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THE WASHINGTON NEWSPAPER September 2016
Marcia Van Dyke pedals coast to coast Page 3
Journal of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association
MEMBER PROFILE
Sequim Gazette connects community
In Sequim on the Olympic Peninsula, the Dungeness River tumbles from Olympic Mountain foothills onto a broad prairie where the staff of the Sequim Gazette offers up weekly community connections, news and opinions, just as it has done for more than a hundred years. Editor Michael Dashiell, a veteran of the Sequim newsroom, has seen a lot of changes over the years. Like virtually every community newspaper editor, Dashiell’s big challenges include attracting and keeping qualified staff members and juggling the increasing demands of a newsgatherer, which often includes shooting and editing video, posting web updates and writing stories for the weekly paper. But Dashiell says one thing keeps him going. “It’s the people,” he says. Being a witness to his community’s personal struggles and triumphs, and then employing the tools of the storyteller to craft compelling narratives makes all the other challenges he faces worth the effort. The Gazette, owned by Sound Publishing, is a 3,500 circulation, broadsheet weekly, delivered on Wednesdays by
Annual meeting features Pulitzer winner, ad expert Registrations close this week; Book hotel rooms by Sept. 17 Two distinguished speakers will top the agenda of October’s Washington Newspaper Publishers Association convention in Wenatchee Oct. 13 to 15. George Rodrigue, currently the editor of The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, Ohio, will deliver the keynote address entitled “Why journalism still matters.” Then publishers and marketing representatives will be treated to an all-day session with marketing guru Peter Lamb, widely acknowledged as one of the leading
Sequim Gazette Editor Michael Dashiell and Office Manager Linda Clenard help keep the Gazette on track and continuing its long service to the community. Once mainly an agricultural an adult carrier force. It has area, Sequim today is known a four-person newsroom, and as an arid retirement haven. In on the advertising side shares the rainshadow of the Olympic some staff with the neighborMountains, Sequim gets a lot ing daily in Port Angeles, the less rainfall than most of WestPeninsula Daily News. ern Washington. Dashiell said the paper Early farmers, struggling is making progress winning with the lack of rain, dug irsubscribers and in part he credits that to an increased use rigation ditches by hand across the valley to deliver Dungeof social media the last two or ness River water to the crops. three years. The Sequim economy gener- That effort is recalled every year with the Sequim Irrigation ally is seeing slow growth, Festival, which claims to be the Dashiell said, except for one oldest continuous community area: “Real estate is doing refestival in the state. ally well,” he said.
experts in the nation today. Those two speakers are backed up by a long list of other session leaders. WNPA members can register today at wnpa.com. Registrations close this week. Rodrigue’s experience in journalism is as impressive as it is wide ranging. Before taking the helm in Cleveland, he was assistant news director of WFAATV in Dallas, the ABC affiliate in the nation’s fifth-largest television market, and before that he was See WNPA, Page 2
NAA changes name, expands to embrace digital platforms The Newspaper Association of America announced Sept. 7 it is changing its name to News Media Alliance (NMA) and it has launched a new website, www. newsmediaalliance.org to support the updated mission. According to NMA, the change is the culmination of a larger strategic plan to highlight the news media industry’s evolution to multi-platform, digitallysavvy businesses and premium content providers. “The organization’s new focus better reflects the fully-integrated multi-platform media organiza-
tions that comprise its membership. The new website visually depicts this expansion of news media into digital and mobile formats, with a modern look and feel that incorporates imagery of what it means to be a news media organization today: communicating in real-time across multiple platforms,” NMA said in a news release. News Media Alliance Vice President of Innovation Michael MaLoon says of the changes, “Our transformation efforts are designed to show the positive
See NMA, Page 3
WNPA: Speakers have wealth of experience Continued from Page 1
Lamb was born and raised vice president and managing edi- in Cape Town, South Africa tor of The Dallas Morning News. and today is a Strategic MarThere, his staff won one Pulitzer keting Consultant, based in Prize and was twice named a Miami, Fla., with a specialty finalist for the award. in media organizations. From 1998 until 2001, he “The goal of my consulting served as managing editor practice is to utilize the sophisand then executive editor ticated strategic marketing prinof The Press-Enterprise in ciples and techniques, learned Riverside, California. From while doing my MBA at 1982 until 1998, he worked Harvard Business School, and for The Dallas Morning News. meshing them with a hands-on He served as a Washington sales approach, by getting the correspondent; as chief of the entire sales organization to buy paper’s European Bureau; and into a single idea: ‘Think like as a Dallas-based reporter and the customer.’” editor. As a reporter in the Lamb will lead participants early 1990s, he covered the through a energizing process Persian Gulf War and the wars for sales managers and othof secession in Yugoslavia and ers to generate new revenue the former Soviet Union. streams, both print and online. He and a partner won the Lamb has lent his expertise 1986 Pulitzer Prize for National to many media organizations, Reporting for stories that exincluding Time-Inc, UK; posed segregation and discrimi- Metroland Media, Canada; nation in federally subsidized El Clasificado, Los Angeles, housing programs. He was one CA; The Flyer Media Group, of eight Dallas Morning News Tampa, Fla; Media24, South reporters who won the 1994 Africa; Black Press, Canada; Pulitzer Prize for International Sound Publishing, Seattle, Reporting for a series about WA; Russ Media, Hungary violence against women. and Austria.
