Arkansas Publisher Weekly: May 20, 2021

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U.S. Senator eyes federal funding for industry Guest Column:

Start benchmarking politician performance

Arkansas Press Association

Publisher Weekly

By Jim Pumarlo

Vol. 16 | No. 20 | Thursday, May 20, 2021 | Serving Press and State Since 1873

Porter’s purple paper proves positive

An out-of-work car salesman three decades ago, Harry Porter applied for almost every sales job in northeast Arkansas, whether he really wanted the job or not.

For work he preferred, his resume would be delivered on durable, off-white paper. Other job openings got resumes printed on some purple paper Porter had laying around the house.

Porter was so indifferent about an advertising sales job at the Jonesboro Sun he didn’t remember even sending that newspaper a resume, never mind the color. Yet, somehow, Porter’s purple paper landed on then-advertising director Jerry Donohue’s desk.

“He told me, ‘I hired you based on that purple paper, and I thought that was so creative,’” Porter said, recounting the story in a telephone interview earlier this week. “Fortunately for me, Donohue hired me based on that purple paper and I’ve been doing this now for 30 years.”

Porter is currently the general manager of The Sentinel-Record in Hot Springs, where it’s not as much the odd resume paper he looks for in hiring new ad reps, but the willingness to consistently keep in touch with customers.

There’s no secret recipe for being a good salesperson aside from making sure to always have face-to-face contact with customers, Porter said. He sold for Pepsi and then later for an Osceola car dealership that closed down in the weeks before he got his job at the Sun. When selling cars, he learned that “if you didn’t sell anything, you didn’t eat,” and he has kept that mentality as an ad salesperson.

“I didn’t really know what I was doing when I got into ad sales at the Sun, so I just followed the formula of going to see one guy every Tuesday and bring him an idea and go see another guy every Thursday and bring him an idea,” Porter said. “You had to go see people consistently. There’s no magic there. The formula to succeed in any kind of sales is having that human interaction with customers.”

Ten years into his time in Jonesboro, Porter took over as advertising director when Donohue retired. He was advertising Continued on Page 2

Harry Porter

Porter’s purple paper proves positive Continued from Page 1

director at newspapers in Greenville, Mississippi; Maryville, Tennessee; and Elkton, Maryland before returning to Arkansas as publisher of the Paragould Daily Press. After a stint as publisher of the Daily Citizen in Searcy, he was named general manager in Hot Springs about four years ago.

He said sales reps are encouraging ad buyers to include website links and email addresses in ads as a free, added-value way to connect with readers.

“It gives them a better opportunity to engage with their customers on a variety of platforms,” he said. “As business owners are using this, they’re seeing results from it. There’s so much more available with this digital replica than the printed page.”

Porter’s Sentinel-Record takes a huge step forward this coming Monday when the newspaper completes its move to digital replica subscriber delivery of its Monday through Saturday editions. As with most of WEHCO’s Arkansas-owned newspapers, subscribers in Hot Springs are delivered a digital newspaper on iPad, while the Sentinel-Record continues to print a Sunday edition.

Porter said readers are embracing the change because the digital replica offers more features like videos, clickable links and an ability to adjust text size.

Advertisers are buying in too, he said, at just the right time as the newspaper industry emerges from the pandemic.

Arkansas Publisher Weekly

Porter said he’s happy to be in Hot Springs and working for WEHCO Media.

The Baton Rouge native and Luxora High School graduate lives in Hot Springs with his wife, Victoria, and daughter, Cadyn.

He has an adult daughter, Allyson, who lives in Jonesboro.

“This is the final stop on my merry-goround,” he said. “My wife loves Hot Springs and my 12-year-old daughter loves it. I’ve dragged them around the country enough.

We’ve found a town we like, a community we like, and an organization that’s moving forward that I like. This is it for me.”

Porter with his wife, Victoria.

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May 20, 2021

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U.S. Senator eyes federal funding for industry A U.S. Senator from Washington who has long been an ally of newspapers told members of the America’s Newspapers organization last week she will attempt to secure more than $2 billion worth of tax credits and grants to support local news.

Sen. Maria Cantwell, a Democrat, said she will push for $2.3 billion worth of support for local newspapers and broadcasters as part of an overarching infrastructure plan likely to be considered

by Congress.

According to America’s Newspapers, Cantwell’s proposal includes tax credits to offset costs of employee benefits, health care and payroll as well as grants to be administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce. The grants would help newspapers rehire some of the employees lost over the years and help improve local news content.

Cantwell produced a report last year regarding the losses newspapers have suffered because of unfair market practices

and changes in how news content is delivered, America’s Newspapers said.

She was quoted as saying, “We want to make sure you don’t lose any more during this next two to three years.”

Cantwell said the newspaper industry should expect hearings soon in the Senate Commerce Committee to discuss antitrust and the challenges from tech companies like Google and Facebook.

According to America’s Newspapers, Cantwell said the combination of legislation and these hearings “are the best way we can help bridge the near-term challenges that news organizations are facing, while the Department of Justice and others look at the legal remedies to help get a more level playing field with the industry and tech sector.”

Since 2005, newspapers have lost more than 40,000 newsroom employees and roughly 60 percent of their workforce, she said — an issue “we can’t shy away from addressing.”

Sen. Maria Cantwell

NABJ launches new network to highlight Black voices The National Association of Black Journalists has created a new platform, the NABJ Media Network, which will “work to tell and share often untold stories about Black communities” through the work of Black journalists.

