TWN
THE WASHINGTON NEWSPAPER February 2017
Issaquah Press newspapers to close Page 4
Journal of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association
Legislature looks at Public Records Act amendments
Hearing scheduled for Feb. 10
The first hearing on important bills that set new rules for public records access is scheduled in Olympia before the House Committee on State Government, Elections, and Information Technology at 10 a.m. Feb. 10. The bills, HB 1595 (concerning costs associated with responding to public records requests) and HB 1594 (improving public records administration), grew out of discussions in a stakeholders group that met last year. Although there is a general consensus that some aspects of the Public Records Act (PRA) should be updated, details on charges for electronic copies,
how videos are handled, mediation of disputes and other issues remain unresolved. Toby Nixon, President of the Washington Coalition for Open Government, said that while the coalition was part of the stakeholder group, its participation does not equal support for the current bills. “We look forward to continuing to work with representatives of agencies and the bill sponsors to improve the bills, but we cannot support them in their current form,” Nixon said in a letter to state legislators. Nixon said WCOG had concerns with the draft bills that were presented to the stakeSee PRA, Page 3
This photo of a burning barn by Michael Dashiell of the Sequim Gazette won a first place for spot news in Group 3 in the 2016 Better Newspaper Contest.
Dayton Chronicle back as member of WNPA
Registration open now for Legislative Day in Olympia Members of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association and Allied Daily Newspapers can register now at wnpa.com for Legislative Day on Feb. 23. Beginning at 10 a.m., attendees will get a briefing from appointed and elected state officials about issues facing the state. Following the briefings, attedees move to the Temple of Justice for a reception with State Supreme Court justices.
The day concludes with a dinner with Gov. Jay Inslee at the Governor’s Mansion. Briefings are held in the Cherberg Building, Room ABC. The reception with the Supreme Court is in the Temple of Justice and dinner is at the Governor’s Mansion. Photo ID is required for entry into the mansion. Cost for the whole day is $100. Register today at wnpa. com.
The Dayton Chronicle is under the ownership of Loyal and Charlotte Baker. It is the only newspaper in Columbia County.
The Dayton Chronicle, established in Columbia County in 1878 and currently published by Loyal and Charlotte Baker, has rejoined WNPA. The Dayton Chronicle was one of the six newspapers which founded the Washington Press Association, the predecessor of WNPA. The Bakers have owned the Chronicle, the newspaper of record for the City of Dayton
and Columbia County, since purchasing it from the late Jack Williams in June, 2014. “We’re delighted for the Chronicle to be a WNPA member again,” the Bakers said. “Our family has a long history of involvement in the newspaper association and we’re looking forward to reconnecting with old friends and making new ones.” See CHRONICLE, Page 2
CHRONICLE: Bakers bring broad knowledge, experience to Dayton Continued from Page 1
Baker’s mother, Anita Baker, is a WNPA Life Member; his father, the late Tom Baker, served WNPA in many capacities in the 27 years he and his wife published The Times of Waitsburg, including president in 1985-86. He was presented the John L. Fournier Community Service Award in 1987. Publisher and Advertising Manager Loyal Baker has 35 years of experience in publishing, primarily in community newspapers. He is a 1981 graduate of Eastern Washington University School of Journalism, and was editor of The Times from 1981-1989. He was a field editor and production editor for the Northwest Farm Magazines, Inc., in Spokane from 1990-1996, then returned to Waitsburg as publisher of The Times from 1996-2009. Charlotte Baker, a Dayton native, serves as Publisher and Managing Editor. The 1995 E.W.U. graduate in Music Arts brings her in-depth knowledge of the
people and history of Dayton and Columbia County to the newspaper, plus her experience from 35 years operating her own music studio. In addition to publishing duties, she also teaches piano and voice to students in Dayton, Waitsburg and Spokane. Since taking over the newspaper, the couple have increased lineage and circulation, and a year ago decamped from the Chronicle’s home of 108 years to a more accessible, smaller building. Their editorial focus, in the tradition of a long-time family friend and newspaper colleague, the late Chronicle publisher Pat O’Neil, is coverage of the people and events of Dayton and Columbia County. Application for membership was unanimously approved by the WNPA Board of Directors at its January meeting. The Dayton Chronicle is the sole newspaper in its southeast Washington county, population 4,032, with the county seat in Dayton, one of two incorporated municipalities.
