NewsClips March 2015 by Ontario Community Newspapers Association

newsclips march 2015

Ontario Junior Citizens Recognized On Monday, March 9, the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, hosted the 34th annual Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year Awards ceremony in her Suite at Queen's Park. Twelve outstanding youth from across Ontario were recognized in front of family and friends for their inspiring community involvement. More than 130 nominations of eligible youth, aged six to 17, came pouring in from across the province in the fall. Nominees may be involved in worthwhile community service; contribute to their community while living with a physical or psychological limitation; have performed an act of heroism or bravery and be excellent in personal achievements. Candidates are also recognized for making life better for others and going above and beyond what is expected of their age. The Ontario Community Newspapers Association (OCNA) would like to thank corporate sponsors TD Bank Group and Insurance Bureau of Canada, as well its member newspapers for their continued commitment to recognize tomorrow' leaders. To view the announcement of the 2014 Ontario Junior Citizens and their achievements, visit www.ocna.org/en/juniorcitizen. Pictured back from left to right: Emma Ermel, 11, Kitchener; Ralph Palumbo, VP Ontario, Insurance Bureau of Canada; Sabrina Hundal, 17, Mississauga; Joshua Morrison, 13, Uxbridge; Shaylin Conroy, 17, Oshawa; Isaac Pinsonneault, 17, Chatham; Mira Donaldson, 13, Fort Frances; Hayden Prince, 13, Uxbridge; Annaleise Carr, 16, Simcoe; Alan Convery, Director, Community Relations, TD. Pictured front from left to right: Kaidyn Blair, 12, Essex; Abeera Shahid, 17, Brampton; the Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario; Tory Provenzano, 13, Lasalle; and Emilie Suwala, 16, Stoney Creek.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Inside:

2015 National Conference

postmedia acquires sun media papers

independent contractor vs employee

Competition Bureau of Canada approves purchase of 175 newspapers.

There are a number of characteristics that differentiate between the two.

See Page 5

See Page 7

See Page 16

March 2015 monthly publication of the Ontario1 Community Newspapers Association www.ocna.org

AsSOCIATION NEWS

More on the In-Kind Advertising Program By Anne Lannan OCNA Executive Director

You will have noticed extra communications from OCNA lately about the In-Kind Advertising program. The 2014 program relating to funding of the Blue Box, originally schedule to conclude on March 31, 2015, has been extended to May 31 for municipalities which haven’t used all of their allocated lineage in their local community newspapers. As you will recall, the final allocation was delayed due to legal matters and when our industry’s commitment was determined it went from $6.1 million to $7.4 million. In order to give municipalities due course to make use of the lineage, the program was extended until May 31. Now we are moving onto the 2015 allocations, but the final amount for our industry has not been determined and probably won’t be until this summer. You will now see a notice of interim amounts sent to you for 2015. Thank you to the newspapers who dealt with policy changes in regards to municipalities who wish to deal directly with their community newspaper for the planning and execution of their In-Kind Advertising lineage. We had anticipated a bit of confusion with the change, and our members handled all matters very well. OCNA developed a blocking chart and spec sheet to assist municipalities. OCNA is committed to ensuring the In-Kind Advertising program runs smoothly and continues to be effective for both municipalities and their constituents. Please register the staff member responsible for this file for an information session via webinar format on Wednesday, April 15 at 10am, by e-mailing a.lannan@ocna.org

Newsclips Volume 04, Issue 03 3228 South Service Rd. Suite 116 Burlington, ON L7N 3H8 p.905.639.8720 f.905-639.6962 e. info@ocna.org w. www.ocna.org

OCNA Board President

Gordon Cameron

First Vp

Dave Adsett

Second VP

Ray Stanton

Secretary/ treasurer

Dave Harvey

past President

Mike Mount

Directors

Anne Marie Creskey Abbas Homayed Darren Murphy Mike Power Rick Shaver John Willems

Queen’s Park Day Thanks to everyone who travelled to Queen’s Park in March for our annual industry lobby day. And thanks to those who tried to come but were not able to make it – enough snow already! MPPs and senior bureaucrats were receptive to our message about the serious implications that changes to the Blue Box program could have on our industry. As new legislation is proposed by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, we will keep publishers abreast and ask for your assistance as we move forward.

