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THE WASHINGTON NEWSPAPER August 2020
Tourism for 2021? Use Impact ads! Page 4
Journal of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association
WNPA going virtual for the rest of 2020 Meeting, Better Newspaper Contest & Foundation auction all online
There will be no meeting of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association this year -- at least not in person. The WNPA Board of Directors at its summer meeting decided that even a brief dinner meeting probably will not be possible, given restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. There will, however, be a virtual Better Newspaper Contest awards presentation, so
you can start planning to have mini-parties with noise makers and your favorite libation. The virtual awards will go public at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9. WNPA will send out a link to the presentation well ahead of the event. The Foundation auction, similarly, will be an online affair. We are currently collecting auction items. People donating an item will be responsible for shipping it out to the winner, so
Journalism Sustainability Act considered in House In the past five months, Congress has responded to the coronavirus public health crisis with several emergency relief measures, including the stimulus checks sent to individuals and households, payroll protections to small businesses, expanded unemployment payments, fee waivers for borrowing against 401(K) plans and more. Now, Congress will get the opportunity to pass a relief measure that protects your access to trustworthy local news, helps grow local businesses through ads placed in local news media — and rewards you for subscribing to a newspaper like this one. The Local Journalism Sustainability Act, introduced on July 16, is a bipartisan bill co-sponsored by U.S. Repre-
sentatives Ann Kirkpatrick, a Democrat from Arizona, and Dan Newhouse, a Republican from Washington state. In brief, the legislation provides tax credits for subscribing to a local newspaper, payroll credit for paying journalists who provide local news, and credit for advertising in local newspapers and local media. This act responds to the insidious way the pandemic has deeply damaged American communities. It forced the shuttering of many local businesses that stopped advertising in their local paper. Newspapers, which have seen their revenues plummet, responded by laying off the people who bring the news or dropping the days they publish. That threatens the access to vital See ACT, Page 2
we highly encourage the use of gift certificates to make this all pretty simple and afforable. WNPA bylaws require us to have a business meeting each year in October. That also will be a virtual GoToMeeting event. The business meeting will be at 11 a.m. Oct. 9 and will feature a brief report on WNPA’s activities and finances, and the election of officers for the coming year. Everyone is welcome to listen and lend
support to the new slate of officers. WNPA’s Pinnacle Award, which recognizes the top sales person in our Impact Ad program, is cancelled for this year, the board decided. WNPA sales people mainly use the Impact Ad program to advertise regionally for community events, fairs and festivals. As most of those have been cancelled for the year, Impact Ads for events have similarly
been affected. Better Newspaper Contest certificates will be emailed to the newspaper where the entry was logged and plaques and trophies will be shipped out to winners. If you are a winner, you will be notified Sept. 9, so stay tuned for that announcement. The 2021 convention will be Oct. 9 in Bellingham. It will be on a Saturday for the first time in many years.
FROM THE BNC
This photo of a lima bean spitting contest by Jacob Ford of the Daily Record in Ellensburg is among the entries in this year’s Better Newspaper Contest. A list of winners will go out on Sept. 9.
ACT: Tell your reps to support this bill
Continued from Page 1 news by people in the community who themselves may be out of a job temporarily or permanently and can no longer afford newspaper subscriptions. Here’s how the Local Journalism Sustainability Act would help everyone caught in this vicious circle: Businesses with fewer than 1,000 employees would be eligible for a five-year non-refundable tax credit to spend on advertising in local newspapers or local radio or television stations. The credit, up to $5,000 in the first year and $2,500 in each of the next four years, would cover 80% of advertising costs in the first year and 50% annually thereafter. This provision helps local businesses as well as local media companies. The act provides for
a non-refundable tax credit of up to $250 per year to help cover the costs of subscriptions to local newspapers, in print or digital form, that primarily produce content related to news and current events. The credit would cover 80% of subscription costs in the first year, and 50% thereafter. This five-year refundable tax credit could be used by local newspapers on compensation of its journalists up to $50,000 a year. This is not a bailout or handout to any of these elements of a thriving community — but an urgently needed assist. Please contact the office of your local U.S. representative to ask them to support your local businesses, your local news media and your access to the trustworthy local news.
