Need to Know
High-Strength Ink
JINGLE All the Way
A new column from WNA Member Services Director Julia Hunter offers solutions to members and promotes dialogue.
Bliss Communications VP of Printing Operations details the pros and pitfalls of stonger ink in your press.
See Page 2.
See Page 2.
The National Newspaper Association has holiday house ads to inform advertisers that your newspaper is where they want to be.
Bulletin
See Page 3.
THE
News and information for the Wisconsin newspaper industry
November 2014
... among the world’s oldest press associations
WNA Boards Approve 2015 Budgets, Appoint 2 to Positions The Wisconsin Newspaper Association held a quarterly joint meeting for its Association, Services and Foundation Boards of Directors on Nov. 6 at the Madison Club. The WNA Board approved the promotion of Sidney “Skip” Bliss, president and CEO of Bliss Communications, Inc., to the position of treasurer and Scott Johnson, president and publisher of the Green Bay Press-Gazette at Gannett Co., Inc., was appointed to the board of directors. Budgets for the 2015-16 fiscal year were reviewed and approved by all boards. The WNA’s 2013 audit was reported as clean and without exception. The WNA Foundation Board approved charitable giving to the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism and discussed funding for the new WNA Memorial Pylon. WNA staff member reports included plans to launch a new website
and a new leadership training program for members in 2015. The WNA also hopes to offer regional workshops on media law, libel and records/open meetings access in 2015. The Foundation Board discussed a sports reporting clinic to benefit the Tom Mulhern Scholarship for Sports Journalism at UW-Madison. Susan Patterson Plank, sales and marketing director for Customized Newspaper Advertising, reported that Wisconsin’s CNA royalties were up 29% year-to-date from 2013. Andrew Johnson, publisher at the Campbellsport News and the WNA’s representative to the National Newspaper Association, reported that there will be no increase in postal rates for periodicals in 2014. Johnson, who attended the annual NNA convention Oct. 2-5 in San Antonio, encouraged members to run ads created for the WNA to promote the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall of Faces Project.
Community Service and Christmas: Just Part of the Newspaper Business Carol O’Leary’s husband once volunteered her talents to fashion the paper-mâché heads of Sesame Street costumes for the annual Abbotsford Christmas parade. Nearly 30 years later, Carol’s sewing has contributed significantly to almost 250 felt, cloth and foam parade costumes. They’re stored in the house she bought on her community’s parade route with the intent that it become ground zero for the event. The building also doubles as a home base for the city’s chamber of commerce. O’Leary, president of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association, has strong roots not only in community journalism, but the community itself. “She’s been a great representative of a community newspaper publisher: the local owner who’s actively engaged in the community for good,” said Bill Haupt, a former WNA President who worked with O’Leary in the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors (ISWNE). “Communities, businesses and organizations prosper because of people like her.” O’Leary’s career in newspapers began in 1964 at the Times Journal in Savanna, Ill. She and her late husband J.A. O’Leary purchased The Tribune-Phonograph and Record Review weekly newspapers in Abbotsford in 1971. They started The Central Wisconsin Shopper in 1971 and purchased The Star News and Shopper in Medford in 1986. After her husband’s death in 1997, Carol’s daughter Kris O’Leary and Kris’s husband, Kevin Flink, joined Central Wisconsin Publications. Together, they purchased the Tribune Record Gleaner in Loyal in 2010, and the Courier Sentinel in 2012. O’Leary acts as publisher of The Star News, serving Taylor County, and the Courier Sentinel, serving Cadott, Cornell and Holcombe. She is also the owner of Tristar Printing Co., Inc., a central printing plant in Abbotsford, which prints 10 weekly newspapers.
Above: Wisconsin Newspaper Association President Carol O’Leary, publisher of The Star News in Medford, crafts the new “Frozen” float for the annual Abbotsford Christmas Parade. Below, right: Volunteers dressed as Cinderella and Prince Charming ride in the Abbotsford Christmas Parade in a handcrafted carriage.
“I make time,” Carol said. “No matter how busy you are, you can find time to do things. I start sewing for the Christmas parade in September and every spare minute, I’m sewing.”