In this issue...

Continued on Page 8 >>>

05 ....................................National Conference Registration open 06 ...............................seeking your support: OCNF Silent auction 07 ..................postmedia receives approval for sun media deal

OCNA Staff Executive Director

Anne Lannan

Controller

Todd Frees

Member Services

Karen Shardlow Kelly Gorven

Accounting

Lucia Shepherd

Ad*Reach

Ted Brewer Carolyn Press Erica Leyzac

09 ...............................................................................upcoming webinars 12 ..................................................................what’s now? What’s next? 14 ....................................................................charting your progress 16 ...............................from independent contractor to employee

March 2015

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association news

OCNA Members Brave Bitter Temperatures to Raise Awareness of Homelessness

ocna member spotlight

John Willems, General Manager, Metroland York Region recently spent a night homeless in support of 360Kids. The event attracted 32 participants and raised a total of $95,000 for the cause. Each participant was teamed with a buddy for added safety, John worked with Dave Barrow, Mayor of Richmond Hill. The two were told to imagine they were 22-year olds who recently lost their jobs and had been evicted from their basement apartment. The authentic experience had them walking a total of 13km in -19 degree temperatures (-27 with the wind chill). They rode a bus long enough to ‘bus nap’ before being kicked off and found shelter in a bank foyer to catch a couple hours of sleep.

mildmay town crier newspaper celebrates 50th birthday Thursday, February 26th, 2015 marked the Town Crier’s 50th birthday! On Friday, February 27th the paper welcomed residents to the office for refreshments and treats. The noisiest bunch: a grade 2/3 class from Sacred Heart School who walked to the office with party hats and horns to sing ‘Happy Birthday to you, you write the best news, Happy Birthday Town Crier, Happy Birthday to you!’ It was certainly a wonderful surprise, as was the birthday banner delivered that morning by a friend of the class. The children also each made a card which they presented to Editor Susan Bross. The group took a mini tour of the office and asked questions before heading back to class.

Members of Hamilton Community News' Coldest Night of the Year team (from left) Gordon Cameron, Richard Leitner, Debra Fuller, Mike Pearson and Rachel Balon braved the snow and trekked for five kilometres along the brow of Hamilton Mountain to help support Neighbour to Neighbour, a Hamilton charity that supports services for the homeless and those in need. Susan Bross, Editor (left) and Karen Huber, Office Manager (right) are pictured in front of the banner.

March 2015

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association news

Good Bye But Not So Long A Message from Anne Lannan OCNA Executive Director These are certainly interesting times in my life as I finish an amazing career in the community newspaper business and embark on new adventures with my own business. Words could not truly give justice to the appreciation I have for the Ontario Community Newspapers Association, our members across the province, and our staff for allowing me to experience 25 wonderful years here. The life lessons, the knowledge and the amazing experiences I have enjoyed will stay with me for a lifetime. I will watch eagerly from the sidelines as OCNA continues to advocate for business environments that allow for strong community newspapers to be able to serve vibrant and growing cities across this province. As your association promotes the strengths of our industry with readers and advertisers, and provides tools and support to advertisers who understand the best way to reach engaged Ontarians is to market their products and services in our pages. I will continue to celebrate your excellence and your thirst for knowledge and professional development, and promise to always be one of your biggest supporters. OCNA has been led by some great boards of directors over the years and I thank them for their support. They are in the process of hiring a new executive director so I look forward to being part of that announcement in the following weeks, prior to my departure on April 30. That person will be supported by the amazing, dedicated and professional staff at OCNA who work diligently on your behalf every day. My new business, Dragonfly Media, which will provide marketing solutions to business (mainly website videos using drones), will have me travelling across the province. Don’t be surprised if I pop into your office to say hello!

