The Washington Newspaper, May 2020

TWN

THE WASHINGTON NEWSPAPER

Jerry Jones retires after 55 years in Colfax Page 5

May 2020

Journal of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association

Fall convention cancelled, but contest opens May 11

Newspaper contest fees discounted The WNPA Board of Directors at its spring meeting decided to cancel the fall convention.

Planning for the convention starts early in the year, with a WNPA committee developing ideas for workshops and the overall program and then with staff lining up speakers and nailing down agreements.

The board members agreed it was likely large group meetings will still be discouraged in October and that the staff should not make elaborate plans for a full convention.

The board held open the possibility that if it appears that a meeting is possible, WNPA still could hold a brief business meeting and dinner and awards ceremony in October in Wenatchee. A go or no-go

decision will be on the board’s agenda for the summer meeting on that possibility.

The bylaws do require a general membership meeting in October. If the membership is unable to gather in person, all members will be invited to a online meeting to elect officers and conduct any necessary business of the association.

WNPA will, however, go forward with the Better Newspaper Contest. The BNC site opens May 11 for entries. You won’t have as long this year to enter, however.

The contest closes June 5.

Recognizing that these are difficult times for newspapers, the board agreed to a sliding scale for entries, with the price per entry getting smaller as the number of entries increase.

Newspapers entering up to seven entries get a 10% discount; eight to 20 entries get a 20% discount; 21 to 49 entries get a 30% discount and papers entering 50 entries or more will get a 50% discount off their entry fees.

In addition, newspapers have credits for judging two newspaper contests and those will be applied to entries.

Between the judging credits and the discounts, this will be the most affordable year to enter, and we hope WNPA members will take advantage of the deal and keep this important tradition alive.

Rules for the contest, and a list of credits available are all online at wnpa.com. Just click on the home page contest tile to get started.

Time for subscription drive?

Many readers ready to help One bright spot for newspapers in the COVID-19 crisis is the fact that newspaper readers in Washington State and across the nation are stepping up to support their local papers.

Among WNPA members with free distribution, several say

asking for donations has proven to be very effective.

In some cases, publishers have netted five figure returns, with many hundreds of readers chipping in on average a little over $40 a piece.

In recent interviews, Seattle Times executives said they are

now getting 60 percent of their revenues from subscriptions, something almost unheard of even a decade ago when newspapers typically saw subscriptions bringing in around 20 percent of total revenues.

See READERS, Page 2

Gov. Jay Inslee announced a measured reopening of businesses, but warned restrictions could tighten if virus infections spike.

State eases into re-opening; newspapers cling to survival Gov. Jay Inslee’s four-phase plan to reopen the state has begun, but officials warn restrictions could tighten if there is a spike in new coronavirus infections.

The state is currently in Phase 1, which includes opening drive-in spiritual services with one household per vehicle, auto/RV/boat/ORV sales, retail open for curb-side pick-up orders, car washes, landscaping, and pet walking.

Businesses may only re-

open when they are able to fully comply with the industryspecific requirements that will be issued no later than May 15, 2020. The Business and Worker page on coronavirus. wa.gov will be updated with guidance as it is released.

Under the governor’s plan, smaller counties can apply for a variance, which would allow them to open more businesses than allowed statewide. Safe Start allows for modifications See SHUTDOWN, Page 6

READERS: Asking community to help

Continued from Page 1 National press associations also report that newspapers are increasingly turning to subscriptions to cover losses from the decline in advertising.

Given all of that, many are asking if this might be a great time to run a subscription drive, allowing readers to subscribe for two years or more.

Such a drive would bring in much-needed revenue, and it appears newspaper readers are willing to help out.

“Our income from subscriptions has risen more than 90%, although, admittedly, it wasn’t much to start with, it’s not pocket change now, either,” said Paul Archipley, publisher of the Edmonds and Mukilteo Beacon publications.

“We’re also asking readers to step up with contributions, which is

helping, too. Checks often come with notes of encouragement. It’s heartwarming to have that kind of support.”