Carol began service to the WNA in 1998 with her first term on the WNA Foundation Board of Directors. She later served as president until 2009, when she moved to the WNA Board of Directors. She became third vice president in 2011. O’Leary also sat on the Inland Press Association Foundation Board, was president of ISWNE in 2005-06 and is a member of the National Newspaper Association.
The Abbotsford Christmas parade traces its roots back 44 years to three businessmen who dressed up as Santa Claus, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman. The trio rode through town on a fire truck. The next year, some rented cartoon character costumes were included and a tradition was born. The parade, held on the first Saturday in December, now boasts 40 floats, 250 costumed characters and 450 volunteers. Fully lit floats include
Add tireless parade organizer and seamstress to that impressive resume.
See O’Leary: Page 2.
Bliss, Johnson Fill WNA Board Posts Sidney “Skip” Bliss was appointed Treasurer of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association, taking the place of Ann Richmond. Since 1992, Bliss has served as president and CEO of Bliss Communications, Inc. Bliss has held the position of publisher of The Gazette in Janesville since 1989. He was promoted to General Manager in 1984 and served as assistant general manager and retail advertising manager from 1984-1974. Bliss got his start in the media business in 1970 as a sales manager at WBKV-AM and FM. He graduated from Milton College in 1970. Bliss has been active in organizations including: Shaw Newspapers Board of Directors, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce Board of Directors, the Public Policy Committee of the Newspaper Association of America, Fontana Community Development Authority, Lake Geneva Country Club Board of Governors, Fontana Community Church and Ducks Unlimited. Bliss is a Past President of Inland Press Association. Scott Johnson was appointed to the board of directors, filling the spot vacated by Bliss. Johnson has been the president and publisher of Green Bay Press-Gazette at Gannett Co., Inc. since May 3, 2013. Johnson served as the president and publisher of St. Cloud (MN) Times at Gannett Co., Inc. from December 2010 to May 3, 2013. He joined Gannett in 2001, serving as advertising manager of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. He was Scott Johnson named advertising director of the Green Bay Press-Gazette in 2003 and was promoted to regional advertising director of Gannett Wisconsin Media in Green Bay in 2005. Prior to joining Gannett, Johnson worked in advertising at the Dubuque Telegraph Herald and for Unified Newspaper Group in Oregon and Royle Publishing/Hometown News Group in Wisconsin. He earned a Gannett President’s Ring in Advertising in 2009 and a Gannett Award of Excellence for Advertising Management in 2002. Johnson is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, graduating magna cum laude.
2
WNA BULLETIN | November 2014
WNA news Government Relations Committee Meets to Plan 2015 Strategy The Wisconsin Newspaper Association’s Government Relations Committee met Nov. 18 in Madison to set priorities ahead of the 2015 legislative session. The committee discussed the introduction of amendments to the public records and open meetings acts, as well as, the elimination of the state’s newspaper recycling fee. Public notice preservation and the public notice rate formula were also covered, along with the Department of Public Instruction’s access to the WNA Newspaper Archive. WNA legal counsel James Friedman updated the committee on the status of the WNA’s challenge to the Driver Privacy Protection Act and where it lies in the court system.
Pressing Matters
Committee members attending the meeting at the Madison Club were: Bill Barth, editor, Beloit Daily News; Rusty Cunningham, publisher, La Crosse Tribune; James Friedman, Attorney, Godfrey & Kahn; Trey Foerster, publisher, Journal Community Publishing Group; Mark Graul, President, Arena Strategy Group; Carl Hearing, vice president and general manager, The Monroe Times; Andrew Johnson, publisher, Campellsport News; Brian Knox, publisher of the Daily Jefferson County Union; Tim Lyke, publisher, Ripon Commonwealth Press; George Stanley, managing editor, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; Sean Stephenson, government affairs director, Arena Strategy Group; Mark Stodder, principal, Watson Campbell; and Gregg Walker, publisher, The Lakeland Times.
High-strength ink has more pigment as a percentage of its volume than standard ink. The theoretical benefit is that you can use less ink to produce the same results. High-strength ink also produces images that are more crisp and vivid, even on newsprint. Although high strength ink costs more per pound than standard ink, with proper controls they can lead to better reproduction at a lower cost.
