The Washington Newspaper, September 2023

TWN

THE WASHINGTON NEWSPAPER

September 2023

Journal of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association

Slate of officers up for approval at annual convention

Etchey proposed for presidency, Flaherty, Winters fill officer slots

New officers and board members for WNPA will be elected by the membership at the annual meeting, this year held in Kennewick Oct. 6&7.

New officers presented for approval are: Donna Etchey, of The Daily Record for president; Sean Flaherty, of the Wenatchee World, for 1st vice president; and Matt Winters, of the Chinook Observer, for 2nd vice president.

Current president Michelle Nedved of the Newport Miner remains on the board as past president.

Other members of the board include Rudi Alcott, the Daily Herald; Roger Harnack, Cheney Free Press; Teresa Myers, Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle; Bob Richardson, Columbia Basin Herald; and Staci Baird, Cascadia Daily News.

This slate of officers and board members will be presented to the membership for approval at the breakfast business meeting Oct. 7.

This will be the 136th Annual Meeting of WNPA. This year we convene in at the Red Lion Hotel - Columbia Center Kennewick.

The deadline to register for

Auction features old proof press Page 2

the convention is Sept. 20. Registration is open at wnpa.com.

The meeting opens Friday Oct. 6 with WNPA and WNPA Foundation boards meeting respectively at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

From 4 to 6 p.m on Friday is an opening night reception. It’s a great time to meet and greet your peers in the community newspaper business.

On Saturday, we start with breakfast, the election of officers and presentation of the Community Service Awards.

At lunch we will present the Master Editor/Publisher Award and hear from Hillary Franz, the state Commissioner for Public Lands.

Saturday night Oct. 7 is the gala awards dinner.

The full schedule is available at wnpa.com. Click on the homepage tile to get to the registration and information page. Once there you can download the convention program.

Our hotel is filling quickly. There are other nearby hotels in case you can’t find a room at the Red Lion.

Hope to see you all in Kennewick!

Ward Media, LLC has acquired four weekly publications and a monthly business journal in North Central Washington from NCW Media, Inc.

The newspapers involved in this transaction are the Leavenworth Echo, Cashmere Valley Record, Lake Chelan Mirror, Quad City Herald, and the Wenatchee Business Journal — all of which have been serving communities in the heart of Washington state.

“We are excited to entrust these cherished community newspapers to Ward Media LLC,” said Carol Forhan, president of NCW

Media, in a press release.

Terry Ward, former publisher of the Olympic Peninsula News Group among other newspapers and vice president of Sound Publishing, and Amy Yaley, former communications specialist for Jefferson Healthcare in Port Townsend, own Ward Media, LLC.

Dave Gauger of Gauger Media Services, Inc. represented NCW Media in the transaction. Terms were not disclosed.

The two “have a proven track record of dedication to journalism and a strong understanding of the unique needs of local

communities,” Forhan said.

“We believe this transition will not only sustain the legacy of these newspapers but also enhance their future prospects.” Ward has held leadership positions in various media companies. Most recently, he was vice president and publisher for Sound Publishing, Inc., overseeing their operations in Washington state on the Olympic Peninsula, Kitsap Peninsula, Bainbridge Island, Grays Harbor County and Whidbey Island.

He has held pivotal roles in major US media corporations and

Terry Ward and Amy Yaley are the new owners the Leavenworth Echo, Lake Chelan Mirror, Quad City Herald and Cashmere Valley Record.

This convention is shaping up to be an amazing experience

This old proof press will be among items up for auction at the convention in Kennewick.

Silent auction features unusual memorabilia

Up for grabs in this year’s silent auction to benefit the WNPA Foundation is a cast iron proof press that came out of the old Castle Rock newspaper.

It is from the estate of Sen. Alan Thompson, author of Washington State’s Open Public Records Act.

In the 1870’s, Dr. Dexter Miles commissioned the production of these presses and gave them away to country newspaper publishers in exchange for free advertising, promoting the curative power of his

cure-alls. This press touts Miles Heart Cure on one end.

Today these presses are a favorite of artisan and wood block printers.

This one comes with a roller, four tubes of ink, a very large collection of wooden type and a framed print of a jolly fellow in a derby proudly standing in his print shop. This limited-edition print, one of four, was produced on this very press here at WNPA.

No online auction this year. You must attend the conventon to bid!

By Michelle Nedved

It’s time to register for the 2023 WNPA Convention, and I recommend we all attend. It’s in Kennewick this year, a nice central location, and the agenda is packed with newspaper gurus and a keynote speech by the Washington Commissioner of Public Lands.

