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THE WASHINGTON NEWSPAPER February 2024
Nominations wanted for two top WNPA honors
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Journal of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association
States are moving toward allowing website legal ads In general, news websites are favored over government managed web pages Public notice legislation introduced so far in 2024 suggests state legislatures are growing increasingly comfortable having news websites serve as an alternative source of official notice. And that comfort seems to have cooled their ardor for moving notices from newspapers to government websites, the Public Notice Research Center reports. As of the end of January, new legislation authorizing local news websites or newspaper websites to provide statutory notice in lieu of print had been introduced in at least six states, while bills sanctioning the
move from print newspapers to government websites had been introduced in only two states — and one of them is already dead. That’s a dramatic shift from last year, when legislation allowing government websites to substitute for newspaper notice had been introduced in 12 states by early February. Legislation is often difficult to easily categorize so it’s unwise to place too much significance in a single year-to-year analyses, but there’s no denying the numbers so far are striking. The most serious efforts to See LEGALS, Page 6
WNPA board moving ahead on executive director search
WNPA’s Board of Directors will soon be advertising for the organization’s executive director position. Current executive director Fred Obee submitted his resignation at the beginning of January. “My reasons for leaving are many,” Obee said in his resignation letter. “Main among them is I turned 70 last year, and I’m ready for other pursuits. Also, the
cleanup I began when I took over is complete and well tested. Our records are in order, our systems are up to date, our budgets and financial records are clean and easy to understand, historic documents have been collated and preserved, mainly at the Washington State Library, and we have scaled the operation to match our income.” Obee added that he thinks See WNPA, Page 3
Above, Gov. Jay Inslee speaks to members of the media during a reception at the Governor’s Mansion during Legislative Day. Below, Rep. Laurie Jinkins, Speaker of the House, Sen. John Braun, Senate Republican Leader, and Sen. Andy Billig, Senate Majority Leader, speak to reporters. Photos by Mary Murphy
Legislative Day draws a crowd to Olympia
Journalists from around the state turned out Feb. 15 in Olympia for Legislative Day. On hand to answer questions were state officials and legislative leaders. Participants attended receptions with Supreme Court justices at a nearby private residece. The day ended with a reception at the Governor’s mansion.
WNPA: Collins also resigns FROM THE PRESIDENT from member services job; board eyes replacements Continued from Page 1
the time is ripe for WNPA to take stock of itself and for the board to decide what the future of WNPA should be. For the last several weeks, the executive committee, made up of the officers of the organization, has been discussing what WNPA should look like in the future. They are drafting a job description that details the necessary skills needed to meet that vison. WNPA’s membership director Janay Collins has also resigned, effective on the last day of December. For Collins, it is her second retirement. She retired from what she calls her big city jobs, which included a large research firm and Microsoft, more than 10 years ago. “I was already contemplating when I should retire, and when I knew Janay was going
to leave that cemented my decision to retire as well,” Obee said. In all, Obee and Collins guided WNPA for seven years. Set up in the first half of the 20th Century as an ad agency for its members, for decades WNPA was a hub for placing advertising in its member newspapers. That business has declined over the decades and now WNPA must adapt with new strategies and goals. Obee has been involved with WNPA since the early 1980s, first as a staff member at WNPA newspapers and then serving on the board of directors before finally serving as the executive director. “How can WNPA be of benefit to its members? The answer to that question should shape how the organization is reorganized,” Obee said in his resignation letter.
