The Bulletin: December 2014 by Wisconsin Newspaper Association

USPS Update

Wall of Faces

2014 the WNA Way

Saturday mail service is a go, but there’s still much in limbo at the end of the Congressional session., according to the NNA.

With WNA members’ help, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s Wall of Faces Project nears completion in Wisconsin.

WNA Executive DIrector Beth Bennet highlights the association’s successes throughout the year.

See Page 5.

See Page 4.

See Page 3.

Bulletin THE

News and information for the Wisconsin newspaper industry

DECEMBER 2014

... among the world’s oldest press associations

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Kaiser to Step Down, Stanley to Step into Editor Role Pulitzer-Prize winning editor Martin Kaiser announces plans to leave the newspaper, so managing editor George Stanley will fill his long-time colleague’s shoes. The editor who led the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel to nine Pulitzer nods is slated to hand the reins to a past Wisconsin Newspaper Association Board member, his managing editor for years. Editor and Senior Vice President of Digital Content Marty Kaiser will leave the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in February. Kaiser, 64, is also vice president of Journal Communications. He led the newspaper to three Pulitzer Prizes and six other nominations in his 20 years there. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Managing Editor George Stanley, who sat on the WNA Board of Directors from 2019-2012, will assume Kaiser’s responsibilities. The change comes ahead of the 2015 merger of Journal Communications and E.W. Scripps Co., making the Journal Sentinel the primary newspaper of a new media company, Journal Media Group. “The work of Mr. Kaiser and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has

supported open government and advanced the health and safety of all,” said WNA Executive Director Beth Bennett. Kaiser and Stanley share a commitment to and a passion for news. “It’s impossible to overstate how much Marty has meant to this newspaper – and by extension to the community of readers Martin Kaiser it serves,” Tom Koetting, deputy managing editor for local news at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, told the WNA. “On one level, Marty’s legacy is building a nationalaward winning newsroom that has been a model of excellence during a time of near constant upheaval. He loves journalists and journalism – nothing excited him more than the next big story, the next innovation, the next great job candidate.” Under Kaiser’s editorship, the Journal Sentinel won Pulitzer prizes for local reporting in 2008 and 2010, as well as explanatory reporting in 2011. The newspaper was a finalist for Pulitzer

Prizes another six times during Kaiser’s tenure. Stanley will take his position amid a flurry of industry and media change. “George’s commitment to excellence is the same as Marty’s – that transition will be seamless,” Koetting said. “He’s also a Wisconsinite to the core, with a firm belief that high quality George Stanley journalism can improve our community and our state. He approaches news from the perspective of readers – what information do they need right now, what would make their lives easier, what would help them understand an issue, what would entertain them.” Stanley is likely to develop new channels of community engagement and new methods to hit targeted audiences, Koetting said. The newsroom is also likely to continue integrating audio, video, motion graphics, interactive data and social networks under Stanley’s leadership, he said.

Wisconsin Newspapers Give Back for the Holidays Many members are donating resources to promote happier holidays their communities. Through charitable giving campaigns, donation drives, publishing art and giving away subscriptions, Wisconsin Newspaper Association member newspapers are making sure the holiday spirit spreads through their readership. The Wisconsin State Journal’s Helping Hands asked readers aged 18 and younger to explain how they would help a friend, neighbor or community member with $200 during the winter holiday. Program coordinators will choose at least 10 letters and facilitate the writers’ plans. The selected letters will be featured in the publication without identifying information. The State Journal’s Empty Stocking Club, a tradition started by staffers in 1918, is accepting donations to buy toys for less fortunate children. The newspaper ran house ads and sent an envelope insert for donations, as well as publicized the website emptystockingclub.com. The annual Holiday Toy Depot at the Alliant Energy Center allowed parents and guardians to select their children’s toys from those bought with donations. Gannett Wisconsin Media’s annual Stock the Shelves campaign surpassed its goal of $500,000 donated to nearly 100 food pantries throughout the state. Gannett’s 10 Wisconsin newspapers publicized the drive with ads and articles, like a Sheboygan Press piece about community members who rely on local pantries and others who donated large amounts. The Green Bay Packers

donated $50,000 to the Green Bay Press-Gazette’s portion Stock the Shelves campaign. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is continuing its tradition of giving its readers art in the place of the lead story on Christmas Day. Local museums, galleries, artists and readers nominate Wisconsin artists’ seasonal paintings, prints or drawings. Publisher Elizabeth Brenner, editor Martin Kaiser and art critic Mary Louise Schumacher will choose the piece. Many of the artworks not selected for the front page will be shown on JSOnline.com. Delta Publications in Kiel’s Kids’ Album encourages children to create Christmas and New Year drawings for the Tempo and Tri-County News Kids Album. Advertisers can also sponsor kids’ drawings. The Vilas County News-Review, through its Eagle River’s Warm the Children program, provides winter clothes for needy children. The newspaper collected the donations and published the names of those who made them. Newspapers like the Markesan Regional Reporter and the Dodgeville Pionier have been giving away subscriptions to their newspaper. Many newspapers gave to charitable organizations by advertising their holiday campaigns.

For more on community involvement during the Holiday, see Nathaniel Shuda, on Page 4.

Jamie Mara, managing ditor at Post-Crescent Media, volunteers during a Feeding America mobile pantry, part of the Stock the Shelves kick off event on October 9 in Appleton. Wm. Glasheen/Post-Crescent Media

WNA BULLETIN | DECEMBER 2014

WNA news WNA/AP 2015 Convention Sneak Preview WNA Band to Reunite at 2015 Convention If you were lucky enough to hear the Wisconsin Newspaper Association band at last year’s WNA/AP convention, you’ll be pumped to hear that they’re reuniting in 2015. They’re also looking for musically talented WNA members (and friends) to join in. “We’re an eclectic mix whose song selection will be determined by whomever we can get to show up,” said band member and trombonist Tim Lyke, publisher of the Ripon Commonwealth Press/Express. “We welcome all musicians — horns, guitars, drums — and especially a keyboard player. We play by ear.”

What do a wall of wine, a craft beer tent and Plinko have in common? They’re just a fraction of what’s in store at the 2015 Wisconsin Newspaper Association Convention and Trade Show! Join hundreds of your colleagues and friends, and meet new ones, from around the state Thursday, Feb. 26 and Friday, Feb. 27 at the Milwaukee Marriott West. What’s more: an outstanding selection of speakers and educators are slated to intrigue the head and the heart. Former press association executive director and D-Day veteran Morely Piper kicks off Friday with his account of that fateful day, as well as his stirring return 70 years later. At a luncheon on the same day, University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor and former deputy secretary of the U.S. Commerce Department Rebecca Blank will speak from her experience as an inter-disciplinary leader and innovator. Of course, recognition for college newspaper contest award winners, WNA Golden Members and Hall of Fame inductees will also be part of the fan-favorite luncheon. Thursday starts with Tom Yunt, CEO of Wick Communications and past CEO of Woodward Communications, discussing a poignant topic on the minds of many: change management. Aside from outstanding speakers, there’s something for everyone in your news organization at this year’s WNA Convention. First, the business: Renowned community newsroom trainer and columnist Jim Pumarlo will be on hand to share key insights into developing editorial boards and content. Sales trainer Carol Richer Gammell has newspaper advertising solutions for your trickiest challenges. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Pulitzer Prize winner Raquel Rutledge will teach her tried-and-true methods of mining

Pressing Matters TONY SMITHSON Smithson is Vice President of Printing Operations at Bliss Communications, Inc. in Janesville.

