2011, Anna-Sofia created a project called The Youth Informer, an online news network used to educate students about current events written in engaging and comprehensive articles. By presenting youth information in a way they find appealing, Anna-Sofia is aiming to solve youth disinterest in current events. She is providing young people with an outlet for writing and journalism in a platform where they may express themselves. Through the site, she has created The Knowledge Fund which collects donations to purchase computers for resource-poor schools in Ukraine. So far this fund has raised over $2,000.
With help from his father, Connor builds birdhouses and sells each one for $20 to raise funds for the Joseph Brant Hospital Foundation. After selling 10 of his birdhouses, he made his first donation of $200. But Connor didn’t stop there. In October, Connor and his Birdhouse Foundation participated in Treats in Our Streets, an event where he was able to sell enough birdhouses to raise $2,000. With the help of a local high school, businesses, a Facebook page Connor’s fundraising initiative has soared. A local printing company made it possible for birdhouses to be wrapped with company logos. Coco Cola, Walk Off the Earth and the Toronto Maple Leafs all had birdhouses made. Connor has now raised $10,000.
Brody Longmuir, 17, St.Catharines
In 2013, as Student Council President of his high school, Brody initiated and implemented a way to generate funds for upcoming school events and projects. The ‘Raider Card’ – essentially a sticker placed on the back of a student card - offers students with valuable discounts at local businesses and gives them access to special school promotions including buy-outs for football games, price reductions for school dances and participation in ‘out of uniform days’. Each ‘Raider Card’ is sold for $20 and has been a huge success. So far over 575 cards have been sold, earning the school $12,000.
Our goal to recognize outstanding young people in communities across Ontario would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. Our gratitude to them all.
Primary Sponsors
Jonathan Marcello, 16, Barrie
Jonathan was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2010. Despite his own struggle, he decided he wanted to make a difference in the lives of others, raise funds and bring awareness about the disease. As a result, the Crohn’s and Colitis Hockey Tournament: Play for a Cure was born. Within three years, the hockey tournament raised over $30,000. In addition, Jonathan is an ambassador for Robbie’s Rainbow, an organization dedicated to improving the health and quality of children living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. He has raised over $4,000 for this foundation.
TD Community Giving
TD Bank Group invests in communities in order to effect positive change in the places where it operates and where its clients and employees live and work. In 2012, TD donated over $65 million to support community organizations in Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom. In Canada, TD focuses on education and financial literacy, creating opportunities for young people and the environment. For further information, please visit www.td.com/corporate-responsibility.
Justina Marianayagam, 17, Mississauga
Justina lives with fibromyalgia, a chronic wide spread pain syndrome which makes everyday tasks a challenge. This young lady is committed to overcoming her own obstacle and continues to give back to others. After being elected as Student Council President within her high school, she helped organize a school drive, collecting 751 pounds of food items for her local Food Bank. Justina continues to volunteer at the Food Bank and also dedicates her spare time to a local homeless shelter, preparing and serving hot meals to those in need.
About Direct Energy
Direct Energy is one of North America's largest energy and energy– related services providers with more than 6 million residential and commercial customer relationships. Direct Energy provides customers with choice and support in managing their energy costs through a portfolio of innovative products and services. A subsidiary of Centrica plc (LSE:CNA), one of the world's leading integrated energy companies, Direct Energy operates in 46 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia and 10 provinces in Canada. For more information, please visit www. directenergy.com.
Bailey Whitehouse, 17, Augusta
Bailey has volunteered an impressive 1,500 hours with various organizations since she began high school. By visiting local businesses and asking if they would place donation cans on their counters to help raise money for ‘Hearts for Hannah’, a little girl in need of a heart transplant, Bailey was able to raise $1,500 in just two days. During the Holidays, Bailey also visits local nursing homes to sing, makes baked goods and distributes gift bags filled with toiletries and candies. Even more impressive, Bailey manages to find three hours a night, after completing her paper route and homework, to make tray favours for Meals on Wheels. February 2014
Patron Sponsors James Publishing Company McLaren Press Graphics Ltd. Performance Printing Temiskaming Printing Co. 13
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ASSOCIATION NEWS
Why We Should Care When A Communtiy Newspaper Shuts Down By Robert Washburn, Innovation Editor, J-Source This article was first published on J-Source. When a community newspaper closes, it is a great loss. Still, publishers will argue it is the economic reality of the times. Many scholars argue the importance of community journalism to democracy and citizenship, often separately from the business decisions. The historic tension between public service and economics is longstanding. But, what if there is another set of lenses beyond journalism, political economy communications theory and other traditional disciplines to shed light on the significance of news media in rural Canada? This three-part weekly series will place community news media within the context of rural development in the hope of exploring the role journalism plays for sustaining hamlets, villages, towns and cities in rural areas. Read the other installments of this series online at: http://j-source.ca/category/newsviews/innovation
