Twn 1017

TWN

THE WASHINGTON NEWSPAPER

Fred ‘Pa’ Kennedy remembered Page 4

October 2017

Journal of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association

WNPA joins suit on records

By Don Nelson Among the special privileges that the state’s legislators enjoy is one that other public officials in Washington state do not.

While public records requests for detailed documentation about the activities of local elected officials must typically be fulfilled – often at some expense and effort – members of the state Senate and House are not held to the same strict disclosure standards.

They exempted themselves from that level of full public scrutiny, deliberately. And illegally, according to a recent lawsuit filed by the Associated Press (AP).

The lawsuit challenges the lawmakers’ longtime assertion that a dubious amendment to the state’s public disclosure law in 1995 absolved them from providing records such as work-related emails, daily schedules and text messages.

Those records are accessible at every other level of government in state – but not from legislators.

See LAWSUIT, Page 3

130TH ANNUAL CONVENTION

WNPA ready to roll into Olympia New officers are nominated, new board members are stepping up and the awards are ready for presentation -- it’s time for the 130th Annual Convention of the Washington Newpaper Publishers Association.

The convention kicks off Oct. 12 with an opening night reception from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Heritage Room on the Capitol Lake waterfront in Olympia. It continues at the Red Lion Hotel Oct. 13 with a breakfast membership meeting, a day of workshops and the gala awards dinner Friday night.

More workshops are set for Saturday morning and the conference adjourns at 11 a.m.

For full conference details or to download a conference brochure, go to wnpa. com and click on the home page convention tile.

Assuming approval by the membership at the annual business meeting Friday, Oct. 13, Sandy Stokes of the Olympia News Bureau will step up to the president’s spot, Michael Wagar from the Nisqually Valley News will become First Vice President and

Stokes

Wagar

Etchey

Donna Etchey from Sound Publishing will become Second Vice President.

Appointed or continuing in their terms as trustees are Tom Mullen from Shelton-Mason County Journal, Scott Hunter from the Grand Coulee Star, Eric LaFontaine from Sound Publishing, Colette Weeks from the Anacortes American, and Patrick Grubb from the Northern Light in Blaine.

Les Zaitz, formerly an investigative reporter for the Oregonian and now the owner of the weekly Malheur Enterprise, will lead off the convention as the Keynote Speaker.

Zaitz, a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, is a fierce advocate for community newspapers.

In an essay this year, Zaitz said the community press needs to step up to the challenge of creating a national conversation.

“At the moment, we’re behaving nationally as two people in a conversation talking past each other. Neither side hears the other. Volume substitutes for reason,” Zaitz wrote.

“Community journalists are uniquely poised to serve as more than billboards for local information. They have an opportunity to pull segments of a community together, focusing them on an issue of importance, whether it’s how to drive down local poverty or replace a dangerously aging school.

“The need is significant for solutionaimed conversations, to get people talking.”

Also on the agenda is Tom Hallman, another Oregonian staff member, who will See CONVENTION, Page 2

Opening reception features Del Rey

Del Rey

This year’s opening night reception is a special affair featuring the Del Rey Trio.

The reception begins at 6 p.m. Thursday Oct. 12 at the Heritage Room, 604 Water St. SW, Olympia.

Del Rey, who plays a syncopated style of guitar based on prewar blues and barrelhouse piano traditions, “is one of the best fingerpickers of this or any generation,” said Ian Zack, of Acoustic Guitar magazine.

Del Rey started playing guitar when she was four years old. At 13, she was immersed in

the world of folk music, via the San Diego Folk Festival.

“Lou Curtiss, proprietor of Folk Arts and artistic director of the San Diego Folk Festival, suggested I quit wasting my time playing “Stairway to Heaven” and listen to some Memphis Minnie.

“Lou gave me recordings that still influence everything I do on solo acoustic guitar. I soaked up country blues, stride piano, classic jazz and hillbilly boogie. It was a musical education hanging around the record shop.”

Rags, blues and tunes of the

early 20th century are her specialty, even as she writes new music to add to the tradition.

