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THE WASHINGTON NEWSPAPER December 2018
Happy Holidays from the WNPA staff!
Journal of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association
UW interns prepare for coverage of Legislature Three University of Washington interns are gearing up to cover the state Legislature for WNPA newspapers this January. They are Emma Scher, Madeline Coats and Sean Harding. Scher, originally from San Diego, is pursuing a double major in Sociology and Journalism. Scher Coats She says she is passionate about writing and reading and wants to publishing. explore the fields of writing and Coats is currently a content
coordinator for Northwest Seattle Living Magazine. She’s also been a intern in film production, a freelance reporter for the Harding International Examiner, the Kirkland Reporter and the Issaquah Sammamish Re-
See SUN, Page 3
the Department of Defense’s three-month crash course in journalism, photojournalism, and military public relations training. He also was a staff writer for the UW Daily. The interns will be led once again by Bureau Chief Sandy Stokes. Stokes is past president of WNPA and this is her second year leading the Olympia News
See INTERNS, Page 2
Federal Labor officials want to end printed employment notices
The Daily Sun News closes and Sunnyside Sun opens
In 1986, Eagle Newspapers, Incorporated purchased and merged twofamily-owned newspapers and established the Daily Sun News. Thirty- two years later, the final edition of the paper printed on Wednesday, Nov. 28. Corporate officials announced the paper’s closure this week, along with the immediate sale of the Sunnyside media group to Andy McNab, who has been serving as the interim publisher and overseeing the paper’s direct-mail Sun News Shopper and digital content
porter and she was the Society for Professional Journalists student liaison for the UW chapter of SPJ. She is majoring in journalism and creative writing. Harding spent four years on active duty in the Army and in addition to being a UW student, currently serves in the Army Reserve. He also attended the Defense Information School at Fort George G. Meade, Md., for
A young mutton buster tumbles from his seat in this junior rodeo event. This photo with others won Roger Harnack of the Statesman-Examiner the Photographer of the Year award in the 2018 Better Newspaper Contest.
By David Chavern President & CEO News Media Alliance Print newspapers are still the primary way that tens of millions of Americans receive information about their communities and the world. They are also the way that many people find out about job opportunities. While we assume that everyone has an internet connection, the fact is that many areas of the country have limited or no internet service. According to the Federal Communications Commission, nearly 40 percent of Americans living in rural areas lack access to fixed broadband internet. Without their local newspapers providing the information and job listings they need, they would be at an extreme disadvantage. But if the Department of
Labor (DOL) has its way, these communities may soon be out of luck. On Nov. 8, the DOL proposed to change the way temporary job openings are shared with potential workers. Currently, employers are required by law to notify U.S. workers of these openings through publishing the listings in local newspapers. However, the DOL says it now believes publishing the listings on “widely viewed” websites, instead of in print newspapers, would be sufficient, and is therefore proposing removing the print requirement and moving to digital-only listings. The purpose of the existing policy is to ensure that job opportunities are made known to U.S. workers before they can be offered to foreign workers. By publishing announcements in the print newspaper, employ-
See NOTICES, Page 2
NOTICES: Labor department wants to end print job ads Continued from Page 1
ers are able to reach an extremely wide audience, both geographically and in income level. Sunday newspapers – the main sources of print job listings – reach roughly 34 million adults in the U.S., according to the Pew Center for Excellence in Journalism. In many cases, newspaper publishers also publish the job listings on their websites and social media channels, as well as employment websites such as Monster.com and CareerBuilder, with whom newspapers have partnerships. The newspaper, in effect, serves as a local agency to ensure the broadest distribution of recruitment ads. If the Department of Labor ends the print requirement, it will be much more difficult for
people who need jobs to find them. Without the print requirement, job seekers will not only have a harder time finding job listings in their local newspapers, but online as well. By maintaining the print requirement and adding a digital requirement, the DOL will ensure the widest distribution and U.S. citizens can learn of employment opportunities. The proposed alternative of simply posting an ad on a website would make it too easy for employers to just “check the box” and by-pass available U.S. workers. If the Department of Labor truly wants to support its mission to serve American job seekers, it should require both print and digital distribution of recruitment ads.