Officers: Don Nelson, President; Sandy Stokes, First Vice President; Michael Wagar, Second Vice President; Keven Graves, Past President. Trustees: Sara Bruestle, Eric LaFontaine, Donna Etchey, Scott Hunter and Bill Shaw. THE WASHINGTON NEWSPAPER is the offical publication of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association. It is published monthly by WNPA, PO Box 389, Port Townsend, WA 98368. Staff: Fred Obee: Executive Director: 360-515-5239. Email: fredobee@wnpa.com 2 The Washington Newspaper February 2017
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Helping our readers help us By Don Nelson A reader called the other day with a real concern and a serious question: How can citizens actively persuade newspapers (and other media) to cover issues they consider important? Her worry is that newspapers won’t pay adequate attention to the high-profile issues being driven by the current political climate. She wanted to know the best way to approach newspapers Nelson with suggestions. It’s a good question, and I tried to answer it within the context of what I know from being a newspaper and magazine editor for more than 30 years, fielding hundreds of queries along the lines of “why aren’t (or are) you covering (insert issue or event here)?” I’m not sure my response to the reader was entirely satisfying, in that it more or less came down to this: “It depends.” Even avid, determined readers would find it challenging to reach the top decision-making editors at large nationally circulated newspapers like the New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal, or others such as the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times. They don’t have much time for individual phone calls, especially when you consider that their online responses to stories can generate feedback from hundreds of people. But, I would tell my reader, it doesn’t hurt to email, even though you might be one among dozens. It’s less difficult, but still not a sure thing, to achieve direct contact with sizable regional papers such as the Seattle Times or Spokesman-Review in Spokane. You’d have a better chance of access to the editors of smaller
dailies like the one I used to edit, the Skagit Valley Herald in Mount Vernon, or the Wenatchee World (roughly the same size as the Skagit Valley Herald). I took phone calls all the time in Mount Vernon. It’s worth an effort, because even the largest publications try to be responsive to their readers. What would I tell people who want to contact (and perhaps influence) us? Here are a few of my thoughts on how to engage the people making choices about what to cover (you m may have your own as well): • Be nice. Confrontational, accusatory, dismissive or demanding attitudes don’t work well in dealing with anyone in any job, and newspaper editors are no different. They are juggling a lot of things at any one time, such as managing resources that continue to shrink at many newspapers of all sizes. They have to set priorities and make tough calls. One way to look at it: If someone called you at your business or profession to nastily complain about what you should be doing differently, or criticize how you’re doing it, what’s your first response likely to be? Defensive or receptive? I welcome ideas about our local coverage, and have received a lot of good story tips and inspirations from readers. We depend on that. • Suggesting works better than demanding. Something along the lines of “I’d like to see more coverage of (insert topic here)” is more likely to get a listen. If you’re so inclined, thank the publication for the work it’s been doing. • Be strategic. It’ll do you no good to expect that the Methow Valley News should thoroughly cover Congress, the presidency and big national issues, or even most statewide issues. It’s not our mission. But it’s important, you say. Yes it is, and we will
leave it to the bigger publications, broadcasters and online news sites to handle that chore, and hope they do it well. That said, we do try to cover national, state and regional issues that we can localize to focus on what affects our community. That’s where we can be informative and effective. • If you want newspapers to survive so they can effectively continue their watchdog role, you have to support them. Subscribe – either in print or online. If you have good reason to advertise in a market, buy advertising. Reliable information generated by professional journalists costs money to produce and has tangible value, and digital distribution has its costs as well. • Be part of the information flow by writing letters to the editor and, when appropriate, offering long op-ed pieces or personal columns (although those have a higher barrier to clear for publication). If you become known as a regular and reasonable contributor, it may help you gain better access. • Understand the difference between news stories and opinions on the editorial and op-ed pages. In larger papers, those functions are entirely separate and not necessarily in lock step. At many smaller papers, the editor and/or publisher is often writing news stories and editorials and columns as well. As newsroom and management leaders at the state’s weekly papers, you are likely dealing with similar questions. I take it as a good sign that the questions are being raised. We all need to find better ways to be responsive and keep our audiences engaged. Don Nelson is the Publisher of the Methow Valley News and this year’s WNPA president.
