Arkansas Publisher Weekly: December 7, 2023

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Support the Arkansas Newspaper Foundation Guest Column: Learn from the ones that get away

By John Foust

Arkansas Press Association

Publisher Weekly Vol.18 | No. 47 | Thursday, December 7, 2023 | Serving Press and State Since 1873

Lane views job in newspapering a mission, service to others If one is looking for a challenge in the business world, how about being tasked with addressing the revenue side of a newspaper operation?

That’s precisely what’s on the agenda each day for Mark Lane, president of WEHCO Newspapers, Inc., since 2017.

“The newspaper business is extremely challenging, but I feel blessed every day in my work,” Lane said. “I love this industry and I believe deeply in journalism and what it stands for.

Mark Lane

“We are facing some tremendous headwinds, and they are not getting any easier to deal with, but I also believe that what we do has never been more important.”

Lane cites the dramatic loss of pre-prints, printed classifieds, department stores and other ROP advertising -- major revenue streams that are never coming back to previous levels.

While there still are some significant opportunities in the advertising realm, Lane said WEHCO has made the decision to continue to invest heavily in the news and information side and considers that area the key business component.

Lane quotes WEHCO chairman Walter E. Hussman, Jr., as saying, “I do not see a business path formed by destroying the products we sell.”

As a result, the company’s flagship See Lane Page 5

Time running out to “Earn Your Press Pass” before year end Earn Your Press Pass, an online series of lessons covering the basics of community journalism will only be available for a few more weeks.

The no-cost training program is available to APA member newspapers until the end of the year. It is designed for new staff with limited or no newspaper journalism experience, but is also suitable for seasoned reporters who are looking to brush up on their skills.

Earn Your Press Pass is designed and taught by Harvey County Now co-publisher and copy editor Lindsey Young, who also has 10 years of teaching experience. Topics covered in the coursework include newspaper basics, industry jargon, interviewing and reporting skills, sourcing considerations, news judgment, headline and cutline writing, AP Style, copy editing and basic photography.

If you or someone on your staff could benefit from Earn Your Press Pass, email ashley@arkansaspress.org to register.

Arkansas Publisher Weekly

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December 7, 2023

EARN YOUR

PRESS PASS What is Earn Your Press Pass?

Earn Your Press Pass is a simple course, covering the basics of community journalism.

It is designed to train those with limited or no news experience to work for their local newspaper,helping to create valuable coverage. It is taught by Lindsey Young, a community journalist and publisher with 10 years of high school teaching experience.

What does the course include?

V.

I.

Introduction

II.

Newspaper Jargon

Writing Techniques A. Writing on deadline B. Fun with leads C. Using quotes D. Headline writing E. Cutline writing F. Thinking outside the pyramid

A. Parts of a newspaper B. Other terms to know

III. Interviewing

A. Who should I interview?

B. Preparing for an interview C. Conducting an interview D. Interview follow-up E. Source problems and issues F. Let’s practice.

IV.

VI.

Photography

X.

Final Bits of Advice

•

Sections are feature videos and printable cheat sheets

•

Lessons will continue to be added/updated.

Associated Press

VII. Style Editing

A. Tips for effective editing B. Revising and rewriting C. Let’s practice.

Types of Stories

A. Newsworthiness B. News-writing basics C. Breaking and hard news stories D. Covering a meeting E. Working a press release F. Writing a feature story G. Covering sports H. Opinion writing

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VIII. Journalist Rights and Ethics

A. Taking good photos B. Editing photos C. Dealing with submitted photos

A. Keeping yourself organized B. Preparing files for layout C. I have nothing to write about. Help!

A. Your right to know B. Avoiding libel C. Journalism ethics D. Contradictions of community journalism

“I was extremely impressed. Lindsey even taught this old dog some new tricks. The content is solid, it’s easy to use, and you can sign into and out of the program as your time allows. Lindsey’s engaging nature makes the lessons enjoyable, which makes you look forward to the next segment.”

DONNIS BAGGETT, TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION

Executive vice president and a 50-year veteran of small and large Texas newsrooms

Arkansas Publisher Weekly

ARKANSASPRESS.ORG

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For more information, contact Ashley Kemp Wimberley at ashley@arkansaspress.org November 2, 2023

“Frosty the Newspaperman”

Taylor King painted this well-read snowman on the doors of the Camden News office. Photo by Bradly Gill.

SPJ hosts seminar this week at APA Headquarters

The Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists held a free Google News Initiative Training seminar at APA Headquarters in Little Rock on Tuesday. Area journalists gathered to get the latest tips and tricks from Benét J. Wilson, director of Poynter-Koch Media and Journalism Fellowship, on how to use Google Alerts, Google Surveys, Google Earth, Google Maps, Google Public Data Explorer, Google Scholar, Google Translate and other tools.

