Newspapers in Education 2013

NIE 2013 Newspapers In Education A supplement to The Taos News | www.taosnews.com/nie

engage educate inspire create

Lillian Martinez, Age 13, Taos Middle School, Grade 8, Teacher: Ms. Christine Autumn

Newspapers in Education/taosnews.com/NiE

2013

I accomplished my dream at UNM! I accomplished my dream at UNM! I accomplished my dream at UNM! I accomplished my dream at UNM!

Annika Smith, Age 16, Taos High School, Grade 11, Teacher: Ms. Tracy Galligan

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Leonela Porchos, Age 11, Taos Middle School, Grade 6, Teacher: Ms. Quintana

Newspapers in Education/taosnews.com/NiE

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Students in Mary Spears childhood development class work on a project using The Taos News.

HOW DOES NIE WORK? Some 700 newspaper companies provide newspapers to schools in their local areas. The basic premise of the Newspaper in Education Program is one in which newspapers are distributed to schools or other institutions that conduct educational programs. At this basic level, an NIE program may involve nothing more than the weekday delivery of newspapers to a school. At the most active level, an NIE program engages several newspaper staff members; a well-defined package of products and services, including extensive teacher training; and activities all year long.

With the immediate gratification provided through today's media and entertainment industry, students and parents have lost the ability to utilize critical thinking, reading and communication skills. NIE is designed to make reading and newspapers a fun and profitable learning experience; the key being fun. — From nieworld.com

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Table of Contents Why is a collaboration between newspapers and schools a beneficial thing to society?

Students explains why NIE is important What goes on behind-the-scenes? Visit The Taos News Find the right answer for your question: The Taos News contact list Get the news in your classroom, through NIE Donations make NIE possible The Taos News ... more than a newspaper, in print and online Sample NIEonline lesson plan You've read the news, now read about the news Advertising with The Taos News makes sense A successful newspaper is a successful business A newspaper is worthless if no one can get it The Taos News works hard on digital offerings Great ads and graphics don't build themselves Program helps turns used printer cartridges into newspapers in classrooms

Staff Robin Martin, Owner n Chris Baker, Publisher n Joan Livingston, Editor n Chris wood, Advertising Manager ANDY JONES, Special Sections Editor n Marilyn M. Olsen, Designer n virginia l. clark, Copy Editor michelle M. gutierrez, Production Manager Cover design: Michelle M. Gutierrez

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Joshua Garcia, Age 10, Ranchos Elementary School, Grade 4, Teacher: Christina Mares

Alexandra Gonzales, Age 13, Taos Middle School, Grade 7, Teacher: Ms. Autumn

Zackary Trujillo, Age 12, Taos Middle School, Grade 6, Teacher: Ms. Linda Quintana Martinez

Maxwell Blocker, Age 11, Taos Middle School, Grade 6, Teacher: Mrs. Quintana

Zach Ginn, Age 11, Taos Middle School, Grade 6, Teacher: Mrs. Linda Quintana

Dylan Atencio, Age 15, Taos High School, Grade 9, Teacher: Ms. Galligan

2013

Newspapers in Education/taosnews.com/NiE

Why is a collaboration between newspapers and schools a beneficial thing to society?

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hat is NIE and why is it an important resource for area schools and educators?

Newspapers in Education is a nationwide program that has existed since 1976. The progam encourages a system of cooperation between newspapers and schools that is designed to enhance student achievement and appreciation for the First Amendment in a variety of subject areas through the use of newspapers in schools, according to the website of the Newspaper Assocation of America, the organization that sponsors NIE programs around the country.

According to nieworld.com, the basic concept supported by NIE dates back to 1795, when the Portland (Maine) Easter Herald published the following editorial: “Much has been said and written on the utility of newspaper; but on principal advantage which might be derived from these publications has been neglected; we mean that of reading them in schools, and by the children in families. Try it for one session — Do you wish your child to improve ready solely, give him a newspaper — it furnishes a variety, some parts of which must infallibly touch his fancy. Do you wish to instruct him in geography, nothing will so indelibly fix the relative situation of different places, as teh stories and events published in the papers. In time, do you wish to have him acquainted with the manners of country or city, the mode of doing business, public or private; or do you wish him to have a smattering of every kind of science useful and amusing, give him a newspaper — newspapers are plenty and cheap — the cheapest book that can be bough, and the more you buy the better for your children, because every part furnishes some new and valuable information.”

