TWN
THE WASHINGTON NEWSPAPER
Auction raises $5,000 for internships Page 2
October 2023
Journal of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association
Murrow fellowship ready to accept first applications Zoom meetings Oct. 16 & 17 set to answer questions about the program Newsroom leaders in Washington can learn how their organizations can apply for a new state-funded fellowship program in one of two Zoom Q&A sessions set for Oct. 16 and 17 to open the Murrow News Fellowship program. Tune in to discuss how to host an early career journalist whose two-year mandate is to report on topics of civic interest in underserved communities. This fledgling program, a state-funded initiative directed by Washington State University’s Murrow College of Communication, will pair eight early career reporters, each of whom will have matriculated at a Washington state institution within five years of Oct. 16, 2023. The fellows will be employed and paid by WSU. Successful newsroom applicants will craft a plan to use the fellow to enrich understanding of civic affairs and to extend its journalistic impact to new and existing audiences. The program is open to all news outlets in Washington state, regardless of the media platform and can represent for-profit or nonprofit media, community and ethnic news
outlets or news associations. The fellowship managers are open to suggestions on deploying reporters in creative ways that shed light on undercovered topics and communities. For instance, news organizations might partner with another to share a fellow who would pursue a beat important to their audiences or perhaps of statewide interest. The application period for potential host newsrooms opens Oct. 16 and runs through Nov. 30. The evaluation of fellowship applicants will begin in December, followed by matching strong candidates to an appropriate newsroom by late winter or early spring. A new cohort of eight fellows will join the program each year, bringing the fellowship program to an annual total of 16 reporters. Register now for one of the sessions, scheduled for Monday, Oct. 16, at 3 p.m. and Tuesday, Oct. 17, at 11 a.m. Attending one of these informational sessions is not a requirement for a newsroom interested in applying; please direct any questions to program manager Jody Brannon at See FELLOWSHIP Page 3
DeVaul Publishing employees Blake LaBay, Ric Hallock and Shanna DeVaul cheer for their good fortune during the Better Newspaper Contest presentation.
Good times roll in Kennewick!
New officers chosen at 136th annual convention
An enthusiastic crowd poured in to the Red Lion Columbia Center Hotel in Kennewick Oct. 6 & 7 for WNPA’s annual meeting. Workshops presented by Kevin Slimp and Bill Ostendorf were well attended and presenters got high marks. Issues covered included ad and page design, headline writing and photo presentation. A WNPA panel of Newport Miner Editor Don Gronning, Executive Director Fred Obee and Patrick Webb of the Chinook Observer led a discussion that examined the nuances of ethical decision making.
Scott Hunter of the Grand Coulee Star was presented with the Miles Turnbull Master Editor/ Publisher Award. Hunter is a past president of the WNPA board and has owned the Star for more than 30 years. In addition, new officers and board members for WNPA were elected by the membership. They are: President Donna Etchey of The Daily Record; 1st vice president Sean Flaherty of the Wenatchee World; and 2nd vice president Matt Winters of the Chinook Observer. Michelle Nedved of the Newport Miner See WNPA Page 4
Scott Hunter accepted the Master/Editor Publisher award.
FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Make the case in your community for trusted & accurate local news This old proof press was among the items up for auction at the convention in Kennewick.
Auctions raise $5,000 for student scholarships Live and silent auctions at the annual convention raised $5,000 for internship stipends awarded to students who want to report on the Legislature or serve at a WNPA member newspaper in the summer. Among the items in this year’s silent auction was a cast iron proof press that came out of the old Castle Rock newspaper. It came 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 power of his cure-alls. This press touts Miles Heart Cure on one end. Gift baskets, wine and gift cards rounded out the silent auction. The live auction featured getaways in the Methow Valley and at Semiahmoo in Blaine, as well as hockey tickets for Kraken and Silvertips games.