Tony Smithson Tony Smithson is Vice President of Printing Operations at Bliss Communications, Inc., in Janesville.
High-Strength Ink The holidays are a great time to enjoy good food and drink, and time with family. However, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing, too. When publishers think about ink - if they do - it is normally about the price or how it looks. Ink strength can affect both of those categories, and if leveraged correctly, it can lead to better looking products and a better bottom line. However, like food, drink and family, there are some pitfalls.
O’Leary: ‘It’s just part of being in the [newspaper] business.’ a 40-foot Puff the Magic Dragon, Cinderella’s coach, The Muppet Show, Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Snoopy’s doghouse, Dora the Explorer, Capt. Hook’s pirate ship and a Chinese dragon. The parade draws thousands of visitors to Abbotsford, benefiting local businesses. It also annually unites the community toward a common goal. Kris and Flink took over chairmanship of the parade committee from Carol, though she still creates and repairs most of the costumes. Planning kicks off in late summer. “She’s obviously a vital force in our community,” said Jenny Jakel, executive vice president of AbbyBank in Abbotsford. Jakel serves on the parade committee and Abbotsford-Colby Area Chamber of Commerce with Carol. Chairmanship of the parade was originally a revolving position, which left a new chair scrambling to assume and execute responsibilities each year. “When the O’Learys assumed the chairmanship, it became their passion,” said Jakel, calling Carol a “master costumer maker.” Like newspaper publishing, directing a parade demands stealth. In a recent year, Carol was in the parade house helping volunteers don their costume heads when she saw the lights Kris had placed in Ursula the Sea Witch’s hair weren’t lit. “I raced across the street without a coat, jumped up on the back of the float and turned on the lights. The float didn’t miss a beat,” Carol said.
Need to Know Julia hunter Julia Hunter is the Director of Member Services for the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. She can be reached at Julia.Hunter@WNAnews.com or 608.283.7622. As a green court and crime reporter, I called the Kentucky Press Association legal hotline at least once a week about open records obstacles, closed meeting suspicions or just to pick the attorneys’ brains. Along the way, I bolstered a determination and passion to fight for the greater good even in—especially in—the face of opposition. I often thought about how lucky my contacts at the KPA were. They battled for open government and staunchly defended the First Amendment. I wanted that job.
The danger of high-strength ink is the control that is required.
Two newspapers and a stint in local government later, here I am. And while I’ll handle various duties, like helping to develop educational sessions and administering our newspaper contest, I plan to devote much of my time to offering resources on access issues to the newspaper men and women across Wisconsin.
First, prepress equipment must be properly calibrated to account for the different qualities of the stronger ink. Using standard prepress profiles will result in images that are dark and muddy.
In the two months since I started as the WNA’s new member services director, many people I’ve reached out to have asked: “How can the WNA help me?” Here are a few ways:
Second, the press must be sufficiently tuned and maintained so that it can lay down a thinner film of ink. This means that impression and roller settings and blanket heights must be kept within specifications.
•
The WNA answers questions on access issues, postal, advertising laws, approach, legislation or whatever it is you might need to know. Call me, email me. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll find it. Then, I’ll share it here, because it’s likely someone else wants to know that answer too.
•
The WNA provides an outlet for a collective voice. Do you have an experience or example of a practice that worked well in your journalistic pursuits? I hope you’ll tell me about it so Wisconsin’s newspaper industry can benefit from this shared knowledge. I also want to hear about your challenges and roadblocks so the association can advocate on your behalf, whether that be through our communication or legislative efforts.
•
The WNA interprets legislation, court decisions and other information that might affect how you do your job, like open records decisions or the Driver’s Protection Privacy Act. When there are ways we can help, like we did by forging an agreement with the Wisconsin League of Municipalities to allow for media to access unredacted police reports in light of the DPPA controversy, we’ll do that, too.
Third, press operators must be trained to set ink and water balance correctly to achieve a thinner ink-film thickness. This requires a higher skill level. With stronger ink, small adjustments have a greater impact on color density than the same adjustment has with standard strength ink. Poorly trained press operators can struggle with maintaining proper densities, which results in more printed waste, poor reproduction and unhappy advertisers. So enjoy a glass of wine, a piece of pie and maybe sample some high-strength ink. Just remember that overdoing it can cost you in the long run.