There’s Gold in that Trash Can! One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. That explains the funky lamp in your neighbor’s yard sale, but it can also be a great way to improve your bottom line.

government records for stories. Software publishing guru Russell Viers will be on hand with his secrets of powerful news photography and InDesign. WNA-favorite Gail Johnson will host the popular Advertising Ideas Exchange. Social media expert Maureen Alley’s next-level tips will keep attendees and their audiences hooked on various social channels. Next, the fun: Every fan of “The Price is Right” will want to make a bee-line for the Trade Show Plinko for a chance to win great prizes! A new Wall of Wine and Craft Beer Tent offer a chance to win local specialties while contributing to the WNA Foundation. Need we say more? The always-eventful Friday Awards Dinner will honor winners of the Better Newspaper Contests, along with winners of the Golden Gavel Awards. Networking opportunities with newspaper staffs and students from around the state abound. Vendors will be manning the trade show with products and solutions for your busy news operation. Snacks will be plentiful throughout the event. Very reasonable registration prices are unchanged from last year: $95 for the first registrant, $30 for additional registrants from the same newspaper and $50 for only the Friday night banquet, again making the annual WNA/AP Convention an outstanding bargain. Discover the exact details about this exciting event starting Dec. 26 at WNAconvention.com. If you’re ready to register now, visit this link. Above: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Sharif Durhams speaks at the 2014 WNA/AP Convention and Trade Show at the Milwaukee Marriott West on the panel “Putting social media to work” with Peter Wasson of Wausau Daily Heral Media, middle, and Dan Polley of NOW Newspapers, right.

Other core members of the group are Mike Mathes, publisher of Tri-County News in Kiel, on guitar and vocals, and Peter Weinschenk, editor at TP Printing, on guitar. The band will reportedly be joined for the first time by WNA Future Headliners and childhood violin virtuoso James Debilzen, circulation and readership director at Daily Jefferson County Union/ Hoemetonw News Limited Parternship. The band will perform between 5 and 6 p.m., Friday, Feb. 27, at the Milwaukee Marriot West in Waukesha during the reception before the annual awards banquet. Have you got talent you’d like to share? Contact Lyke at timl@ riponprinters.com for details. There will be a pre-show rehearsal. This will be the WNA Band’s third appearance at the WNA/AP Convention. Platteville Journal Editor Steve Prestegard got the newsie music revival started with the following note to fellow WNA members-musicians Lyke and Mathes: I’m writing about the 145th anniversary of The Platteville Journal this week. And in doing that the history of the TriCounty Press in Cuba City came up. The Goldthorpe family owned the Tri-County Press for 91 years, 63 of them with William Goldthorpe as publisher. He was also a state representative, postmaster, organizer of the Wisconsin Normal School (now UW-Platteville) band, reputed to be the first normal school band in the state. And the Blue Book of the late ‘30s I’m looking at here says he “organized the Wisconsin Press Association Band in 1926 which was the first of its kind in the United States.” Above: Core members of the WNA Band jam at the 2014 WNA/ AP Convention and Trade Show at the Milwaukee Marriott West.

As publishers turn over every rock looking for revenue, the trash bin might hold some pleasant surprises. The trick with recycling is in knowing how to manage your system to maximize your returns.

Marketing concerns where the material goes after it leaves the recycler’s yard. The best recycling partners will have agreements already in place with end-users. These agreements tend to lock in pricing, and will provide you with reliable returns.

The more you do, the more you make. While nearly all material has value, that value has to be balanced with the costs. Costs associated with recycling include sorting, transportation, and marketing. Most recyclers will be willing to pay higher prices for material that is sorted, and a good recycling partner will even supply containers.

Understand the pricing. Recycled material pricing is generally based on the weekly pricing issued by Pulp & Paper Weekly, which is published by Official Board Markets. Pricing is expressed as a grade price minus a certain dollar figure for transportation. For example, “OCC : grade 11 minus $40” means Old Corrugated Cardboard will be worth the price for grade 11 ($120 today) minus $40 for transportation, or a net of $80 per ton. The most common grade for newspapers is ONP (old newsprint) #8.

Transportation costs generally relate to volume. Filling a truck completely full with material cuts the recycler’s cost per ton, so they’ll pass that savings on to you. For small publishers, it might be worthwhile to dedicate some storage space to accumulate a full truck’s worth of recycling in order to command a higher rate per ton. It’s also a good idea to have a freight scale to weigh what’s going out.

Aside from the obvious newsprint, cardboard and plates, there is recycling value in plastic wrap, plastic containers and even metal strapping from insert skids. I’m afraid you’re stuck with that lamp, though.

WNA WNA BULLETIN BULLETIN | DECEMBER | MARCH 2014

WNA news Need to Know

WNA: The Year in Review Dear WNA Members.

JULIA HUNTER Hunter is the Director of Member Services for the Wisconsin Newspaper Association.