Fond Memories of Anne Lannan By Gordon Cameron OCNA President

It’s all Anne’s fault that I became OCNA’s president. If she hadn’t hired me to be OCNA’s communications co-ordinator back in 2005, I still might be in Alberta plying my journalistic trade out on the prairies. As a boss, Anne took the time to make sure I was successful, helping me where I needed it, but letting me find my own way in the job. When I moved to government relations, she shared her knowledge of the industry and those within it to help me make the most persuasive case possible to provincial decision-makers. Since I left the association in 2007, Anne always had a special place on my resumé and her recommendations have helped me get my last two jobs in a tight market for editorial managers. Joining the association’s board in 2009, Anne helped me transition into my new role, encouraging me to think like a board member while using my inside knowledge about OCNA’s Reoperations to inform discussions among directors. Since becoming president, Anne has spent countless hours on the phone talking with me, hashing out ideas, strategies and patiently explaining to me why something is or isn’t a good idea. In other words, working with Anne as a staffer, colleague, director and president is exactly like working with Anne as a member. That’s one of the great things about Anne, her genuineness. The Anne you get on the phone or met at conventions, lunches and sessions is exactly the same Anne I’ve known for the last decade. There is no façade. What you see is what you get. Knowing that makes me certain Anne’s decision to leave OCNA was extremely difficult. Anne has a deep and abiding love of our members. I don’t think there is a member she doesn’t know, or didn’t at least once drop what she was doing to help. She cares, not because it was her job, but because she actually loves the people in our business. And I can say without fear of contradiction that we in the membership actually love her too. March 2015

Check out those shoes! Anne has so much love and appreciation for print newspapers, she even wears them on her feet! www.ocna.org

association NEWS

2015 National Conference Registration Open Discover innovative business strategies, practical ideas and creative ways to serve and connect with your community - all at the 2015 National Conference. Co-hosted by the Ontario Community Newspapers Association (OCNA) and Newspapers Canada, the 2015 National Conference takes place on Friday, May 22 at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel. A pre-conference welcome reception kicks off the event on Thursday night, launching into a jam-packed day of inspiration from dozens of industry leaders and experts. Galas celebrating the OCNA Better Newspaper Awards and the National Newspaper Awards conclude the event on Friday evening. The National Conference is the Canadian newspaper industry’s largest annual gathering, attracting hundreds of top-level newspaper representatives from across Canada. The conference is attended by newspaper publishers, corporate media chain executives, and senior management, including editors-in-chief, advertising and marketing directors, circulation directors and heads of digital and multimedia. Industry suppliers participating as sponsors and trade show exhibitors will have access to the decision-makers from hundreds of daily and community newspapers. The Friday afternoon program is dedicated to community newspapers. The half-day facilitated session is an opportunity for community newspapers to join together and discuss the topics they care about most. What challenges and concerns are you facing today? How do we capitalize and prosper from the strengths of our business? Come ready to fully participate and create breakthrough strategies during this open forum style session and leave with a renewed sense of enthusiasm about your commitment to your business and your community. Topics may include: local retail advertising, growing circulation, Canada Post and distribution, Canadian Heritage, our editorial advantage and understanding our communities. Visit the conference Web site at www.newspaperscanada.ca/conference/2015 and reserve your spot today! Register online before April 20, 2015, and you will receive a $100 discount on conference registration fees. Early bird tickets for the OCNA Better Newspaper Awards Gala are available at $125+HST before May 1, 2015. The price of tickets will increase to $150+HST after May 1, 2015. Questions can be directed to Karen Shardlow at k.shardlow@ocna.org. The 2015 conference will be taking place in the heart of Toronto at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel. A block of rooms have been reserved for delegates from May 19-24 at a special discounted rate of $179/night. Visit www.newspaperscanada.ca/conference/hotel for more information. If booking online, visit https://www.starwoodmeeting.com/Book/IAE19A and make your reservation via the Stargroups Web site. Book over the telephone by calling 1-888-627-7175 and mentioned the group name ‘Newspapers Canada’ or the group code ‘IAE19A’. Make your hotel reservation before April 20 to receive the special group rate. For more information regarding the conference, please contact Tina Ongkeko at conference@newspaperscanada.ca

Dr. Abbas Homayed Recognized Congratulations to Sudbury Northern Life Publisher Abbas Homayed who was recognized in March with an Honourary Degree of Doctor of Sacred Letters from Huntington University. He is shown here on the left with Dr. Kevin McCormick, President and Vice-Chancellor of Huntington University. Abbas currently serves as President of the Canadian Community Newspapers Association (CCNA) and is a Past President of the Ontario Community Newspapers Association (OCNA). March 2015

Want to contribute to NewsClips? If you have news you would like to share about your paper - it could be a new project, recognition from the community, awards you’ve won or an upcoming anniversary - please send them to newsclips@ocna.org.

