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A Section

Features

Departments

MOVING AWAY FROM TWITTER

Getting on Track

CRITICAL THINKING

Masthead, a social media platform for content creators, is made for news discussion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 8

Newspaper industry leaders find solutions at America East . . . . . . . p. 30

Should U.S. newspapers be legally responsible for the mental health of their journalists? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 15

LOCAL POWER Schneps Media triples in size after recent acquisitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 9

KEEPING CITIZENS INFORMED Illinois Press Foundation creates statehouse news bureau . . . . . . . . . p. 12

BRINGING BACK COVERAGE

Building Partnerships When it comes to the success of local news, Facebook is all in . . . . . . . . . p. 32

One Size Does Not Fit All How publishers are creating the right membership model for their readers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 38 Cover illustration by Meredith Ewell

DATA PAGE Top reasons why people watch local TV news, social media brand awareness and usage, forms of news discovery, types of email newsletters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 18

PRODUCTION 2019 ING Leadership Networking Summit set for Oct. 4-5 in Chicago p. 26

Adams Publishing Group establishes new Idaho newspaper . . . . . . . . . . . p. 13

NEWSPEOPLE

‘SINCE PARKLAND’

New hires, promotions and relocations across the industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 43

McClatchy partners with The Trace to memorialize young lives lost to gun violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 14

SHOPTALK Regulations are not killing newspapers, but lack of curiosity could harm them . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 50

PHOTO OF THE MONTH RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post . . . . . p. 16

Columns INDUSTRY INSIGHT

BUSINESS OF NEWS

DIGITAL PUBLISHING

A community engagement approach to investigative reporting . . . . . . . . . p. 20

As newsrooms restructure, so should coverage areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 22

Being transparent will help newspapers gain the trust of readers . . . . . . . . p. 24

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editorial

Tangled Web

T

he World Wide Web celebrated 30 years on March 12 this year. To mark the occasion, web inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee wrote an essay about what to expect from the next 30 years.

“While the web has created opportunity, given (marginalized) groups a voice, and made our daily lives easier, it has also created opportunity for scammers, given a voice to those who spread hatred, and made all kinds of crime easier to commit,” he wrote.

Berners-Lee called for governments to create laws and regulations for the digital age; for companies to do more to ensure better business practices, especially with privacy, diversity and security issues; and for citizens to hold companies and governments accountable for the commitments they make.

Although these fixes won’t solve all the problems, Berners-Lee said they do signify a “shift.”

“It’s our journey from digital adolescence to a more mature, responsible and inclusive future,” he wrote. “The web is for everyone and collectively we hold the power to change it. It won’t be easy. But if we dream a little and work a lot, we can get the web we want.”

Berners-Lee is correct about one thing— the web is for everyone.

Just three days after the web turned 30, a mass shooter attacked two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, killing 50 people. What made the incident even more horrendous was the fact that the gunman livestreamed the attack on Facebook Live.

“The New Zealand massacre was livestreamed on Facebook, announced on 8chan, reposted on YouTube, commentated about on Reddit, and mirrored around the world before the tech companies could even react,” Washington Post’s national tech reporter Drew Harwell wrote in a somber tweet.

At the time of the attack, the video was viewed fewer than 200 times during the live broadcast, according to Facebook. But in the first 24 hours, the company removed more than 1.2 million videos of the attack at upload, and 300,000 additional copies were removed after they were posted. Facebook 4 |

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also reported that no users reported the video during the live broadcast (the first user report came in at 29 minutes after the video started). Since the attack, Facebook has pledged to improve their AI technology and video moderation to prevent such videos from being uploaded again.

“The platforms all say that they want to do something about this kind of content, but in almost every case they are left scrambling after the fact, sometimes for hours, to clean up the videos and links. Despite renewed pressure from governments—including laws against hate speech in countries like Germany and France—they seem almost completely unprepared and ineffective,” said Mathew Ingram in the Columbia Journalism Review.

In an article published on The Conversation, Jennifer Grygiel, an assistant professor of communications at Syracuse University, even called for Mark Zuckerberg to shut down Facebook Live in the interest of public health and safety.

“No child should ever see the sort of ‘raw and visceral content’ that has been produced on Facebook Live—including mass murder. I don’t think adult users should be exposed to witnessing such heinous acts either, as studies have shown that viewing graphic violence has health risks, such as post-traumatic stress,” said Grygiel.

On the other hand, Jack Shafer, Politico’s senior media writer, argued that the media shouldn’t censor the New Zealand video.

“Suppression of the news is the censor’s game,” he said. “When the 9/11 terrorists struck, the networks live-streamed that atrocity into American living rooms, including the human demolition of desperate people leaping from high windows to escape the flames. This attack was every bit as deliberate, calculated and web-savvy as the Christchurch assault, but the press didn’t retreat behind worries that the coverage might encourage another attack.”

Berners-Lee wants the web to be more responsible, and at the same time, he wants to protect the open web. But after what happened in New Zealand, I’m not sure how that will be possible.—NY

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4/18/19 10:56 AM

comments )))

More Benefits to Print Product A lovely tale but it misses the value of the print product. (“Business of News: Going Digital-Only,” March 2019) It isn’t easy to take a tablet to the bathroom. Paper newspapers are made for a short “sit-down” or a long relaxing massage bath. You can’t instantly compare stories on multiple pages using a tablet or phone—the type isn’t legible. Piece of cake with a print product.

And if you live in an area with poor internet speed (yes, they exist in many places and the benefits generally outweigh the drawbacks), reading online takes forever. Besides, how many steps does it take to stick a news story for follow-up to the fridge with a magnet for a print paper vs. an online one? And finally, nobody has a record of what stories I read or don’t read in my print paper. Everyone seems to know when I read a story online, and that is a security risk for me and my family…I’m sticking with an intelligent mix of both—electronic for quick news updates (I read dozens a day), and print when I want to dive in or use the paper, magazine or whatever for all the purposes above.

JOHN M. WYLIE II

Submitted on editorandpublisher.com

Print Cannot Compete with Speed of Digital News Printed newspapers cannot compete with the speed and efficiency of free digital news.

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(“Business of News: Going Digital-Only,” March 2019) By the time the newspaper reaches the consumer, the news is no longer the latest news. Digital breaking stories are constantly updated keeping the users up to date with the latest breaking events. AOL News, Yahoo News, USA News App, Fox News App, Apple News App—all free. Users can glean breaking news, world news, local news, sports, entertainment, and health in mere moments all at their fingertips 24/7.

The genie is out of the lamp and free digital news is expanding at warp speed providing enhanced products as never before. The time-consuming steps, materials and labor costs associated with a printed product continue to make a myriad of printed newspapers irrelevant. Technology has always been a two-edge-sword.

JERRY KURBATOFF

Submitted on editorandpublisher.com

Free Newspapers Continue to Find Success Thanks Tim for bringing up a concern that I have for our entire industry. (“Business of News: Going Digital-Only,” March 2019) Unfortunately, the failings of our big brothers (dailies) seem to make everyone think that the industry is a sinking ship, which isn’t true at all. Free distribution newspapers available in print and online have continued to move forward with

outstanding success for the sake of readers and advertisers. Our newspaper, the Fillmore County Journal, a 13,500 circulation weekly newspaper in Southeast Minnesota, covers 15 city councils, seven school boards, county government meetings, and township news when there is a story that needs to be told. We also provide free obituaries in print and online. That’s right, no cost! Free birth announcements, free engagement announcements, free wedding announcements, free military service announcements.

Police and court reports. Local commentary.

Local features. Local sports. All provided in our newspaper. Free to readers in print and online…The reality is that any business owner who tries to cut their way to profits will eventually diminish quality to the point that customers (readers and advertisers) will notice. And, regarding the online business model, our staff came up with a game plan that I think makes sense for supporting the long-term goal of the print model. We cannot make plans for the digital presence without considering the impact on the more significant print model.

JASON SETHRE

Submitted on editorandpublisher.com

Print Helps Identify Facts From Opinion Great article, Tim. (“Business of News: Going Digital-Only,” March 2019) I still love the feel and experience of reading the newspaper, but also having the digital option. I find all other sources of news are actually opinion. At least the paper identifies what is opinion. Other sources have lost the basics of journalism, such as reporting facts and letting readers decide how to interpret. I also place the blame on TV news for dividing our people by stirring a muddy pot of extrapolated non-facts.

LANA HESTER

Submitted on editorandpublisher.com

Send us your comments nu.yang@editorandpublisher.com “Comments,” Editor & Publisher, 18475 Bandilier Circle, Fountain Valley, CA 92708 Please include your name, title, city and state, and email address.

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4/18/19 11:44 AM

EPPYFPad19.qxp_Layout 1 3/14/19 9:47 AM Page 1

2019 CALL FOR ENTRIES Begins June 4

Honoring the Best in Digital Media The EPPYTM Awards, presented by Editor & Publisher, honor the best in digital media across 30 diverse categories, including excellence in college and university journalism. Now in its 24th year, this international contest has broadened its scope and also includes categories for investigative features, mobile apps,

videos, webcasts, advertising/marketing, photography and community service.

Entries to the EPPYTM Awards are judged by a panel of notable figures in the media industry, chosen by the staff of Editor & Publisher.

For more information, please contact: Entry deadline: Aug. 23, 2019 Martha McIntosh at martha@editorandpublisher.com eppyawards.com

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the A section VOLUME 152

FOR THE MONTH OF MAY 2019

ISSUE 5

> Look Ahead

Moving Away From Twitter Masthead, a social media platform for content creators, is made for news discussion

Shutterstock.com photo

By Evelyn Mateos

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ews publishers, editors, journalists and content creators (whether they receive a paycheck for their work or not) now have a new platform to discuss news and news business, thanks to Ryan Ozawa. This long-time online community lover founded Masthead, a social network for media makers. The beta launched in early March.

Ozawa created Masthead utilizing Mastodon, a free, open-source social media platform created by German college student Eugen Rochko in 2016. Aside from using Mastodon as a resource, Ozawa explained that he found a webhost that specialized in the platform, making this a turnkey operation that took about a week to set up.

Ozawa works as the communications director for Hawaii Information Service, a Honolulu tech company, but admits he is a “news junkie and newsroom escapee.”

“Right now, the dial tone, the central nervous system of media people is Twitter.

And I love Twitter. It’s where both news and commentary on the news business flow,” Ozawa said. “But Twitter has a lot of } Ryan Ozawa downsides (like) trolls, abuse and foreign 8 |

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disinformation campaigns. Reporters can try to have a nuanced conversation about media ethics on Twitter, but they can be interrupted, distracted or disrupted.”

This led to Ozawa posing the question: What if there was a Twitter that catered specifically to members of media as a mission?

Currently, Masthead is laying the groundwork for news discussion. To gain access to the platform, potential users must go through the application process, providing information on their outlet, primary medium and social media use.

Because the platform is just getting started, Ozawa is a one-man team but as the community grows he will seek help from those that are just as optimistic about the idea.

There is no launch date yet for the release of the official platform, but Ozawa said he would like to see about 500 or so active members signed up before opening the door completely.

“Things are so new, I’m mostly focused on finding curious creators and journalists and bringing them into the fold,” Ozawa said. “But I’d be lying if I said I haven’t daydreamed about a Masthead conference or something, where the future of journalism and how it evolves with new technology and tools is the focus.”

Ozawa is firm in his belief that journalism must move away from monolithic and monopolistic platforms if journalism is to survive.

“I want people to see the wisdom of the original vision of the web—a place where every organization, and every person, has a place to call home and an easy way to connect to others, rather than living in a few walled gardens,” he said. “Stay on Twitter, but don’t stay only on Twitter.”

For more information, visit masthead.social.

“Twitter has a lot of downsides (like) trolls, abuse and foreign disinformation campaigns. ”

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the A section

Local Power

Schneps Media triples in size after recent acquisitions

A

s newsrooms reduce in size or shut down, Schneps Media has continued to grow and expand, and in doing so, recently became one of the largest news chains in the state of New York.

Schneps Media was founded in 1985 by Victoria Schneps-Yunis with one title, the Queens Courier. With the recent purchase of Community News Group and NYC Community Media last September, Schneps Media now owns more than 50 print publications.

The company is run by SchnepsYunis and her son Joshua Schneps, who serves as the company’s CEO and co-publisher.

When E&P asked the mother/ son team about the decision to purchase the two new companies, Schneps said, “First and foremost, we very much believe in the media business and we feel that whenever there is a risk, there’s opportunity.”

Schneps-Yunis added, “We re} Victoria Schenps-Yunis } Josh Schenps

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ally engage in the community and when buying these papers became a possibility, we felt that if we’re going to be in community journalism in the New York region we better be the biggest and the best and I believe that’s what we have become.”

To accomplish a smooth transition for all parties, Schneps-Yunis says they decided to keep all the top leadership that was already in place and combine operations serving the Queens and Long Island area together into one office and the Brooklyn and Manhattan operations into another.

Schneps added that communication was a tremendous help. “We have a very clear vision, and we communicated from the second we were introduced to the staff what our vision is, where we want to take the company, what direction we want to go in, and what our priorities are.”

The duo also explained to E&P their methods for steady growth in today’s difficult industry.

“I think having a very focused niche— which our niche is local—but we’ve also diversified our media company for print…

We’ve invested a tremendous amount in digital and we’ve been successful digitally from a revenue perspective,” Schneps said.

Schneps Media currently receives 2.5 million monthly pageviews. However, the pair believes that other factors also apply to their success, such as the company’s events. They include conferences recognizing women in business and large scale food and drink festivals, which can attract anywhere from 100 to 10,000 guests.

The most important lesson the mother and son have learned so far is to “stay focused on your mission,” said SchnepsYunis.

It’s also important to embrace change, Schneps added.—EM

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the A section > Wise Advice

Tornoe’s Corner

“What is essential when planning promotions that will garner revenue for news organizations?”

Promotions are one of the fastest growing segments of new revenue growth for GateHouse Media with an increase of 53 percent YOY last year and we work with  Rebecca Capparelli our markets with six channels of revenue growth with promotions, such as: Best of the Best—leveraging growth opportunities, community enterprise, national promotions, custom advertiser promotions, increasing special section. We also have local event revenue with more than 300 seasonal promotions such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Memorial Day. For each one, articulating the value proposition is a primary objective. This includes a structured sales process and CNA followed by demonstrating the value in the audience, the multi-channel media plan, engagement and generation of marketing and sales leads.

