The Washington Newspaper, December 2019

TWN

THE WASHINGTON NEWSPAPER December 2019

Journal of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association

Legislative Day meeting is set for February 13

Event includes briefings with officials, dinner with governor Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington and WNPA descend on Olympia Thursday, Feb. 13 for this year’s Legislative Day. Online registration will open at wnpa.com later this month with a complete list of scheduled activities.

The day starts promptly at 10:30 a.m. A brown bag lunch will be served.

We will hear from Legislative leaders from the House and Senate and statewide elected officials.

Following the briefing, participants will move to the Temple of the Justice reception room for a reception.

Following the reception, the event moves to the Governor’s Mansion and dinner with Governor Jay Inslee and First Lady Trudi Inslee. Photo identification is required for entrance to the Governor’s Mansion.

If this year is like past years, you will be heading home from the Governor's Mansion at about 7:30 p.m.

Online ads will help deliver responders to Pulse Survey Pulse Research is offering a statewide shopping survey to Washington Newspaper Publishers Association members.

There is no cost for this research project. The goal is to reach a minimum number of completed surveys to provide representative results.

The research findings can be used to engage with local businesses and advertisers about the value of your newspaper audience.

The localized results will give your sales team the numbers needed to present audience value to over 600 local business categories.

To help, please run the print ads that are being distributed across the WNPA ad network.

Then any additional ads you can run, especially online, will help reach the required sample goal. Ads are available at pulseresearch. com/poa.html.

Hydroplanes rounding the corner was one of the winning images for Photographer of the Year Al Camp of the Omak-Okanogan County Chronicle in WNPA’s 2019 Better Newspaper Contest.

Surveying millennial readers

They prefer local news, but more likely to buy print than online

By Kevin Slimp Steve Andrist, executive director of North Dakota Newspaper Association, asked me an interesting question yesterday. It was related to my visit to Bismarck in October to work with a focus group of milSlimp lennials from throughout the state who met together to spend a good part of a day looking at, and discussing, newspapers.

Prior to my trip to Bismarck, I did what I often do: I surveyed newspaper readers and nonreaders throughout the U.S. and Canada to determine what differences there were, if any, be-

tween the general population and millennials related to interest in newspapers. After meeting with the focus group in Bismarck, I met with North Dakota publishers to discuss what we had learned during the day. A week or so later, I wrote a report for NDNA with the findings of the focus group.

Steve’s question yesterday was simple, “Do you have any quick advice on what you’d suggest newspapers do with this information?”

We learned a lot about millennials prior to, and during, the day in Bismarck. We learned they’re not quick to spend money on any type of news. If they do spend money, they’d prefer to spend it on their local newspaper than anywhere else.

We also learned that most of the millennials who live away from

home check their hometown newspaper website for local news now and then.

Here are the main takeaways I would suggest community newspapers keep in mind: Millennials, like most other in the general population, aren’t looking for national or international news in their community papers. The group reported having no interest in reading news from outside the community.

Millennials prefer print, as do most other newspaper readers. While they will check out their hometown paper online while away in college or after college, they indicate they would be more likely to spend money on a printed newspaper in the place they live than a digital version.

See SLIMP, Page 2

SLIMP: Millennials focused on local news, entertainment Continued from Page 1

Millennials have less interest in sports in their community papers than the general population.

When ranking areas of interest, local sports came far down the list.

Millennials are most interested in local news, especially news related to - and stories about - individuals. They are more likely to buy a newspaper if it includes stories about individuals in the millennial age group now and then.

Millennials have a lot of interest in reading about local entertainment, up the road or in their community.

Millennials, much like the general population, indicate they would read a free paper if it arrived in their mailbox once a week.

More than 50 percent (in the national survey and in the focus group) indicated they would read the paper

every week, with another 35 percent indicating they likely would read the free paper most weeks.

To promote readership among millennials, interview high school, college-age and young adults for stories on a regular basis.

Include more news about local entertainment and music.

Finally, I’d keep the statistic related to free weekly papers in mind.

I wouldn’t change my current structure, but I’d begin the thinking about how to use the knowledge, whether that meant creating an alternate news pub or finding other ways to take advantage of this statistic, it’s important information.

Kevin Slimp is a speaker and trainer in the publishing world. Reach him at kevin@kevinslimp. com.

