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THE WASHINGTON NEWSPAPER
Earn $50 direct from WNPA for Impact Ad sales!!!
May 2021
Page 5
Journal of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association
Post Office plan: Slow mail down, & charge more
Contest entries match last year
Idea has serious implications for the newspaper industry By Julia Shurman News Media Alliance The U.S. Postal Service plays an integral part in serving the needs of citizens throughout the nation, delivering letters, newspapers, marketing pieces and packages to individuals and businesses across the country. However, large decreases in mail volume along with a substantial increase in operational costs have led USPS to lose $87 billion over the last 14 years. On March 22, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy unveiled his new ten-year strategic plan for the Postal Service, “Delivering for America,” to tackle the agency’s growing fiscal crisis and position itself for an
increased market share in the package business. The plan will impact all users of the postal system, with clear and potentially serious implications for newspaper publishers that rely on the postal system for newspaper delivery. The 58-page plan outlines strategies to be imposed beginning later this year that will save USPS from a projected $160 billion loss over the next decade. The plan focuses on several initiatives such as reducing air transportation in favor of trucks, shortening post office hours, and integrating the postal retiree health benefits system into Medicare. Meanwhile, See POST OFFICE, Page 5
This photo by Dee Camp of the Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle is one the entries in this year’s Better Newspaper Contest.
For several decades starting in the 1970s, Robinson Newspapers in Seattle employed hundreds and was one of Seattle’s most successful media companies. Jerry Robinson, the patriarch of the familly, built the family business around weekly newspapers serving the residents of Highline, West Seattle, Ballard, Federal Way
and White Center. Jerry Robinson also was very active in WNPA, serving on the board in several roles and becoming president in 1988. On April 30, the last Robinson newspaper closed. In the final edition of Westside Seattle, Jerry’s son Patrick reflected on the career path his father forged.
By Patrick Robinson Some of my earliest memories are of the smell of ink. My father, Jerry Robinson worked for a newspaper and when I was just six months old he bought one. Not because he was rich. He wasn’t. He had four boys and we lived in a modest home up by Top Hat east of White Center. He was smart though
Thanks to everyone who entered this year’s Better Newspaper Contest. We expected something of a dropoff in entries in this pandemic year but in the end we matched the number submitteed last year. You still have time to submit this year’s tourism supplement. The deadline for that is June 1. Because tourism supplements can sometimes be large files, it might be of benefit to dig out that PDF now and reduce it to a manageable size instead of waiting until the last minute. Several members struggled with that last week. Here at WNPA, we say the way to reduce stress is to stay ahead of the curve. Insert smiley emogi here.
Last Robinson newspaper, Westside Seattle, closes its doors and incredibly hard working. He convinced the owner of the paper that he was trustworthy and John Muller made him an offer. He’d sell him the White Center News by letting him pay it off over time. Thus the course of my life was set. Certainly it has been shaped by many things but the core themes of words, images, stories, the relationships found
only in communities and yes the smell of ink are echoing for me now. All my brothers worked at the paper learning every part of the business. We took pictures, wrote stories, sold ads, did interviews, went to meetings, dreamt up promotions, and served as junior ambassadors for our father. See ROBINSON, Page 5
Smith takes on expanded duties on Kitsap Peninsula
Bob Smith, the regional editor of the Port Orchard Independent and Central Kitsap Reporter, has been promoted to executive editor of the Kitsap News Group’s three weekly newspapers and two monthly publications. Smith Smith will continue his role as editor of the Port Orchard weekly newspaper and the monthly CKR. In his new position, Smith will work to expand Kitsap News Group’s coverage of regional news in the Kitsap County communities of Bainbridge Island, Port Orchard and Poulsbo. “I am pleased that Bob agreed to step into this expanded role,” said Terry Ward, Sound Publishing vice president
and regional publisher. “His understanding of issues in Kitsap County will add depth to our news coverage while tackling opinion pieces on issues that matter to residents throughout the county.” The veteran journalist said he will work to broaden coverage of issues impacting Kitsap County residents as the region heads into a period of rapid expansion. Smith was a reporter and editor with the Citizen Newspapers in Bothell after graduating from college, then left the journalism field to eventually become a senior manager of corporate communications with The Boeing Co. and Spirit AeroSystems over a two-decade period. After several years operating his own marketing communications company, Smith joined Sound Publishing in 2015.