When community newspapers close in towns and villages across rural Canada, the loss is bemoaned. But publishers and owners often justify the decision based on the economic realities forcing them to shutter the operations. The reach of community newspapers is undeniable: Approximately 1,000 community newspapers in Canada circulate more than 19 million copies in neighbourhoods, regions, towns and remote areas weekly. The role they play is vital, but the industry faces immense pressure from new technologies and changes in advertising and audiences. Yet, community newspapers enjoyed a three per cent increase in revenue in 2011, with more than $1.2 billion spent on print and online advertising. Online advertising alone grew 35 per cent over the same period, according to Newspaper Canada statistics released in 2012. Community newspaper readership remains steady at 74 per cent, according to the same study. The figure is precisely the same as it was in 2008. This past year, Sun Media Corporation cut its staff by 360 people and closed several weekly newspapers and three free urban dailies. The community newspapers were The Midland Free Press (Ontario), The Lindsay Post (Ontario), The Meadow Lake Progress February 2014
(Saskatchewan), The Beausejour Review (Manitoba), The Lac du Bonnet Leader (Manitoba), Le Magazine Saint-Lambert (Quebec) and Le Progrès de Bellechasse (Quebec). In 2012, The Dunnville Chronicle (Ontario), West Niagara News (Ontario), The Montreal Mirror (Quebec), Capital City News(Ontario), Guelph Review (Ontario), Kitchener-Waterloo Review (Ontario) and Markdale Standard (Ontario) were all closed by Sun Media, along with another 500 jobs lost. The closures of these newspapers, some of them having existed for more than 100 years, represent less than one per cent of the total number of community newspapers in the country. It is difficult to track community newspaper closures since they do not garner much attention. It is no wonder no one gets too upset since they represent such a tiny number in the big picture. But what is really going on? Sometimes, the newspapers get rolled into a regional publication, making sure the few remaining advertisers continue to contribute to the overall revenue of the parent company. Residents are promised coverage, but often it is a trickle compared to what they received before. These are some of the hard truths facing local news media in rural Canada today. Usually, the response to such a loss is framed by a discussion about the importance of relationships between members of the community and the newspaper using the lens of the social responsibility theory or a version of it. The loss of a community newspaper affects the citizens and their ability to know what is going on and act accordingly, thereby undermining local democracy. Community journalism acts as a link between the individual and the community, as documented by many scholars, including sociologist Keith Stamm. He says community newspapers historically are viewed as vehicles for extending personal channels of information, which normally flourish in neighbourhoods, towns and villages. When journalism feeds people’s cynicism, it creates confusion about issues and ultimately turns them off, 14
thereby weakening a community’s ties and undermining its identity, Stamm says. When community journalism does its job properly, these community bonds are strengthened. Others make similar arguments emphasizing the importance of community journalism, including John Miller, Jock Lauterer and Lee Wilkins. As the great journalist-philosopher Walter Lippmann points out, local journalism is about covering everything from municipal politics to church suppers. Community journalism holds up a mirror to a community, helping it to see itself and think about what it sees. And while many pages of scholarly thought point out the importance of journalism to democracy, those arguments are not usually the framework publishers and owners discuss when determining whether a newspaper will remain open. The bottom line is the bottom line on the business. Given the current pressures on the news industry as a whole, that should not be surprising. Overall, audiences are declining, revenues are tanking and changing technology is placing stress on newsrooms. Yet, community newspapers seem to buck the trend somehow as the numbers show growth in revenue and a steady number of readers, according to industry-sponsored studies. Traditional values, principles and approaches are under intense scrutiny as entirely new paradigms are being created along with demands for innovation, experimentation and rethinking nearly every aspect of both the business side and the practice of journalism. But what if the discussion over the future of community newspapers was not just about the economic viability of publications or the loss of a vital public service? What if the survival of a community newspaper was essential to sustaining rural Canada? It may be time to look at the status of community newspapers in rural Canada with a different set of lenses other than journalism, political economy, communications theory and other traditional disciplines. It might be worthwhile to try to peer behind the forces within the community that are at play. www.ocna.org
ASSOCIATION NEWS
OCNA’s Supplier Showcase and Spring Convention Sponsorship Opportunities Companies looking to do business with or promote a service to community newspapers are invited to participate in the OCNA’s Spring Convention and Supplier Showcase. This year the Spring Convention will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Vaughan Ontario on Friday April 4, 2014. There, suppliers will have the opportunity to network and mingle with some of our 300+ community newspaper members in Ontario. On average, more than 100 newspaper professionals attend our conventions each year and another 150 attend our annual Better Newspaper Awards Gala Dinner.