WNA Aims to Strengthen Open Meetings Law The undying mystery: What happens behind the doors of closed session meetings? Many reporters, myself included, have wished they could be a fly on the wall during a closed-session meeting. Not just because we’re curious, but because there’s something unsettling about public officials doing business in secret. Of course, there are reasons it’s justified, like considering personnel matters, pending litigation or buying property. And there are measures in place to guide discussions and make sure that no unlawful activity takes place. So, we’ve got nothing to worry about, right? Not exactly. Case in point: The Journal Times’ years-long battle regarding a request from the Racine Police and Fire Commission over the record of a vote held in closed session. The city initially denied the newspaper’s request for information about a February 2012 closed session meeting to deliberate over selecting a police chief. The newspaper asked for record of who made and seconded a motion to review other applications for the police chief’s post after one of three finalists—a white candidate from outside of the police department—withdrew from consideration leaving two internal candidates, both minorities. Officials cited many illegitimate reasons they couldn’t release the information, finally settling on the argument that they couldn’t provide the requested documents because no such records existed. The open records law is in place to provide access to records, not information, they said. Eventually—after the newspaper filed a lawsuit and the city hired one of the internal candidates—the information was released. Last week, the state Supreme Court agreed to hear petitions to clarify the law on issues like this. The city argues state law doesn’t address how quickly governmental bodies must record motions and roll call votes, and it wasn’t until May 2012 that the vote was recorded on a document and minutes were approved. This is a scary concept and certainly a weak spot in our law. Under this argument, public officials can effectively do business in secret by delaying the creation of a record. Even though the open meetings law requires governmental entities to record motions and roll call votes during meetings, open or closed, that doesn’t always happen. And from the years I spent in local government, I can attest that closed session minutes are strongly discouraged. If the exemption allowing for the meeting expires, officials might have to release those records, and some would rather there be no record at all, or at least a very minimal one. And oftentimes, the devil is in the details. So even if the motions and votes are recorded, that doesn’t provide us with a picture of what happens in between. Improper activity isn’t just limited to motions and roll calls. These are a few reasons why the WNA plans to make this issue its No. 1 priority in the upcoming legislative session. We will push for a change to the statute that requires governmental bodies to keep verbatim records, either by video or audio recording, of each closed session meeting. These records would be confidential until no longer justified or if judicial review is needed because of suspected wrongdoing. In the case, The Journal Times, the record would’ve existed immediately. And for others suspected of misbehaving, there would be a clear record to help a judge make that determination. If everyone is playing by the rules and adhering the open meeting guidelines, what’s there to hide? Have you experienced improper roadblocks in trying to discern closed session activity? Contact me at Julia.Hunter@WNAnews.com or 608.283.7622.

It is that time of year again…time to tell you how very much we appreciate each of you and your support of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. It is also time to provide you with an overview of what we have accomplished on your behalf in 2014.

In 2014, the WNA welcomed Communications Director

Holly Henschen and Member Services Director Julia Hunter to the staff. You will be hearing exciting things from Holly and Julia in the coming months. The WNA staff aggressively promotes the strength of the newspaper industry, while working to maintain and raise public awareness of the role that each newspaper plays in representing the interests of each Wisconsin community.

In 2014 the WNA increased the newspaper industries pres-

ence at the state capitol by retaining additional lobbying support. The WNA lobbying team, under the direction of the Government Relations Committee and the Board of Directors, follows hundreds of pieces of legislation each year that affect every aspect of newspaper publishing.

In 2014, the WNA successfully negotiated an agreement to end the statewide redaction of motor vehicle records. This victory benefited the work of all WNA members and represents the need for WNA legal support of issues of statewide importance. In 2014, the WNA saw a significant increase in its public rela-

tions efforts via the sponsorship of statewide media and public affairs events. The association also partnered with the Wisconsin State Historical Society and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction to preserve and promote the readership of Wisconsin’s newspapers.

In 2014, the WNA returned

increased advertising revenue to its members. WNA’s advertising sales partner, Customized Newspaper Advertising (CNA), once again increased annual overall advertising sales into WNA member newspapers. It is important to note that a portion of all advertising revenue sold by CNA is returned to the association to support member services and operations. In most instances, the revenue that you receive from CNA returns more than your annual WNA dues investment.

In 2014, the WNA proudly supported the work of the

Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation’s construction of the new WNA Publisher Memorial Pylon. Unveiled in August of 2014, on the campus of Trees for Tomorrow, the new granite monument is a majestically fitting memorial to leaders of the Wisconsin newspaper industry. The new memorial pylon will be officially dedicated in 2015. We hope that you have benefited from having a relationship

In 2014, the WNA experienced business and financial growth. with the WNA in 2014….we have truly benefited from our During the past year the WNA, expanded its for-profit news tracking service, Wisconsin News Tracker. Under the management of Media Service Director Denise Guttery, Wisconsin News Tracker has expanded to include the management of news tracking services for the states of Indiana, Montana and Utah.

The growth of the Wisconsin news tracking service allows the WNA to maintain a static dues structure that saw its last increase in 2007, while financially supporting enhanced member services and benefits. In the coming weeks, you will see announcements for 2015 educational offerings made possible by the increased news tracking revenue stream.

relationship with each of you. We wish only the best for each of you as you continue to write Wisconsin’s history and we look forward to serving you in 2015. On a personal note — thank you for the privilege of serving as your executive director. Very Sincerely, Beth Bennett and the Staff of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association

Send in Your Ad Rates to CNA Now, Have More Time to Sell Later Customized Newspaper Advertising (CNA) is the sales and marketing affiliate of the Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin newspaper associations, which include nearly 900 newspapers. CNA is an extension of your newspaper’s local sales staff. We work every day to sell new advertising business on behalf of Wisconsin newspapers. In fact, in 2014 alone CNA has placed over $13 million in advertising across the country. The CNA staff is your partner in making newspapers and their print and digital solutions an even more attractive and easy to buy advertising option. CNA facilitates multi-newspaper, digital or other media buys by providing current advertising rates, audience information and demographic data in markets in a single state, regionally or nationally. CNA provides a one-buy, one-bill service from a qualified, experienced and customer-focused staff. Each year, CNA asks newspapers to provide updated rates. CNA then uses these rates for the next year to quickly develop proposals and estimates for current and potential clients. Before the end of the year, newspaper publishers will receive an email from CNA. The subject line will be “Customized Newspaper Advertising Rate Information Form for 2015” and will come from the email address of media@cnaads.com. The email will provide a link to for your

newspaper data to be filled out. What should you do when you receive the email? •

Forward the email to the person on your staff responsible for providing rates. The form should be completely filled out.

•

Provide the same rates that your staff uses to sell. Various contract levels and options are available. CNA sells your newspaper at the appropriate rate for the advertiser and its commitment.

•

After submitting the form to CNA also send your current rate card to media@cnaads.com so we can have it on file as a reference. It’s critically important for CNA to have this data easily accessible— saving you and CNA time, which is better spent on selling.

If for some reason you do not receive the “Customized Newspaper Advertising Rate Information Form for 2015” please email CNA at media@cnaads.com or call 1-800-227-7636 ext. 152 and let us know and we’ll send the email to you! We truly appreciate the opportunity to represent your newspaper! Susan Patterson Plank is the Sales and Marketing Director for Customized Newspaper Advertising and can be reached at (800) 227-7636 ext. 140 or at spattersonplank@cnaads.com.

WNA BULLETIN | DECEMBER 2014

WNA news FlashNews WNA Support Aids Wall of Faces Project Sends Us Your Best Shot for the WNA Year in Photos Did your newspaper publish a photo that told a story? Send your best shots to Julia. Hunter@WNAnews.com by Dec. 31, 2014 for the 2014 Year in Photos montage, which will play at the 2015 WNA/AP Convention on Feb. 26-27 at the Milwaukee Marriott West.

$3.5M Donation to Marquette J-School Marquette University’s Diederich College of Communication was given a $3.5 million gift from Bernice Shanke Greiveldinger Charitable Trust. The donation will be used to fund capital improvement projects in the college’s Johnston Hall. The Hall, home to the college for more than 100 years, is Marquette’s oldest building and part of the university’s Historic Core, which also comprises Marquette and Sensenbrenner halls.