These basic principles still ring true (with less dated language and a few “shes” thrown in) in today’s world. Newspapers are still a viable form of disseminating information, especially when you are looking for information about your local community. Information which can’t be found anywhere else.

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Students in a Taos High School childhood development course, taught by Mary Spears, work on projects using The Taos News.

Studies have shown that lifelong newspaper readers are more likely to be active in civic matters and that high school journalism students earn better grades, perform better on college entrance exams and recieve higher grades in college writing and grammar courses than students who have not had the high school journalism experience.

With major advancements in technology and the dynamic changes in how information is disseminated in our society, the NAA is working to continue support for NIE and to keep students connected to their communities and aware of the First Amendment. The best way to achive these goals is to ensure the news leaders of tomorrow become the news readers of today.

— Andy Jones, special sections editor

Newspapers In Education Objectives • To educate students and cultivate future readers.

• To narrow the gap between school and the real world.

• To motivate students through challenging newspaper activities.

Newspapers In Education Provides: • Newspapers at little or no cost.

• Classroom curriculum materials and student programs.

Student Benefits • Classroom newspapers.

• Promote student literacy.

• Provide hands-on opportunities and real life examples of how school subjects apply in today’s world.

• Integrate world and local news, politics and technology into the classroom.

• Spark enthusiasm for meaningful classroom interaction.

• Cultivate continued student interest in current events, broadening the ability to learn.

• Serve as a living textbook, allowing student to witness history as it happens.

• Endure as a motivating and stimulating teaching tool.

• Create lifelong learners, more informed consumers and involved citizens.

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Nakilia Chavez, Age 12, Taos Middle School, Grade 6, Teacher: Mrs. Quintana-Martinez

Joseph Silva, Age 14, Taos Middle School, Grade 8, Teacher: Ms. Christine Autumn

2013

Newspapers in Education/taosnews.com/NiE

Students in a Taos High School childhood development course, taught by Mary Spears, work on projects using The Taos News.

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Students explain why NIE is important

he Newspapers in Education program provides teachers with the tools needed to incorporate local news into their lesson plans, which hopefully stirs an interest among students in the events and activities of their hometowns.

One local teacher who has used The Taos News in her classroom for more than 15 years is Taos High School’s Mary Spears. Spears used newspapers before the NIE program was even established in Taos, paying for newspapers out of her own pocket.

Spears has students in her culinary arts, independent living and

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childcare professional classes review articles and write opinions about stories.

Students can benefit from having newspapers in their classrooms in a variety of ways, from curriculum applications to the development of a stronger connection to their communities. Students with access to local newspapers develop a greater understanding of the news and events that take place in their hometowns. Such localism is vital in a world when universal trends and pop culture are in young people’s faces all of the time.

Students in Spears’ childhood professional class recently filled out a questionnaire provided by The Taos

News to get their opinions on local news and their favorite parts of the newspaper.

Ninth-grader Mariah Medina sums up one of the advantages of having newspapers in school, writing, “I feel it keeps me informed on what is happening in my own town. Considering I live here I should be in the loop on what’s happening.”

Junior Mercedes Burns echoes that sentiment, writing, “I feel it allows me to be closer to my community and to my peers. Also, it’s good to know what’s going on in your town.”

Freshman Alyssa Gonzales touted the financial benefits of having newspapers free to read in school,

Newspapers in Education/taosnews.com/NiE

“It mostly has everything in there to read when you’re bored and you get to save money instead of paying for them.”

In addition to staying informed about what’s going on in the community, many students shared their favorite part of the newspaper with us.

“My favorite part to read is the Tempo,” wrote ninth-grader Marisol Escobar. “I read the horoscope first, then everything else.”

Anai Hernandez, a sophomore, said Tempo was also her favorite thing to read, “because I like to see what movies are showing,” in addition to also being a fan of the horoscopes.

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Aryanna Zarazua, Age 14, Taos Middle School, Grade 8, Teacher: Ms. Christine Autumn A ndy J ones

Freshman Dante Archibeque also likes the Tempo, because of the interesting stories and ads about cool artists, but like many others in the class, she also finds the sports section especially appealing.

Fellow freshman Donnie Lovato says her favorite section is sports, “Because the articles and pictures are about people I know; so I find it interesting and I love sports too.”