Follow Arkansas SPJ on Facebook at facebook.com/arkansasspj to learn about future events.

Newspaper Association Managers in the nation’s capital

Newspaper Association Managers, including APA Executive Director Ashley Kemp Wimberley, visit Twin Oaks Estate for a reception during its annual Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. this week. The event was hosted by Taiwan, the Republic of China.

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December 7, 2023

"Let’s give Grandma’s scratchy Christmas records a rest this year."

- Vacation

Your Vacation needs more than a few boughs of holly this Christmas. Branson is a winter wonderland of excitement, filled with jolly festivals, show-stopping holiday performances, and even an express train ride to the North Pole!

This year, give your Vacation the gift of an Ozark Mountain Christmas.

Discover more at ExploreBranson.com.

Lane Continued from page 1

newspaper, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, invested heavily in a unique plan to purchase thousands of iPad devices for digitally delivering daily news to subscribers and then training readers in their use.

The company also is investing in its Flypaper initiative, which touts the value of digital products and services to a wider business audience.

Interestingly, Lane sees the business and advertising side of the newspaper industry as “freedom fighters” for journalism.

The company is, in effect, “selling news and information,” and part of Lane’s responsibility is to help determine a fair market value for that product. “Good, unbiased journalism costs a lot of money, and we certainly are continuing to deliver a very robust news product,” he said.

“We provide fuel for the army and our job is to do all that we can to support what we stand for in journalism,” he said.

Lane was not aggressively looking for a new position in May 2017 when he had the opportunity to interview with Nat Lea, president and chief executive officer of WEHCO Media, Inc., but it turned out that the “timing and fit” was ideal. He had been a part of the Morris Communications team in Georgia since 2005 and enjoyed a great relationship with the company.

Subscribers recently received a letter from company management citing a rate increase and explaining in detail the reasons behind the decision. Lane said the letter was very transparent concerning the increase, and he considers such honesty to be one of the hallmarks of the company.

After meeting with Lea and learning more about the company, he found there was ideal “alignment” with what he was seeking in his career.

The iPad plan was initiated not long before the COVID epidemic hit the nation in January 2020. Lane pointed out that,

by March of that year, some 40 percent of newspaper advertising evaporated.

“WEHCO Media and the Hussman family are amazing people who care deeply about serving their readers and advertisers,” Lane said. “They lead with integrity, and we are never in a situation where we are asked to do something that is not ethical. I feel blessed and honored to be a part of this amazing organization.”

“If we hadn’t implemented the iPad program, our P&L would look drastically different,” he said, “because we drove out large recurring legacy expenses such as printing and carrier delivery.”

Lane said initial response from readers to the digital delivery was strongly negative, but that lasted for about 30 days. ADG staff then began hearing readers say, “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I like it better.”

Lane testifies at the Arkansas State Capitol

Lane said the company’s core values, published each day, help guide decisions.

“It adds clarity to what we do,” he said.

The conclusion of the statement of those values, as expressed by Walter E. Hussman, Sr. (1906-1988), reads: “A newspaper has five constituencies, including first its readers, then advertisers, then employees, then creditors, then shareholders. As long as the newspaper keeps those constituencies in that order, especially its readers first, all constituencies will be well served.”

“From a readership perspective, it has been very successful,” Lane said. The newspaper has a solid core of “extremely loyal” readers, he said, “and they are helping keep our doors open.”

The IPad program later was implemented at the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and then at the company’s El Dorado News-Times, Hot Springs Sentinel-Record and Texarkana Gazette.

The Chattanooga (Tenn.) Times Free Press came on board with the program in July 2022.

“Everybody in our company knows what is important,” Lane said.

Lane’s responsibilities cover all phases of newspaper and associated operations, but he leans heavily toward the business side and working with general managers. His involvement with the editorial side primarily is in a “supportive role,” since all local editors report directly to the company’s publisher, Eliza H. Gaines.

In addition to those products, the company also publishes the Camden News, Magnolia Banner News, River Valley DemocratGazette, Pine Bluff Commercial and eight weekly newspapers in Northwest Arkansas. In Missouri, the company publishes the Jefferson City News-Tribune, the Fulton Sun and the California Democrat.

“In our company, there is a very strong line drawn between business and news,” he said. “And this works wonderfully well.”

Lane acknowledges that newspaper readers are a relatively older demographic, which is a threat to continued success in the future.

With that in mind, part of his responsibility is to find ways to attract a younger audience.

In reviewing Lane’s career, his start was not in the newspaper business.

He grew up in Wichita, Kan., and earned a degree in management and ethics from Manhattan (Kan.) Christian College.

His team is researching what type of product and what price point will attract readers in the 30 to 50 age group. “We are working hard to find that path forward,” he said, “and we do know that it will be read on the phone rather than the iPad.”