Best of the Best is each market’s largest business recognition program and also the largest single revenue program. In this program, we work hand-in-hand with our events team to ensure the value to participating businesses leverages the assets of our full portfolio at each stage.

In addition, we offer a full portfolio of promotions that deliver rich audiences with high levels of engagement and generation of marketing and sales leads.

Rebecca Capparelli is the vice president of promotions for GateHouse Media. In this role, Capparelli partners with GateHouse Media’s market leadership on their companywide promotions strategy.

Recently, she was named Local Media Association’s Digital Innovator of the Year.

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From the Archive

 Freedom of the Press was the theme of a float entered by the Bridgeport Post, Telegram, and Sunday Post in the Bridgeport, Conn. Fourth of July parade. The float showed a huge scroll proclaiming press freedom, a large inkwell and a six-foot quill pen resting on the scroll. The vehicle towing the float was symbolic of a printing press with its rollers covered with newspapers as if it was printing. This photo originally appeared in the Aug. 11, 1979 issue of E&P. editorandpublisher.com

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the A section LEGAL BRIEFS Lawsuit Filed Against Former Orange County Register Owners

According to the Los Angeles Times, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp.

(PBGC) has filed a lawsuit against former Orange County (Anaheim, Calif.)

Register co-owners, Aaron Kushner and Eric Spitz as well as Richard Covelli, a pension expert they entrusted, and his actuary, Traci M. Christian. In 2014, Covelli penned the plan that the co-owners purchase company-owned life insurance policies on their employees. Upon the worker’s deaths, this money would be contributed to the newspaper’s pension fund, which was millions of dollars in debt. While this type of insurance is legal, the PBGC argued that Kushner and Spitz valued the policies at the net present value of the future death benefits instead of their cash surrender value. PBGC aims to right the damages from this investment as well as the invested pension money in the Register’s former parent company, Freedom Communications, in an investment with a Luxembourg hedge fund known as Topaz, and an investment in a loan scheme to a mass of life insurance trusts. The PBGC calculates these damages to be $54.65 million.

Teen Sues Washington Post for $250 Million

As reported by Reuters, Covington Catholic High School student, Nicholas Sandmann has filed a lawsuit against the Washington Post. The student claims that the Post falsely accused him of racists acts and instigating a confrontation against Nathan Phillips, a Native American activist, in a videotaped incident at the Jan. 18, 2019 March for Life, an anti-abortion rally in Washington, D.C. The Post has since shared an editor’s note regarding the coverage stating, “Subsequent reporting, a student’s statement and additional video allow for a more complete assessment of what occurred, either contradicting or failing to confirm accounts provided in that story…” The lawsuit claims that the newspaper “wrongfully targeted and bullied” Sandmann, who is seeking $250 million in damages.

57.7%

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of people a re consume th more likely to eir wake up in news when they th to a Twipe s e morning, according urvey.

OF THE MONTH When Hamburger Abendblatt, a daily newspaper in Hamburg, Germany, and the nonprofit investigative newsroom Correctiv decided to uncover who was investing in property across German cities, they realized they couldn’t access the data. That’s because of a German land registry law, which doesn’t allow property ownership records to be publicly accessed.

To get the story, it decided to use its crowdsourcing platform, CrowdNewsroom, “a reporting platform Correctiv developed to use the power of its readership to assemble non-public data sets,” according to Joseph Lichterman of the Lenfest Institute, who spoke to Correctiv publisher David Schraven about the project.

CrowdNewsroom enables readers to contribute to investigations by uploading their data through a legal process. In order to get the word out, Correctiv partners with local newsrooms, and in turn, these newsrooms report on stories based on the data. The Lenfest Institute article stated more than 4,000 people have contributed data to various CrowdNewsroom projects.

These projects include: a bank investigation, a report on school cancellations, and the recent property ownership project, Who Owns Your City? in Berlin and Hamburg.

According to the article, “participants were asked to upload their leases to the database and then to give Correctiv permission to pull the records from the land registry in their name.” It took about a month to six weeks to promote the project and collect the data.

Looking ahead, Correctiv has developed an English-language version of CrowdNewsroom and is working on bringing the platform to the U.S.—EM

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the A section

Keeping Citizens Informed Illinois Press Foundation creates statehouse news bureau

} Capitol News Illinois reporters (from left) Jerry Nowicki, Peter Hancock, Rebecca Anzel and Grant Morgan pose for a photo. (Photo by Jeff Rogers)

becca Anzel, Peter Hancock and Jerry Nowicki, who all have previous experience covering or working in } The Capitol News Illinois team: (from left) Peter Hancock, Jerry Nowicki, Rebecca Anzel and state government. Capital News Illinois also includes Jeff Rogers celebrating in mid-February when the news service surpassed 1 million in circulation among newspapers that published its state government coverage. (Photo by Cindy Bedolli) Grant Morgan, an intern from the University of Illinois Springfield Public Affairs Reporting program, and Rogers as interim bureau chief.

Capital News Illinois launched earlier this year in January and is hile many states across the nation have currently sending out, on average, five stories a day to state newspaseen a reduced commitment to coverage of the legpers, from the Chicago Sun-Times to the Roseville Independent. The islature and government activity, the Illinois Press content is free for all Association members (about 440).

Foundation has created a bureau to cover these The team also sends out a daily email every morning to members topics: Capital News Illinois. including coverage plans for the day—what they will be covering, The idea originally came out of the Foundation’s board back in how long the story will be, whether photos will be included and 2016 when they realized their statehouse news bureau was deciwhat time the piece should arrive. mating in numbers. Then, in late 2017, Sam Fisher, president and The bureau also has a website, which is password protected for CEO of the Illinois Press Association began to work on turning the members only, with coverage plans updated throughout the day. idea into a reality. In 2018, Fisher asked Jeff Rogers, director of the When a story is edited and good to go, it gets sent out to all the Foundation, to join the project. Together, they created a plan which members via email and uploaded to the website. included the financial commitment required and got it in front of Rogers said that a majority of newspapers are gathering stories the Foundation board. via the website; however, the team has direct daily communication

By October 2018, with a number of editors, who will bring suggestions to the table or Fisher and Rogers seek requests. had the funding they “One of the things that tells us how interested these papers are needed to begin Capital in our content is it might be seven o’clock and there’s another story News Illinois, courwe’re finishing up and getting ready to send, and I start getting tesy of the Foundation emails from people who are working on copy desks asking if that board and the McCorstory is still going to be sent because they’re waiting for it,” he said. mick Foundation. The In its first month, the bureau published more than 2,000 stories next step was to recruit with 210 weeklies and 46 dailies, of those stories 413 made the front reporters. page.—EM Rogers recruited Re-

W

In its first month, the bureau published more than 2,000 stories with 210 weeklies and 46 dailies…

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the A section

Bringing Back Coverage Adams Publishing Group establishes new Idaho newspaper

B

ingham County in Idaho has itself a new five-day-per-week newspaper, The Bingham County Chronicle, an Adams Publishing Group (APG) product.

The newspaper prints Tuesday through Friday and Sunday and is published online at bcchron.com. The first edition was printed and delivered to all residents and businesses of the Bingham County, which includes Aberdeen, Shelley, Firth, Fort Hall and Blackfoot cities, on March 5. The following edition was delivered only to subscribers, which costs $10 per month and includes a choice of either the Post Register or the Idaho State Journal (two sister publications in eastern Idaho) at no extra cost.

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The Chronicle includes a six person staff of reporters, advertising sales employees and an officer manager. The newspaper covers local news for the nearly 50,000

people in the Bingham County, which has had received reduced coverage since 2017, when the Shelley Pioneer, also an APG product, closed its doors.

According to Post Register, it was after Shelley Pioneer shut down that the company’s executives discussed Bingham County’s need for local coverage.

“In some ways it’s us going back to where we were before but in a broader range,” APG regional president and publisher Travis Quast told the Post Register. “But we also see (Bingham County) as a growing market, being sandwiched right in between Pocatello and Idaho Falls. We see some growth there, some good economic development there.”—EM

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the A section

‘Since Parkland’ McClatchy partners with The Trace to memorialize young lives lost to gun violence

} Caitlin Ostroff

} A banner included in the “Since Parkland” project featuring images of children who lost their lives to gun violence.

A

year has passed since 14 students and three adults were shot and killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. Since then, nearly 1,200 young lives have also been lost to gun violence, according to “Since Parkland,” a collaboration between the Miami Herald, McClatchy and The Trace, an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to expanding coverage of guns in the U.S. “Parkland had particular meaning to readers of the Miami Herald and to south Florida,” said Casey Frank, Herald investigations editor and project editor for “Since Parkland.” “(The Trace) had an interest in gun violence, and we had an intense interest in Parkland and its aftermath and those things kind of converged.”

Work began last summer, and by August 2018, data reporter Caitlin Ostroff had joined the Herald and took the reins in fact-checking data already collected by both news organizations from the Gun Violence Archive. She also categorized the incidents by accidental, domestic, school shooting,

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“I think the thing that surprised me the most (about the data) was the accidental deaths.” drive-by, homicide, self-defense, murdersuicide and undetermined.

“I think the thing that surprised me the most (about the data) was the accidental deaths. We saw a decent amount—more than a hundred instances,” Ostroff said.

Ostroff worked with the data for four months, and by the beginning of this year, the Herald held a meeting with the regional editors throughout McClatchy to present the data and ask for help in writing articles.

The project includes several articles written by Herald reporters dealing with national gun issues and gun-related topics (such as the penalty for parents of children who accidentally shoot themselves). Several

} Casey Frank

other McClatchy newspapers contributed with gun activity in their own area as well, and The Trace also completed a story and developed the sinceparkland.org website that remembers the young victims. According to Frank and Ostroff, The Trace recruited student reporters to write short portraits of each one.

“Getting those (portraits) all put together and from different sources was a monumental achievement and they deserve a whole lot of credit for getting that done,” Frank said.

McClatchy newspapers have the project in its entirety linked online, and some of them ran different portions of the project in their print edition.

“I was really impressed with how willing they were to do that,” Frank said. “The newspapers jumped right in and did a fabulous job.”

Frank said the reaction to “Since Parkland” has seen an even divide between those saying “Thank you for shedding some light on that” and those saying “McClatchy and the Miami Herald want to seize everyone’s guns.”

Yet regardless of how readers felt about the project, Ostroff understood the significance of their work. “The fact that 1,200 people 18 years and younger died from gun violence—I think it’s important to show people that number—(and to) actually look into what happened and why that number exists.” —EM editorandpublisher.com

4/18/19 2:26 PM

critical thinking

If you have a question you would like to see addressed, please send it to evelyn@editorandpublisher.com.

J-school students and industry vets tackle the tough questions

“An Australian court recently ruled that a newspaper was responsible for a reporter’s psychological injury due to covering traumatic events. Should U.S. newspapers also be legally responsible for the mental health of their journalists?”

A:

U.S. newspapers should be legally responsible for their journalists’ mental health, as all news organizations around the world should. Journalists bear witness to some of the most horrific and violent events in history because of the importance of reporting clear accurate information and telling the human interest stories that need to be told. As storytellers and researchers, journalists Windsor Burkland, 21 should know that just being exposed senior, State University of New to trauma can have lifelong repercusYork Plattsburgh, Plattsburgh, N.Y. sions.

An unnamed Australian photoBurkland is a senior studying journalist covered the Bali Bombing multimedia journalism. She is currently the editor-in-chief terrorist attack in Indonesia that killed and managing editor of the in202 people, which triggered her post dependent student newspaper traumatic stress disorder as reported Cardinal Points. by the Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma. She was fired after taking a two-year sick leave. According to the photojournalist’s lawyer Tim Tobin, the newspaper ignored her assistance request to pay for counseling, didn’t respond after a colleague who worked on the same assignment committed suicide and didn’t have any peersupport systems in place.

Mental health has slowly become more prominent in American culture, but preventive measures like support systems should already be in place. One in five Americans already have a mental health condition according to the 2018 study by Mental Health America, a non-profit dedicated to mental health conditions in the U.S., and 56 percent of those adults did not receive treatment.

With mental illness already being that common, any profession that knowingly sends its employees into dangerous situations that could impact their mental health without any support systems in place is failing its employees. The destructive “suck it up and drink it off” attitude the industry continues to use shows that the journalists’ well-being is not a priority to the organizations in question and alienates journalists who already struggle with mental illness.

With school shootings and national emergencies around every corner, it’s impossible to ask journalists not respond to the chaos they cover. News organizations cannot expect high-quality work from journalists they have done nothing to support, and who continue to be haunted by the stories they’ve told. editorandpublisher.com

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A:

In the U.S., as elsewhere, anyone can sue his or her employer. But proving work-related post-traumatic stress disorder, which the Australian reporter’s case seems to involve, would, I believe, be a hard case for a journalist to win—just as for a police officer, EMT, doctor, nurse or soldier.

Why? Because all of these profesMargaret McKenzie sions fall under the “someone’s got managing editor, The Conway to do it” category, one of addressing, Daily Sun (North Conway, N.H.) up-close and personal, potentially A native of New Hampshire, traumatic events.

McKenzie has been the managSo, in answer to the question, ing editor for The Conway Daily Sun since 2015. She has “Should U.S. newspapers be held le30 years of experience in varigally responsible for the mental health ous newsrooms. of their journalists?” my answer would be, in general, no.

A medical resident, a recruit in boot camp and a newspaper intern all must realize that they will be dealing with difficult, potentially catastrophic events—it is the nature of the job.

That said, if I were a judge deciding a journalist-brought PTSD suit, I would certainly have to weigh the case on its individual merits. Was the reporter repeatedly sent into harm’s way by a “Capt.

Bligh”-like editor? Does discussing a dead body constitute trauma, or abuse? (If so, I suggest the reporter make sure she never turns on her TV.) Then there is the attorney, Bree Knoester of Adviceline Injury Lawyers of Melbourne, who admitted shopping for a client in order to pursue these types of damages—a goal for close to a decade, apparently.

