The Washington Newspaper, May 2023

TWN

May 2023

Journal of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association

Community turns out to honor Eagle publisher

With a just a short time to live, Rick Nelson bids readers farewell

By Patrick Webb Chinook Observer

CATHLAMET — Rick Nelson is making news his newspaper staff would give anything not to have to print.

His oncologists say no further treatment is possible.

And Nelson has written a candid farewell column for the Wahkiakum County Eagle.

Nelson

“It is strange when your cancer doctor tells you that your cancer has conquered your body and you have what may be days to live,” the editor-publisher wrote to neighbors who have read his columns for years.

“That’s where I am. It’s a slow moving lymphoma, and I’ve been under treatment since September 2001. It has now attacked my bone marrow and I’m not producing platelets and hemoglobin.

“We established a treatment

regimen that should keep me going long enough to take care of last-minute business and get set up at home to die.”

Welcome home Monday, the streets of Cathlamet filled with 150 people as word spread of a lunchtime arrival home from Oregon Health & Sciences University hospital in Portland; some brought lawn chairs to wait for the Toyota Highlander containing their ailing local hero and family members.

An escort was arranged by Wahkiakum County Sheriff Mark Howie as they pulled off State Route 4 past Gragg’s General Store. Before the impromptu motorcade went to Main Street, it drove past Wahkiakum High School, where most of the student body lined up outside to cheer as Nelson — a 1969 graduate — made what may be a final pass in front of his alma mater.

Downtown sidewalks were packed; one observer amid the balloons and flags noted that Nelson leaned out the passenger window and waved.; another said he offered a broad smile.

See NELSON Page 5

B&O tax bill signed into law

Newspapers will not pay a dime in state Business and Occupation taxes for the next 10 years, thanks to new legislation signed by Gov. Jay Inslee on May 3.

The measure was approved by the Legislature with broad bipartisan support.

“Hopefully it keeps local journalism alive in Washington as long as possible,” said state Sen. Mark Mullet, an Issaquah Democrat who

sponsored the measure.

It took two years of effort by press champions in the Legislature to get it done. An earlier push by Mullet and

state Rep. Gerry Pollet, fell short last year, after it failed to advance.

This year the bill was

See TAX Page 2

It was all smiles at the bill signing for SB1599, which makes newspapers exempt from state Business and Occupation taxes for the next 10 years.

Attorney General Bob Ferguson snapped a selfie of attendees while waiting in the governor’s office for the official bill signing photo. Attendees included WNPA Executive Director Fred Obee, Rowland Thompson of Allied Daily Newspapers, staff from the Attorney General’s office and at right, Sen. Karen Keiser.

Harnack rejoins Colfax news staff

Private First Class Olivia Harnack has returned to Free Press Publishing and the Whitman County Gazette after eight months of National Guard Army training.

Harnack graduated Advanced Individual Training on Thursday, March 9. She has resumed her role as a reporter.

Harnack, 20, is covering Whitman County news, including crime, government, business, people, sports and community activities.

“I am just really excited to return to the most beautiful state and start working again,” Harnack said.

“We’re delighted to have Olivia back with us in our Colfax office,” General Manager Justin Slayton said. “Her candor and rapport with locals and hard work on stories is reflected in every article she produces.”

Harnack joins Teresa Simpson on the newsdesk at The Gazette. Harnack is the daughter of Free Press Publisher Roger Harnack.

TAX: B&O tax exemption signed by Gov. Inslee

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backed by state Attorney General Bob Ferguson, whose office helped push for its passage.

Senate Bill 5199 extends the preference

Feels good to be back in trenches, chasing facts, knocking out stories

By Michelle C. Nedved

for a decade and fully waives the B&O tax on publishers. It’s expected to that the exemption will cost the state, and save publishers, about $1 million a year.

With the recent resignation of half of our two-person newsroom, and now our remaining editor on a month’s long vacation in Europe, I’ve been back in the field, covering city council and school board meetings, heading out to take photos of construction projects and high school sports, cleaning up re-writes and following up on police reports. It feels good.

Back when I was reporter, my absolute favorite kind of story was meeting coverage.

I know, I sound like a geek.

But I loved nothing more than going to a city council meeting on a Monday night and writing the play-by-play on Tuesday’s press day. I recently attended a Priest River city council meeting, a beat I covered for 15 years before I became publisher. I still know all the players. They asked where I’ve been and welcomed me back. It brought back memories of my 20s, before a husband and kids, when I lived in a single-wide trailer on the bank of the Pend Oreille River.