Officers: Don Nelson, President; Sandy Stokes, First Vice President; Michael Wagar, Second Vice President; Keven Graves, Past President. Trustees: Sara Bruestle, Eric LaFontaine, Donna Etchey, Scott Hunter, Michael Wagar and Bill Shaw. Staff: Fred Obee, Executive Director; C.J. Burk, Assistant Director. THE WASHINGTON NEWSPAPER is the offical publication of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association. It is published monthly by WNPA, 1204 Fourth Ave. East, Suite 4, Olympia, WA 98506. Fred Obee: Executive Director: 360-515-5239. Email: fredobee@wnpa.com CJ Burk: Accounting and Advertising 360-515-0974. Email: cj@wnpa.com. Fax: 360-515-5546 2 The Washington Newspaper September 2016
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Real value in workshops, friendships, awards dinner By Don Nelson I’m conflicted. As a publisher and editor, I want to attend all of the sessions at WNPA’s convention next month in Wenatchee. I suppose I could call that my Nelson favorite kind of dilemma. Thanks to Sandy Stokes and the convention planning committee, the lineup of presenters and panelists is compelling, and the sessions are all topical and practical. I encourage WNPA members and their staffs to find a way to attend part or all of the convention. There is real value in the information you will come away with, and intangible value in sharing time with your professional colleagues from around the state. I always look forward to catching up with long-time acquaintances and meeting new folks. The WNPA auction is fun and important. It supports our internship programs, which are a vital part of perpetuating the practices and ideals or our organization. Our pleasant and well-situated venue, the Red Lion Hotel, is – without being too snarky about
it – an improvement over last year’s. If you haven’t been to the Pybus Center, you’ll enjoy strolling through the spacious public market building. North Central Washington is lovely in early fall. And of course, there’s the awards banquet. As much as I like seeing my staff win a few awards, I especially like learning about the extraordinary work that WNPA members across the state are doing week in and week out. It’s affirming and inspirational. Visit our website to find out more about the convention and to register. See you there. ••• I’m sad to report that we’ve lost a WNPA board member. Jill FitzSimmons, editor of the Quincy Valley Post-Register, has resigned from the newspaper to take a job in the public sector, and subsequently tendered her resignation from the board. Jill’s contributions are much appreciated, especially her role in convention planning and lining up some of the presenters. I’ll be thinking about potential replacements, and welcome your ideas and suggestions. Nominations can also be submitted during WNPA’s annual business meeting at the
convention. ••• WNPA will be wellrepresented at the Washington Coalition for Open Government (WCOG) 2016 Madison Andersen Awards Breakfast on Sept. 23 at the Washington Athletic Club in Seattle. Our own Michele EarlHubbard – and I call her that affectionately because she is not only WNPA’S attorney, but also a powerful advocate for what we do – will be honored with the James Andersen Award. The award honors an individual or organization that has made an outstanding contribution to WCOG’s work. It is named after James Andersen, retired chief justice of the Washington Supreme Court and a founding member of WCOG. Michelle is more than deserving. You can congratulate her at the WNPA convention, where she will be leading a session on open records and meetings. It’s worth the price of admission! WNPA has reserved a table at the WCOG event, and several board members (myself included) have indicated they will attend. WCOG is an important ally in supporting public access to records and meetings. Don Nelson is the Publisher of the Methow Valley News and this year’s WNPA President.