Officers: Donna Etchey, President; Sean Flaherty, 1st Vice President; Matt Winters, 2nd Vice President; Michelle Nedved, Past President. Trustees: Roger Harnack, Teresa Myers, Rudi Alcott, Staci Baird, Terry Ward and Bob Richardson. 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. Fred Obee, Executive Director: 360-344-2938 Email: execdirector@wnpa.com 2 The Washington Newspaper February 2024
People across your community want you to reach out & tell their stories
By Donna Etchey I recently attended a chamber function where I was a sponsor and was asked to give a five-minute speech. I had a 30-minute drive to get to my destination, so I had some Etchey time to go over in my head what I wanted to discuss. During the drive, I thought about all the specialty publications we have coming up, and I thought about how I was short at the time in reaching our February revenue goal. That’s it. I will talk about the advertising sale we had going on and I will discuss the options the businesses had in reaching a new audience in the various special sections we were planning. I was pretty sure I had figured out in my mind what I wanted to discuss. But it is funny that when you walk into a room, and you start networking, talking to people and hearing their concerns, your mind will go into a totally different direction. I listened to the busi-
ness owners and talked to several people before I was to get up and talk. Before my speech, people went around the room and introduced themselves and their businesses. The common thread I heard during the introductions was community -- how hard they worked, the challenges they were having, but almost everyone stated how much they enjoyed being a part of the community and giving back. When I was introduced and went up to the front of the room to talk, everything I had in my mind went out the window, and I went in a totally different direction. Readership. That is how I opened my speech. I talked about how long the Daily Record had been part of this community and how we want to stay part of this community. I went on to talk about how to submit press releases and how many times articles are formed by someone submitting a press release. We want to tell your story. If you are giving back to the community, we want to hear about it. If you have new employees or have started a new service, we want to hear about it, so we can tell your story. I then went on to discuss
subscriptions. I have no idea where that came from, I just started talking and it flowed out. I discussed how we are not just able to deliver your message through our printed newspaper, we have several digital offerings that we can help with. I explained how more and more people are reading our newspaper online through our e-edition or looking to our website to see if anything new had happened locally. I did go into a few details on how we had a digital agency, and we could help them get their message out digitally as well as through our printed paper. At the end of the speech, we went back to networking, and I had almost every single business person in the room come up to me to ask for my business card and to hand me their card. They wanted to discuss how excited they were about a new service they were offering or about the events that were coming up in their community -- you get the point. So why did I switch from discussing the advertising sale or special sections we had coming up? Well, it turns out people want to share their stories
and they want you to help them tell their story. And this is how we build relationships and build readership. At the end of the day, yes you want to build your revenue, but sometimes you need to go back to the basics and build community around your newspaper. On another note, I want to give you an update on our search for our new executive director. The board has met several times and we have broken up into smaller committees to discuss this. We have penned a job description and have put together an ad that you will see go out this week. Please share it with as many people as possible. We are hoping to have our new director hired by the end of March. Stay tuned on where we are in our search. If you have any questions or thoughts that you would like to share with me, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. I can be reached at detchey@kvnews.com or 509-204-8239. You can also discuss your questions or thoughts with any of the board members. Donna Etchey is Publisher of the Daily Record in Ellensburg and this year’s WNPA president.
Photographer Bose latest WNPA podcast Rajah Bose, a freelance photographer and artist from Spokane, talks about his beginnings in small town journalism and his eventual freelance career in the latest WNPA podcast. Bose worked for the
Moscow-Pullman Daily News The SpokesmanReview. He’s a freelance photographer for several national publications, and covered the murders of the University of Idaho students in 2022 for the New York Times.
In addition to Bose, currently on the site are interviews with Les Zaitz, owner and publisher of the Malheur Enterprise, Eli Sanders, Pulitzer Prize winning writer formerly with the Stranger in Seattle, and Jacqui Banaszynski, another
Pulitzer Prize winner. You can access the podcasts by clicking on the podcast homepage tile of WNPA’s website, or by searching for Washington Newspaper Publishers Association on Google podcasts.
WNPA now seeking nominations for the Turnbull & Bradley awards
Nominations are being sought for two of WNPA’s top awards, the Dixie Lee Bradley award and the Miles Turnbull Master Editor/Publisher award. Bradley tirelessly served the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association and its members for 45 years and Turnbull was an active publisher and ultimately Executive Director of the organization. The Bradley award recognizes newspaper staff members who work long and hard, often behind the scenes, to see that the best possible community newspaper is produced and distributed each week. The selection criteria includes a demonstrated record over a considerable time period of consistent quality work in any facet of the community newspaper industry including production, circulation, or front office support. Professional positions, such as photographer and advertising sales, are not included due to ample opportunities for these professionals to be recognized through WNPA’s annual Better Newspaper Contest. There is no entry fee at the time of nomination. However, should its nominee win, the sponsoring newspaper must agree to pay the winning employee a $250 bonus which will be matched by WNPA for a total cash prize of $500 for the winner. The first WNPA Master Editor/Publisher award was presented at WNPA’s 1994 annual convention. This award may be given to any person who is actively engaged in
Turnbull
Bradley
editing, managing and/ or publishing a newspaper which is a member in good standing of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association.