OCNA’s Supplier Showcase:
Participants will be provided with a 6’ table, with many opportunities to interact with the attendees during the breakfast, two coffee breaks and our lunch. Suppliers will also have the opportunity to address delegates in a 3 minute introduction during the President’s Premiere Lunch. Your registration fee will also include placing your promotional information in our 125 delegate bags. (Promotional material must be received no later than March 24th, 2014). Our convention is jam packed with information and sessions for our members. With your registration, you are more than welcome to attend any of the sessions throughout the day and network with delegates. ▄▄
$450.00 to participate in OCNA’s Supplier Showcase (includes table, breakfast & lunch for one attendee on Friday April 4, 2014 and delegate bag inserts.) ▄▄ ▄▄
$50.00 – for a 3-5 minute Presentation during the President’s Premier Lunch. $150.00 – if you cannot attend the convention and wish to place promotional material in the OCNA delegate bags.
OCNA’s Sponsorship Opportunities
OCNA would like to host a Welcome Social Soiree at Dave and Buster’s on the evening of Thursday April 3, 2014. We are looking for suppliers to join in a collective sponsorship. We would like to have a minimum of four (4) sponsors at $250.00 each. However, we are open to having more than four sponsors for the evening. The more sponsors we have, the less your sponsorship cost will be! See the attached opportunities for more information. Home for the convention is the Hilton Garden Inn located in Vaughan, just 15 minutes north of Toronto. Book before March 11th to receive the special room rate of $129. To register go to http://hiltongardeninn.hilton.com/en/gi/groups/personalized/Y/YYZVAGI-OCNA2-20140402/index. jhtml?WT.mc_id=POG. Or if you'd rather talk to a live person, please call 1-888-269-4115 and quote group code OCNA2. If you require any further information, or have any questions, please contact Karen Shardlow at k.shardlow@ocna.org or 905-639-8720 x 232. We look forward to your participation in this exciting event and are pleased to be able to provide these valuable networking opportunities for you.
CONNECT WITH US! OCNA and Ad*Reach are on Twitter! Follow us @OCNAAdreach for frequesnt association updates, industry news, upcoming events and more.
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ASSOCIATION NEWS
Community Newspaper Preparedness Plan All of Ontario has been taking a beating this winter. It’s been long, very cold and very snowy. Did you even know what a Polar Vortex was before this winter? First we were pummeled with numerous feet of snow before Christmas even arrived - a rare occurrence. Then we were covered with ice. What is being called the ‘Catastrophic Ice Storm’ hit much of Eastern Ontario, specifically Toronto, and left roughly 400,000 without power across the Province. It was the worst storm since 1998 and came very close to being declared a state of emergency. Now heading into March, the weather just doesn’t seem to be letting up anytime soon. Sunshine, swimming and cold drinks on a patio may seem near, but who knows what could be coming our way next. Community newspapers are responsible for delivering honest news to its readers in a timely manner. Therefore, newspapers must be prepared for anything so they have the ability to continue their duty even during a crisis. This is where the importance of creating a disaster checklist comes into play. OCNA has prepared a Community Newspaper Disaster Checklist to help walk you through the items you should cover when developing your own Disaster Preparedness Plan. Please use it as a guideline to review all areas of your operation. (Find the file on our Members site under OCNA Programs & Services. File name: OCNADisasterChecklist09.pdf)
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Chatham Daily News Reporter Retires After 54 Years with the Paper
Winners Announced for the First Annual Jumpstart Awards
After 54 years as a reporter with the Chatham Daily News, Bob Boughner said goodbye to his notebook and pen and hello to retirement. Bob was just a teenager when he was brought on to cover the newspaper’s farm beat. Since then he has covered special events, reported breaking news and interviewed some very interesting characters. His experience includes a face-to-face talk with the late Nelson Mandela and covering the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Before leaving the paper, Bob wrote a final column about his time with the Daily News. Read it online at: http://www.chathamdailynews.ca/2013/12/19/daily-news-reporterretires-after-54-years-on-the-job
Newspapers Canada and Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities are pleased to announce the winners of the inaugural Jumpstart Awards. Twelve winning entries have been selected from daily and community publications across Canada. A $5,000 grant will be given in the name of each winning newspaper to the local Jumpstart chapter relating to the story, based on stated Canadian Tire Jumpstart Operational terms. Congratulations to OCNA member, Perth Courier for being named a winner of this award. The 2013 winners are: ▄▄
Abbotsford News, Jumpstart gets Abbotsford kids in the game, by Dan Kinvig
Brooks Bulletin, Couple recognized for support of Jumpstart, Bruce Parker
Burnaby Newsleader, Soaring to great heights, by Mario Bartel
Calgary Herald – Be Local Magazine, Jumpstart helps kids realize sporting dreams, by Alex Frazer-Harrison
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Chilliwack Progress, Helping Canadian Kids Play Sports, by Eric Welsh ▄▄
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Columbia Valley Pioneer, Canadian Tire giving kids a sporting chance, by Dan Walton
Comox Valley Echo, Sparking resilience through sport, by Drew A. Penner ▄▄
Merritt Herald, Country Run just around the corner; Merritt Country Run seeking key committee members, by Emily Wessel
Photo by Diana Martin, The Daily News
