The Washington Newspaper, April 2023

TWN THE WASHINGTON NEWSPAPER

April 2023

Journal of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association

B&O tax break for newspapers passes Senate

Amendments alter HB 1533; journalism fellowship proposed

Washington State newspapers will not pay any Business and Occupation tax for the next 10 years under a bill sailing toward approval in the state Legislature.

“The Business and Occupations Tax rate for newspapers will be 0% if this passes and is signed into law,” said Rowland Thompson, Executive Director of Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington.

Senate Bill 5199 was proposed by state Sen. Mark Mullet, D-Issaquah, at the behest of Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson. It was approved by the Senate April 3 with only one senator voting no.

“I know we all agree that local journalism plays a critical and unique role in the fabric of our society. It provides jobs in every county of our state. It also serves an important function in protecting our democracy,” Ferguson said at a recent hearing.

Addiction coverage help Page 3

HB 1533

Another piece of legislation watched closely by open government advocates is HB 1533. It was presented as a way to help shield victims of harassment and domestic violence, but it did this by allowing state employees to file an affidavit claiming they could be harassed and have their name, job title and other information kept secret. The bill was amended significantly, thanks to Thompson and Attorney Kathy George, a board member of the Washington Coalition for Open Government.

The amended version allows the news media to bypass the exemption, so wrongdoers can still be investigated and exposed.

It also requires agency directors to confirm that the employee invoking the exemption has identified the allegedly threatening person

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Newspaper contest site is open

Our Better Newspaper Contest site opened on April 1 and the deadline for regular entries is May 1. So, if you haven’t started entering yet, you are way behind the curve. The good news is tourism guides published in 2023 can be entered up to June 1.

If you got your rules early, you might check the General Excellence dates you have. They were inititally a little wonky but correct now on wnpa.com.

For General Excellence, you should enter editions from the weeks starting April 24 and Aug. 14, 2022. The third edition can be from any time within the contest period.

There is a lot that is new in this year’s contest.

We’ve added some fun new advertising categories: Ads featuring animals, romantic ads, ads celebrating where you live & arts and entertainment ads. And for those people who labor over the classified pages, there’s a way you can enter this year, too. Check out the rules for entering your classified pages. Obituary pages also get their own category this year.

For those of you who judge entries for Montana this year, we will apply your judging credits and let you know the final bill.

The contest rules are at wnpa.com. Just click on the

homepage tile and that will take to the rules page, where you can download the appropriate rules.

We especially urge you to enter a community service project you worked on in the last year. We are interested in projects that made a real and measurable impact in your community.

The awards will be presented Oct. 7 at our annual convention, held this year in Kennewick, WA.

We had a great crowd last year with our first post pandemic meeting, and it was a real treat to see everyone again.

We are looking forward to celebrating your best work!

Michael Dashiell of the Sequim Gazette took first place in a feature photo category for this photo of starling chicks waiting on some dinner. Our 2023 contest is now open for entries. Go to WNPA’s website and click on the home page tile to get the contest rules. Deadline for regular entries is May 1.

LAWS: Fellowship program proposed to help newspapers

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or provided some documentation of a harassment, assault or stalking allegation like a police report or court record making pure fabrication less likely.

Finally, the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee is charged with reporting on how the exemption affects employee safety as well as public accountability.

A late floor amendment, however, makes the change applicable not just to state employees, but all public employees subject to the Public Records Act. Debate over this provision continues.

FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

Another encouraging proposal making its way through the Legislature is the creation of a journalism fellowship program.

The Senate’s pro -

posed budget includes a line earmarking $2.4 million of the state’s workforce education funding for “the development and operation of a journalism fellowship program focused on civic affairs.”

The program was proposed by Sen. Karen Keiser. The idea is to train workers, support higher education journalism programs and help fill gaps in local reporting created by the decline of local news organizations.

The legislation does not specify how the program would work. All of that is to be worked out at Washington State University where an advisory group will be convened.

Passage at this date is not guaranteed, but the idea is getting some traction in budget talks.

Bracing for some fallout after poll drew more than expected response

By Michelle C. Nedved

businesses that are here?”

Officers: Michelle Nedved, President; Sean Flaherty, 1st Vice President; Steve Powell, Past President; Trustees: Roger Harnack, Teresa Myers, Rudi Alcott, Matt Winters, Ron Judd 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: fredobee@wnpa.com

Janay Collins, Member Services Director: 360-344-2938. Email: ads@wnpa.com

The

Pend Oreille County Economic Development Council

is a hot topic as of late for anyone who is paying attention … and thanks to Facebook, for those who aren’t.