On top of the work of publisher and parade organizer, O’Leary is treasurer of Friends of Downtown, a 10-year-old organization that auctions decorated chairs donated by community members. The group raised a record $18,000 for downtown beautification, like planting flowers and extra Christmas lights, in their most recent auction.
Carol O’Leary
O’Leary has passed on the community service spirit to her family. Kris is also a member of the local chamber of commerce, as well as the hospital board. “People say they’re too busy to do something … Well, my daughter has five kids and they make time in their schedule,” Carol said. Carol and Kris also donated generously to the fund for the new WNA Memorial Pylon. The marker, located on the Trees for Tomorrow campus in Eagle Creek, lists the names and newspapers of deceased Wisconsin publishers, including J.A. O’Leary. The Memorial Pylon ceremony is an integral part of the WNA’s annual fall Trees Retreat and an important monument to Wisconsin’s newspaper publishing history. Carol said the Christmas parade is a labor of love for the community that’s rewarded by children’s expressions of amazement at the spectacle. “We all admit to being a little crazy as well,” she joked. “It’s just part of being in this business. Serving the community is more than publishing the newspaper, it’s giving back to your community.”
I plan to use this column as a platform to strengthen the collective voice of Wisconsin journalists and to expand the resources offered by the WNA. But I need your help. Let me know what issues you’re facing, what questions you have and what you think other members can learn from. I can’t wait to hear from you. A little about my background: I’m a native of Evansville, Ind., and hold a journalism degree from the University of Southern Indiana, where I served as editor-in-chief of the student newspaper and faced my fair share of obstacles, including standing up for freedom of the press when the entire week’s worth of newspapers were stolen (I ordered another press run, and got security to agree to watch the stands so it didn’t happen again). After college, I interned at the Evansville Courier & Press and then served in a variety of capacities — from news editor to watchdog reporter — at newspapers including the Kentucky New Era in Hopkinsville, Ky., the Press & SunBulletin in Binghamton, N.Y., and the Rockford Register Star in Rockford, Ill. I spent a lot of time fighting open records and closed meeting battles, leading an open records fight that ended up at the Kentucky Supreme Court and busting in on at least one improper meeting. Open government and the First Amendment have always steered my course, which is why I spent nearly three years as the deputy clerk for the city of New Berlin, Wis. The knowledge I gleaned from my experience working in local government can be an asset to our members in their journalistic pursuits. I hope you think so too.
3
WNA BULLETIN | November 2014
Industry news Ring in the Holiday Ad Sales with Resources from the NNA Consumers will spend more than $100 billion shopping online this holiday season. Local shoppers want to know where to find the best deals during the holidays and they’re turning to newspapers for this information. More than 8 in 10 online shoppers also take an action after seeing an ad in the newspaper during the month.
joelle Doye Joelle Doye is the editor of The Democrat Tribune in Mineral Point and a WNA Future Headliner. She can be reached at jdoye@thedodgevillechronicle.com.
Newspapers: Where Tradition Meets Innovation Oftentimes we hear from the outside world that newspapers are a dying breed.
Your newspaper has the audience and engagement. Now it’s critical that you let advertisers and local businesses know. You can create a customized promotional program that highlights your position as the Ultimate Holiday Shopping Guide.
Of course, we believe otherwise and actually have statistics to back us up.
Showcase why newspaper advertising sparks action! Download and run the latest ad from the Newspaper Association of America.
That was a big reason behind the creation of the Future Headliners program a year ago by the WNA.
You can locate EPS files of the full-page and quarter-page ad at the corresponding links. These ads are fully customizable, so please feel free to add your logo or local information.
I can’t speak for the rest of my fellow Future Headliners, but I do know that I have found our first year very beneficial for me as a journalist. I have learned more than I could have imagined from my colleagues of all ages.
But how do we make sure our industry continues in good hands? For one thing, we involve youth.