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March 2015

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association NEWS

Postmedia Receives Approval for Sun Media Deal

Happy 80th Casey DeGraaf Happy 80th birthday for Kees (Casey) DeGraaf, the former manager of OCNA’s G&B Sales graphic supply house. Casey worked for many years at the association until G&B Sales was disbanded at the end of 1996. He then took over the supply business with NewsNet in Oakville and continued there until 2005 when he began his retirement. We use the word retirement loosely as Casey still doesn’t sit still for very long! He continues to drive for the Children’s Aid Society. Casey is shown here with NewsNet’s Khymn Glover (left) and OCNA’s Anne Lannan.

Competition Bureau approves acquisition of Sun Media English language newspapers On March 25, Postmedia Network Canada Corp announced it has received a no-action letter from the Competition Bureau of Canada regarding the purchase of 175 English newspapers from Sun Media. The transaction was originally announced last fall. “This is an exciting day for Postmedia and for the future of Canadian media,” said Rod Phillips, Chair of the Board of Postmedia. “We appreciate the Competition Bureau’s professional and thorough review and its conclusion that the proposed transaction is unlikely to substantially lesson or prevent competition. “We look forward to soon welcoming the Sun Media brands and employees to Postmedia,” said Paul Godfrey, President and CEO. “We are confident that our audiences and advertisers will continue to benefit from the strength of their favourite brands and that Postmedia will be poised to better compete against foreign-based giants that have been disrupting the Canadian media landscape at the peril of distinctive Canadian voices.”

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association NEWS

ISWNE Conference in Missouri Journalism’s Past, Present, Future Converge at Conference in June future?’ and a panel of RJI fellows on their projects that could impact how we cover news in the future. The editorial critiques – the highlight of every ISWNE conference -- will be Saturday morning. The awards banquet is Saturday evening. Full conference registration is $525, which includes all programs and activities on and off campus, shared-suite housing in College Avenue Residence Hall and most meals from Wednesday lunch to Sunday breakfast. Friday-Saturday registration is available for editors from Missouri and adjoining states who are unable to attend the full conference. Two-day registration is $159, which includes all programs, activities and meals on Friday and Saturday, except Saturday lunch. Housing is not included in the two-day package. Two-day registrants may book rooms at Hampton Inn & Suites, just south of campus, for $109 per night only when reservations are placed by phone. Call (573) 214-2222 and use code ‘ISW’ by May 31 for this rate. The registration deadline is May 13, but early registration is encouraged. ISWNE was founded in 1955 to encourage and promote high standards of editorial writing, facilitate the exchange of ideas and foster freedom of the press in all nations. It is headquartered at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin. For more information, contact conference coordinators Gary and Helen Sosniecki at sozsez@aol.com or see http://www.iswne.org for the registration form, schedules and updates.

The world’s first school of journalism at the first public university west of the Mississippi River will be the setting for the 2015 conference of the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors (ISWNE). Non-members are welcome. The conference will be June 24-28 at the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI), part of the Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia. The University’s journalism history and Columbia’s unusual journalism present - it has competing daily newspapers - will be the focus of the conference’s first day with programs and tours of the J-School, the Missouri Press Association office and both the Missourian, the daily published by the School of Journalism, and the family-owned Columbia Daily Tribune, which also prints the Midwest edition of the New York Times. Thursday features visits to the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum and the National World War I Museum. Friday is a full day of journalism past, present and future. Presenters include Mark Horvit, executive director of Investigative Reporters & Editors; the staff of the St. Louis American on ‘Ferguson – How an African-American weekly covered an international story in its backyard;’ Bill Miller Sr. of the twice-weekly Washington Missourian and Hank Waters of the Columbia Daily Tribune, the deans of editorial writing in Missouri; Doug Crews, executive director of the Missouri Press Association, on ‘Dean Walter Williams and The Journalist’s Creed;’ Dr. Clyde Bentley on ‘Where are we going to get our editorial writers of the >>> Continued from Page 2