Officers: Caralyn Bess, President; Steve Powell, First Vice President; Michelle Nedved, Second Vice President; Patrick Grubb, Past President. Trustees: Roger Harnack, Scott Hunter, Teresa Myers, Rudi Alcott, Sean Flaherty, Eric LaFontaine and Donna Etchey. 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 2 The Washington Newspaper May 2021
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Carry this important message forward: accurate information is a public good By Caralyn Bess Last month I expressed my excitement that we finally moved forward (at least easing restrictions placed on businesses and events to some degree) after more than a year of crippling economic restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic. I also shared that newspapers were hurting long Bess before the pandemic and since we are so closely tied to retail and events on the advertising side of our business, like many local small businesses, many of us have been struggling as we watched the retail and event ad revenues dry up. Many of us have pivoted, applying for PPP and other grants to help balance the budgets allowing us to continue to provide the meaningful, relevant content and telling the stories important to our respective communities. As we enter May…besides it being World Press Freedom Day on May 3rd, many counties were under the threat of being moved back to phase 2…thankful for the pause, but frustrated with the ongoing threat of moving backward again. Wearing on the psyche but
also very difficult for businesses and events to plan and order. The theme for World Press Freedom Day 2021 is “Information as a Public Good.” That’s quite appropriate even without the pandemic, but even more so with. This year’s theme is “a call to affirm the importance of information as a public good” and to explore what can be done to strengthen journalism. The 2021 conference called for urgent attention to the threats fac ing local news media acknowledging that it is a crisis worsened by the pandemic. World Press Freedom Day serves as a reminder of the need f or the government’s commitment to freedom of the press. It is a day for media professionals to reflect on issues of press freedom and professional ethics. It is also a time to pay tribute to journalists who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Thankfully, we haven’t lost any journalists in the line of duty in Washington (that I am aware of) although like us, I am sure many of you have had to deal with the mental health issues throughout this pandemic. It is a lot to deal with the challenges o f friends, colleagues and family members contracting covid, and s eeing businesses, friends and family struggle in one way or another, yet we have had to keep w orking. We have had
to keep reporting the news, good or bad,and dealing with the trolls and naysayers and the protests and social injustices. So not only do we have the financial pressures of our business to endure, but the struggles all of this has placed upon our communities that we know, love, and serve. Add to that, our own team members contracting covid and the additional challenges that placeson us. So far 2021 has been just as, if not more,challenging than 2020. Perhaps it’s because we are exhausted and just want COVID to go away. While there is a lot of work being done to address the support of local journalism, our challenges are far from over. As with previous columns, I encourage and ask each of you to carry these messages forward. Our communities need to understand the importance of having a local newspaper as well as the importance for the government’s commitment to transparency and support of freedom of the press. We also need to continue to reach out to legislators to garner their support for the passage of pending legislation that benefits local journalism. Cheers to a bright future. Caralyn Bess is the publisher of the Columbia Basin Herald and this year’s WNPA president.
WCOG looking for Sunshine Breakfast sponsors
The Washington Coalition for Open Government honors the champions of transparency at its annual Sunshine Breakfast at 7:30 am Sept. 17. The location is yet to be announced. The breakfast this year will honor the 15-year career of Toby Nixon who spent the last 13 years on the board as President. Nixon announced earlier this year he was stepping down. Mike Fancher, the former Executive Editor of the Se-
attle Times, was elected president. The coalition is looking for sponsors for people to show their support for government transparency by placing ads in the event program or agreeing to be an event sponsor. Sponsorship of the breakfast can be at almost any level. For more information, contact WCOG Executive Director Juli Bunting at info@ washingtoncog.org. The Washington Coalition for Open Government is a 501(c)3
organization made up of a diverse group of citizens who believe in open and transparent government. “As we continue our quest for government accountability and transparency, we rely on small donations from our members and on the revenue we raise through this event,” Bunting said. “We hope you’ll consider a sponsorship as we honor those who worked diligently to ensure our right to open government.”