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Penticton Western News, Great Strides made from skating program, by Emanuel Sequeira
HELP WANTED
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Perth Courier, Joint community effort jump starts fun for youth, by Laurie Weir
Manager/Editor and Advertising Sales Manager
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Quebec Chronicle – Telegraph, Canadian Tire jump start youth sports, by Bethann G. Merkle
Needed and wanted - Hands on editor for new weekly newspaper and advertising sales personal. Located within the Barrie area. For more information, contact: suecitynews@hotmail.com February 2014
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Victoria News, Kids given leg up on active lifestyle, by Don Descoteau
To learn more about the Canadian Tire Jumpstart Awards, please visit: www.newspaperscanada.ca/programs/jumpstart-awards 22
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HUMAN RESOURCES
My Time is At a Premium - I’m Too Busy for HR! A TwoGreySuits Article
This is a phrase we have heard quite often as HR Consultants to management. Whenever we hear this phrase, we chuckle to ourselves. We know from our combined 60 plus years of experience that a good part of the reason they are ‘too busy’ is usually because they’re spending too much time trying to resolve people issues without the structure and knowledge to do it efficiently. Interestingly, when we have been asked to do work load or work balance assessments for organizations, one of the areas where managers are surprised to find they are spending a lot of time is on people issues. Unfortunately, they don’t automatically jump to the conclusion that they could re-capture a lot of time if they were better structured around managing these very same people issues. Managers are sometimes ‘too busy for HR’ because they simply have never been exposed to the importance and impact that effective people management can have on a business. Being structured around people management would include having clear HR policies, employees working to agreed upon performance objectives, and managers capable of developing employees to become more competent in their jobs, while also knowing how to deal with employee performance issues. We estimate that >80% of companies with 10 - 100 people are losing 30-50% of their people productivity because they don’t have a structured approach to managing their employees’ performance. By this we mean creating complete job descriptions, negotiating
performance objectives, putting in place a structured performance review process and giving managers the skills to effectively coach their employees. TwoGreySuits’ HR Power Centre has been carefully designed to help small to medium-sized businesses address these concerns. All the information, forms, processes, educational pieces and guides are right at your fingertips. You don’t have to waste time looking for answers. It’s is all right there in front of you in the six key modules in the HR Power Centre. Think about the time to be saved and the productivity gains to be captured. Really, how can you be too busy for HR? Besides access is free of charge to OCNA members.
This article is part of the TwoGreySuits ‘Employee Performance Management’ Series and is offered by our partner, the TwoGreySuits HR Power Centre as a service to our members.
DEVELOPING A HIGH PERFORMANCE ORGANIZATION Every business owner or manager wants to lead an organization that produces consistent and sustainable high performance. It’s your people who deliver performance and simply hoping they will perform won’t make it happen. It takes leadership. The TwoGreySuits HR service that OCNA is offering our members absolutely free includes all the information you need to start this journey. Have a look at the video and then explore the HR Power Centre at www.twogreysuits.com. It contains everything you need for effective people management. And, when you need answers fast, you can talk to a senior HR Professional 24/7 through the HR Hot Line. Hassle-free, effortless HR solutions for your business ...because HR happens. For more information, call us at 905 639 8720 February 2014
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UPPLIER SHOWCASE
OCNA’S SUPPLIER SHOWCASE Five Unique, Fully Customizable, State-of-the-Art HTML5 Systems MEDIACOM Digital Publishing As the web moves forward with increased web publishing and readership, it is important to choose the correct digital service for your print to web edition. Many companies have jumped onto a digital service, but the branding, features and performance are weak. For Newspapers, Magazines and Special Editions, Real Estate, Brochures, Manuals, Newsletters, Catalogues, Marketing, Photo Stories.
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1. FlipBook: FlipBook is our lowest priced digital epublishing product. Unlike some services that offer low prices offset by advertising info and other distracting information, FlipBook showcases your product with a minimum of outside intrusion.
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2. SmartReader: SmartReader is our full featured state-
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of-the-art HTML5 custom digital publishing solution that works equally well across all platforms including Mac, Windows, Web, iPad, iPhone, Android, Smartphone systems. Powered and branded by ‘your company’.
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3. NewsReader:
NewsReader integrates SmartReader and Web Page Plus to provide an integrated solution for multiedition publications that want a web site that lists past issues through our archive system. Logins to the published site can also incorporate subscriber login passwords. NewsReader has all the bells and whistles for newspaper and magazine subscription service requirements. Password encryption for subscription based systems, PayPal, VISA, Master Card ecommerce gateway to sell and get paid for online subscription purchases.