Many other students, includng ninth-graders April Moreno, Mayra Sánchez and Jocelyn García were also partial to the sports pages, which are usually packed with stories about the exploits of local high school students.

Proving that the students dive into all parts of the newspaper, freshman Angel Padilla writes that in addition to the sports, she enjoys doing the Sudoku puzzle, which is buried in the classified pages.

And she’s not alone, as classmate Marisol Granados

writes, “My favorite things in The Taos News are the front page, and I also do the Sudoku in El Mercado with my friend Angel P.” Junior Elizabeth Quintero said she also enjoyed the front page, “because it reminds me how crazy some people really are.”

And for similar reasons, the police blotter garnered more than a few responses as being popular with students.

Freshman Ashley Durán wrote, “Some of the things people call for are hilarious,” while classmates Hope Romero and Myranda Córdova also cited the blotter as being their favorite parts of the paper.

Thanks to the local NIE program, newspapers can continue to be placed in schools every week at reduced rates.

Contact The Taos News at (575) 758-2241 for more information about how to get newspapers in your classroom, or about becoming involved with the program.

— Andy Jones Izzy Tapia, Age 17, Vista Grande, Grade 12, Teacher: Ms. Kaila Pavelka

2013

Newspapers in Education/taosnews.com/NiE

What goes on behind-the-scenes? Visit The Taos News

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ince 1959, The Taos News has been the leading news gathering agency in Taos County. It was in that year that Robert McKinney started the newspaper, during a period when Taos had no news outlet.

Still owned by the same family (McKinney’s daughter Robin Martin heads up The Taos News, The Sangre de Cristo Chronicle in Angle Fire and The Santa Fe New Mexican), the newspaper has hopefully inspired some people toward making positive changes in the community. The awareness instilled by reading the local newspaper cannot be underestimated.

The newspaper aims to not only inform, but also entertain, with unique stories that capture the spirit of local characters, places and traditions. Not to mention the catch-all entertainment guide that is Tempo magazine.

The business side of The Taos News is centered around advertising. The ads in the paper are mostly designed in-house and feature local businesses.

In terms of circulation, you can get The Taos News in the traditional newspaper form, or via the Internet, online at taosnews.com. The news-

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Classroom Visits

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paper is sold in racks around town, sold by street vendors on Thursdays and distributed to subscribers via the postal service.

For those who have an interest in how a newspaper works, and who’d like a behind-the-scenes look at an award-winning community newspaper, the newsroom at 226 Albright St. is available for tours for school groups and scout troops.

The tours are given Thursdays and Fridays only and arrangements should be made in advance. Call the

editor, Joan Livingston, at (575) 7582241 to set up an appointment.

Visits can be customized to fit students’ or youth groups’ interests, but most often they include a tour of each department — editorial, advertising, production, front office and circulation. Those on tours will see what it takes to put the newspaper in the hands and on the computer screens of our readers every week.

Staff members are also available to visit classrooms.

Our goal is to encourage young

• The newspaper staff is happy to visit classrooms to talk with students.

• Staffers are available from any department.

• We will need two weeks advance notice to set up a classroom visit.

To make arrangements, call Joan Livingston, editor, at (575) 758-2241.

people to become regular newspaper readers, for the betterment of themselves and the community. And who knows, some of them might even decide they want to work at a newspaper someday themselves.

— Staff Report

Find the right answer for your question

ven in the age of information we currently live in, newspapers are a vital source of information in the communities they serve.

And while the journalists who work on stories, features and opinion pieces are instrumental in carrying out this community service, a newspaper is still a business.

Even a relatively small newspaper like The Taos News has several different departments with unique functions. So in order to help you contact the right department, and the right person at The Taos News, here is a list of who and how to get in touch with the peson you need to talk to. To reach anyone on this list by phone, dial (575) 758-2241 and then

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Newspaper Tours

• Tours are available Thursdays and Fridays.

• Tours should be set up at least two weeks in advance.

• Tour groups should not exceed 20 people, students, teachers and chaperones included.

• We encourage teachers to have their students prepare and write down at least one question to ask the paper’s staff. Most people like talking about their jobs.

• Remember that you and the chaperones are responsible for your students’ behavior.

• Other groups such as scouts are welcome at tours as well.