A criteria for selection was the individual needed to be under age 30 at the time. I am the oldest of the group and will turn 31 shortly after the annual convention. Even though this makes me far from a dinosaur in the industry, it has also made me realize that I need to be looking to younger people to help me sometimes. My newspaper is storied in tradition, just short of its 172nd birthday. Working in the state’s third oldest city, I live and breathe history everyday and completely understand that some things should never change, just because the method in which people consume news might. I’ve always had great faith in youth, which is a reason I went to college to be a teacher. I am very connected to the local school district I cover at the paper in Mineral Point. One of the great aspects of the Future Headliner program is we are allowed to be an ambassador in areas we are passionate about. I am planning to work on speaking to local classes, and maybe even form a journalism club, all hoping to show young people this industry is anything but dying. As long as people have stories to tell, there will be news reporting. It’s up to all of us, no matter our age, to make sure we stay current while remaining proud of our past.
Pitching in Patches for NNA Neighbors A random act of kindness on a winter’s day in 1952 started a neighborly tradition of paying it forward that you can join in on. Dink Nesmith, President of Community Newspapers in Atlanta, and a National Newspaper Association member, remembers a winter day when the county school superintendent thrust a set of keys to his 1952 Buick into his surprised father’s hand and said, “Here, neighbor, take your family to the funeral.” Nesmith’s grandfather had died 165 miles away and the only mode of transport was a 1950 Dodge with no heater. That random act of kindness forged a bond between Nesmith and the superintendent’s son Pete. Their fathers are gone, but they still call each other Neighbor. “A couple of months ago, one of neighbor’s e-mails mentioned his grandson’s fascination with fire department patches. The special-needs 6-year-old is decorating his room with fire department memorabilia. Patches are his favorite. Neighbor, who now lives in Rhode Island, asked—if it wouldn’t be too much trouble— to collect a few patches for his grandson, Carter. “I closed my eyes, and I could see Carter’s great-grandfather walking back to his house,” Nesmith said. “I could hear his wingtips crunch the frostbitten grass beneath his feet. I could feel the warmth inside his blue Buick, as we made the round trip to Southwest Georgia. And now—62 years later— dozens of friends are helping light up Carter’s world, hundreds of miles away in Ashburnham, Mass. “Random acts of kindness are a testament to “it is better to give than to receive.” And I can imagine
Six-year-old Carter Sanborn, left, and his 9-year-old brother Christopher check out some of the fire department memorabilia sent from people in almost 20 states. One week in September, 64 items arrived, including a patch from Japan.
the [superintendent], with his rich baritone voice, saying, “If you are too busy for your family and friends, well, you are just too busy.” To participate in the patch drive, send Carter’s patches to PO Box 792 Athens, GA 30603.
4
WNA BULLETIN | November 2014
Among friends EDGERTON The Edgerton Reporter recently took home nine awards from the National Newspaper Association (NNA) for editorial writing, photography, special sections and advertising promotions. The awards were presented to Edgerton Reporter Publisher Diane Everson during the NNA’s 128th Annual Convention and Trade Show, Oct. 2-5, in San Antonio, Texas. Read more>>
The News Goes On
Larry Paul Larry Paul, former editor and co-publisher of the EpitaphNews, died Nov. 3, 2014. Paul worked in the pre-press department of the Chicago Tribune for 21 years, before purchasing the Epitaph-News at Viola and LaFarge, which he published from 1985 until 1988. In 1989, he went to work at Burne Photo Imaging in Madison, where he worked as a film technician until his retirement in 2006. Read more>>
EVANSVILLE The Evansville Review’s Kelly Gildner was awarded the Ruth Ann Montgomery Award for Local History by Evansville’s history group, The Grove Society. Gildner and the newspaper were cited for printing several series of history articles about country schools, railroads and other facets of the community’s culture. The Evansville Review has printed weekly columns by Ruth Ann Montgomery called “This Date in History.”
Marion Paul
FOND DU LAC Fond du Lac High School’s newspaper Cardinal Columns, led by journalism instructor and advisor Matt Smith, and former editor Tavi Kumar have been awarded the nation’s highest honors for a student publication, the Pacemaker Award. It was presented to staff at the National Scholastic Press Association Fall Convention in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 8. Kumar was selected as cowinner of the National Courage in Student Journalism Award presented by the Student Press Law Center and National Scholastic Press Association. Read more from the Fond du Lac Reporter>>
The State Journal offices back in the horse-and-buggy days of the 1890s were just off the Capitol Square in Madison along the first block of East Washington Avenue. The newspaper, now located on Fish Hatchery Drive, celebrated its 175th anniversary on Dec. 2.