Thanks to the efforts of Wisconsin Newspaper Association members, just 92 photos of the state’s veterans who were killed in Vietnam remain to be found. More than 1,000 photos of Wisconsin natives have been added to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s virtual Wall of Faces. Now online, the wall will made real and housed and in an educational building near the Vietnam Veterans memorial in Washington D.C. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2016 and completed three years later. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund’s goal is to find a photo of each of the 58,286 Vietnam veterans listed on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C. “I am very excited to see how the newspapers of Wisconsin are impacting the lives of many military families both here at around the nation,” said Andrew Johnson, publisher of the Dodge County Pionier and Campbellsport News. “It is incredible

Lodi Enterprise, Poynette Press Merge

that four states have completed the project and Wisconsin is now in striking distance to finish.”

Nationally, 39,099 photos of Vietnam Veterans killed in action have been found. Another 19,164 are unaccounted for. Four states have found every photo of their native Vietnam Veterans killed in action: South Dakota, New Mexico, Wyoming and North Dakota. Johnson, a past president of the WNA, has spearheaded the Faces Not Forgotten effort within the WNA. His son, U.S. Army Lt. David Johnson, was killed in action in January 2012

UW-Madison to Award Mulhern Scholarship The University of Wisconsin-Madison will award the Tom Mulhern Scholarship for Professional Sports Journalism in the spring. Named after the veteran sports reporter who died Oct. 3, the scholarship will be awarded at the UW-Madison Center for

77 Square Merges with The Capitol Times The Capital Times will fold its weekly culture and entertainment publication 77 Square into an expanded version of the weekly tabloid. The newspaper said it will branch out from public affairs and hire three writers to expand coverage and focus on how Madisonians, particularly millennials, spend their free time and money.

Shuda is a reporter for Oshkosh Northwestern Media, a contributing member of the Gannett Wisconsin Media Investigative Team and a WNA Future Headliners. He can be reached at nshuda@ thenorthwestern.com. The end of the year is fast approaching, and with many annual holiday events and gatherings fast filling up our calendars, we all know how busy the season can become. But as the stories keep rolling in, the holiday season also is the perfect time to go all out in helping others in the communities we serve. While many news media already focus on their communities, which is an important thing to do all year long, the holiday season is the perfect time to start doing so more aggressively, if you haven’t yet made a conscious effort to do so.

HOLLY HENSCHEN Henschen is the Director of Communications for the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. Flashback to the 2014 Online News Association (ONA) conference, late September in Chicago. The scene was teeming with newsies, techies and everything in between. The event gave me a look into digital possibilities for WNA newspapers. I’ll share, in no specific order, highlights of what hit home at that conference. The convention was swarming with those oftmentioned millennials (born between 1980 and 2000

or so). There, I learned older journalists shouldn’t automatically expect millennials to be pros at all things digital. A basic understanding of apps, programming and emerging tech is sufficient to collaborate with specialists and build what’s necessary, experts there said. Which is good for me, because I couldn’t code my way out of a box. Aside from techie jargon, I encountered the term “legacy media.” This is what new media folk call traditional news outlets and old-school publications like the Chicago Tribune and CBS. If it didn’t start as an app or a website, it’s probably legacy media.

There are 1,244 Wisconsinites listed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Help us find their photos. wpr.org/veterans These are some of the veterans from northeast Wisconsin whose photos we are still looking for: Ronald J. Streckert, Chilton Kenneth D. Roberts, Wausau Charles S. Beranek, Mosinee Paul J. Pamanet, Wausaukee John R. Ruoho, Florence James K. Wozniak, Armstrong Creek

Gary B. Gehrke, Woodruff Arthur R. Henning, Lake Tomahawk Paul H. Tober, Tigerton Robert M. Beck, Aniwa Ronald J. Hagen, Nekoosa Robert H. Decker, Marshfield

PFC Leroy Cwikla, Lublin, WI, 1943-1967

in Afghanistan. Johnson became involved in the project while representing Wisconsin and other states in the region as part of the National Newspaper Association in the country’s capitol. State press associations across the United States joined forces to make a substantial dent in the missing photos.

From the annual “Local food pantries need help this holiday season” story to columns about the importance of celebrating the diverse and enlightening experiences in the community, the end of the year is a great time to show readers how much we care as people—not just as journalists. Yes, being factual and unbiased remains paramount, as always, but showing folks in the community that we have empathy and compassion and drive to help others will not only benefit circulation numbers and web hits but also—and perhaps, more importantly—benefit our own communities. Often mainstream entertainment media portray their news counterparts as being heartless, self-absorbed and willing to do anything for the story; we know better. We’re people, just like our readers, who experience a wide range of human emotions from excitement and tragedy to joy and sorrow.

NATHANIEL SHUDA

Digital News Ground Zero

Because a name can only tell you so much...

Near Veterans Day, many WNA newspapers ran ads distributed by the association that carried the names of local deceased veterans whose photos were missing. Editorial content was provided and many newspapers wrote their own calls to action to hunt for photos. Johnson’s newspaper printed the name of every deceased Wisconsin Vietnam veteran whose photo was missing, along with all of the photos that had been found.

The Holiday Season Presents the Perfect Opportunity for Community Engagement

Hometown News announced that the Poynette Press staff will merge with the Lodi Enterprise. Each newspaper will maintain separate flags and web and social media sites.

A FACE FOR EVERY NAME

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how young journalists can help achieve this. If you have younger newsroom staffers, ask them to organize or help lead an effort to volunteer at a food pantry or homeless shelter. If the resources are available, you could even launch a regular or occasional series of stories, events or activities that benefit the community. If you are a younger journalist, suggest those or similar ideas and volunteer to take the lead. And they don’t have to be just during the holiday season. From candidate forums or debates during election season to panel discussions about topics of local or national interest, you can make fostering community journalism and engagement a year-round pursuit.

But the word on everyone’s lips and laptops was data, data, data and the “Big Data Revolution.” So what is this data and what does it mean to you? You might have assumed it’s not the pale “Star Trek: The Next Generation” android. Affirmative. Access to swathes of data enabled by the ongoing digitization of records, and public access to them, can lead to better reporting. Free tools like Google Charts let anyone create interactive data representations online. A huge aspect of data is analytics: the web metrics that tell you which stories are being read, shared and from which devices they’re being read. And that’s just for starters. Aside from the staid web metrics of visits, clicks and bounces, new journalistic metrics are being created to help news organizations understand how far their news goes and how citizens and governments respond to it. This is known as media impact. National Public Radio Editor and Digital Strategist Melody Kramer recommend allowing reporters access to analytics. After all, they need to how their work is being recieved. NPR generously shares its takeaways from social media,

which can hugely impact analytics through likes, shares and comments, in real time at socialmediadesk.tumblr.com. But, according to Graham Tackley, who spoke with Kramer during a session called Read This First: Using Analytics to Improve Readership, paying attention to analytics is certainly not just about driving revenue. It’s also about getting great stories in front of readers. “You could write the best piece of journalism in the world, but if nobody reads it, you’ve wasted your effort,” he said. Last but not least, using page views as an acrossthe-board measurement of a story’s success is unfair to writers, readers and the stories themselves, according Kramer and Tackley. Comparisons of online attention should be made within subject categories rather than across all content. To learn more, check out the catalogue of video and audio from ONA15 sessions marked with corresponding icons on the overall schedule. How is your team using analytics or working to adapt to the online news environment? Contact me at Holly.Henschen@wnanews.com or 608.283.7623.

