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THE WASHINGTON NEWSPAPER
Happy Holidays!
December 2021
Journal of the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association
Legislative interns prepare for coverage Coverage of the state Legislature will once again be provided by the WNPA Foundation when the Legislature convenes in January. Two students, one from Washington State University and one from the University of Washington, were selected by faculty members and WNPA Foundation for the program. Overseeing the work of the students is WNPA Executive Director Fred Obee and their faculty advisors Ben Shors from WSU and John Tomasic from the UW. As was the case in past years, the students will divide coverage of the Legislature among themselves. The stories they produce will be distributed to WNPA members for publication in print and on their websites. Stories also will appear online at wastatejournal.org. The interns selected are: • Brooklynn Hillemann from Washington State University. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in multi-media journalism, has a perfect 4.0 grade point average and has been a staff member of the Daily Evergreen for the past two years. Juan Morfin, from the University of Washington, is a graduate of Sunnyside High School and graduated with honors from Yakima Valley College
in Grandview before continuing his education at the Univeristy of Washington. Azeb Tuji immigrated to Hillemann the U.S. from Kenya when she was two years old and is the first of her family to graduate high school and college. Morfin She graduated from Shoreline Community College before continuing her education at the UW. She has broad experience in media, Tuji community engagement and the arts, including time at KUOW radio and the Seattle International Film Festival. Legislative internships are named for Wallie Funk, the former publisher of the Whidbey News-Times, South Whidbey Record and the Anacortes American, and Kris Passey, former publisher of the Marysville Globe.
This photo was taken during the devastating fire that swept through Eastern Washington destroying entire towns. This photo, taken by Roger Harnack of the Cheney Free Press, won a first place in the Breaking News category in the 2021 Better Newspaper Contest.
Legislators to propose reducing newspaper B&O tax to zero It looks like newspapers could get a tax break from the 2022 state Legislature. Two legislators say they plan to introduce companion bills that drop the business and occupation tax for newspapers to zero. The tax would not be permanent under the proposed legislation. Just how long it will last is yet to be determined. The promise to introduce companion bills grew out of meetings by The Joint Legislative Audit and Review
Committee, which reviewed the rates for printing and publishing newspapers last week at its final meeting before the coming 2022 legislative session. JLARC chairman Rep. Gerry Pollet (D-Seattle), and immediate past chairman Sen. Mark Mullet (D-Issaquah), agreed to introduce companion bills in 2022 to reduce the B&O tax rate. The proposed bills grew out of a study done by JLARC and the Citizen Tax Commission. Sen. Mullet, who initiated
the idea, and Rep. Pollet, who has been looking for ways to aid local journalism, are seeking co-sponsors from both parties and both houses of the Legislature for their respective bills. Rowland Thompson, Executive Director of Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington, said the effort to reduce and extend the tax preference for newspaper printing and publishing will be his primary focus in the 2022 session.
WCOG files lawsuit against the state’s redistricting panel The Washington Coalition for Open Government on Dec. 9 sued the state of Washington and its Redistricting Commission for violating the state Open Public Meetings Act. The lawsuit argues that in its final meeting on Nov. 15 the Commission engaged in secret negotiations to draft and come to agreement about proposed legislative and congressional district maps. The commissioners’ private actions and their inaction publicly violates the OPMA and should be voided, the suit says. While conducting the public’s business in an online meeting, the four commission members intentionally avoided negotiating in an open meeting. Commission members also conducted a series of deadline votes on matters
that observers were unable to see. The commission then adjourned quickly without offering any explanations. “In the end, the commission failed to meet its deadline and to complete its work,” said Mike Fancher, WCOG president. “That failure is a powerful reminder that bad process leads to bad outcomes.” Fancher said the Coalition takes no position on the redistricting decisions made by the Commission. “Our purpose is to ensure public participation and transparency, not redistricting or any redistricting outcome,” he said. The lawsuit asks that the commission’s actions be voided, that its meeting practices be amended and penalties of $500 against each commissioner, pursuant to the OPMA.