LAKE GENEVA David Michaels was named Sports Editor at the Lake Geneva Regional News. He earned an English degree in Cornell College in Iowa and worked as a project manager for an engineering company in Rockford, Illinois.
KENOSHA The Kenosha News
won a first-place award from the Inland Press Association for its eight-day series “Getting By: Making a life on less than a living.” The series, which ran June 8-15, took an exhaustive look at poverty and its many effects in Kenosha County. The award was presented during a luncheon at the association’s annual meeting Oct. 21 in Chicago.
MILTON Rebecca Kanable was named News Editor at The Milton Courier. Kanable worked at the Courier as the Associate editor in 2012 before returning to freelance writing, including for the Courier. She has written the “Fitness for Thought” column continues to run weekly in the newspaper. Kanable’s experience includes writing for the Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune and Law Enforcement Technology. Her work has been published in the FBI’s Law Enforcement Bulletin, Police & Security News and Airport Improvement, among other publications. Kanable graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from UW-Oshkosh.
PRICE COUNTY Seth Carlson has been named editor of the Price County Review. Carlson was previously a reporter for the newspaper. He graduated from University of Wisconsin-Stout in 2010 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a focus in multi-media design. Carlson was hired at The BEE and Park Falls Herald in March 12012 as the sports and outdoors reporter. He then became assistant editor of the Ashland Daily Press for a six-month stint in late 2013 before returning to the Herald and BEE as a staff reporter in early 2014.
SAWYER COUNTY Paul Mitchell was named general manager of The Sawyer County Record. The University of WisconsinMilwaukee graduate began freelancing for the Trailblazer, a feature magazine published by the Record in 1994. In 1996, he began working in the newspaper’s sales department. Two months later, Mitchell became editor. He left the Record in 1999 and returned as managing editor in 2004. In September 2013, he became web/ special sections editor for the com-
pany and began editing the Bayfield County Journal in December.
SPOONER Janet Krokson took the position of general manager at the Spooner Advocate. Krockson was previously manager of both the Advocate and the Sawyer County Record.
Marion Paul, former “new society and club news editor” at the Milton Courier, died Sept. 9, 2014, at age 87. Paul was the Milton correspondent for The Janesville Gazette for about 15 years and later worked at the Milton Courier. Read more>>
Will Kilkeary Will Patrick Kilkeary, a poet and writer often published in the Epitaph-News, died Nov. 7 , at age 74. Kilkeary wrote reviews of mystery novels for the Epitaph-News and continued as staff poet and writer for the newspaper until his death. More than 5,000 of his poems were published in the Epitaph-News. Before moving to Wisconsin, Kilkeary built and ran O’Rourke’s, a North Avenue Chicago bar immortalized in film critic Roger Ebert’s memoir “Life Itself.” Read more>>
Bob Schumacher Bob Schumacher, former editor of the Sheboygan Press, died Nov. 6, 2014, at age 72. Schumacher was the newspaper’s editor from 19911998. Schumacher spent his entire life in the newspaper business. He was known for his love of sandwiches and golf. Read more>>
Oliver Fink, Sr.
— 30 — Stanley Bird Stanley E. Bird, executive publisher of Holstein World, died at age 84 on Oct. 4. The Oakfield native and dairy farmer earned a journalism degree at UW-Madison. He oversaw a family of dairy magazines and was a key long-term member in organizing committees for the World Dairy Expo and the World Ag Expo. Read more>>
Ruth Gruenwald Ruth Gruenwald, former editor of the Princeton Times-Republic, died Sept. 22 at the age of 91. Gruenwald had poems and stories published in various magazines and later worked as a clerk at the Princeton Post Office until she retired in 1987. Read more>>
Oliver Fink Sr., editor of The Ladysmith News, died Oct. 15 at age 73. Fink became the assistant editor of the Ladysmith News in 1985 and was named editor in 2008. He invested his life in people and his love for journalism. Before coming to Ladysmith, he was an editor for the Deland Sun News in Deland, Florida. Read more>>
Jack Lutz Jack Lutz, layout assistant at The Plymouth Review for 17 years, died Nov. 8. Lutz occasionally dashed off editorials on current touchy topics for the newspaper. Read more>>
WNA LEGAL HOTLINE >> Keep this number handy: (800) 362-2664 The WNA Legal Hotline means help is just a phone call away! WNA-member editors, reporters and advertising staff may call toll-free to ask an attorney for immediate help when they are denied access to government meetings or records, have concerns about a story that could involve libel or privacy questions, or face similar challenges to Freedom of Information (FOI) principles. Ad staff may also use the Hotline when questions arise about the legality of an ad. Need assistance that’s not necessarily legal in nature? Be sure to call on WNA staff at (800) 261-4242!