Del Rey also has fashion sense that would make Minnie Pearl smile.

“While known for her amazing instrumental skills … it should not be overlooked that she always provides a very entertaining show, full of variety, drama and humour.” said a British reviewer.

Her website is www.delreyplays.com and her albums can be found at www.hobemianrecords.com

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Important to keep giving back

This photo by Roger Harnack is among those entered in this year’s Better Newspaper Contest.

Convention: Kicking off Continued from Page 1

lead a session on narrative writing. Hallman is a Pulitzer Prize winner and nationally recognized for his compelling storytelling and his approach to newswriting.

One member of a previous Hallman workshop said this: “Tom Hallman Jr.’s narrative writing seminar was the most useful I’ve attended in my 40 years working in radio and newspapers.”

On the ad side, Trish Kinney is among the session leaders who will get you organized

and inspired.

Kinney knows print and digital sales, is an Interactive Advertising Bureau certified Digital Media Sales Trainer and a certified Google Professional, with more than 18 years of in-field sales training.

Since 2005, she’s signed over $7 million in digital revenue, and her focus on multi-media training helps sales reps strengthen their business relationships, exceed their sales goals, and gain a greater sense of wellness in the workplace.

Officers: Don Nelson, President; Sandy Stokes, First Vice President; Michael Wagar, Second Vice President; Keven Graves, Past President.

Trustees: Tom Mullen, Donna Etchey, Patrick Grubb, Colette Weeks, Eric LaFontaine and Scott Hunter.

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 October 2017

By Don Nelson It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as your WNPA president for the past couple of years. I have learned a lot, gotten to know more of my professional colleagues, and have a better appreciation for the history of the organization and its evolving role. I have always been proud to promote the WNPA and help spread its Nelson message.

Here’s the most important thing to know about being president of the WNPA: Our terrific staff does most of the work.

The board officer roles are more than honorary, to be sure.

Setting the direction for the organization, reviewing and updating policies, and connecting with the membership are ongoing responsibilities for the entire board. Sometimes the president needs to independently make meaningful decisions, but that is always in the context of what’s best for the WNPA, and in consultation with staff and board members.

We have accomplished some important things over the past few years. Our financial situation is much more clear, and consequently much more stable and predictable. I think we can all feel more confident about our budget projections, although we are not complacent – there will always be challenges.

The arduous task of backtracking along our financial paper trail first fell to former Executive Director Marcia Van Dyke and her assistant, C.J. Burk, who were overseeing WNPA operations when I took over as president in early 2016.

We transitioned smoothly after Marcia’s retirement – which was

essentially simultaneous with my ascencion to the presidency after then-president Lori Maxim resigned to take a job in another state. But we had the good fortune to hire Fred Obee to replace Marcia. Fred brought extensive industry experience, familiarity with WNPA and impresssive administrative skills to the job.

C.J. spanned both administrations as an incredbily capable assistant. Fred and C.J. continued the work of restoring order to our finances. When C.J. departed, her replacement Janay Collins picked up right where C.J. left off, and continues to help Fred get things done efficiently and keep the organization running smoothly.

Sandy Stokes will be picking up the president’s gavel at the October convention – there actually is a gavel – and we are fortunate that she is ready and willing to do that. Sandy sold her newspaper, the La Conner Weekly News, but remains part of the WNPA as manager of our Olympia News Bureau during the legislative sessions.

Her professional experience and tenure on the board are terrific preparation for the presidency.

Recruiting potential board members is an ongoing activity

for the WNPA president. We are close to filling all of the open board positions, but it’s a challenge. We are all busy people, and finding the time for board activities is just not workable for some worthy candidates. That said, we will have some new faces bringing vital energy to the board in the coming year. You’ll hear more about them at the convention.

And while I still have a few weeks in office, I’d like to hear from you if you have an interest in serving on the board.