Finally, there is the question of freewill: This wasn’t indentured servitude. The reporter was “persuaded” to return to the crime beat. But she certainly had the right to resist the persuasion and work elsewhere, whether in newspapers or, perhaps, as a kindergarten teacher.

Journalism is a thrilling profession, one that allows privileged access to VIP venues and personalities and, yes, crime scenes and other tragedies. I would submit that if a reporter can’t take the heat, she had better exit the newsroom. 

If a reporter can’t take the heat, she had better exit the newsroom.

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photo of the month

PARADING THE STREETS ď ˝ RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post Longhorn cattle make their way down 17th Street during the annual parade that kicked off the National Western Stock Show on Jan. 10, 2019 in Denver, Colo.

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Send us your photos! E&P welcomes reader submissions for our Photo of the Month. evelyn@editorandpublisher.com.

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data page Top Reasons People Watch Local TV News Based on a survey of 613 people across six television markets *Ranked as either one of the most important or single most important factor

Covers news stories that matter

73%

Up-to-the-minute news coverage

72%

Thorough and comprehensive news coverage

72%

Recognizes and reports on the issues that are important to your community

67%

Local news coverage from your neighborhood or community

67%

Investigative reports that dig deeper and confront wrongdoing

64%

A news team you know and trust

64% 60%

News reports that help to make a difference in your community News stories that make a difference in your daily life

57%

Delivers unique and original news stories

55% 53%

Explains what the news means for you

40%

A fast-paced and energetic newscast

0

20

40

60

80

100

Source: “Reinventing Local TV News” report, Shorenstein Center, February 2019

Direct and Distributed Forms of News Discovery Based on a survey of 37 markets on five continents with a combined population of 1.6 million

WHICH OF THESE WAS THE MAIN WAY IN WHICH YOU CAME ACROSS NEWS IN THE LAST WEEK?

32%

35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

Direct

24%

Search

23%

Social media

6%

6%

6%

Email

Mobile alerts

Aggregators

Source: “More Important, But Less Robust? Five Things Everybody Needs to Know about the Future of Journalism” report, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, January 2019

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Social Media Brand Awareness and Usage % AWARE OF SOCIAL MEDIA BRAND

2017

2018

95% 94% 96%

Facebook

% USING SOCIAL MEDIA BRAND

2019

67% 62% 61%

Facebook

Instagram

88% 87% 93%

Instagram

Twitter

90% 87% 92%

Pinterest

30% 31% 31%

Snapchat

29% 31% 31%

82% 83% 87%

Snapchat

70% 69% 72%

Pinterest

58% 58% 64%

LinkedIn

54%

WhatsApp

0

20

40

60

34% 36% 39%

LinkedIn

22% 22% 22%

Twitter

23% 21% 19% 18%

WhatsApp

80

100

0

20

40

60

80

100

Source: “The Infinite Dial 2019” report, Edison Research and Triton Digital, March 2019 *2017 and 2018 percentages based on a national survey of 2,000 people aged 12 and older; 2019 percentage based on a national survey of 1,500 people aged 12 and older; 2017-2018 excludes WhatsApp because data was not available

Types of Email Newsletters to Know EDITORIALLY DRIVEN: These newsletters are more of a standalone product and are designed to be read in the email client.

LINK DIGEST: These newsletters are link-heavy and designed to provide readers with information, but also to drive them to full stories on the web.

LINK DIGEST AND EDITORIAL: These newsletters tread the line between link digests and standalone editorial newsletters. Often, they’ll include an introduction written by a staffer and then list links to coverage.

NO END IN SIGHT: These newsletters are key components of a news organization’s product lineup.

EPHEMERAL: These pop-up newsletters are produced for only a short period of time.

Source: Newsletterguide.org editorandpublisher.com

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industry insight

Asking Readers for Help A community engagement approach to investigative reporting

By Matt DeRienzo

T

here’s an exchange in “Spotlight,” the movie depicting the Boston Globe’s reporting on sex abuse in the Catholic Church, in which editors are speculating about the extent of the scandal.

If there were 90 abusive priests, the actor portraying Globe editor Ben Bradlee Jr. says, “people would know.”

“Maybe they do,” the actor playing reporter Michael Rezendes replies.

So journalists on the Globe Spotlight team set out to discover what the community knew, the open secret.

Some of the best investigative reporting requires casting deep listening and documentation of how individuals have been impacted, whether it’s the Globe’s coverage of the church, or the Reveal’s work last year exposing discrimination in home lending 20 |

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across the country.

In the nearly two decades since Rezendes and fellow reporters used a lot of shoe leather to track down victims and abusive priests, investigative resources have shrunk with the size of newsrooms. But an array of new tools and opportunities for finding people and listening to them has emerged.

In fact, an entire profession has emerged within newsrooms—community engagement editor, or reader engagement editor—that when done right, revolves around listening.

We know engagement editors as the person who oversees a newsroom’s social media presence, organizes in-person forums and events, and sometimes frames a news organization’s response to criticism from readers.

Why not harness their expertise in know-

ing where community conversations are happening, and how to listen, for one of the most critical newsroom duties—investigative and accountability journalism?

Integrating engagement work has the potential to speed up and improve the success rate of investigative reporting efforts, and build more powerful personal narratives around the issues that are tackled.

The decline of local newsroom staffing and the rise of social media has already led to important community information sharing and discussion moving to neighborhood Facebook groups and platforms such as Nextdoor. Investigative shoe leather today includes knowledge of and diligence in navigating digital spaces.

The late Steve Buttry, newsroom trainer extraordinaire and a former Editor & Publisher editor of the year, was beating this editorandpublisher.com

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drum nearly a decade ago.

“Some aspects of community engagement draw skepticism from traditional journalists because they represent significant new directions. Old-school journalists should embrace crowdsourcing because we have always worked hard to find good sources in the community. Crowdsourcing gives us more efficient techniques for finding sources,” Buttry wrote in 2011. But “… crowdsourcing is not a magic wand that suddenly produces eyewitnesses and whistle blowers just because you asked. You need to build connections and credibility.”

He cited an early example from the Fort Myers (Fla.) News Press asking readers to “help us investigate” excessive sewer and water hookup fees.

Other news outlets have asked readers to help them sift through major public documents and help them highlight significant passages or revelations. If nothing else, involving readers in your work like this gives

D V M & A

you the benefit of hundreds of backgrounds and perspectives and sets of knowledge and expertise that you can’t possibly have in a single newsroom.

Take engagement a few steps further and shrunken newsrooms have the opportunity to enlist an army of citizens in advocating for themselves through journalistic actions.

What if we taught parents that they can request those records about air quality in their kid’s classroom via the Freedom of Information Act? That they are entitled to ask public officials, or the big businesses that affect their credit score, or health, the same kinds of questions a journalist might pose? What if we helped residents of public housing test paint chips for lead?

And this is where investigative reporting, reader engagement, and a form of community organizing that might push the comfort zone of traditional newsrooms, could help with a worsening media literacy problem.

Relentless attacks on the press as “fake

news,” combined with the rise of actual fake news, have more people than ever struggling to know the difference. Involving people in acts of local journalism that have a direct impact on their lives could transform that dynamic. 

Matt DeRienzo is vice president of news and digital content for Hearst’s newspapers and websites in Connecticut.

He has worked in journalism as a reporter, editor, publisher, corporate director of news for 25 years, including serving as the first full-time executive director of LION Publishers, a national nonprofit that supports the publishers of local independent online news organizations.

SUN MEDIA GROUP HAS SOLD

WESTERLY (RI) SUN 3,700 daily circulation and related publications and websites

TO

RHODE ISLAND SUBURBAN NEWSPAPERS We are pleased to have represented Sun Media Group in this transaction.

Dirks, Van Essen, Murray & April

Santa Fe, NM t: 505.820.2700 www.dirksvanessen.com

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business of news

The Beat Goes On As newsrooms restructure, so should coverage areas

By Tim Gallagher

T

he most important decision every editor faces is what to cover.

As newsrooms shrink, I suggest a colossal rehaul of our rote thinking about our beats or coverage structure.

Reporting in too many newsrooms is defined by perspectives and missions developed decades ago. We assigned reporters based on geography, or according to definable branches of government we deemed critical.

Immediate availability of information has obliterated that structure. TV and Twitter cover live-breaking news. Most government agencies live stream the meetings that we dutifully assign reporters to cover. Much government information is online.

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is best to reflect how what’s important to them has changed. We do not live our lives in the linear constraints of a newspaper beat structure. Since I left newsrooms more than a decade ago, I have experienced my community in a deeper, more meaningful way that has little to do with the way my newsroom used to put these topics in a beat box. These recommendations might require leaving some traditional areas behind or at least de-emphasizing them. I am suggesting that these coverage areas are more important than those. Or at least, these ideas could be incorporated under traditional beat structures.

The first beat might require a team of reporters who would cover the topic of “Equity” in your community. Are you covering the ideas of how people are treated

by powerful structures in your community?

Take apart the federal and state subsidized payments to those in your community to see if the money goes to those who need it or to those who know how to work the system. Examine environmental decisions and how they affect people. We all cover courts but covering “criminal justice” forces one to examine the system’s fairness to people by their age, sex and ethnicity.

Report the consequences of affordable housing (more on that later) and how it affects people living paycheck-to-paycheck.

In many communities, the number of jobs is growing but the pay for these jobs is at minimum wage or above. The consequences are severe. Explain how children are affected when both parents or single parents can’t afford to care for them during editorandpublisher.com

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the work day.

Not-for-profits seem to make the news only when a treasurer is embezzling funds.

Yet, the number of non-profits in each community is growing often faster than the for-profit sector. Find out whether these groups are addressing the inequity in the community. Examine their effectiveness.

Business coverage is getting sliced as newsrooms shrink. What a mistake. Some of the best stories in your community come from examining the innovation from its businesses. Patent filings are public records that reporters rarely scrutinize for local stories.

Many daily newspapers allow the weekly business journals to cover commercial real estate transactions, but these are the particles of your community’s DNA. What is closing and what is opening? That building that used to be a restaurant is being turned into a car wash. What does that say about your community’s business infrastructure

and why do some many restaurants fail anyway?

Housing issues tend to be covered only when the NIMBYs fight the developer at a council meeting. Yet the shortage of reasonably priced quality housing in many communities creates consequences. People who cannot afford to live where they work drive long distances to work each day and create traffic congestion and air pollution.

They lose time with families and lose touch with their communities when they commute.

Many editors eschew religion coverage or narrowly focus on divisive issues such as abortion. Consider covering “beliefs” rather than religion. Those views that shape our decisions come from common belief systems.

Finally, I would suggest that we follow the money. After housing and food, the most expensive section of any household budget is usually health care. What we

Out-think

discuss when I sit in on board meetings at my local hospital is relevant to our local community and only covered occasionally by our far-too-busy local health reporter.

Many newsrooms have undergone selfexamination of their beats. Applaud them.

We all need to do it if we expect to retain readers. 

Tim Gallagher is president of The 20/20 Network, a public relations and strategic communications firm. He is a former Pulitzer Prizewinning editor and publisher at The Albuquerque Tribune and the Ventura County Star newspapers. Reach him at tim@the2020network.com.

Selling Newspaper Businesses.

It’s What We Do.

Business as usual doesn’t cut it in today’s continuously changing media industry. Outsmart the future, be more innovative, challenge yourself and dare to be different.

In the past six months alone, we’ve managed these successful transactions.

Subscribe to the publishing industry magazine for out-thinkers. E&P digs deep and delivers stories that stimulate ideas, strategies that make you money and hard-hitting opinion that moves you to action.

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• The Mobridge Tribune, The Potter County News, and The West River Eagle (all in South Dakota) were sold to Mobridge Publishing, LLC. • The Staples World (in Minnesota) was sold to RMM Publications.

• The Kilgore News Herald (in Texas) was sold to M. Roberts Media.

If you’re thinking about buying, selling or just want an appraisal, contact Grimes, McGovern & Associates now.

Julie Bergman, VP/Director, Newspaper Division 1004 20th Avenue SE | East Grand Forks, MN 56721 (218) 230-8943 | jbergman@mediamergers.com

We Deliver

Results.

MAY 2019 | E & P

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digital publishing

Explaining the Reporting Process Being transparent will help newspapers gain the trust of readers

By Rob Tornoe

I

t’s hard to go a month these days without seeing yet another report decrying the lack of trust readers have in everyday journalism.

There is no question that the relationship between journalists and the public is on shaky ground. While it is true that partisan bad actors (including the man who currently resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.) purposefully sow mistrust in media companies and reporting for their own private benefit, it appears a lot of what is driving a lot of the mistrust of journalism is a basic lack of understanding of what goes into reporting a story.

For instance, 60 percent of all respondents in a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted for the Columbia Journalism Review believe reporters are often paid by their sources. Forty-one percent said they were less likely to believe a story if it contained anonymous sources.

“The evidence is there that too many people think that when it comes to anonymous 24 |

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sources, that even journalists themselves don’t know who those people are,” said Joy Mayer, the project director for Trusting News, which works with newsrooms to help demystify trust in journalism. “Just the term ‘anonymous sources’ is not really understood.”

While it might seem like a Sisyphean task to attempt to educate readers on the very basics of news coverage, researchers have uncovered at least one simple and straightforward method that even the smallest newsroom can implement in their reporting.

Two words, 12 letters: Explainer box.

According to a new study from the Center for Media Engagement at the University of Austin, doing something as simple as adding an explainer box offering an overview of your reporting process can immediately improve a reader’s trust of not only your story, but your entire news organization.

The research, done on behalf of Trusting News and completed in February, centered on two stories previously published by two

of the organization’s partners: USA Today and the Tennessean, who mocked up an explainer box for each story.

The Tennessean story was about a viral Facebook post that led people to falsely believe a veteran had been declined medical care, while USA Today’s story focused on Amazon’s search to find a location for its second headquarters. The explainer box reporters and editors at USA Today came up with included three main components: Why they’re doing the story, how they reported the story and how reporters took steps to be fair.