Officers: Steve Powell, President; Michelle Nedved, First Vice President; Donna Etchey, Second Vice President; Caralyn Bess, Past President. Trustees: Roger Harnack, Heather Hernandez, Teresa Myers, Rudi Alcott, Sean Flaherty and Matt Winters. 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: fredobee@wnpa.com Janay Collins, Member Services Director: 360-344-2938. Email: ads@wnpa.com 2 The Washington Newspaper December 2021
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Working holidays was part of the job, and it made for some memorable times By Steve Powell As the holidays approach I look back and remember all the years I’ve spent enjoying a big meal on Thanksgiving and on Christmas Day opening presents - not. We have chosen a profession that is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. And because newspaper staffs have always been small, and getting Powell smaller all the time, I’ve actually had to work many a holiday. Yes, the pay was nice, but I feel like I missed out on a lot of family time. I’ve bounced around in my career from LaGrande, OR, to Lake Tahoe and Redding, CA to Port Angeles, Everett, Olympia, Marysville and now Bainbridge Island, WA. Each move was to make more money and climb the ladder of success. Until Marysville, that is. I just wanted a job. It ended up being my favorite one ever, and I really like Bainbridge Island, too. The weekly pace fits me just fine at this point in my career.
Anyway, because I bounced around, I was often low man on the totem pole and had to work the holidays, especially at the dailies. It wasn’t all bad. I often only had to work four-hour shifts and got paid time and a half for eight hours. So I still got to spend some time with family. Another reason I can have a Bah, Humbug approach to the holidays is because so many co-workers like to take time off during them. That means extra work for those left behind. Again, because I lacked seniority, that often meant me. Not all my memories are bad, however. I especially liked my time at the Peninsula Daily News in Port Angeles, under former publisher Frank Duchesschi and managing editor John McCartney. Sadly, Frank recently passed away and John did a few years ago. My first year there they bought my family a computer video game system. I forget what it was called but it was the big thing to have, and I certainly could not have afforded it. My three kids played on it constantly, more than I liked. But my bosses were a big hit with my kids
thanks to that. The second year was really awesome. They took me to lunch, talked about how much they appreciated me, and handed me a $100 bill, which was a lot of money to me about 30 years ago and still is today. They said more nice things and handed me another $100, then another $100, then another $100 and then finally one more $100 bill. It was so much fun. A great memory. The third year they paid for my ex-wife and me to go to Victoria and stay at The Empress, which was the place at the time. Being on weeklies now I do get holidays off. But you know what? Employees still want to take time off, leaving the rest of us to work doubly hard. No matter what your situation this holiday season, try to live it as stress free as possible. The older I get, the more I realize how short life really is. I sweated the small stuff too much when I was younger. Don’t you make the same mistake. Happy Holidays! Steve Powell is the editor of the Bainbridge Island Review and this year’s WNPA President.
Madeleine Wilde’s work out in new book For more than two decades, starting in the early 1990s, Madeleine Wilde’s column, “Notes from the Garden,” appeared in the Queen Anne and Magnolia News in Seattle. Several times over those years, publisher Mike Dillon urged Wilde to gather her columns into a book manuscript and send it out to prospective publishers. In Feb. 2018, two weeks before her death at 74 from a rare form of lymphoma, Wilde asked Dillon if he would take up the task. The two had remained friends after Dillon’s retirement in 2013. Her book, “Notes from the Gar-
den: Creating a Pacific Northwest Sanctuary,” was published by Chatwin Books in Seattle in October of this year. “Madeleine was a delightful, engaging writer,” Dillon said. “Her columns felt like she opened her garden gate just for you. Her prose moved fluently between hands-on, practical advice and more lyrical meditations.” In his Introduction, Dillon provides a brief biography of the author and recounts how the book came about. Wilde’s husband, David Streatfield, professor emeritus in the department of Landscape Architecture at the University of
Washington, wrote the Foreword. “Notes” is illustrated by architect Mark Hinshaw, former architectural critic for The Seattle Times and Crosscut. “It’s deeply satisfying to achieve Madeleine’s dream,” Dillon said. “I only wish she were here to enjoy the positive reception her book is getting.” “Notes from the Garden: Creating a Pacific Northwest Sanctuary,” by Madeleine Wilde. Edited by Mike Dillon. Chatwin Books, Seattle. 231 pages. $17. Available through Chatwin Books at chatwinbooks.com or through local bookstores.