Unlocking Yes

Congratulations to Patrick Tinney for providing a valuable tool to advertising professionals with the launch of his book Unlocking Yes – Sales Negotiation Lessons & Strategy. Tinney, known to OCNA member newspapers as a trusted trainer and founder of Centroid Training and Marketing, shows us again that success in consultative sales process can be had through a deep understanding of negotiations. Tinney reminds us that many sales professionals profess to be great negotiators even though they cannot describe a single negotiation strategy, philosophy or process. Unlocking Yes solves that problem by using real life situations, business cases, and tactics (even Winston Churchill’s) that will have readers leaping to the next level of success immediately. This should be a must-read for all your advertising professionals, but negotiation is a life skill for staff in all media departments so share this book and share the positive results. Patrick Tinney can be reached at patrick@centroidmarketing.com 705-657-2518. March 2015

Register for the National Spring Convention We are excited about the format and content of this year’s Spring Convention, being held jointly with Newspapers Canada at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel on Friday, May 22. From a morning packed with 12 back to back sessions of seven minutes each to an afternoon open space session structured for the wishes of community newspapers, the day is set to please all. Don’t forget about celebrating excellence in our industry at the evening’s OCNA Better Newspaper Awards Gala, with our master of ceremony Jennifer Valentyne from CityTV’s Breakfast Television Live Eye. We are pleased to have the support of Ontario Power Generation and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation for this event. Make sure you register online by April 20 to get the $199 convention registration and the $125 Awards Gala Early Bird Rate, otherwise the rates increase by $100 and $25 respectively. www.ocna.org

AsSOCIATION NEWS

TRAINING online media campus webinars: OCNA has teamed with the Online Media Campus to help the association fulfill its mission of providing affordable and relevant training to members. ▄▄

April 9 - Mobile Video Editing

Short, timely video is in high demand at all media companies. Video editing on mobile or on a computer is an important skill for telling good stories. In this 60-minute session, you will learn to quickly edit short form news and entertainment videos using iMovie for iOS8 on the iPhone or iPad. No matter what device you have or how you plan to edit your video, this session will teach you the most effective way to edit video stories for multiple platforms. Cost: $35(USD) ▄▄

classified ad April 17 - How to Use Data Visualization Tools (Presented in partnership with GateHouse Media)

Sometimes text and phones aren’t the easiest way for a reader to digest information. Learn how to help your readers relate to data, put information into context and really appreciate the numbers using one of several free online tools that can build graphics and interactives. Cost: $35(USD) ▄▄

April 23 - Out-Servicing the Competition: Adding Value for Your Customers

Are we creating value for our customers every day? Today just ‘servicing’ your customer is not enough. If you want to hold on to your customer base, whether internal or external, you must consistently add value to exceed your customer’s expectations. How can we - as an organization, department or individual - be one percent better than the competition? This webinar will cover: • Creating one percent of separation • The 7/11 rule of customer service • Adding value for your customers, both old and new Cost: $35(USD) *If you are interested in attending one of these webinars, but are unsure if you will be able to view the live webinar, we encourage you to sign up anyways. As part of your webinar package, you will receive access to the archive of this webinar by registering for the live viewing.