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 August 2020
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Survival key: Exploit every possible resource, including some online tools The New York Times announced August 5 that its quarterly digital revenues topped print for the first time; $185 million vs. $175 million. For most of us in the weekly newspaper business, we’d be lucky to get over 20 percent of our income from digital sales. It didn’t come quickly for the Grubb Times; they first started charging for online access back in 2011. Part of the reason that digital came out on top is that print advertising revenue fell precipitously due to the pandemic. The Times project a decline of 35 to 40 percent going into the third quarter. Still, digital represents a bright light in a bleak landscape. How do weeklies improve their digital offerings given their limited resources and strained Covid-19 circumstances? The key is to exploit every possible resource publishers and editors can find. Like most of you, I am not a fan of Facebook and Google. Nevertheless, they offer resources that we would be fools to
ignore. The Facebook Journalism Project has a number of courses, articles and programs that will enable you to connect with your readers, both on and off Facebook. Their Instant Article allows publishers to offer various kinds of subscriptions directly to reader, be they freemium or paywall subs. The Google News Initiative has courses, tools and extra resources that can help both the revenue and the editorial side. Google Fact Check Tools, Coronavirus Search Trends and online training on how to best utilize YouTube videos in your products. Seeing how much money Facebook and Google are taking from your pockets, you might as well get something for it. Another resource is the Local Media Association (localmedia.org). They offer courses, case studies and much more. They charge members $995 per Designated Market Area; all of which can be used for courses and programs. If you’re still just taking baby digital steps, find yourself good partners. For example, we use Creative Circle for our website and content creation. When the pandemic struck, they went into overdrive coming up with new modules and
features to help us help our readers. Their What’s Open widget allowed local companies to upload their days and hours of operation as well as other info important to their customers, new or old. Their Honor My Grad widget allowed us to make the money that we would have made from our traditional grad section. Both made us look good and were useful to boot. Creative Circle president Bill Ostendorf presented at a WNPA annual meeting a couple of years ago and presented a number of ideas on how to improve our products. Ask him to send you copies of his handouts on how to improve your products (Bill@creativecirclemedia.com). There are other suppliers and services out there who I’m sure can be plenty useful as you navigate these strange days. You only need to search for them. Executive director Fred Obee undoubtedly can recommend other vendors and suppliers who can help you develop better online and print offerings. Good luck! Patrick Grubb is the Publisher of The Northern Light in Blaine and this year’s WNPA President.
Report for America invites applications Applications are now open for news organizations interested in hosting more than 300 emerging Report for America journalists in their newsrooms for up to three years, beginning next June. Report for America is a national service program that places talented journalists into local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and communities. The program recruits journalists
and pays half the salary, up to $25,000. The other half is split between the host news organization and local donors. Report for America is an initiative of The GroundTruth Project. “Report for America provides a unique opportunity for newsrooms to bring journalists on staff at a time when the need for local, trusted news is more important than ever,” said Norman Parish, director of
recruitment for Report for America. The application deadline is Sept. 30, 2020, and newsrooms will be publicly announced in December. Attentive to the budgeting and fundraising needs of some newsrooms, an early decision will be made for those who apply by Aug. 31. All local news organizations—nonprofit or commercial—are eligible to apply. The application asks newsrooms to
identify specific gaps in coverage in the community, drawing attention to under-covered communities or issues. It also requires applicants to craft a beat that would seek to address those gaps. Newsrooms are encouraged to consider sponsoring multiple journalists. To learn more visit www.reportforamerica. org or send an email to: info@reportforamerica. org.
Facebook, Twitter, getting a lesson in ethical publishing
By Fred Obee Even the greenest rookie in the news business knows there is one important rule you must follow if you are to be regarded as a trusted and ethical journalist. That rule? You don’t ever publish something you know be false. You take steps to verify information before presenting it to the public. It is rule number one because we all have known for decades – maybe centuries -- that misinformation does damage. Ethical journalists have always embraced that simple truth. The idea even made its way into the popular culture as the central point of the comic newspaper movie, The Paper, with Michael Keaton and Glenn Close.