Kevin Slimp of The Newspaper Academy

Nedved

will be presenting three sessions. Slimp has been teaching Adobe InDesign as long as it’s been on the market. He’ll be teaching us how to get people to pick up our newspapers. He’ll explain how content, design, promotion and advertising all play a role.

entertaining speaker who is the president and founder of Creative Circle Media Solutions, a network of talent he has been building for more than 35 years. He believes that quality journalism is essential to American democracy. His speciality is helping “word people,” “visual people” and “tech people” work together.

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

He’ll also be teaching a session on designing more effective advertising. This session has something for just about everyone on your staff. He’ll discuss what is working in ads today that make them more effective. Ad reps and managers will learn valuable information they can use to sell ads, and designers will walk away with a lot of ways to design more effective ads, thus increasing revenue. Kevin will cover theory, color, fonts, content and more. Also on the program is Bill Ostendorf, an energetic and

He’ll help us improve our photo content, providing a dozen tips, many of which can be put to use immediately without more resources or equipment. He’s also going to help us “fix” the print model. He’ll help us see print and content in a new light and will argue that today a truly reader-centric model is needed and much of what has been done in newsrooms was never very user-centric. He’ll inspire us to retool our newsrooms and survive in a world where the resources are often scarce. He’ll offer a new game plan for newsrooms unlike any we’ve heard before, many of which are already paying off for his client newspapers.

We will also learn more about the state-financed journalism fellows program administered by Washington State University. Ben Shors, the journalism department chair, will introduce the new program manager, layout the work plan, and tell people how the application process will work. This new state program will place journalists in newsrooms across the state with the goal of increasing civic journalism.

You’ll want to learn more about this, if you are a publisher or a reporter interested in applying. We’ll also have an interesting discussion on ethics led by WNPA members. Come to this session and fine tune your ethics policy. Finally, our keynote speaker is Hillary Franz, Washington State’s Commissioner of Public Lands. She leads the state’s wildfire fighting force and manages nearly 6 million acres of public lands, from coastal waters and aquatic reserves to working forests and farms, commercial developments and recreational areas. Her talk during the Saturday luncheon will be enlightening for sure.

All this, not to mention the dinner and Better Newspaper Contest Awards Ceremony Saturday night, presentation of the Master Editor/Publisher Award, and a live auction. There’s going to be something for everyone on your staff. I personally find the convention a chance to be inspired and energized by colleagues who are doing the tough work of community journalism every day. In a lonely industry, spending time with others who we can relate to and empathize with does wonders for morale.

Registration is open until Sept. 20. I look forward to seeing you all there.

Michelle Nedved is the Publisher of The Newport Miner and this year’s WNPA president.

National Newspaper Week is Oct. 1-7

National Newspaper Week is quickly approaching. This year we will celebrate on Oct. 1-7 for the 83rd year in recognition of the service of newspapers and their employees throughout the United States and Canada.

This is but one of the many

great programs sponsored by Newspaper Association Managers.

At nationalnewspaperweek. com you will find logos, ads, social media posts, editorials and editorial cartoons. There will be additional editorials and editorial cartoons

added in the coming days.

The theme this year is In Print. Online. For You.

All of the materials are built around the evolution of newspapers and the fact that newspaper readers are from all generations, community leaders and voters.

Chronicle stands by its story quoting candidate Joe Kent

The Chronicle in Centralia recently was threatened with a lawsuit over its coverage of Third Congressional District candidate Republican Joe Kent.

A lawyer representing Kent sent a letter to Chronicle Publisher Chad Taylor demanding the newspaper “promptly retract” an article in which Kent appears to agree with an audience member who suggested the U.S. should completely restrict immigration for 20 years because of the “demographic replacement that’s happening.”

The attorney also demanded that the Chronicle turn over a recording of the meeting that the paper possessed.

The article in question was published in March 2022.

The six-page letter, sent by the Dhillon Law Group and dated Aug. 28, alleges “the defamatory statement” made in the article opens The Chronicle up to potential litigation for both defamation and libel.

The Chronicle staff replied by saying it stands by the accuracy of its story. Rather than comply with the demand letter, the Chronicle instead chose to publish the recording of Kent making his comments so everyone can judge the accuracy of the article.

In addition to its own audio recording, The Chronicle found additional video footage of the interaction on a far right website which also supports its story.

“We have two journalists who observed it, we have audio that confirms it, and we have (seen) video that leaves no question,” said Editor Eric Schwartz.

“And we have no plans to alter the story.”

The March 11, 2022, article reported on a town hall event Kent held in Onalaska two days prior.

The comments in question came during an exchange between Kent and Vincent James.

James was among a group of five men who traveled to the town hall from Idaho after Kent denounced the platform of Nick Fuentes, a white supremacist. At the time, the men told The Chronicle they were there to defend Fuentes.

