ANAgrams - June 2006

Official Publication of the Arizona Newspapers Association for distribution to all employees of ANA-member newspapers

Congrats to all 2006 BNC Winners

DECEMBER 2006

A N Ag r a m s

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ANA Day @ the Capitol Senator, journalists recieve FOI award building from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

This is your chance to personalize your relationship with local and state representatives. We hope you will join us.

“This presents a great opportunity for representatives of our Arizona newspapers to meet and visit with legislators to discuss issues that are important to our industry and the state of Arizona,” said John Moody, lobbyist for the ANA. ANA is the official voice of Arizona newspapers in state government. If you want your voice to be heard, come make an appearance and take an opportunity to hum in your legislator’s ear.

To R.S.V.P. for this event, call Bobby Blatchley at (602)258-7026.

Sen. Robert Burns (R-Ariz.)

Appropriations Committee Chair His commitment to sponsor a bill in the 2006 session led to the creation of a public access counselor, a task ANA had been working on for more than five years. This gives the public an alternative to dispute problems with records access. Burns suggested the public access office be termed the Public Access Ombudsman and placed under state Ombudsman Pat Shannahan.

Arizona’s aggregated classified Web service gains more participants

Carol Ann Alaimo Arizona Daily Star As a military reporter, Alaimo often deals with reluctant sources, and her tenacity for getting to the truth has made her an excellent candidate for this award.

If you would like your classifieds to compete on the Internet and take advantage of opportunities to drive revenue, please contact Sharon Schwartz, Network Ad Manager, at (602) 261-7655 ext. 108 or e-mail s.schwartz@ananews.com.

Becky Pallack Arizona Daily Star From workplace safety issues to investigating the police, Pallack constantly pushed herself to dig deeper in search of the truth.

In what we hope will become an annual event at the Capitol, ANA and the Arizona Capitol Times will cosponsor and host a day at the Capitol on Thursday, January 11th. The entire Legislature will be formally invited to lunch with publishers and editors from across the state. Please save this date on your calendars!

This is a great opportunity for publishers and editors to share a few minutes with the legislators, and make an impact on issues which could affect legislation in your part of the state. Individual appointments can be made if you have special issues to discuss with your legislator.

An informal luncheon will be held at the Arizona Capitol Times

More than 30 percent of ANA member newspapers have signed up to participate in the ClassifiedArizona, the statewide aggregated Web service.

This service was developed after many months of research and consideration by the ANA Board of Directors. Its purpose is to build upon the strengths of newspaper classified advertising by merging member papers’ classified ads into one aggregated Web site. A promotional button you can post on your site directs visitors to your branded aggregated page.

ClassifiedArizona offers a unique opportunity for publications to leverage their powerful individual brands and local market dominance to successfully compete against regional and national online companies like Craigslist and Monster.

ANA is funding set-up fees and hosting for six months. These funds are limitied and half have already been expended. Once a newspaper signs up, the process of uploading classifieds is easy. ANA’s Marketing Committee, chaired by Dick Larson of Western Newspapers, is working hard to provide marketing materials.

Why should your newspaper participate? · Adds greater value to classifieds placed in your paper · As percieved value increases, so does revenue potential · Protects current and future ad revenues · Creates a larger inventory, selec tion and choices, which draws more classified shoppers · Promotoes newspapers as a destination for advertising information · Positions newspapers as responsive and pro-active, mitigating threats from outside aggressors · Brings new, online revenue possibilities through network sales · Reaches a younger audience where they live: online

The ANA Freedom of Information awards recognize those who use public records to the benefit of all Arizonans.

Daniel Scarpinato Arizona Daily Star Scarpinato, never satisfied with official answers, used public records to improve the quality of education in schools in his community.

Stephanie Innes Arizona Daily Star Innes responded to a challenge to incorporate more public records reporting in her beat and her stories

Sen. Bob Burns sponsored a bill to create a public access ombudsman.

of religion and politics have had quite a captive audience.

Dave Hawkins The Standard (Kingman) Hawkins has always upheld the standard of the people’s right to know and ultimately broke through the controversy that surrounded the city manager.

Ginger Richardson and Monica Alonzo-Dunsmoor Arizona Republic Richardson and Dunsmoore did what all reporters should do: Serve as a watchdog for the public. After seven weeks of going through boxes of jumbled reports from the city, their series on travel abuse by city employees has encourage a change in city policy and saved taxpayers money.

Dennis Wagner Arizona Republic Wagner’s investigation in the homicide of a Yuma family and the subsequent shredding of court documents led to a court battle between the city and the paper, where, of course, freedom ruled.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8 ANAgrams Arizona Newspapers Association 1001 N. Central Avenue, Suite 670 Phoenix, AZ 85004-1947

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ANA/Ad Services Board of Directors President Pam Mox One-Year Director/Non-Daily Green Valley News and Sun (520) 625-5511 ..............................pmox@gvnews.com First Vice President John Wolfe One-Year Director/Non-Daily Independent Newspapers Inc. (Phoenix) (480) 497-0048 ..................................... jsw11@aol.com Second Vice President Don Rowley Two-Year Director/Daily Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff) (928) 774-4545 .............................drowley@pulitzer.net Third Vice President Michael Chihak One-Year Dir./Daily Tucson Citizen (520) 806-7735 ................ mchihak@tucsoncitizen.com Secretary/Treasurer Terry Alvarez Two-Year Dir. At-large/Daily East Valley Tribune (Mesa) (480) 898-6582 ...................... talvarez@aztrib.com Directors Tom Arviso Two-Year Director/Non-Daily Navajo Times (Window Rock) (928) 871-7359 ......... tomarviso@thenavajotimes.com Ward Bushee Two-Year Director/Daily Arizona Republic (Phoenix) (602) 444-8087 .... ward.bushee@arizonarepublic.com Teri Hayt Two-Year Director At-large/Daily Arizona Daily Star (Tucson) (520) 573-4220 ..................... terihayt@tucson.com Dick Larson One-Year Director/Daily Western Newspapers Inc. (928) 634-5898 ............. dlarson@westernnews.com Elvira Espinoza Two-Year Dir. At-large/Daily La Voz (Phoenix) (602) 444-3835 ....... elvira.ortiz@lavozpublishing.com Mike Quinn Past President Today’s News-Herald (928) 453-4237 ................ quinn@havasunews.com

Arizona Newspaper Foundation Board of Directors The foundation is an educational, charitable nonprofit corporation for education. Its primary mission is to teach newspaper people and teachers how to use a newspaper in a classroom. Its goal in 2007 is to become revenue independent.

Vice-Chair Josie Cantu-Weber, Tucson Citizen (928) 453-4237 ....jweber@tucsoncitizen.com Secretary Lee Knapp, The Sun (Yuma) (928) 183-3333 ..........lknapp@yumasun.com Treasurer Mike Quinn, Today’s News Herald (928) 453-4237 ...... quinn@havasunews.com Directors L. Alan Cruikshank, Fountain Hills Times (480) 837-1925 .................alan@fhtimes.com Steve Doig, Cronkite School of Journalism, Arizona State University (480) 965-0798 ..............steve.doig@asu.edu Bret McKeand, Independent Newspapers, Inc. (623) 972-6101 .................. SCIbret@aol.com Joann Carranza, Territorial Newspapers (520) 294-1200 ............jcarranza@azbiz.com Dick Larson, Western Newspapers Inc. (928) 634-5898 .. dlarson@westernnews.com

DECEMBER 2006

And now, a few words from our new President...

As ANA enters a new year, we take many accomplishments with us.

Under the presidency of Mike Quinn we developed a solid committee structure built with the knowledge and expertise of other members, representing a variety of newspapers across the state. There is wealth of experience and knowledge to be shared and I would like to encourage anyone interested to participate. The ananews.com site has a committee calendar and if you click on any one of them it will take you to the objectives and contact information of all board members.

In 2007, your association will work hard to improve communication with our membership. As a member you should be aware of the many services ANA offers, that have been made possible through your membership and the hard work of the ANA staff.

Beginning last year and continuing with a three to five year goal in mind, we will grow and secure sufficient reserves so that the association can sustain itself in the event of revenue slowing. Sustaining membership services is a top priority.

The NIE program now under

Committees Marketing, Member Revenue

Objectives ANA revenue enhancements; Assist members with political advertising sales; ANA directory/other sales activities; Develop statewide buys; Statewide online classified (protecting member revenue); Public Notice promotion; Effective communications to members; Digital archiving of newspapers; Recognize advertising business partners in ad awards contest; and refine Agency awards.

The Committee Dick Larson, Chairman, Western Newspapers; Don Rowley, Arizona Daily Sun (Flagstaff); Steve Stevens, Today’s News Herald, Lake Havasu City; Lisa Miller, The Sun (Yuma); Mark Bollin, Green Valley News & Sun; Terry Alvarez, East Valley Tribune (Mesa); Blake Dewitt, Western Newspapers; Cindy Meaux, Ad Placement Manager, ANA; Sharon Schwartz, Network Advertising Manager, ANA; John Alexander, Foothills Focus.

First Amendment Coalition

Objectives Provide journalists from member newspapers with educational information and a legal hotline for access issues. ANA is responsible for 12 seats on this board of directors.