The Taos News contact list Advertising Chris Wood, ext. 109 admanager@taosnews.com

Arts, entertainment Rick Romancito, ext. 145 tempo@taosnews.com

Special Sections Andy Jones, ext. 115 specialsections@taosnews.com

Business/Customer Accounts Wendy Gonzales, ext. 107 business@taosnews.com

County, education and business J.R. Logan, ext. 120 jrlogan@taosnews.com

Photographs Tina Larkin, ext. 143 photos@taosnews.com

Circulation/Subscriptions Saul Rodriguez, ext. 105 circ@taosnews.com

Crime, courts and social services Chandra Johnson, ext. 122 cjohnson@taosnews.com

Enchanted Homes and ad production Michelle Gutierrez, ext. 114 mgutierrez@taosnews.com

General news and content questions Joan Livingston, ext. 126 editor@taosnews.com

Town of Taos, schools and environment Matthew van Buren, ext. 121 mvanburen@taosnews.com

Website, technical Ray Seale, ext. 113 rseale@taosnews.com

enter the extension listed. During normal business hours (9 a.m. to

5 p.m., Monday through Friday), someone at the front desk will usu-

Newspapers in Education/taosnews.com/NiE

ally connect you to the person you are looking for.

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Sophia Kenny, Age 11, Enos Garcia Elementary, Grade 5, Teacher: Mr. Weisfeld

Liam Murphy, Age 11, Taos Middle School, Grade 6, Teacher: Ms. Linda Quintana

2013

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Get the news in your classroom, through NIE

or local teachers, Newspapers in Education is a great way to make sure students have access to local news and information. The Taos News offers a special school rate of 20 cents per copy, with a minimum of 10 papers to qualify. If a class has less than 10 students, we allow combined orders with other classes.

Educators recieve weekly delivery of the newspaper, along with supple-

mental teacher packets to help with lesson planning, allowing students to build reading comprehension skills and more.

Nieonline.com offers lesson plans that go along with the national news, but most teachers can created lesson plans using local news and The Taos News.

For more information, conact circulation manager and NIE coordinator Saul Rodríguez at (575) 758-2241, ext. 105 or email circ@taosnews.com.

Teachers can call The Taos News to learn more about getting newspapers delivered to their classrooms.

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Participating Educators: Alta Vista Elementary (Questa) Firmo Celistino Kimber McDonald Enos García Elementary Michelle Abeyta Joella Apodaca Sarah Bradley Darlene Branch Berenice Cisneros Lorraine Córdova Gail Cortez Trish Curran Colleen Czesznski Jennifer Dray Yvett Driskell Maureen Eirich

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Rita Fresquez Theresina Gordon Gladys Herrera-Gurulé Jodi Irons Molly Martínez Petria Medina Romaine Medina Olivia Ortíz Mary Pooh/Head Alice Quintana Lisa Randall Lorraine Rascón Anne Riebli Betsy Roth Sharon Salazar Ursula Salazar Elisa Sánchez

ithout the generous donations made by individuals and businesses, the Newspapers in Education Program would not be possible.

In addition to reduced rates offered by The Taos News, schools benefit directly from sponsorship, which can sometimes result in free newspapers for classrooms.

Sponsors can donate to a specific classroom or donate funds to be distributed according to need and interest.

For more information, concat circulation manager and NIE coordinator Saul Rodríguez at (575) 758-2241, ext. 105, or email circ@ taosnews.com.

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Caren Taylor Ernie Trujillo Cecilia Trujillo Diana Trujillo Jason Weisfeld Connie White Debra Wright Roe Zicarello Peñasco Independent School District Katrina Abreu Ortíz Lucille Arquello Franklin Fernández Jr. Deborah Gallagher Miguel Herrera Marina B. López

Shirley Romero Ranchos Elementary School Arthur Cortez Frank Purpera June Martínez Red River Valley Charter School Rebecca Ramsey Taos High School Emy DeHerrera Tracy Galligan Angelica Henderson John Henderson Yavanne Jaramillo

Connie Martínez Sue Martin-Trujillo Mary Spears Taos Middle School Christine Autumn Maya Chacón Hernando Chávez Lisa Chávez Connie Fernández Christine García Jacqueline Graham Angeline Lavadle Jennifer Pinkerton Devette Sanchez Tillie Valdéz Rayla Vigil

Donations make NIE possible List of 2012-13 NIE sponsors

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Taos High School students benefit from having newspapers donated and delivered to classrooms.