We have an exciting lineup for the Olympia gathering. Compliments go the convention committee, chaired

by Nisqually Valley News publisher Michael Wagar (who is next in line to be president after Sandy’s reign). As always, I am looking forward to renewing old acquainances and making new ones. I won’t be entirely fading away – as immediate past president, I will continue to be a board member and intend to be an active one. It’s important to keep giving back to this industry that has given me so much.

Don Nelson is the Publisher of the Methow Valley News and this year’s outgoing WNPA president.

LAWSUIT: WNPA joins AP in suit against Legislature Continued from Page 1

The AP was joined in the lawsuit by public radio’s Northwest News Network, KING-TV, KIRO 7, Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington (which represents the dailies), the SpokesmanReview, Sound Publishing, Tacoma News Inc., the Seattle Times and the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association (WNPA).

The WNPA’s participation is noteworthy, as it represents about 100 of the state’s weeklies – newspapers that often lack the resources to pursue complicated records requests. Nonetheless, they should have the ability to, at every level of state government.

That’s especially important to me as a small-town publisher, and someone who’s active in the industry. WNPA operates on our members’ behalf – including lobbying and legal assistance – with a budget that is much smaller than that of any other party to the lawsuit. As WNPA president, I quickly supported AP’s request that the WNPA contribute funds toward the suit, as did other WNPA board members. We’ve got skin in the game, and are proud to be part of it.

According to AP’s story about

WNPA joined the Associated Press and other media associations in filing suit against the state Legislature in an attempt to make Legislators comply with the Open Records Act. the lawsuit, “Without access to such records, it’s harder for the public to know who is trying to influence their state lawmakers on important policy decisions, which groups and individuals they are meeting with and what the priorities are as they debate spending tens of millions of dollars each year in tax money.”

In 1972, state voters overwhelming approved Initiative 276, the Public Disclosure Act.

Postal rates expected to rise by 2 percent in 2018 Newspapers who deliver using the U.S. Post Service can expect to see periodical class mail rates rise by about 2 percent next year.

U.S. Postal Service executives have confirmed that the agency will file a rate proposal with the Postal Regulatory Commission in early fall with a planned implementation date of January 21, 2018.

Postal products are likely to see rate increases that track the Consumer Price Index which is expected to be 2 percent.

For High Density and

The act has been chipped away over the years, but it remains the foundation for public disclosure and open meetings requirements that are still widely applicable.

I-276 expressed the will of state’s voters, and 72 percent of them approved it. In 1995, the Legislature quietly altered disclosure requirements so legislators could withhold certain records, thwarting the voters’ clearly expressed will.

Earlier this year, the parties to the AP lawsuit filed requests for records from all 147 state legislators. A few complied, but most ignored the requests.

The requests were for calendars showing whom the legislators met with, and text messages that were sent or received as part of the legislative duties. A second round of requests resulted in similar indifference or resistance.

Local public officials can’t

simply shrug off such requests.

The Washington state Supreme Court recently ruled, in the case of a county prosecutor, that public employees’ work-related text messages on a private cell phone are public records.

The AP’s action is not a nuisance suit. Absent such push-back from the media, civic-minded organizations and citizens, access will continue to erode. And with the legitimate news media under authoritarian assault form the highest levels of national government, it’s vital we fight for First Amendment rights wherever they are in jeopardy.

Open government is not just a high-minded concept. It should be an everyday expectation at every level where the public’s money is spent and its well-being is at stake. It’s the expectation that the Methow Valley News and other weekly newspapers around the state bring to their coverage of local government.

It will take a while for the suit to grind its way through the system, and the outcome is uncertain. Meantime, we’re going to suggest to our state representatives that they join the voluntary disclosure side of the issue. Maybe you should do the same.

Saturation Marketing Mail flats, such as newspapers’ Total Market Coverage products, increases are expected to be below-average as the Postal Service continues to incentivize additional volume.

Newspapers mailed at the Inside-the-County Periodicals rate will likely see rates increase by roughly 2 percent, while newspapers mailed outside-the-county are expected to receive above-average increases to incentivize operational efficiencies.