WCOG awards breakfast set for Sept. 23 The Washington Coalition for Open Government is proud to announce the 11th Annual Madison Andersen Awards Breakfast will be held from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 23 at the Washington Athletic Club in Seattle. Receiving the James Anderson award is WNPA hotline attorney Michele Earl Hubbard, the James Madison award will go to Witherspoon Kelley, a Spokane area law firm, and the Kenneth
F. Bunting Award goes to Sean Robinson of the News Tribune in Tacoma. The recipients of these awards have been strong advocates for open government and have done extraordinary things to advance the efforts of the Washington Coalition for Open Government. To reserve a seat, register at washingtoncog. org.
NMA: Name change reflects evolving nature of industry Continued from Page 1
trajectory of the industry and to share the innovation and growth taking place, especially in the digital space. There are so many great things happening in our industry right now, and our job is to tell those stories.” In addition, for the first time the organization is broadening its membership requirements to allow digital-first and digitalonly news organizations publishing original content to become members. The association has a number of new tools and resources it will be making available to members in the coming months that reflect the digital focus of its membership, including: • ideaXchange, a new online community for News Media Alliance members launching this fall. Accessible through the new website, ideaXchange will provide a platform that will make sharing, brainstorming and learning from one another easier than ever. • metricsXchange, a new digital benchmarking tool exclusively for members. This dashboard will allow comparisons between markets and publications, providing new insights into the news media industry’s digital business efforts.
The Alliance will also provide analyses and highlight newsworthy trends mined from the tool. • mediaXchange, the News Media Alliance’s major annual event, will take a reimagined approach. Taking place in New Orleans in 2017, the event will focus on the future of the news media industry. The Alliance will hold other events for members designed to share information and foster innovation. As the industry has expanded to reach audiences on digital, social and mobile formats, the association’s approximately 2,000 news organization members have become increasingly optimistic about the future of the industry. “The news media industry should be optimistic. All evidence shows that people of all ages want and consume more news than ever,” states News Media Alliance President and CEO David Chavern. “We need to focus on new ways to address the needs of audience and advertisers. Advertising on news media digital and print platforms continues to be one of the most effective ways for advertisers to reach important audiences. Publishers are working to adapt advertising across
all platforms, make ads less intrusive and increase consumer engagement.” The News Media Alliance will continually evolve to ensure resources are available to members that facilitate growth and revenue diversification. Chavern doesn’t see the challenges as insurmountable. “All industries periodically face disruptive market and technology changes, and like many others before us, I believe we will come out of it stronger.” For more information visit www.newsmediaalliance.org. About NMA: The News Media Alliance is a nonprofit organization representing nearly 2,000 news organizations and their multiplatform businesses in the United States and Canada. Alliance members include print, digital and mobile publishers of original news content. Headquartered near Washington, D.C., in Arlington, Va., the association focuses on ensuring the future of new media through communication, research, advocacy and innovation. Information about News Media Alliance can be found at www. newsmediaalliance.org.
Conference focuses on public notices Efforts by government officials to move public notices from local newspapers to government websites pick up steam every year. State press associations are battling on several fronts to preserve newspaper notice and to protect the public’s right to know. Are the newspapers
that publish legal notices upholding their end of the bargain? The Public Notice Resource Center will identify best practices and share tips on how to improve the industry’s position at its first-ever symposium on Best Practices in Public Notice Sept. 22, held in conjunction with the
National Newspaper Association’s 130th annual convention and Trade Show, being held at the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs, Franklin, TN. The half-day conference is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. and conclude at 4 p.m. To learn more about PNRC or the conference, go to PNRC.net.
Former WNPA Executive Director Marcia Van Dyke and husband Jeff arrive at the Atlantic Ocean after crossing the country on bicycles.
Van Dyke goes coast to coast Those you who were betting former WNPA Executive Director Marcia Van Dyke wouldn’t complete her crosscountry bicycle adventure can now pay the cashier. Marcia and husband Jeff arrived on their bicycles at an Atlantic Ocean beach in Rye, New Hampshire Aug. 22 and ceremoniously dipped their tires in the water. “I cried for like 10 minutes,” Van Dyke said. The trek took the couple over the Cascades and the Rockies, across the deserts and through what Marcia dubbed the “corn states.” They followed the Great Lakes to Niagra Falls and sliced NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN FOR WNPA’S BOARD You can have input into who sits on the WNPA board of directors. To nominate some-
across New England to the New Hampshire coast. For the past couple of weeks, they’ve been touring Boston, Martha’s Vineyard and surrounding locales. But if you think that’s the end of the story, think again. “When we left Olympia, we thought we would take a train from Boston to Florida and go stay with Jeff’s son, Jimmy in the Bahamas for the winter,” Van Dyke posted on her Facebook page. “But we have decided that we aren’t quite ready for this journey to end, so we will ride to Florida. Stay tuned for more bicycling adventures with Marcia and Jeff.”
one for a board position, submit a letter with a candidate’s name and the signatures of 10 regular members. Send that nomination to WNPA,
1204 Fourth Ave. East, Olympia, WA 98506. By publication, this is the final call for nominations, as required by WNPA bylaws.