I’m glad I can still do it. It kind of feels like riding a bike. Muscle memory kicks in, and the lede forms in my head as I’m driving back home from the meeting.

I remember Fred Willenbrock, a former WNPA president and the then-owner/publisher of The Miner who hired me, telling me when I was 22 years old, how to

start forming the story in my head right away.

So many changes have occurred in the last couple of decades in this industry. Social media, “fake news,” loss of trust in institutions, massive declines in print advertising. You know. You’re there.

But some things don’t change. Chasing the story, covering the beat, real people doing real things, follow the money. It’s in our blood. And I plan on doing this for the rest of my working life.

And with that in mind, I’m going to end this here. I just found out there was an attempted abduction down the street yesterday, and a dead body found at the gas station over the weekend. Lots of stories to run down.

Michelle C. Nedved is publisher of the Newport Miner and this year’s WNPA president.

Legislature approves news fellowships

Journalism in Washington State will get a shot in the arm starting this year as a new journalism fellowship program ramps up at Washington State University.

ties, school board meetings aren’t being covered, court proceedings aren’t being scrutinized, and local government actions aren’t being questioned.”

Officers: Michelle Nedved, President; Donna Etchey, 1st Vice President; Sean Flaherty, 2nd Vice President; Steve Powell, Past President; Trustees: Roger Harnack, Teresa Myers, Rudi Alcott, Matt Winters, Staci Baird 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 Washington State Legislature appropriated $2.4 million to be spent over the next two years to establish a new public-interest journalism fellowship program in the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at WSU.

The measure was sponsored by Sen. Karen Keiser (D-Des Moines) and Sen. Marko Liias (D-Everett).

“A strong press is fundamental to a thriving democracy,” said Keiser, a graduate of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and veteran of newsrooms in Oregon, Colorado, and Washington. “Yet Washington has has lost 20% of its newspapers over the past two decades. That means in many communi -

Modeled on the recently established California Local News Fellowship, the program at WSU is expected to take in eight recent graduates per year for two-year reporting stints at existing news outlets around the state in areas that lack local reporting.

Fellows witl earn a salary of $55,000 a year. Upon completion, they will earn a certificate in digital media innovation from WSU. Half of the fellows will be WSU graduates.

Benjamin Shors, chair of the WSU’s journalism department, said many details aboout the program are yet to be finalized.

Who will be eligible to apply? How and where will they

be placed? Will they be assigned to a single paper or to a cluster of papers?

Shors said answers to those questions are now being examined. Goals for the program include improving information on civic affairs, and creating an experience that will keep promising young journalists in the profession.

“Responsible journalism contributes to a stronger and healthier civic life,” said Bruce Pinkleton, dean of the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication.

Shors added: “The project aligns with our mission as a land-grant institution to serve the state. We want to increase news coverage of underrepresented communities from rural to urban, and we want to better prepare the next generation of journalists to understand and report responsibly on these communities.”

Nedved

WCOG sues Legislature over privilege claims

Advocates of open government have filed suit against the state of Washington over state legislators’ attempts to shield records from public view using a justification advocates claim is not in state law.

Lawmakers have been denying and redacting records requests, claiming “legislative privilege,” which they say allows them to withhold some records under a right granted by the state constitution.

The Washington Coalition on Open Government and Jamie Nixon, an open government advocate who worked on Washington’s 2021 redistricting commission, filed the lawsuit in Thurston County, accusing the Legislature of violating state law by failing to

disclose public records.

The lawsuit seeks a court order declaring that “legislative privilege” is not an exemption that allows public records to be withheld.

“Transparency at all levels of government is critically important so that people can understand exactly how their money’s being spent, who is spending it, in what ways,” Nixon said.

It’s the latest salvo in a decadeslong push to get the Legislature to comply with the state Public Records Act. The state Supreme Court in 2019 ruled the Legislature had to comply with the Public Records Act, but legislators have since used other means to avoid disclosing some documents.

The state of Washington, through its Legislature, “has claimed a nonexistent exemption” to public records law, “without providing an adequate description to justify withholding the record or redacting its contents,” the new lawsuit charges.