The Washington Newspaper October 2017 3

Kennedy, WNPA’s first manager, shaped organization One hundred and thirty years ago, publishers from across the state gathered in Tacoma to celebrate the completion of the Northern Pacific Railroad. For the first time in history, there was a reliable way to travel from east to west across the imposing Cascade Mountain range.

The publishers at that celebration decided the time had come for all of the state’s newspapers to unite in one organization, and the seeds were sown for the establishment of the Washington Press Association, which later became the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association.

That first association elected officers and had no staff. It wasn’t until 1909 when Fred ‘Pa’ Kennedy assumed a management role that the current organization began to take shape.

From 1909 to 1921 Kennedy, a professor at the University of Washington, gradually assumed the role in which he would serve the remainder of his career — hounding newspaper publishers and printers to learn the true cost of producing their product and to charge for it an amount sufficient to ensure a reasonable profit.

In those years, Kennedy worked ex-officio with the association and its members, particularly since the association had its headquarters on the UW campus. He authored articles frequently in The Washington Newspaper.

It wasn’t until spring 1921 that Kennedy finally signed on officially as “field manager” of the Washington State Press Association.

Even before ‘Pa’ officially was in the association he was working for the state’s newspaper people.

In November 1920 TWN, it

was reported that Professor Kennedy “reports traveling several thousand miles and gathering together 50 percent of the publishers of the state during the series of 11 district meetings during September and October.”

The broad-brush approach Kennedy was using even then was apparent. Issues discussed and acted upon at the 11 meetings were reported as: Needed legislation, establishment of minimum advertising rate on display space, adopting of a standard price list for commercial printing, consideration of collective buying, advisability of a field secretary, use of the delegate system for the semiannual meetings of the state press, solving the problems of obtaining better employees and providing means for obtaining and training apprentices, formulating a code of professional ethics, and instruction on the production of automatic machinery.

Over the years, Kennedy was an indefatigable attendee at district meetings. As a result, he acquired what was probably the greatest knowledge of weekly newspapers and their personnel ever crammed into the head of a single individual in the state.

It didn’t take perceptive publishers long to realize what a gem they had in Pa Kennedy. By 1925 the Association’s resolutions committee had successfully put forward this proposition: “Your committee recommends that the program of the 14th annual Newspaper Institute and 1926 winter meeting of the Washington Press Association be formulated as an expression of recognition of the invaluable services of Fred W. Kennedy, our field secretary to the newspapermen of the

state.

“The present development of the Washington Press Association is largely due to the unfailing loyalty of Mr. Kennedy to the interests of the newspapermen of the state and we feel that the present flourishing condition of the newspapers of Washington is principally owing to his efforts.”

Its direction set by “Pa” Kennedy, the Association grew and prospered. By 1950 the staff had grown to four in addition to Kennedy.

At that point, the Association’s trustees deemed it appropriate to hire an assistant for Pa and thereby provide for an orderly transition upon Kennedy’s retirement.

Choice for the new post was Clarence B. (Clancy) Lafromboise, publisher of the Enumclaw CourierHerald, widely known and respected among his peers. Announcement of Lafromboise’s selection was made in January 1950. On Feb. 6, Clancy was on the job. The manager and his assistant worked as a team, with Clancy learning the ropes and gradually assuming more of the responsibilities. Kennedy’s health eventually began to fail and as a result Lafromboise assumed more and more of the managerial duties.

Even in his final illness ‘Pa’ Kennedy was carried

by WNPA as its manager, a mark of respect for the man who had done so much for the association and the state’s newspapers.

Kennedy began failing noticeably after the death of his wife in August 1952.

His heart finally gave up on Dec. 17, 1952. The couple had one daughter, Jane, Mrs. William Matthews.

Fred ‘Pa’ Kennedy, at left, receives a plaque following his retirement in 1951.

The Washington Newspaper October 2017 4

Political ads have special requirements Political advertising has its own set of particular rules, and ad managers should regularly review the regulations with sales and production people.