Although publishers have sometimes worried about offering too many long-term, two or three year subscriptions, to some consumers this may be just the incentive they need to help support their local paper and assure that their costs won’t go up in the years to come.

Publishers don’t need to worry about there not being money next year coming in from renewals or new subscriptions. Unless you already reach 100 percent of households with paid subscriptions, there is always another group ready to consider a subscription offer.

Subscription drives can be a big help right now when money from advertising is scarce.

Officers: Patrick Grubb, President; Caralyn Bess, First Vice President; Steve Powell, Second Vice President.

Trustees: Roger Harnack, Scott Hunter, Teresa Myers, Pili Linares, Eric LaFontaine and Michelle Nedved.

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: 360-344-2938 Email: fredobee@wnpa.com Janay Collins, Member Services Director: 360-344-2938. Email: ads@wnpa.com 2 The Washington Newspaper April 2020

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Pandemic so unreal it seems like we are all characters in a movie

By Patrick Grubb Sometimes I feel like I’m a character in a movie. This whole pandemic thing seems unreal, it’s hard to wrap your head around it.

Back in mid-March, when things hit the fan, we started running a campaign asking readers for financial support. Our newspaper is totally dependent on advertising – it pays for our staff, it pays for Grubb the printing, it pays for everything. It also pays for mailing the newspaper to every home in our zip code as we’ve done for the past 25 years.

The support we have received has been tremendous – we have received 798 contributions as of May 6 and checks continue to roll in and have enabled us to keep publishing every week. But what has really rocked us are the comments readers have made about the newspaper. (These have been posted on thenorthernlight.com home-page.)

If we had any doubts about the value of our newspaper to this community, they’ve evaporated. In fact, we feel like Sally Field when it comes to our readers -- they like us, they really like us!

Like the rest of you, we have been aggressive in going after funding such as the Payroll Protection Program, the $10,000 state commerce grant, the Facebook $100 million journalism support program as well as Google’s initiative. While we were successful in obtaining PPP monies, the rest of the programs make me feel like Cuba Goodings’ character in Jerry Maguire: “Show me the money!”

We were told by the local economic development committee that our company could expect to hear something in four to six weeks. Four to six weeks? For Facebook, our application was the 248th received on the first morning – it’s still listed as “in progress” six weeks after the program was announced and almost a month after the application process closed. We got the Google application in on the first morning as well and have heard nothing since.

It’s clear that these organizations realize the perilous state that local journalism is in; otherwise, they wouldn’t have created the programs. Why, though, have they not recognized how urgently publishers need that help? Facebook originally said that they would be issuing grants on a rolling basis; now they say grants will be announced “in May.” I hope we’re all here when they get around to it. Google? Not

a word.

Show me the money!

As for PPP – in order for the loan to be forgiven, 75 percent of it has to be spent on payroll in the eight weeks since it was disbursed.

For us, that date will be June 5.

What happens next? Does Congress believe everything will be back to normal and we won’t need further help?

Separately, WNPA executive director Fred Obee has asked member newspapers to contact their members of Congress and urge them to renew PPP and to change the allowable expenses for newspapers. If there ever was a time to put pressure on our representatives, this is it. Do it soon and do it often.

Finally, the WNPA board and management would like to know how you are faring in this new world. Drop Fred a line and tell him what’s working, what’s not and your thoughts on the future.

Stay healthy!

Newsflash: Just got this right now from Facebook: “We had several times more applications than we could fulfill, and I (sic) sorry to share the news that we were unable to grant your request.”

Patrick Grubb is the publisher of The Northern Light in Blaine and this year’s WNPA President.

Shopping survey webinar now online!

In case you missed it, a recording of the Pulse Research/WNPA webinar on using the recent COVID-19 Shopping Impact Survey webinar is available online at: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=eH0VC0KhjEo&t=11s Pulse asked Washington State newspaper readers what they were planning to buy in the next few months and over 4,500 Washington newspaper readers and web site visitors responded.

In the recording, John Marling shares specific recommendations on how to use the shopping information with local advertisers and businesses.

Pulse also gives you tools to create sales sheets and talking points for sales calls. There’s even a tool for keeping track of your calls and followups.

