Arkansas Publisher Weekly: November 11, 2021

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Publishers fight to include newspaper support in Build Back Better legislation

Arkansas Press Association

Publisher Weekly

Guest Column:

Catch more customers for your advertisers

By John Foust

Vol. 16 | No.44 | Thursday, November 11, 2021 | Serving Press and State Since 1873

DeWitt newspaper owner glad to leave management to locals Chances are, few people in Arkansas County have ever heard of Phil Calian, and Calian, the owner of the DeWitt EraEnterprise, would like to keep it that way.

Calian is a Chicago-based entrepreneur whose company acquired the DeWitt newspaper in 2012. The company owns a dozen other small, community newspapers in the Midwest. At all those publications, he takes the same hands-off approach, leaving the editorial direction and day-to-day operation to strong, local publishers.

“This is not my paper, this is the community’s paper,” Calian said. “We do not have any editorial voice at all. All we ask is for our leaders to be immersed in the community and be sustainable.

“We are very careful; we don’t even read the papers until they’re already published.

What’s important is that the local staff is

ethical and honest and shares the needs of that community.”

Calian, who said he’s invested in more than 200 different businesses, views DeWitt as an ideal laboratory for his company’s technology platform called “Workbench.”

The platform uses advanced circulation management software to build dynamic databases that newspapers may then use for email and text alerts. The tool helps newspapers build their online presence and to attract additional advertising.

In addition to his company’s newspapers, about 25 other community newspapers have implemented Workbench.

“It’s a software platform that enables all newspapers to really utilize the latest in circulation management and to use digital — not as a weak sister to print, but to really use both of them to engage the readers where they’re at,” he said.

Continued on Page 3

Phil Calian

ArkLaMiss Conference to be held virtually tomorrow It’s the last chance to register for the 2021 ArkLaMiss Audience Development and Marketing Conference, to be held virtually tomorrow, November 12. The virtual format will allow busy newspaper staff members who might not otherwise be able to take time off for travel to a traditional conference to participate. Publishers, managers, circulation staff and audience development professionals are especially encouraged to attend.

Keynote presenter Kelly Wirges of ProMax Training and Consulting will offer training on brandbuilding and “5-Star Service” strategies, starting at 10:00 a.m.

After lunch, Ellen Kreth of the Madison County Record in Huntsville will moderate a panel discussion on maximizing your audience, followed by the ever-popular “Hot Ideas” exchange moderated by Dennis Dunn, operations manager at the Anniston Star in Anniston, Alabama.

The annual conference is presented by the Arkansas Press Association, Mississippi Press Association, Alabama Press Association and Tennessee Press Association, and the cost is $25.

To register, or for more information, visit ArkLaMissConference.wordpress.com.

ArkLaMiss Circulation & Marketing Conference

ArkLaMiss CIRCULATION & MARKETING CONFERENCE Circulation & Audience Growth

Friday, November 12 Virtual via ZOOM

Please visit this link to register: http://arklamissconference.com/ Registration is $25

Conference Agenda 10:00 AM 11:30 AM 1:00 PM 2:00 PM 2:15 PM

Build Your Brand, Build Your Business/Implementing a 5-Star Service Strategy Presenter: Kelly Wirges Break Panel Discussion: Maximizing your Audience Moderator: Ellen Kreth Break Hot Ideas Exchange Moderator: Dennis Dunn

Guest Speaker

Kelly Wirges, ProMax Training & Consulting About the Session: Your brand is a combination of actions, ideas and innovation consistently applied to create a persona that differentiates your company from competitors. Over time, your identity becomes associated with the level of quality, credibility and value you offer to your customers. Your brand helps distinguish you as a preferred advisor and news source in today’s crowded and complex marketplace. However, creating and developing your brand is more than simply providing exceptional customer service and quality news. To achieve a substantial competitive advantage, you need to have a 5-Star Strategy. How are you going to delight each customer? Stand out from the pack? What is going to make doing business with your company unique and different? Why would someone refer your company to their friends and family? Join this session to learn a step-by-step process to build your vision, plan and future success.

Arkansas Publisher Weekly

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November 11, 2021

Judges still needed DeWitt newspaper owner glad to leave for annual Better management to locals from Page 1 Newspaper Contest Continued In an interview with Northwestern That “print-and-digital, not print-or-digital”

APA is seeking editorial and advertising judges for the Michigan Press Association Better Newspaper Contest.

University’s Local News Initiative earlier this year, Calian called Workbench a “newspaper-in-a-box” where newspaper leaders can plug in information into a system that’s no more complicated than using Facebook. His company is offering its Community News Grant Initiative, a $400 grant for a six-month free trial of the program, to newspapers.

All judging will be virtual, beginning November 17. The judging is self-paced, but the first 10 judges to complete their assignment will receive Amazon gift cards as thanks for their promptness.