For more information and to register, visit: www.onlinemediacampus.com

March 2015

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supplier showcase

ocna’s supplier showcase MetroCreativeConnection (MCC) Adds Intuitive and Innovative Search Features With the launch of Metro Creative Graphics’ redesigned site, newmcc.com, media professionals will find it easier than ever to access and adapt sales ideas designed to expand ad revenue opportunities. While MCC has long been the company’s one-stop source of multiplatform solutions delivered for print, Web and mobile advertising, the redesign offers a unique, innovative search design that instantly retrieves and connects images, layouts, and editorial content in new ways to expand creativity, save time, and open doors to new and increased revenue. The addition of search features such as intuitive keyword suggestions and automatic compilation of related-content results enables users to capture powerful combinations of targeted results — such as specific images or graphic elements — and ideas for incorporating those images or elements into effective, ready-to-roll ads or editorial features. The new MCC experience also enables creative and sales professionals to search Metro’s vast library of images and spec ads simultaneously and view results based on recent popularity, enabling them to save time, identify trends, and showcase the many available creative options to get the job done. Another innovation — MCC’s new Interactive SearchBook — features clickable pages that connect users directly with every idea, image, ad, and tool on the site for instant downloading. Highlighted features and rollover hovers make it simple to access ideas and related content. “Whether users choose to use our new Interactive SearchBook or begin searching and downloading from the new MetroCreativeConnection, the process will be simple, the experience will be enjoyable, and the results will boost both creativity and sales,” said Debra Shapiro Weiss, Metro’s Executive Vice President. The new, easy-to-explore MCC is also geared to support digital ad sales efforts by providing creative content that engages users on multiple platforms. The ability to include advertisers in the creative process is yet another benefit of the redesign. Media sales reps can conduct quick searches during sales calls or invite advertisers to peruse MCC on their own — both of which markedly increase the likelihood of closing the sale. “The redesign of MetroCreativeConnection is at the heart of our longstanding commitment to bringing technology and creativity together in service of our clients,” said Robert Zimmerman, Metro’s President and CEO. “As a company, our mission has always been to provide our clients with cutting-edge resources for ad creation and design work that satisfy every type of advertiser and budget. With the redesign of MCC, we have made it simpler than ever to get even better results.” March 2015

The newmcc.com is now a live working Beta that will continue to evolve with valued feedback from users and expand as new features are implemented. For more information about the new MetroCreativeConnection, call Metro’s Client Services Team at 800-223-1600 or e-mail service@metro-email.com. About Metro Creative Graphics Metro Creative Graphics, Inc. is the leading provider of advertising, creative, and editorial resources designed to help media companies make money with their print, online, and mobile products. With an unparalleled dedication to providing the finest resources available for ready-to-use images, spec ads, ideas, stock-quality photos, logos/trademarks, auto manufacturer photos, marketing/sales materials, copyright-free editorial features, print templated sections, online e-Sections, and groundbreaking digital ad development tools — plus custom image, ad design and editorial services — Metro is unmatched in serving the creative needs of today’s media companies.

OCNA acts as a gateway to over 300 community newspapers in all areas of the province. Promote your information to our members here. Send your updates to newsclips@ocna.org.

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Group Managing Editor

GORDON CAMERON Hamilton Community News 905-523-5800 333 Arvin Avenue Stoney Creek, ON L8E 2M6

October 14. 2014 Date

x 221

March 2015

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ADVERTISING

What’s Now? What’s Next? By John Foust Raleigh, NC

Not long ago, I was in the audience for a consultant’s presentation on today’s business climate. The thing I most remember was listed in the bullet points on one of her PowerPoint slides – the words ‘What’s now? What’s next?’ She spent all of 30 seconds discussing them. Although these four words were not the main emphasis of her speech – and although they were not used in a sales context – they provide a solution to a problem faced by many sales people. Let’s say you’ve worked with a new advertiser to set long-term goals and plan a campaign, and now the ads have started running. Your strategy is to meet with your client on a regular basis to discuss the state of the campaign and see if any tweaks are needed. What do you say in those meetings? It’s vague and repetitive to ask, ‘So how’s your campaign going?’ in every conversation. That’s where these two questions can be a good alternative. Simply establish the format in the first follow-up meeting by saying, ‘We both want you to get the best possible results from your advertising. So in order to focus our attention, let’s concentrate on two things: What’s happening now and what’s the next step to reach your overall objectives?’

those presentations received? Are staff members excited about the new campaign?

2. What’s next? After the current situation is thoroughly covered, it’s time to talk about the next steps. Has anything changed since the original goals were set? Has one marketing tactic outperformed the others? How can we take advantage of that? Nothing is carved in stone. Tweaks should be part of the conversation, because little adjustments can make a big difference. When a rocket is launched to the moon, constant adjustments have to be made. I remember hearing that a trajectory which is off by one degree will miss the destination by one mile for every 60 miles traveled. Since the moon is an average of 238,857 miles from Earth (allowing for the elliptical orbit), a rocket which is off by one degree would miss the moon by 3,980 miles. This 1-in-60 rule can easily apply to a marketing campaign. Things don’t always stay the same. And marketing is not as precise as a programmable moon launch. In addition to keeping your advertisers on course, asking ‘What’s now?’ and ‘What’s next?’ can help you accomplish more in meetings. In other words, these two questions can be booster rockets for sales.