PRA: Service charges, videos, bot requests among changes Continued from Page 1
holder group, and expressed many of those concerns at the time. He said that while the general framework of the changes has merit, significant issues remain. Among the concerns are the following items: • The default charges for copies of electronic records is derived from a cost study from the City of Seattle and is not representative of average or typical costs around the state. The default charges should not be pegged at the cost of the most expensive agency. • There are no protections against agencies improperly producing more records than are responsive, to drive up charges. • There are no protections against agencies dividing records into many files or attachments, to drive up charges. • It is unclear whether the various types of charges for
copies of electronic records are exclusive or may be combined. • Charging for audio or video recording by the minute in addition to charging based on file size and number of files is “double counting” and does not make sense. • A flat fee of five dollars is too high, particularly for small requests made by requesters with limited means. We should not be making it harder for records to be requested by the poor. • The conditions under which “customized service charges” continue to be confusing, vague, subjective, and ripe for abuse. Many requesters are concerned that such charges will be asserted to fend off requests that make agencies uncomfortable. • The definition of “bot requests” is flawed. • The stakeholder group had agreed that creation of model ordinances for various
types of agencies was important, but not reflected in the bills. Consultation with the attorney general is not an adequate substitute. • “Asking for clarification” should not, by itself, be an adequate independent response to a records request; agencies should still have to provide at least an estimated time for production of a first installment or their best estimate of a response to the full request as written. • Agencies should not be able to force a requester into mediation of an unclear request, or, at a minimum, the agency should have to pay for the mediation, since many requesters are not capable of paying thousands of dollars in mediation fees. Nixon said other concerns exist, and he urged people to testify before the committee so that amended bills can better reflect the concerns of open government advocates.
Summer internships available from WNPA A limited number of internships are available this summer through the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association Foundation. The deadline for applications is Feb. 24, 2017. The internship process works best when students decide where they would like to work and then approach managers at that newspaper even before submitting an application. To apply, students should send a resume, five or six clips, and an essay detailing why they want to work at a community newspaper. This internship must be served at a member newspaper of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association. WNPA represents mainly small daily and weekly newspapers across the state. The internship should be of at least eight weeks (240 hours) duration and preferably be completed by Sept. 22, 2017. Students must make their own arrangements for the internship by contacting WNPA-member newspapers where they
would like to be an intern. At wnpa.com is a searchable Membership Directory. Students can contact WNPA Executive Director Fred Obee if they would like guidance on this process. Students must inform the WNPA Foundation of finalized arrangements by May 1, 2016 or the full scholarship will be forfeited. A $1,500 stipend will be paid to the student as follows: $750 when they report to work and $750 at the completion of the internship and after we receive a written report summarizing their experiences and the benefits of having been an intern. Students are free to accept a paid internship (that is, this scholarship would be in addition to any other salary they might receive from the host newspaper). Fred Obee of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association is the Foundation’s administrator for this program. Please direct all correspondence and applications to him. He can be reached at fredobee@wnpa. com or (360) 515-5239. The Washington Newspaper February 2017 3
Issaquah Press newspapers will cease operations Feb. 24 The Issaquah Press Group, which publishes The Issaquah Press, the Sammamish Review, the SnoValley Star, the Newcastle News and theeastside.news website, announced in January the company will cease operations Feb. 24. In a letter to readers and advertisers, General Manager Charles Horton wrote: “After several months of exploring different paths for a sustainable future, we came to this difficult conclusion.” The Issaquah Press is the oldest newspaper on Seattle’s Eastside and is Issaquah’s oldest operating business. It has published more than 6,000 editions over the past 117 years. The company’s affected employees include seven in the newsroom, four in advertising and one in operations. “I’m sorry we weren’t able to get where we needed to be,” Horton told employees. Horton’s letter said the company, which has been owned by The Seattle Times Co. since 1995, had rolled out newsroom and advertising initiatives with the hopes of turning around the company financially, but, even with deep expense cuts, it “wasn’t enough to overcome revenue losses that began over six years ago.” The Issaquah Press was founded on Jan. 1, 1900, and published its first edition Jan. 18, 1900. The Sammamish Review was founded in 1992, the Newcastle News was established in 1999 and the SnoValley Star first published in 2008.