According to NABJ, it is being aided by the Reynolds Journalism Institute at the University of Missouri in establishing the digital platform that will share the Black experience and shed light on social injustices in Black communities that may be unreported or ignored. The news

Arkansas Publisher Weekly

stories will be written, produced and edited

by NABJ members and their colleagues.

“Our first-ever digital news operation will feature multimedia content from across the country and around the world. …

These articles, videos and photos from NABJ media partners, as well as Blackowned media, small and large market local TV, newspapers and digital news organizations, will be featured on the site alongside original content.”

The project’s leaders said they want to

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provide a platform to highlight content from Black communities. They’re now seeking news partners, journalists and organizations that want to be a part of the project and want their content shared on the NABJ Media Network.

According to NABJ, “the hope is to provide a place where not only the Black community, but other readers and viewers, can find stories about the Black community in one location, showcasing the professional, high-quality work and talent of Black journalists.”

May 20, 2021

Paxton names Mark Elliott group publisher in Conway Mark Elliott has been named the new group publisher for six newspapers in Arkansas, Paxton Media Group announced last week.

Elliott is the new publisher of the Log Cabin Democrat in Conway, The Courier in Russellville, The Daily Citizen in Searcy, The Sun-Times in Heber Springs, the Batesville Daily Guard and the Van Buren County Democrat in Clinton.

Elliott replaces Frank Leto, who also last week resigned from his position on the Arkansas Press Association board of directors. Leto had been publisher for about 14 months.

David Holgate, president of Paducah, Kentucky-based Paxton’s community newspaper group, said Elliott “has a strong record of involvement and engagement. I am confident he will be a great fit to the community.”

Elliott most recently was publisher and general manager of The Daily Star, a Paxtonowned newspaper in Hammond, Louisiana.

“The focus of the Log Cabin Democrat will continue to be community,” Elliott was quoted as saying in that newspaper. “Local content is important to the reader, and our mission is to inform and entertain them. By doing that, we provide a good platform to our advertisers.”

Mark Elliott

INDUSTRY QUOTE “I have so much more compassion for journalists and the work that they have to do. I am much more in awe of and am celebratory of great journalism when I see it, and I’m much more critical of bad journalism, or crap masquerading as journalism.”

Buying or Selling?

I can help you with a new purchase or the sale of your publication.

LEWIS FLOYD Senior Associate

-Thomas Sadoski

LET US KNOW

(850) 532-9466 lfloyd@mediamergers.com

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.

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May 20, 2021

Guest Column: Start benchmarking politician performance

By Jim Pumarlo It’s customary to rate the president’s performance after the first 100 days in office. The stark contrast in personalities and policies of Donald Trump and Joe Biden provides plenty of observations and commentary. National issues range from the pandemic and the economy to immigration and racial unrest.

As we pass that benchmark, newsrooms should take a cue and seize the opportunity to check in on officials elected to local and state bodies, too.

The stories are valuable in at least a couple of respects. First, they provide substantive public affairs content beyond just reporting on meetings or specific votes. Second, these reports can be the beginning of building a resume of politicians’ work which will come in handy when preparing coverage for the next election cycle.

Certain questions can be explored and analyzed in any story, whether elected officials are newcomers or veterans and no matter on what body they serve. · Review their campaign platforms. Are their initiatives gaining any traction?

Some of their ideas may be accomplished in short order; others may be longer-term proposals. · How are they addressing the increasing level of partisanship that seems to permeate so many levels of government? · Elections can produce new voting blocs and, as a result, change the dynamics of

Arkansas Publisher Weekly

governmental bodies. That may be easily noticeable when individuals run on a party label. It’s less evident where officeholders are not elected on a partisan basis. Reporters who regularly cover these bodies are in an excellent position to analyze the changes and preview what might be in store for citizens during the short term and long term. · How do lawmakers navigate, balance their actions and votes when their personal priorities and philosophies might not align with their constituents? · What has been their role in committee or party leadership? · Have they authored or been the lead on specific initiatives? · What are their overall goals for their first year in office? How will they define success?

This is but one checklist. Strike up a brainstorming session in your newsroom, and you’re likely to identify other questions – especially if there were circumstances specific to a race. Don’t be afraid to solicit ideas from others in the office as well as key individuals in the broader community who watch public affairs closely.

Election coverage, even if well organized, is challenging and chaotic for newsrooms as you weave in the extra responsibilities with the everyday churn of news.

Reporters often face a regular barrage of press releases from candidates and their campaigns. As a result, many election

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stories may focus on a candidate’s ability to campaign rather than an ability to govern.

That’s why election coverage should not shut down when the winners are announced. It’s a worthwhile exercise for staff to review the election edition periodically and refresh themselves about what the voters said and what the victors promised.

Many candidates mostly receive a free pass on answering the tough policy questions in the heat of the election season as they often spin campaign rhetoric. Reporters have a better opportunity to follow and analyze actions once the winners have been seated and the dynamics of the governing bodies take shape.

The 100-day report card should be considered a starting point. Identify other appropriate times to check in with elected officials. It may be once or twice a year, or more frequent if circumstances warrant.

These stories will hold lawmakers and governing bodies accountable and will provide meaningful public affairs content for readers.

Jim Pumarlo writes, speaks and provides training on community newsroom success strategies. He can be reached at www. pumarlo.com and welcomes comments and questions at jim@pumarlo.com.

May 20, 2021