Arkansas Publisher Weekly: January 3, 2019

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Legendary Arkansas sportswriter Jim Bailey dies at 86 Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette launches podcast

ARKANSAS

Ark a nsa s

PRESS

Publisher Weekly

ASSOCIATION

Serving Press and State Since 1873

Vol. 14 | No. 1 | Thursday, January 3, 2019

Governor, legislative leaders to address reporters at APA headquarters on January 11 just three days after the forum at the APA. The legislative session also starts on Jan. 14.

Gov. Hutchinson and lawmakers will discuss their legislative goals and objectives heading into the 2019 General Assembly. The forum is sponsored by the Associated Press.

Hutchinson and legislative leaders will offer brief remarks at the event. State Matthew Shepard House Speaker Senate President Pro Tem Jim Hendren (R-Sulphur Springs) and House Speaker Matthew Shepherd (R-El Dorado) will take the podium first, at 10 a.m. Gov. Hutchinson will speak at 11 a.m.

Hutchinson will be sworn in for his second term as the state’s governor on Jan. 14,

The APA is located at 411 S. Victory St., Little Rock.

Jim Hendren State Senate President Pro Tem

Governor Asa Hutchinson

Gov. Asa Hutchinson and the leaders of the Arkansas House and Senate will meet with reporters at the Arkansas Press Association (APA) headquarters in Little Rock on Jan. 11.

Arkansas newspaper industry loses icons in 2018 The Arkansas newspaper industry mourned the loss of many key figures in the state’s journalism community in 2018.

Here is a list of many of those who passed away last year.

Jan. 13: Bobbie Jewel (Lowe) Hager, 82, Fairfield Bay. Mrs. Hager was the wife of Bill Hager, retired publisher of the Press Argus-Courier in Van Buren and past president of the Arkansas Press Association.

Jan. 22: Lucille Day Tyson, 101, Atkins.

Mrs. Tyson was the mother of Van Tyson, the owner and publisher of the Atkins Chronicle Monthly. She was a member of the Atkins Planning Commission and Memorial Presbyterian Church.

Jan. 27: Dr. Oscar Eve (O.E.) Jones III, 82, Batesville. Dr. Jones was co-owner and publisher of the Batesville Daily Guard and a retired dentist. Survivors included his wife, Pat Jones, an APA past president.

Ridge and the mother of APA Board Member John Bland. She was a school teacher in Pocahontas and Walnut Ridge and worked part-time for the newspaper for several decades.

Apr. 30: David McCollum, 68, Conway.

McCollum was the longtime sports editor for the Log Cabin Democrat in Conway.

He covered significant sporting events during a career that lasted more than five decades. He was a recipient of the APA’s “Golden 50” service award for more than 50 years in the newspaper industry.

May 29: David Terry Hughes, 70, Benton. Hughes was a photographer, writer, contributing columnist and editor for several newspaper companies, including The Saline Courier. Prior to his death, he had relocated from Virginia back to Saline County, where his column “Views From The Clock Tower” was printed each Sunday in the Courier.

May 1: Virginia McNabb Bland, 94, Walnut Ridge. Mrs. Bland was a part owner of the The Times Dispatch of Walnut

June 14: John Troutt Jr., 88, Jonesboro.

Troutt was the longtime owner, editor and publisher of The Jonesboro Sun. Continued on Page 2

Arkansas newspaper industry loses icons in 2018 Continued from Page 1

A staunch advocate of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, he started in the newspaper business at age 10 as a carrier of the Sun’s evening edition and was the first editor of the Arkansas Traveler newspaper at the University of Arkansas.

July 26: Darren Craig Gill, 52, McGehee.

Gill, known as “Buki,” was a football reporter and sports columnist for the McGehee Dermott Times-News for 13 years. He was devoted to the McGehee football team throughout his life, having been an all-district football player himself.

Aug. 16: Dean Walls, 96, Des Arc. Mrs. Walls’s newspaper career spanned more than seven decades as owner and editor of the White River Journal. She was the first and only recipient of the APA’s “Golden 60” award for more than 60 years of service to the industry. Though the paper suspended print publication in summer 2017, Mrs. Walls continued producing a digital product via email until her death.

Aug. 17: Jerry Dhonau, 83, Albuquerque, N.M. Dhonau was a reporter for the Arkansas Gazette during the 1957 Little Rock Central High School crisis. His reporting helped the paper win a Pulitzer Prize. He was an editorial writer for the Gazette and was a journalism professor at several schools, including the University of Central Arkansas and University of Arkansas, Little Rock.

Aug. 23: Mark Hineuber, 66, Las Vegas.

Hineuber was the longtime corporate counsel for Donrey Media Group, which became Stephens Media. He retired from the industry as vice president of the Las Vegas Review-Journal in 2016.