Half the participants received a version of one of the stories with an explainer box, while the other half didn’t. Not only did readers who viewed a news story with an explainer box come away with a better perception of the news organization, they rated that newspaper higher in 11 of the 12 attributes related to trust, including transparency, accuracy, credibility, bias and reputation. editorandpublisher.com

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“It is relatively easy to put this box together using information from the reporters’ news-gathering process and can improve items that relate to trust,” the authors of the report wrote, noting that “ small steps by news organizations can have an influence on building trust with their audiences even if every approach does not work.”

Several newsrooms are already using versions of an explainer box with their longform journalism or investigative pieces to great effect.

For her long-form investigative story about the suspicious death of a local teacher, Philadelphia Inquirer reporter Stephanie Farr included an explainer box at the end of her story that offered an overview of everyone she spoke to for her piece (and those who did not reply to her requests for comment). She also explained that several sources “agreed to be interviewed if not identified.” (Full disclosure: I work for the Philadelphia Inquirer).

The Inquirer is hardly alone. The Bangor Daily News explained to readers it took about four months to fully confirm a story about a prison guard’s alleged sexual misconduct. The Fresno Bee explained it interviewed nearly 100 people—many using Spanish and Hmong—for a report detailing the misery of tenants of low-income apartments. ProPublica and The Marshall Report outlined how their reporters ending up working together on a report about a serial rapist and a young woman convicted of lying about what turned out to be a real assault.

Other newsrooms have been reluctant to include such details on the individual stories themselves. A few months back, I wrote about New York Times politics editor Patrick Healy, who discusses the details of his desk’s reporting on Twitter. Healy does a great job, and offers a good deal of transparency about the Times’ political reporting, but because he does it on Twitter, it only reaches a fraction of the people who read the actual reporting.

Many news organizations think they’re being transparent about their reporting process because they have a page buried on their website explaining their policies. But as you’d expect, asking readers to seek out editorandpublisher.com

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this information on their own doesn’t exactly lead to a robust amount of pageviews.

“We’re all about taking advantage of attention where we already have it, rather than asking for additional attention,” Mayer said. “Let’s not wait for people to go to our ethics pages. Let’s not wait for them to ask questions… Let’s be proactive about explaining to people why what we’re doing is credible and therefore worthy of their trust.”

What these explainer boxes amount to is a simple bit of branding. By explaining the process behind reporting out a particular story, you’re doubling down on your reporters as a credible source of information and your organization as a responsible arbiter of facts.

It’s something newsrooms at local television stations have understood for quite a while. According to Bill Day, a vice president at the media research and consulting firm Magid, survey after survey reveals that people think the best investigative journalists work at television news stations. Why? Because these news channels loudly and quite often promote their investigative journalists hitting the street to uncover dirt or protect individuals. It might seem self-serving, but it also establishes trust with their viewers.

“TV journalists are certainly much more adept at marketing themselves, and I say that with admiration,” Mayer said. “Newspapers tend to be more shy… they don’t think they should be trumpeting what they do. To me it only makes sense that if a newsroom thinks they’re giving people what they’re looking for, point out that’s what they’re doing.”

“Desperation breeds responsiveness, or at least it should,” Mayer added. 

Rob Tornoe is a cartoonist and columnist for Editor and Publisher, where he writes about trends in digital media. He is also a digital editor for Philly.com. Reach him at robtornoe@gmail.com.

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production

BY JERRY SIMPKINS

2019 ING LEADERSHIP NETWORKING SUMMIT Production and operations leaders to gather Oct. 4-5 in Chicago

} The ING Leadership Networking Summit will take place at the Wyndham Grand Chicago Riverfront.

M

any years back, I attended a NEXPO show in Las Vegas.

I wandered down a pathway behind one of the displays and instead of meeting up with excited vendors clamoring for my business like carnies trying to sell me three more darts to win the big prize, I came face-to-face with a little gray and white pigeon calmly having breakfast. Apparently the big show provided enough floor food to entertain a stray bird, but not enough excitement and benefits to bring in the horde of attendees I was accustomed to at earlier gatherings. Conferences seemed to be losing their luster and the expense for many smaller properties didn’t seem to justify the cost like it used to.

I’d been to several shows before and

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picked up quite a few wonderful new ideas.

I knew attendance on the production side had dropped off over the years and as a result, vendors had also questioned their participation due to the expense associated and poor return on their investment. I was a bit concerned that this could be the end of another era of networking for production individuals to exchange ideas and further develop expertise in our wonderful industry.

To my delight, not only does it appear the void has been filled, but it appears that ING (International Newspaper Group) has stepped up to provide production/operations executives with new and innovative ways to learn about our industry and take that experience back home to benefit their own operations.

In a press release from ING, Mark Hall, Postmedia Network regional director and incoming ING vice president said, “We are proud to introduce our 2019 ING directors to the industry, all of whom will be recognized by the newspaper industry as energetic, knowledgeable professionals driven for success.”

Introducing the quality of talent that ING brings to our industry can alone be well worth the cost of admission to their upcoming event: the ING Leadership Networking Summit set for Oct. 4-5 in Chicago at the Wyndham Grand Chicago Riverfront.

In full disclosure, while some of this article was compiled using information provided by ING through their website, personal contact and promotional information, the core is based primarily on my personal viewpoint of the ING organization and the services it provides to our industry. Sincere thanks goes to Brian Blair of Strategic Marketing Communications and adjunct communications advisor to ING for providing answers to many of my questions regarding the conference.

Informational Programs So, what can Chicago offer in October besides perhaps some nasty cold and windy weather? The answer is one of the most informational and exciting programs we’ve seen in awhile.

Referring back to the cost of admission, I posed the question to an ING representative. Although there is absolutely no arguing

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the benefits of their summit, many small and midsize newspaper publishers have dramatically cut their travel budgets. Profits simply are not what they used to be and many smaller properties, operating on a shoestring budget may not see the value or ROI in the program. Many of the properties I’ve worked at in my career have eliminated travel to summits and conferences all together due to expense reductions. Why is it important to attend the ING Leadership Networking Summit and what’s the return on investment that can justify this expenditure for some of our smaller properties?

I was quickly reminded of the reasonable cost of the program ($195) as well as the point that “history is not always an indicator of future results,” which I interpreted as saying this show is different and has quite a bit to offer. Don’t base this show on any past experiences, but instead look at it for what is will be—a dynamic and informative program that will provide production executives with a wealth of information and some exciting new ideas to benefit from.

After travel expenses, some smaller properties may still question spending perhaps a thousand or more dollars to attend the ING presentation; to this the response is one that made perfect sense based on my past experiences. If a newspaper operations executive can walk away with just one idea or recommendation they can implement back home, the cost should be viewed as an investment with a credible ROI, rather than entertainment expense. This truly appears to be a “must attend event” for production executives throughout our industry.

Here’s a brief rundown of the summit. I strongly advise you to take a look on the ING website (internationalnewspapergroup.org) for additional information.

The summit will feature two keynote speakers: Jason Taylor and Joe DeLuca.

Those of you that have been around our industry for any amount of time are most likely familiar with both of these industry giants and ING couldn’t have selected two more qualified speakers to share their qualifications and many successes navigating through the rough roads of production and operations.

In addition to the wealth of experi-

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ence both of these individuals bring to the summit, surely between now and October, changes will take place in our industry that will give both of these keynote speakers fuel to add to their already dynamic and powerful presentations.

Taylor is scheduled to present on Leadership, Revenue, and Cost Management in a Consolidating and Declining Market Space.

He is president of New Media Investment Group Ventures, and president of GateHouse Live Promotions and Events, and was previously president of Gatehouse Media’s Western U.S. Publishing Operations.

With Taylor’s broad range of experience in publishing, I believe he is well qualified to deliver an exciting presentation that should provide useful information to any property navigating the ever changing world of consolidation and cost management in the current newspaper environment.

DeLuca has shared his vast knowledge of our industry with many of us over the years.

According to an ING promotional release, DeLuca is a well-known industry expert, newspaper captain and community leader.

He is currently the executive vice president and general manager of the Times Publishing Co. in Tampa Bay, Fla. He is responsible for consumer marketing, operations and distribution. DeLuca will deliver the afternoon keynote speech and share from his hands-on experience producing 70 newspapers and 50 monthly publications along the East Coast. I believe this speaks to DeLuca’s accomplishments in our business and sets the stage for a powerful and informative presentation.

DeLuca is scheduled to present on embracing the challenge and leading the charge—current state of demand for our product; technologies impact on customer behavior and perception of our industry; and the path forward.

In this frequently turbulent time for newspapers, I personally think his presentation will speak directly to many of us in the industry. DeLuca’s experiences—tied to product demand, customer behavior and perception of our industry—are sure to provide everyone with a powerful message to take away from the summit.

The keynote lunch speaker is Keni Thomas, an author, speaker, musician,

} Jason Taylor, president of New Media Investment Group Ventures and president of GateHouse Live Promotions and Events, and keynote speaker

} Joe DeLuca, executive vice president and general manager of the Times Publishing Co., and keynote speaker

} Keni Thomas, author and keynote lunch speaker

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} Attendees will have the opportunity to tour Chicago Tribune’s Freedom Center.

decorated former Task Force Army Ranger, a graduate of the University of Florida and the recipient of the bronze star for valor. It’s quite an impressive resume to bring to the ING Summit.

According to ING, Thomas’s message will inspire and stimulate attendees with valuable lessons from Black Hawk Down.

To me personally, after reading the message Thomas is going to deliver, that alone would be worth the entire cost for the summit.

His message is one we all should practice in our daily operation: “Leadership has never been about rank or the position you hold. It’s about the example you set. There are people to your left and to your right who are counting on you and it’s up to you to deliver. But you will only be as good as you prepared yourself to be.”

In addition to these three keynote speakers, two experts are on tap: Dee Anna Hays and TJ Freno.

Hays is board certified in labor and employment law by the Florida Bar. She has represented employers in all aspects of labor and employment law compliance and litigation for more than 11 years. A growing part of her practice focuses on occupational safety and health issues; these areas of expertise should provide production executives with useful information and guidance.

She is scheduled to present on OSHA, labor law and Hot Off the Press updates.

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grams for Orion Talent. He helps companies to acquire skilled professionals using targeted strategies for optimizing recruitment processes, finely matching employment opportunities with candidate skills.

His presentation is scheduled to inform attendees on how to attract, reward and retain manufacturing talent in today’s market.

Expert Panels In addition to serving up a powerful array of industry leaders and dynamic professionals from other fields, ING will also offer a series of expert panels along with network sessions with fellow executives. Expert panels will be facilitated by both current and past ING professionals.

International Print Peers: Quality, Cost, Expertise: With 37 years in our industry, Mark Hall, ING vice president, will serve as the panel facilitator.

Logistics and Distribution—Meeting Today’s Demands: Kevin Desmond, ING secretary, will serve as panel facilitator.

He is currently regional senior vice president of operations for Star Tribune Media Co. in Minneapolis, Minn., responsible for manufacturing, facilities and information technology.

Profits from Nothing, Zero Waste: ING immediate past president Joe Bowman will serve as panel facilitator. He is vice president of operations for The Plain Dealer Publishing Co. in Cleveland, Ohio.

In addition, on Oct. 4, there will be several networking opportunities for summit attendees. The first I’ve had the pleasure to experience a time or two and strongly recommend it to all attendees. You’ll come away from a tour of the Chicago Tribune’s Freedom Center in awe. From their robotic newsprint delivery system to their incredible presses and front-end operation, this is one impressive facility. zz Local tour of Chicago Tribune Freedom Center zz Custom networking and informational tour of the Tribune’s 10 press campus, prepress, newsprint warehouse and prepress area for newspaper exec attendees. zz Guided tour at PRINT 19 zz Custom APTech/PRINT presentation and guided tour of show floor at McCormick Place zz ING opening networking reception zz Networking dinners A networking session opens up the day on Oct. 5, followed by a 2019-2020 networking plan, discussion regarding continuing network through the year, closing remarks and networking reception, and networking dinners.

ING shared with me a survey used to evaluate what production/operations executives regarded as beneficial and helpful to their management experience.

I was extremely impressed to see how ING took this survey information and

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See What Newspaper Production Leaders Have to Say about the ING Leadership Networking Summit

THE LATEST FROM… Family Features

“ING has put me in a position that has deepened and strengthened the camaraderie and friendships that I have in the industry, giving those relationships depth and breadth. If I have a question or if I am facing a challenge, I now have a much larger network of colleagues that I can reach out to. It’s a ‘share the wealth’ philosophy.”—Bill May, VP of production, Dallas Morning News “It is an understanding of the shared accomplishments and the journey ahead by a lot of other people, as some have come up with some good ideas. Therefore, if you (not only) attend, but participate in the ING conference, you will hear, see and understand how others in similar situations have overcome their obstacles and ‘righted the ship.’”—Joseph Vincent, SVP, operations, Dow Jones “The key reason for attending ING is because of the interactions you will have with industry vendors, and have immediate access to these people for any projects that you might have planned, or ones from the past that you may have issues with and need resolved. It’s the one place to have an all-access pass to the key vendors that are left in our industry.”—Wayne Pelland, VP of manufacturing and distribution, GateHouse Media “ING has always been known as the place where you could meet with the decision makers of the industry; people who were pushing new technology, automation and quality. The conference provided the opportunity to meet with upper level management group: VPs, directors of operations and production. These were the people who truly made the decisions in regard to purchasing new equipment, experimenting with new technology and trying to become more efficient and faster, while maintaining higher quality.”—Joe Bowman, VP of operations, The Plain Dealer Publishing Co. incorporated it into the ING Leadership Networking Summit tailored to the feedback. It shows that not only does the ING organization know and understand production, but also clearly shows their desire to present attendees with informative and detailed programs relevant to the daily needs of newspaper professionals.

Each response to the survey questions will be represented in some manner contained in the summit. What an impressive and meaningful way for an organization to represent its industry. We should all be proud and honored to have ING in our corner.  Jerry Simpkins has more than 30 years of experience in printing and operations in the newspaper industry. Contact him on LinkedIn.com or at simpkins@tds.net.

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What solution does Family Features have to enhance websites and visitor engagement?

For more than 40 years, Family Features has maintained and built our media network of more than 4,000 newspapers, magazines and websites across the country. Media users rely on our free, ready-to-publish content to fill their food, lifestyle and home and garden sections.