Forhan, former WNPA President, dies at his Leavenworth home William “Bill” Edward Forhan, 74, passed away suddenly at his home in Leavenworth, WA on Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021. A memorial service is set for 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 18 at St. James Episcopal Church, 222 Cottage Avenue, Leavenworth. Forhan was the publisher of the NCW Media, which published the Leavenworth Echo, the Cashmere Valley Record, Lake Chelan Mirror, Wenatchee Business Journal, Quad City Herald, The Sonnenschein auf Leavenworth, and the Lake Chelan Visitor Guides. He previously owned and published the
Okanogan Valley Gazette Tribune. Forhan was a member of the WNPA board for Forhan several years and served as president in 2013 and 2014. He was born on March 20, 1947, in Butte, Montana to Rudi and Alice (Mehrens) Forhan. He attended and graduated Butte High School in 1965 and he met his wife Carol in high school as a freshman. He graduated from the University of Montana,
Missoula, in 1969 with a degree in Business Administration and served in the Army ROTC in college and was stationed at the Field Artillery Training Command at Fort Sill, Okla. where he earned the rank of First Lieutenant. He was deployed to West Germany as a battery commander during the Vietnam era. After serving overseas, he became an Army Reserve Commissioned Officer at Fort Carson, Colo., while working as a CPA in Denver. From Colorado, the family moved to Davenport, Iowa where he worked
as Controller for ITT Company and Carlon Plastics. He then accepted a job as the controller for The Billings Gazette in Billings, Mont. In 1992. Bill became the controller for the Antelope Valley Press in Palmdale, Calif. In 2000, and he and Carol became the owners of NCW Media. He authored his first book, The Contract: Unveiling the Healing Power of Forgiveness, in 2021, a Christian fiction story about three families and their intertwined journeys. He had begun writing a second book before his sudden passing. He was an active member of his community
and volunteered with numerous local organizations including Leavenworth Rotary, former president; Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce, former president; St. James Episcopal Church, member and lead musician; and the Cashmere Chamber of Commerce as a current board member. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Carol (Johnson) Forhan; their sons David (Britney Nielson) Forhan of Olympia, Wash., and Michael (Amber) Forhan of Bremerton, Wash; his sister Gayle (Dale) Schendzielos of Casa
Grande, Ariz., his sister Diane Forhan DuBose of Murfreesboro, Tenn., and brother Ed (Cami) Forhan of Clayton, Calif.; grandchildren Myla, Ronan, Lorelai, Aydin, and Zynnia, and many cousins, nieces and nephews. Bill was preceded in death by his father Rudi and his mother Alice. An online tribute is open at www. HeritageMemorialChapel. com to share memories or leave condolences. Memorial contributions or donations in his honor are welcome at St. James Episcopal Church in Cashmere, Wash., or to The Rotary International Foundation.