Gregg McConnell passes away Gregg McConnell, 64, WNPA President for a portion of 2005, passed away in Wellton, Ariz. on Jan. 12 following a brief battle with cancer. He was born in Ronan, Montana on Dec. 25, 1956, to Perry and Virginia McConnell. He was the youngest of eight children. A graduate of Polson High School, Gregg worked at several newspapers in Montana, California and Washington. McConnell’s 42-year career included serving as publisher of thenScripps League papers in Taft and Petaluma in his 20s. He later was publisher of Media News Group’s Lake County
RecordBee and its related operations and then group publisher for The ReMcConnell porter in Vacaville and the Daily Democrat in Woodland. McConnell then served as group publisher of the Chico EnterpriseRecord in Chico, Oroville Mercury-Register and Paradise Post. In the mid 1990s, he was hired by Sound Publishing and named publisher of the Whidbey News-Times and the
South Whidbey Record, a position he held for about five years. He left that position to become publisher of the Sedro Woolley Courier-Times and in 1995 resigned and moved back to California. He returned to Washington as the publisher of the Tri-City Herald from 2011-2017. A consolidation of publisher positions by the McClatchey Company led him to retire, and after he stepped down he served as the editor of Wine Press Northwest, a magazine published quarterly by the Herald. He made a brief, unsuccessful foray into politics in 2018 as a Republican candidate seeking
a seat in the Washington State House of Representatives representing the Tri-Cities area. He was preceded in death by his parents, sisters Marlene Ganieany and Maxine Ganieany, and brothers Arnold McConnell and George McConnell. He is survived by his wife Diane of Kennewick, a sister, Marjorie McMurtrie of Jasper, Ore., brothers Kennith of Casper, Wyo., and C. “Mack” of St. Ignatius and a son, Cory, and Cory’s wife, Tina, and grandchildren Jaida, Jailyn, Torean, Seren and Cerys, all in Hamilton, Montana.
WNPA podcasts feature Pulitzer Prize winners
Reporters and editors who want to improve their reporting can log on to WNPA’s podcast site and listen to experts in the field tell how they approach their stories. Currently on the site are interviews with Les Zaitz, owner and Publisher of the Malheur Enterprise. Les and his staff are redefining how community papers approach reporting. Eli Sanders, Pulitzer Prize winning writer for the Stranger in Seattle, talks narrative writing. Mark Dowie, former Editor of Mother Jones Magazine explains investigative reporting. Pulitzer Prize winning reporter Jacqui Banaszynski urges reporters to be on the lookout for events that lend themselves to good story telling. Freelance journalist Leah Sottile talks about her investigations of far right activists and what she has learned in that pursuit. To find the podcasts, go to wnpa.com and click on the podcast tile in the middle of the home page.
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The Washington Newspaper May 2021 3
Help jumpstart events & earn $50 As we slowly emerge from our pandemic cocoon, the opportunity to get business rolling again will be everywhere. That means we will have events again and people will want to travel – but how will the public know who is open? The answer is a WNPA Impact Ad. 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. And for the next few months, you can get an extra $50 direct from WNPA for selling an ad. Who has money for ads? Governments do! They collect a tax on hotel and motel rooms and hand money out to cities and counties to promote themselves. Impact ads are a perfect match for this program. If you have not already, you should ask your city and county governments (each has separate funds) for a report on where the hotel-motel tax money is going. In most cases, nonprofit organizations that receive this money are
supposed to spend it in outside markets that will draw people to your town. Although most events have been limited, some are slowly returning. If anything, people will be itching to get out this spring and summer. 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 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 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. 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. 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 organiz-
ers or others who receive hotel-motel tax money from local governments, and let’s start planning our comeback. Questions? Call Member Services Director Janay Collins at 360-344-2938 or email ads@wnpa.com.
Earn $50 plus your usual commission by selling WNPA ImpactAds • ImpactAds are 8 column inches max. • They run in WNPA papers statewide or by region. • Great for events, real estate, recruitment, festivals, fairs, golf courses, wine tours, casinos, car shows, whale watching boats, tourism activities. • Sell as a stand alone ad buy, or as an upsell for an ad you are selling locally. • Sell any time. Commission is paid when the ad runs. • Full price of the ad is split between your paper & WNPA. • See wnpa.com under Advertise Statewide for full details. Questions? Call 360-344-2938 or email ads@wnpa.com
The map above shows the regions for Impact Ads. Sell the whole state, or choose a region. 4 The Washington Newspaper May 2021
ROBINSON: Last of the Robinson group closes doors Continued from Page 1 Everybody knew Jerry. Everyone loved Jerry. He was a nearly perfect newsman. Friendly, inquisitive, easy going, an excellent writer, convincing salesman, and a wonderful photographer. He gave all his boys, parts of those talents and expected us to develop them pretty much on our own after he set us on course. He built the business from a small community paper into a regional powerhouse. He cofounded the Federal Way News and it was publishing three times a week in its heyday. He bought the West Seattle Herald in 1974 and the Highline Times a few years later. With hundreds of employees and wide respect he was named President of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association. Jerry Robinson brought the first Web Offset Press to the west coast in 1957. He brought in FAX machines (believe it or not from Exxon) to speed up ad production. He invested
in what was called cold type instead of lead typesetting. He introduced Optical Character recognition machines to newspaper production in Seattle. And in 1986 in an offshoot of the company called Digital Post and Graphics, through his commitment to innovation we had the very first all digital video and audio production facility on earth in downtown Seattle. I know because I worked there. That company went on to win several Emmy awards and worked with many national television companies. Through all this change though, he never forgot the importance of the paper. What it meant to so many to be “in the paper,” what it still means to see your name in print, even though many will never know that feeling. He was an eternal optimist and always said, “A community needs a paper” since he knew the identity people shared through the existence of a physical object that represented the community.