One of our three county commissioners recognizes that the EDC isn’t very effective and has little to show for itself after 20-plus years of existence. His opinion is not shared by the other two county commissioners, or by anyone on the EDC board of directors. The board is comprised of people from various entities around the county including the tribe, the hospital, the school district, large employers, and a former city official (who was fired as city administrator and has since moved out of the county but for some reason still holds the treasurer seat).

We ask our readers to suggest online readers polls and in a very rare occurrence, we got one. “Do you think the Pend Oreille County EDC is effective at recruiting businesses to the county and retaining

Most weeks we ask questions about national or global news. I like to think of it as a historical record of what’s happening around the world as our content is hyper focused on what’s happening within our counties. We usually get between 25 and 50 responses. Sometimes we get in the 80s, if it’s a really juicy question.

Last week with the EDC question, we got 254 responses, with 80 percent of voters saying “Yes, the EDC has been effective both in marketing the county and supporting businesses.”

We heard that a local woman had posted on her personal Facebook page that The Miner had a vendetta against the EDC director and we wanted her to lose her job.

Well, that’s news to me.

She linked our readers poll to her post and asked her friends to vote “yes” on our readers poll. Viola. Inflated readers poll responses from a lot of people who probably don’t know what the EDC is or does, but who happen to be friends with this Facebooker and/or the EDC director.

We’ve been working on an editorial for a while now that will agree with the sole county commissioner who thinks the EDC should be dissolved, or at least moved completely under the direction of the county, rather than remain the quasi-county entity that gobbles up

time, energy and money with little return on investment.

It’s an important message that we feel strongly about. But we know what will happen. The barrage of readers who want to cancel their subscription, the online chatter about what vindictive, horrible people we are who hate powerful women (that’s my favorite), and possible threats from all those entities represented on the EDC board to pull their advertising.

Obviously, we don’t have anything against the EDC director personally. She’s a very nice person. Even sillier is the assertion that we don’t want to see female leaders. But the newspaper has a vested interest in economic development and our county is dying if something drastic doesn’t happen. Our only objective is to encourage the county to do better when it comes to economic development.

So, wish us luck. (Seems like I’m asking for that a lot lately.) And if you’ve written unpopular but necessary editorials, I’d love to hear about them. Drop me a line or give me a call. 509-4472433, michellenewportminer@ gmail.com

Michelle Nedved is Publisher of the Newport Miner and this year’s WNPA President.

Nominations open for two big 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. 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.

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 editing, managing and/or publishing a newspaper which is a member in good standing of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association.

To nominate someone, send us a short essay describing why your nominee should win. Deadline for submission is July 1, 2023.

Get help reporting on addiction

By Ashton Marra Newsrooms

covering the complexities of addiction in their communities can get help online.

At Reporting on Addiction, journalists are creating resources and training materials to help support newsrooms covering addiction while reducing unintentional stigma in journalism that can result in barriers to treatment and recovery resources.

Today, one of the biggest challenges facing newsrooms is covering the settlement funds being distributed to state, county and municipal governments from lawsuits brought against opioid manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies. It is a reporter’s responsibility to hold government leaders accountable when spending these funds, but this is an incredibly difficult story to tell.

That’s why Reporting on Addiction is launching a newsletter series and a Slack channel designed to help local journalists report on the settlement funds from national opioid prescription lawsuits.

The newsletter series will provide some brief background and history on these lawsuits, but will largely focus on the questions people should be asking about how that money will be spent. The intent is to connect reporters with experts in the addiction science and medicine spaces who can help them hold government officials accountable, and provide story ideas they can pursue today and in the future. Upcoming trainings and webinars are planned to make sure everyone is prepared to cover every twist and turn in this unfolding story.

The Slack channel is a place where local journalists can share resources and story ideas with each other, as well as communicate with our team of experts for assistance in real time. Get a link to s ign up for the Slack team by emailing ashton@100daysinappalachia. com.

Sign up for the series by choosing “Opioid Settlement Series” on the interest checklist at reportingonaddiction.org/newsletter.

Ashton Marra teaches journalism at West Virginia University and is the executive editor of the nonprofit news outlet 100 Days in Appalachia. She’s also the cofounder of the nonprofit journalism training organization Reporting on Addiction.

Podcasts feature Pulitzer Prize winners & more

Reporters and editors who want to improve their reporting by learning from the pros can now log on to WNPA’s podcast site and listen to experts in the field tell how they approach their stories.