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The Washington Newspaper December 2021 3
Here’s how you can make some extra money Every year, cities and counties hand out hundreds of thousands of dollars to nonprofit organizations to help promote tourism and community events. How much of that money are you getting? Are they helping pay for the visitor guide you produce and distribute? if not, why not? The law that allows cities and counties to collect lodging taxes supposdly favors expenditures that reach outside your market to bring new business in. Putting heads in beds, as they say in the hotel business, is supposed to be the main goal, but every year cities and counties spend those tax revenues on playgrounds and parks, because the law allows expenditures on “tourist related” facilities. Some of these expenditures are justified, but others stretch the purpose of lodging tax collections to the limit and you need to be part of that discusssion. If you have not already, you should ask your city and county governments (each has separate funds) for a report on where the loding tax money is going, and then propose a marketing plan that benefits newspapers. WNPA ads should be a
part of that marketing plan. They are a perfect match for boosting community events because you can choose to advertise regionally or statewide. We know cities and counties rely heavily on web traffic to promote events, but WNPA ads can play a role there too, directing affluent and well-educated newspaper readers to tourism websites. We have a million readers. That’s some pretty nice exposure. Here’s how the WNPA program works: • You sell the ad to a local organization to bolster tourism. • 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 sales person gets their regular commission on the sale and $50 direct from WNPA. • 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. 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. 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 accom-
modate different column widths. Need more information on how you can get your share of the lodging tax dollars? Contact Janay at WNPA by emailing ads@ wnpa.com or by calling 360-344-2938.
Earn $50 plus your usual commission by selling WNPA ImpactAds • ImpactAds are 8 column inches max. • They run in WNPA papers statewide or by region. • Great for events, real estate, recruitment, festivals, fairs, golf courses, wine tours, casinos, car shows, whale watching boats, tourism activities. • Sell as a stand alone ad buy, or as an upsell for an ad you are selling locally. • Sell any time. Commission is paid when the ad runs. • Full price of the ad is split between your paper & WNPA. • See wnpa.com under Advertise Statewide for full details. Questions? Call 360-344-2938 or email ads@wnpa.com
The map above shows the regions for Impact Ads. Sell the whole state, or choose a region. 4 The Washington Newspaper December 2021
JOB BOARD Check our job board at wnpa.com for the latest listings! GENERAL MANAGER/ EDITOR We have an immediate opening for an experienced General Manager/ Editor to join our news team in Colville Washington at the Statesman Examiner and the Deer Park Tribune. We are looking for an individual that has experience working with community newspapers along with an understanding of local government and building relationships in the community. The successful candidate will be responsible for writing news stories, editing content, assigning and working with the staff reporters, working with the pagination team to design the newspaper and staying current and updated on social media. Experience with In Design and Photoshop a plus. This position will also oversee the operations of the newspaper along with a weekly shopper. Managing Editor will work with the sales team to generate new ideas and opportunities for the publications. If you are results driven and enjoy local news and writing send a copy of your resume including writing samples to: dcoder@hpinc.us. REPORTER The Nisqually Valley News in Yelm, Washington, is looking for a reporter to lead its local news coverage. We’re looking for an energetic self-starter who can take ownership of the coverage area, enterprise stories and maintain the
position of the Nisqually Valley News as the primary source of news and information for the community. We cover the communities of Yelm, Rainier, Roy, McKenna, the Nisqually Tribe and Tenino in addition to Mount Rainier National Park and surrounding areas. The Nisqually Valley News is a family-owned newspaper with 100 years of history. Experience with basic photography, general assignment reporting and sports coverage is valued. Recent college graduates are encouraged to apply. To be considered, please send a resume, cover letter and at least three writing samples to CT Publishing Regional Editor Justyna Tomtas at justyna@yelmonline.com. REPORTER The Quincy Valley Post-Register has an immediate opening for a full-time reporter. Our thriving weekly is located in the heart of beautiful North Central Washington, steps away from outdoor recreation and within easy reach of Seattle and Spokane. This position is the primary storyteller for our community, responsible for crafting accurate, engaging stories, photos and other content pieces. Your work may be published in our weekly, online and/ or in one or more of our other publications. You’ll work with the editor to select, write, check and publish articles; with the general public to develop story leads and articles; and assist in managing our digital outlets and print page production and layout.
You will be writing a little bit of everything: News, features, sports, briefs, etc. Photography skills are a plus. Spanishspeaking skills are a definite plus. This is a full-time position with full health and retirement benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life, disability and 401(k). Send cover, resume and clips to Washington Media’s managing editor, Russ Hemphill, hemphill@wenatcheeworld.com and Quincy Valley PostRegister Editor Sebastian Moraga, news@qvpr.com, by Friday, Dec. 10.
ing.com and be sure to include Port Townsend in the subject line; (1) a resume including at least three professional references; (2) three or more non-returnable relevant work samples in PDF or Text format (and/or a link to them); and (3) a cover letter addressing the specific job requirements we’ve outlined. Please also include your salary requirements.