The content is easily downloaded from our editors’ site (editors.familyfeatures.com) and easy to run in their publications or on their websites. By working with national brands, associations and government agencies, Family Features creates highquality content written to AP style and distributes it to publications nationwide. All content is free to editors as the sponsor pays us to create it.

Recipe videos are our latest solution to enhance websites and visitor engagement. Our team works with a variety of food brands to diligently craft custom recipe videos that not only leave viewers hungry but increase web visitors.

We work to keep these videos anywhere between a minute to a minute and a half as we have found brevity is key at the moment. Ingredients correlating with the steps are added to the video with text overlay making the videos easy to follow.

We have seen firsthand how videos increase site visits for newspaper websites. Statistics from Impactbnd.com revealed that 75 million people in the U.S. watch online videos every day.

We want more newspaper sites to reap the benefits of higher viewer engagement, which is why we produce recipe videos with personal touches and elaborate detail to help make them one-of-a kind. We use our in-house studio, and our web content manager, Melissa Paine, is the talent behind creating these exceptional recipe videos.

Cindy Long is Family Features’ media relations manager and works with a network of more than 10,000 editors, publishers and digital directors. She has more than 25 years of experience working as a publisher, editor and sales director for local and national newspapers and magazines.

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Getting on Track

Newspaper industry leaders find solutions at America East

By Nu Yang

M

ore than 400 people attended the America East News Media and Technology Summit in Hershey, Pa. April 1 to 3. Administered by the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association (PNA), this year’s show focused on networking and collaboration.

This year’s keynote panel featured six top industry executives from various size markets sharing successful ideas and projects that worked for them—from community engagement projects and digital growth on Facebook to increasing subscription prices and promoting local journalism.

“Many of our attendees appreciated how diverse the panel was, that the ideas ranged from a small, rural newspaper in Virginia to a paper like the Philadelphia Inquirer,” said Mary Firestone, PNA manager, meetings and member services.

The show also introduced single day tracks for business, advertising, digital, print production and editorial.

“This was in response to our publishers who asked us to create these tracks to make it easier for employees to be away from the office,” said Jane Hungarter, PNA director of marketing.

Over the course of three days, sessions covered a wide range of topics and issues that newspaper executives could bring back to their newsrooms. Among them: a Homeland Security official led a discussion about safety and security in the newsroom, and what to do in the case of an active shooter; forward-thinking digital sessions centered around analytics, blockchain, smart speakers and design; and a print operations roundtable featured representatives from McClatchy, GateHouse Media, Advance Local and Gannett Publishing Services discussing the latest print issues and equipment technology.

“Our industry doesn’t want to remain static, and I think our sessions reflect that,” said Matthew Caylor, PNA director, strategic services.

The show also featured more than 30 exhibitors and sponsors in the Vendor Solutions Center, where attendees and vendors could easily network and develop relationships.

“The goal of America East is to promote and support our industry. With fewer resources available, attendees can come to America East to learn and grow, but it doesn’t just end here,” Caylor said. “It’s about connecting people and developing brand new connections.”

Next year’s America East will be held March 30 to April 1, 2020. For more information, visit america-east.com. 

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 This year’s keynote speech featured a presentation from top industry executives discussing their success stories. Pictured (from left): Terry Egger, CEO and publisher, Philadelphia Media Network; Mark Baldwin, executive editor, Rockford (Ill.) Register Star; Matt DeRienzo, vice president of news and digital content, Hearst Connecticut; moderator David Chavern, president and CEO, News Media Alliance; David Little, former editor, Chico (Calif.) Enterprise-Record; Anne Adams, publisher, The Recorder (Monterey, Va.); and Rachel Piper, senior director of digital news, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

 America East is administered by the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association.

Pictured (from left): Brad Simpson, president; Zeddie Neidig, manager, meetings and events; Matthew Caylor, director, strategic services; Jane Hungarter, director of marketing; and Mary Firestone, manager, meetings and member services.

 Enjoying the welcome reception are (from left) George Lynett, Jr., Times-Shamrock Communications CEO/publisher; Rich Snyder of Kreischer Miller; Brad Simpson, PNA president; Lisa Hurm, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette VP and general manager; and Brandon Eyerly, Press Enterprise (Bloomsburg, Pa.) publisher. editorandpublisher.com

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 Corey Elliott, director of research at Borrell Associates, leads the “What Your Advertisers Want Today, and What They’re Going to Want by 2023” session.

 The Small Newspapers Roundtable included (from left) Brandon Cox, publisher, Kentucky New Era; Vince Johnson, publisher, The Sumter (S.C.) Item; Lawrance Binda, founder/co-owner/editorin-chief, The Burg; and Anne Adams, publisher, The Recorder (Monterey, Va.).

 Rick Shafranek (left) and Mike Monter of ProImage America, Inc.

 Peter Conti (left) and Stan Justice of Site Impact

 John Nicoli (left) and Ron Sams of manroland web systems, Inc.

 At the welcome reception: (from left) Robert Weber, director of operations, Pittsburgh PostGazette; Joseph Cronin, senior projects and senior IT manager, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; John Weber, Flint Group; and Glen Metz, Flint Group.

 John Harrison of Tecnavia Press

 Cathy Roberts and Gary Owen of Muller Martini

 Loren Widrick of TownNews

 At the welcome reception: (from left) William Fey of Resolute Forest Products; Joe Bush, Central Ink Corp.; and Ted McGrew, Southern Lithoplate, Inc.

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 Dana Bascom of ICANON Newzware

 Jack Rotolo (left) and Brandon Reuss of Vision Data

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BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS When it comes to the success of local news, Facebook is all in

By Rob Tornoe

F

acebook.

No word has confounded and frustrated journalists more over the past few years than the name of Mark Zuckerberg’s powerful social media engine, which jumps effortlessly from a platform used to share baby photos to a power tool used to swing elections.

Since its humble beginnings in 2004 as a place for college students, Facebook quickly outpaced its competition (anyone remember Friendster?) and grew into the world’s largest social media platform, with a global audience of 2.32 billion monthly active users. Or to say it another way, roughly one-third of the planet checks their Facebook page at least once a month.

Not surprisingly, the social media giant has disrupted our entire economy, enriching some businesses while bankrupting others, all while taking a lion’s share of all global digital advertising revenue (second only to Google). But few industries have felt the force of Facebook’s impact than journalism.

From the proliferation of fake news to the decline in referral traffic, news publishers have been taking body blows over the years from a company that pitched itself as a friend, only to pull the plug on several short-lived initiatives faster than Lucy yanking the football away from Charlie Brown.

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A Troubled Reputation Where to begin? I guess it all started back in 2006, when Facebook first launched its News Feed to unsuspecting users, who initially reacted negatively when served up a chronological list of content from their friends and acquaintances.

A year later, Facebook opened the floodgates when it debuted Pages for brands and companies.

The News Feed has grown into one of the largest drivers of news and information on the planet, where 43 percent of Americans still get a chunk of their news, according to a recent Pew Research Center study. It has also led to a host of problems, including the creation of a cesspool of fake news (which helped further erode confidence in journalism) and the ability for Facebook to randomly throttle referral traffic to publishers.

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BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS Facebook erroneously overstated the average time users spent watching videos. The result? Layoffs across the industry, first of reporters to make room for video producers, then the video producers themselves, when the oasis of video advertising revenue revealed itself to be a mirage.

Brian Manzullo, the social, search and audience editor at the Detroit Free Press, thinks Facebook deserves criticism when it comes to legitimate failures over the years and the harm it has done to journalism.

But he also thinks publishers only have themselves to blame for their over reliance on platforms like Facebook.

“I think the biggest issue with many news organizations over the past several years is they’ve placed too many eggs in the basket of Facebook,” Manzullo said.

“As long as we understand Facebook is a third party with their own self-interest and business needs, then we can have a healthy relationship with them.”

It’s also worth mentioning Today In, a feature Facebook is currently testing that uses an algorithm to serve local news links to about 400 cities in the United States.

While Facebook has touted the feature as a way to help spread meaningful local journalism, an analysis by Nieman Lab found that more than half the links it came across during a week-long study featured “crime, courts, and dead bodies.” (Facebook described Today In as a “work in progress.”)

Facebook’s problems also go far beyond its interaction with the world of journalism. The Cambridge Analytica scandal, which involved a political data firm gaining access to the private information of more than 50 million Facebook users, undermined the platform’s ability to protect user information. There’s also the platform’s susceptibility to widespread misinformation campaigns, most notably Russia’s attempt to manipulate the 2016 presidential elections. Despite the fact the company claims it has made strides in combating the spreading of fake news, many foreign governments—including the United Kingdom and Canada—are seriously considering putting in place strict regulations on Facebook and other social media companies.

“We recognize that self-regulation 34 |

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} Anne Kornblut, Facebook director of news, new initiatives

} Jason Kint, Digital Content Next CEO

is not yielding the results that societies are expecting these Facebook has rolled out companies to deseveral initiatives and liver,” Karina Gould, Canada’s Minister of programs that actually have Democratic Instituthe potential to legitimately tions, told BuzzFeed benefit newsrooms and help and the Toronto Star.

Australia has alsupport their business model. ready moved against Facebook, passing a strict law where social media executives face news, and in fact you can’t build a strong possible jail time if their companies don’t community without news.” remove violent content quickly from their Kornblut, a Pulitzer Prize-winning platforms. The law was passed following journalist who has worked for the Washa deadly massacre in Christchurch, New ington Post and the New York Times, said Zealand, where the shooter live-streamed Facebook users have made it clear over the deadly rampage on Facebook. the years that people want to know what’s going on around them in their own lives, so it’s vital to their business interests to conLocal Journalism nect individuals with legitimate news and In an attempt to cope with its information around their surroundings struggles over the past few years, and interests.

Facebook has made another pivot, this It goes without saying that Facebook’s time an attempt to help foster and grow newfound commitment to local news is legitimate local news, which it turns out is more about its own business needs than an incredibly important part of the platany altruistic need to help journalism as a form’s user experience. whole. But in this case, the Venn diagram “It’s really important for community. between Facebook’s own interests and the And Facebook is all about community,” needs of local newsroom overlap with these said Anne Kornblut, the company’s direcnew initiatives. It also doesn’t hurt that tor of news, new initiatives. “We talk a lot Facebook has pledged to spend $300 milabout how to build a community through editorandpublisher.com

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Facebook Turned 15 This Year.

Here’s a Look Back at Some Important Milestones.

February 2004 Thefacebook.com launches

September 2006 } Pictured is the kick-off meeting for the Facebook Membership Accelerator in

Austin, Texas. (Photo courtesy of Facebook)

lion over the next three years to help local news publishers, though as with anything, the devil will be in the details.

“It’s important for us to not just be helping local news on Facebook, or for us to be sort-of directly supporting local news,” Kornblut said. “We want to make sure we are helping build sustainable business models that can be on Facebook or off Facebook.”

Journalism Tools Facebook has been attempting to rebuild trust among publishers in earnest since January 2017, when the company first launched its Facebook Journalism Project. Since then, Facebook has rolled out several initiatives and programs that actually have the potential to legitimately benefit newsrooms and help support their business model.

Among the most promising programs Facebook is involved in to support local journalism is their accelerator program to help publishers develop and grow their subscription and membership businesses.

As part of the program, several metro newspapers—including the Boston Globe, the San Francisco Chronicle and the Miami Herald—held meetings where they received coaching from digital subscription experts and received trainings in different ways to market subscriptions. Facebook picked up the entire tab (as well as offered a grant to participants) with the only catch being the publishers had to share their findings with one another.

So far, the program has received rave reviews from its participants, some of whom had been Facebook critics. The Denver Post said following the 12-week program, they saw a 172 percent jump in digital subscriptions, achieved in part by using part of the grant money it received to invest in tools and measurements that provide editors with actionable insights driven by data.

“The program provided the momentum we needed. We went from hoping subscriptions would work to believing they would work,” Dan Petty, the Post’s director of audience development, said in its report on their involvement with Facebook’s accelerator program. editorandpublisher.com

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Facebook launches News Feed

August 2008 Facebook hits 100 million users

April 2012 Facebook acquires Instagram for $1 billion

February 2014 Facebook buys WhatsApp for $19 billion

August 2015 Facebook launches Facebook Live

June 2017 Facebook hits 2 billion users

April 2018 Mark Zuckerberg testifies before Congress

December 2004 Facebook hits 1 million monthly users

May 2007 Facebook opens its platform to developers

February 2009 Facebook introduces the “like” button

October 2012 Facebook hits 1 billion users

May 2015 Facebook launches Instant Articles

January 2017 Facebook introduces the Facebook Journalism Project

March 2018 The Cambridge Analytica data scandal is revealed

January 2019 Facebook announces it will invest $300 million into local journalism

Source: Recode; Facebook

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BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS For the first time, Facebook is working to help newsrooms grow their revenue and business off its own platform.

day, that means making sure they act as a vehicle for users to have a direct relationship with publishers… and be able to make money off of it, which seems to } The Facebook Local News Digital Subscriptions Accelerator meets for their third and final inconflict with (Facebook’s) core business model, which person meeting of the program in Menlo Park, Calif. (Photo courtesy of Facebook) is to make everything free and collect as much data as possible.”

Over the past 18 months, Facebook has offered so many initiatives to help journalists, it feels like a fire hose of opDorrine Mendoza, a member of Facebook’s news partnerships tions that can quickly get overwhelming, even for someone who team, said one of the big takeaways from the accelerator program covers the company. is that getting journalists from different news organizations in a The first stop for any journalist should be the website for room together not only helps foster meaningful changes to their Facebook’s Journalism Project (facebookjournalismproject.com), subscription business, but it also helps force change in organizawhich includes a hefty list of all the platform’s local initiatives to tions that have been historically resistant to do so. date and a link to a certificate course for journalists designed with “A lot of the individuals who participated, let’s just say that Poynter Institute. In fact, there are more than 80 online courses maybe they faced a lot of internal challenges they weren’t equipped available on Facebook Blueprint, covering everything from how to to navigate,” Mendoza said “Through the accelerator program and use the platform to generate advertising leads to building brand talking with others who had similar challenges, they’ve been able awareness. to be empowered to present better, get things done and have interIn March, Facebook launched the Facebook Journalism Project nal conversations that they needed to have.