Officers: Donna Etchey, President; Sean Flaherty, 1st Vice President; Matt Winters, 2nd Vice President; Michelle Nedved, Past President. Trustees: Roger Harnack, Teresa Myers, Rudi Alcott, 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: execdirector@wnpa.com Janay Collins, Member Services Director: 360-344-2938. Email: ads@wnpa.com 2 The Washington Newspaper October 2023
By Fred Obee In the upper righthand corner of my driver’s license is a small red heart with the word donor next to it. It means that if I die and my organs can be used to help others, I am willing to give them up. That little heart has been there for more than 40 years, ever since I met a young woman on a waiting list for a heartlung transplant. Her name was Shona Hadley, just 22 years Obee old. At the time, I was working as a newspaper reporter and her parents wanted a story in the local paper so people could know what their family was facing and to encourage others to become organ donors. I interviewed Shona on Thursday. Sadly, three days later she was dead, and at the next renewal of my driver’s license, I got the little red heart. I was told the story I wrote about Shona moved others in our town as well. The number of organ donors increased, and I presume, lives were saved. Stories like Shona’s, that connect, inform and illustrate a need are among the millions of local stories published each day by newspapers across the nation. It is not an exaggeration to
say these stories alter our history. Births and deaths, marriages and anniversaries, elections and debates, wrongdoing and heroism. It’s all in there. Community newspapers and the stories they tell reflect who we are and preserve a permanent record of our times told by the people who lived through them. It has pretty much always been this way since immigrants landed and staked a claim in the New World. Reaching back even before this nation was founded, we have always had newspapers. At the start they were rowdy and often partisan, and they provoked cheers of agreement and scowls of indignation. With presses churning out many thousands of copies, newspapers were the first mass media. As the industry grew, editors decided they should develop new standards to guide what was published, and newspapers were staffed by people schooled in the responsible presentation of information. Facts were vetted before publication, public comments were edited for accuracy and good taste, and the truth was pursued. But with the internet age, the guardrails came off and falsehoods spread like a contagion. Information no longer was vetted. Even worse, tech giants promoted the most incendiary posts because they got more
clicks, and more clicks meant more advertising dollars. The result was reputable news organizations were hurt and peddlers of lies and misinformation profited. So now, here we are, dealing with the aftermath. Can we fix this? Can we make our way back to facts we can agree on and feed an information ecosystem with reliable information? I think we can, and one answer is to reach out and make that case to your local community. Tell them you are staffed by people who live in the community, who have kids in schools. Your staff members pay local taxes and attend local events. Let people know your reporters, and editors and ad sales people have a stake in the community. They believe in getting facts right and they understand compassion goes hand in hand with truth telling. Accurate, trusted local news connects us. It enlightens and informs, and that knowledge
shapes the future we all will inhabit. When people read the local newspaper they take advantage of local bargains. When they follow the developments in local government, they can start to think about running for the city council or the school board. When they become aware of needs in your town, they might volunteer at the food bank or senior center, or, like me, the next time they renew their driver’s license, they might decide to become an organ donor. Of course, newspapers have to live up to the responsibility. They have to demonstrate they are worthy of the trust with every issue they publish. When people consume local, trusted, accurate information, lives improve and communities grow stronger. That is the work we do. That is the mission. Fred Obee is the Executive Director of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association.