In the final scenes, Keaton, the reporter, gets in press room brawl with Close, the deadline-obsessed publisher, because the paper is about to publish a story Keaton knows to be false. Keaton admits the paper is a cheeky tabloid with outlandish headlines and some goofy stories, but, he says, they have never knowingly published something they knew to be untrue. That’s where he drew the line. As a newspaper reporter and editor, this central idea also was ingrained in me. Many times, I rejected commentaries or letters to the editor or questionable news releases from people because submissions were potentially libelous, or they so distorted the truth that
I could not in good conscience feed those ideas to the public. Infuriated, the writers would always claim their right to freedom of speech was being abridged and that my actions were unconstitutional. There would be the occasional threat of legal action and certain amount of fist pounding, but my position was clear. I had an ethical obligation to publish information that had merit, not baseless and often hateful accusations. Their freedom of speech was not hindered. They could take their soapbox to a street corner or publish a pamphlet. They remained free to speak their minds, and I remained free to use discretion in what I
published. Given this background, it astounds me now to watch the heads of Facebook and Twitter try to assert they are not publishers, only platform providers, and they have little interest in policing the content of their sites. Under intense pressure from the public, they are now amending that position somewhat, but it is clear they remain naïve children in an enterprise they didn’t bother to study or understand. Mark Zuckerberg is laughable. He sounds like a child when he offers adolescent notions that Facebook was only about making connections with people around the world. What harm could that do? Has he seen what
authoritarian governments do with propaganda and misinformation? It is absurd for Twitter’s Jack Dorsey to have refrained all this time from taking responsibility for the terrible misinformation he has allowed to pollute the public consciousness. It is no better, really, than a chemical plant dumping waste into a river and then dodging responsibility for all the dead fish and cancer clusters. President Donald Trump’s Twitter proclamations that mail-in voting is fraught with fraud is just not true. It is provably not true and yet these platforms continue to publish the untruths, with full knowledge that these are lies. They took the small
step of appending a note that encouraged people to seek the truth on one Trump Twitter post, and the President issued an executive order trying to strip internet platforms of their ability to moderate content. “They’ve had unchecked power to censure, restrict, edit, shape, hide, alter virtually any form of communication between private citizens or large public audiences,” the President said, adding there’s “no precedent” for it. Oh yes there is. It’s called being a fair, ethical and responsible publisher, something real news publishers have been doing for decades. Fred Obee is WNPA’s Executive Director.
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The Washington Newspaper August 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 events are limited 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 August 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.
JOB BOARD EDITOR/ EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Executive Director & Editor, Senior News, Thurston County Council on the Aging. Salary range: $48,000 – $65,000 depending on qualifications and includes employee benefit package. Target start date: Feb. 10, 2021. This is a unique opportunity to oversee the general daily operations of the Thurston-Mason Senior News and the Medical Equipment Bank. Hours will vary dependent on activity schedules. This position is responsible for the managing and editing functions of the Senior News, including but not limited to content creation of the newspaper (including collecting submissions from authors, writing, photography, layout, and design of the publication) and full oversight of editorial content. This includes any applicable website and/or social media updates. Candidate must demonstrate good written communi-
cation skills, including impeccable spelling, punctuation, grammar, and attention to detail. The Editor is responsible for overseeing the printing and distribution of the paper, all phases of production and recruitment and management of volunteer delivery drivers. This includes the collection of subscription additions and list changes, which are communicated to a list service vendor for subscription maintenance, as well as working to increase the mailing list. Duties will also include advertising sales, working with the bookkeeper to develop sound policies for prompt payment, submitting timely reports to both the bookkeeper and the board, and attending board meetings of the Thurston County Council on the Aging (TCCA). The Medical Equipment Bank (or MEB) is a service of the Thurston County Council on the Aging and is located in Lacey, WA. The Executive Director will be
responsible for managing the MEB, which is run by volunteers. The Editor must be prepared to respond to situations that may arise in the operation of the MEB, such as accidents, incidents, injuries, or other such instances. The editor will also work with volunteers in collecting donations, fundraising efforts, and will publish MEB information and updates in the paper and on correlating websites. The Executive Director will be responsible for developing appeal and drafting and managing the production of fundraising efforts at the approval of the board. Also included is the expectation to expand fundraising prospects and grow outreach methods, which will include but not be limited to writing grants. Job qualifications include: a Bachelor’s degree in communications or public relations or equivalent experience; Five years minimum experience in design for printing, writing, editing, layout and photography;•
Proficient in Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, PDF conversion; experience with advertising sales, billing, and working with a bookkeeper, as the continued success of the newspaper depends on revenue generated through ad sales; willing and able to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed and must have reliable transportation and provide proof of car insurance To be considered, please submit a resume, references, and portfolio electronically to thurstonmasonseniornews@ gmail.com or by mail: TCCoA Board, Re: Executive Director Position c/o Joyce Wilms, PO Box 7184, Olympia, WA 9850.