Aug. 26: Charles Bridwell, 63, Warren.

Bridwell was an outdoors writer for the Advance-Monticellonian and other papers

Industry Quote of the Week

in southeast Arkansas. His weekly column was “Arkansas Outdoors.” He was founder and coach of a youth shooting sports team and a former telecommunications officer for the Arkansas State Police.

Sept. 2: Fred Petrucelli, 100, Conway.

Petrucelli started work for the Arkansas Democrat in 1945 and later wrote articles for the Log Cabin Democrat in Conway. He also served on the staff of Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller and worked for the Arkansas Department of Human Services.

Sept. 6: Jerol Garrison, 86, Fayetteville.

Garrison was a reporter for the Arkansas Gazette during the 1957 Little Rock desegregation crisis and he served as director of communications for Arkansas Power and Light. He had a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University and worked for the Neosho Daily News in Missouri before starting at the Gazette.

Sept. 20: John Fooks, 75, Texarkana.

Fooks was a former features writer for the Texarkana Gazette and he wrote a column that profiled a senior citizen in the community. He worked at the paper for 27 years. He was a Marine veteran of the Vietnam War, a Mason and past district director of Toastmasters International.

Oct. 5: Joseph “Jerry” Lawrence, 65, Dumas. Lawrence, also known as “Condor” was advertising manager of the Dumas Clarion and owner of Freeman’s Furniture in Dumas. He had been ad manager at the paper for eight years.

Oct. 7: Michael Storey, 69, Little Rock.

Storey was associate editor and columnist for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The husband of the paper’s features editor, Celia Storey, Michael Storey was known for his satirical column, “Otus the Head Cat.” He was also the paper’s television columnist.

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Oct. 23: Charles Prince, 83, Maumelle.

Prince was a retired linotype operator for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, where he worked for 26 years. He was president of the Local Union 92 of the International Typographical Union.

Nov. 11: James Pleasant White Sr., 88, McGehee. White was a businessman, former owner of the McGehee Publishing Company and publisher of the McGehee Times and Dermott News. He was the father of the current APA Board President, Tom White. An Army veteran, he loved the outdoors and duck hunting.

Nov. 16: Adren Cooper, 91, Washington, D.C. Cooper was an Associated Press reporter in Dallas, Kansas City and Washington and a 30-year veteran of the public affairs department of the U.S. Department of Commerce. He worked for the Arkansas Democrat early in his career, when he helped cover the 1957 Little Rock Central crisis.

Nov. 28: Billy Ed Stilwell, 87, Benton.

Stilwell was former publisher of the Malvern Daily Record. The Oklahoma native began in the newspaper industry in 1958 and moved to Malvern in 1968, where he later became owner of the paper. After retirement in 1982, he served as director of the Malvern Chamber of Commerce.

Dec. 8: Charles Edward “Ed” Tudor, 86, Marshall. Tudor was the former publisher of three APA member newspapers. He formerly served as editor, publisher and owner of the Stone County Leader, Calico Rock News and Marshall Mountain Wave.

A member of the Arkansas Publicity and Parks Commission from 1966 to 1973, he was former president of the Arkansas Shothorn Association.

Let Us Know We want to know about your new hires, retires and promotions!

Send your staffing changes to info@ arkansaspress.org to be updated online and included in the Arkansas Publisher Weekly.

January 3, 2019

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Jim Bailey

APA annual advertising contest entries now being accepted As 2019 kicks off in earnest, now is the time for newspaper advertising staffs to look back on 2018 and submit their best work for this year’s Arkansas Press Association Annual Better Newspaper Advertising Contest. The deadline for entries is Jan. 31, so please gather and submit entries as soon as possible.

Jim Bailey, a sportswriter for the Arkansas Gazette and Arkansas DemocratGazette for more than five decades, died Wednesday, Jan. 2, at age 86.

According to a Democrat-Gazette obituary, Bailey covered the Arkansas Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, the Arkansas Travelers and boxing for the Gazette from 1956 to 1991, when it was acquired by the Democrat. After that, he was a reporter and columnist for the Arkansas Times and Democrat-Gazette until his 2013 retirement.

Bailey’s contributions to the Gazette also included Arkansas Razorbacks and St. Louis Cardinals coverage.

Bailey was a member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and was the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association writer of the year for Arkansas 16 times. The press box at DickeyStephens Park in North Little Rock is named for Bailey and broadcast journalist Jim Elder.

Bailey was co-author of three books, including the autobiography of legendary Arkansas coach and athletic director Frank Broyles.

He was born in Emerson and was a graduate of Southern Arkansas University.

He is survived by his wife, Peggy, and a son, Bob. Funeral arrangements were incomplete.