The recipient must have worked hard and unselfishly and made a significant contribution to his/her newspaper, community, state, as well as
the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association. Selection criteria also includes service to a free press or freedom of information, and service to the cause of community newspapers. To nominate someone for either award, send us a short essay describing why your nominee should win. Be sure to include your contact information and send entries to execdirector@wnpa.com or mail to Washington Newspaper Publishers Association, PO Box 389, Port Townsend, WA 98368. Deadline for submission is July 1, 2018.
BENCH-BAR-PRESS COMMITTEE ANNUAL EVENT
Save the Date Join us for the annual Bench-Bar-Press Committee luncheon as we discuss strategies to counter disinformation and politicization of the courts and media. Moderated by Eric Liu, Citizen University Founder, and featuring Kate Starbird, Co-Founder of the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public
Friday, February 23, 2024 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM Luncheon Event (Annual Meeting Precedes at 11:00 AM)
Washington Athletic Club 1325 Sixth Avenue, Seattle, Washington 98101 Questions? Contact Heather Ligtenberg, Administrative Office of the Courts, at heather.ligtenberg@courts.wa.gov.
Washington State Archives, Washington State Library, and Legacy Washington
Recording, preserving, and sharing Washington history. • Digitized government records
• Genealogy and history research support • Community digital archives online
• Historic Washington newspapers online • Traveling exhibits and publications
Visit sos.wa.gov for more info.
The Washington Newspaper February 2024 3
MAKE AN
IMPACT IN WASHINGTON STATE
Washington
IMPACTADS
• ImpactAds are small ads placed in community newspapers throughout the state. • You can buy the whole state or target Western or Eastern Washington. • Choose either small display ads or classified word ads. • Deadline is 5 p.m. the Tuesday prior to the week you want the ad to run.
Call today! 360-344-2938 WNPA PO Box 389, Port Townsend, WA 98368 ads@wnpa.com • www.wnpa.com 4 The Washington Newspaper February 2024
READERS 660,000
CIRCULATION 264,000
IDEAL FOR: Festivals Car shows Concerts Recruitment Wineries Resorts
Counties, cities have cash for tourism
Go get your share to bring visitors When you are looking for ways to bring in new revenue, spend a few minutes learning how your WNPA co-op ad network can help your bottom line. People are itching to get out and mingle and community events are filling the streets. But extra effort is necessary these days to let people know your town is open for business and welcoming tourists. Many just trust in online notices, but with ad blocking software and distrust of social media growing, it isn’t the solution it used to be. In this changing environment, trusted community newspapers across the state serving a highly educated, affluent and involved readership are a perfect place to get a message out. Every ad salesperson knows it is wise to identify the entities in your community with fat ad budgets. At this moment in time, don’t overlook the folks with hundreds of thousands of dollars to spend – your local governments! Every city and county in the state has a pool of money generated by local lodging taxes, and that money is supposed to be used to reach beyond local markets and bring people to town. If you have not already, you should ask your city and county governments (each has separate funds) for a report on where the lodging tax money is going (usually chambers of commerce and local non-profits) and then propose a marketing plan that reaches out across the region. WNPA ads are a perfect match for boosting community events because you can choose to advertise region-
Continued on Page 7
Ad network: Fairs & fests, golf courses, wineries, resorts all can benefit
STANDARD SIZE
Continued from Page 6 ally or statewide. Here’s how the WNPA program works: • You sell the ad to a local organization. • You charge your client for the full cost of the ad and send an insertion order to WNPA. WNPA then invoices you for half the cost of the ad, splitting the revenue on the ad sale. The advertising salesperson gets their regular commission on the sale. • WNPA uses our share of the money to provide your legal hotline, professional services, Legislative Day, the Better Newspaper Contest and the annual convention. • We keep the price to the client affordable by asking all member newspapers to publish the ads sold by other newspapers for free. The ads are small – just two columns wide by either two or four inches tall. One column by four or eight inches is also OK. They need to be produced in two different widths, to accommodate different column widths. Potential customers include festivals, fairs, resorts, real estate offices, state agencies, statewide or regional political candidates – anyone who desires a cost effective regional or statewide campaign. Because member newspapers publish these ads for free, we can only promise that they will run as black and white ads. If you include a color version, many papers will use it instead, but there is no guarantee of this. Need more information? Contact WNPA by emailing ads@wnpa.com or by calling 360-344-2938.