ANA Appointees Dan Burnette, Arizona Capitol Times; Joseph Reaves, Arizona Republic; Terry Ross, Yuma Daily Sun; Josie Cantu-Weber, Tucson Citizen; David Bodney, Steptoe & Johnson; Ben Hanson, Daily Courier; John Wolfe, Independent Newspapers; Linda Wienandt, Associated Press; Randy Wilson, Arizona Daily Sun; Mark Kimble, Tucson Citizen, and open seat.

Heritage and (Contests) ANAgrams is published every-other month by the Arizona Newspapers Association 1001 N. Central Ave., Suite 670 Phoenix, AZ 85004-1947 (602) 261-7655 • Fax: (602) 261-7525 www.ananews.com www.publicnoticeads.com

Objectives For our contests, study PDF contest entries and at least develop an on-line contest submission form; Possibly add Journalist/Photographer of the year (Need criteria); Re-study and re-shape Hall of Fame criteria, make them less subjective and Improve bios; have a Hall of Fame display at the convention; Zenger Award – Work with University of Arizona to improve; FOI – broader distribution of news release to improve publicity; Improve ad agency category; Sell more ANAgrams ads. Begin internship.

the expert eyes of Pat and signed by the Oso, has free educagovernor, for a Public tional tabs that you Access Counselor. The print on your own, work of this commitan NIE monthly page tee is vital to Arizona all about Arizona and newspapers and will written by Pat exclucontinue for the next sively for Arizona year under the chairnewspapers. The cost manship of Teri Hayt, is only $5.00 for every Arizona Daily Star.

5,000 in circulation.

The marketing Pat will also help you staff will continue to plan and put on work- Pam Mox, 2007 ANA President increase participation shops in your comin the statewide aggremunity. The foundation is currently gated classified network that fights applying for grants to aid us in the the growing issue of Craigslist and battle for literacy. For details and others like it. For more information more information, contact Pat Oso. on this program or to join in the Our digital archive program is marketing committee efforts, contact still in its infancy. This has exciting Dick Larson, Western Newspapers possibilities for community news- or Sharon Schwartz, ANA network papers in Arizona, from a digital advertising manager. archive for your entire history to a Your newspaper association statewide current archive. Your ANA will only be as successful as you, the can now scan pages for you from member, help it to be. I encourage bound editions. For information on you to donate your time, share your this program please contact John successes and difficulties, participate Fearing. in committee work, provide feedback The legislative committee, and most importantly, understand under the leadership of John Wolfe, and take part in the many services Independent Newspapers, devel- ANA provides. This is your associaoped legislation that was adopted tion and you can make a difference.

The Committee Julie Moreno, Chairman, The Sun (Yuma); Bill Toops, Glendale Star & Peoria Times; Pat Oso, Ariz. NIE coordinator, ANF; Paula Casey; Business Manager, ANA.

Education

Objectives Conventions: Spring Marketing Workshop in May (Wed-Fri) and Fall Convention in October (Thur.Sat), First two days of both are computer training and half-day of sessions eliminated; Regional Education – Need trainers; On-line training -- too expensive? List Serves for various professions; NIE – fund raising; curriculum; marketing; Update Public notice laws and Ad guidelines; Constitution Day Sept. 17 – create NIE material; NIE Training at conventions; half-day session; NIE Regional North/South full day NIE training. Additional volunteers needed.

The Committee Pam Mox, Chairman, Green Valley News & Sun; Michael Chihak, Tucson Citizen; Pat Oso, Statewide NIE Coordinator, ANF; Paula Casey, Business Manager, ANA.

Government, Public Policy

Objectives Build on 2003, including creating a formal plan for 2005/6; Re-craft Legislative Alert; Note key legislation that requires editor/publisher calls; Simplify way editors/publishers can send an email to key legislators on issues; Create a grid noting each legislator’s committee assignments; Match legislative leadership to Editors & Publishers; Host Legislative Breakfast in January 2006 instead of Legislative Lunch in Fall; Further build allies/government access groups; Continue “Public Access Counselor” legislation and emphasize “Training;” Support banning suits against public records requestors.

The Committee John Wolfe, Chairman; Independent Newspapers (Phoenix); Janet DelTufo, Wickenburg Sun; Melanie Larson, The Explorer (Tucson); Tery Hayt, Arizona Daily Star (Tucson); David J. Bodney, Steptoe & Johnson, Phoenix; Ward Bushee, Arizona Republic (Phoenix); Tom Arviso, The Navajo Times (Window Rock); John Moody, ANA Legislative Counsel, Jennings, Strouss & Salmon, Phoenix.

ANA Staff Executive Director John F. Fearing ...................................... Ext. 105 j.fearing@ananews.com Business Manager Paula Casey .......................................... Ext. 102 p.casey@ananews.com Media Buyer Cindy Meaux...........................................Ext. 112 c.meaux@ananews.com Network Advertising Manager Sharon Schwartz ................................... Ext. 108 s.schwartz@ananews.com Network Ad Sales Representative Don Ullmann ...........................................Ext. 111 d.ullmann@ananews.com Communications Manager Perri Collins ............................................Ext. 110 p.collins@ananews.com NIE Coordinator Pat Oso...................................................Ext. 110 beartracks@cox.net Receptionist/Tearsheets Lorraine Bergquist ..................................... Ext. 0 l.bergquist@ananews.com

Find your name here!

If you would like to have your name included on our list of committees, ask your publisher to send an email to j.fearing@ananews.com.

The collective intelligence of our members is how ANA improves its service.

There are several vacancies on committees so there is no waiting.

Join a committee and make a difference!

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DECEMBER 2006

Brokaw Honored by Cronkite Newspaper circulation study Former NBC news anchor Tom Brokaw was greeted with a standing ovation when Walter Cronkite himself took the stage to present the Cronkite Award for excellence in journalism.

More than 1,200 people attended the awards luncheon at the Arizona Biltmore Resort on Nov. 14.

“It is, for me, a rare moment,” said Brokaw. ‘‘I can’t tell you how much it means to me to have this award with this man’s name attached to it,’’ Brokaw said. ‘‘He’s a towering figure - not just in American journalism, but in American life.’’

The two icons were like old school chums, teasing each other throughout the ceremony.

“I should talk more about his (Brokaw’s) accomplishments, but quite honestly it bores me,” said

Cronkite at one point.

Brokaw anchored the Today show on NBC from 1976 to 1981, and rose to sole anchor of the NBC newscast in 1983. He is the author of four books, including the New York Times Bestseller “The Greatest Generation.”

Before the presention, Christopher Callahan, dean of the Walter Cronkite School of Journlism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, took the stage and introduced his plans for the future of the school.

“Good journalism is hard work and integrity, and the gold standard is Walter Cronkite,” said Elizabeth Capaldi, the new Provost of the University.

“We aim to produce students who strive to achieve that gold standard,” she said.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. newspaper circulation fell 2.8 percent as of the end of September, according to industry data released on Monday, highlighting the further migration of readers to the Internet and other media outlets.

Far sharper declines were posted at newspapers seen as potential acquisition targets, including the Los Angeles Times and the Boston Globe, as the industry attempts to reshape itself and counter rival news providers online and elsewhere.

A Newspaper Association of America (NAA) analysis of data on 770 newspapers released by the Audit Bureau of Circulations found that average daily circulation fell 2.8 percent to about 43.8 million copies for the six months ended September 30, compared with the same period a year ago.

Sunday circulation at 619 newspapers included in the report dropped 3.4 percent from a year ago, the NAA said.

The group added that total newspaper readership is rising, when Web site use, sharing papers and

other measures are included. The NAA has been emphasizing more positive total readership numbers than paid circulation figures over the last few years.

“Data that measure the expanded audience is precisely what advertisers want to enhance their understanding of consumer use across newspapers’ multiple media platforms,” said NAA Chief Executive John Sturm.

“Simply focusing on print circulation numbers in a vacuum obscures that understanding.”

Some of the drop in the audit bureau numbers represents publishers’ efforts to reduce the amount of discounted copies and papers delivered in bulk to hotel rooms and similar places that they have considered paid circulation in the past.

Newspaper publishers are coping with a slump in advertising as viewers spend more time on the Internet. Publishers are bulking up their Web presence, but online ad revenue increases have not compensated for the drop-off in print revenue.

ASU Launches Cronkite News Ser vice Cronkite and Brokaw, two legendary news broadcasters, came together to further journalism and education at the 23rd Annual Awards Luncheon on Nov. 14, 2006.

Roundup named Newspaper of the Year for 8th year

By Autumn Phillips On Oct. 14, Arizona Newspapers Association executive director John Fearing looked across a room of journalists from around the state and called the name of Payson Roundup publisher Richard Haddad.

“Richard,” Fearing said, “how many years in a row has the Roundup won Arizona Newspapers Association’s Non-Daily Newspaper of the Year?”

“Seven,” Haddad said.

“Well, why don’t you come up here and make it eight.”

The Roundup accepted the award alongside the East Valley Tribune which received the 2006 ANA Daily Newspaper of the Year for the third year in a row.

The award is earned over the year through receiving the highest

honors in the ANA’s Better Newspapers Contest and the Excellence in Advertising competition.

“It’s hard to describe just how proud I am of the entire Roundup team,” Haddad said. “They work so hard every day, many times behind the scenes, to put out the best community newspaper in the state. I’m proud to be associated with them.”