Fellowship link: https://murrow.wsu.edu/student-work/experiential-learning/news-fellowship/
FELLOWSHIPS: Zoom meetings scheduled to provide guidance Continued from Page 1 jody.brannon@wsu.edu. Matters of interest to publishers are included in the FAQ area of the fellowship’s web page. Access the formal publisher application there starting Oct. 16. Anyone interested in the future of journalism in Washington is welcome to attend. The Murrow News Fellowship offers early-career journalists the opportunity to report on civic affairs in underserved communities, both rural and urban. Half of participants will be Murrow College graduates, the other half will be graduates of other universities or colleges. Fellows must have completed their education within five years of the program’s start date. The fellowship is open to careers in writing, digital, video, audio, photo and/or multimedia. Murrow fellows will receive $55,000 annually with benefits as employees of Washington State University. The fellows will also receive stipends for travel and equipment. Applicants should articulate a plan for how the fellow will expand coverage of civic affairs to new audiences in Washington state, including citizens in rural and underserved populations. Newsrooms are expected to provide editing, guidance, and professional support for the fellows in collaboration with the
program manger. The newsroom should provide a suitable workspace for the fellow as well as access to any required software or equipment outside of that which is provided by the fellowship. News outlets may partner to submit an application for a fellow. In such cases, the application should clearly identify a primary point of contact for the fellow, as well as clearly delineate information needs and news priorities for the fellow. Washington State
University will provide ongoing training for fellows resulting in a certificate in digital media. Fellows will be required to complete the training and participate in discussions with leaders in journalism, media law, ethics, digital security, misinformation, civic information, community engagement, public information access, and related topics. The Murrow College, in consultation with industry leaders, will produce an annual report on the fellowship program and the state of the media.
Philip Watness of the Skamania County Pioneer was the winner of two tickets to see the University of Washington play the Arizona State. The raffle took place at the annual convention in Kennewick. Presenting the certificate is WNPA Member Services Director Janay Collins.
Washington State Archives, Washington State Library, and Legacy Washington
Recording, preserving, and sharing Washington history. • Digitized government records
• Genealogy and history research support • Community digital archives online
• Historic Washington newspapers online • Traveling exhibits and publications
Visit sos.wa.gov for more info.
The Washington Newspaper October 2023 3
WNPA: Awards, raffles workshops & auctions Continued from Page 1 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
136TH ANNUAL MEETING
Chronicle; Bob Richardson, Columbia Basin Herald; and Staci Baird, Cascadia Daily News. The 2024 WNPA convention is set for Oct. 4 & 5 at the Olympia Hotel at Capitol Lake. We hope to see you there!
Bill Ostendorf, second from left, talks shop with from left, Shanna DeVaul of DeVaul Publishing, and Louise Mugar, and Patrick Grubb of the Northern Light.
Paul Archipley of Beacon Publishing received a General Excellence award from new President Donna Etchey.
Patrick Webb leads an ethics discussion.
Bill Ostendorf addresses a workshop on improving photo content. Get to events early and stay late to get the photo no one else will take, Ostendorf said.
“News Guru” Kevin Slimp talks about all the ways you can get people to pick up your paper.
The Washington Newspaper October 2023 4
136TH ANNUAL MEETING
Ben Shors from WSU explains the new state funded fellowship program approved in last year’s Legislative session.
Former Seattle Times reporter Kari Mar and Ken Stern of the La Conner Weekly News review the bidding during the live auction at dinner.
Teresa Myers of the Omak Okanogan County Chronicle gets a first place General Excellence award from new President Donna Etchey. The Cascadia Daily News staff take home a first place for Community Service. From left are Ralph Schwartz, Ron Judd, Staci Baird and WNPA 1st Vice President Sean Flaherty.
Bill Ostendorf prepares for a workshop. The Washington Newspaper October 2023 5
MAKE AN
IMPACT IN WASHINGTON STATE
Washington
IMPACTADS
• ImpactAds are small ads placed in community newspapers throughout the state. • You can buy the whole state or target Western or Eastern Washington. • Choose either small display ads or classified word ads. • Deadline is 5 p.m. the Tuesday prior to the week you want the ad to run.
Call today! 360-344-2938 WNPA PO Box 389, Port Townsend, WA 98368 ads@wnpa.com • www.wnpa.com 6 The Washington Newspaper October 2023
READERS 660,000
CIRCULATION 264,000
IDEAL FOR: Festivals Car shows Concerts Recruitment Wineries Resorts
Counties, cities have cash for tourism
Go get your share to bring visitors 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 7
Ad network: Fairs & fests, golf courses, wineries, resorts all can benefit
STANDARD SIZE
Continued from Page 6 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 WNPA by emailing ads@wnpa.com or by calling 360-344-2938.