The Robinsons were a force with WNPA during the 1970s and 1980s. Here the family performs at a WNPA convention. It’s more than the end of competition for advertising for it to go. So, I must say. an era. It’s a bit like saying dollars, and very hard But when you have the It is among the most working competitors, smell of ink so deeply heartbreaking experiences good bye to my father all over again. not to mention changing imprinted in your memory of my life to see the A victim of changing tastes, attention spans that it is like an extra newspaper come to an technology, the arrival and simply the pace of letter in your DNA, it’s end. The final printed of many forms|ofMaximumsociety… it was30 inevitable extremely hard to face. issue is April 30. 3.5” x 2.5” Font Size: pt
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POST OFFICE: Proposal slows mail further, raises rates
Continued from Page 1 postage rates will increase for most mail products and delivery times will lengthen for mail services, including going from a three-day to a five-day service standard for FirstClass mail. Congressional Democrats have expressed outrage over the Postal Service’s plan – specifically in response to the idea of raising rates while slowing down service. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) declared that Postmaster General DeJoy “has put forth a draconian plan that guarantees the death spiral of the United States Postal Service,” and Rep. Stephen Lynch stated the plan “runs contrary to the Postal Service’s mission to provide prompt, reliable, and efficient mail services to the American people.” The Postal Service’s ability to raise postal rates—outside of the annual increases usually implemented in January – became available in November 2020 when the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) overturned a Congressionally-mandated inflationary price cap for monopoly mail like First Class, Periodicals and Marketing Mail. In 2006, the “Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act” (PAEA) capped price increases on postal rates to not exceed the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Over the last 14 years, the CPI has averaged roughly 2 percent. However, the PRC deemed the inflationary cap an obstacle to the financial stability of the Postal Service, which was one of many factors that the PRC was required to consider during a mandated review
Representatives are calling a plan to slow down mail services and hike prices “draconian.” of the nation’s postal rate- that more mail volume will setting system. leave the system due to The repeal of the rate the pandemic’s impact on cap gives USPS greater business mailers. The PRC pricing flexibility that also didn’t consider the could result in newspapers $10 billion appropriation throughout the country that Congress recently seeing a rate increase at 7.5 provided USPS through percent or higher for the the CARES Act. According delivery of newspapers and to a recent analysis by the newspapers’ Total Market Greeting Card Association, Coverage products – ad the Postal Service is inserts to non-subscribers. operating in the black with An increase of this mag$52 million in net income nitude could force many for the Fiscal Year 2021 newspapers out of the mail, (October-February). USPS and even cause some small had projected that it would market and rural newspaexperience a net income pers to shut down. loss of $2.4 billion over the On April 13, the same period. News Media Alliance, As the USPS financial along with six other crisis and the debate over mailer organizations, removing the cap on postal filed a brief challenging rates intensify, the subject of the PRC’s decision to postal revenue and costs is eliminate the CPI-based headed to Congress, where price that has kept legislative intervention postal rates stable and surrounding the Postal Serpredictable. The brief vice’s finances will arise. argues that the PAEA Congress is set to step does not support the in to improve the financial Commission’s decision condition of the Postal to remove the cap and the Service, which mailers agency acted arbitrarily by hope will ease pressure on basing its decision on the USPS and reduce the need Postal Service’s condition to squeeze revenues from in December 2017, rather monopoly mailers who than its condition today. may seek other alternaCOVID-19 has caused an tives if their postage costs enormous surge in package go up. Representative volume and revenue for Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), USPS, but the PRC did chairwoman of the House not consider this surge or Committee on Oversight
6 The Washington Newspaper May 2021
and Reform, will soon introduce legislation that bolsters the USPS financial position by integrating postal retiree health benefits into Medicare and by repealing a congressional mandate for USPS to prefund its retiree healthcare costs. These provisions would save the Postal Service an estimated $57 billion in liabilities over the next decade. On April 21, the Alliance sent a letter to Chairwoman Maloney, Ranking Republican Jim Comer, and other members of the Committee encouraging the committee to include a provision that would require the PRC to conduct
TURN ON THE LIGHT…
another time-limited review of the rate-setting system, in which the effects of the pandemic are examined. The PRC’s decision to remove the cap was based on data from 2017. Re-examining the ratesetting system with more recent data would provide a more accurate analysis of the Postal Service’s finances. Furthermore, another review would demonstrate how the USPS is in a stronger financial and operational position than when the PRC first issued the rate proposal, and thus show how the PRC’s decision to remove the cap is unnecessary. Citizens rely on af-
fordable and dependable postal services and, while “Delivering for America” outlines many promising changes, increasing costs and lengthening delivery windows will hurt many individuals and businesses. It is consequently imperative that Congress steps in to prevent the implementation of this harmful plan so that the USPS can ensure reliable, equitable, and accessible services for many years to come. Julia Shurman is a public policy intern with News Media Alliance and a student at University of California, Davis studying Political Science.