Community Network, where the company will open up its sizWhy is this such an innovative and important step for Faceable checkbook to offer grants to publishers attempting to build book? Because for the first time, Facebook is working to help community through local news. Facebook will partner with The newsrooms grow their revenue and business off its own platform.

Lenfest Institute of Journalism, which will review the grants and The core of Facebook’s business is to make money off data proprioritize projects attempting to strengthen local news coverage. vided by its users, so the idea that the company would help foster A favorite tool of mine (which I use often in my day job as a connections off its own platform is a revolutionary step for the media reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer) is CrowdTangle, an company. analytics platform Facebook bought back in 2017 and made free Jason Kint, the CEO of Digital Content Next and a frequent for all users (though sign-up is required). critic of Facebook’s business practices, said he thought the initiaBasically, CrowdTangle tracks the social media performance tive was part of the company’s new attempts to play nice with of articles being shared in your own market. Many journalists I reporters due to the bad publicity the company has received over know use it to see how widely their own stories have been shared, the past few years. But that doesn’t mean it won’t be beneficial to but I’ve always used it to see what articles written by others are news organizations. performing well in our market. In addition to tracking Facebook, “They’re doing it for a reason. They’ve got intense public presTwitter and Instagram, the platform has the ability to track pages sure right now…and I think this is kind of a side effort to win over on Reddit and Facebook Groups—both public and private—all some friends in the news industry,” Kint said. “But to their credit, through a simple-to-use dashboard.

I’ve heard these events aren’t Facebook focused, that they almost removed themselves from the actual discussion. All positive, I think.”

The Future for Facebook “Ultimately they need to make the business model work for and Local News being a partner with Facebook,” Kint added. “At the end of the Zuckerberg surprised experts in April when he an36 |

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ful content, election integrity, privacy and data portability.

On a most positive note, at the end of March, Facebook quietly made a policy change that exempts qualified news publishers who pay to boost the exposure to news articles on politics from having their content added to the platform’s political } Program director Tim Griggs kicks things off at the Facebook Local News ad archive (which Digital Subscriptions Accelerator first in-person meeting in New York City at created a stigma that Facebook’s offices. (Photo courtesy of Facebook) news outlets had a political agenda).

While the change itself is a positive step nounced that Facebook was developing a on its own, it also paves the way for a funew section whose sole purpose would be ture where legitimate news sources—such to curate “trustworthy” news. So far, little as the New York Times—are differentiated is known about this new project, though from outlets who provide biased or incorreports peg its launch sometime by the end rect news reports. It would be dramatic of this year. change from how Facebook presents news It remains to be seen how this new content today, where everything—regardfeature will work, what level of input less of the brand—looks exactly the same. publishers will have and what it means for “If you can be treated differently because Facebook’s news feed. So far, Zuckerberg is you’re a real publisher, then you should be saying all the right things about improving treated differently.” Kint said. “Facebook monetization for publishers and fostering a can use the reputation and the brands of news ecosystem where “new types of jourthe press to differentiate real news from a nalism can thrive.” He even casually menlot of garbage.” tioned the possibility of paying publishers Perhaps all the bad publicity Facebook a license fee, though at this stage tempered has received over the past few years have expectations are appropriate. forced the company to finally realize what Zuckerberg’s comments come on the journalists have known for years—Faceheels of an earlier announcement that book is dependent on their content to keep Facebook will begin to shift people away its users happy. Or perhaps they’re only from broadcasting their thoughts publicly doling out large chunks of money and reand into more private conversations with sources to make friends in the journalism friends and family. Facebook was short on industry at a time when they need all the details about this initiative, and it’s unclear support they can get. what type of disruption it could cause for Regardless, one thing seems certain— digital media companies. publishers now have their eyes open and One thing seems certain: Zuckerberg are no longer willing to blindly follow expects lawmakers to consider ways of Facebook’s changing whims and shifting regulating the social media giant, which priorities. Facebook is an important partis why he got out in front of Congress in ner and we can help each other, but it is an op-ed in the Washington Post, where publishers and their credible local journalhe suggested four areas politicians should ism that have the leverage.  focus their bipartisan attention on: harmeditorandpublisher.com

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One size Does Not Fit All

How publishers are creating the right membership model for their readers

By Evelyn Mateos

T

oday’s news publishers are facing difficult situations, among them selecting the best membership model suited for their consumers. One anticipated model that made its appearance earlier this year was Apple News+, the successor to Texture, which the company bought out last year and plans to close at the end of this month. The platform includes more than 300 magazines, a handful of digital natives, but only three newspapers: the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and Toronto Star.

Although the Apple bundle might be what consumers are looking for, news publishers are extremely wary of joining.

Damon Kiesow, Knight Chair in digital editing and producing at the University of Missouri School of Journalism, agrees that news publishers should be wary. “If you look at the (Washington) Post, the (New York) Times and others, they’re not in, and they’re very vocal about why they’re not in. It’s disintermediating them even further from their audiences. It’s a loss of control of user experience. It’s monetizing potentially the rate they can get from direct subscriptions.”

In a note to employees, Matt Murray, WSJ editor-in-chief, offered insight to the newspaper’s choice in joining Apple News+. “The Apple venture is about more people seeing and paying for our journalism,” he explained. This is a tempting argument for publishers as Apple currently dominates the smartphone market at 63 percent, according to the “Mobile Web Intelligence Report” by Device Atlas.

Television, movies and music have all recently morphed from their prior forms into these bundle subscriptions that have performed exceptionally well. Netflix closed 2018 with a whopping 139 million worldwide subscribers, according to CNN. Is it time for the news industry to fit into such an in-demand structure?

Structuring the Right Model Lucky for news publishers there is so much data available to aid in choosing the right membership model; at the same time, it can be easy to become overwhelmed with case studies and vendor phone calls. Damian Radcliffe, the Carolyn S. Chambers Professor in Journalism as well as a professor of practice at the University of Oregon, reminds us that in the midst of scouring data to not forget about our relationship with existing loyal consumers.

“So often it feels that the emphasis is on growing subscribers and new ways of bringing people in,” Radcliffe said. “We need to have more of a conversation about super serving existing subscribers and editorandpublisher.com

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be prepared to provide other mechanisms to engage with them.”

In 2012, the Buffalo News in New York jumped on the paywall bandwagon, so they choose a vendor, put up a paywall and did what every news organization does—hope for growth.

“We hit roughly 2,500 digital subscribers, but then we plateaued and we never were able to grow beyond that,” David Adkins, vice president of technology, said. “It didn’t matter what we did about content choices or anything.”

While the vendor they chose had its perks, the paper was not blind to the holes in the paywall. Clearing cookies, incognito or private browsing, changing devices, viewing cached copies of pages on Google and utilizing ad technology are all ways consumers can sneak around a paywall—so Buffalo News set out to fix these issues by creating their own product.

In a nutshell, Buffalo News decided to make use of IP addresses (significantly harder for the user to change) to send the information back to their server and count the consumers articles there, closing nearly every hole and compelling users to subscribe.

“Building a paywall like this was really hard,” Adkins admitted.

“We had three developers that worked on the software and they all had to go to school to learn some of the more advance technologies that exist today because we had to make sure this thing was fast.”

Adkins also said they found a few other resources to help guide them during the process of building the software, such as paywall vendors and reading materials. All-in-all, the Buffalo News spent a year building and developing their product before launching in it January 2017.

With 2,700 digital subscribers, the paper implemented a paymeter of 10 free articles a month and placed their premium content behind a hard paywall. Two years later, they’re at 9,000 digital subscribers and continue to see growth.

Having seen great results, the Buffalo News began actively marketing their product to other publishers last May, giving them the opportunity to control and build their own paywall rules. The first client goes live with their paywall this month.

For other publishers, such as the Houston (Mo.) Herald, a vendor’s product could work. Utilizing Pelco, a two-year old company, to create and implement a paywall, the Herald saw a 30 percent increase in subscriptions in just a month.

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} Andrew Morris, Pelcro account executive

} Damon Kiesow, Knight Chair in digital editing and producing at the University of Missouri School of Journalism

on a recurring basis and auto renewal—to be able to do things like understand their data and create A/B tests to target based on the user, and of course make it as easy as possible for users to sign up.”

Morris said Pelcro is straightforward while also working closely with their clients to ensure a graceful transition and to gain feedback on their product. Publishers with no model in place can have a paywall up and running within a few hours and those with a model in place take about a week or two to integrate all files with Pelcro.

The Herald is one of those publishers that saw an opportunity to grow with Pelcro, particularly their Launchpad Process. This process takes about three months to execute, beginning with measuring and understanding the client’s current user experience. The next step is planning and configuring a paywall for the client and finally launching and testing though the A/B approach.

As a result, the Herald saw that increase in subscriptions, as well as a 237 percent increase in conversation rates and 62 percent of their subscriptions set to auto-renew.

Merging the subscription bundle and micropayment idea to create a new concept is a company called Agate, a platform that uses an online wallet system.

“It’s very difficult to sell a single newspaper subscription at scale because most people actually consume lots of different media brands,” Dominic Young, Agate CEO, said. “But they won’t have multiple subscriptions to similar brands.”

Publishers working with Agate set a price for how much an individual article will cost (all must be the same price) and the maximum price, which is the number a consumer must hit before the publisher stops charging. For example, if a newspaper’s price for a weekly subscription is $1.20, once the consumer buys enough articles to equal $1.20, they will not be charged for the rest of the week.

Young believes this process brings back the option to have one subscription to your favorite newspaper, but also pick up a similar brand here and there as well as create the option to explore.

Even though Agate just launched last year, Young said they have been able to help one publisher covert more than 10 percent of their usual website visitors to wallet holders.

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} David Adkins, Buffalo News vice president of technology

} Dominic Young, Agate CEO

The “Newsstand” Model Before the days of the internet and smartphone, the newsstand paper was your window into the world, and perhaps more importantly, your community. But when the newsstand paper went away, so did an important piece of the revenue puzzle, said Hal Bailey, chief revenue officer for LaterPay, a subscription management company.

“Now, publications primarily skipped to the model of either you get a couple of articles for free each month or you have to pay about $10 a month to subscribe,” Bailey said. “There’s very little of anything in-between, and we see the digital single copy as a very

Common Types of Paywalls Hard paywalls: No online content is available without payment Metered paywalls: Allows audiences to consume a certain amount of free content before they have to subscribe Hybrid paywalls: Permits audiences to access some verticals for free, while other sections sit behind a metered or hard paywall Vertical only paywalls: Offers standalone paid-for access to specific sections Geo-location paywalls: Readers hit a paywall at different points (i.e. the free article limit) depending on their IP address Print and digital bundling: Print subscribers are offered full digital access for free Online surveys: Users complete a pop-up questionnaire to be able to access the content behind it Source: “50 Ways to Make Media Pay” report by Damian Radcliffe

editorandpublisher.com

4/18/19 11:59 AM

} Gavin Menu, Sag Harbor Express publisher

} Hal Bailey, LaterPay chief revenue officer

easy way to engage users and to get them to see everything that a publication has to offer.”

Bailey spoke to E&P about their new initiative inspired by the newsstand paper. Called the digital single copy, it is essentially a 24hour pass to a publication’s entire website or app.

Bailey believes other micropayments, such as selling single articles, are valuable options, but the digital single copy is both valuable for the consumer and the publisher. It can remove complicated issues from the newsroom like pricing on single articles or which will be sold individually verses which will not and the fear that consumers won’t go through the hassle of creating an account for one article.

Kiesow seems to be in agreement with the latter statement—the problem with any type of micropayment process has been the “friction in getting that first dollar.”

However, if you let readers in for 24 hours and allow them to pay later (when their consumed content reaches $5) and they see a list of what they have read when they register and pay, the value is now

Common Types of Subscriptions Corporate subscriptions: Buying in bulk, rather than individually Selling on third-party sites: News organizations offer subscriptions on third-party channels, such as Groupon Micropayments: A system that enables readers to consume content one story at a time Cryptocurrency payment: A payment method which utilizes encrypted, decentralized digital currency to purchase subscriptions Source: “50 Ways to Make Media Pay” report by Damian Radcliffe

editorandpublisher.com

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} Leanne Gemma, McClatchy director of product

} Todd Peterson, Albany Times Union vice president of circulation and marketing

tangible while also removing the friction that Kiesow refers to.

Despite being a relatively new solution, LaterPay’s partners are already seeing success with the digital single copy. Publishers are seeing conversion rates (reaching the $5 threshold) of 10 to 20 percent on average. This revenue is both incremental and supplemental to subscription income as, LaterPay says, it comes from the approximate 80 percent of readers who were unlikely to subscribe to begin with.

Made to Order While Apple was busy building Apple News+, McClatchy released a standalone offer for sports. The Sports Pass was released last fall as a niche vertical offering readers the opportunity to pay for just the sports section. The pass was released in 10 markets: Miami, Fla., Kansas City, Mo., Columbia, S.C., Lexington, Ky., Raleigh, N.C., Charlotte, N.C., Boise, Idaho, Tacoma, Wash., Ft. Worth, Texas and Sacramento, Calif.

According to Leanne Gemma, director of product for McClatchy, the company has known for years that their online sports readers are highly engaged and loyal. These readers make up less than 20 percent of their audience, but consume more than 50 percent of their page story views and are three times more likely to return than non-sports readers.

“This is a very different approach than what McClatchy has had before. It has always been one size fits all,” Gemma said. But by creating the Sports Pass, McClatchy is attempting to “create experiences and products that really meet people where they are and give them the right experience, pricing and product at the right time.”

This customized initiative is a first for McClatchy, but not for the news industry.

“The New York Times bet more than a year ago that it could convince an audience of foodies to pay for a standalone section devoted to all things cooking,” CNN’s Jill Disis wrote last November, just after McClatchy’s Sports Pass was released. According to her report, the Times then had 120,000 subscribers for the cooking standalone, which costs $5 a month and is not included in the regular digital subscription.