WNA BULLETIN | MARCH 2014

Industry news NNA: Saturday Mail Delivery Continues but Congress Leaves Postal Service in Limbo The National Newspaper Association this week celebrated the continuation of Saturday mail delivery through the federal fiscal year ending Sept. 30, but lamented the passage of another congressional session without postal reform. NNA President John Edgecombe Jr. called on publishers to attend NNA’s Leadership Summit March 19 in Washington to urge quick action in the next Congress. “If common sense had prevailed, a reform bill would have been completed. We had a solid proposal that provided USPS with financial relief, preserved service and implemented health cost reforms. It should have been accepted,” said Edgecombe, publisher of The Nebraska Signal in Geneva, Nebraska. But disputes among Senate leaders stalled the progress. Congress finally adopted a government funding resolution for 2015 that included a continued mandate for Saturday home delivery. Other reform provisions, including preservation of service standards and reasonable guidelines on USPS’ use of negotiated service agreements to market its advertising mail, never reached the Senate floor. Edgecombe said NNA was disappointed, but he applauded President Obama’s signature of the funding resolution that continued six-day delivery. He said NNA would highlight declining rural mail service in 2015. USPS is on track to close more than 80 mail processing plants in smaller U.S. cities. It has said it wants to concentrate mail sorting in urban areas, where declining mail volume has left urban plants with idle time. NNA Postal Committee Chair Max Heath said

the changes in mail processing ahead would be the next wave in shrinking rural service and focusing processing in urban areas. “Although USPS has a genuine problem keeping its plants busy, the error was in overbuilding during the fat times. Trying to fix it by carrying the mail further and further down the highways so those big plants can stay busy is simply going to accelerate the problems we have already seen. There is only so much you can do to improve efficiency when you are faced with reality of miles of asphalt.” “Sadly, we are looking at two different visions of the Postal Service,” Edgecombe said. “USPS management believes it must focus on urban areas in the hope of improving its revenue. “But that pits the Postal Service against private-sector competition in over-served areas. It abandons the essential needs in smaller towns and under-served rural areas where the service is most critical. Reports of declining mail service in NNA-member towns continue, and I frankly see little change on the horizon unless Congress acts.” Edgecombe said he was gratified that key senators supported universal service and had tried to broker a bill in the final days of Congress. He thanked Sens. Roy Blunt, R-MO; Jon Tester, D-MT; Tammy Baldwin, D-WI; and Bernard Sanders, D-VT, in particular for leading the effort to wrap up a bill.

“The 114th Congress will be our fourth Congress where we fight for universal service,” Edgecombe said. “We’ll be back. We will go armed with our concerns, including service problems. We have faith that legislation can be passed that preserves mail delivery and sustains the Postal Service.”

Visiting Thai Journalists Discuss International News with To supplement declining revenue, one Thai news agency has its staff selling products like coconut oil and toothpaste on city streets, a visiting scholar told the staff of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association during a recent visit. Four Thai journalists visited the WNA office Dec. 16 at the tail end of a semester-long stint in the United States. The journalists, each with a minimum of 15 years in television, newspapers, radio and magazines, were sponsored by the Life Sciences Communication Department in partnership with University of Wisconsin Alumni Association. UW-Madison has one of the largest Thai student populations of any U.S. College or University and counts a very well-known Thai journalist as an alumn. Aside from auditing UW-Madison classes, the group visited the New York Times and National Public Radio offices, the Chicago Tribune and many other media outlets. In a familiar scenario, they said Thai newspapers are struggling to make profits and only the biggest companies are successful, the journalists shared. Their public broadcasting station is funded by a sin tax on goods like wine and cigarettes. One news company chose to develop a retail arm to bolster income. “We are proud of it!” said broadcaster Nongvadee Thanimmal, economic news editor at ASTV Co. Ltd. “Some people feel sorry for us that we have to do this, but these things help us to do our job. We don’t have to ask the government [for money].” In 2011, Thanimmal translated financial television host Suze Orman’s book “Women & Money” to Thai. See more great photos from WIsconsin Newspaper Association member photographers here>> at the WNA Photo Showcase.

WNA

The impressive group of journalists had many questions about journalism in the United States, as well as the WNA’s functions. WNA Executive director Beth Bennett explained WNA legislative priorities at the state and national level, including public notices, reporter’s privilege and open records access for journalists. The idea of public lobbying interested the Thai journalists. Thailand doesn’t have officially registered lobbyists, but rather conducts those negotiations under the table, the journalists said. “The newspaper industry in this country is a leader in protecting the continued open access to meetings and records,” Bennett said. The visiting journalists had the opportunity to visit Madison for the fall semester through the University’s connection to 1971 gradaute, Pongsak Payakvichien, known as a Thai newspaper journalism pioneer. Payakvichien was given the Wisconsin Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2000. The association credited him with “almost single-handedly brought about Thai journalism’s coming-of-age.” Pongsak Payakvichien is president of the University of Wisconsin Alumni Association’s Thai chapter. Payakvichien graduated from with a master’s degree in journalism and returned to Thailand to eventually become the assistant executive editor for what was then the second-largest circulation Thai newspaper. In 1973, he took the position of managing editor for the daily newspaper Prachathipatai (Democracy) and turned the sensational publication into the country’s first hard-news publication, which became a prototype for quality newspapers in Thailand, according to the association.

Four Thai journalists pose with Wisconsin Newspaper Association staff at the WNA office in Madison. Hathairat Phaholtap, left, is currently an investigative journalist at Thai Public Broadcasting Service, but previously covered politics and the country’s parliament for Matichon Newspaper in Bangkok. Next, Onuma Srisamai is an economic reporter who has cronyism in government projects. Next, Kannikar Petchkaew is currently a columnist, radio program host, and magazine and newspaper editor, as well as a freelance translator and fixer to foreign news agencies in the country. Beth Bennett, WNA executive director; Julia Hunter, WNA member services director; Nongvadee Thanimmal, right, is economic news editor for a broadcast and media firm in Thailand.