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JOB BOARD
REPORTER The Reflector in Clark County, Washington, is seeking a hardworking, reliable and skilled reporter to join our newsroom. With an office located in Battle Ground, The Reflector is a weekly newspaper that believes in the importance of hyper-local community journalism. The reporter we’re looking for will be a strong writer who can provide a consistent supply of features and general assignments. We value a dedication to accuracy, a strong work ethic and the ability to collaborate with coworkers and build relationships with sources. Experience with photography is also valued. Candidates located in the Pacific Northwest and those who are familiar with the region are preferred. Though recent graduates will be considered, experience is desired. The position offers an enjoyable work environment, competitive pay, comprehensive health, dental and vision insurance, and a 401K program. The Reflector is owned by CT Publishing, which purchased the newspaper and its sister publications in late 2020 from Lafromboise Communications. To apply, send samples of your work, a cover letter and a resume to Regional Editor Justyna Tomtas at justyna@thereflector.com. PAGE DESIGNER/ COPY EDITOR The Peninsula Daily News in Port Angeles, Washington, is seeking a page designer/copy editor. Applicants must possess journalism experience at a newspaper in
an editing role, with an emphasis on pagination. They need to be able to work calmly, accurately, and quickly under daily deadline pressure in a busy newsroom. The schedule will be Monday through Friday, generally 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Applicants must possess at least two years of journalism experience at a newspaper or news website in an editing role. Applicants will have a leg up if they possess SEO headline skills, Photoshop and Illustrator know-how, newspaper beat reporting experience, and some training in graphic arts design. Multimedia skills and photo-editing experience also are helpful. This position is part of a community hub with a focus on designing multiple publications. It requires communication with editors of the weekly Sequim Gazette, Port Orchard Independent, North Kitsap Herald, and Bainbridge Island Review in addition to the monthly Kingston Community News and Central Kitsap Reporter to best display their content. This is a full-time position and includes excellent benefits, paid time off, and a 401(k) with company match. Gateway to Olympic National Park and Victoria, British Columbia, Port Angeles gets half the rainfall of Seattle, yet is close enough to enjoy Seattle, our rain forests, great fishing, and other outdoor activities, and a pleasant lifestyle. The Peninsula Daily News is the leading news source on Washington’s North Olympic Peninsula and part of Sound Publishing, the largest community newsgroup in
Washington state. If you are interested in joining our team, email us your cover letter and resume to: careers@soundpublishing.com. Please be sure to note ATTN: “PDN COPY EDITOR” in the subject line. Sound Publishing is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) and strongly supports diversity in the workplace. Check out our website to find out more about us! www.soundpublishing.com.