“There is no such legislative privilege,” the Coalition on Open Government wrote, in announcing the lawsuit. “Hiding public records that are not properly exempt violates the state Public Records Act.”

The Legislature has cited Article II, Section 17 of the Washington Constitution, which reads, in its entirety: “No member of the Legislature shall be liable in any civil action or criminal prosecution

whatever, for words spoken in debate.”

Such a justification for withholding public records is “arbitrary and capricious,” the lawsuit says.

State lawmakers had long claimed they were exempt from public disclosure laws. A coalition of news outlets sued to get access to legislative records, such as emails, in 2017. Two years later, the Washington Supreme Court ruled legislators and their offices were subject to the state public records law.

While the lawsuit names only the state of Washington as a respondent, it repeatedly accuses House Speaker Laurie Jinkins of withholding public records and working to “exercise her legislative powers

in private.”

It alleges Jinkins, DTacoma, “used her position of authority” to get others to “control and restrict the public’s right to know.” Jinkins, the lawsuit says, benefits personally by withholding public records that might invite criticism.

The lawsuit says that Jinkins told reporters she did not think she had ever used the “legislative privilege” exemption, even as, seven days earlier, Nixon received records with Jinkins’ name on them with 20 to 30 legislative privilege redactions.

Jen Waldref, a Jinkins spokesperson, said Jinkins does not comment on pending litigation but “welcomes the guidance of the courts.”

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.

NELSON: Cathlamet publisher honored by community

Continued from Page 1

It went through the tiny town, pausing outside the offices of the Eagle at 77 Main St. where employees past and present, the mayor, David Olson, long-time friends Terry and Carol Kriesel, and other well-wishers greeted the family.

In the throng holding signs were Fred Johnson, the town attorney, who was best man at Nelson’s wedding, with three other members of his Class of 1969.

SUPPORT AND RESPECT

Even before Monday’s welcome home, Nelson’s final column, headlined “Onward! Publisher says goodbye,” began an outpouring of support from the Columbia River com-

munity and beyond.

“What a phenomenal gift you have given your community all these years, and taking on the family’s dedicated effort in making the local news possible,” posted the Rev. Lisa Aguilar.

The Cathlamet Town Council issued a proclamation designating May 1 as “Rick Nelson Day,” and Mayor Olson added his personal commendation:

“In a tight-knit community of independent minds and strong opinions, Rick Nelson holds a unique place as the long-time, impartial and respected editor of our only newspaper.”

“Under Rick’s leadership, the Wahkiakum Eagle for decades has given word of the essential news, information, people

and events that keep our community alive. Rick is equally at home with our county’s history and earliest families, along with newcomers and community projects through which our future will surely shine.”

‘BEAUTIFUL AND HEROIC’

The mayor’s wife, Dayle Olson, said the drive-by applause opportunity was the brainchild of Eagle reporter Diana Zimmerman, who enlisted her and Minette Smith to get the word out.

“People clapped, waved flags, wiped tears from their eyes and called out their greetings as the procession made its way down the short four-block stretch of downtown Cathlamet,” Olson said.

She had her own reasons to thank Nelson. His offer to publish poetry gave her the confidence to pursue her own creativity, which has blossomed since she sent in a poem published in a January 2019 edition of the Eagle “My long-held dream of writing was given a nudge of encouragement,” she said.

“Rick’s personal appreciation of poetry is the only explanation I can come up with to justify him running this annual feature. It certainly didn’t generate ad sales. In my opinion, this simple act of dedicating an entire news page to poetry was a beautiful and heroic act. How might the world change if every newspaper gave space to poetry?”

A FAMILY ENTERPRISE

The Eagle has been family owned since 1963. Nelson’s parents, Bob and Lois Nelson, bought the paper in 1966. Rick started working there as a seventh grader, cleaning up.

Nelson graduated from Wahkiakum High School in 1969 and attended Western Washington University where he studied French and journalism — and met his wife, MaryAnn. They have two sons, Jacob and Jamie.

APPRECIATE READERS

Nelson took over as publisher when his father died in 2006; his mother died of COVID-19 in 2021. His last column, in which he thanked his staff, and lamented both the decline in civility and the

drying up of hyper-local news.

“I feel the decline in local papers is a horrible blow for society and is part of the rancor riling the nation. We have, dear readers, thanks to you, carved out a niche trying hard to serve our Wahkiakum County and Naselle populations. We appreciate you so much.”

