TWN
THE WASHINGTON NEWSPAPER
More convention photos Pages 4 & 5
November 2016
Journal of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association
WNPA conventioneers pause for a moment on the terrace at the Wenatchee Red Lion before attending the gala dinner and awards ceremony Oct. 15. Although the threat of very bad weather caused some concerns at the convention, most attendees said the workshops were among the best they have ever attended.
129th gathering is one for the history books The specter of the storm of the century hung in the air as last month’s WNPA convention got underway in Wenatchee, but despite those dire warnings the lights stayed on, the winds retreated and attendees were treated to inspiring and motivational presentations by a wide range of presenters. George Rodrigue, Editor and General Manager of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, opened the conference with a keynote address titled “Quality and Goodness in Journalism.” Rodrigue’s theory? “High quality work is the gateway to all else.” Accuracy is primary, timeliness is second and clarity -- getting quickly to the point -- is third. Enterprise stories that offer solutions to communities continue to be the thing that moves readers. That’s
Peter Lamb
George Rodrigue
true in print and it’s true online. Even bait sites. Google, Rodrigue said, is changing “Great journalism saves lives and its methodologies so its search engine dollars and strengthens communities,” chooses quality content over the click- Rodrigue said.
He urged news staffs to pursue “solutions journalism” -- stories that don’t just highlight problems, but go further to find out what commnities can do to improve. Marketing expert Peter Lamb led a raucus workshop with lots of interaction and he got to the bottom of sales efforts that work and those that don’t. He led the ad managers and reps on a day-long journey that looked at motivational techiques, staff management and best practices from around the world. After three end-to-end sessions on Friday, attendees were shaking their heads in amazement. “He’s the best I’ve seen, and I’ve seen a lot,” one participant said. Other sessions included Steve Smith, who urged reporters to leave their comfort zones and really get to
See WNPA Page 2