Officers: Michael Wagar, President; Patrick Grubb, First Vice President; Eric LaFontaine, 2nd Vice President; Sandy Stokes, Past President. Trustees: Colette Weeks, Caralyn Bess, Roger Harnack, Scott Hunter, Steve Powell, Teresa Myers and Michelle Nedved. 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 December 2018
FROM THE PRESIDENT
In coverage of presidential funeral were keys to leadership challenges
By Michael Wagar Much to my wife’s chagrin, I’m a cable news junkie, used to endlessly watching the revolving topics of Trump Russia, Trump caravan, DOW Jones going up/ going down, elections/ election disputes, Wagar the Chinese and natural disasters. When the “big” stories hit, they tend to take over and there’s nothing but endless coverage, for example, of a big hurricane on the East Coast. I keep the cable on, but hour after hour of the same subject bores me. Imagine my own chagrin when President George H.W. Bush died. It took over the national news. I kept it on, barely paying attention. Then I started listening. Back when Bush 41 was elected in 1988, I was a rookie sports reporter coming out of an ultra-liberal environment at Western Washington University. Back then I wasn’t into politics so much as sports, so I didn’t pay too much attention. What I did know
is Bush was the former head of the CIA. Didn’t seem like a good deal to me back then. Flash forward to today, and I’ve had plenty of cable TV time to learn and reflect on President Bush. As I see it, he did plenty of good, plenty of bad. But one aspect has stood out: His leadership. I imagine most readers of this monthly newspaper published by the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association are in some form of leadership position: advertising managers, editors, publishers and the like. Most of us in leadership have made it via hard work and talent. But once you start managing people, some of those skills are not sufficient to lead newsrooms, advertising departments and newspaper groups. That’s where Bush comes in. I believe he was a great leader of people and we can learn from him. My first clue was from one of the endless videos I watched a few days after Bush died. His granddaughter Jenna Bush Hager interviewed Bush on a relaxing afternoon on the Atlantic Coast. She asked him what he believes his legacy would be. “I’ve kind of banned
the use of the ‘L’ word, legacy word. I think history will get it right, point out the things I did wrong and perhaps some of the things we did right,” he said. This was a key statement involving “I” and “we.” “The things I did wrong.” He takes blame for what went wrong. “The things we did right.” He passes the credit around to his team. Former U.S. Sen. Slade Gorton was interviewed after President Bush passed away. Gorton had several impressions, including that Bush showed respect to all no matter their political persuasions. That is key in leadership. Listen to all opinions, and even if you disagree, disagree with respect. The more we, as leaders, bring all in to discuss all sides of an issue, of a problem, the better the solution, the more buy in from the team and ultimately, the better decision. Son George W. Bush spoke at the funeral. Certainly, a son will sing his deceased father’s praises. George W. didn’t focus on his dad’s oilman riches, his time resetting the CIA or his overseas actions while president. No, his son knows there is more to a man than the big
decision, the impressive credentials. “We’re going to miss you — your decency, sincerity and kind soul will stay with us forever.” Presidential historian Jon Meacham wrote a best-selling biography of President H.W. Bush. He spoke at the funeral in Washington, D.C. He called Bush “a master of what Franklin Roosevelt called the science of human relationships. He believed that to whom much is given, much is expected. … And in his personal life, he stood in the breach against heartbreak and hurt, always offering an outstretched hand, a warm word, a sympathetic tear. If you were down, he would rush to lift you up and if you were soaring, he would rush to savor your success. Strong and gracious, comforting and charming, loving and loyal, he was our shield in danger’s hour.” It’s a simple leadership tactic, but perhaps the most important: Put others before yourself. I believe that will lead to much success during these trying times in journalism. Michael Wagar is the President of Lafromboise Communications and this year’s WNPA president.
INTERNS: Funded by WNPA Foundation Continued from Page 1
Bureau. Internships at the ONB are funded by the WNPA Foundation, which maintains an endowment created by past WNPA members. Each year, money is added to the endowment through fundraising. Interns are paid a stipend of $3,000.
Two of the ONB internships are named for past WNPA publishers Wallie Funk and Kris Passey. Funk owned newspapers on Whidbey Island and in Anacortes, was a WNPA president and a key donor to the Foundation’s endowment. Passey was the owner of the Marysville Globe and Arlington Times and was a founder of the Washington Coalition for Open Government.