5
WNA BULLETIN | November 2014
Industry columnists john FOUST
ED HenningER
Caroline Little
KEVIN SLIMP
JIM STAsIOWSKI
Ad-libs
Design for Readers
CEO Update
Newspaper Technology
Writing Matters
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.
Jim Stasiowski, the writing coach for The Dolan Co., welcomes your questions or comments. Call him at 775354-2872, or write to 2499 Ivory Ann Drive, Sparks, Nev. 89436. He has coached reporters at newspapers and magazines in dozens of states.
Ad Lesson in Tombstone One of the most memorable ads I’ve seen was a billboard on Highway 80 north of Tombstone. I was in southern Arizona on business and had some free time to make a side trip to the town where the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday had their famous gunfight in 1881 with the group known as the “Cowboys” at the OK Corral. The billboard promoted the Tombstone Motel with the simple line, “Rest in peace.” That’s a phrase which wouldn’t work for any other business with any other name in any other town. But for a motel in an Old West town named Tombstone – with the main attraction being the site of a gunfight which has been the subject of movies and books – the line seemed entirely appropriate.
Doing Some ‘Slimplicity’ I recently had the distinct pleasure of sharing a full workday with news guru Kevin Slimp. Kevin calls himself “the news guru.” I too, have been called a “guru” occasionally. And, yes, I’ve been called many other things, too! Kevin had been asked by the publisher of a group of papers in New Jersey to take a look at his papers and offer his suggestions for improvement. Kevin and I had already done a couple of presentations jointly and he invited me along to help out. So, on a day in early May, we met a bit west of Asheville, NC, to spend the day together reviewing 10 papers.
I didn’t spend the night in Tombstone and I’ve never met anyone who has stayed at the Tombstone Motel, so I can’t speak for that establishment. All I know is that – years after the trip – I still remember that billboard. I mention it here, because it illustrates some important principles of advertising:
It was a delight working with Kevin and discovering that we shared many of the same thoughts about what we were seeing.
1. Billboards can teach us a lot about advertising. Newspaper and billboard advertising face the same basic challenge of being readable and attracting attention at a glance. As you drive, you have a few seconds to read a roadside sign in its entirety. And as you turn the pages of a newspaper or scan a web site, you have only a few seconds to decide if a particular ad is worth further reading.
TEXT TYPE: Throughout these papers, text was in a face that was too light, a bit too condensed—and way too small.
If a message doesn’t communicate at a glance, it will miss the mark. 2. The best ads are targeted. Tombstone is a tourism destination. It’s a safe guess that a large number of out-of-towners traveling to Tombstone are planning on visiting the OK Corral, the Boot Hill cemetery and various buildings which have been preserved as they were when Wyatt Earp was Marshall. Read the rest of this column on the WNA website >>
What follows is a brief look at key points we suggested. I believe many of you can find a few of these will apply to your publication.
PHOTOS: Many were poorly cropped and some were muddy and dark. Often, there were too many in a package and none was dominant. STORIES: Far too long. Remember, readers will only give you 12”-15” before they quit a story. STANDING HEADS: Not well designed and inconsistent. PAGE LABELS: Too strong and often competed for attention with the lead headline on the page.