Receiving national and state awards is a motivational tool for the staff of the Roundup. It re-energizes the employees for another year of researching, watching, listening, and writing about the community.

“When someone picks up a copy of the Roundup, we want them to have the best community newspaper possible,” Haddad said.

This spring, the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication will launch the Cronkite News Service, an intensive program where advanced journalism students provide daily stories to news outlets statewide.

“The goal is to create something of value for newspapers in Arizona,” said Steve Elliott, the founding director.

Elliott, a former bureau chief for the Associated Press, will work fulltime with students, who will cover key public policy issues.

“It’s a tremendous learning opportunity and a chance to provide critical coverage to Arizonans,” said Elliott.

During the initial semester, the program will be a free resource to any media outlet. Six to eight students will be involved in the program, each devoting 16 to 20 hours each week at the bureau. Students are expected to put out roughly 200 stories during the semester.

“We’re trying to put a human face on the issues,” said Elliott.

The program is modeled after the Capital News Service, a similar program that Christopher Callahan, led when he was at the University of Maryland.

Callahan, founding dean of the Cronkite School, has instituted many changes at the school during his short tenure.

“Cronkite News Service will be a tremendous learning opportunity for our best students while providing critical coverage to Arizonans through established news organizations around the state,” Callahan said.

“There is no one better to lead this operation than Steve Elliott, a first-rate national journalist with superb editing and mentoring skills who also knows intimately the people and issues of Arizona .”

“I am thrilled to join the Cronkite School at such an exciting time and very happy to once again practice journalism in Arizona,” Elliott says.

“I look forward to working with some of the country’s best journalism students to produce a compelling news report on the issues facing Arizona and its citizens.”

Newspapers that are interested in the Cronkite News Service should contact Steve Elliott at (480) 727-9448 or by email at Steve.

Elliott@asu.edu.

Special thanks to Leah Hardesty for her assistance with this article.

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DECEMBER 2006

O n t h e R o a d W i t h P a t SCC student tackles

By Pat Oso One of the best parts of my job is traveling the state to meet you and learn about your NIE programs.

Some newspapers have established great programs while others are just beginning. Since the Arizona State Standards for Education now requires teachers to track current events on international, national and local levels, NIE programs and teacher training are more important than ever. With Arizona standing in the unenviable position of 50th in the nation in education and literacy, the importance of NIE cannot be stressed enough. It is a joy to see newspapers all over the state answering the call.

First stop was Globe. It was a rainy, cold day with the clouds hanging low and heavy in the sky. The temperature dropped dramatically and I was glad that I thought to bring long sleeved shirts and a raincoat.

Rather than gloomy, the weather was exhilarating and the good feeling seemed to be shared by everyone I met that day.

The Copper Country News is just starting their NIE program. I spent a busy day meeting with Publisher, Rita Hassard and her energetic sidekick, Angie Mendoza. Angie arranged meetings with principals at Liberty High School and Holy Angels School in Globe. We discussed the needs of their teachers and the best place and time to offer a teacher workshop.

The Copper Country News will run a monthly NIE page in addition to the all-important local news.

The next morning I drove to Safford for a breakfast meeting (yummy blueberry pancakes!) with Jonathan Goodman, Circulation Manager at the Eastern Arizona Courier.

They’ve had a good NIE program for quite awhile. Publisher, Rick Schneider wants to beef it up with teacher training and current materials that work with the newspaper and meet the state standards. Like

many community newspapers, the Eastern Arizona Courier has hired a teacher to handle NIE part time. Brad Hemphill provides information to teachers, gathers orders and spends the summer obtaining sponsorship to cover the cost. I look forward to working with Brad to provide a teacher workshop in Safford.

After a good meeting, it was time to drive to Sierra Vista. My meeting there was the following morning, so I took a little time and stopped at Kartchner Caverns to gather information for future NIE pages. Arizona is so rich in educational resources that it is like an unending adventure. I always keep my eyes open for places that will offer treasures of knowledge for our teachers and children.

The next day, I met with three friendly staffers at the Sierra Vista Herald. Publisher, Phil Vega, was able to meet for a short time as well.

The Herald delivers newspapers and “News Currents” to the schools. Due to lots of staff changes and restructuring over the years, there has not been much focus on NIE, but that is about to change. We discussed the importance of keeping NIE in front of the community as much as possible so that folks know what your newspaper is doing in the schools and why you are doing it.

Running articles about what teachers are doing in the classroom with newspapers makes a difference.

Interviewing sponsors and running promo ads with photos and a quote about why they want to be partners in education are good for the program, too. Your sponsors might want to challenge other businesses to join in helping our teachers and literacy in general. Of course training teachers to use the newspaper to it’s fullest potential is always important.

Next stop: Green Valley News and Sahuarita Sun in Green Valley.

More adventures to come. More NIE programs to learn about, more staff and teachers to train. Hope to visit your newspaper soon!

Pat Oso is the statewide coordinator for the Newspapers in Education program. She travels to schools all over Arizona with her friendly little Shitzu named Stinky.

investigative journalism

When students at Scottsdale Community College began complaining about the new cafeteria management group, Adrian Romero didn’t just roll his eyes and agree with his classmates, he decided to find out exactly what was going on.

After ARAMARK, a nationwide food preparation company, took over the cafeteria, complaints ignited a debate between students and administration. In the latest complaint, insect larvae was found in coffee provided by ARAMARK. Romero broke the story in the Nov. 1 issue of Campus News.

Romero likes to be aware and in touch with what is going on around campus, he said, and when ARAMARK staff members refused to answer his questions, he decided to dig a little deeper.

“I went online and did research in order to get the story done and that’s where I really found out about ARAMARK,” Romero said, Almost all the Maricopa Community Colleges utilize the services of ARAMARK.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

Get Worthy Direct Quotes for Readers

by Randy Hines ’Tis the season for questions.

“Ho! Ho! Ho! What do you want for Christmas?” asks the mall Santa.

Who’s coming for the holidays?

What was your year-end bonus?

What is your New Year’s resolution?

So many questions. So little time.

It’s no wonder Samuel Johnson, 18th century British literary giant, seemed pessimistic toward the topic.

“Questioning is not the mode of conversation among gentlemen.

It is assuming a superiority, and it is particularly wrong to question a man concerning himself. There may be parts of his former life which he may not wish to be made known to other persons, or even brought to his own recollection” (Boswell’s Life of Johnson).

Yet, questioning is the mode of operation for Arizona journalists.

Interviews are frequent tools in the quest to uncover information and opinion from news sources. In my workshops and journalism classes, I typically go over news-gathering tips that make a lot of sense. However, journalists and students still forget at times to follow them while on the prowl for news.

Almost every interviewing technique guidebook tells you to do preliminary research before you make an appointment with the source. For one thing, that may direct you to the proper individual with the right answers, rather than one you previously thought could help you. And doing your homework will let you ask intelligent questions, rather than appearing dumb to your source.

Show up on time and greet the person properly. Present your business card so your source will have contact information if needed later.

Obtain one in return for the same reason.

It’s wise to prepare open-ended questions in advance. Listen carefully to the responses since one answer could cover two of your inquiries. Always be ready to leave your list of questions if the person opens up a new avenue of interrogation. Follow-up questions should be a routine part of your interview process.

Ask one question at a time. Be friendly, but aggressive if necessary.

Rephrase the question if the source doesn’t seem to understand what you need to know.

Take legible notes profusely. If a tape recorder is being used, ignore it.

Pretend it won’t work properly—and you won’t be disappointed when it happens. Tape recording an interview with permission will help you to get complete direct quotes when writing your story. But if you’re on deadline, you won’t have time to endlessly replay and type to get the entire transcript.

My voice-activated recorder was used in my interview with Alaska’s Tom Bodett of Motel 6 fame. Unfortunately—despite my checking tape, batteries and buttons—Tom’s softspoken natural voice, unlike his radio commercial style, didn’t activate the recorder until his third or fourth word of every sentence. Fortunately, I took extensive notes and had a one-month magazine deadline.

Every Arizona journalist who has used a recorder probably has similar horror stories.