Mark Your Calendar 2019 APA Convention June 26-29, Hotel Hot Springs Arkansas Publisher Weekly

The winning entries will be determined by members of the North Carolina Press Association. The judges will review the submissions in February. Winners will be announced at the APA’s annual

Save

the

Date

2019

APA Advertising Conference March 7-8

advertising conference set for March 7-8 at the Embassy Suites in Little Rock.

To enter, visit www.newspapercontest. com/arkansas. A complete set of rules and instructions for entering are included on that site.

As with other years, the 2019 advertising contest includes several categories and separate divisions for weekly and daily newspapers. Categories range from display ads to classified ads. Special sections have a separate category, as well as ads that incorporate the use of humor.

APA members with questions about the contest or the online submission process should contact Terri Cobb at (501) 3741500 or terri@ arkansaspress.org.

Minimum wage increase takes effect in new year Following voter approval of an initiated act to raise the state’s minimum wage, the first minimum wage hike took effect on Jan. 1. The previous minimum wage of $8.50 per hour increased to $9.25 on New Year’s Day. The rate increases incrementally each year until 2021 when the minimum wage will be $11 per hour.

The state’s minimum wage law, is applicable to all businesses in Arkansas that employ four or more employees — with some exceptions, including key exemptions for the newspaper industry.

State law exempts from the minimum wage requirement employees of weekly, semiweekly or daily newspapers with circulation of fewer than 4,000 newspapers (see Ark. Code Ann. 11-4-203 (3)(M)). The state minimum wage law doesn’t apply to newspaper carriers, either.

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As to those affected by the law, the new $9.25 per hour rate goes to $10 per hour in 2020. The $11-per-hour requirement begins on Jan. 1, 2021.

The state’s minimum wage is now $2 per hour more than the federal minimum wage of $7.25.

MINIMUM

WAGE

INCREASE January 3, 2019

Pine Bluff Commercial discontinues Sunday edition, starting delivery by mail The Pine Bluff Commercial announced to subscribers last week it is discontinuing its Sunday edition and will begin using the U.S. Postal Service to deliver its newspapers.

The change was announced in a letter to subscribers from the paper’s publisher, Teresa “Tee” Hicks. In the letter, Hicks said starting next week the paper will no longer print on Sundays and instead will offer a “weekend edition” to be delivered to subscribers by mail on Saturdays. With the

change, subscribers will receive papers Tuesdays through Saturdays.

In the letter, Hicks said, “Currently, we deliver the newspaper to your driveways and doorsteps, however, large rural routes are becoming unprofitable for carriers who drive for hours a night to make these deliveries. … This will allow you to receive your newspaper along with your daily mail.”

The Pine Bluff Commercial is owned by

GateHouse.

Another GateHouse publication, the weekly Hot Springs Village Voice, has also announced it will start delivery through the postal service rather than independent contractors. General Manager Jennifer Allen informed subscribers by letter as to that change, using the same reasoning as Hicks. Village Voice subscribers will receive their paper in Tuesday’s mail starting Jan. 8, Allen said.

Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette launches podcast The Northwest Arkansas DemocratGazette on Jan. 2 launched “Speaking of Arkansas,” an addition to the newspaper’s group of podcasts that will focus on issues facing the state and the communities of the northwest region.

Editorial Page Editor Greg Harton is the podcast’s creator and lead interviewer.

In the first episode, Harton and Editor Rusty Turner speak with Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson in a far-ranging interview. Topics included the upcoming legislative session, the hiring by state government of two Northwest Arkansas legislators voters chose not to re-elect in November, his dedication of $1 million toward extinguishing an underground fire in Bella Vista and his just-announced Highway Commission appointment.

through Apple iTunes or Google Play.

The newspaper also produces regular editions of “Prep Rally,” in which Sports Editor Chip Souza and his staff discuss local sports developments, and a podcast on the outdoors by longtime outdoors writer Flip Putthoff. He speaks to everything from fall foliage to Beaver Lake fishing to smoking turkeys.

“The great thing about having a readyaccess studio is we can also record a one-off podcast on a topic of immediate interest,” Harton said. “For example, Political Editor Doug Thompson gave

listeners a quick analysis of the impact of voters’ choices on election night. That podcast was posted around 12:35 a.m. the night of the election.”

“Speaking of Arkansas” will focus on issues important to communities of Northwest Arkansas. “But our corner of the state doesn’t operate in a vacuum, so we’re interested in talking to decision-makers and influencers at the state level as we have the opportunity,” Harton said.

Harton said the goal is to present a couple of editions of “Speaking of Arkansas” each month.