APA member newspaper staff as well as APA associate members are invited to volunteer.

He pledged in the Northwestern report that he’d work with newspapers who find Workbench useful to continue to be able to use it, either for free or for a fee.

Editorial categories include news and feature writing, column writing, headline writing, podcasting, and sports news and photos. Advertising categories include promotional ads, restaurant, auto and home ads, house ads, digital ads and community marketing ads. Newspaper layout and page design are also contest categories.

With the technology, DeWitt’s online readership base has grown to include subscribers from Florida to Texas to California.

Calian said newspaper publishers should stop perceiving digital media as an affront to print. Most advertisers want a newspaper with a robust community presence and the ability to engage a broad audience in both print and digital formats, he said.

To sign up as a judge, fill out the form at www.arkansaspress.org/event/ JudgesSign-Up. If you have any questions about the judging process, please email Terri Cobb at terri@arkansaspress.org.

model was a key motivating factor in his acquisition of the DeWitt newspaper and others.

“We bought these newspapers to explore how we could migrate these weeklies and use digital where online was a complement to print,” he said, adding that the primary theme behind newspaper investments is the ability to purchase a company at a good price and implement a decent business plan.

It didn’t hurt that Calian is a newspaper junkie and former student journalist. The Dubuque, Iowa, native worked on his high school newspaper and also at the Brown Daily Herald, the newspaper at Brown University in Rhode Island.

“I always loved newspapers,” he said. “And I’m an explorer. If there’s one business area I’d love to engage in, in both terms of taking an industry and moving it forward, it really is the news business. I really do believe it serves a purpose for the readers and the entire community.”

“Let the people know the facts and the country will be safe.”

Arkansas Press Association

CALL FOR JUDGES

Show your support for independent journalism with this soft cotton tee, available in sizes S-XXL at arkansaspress.org/store.

Michigan Press Association Better Newspaper Contest

Editorial • Adver tising • Photography First 10 judges to complete the assignment win an Amazon gift card. :

Editorial categories include: • News and Feature Writing • Column Writing • Sports News and Photos • Headline Writing • Best Podcast Advertising categories include: • Restaurant, Auto and Home ads • Promo and House ads • Digital ads • Community Marketing ads • Layout and Design pages

SIGN UP:

www.arkansaspress.org/ event/JudgesSign-up

T-shirts are $20 each.

Follow us on Facebook & Twitter

@ArkansasPressAssociation

Arkansas Publisher Weekly

@ARPressAssoc

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November 11, 2021

Publishers fight to include newspaper support in Build Back Better legislation; vote on bill expected soon

In early November, publishers received word that the federal legislation known as Build Back Better, now being considered

by Congress, had dropped the Local Journalism Sustainability Act (LJSA) from its provisions. The act would provide relief via tax credits to local news outlets struggling to staff their newsrooms and sustain needed local coverage to the communities they serve. In its original forms, LJSA also contained provisions to incentivize small business newspaper advertising and reader subscriptions through additional tax credits, but those were axed by the time the legislation was brought to a vote in the Senate.

News of the latest cut served as a rallying cry to publishers, who fought successfully to put the LJSA back in the spending bill.

Late last week it was reinstated.

In June, Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ) introduced the LJSA in the House. In the Nov. 5 edition of Editor & Publisher, she discussed its reintroduction: “The payroll credit for local newsrooms included in the current Build Back Better framework will go a long way in meaningfully preserving the important place that local news has in our community.

We must keep working hard to ensure that this provision stays in this bill and makes it all the way to President Biden’s desk.

I have heard from so many who work to keep the grassroots, local news industry alive, and I’m grateful for their continued support as we push forward with this historic legislation,” the Congresswoman told E&P. Kirkpatrick was responsible for garnering the support of 61 co-signers of the bill, including 14 House Republicans.

In Oregon, before the legislation had been reintroduced to the BBB bill, Pamplin

Media Group drew attention to the cut by publishing a mostly blank front page in its newspapers under the heading: “What if there were no local reporters?”

Brian Monihan, vice president of Pamplin Media Group, said he hopes more community news publishers will be inspired to print similar blank front pages or front-page editorials about the importance of the legislation. “When I saw our papers coming off the press this morning with that blank front page, it was really impactful,” Monihan said. “We hope people will realize that if you don’t at least try, you’ll regret it. If we can rally together, maybe we really do have an opportunity to change some minds (in Congress). …

Please reach out to your representatives in Congress, and ask them to support the bill.”

Monihan said the timing of this week means more local papers will be, he hopes, advocating for LJSA while their congresspeople are home. “If all these Senators are home for a work session ..., and suddenly they get their local paper, and it’s got a blank front page on it — or perhaps an editorial talking about the need to support this — what a great statement to make,” Monihan said. Should the vote come right before the holidays, it would be “a nice little present to the country,” he concluded.