Newspapers in Education/taosnews.com/NiE

Alamosa Public Library Geryln Armour Leroy Bertolomei James Brock Mick Cluck/Kay Witt Peggy Deese Esther García Anne Groce Felice Knox Bernadette Mares Alice McClelland Old Taos Guest House Brian Peterson Río Grande Ace Hardware Joe Santisteven John and Paula Sherman Joe Watt Tierra Wools T&R Historic Río Plaza

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Darren Mata, Age 15, Questa High School, Grade 10, Teacher: Ms. Jennifer

Zach Ginn, Age 11, Taos Middle School, Grade 6, Teacher: Christine Autumn

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Donevan Gravelle, Age 16, Taos High School, Grade 10, Teacher: Mrs. Tracy Galligan

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The Taos News ... more than a Newspaper, in Print and Online ThE NEWsPaPER

WEbsITE

sPEcIaL sEcTIONs

sOcIaL mEDIa

E-EDITION mObILE

taosnews.com in HTML5

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EmaIL/TExT aLERTs

WEEkLy DEaLs

PUbLIc sERvIcE/cOmmUNITy maPs

SCHOOL DISTRICT REPORT CARD 2009-2010 New Mexico Public Education Department

Celebrating 75 Years of Community Health Care in Taos

5BPT .VOJDJQBM 4DIPPMT t "OBOTJ $IBSUFS 4DIPPM 5BPT .VOJDJQBM $IBSUFS t 7JTUB (SBOEF )JHI 4DIPPM

THE HISTORIC TAOS INN Celebrating 75 Years

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2013

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ONLINE

PRINT

iPad/Andriod Reader App

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Taking liberties with someone else's art Talking points 1. Which artists “contributed” to these editorial cartoons?

2. When is it illegal to use another's artwork?

3. What is “fair use” of someone else's work?

4. What about using a creative work in parody?

By Steve Breen / San Diego Union-Tribune, Courtesy Caglecartoons.com

5. In the quote below, Steve Jobs defends using other people's ideas to create the Macintosh.

What does Apple do when someone “steals” their ideas?

Between the lines “He said, 'Good artists copy, great artists steal.’

And we have always been shameless about stealing great ideas ...” - Steve Jobs, founder of Apple. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/co mic-riffs/post/steve-jobs-his-10-bestquotes-about-art-andcreativity/2011/10/06/gIQAc0ZARL_blog. html

Additional resources More by Steve Breen http://www.cagle.com/author/stevebreen/

More by Tim Campbell http://www.cagle.com/author/timcampbell/

Association of American Editorial Cartoonists http://editorialcartoonists.com/

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By Tim Campbell / Current Publishing, Courtesy Caglecartoons.com

Newspapers in Education/taosnews.com/NiE

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Estrella Madrid, Age 11, Taos Middle School, Grade 6, Teacher: Ms. Linda Quintana

Estrella Madrid, Age 11, Taos Middle School, Grade 6, Teacher: Ms. Linda Quintana

Tyler MacHardy, Age 12, Taos Middle School, Grade 6, Teacher: Ms. Linda Quintana Martinez

follow us on Twitter

Raeanne Walker, Age 11, Enos Garcia Elementary, Grade 5, Teacher: Ms. Darlene Archuleta

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www.twitter.com/taosnews www.twitter.com/taosareasports

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You've read the news, now read about the news

n order to offer a glimpse at the behind-the-scenes, day-to-day operations of a community newspaper, we decided to ask the department heads at The Taos News a few questions about the work done in their part of the building.

First up is editor Joan Livingston, discussing the role of a good editorial department.

Q. What are the primary duties for the editorial staff of The Taos News?

A. The editorial staff consists of reporters, editors, a photographer and designers. The staff’s role is to report stories and take photos that inform — and often entertain — our readers about what is happening in Taos County.

Reporters are assigned beats such as the county, town and crime. The focus of our magazine, Tempo, is on the area’s lively art scene. Editors read the stories to make sure they are complete and written well. Our designers prepare the paper’s layout on computer.

We contribute stories and photos to the weekly newspaper and our

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says they can't learn anything from The Taos News?

A. My answer would be: Where else are they going to get information about the place they live? I believe if people care about their community, they should stay upto-date on the news. The Taos News aims to be the main source.

Editor Joan Livingston and her team always stay on top of the news. website taosnews.com. Staff members also write a weekly blog, typically about their beat, and contribute video. Our sports editor tweets game coverage.