“I’ve always been more of a written word guy,” Harton said. “But I listen to podcasts frequently on a whole range of issues and hobbies. They’re convenient, easy for people to receive and always there when people decide they want to listen.

With Photo Editor Spencer Tirey and Online Editor Tony Reyes leading the way on the technical side, the newspaper set up a small podcasting studio for a few hundred dollars with four mics and a mixing board connected to a computer the newspaper already had. The podcasts are uploaded to hosting site SoundCloud and can be accessed through the newspaper’s website (nwaonline.com/podcast) or podcast listeners can subscribe to the feed Arkansas Publisher Weekly

Gov. Asa Hutchinson talks with Greg Harton, editorial page editor, during the inaugural Speaking of Arkansas podcast. (photo courtesy of Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

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January 3, 2019

Guest Column: Closing the deal

By Peter Wagner

Selling print advertising – or anything else – is as simple as 1, 2, 3!

One. Become the client’s “business partner” and not just another salesperson.

Create a solid one-on-one relationship with the buyer centered on mutual trust, caring about the client’s needs and delivering valuable promotion and advertising ideas. Make an exceptional effort to understand the client’s business from his side of the desk or counter. Learn all you can about the client’s business and dreams and develop plans that will best benefit him. Have the “courage of your convictions” regarding your publication’s reach, readership credibility and unique benefits. Tell your story.

Two. Study and master a variety of proven sales presentation closes and never make a sales call without making at least one effort to “make the deal.”

Three. Always attempt a close. There are many ways to effectively close a sale. Unfortunately, there are also many inadequately trained and poorly managed salespeople who appear to only know one close - the GIRL SCOUT Close. The Girl Scout’s “Hey, Mister, do you want to buy my cookies” is replicated time and again by well-meaning ad salespeople who begin every call with the same question: “Mr. Advertiser, do you want an ad.”

Some better closing approaches would be the LITTLE DECISION close, The SOUR GRAPES close, the NOW OR NEVER CLOSE, the BY THE WAY close and my all-time favorite, the ASSUMPTIVE CLOSE. The LITTLE DECISION close is actually a series of questions or small closes that clarify exactly what the customer wants in an advertising program. Each question gives the prospect an opportunity to choose between two variables.

Arkansas Publisher Weekly

The SOUR GRAPES close is great for occasions when you find unable to negotiate with a prospect who sits in silence not making a decision. That’s your clue to say, “Forgive me, I believe I’ve made a mistake coming here today, I apologize for wasting your time. I don’t think this ad package is the right one for you.” This sudden change in approach will shock the advertiser into at least thinking about buying.

the four-county area will read it cover-tocover to compare themselves with those featured.

The BY THE WAY close. It can be used, like the above, when the customer won’t buy, won’t say why and won’t even smile at you. The salesperson thanks the client for his time gathers his papers and heads for the door. Then, just before exiting, he turns to the potential buyer and blurts out “One question before I leave. Just why didn’t you buy that package.” Caught off guard, the client will often respond with the truth. “I would have,” he might say, “but I’ve already used all my budget for this year.”

“On the other side of the page we’ll feature your brother-in-law business partner in a pair of dress slacks and one of those new crew neck sweaters you showed me last week.

“Oh,” the sale rep can respond, “we’re already into November. Didn’t I tell you I can defer the billing until after the first of the year?”

“And I think we need to show the different credit cards you accept, your hours and the fact that you offer quick alterations next to the logo.” The close comes at the end with a simple “Is there anything else I can do for you today?”

But I like the ASSUMPTIVE close best because the package is presented with the presumption the customer has already decided they’re going to buy. Pretend, for example, your paper has decided to do a “Salute to Men in your Community” tabloid. If that were the case your sale approach might go like this: “We’re planning a special section next week,” I’d say, “with Life magazine style layouts featuring stories and photo layouts on some of the regions outstanding male leaders. I can’t tell you exactly who, but there will be individuals involved in government, business, education, religion, construction, agriculture, sports and recreation. We believe most men in

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“What I have in mind for you, with your new men’s store, is a full page in process color. On one side of the page we’ll feature a photo of you in that new designer men’s jeans line you just got in and wearing one of those leather jackets you showed me yesterday.

“I’m thinking the headline should read ‘Finally the Men’s Store You’ve Always Wanted here in Sheldon.’

“We’ll need to put four or five specials in the center area and of course use that logo we just created to match our sign.

Community newspaper are still the best means of reaching the greatest number of families in any market. It is time we all tell our story regarding why we’re where to advertising. We’ve gone too long thinking advertisers will just walk in the door without our first getting in their face.

Peter W. Wagner is founder and publisher of the award winning N’West Iowa REVIEW and 13 additional publications.

Wagner can be contacted by emailing pww@iowainformation.com

January 3, 2019