If you have a controversial or embarrassing subject to explore, save that question for the latter part of the interview. That way you’ll at least have a story to write from the prior responses if the mayor of Tucson CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

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DECEMBER 2006

Better Newspapers Contest Winners 2006 First Place General Excellence: Circulation under 3,500 Camp Verde Journal Publisher: Robert Larson Circulation 3,500-10,000 Payson Roundup Publisher: Richard Haddad Circulation greater than 10,000 Business Journal Publisher: Don Henninger Circulation (Daily) under 25,000 Sierra Vista Herald Publisher: Philip Vega Circulation (Daily) greater than 25,000 Arizona Republic Publisher: Robert Dickey Reporting & News Writing Excellence Non-daily circulation under 3,500 1. Florence Reminder & Blade Tribune 2. Coolidge Examiner 3. Maricopa Monitor Non-daily circulation 3,500 to 10,000 1. Payson Roundup 2. Cottonwood Journal Extra 3. Arizona Capitol Times Honorable Mention: Jewish News of Greater Phoenix Non-daily circulation greater than 10,000 1. West Valley View 2. Business Journal 3. Tucson Weekly Honorable Mention: Navajo Times Daily circulation under 25,000 1. Sierra Vista Herald 2. Mohave Valley Daily News 3. Daily News-Sun Honorable Mention: The Sun (Yuma) Daily circulation over 25,000 1. East Valley Tribune 2. Arizona Republic 3. Arizona Daily Star Departmental News & Copyediting Excellence Non-daily circulation under 3,500 1. Camp Verde Journal 2. Copper Era 3. San Pedro Valley News-Sun Honorable Mention: Lake Powell Chronicle Honorable Mention: Tombstone Epitaph Non-daily circulation 3,500 to 10,000 1. Eastern Arizona Courier 2. Cottonwood Journal Extra 3. Payson Roundup Non-daily circulation greater than 10,000 1. Business Journal 2. Green Valley News and Sun 3. Tucson Weekly

Honorable Mention: Navajo Times Daily circulation under 25,000 1. The Sun (Yuma) 2. Sierra Vista Herald 3. Daily Courier Honorable Mention: Daily News-Sun Daily circulation over 25,000 1. Arizona Republic 2. Arizona Daily Star 3. East Valley Tribune Honorable Mention: Tucson Citizen Page Design Excellence Non-daily circulation under 3,500 1. Arizona Range News 2. Camp Verde Journal 3. Maricopa Monitor Honorable Mention: Coolidge Examiner Honorable Mention: Florence Reminder & Blade Tribune Honorable Mention: San Pedro Valley News-Sun Non-daily circulation 3,500 to 10,000 1. Inside Tucson Business 2. Payson Roundup 3. Fountain Hills Times Honorable Mention: Jewish News of Greater Phoenix Non-daily circulation greater than 10,000 1. Business Journal 2. Arizona Daily Wildcat 3. Catholic Sun Honorable Mention: Green Valley News and Sun Honorable Mention: West Valley View Daily circulation under 25,000 1. Casa Grande Dispatch 2. Sierra Vista Herald 3. Mohave Valley Daily News Daily circulation over 25,000 1. Arizona Daily Star 2. East Valley Tribune 3. Arizona Republic Editorial Page Excellence Non-daily circulation under 3,500 1. Lake Powell Chronicle 2. Camp Verde Journal 3. San Pedro Valley News-Sun Non-daily circulation 3,500 to 10,000 1. Payson Roundup 2. Inside Tucson Business 3. Jewish News of Greater Phoenix Non-daily circulation greater than 10,000 1. West Valley View 2. Prescott Valley Tribune 3. Surprise Today Honorable Mention: Arizona Daily Wildcat

Daily circulation under 25,000 1. The Sun (Yuma) 2. Sierra Vista Herald 3. Daily News-Sun Daily circulation over 25,000 1. Arizona Daily Star 2. Arizona Republic 3. East Valley Tribune Best Use Of Photography Non-daily circulation under 3,500 1. Camp Verde Journal 2. San Pedro Valley News-Sun 3. Lake Powell Chronicle Non-daily circulation 3,500 to 10,000 1. Payson Roundup 2. Sedona Red Rock News 3. Eastern Arizona Courier Honorable Mention: Fountain Hills Times Non-daily circulation greater than 10,000 1. * NONE AWARDED * 2. Arizona Daily Wildcat 3. Explorer Newspaper (tied) 3. Navajo Times (tied) Daily circulation under 25,000 1. Sierra Vista Herald 2. Mohave Valley Daily News 3. Daily News-Sun Honorable Mention: The Sun (Yuma) Daily circulation over 25,000 1. Arizona Republic 2. East Valley Tribune 3. Tucson Citizen Community Service / Journalistic Achievement Non-daily circulation under 3,500 1. Oracle 2. Maricopa Monitor 3. Coolidge Examiner Honorable Mention: San Pedro Valley News-Sun Non-daily circulation 3,500 to 10,000 1. Payson Roundup 2. Fountain Hills Times 3. Jewish News of Greater Phoenix Non-daily circulation greater than 10,000 1. Scottsdale Times 2. Green Valley News and Sun 3. Tucson Weekly Honorable Mention: Arizona Daily Wildcat

These are the newspaper winners.

Individual winners can be viewed on our Web site at ananews.com/Contests

Honorable Mention: West Valley View Daily circulation under 25,000 1. * NONE AWARDED * 2. The Sun (Yuma) 3. Casa Grande Dispatch Daily circulation over 25,000 1. Arizona Daily Star 2. Arizona Republic 3. East Valley Tribune Special Section / Newspaper Supplement / Magazine Non-daily circulation under 3,500 1. Lake Powell Chronicle 2. Copper Era 3. Arizona Range News Non-daily circulation 3,500 to 10,000 1. Arizona Capitol Times 2. Arizona Capitol Times 3. Payson Roundup Honorable Mention: Fountain Hills Times Non-daily circulation greater than 10,000 1. Green Valley News and Sun 2. Business Journal 3. West Valley View Honorable Mention: Arizona Daily Wildcat Daily circulation under 25,000 1. The Sun (Yuma) 2. Daily News-Sun 3. Sierra Vista Herald Daily circulation over 25,000 1. Arizona Republic 2. East Valley Tribune 3. Arizona Daily Star Honorable Mention: Tucson Citizen Newspaper Online Site / Web Page Non-daily circulation under 3,500 1. Arizona Range News 2. San Pedro Valley News-Sun 3. Camp Verde Journal Non-daily circulation 3,500 to 10,000 1. Payson Roundup 2. Jewish News of Greater Phoenix 3. Fountain Hills Times Non-daily circulation greater than 10,000 1. Tucson Weekly 2. Business Journal 3. Green Valley News and Sun Honorable Mention: Arizona Daily Wildcat Daily circulation under 25,000 1. Sierra Vista Herald 2. The Sun (Yuma) 3. Daily Courier Daily circulation over 25,000 1. Arizona Republic 2. Tucson Citizen 3. Arizona Daily Star Honorable Mention: East Valley Tribune

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DECEMBER 2006

6

ANA New Member Profiles

Jackpot for rodeo man Bob Tuley’s favorite sport is team roping, so it is no surprise that he is the man behind the Arizona Jackpot, a monthly newspaper spotlighting the fine sport of rodeo.

“It’s a busy business. Rodeo is more than just watching bull riding,” he said.

The Arizona Jackpot covers events such as bareback bronc riding, steer wrestling, and barrel racing (a horse and a rider running a cloverleaf pattern around three barrels).

“It’s a whole different world out there,” said Tuley.

“I’m amazed at the people who get involved: doctors, lawyers, builders. It’s not just the cowboys,” he said.

Tuley, and his three-member staff has seen a steady increase in circulation since he started the Arizona Jackpot a year and a half ago.

“We have subscribers from as far away as Canada,” Tuley said.

“I try to give the people what they want,” he said.

Most of the competitions Tuley attends are in Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico and California, but he is never too far from home.

“Pinal County has more team roping arenas than anywhere else in the country,” said Tuley, who still competes on occassion.

“Some of the best people in the world are involved in rodeo.”

AIPA hosts fall convention for high school students Martha Crosby loves her job. She is the yearbook advisor at Sundown Mountain, an alternative program for at-risk youth and non-traditional students.

Sundance Mountain was among more than 100 schools that attended the AIPA 2006 Fall Convention.

“A lot of people wonder why a school like ours even has a yearbook,” she said.

Jostens Yearbooks have been an annual sponsor of the AIPA convention for more than 20 years.

“We want students to have the best opportunities and put out the best publication they can,” said Fred Schnauss.

Fred Schnauss, the southwest division manager, said he is amazed at the quality publications these students are capable of.

Golden Valley gives it 100 percent Gazette to the people “Out here, the of Golden Valley by old west is alive and getting the community thriving,” said Donna involved.

Newman. Newman is Over the past year, the editor-reporter-phothey’ve welcomed editographer for the Golden Valley Gazette.

Donna Newman, editor of torials, advice columns Besides her adver- the Golden Valley Gazette and even recipes into the weekly paper. tising representative, “Local columnists have really Newman is the only other full-time embraced the Gazette,” said staff member.

Newman has done everything Newman.

“This has been my baby since day from researching local urban legends to photographing events to decipher- one,” said Newman.

“I hope to see it grow to be a daily ing the controversy over the city’s paper some day,” she said. incorporation effort.

The Golden Valley Gazette is “I am Wonder Woman some published every Wednesday and days,” said Newman.

The Gazette borrows some of provides news from the communities its news from its sister paper, the of Golden Valley, Golden Springs, Kingman Daily Miner, but Newman Chloride and sometimes Bullhead is trying to bring the focus of the City.

Former Tombstone mayor now newsman News has been circulating all over the Town Too Tough to Die, thanks to Dusty Escapule.

About 18 months ago, Escapule and his wife launched the Tombstone News, the only local weekly newspaper in Tombstone.

“I felt that there was a need for Tombstone to have an unbiased newspaper to tell local folks what’s going on,” said Escapule.

Escapule is a fourth-generation native of the legendary town. He has been a city councilman and mayor,

and now he’s determined to deliver the news to one of the oldest cities in Arizona.

Two years ago, Escapule had no idea how a newspaper was born, but after a two-month crash course, he jumped into the industry with enthusiasm.

The Tombstone News now has a staff of five and utilizes freelancers.