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Copy editing services Copyright registration services OCR text scanning or data entry services Ghost writing services Art services for cover design Art services for illustration design Expedited publishing services Press release writing and distribution Co-op discounted advertising services Promotional materials creation services Full prepress layouts Complete advertiser management, proofs, tearsheets etc. Print production Bindery Distribution Mailing Digital production and web production and delivery
4. NewsPublisher: NewsPublisher incorporates everything that NewsReader provides plus interactive news, video and photo commentary actionscripts like Ad Classifieds, Events, News etc. Full back end control of the site with approval system. Very little web management required. 5. EZPublisher: Turnkey Layout, Print, Web Production. With the most innovative digital publishing technology in the industry and a low operational-cost business model, EZPublisher is a recognized leader in multi-channel content distribution and monetization, and chosen partner of many publishers. February 2014
MEDIACOM is a leading provider of digital publishing solutions, art repositories, brand management sales and support programs, co-op advertising tools, manufacturer programs, web development and custom programming. Email: info@mediacom.co Web: mediacom.co Tel: 416-879-9230
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HUMOUR
The Birds and Bees Story By William Thomas
The allegorical story of the birds and the bees has been handed down from generation to generation for almost 200 years. It has been attributed to lines from a poem by Samuel Coleridge: “All nature seems to work … the bees are stirring … birds are on the wing … and I the while, the sole unbusy thing, not honey make, nor pair, nor build, nor sing.” Sounding a little sorry for himself, the poem could well have been titled: “Ode To A Horny Old Man Alone In A Hut.” (Making honey? So that’s what they called it back in 1823.) In order to avoid an open and technical explanation of the mechanics of sex and pregnancy, we use the birds and bees stories as metaphors to better explain to children the facts of life. Bees deposit pollen into flowers, the male bird fertilizes the eggs, Mommy has eggs and on and on. And let’s face it; we do need something warm and fuzzy to tell kids at approximately seven years of age. The hard truth that children are the high price adults pay for having unprotected sex is just too much for them to process at that tender age. Perhaps no one has articulated the process more succinctly or eloquently than Bart Simpson when he rhapsodized: “What a day! The sun is out, birds are singing and bees are trying to have sex with them, as is my understanding.” I wonder who was the first parent to improvise an analogy of insects and feathered friends to soften the story of human sexuality. It must have been Adam in the Garden of Eden. I mean any guy who bought the snake and the apple story would probably believe that babies come from some cockamamie tale about cross-pollination. I’m not saying the original birds and bees story had anything to do with Abel’s murder, but Cain must have been one confused kid. Mothers are the best at delivering the birds and bees talk to children because when the question comes up “Where did I come from,” quite often fathers don’t know. “Let’s see, I know we left the bar together and I remember the taxi driver making us get out of his car because he said the steam was streaking his tinted windows and so yeah, I guess you came from the gazebo in the park downtown.” When confronted with “Where is my new baby brother coming from?” men generally resort to the story of the stork. It usually ends with: “Quit your crying, I told you, they’re not allowed to shoot storks!” There are likely millions of versions of the birds and bees talk in every language known to man and they all serve one purpose – delaying the inevitable. February 2014
Kids almost always know more than the parent gives them credit for when they sit down for “the talk.” Like when Dad sat little Jimmy down to homeschool him in sex education, the kid just burst out crying. He told his father flat out he would not listen to a word he had to say. But why? “Because when I was six, I got the “there’s no Santa Claus” speech and then when I was seven I got the “there’s no Easter Bunny" speech and then when I was eight you hit me with the “there’s no tooth fairy” speech. So if you’re going to tell me that grown-ups don’t have sex, what do I have to live for?!?” You know you’re behind the curve when you think it’s time you told your child about the birds and the bees and he thinks it’s time you told him about Snooky. Also, when the older one says to the younger one: “You gotta get Dad to tell you about the birds and the bees. It’s just too damn funny!” you know you’re a little late in addressing the problem. I tell you all this because last month Monica was house-sitting her niece and nephew in London, Ontario and narrowly avoided being dragged into this tricky but time-honoured story of the birds and the bees. As the three of them were driving down a quiet suburban street, little Sophia says: “Oh look at those two birds over there Aunty Monica.” They were clearly mating. Smart woman that she is, Monica said nothing. Gripping the steering wheel a little tighter, she was about to point out that the birds were in fact robins and that they were fighting. Friendly fighting. But before she could break the awkward silence, Sophia did. “And the one on the top,” said the eight-year-old, “is giving the one on the bottom CPR.” Apparently at her grade school, life-saving skills are taught before sex education. Because I like to confuse children whenever I get a chance, I’d have gone with the Bart Simpson explanation and called it crosspollination. From the back she heard her nephew repeat in a high, skeptical voice: “CPR?” “Yup,” said Sophia, “he’s just peck, peck, pecking away.” Steering the car and the discussion away from the two flapping birds, Monica asked Michael when his next martial arts class was. He didn’t answer. We think he was too busy trying to figure out how robins learned CPR. And for the record, that’s what kids call it in London, Ontario – CPR! WILLIAM THOMAS is an author, a scriptwriter and a nationally syndicated humour columnist. In addition to the 50 newspapers that carry his weekly column, William is the senior writer for Forever Young. His columns are posted weekly to the Members Section of the OCNA Web site. (Please note: you must be logged in as a member). For more information visit: www.williamthomas.ca 25