STATEWIDE..................$1,600 WESTERN......................$1,300 EASTERN..........................$700
SUPER SIZE NOTE
Produce ads in two sizes,‘Version A & Version B,’ to accommodate different page sizes.
STATEWIDE..................$3,200 WESTERN......................$2,600 EASTERN.......................$1,400
CLASSIFIEDS
STATEWIDE......................$325
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LEGALS: Legislatures liking news websites
Continued from Page 1 authorize news websites to distribute public notice are underway in Virginia and Indiana. Virginia Virginia HB-264/ SB-157 allows onlineonly news publications to compete with official newspapers for the opportunity to run public notices if they meet a rigorous set of qualifications, including a dedicated domain name, a local news staff and regularly updated local news coverage. Their license to serve as official publications also must be approved and certified annually by a local circuit court.
The legislation is supported by the Virginia Press Association, which for the past several years had helped defeat bills authorizing local news websites to provide official notice. VPA concluded it needed to come to the table this session or lose control of the process, says VPA Executive Director Betsy Edwards. “We had run out of ways to say no,” she says, noting the bill’s Democratic sponsor promised to make its passage a priority this session. His threat was bolstered when his party took back control of the House in the state’s 2023 election and he was ap-
pointed chairman of the committee that would initially consider the bill. “Our overriding goal was to allow local news sites to publish notices,” explains Edwards. “Newspapers will still publish ninety-five percent of them, but as long as the news sites meet the strict parameters in the bill – we’re OK with them competing for the rest.”
Indiana Indiana HB-1204 authorizes some newspaper websites and e-editions to provide notice in lieu of print newspapers. It passed the House unanimously and was immediately referred to the Senate. It allows govern-
ment units to post notices in the e-editions of official newspapers published in print less than four times per week, and in the eeditions or on the websites of papers published fewer than three times per week. The bill also incentivizes those in the latter cohort that don’t have a website to get one, since it authorizes local governments in those jurisdictions to post notices on their own website if there isn’t a qualified newspaper website on which to publish them. The Indiana Senate is considering a different measure easing eligibility requirements for official newspapers while increasing circulation minimums.
Tennessee In Tennessee, a localnews-website bill was introduced last week that has the virtue of maintaining existing newspaper notice. HB-2114/SB-2317 requires notices that must be published in newspapers to also be published “on a news and information website, if available.” To qualify, such websites must be headquartered in the county of jurisdiction and report “news of general interest to the community” that is updated at least once a week. South Dakota The South Dakota Legislature is close to passing one bill allowing
free-circulation newspapers to qualify to publish notices and another that automatically raises public notice rates each year to keep pace with inflation. SB-75 requires free newspapers to maintain a minimum of 200 paid online subscribers and a print circulation of at least 500 copies to be considered official. They are also required to publish an annual independent audit verifying their print and online circulations. The South Dakota NewsMedia Association opposed a similar bill last year but agreed to support it this year when the audit amendment was added.
Building Healthier Communities Local newspapers are working to provide access to high quality news coverage. Local dentists are working to provide access to high quality oral health care. We’re both working to build a stronger community. Thank you for everything you do.
wsda.org 6 The Washington Newspaper February 2024
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JOB BOARD COMMUNITY EDITOR AND LEADER If you have a love for community journalism and are excited about an opportunity to make a difference in rural Western Washington communities, you may have a future with our company. In anticipation of retirements, we are planning ahead and seeking the next generation of journalists to provide reporting and editorial leadership in the communities we serve in Southwest Washington. Your love for the laidback lifestyle and an understanding of the challenges and opportunities offered by smaller rural communities is key to being a part of a team that is the trusted, dedicated news source in
our regions. Reporters with a desire to be an editor are encouraged to respond. DeVaul Publishing Inc. is a family of six award winning, engaged publications in Southwest Washington with more than 35 years of experience in our communities. Send a letter of interest and resume to Frank DeVaul at fdevaul@ devaulpublishing.com.