Let’s take a closer look:

1. What’s now? The beauty of this question is that it takes today as the starting point. It doesn’t rehash previous meetings you’ve had or open the door to the history of past campaigns. Certainly, you can discuss relevant points from past conversations. But this question is all about the present. What’s happening with their sales? What about inquiries from potential customers? Is the budget under control? Have other media outlets made sales pitches since the campaign began? If so, how were

(c) Copyright 2013 by John Foust. All rights reserved. John Foust has conducted training programs for thousands of newspaper advertising professionals. Many ad departments are using his training videos to save time and get quick results from in-house training. E-mail for information: jfoust@mindspring.com

Affordable media insurance for Canadian Community Newspapers

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March 2015

We want to hear from you! Please share your news and/ or opinions with us: newsclips@ocna.org

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March 2015

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design

Charting Your Progress By Ed Henninger Henninger Consulting

KEEP IT LOCAL:

Tired of running political cartoons on your opinion page…especially political cartoons that have little to do with what’s going on in your town? Here’s an idea worth considering: A weekly reader opinion poll. Instead of the cartoon, you run the poll results in a prominent position on your opinion page.

Readers care less about what’s going on in Washington than they care about what’s going on in your county.

CHECK THE NUMBERS: Make sure the numbers are spot-on. There’s nothing more embarrassing than poll numbers that add up to more than 100 percent.

I can think of two immediate advantages to a reader poll:

1. You increase reader interest in your opinion page. 2. You get your readers directly involved in your community dialogue.

WATCH THE COLOURS: Don’t use every colour in the rainbow. That can create a gaudy look. Instead, consider an approach that uses tints and shadows of the same colour.

One other advantage: By placing the poll question on your Web site, you increase reader traffic there.

CONTROL THE TYPOGRAPHY: Stick with different fonts of the same type family…perhaps the same fonts you use for your headlines. Don’t get ‘creative’ here. Make the chart as readable as possible.

Some points to consider (with the most important point first):

YOU CAN DO IT: Creating a poll chart isn’t difficult. If you have

You can create a reader poll chart every week. It takes some planning and thinking to come up with your list of suggested responses, but it can become a great reader grabber for your newspaper - and your Web site.

Microsoft Excel or Apple’s Numbers, the applications can pretty much build the chart for you after you input the numbers. And you can create a spreadsheet template that you can use week after week. If you need some help with the software, I’ll bet there’s someone in your office already using a spreadsheet/charting app. Odds are they’ll be happy to create the charts for you.

ED HENNINGER is an independent newspaper consultant and the Director of Henninger Consulting, offering comprehensive newspaper design services at: www.henningerconsulting.com.

ASK OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS:

Nothing’s more boring than a poll with ‘yes’ and ‘no’ responses. They may give you a sense of reader opinion on the topic, but ‘yes’ and ‘no’ responses won’t let you know the depth of reader feelings.

Introducing Localprices app Get a live demonstration

OFFER AT LEAST FIVE OR SIX RESPONSES: Offer readers the chance to pick from a mix. If you know the topic well enough (and you should), you’ll know the best choices to place in front of readers.

It’s super easy for businesses to use!

ENCOURAGE COMMENTS: Offer readers the opportunity to

write a comment or two, and run those comments below the poll.

ASK ON THE WEB: With each poll, include a Web address where

ADD a photo and description

ORDER: Set start   and stop then submit

available for IOS and Android

readers can go to respond. Give them a teaser to the questions, not the full questions, to encourage them to go to the Web page.

ANSWER IN THE PAPER:

Run the results of your poll (and reader comments, as mentioned above) in print. This drives readers to your opinion page.

a 5 minute sales solution

KEEP IT CURRENT: As in the illustration, keep the poll up to date

with what’s going on in your community. March 2015

www.localpricesapp.com : khymn@localpricesapp.com

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design

Editorial Workflow By Kevin Slimp

As Dale told me, “We’ve had InCopy for several months. We just couldn’t figure out how to use it.” The InCopy/InDesign work-flow is like that. It’s incredibly easy to use, but almost impossible to learn on your own. After 90 minutes of instruction, I sent the staff off to create stories in InCopy and pages in InDesign. Then we gathered around Dale’s computer for the real-world test. Dale opened InCopy, then opened the InDesign page that had been created across the building by Kim, the lead paginator. As he started placing his stories on her InDesign page, he let out an audible, “Oh, this is going to be great”. When I asked Dale what he meant, he answered, “I can already see all kinds of ways this is going to improve our process”. And so it was. An easy afternoon for me. Just an hour’s drive each way, then three hours with the staff at the paper. My work was done. And for those who think your paper is too small to benefit from InCopy, I just visited a 1,200 circulation newspaper in Minnesota that has been using it for the past two years and, according to them, “couldn’t live without it”.