Officers: Patrick Grubb, President; Caralyn Bess, First Vice President; Steve Powell, Second Vice President; Michael Wagar, Past President Trustees: Roger Harnack, Scott Hunter, Teresa Myers, Pili Linares, Eric LaFontaine 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 2019

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Let people know the value of local journalism & challenges it faces Late last month, PEN America released a sobering report on local journalism titled Losing the News: The Decimation of Local Journalism and the Search for Solutions.

(You can find the Grubb report at bit. ly/2Lhpk37) The role of local journalism is foundational to American democracy, the report asserts, by keeping citizens educated, motivated to vote and serving as a check on government power.

The connection that local journalists have with their communities enables them to uncover stories that are relevant to their readers. The credibility that local journalists possess is a major reason why Americans overwhelmingly trust their local TV news and newspapers at levels significantly higher than their national

counterparts (73 versus 59 percent, in the case of newspapers).

Those local journalists cost money, however, and the report details the economic carnage visited on the newspaper industry as ad revenue increasingly migrates to internet behemoths. One reporter referred to the phenomenon as “a mass extinction event.” Since 2004, over 1,800 local print outlets have bit the dust, most of them smaller weeklies with circulations under 5,000. That’s pretty gloomy stuff. More than half the counties in the U.S. have only one newspaper, usually a weekly, while around 200 counties have no newspaper at all.

We seem to be comparatively better off up here in Whatcom County.

We have a daily, three weeklies and one alternative weekly. One can feel empathy for small market dailies – they can’t cover the local school boards and city council like the weeklies and who wants to read them for national news?

The report offers a number of possible solutions to the situation faced by local purveyors of news and time will tell how successful these ideas will turn out to be. PEN concludes that whatever constellation of solutions are employed, “there is no credible way to restore and revitalize local news without a significant investment of public dollars – potentially funded by a substantial tax on major technology companies.”

Taxing the ad revenue of Google and Facebook to subsidize local news production sounds great to me, but is probably not what the army of lobbyists these two companies have in their employ would like to hear.

Whether any monies that somehow got pulled from their bony hands would ever reach our level is dubious. I saw NYT, WSJ, WaPo and other biggies named in Facebook’s new program to pay licensing fees to news organizations signing up – I didn’t see any struggling weeklies.

Other possible

solutions don’t involve waiting for handouts from generous billionaires.

Newspapers could “collaborate to pool resources, expand capacity and reach, and create efficiencies of scale.”

The WNPA editorial committee will be exploring ways how this might be pursued during the new year, at least on the editorial side of things. “Communicate to the public the value of local journalism, the challenges it faces, and the importance of supporting it” is another PEN suggestion; perhaps WNPA could consider spearheading a public outreach campaign.

There’s much more in the report and I urge you to spend some time reading it during the holiday season. If you’re afraid you’ll get depressed, I recommend a stiff rum and eggnog before, during and after. It could help and definitely won’t hurt.

Patrick Grubb is the Publisher of The Northern Light in Blaine and this year’s WNPA President.

Committee wants to know about safety The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in New York is looking at ways they can help journalists safely cover the 2020 elections in their area, from the presidential race to contentious statewide and local elections.

Lucy Westcott and the Emergencies Team at CPJ, has spent the past year helping journalists stay safe while cover-

ing elections around the world. An election election safety kit is available at the CPJ website at cpj. org.

The safety kit covers a lot of different situations that journalists might find themselves in. They include outdoor rallies and protests and indoor political meetings. There are also tips for managers who are deploying report-

ers and photographers in ways that emphasize staying safe.

Westcott says they are interested in hearing from journalists who have concerns about their safety in every state and are seeking answers through a short survey concerning the upcoming election.

They would like to know more about: What

safety concerns journalists have around covering the upcoming election and what safety advice or procedures journalists have access to, whether they work full-time for a news organization or they are freelancers.

If you have safety questions or information to share, please contact Westcott at lwestcott@ cpj.org.

You could win $1,000 cash for selling WNPA ads Selling statewide or regional 2x2 or 2x4 black and white Impact Ads is a big part of what helps fund your Washington Newspaper Publishers Association, and it’s a great option for advertisers seeking broader reach for their messages.

As an added bonus, the salesperson who sells the most display or classified ads will win the Pinnacle Award and $1,000 in prize money at our annual convention in October.