Facebook lit up with heartfelt posts when Nelson’s diagnosis was revealed. Desiree East Craven said: “You have given so much to this community through a lifetime of beautiful writing, photographs and more,” she wrote. “Indeed, you’ve tended to and grown community in Cathlamet, and that is felt and valued by many here.”

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

NEWS WRITER

The Inlander, a family-owned urban weekly newspaper in Washington state, is looking for an ambitious News Writer to join its award-winning editorial team.

We are looking for a journalist who sees their beat as a well of investigative stories. We want a reporter who exposes wrongdoing and corruption, and scrutinizes the actions of those in power.

We want a writer who knows a good story when they see one, who can write a piece of creative nonfiction filled with scene, characters and tension, and who can find and analyze solutions for our time’s most troubling issues.

The perfect candidate is a skilled writer and hungry storyteller who

understands that creativity, deep reporting and developing sources is vital to quality journalism. We want someone who is bursting with ideas and not only eager for large projects, but also geared up for weekly reporting on what’s happening locally and beyond.

If you think you’re a fit, please send a cover letter, resume and several samples of your work to the Inlander’s editor, Nicholas Deshais, at nickd@inlander.com.

There is the potential for this to be a full- or part-time position, and compensation depends on experience, but will range from $35,000 to $50,000 a year. Other benefits include access to medical/optical/dental benefits, participation in a SIMPLE savings plan, paid time off and annual review.

REPORTER

The Vashon Beachcomber, a division of Sound Publishing Inc., is seeking a general assignment reporter with a minimum of 1-2 years of writing experience and photography skills.

This position is based out of the Vashon Island office. The primary coverage will be city government, business, sports, arts and general assignment stories. The schedule includes evening and/or weekend work.

As a reporter for Sound Publishing, you will be expected to:

• Produce 5 bylined stories per week;

• Use a digital camera to take photographs of the stories you cover;

• Post on the publication’s website;

• Blog and use Twitter on the web;

• Shoot and edit videos for the web.

The ideal applicant will have a commitment to community journalism and everything from short, brief-type stories about people and events to examining issues facing the community

Candidates must be proficient with AP style. Must use the publication’s website and online tools to gather information and reach the community.

This is a full-time position. We offer a competitive hourly wage and benefits package including health insurance, paid time off (vacation, sick, and holidays), and 401K (currently with an employer match.)

Email us your cover letter, resume, and include five examples of your best work showcasing your reporting skills and writing chops to: careers@soundpublishing.com ATTN: VMB Reporter.

MULTIMEDIA SALES

Are you ready for an exciting career with a

leader in multi-media advertising? The Journal of the San Juan Islands, a division of Sound Publishing, Inc. is looking for a self-motivated, results-driven person interested in a multimedia sales career to generate advertising sales on new and existing business.

This includes a display and classified advertising, special section, preprints, print-anddeliver, internet, and any other product or services available within our family of media products.

This is a full-time salaried (30-35k salary) PLUS commission with an initial 3-month commission guarantee. 50k-55k first year potential with unlimited commission growth opportunities!

We’re looking for candidates with:

• Strong sales, customer service, and phone solicitation skills.

• Computer-proficiency in database and spreadsheet software programs.

• Excellent phone communication skills (written and verbal).

We offer a competitive base wage with commissions, and a benefits package that includes health insurance, life insurance, a 401k retirement plan with company match, paid vacation, sick leave, and paid holidays. If you have these skills, please send your resume to careers@soundpublishing. com with a subject line of ATTN: JSJSALES.

REPORTER

The Centralia Chronicle is looking for a reporter to join its growing newsroom in Lewis County, Washington.

The Chronicle publishes a robust print edition three times a week and maintains a daily presence at chronline. com.

The Chronicle values enterprising reporters who enjoy working in a productive and energetic newsroom. Each of our journalists carry out general assignment duties as needed, but this position will have a focus on local government and the

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Continued from Page 8 state Legislature.

Our staff is composed of an editor-in-chief, a regional editor, an assistant editor, a sports editor, a photo editor, four news reporters, a sports reporter and a number of freelancers and columnists.

The Chronicle is a family-owned newspaper with owners who are present and supportive of the efforts of the newsroom. We’re wellequipped when it comes to cameras, computers and other gear, and our journalists are always provided with what they need to do their jobs right.

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