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ADVERTISING
When Is Your Creative Time? By Chuck Nau
When is your creative time? Do you have a creative time? Yes! No! I do not know! Well, let’s pause for a moment, and allow me to ask you to do this simple search. Take a look at last week’s calendar, or for that matter, look at the last two weeks or past month, and highlight those times you set aside for your creative time. Surprised? You are at a loss inasmuch as you cannot find any such time...exactly the point of this column. As a reporter, media rep, marketing executive or publisher, creativity is fuel for the ongoing nurturing and growth of your newspaper. It not only feeds your paper, it feeds your soul! New ideas, new products or services, new questions in search of answers and new opportunities to target for your newspaper’s vitality, both in print and online - all need some time on your calendar to bubble up into that ‘aha’ moment. According to my artist son and many of his fellow artists, creativity is play. That’s the easy part. Learning to allow ourselves to play is the hard part and the hard work, my son will tell you. Likewise, to live a creative life, one must lose the fear of being wrong. Let’s pause again for a moment...some of this sounding familiar to you? In today’s changing and challenging environment, finding your creative voice is one of the most critical skills you can invest in. As things change around us, we sometimes forget that things need to change within us also. The heart of that change is inside us - the seeing, the observing, the awareness. Enhancing your creative voice to find new ideas, new answers and new solutions will keep you at the forefront, setting you apart from others and a step ahead of your competitors. To discover new things, you will find yourself stepping out of your comfort zone, conceiving and developing some new ideas while challenging and overcoming some accepted norms. You’ll observe along the way that as you ASK (Always Seeking Knowledge) questions and uncover new possibilities you will develop a hunger and a motivation for new learning and SUCCESS! Let’s pause one more time...and clarify this thing called creativity. Creativity is simply being able to conceive, develop and utilize new ideas or strategies when working with existing resources. Your creative thinking will flourish best in an February 2014
ASKing environment that allows increased questioning and thinking plus an acceptance of challenging the ordinary while utilizing your past experience and knowledge. Much like a changing habit or driving a different way to and from work...the change itself will cause you to notice things in a new way, to increase your awareness of what’s out there. Creativity is your personal treasure! Enhancing it ever so slightly will help you develop new approaches and find new solutions for every day challenges. Discipline yourself, a step at a time, to use the power of questions...within yourself, brainstorming with yourself, to stimulate your creativity and assure both your continued learning and growth...continual questioning will help stimulate the flow of creativity. Once you are comfortable (and confident) with yourself and your newfound creative freedom, consider bringing your staff and fellow employees into the loop. Again, the benefits to your newspaper, your work environment and your life will grow. When’s your creative time? To find it...schedule it! Start slowly...reserve one hour a day, three days a week, for the first month. At the end of the first month, check how well you did and then challenge yourself to do more next month. The best time to schedule your creative time? Creative people will often tell you it is first thing in the morning, as soon as you wake up and begin your day. And yes, it’s ALWAYS best to do it BEFORE you check your phone or e-mail! Last, but not least, something good is going to happen today... make sure you are looking for it!
(c) Murray & Nau, Inc. CHUCK NAU of Murray & Nau, In. is a Seattle area based publishing consultant and sales and management trainer. He has been a speaker for and conducted advertising, marketing, management and sales training workshops with newspapers, niche publishers, publishing groups and press associations, throughout North America. Comments and questions are welcome and may be directed to Chuck via e-mail: murnau@nwlink.com or at (425)603-0984.
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ADVERTISING
How to Write an Advertising Proposal By John Foust Raleigh, NC
3. Your unique advantage: “When you cover the benefits of advertising in your paper, focus most of your attention on audience,” Stewart said. “What is your coverage area? How many people do you reach? Who can you reach that your competitors can’t? How many of those readers fit the demographic profile of your prospect’s target audience?”
Stewart was telling me about his first days of selling ads for his newspaper. “In looking through the files, I found some proposals that had been turned down by prospects. Even though I was new in the job, it was easy to see why they had been rejected. They looked like condensed versions of the rate card – never more than a half-page. “I remember one proposal that just listed the number of recommended ads and the costs. There was no mention of goals, creative strategy, or why the prospect should consider advertising in our paper. To make matters worse, it was a printout of an e-mail which didn’t refer to any kind of faceto-face discussion of the proposal.” “That opened my eyes,” Stewart said, “so I developed my own proposal format. If I owned a business, I figured I’d need to know five things in order to make a decision on where to advertise.”