Most of all, we need an enterprising storyteller who loves spending time out in the community finding interesting people, places and situations. Our coverage area is Snohomish and Island counties so getting on the road and looking for your own stories with photos and videos is strongly encouraged. Qualifications: – Four-year college degree in communications, photojournalism or equivalent experience – 1-2 years’ experience as a visual journalist in a newsroom or deadline driven environment – Must be enterprising and have the ability to selfassign features and art as needed – Reliable and willing to work evening and weekend shifts – Command of AP style, and the ability to produce content copy that is clean, accurate and publication ready – Experience shooting, editing, and filing photographs and video on
PHOTOJOURNALIST The Daily Herald in Everett, Wash. has an opening for a full-time photojournalist to join its team in beautiful Snohomish County, REPORTER located about 30 miles The award-winning north of Seattle. Olympic News Group has Our newspaper focuses openings for general ason community journalism signment reporters, based and is looking for an in our Port Townsend applicant with a track office. record with in-depth local Applicants must be photojournalism. able to work in a teamThis is a 40-hour-aoriented, deadline-driven week position shooting environment, be selfthe full range of motivated and resourceful, assignments: professional possess excellent writing & high school sports, skills, have knowledge of features, news and community news, and be portraits. able to write about a wide range of issues and cover 3.5” x 2.5” | Maximum Font Size: 30 pt multiple beats. The ideal candidate will be comfortable covering government issues, features and writing hard news stories in East Jefferson County for the Peninsula Daily News. Weekly or daily newspaper experiTyler W Whitworth, ence is preferred, although Financial Advisor time worked on student publications and intern640 Lincoln Ave ships will be considered. Tenino, WA 98589 Positions are Full Time 360-264-5004 and include excellent benefits: medical, dental, life insurance, 401K, paid vacation, sick, and holidays. EOE. No calls, please. To apply, please e-mail ed wardjon es .com to careers@soundpublish-
deadline – Must have reliable transportation with valid driver’s license and vehicle insurance required – As more of our content moves online, video is going to be of growing importance so multimedia and/or video experience is a must. We will provide Canon digital camera bodies, lenses, a MacBook and access to pool photography and video equipment. We offer benefits, including medical/ vision/dental/life/longterm disability insurance, wellness and employee assistance programs, 401k with an employer match, and paid leave (vacation/sick). Send a tightly edited portfolio of your best work along with a cover letter, resume and at least three references. Online portfolios are preferred; links should be emailed to careers@ soundpublishing.com with “Photo” in the subject line. Do not send Continued on Page 6
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The Washington Newspaper December 2021 5
JOB BOARD 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 6 The Washington Newspaper December 2021
Continued from Page 5 your portfolio photos as attachments; emails larger than 8mb are likely to bounce back or be lost.
REPORTER Lewis Publishing Company, publisher of the award-winning community newspapers Lynden Tribune and Ferndale Record, has an immediate opening for a full-time news reporter. Applicant will work closely with the editor and other staff members in a deadline-driven environment for both print editions and our websites. The ideal candidate will be curious in nature, bring a good command of English and AP style, a journalism degree, a willingness to immerse into civic, cultural, business, education, and agriculture. Applicant must be familiar with photography, InDesign and social media. You will have plenty to do in your 40-hour week. You also will have the opportunity to become a well-versed, skilled journalist capable of advancing your career in most any direction. Lewis Publishing offers a competitive compensation and benefits package including health insurance, paid time off (vacation, sick, and holidays), and 401K Profit Sharing Plan. If you are interested in joining our team please send your cover letter, resume and a variety of published clips (3-5) to: Publisher Michael Lewis at P.O. Box 153, Lynden, WA, 98264.