WNA BULLETIN | DECEMBER 2014

Among friends BLOOMER

days cycling through 12 states, from New Jersey to California. He plans to write a book about the experience

The staff of the Bloomer Advance were honored by being asked to throw the switch at the city’s Light Up the Park display. The staff was awarded for reporting the news, supporting the local business community and informing the public for more than 128 years.

— 30 — Rose Marie Vezina Braatz

CLINTONVILLE Clintonville Chronicle publisher Tricia Rose’s Rose Publications was named first runner-up for Outstanding Small Business at the 2014 Governors’ Marketplace Awards in Milwaukee. Last year, Rose was awarded runner-up for the Rising Star award, given to companies in business fewer than four years with significant growth potential. Rose Publications is a state-certified Woman-Owned Business Enterprise.

DEFOREST Joe Pruski was named associate editor of the DeForest Times-Tribune. Pruski is currently the opinion editor at The Clarion, the student newspaper of Madison College. He previously worked as a reporter for the Osceola Sun and Burnett County Sentinel.

Photo Showcase Visit WNA’s library on issuu.com to browse recent months’ collection of photos gathered from WNA-member newspapers. Want to submit a photo for next month’s gallery? Send the photo or newspaper name, date and page number of the photo to MaryKate.Elbow@WNAnews.com.v

KAUKAUNA Andrew Hanlon was named sports reporter at the Times-Villager, where he’ll cover sports in Kaukauna, Kimberly and Little Chute. Hanlon graduated from UW-Oshkosh with a degree in journalism. He previously worked at the Clintonville Chronicle, following high school sports there.

Kim D. Tschudy, a 1989 winner of the WNA’s Robert T. Wright Memorial Local Column Award, has published his sixth book, New Glarus. Tschudy is a fifth-generation native of the town whose ancestor arrived there at age 19 as a land agent for the Swiss Emigration Society. He retired from teaching at UW-Madison in 2014 after nearly 30 years there.

FORT ATKINSON James Debilzen was named group circulation director for the Jefferson County Daily Union and Hometown News Group. Debilzen was formerly managing editor of The Edgerton Reporter and managing editor of The Milton Courier. Debilzen is a WNA Future Headliner, a group recognized as up-and-coming newspaper professionals.

GREEN BAY Joel Christopher was named vice president of news for Gannett Wisconsin Media. In the newly created position, Christopher will oversee the group’s strategy and execution of digital-era approaches to new content, audience engagement and staff development. He has been digital editor the company since March 2013 and for PostCrescent Media since 2006. He began his career in 1995 as a news and sports reporter at the Watertown Daily Times followed by reporting and editing roles at Daily Herald Media in Wausau. He joined Post-Crescent Media in 2005 as metro editor.

MILWAUKEE Jim Williams was named president and publisher of The Daily Reporter. The longtime newspaper employee lives in New Boston, Michigan. Williams is also the president and publisher of the Wisconsin Law Journal, which is published out of The Daily Reporter’s office, and Michigan Lawyer’s Weekly. All of the publications are owned by the Dolan Company. Williams said he plans to divide his time between the Michigan and Milwaukee offices. He got his 22 years ago start at the Alliance Review in Alliance, Ohio, where his father was the circulation director. Williams has since worked for nine newspapers, mostly in New York, Ohio and Michigan.

NEW GLARUS Karin Henning is the new advertising account executive Post Messenger Recorder. She has worked for more than a year with News Publishing, selling for the Middleton TimesTribune, News-Sickle-Arrow and the Driftless Explorer.

Janelle Mathews was named Bellville sports editor at the Post Messenger Recorder. Her previous experience includes the Catholic Herald, Maple River Messenger and the La Crosse Tribune. The 2013 Viterbo University graduate was editor of the newspaper there.

PRICE COUNTY Susan Kelly, general manager of the Price County Review, left her position to be a caregiver for her mother in Marquette, Michigan.

PORTAGE Daily Register reporter Jen McCoy was honored at the 10th Annual Veterans Day Ceremony at Portage High School. McCoy’s coverage of veterans written since 2007, particularly special coverage of a Portage native’s death in Afghanistan in 2009, earned her the honor. She was given a folded U.S. flag and empty rifle bullet casings used during the ceremony..

RACINE The Journal Times won Lee Enterprises’ President’s Award for innovation. The newspaper’s advertising department showed continued success with several community events and promoting them. The newspaper’s Ladies Night Out doubled in size and its Southeast Wisconsin’s 2014 Bridal Showcase included a fashion show, among other attractions that drew more vendors and attendees.

WHITEHALL Scott Thomson, editor for 34 years of the Trempealeau County Times, penned his final “Struggling Weekly” column for the. Thomson dedicated 40

years to community journalism before his retirement. He cut his teeth covering village board meetings in Prairie du Sac and took his first full-time journalism job in Arcadia. He quoted Bilbo Baggins in the final column. Andrew Dannehy was named managing editor at the Trempealeau County Times. Dannehy joined the staff as a sports writer and previously was sports editor at the Arcadia News-Leader, where he also served as the interim director on two occasions. Dannehy also served as associate editor at the Times for the last three years.

Debbie Foss joined the Trempealeau County Times County Times as a staff writer. Foss’s rich newspaper background includes experience as a reporter, city editor and managing editor for the Ottowa (llinois) Dialy Times, work at the Yuma Daily Sun, The Orange County Register, The Waterbury Connecticut Republican and American and the Torrington Connecticut Daily Times. Foss has covered city and state politics, education, land use, water rights, courts and Native American issues.

Scott Schultz joined Trempealeau County Times as a staff writer with more than 40 years of experience in newspapers. Schultz studied journalism in the U.S. Marine Corps’ Defense Information School, as well as through other state universities. He was a combat correspondent, public affairs non-commissioned officer and base newspaper editor. For 23 years, Schultz was a regional and managing edtors of The Country Today. He also worked at newspapers in Abbotsford, Marshfield, Loyal and Eau Claire.

Scott Thies joined the Trempealeau County Times as a staff writer. The 2014 Maranatha Baptist University graduate has a bachelor’s degree in humanities. Thies recently spent 63

Reporter, columnist and historian Rosemarie Vezina Braatz died Nov. 14 at age 82. She and her husband Jack Vezina at one time operated the Standard Press in St. Croix Falls. Her personal column in the newspaper, Don’t Quote Me But …, began in the 1950s. Her reporting included an investigation into a judge who sat on a traffic board but wasn’t issued a ticket for driving while intoxicated. Braatz freelanced for the St. Paul Pioneer Press and the Milwaukee Journal. As a young mother, she packed her children into the car and instructed them to sit quietly when she arrived on the scene to report. Braatz eventually wrote a weekly newspaper column, “St. Croix Tales and Trails,” as well as books on the area’s historic people and places. In late 2008, four acres east of the Polk County Fairgrounds was named Park Rosemarie in her honor. Read more>>