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One size Does Not Fit All

Comparing Digital Products and Users In millions

101

Amazon Prime

56

Apple Music

25

Hulu

60.5

Netflix

3.3

New York Times

96

Spotify

1.2

Washington Post 0

20

40

60

80

100

and the six month offer is for those who live in the area during the warmer months as many in the community live elsewhere during the winter months.

According to publisher Gavin Menu, the Sag Harbor community is small but being only two hours from New York City, it has, “a lot of very engaged, important, smart, wealthy, powerful people who are readers and they want to experience things.” This prompted the paper to work engagement into their subscription pass with early and discounted tickets to their special events and other perks, which Menu says turns the Express Pass from a subscription to a membership.

“Offering options is important,” Menu said. “The $1.50 weekly program might be for someone just looking to research a specific topic. Anyone who is interested in just one story will be able to do so (with) our meter. We offer the half-year model because many of our readers travel…But we expect the bulk of the subscriptions will be full year.”

120

Reader’s Choice Note: Figures are based on U.S. subscribers in 2018, except for Spotify and Apple Music (worldwide); Washington Post figure is based on reports from 2017 Sources: Hulu; Statisa; Fortune; CNN; New York Times

In addition, the Times offers its crossword as a standalone at $6.95 a month or $39.95 if paid for annually. The crossword is also not included in a regular digital subscription, however, it is offered to a subscriber at 81 cents a week if the user pays monthly or 38 cents a week if paid annually. Last June, Poynter reported that the crossword had reached 400,000 subscribers.

For McClatchy, this initiative has also paid off; in some markets, the Sports Pass has doubled McClatchy’s subscription conversions for the week and has not showed any signs of cannibalization of their regular subscription sales.

Finding Consumers For years, the Sag Harbor (N.Y.) Express provided free content to users via their website despite sinking resources into developing, maintaining and improving it, and like most newspapers saw the need to develop a new business model due to readership moving primarily online.

The Express started working with Wallit, a subscription management solution, and implemented a paymeter allowing users three free articles a month, and the option to purchase a weekly pass ($1.50), a six-month pass ($26) or year pass ($52). The paymeter and weekly pass were unveiled in April this year and the latter passes were unveiled this month. Known as the Express Pass, it includes a print subscription, nine issues of the Express Magazine, as well as digital and early and discounted access to the Express’ events and other perks.

The Express Pass is offered for those in the area the entire year, 42 |

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Two years ago, when Todd Peterson, vice president of circulation and marketing and Brad Hunt sales and retention manager for Albany (N.Y.) Times Union, were approaching budget season, they started discussing the total value proposition that their subscribers had.

“As the industry moves to a heavier reliance on the consumer revenue side, we just got to the point that said we need to step back and find a way to give people who are really paying us, a great amount of more things,” Peterson said.

So, Peterson and Hunt began studying other loyalty programs and membership models and found that they didn’t like anything point based. They came up with a way to reward consumers through tickets (concerts, movies and sports) discounts, extra content and more, while also letting readers choose their payment options. Their memberships consist of three tiers: gold, silver and bronze. Each tier also includes options within. For example, bronze contains digital only, Thursday and Sunday print plus digital, and Sunday print plus digital.

The idea is that a Sunday-only reader can be a gold member for $6, so long as they agree to pay a little more to receive the extra benefits (valued at $200). Vice versa, a consumer can be bronze (which includes $50 of benefits) and seven day reader also for $6 by forfeiting those benefits.

“It really came down to providing options for the customer,” Hunt said. “Instead of losing them outright or feeling like we were forcing them to go to a higher frequency in order to get to that gold status, we wanted to provide the means for the customer to choose.”

The model has been in place since January 2018, and so far, the paper has seen a split between the gold and bronze options with the silver being an ideal option for a portion of their customers.

And by providing so many options, the Times Union is able to cater to many types of consumers—offering the right model to the right person. 

editorandpublisher.com

4/18/19 11:59 AM

By Evelyn Mateos evelyn@editorandpublisher.com

AP Photo

Peter Prengaman has been appointed to lead the Associated Press’ West region. In his new role, Prengaman will oversee a team of print, photo and video journalists responsible for general news, politics and enterprise in 13 western states.

He will be based in Phoenix, Ariz. Prengaman has been with the AP for 17 years, beginning his tenure in Portland, Ore. During his time with the AP, he has reported from more than 15 countries and participated in several major stories as an editor, reporter or videographer.

Garth Stapley has been named editorial page editor for the Modesto (Calif.) Bee. He has been with the Bee for the last 25 years, and he succeeds Mike Dunbar, who has retired. Stapley has covered local, state and national elections, transportation, real estate fraud, investigative projects and more. In his new role, not only will Stapley write editorials, he will also forward community conversations through letters to the editor, columns submitted by community members and host events for readers.

AP Photo

Matt Chandler has been appointed news director for Latin America and the Caribbean for the Associated Press. Based at AP’s Latin America headquarters in Mexico City, Chandler will oversee more than 100 journalists and editors in text, photos and video in a region stretching from the U.S.-Mexico border to Chile’s Tierra del Fuego. He will also be responsible for AP’s Spanish-language text service, with correspondents throughout Latin America, as well as in the United States, and a team of video producers based in Washington. Chandler joined the Associated Press in 2016 as an executive producer for video in London. Previously, editorandpublisher.com

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NewsPeople

Michelle Rogers has been appointed to the new position of national manager for USA TODAY Network’s Storytellers Project. In this role, Rogers will be responsible for growing the frequency of the editorially-driven project and will be managing newsroom coaches and event producers. Previously, Rogers served as consumer experience director at the Ventura County Star in Camarillo, Calif. During her two year stint at the Star, Rogers was charged with reaching audiences on alternative platforms and deepening engagement. Before joining Gannett and the USA TODAY Network, Rogers worked for Digital First Media (now MediaNews Group) and served as director of community engagement and editorial training for its Michigan cluster.

he worked as a senior editor for international news companies including the BBC, Al Jazeera and Sky News.

he worked at the Delaware Wave from 2003 to 2007, first as a sports reporter and later as editor.

Laura Benedict Sileo has been named executive editor for the Daily Times in Salisbury, Md. and its website, DelmarvaNow. com. In her new role, Benedict Sileo will guide local reporters, photographers and editors in creating a strong news report. In addition, she will oversee the day-to-day operations of nine weekly newspapers.

Benedict Sileo is a 16-year veteran of the news operation and the first woman to lead it. She first came to the Daily Times in 2002 as a copy editor and has held several titles during her tenure at the newspaper including head copy editor, web production editor and more.

Eugene Jackson has been named general manager and director of advertising at the State Journal-Register in Springfield, Ill. He fills the position vacated by Todd Sears, who left the newspaper to become publisher of the Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald. Most recently, Jackson served as the senior vice president of advertising and marketing at the Washington Times in Washington, D.C. Prior to that, he was regional publisher of Rapid City (S.D.) Journal and Casper (Wyo.) Tribune from 2017-2018. Jackson’s career also includes stints at the Daily Journal in Park Hills, Mo., Connecticut Post and Roanoke (Va.) Times, where he began his career.

Wayne Carter Jr. has been named editor of Harford County, Conn. newspapers, The Aegis and The Record, both Baltimore Sun Media Group (BSMG) products.

In addition, he will oversee BSMG publications for Arbutus, Catonsville, and Towson in Baltimore County, Md. Most recently, Carter was editor of the Carroll County Times, a sister paper to The Aegis and The Record. During his tenure at the Times, Carter served as a copy editor, city editor and editor of the newspaper. Prior to that,

Timothy Dwyer has been promoted to president and publisher of The Day in New London, Conn. He succeeds Patricia Richardson, who has resigned to pursue other opportunities. Before joining The Day, Dwyer was a staff writer at the Boston Globe, Philadelphia Inquirer and Washington Post. Dwyer most recently served as executive editor of The Day since 2007. Timothy Cotter, managing editor, MAY 2019 | E & P

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NewsPeople Villoch, who has stepped down after 19 years at the Miami Herald Media Co. to take a position outside of the industry.

Joe and Maureen Jakubisyn, owners of The Cheshire (Conn.) Herald, a weekly newspaper founded in 1953, has sold the newspaper to RJ Media Group, headquartered in Meriden, Conn. The Jakubisyns owned the Herald for 31 years and spent nearly a lifetime working at the newspaper (Joe for 50 years and Maureen for 40 years). They were the third owners of the newspaper since it was founded. Joe started as a printer and later moved to sales while Maureen started as a bookkeeper. The Jakubisyns were represented in the sale by John Szefc of Grimes, McGovern &Associates. The RJ Media Group also owns and operates six weekly newspapers, including the Meriden Record-Journal and Cheshire Citizen.

Record Publishing, headquartered in Dunn, N.C. and the parent company of The Daily Record and The Courier-Times, has acquired the Mount Olive (N.C.) Tribune from Merrill Publishing. The Tribune is a family-owned weekly newspaper serving Mount Olive and surrounding communities in southern Wayne and northern Duplin counties. The newspaper began printing in 1904. In 1916, Homer Brock of Mount Olive and his family bought the paper and it remained in the family until 1979 when it was sold to Mount Olive Printing and Publishing, owned by The News and Observer Publishing Co. in Raleigh, N.C. Merrill Publishing, consisting of Barry Merrill and his wife and partner, Marilyn, purchased the Tribune 11 years ago.

Noel and Denise Nash have purchased the Creswell (Ore.) Chronicle, a weekly newspaper, from Scott and Jeanne Olson, who published the newspaper for seven years. In addition to the newspaper, the Nash family publishes a cluster of bi-annual lifestyle magazines known as Emerald Valley magazines.

and Izaskun Larraneta, deputy managing editor, will now be responsible for day-today management of the newsroom.

Aminda Marqués González, executive editor for McClatchy’s Miami Herald, el Nuevo Herald, and the Bradenton Herald, in south Florida, has been promoted to editor and publisher of the Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald. She will continue her role as executive editor for the Bradenton Herald. Marqués González began her career in 1986 as an intern at the Miami Herald. In addition, Sara Glines’ responsibilities have been expanded to include regional publisher of McClatchy’s Carolinas and East Regions.

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She will be responsible for 17 McClatchy media companies. In the past, Glines has served as regional publisher for both Gannett and Digital First Media and as editor-in-chief for NJ.com. Both Marqués González and Glines succeed Alexandra

Cheryl Powell, metro editor for the Akron (Ohio) Beacon Journal, has been named managing editor for news. She will continue to oversee Akron-based news reporters while assuming additional duties coordinating coverage with journalists in GateHouse Ohio’s Kent newsroom. Powell has served as metro editor for the past three and a half years.

Jack Auresto has been appointed deputy Washington bureau chief for video for the Associated Press, a new position that aims to deepen the company’s cross-format collaboration in Washington.

He has served the company since 2014 as the broadcast unit manager for U.S. video, working with the Washington bureau on coverage of big events, breaking news and the Associated Press’ Newsmaker series.

Prior to joining the company, Auresto served as the assignment manager at WHDH, the NBC affiliate in Boston and broadcast manager at WFXT, Boston’s Fox affiliate.

AP Photo

ACQUISITIONS

Jeremy Bowers has been named director of engineering for the Washington Post. He will oversee a team dedicated to the Post’s

Jennifer Allen has been promoted to group publisher over the East Arkansas region for GateHouse Media.

The group includes the Hot Springs Village Voice, Pine Bluff Commercial, White Hall Journal, Stuttgart Daily Leader, the Helena Daily World, Newport Independent and Bastrop Enterprise. Allen began her newspaper career while in high school working at the Malvern Daily Record. She served at the Arkadelphia Daily Siftings Herald throughout college and just before graduating joined the Hot Springs Sentinel-Record and later the Hot Springs Village Voice in 2007. Since then, Allen has served as regional advertising director overseeing 13 GateHouse properties before being promoted to general manager in 2017.

editorandpublisher.com

4/18/19 12:06 PM

AP Photo

NewsPeople Ken Moritsugu has been named the Greater China news director for the Associated Press. He will be based in Beijing and will oversee reporters, photographers, video journalists and researchers in the Chinese capital and in the Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taipei, Taiwan bureaus. Moritsugu first joined the AP in 2007 as Asia enterprise editor in the company’s Asia-Pacific regional headquarters in Bangkok.

He was appointed Tokyo bureau chief in 2013 and promoted to news director in 2017.

politics coverage, focusing on political data projects including election results, congressional votes and campaign finance. Bowers joins the Post from the New York Times, where he served as the senior editor for news applications on the interactive news desk, focused on politics. Prior to that, Bowers worked for NPR on the visuals team. He was a senior newsroom developer at the Post from 2011 to 2012, and began his career at the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times, now the Tampa Bay Times.

J.D. Creer has been named executive editor of the Salem News, Morning Journal and East Liverpool Review, in Columbiana County, Ohio. In his new role, Creer will oversee editorial content for the publications. He began his newspaper career while completing his degree, serving on the sports staff of the Morning Journal.

In 1979, Creer became sports editor of the Salem News, and by 1995, he was promoted to managing editor, the position he most recently held.

Lawrence JournalWorld photo

Chad Lawhorn, editor of the Lawrence (Kan.) JournalWorld, has been named publisher of the newspaper. He succeeds Scott Stanford, who has accepted a promotion within the Ogden Newspapers organization. Lawhorn will continue to serve as editorandpublisher.com

+E+P Newspeople.indd 45

editor in addition to his new role. As publisher, Lawhorn will oversee news, advertising, circulation and all other operations of the newspaper. He has been with the Journal-World since 2001 having served as a reporter, managing editor and editor during his time with the company.

Prior to arriving at the Journal-World, Lawhorn served as editor and publisher of the Baldwin (Kan.) Ledger and the Lawrence Business Ledger in Manalapan, N.J. After a 42-year career in the newspaper industry, William Mitchell has retired as publisher of the Shelbyville Times-Gazette and the Marshall County Tribune in Tennessee. The newspapers are owned by Rust Communications. Mitchell, a third-generation newspaperman, joined Rust in Shelbyville in 2006 as general manager and was named publisher in 2017. Prior to moving to Tennessee, Mitchell was the owner and publisher of the Fulton (Ky.) Daily Leader, Fulton Shopper and owned a commercial printing business. Mitchell succeeded his grandfather, and then his parents as owner and publisher. Mitchell sold the newspapers and printing operation in 2002. During his career, he served three terms on the Kentucky Press Association Board of Directors and two terms on the Tennessee Press Association Board.