His first job out of college was with a Wichita-based, high-end department store company. “I worked there for about 10 years and did just about everything in the company,” he said.

See Lane Page 6

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December 7, 2023

Lane Continued from page 5

A good customer and friend, Doug Summerell, vice president of circulation at the Wichita Eagle, suggested to Lane that a career change might be a good decision. “He was absolutely right,” Lane said.

the good fight,” he said.

Lane said Arkansas Press Association executive director Ashley Kemp Wimberley was “the tip of the spear” in the battle and he spent a lot of time working with her, along with many other newspaper folks from around the state.

He also was offered a position with a family-owned radio group in Kansas, “but I just didn’t believe in the value of what radio listening could do for businesses. I believed in what newspapers believed in and stood for.”

Speaking of his company’s commitment to the effort, he said, “we never wavered from the first day to the last day of the session. It was always about transparency, accountability and money.”

So, he went to work in 1993 as the retail sales manager for the Eagle and remained there for six years. “I loved the company (KnightRidder) and what I got to do,” Lane said. “They invested in me, and I like to think I invested in them, too.”

Lane said there was no effort to shy away from the importance that revenue from public notices represents to his newspapers and others in the state, but he added that another aspect of the monetary issue is that “taxpayers also deserve to know how their money is being spent.”

Lane then spent two years as publisher of the Pennypower Shopping News, a large shopper (120,000 distribution) in the Wichita area.

His message to legislators was that an independent third party (newspapers) is the most transparent and accountable method of informing the public, adding that the APA also provides a digital site, as well. “Besides, concerning a government-controlled website, how does that even sound like a good idea?”

“I got my first opportunity as a profitcenter manager there,” he said. “I had total profit and loss responsibilities.

It was owned by a venture capital company and the focus was on return on investment, but I learned a lot.”

The same company owned Sun Publications, a group of free community newspapers (156,000 total circulation) in the Kansas City Metro area. Lane spent two years there as president and publisher.

Lane attends a staff announcement in the newsroom.

A major career change came in (Photo by WEHCO Media) 2005 when he joined Morris Communications as director of sales and marketing for the Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle. He served in that position for three years until being promoted to vice president of sales for the company’s Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville.

Lane said his testimony reflected his company’s belief in complete transparency and alignment on the issue.

Newspapers prevailed in this latest round, and Lane expressed appreciation for legislators who listened to the message and saw the wisdom in preserving present levels of transparency and accountability in public notice publication.

Lane said the Jacksonville newspaper was the largest and “most challenged” within the company’s portfolio. It was a difficult time in general for newspapers, occurring within a major economic downturn in the nation. Despite that, Lane said the Times-Union was “an incredible newspaper” at the time, under the guidance of veteran editor Frank Denton.

Lane has been enjoying his time in Arkansas. “I have lived in some very nice places, but I just find Arkansans so warm and friendly.

And the beauty of the state is just awe-inspiring.”

He returned to Augusta in 2011 as vice president of sales for all Morris newspapers across the country, where he remained until accepting the WEHCO position six years later.

He and his wife of 41 years, Bobbi Lane, enjoy taking drives on weekends on some of the backroads of the state.

There are also other lengthier drives to visit son Brandon and five grandchildren in Arizona and daughter Brianna and three grandchildren in Kansas.

“Billy Morris (Morris Communications chairman William S. Morris III) was fantastic to me,” Lane said of his years working within the company. “I was fiercely loyal to the Morris family.”

Lane has found a home in Arkansas and with WEHCO Newspapers.

“Not one day do I ever dread getting up and going to work,” he said. “I am blessed in what I do.

Lane said he deeply appreciated his time at Morris, but his work at WEHCO “is even more of a blessing. This is extremely rare.”

Looking to a different area of responsibility he recently undertook, Lane was very involved in the recent state legislative session in the effort to protect the publication of public notices in newspapers.

“High quality local community journalism matters, and we make a difference in someone’s life each and every day. I love serving others and that is what I get to do every day in this business. It’s not just a job to me. It’s a mission.”

“I was basically the spokesman for WEHCO at the Capitol, fighting Arkansas Publisher Weekly

He noted that good business practice is to involve a third party in accounting oversight, so the same concept should apply as well to publication of notices.

“Accountability is not a bad thing,” he said.

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December 7, 2023

Congratulations on 150 years.

Simmons Bank congratulates the Arkansas Press Association (APA) on 150 years in business and all it has achieved for our state. As Arkansas’s first trade association and the oldest professional association in the state, APA has paved the way for the freedom of press.

Simmons recently celebrated 120 years in business, so we feel a special connection with organizations that share a long history of serving our local communities. We’re proud to be in great company with the APA and look forward to the next 150 years!