The Washington Newspaper September 2016 3
WNPA JOB BOARD
SALESPERSON The Whidbey News Group on beautiful Whidbey Island, WA, is looking for a self-motivated, resultsdriven sales person interested in a multi-media sales career. As part of our sales team you will maintain and grow existing client relationships, as well as develop new client relationships. The successful candidate will be goal oriented, have organizational skills and provide excellent customer service. If you have these skills and enjoy helping local businesses succeed, please email your resume and cover letter to: careers@soundpublishing.com . This position receives a base salary plus commissions. Benefits include medical, dental, vision and life insurance, paid time off, and a 401K with company match. This is outside sales so you will need your personal automobile, driver’s license and auto insurance. Sound Publishing is an
Equal Opportunity Employee (EOE) and strongly supports diversity in the workplace. Visit our website to learn more about us! www.soundpublishing.com. EDITOR The Quincy Valley PostRegister seeks a dynamic editor to lead the editorial direction of the newspaper. This is a handson position that includes editing stories, reporting, opinion writing, page layout, staff supervision and building a community partnership. The successful candidate will have excellent news judgment, superior news writing skills, able to edit and rewrite copy on deadline, and the ability to use web content and social media to grow our audience. This is a full-time, salaried position—Monday through Thursday—that includes an excellent benefits program. Please submit an introduc-
tory letter and resume by Friday, September 2, 2016 to Joe Pitt, publisher, at pitt@wenatcheeworld.com Salesperson EDITOR Editor – Part time. Beacon Publishing, headquartered in Mukilteo, is looking for a half-time editor to oversee publication of the Mill Creek Beacon, which is published twice a month in the upscale, south Snohomish County city of Mill Creek. Duties include covering and reporting city news and features; editing columns, letters to the editor, press releases and other copy; and coordinating with production department on publication weeks. Must have news writing and editing experience, photography skills, good community relations skills, familiarity with AP style. InDesign and Photoshop skills a plus. Send resume, letter of interest and clips to Paul Archipley at publisher@yourbeacon.net.
Bring in new revenue with WNPA ad network Selling statewide or regional 2x2 or 2x4 black and white 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. Here’s how it works: • You sell the ad and send an insertion order to WNPA. • Your paper keeps half the revenue and the advertising sales person gets their regular commission. • WNPA receives 50 percent of the sale and uses that money to provide your legal hotline, professional services, Legislative Day, the Better Newspaper Contest and annual convention. • All member newspapers are required 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, the ads are necessarily small – just 2 columns wide by either two or four inches tall. A great way to pay for these ads is to work with non-profit organizations in your area. They can apply to your local city and county governments for hotelmotel tax fund grants to pay for these ads. A Chamber of Commerce, for example, can ask your county government for funds to help attract tourists to your area. These can be general ads detailing the benefits of 4 The Washington Newspaper September 2016
Buy the whole state or select a region with WNPA’s 2x2 ad network. Fairs and festivals are good potential buyers. See complete details at wnpa.com. visiting your area, or ads for a specific fair or festival. Anything that brings people to your area can qualify. It’s not too early to talk with local chamber or festival organizers now about the possibilities. Generally, they make their proposals at the end of summer to local governments. Actual schedules may differ in your area, so check with city or county officials about specific timelines. The WNPA 2x2 ad program is important arrow in your sales quiver and a great way for advertisers in your area to reach a broader audience. Questions? Call C.J. Burk at WNPA, 360-515-0974, or email cj@wnpa. com.
Have a legal question? WNPA is ready to help If you have a question about access to public meetings or records, the WNPA staff can help. Call 360-515-5239 For questions beyond government access -- if an attorney has served you with a demand letter, or if Earl Hubbard you need emergency review of a story, letter or ad -- call or email our WNPA attorney, Michele Earl Hubbard. (206) 801-7510 or email
michele@alliedlawgroup.com