SUN: Daily Sun News closes; Sunnyside Sun reopens Continued from Page 1
platforms. On Dec. 1, McNab acquired sole ownership and re-introduced the Lower Valley’s largest newspaper as the Sunnyside Sun, a weekly publication printing each Wednesday, beginning Dec. 5. An online, digital news edition, featuring community updates five days per week, and a strong social media presence, will be launched at the same time. The business office will remain at 600 S. Sixth St. in Sunnyside’s historic downtown. McNab is a former publisher, the 1993 WNPA President and a successful business owner of independent newspapers in Goldendale and Grangeville, Idaho, where he resides with his wife Lynda. “I retired after 40-plus years in the publishing world, prior to being asked to serve as interim publisher this past July. I saw a newspaper that definitely needed to reconnect with its community – a community where I wanted to do my part in making a difference,” he said. Subscribers should expect to see uninterrupted delivery of the Sunnyside Sun and those with paid subscriptions will be offered new options for their prepayment of the former three-day-per-week schedule. New subscribers will receive an introductory offer
at a discounted price from the annual subscription rate of $42. At the same time, direct delivery of the newspaper will be distributed through the post office. “Every day is an opportunity to produce a community newspaper our readers and audience have asked from us. A newspaper they can count on,” recently appointed news and multi-media editor Patrick Shelby said. “We strive to make a positive difference throughout the valley and one that will earn our readers’ trust moving forward,” he said. “I am thrilled to be here and proud to be part of a new leadership team.” Shelby has joined the publication’s management staff, which includes general manager Job Wise, media director Ileana Martinez, and operations and office manager Debbie Guerrero. From the beginning of the 20th century, more than two generations of the Hillyer family controlled the weekly Sunnyside Sun during their course of the family’s 80-year ownership. The family sold it to publisher and editor Olaf Elze in 1979. In November of 1986, after purchasing the Sunnyside Sun from Elze and the Daily News from area native Tom Lanctot, the papers were merged, and the Daily Sun News was established.
Andy McNab signs official business documents while Debbie Guerrero notarizes his signature completing the sale with Eagle Newspapers.
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The Washington Newspaper December 2018 3
WNPA JOB BOARD REPORTER The Daily Herald in Everett, serving Snohomish County, which is Washington state’s third-largest county, seeks a full-time reporter for the local news team. Much of the county is urban and suburban, but we also have mountain wilderness and Puget Sound islands in our coverage area. Reporters must be comfortable meeting with an urban mayor or slogging through mud in rubber boots. The ideal candidate is comfortable writing hard news and features, both long-form and short. Weekly or daily newspaper experience is preferred, though time worked on student publications and internships will be considered. We are in the Seattle media market, so competitive juice is vital. Must be comfortable using a smartphone in the field to take photos and shoot video. Candidates should send a resume, cover letter and 3-5 clips of their best work to: careers@soundpublishing.com and be sure to include HRLDREP in the subject line. EOE Please visit our website to learn more about us! www.soundpublishing.com SPORTS REPORTER The Shelton-Mason County Journal in Shelton, Washington, has an opening for a full-time sports reporter. We are a family-owned weekly newspaper located at the foot of the picturesque Olympic Mountains on Puget Sound. The ideal candidate will possess strong writing and photography skills, and feel com-
fortable writing game stories, features, personality profiles and more. We value clarity, accuracy, creative thinking, organization, enterprise and storytelling. Working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite is a plus. The sports reporter will be responsible for covering three high schools in Mason County, as well as some outdoor recreation stories, such as fishing, hunting, hiking or kayaking. Some night and weekend work will be necessary. You’ll join a hardworking, award-winning news staff that is consistently named among the best in Washington. You’ll be among the best reporters, photographers and designers in the state. The Journal is the newspaper of record for Mason County’s 60,000 residents. We have a rich history — we’re older than the state of Washington. We offer a competitive salary with opportunities for advancement and training, paid time off, and a health club membership. Northwest candidates encouraged. Email non-generic cover letter, resume, four clips, and three professional references to Editor Adam Rudnick at adam@masoncounty. com.
COUNTY REPORTER, KING COUNTY
Sound Publishing is seeking a reporter to produce stories about issues impacting all of King County for the 16 titles that the media company operates throughout the county. The right candidate will have experience as a reporter in a highly
4 The Washington Newspaper December 2018
productive, digital-first environment and possess strong writing, photography, and digital media skills. Primary coverage will include, but not be limited to, county government, sheriff’s office, transit, and environmental policy. Schedule includes occasional evening and weekend work.
Candidates must have excellent communication and organizational skills, and be able to work effectively in a deadline-driven environment. Previous newspaper experience is required, as is a proficiency with AP style and the ability to take impactful photos and collect high-quality video
in the field. We offer a competitive hourly wage and benefits package including health insurance, paid time off (vacation, sick, and holidays), and 401K with an employer match. Email us your cover letter, resume, and include up to five examples of your best work to: ca-
reers@soundpublishing. com, Please remember to include ATTN: COUNTY in the subject line. Sound Publishing is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) and strongly supports diversity in the workplace. Check out our website to find out more about us! www.soundpublishing.com.