For people working at home without the support of graphic artists and others, the Pulse tools

are really helpful.

The tools use information from the survey to let your advertisers know how many people in your community are likely to be looking for certain products in the months ahead.

The survey revealed shoppers are concerned about local businesses, wonder how they are faring during the shutdown and what their plans are for re-opening.

Sounds like a great ad campaign.

Free Press Publishing adds titles to holdings CHENEY — Free Press Publishing has acquired two more publications less than a month after a third acquisition.

The Cheney-based community newspaper company purchased the Whitman County Gazette and Colfax Daily Bulletin, effective March 1.

The purchase follows the acquisition of the Odessa Record on Feb. 15.

The Whitman County Gazette and Colfax Daily Bulletin had been owned

by Gordon Forgey since 2001, which he published since 1985.

“We’re excited that the Whitman

Harnack County Gazette and Daily Bulletin have joined our family of Eastern Washington newspapers,” Publisher Roger Harnack said.

“The newspaper and its outstanding staff are a good fit.”

“By clustering with other newspapers,

the Colfax-based publication will benefit from economies of scale,” Harnack said.

“That is expected to help boost digital and other advertising and readership products available in Whitman County.”

Harnack credited Forgey for putting together a top-notch staff that continues to thrive and represent the community, despite the downturn of much larger publications in metropolitan areas.

Forgey said the sale was a good fit.

“They know the region and the people,” he said. “Most important, they know the value

of local, independent news.”

“Community newspapers are not dead, as demonstrated by the Gazette,” Harnack said.

“We’re excited about the future of local media in our part of the world.”

The Gazette is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Washington state.

A type tray hanging in the newspaper office shows the location as “Colfax, WT,” or Colfax, Washington Territory.

Indeed, the newspaper has been published since 1877 — 22 years prior to statehood.

In February, Free Press Publishing acquired the Odessa

Record from Terrie Schmidt-Crosby.

The acquisitions make Free Press Publishing the largest community news organization east of the Cascades.

The company serves approximately 33,000 homes with its newspapers and shoppers — Cheney Free Press, Colfax Daily Bulletin, Davenport Times, Fairchild Extra, Odessa Record, Ritzville Adams County Journal, Spokane Valley News Herald, West Plains Extra and Whitman County Gazette.

Most of the publications serve small wheat farming communities, and three

are the newspapers of record in their counties.

The Cheney Free Press and Whitman County Gazette newspapers also serve the Eastern Washington University and Washington State University areas, respectively. And the Fairchild Extra serves Fairchild Air Force Base, just west of Airway Heights.

Due to the recent growth of the company, Free Press has moved its Ritzville newspaper from a Thursday publication to Wednesday to give in-house press and mailroom staff necessary time to make strict U.S. Postal Service deadlines.

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.

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The Washington Newspaper April 2020 3

Look to WNPA Impact Ads for 2021 tourism Selling statewide or regional 2x2 or 2x4 Impact Ads is a big part of what helps fund your Washington Newspaper Publishers Association, and it’s a great option for advertisers seeking broader reach for their messages.

It also is a perfect match for hotel-motel tax funds distributed annually by cities and counties to local non-profit groups. If you have not already, you should ask your city and county governments (each has separate funds) for a report on where the hotelmotel tax money is going.

In most cases, the non-profit organizations that receive this money are supposed to spend it in outside markets that will draw people to your town.

Although most of us are quarantined right now, at some point we will get back to community gatherings. If anything, people will be itching to get out next spring and summer and these ad dollars are often planned a year ahead of time. It’s not too early to check on plans for 2021.

WNPA ads are a perfect match for boosting community events because you can choose to advertise regionally or

statewide.

Here’s how it works: • You sell the ad to a local non-profit organization to bolster tourism.

• 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 sales person 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 cost to the client affordable by asking all member newspapers to publish the ads sold by other newspapers without cost.

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,

The map above shows the regions for Impact Ads. Sell the whole state, or choose a region.

4 The Washington Newspaper April 2020

but there is no guarantee of this.