Dick Garber Richard J. “Dick” Garber, ichard J. “Dick” Garber, former publisher and editor of The Sun in Osceola, died Nov. 23 in Melbourne, Florida. A fourth-generation newspaper printer, Garber and his growing family settled after World War II on Vashon Island, Washington. There he worked with his father at the local newspaper the Beachcomber. Dick moved to Anchorage in September 1952 and found a position with the Anchorage Daily Times. The family moved to Anchorage in 1953. Dick was fond of saying that when he moved, he took his wife and his watch; and hoped they would both work. Dick and Grace moved to Osceola, Wisconsin where they realized their dream of owning and operating their own newspaper and print shop. Dick was the publisher and editor of the Osceola Sun from October 1965 until in 1974. Read more>>

Luke Somers Luke Somers, photojournalist and 2008 Beliot College graduate, died Dec. 6 in Yemen at age 33. Somers was killed during a rescue attempt while being held captive by al-Qaida. The freelance photographer was kidnapped in September 2013 in the capital of Yemen. Read more>>

WNA BULLETIN | DECEMBER 2014

Industry columnists JOHN FOUST

ED HENNINGER

CAROLINE LITTLE

KEVIN SLIMP

Ad-libs

Design for Readers

CEO Update

Newspaper Technology

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. Email for information: john@johnfoust.com

Ed Henninger is an independent newspaper consultant and Director of Henninger Consulting. He offers comprehensive newspaper design services including redesigns, workshops, design training and design evaluations. Visit www.henningerconsulting.com or ed@henningerconsulting.com

Caroline Little is President and CEO of the Newspaper Association of America. The NAA is a nonprofit organization representing nearly 2,000 newspapers and their multiplatform businesses in the United States and Canada.

Kevin Slimp is a speaker and trainer in the newspaper industry. Visit www.kevinslimp.com or e-mail kevin@kevinslimp.com.

Something Old Turns New Sometimes the best way to come up with a new idea is to look to the past. When I was in the ad agency business, I once did an ad for a construction equipment distributor to celebrate their 65 years in business. Since most anniversary ads are of the cookie cutter “congratulations to us” variety, I wanted to do something stronger – something that would be relevant to their audience. In promoting equipment companies, there are three choices: products, service and parts. Products can change over time, as old lines are dropped and new lines are changed or added. But parts and service departments reflect the depth of a company’s commitment to customers. In this case, my client had a rich history of keeping their customers’ equipment on the job. My general idea was: A lot of things have changed over the years. But one thing that has never changed is our long-standing commitment to our customers. This theme was a start, but I needed a compelling visual. I asked around in their office and was pleased to learn that there was a file of old photographs. So I found a secluded desk in the corner, began panning for ideas, and less than an hour later, found what I needed – a large, black and white photo of two mechanics working on an engine. The picture was in remarkably good condition, even though it was over 40 years old. And it had obviously been taken by a professional photographer. The lighting was good, the image was sharp and the mechanics were working, not posing. The photo had the unmistakable stamp of authenticity. It would have taken a lot of money and time to duplicate that vintage photograph. But it didn’t cost a cent. It was right there in a file drawer.

Creativity vs. Simplicity “CREATIVITY.” It’s a word that makes me cringe. Why? Because more and more often, it seems, “creativity” is being used by people who don’t understand what design is all about. They want to “stretch the envelope” and “think outside the box” without any concept of the shape, size and material of the envelope or box. They really think design is all about how something looks—and not about how it works. They’ll use any funky font they can find…in any color…outlined…with embossing…and a drop shadow. And they call it creative. Sorry, but to me that’s not creativity—it’s just playing. True creativity is a strong focus on the rules, then working within the rules to achieve a design that’s visually appealing—and maybe even exciting. But you can’t work within the rules if you don’t know the rules. It’s been my experience that most people who do layout aren’t familiar with some of the most basic design rules and principles. Ask them about focus…unity…dimension…contrast…the color wheel. They won’t have a clue, and that’s why I call them “people who do layout” rather than “designers.” Somewhere, someone came up with the idea that the mission of her newspaper is to help her satisfy her “creative” urges. So, the publisher is delighted when he sees a headline in color…outlined…with embossing…and a drop shadow.

That old picture reinforced the company’s 65 years of customer service. Those mechanics were the heroes of the ad, of course. But the beneficiaries of their skills were – and still are – the customers.

Sorry, that’s not design—and the mission of a newspaper is not to satisfy creative urges. The mission of a newspaper is to bring meaning to the lives of readers—and to give advertisers a strong return on their ad dollar.

Read the rest of this column on the WNA website >>

2015: Collaboration, Engagement and Content The past twelve months have been an invigorating time for the newspaper media business. The next twelve are shaping up to be even better. In 2014, the newspaper industry overflowed with new ideas, technologies and content. Our industry developed better ways to reach readers and give them more of what they want – more stories, more engagement, more personalized information, and more content on their preferred platforms. The future of the newspaper media industry is across all platforms, from print to digital to mobile. For example, our colleagues across the industry boldly experimented with technologies such as Google Glass, drones and automated technology to enhance reporting and developed new forms of interactive stories. Thanks to a wealth of information about digital news consumption, we are able to analyze data to personalize content, identify trends and create better products for both consumers and advertisers. Newspapers’ digital content audience rose to 166 million unique adult visitors in October – a record high. The segment of readers accessing content exclusively on mobile exploded by 85 percent last year, according to comScore, and we expect that trend to continue. This growth offered new insight into our readers. In fact, the fastest growth for mobile content came from women ages 18-24 and men ages 25-34. Cutting-edge technology, immediate information and engaging social media content are important to these readers, and each of those things will be a key component of publishers’ strategies in the next year. It’s now time to build on this success and move forward with exciting initiatives to better serve and inform our communities. Here are three ways the industry will accomplish that objective:

Deadline Driven! Wow! Today has been one of those days. You’re in the business. You know what I’m talking about. I planned to start on this column four hours ago, but the phone started ringing. Karen, who emailed late last night, needed my help to get an ad to print correctly in her paper. How could I not take care of that first thing? Jim called from another state to get my advice about a publisher’s job he’s been offered. Ed Henninger, who never refuses to help when I call, called to get some technical advice. Add to that staying up late last night to help a group of newspapers in another area get the remote access to their server working and, well, you get the idea. You know the drill. We work in a deadline-driven business. We get it done. No matter how busy we are or what is already on our plates, we get it done. I heard from a university professor yesterday who had promised to help with a project I was working on. He was several weeks late, so I wrote to ask him how his part was going. He apologized and explained that he hadn’t had time to keep his promise because he had to prepare for a talk next week. Next week. Geesh. I’ve thought about that as I’ve looked over the results of my recent survey of North American publishers. These publishers are people who get things done. It’s no wonder that most of the newspapers in North American plan to have a bright future. We’re used to making the impossible happen every day. Today, I’m looking more closely at the survey results. In all, 615 publishers responded to the survey, covering every area of the United States and Canada. I’m also reading over the comments from a few folks who have been helping me assess the results. Tim Bingaman, CEO at Circulation Verification Council, wrote that he found the results “fascinating.”