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October 13, 2023

Borkowski in new ADG takes second, third in national sales role at Carroll commentary writing competition County Community The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette recently Democrat-Gazette was the only newspaper saw two of its writers honored at the in the competition to have two honorees Media newspapers Carmage Walls Commentary Writing Prize named, one in each category.

Competition, sponsored by America’s Newspapers.

The prize is named for the late Benjamin Carmage Walls, whose newspaper career spanned seven decades. Walls primarily owned community newspapers and advocated for strong, courageous and positive editorial page leadership. First, second and third-place awards for editorial writing and column writing are presented in two circulation brackets: under 35,000 circulation and over 35,000.

This year’s contest received 114 entries from around the country. The Arkansas

Julia Borkowski is the new advertising sales representative for Carroll County Community Media, the group which publishes the Carroll County News, the Eureka Springs Times-Echo, the Ozark Mountain Trader and the Eureka Springs Visitor.

In the Editorial Writing category, David Barham, editorial page editor of the Democrat-Gazette received second-place honors in the over 35,000 circulation bracket. Second place includes a plaque and a cash prize of $1,000.

In the Column Writing category, columnist John Brummett took third place, which includes a plaque and a cash prize of $500.

Top honors for newspapers with over 35,000 circulation in each category went to staff at The Oklahoman in Oklahoma City and the Austin (Texas) American-Statesman.

LET US KNOW Any updates? Send your staffing changes to info@arkansaspress.org to be updated online and included in the Arkansas Publisher Weekly.

She has worked as an online engagement editor for the company since June 2023.

In her new position, Borkowski will work directly with advertisers to maximize the benefits of advertising in Carroll County Community Media’s publications.

“Julia’s energy and enthusiasm have impressed us all,” Scott Loftis, the majority owner, editor and publisher for Carroll County Community Media said in the announcement of the promotion. “Her work ethic and attitude are remarkable and contagious. She has been a huge addition to our staff and I believe she’s going to do big things in our community. I’m so glad that she’s a part of our team.”

Borkowski will continue to maintain the websites for the Carroll County News and the Eureka Springs Times-Echo as well as manage the social media pages for those publications and the Eureka Springs Visitor in addition to her new advertising sales duties.

“We’re asking a lot of Julia, but I’m very confident in her abilities,” Loftis said. “She’s going to do very well.”

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December 7, 2023

Guest Column: Learn from the ones that get away

By John Foust

When I was a kid, my family took a weekend trip to Atlantic Beach on the coast of North Carolina, which is a popular place for fishing in the fall. One night, Dad took me to the Triple-S fishing pier. After not catching anything for a couple of hours, we walked to the end of the pier, where a little crowd was gathering.

A fisherman was straining against a large fishing rod, which was bent over in an exaggerated U-shape. He was leaning back at about a 45-degree angle, and the fishing line was hissing as it spun off the reel. A man standing next to him poured water onto the reel from a Pepsi bottle. One of the bystanders said that was to cool off the reel.

We heard the man was fishing for shark and had one on the line. Since he hoped he had hooked a record fish, no one was allowed to touch him, the rod, or the reel; that would nullify any record. That was a lot of excitement for my 11-year-old self.

It was obvious that the fisherman knew what he was doing. He used the right kind of bait and tied his line to some kind of float, which carried his hook away from

Arkansas Publisher Weekly

the pier with the tide. And he knew the procedure to pursue a record.

Dad and I watched for a while, then called it a night. The next morning, we went back to the pier and learned that the man had pulled the shark all the way to the pier, but in the wee hours of the morning, the shark had wrapped the line around a piling, broke it and swam away.

Those of us in business understand how that fisherman must have felt. We know what it’s like to “almost” catch the big one, only to lose out at the last minute. At times like that, it may help to remember what speaker, writer and consultant Denis Waitley once said: “There are no mistakes or failures, only lessons.”

How do we find the lesson in failure? Let’s consider two points: 1. Analyze. It’s been said that there are two types of mistakes: mechanical and judgmental. For example, inadvertently putting an incorrect price on an advertising proposal is mechanical, and texting while driving shows poor judgment. If that fisherman had wanted to reel in the big

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one next time, he would have analyzed what went wrong at the end of his battle with the shark. And if you and I want to learn from a mistake, we’ll analyze what caused the problem.

2. Adjust. Once we figure out what went wrong and why, the next step is to make changes to reduce the chances of it happening again. Notice I’m saying “reduce the chances,” not “eliminate the chances.”

There’s always an unpredictable human element, especially in selling.

The bigger the mistake, the bigger the lesson. And the more we learn, the bigger the fish we will catch.

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. © Copyright 2023 by John Foust. All rights reserved.

December 7, 2023

THANK YOU. Behind every business and bold move were those who made things happen.

We appreciate our communities and customers for letting us serve them.

We thank Arkansas newspapers for sharing our safety education, energy assistance and efficiency resources with readers.