two weekly community papers, lifestyle and business magazines, and several specialty publications. As an established community leader, The World frequently hosts topical town halls, a wine and food festival, and dedicates itself to sponsoring a range of community initiatives every year. As publisher, you’ll be responsible for oversight of the entire business, PUBLISHER including editorial, Wick Communications advertising, circulation is seeking a publisher and a robust commercial to lead The Wenatchee printing facility — and World, a storied you’ll be only the sixth multimedia news titled publisher over the operation in the heart of past 100 years. central Washington. We’re looking for The Wenatchee World a strong leader with strives to inform daily experience increasing through a comprehensive top line revenue and suite of digital channels, EBITDA, implementing a three-day newspaper, innovative digital
WITH OVER 60 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, WE KNOW JOURNALISM. From public records to protecting journalists, from defamation claims to business needs, large and small Washington publishers turn to us.
DWT.COM Anchorage | Bellevue | Los Angeles | New York | Portland San Francisco | Seattle | Shanghai | Washington, D.C.
8 The Washington Newspaper February 2024
strategies, diversifying revenue streams, leading a cohesive management team and participating in strategic planning. Experience managing a production facility is preferred. The ideal candidate will be comfortable coaching sales staff, engaging daily with local business leaders and advocating for local journalism. Wenatchee is a beautiful small city at the foot of the Cascade Mountains in the center of Washington State, a few-hours drive from both Seattle and Spokane. Ranked as one of the best places to retire by Forbes, you’ll experience unparalleled beauty and economic diversity. Known as the Apple Capital of the World for its robust
agriculture industry, Wenatchee is near many outdoor recreation opportunities. It’s an area rich with opportunities for impactful news coverage and effective advertising development. Wenatchee is the area’s healthcare and retail hub, and the seat for many municipal and regional services. We offer competitive pay, 401K retirement plan, vacation, and a top-notch major medical plan and we provide relocation assistance. Compensation will be commensurate with your experience. The Wenatchee World is a division of Wick Communications, a third-generation familyowned media business. We are an equal opportunity employer. Please send a resume
and cover letter to wendee.grinde@ wickcommunications. com. ASSOCIATE EDITOR Award winning community newspaper in beautiful Pend Oreille County, Wash., is looking for an associate editor. We’re located in Newport, Wash., on the Washington/Idaho border, in the very Northeast corner of Washington. The perfect candidate is an experienced reporter/editor. That experience can be from either a journalism degree or work in the field, or both. Knowledge of AP style and competency in photography is required. InDesign/Photoshop knowledge and layout Continued on Page 9
Continued from Page 8 experience desired, but not required. We want you to learn our community, gain institutional knowledge of our beats, and be a long-term member of our team. Come join our team and make a positive difference in the world. Email resume, cover letter and writing samples to michellenewportminer@ gmail.com.
What happens to your archives when newspapers consolidate? Sometimes the selling publisher will retain ownership, sometimes the archives are passed on to the new owners. In either case, it is important that all parties agree and understand what is going to happen with the bound, loose or microfilm archives.
Historical stakeholders will continue your stewardship!
Upload your legal ads to our statewide website
There’s no downside to scanning your newspaper's archive but there is a singular hurdle so daunting that most publishers simply cannot foresee any way to overcome it – cost. Luckily, there are organizations determined to help. ArchiveInABox works with historical societies and museums who can provide funding to digitize and index small-town newspapers, while publisher retains all ownership and rights.
ArchiveInABox can help you: Carry on Stewardship Mission Maintain Ownership of Copyrights Digitize Archives for Community Access
ArchiveInABox.com
More that a decade ago, WNPA, in partnership with Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington, established a statewide legals website after some legislators began discussing moving legal advertising from printed newspapers to a statewide website. WNPA and Allied told state legislators that the newspapers of Washington would create their own statewide website at no cost to the state if legislators left in place that requirement that legals continue to appear first in print in the state’s newspapers. WNPA members believe it is imperative newspapers remain the primary provider of vital government information. That’s why it asks all newspapers in the state of Washington to upload their legal advertisements to this statewide site. To keep legals in print, newspapers statewide need to consistently upload their legal advertisements to the site. Questions? Email execdirector@wnpa.com.
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