excellent interpersonal skills, proficiency in MS Office preferred, some knowledge of InDesign preferred but not required, ability to work independently and maintain journalistic integrity. Send application to publisher@lynnwoodtimes.com
PART-TIME OFFICE COORDINATOR Journal of the San Juan Islands in Friday Harbor, WA is seeking a part-time Office CoorFREELANCE REPORTER dinator at our Journal of The Lynnwood San Juans office, located Times is looking for a in Friday Harbor, WA. freelance reporter. The This position will ideal candidates will work closely with the have a background in publisher, sales repwriting. A familiarresentatives, creative ity with Snohomish artists, newsroom staff, County is desired but not and our customers. Esrequired. The successful sential to this position candidates will gather is flexibility, excelinformation, conduct lent organizational and research and write news time-management skills, pieces about various top- and the ability to juggle ics. This position reports concurrent projects. to the Publisher. Requirements include Responsibilities inprior office or adminclude: research, verifyistration experience, ing statements and facts, computer-proficiency in reading and posting database and spreadsheet press releases, estabsoftware programs, exlishing and maintaining cellent customer service contacts, interviewing and communication sources, attending events skills (written and ver(including evening bal), the ability to multievents - e.g. HS sports), task in a fast-changing unbiased reporting of environment and being the facts, social media self-motivated, proacwriting on multiple plat- tive, with good problemforms (possible video solving skills. reporting) and staying We offer a comup to date with privacy, petitive hourly wage and contempt and defamation benefits package includlaw. ing health insurance, Qualifications in401K (currently with clude: inductive and an employer match), deductive reasoning a paid vacation (after 6 must, ability to think months), and paid holicritically, ability to days. prioritize tasks, meet If you’re interested deadlines, and manage in joining our team and time effectively, excelworking for the leading lent verbal and written independent newspaper communication skills, publisher in Washington
State, then we want to hear from you! Email your cover letter and resume to: careers@ soundpublishing.com and make sure to add OC JSJ in the subject line. GRAPHIC DESIGNER The Methow Valley News in Twisp, Washington, is seeking a part-time graphic designer for its publications (a weekly newspaper and several annual magazines). Substantial experience with designing editorial and advertising content for print publications including newspapers and magazines is required, as is fluency in Adobe’s print production suite. Anticipate up to 20 hours a week of work. It’s possible that some work can be done remotely although residency in the Methow Valley is preferred. Send a resume, cover letter and/or portfolio examples to editor@ methowvalleynews.com. No calls, please. The position is open immediately. NEWS EDITOR/REPORTER Step into the community life of north Whatcom County as part of a third-generation independent news and printing operation at the Lynden Tribune. Lewis Publishing Co., located in the beautiful Pacific Northwest corner of Washington state, is looking for an editor to lead the Lynden Tribune into its next phase upon longtime editor’s retirement on June 30, 2021. Expect a high-production environment as we keep pace with a steadily growing community (Lynden, 16,000) and its surrounding area. Editor duties: overall
direction of the news and special sections process, mentoring a staff of 3-5, coordination with other departments, a robust writing and editing load, story origination and copy proofing. • Needed: creativity, persistence, and a willingness to grow into the job. Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage deadlines. • Rewards: your own sense of achievement and the community’s appreciation for a job well done, being part of a respected community voice. • Is comfortable in designing and building pages with Adobe InDesign. • Personal perks: The trails and ski slopes and lakes and parks of northwest Washington are never far away. The successful candidate will bring: good command of English and AP style, a journalism degree and at least three years of experience in the profession, and a willingness to immerse into the local scene of civic, cultural, business, educational, agricultural and humaninterest life. The Tribune has won multiple Washington state General Excellence awards. We print in-house weekly, update our websites daily. Lewis Publishing offers a competitive compensation and benefits package including health insurance, paid time off (vacation, sick, and holidays), and 401K Profit Sharing Plan. If you are interested in joining our team please send your cover letter, resume and a variety of published clips (3-5) to: Publisher Michael Lewis at mdlewis@lyndentriContinued on Page 8
The Washington Newspaper May 2021 7
JOB BOARD Continued from Page 7 bune.com or P.O. Box 153, Lynden, WA, 98264.
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! 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 8 The Washington Newspaper May 2021
GENERAL ASSIGNMENT REPORTER The Sunnyside Sun, a weekly paper with more than a century of hometown reporting tradition covering the beautiful Yakima Lower Valley, is seeking an enthusiastic general assignment reporter/photographer to immediately fill this vital role in our WNPA awardwinning newsroom. Duties include assigned beat work of public meetings; police and fire coverage, agriculture and community news and features, and sports coverage when needed. The hourly wage starts at $13.69 and is a 40 hour per week position with an occasional weeknight and weekend assignment as part of the job. Our successful applicant will be a motivated and deadline-driven team player able to work on multiple stories outside the newsroom, while producing daily online news content. Candidates with the combination of news writing experience and education, along with new college graduates are encouraged to apply. Email your cover letter, resume and three writing and photo samples in PDF format to Patrick Shelby, managing editor at pshelby@sunnysidesun.com. No phone calls, please. The qualified candidate will need to possess a valid driver’s license, clean driving record and vehicle insurance. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.