We also compile an entertainment calendar in Tempo (and on our website), police blotter and school

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honor rolls.

Q. What are the staff's main obligations to the community?

A. We aim to be accurate, fair and objective in all of our coverage.

Q. What would you tell a local who

Advertising with The Taos News makes sense dvertising manager Chris Wood talks about the roles and priorities of the advertising department at The Taos News.

spending their marketing dollars. Run the numbers. Whatever the medium they buy, find out how many people each ad buy reaches, what the cost per thousand is and recognize who can reach the largest audience at the most competitive price. And don’t forget to dig into demographics. Is your business reaching the people it needs? It’s a complex process but it can be mastered with diligent attention and a commitment to investing in your business.

Q. What is the role of the advertising department within the framework of a community newspaper?

A. Advertising informs the public and pays the bills. We reach more than 20,000 readers each week, informing them of local and regional businesses, sales, events and more. The price of reaching all those potential consumers in turn pays the lion’s share of costs for producing the paper.

Q. Who is responsible for selling ads for The Taos News, and what methods do they use?

A. We have an experienced staff of six full time media specialists. It’s the most experienced sales staff we’ve had in years. Each sales person is responsible for maintaining and growing a client list with our weekly paper, special publications and digital advertising solutions like taosnews.com. We preach a consultative sales approach;

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Q. What are some common critiques you hear of the newspaper, and how do you respond to those critiques?

A. The most common complaint is that a person is unhappy a story ran because they, a family member or friend got into trouble.

Sometimes people want only their side of the story to be told, which we don’t do. Other times people have difficulty understanding a story’s headline.

If someone calls or stops by the newsroom to complain, I listen to their complaint. If we made a mistake, we will correct it. If not, I will suggest they write a letter to the editor. Sometimes we end up still disagreeing, but hopefully we can do it with respect.

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Advertising manager Chris Wood and the media specialists at The Taos News work with clients for a perfect final product. one where we work closely with clients to tailor long-term marketing plans and goals rather than one-off ad sales.

Q. What would you say to people who say that advertising in The Taos

News isn’t for them, or for readers who say the ads aren’t aimed at them?

A. We admittedly can’t be everything to everyone. But there’s a reason advertising’s a multi-trillion dollar global industry. It works. Advertisers should take an informed approach to

Newspapers in Education/taosnews.com/NiE

Q. How does the advertising department work with the editorial department, if the two departments work together at all?

A. We work at two very different tasks with very different goals. For the sake of our credibility as a news source we maintain a distinct line of separation between the two departments. That being said, we work in a family-like small paper in a small town. We know each other well, see each other on the slopes and at the grocery store and enjoy our collaboration in putting out a great weekly newspaper.

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Savannah M. Leon, Age 12, Taos Middle School, Grade 7, Teacher: Ms. Christine Autumn

Vanessa Aquirre, Age 14, Taos Middle School, Grade 8, Teacher: Ms. Christine Autumn

Jocelyn Garcia, Age 15, Taos High School, Grade 9, Teacher: Mrs. Galligan

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A successful newspaper is a successful business

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usiness manager Wendy Gonzalez talks about the nuts and bolts of The Taos News, the business department.

Q. What is the primary role your department plays in the day-to-day operations of The Taos News?

A. We handle all phone calls, walkins, mail etc. We also deal with all the billing, accounting, collections and financial aspects of the business. We still have time to do the obits, legals, liners, tearsheets and miscellaneous sales. We are the first people you see when you walk into the building and the first people you hear when you call. If you need something done, ask the business department.

Q. How big is your staff and what are their specific duties?

A. My department currently consists of four employees, including my self. We are pretty close-knit team who has to multi-task and help each other out. Making sure the four of us are cross-trained is essential to our department. If anyone on the team can not make it in, the others can step in and accomplish the task for short periods of time. These ladies are positive, willing to learn and take on any

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The Taos News business department staff, from left, Wendy Gonzales, Mary Chavez, Shea Watson and Linda Lewis. new challenges put in front of them.

Q. What are the main revenue streams for the newspaper?

A. The main revenue streams are: Retail advertisement (weekly advertisement that goes into our weekly editions), special section advertisement (examples; NIE, visitor guides, all the

special sections that get inserted in our paper), classified/legal advertisement (help wanted, rentals, all the stuff in El Mercado for the most part), and then circulation (dealers that sale papers, street haulers).