It also is a perfect match for hotel-motel tax funds distributed annually by cities and counties to local nonprofit groups. If you have not already, you should ask your city and

county governments (each has separate funds) for a report on where the hotel-motel tax money is going this year.

In most cases, the non-profit organizations that receive this money are supposed to spend it on marketing outside markets that will draw people to your town.

WNPA ads are a perfect match for this program because you can choose to advertise regionally or statewide to boost tourism in your community.

Here’s how the program works: • You sell the ad to a local non-profit organization to bolster tourism.

• You charge your client for the full cost of

WNPA Impact Ads can be sold statewide or to a particular region, as indicated on the map above. Blue is the coastal region, Green is the metro region and Oranage is Eastern Washington. Sales kits are available at wnpa.com. gets their regular comthe ad, and send an inmission on the sale. sertion order to WNPA. • WNPA uses our WNPA then invoices you share of the money for half the cost of the to provide your legal ad, splitting the revenue on the ad sale. The hotline, professional services, Legislative advertising sales person

Day, the Better Newspaper Contest and annual convention.

• We keep the cost to the client affordable by asking all member newspapers to publish the ads sold by other newspapers without cost.

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, the ads are small – just two columns wide by either two or four inches tall, and there is no guarantee

they will run in color.

It’s not too early to talk with local chambers or festival organizers or others who receive hotel-motel tax money from local governments.

They are planning their spending right now, and if that process is already complete, you should ask to be included in next year’s request.

The WNPA 2x2 ad program is important arrow in your sales quiver and a great way for advertisers in your area to reach a broader audience at a very affordable price. Questions?

Call Member Services Director Janay Collins at 360-344-2938 or email ads@wnpa.com.

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.

The Washington Newspaper December 2019 3

Perry retires after 39 years in the newspaper business Steve Perry, the general manager and ad director of the Olympic Peninsula News Group and the Kitsap News Group is retired in October after 39 years in the business and 17-plus years on the North Olympic Peninsula.

Perry’s last day was Oct. 31.

“I’m ready to take on other challenges and opportunities and relax,” he said.

Terry Ward, publisher of both the Olympic Peninsula News Group — made up of the Peninsula Daily News (PDN), Sequim Gazette and Forks Forum — and of the Kitsap News Group, said that Perry’s experience and expertise will be missed.

“Steve has been a great partner in business, both for the many clients he interacted with regularly and me,” Ward said.

“His work ethic is unparalleled.

“Steve’s been passionate about mentoring and

coaching his team toward success. His dedication to ensuring the business community on the North Olympic Peninsula is well cared for will be a legacy that will last for years to come.”

Perry, 60, is a 1981 graduate of Washington State University, where he majored in political science with a minor in communications.

He started his newspaper career with the Skagit Valley Herald, where he worked for seven years, and later moved to Bainbridge Island, working at the Kitsap Sun for 12 years.

He then served as ad manager for three years at the Peninsula Gateway, a weekly based in Gig Harbor.

In June 2002 he joined the Sequim Gazette, leading the weekly’s advertising sales team. Six years later he was named general manager of Olympic View Publishing.

“And Steve did not just want your business, he wanted to bring each business owner results, something I greatly appreciated.

“Even today a customer does not know Steve through emails only, but each works with Steve direct and with a handshake.”

Perry said that he looks forward to retirement but leaves with some sadness.

“The biggest thing I’ll miss are the people,” he said.

“The relationships with people outside of the workplace have been just Steve Perry, general manager and advertising direcotor on the Olympic as fulfilling as those with Peninsula for Sound Publishing, retired at the end of October. the people I have worked Perry held that role to include the Kitsap Former Gazette owner with.”

Perry and his wife, until the PDN, Gazette News Group in 2018.

Brown Maloney hired Karen live on Bainbridge and Forks Forum joined “I’ve really enjoyed Perry for his first job on Island, from which he Sound Publishing in 2011, working hard and facing the Peninsula. when he took the reins of challenges in our busi“Steve’s enthusiasm for has commuted during his the sales department for ness,” Perry said.“I’m our business was apparent tenure working on the Peninsula. The couple all three publications. very passionate about as was his understanding have three grown sons.

In 2016, he was named our ability to provide a how an effective marketgeneral manager of the platform for news that im- ing plan could greatly This story ran Oct. 16 Olympic Peninsula News pacts our lives on a daily build a local business,” in the Sequim Gazette.

Group. His role expanded basis.”