James asked Kent: “Do you support a complete shutdown on all immigration for the next 20 years, at the very least, to give people time to assimilate?

Sale: Ward & Yaley purchase Leavenworth community papers

Because we have these massive enclaves that are forming all across the country where people don’t even have the most fundamental form of assimilation, which is language.”

Kent said the only form of immigration he supports is through marriage because it leads to the formation of more families and because that’s one of the best ways to keep a tight labor market in favor of American workers.”

James replied: “Well, not only because of labor, because of the demographic replacement that’s happening in this country as well, right?”

Kent responded: “Yeah.”

Continued from Page 1

Washington’s largest local media company.

Yaley’s background is in sales, marketing, public relations, events and promotions. She has a diverse history with global and local companies, equipping her to navigate the intricate global market while appreciating the nuances of local businesses.

The two feel this makes them a formidable team to lead these newspapers into the future.

“We aim to maintain the high journalistic standards set by NCW Media and, simultaneously, explore innovative ways to engage with our readers and serve

the local communities,” Ward said.

Added Yaley: “The nature of the media landscape requires an adaptable approach, and we are committed to staying ahead of the curve.

“By combining our expertise, we aim to deliver a seamless integration of traditional and digital media that caters to the evolving needs of our readers and advertisers alike,” she said The Leavenworth Echo, in particular, has figured prominently in WNPA’s history over the years.

Former publisher Bill Forhan served on the WNPA board for several years and was WNPA

president in 2013-14. He passed away two years ago.

Miles Turnbull published the Echo before Forhan. He was WNPA President in 1983, and also served as Executive Director from 1988 to 1992.

In remembrance of his service to WNPA, The Master Editor/Publisher award that is given each year bears his name.

Ward said they plan to hire “at least one reporter” assigned to each publication and an editor overseeing content strategy. Also planned are account executives to sell ads and marketing solutions.

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-

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Ad network: Fairs & fests, golf courses, wineries, resorts all can benefit

Continued from Page 5

ally 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.

• 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 360-3442938.

NOTE

Produce ads in two sizes,‘Version A & Version B,’ to accommodate different page sizes.

SUPER SIZE

Mary Grady, former editor, passes away Baker, Bruell fill new roles in Blaine, Vashon

Mary Lizabeth Grady died peacefully on Aug. 9, 2023, at the Island Crest Adult Family Home on Mercer Island, surrounded by her family.

Mary was born May 12, 1955, in Pullman, Washington, to Marc and Rita Swindal. She graduated from Pullman High School in 1973 and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from the University of Illinois in 1978, as well as a master’s in resource economics from Washington State University in 1983. She married Kevin Grady of Seattle in 1980.

In the 1980s, Mary worked for Puget Sound Energy as the Manager of Load Research and Forecasting, and Staff Economist. With the birth of her daughters in the 1990s, Mary

contracted with the Seattle branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco to research and write economic forecasts.

She then turned her career focus to reporting, receiving a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Washington in 2001. In 2002, Mary took a position as a staff writer/education reporter for the Mercer Island Reporter. This experience culminated in her eventually taking on the editorship of the newspaper in 2006. Mary became a regional editor with the addition of the Bellevue Reporter and Issaquah Reporter in 2014-2015.The Reporter papers she wrote for and managed, won numerous General Excellence awards from the Washington State Newspaper Publisher Association and the Society of Professional Journalists for science reporting. Mary also served a term on the Mercer Island Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and served on the Mercer Island Utili-

ties Board.

Born and raised in Pullman, Mary never forgot that she was an “eastsider” with a love for wheatbedecked rolling hills and the Cougars. Characteristically she was straightforward and direct — all with her wry wit and sonorous laugh. In recent years, she also enjoyed visiting Hawaiian beaches and Canadian lakes with family and friends.

Her family was the rock from which she drew, and shared her love and strength. Her parents, lifetime community volunteers, were the source of her inspiration to serve others. She leaves her sisters Patricia, and Catherine, who predeceased her, brothers Jim and John, her beloved husband Kevin, and daughters Maria and Kelly.

Her life will be celebrated at a Catholic funeral Mass at 11 a.m. on Sept. 9, 2023, at St. Bridget Church, 4900 NE 50th St., Seattle. Internment will be private.

Nolan Baker has joined The Northern Light as a reporter and editor of Mount Baker Experience.

Born and raised in Seattle, Baker was a former Point Roberts Press intern in 2021 during his time at Western Washington University’s school of journalism.

Since graduating, Nolan completed a six-month internship at Cascadia Daily News in Bellingham. Nolan replaces Ian Haupt who has left to return home to Oregon and pursue other opportunities in journalism.