Q. Many people may not necessarily think of a newspaper as a business.

A newspaper is worthless if no one can get it

ext up, circulation manager Saul Rodriguez talks about getting the newspaper out to our readers, in Taos County, and elsewhere.

vendors. Taos is one of few cities or towns that allow vendors to sell safely on street corners. We do, of course, make sure safety measures are followed at all times. For instance Taos News street vendors are required to wear a brightly colored safety vest at all times to make them extremely visible.

Q. What is the role of the circulation department at The Taos News?

A. The role circulation plays at The Taos News when it comes to the NIE program or any publication distribution is making sure the publications get to the customer in a timely manner. In the case of NIE, we have dedicated route haulers that go from school to school each Thursday morning to guarantee papers will make it to the classrooms and into the hands of the students learning from them.

Q. What different ways are used to get the newspaper into the hands of the public?

A. The main three different ways circulation is used to get the news papers into the hands of the public include: The U.S. Post Office for our out-of-town readers and local P.O. Box readers, route haulers — these guys make sure all newspaper dealers and newspaper machine racks are fully

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In what ways does The Taos News resemble a regular business and how does it differ?

A. The Taos News provides a service, which is information for the public.

Now we need to pay the people that provide this information (our reporters). So we have sales executives selling space around this information to pay those reporters and themselves.

Ok now what about the building, utilities, printing costs ... the list goes on and on. So now those sales executives need to sell more. What about those customers that come in and don't want something big? Say they have a house to rent, who handles that?

That's where the ladies up front come in. How do we get this out there, who sells our printed product with this information and advertisements?

Basically something as simple as just wanting to get information out to our community has a lot of moving parts. You have six different departments that play a huge role in getting the paper out (not only in the print edition but also keeping our website updated). We have roughly 35 employees that play large roles in putting the paper out, ensuring it's the best product we can put out and as accurate as possible.

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Circulation manager Saul Rodriguez makes sure his team is up to speed when it comes to delivering the goods. stocked — and of course our street vendors, who are dedicated contractors who will always be outside on Thursday morning — no matter what the weather is like — and some will be there thoughout the weekend to sell you a paper.

Q. What makes our circulation strategy unique when compared to other community newspapers?

A. What makes The Taos News circulation strategy unique to other papers would most definitely be our street

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Q. How does the circulation department work to make sure the NIE program is a success?

A. Making the NIE program a success is done by working closely with teachers in the distribution of their class’s papers. Making sure we deliver on time and try to tailor their papers to what they need. For example, some of the teachers that take part in the NIE program do not need the advertising inserts that you would find in standard newspapers, so we try to accommodate requests like that.

Over the years I have seen this program grow and help many students with math, reading and by helping to open their young, curious minds to what is happening in the world. I hope to see the NIE program continue to grow and with the help of all our donors I have no doubt that it will.

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Like a local know-it-all living in your Back pocket Up to 50% Savings on Taos Shopping, Dining and Entertainment

THE TAOS NEWS

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Newspapers in Education/taosnews.com/NiE

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The Taos News works hard on digital offerings

Q. What is the role of the digital media department for The Taos News?

A. We’re a small group stepping outside the traditional role of the print newspaper, putting aside traditional ways of how information is published and controlled but not the integrity of how its researched and produced.

As a weekly paper, our editorial team was used to producing content for a Thursday paper. We now post news as it happens. And we go beyond the web. We reach out with breaking news via text messages, email and social media.

We can also react more quickly for our advertisers. If a company decides on Thursday to have a weekend sale, we can get an ad going right away.

Roughly half of our 140,000 monthly web visitors are outside New Mexico.

Q. How does your department work with the editorial or advertising departments?

A. I have to say, our whole Taos News team has adapted very well.

The digital department worked with editorial to help change the “weekly” culture. Getting reporters to learn to do audio slide shows and videos. Supporting their stories with

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up with basketball games via live Tweets on Twitter. A proud grandmother in California can watch her granddaughter be crowned Fiesta queen. This gives us all a way to say connected.

ay Seale talks about the digital department.

Ray Seale wears many hats at The Taos News, but when he's focusing on the newspaper's digital products, his head is always in the ethernet. photos, PDF documents and the like, and helping them understand that their stories have a chance to reach people around the world.

Working with the advertising department has had challenges too.