Maloney said.

2020 will be big political year; make sure you know the ad rules 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’s 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.

• Sponsor identification is required for political

4 The Washington Newspaper December 2019

advertising, except for certain types of ads. The sponsor is the candidate, committee, or other person who pays for the ad. When the person buying the ad is an agent for another person or is otherwise reimbursed, the sponsor is the ultimate spender. The PDC’s has separate instructions that explain the unique sponsor ID requirements for electioneering communications and independent expenditures.

• 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 5 contributors’ names when sponsoring an ad about a ballot measure with a cost of at least $1,000 in the aggregate. (The top 5 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 halftone the text. Small online ads with limited charac-

ters 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.

• 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.

For more information or to clarify the rules, you can call WNPA at 360-3442938 or visit the Public Disclosure Commission’s website at https://www. pdc.wa.gov.

WNPA JOB BOARD are seeking an opportunity INVESTIGATIVE/ to be part of an awardENTERPRISE LEAD The Daily Herald seeks winning media company, we’d love to see meet you! an experienced and tenaPlease email your cover cious journalist to lead letter, including salary our increased focus on requirement and resume investigative and enterto careers@soundpublishprise reporting. This is a ing.com and be sure to senior-level newsroom include ATTN: I/E Lead in position reporting to the the subject line. executive editor.

We are looking for SPECIAL SECTIONS someone with a demonstrated record of identify- COORDINATOR Sound Publishing Inc.’s ing, reporting and writing two island newspapers, both daily and long-term investigative and in-depth the Whidbey News-Times enterprise stories and who and South Whidbey Record, seek a candidate has the ability to collaboto assist with production rate with and lead newsof our award-winning speroom colleagues. cial sections and to write We want to produce feature stories for the multimedia stories and publications. projects that hold the This position requires powerful to account, someone who understands identify injustice, expose abuse and lead to positive journalism, can write accurate and compelchange. We’re looking for a relentless digger and ling stores, is organized gifted storyteller who can and has an eye for page design. inspire others.

Candidates must show A degree in journalism and knowledge of Adobe a track record of managInDesign are preferred but ing investigative and not required. enterprise projects. They also must be able to work This is a full-time position that includes excellent independently as well as benefits that include medicollaborate with reportcal, dental, life insurance, ers across the newsroom 401k, paid vacation, sick to develop and produce and holidays. EOE. No investigations and entercalls, please. Send resume prise. with cover letter and salThe job presents the opportunity to advance to ary requirements to casenior newsroom manage- reers@soundpublishing. com and make sure to inment. Salary commensuclude “special sections corate with experience.

The Daily Herald with ordinator, Whidbey” in the subject line. its website, HeraldNet. com, has been the leading news and information COPY EDITOR/ source in Snohomish PAGE DESIGNER County, Washington, for The Daily Herald in more than a century.

Everett, Washington, What we offer you: seeks a copy editor/page Benefits package includdesigner for its news ing health insurance paid desk. We’re looking for time off, and 401k with a detail-oriented journalemployer match and A ist and wordsmith with great work environment. proven page design chops If you meet the above- using Adobe InDesign. noted qualifications and Applicants must pos5 The Washington Newspaper December 2019

sess at least two years of journalism experience at a newspaper or news website in an editing role.

They need to be able to work calmly, accurately and quickly under daily deadline pressure in a busy newsroom. Knowledge of, and interest in, local, regional, national and international news are required, as are excellent news judgment and the ability to write and edit with precision.

Applicants will have a leg up if they possess SEO headline skills, Photoshop and Illustrator know-how, newspaper beat reporting experience and some training in graphic arts design. Multimedia skills and photo-editing experience also are helpful.

This employee reports to the news editor. He or she works from noon to 10:30 p.m. four days a week, with some weekend night shifts required. The job is part-time, temporary, with the opportunity for a possible move to Regular status, FT, employment.

To apply, email the following to careers@soundpublishing.com, ATTN: EDHCOPY. No more than six nonreturnable page samples.

Specify what planning, editing or design contributions you made to each. (Pages can be sent digitally if you wish.)

A letter that explains what you think makes a newspaper excellent. Your comments should address issues relating to page design and headlines and other display types.

At least three professional references, with contact information.

Applications that don’t comply with these requests won’t be considered.