The rules apply to newspaper ads, billboards, signs, brochures, articles, tabloids, flyers, letters, radio or TV presentations, or other means of mass communication. If the item directly or indirectly asks for votes or for financial or other support or opposition in an election campaign, it is considered political advertising.

Here are a few of the rules established by the state Public Disclosure Commission that should be taken into account when preparing election materials: • Candidate photos must have been taken within the last five years.

• Party preference must be

included in any form of advertising about a candidate seeking election to a partisan office, regardless of who sponsors the ad. Official symbols or logos adopted by the state committee of the party may be used to indicate a candidate’s party preference in political advertisements instead of words.

• Use the words “paid for by” or “sponsored by” followed by the sponsor’s name & address.

Include all sponsors’ names and addresses when there is more than one. A political committee must include its Top five contributors’ names when sponsoring an ad about a ballot measure with a cost of at least $1,000 in the aggregate. (The top five is defined as the five largest contributors who gave more than $700 during the 12 months before the ad appears.)

• Print ads and websites

must display sponsor names and any party preference in an area set apart from the ad text on the first page of the ad. Use at least 10-point type; do not screen or half-tone the text. Small online ads with limited characters may display sponsor names & party preference in an automatic display such as a mouse tip/rollover or non-blockable popup that remains visible for at least 4 seconds or on a webpage that is conspicuously linked to the small ad and reached with one mouse click.

• A sponsor’s name and address may be left off of a political ad that meets all of the following criteria if: the sponsor is an individual acting on his or her own behalf, independent of any candidate, political committee or organization, who personally produces and distributes the ad (or pays for it to be produced and/or distributed); the sponsor receives

WITH OVER 60 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, WE KNOW JOURNALISM. From public records to protecting journalists, from defamation claims to business needs, large and small Washington publishers turn to us.

DWT.COM Anchorage | Bellevue | Los Angeles | New York | Portland San Francisco | Seattle | Shanghai | Washington, D.C.

5 The Washington Newspaper October 2017

no contributions or other support to produce and distribute the ad; no more than $50 in the aggregate is spent for online advertising or $100 in the aggregate for any other type of advertising; and the advertising is either distributed through the individual’s social media site, personal website, or similar online forum where information is produced and disseminated only by the individual; or a letter, flier, handbill, text or email from the individual that does not appear in a newspaper or comparable mass publication.

It is illegal to sponsor a political ad, with actual malice, that contains a statement constituting libel or defamation. Ads cannot directly or indirectly imply a candidate has the support or endorsement of any person or organization when the candidate does not. Ads cannot include a false statement of material fact

about a candidate or falsely represent that a candidate is an incumbent.

Sponsors of ads cannot use an assumed name for sponsor identification in a political ad or distribute campaign material deceptively similar in design or appearance to the voter and candidate pamphlets published by the Secretary of State, or use the state seal or its likeness to assist or defeat a candidate.

Candidates cannot falsely imply incumbency in a political advertisement about a candidate who does not hold the office. Recommended format: Elect Tracy Jones Auditor or Tracy Jones for Auditor.

For more information or to clarify the rules, you can call WNPA at 360-344-2938 or visit the Public Disclosure Commission’s website at pdc.wa.gov.

WNPA JOB BOARD PUBLISHER & REVENUE DIRECTOR Oregon’s North Coast beckons! Located in picturesque Astoria, OR, at the junction of the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean, EO Media Group is seeking a forward-thinking professional to lead multiple publications and digital platforms. This area is a mix of commercial fishing and cruise ships, nature and the arts, a rich history and the Goonies.

Our Publisher and Revenue Director will be a hands-on leader to inspire the advertising sales team and lead the management team.

You must be knowledgeable about all departments, have a track record of sales growth balanced with expense management and a desire to engage with our communities.

Products include a Monday through Friday daily, a weekly, two bi-weeklies and a monthly magazine, plus specialty publications. Our digital media Marketplace has won national awards and is poised for growth. We’ve invested in the best software available with a strong CRM to help you lead.