The people interviewed there by former publisher and WNPA board member Mike Dillion have incredibile stories to tell.

Les Zaitz, owner and Publisher of the Malheur Enterprise talks about how his staff is redefining how community papers approach reporting.

Eli Sanders, Pulitzer Prize winning writer in Seattle, talks interviewing and narrative writing.

Jacqui Banaszynski, another Pulitzer winner, talks about interviewing and winning trust. Her Pulitzer Prize story followed two gay farmers in the Midwest who contracted AIDS and ultimately died.

There’s lots more, as well. To find the podcasts, go to wnpa.com and click on the podcast tile in the middle of the home page, or search for WNPA on Google podcasts.

Counties, cities have cash for tourism

Regional ads 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.

Now that the pandemic is mainly behind us, people are itching to get out and mingle and community events are once again filling the streets.

But after two years of relative inactivity, extra effort is necessary to let people know your town is open for business and welcoming tourists.

Online advertising is an option, but with ad blocking software and distrust growing over social media, 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

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Ad network:

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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 regionally 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 and $50 direct from WNPA.

• 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 Janay at WNPA by emailing ads@wnpa.com or by calling 360-344-2938.

Improve circulation with Newspapers in Education

If you don’t have a Newspapers in Education program going, it is a good way to introduce young readers to your paper and boost your circulation at the same time. Here is some frequently asked questions on NIE programs that can help you get started.

What qualifies as an NIE copy? For most copies, the basic rule requires that the newspaper be used in a “classroom setting.” That has been defined as grade level kindergarten and above. Day care centers and nursery schools do not qualify as classroom settings. To qualify, an educational program must be accredited by either a state or national govern-

ment. Home schools may qualify if they are accredited.

How much must I charge for an NIE copy?

To count as paid circulation, the newspaper must be paid at least 25% of the base rate for the newspaper. For a single day delivery, the base rate would be the cover price. A single copy rate of $.50 would mean the NIE copy must be paid at a minimum of $.13. ($.50 X .25 rounded up.) For more than one delivery the home delivered rate may be used. Following the example already quoted, the home delivered price might be $.37 so the NIE minimum price would be $.10. ($.37 X .25 rounded up.)

How can school copies be funded? There are many ways the newspaper that is delivered to a classroom may be funded but the rules about third party funding are very precise. Direct sales to schools or teachers do not need any special rules other than setting the basic price as listed above. However, many NIE programs have chosen to solicit funds from third parties so newspapers can be delivered to the schools at no cost to the school. When soliciting funds from others, keep the following in mind:

• All donations to the NIE program must be voluntary and must be above the cost of any good or service that is

involved. Many newspapers add the opportunity to donate to their regular subscription billing provided that the donation to the NIE program is over and above the normal cost of the subscription, is voluntary and is listed separately as a donation. Your current subscribers already believe reading newspapers is important, and so they are some of the best people to ask to support the program.

• Corporate/business sponsors: Sponsor donations must be over and above any other business transaction and must be independent of outside influences. If tied to an advertising contract, the donation must be over and above the regular cost

of advertising and must be voluntary.

• Vacation donation programs: Subscribers going on vacation may donate the money associated with the vacation term to the NIE program, provided the subscriber specifically permitted the money to be donated at the time the subscriber calls in the vacation stop and records are maintained to verify this election.

What about credit balances? Frequently a subscriber’s account may have a credit balance left after delivery of the newspaper has stopped. The customer may have cancelled the newspaper, moved or died. It is acceptable to contact the subscriber, or the estate,

and ask if the money may be donated to the NIE program. The subscriber must be given an opportunity to have the money returned to them. There must be a positive response from the subscriber before the money can be used for NIE. If the subscriber cannot be found then the unrefunded liability laws of Washington determine what happens to the money.

Some commercial services offer content to be used specifically for NIE programs, as supplements to your newspaper and as online websites. An internet search of NIE lesson plans will reveal a number of different sources, free and paid, that provide NIE materials.

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

REPORTER

The Columbia Basin Herald is looking for a general assignment reporter to join the editorial team at our daily newspaper. We print the paper daily, Monday through Friday and have a variety of special publications such as magazines, a monthly business journal and a monthly solutions journalism insert in the daily paper.

This position serves Grant and Adams counties in Central Washington’s shrub-steppe area from Grand Coulee Dam to Moses Lake, Othello and Ritzville.