Print ads explain a message, web ads take you there and let you experience it. So our sales department had to learn about web technology and the meaning behind the lingo. We have a stellar digital focused sales rep who is

T ina L arkin

really leading the way.

Q. Why is having an online presence important for a local newspaper?

A. Our community used to be our neighborhood and town. When the kids grew up and moved away they became detached and apart of another community and after years.

Taosnews.com and our other digital efforts allow and reinforce these connections. Old THS alumni can keep

Great ads and graphics don't build themselves

roduction manager Michelle Gutierrez talks about designing advertisements and creating eye-catching materials to promote the goals of The Taos News.

Q. What is the role of the production department at The Taos News?

A. The main role of the production department is to design print ads in a timely manner to meet deadlines for the weekly newspaper and all the special section publications that are published throughout the year. Aside from that, we also have many other tasks that need to be done such as web ads that go on The Taos News website, brochures, flyers, posters, post cards and much more.

Q. How does your department work with other departments, specifically the advertising and editorial departments?

A. The production department

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Q. What are some projects you are really proud of?

A. I have to say our whole digital evolution. I have been in two industries that were turned upside down by digital technology — the music business and the catalog/direct mail business. It’s been nice to not meet the opposition I had in those past careers.

If you look at our center spread in this section you’ll see all of our digital initiatives.

In eight years we went from a very basic site, updated once a week to a website that has new stories three or four times a day; two ways to follow us on Twitter, three Facebook pages, a complete reproduction of the paper on the web on Saturdays, a weekly email news digest and preview of Thursday’s paper, Splurge, our weekly deals site and email, breaking news text/email alerts, a tablet app that lets you get the whole paper Wednesday night and a mobile friendly version of taosnews.com.

With that said, I am most proud of the team I work with that has allowed our digital success to happen.

with the specifications and concept of what the client wants. We work with the sales person throughout the day to meet the needs of the client in order to get the ad approved and meet deadline.

Q. What kind of professional backgrounds do the staff in the production department need to have?

A. The production staff must at least have an associate degree in graphic design. Work experience is definitely a plus but not necessary as long as they know Adobe Creative Suite well, especially InDesign and Photoshop.

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Michelle Gutierrez and her team stay out in front of all requests from the advertising department. works one on one with the advertising department on a daily basis. The advertising department sells an ad,

which most likely will be designed in the production department. The sales rep will then submit a ticket

Newspapers in Education/taosnews.com/NiE

Q. What are some projects that you've worked on that you've been especially proud of?

A. My passion is layout design.

Since working at The Taos News, I have had the opportunity to design Enchanted Homes magazine and the Taos Gallery Guide, which were both very fun projects!

2013

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Los Alamos Location: 3917 West Rd Ste. 250 (In the Hospital) Los Alamos, NM 87544 Phone: (505) 661-2405 Fax: (505) 661-4199

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Sometimes newspapers in Education helps students learn about the achievements of their peers, such as the county spelling bee winners. Shown here are this year's runner up James Martinez, from Questa, and champion Aydin Gates, from Taos.

Program helps turns used printer cartridges into newspapers in classrooms

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n addition to funding from generous sponsors, the local Newspapers in Education program is also funded through the Empties4Cash printer recycling program.

For each inkjet cartridge that is turned in to the offices at The Taos News, the local NIE will recieve up to $4. In order to participate, bring empty cartidges, in a Ziploc bag or the original cartridge box, to The Taos News offices at 226 Albright St. When a full box is sent to the program sponsor, cash payments are sent back to help fund NIE.

Santa Fe Location: 1651 Galisteo Ste. #7 Santa Fe, NM 87505 Phone: (505) 988-4327 Fax: (505) 988-4328

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In addition to the benefits of the program for NIE, this is a good opportunity to help reduce pollution (cartidges decompose slowly, perhaps taking as long as 1,000 years) and save energy (empty cartridges can be remanufactured and reused).

Any cartidge with a print head qualifies for the program; this includes most Hewlett-Packard, Lexmark, Compaq, Canon, Dell, Brother and Apple brand cartridges. If you can’t tell if the cartridge has a print head or not, bring it in anyway. — Staff Report Samantha Gallegos, Age 14, Questa High School, Grade 10, Teacher: Ms. Jennifer Vialpando

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Adrian Hernandez, Age 14, Taos High School, Grade 9, Teacher: Ms. Galigan

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Newspapers in Education/taosnews.com/NiE

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