Comprehensive benefits include paid time off (PTO), insurances and a 401(k)/Roth 401(k) retirement plan. Send resume and letter of interest including salary requirements and why you want to grow with us to EO Media Group, P.O. Box 2048, Salem, OR 97308-2048 or e-mail hr@ eomediagroup.com.

GENERAL ASSIGNMENT REPORTER The Vidette in Montesano, Wash., has an opening for a full-time reporter.

We value enterprise and reporters who dig. We’re looking for someone to produce clear, brightly written stories relevant to real people reading us in print, on our website and in social media. Ability to take photos is a plus, as is familiarity with social media.

Montesano is on the Washington Coast, an hour from the Olympic Rain Forest and two hours from Seattle.

Benefits include, but are not limited to paid vacation, sick and holidays, medical, dental and life insurance, and a 401(K) plan with company match. Send a cover letter, resume

and writing samples to: careers@ soundpublishing.com for immediate consideration. The Montesano Vidette is part of Sound Publishing; Western Washington’s largest community news organization. EOE

cover letter, resume and at least three clips to Managing Editor Kelly Moyer at kelly.moyer@ camaspostrecord.com or to 425 N.E. Fourth Ave., Camas, WA 98607. No phone calls, please.

MEDIA SALES PROFESSIONAL REPORTER If you love agriculture, are The Camas-Washougal Posttechnology savvy, and want to Record, an award-winning weekly help businesses succeed while newspaper covering the communigrowing your career, we want ties of Camas and Washougal in Southwest Washington, is seeking a to talk to you! Capital Press, a full-time reporter to cover city gov- weekly agriculture newspaper and website, is hiring for a Media ernment, news features and other Sales Professional to cover our general interest stories.

We pride ourselves on providing Willamette Valley sales territory. hyperlocal journalism to the Camas- Excellent communication skills, the drive to exceed goals, and Washougal community and strive general computer skills (Powerto produce exclusive, local stories that engage, excite and educate our Point, Excel, Microsoft Word) are crucial. readers. Our ideal news reporter is This position is field-based someone who can hit the ground (home office) and requires daily running, work primarily out of our territory travel, and some overdowntown Camas office and know how to make connections within the night travel. Wage plus commission and benefits including Paid local community.

Time Off (PTO), 401(k)/Roth Preferred qualifications in401(k) retirement plan, comclude: pany car and insurances. Capital • A bachelor’s degree • Minimum 3 years of experience Press is owned by EO Media Group, a family-owned and run • Demonstrated ability to cover company for over 100 years. hard news beats, write general Send resume and letter of interinterest community stories, and enterprise in-depth news features est to EO Media Group, PO Box • Experience covering politics and 2048, Salem, OR 97308-2048 or e-mail hr@eomediagroup.com. local/regional government • Ability to shoot photos and REPORTER/EDITOR break exclusive stories in print, Experienced reporter/newsonline and/or on social media • Bonus points for applicants who paper editor needed for awardwinning weekly newspaper in have experience in page design, Morton. If you understand the investigative reporting or coverimportance of quality journalism, ing environmental issues strong local coverage, ethical Located just a few miles east values, and connecting with the of the Portland/Vancouver metro community, we’d like to talk with area, near the western entrance you about joining our team. of the Columbia River Gorge This position involves exNational Scenic Area, the Camastensive reporting and hands-on Washougal area offers plenty of editing in beautiful east Lewis opportunities for outdoor recCounty. We offer Health, Dental, reation enthusiasts, while still Vision and retirement benefits in attracting those who appreciate a growing company with opportuthe area’s many restaurants, art nities for advancement. galleries, retail shops and family Send cover letter, resume and friendly community events. clips to: Frank DeVaul, DeVaul We offer competitive pay Publishing, Inc., 429 N. Market and an excellent benefits packBlvd., Chehalis, WA 98532, or age, which includes profit respond by e-mail to fdevaul@ sharing/401(k). If this is the job devaulpublishing.com. for you, please send a one-page

6 The Washington Newspaper October 2017

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 360-344-2938 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