The Arkansas Press Association encourages Arkansas Publisher Weekly readers to contact their representatives in Congress to express support for the Local Journalism Sustainability Act.

Support the future of Arkansas journalism by giving to the Arkansas Newspaper Foundation.

Ways to give: Estate planning, memorial and honor gifts and charitable donations. The Arkansas Newspaper Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization.

For more information call APA at 501-374-1500 or email info@arkansaspress.org.

Arkansas Publisher Weekly

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November 11, 2021

Slimp to host Adobe Illustrator webinar on Friday Kevin Slimp is hosting a webinar on Friday, November 12. Titled “Why Your Staff Should Learn the Basics of Adobe Illustrator”, this webinar is aimed primarily at community newspapers.

“Why would you and your staff want to learn how to use Adobe Illustrator?” asks Slimp. “I can give you a few reasons: ● You’ve already got it. It comes with the monthly fee you’re already paying to Adobe for Creative Cloud Software. ● It’s much better for designing logos, Illustrations, and other artwork than InDesign or Photoshop. ● Illustrator has a lot in common with InDesign, so with a little training you can immediately begin creating artwork.

● Users can open logos and other artwork in Illustrator, trace it, and have vector artwork that can be printed in any size without losing quality. ● When creating signs, banners and other artwork that’s printed by vendors, Illustrator creates vector artwork, which is what vendors almost always request. ● You can open vector artwork (EPS files) you already get from your clipart/ art providers and edit them in Illustrator.

This allows you to remove/add people and objects, move things around, and change words and colors easily.”

The 75-minute webinar costs $59 and starts at 10 a.m. Central time.

Register at newspaperacademy.com/ webinar/adobeillustrator/

Investigative journalism submissions sought for $25,000 Collier Prize The entry period is now open for the third annual $25,000 Collier Prize for State Government Accountability.

The prize, one of the largest journalism awards in the nation, is bestowed by the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications, and honors the best in political and investigative reporting of state governments. Reporters from each state are encouraged to submit their best work.

The reporting can be submitted by any news organization, but is limited to state-level reporting in 2021.

Deadline for entries is Jan. 31, 2022. The prize will be awarded at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in April.

To submit an entry or read more about the award, visit jou.ufl.edu/collierprize. Alternatively, reach out to Randy Bennett, executive director, external relations, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications at randybennett@ufl.edu.

ARKANSAS PRESS ASSOCIATION MEDIA DIRECTORY

PHOTO CONTEST

Open to APA Members & Associate Members The winning entry will appear on the cover of the Arkansas Media Directory.

ENTRY DEADLINE: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12 PRIZES: 1st $150 • 2nd $75 • 3rd $50

EMAIL ENTRIES TO GRAPHICS@ARKANSASPRESS.ORG Arkansas Publisher Weekly

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November 11, 2021

Free promotional graphics available to boost ad sales To dispute the prevailing narrative that “only old people read newspapers,” The Relevance Project has created a series of six free promotional graphics for local publishers: three for print and online publication and three to be shared on news brands’ social media.

These six graphics illustrate how newspaper advertising targets all generations of readers.

One Good Reason Why GenXers Read Newspapers...

Platform Choice

The promotions are called “All!!! Ages Read Newspapers” on The Relevance Project’s website.

Their statistics are based on market studies conducted by the research firm Coda Ventures for seven newspaper trade associations.

The first series presents compelling research demonstrating how Baby Boomers, Gen Xers and Millennials all use newspaper content. The next three promotions are specifically for use on social media, and highlight factors including home ownership, income and education that can be directly linked to newspaper readership.

The Relevance Project is an initiative of newspaper association managers whose trade groups collectively represent more than 8,500 newspapers in North America. To review and download the six free promotional pieces, plus other promotional material, visit relevanceprojectnet.wordpress.com/revenue-resource-2020.

Social media, websites, apps and e-newsletters. Not to mention the printed page. GenXers use both print and digital newspaper platforms to access the local news, information and advertising that impact their lives.

That’s why today’s newspapers employ a multi-platform strategy when creating new products for these engaged consumers. Makes sense for a group where more than eight out of ten access the newspaper content they depend on through digital channels.

50%

In fact, GenXers make up of all local newspaper readers. It’s why newspaper advertising is your best bet to reach this active group of desirable consumers.

Source: Aggregate of market studies conducted by Coda Ventures for state newspaper associations in Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota and Tennessee.