STATEWIDE..................$1,600 WESTERN......................$1,300 EASTERN..........................$700
SUPER SIZE NOTE
Produce ads in two sizes,‘Version A & Version B,’ to accommodate different page sizes.
STATEWIDE..................$3,200 WESTERN......................$2,600 EASTERN.......................$1,400
CLASSIFIEDS
STATEWIDE......................$325
The Washington Newspaper October 2023 7
La Conner Weekly News featured in public radio piece
The La Conner weekly news got some time in the spotlight this year in a five-minute segment crafted by Jeanie Lindsay, the statehouse reporter for KUOW Public Radio and the Northwest News Network. The piece chronicled the struggles of newspapers in small towns and focused on efforts by La Connor Weekly News publisher Ken Stern, who is trying to find a buyer for the paper he purchased six years ago. Lindsay, a University of Washington graduate who worked for the Seattle Times before landing her KUOW broadcast gig, visited La Conner July 5 to interview Stern and several residents here on the status of community journalism in general and the Weekly News specifically. “The folks I talked to probably said it the best,” Lindsay told the Weekly News afterward. “Community papers act as a connector. During the reporting for this story, I learned a lot about the role beyond just connecting people to their community, too, though. “Local newspapers provide a resource, a historical record of their area that people just can’t get anywhere else,” she added. “Plus, not having a local paper covering local government can contribute to political polarization which isn’t really helpful to having productive conversations.” Lindsay spoke with Mit and Maureen Harlan at their La Conner home and included Sally Cram, whose
father, the late Pat O’Leary, edited and published the Puget Sound Mail downtown for nearly four decades after buying it at a sheriff’s auction. All three conveyed to Lindsay the importance of having had newspapers in La Conner since 1879. “I felt it was important that she know La Conner is in such a unique geographic location, midway between cosmopolitan Vancouver and metropolitan Seattle,” said Maureen Harlan, a retired La Conner Schools teacher and administrator, “and that we don’t need any more national, state or county news. We need community news.” Cram and Mit Harlan each alluded to changing economic trends and evolving technology that have conspired to hamstring the traditional advertising-based hometown print journalism business model. They harkened back to when La Conner had two grocery stores, both of which advertised in the paper. Cram remembered that when her dad ran the Puget Sound Mail there was a distinct “shop local” mindset in place to support La Conner businesses, including the weekly newspaper. Much of what Cram and the Harlans shared with Lindsay was echoed by Joan Cross, a 45-year town resident who started a successful physical therapy venture in La Conner. Lindsay said Cross is among a group of people Stern
has approached about purchasing the Weekly News and acting as a board of directors that would hire a managing editor to operate the paper. “We don’t go to the La Conner Weekly News to find out what’s going on in the world,” Cross told Lindsay, “but what’s going on in our little corner of the world – it’s important. Nobody covers that except the local newspaper.” Lindsay said she and her editor knew the story is a compelling one. “So,” she said, “I reached out to Ken to learn more. “I read about a couple of other papers in the region looking or new ownership,” said Lindsay, “but ultimately decided to focus primarily on La Conner because Ken was so energetic and excited to talk to me that it was an opportunity that would have been hard to pass up.” Stern provided Lindsay an up-close and personal vantage point from which to view how news is gathered and published in the paper he is fond of saying he owns, but belongs to the community – from the weekly story assignment meeting to delivering the Wednesday edition hot off the press. “I didn’t stay long,” Lindsay said, “but it really did feel like a close-knit community as I witnessed Ken interact with folks we bumped into along the paper delivery route.