Newspapers Boost Holiday Shopping There is only one question on the minds of retailers and advertisers for the next two months – what is the best way to reach consumers? The answer this year, as it has for many years prior, is newspaper media. As we enter an exciting holiday shopping season, retailers will experiment more than ever with mobile apps, geolocation push notification and other advertising strategies to reach elusive consumers. However, data reveals that one of the most effective methods remains print and digital newspaper advertising. The proof is in the numbers. Recent research from a national survey found that 79 percent of adults have taken action as a result of seeing an advertisement in a print newspaper in the past 30 days, and more than half made a purchase. Furthermore, 69 percent of adults cite newspapers as key coupon sources, making newspapers the leading medium for coupons. These numbers indicate what we in the newspaper media business have always believed – that nothing connects advertisers with potential customers like we can. Newspapers engage consumers and influence purchasing decisions. This is especially important to note as trends suggest this will be a huge holiday season for our economy. Despite a shaky start to 2014, the National Retail Federation announced earlier this month that it expects sales in November and December to increase by an impressive 4.1 percent. If those numbers hold true, this will be the first time since 2011 that holiday sales would surpass the four percent mark. The NRF anticipates that holiday sales will represent 19.2 percent of the retail industry’s $3.2 trillion total annual sales.
HEADLINES: Often the same font and size, page after page after page. Definitely need to use other fonts in the family for more contrast. Read the rest of this column on the WNA website >>
Read the rest of the column>>
Paid Newspaper Success Kelli Bultena, publisher of Tea (SD) Weekly, sent me a link to a column titled, “The Bad News About the News,” in the October 16, 2014 edition of The Brookings Essay. The essay was written by Robert G. Kaiser, former editor ofThe Washington Post. Hank Bond, co-publisher ofThe Greenup Beacon (Russell KY),wrote last week to ask me a pointed question, “You keep writing about people saying that newspapers are dying. I don’t hear it. Who are they?” Well, Hank, here’s another one to add to the list of about a dozen or so I sent you last week and those were off the top of my head. As Hank would probably attest, he finally said, “Enough,” after I’d rattled off the list in just a few seconds. Mr. Kaiser wrote several things in his essay that caught my attention, but this sentence stood out: “One immediate effect of all these changes and cutbacks is that there’s no paper in America today that can offer the same coverage of its city, suburbs, and state that it provided 20 or even 10 years ago, and scores of city halls and state legislatures get virtually no coverage by any substantive news organizations.” I called Victor Parkins, publisher of theMilan (TN) Mirror-Exchange,just now and asked if that was true of his paper. “I think we cover it better. I would like for him to come to Milan, Tennessee, and see how we do it. I would love to let him go through my binders from ten years ago. Using digital technology gives us so many more contacts with our readers, and we use that as another tool in our arsenal.” I feel quite certain I could have called a hundred other publishers and gotten similar quotes, but I’m guessing you get the point. Which leads me to my next question: Why would Mr. Kaiser write this essay in the first place?
Read the rest of the column on the WNA website >>
Christmas Gifts for Writers Abbie Hoffman wrote the classic (that few people read) called “Steal This Book.” Journalists are too honest to steal, and too frugal to buy new; but you almost certainly can find the following writing-about-writing books in used-book stores. Treat yourself, or a newsroom colleague, for Christmas: “Writing To Learn,” by William Zinsser: His most famous writingadvice book is “On Writing Well.” But “Writing To Learn” is more insightful. Every page drips with writing wisdom. A favorite: “Achieving a decent piece of writing is such a difficult task that it often strikes the reader as having been just that: a task. It accomplishes its purpose, and perhaps we shouldn’t ask for anything more. But we do. We wish the writer had had a better time – or at least had given us that impression.” “Fowler’s Modern English Usage, Third Edition,” edited by R.W. Burchfield: There are plenty of wordusage volumes available, but none has the authoritative voice of what is known simply as “Fowler’s.” Burchfield is a bemused zealot, as shown in the entry for the word “interface.” He writes that the word surfaced in 1882, and the Oxford English Dictionary of 1901 defined “interface” as “a surface lying between two portions of matter or space, and forming their common boundary.” Then, computer fiends grabbed it in the 1960s. Classic Burchfield: ”’Interface’ continues to be used by physicists, computer specialists, and other technical writers, but in lay use has fallen into a recessive phase as vogue words tend to when they have trampled over the language for something like a generation.”
Read the rest of the column on the WNA website >>
6
WNA BULLETIN | November 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