More information can be found at http://www.thetombstonenew.com.

“It has been a real experience,” said Escapule.

Sundown Mountain High School yearbook presents the Fantastic Four and their mentor: Alex Torres, Johnny Torres, Martha Crosby, Alfredo Lopez and Thomas Corrosco.

“I believe it teaches the students responsibility and commitment,” Crosby said.

At the convention, high school students were presented with awards for excellence in yearbook, school newspaper, literary magazine and broadcast categories.

They may not have won any awards, but, “these students are definately not losers,” said Crosby.

Students had the opportunity to have their work critiqued by professionals and tour the KAET studio and State Press offices at Arizona State University.

They were also able to attend sessions such as “Tips on Writing Great Feature Stories,” “Anyone Can Be a Staff Photographer!” and “It’s not Rocket Science or Brain Surgery.”

“Some of the students here today are quite talented,” he said.

The keynote speaker was John Cutsinger, winner of the 1987 Dow Jones National Journalism Teacher of the Year, CSPA Gold Key & NSPA Pioneer Award. He advised both newspaper & yearbook students for 16 years.

“The old adage is true. These students can do anything, if they put their minds to it,” said Cutsinger.

“The kids are pretty awesome,” said contest chairperson Lorie Norton.

“We have actual professionals in the industry judge the entries.

The students really do high-caliber work,” said Norton.

“This is a great career choice for the kids,” she said.

Foothills Focus Looking Forward Foothills Focus, a weekly newspaper serving the rapidly-growing north valley, is looking forward to providing the news for many years to come.

“We’re in a very good position

right now,” said editor Greg Stiles.

“This is an area that’s in transition, and it will change drastically over the next ten years,” he said.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

Kathryn Boughton, Gabrielle Ellis and Monica Batuch, of Seton Catholic High School, trade notes about the speakers between sessions.

7

DECEMBER 2006

7

Award-winning editor named assistant dean at Cronkite School Kristin Gilger, an award-winning journalist who was a top editor at The Arizona Republic before directing student media at Arizona State University, will join the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication as assistant dean in charge of professional programs.

In the newly created position, Gilger will recruit, develop and lead the school’s 30-plus part-time faculty members, oversee the school’s growing professional programs, work closely with the school’s Career Services Office to help place students in jobs and internships and serve as a key liaison to the news industry.

Gilger has been director of ASU’s Student Media since 2002, directing The State Press student newspaper, the Web Devil news Internet site and a closed-circuit cable television station. Student Media, which is operated by ASU but is separate from the Cronkite School, has 12 professional employees, about 100 student workers and a $1.6 million budget.

Under her leadership, Student Media has won top national awards, including the Hearst intercollegiate journalism competition, the Payne Award for Ethics in Journalism,

Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s Gold and Silver Crown awards, the Society of Professional Journalists’ Mark of Excellence and the EPpy Awards competition for the Best College Newspaper Internet Service.

Gilger also served as a part-time faculty member at the Cronkite School, teaching in-depth reporting to advanced journalism students and supervising the school’s print journalism internship program. She also conducts training sessions on newspaper management, news writing and journalism ethics around the world. She has led sessions for the Associated Press Managing Editors, American Association of Sunday and Features Editors, National Writers Workshop and the U.S. State Department.

“Kristin is a nationally recognized news leader who has been an enormous asset to the Cronkite School for the past four years through her teaching and her work with Student Media,” said Cronkite Dean Christopher Callahan. “I’m delighted that she will be joining the Cronkite team in a top-level leadership role as we move quickly to grow the school’s

In her new position, Gilger will oversee the school’s growing professional programs, work closely with the school’s Career Services Office to help place students in jobs and internships and serve as a key liaison to the news industry.

professional programs and improve the school’s already outstanding curriculum.”

Before joining ASU, Gilger served as the deputy managing editor for news at The Arizona Republic, where she led a team of more than 100 reporters and editors at the nation’s 15th largest daily newspaper.

After receiving a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska- Omaha, Gilger

started her newspaper career in 1980 as the farm reporter for the St. Cloud (Minn.) Daily Times. She later became a regional editor at the paper and earned her master’s degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She joined the New Orleans Times Picayune in 1983 as a suburban bureau chief and later the editor in charge of the newspaper’s six suburban bureaus.

In 1993, she became managing editor of The Statesman Journal in Salem, Ore., in charge of the entire news operation. She left for the Republic in 1999.

Gilger won the National Headliner Award for Public Service in Journalism in 1993 for editing a year-long project on race relations in New Orleans. She also has won awards from Gannett newspapers, the Associated Press, Best of the West and the Society of Professional Journalists.

“The Cronkite School already has some of the best students and best programs in the country, but it’s just the beginning,” Gilger said.

“I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be.”

Two inducted into AIPA; four into ANA Hall of Fame On October 13, the Arizona Interscholastic Press Association honored two rare individuals AIPA Distin-

guished Adviser award. Four journalists were also inducted in the ANA Hall of Fame. Each recipient is held

in high esteem for their hard work.

Their contributions and outreach has made a difference in the lives of

Gerri B. Fielder began her career in journalism in 1971 and has been going strong ever since. She has taught at Oronado High School, Glendale Community College and Arizona State University West.

“Almost everything I know about teaching journalism, I learned from participation in AIPA,” she said.

Jim Patten has set him self apart.

From reporting news to authoring seven textbooks, to heading the journalism department at the University of Arizona, Patten has always been a leader in the fight for student journalists’ First Amendment rights.

Chris Limberis was one of those rare reporters who didn’t just write the story, he went in search of the truth. He was respected throughout the community for his fair and straightforward stories. Simply put: He was one of the best.

many. We have come far under their leadership and the future is brighter because of them.

Elvira Espinoza has been an editor, publisher, board member, co-founder and above all, a leader in the community. She developed a leading magazine during her time in Mexico and has boosted the growth of Spanish-language newspaper and media in Arizona.

Brendan Fitzsimons might have begun his career in Washington, but has spent the past 20 years in Arizona, never forgetting that the integrity of news is what is important. Even though he’s now retired, the community will always remember his passion for journalism.

Luis Manuel Ortiz has been shaping the minds and instincts of young journalists since 1982. Under his direction, many young reporters have become stars. He is known for his excellence in reporting and his dedication to this industry.

8

DECEMBER 2006

Get worthy direct quotes for readers CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 or another source clams up and refuses to comment.

Once you thank the informant and leave the interview setting, try to transfer your notes immediately into a more comprehensible format.

That could involve keying them into a laptop or merely rewriting them more fully in your notebook. In either case, you’ll be able to recreate meanings from strange scratchings and abbreviations that will make little sense the following day.

Readers have always liked direct

quotations. It gives them a sense of understanding the source closer, or of being in on the action. Students are told to include complete sentence quotes (vs. partial quotes) and to frequently start paragraphs with them, rather than giving attribution at the beginning of the graph. However, don’t go overboard with the DQs. It’s best to use them for statements that are opinionated, doubtful, controversial or catchy.

Mundane information or facts easily obtainable elsewhere don’t merit the status of direct quotes.

Your story itself will need to

College dean’s libel suit against school paper dismissed A judge in Minnesota ruled a college dean cannot sue for libel just because he was not given the opportunity to comment.

A former dean of St. Cloud State University in Minnesota cannot proceed with his libel claim against the school newspaper and a former student journalist, a state court ruled Oct. 24.

District Judge Bernard Boland in Stearns County said that a public figure cannot sue for defamation simply because he was not given a chance to comment personally on allegations in the article prior to publication.

The school’s newspaper, the University Chronicle, published a story in October 2003 that quoted a student as saying that former Dean Richard D. Lewis was anti-Semitic and used racial slurs. The newspaper later published a retraction and explained that the reporter misunderstood the quote.

Lewis, who was dean of St. Cloud’s College of Social Sciences from 1997 until October 2003, said that the retraction wasn’t enough. He alleged that the newspaper staffers recklessly disregarded the ethics of journalism when they failed to contact him for comment on the article.

Although Lewis himself was not asked to comment, the student reporter did seek out other faculty members for quotes to balance her story. The opinion noted that the Chronicle staff had tried to contact Lewis in the past for stories but he had either refused to comment or referred the student journalists to his lawyer on those occasions.

Boland found that Lewis was a public figure in his capacity as dean.

In order to prove defamation, public figures must show that the defendants published the statement in question either knowing it was false or with “reckless disregard” for the truth.

According to the opinion, Lewis’s claim was “centered on his allegations that the newspaper … failed to afford [him] the opportunity to rebut” the allegations before the article was published.

Boland found that this didn’t rise to the level of “reckless disregard” and added that public figures shouldn’t gain the right to sue for libel “by merely choosing to make themselves unavailable for comment.”

Reprinted from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press Web site at www.rcfp.org.

Student investigates cafeteria service CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 This is not the first time that complaints have been made about ARAMARK at a community college.

Students and faculty at Paradise Valley Community College protested the rising prices, falling quality and reduced selection when ARAMARK took over their cafeteria in 2002.

Poor service and lack of vending machine maintenance caused stu-

dents at Mesa Community College to investigate in 2003.

Romero is determined to continue reporting the problems that students have with ARAMARK until things start to improve.

Look for his newest installment of the series in the next issue of Campus News.