The ads are small – just two columns wide by either two or four inches tall. One column by four or eight inches are also OK. They

need to be produced in two different widths, to accommodate different column widths.

So talk with local chambers or festival organizers or others who receive hotel-

motel tax money from local governments, and let’s start planning our comeback.

The WNPA 2x2 ad program is an important arrow in your sales quiver and a great way for advertisers in

your area to reach a broader audience at a very affordable price. Questions? Call Member Services Director Janay Collins at 360-3442938 or email ads@wnpa. com.

Jones retires after 55 years on the beat in Whitman County

By Jana Mathia Editor Whitman County Gazette In June 1965, newlyhired reporter Jerry Jones went to cover his first City Council meeting.

“Here we go again,” he would think every June thereafter when he would sit down to cover yet another meeting.

Jones won’t be thinking that this year as health issues have forced him to retire after 55 years covering the news, sports and crime in Colfax and Whitman County.

After graduating from Central Valley High School in 1960 in the present day city of Spokane Valley, Jones deferred being drafted by going to college at the University of Washington. He graduated from UW in 1964 and went with some friends to New York City to attend the World’s Fair. While there he scouted for a job and worked for the New York Times as a copy boy.

The draft caught up with him and he moved back to Washington and joined the Coast Guard reserve. He served active duty for six months before getting back to normal life and started job hunting, Jones landed at the Colfax Gazette, the announcement of his hiring running in the June 24, 1965, issue. He was hired by publisher Bill Wilmont. In 1976 he married a Colfax school teacher, Peggy Larson.

They were married in a house on E. Wawawai Street where Jones still lives to this day. They had two sons, Pete and Hugh.

When Jones started working at the paper, he wrote his stories on a typewriter and turned it

Jerry Jones, went to work in Colfax in 1965 and stayed there his entire career. over to a typesetter who kinds all over the county. used punchtape to key “It’s amazing when the story into a linotype you think back on all the machine which used hot schools and school teams lead to make the type for that have consolidated,” the story. The linotype was he said. used for the stories, but The development and the headlines and ads were advancement of girls still set by hand. Then the sports was one of the big paper was printed in the things he saw over the office. years.

“It took a lot of time He has seen the children and a lot of noise,” Jones and grandchildren of some recalled. of those early athletes on One of the first big the sports rosters now; stories Jones worked on high school athletes have was about the families become coaches and and orchards on the Snake supporters.

River that were about With all the sports he’s to be flooded out due to covered, Jones is often the construction of Little asked if he remembers a Goose Dam. certain game or title.

One of the beats Jones “You remember kids has covered over the years more, just by their has been county high character,” he said. He school sports. Depending remembers how they on how far teams made it played and progressed at the regional and state more than any particular levels, he would cover game, no matter how big.

100 sporting events a year, Getting pictures at the covering a lot of miles games has been one of going to games of all the big changes he has

seen. At the beginning of was also active in Rotary, his career he would come Whitman County Historical back to the office with 15 Society, Colfax Arts to 20 frames of pictures to Council and Boy Scouts. choose from.

Through family health “Now you can’t even struggles, including look at them all,” he said his own stroke, and the of digital photography. loss of Peggy in 2019, Other beats Jones has he continued covering consistently covered have the news of Colfax and been records and courts or Whitman County for the crime news.

Gazette and Colfax Daily “That got kinda boring Bulletin. While he never after a while,” he said claimed to be an artist, he of the criminal cases. came up with Patience While there were some Palouse, the pink cow that is interesting cases, most of now a feature at the Palouse the time it was the same Empire Fair. He attempted scenario repeated, just to teach some journalism with different names. to the many reporters who Jones became known have circulated through the as “Scoop” as he covered office.

Colfax over the decades.

Maintaining the Daily He saw the Gazette Bulletin kept Jones sold four or five times; walking the streets of went from typewriter to Colfax, making the trip computer, lead to digital. from the Gazette office With the heavy use to the county courthouse of social media, he said and city hall. After a he is concerned for the couple weeks of suffering future as people don’t read a cough and cold which the newspaper like they was making it hard for used to. He would have him to walk around town people telling him about a and breathe, Jones took scoop they saw on social advantage of a day off media and he had written from the Bulletin to see about the story two weeks the doctor on Presidents’ earlier.