All four newspapers are distributed free and have a combined circulation of more than 45,000. The umbrella website for the newspapers, theeastside. news, experienced record traffic in October 2016, and the newsroom won a combined 18 journalism awards from the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association that same month. Horton urged readers of the four newspapers “to help support community journalism by subscribing to The Seattle Times.” Earlier this month, the Times reported that 23 people, through buyouts and possible layoffs, are expected to leave its newsroom, which is the largest in Washington. Horton said voluntary subscribers to the Issaquah Press Group’s newspapers will receive a letter in the next few days detailing their options. Here is the full text of Horton’s letter: To our valued readers and advertisers: On February 24, 2017, the Issaquah Press Group will cease all operations. We will publish our final editions of The Issaquah Press and the Sammamish Review on Thursday, February 23, 2017. We will publish our last edition of the Newcastle News on February 3, 2017 and our last edition of the SnoValley Star on February 24, 2017. After serving our community since 1900, coming to this decision has not been easy. Over the past 15 months, IPG employees in the newsroom, sales department and operations have all worked
determinedly to realign our organization so that we could find an economically viable path forward. Our newsroom reimagined how we covered our community, digging deep into stories such as the contamination of Issaquah’s aquifer. Their work led to volunteer subscriber growth during the first half of the year, as well as significant pageview growth on our websites. Based on local advertiser input, our sales department introduced a number of new products for advertisers, including new digital tools and new events meant to help local businesses reach new customers. While we saw an uptick in revenue from local businesses, it wasn’t enough to offset losses from some major/national clients. Regrettably, even with deep expense cuts, the above wasn’t enough to overcome revenue losses that began over six years ago. After several months of exploring different paths for a sustainable future, we came to this difficult conclusion. In a year where we’ve seen the spread of fake and inaccurate news, it’s important to remember that much of the truthful news you read online or watch on TV began at a local newspaper with a trained and dedicated journalist. Smart, accurate reporting isn’t free. For that reason, I encourage you to help support community journalism by subscribing to The Seattle Times.It has been our honor and privilege to serve you and this wonderful community for so many years.
Brad Skiff of the Omak Okanagan County Chronicle dominated the Editorial Cartoon category in last year’s Better Newspaper Contest, taking first and second place. No third place was awarded.