Romero has won scholarships for his work in the past.

FOI Awards

drop in background information, observations and indirect quotes along with the actual words of the source.

One mistake beginners frequently make in writing the interview story is to insert their own long-winded questions into the article. How often do you see these types of wordiness examples?

When asked how she felt about being the only female chief executive officer in the company’s 80-year history, Brown said….

A journalist should try to stay out of the story. Your source is the key individual.

Your interview should help you obtain additional information that’s not readily available through news releases or Web sites. Getting good direct quotes is a bonus for your Arizona readers.

Dr. Randy Hines teaches in the Department of Communications at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pa. He can be reached by phone at (570) 372-4079 or by email at randyhinesapr@yahoo.com.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Robbie Sherwood Arizona Republic Sherwood’s stories on the Arizona Board of Homeopathic Medical Examiners started off with a tip and after researching medical board records, ended up with a front page story that resulted in a two-year audit of the board.

Judi Villa Arizona Republic Safety is a priority, and after investigating fire department accicdent logs, Villa was able to conclude that most fire departement vehicular accidents were preventable.Shortly after the story ran, fire department officials implemented a new driver training program.

Ad Contest Packets On January 5, 2007, Advertising Excellence Awards contest packets will be mailed out. Members cannot win Newspaper of the Year if they do not enter in both the Advertising Excellence and Better Newspapers contests. Winners will be anounced in mid-April.

ANA New Member Profiles

Foothills Focus CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6 As the area expands, Foothills Focus hopes to add more people to their five-person staff.

Stiles, a veteran of the print industry, came out of retirement to help launch Foothills Focus.

“It took us a while to get rolling,” said Stiles, “but I’m excited about the chance to take this to a totally new level.”

Publisher John Alexander is also no stranger to the newspaper business.

“I love that when you walk in the door, you never know what challenges the day will bring,” said Alexander.

Foothills Focus provides community news and event coverage for Anthem, Black Canyon City, New River, Cave Creek, Carefree and Desert Hills.

Sahuarita Sun shines on community The Sahuarita Sun was started in Nov. 2003 as a regular section of the thrice-weekly Green Valley News. In Mar. 2006, in order to better serve the rapidly growing community of Sahuarita, it became a weekly newspaper of its own.

“The Sun stands out for its com-

prehensive local coverage of the community provided by an experienced, knowledgeable reporting staff,” said Karen Walenga, editor of the Sun. “The Sahuarita Sun undoubtedly will continue to grow along with the community,” said Walenga.

Maricopa Connection Changes The Maricopa Connection will change from a weekly publication to twice per month, aiming for a circulation of 6000 in 2007.

It will have a circulation of 10,000 and will be home delivered on Fridays. Editorial content will be dedicated to the City of Maricopa and news coverage will include local

school, sports, government, business and people!

The Maricopa Connection will also have an on line product at www. maricopaconnection.com. They are looking to being the residents’ voice and offering readers valuable information, affecting their everyday lives.

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DECEMBER 2006

CONSUMERS TURN TO NEWSPAPERS FIRST FOR SHOPPING

by Jeff Sigmund Latest NAA research indicates more than 50 percent of adults cite newspapers as their advertising medium of choice when deciding what to purchase.

Vienna, Va. – Newspapers continue to serve as a major destination for U.S. consumers seeking advertising and shopping information, according to a new report released today by the Newspaper Association of America.

The report is based on data from the Minneapolis-based MORI Research, which surveyed more than 3,000 consumers to explore how consumers use newspaper advertising and advertising’s effect on consumer purchasing habits.

According to the report, “Consumer Usage of Newspaper Advertising 2006,” more than half of adults surveyed (55 percent) cited newspapers as the advertising medium they used most often to check for what to purchase. Preprints in particular are reaching a strong audience as nearly two-thirds of adults who identify themselves as their household’s primary shopper said they regularly utilize preprint advertising. The report is available at http://www.naa.org/ advertiser/Consumer-Usage-Report. pdf, part of NAA’s new advertiser site, www.newspaperaudience.com.

“This report illustrates empirically something advertisers have understood for years. For many consumers, the largest shopping center in the country is not the Mall of America; it’s their newspaper,” said John Kimball, NAA senior vice president and chief marketing officer. “But this study goes beyond numbers. It confirms that today’s consumers are prepared to do their homework before they go to the store. They study newspaper advertising first and, in many cases, take it to the store with them.”

“In fact, if you offered consumers a newspaper without advertising, 90 percent of them wouldn’t take it,” Kimball, said, citing a separate consumer study conducted by Yankelovich Partners Inc. “In a world where consumers are increasingly empowered to avoid advertising messages, newspapers are the one medium where the customer is awaiting the advertising.”

Consumer Loyalty Pays Off for Retailers Loyal consumers tend to spread the word about bargains they discover, according to the report, with nearly half of those surveyed saying they have recommended a friend or family member check out a preprint in the last 30 days. In addition, almost 75 percent of insert users

said they usually check inserts for special savings, and they actively seek inserts for information when in the market for a particular product.

Preprint users also say they appreciate the shopping tips these circulars offer; nearly seven in 10 adults who have used an insert (89 percent of adults) believe they make it easy to comparison shop and check the inserts regularly before heading to the store.

Other Forms of Newspaper Advertising Demonstrate Effectiveness Preprints were not the only area examined in the report. The survey revealed that newspaper readers pay attention to other forms of advertising as well: Two-thirds (63 percent) of all adults said they normally read or glance at run-of-paper (ROP) ads when paging through newspapers.

Among adults who have received total market coverage (TMC) publications (which usually contain a selection of preprints that are also in the daily newspaper), nearly threefourths (74 percent) said they look at some or all of the advertising or inserts.

NAA is a nonprofit organization representing the $59 billion newspaper industry and more than 2,000 newspapers in the U.S. and Canada.

Do You Know Your Ombudsman?

Beginning January 1, 2007, Arizona residents will be able to call upon Pat Shannahan when a government agency refuses access to public records.

The federal Freedom of Information Act, amended in 2002, says that government agencies shall keep accurate records and honor reasonable requests for public information.

The state program is based on two Arizona revised statutes. All officers and public bodies that are supported by state funds are required to keep adequate records, according to A.R.S. Title 41, Chapter 1.

And all records are presumed open to the public, according to A.R.S. Section 39-121.01.

If you come across an agency that is not complying, now you have a resource available.

The public access ombudsman will provide coaching and assistance, as well as investigate complaints relating to public access laws. In extreme cases, he even has the authority to subpoena documents.

In the coming year, the ombudsman will conduct several seminars and workshops to explain his role and answer questions.

For more information, contact Pat Shannahan at (602) 277-7292 or via email at ombuds@azoca.gov.

Google targets newspaper advertising MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.

(AP) — Google Inc. plans to start selling advertising space in 50 top newspapers, expanding the Internet search engine’s efforts to provide services off the Web and making it easier for companies advertising online to also show off their products in print.

A group of more than 100 Google advertisers will be able to place bids for space in newspapers owned by The New York Times Co., Gannett, the Tribune Co., the Washington Post Co. and Hearst during a threemonth test period, according to news reports.

Many newspaper executives see the proposed system as a way to increase sales as they struggle with reader defection and competition from online advertising. They downplayed any risks of letting Google handle their relationships with advertisers.

“We go into this with both eyes open,” Mike Lemke, senior vice president for sales and marketing at Seattle Times Co., told the Wall Street Journal.

The move also positions Google _ already the biggest seller of online advertising _ to gain more customers during its pursuit of print, radio and television advertising.

“Print adds value the Internet doesn’t have,” Tom Phillips, who runs Google’s print operations, told The New York Times. “It is a different browse-able reading medium.”

The newspaper program starting in November will enable advertisers to pick specific newspapers and specific sections for their ads. Businesses would place bids on ad size, sections and days a newspaper is offering and the publication can view the bids and make selections. The newspapers can choose to accept as many or as few bids as they like at any time.

Executives said the system allows newspapers to tap into a group of advertisers they don’t currently get, including smaller businesses and retailers.

Google will not earn any revenue during the test, but when the system is formally introduced next year, it will take a cut.

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10

DECEMBER 2006

In defense of graphic journalism

By Robert Plotkin Editor and Publisher Point Reyes (Calif.) Light As far as grizzly crime photos are concerned, a headshot of the defendant is perhaps the least lurid crime photo I have ever seen. There are books of crime photos that show splattered guts and dismembered limbs. A booking photo is at the other end of that spectrum. But still let me rise in defense of the graphic.

The American press are a squeamish bunch compared with international media. Compare the best photographic magazine, French Photo, and its counterpart, American Photo.

The European version juxtaposes nudity with graphic photojournalism. The American version actually puts a black censor bar across nudes and would never display the cannibalism of West African militias.

American policy makers learned their lesson in Vietnam. The public withdraws its support for war when it sees napalmed children running toward the lens. It was said that the Vietnam War had to pass what became known as the “Dover Test” of public acceptance, when daily images of coffins arriving at Dover Air Force Base changed the public’s mind about Vietnam. So generals

banned photographers from Dover. It was only last year that a petition filed under the Freedom of Information Act forced the Pentagon to release photographs of flag-draped coffins.