4. Creative strategy: “This is a crucial element in a proposal,” Stewart explained. “How can you differentiate the advertiser from competitors? And what types of offers will make the cash register ring? If it’s appropriate, you may want to include a couple of spec ad ideas. 5. Schedule and cost: According to Stewart, it’s smart to present prospects with choices “That leaves the door open for conversation and adjustments,” he said. “In my experience, two initial schedule and cost choices work better than three. Four is way too many. Two is a manageable number that your prospects can understand quickly. Just call them Option 1 and Option 2.
Let’s take a look at Stewart’s format:
1. Situation: “This sets the tone,” Stewart said. “It’s important to adapt to each prospect’s need for detail. Some proposals require statistical depth – and some just need brief explanations. “Sometimes I call this section Market Insights or Overview. This is where I cover the general situation and the marketing challenges I’ve identified in my discussions with the prospect. What is their position in the market? What makes them different? Who is their target audience? Who is the competition and where are they vulnerable?
“Usually, the bottom line cost of each option is in line with their budget. The difference is in the schedule – how we get there.”
2. Objective: “The key is to be specific,” Stewart said. “This is where I make a simple statement of what we want to accomplish. Ideally, the objective is a measurable sales goal, such as increasing widget sales by a certain percent by a specific date. But sometimes it’s a brand oriented goal, such as generating x-number of impressions for y-number of readers within a specified geographic area over a given time period.”
(c) Copyright 2013 by John Foust. All rights reserved. JOHN FOUST has conducted training programs for thousands of newspaper advertising professionals. Many ad departments are using his training videos to save time and get quick results from in-house training. E-mail for information: jfoust@mindspring.com
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February 2014
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BUSINESS
The Value of Story Telling in Business Negotiations! By Patrick Tinney Managing Partner Centroid Training & Marketing for, the Southam Newspaper Group was established in 1877 in Canada. One of my largest negotiation partners in media contracts was the Hudson’s Bay Company (Department Stores) established in 1670 in Canada as a fur trading company. Can you imagine the amount of material I had to access to draw story telling parallels between our two companies? Can you imagine how many bridges to success were built by these two businesses over a hundred plus years? Believe me it is a great story!
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As long as we are engaged in storytelling that moves the culture forward, it doesn’t matter what format it is. - LeVar Burton
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2. Our Backgrounds - Each negotiator at a bargaining table has a different background, heritage, lineage, education and set of life experiences. It’s amazing to sit and listen to a negotiation partner for the first time. It is like a door opens to a new world. A world filled with untold and yet to be heard stories that will bring the two business negotiators closer together.
There is an important phase after framing the architecture of a business negotiation with an important negotiation partner. This next phase is storytelling! I worked in the media sales business for over 30 years. As a result, I observed some absolute masters of storytelling. Storytelling as a skill cannot be underestimated. Having the ability to bring history, creative ideas, risk assessment, cost modeling and logic under one common, sticky theme is artistry. Storytelling is one of those topics eternally attached to business negotiation that I could simply talk about for hours. I have great stories of wit, cunning, strategy and courage at the bargaining table. The question is, are there natural storytellers? The short answer is some people have natural command of combining soft skills. They think in these terms. They are curious and naturally ask themselves and those around them many questions in rapid succession. And they are good at taking massive amounts of data and compressing it into a flowing stream of thought including the anticipation of crafty negotiation objection busters. Can storytelling be learned? The short answer is yes. Is there an identifiable structure to storytelling germane to business negotiation? My answer is… storytelling is a personal style unique to us all. However, I will offer what I believe are seven essential parts of storytelling that you can start with and add to as you grow your storytelling skills. Storytelling is like building a pyramid. There is a base that builds on another base rising until we arrive at a perfect peak. Here are eight levels of storytelling. Each builds on the next. They are dynamic so you can mix and match them to make them authentic to your unique, effective storytelling style.
3. Our Interests/Objectives - When two business negotiators arrive at a bargaining table they each have a list of interests and objectives. These objectives and interests no matter how close or how far apart are the germ for a storyline that is in development. And, these stories are catalogued and remembered by the brightest minds in their respective industries, for future reference in bargaining. 4. Our Aspirations/Goals - Picking up on point #3… each negotiator at the bargaining table has deeper aspirations and goals than are illustrated in a single negotiation. It has to do with building a career and a body of work that will be remembered and referenced by those that follow us. And, in building a career there is nothing more exciting than telling the story about how you landed the big deal. Or, how you shared your vision with your negotiation partner for the future and how this positive shaped the spirit of business negotiations that followed. 5. Our Curiosity - Our inquisitiveness about our negotiation partner is the gateway to understanding what influences them in good times and under extreme pressure. Our questions to our bargaining partner also give us the treads on which to build a lasting collaborative relationship. Negotiators who feel a sense of ease and trust will do more constructive deals together and revel and telling the stories of how they managed those negotiations for years to come!