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 8 The Washington Newspaper October 2023
The Washington Newspaper October 2023 9
JOB BOARD REPORTER Are you passionate about storytelling? Do you have a knack for uncovering the hidden gems in your community? The Leavenworth Echo, a Ward Media publication, is seeking a talented and dedicated reporter to join our team! As a reporter for The Leavenworth Echo, you will have the opportunity to: craft compelling and informative stories that matter to our community, cover local events, interviews, and breaking news, become an essential part of the vibrant North Central Washington community, share your voice and contribute to quality journalism. Requirements include: strong writing skills, a passion for local news and the ability to meet deadlines and work ef-
fectively in a fast-paced environment. Experience in journalism or related fields is a plus. Join us in delivering news that makes a difference. Apply today to be a part of The Leavenworth Echo team! To apply, please send your resume, writing samples, and a brief cover letter explaining why you’re the perfect fit for this role to info@ward.media The Leavenworth Echo is an equal-opportunity employer and values diversity in its workforce. We encourage all qualified individuals to apply. ASSOCIATE EDITOR The Columbia Basin Herald is a daily, awardwinning newspaper covering Grant and Adams counties with an editorial staff of six is searching for an experienced journalist
to help us keep our readers informed. This position will cover a variety of beats including business, city government and agriculture. Our ideal candidate is someone who can bounce seamlessly between daily work and long-term projects, collaborating with the editor to create consistent, excellent journalism. The reporter would be responsible for writing 10 articles for the daily paper each week. Our selected candidate will also assist with some layout, proofreading pages and mentoring less experienced reporters. In addition to our daily publication, we publish the Basin Business Journal, covering agriculture and industry in Eastern Washington state. We also produce magazines for Adams and Grant counties as well as the city of Moses Lake, among
other publications. This position will include some weekend and evening work. The successful candidate will be self-sufficient, have expertise in AP style, a strong sense of journalistic ethics and competence with Adobe Creative Suite, especially InDesign. Photography skills are a must, you will be responsible for taking your own photos. A driver’s license and a reliable vehicle are required. You should have a Bachelor’s degree or higher in journalism or other communication equivalent and six or more years of experience in journalism (without a degree or with only an associate degree). A minimum of four years of professional experience, including experience proofreading and editing. Staff are provided with a full benefits package includ-
ing health, vision and dental benefits. A 401K and other benefits are also provided. Applicants should submit a resume, cover letter and portfolio of at least three article examples to editor@ columbiabasinherald.com with the subject line: Associate Editor application. 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, Continued on Page 11
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. DWT.COM • Anchorage • Bellevue • Los Angeles • New York • Portland • San Francisco • Seattle • Shanghai • Washington D.C.
10 The Washington Newspaper October 2023
Continued from Page 10 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”.
What happens to your archives when newspapers consolidate? Sometimes the selling publisher will retain ownership, sometimes the archives are passed on to the new owners. In either case, it is important that all parties agree and understand what is going to happen with the bound, loose or microfilm archives.
Historical stakeholders will continue your stewardship! There’s no downside to scanning your newspaper's archive but there is a singular hurdle so daunting that most publishers simply cannot foresee any way to overcome it – cost. Luckily, there are organizations determined to help. ArchiveInABox works with historical societies and museums who can provide funding to digitize and index small-town newspapers, while publisher retains all ownership and rights.
ArchiveInABox can help you: Carry on Stewardship Mission Maintain Ownership of Copyrights Digitize Archives for Community Access
ArchiveInABox.com
REPORTER Cascadia Daily News, a startup digital daily/ print weekly news publication, needs an enterprising journalist to serve as a general assignment reporter. Our ideal candidate will have courts and crime reporting experience. It’s not an entry-level gig; we need a reporter with news judgment and reporting skills to anticipate and produce local takes on subjects with regional and national interest. Requirements include a Bachelor’s degree in journalism or related field at least two years’ experience in a newsroom or a related work environment and being home based in Whatcom County, Washington. This position is full-time in our newsroom in downtown Bellingham. Valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle also required. We offer pay ranging from $50k to $60K DOE and competitive benefits including full health, vision and dental insurance, holiday and sick leave pay and generous 401(k) plan. To apply: Send a letter of application, resume and work samples to Ron Judd, executive editor, ronjudd@cascadiadaily.com.
The Washington Newspaper October 2023 11