Americans are not shown graphic photographs of bombings by terrorists or the American Air Force. But Europeans bear witness to dismembered infants and cry peace. Americans, we are told, respect the dead by stapling their eyelids shut.

If American newspapers printed graphic photographs of America’s dead and wounded soldiers in Iraq, people would recalculate the costs of the war and, possibly, agitate for its end. This is why conservative Sinclair Broadcasting refused to allow its ABC affiliates to air a “Nightline” in which Ted Koppel read the names of American soldiers killed in Iraq. Just reading their names was considered too evocative. Imagine if every time a soldier died, “Nightline” showed the soldier’s war-ravaged body. If the front page showed the cancer lesions of the polluted, perhaps the pollution would stop.

If newspapers photographed every blasted limb, perhaps landmine production could be slowed. If billboards along the highway showed the smashed bodies of car accidents, perhaps people would tailgate less.

“The Amerian press are a squeamish bunch.”

An invitation exclusively for weekly newspapers We invite you to participate in an “exclusively-for-weekly newspapers” program which is offered to provide you with a competitive advantage in terms of performance, new tactics and ideas for near-term improvements in your business, and re-energizing key staffmembers.

The invitation is for the Weekly Newspaper Publishers Conference at the Sheraton Tucson Hotel, Tucson, Arizona, on Mar. 1-3, 2007. This conference is sponsored and partially subsidized by the Inland Press Foundation and co-sponsored by the Arizona Newspaper Association.

The conference is a mid-winter gathering of many of the best nondaily newspapers from throughout the U.S. The program is cutting edge, the sharing of tested tactics for improvement of the business while staying in the bounds of affordability. There’ll be a substantial emphasis on increas-

ing revenues, improving online profitability and community service.

Details of the conference are will be available soon. It is also worth noting that a business visit to Tucson with its mild temperatures and 360 days of sunshine each year may in itself be justification for the conference.

The conference fee is $399 per person for members and $539 per person for non-members. This includes two continental breakfasts, an opening reception, a luncheon, an evening “chuckwagon cookout” at the Cottonwood Grove at Tanque Verde Guest Ranch, and program materials.

Accommodations at the Sheraton are modest, only $149 per night, single or double occupancy - an excellent value for high season in Tucson! Make your reservations now by phoning (800) 325-3535.

We hope to see you there!

Tossed Aside Project seeks to contact newspaper carriers of the mid-20th Century If you were a newspaper-toting tyke, or remember a newspaper carrier who delivered to your home, will you share your tales?

Sandra Walker, a participant in the Nearby History program at the Seattle Museum of History and Industry, is conducting a project with carriers who delivered in the many towns across America in the 1920s to 1960s era of newspapers.

With the image of a friendly Norman Rockwell character, the paperboy holds a prominent place in the heart of American towns. Yet, like an old yellowed newspaper, most have tossed aside their memories.

Once as common as the milkman and the corner grocer, the youngster who threw the local paper on porch after porch also served the community. The postman has been granted praise for rigorous efforts

to complete his rounds under harsh conditions. The child scurrying along delivering newspapers faced the same extremes of weather, and struggled with heavy loads, braved the dogs and the occasional customer who shouted when the newspaper was on the roof.

The newspaper carrier worked to earn a bit of money, sometimes receiving a treat or a tip, until the newspaper landed in the birdbath or through the window. From rough days and halcyon days, the carrier learned important lessons for later endeavors.

Please tell us your adventures and contribute to the preservation of American history. Contact Sandra Walker at: 5111 Harbor Lane, Everett, Washington 98203; phone: (425) 265-0718 or (206) 276-3224; e-mail: papercarrier@verizon.net.

LEGAL SERVICES FOR ANA MEMBERS Advertising, Newsroom and Circulation AnswerLine Jennings, Strouss & Salmon, P.L.C. Phoenix (602) 495-2713 www.jsslaw.com First hour free to ANA member newspapers (publishers, editors, circulation managers, advertising managers).

Coverage: Political advertising/public notices; general advertising issues; libel; fair reporting and editing; privacy; circulation; Web sites.

AzFAC Media Hotline Perkins Coie Brown & Bain Phoenix (602) 351-8000 www.perkinscoie.com Funded by First Amendment Coalition of Arizona Inc., of which ANA is a member.

Available to all bona fide journalists in the state. No cost up to initiation of litigation.

Coverage: Access to federal and state records and meetings; access to court proceedings and records; access to public places; opposing gag orders; protecting confidential sources; opposing subpoenas and search warrants; obtaining camera access inside courtrooms.

ANA Human Resources Hotline Steptoe & Johnson, L.L.P. Phoenix (602) 257-5200 www.steptoe.com Up to two hours of consultation and advice available to publishers and department heads of ANA-member newspapers.

Coverage: Laws and regulations governing employment and labor relations.

Issues such as sexual harassment; disability, gender, age, race and religion discrimination; Americans with Disabilities Act; drug and alcohol testing; union campaigns; wrongful discharge claims; employee discipline; wage and hours issues.

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DECEMBER 2006

Ruling: People who report crimes can’t be sued for defamation PHOENIX (AP) — Arizonans cannot be sued for defamation for what they tell police when reporting an alleged crime, a state appellate court said in a ruling that broke new legal ground.

While providing those statements with absolute immunity could protect people with harmful motives, it fits with related court rulings that found that statements made in judicial proceedings qualify for absolute immunity and also under constitutional protections for crime victims, according to the ruling issued Oct. 31.

“The mere possibility of retaliatory defamation claims … would discourage free and unfettered reporting to law enforcement authorities to assist the detection and prosecution of criminal activity,” Judge Philip G. Espinosa wrote for a three-judge panel in Ledvina vs. Cerasani, 2 CACV 2005-0035.

The ruling stemmed from a suit filed by Martial and Patricia Ledvina of Marana against neighbors Anthony and Margaret Cerasani for telling police that Martial Ledvina had slashed the tires of the Cerasanis’ recreational vehicle in December 2003.

Martial Ledvina was charged with criminal damage, but prosecutors later had the charge dismissed for insufficient evidence. Before the dismissal, the Ledvinas sued the Cerasanis for defamation, claiming the report was made maliciously and without regard for the truth.

However, a trial court judge granted the Cerasanis’ motion to dismiss the suit on grounds that the Cerasanis’ complaint to police was shielded by an absolute legal privilege.

The Ledvinas appealed, but the Court of Appeals upheld the dismissal of the lawsuit.

The Court of Appeals noted that previous rulings in Arizona found that absolute privilege applied to statements in court cases and to official complaints filed against lawyers and legal document preparers.

“We similarly see no reason why a person who reports a crime to police should be afforded any less protection than a person reporting ethical misconduct by an attorney or a licensed document preparer,” Espinosa wrote.

Noting that the Ledvinas filed their lawsuit against the Cerasanis while the criminal charge against Martial Ledvina was still pending, the Court of Appeals also said its ruling fits under state constitutional provisions to protect crime victims from “intimidation, harassment, or abuse throughout the criminal justice process.”

While acknowledging that the absolute privilege could shield

people who intentionally make false statements to police, the court noted it is a misdemeanor to make a false report to a law enforcement agency and that people who lie in court risk perjury charges.

Dan Barr, a Phoenix lawyer who represents media clients, said the ruling was not a surprise because it was consistent with a general legal rule that people who make complaints to government bodies enjoy a legal privilege, “whether it’s done in court or done to official agencies and the like.”

Though statements to police are completely shielded from defamation suits, the news-media is subject to a lesser protection for statements known to be false, Barr said. However, “in 99% of the cases, you have no idea whether it’s true or false or not. You have a right to rely on a public document.”

Kev i n A n swe r s Q u e s t i o n s f r o m A Z t o N Y

by Kevin Slimp, November 2006

I’ve received a lot of good questions from readers lately. Let me share a few.

From Denise, New York: We have a pesky problem. We can search by content on our local hard drives, but not (Adobe) InCopy documents. Our I.T. staff person said that spotlight doesn’t recognize InCopy documents as text documents.

Kevin This has been a major pain in the neck. We Technology stopped keeping a paper clip file several years ago. Since we lost the ability to search our files by content, we are really handicapped in our research and reporting efforts.

Do you know of a solution to this problem? Any insights/advice you can give me are much appreciated.

I asked Gary Cosimini, the resident guru of all things publishing at Adobe, for his input on Denise’s problem. Here’s what he had to say: InCopy documents are not recognized as text documents by Spotlight (because technically, they aren’t), even though they do contain text. InCopy documents could be converted to text by stripping out the XML formatting using an empty XSL style sheet, or with a Perl script,

Slimp

but then you’d have two files for each story. Still, it might be a solution. A very nice XML database that can do this and index the results for searching, though not by Spotlight, is called Ixiasoft.

From Delaney, Tennessee: We put Quark 7.02 on our new iMac with the Intel chip running Mac OS 10.4.8. We use this computer to send our pages to film. When we place the PDF directly into Quark we have some issues, especially when the PDF has RGB photos. It seems when we have a problem placing the PDF, the EPS version of the same file will work fine for black and white pages. The problem we are having occurs when we send the EPS to print on a color page. Quark will separate the colors to 4 color blacks.

Do you have any idea what we could do to fix our problem?