This position allows the reporter to cover a wide variety of topics including local government at the city and county levels, outdoor recreation, education, agriculture, the tech industry, economic development, lifestyle

and – for those so inclined – sports.

Successful candidates must be familiar with AP style and be excellent verbal and written communicators. They must also have strong journalism ethics and news judgment. A positive attitude is preferred. Other preferences include:

Skill in layout, photography, the ability to participate in podcasts and online broadcasts are desired.

Benefits include health insurance, dental & vision insurance, a health savings account, 401k w/match, employee assistance program ;and paid time off.

To apply, please email your resume, cover letter and three examples of published work to editor@ columbiabasinherald.com. The subject line of the email should read: General Assignment Reporter.

REPORTER

The Wenatchee World is seeking a full-time education reporter.You will report on school events, board meetings and stories that develop out of those meetings, as well as enterprise stories and features.

Qualifications include: a journalism degree or journalism experience; bilingual in Spanish/English a plus; photo/video skills are a big plus; an understanding of journalistic ethics; knowledge of AP style and the ability to produce clean copy; and must be able to work a flexible schedule that includes occasional nights and weekends.

To apply, send a cover letter, resume and clip links to Managing Editor Nancy Niles at niles@wenatcheeworld.com

REPORTER

The Centralia Chronicle is looking for a re-

porter to join its growing newsroom.The Chronicle publishes robust print editions three times a week and maintains a daily presence at chronline.com.

Each of our journalists carry out general assignment duties as needed, but this position will have a focus on local government and the state Legislature.

The Chronicle is a family-owned newspaper with owners who are present and supportive of the efforts of the newsroom.

For this position, The Chronicle is looking for an experienced journalist but will consider recent graduates with quality writing samples and references.

To be considered, send a short cover letter, resume and references to Editor-in-Chief Eric Schwartz at eschwartz@ chronline.com. Feel free to email with questions about the position.

CT Publishing, owner of The Chronicle, Nisqually Valley News and The Reflector, offers health insurance, dental insurance and other benefits. Reporters are reim-

bursed for their mileage. The rate of pay generally ranges from $16 to $20 an hour.

SALES MANAGER

The Port Townsend Leader is looking for an experienced Advertising Sales Manager who will work directly with business executives to ensure that their revenues grow with us. What does that mean?

• Evaluate new business models and corporate relationships.

• Negotiate complex business models, partnerships, transactions, and other commercial agreements.

• Identify and target attainable opportunities in the market.

• Clearly define company goals and long-term strategy.

• Examine the profitability of each product, business location, and line of business in order to redirect resources.

• Utilize skills in sales management to lead decision makers in change processes.

• Develop methods for motivating and inspiring

stakeholders.

• Leverage professional networks to attain critical resources.

Base hourly wage of $17 plus commission. A qualified candidate should expect to earn in excess of $70,000. Contact Lloyd Mullen at (360)385- 2900 or lloyd@ptleader.com

REPORTER

The Newport Miner, an award winning community newspaper in beautiful Pend Oreille County, Wash., is looking for a general assignment reporter with room to grow. We’re located in Newport, Wash., on the Washington/Idaho border, in the very Northeast corner of Washington. Beautiful area with lots of outdoor recreation opportunities. An hour from Spokane, Newport is a quaint, tight knit community with lots going on. We cover two counties, four school districts, five cities, two states and a plethora of community events and organizations.

We provide flexible hours and a 401k and health insurance stipend.

Knowledge of AP

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Style, journalism experience/education, competency in photography are required. InDesign/Photoshop knowledge and layout experience desired, but not required.

We believe in accurate, reliable journalism and focus solely on our local communities.

Come join our team and make a positive difference in the world.

Email resume, cover letter and writing samples to michellenewportminer@ gmail.com.

MULTI-MEDIA SALES

Sound Publishing, Inc. is looking for self-motivated, results-driven people interested in a multi-media sales career.The position is responsible for print and digital advertising sales to an eclectic and exciting group of clients in the North Kitsap County area.

Candidates will be engaging and goal-oriented, with good organizational skills, and will have the ability to grow and maintain strong business relationships through consultative sales and excellent customer service. Professional sales experience necessary; media experience is a definite asset but not mandatory.

This position is required to travel within Kitsap County. The office is located on Bainbridge Island. We offer: An annual salary of 35k, with the ability to earn up to 50-60k total on average through commission; a benefits package including health insurance, paid sick, vacation, and holidays; and 401k with employer match.

Please send your cover letter including salary requirements and resume to careers@soundpublishing.com with a subject line of ATTN: KITSAP SALES.