1. Our Businesses - The history of our businesses is a treasure trove of information to help build a bridge in a business negotiation. To point, a media company I worked February 2014
6. Our Inclusiveness/Empathy - Trust is one of the hardest things to build in a business negotiation yet it is one 28
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BUSINESS
of the most important factors in how our negotiation partners view us and our conviction to follow thru with our end of a finely crafted deal. If we are not seriously listening to the other side’s story and trying to feel their needs, aspirations and even pain, we are not showing empathy. Even worse we are not really including them in our world beyond getting a signature on a contract. If you want trust in a negotiation you must listen to the storyline from the other side and restate this story your own words so your negotiation partner is assured that they have been heard and that your words are trustworthy.
certainly was a great writer but more importantly he was a great strategist who left no detail unturned. One of Winston’s greatest strengths was his ability to script and un-script at with ease. He wove stories with conviction and artistry. Winston was one of the greatest negotiators in modern history.
9. Our Masterful Delivery - How we deliver a storyline during a negotiation is the difference between being seen as weak or strong. It’s the difference between being seen as trustworthy or iffy. When you are involved in large business negotiations think about how you want to close out on the deal. What phases or value statements do you want to punctuate? What numbers do you want your negotiation partner to react to positively? What will your final words be in what must be a truly compelling story for closing a smart deal that will last the test of time?
7. Our Visualization/End Game - Our visualization for the complete end to end motion of a business negotiation to tantamount to success. The trick is to build in storylines to your ability to handle objections and the gentle massaging of ranked BATNA’s (Best Alternative To A Negotiated Agreement). Our ability to tell the story of how we creatively arrived at the incentive plan to close a smartly negotiated deal based on our bargaining partner’s storyline is simply symmetry. It is art. When it closes with broad smiles it is the end game!
Question? Who is the greatest negotiation storyteller in modern history? My unwavering answer is Sir Winston Spencer Churchill. He was a storytelling genius! He helped save the world during World War ll, one great spine tingling speech at a time in an era where there was only radio to tell the unfolding story to the masses in real time. This illustrates the value and the power of storytelling!
8. Our Dedication - When brilliant negotiators close mind boggling deals it does not happen without days/ weeks of planning and rehearsal. When Winston Churchill was getting ready to delivery one of his moving speeches to other world leaders to negotiate the best deals he could with limited leverage during World War ll, he practiced over and over again on his family and colleagues. Most people think Winston was a natural when it came to storytelling. Winston
February 2014
PATRICK TINNEY is the founder of Centroid Training and Marketing, a consulting firm helping organizations make and save money through consultative selling, sales prospecting and business negotiation training. www.centroidmarketing.com.
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DESIGN
Size Matters
By Ed Henninger Henninger Consulting In last month’s column on design basics, I mentioned the need for a dominant photo. “Why?” you may ask. “My space is tight and I don’t get great photos. Most of our shots are pictures of kids in school, people at their jobs, cheque passings and the like. We’re a small newspaper in a small town and we don’t always get those award-winning photos you’re talking about.” Fair enough. But that doesn’t mean you have to underplay the photos you do get. Too often, that school shot is so small readers can’t really see the faces in it. And there’s nothing wrong with clustering two or three of those pictures so they create a dominant visual element. Why scatter three school pix around a page? Instead, push them together to create some impact. And when you do get that strong photo, remember to use it with size. Here are some suggestions:
Make it big: If it’s a house fire, you can certainly run it as large as the
photo in the illustration with this column. If it’s a fire in the centre of your business district, it may be worth the entire top half of your front page. What’s my idea of a “big” photo? For a vertical shot, go for three columns by eight-to-ten inches deep on a broadsheet page. For horizontals, at least four columns wide by six-to-eight inches deep.
Make others smaller: Relative size is a factor. Your lead photo loses dominance and impact if the size of other photos on the page is nearly the same. Keep those other visuals smaller.
Cluster photos: As mentioned earlier, you can often take two or three photos from one event and place them together to get more impact.
Set it off: Especially in a lead news package or a feature display, consider
placing extra space around the photo. This helps give it even greater impact.
Crop tightly: Be sure to look for the photo within the photo. Crop out
extra sky or earth where possible. The tighter you crop, the more readers can focus on the real content of the photo.
Focus on optical centre: When you can, place the lead photo over optical centre of the page. Optical center is a bit above and to the left of dead center. It’s an area where the eye tends to first fall when readers first look at a page. Yes, yours may be a small newspaper—but a large photo will help you deliver information, interest and impact to your readers.
February 2014
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Feb. 25, 2014 Date
Contact Kelly Gorven at k.gorven@ocna.org or call 906-639-8720 x239 x 221 for a Publisher’s Authorization Form and instructions on how to send photos.
February 2014
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