To learn more, contact your local newspaper sales representative, or visit RelevanceProject.net

Style guide defines approaches for journalists covering trauma A new style guide for journalists writing about trauma has been published by the Dart School for Journalism and Trauma at the Columbia Journalism School. The free guide, titled “The Dart Center Style Guide for Trauma-Informed Journalism,” was researched and created as a tool for journalists to write about traumatic incidents with precision, treating the human consequences of those incidents with respect and accuracy.

Dart Center Executive Director Bruce Shapiro said in the past 20 years the way trauma is covered has changed dramatically and increased in frequency, prompting the need for a comprehensive

style guide.

“Because of the accumulated popular, loose use of trauma, it was evident to us that many journalists and editors were unaware of what it actually means, so reporting is sometimes both imprecise or not accurately describing the effects of trauma on individuals and communities,” said Shapiro. “I want to emphasize that The Dart Center Style Guide for Trauma-Informed Journalism is meant to empower reporters and editors to make informed choices, and we only strongly recommend the rigid use of a few terms and descriptions.”

Entries are divided into four categories:

Trauma Science and Psychology, Violence and Aftermath, Identity and Community, and Social Issues. Some of the items covered include writing with sensitivity about people with atypical behaviors and diagnoses, such as mental illness or autism, that might not in themselves be considered trauma but are often imprecisely characterized in ways that can cause trauma.

The style guide contains distinctions such as that people witnessing violence or surviving a natural disaster may experience trauma, but that trauma is not necessarily the clinically diagnosed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; most people who experience trauma can return to their normal lives without professional intervention required. The guide also includes practical best practices such as guidance for journalists when covering a mass shooting and the distinctions between terms like human trafficking and human smuggling.

The style guide can be found at dartcenter. org/resources/dart-center-style-guidetrauma-informed-journalism.

Arkansas Publisher Weekly

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November 11, 2021

Guest Column: Catch more customers for your advertisers

By John Foust My friends Mark and Sandy invited me to spend a couple of days in a vacation beach condo they had rented, about a month before their first child was born.

Mark and I decided to do some fishing, so we bought some shrimp to use as bait and waded into the ocean, which was unusually calm and flat that day.

Imagine how your newspaper might deal with the problem of long-time advertisers who run the same ads in every issue.

They are loyal to the paper, but it doesn’t help them at all to let their ads get stale.

It’s the advertising version of Groundhog Day, without the classic Sonny and Cher alarm clock song.

We stood there for several hours in waisthigh water. Mark knew a lot more about fishing than I did, but neither of us caught a fish. He may have had a nibble or two, but I ended up with nothing but a bad case of sunburn. When we sloshed our way back to the shore, I still had my original shrimp on my hook. Mark told me that even though the fish weren’t biting that day, my odds would have improved if I had kept fresh bait on the hook.

Let’s say that one of those advertisers is a hardware store which has been running the same small ad for several years. The headline simply reads, “Big discounts on hardware.” There is no illustration, just a logo and contact information at the bottom.

To remedy the staleness, the account rep could suggest a series of ads, with each one featuring an offer on a specific product.

This creates an opportunity for seasonal offers. In the Spring, a sequence of ads could feature a lawnmower and various gardening tools. In the Fall, there could be a leaf blower. Since each ad spotlights one product, an illustration would be a natural fit. And along the way, there is a possibility of co-op money from individual manufacturers. That would increase the hardware store’s budget, which would allow them to run larger ads.

It was a little embarrassing, because I should have known better. If I were a fish, I certainly wouldn’t be interested in a shrimp that had been hanging around that long.

That lesson applies to advertising, as well as fishing. It pays to make a fresh offer to your target audience.

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Or how about the vacuum cleaner store which runs the same small ad with a generic headline in issue after issue? You could use the technique here, too. Just create a series featuring an offer on one type of vacuum in each ad. The cumulative message would be what the advertiser intends – “we’re your local source for vacuum cleaners” – but the delivery would be more effective.

Everybody wins. Advertisers get more business. Readers learn about good deals. Manufacturers benefit from the publicity. And your paper creates happier advertisers and better looking pages.

It all adds up to quite a catch, doesn’t it? (c) Copyright 2021 by John Foust. All rights reserved.

John Foust has conducted training programs for thousands of newspaper advertising professionals. Many ad departments are using his training videos to save time and get quick results from in-house training. Email for information: john@johnfoust.com

November 11, 2021

Arkansas Press Association

CALL FOR JUDGES Michigan Press Association Better Newspaper Contest

Editorial • Adver tising • Photography First 10 judges to complete the assignment win an Amazon gift card. :

Editorial categories include: • News and Feature Writing • Column Writing • Sports News and Photos • Headline Writing • Best Podcast Advertising categories include: • Restaurant, Auto and Home ads • Promo and House ads • Digital ads • Community Marketing ads • Layout and Design pages

SIGN UP:

www.arkansaspress.org/ event/JudgesSign-up