The Washington Newspaper February 2017 4
WNPA JOB BOARD ble for the development and success of our advertising department and the sustainable growth of company revenue. The position reports to the Publisher and directly supervises EDITOR the sales manager and a team of six The Sun Tribune is actively sales executives. recruiting for an Editor to join our The ideal candidate will have: leadership team. This full-time 3-5 years experience in manposition is responsible for the over- agement and leading a team all editorial direction of the Sun Proven record of growing revTribune (weekly newspaper) and enue in print and digital media. Basin Business Journal (monthly Exceptional leadership, motab). tivational and communication The Sun Tribune, a weekly legal skills. newspaper in Adams Co., focuses Experience working within on hyper local news and events in budget guidelines and achieving the communities of Othello, Royal revenue and profitability targets. City and Mattawa. Coverage inBachelor’s Degree in business, cludes city and county government, marketing or communications. schools, local sports and commuBilingual (Spanish). nity events across all three areas. Experience in video and/or TV The Basin Business Journal is a production. monthly agriculture-focused print Ability to manage a small book product that is directly mailed to of major accounts. over 16,000 homes, ag-businesses Volunteerism and active parand farms across several rural ticipation within their community. postal routes throughout several A selfless drive to improve counties in central Washington. It those around them. is the area’s No. 1 source for local Innovative thinker and fearless agricultural news. of failure. The ideal candidate will have: Columbia Basin Publishing 3-5 years or more experience as Co. publishes numerous print an editor of a print publication. newspapers (daily and weekly), in A bachelor’s degree in journaladdition to annual magazines and ism or related field. specialty products and tabs. 3-5 years or more experience in Compensation includes a agriculture, either professionally or competitive base salary ($45,000 personally. to $55,000 annually), in addition The Sun Tribune is under the to bonus and commission opColumbia Basin Publishing Co. portunities ($12,000 to $24,000 umbrella. CBP publishes numerous annually) based on monthly and print newspapers (daily and weekannual revenue goals. ly), in addition to annual magazines To apply, email your cover and specialty products and tabs. letter, resume and references to Compensation ranges between Eric LaFontaine at elafontaine@ $40,000 to $55,000 annually, decolumbiabasinherald.com. No pending on qualifications. phone calls please. Position closes To apply, email your cover Feb. 28, 2017. letter, resume and references to Eric LaFontaine at elafontaine@ DIGITAL SALES MANAGER columbiabasinherald.com. No CBH Digital, the digital marketphone calls please. Position closes ing division of Columbia Basin Feb. 28, 2017. Publishing, is recruiting for a Digital Sales Manager to join ADVERTISING DIRECTOR our leadership team. The primary Columbia Basin Publishing is ac- responsibility of this position is tively recruiting for an Advertising to increase our share of the local Director to join our leadership team. digital market while developing This full-time position is responsinew strategies for growth. The The following are excerpts from help wanted ads on wnpa. com. Check the website for full ad information.
5 The Washington Newspaper February 2017
DSM will lead a team of three and report directly to the Publisher. The following is required: 3-5 years of sales experience, specifically in digital marketing and/or print media. Experience in management, leadership, team development and marketing strategies. Ability to handle multiple projects and deadlines. Strong analytical, research and presentation skills. Ability to develop and execute a sales and marketing strategy. Self directed and motivated with the ability to multi task numerous projects and deadlines. Compensation includes a competitive base salary ($30,000 to $40,000 annually), in addition to bonus and commission opportunities ($10,000 to $20,000 annually) based on monthly and annual revenue goals. To apply, email your cover letter, resume and references to Eric LaFontaine at elafontaine@columbiabasinherald.com. No phone calls please. Position closes Feb. 28, 2017 or until filled. MULTI-MEDIA SALES Great work environment. Super awesome team. Good pay. Retirement plan. Weekends off. Interested? East Oregonian has an opening for multi-media sales. No multi-media experience? That’s fine, as long as you understand the importance of customer service, working hard and a desire to enjoy your job. Could this be you? Base wage plus commissions, benefits and mileage reimbursement. Benefits include Paid Time Off (PTO), insurances and a 401(k)/Roth 401(k) retirement plan. Send resume and letter of interest to EO Media Group, PO Box 2048, Salem, OR 973082048, by fax to 503-371-2935 or e-mail hr@eomediagroup.com. Media Group, a family-owned and run company for over 100 years. Send resume and letter of interest to EO Media Group, PO Box 2048, Salem, OR 973082048, by fax to 503-371-2935 or email hr@eomediagroup.
Have a legal question? WNPA is ready to help If you have a question about access to public meetings or records, the WNPA staff can help. Call 360-515-5239 For questions beyond government access -- if an attorney has served you with a demand letter, or if Earl Hubbard you need emergency review of a story, letter or ad -- call or email our WNPA attorney, Michele Earl Hubbard. (206) 801-7510 or email
michele@alliedlawgroup.com