I had a pretty good idea of what was causing Delaney’s problem, but I thought I’d let the QuarkXPress guru, Craig Lanning, lend a hand. Here’s what Craig had to say: The behavior described is what will happen to RGB images when sent straight through to a CMYK SWOP device (as has always been the case in earlier versions of QuarkXPress). If the PDF has embedded RGB images, Delaney will need to use the Color Manager to set up a Source Setup for RGB images so that they are converted to a CMYK Output Setup before going from the RGB color space to CMYK. That is the easiest way to handle this. The QuarkXPress manuals have a great section on the Color Manager. If Delaney wants to

contact me directly to go over how to set this up, feel free to forward my Email address and we’ll set up a time to do so.

From Rob, Arizona: When we first set things up (in 1997) to make Postscript files from Quark 4.x in OS 9, we used Generic Imagesetter for grayscale pages and Acrobat Distiller for color pages.

Since going to OS X and Quark 6.5, our options have changed. We can still find Generic Imagesetter, but we can’t find Acrobat Distiller as an option. Do I need to install a different ppd to get an Acrobat Distiller option? Or use a different printer ppd? Help me Obewan.

Finally, an easy one! Thanks, Robert. Yes, you need to select the Adobe PDF driver. If you’ve installed Adobe Acro-bat on your OS X machine, you should find this driver listed. Use this for both color and grayscale pages.

From Melanie, Tennessee: Hey Kevin. I have a question.

We moved a computer to someone else in our office. I’m trying to change the com-puter’s name to hers.

I was able to change the administrator’s name, but I can’t find a place to change the name of the computer.

It’s confusing when you have three computers on your desktop and they all have the same name!

No problem, Melanie. In the last couple of OS X versions, you change the computer name like this: 1. Go to “SYSTEM PREFERENCES” (under your blue apple) 2. Click on SHARING 3. Look at the top of the SHAR-

ING window. There’s a place to change the computer name.

From Kristie, Arkansas InDesign is working very well for me, except for one thing that maybe you can help with. When the secretary types in the classified ads, she does them in QuarkXPress and puts some weird “rule below” thing on them. When I open them in InDesign, it doesn’t put that same rule on my document, so I end up having to do a huge amount of work to them and it puts me behind. Any suggestions on how to fix this?

Oh Grasshopper. You are going to love InDesign’s nested styles when you learn to use them. A nested style is a type of paragraph style that allows the user to combine character styles together to create incredible effects. They work great with classifieds. You could create a nested style that bolds the first five words of an ad, prints the rest of the ad as regular text, puts a space below each ad, then places a rule below each space.

Then it wouldn’t matter what application the text was entered in. You could simply place any text on the InDesign page, select all, then apply the handy nested style that you will create as soon as you finish reading this column. In the meantime, you could use InDesign’s find/change feature to change her “weird rule below thing” to the type of rule you want.

These are my responses to just a few of the dozens of e-mail cries for help I receive each week.

If you have a ques-tion, send it to kevin@kevinslimp.com.

12

DECEMBER 2006

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ANA Job Bank www.ananews.com/jobbank

Positions Available EXPERIENCED NEWS PHOTOGRAPHER NEEDED. Immediate full time position available, located in Show Low, Ariz. covering areas of central and southern Navajo and Apache Counties.

Qualified applicants must be proficient in Photoshop. Salary is commensurate with experience and knowledge of news photography and how to correctly adjust photos.

Send resume, references, samples and salary requirements to Greg Tock, White Mountain Independent, P.O. Box 1570, Show Low, AZ 85902; fax (928) 537-1780; email: gtock@wmicentral.com.

(Nov. 8) LEAD PRESS MAN: The Sierra Vista Herald / Bisbee Daily Review is seeking a lead pressman. Duties include running a fifteen unit SSC Goss Community Press, supervision of the press crew, overseeing and scheduling press personnel, preventive maintenance and running our CtP system. We are located in beautiful Sierra Vista, AZ, just one hour south of Tucson.

The Sierra Vista Herald / Bisbee Daily Review are award-winning, seven day a week, morning newspapers that have a total circulation of about 10,000. We also print several weekly, thrice a weekly and specialty newspapers. Four

ANA can help you Our Job Bank helps journalists and others find openings at Arizona newspapers.

1. Positions Available are published once in ANAgrams and provided to prospective applicants for 30 days, unless the newspaper asks the ad be continued.

2. Positions Wanted are published once in ANAgrams at no cost. Ads should be mailed to us or faxed to: (602) 261-7525. You can also e-mail them to Perri Collins, p.collins@ananews. com.

3. Only member newspapers may advertise help wanted. All ads are also posted on the ANA Web site at http:// ananews.com/JobBank.

years worth of experience running Goss community presses, or the like. Two years working with or in prepress and camera. Experience with Macintosh computers and InDesign are a plus. If interested, please send your resume to Philip Vega, Sierra Vista Herald, 102 Fab Ave., Sierra Vista, AZ 85635, or e-mail to philip.vega@svherald. com. (Nov. 2) WEB DESIGNER: Full-time position where the primary responsibilities include developing interfaces for sites and special sections, improving upon existing designs and developing internet ads. Our candidate must possess a high degree of creativity, demonstrate the ability to layout user-friendly web pages with CSS, Flash and HTML and be able to work within daily deadlines. Essential functions include, but are not limited to sitting for long periods of time and ability to work on a computer for extended period of time as well. Necessary skills include excellent eye for webpage layout, design and photo editing, web editing, team player and excellent attention to detail. Knowledge of Flash (Action scripting a plus), PhotoShop, some CSS experience preferred, familiarity with standard HTML editors (primarily Macromedia Studio 8) and Open Source software a plus. Send resume to cmarshall@yumasun.com. EOE/ Drug Free. (Nov. 1) CONSUMER MARKETING MANAGER: Tucson Newspapers, the business agency for the Arizona Daily Star and The Tucson Citizen, is seeking a Consumer Marketing Manager for the Circulation department. The successful candidate will be an experienced professional responsible for creating and implementing circulation promotional activities to grow circulation sales promotions for both the morning and afternoon newspapers. The areas of responsibilities include circulation home delivery, single copy and NIE sales. This manager will develop and maintain the financial budget for the Circulation Promotion department. This position will hire, train, motivate and evaluate circulation sales personnel. A four-year degree in marketing and/or sales is strongly preferred. A minimum of three years related work experience with increasing responsibilities and supervisory experience preferred.

Excellent written and verbal communications skills required. Strong PC skills also required.Interested

candidates should submit a resume online at www.tucsonnewspapers. com. You may send your resume to or apply in person at Tucson Newspapers, 4850 S. Park Ave., Tucson, AZ 85714. Tucson Newspapers is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

(Oct. 6) WEEKLY NEWSPAPER EDITOR OR REPORTER: Great opportunity for experienced journalist to join our growing company. Send resume, references, a few clips and salary requirements to Annette Weaver, Human Resources, Casa Grande Valley Newspapers Inc., aweaver@TriValleyCentral.com, Box 15002, Casa Grande, AZ 85230-5002. (Nov. 5) EDITOR/REPORTER/GRAPHIC PERSONNEL FOR HISPANIC PUBLICATION: We are looking for an editor/reporter and graphic personnel for a Hispanic publication in Arizona. The right candidates will speak and write Spanish fluently and have strong verbal and customer relation skills. Editorial candidates will have a degree in journalism or commensurate experience and knowledge of Associated Press style. Graphic Personnel will need graphic design background, Macintosh computer knowledge, experience using MulitAd Creator, Adobe InDesign, QuarkXpress, Photoshop, Illustrator and similar software. All full time positions with excellent benefits. NSE EEO. Send resume and clippings to: Job Placement Division, 1748 Arizona Ave., Yuma, AZ 85364 NEWS EDITOR: Produces and edits news pages as assigned by the Editor/Managing Editor. Produces and edits appropriate special sections as assigned by Editor/Managing Editor. Directs activities of copy editors. Journalism degree or commensurate experience.

Management experience desirable.

Extensive reporting, writing and editing experience desired. Excellent spelling, proofreading and editing skills required. Knowledge of Associated Press style a must.

Needs strong verbal and customer relations skills. Needs good organizational skills. Send resume to: Personnel Director, Prescott Newspapers, Inc., 8307 E. Hwy 69, Prescott Valley, AZ 86314 or email to pnihr@prescottaz.com FOR SALE: Weekly newspaper business in Clear Lake, SD. Legal newspaper for school, county and several communities. Call Gary DeJong, (605) 874-2499.

Calendar Calendar Dec. 6, 2006 • 9:00 a.m. Marketing Committee Conference Call

Dec. 13, 2006 • 9:30 a.m. ANA/AdServices Board Meeting

Jan. 5, 2007 • Ad Contest packets are mailed.

Jan. 11, 2007 • 11:30 a.m. ANA Day at the Capitol: Publishers & editors meet the legislators for lunch at Arizona Capitol Times, Phoenix.

March 5-9, 2007 • NIE Week: The NIE Week 2007 theme is “Now I Get It! Improving Comprehension With Newspapers.”

March 11-17, 2007 • National Sunshine Week

April 11-12, 2007 • InDesign CS Training with Lisa Griffin. Chaparral Suites, Scottsdale.

April 11-13, 2007 • Spring Advertising, Marketing and Circulation Workshop. Chaparral Suites, Scottsdale.