Alex Bruell, a journalist with eight years of reporting in Washington State, has accepted an offer to become The Vashon-Maury Island Beachcomber’s new editor.

Bruell will transition into the role under the guidance of current editor Elizabeth (Liz) Shepherd, who will move into a part time reporter position for The Beachcomber at the end of September.

A current resident of Federal Way, Bruell plans to move to Vashon as soon as possible.

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

Grady

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

The Shelton-Mason County Journal is creating a new full-time position of associate editor. The right person will have flexibility in hours and opportunity for advancement.

Recent staff changes have created a unique opportunity for Journal to tailor the associate editor position to fit our top candidate’s credentials and experience, and then fill in the pieces around the editor to continue our tradition of excellence

This isn’t a job for the faint of heart. We work hard to put out a quality newspaper that we’re all proud of. You’ll do meaningful work in a community that rewards the newspaper with loyalty. We’d like our associate editor to be primarily a writer, someone who is equally

at ease writing editorials, covering the county commission and hitting up a Friday night football game. We also want you visibly out in our community where you’ll meet readers and leaders, and build connections that can only be made face-toface.

Some specifics that could make you our preferred candidate include: five or more years of writing/reporting experience, with at least two years of hard-news coverage, previous editorial or column writing experience, photography experience, experience managing people and community involvement, mastery of the English language and AP Style and proficiency in InDesign.

Pay for this position will be depend on experience

and skill set. Submit your resume, references and examples of your work to Editor Justin Johnson at justin@ masoncounty.com and Publisher John Lester at john@masoncounty.com. No phone calls please.

MULTIMEDIA SALES (KING COUNTY)

Sound Publishing, Inc. is looking for an outside multimedia, sales consultant, supporting our King County publications. This is a full-time, salary ($40k+ D.O.E) PLUS commission position with an initial 3-month commission guarantee, a sign-on bonus, and a six-month sales performance bonus. We offer competitive base pay with commissions, medical/vision/dental/ life/AD&D, and LTD insurance, EAP &

wellness plans, 401k retirement plan with company match, paid holidays and vacation & sick leave accrual.

Multi-Media experience in digital and print marketing preferred, but not mandatory.

To apply, please email your resume to careers@ soundpublishing.com with the subject line of “ATTN: King County Sales”.

INSIDE MULTI-MEDIA SALES

Sound Publishing, Inc. is currently looking for an experienced Inside Multimedia Sales Consultant based out of our Whidbey News-Times publication in beautiful Oak Harbor, WA.

The position pays $18 per hour. Benefits include medical/dental/vision plans with a significant portion of the premiums

paid by the company and life/AD&D/LTD insurance paid for by the company, 401k retirement plan with company match, vacation & sick accrual, and paid holidays.

This position is on the day shift and is full-time, approximately 40 hours per week. Start times will be around 8-9 am. The schedule varies and requires flexibility based on business needs.

To apply, please email your resume to careers@ soundpublishing.com with the subject line of “ATTN Whidbey Sales”.

NEWS CLERK

Sound Publishing Inc. is currently looking for a Part-time admin assistant & news clerk based out of our Journal of the San Juans publication in beautiful Friday Harbor, WA.

Position pays $17.50 per hour. Benefits include EAP & wellness programs, 401k retirement plan with company match, vacation & sick accrual, and paid holidays.

This position is on the day shift and is parttime, approximately 20-29 hours per week. The schedule varies and requires flexibility based on business needs.

Duties include recordkeeping, mail distribution, managing supplies and other office support services, answering phones and customer requests and complaints, and managing petty cash and deposits.

To apply, please email your resume careers@ soundpublishing.com with a subject line of “ATTN: San Juan Admin”.

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With over 60 years of experience, we know journalism. From public records to protecting journalists, from defamation claims to business needs, large and small publishers turn to us.

REPORTER 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 our Sequim office. The schedule may require evening and/or weekend work.

We offer a competitive hourly wage and benefits package including health insurance, paid time off (vacation, sick, and holidays), and 401K with employer match, and $17-$18 per hour starting wage.

To apply, email your cover letter, resume, and include five examples of your best work showcasing your reporting skills and writing chops with your resume submission to careers@ soundpublishing.com.

PART-TIME REPORTER (EASTSOUND, WA)

Sound Publishing, Inc. is currently looking for a part-time reporter based out of our Islands’ Sounder publication in beautiful Eastsound, WA.

Position pays $16 per hour. Benefits include EAP & wellness programs, 401k retirement plan with company match and vacation & sick accrual, and paid holidays.

This position is on the day shift and is parttime, approximately 20-29 hrs per week.

The schedule varies and requires flexibility based on business needs.

To apply, please email your resume careers@ soundpublishing. com with a subject line of “ATTN: Orcas Reporter”.