Marisa Porto, editor and publisher of the Daily Press in Newport News, Va. and the

Virginian-Pilot, has left her position. Porto had served as editor and publisher since 2016. Prior to that, she led the Daily Press Media Group, which includes the Virginia Gazette in Williamsburg, Va. and Tidewater Review in West Point, Va. Porto has also worked at the News Journal in Delaware, the New-Press in Fort Myers, Fla. and the Times Recorder in Ohio.

Anthony Cloud has been named regional editor for the Claiborne (Tenn.)

Progress, Middlesboro (Ky.) Daily News and Harlan (Ky.) Enterprise.

He will lead a total of eight writers/editors combined from each publication. In addition to providing leadership, Cloud will also be responsible for providing content on a weekly basis.

Cloud began his career at the Daily News in 2011 as a general news writer and after four years, he was promoted to sports editor. In June 2018, he was named interim managing editor for all three papers, staying in the position for only three months before deciding to try a career in broadcast media.

Cloud also served for a brief period at Sigmon Communications before returning to the Daily News in early 2019.

Robert Forcey has been appointed publisher of the Tribune-Democrat in Johnstown, Pa. and its sister publication, the Cumberland (Md.) Times-News. Previously, Forcey served as regional publisher of four newspapers owned by Lee Enterprises in upstate New York, including the Post-Star in Glen Falls, N.Y. He joined Lee Enterprises in 2013 as publisher of the Auburn (N.Y.) Citizen. Prior to that, Forcey was a regional director of sales for American Consolidated Media in Ohio and led digital development for GateHouse Media in Illinois. He also served in positions for Suburban News Publications in Ohio, Gannett, Freedom Communications and Advance Internet. 

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Publications For Sale

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Newspapers • Magazines • Shoppers Book Publishing • Directories • Digital Media Dear Kevin (Kamen & Co. Group Services),

Although you represented the sellers in this deal, I want to thank you, Kevin Kamen, for all that you did in brokering the sale of The Wave newspaper of the Rockaways in Queens, N.Y., to my family and me.

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Help Wanted

CIRCULATION DIRECTOR: High-performing Midwest newspaper seeks an experienced leader to take charge of its circulation operations with an emphasis on customer service. The right candidate must have strong management and organizational skills and be a creative problem solver. A strong carrier recruitment and retention strategy is a must.

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• Consistently meet customer service standards in delivery of products • Assume an active role in the development, marketing, delivery and where appropriate, the management of new products/services The position requires a minimum of three years in a leadership role in newspaper circulation.

We offer competitive pay and benefits, including health, dental and life insurance; paid vacation; and a 401K with a company match. If you’re ready to help a good team get better, send a letter of interest and your resume to midwestpublisher@gmail.com.

editorandpublisher.com

4/18/19 12:12 PM

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DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: The Killeen Daily Herald is looking for a hands-on mailroom manager to lead and oversee the distribution department. This is a working manager position.

Candidate must be able to stand for long periods of time and lift up to 50lbs. Our day / night production operation runs seven days a week; nights and weekends will be required.

• Manager must be able to oversee workflow, inventory security and organization, and the economical utilization of products and equipment.

• Maintaining and improving the mailroom operation by helping to evaluate procedures and making recommendations for appropriate best practices.

• Supervision and leadership of mailroom team including providing feedback and expectations on performance to employees.

• Scheduling and staffing to meet business needs.

• Acting as processor of mailroom time and attendance system and other related duties as identified.

• Must be detailed oriented, organized, and have knowledge of all mailroom procedures and processes, and possess solid computer skills.

• Must have a valid driver’s licence with acceptable driving record.

• Must be familiar with inventory control protocol.

• Must have strong interpersonal and supervisory skills.

We offer a competitive salary, medical, dental and vision insurance. Moving expenses for the right candidate.

To apply email resume to donna.sypion@kdhnews.com, fax 254-634-8204 or call 254-501-7590.

LEAD PRESSMAN / MAINTENANCE: The Killeen Daily Herald has an immediate full time opening for a pressman-maintenance person. This person must have working knowledge of all aspects of printing on a DGM 850 or Urbanite Press to include plating, hanging plates, roll tending, inking, registration, etc. This person must be able to troubleshoot, have mechanical skills, and be able to work flexible hours. This position will report directly to the operations manager.

The Killeen Daily Herald prints two daily newspaper with three weeklies and also produces extensive commercial work.

Located in the heart of Texas at Fort Hood’s front door, Killeen is a city of 130,000 population and about an hour from Austin and two hours from Dallas. We offer an excellent salary, great benefits, paid vacation, sick leave and profit sharing. We’re looking to move quickly in adding the right person to our team.

To apply email resume to donna.sypion@kdhnews.com, fax 254-634-8204 or call 254-501-7590.

PUBLISHER: Fenice Community Media, a small, privately-owned group of Texas community newspapers, is currently seeking a publisher for its newspaper in Madisonville, Texas. The Madisonville Meteor is an award-winning community newspaper located in the county seat of Madison County along I-45 between Houston and Dallas. This is a hands-on position leading a small staff to deliver the news and information important to keep us a vital part of our communities. The publisher we seek will also be expected to be highly visible and take an active role in the community. This is a selling publisher role and the incumbent will be expected to manage an account list and lead revenue generation efforts in addition to holding profit & loss responsibility for the Inquirer and its subsidiary publications. Candidates must have a track record of successfully growing advertising revenue through personal sales efforts. The successful applicant will need to work with employees of various degrees of experience, leading a successful team to produce high-quality publications that meet our company’s profitability goals. The publisher oversees, and is directly involved as needed, all areas of the newspaper — managing the editorial product from planning to production, managing advertising sales, planning special sections, bookkeeping, distribution, analyzing monthly financials and planning for the future. Though newspaper layout is performed at our regional design hub in the Austin area, candidates must have knowledge of AP style and an eye for modern, visualoriented design, as well as experience managing digital product development — including advertising and reader content — and be fluent with social media and have experience driving engagement online. Total compensation is in the -60K range. We offer benefits including health insurance, dental and vision, as well as a generous paid time off program. If you meet the above qualifications and are ready for the challenge, please include your resume and cover letter outlining your experience and relevant accomplishments.

To apply, go to https://fenicecommunitymedia.bamboohr.com/jobs/view.php?id=66

You are reading this... ...so could you next employee!

Advertise today! Call 800-887-1615. editorandpublisher.com

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Help Wanted

Help Wanted

WRITER/SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIST: Ballard Spahr, a multi-practice, national law firm, is in search of a skilled, creative writer who can draft original content, edit copy written by lawyers and staff, and manage our social media platforms. We are looking for a professional writer with business acumen, an intellectually curious self-starter capable of digesting complex subject matter and transforming it into compelling, useful prose with speed and accuracy. On the social media side, candidates should have experience creating and managing corporate accounts on various social media platforms, understand best practices for emerging media, and be inspiring and articulate presenters. This position reports to the Senior Marketing Communications Manager and can be located in any Ballard location.

The Writer/Social Media Strategist oversees the firm’s legal electronic alerts, including editing lawyer-authored content, managing reviews and approvals, proofreading, formatting content into templates, and maintaining adherence to firm style and branding guidelines. Responsibilities also include writing and editing other marketing content, including announcements, invitations, press releases, newsletters and website copy; managing the firm’s LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts and overseeing social media posting, policies, and guidelines; serving as a writing and editing coach for lawyers and staff across the firm; and presenting to lawyers and staff across the firm on topics involving social media, writing style, grammar, and writing/social media as a business development tool.

The selected individual must be detail-oriented, able to successfully manage multiple projects and daily deadlines, and possess the ability to translate complex subject matter into accurate, concise, readable copy for a broad but educated market. Must have an understanding of current events, a passion for writing, and an eagerness to learn. A background in print journalism, particularly covering the courts and/or business beats, is preferred. Strong organizational and interpersonal skills are a must.

Five or more years of writing and/or professional marketing communications experience, demonstrated writing ability, and a superior command of grammar, spelling, and usage.

Familiarity with Chicago Manual and AP style is a must. The selected individual will need experience managing social media accounts in a professional setting.

Ballard Spahr is not accepting resumes from search firms for this position. All applications must be accompanied by salary requirements and writing samples.

Excellent compensation, a comprehensive benefits package and a generous paid time off program is offered. For immediate consideration, please visit https://ballardspahr.silkroad.com/epostings/ and apply online.

Ballard Spahr is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering a culturally diverse environment. The firm encourages applications from a diverse pool of candidates, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, age, national origin, handicap or disability, citizenship, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical condition, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, transgender status, sex stereotyping, genetic information, ancestry, veteran status or any other category protected by applicable law.

SEEKING A CAREER IN MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS? Grimes, McGovern & Associates is a 60-year-old Mergers & Acquisitions Advisory firm for the newspapers, media, events and information services industries.

We are looking for Associates who could be based anywhere in the US. The role is sourcing new sell-side and buy-side clients in the newspaper industry and running sales processes to bring transactions to close.

High level of professionalism required. Role is part sales/business development (lots of cold calling) and part financial (understanding P&Ls, adjustments, add-backs). Comfort with Excel, Dropbox, Google Docs, CRMs required.

Unlimited earnings ability.

To apply, please email jbergman@mediamergers.com or call 218-230-8943.

EMPLOYMENT AD SPECIAL 100 words of text plus your company logo both in print and online for one low price!

1 month in print + 5 weeks online - $125.00 2 months in print + 10 weeks online - $225.00 To place your ad, call 1-800-887-1615 or email classifieds@editorandpublisher.com MAY 2019 | E & P

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4/18/19 12:12 PM

shoptalk /commentary Regulations are Not Killing Newspapers, but Lack of Curiosity Could Harm Them

By David Phillips

A

banker asked me recently if my industry had to deal with a lot of government regulations. He noted that even small banks have frequent visits by regulators and several examiners report to work each day in offices located within some of the larger banks.

That close watch hasn’t stopped some bankers from thinking they can beat the examiners as our newspapers have had stories over the years about embezzlement at local banks.

What surprised him most, though, was my answer that newspapers have no regulations. Newspapers, protected by the First Amendment, pretty much have free reign.

They are under the same labor laws as any business and potential libel is a concern, but there are no government examiners inspecting our operations.

Government also doesn’t get involved in our operations by requiring certifications or other types of licensing for journalists.

Individual newspaper operations set their own standards and draw people from a wide variety of backgrounds, which puts a big hole in the conspiracy theorists who claim America’s media operates as one, unified front out to take down one side of the political spectrum or the other.

Even with all that freedom, there are a lot of similarities between media. I always thought it was because we share common principles and learn from what has proven successful in our field.

I was surprised, though, when a speaker at one of the educational sessions at the Minnesota Newspaper Association attributed the similarities to a copycat syndrome that has taken hold because we don’t have a clue what works. The speaker, who has consulted with all sizes of newspapers in many countries, said we’re all making it up

as we go along.

He cited some evidence, including an example of most daily newspapers copying the large, colorful, graphic weather map introduced by USA Today more than a decade ago. It works in some markets, but he showed the map in a desert region publication where every high temperature for each city that day was the same—100 degrees. Those residents won’t care about that information because they’ll be sitting inside in air conditioning, he quipped.

As someone who has been in this business quite a while, I would like to think I’m doing more than making it up as I go along, but that’s probably closer to the truth than any illusions that I’m some kind of expert.

However, I wouldn’t be surprised if many businesspeople, at least self-aware ones, in other fields feel that they are making it up as they go along. That feeling may come not because they are getting by on blind luck or don’t have any idea what they are doing, but because our world is so unpredictable that what works one day may not work another.

Just ask the executives at Kodak, Toys R Us or Blockbuster.

In the same session, the speaker listed some of the unique stories newspapers have uncovered, often merely as a result of curiosity. He claims stories are everywhere; they just have to be discovered.

At one newspaper he worked with as a consultant, reporters were allowed to follow their curiosity for a certain amount of work time each week. Some of the best stories came out of that block of time.

His theme was tied together at the awards banquet that evening when the new journalist award was announced. The winner stated that curiosity drew her to this profession and she even mentioned she was especially grateful to follow one of her mus-

Over the years, I’ve become convinced that people with curiosity are best suited for journalism. ings in the guise of economics—discovering what happens to letters at the post office addressed by people with poor handwriting.

I’d love to read that story since I have terrible handwriting. I’m sure others would, too, because they probably know someone with poor handwriting.

Over the years, I’ve become convinced that people with curiosity are best suited for journalism. That characteristic may be more important than any other.

As the speaker noted, there are stories all around us; we just have to be curious enough to discover the details.

No certificate is going to help us learn what makes a great story and no regulation is going to ensure that we are serving our readers. Newspapers have the freedom to operate, or fail, on their own merits.

An office full of curious people, scratching below the surface to find the peculiarities, attributes and adventures of people in the community, can only help ensure success. 

David Phillips is president of Phillips Publishing, Inc., which publishes six community newspapers in southeastern Minnesota. He has been involved in journalism for 40 years. This abridged column first appeared in the Spring Valley Tribune, where Phillips serves as editor.

Printed in the USA. Vol. 152, No 5, EDITOR & PUBLISHER (ISSN: 0013-094X, USPS: 168-120) is published 12 times a year. Regular issues are published monthly by Duncan McIntosh Co. Inc., 18475 Bandilier Circle, Fountain Valley, CA, 92708-7000; Editorial and Advertising (949) 660-6150.

Periodicals postage paid at Fountain Valley, CA 92708, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Please send address changes to: EDITOR & PUBLISHER. P.O. Box 25859, Santa Ana, CA 92799-5859. Copyright 2019, Duncan McIntosh Co. Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Subscription Price: U.S. and its possessions, $99.00 per year, additional postage for Canada & foreign countries $20.00 per year. Single copy price $8.95 in the U.S. only; Back issues, $12.95 (in the U.S. only) includes postage and handling. Canada Post: Publication Mail Agreement No. 40612608. Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: Bleuchip International, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON N6C 682.

Subscriber Services (888) 732-7323; Customer Service Email: circulation@editorandpublisher.com.

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