JIM PUMARLO

Community Newsroom Success Strategies Jim Pumarlo writes, speaks and provides training on Community Newsroom Success Strategies. He is author of “Votes and Quote. He can be contacted at www.pumarlo.com.

GIving Sources Previews of Your Story It’s probably happened to every journalist as least once. You’ve just completed an interview, one that took an extra coaxing to land. As you’re wrapping up, the subject asks, “Could I see a copy of the story before it goes to print?” The story touched on a sensitive subject, and the person already had asked to have his quotations read back to him over the phone. We obliged on that request, but declined on a personal preview of the entire story. We never received additional feedback, so assumed the person was satisfied. It’s routine policy at most newspapers not to let a source read a story ahead of time. But by no means is it an absolute rule. We evaluated requests and circumstances on a case-by-case basis. There can be some advantages to having an article reviewed, especially when it deals with complex, technical subjects in fields such as business, medicine and science. Editors and reporters would much rather correct an error in fact or clarify what otherwise might be a confusing section in advance rather than be red-faced after the fact. It’s also worthwhile to consider the source. We’d be more open to considering a prepublication review when dealing with individuals not accustomed to dealing with the press. Public officials and other individuals who were regularly in the news didn’t get very far in their requests. If you do share a story in advance, it’s good practice to stipulate that the review is solely for purposes of accuracy. Sources should not expect to be making “editorial” suggestions such as reframing the focus of the story, or adding or eliminating a quote.

More collaboration

Read the rest of the column>>

Read the rest of the column on the WNA website >>

WNA BULLETIN | DECEMBER 2014

About WNA We’re here for you! The Wisconsin Newspaper Association exists to strengthen the newspaper industry, enhance public understanding of the role of newspapers, and protect basic freedoms of press, speech and the free flow of information. The Wisconsin Newspaper Association (WNA) was established in 1853 and is among the oldest press associations in the world. Over the years, the association has established a number of services for its members, advertisers and the general public. Created by and for Wisconsin’s newspapers, WNA exists to strengthen the newspaper industry, enhance public understanding of the role of newspapers, and protect basic freedoms of press, speech and the free flow of information. WNA is the single point-of-contact for working with newspapers in Wisconsin. In addition to serving 223 member newspapers (31 dailies and 192 weeklies), WNA serves advertisers through advertising placement programs (Customized Newspaper

WNA Board of Directors

Advertising) and additional clients through WisconsinNewsTracker.com (news tracking and release services). Supporting WNA goals is the WNA Foundation, a not-for-profit organization created in 1980 to improve the quality and future of Wisconsin’s newspapers and the communities they serve. The foundation solicits, manages and disburses funds and other resources for the benefit of Wisconsin’s newspaper industry and, ultimately, the citizens of our state.

President: Carol O’Leary, The Star News, Medford

Chris Apel, Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis, Journal Communications, Inc.

First Vice President: Chris Hardie, Executive Editor, La Crosse Tribune

Scott Johnson, President & Publisher, Green Bay Press-Gazette, PG Media

Second Vice President: Brian Thomsen, Publisher, Valders Journal

Kevin Clifford, Associate Publisher, Watertown Daily Times

Contact >>

Third Vice President: Mike Beck, Publisher, Wausau Daily Herald

Visit us at: 1901 Fish Hatchery Road, Madison, WI

Secretary: John Ingebritsen, Regional Publisher, Morris Newspapers

Phone: (608) 283-7620 or (800) 261-4242 Fax: (608) 283-7631 Office Hours: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Treasurer: Sidney “Skip” Bliss Publisher, The Gazette, Janesville Past President: Kent Eymann, Publisher, Beloit Daily News

Steve Lyles, Group Publisher, Journal Community Newspaper, Inc. Pat Reilly, Co-Publisher, The Dodgeville Chronicle Heather Rogge, General Manager, Daily News Paul Seeling, Publisher, The Woodville Leader Gregg Walker, Publisher, The Lakeland Times, Minocqua

WNA Executive Director Reach Beth by email at Beth.Bennett@WNAnews.com Direct line: (608) 283-7621 Director of WNA/WNA Services/WNA Foundation operations and policies; legislative advocate

BETH BENNETT

Does your newspaper comply with public notice laws? The Wisconsin Newspaper Association has been taking steps to ensure all newspapers are in compliance with Wisconsin law, which now requires that every public notice published in a newspaper appear on the searchable statewide website - WisconsinPublicNotices.org. The site is maintained by WNA and uploading of all public notice content will help to preserve the industry’s communications leadership and revenue streams. To ensure compliance with the law, WNA changed its bylaws pertaining to newspaper membership to reflect the reality of digital record keeping. The change was approved by the WNA membership at its 2013 annual meeting, held in February. As a condition of membership, all WNA members are now required to send their publications to WNA electronically. All PDF pages of your publication must be uploaded to the association via FTP (file transfer protocol). These PDF files are used by WNA for tear sheets, archiving and also to meet legal requirements for the Wisconsin Public Notice website. When you send your pages electronically to the WNA, you will also gain access to a free, searchable electronic archive for your newspaper. Each newspaper has been assigned a specific code and login information to upload pages and access the newspaper’s archive. To get your newspaper’s coding and login information, please contact WNA Media Services Director Denise Guttery at Denise.Guttery@WNAnews.com.

WNA members: Please promote WisconsinPublicNotices.org in your print and digital products. Download ads here >>

WNA Staff

DENISE GUTTERY

HOLLY HENSCHEN

Media Services Director Denise.Guttery@WNAnews.com Direct line: (608) 772-2479

Communications Director Holly.Henschen@WNAnews.com Direct line: (608) 283-7623

Membership Services Director Julia.Hunter@WNAnews.com Direct line: (608) 283-7622

News Tracker – monitoring services and press releases; WNA newspaper archive; WisconsinPublicNotices.org; WisconsinNewsTracker.com

WNA newsletters; Wisconsin Newspaper Directory; promotions and communications;WNAnews.com; collegiate and high school journalism outreach

WNAF contests, scholarships, internships; Trees Retreat; WNA Member services; education; freedom of information advocacy

RUZICA DZANIC

DIANNE CAMPBELL

Communications Specialist Search Technician MaryKate.Elbow@WNAnews.com Direct line: (608) 283-7620

Wisconsin News Tracker Search Technician Ruzica.Dzanic@WNAnews.com Direct line: (608) 283-7626

Wisconsin News Tracker Team Leader Dianne.Campbell@WNAnews.com Direct line: (608) 283-7625

WNA member information; search technician; Free Member Exchange

News Tracker search technician

News Tracker account manager; search technician supervisor

MARY KATE ELBOW

JULIA HUNTER