papers, magazines and digital products. We’re proud of our 109-year heritage of publishing and the creativity of our managers and employees. To guide the finances of the company in the future, we are seeking a Chief Financial Officer with the education, background and leadership to guide finances in the coming years. The Chief Financial Officer will oversee the corporate accounting team, monitor and implement internal financial controls and be responsible for financial reports and budgeting. This is a hands-on position, working alongside a team of 4 staff members. You will need a education in accounting or finance, CPA or MBA preferred, five + years CHIEF FINANCIAL of management experiOFFICER ence and a firm grasp of Seeking Chief Finan- GAAP. Strong analytical cial Officer for familyskills, regulatory knowlowned media company edge, experience in the based in Bend, Oregon. media field and a passion EO Media Group for streamlining funcis a fourth-generation, tions through technology family-owned company are also required. with a portfolio of newsYou Size: will join skilled 3.5” x 2.5” | Maximum Font 30a pt
and dedicated team, committed to keeping quality journalism in local communities throughout Oregon and Washington. Some travel is required for board meetings and budgeting. https://eomediagroup. applicantpro.com/ jobs/1428348.html. SALES REPRESENTATIVE Do you love being part of the community? The North County Outlook is seeking a full- or part-time advertising sales representative to join our hometown newspaper team! Preference is for self-motivated, results-driven people who are excited to share the many benefits of newspaper, online, and niche product advertising. The North County Outlook is locally-owned and operated since 2007. Please email resume to sue@northcountyoutlook.com. GENERAL REPORTER The award-winning weekly newspaper, BainContinued on Page 6
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The Washington Newspaper August 2020 5
JOB BOARD
bridge Island Review, on Bainbridge Island, WA, has an opening for a general assignment reporter. We want a skilled and passionate writer who isn’t afraid to tackle meaty news stories. Applicants must be able to work in a team-oriented, deadline-driven environment, possess excellent writing skills, have a knowledge of community news and be able to write about multiple topics. You will be required to produce daily breaking news, cover some in-depth reporting and other reporting as may be assigned. A minimum of three stories per day is required, with an additional 2 for our weekend publications. Must have a working cell phone and reliable transportation. Applicants should have a bachelor’s degree in journalism and at least 2 – 5 years of experience as a reporter for a news gathering entity. This is a full-time position that includes excellent benefits: medical, dental, life insurance, a 401(k) with company match, and paid time-off. For immediate consideration, send your resume with cover letter, three or more non-returnable clips in PDF or text format and references to careers@soundpublishing.com . Make sure to include “BIR-Reporter” in the subject line. FEATURES REPORTER Sound Publishing Inc.’s two awardwinning island newspapers, the Whidbey News-Times and South Whidbey Record seek a features reporter to write
compelling stories on a wide range of topics. The reporter will also help to organize and produce special section publications. Experienced writer needed. A degree in journalism or English and knowledge of Adobe InDesign are preferred but not required. This is a full-time position with excellent benefits that include medical, dental, life insurance, 401k, paid vacation, sick and holidays. EOE. No calls, please. Send resume with cover letter and salary requirements to careers@soundpublishing.com and include “Whidbey features reporter” in the subject line. EDITOR Sound Publishing has an immediate opening for an Editor to lead the award-winning weekly newspaper, Bainbridge Island Review, on Bainbridge Island, WA. This is not an entry-level position. Requires a hands-on leader with a minimum of three years of newspaper experience including writing, editing, pagination, photography and monitoring social media. We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package including health insurance, paid time off (vacation, sick, and holidays), and 401K (currently with an employer match.) 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: “BIR EDITOR” in the subject line.
6 The Washington Newspaper August 2020
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. NEWS EDITORS Free Press Pub-
lishing is looking for editors to lead two of our publications in rural Eastern Washington. Each will be part of a larger news team that covers four counties, while still overseeing their own local coverage. As a growing community newspaper company, we’re looking for go-getters who can
handle reporting, writing, photography, editing and pagination. Social media, time management and organizational skills are a must. Our communities don’t have coffee on every corner, shopping malls or fancy dining. They do have readers and advertisers who care about their schools, businesses and
neighbors. If you’re a journalist who enjoys life in small towns, where crime is minimal and residents are still neighborly, we’d like to hear from you. Email cover letter, resume and clips/links to Publisher Roger Harnack at Roger@cheneyfreepress.com. No telephone calls, please.