Ward departs, Kennedy promoted

Their approach highlights a survival strategy in the changing world of American newspapering: giving highest priority to local news that cannot be obtained elsewhere.

“We are pleased to see how strong the paper is and how loyal the readership is,” Simmons said. “We want to grow and reach the people who don’t know us, all with a focus on the Wahkiakum community, Cathlamet and Naselle.”

This is an edited version of a story written by Patrick Webb that first appeared in the Chinook Observer.

After eight years helping steer Sound Publishing, Vice President Terry Ward is leaving the company to pursue a long-held dream of establishing his own media company. He recently acquired five community newspapers, which will operate under the company name, Ward Media. The newspapers were not named in the announcement pending an announcement of the sale, but Ward said the newspapers are located in Washington State.

Though bidding farewell was a challenging decision, Terry expressed his sentiments, saying, “I want to express my deepest gratitude to the Sound Publishing team for your unwavering support and collaboration during my tenure at Sound Publishing. Ward’s last day in his current role was Aug. 1, 2023, but he has agreed to work closely with Sound Publishing through August, ensuring a smooth handover and a seamless continuation of our ongoing projects.

With Ward’s departure, Sound Publishing announced the promotion of Eran Kennedy to the position of Regional Publisher of the Olympic Peninsula Group. In her new role, Eran will oversee the Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette and the Forks Forum.

Kennedy worked for Black Press in Cananda and Hawaii before coming to Washington State. A resident of Sequim for the past 9 years, and currently is PresidentElect of the SequimDungeness Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Counties, cities have cash for tourism

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.

People are itching to get out and mingle and community events are filling the streets.

But extra effort is necessary these days to let people know your town is open for business and welcoming tourists.

Many just trust in online notices, but with ad blocking software and distrust of social media growing, 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 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 region-

Continued on Page 5