The Daily Herald is the leading news source in Washington’s third-largest county. We are the biggest of 49 daily, weekly and special-interest newspapers in Washington state owned by Sound Publishing, an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) who strongly supports diversity in the workplace.

ed, results-driven people interested in a multi-media sales career who can share the many benefits of newspaper, online and niche product advertising with new accounts and current clients. The position is responsible for print and digital advertising sales to an eclectic and exciting group of clients.

Successful candidates will be engaging and MULTIMEDIA SALES CONgoal-oriented, with good SULTANT organizational skills and The Bellevue Reporter will have the ability to is looking for self-motivat- grow and maintain strong

TURN ON THE LIGHT…

business relationships through consultative sales and excellent customer service. Professional sales experience necessary; media experience is a definite asset but not mandatory. Also required, valid driver’s license, clean driving record, and maintain adequate liability insurance on the vehicle you use for company business. Education: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.

What we offer you: Continued on Page 5

…OUR TRANSPARENT GOVERNMENT BELONGS TO YOU.

DON’T LOSE IT!

Keys to government Accountability Responsibility Accessibility

Washington’s Open Public Meetings and Public Records Acts Preserve your rights to government actions that affect you.

Learn about Open Government – When Records Requests are Denied…

http://washingtoncog.org/dealing-denial

In partnership with Contact us with your open-government questions

360-344-2938 • wnpa.com

WNPA JOB BOARD Continued from Page 4

Benefits package including health insurance paid time off, and 401k with employer match and a great work environment with a professional sales team.

If you meet the abovenoted qualifications and are seeking an opportunity to be part of an awardwinning media company, we’d love to meet you!

Please email your cover letter, including salary requirement and resume to us at careers@soundpublishing.com and be sure to include ATTN: MMSCBellevue in the subject line.

to be part of an awardwinning media company, we’d love to see meet you! Please email your cover letter, including salary requirement and resume to careers@soundpublishing.com and be sure to include ATTN: MMSC-Okanogan in the subject line.

Sound Publishing is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) and strongly supports diversity in the workplace. Visit our website to learn more about us! www.soundpublishing. com

DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING Are you the one we are MULTIMEDIA SALES looking for? Do you have CONSULTANT a passion for marketing?

Love being a part of Do you want to get paid for your community? Come having good conversations work with us at Sound with local/regional busiPublishing, Inc. nesses and helping them Washington’s largest develop/execute effective community newspaper marketing strategies? Do organization - where every you want to make a differday can be a new ence in our community? We adventure! are looking for that special ​Enjoy using your someone that has heart. consultative sales skills, A bonus is living in the partnering with local heart of the Columbia Basin business owners in the in a community built around Okanogan area to help an 18 mile lake where the them grow their business sun shines 350 days a year through branding, market- and you are centrally locating, and advertising ed to Spokane & Seattle as strategies and celebrating well as numerous outdoor their successes. activities. ​Sound Publishing, We are looking for a Inc., is looking for selfskilled Director of Advermotivated, results-driven tising (DOA) to oversee people who are excited to our company’s advertising share the many benefits operations across all media of newspaper, online, and platforms. niche product advertising.

The Director of AdThe sales position vertising combines the is responsible for both innovativeness of a savvy print and digital advertismarketer with the practical ing. We offer a benefits focus of a sales operation package including health manager. You should be insurance paid time off, able to suggest ideas for the and 401k with employer right marketing solutions match. and see them through to If you meet the above- deliver solid results for our noted qualifications and clients. We expect excelare seeking an opportunity lent organizational and 6 The Washington Newspaper December 2019

leadership skills as well as problem-solving ability. The DOA will set high standards and motivate their team to produce award winning, compelling campaigns that connect buyers to business delivering ROI. The ideal candidate will also demonstrate the ability to manage a wide variety of projects/tasks and continu-

ously reassess priority of each task.

To ensure that you become a successful Director of Advertising, it is essential that you have good understanding of the advertising industries rules and regulations, and should keep abreast with the current developments in the industry. Should

be able to deliver quality work even when they are required to function under tight and/or multiple deadlines and priorities. Should be creative, self-motivated, self-driven, pays attention to detail, and be able to function independently as well as work in a team environment.

Hagadone Media/

Washington is an equal opportunity employer.

Employment requires successful background screening and culture index survey. We provide competitive salary plus bonus and an excellent benefit package. Send resume and letter of interest to cbess@hagadonemedia. com.