Day. That doctor brought Overxthe years Jones inFont another and 30 the next 3.5” 2.5” | Maximum Size: pt

thing he knew was he was being Life Flighted up to Deaconess Hospital in Spokane. He was released after three days, but he knew he had to call it quits at the paper as he just didn’t have the energy to keep up.

Even retired, people still think of him as Scoop. When the Fonk’s building was on fire, Jones went to the scene to check it out. While there, three people told him where a good place to take a picture would be. Jones chuckled and added they didn’t even notice he wasn’t carrying a camera.

Jones plans to move to Shelton to live closer to his sons who are both there.

“It’s funny, you start out on something and don’t think it will end like this,” he said.

Jones was awarded the Silver Helmet Award in 2011. It was given by the Washington State Football Coaches Association for his continued, dedicated service to rural county high school football coverage.

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The Washington Newspaper April 2020 5

Shutdown: Rules change, papers struggle to adapt Continued from Page 1 of business closures and physical distancing measures while minimizing the health impacts of COVID-19.

John Wiesman, secretary of the state’s Department of Health, said that Phase 2 of the process could begin June 1.

Stay-at-home orders will remain. Small gatherings of five or fewer people would be allowed and barbershops, hair salons, pet groomers, real estate transactions, and restaurants at half capacity could begin operation.

If you haven’t yet reached out to your congressional representatives, please do it now. Let them know how they can help preserve trusted local news sources for their constituents.

WNPA PAPERS STRUGGLE As most busineses remain shuttered, newspaper across the state continue to struggle.

Paul Archipley at the Beacon newspapers in Mukilteo and Edmonds, said he has temporarilty cut print editions to twice a month, rather than weekly and greatly PPP UPDATES stepped up a web Meanwhile the presence, offering limited federal government is access to their websites still modifying rules for unless readers subscribe, the Payment Protection and he’s getting a good Plan program that many response from readers.

WNPA members applied “I hope my fellow for. publishers are having It now appears busisome luck, too, and nesses will not be penalencourage them to hang ized if laid off employees in there. What we do is decline to return to work. important,” Archipley To qualify for this said. exception, the borrower WNPA President must have made a good Patrick Grubb reports faith, written offer of rehis call for donations to hire, and the employee’s keep his free-distribution rejection of that offer newspaper afloat has must be documented by had outstanding results the borrower. with hundreds of readers chipping in.

NEW LEGISLATION Last week, Sound A letter signed by 124 Publishing announced Democrats and Repubmore cuts in the second licans advocating for round of cost-cutting new federal funding to since late March, when support local news was the statewide stay-home sent April 29 to House order forced closure of Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Main Street retailers.

Minority Leader Kevin More than a dozen of McCarthy. those laid off worked at This effort, led by U.S. The Daily Herald office Representatives David in Everett in sports, N. Cicilline (RI-01) and photo, circulation and F. James Sensenbrenner sales and on the copy (WI-05), pushes to prodesk. Employees received tect local news publishers severance based on their and broadcasters in the tenure with the company. next COVID-19 relief No local news reporters package. were cut at The Herald.

However, newsroom employees had their hours reduced 20% to 40% last month, and the reduction will remain in effect through at least the end of May. “It’s just been a heart-wrenching month.

This past week was so difficult, saying goodbye

to so many wonderful people,” said Josh O’Connor, president of Sound Publishing.

In recent weeks, the Spokesman-Review in Spokane and the News-Tribune in Tacoma stopped printing Saturday editions. The Stranger in Seattle

suspended its print edition. The Seattle Times avoided potential layoffs, for now, with a federal small business loan.

In the meantime, O’Connor said, the next few weeks are critical, and he is hopeful Gov. Jay Inslee keeps an eye on

protecting public health and shifting gears to getting the economy going.

If the pace is too slow, he said, “we will continue to be in trouble.”

“Every day, every week that goes by it becomes increasingly difficult for businesses to succeed in the future,” he said.

The Washington Newspaper April 2020 6