In the midst of my busiest year ever, Dale Gentry, publisher of The Standard-Banner in Jefferson City, Tennessee, called to ask if I could find time to visit his newspaper. Less than an hour away from my office, I’ve visited Dale’s staff numerous times over the past 20 years and there was no way I was going to say no. So between trips to Edmonton, Alberta and Preston, Minnesota, I found an afternoon to spend with the staff of the Standard-Banner. The request from Dale was simple enough: “Can you teach us to use InCopy?” For those who aren’t familiar with the application, InCopy is an Adobe product created to use in conjunction with InDesign. It allows users to create an editorial workflow between reporters, editors and page designers. InCopy has been around for quite a while. I first began teaching newspapers to use it in 2000, shortly after the release of version 1.0. The idea is simple, really. While reporters and editors use InCopy to write and edit stories, designers lay out pages using InDesign. For folks who have never used editorial workflow software, it’s amazing to see InCopy in action. The afternoon began with everyone gathered around a conference table, watching on a screen (OK, I was projecting onto a wall) as I went over the basics of using InCopy. Using InCopy is much the same as using any other word processor. The writer simply enters text and it appears on the screen. Where InCopy differs from other word processors is its ability to work cooperatively with InDesign, allowing the writer and editor the ability to see how their words look on the InDesign page, as well as make changes to elements on the page. While I was showing the group how the InCopy/InDesign workflow works, they were surprised at how easy it was to duplicate the process.

KEVIN SLIMP serves as the director of the Institute of Newspaper Technology. He is a faculty member of the University of Tennessee College of Communication and Information. Kevin’s insight on technology is highly sought after at various industry events across North America. www. kevinslimp.com

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From Independent Contractor to Employee By Megan Burkett (at the request of TwoGreySuits)

providing services to a number of different companies. The contractor can even provide services to businesses in competition with you. The business operated by the contractor should have its own GST registration number and the business should submit invoices for the services rendered. The independent contractor should sign a contract clarifying these terms and confirming the status of the relationship. However, classifying a relationship as that of an independent contractor is not enough. The entire relationship between the parties must be examined. The line between independent contractor and employee may begin to blur when the answer is ‘yes’ to some or all of the following questions: 1.Does the company control the contractor’s activities? 2.Does the company provide equipment to the contractor? 3.Does the company assume all the risk in the projects with the contractor? 4.Does the contractor maintain an office at the company and only works out of such office? 5.Does the contractor participate in the company benefit plans? 6.Does the company reimburse the contractor for expenses? 7.Does the contractor work during hours specified by the company? These questions do not represent an exhaustive list, since each individual relationship must be analyzed in its totality. However, it does provide an indication of whether the relationship is no longer as the parties have classified it. It is also important to examine the duration or permanency of the relationship. If the independent contractor has been providing services for the company for years, has become dependent on the company for income, and is performing little or no services for other companies, that is an indication that the relationship is becoming that of an employer / employee.

This article is part of the TwoGreySuits ‘Employee Performance Management’ Series and is offered by our partner, the TwoGreySuits HR Power Centre as a service to our members. If your company uses the services of an independent contractor, at some point you should consider the following question: at what point does an independent contractor become an employee? A mischaracterization of the relationship can result in liability under numerous statutes. In order to ensure that the relationship is correctly classified, there are a number of characteristics that differentiate between an independent contractor compared to that of an employee.

Implications under Statutes

What are the implications of mischaracterizing an employee as an independent contractor? For tax purposes and in the context of employment law, it is important to accurately characterize the relationship. The Canada Revenue Agency may disagree with characterization and conduct an assessment of the relationship. This can create problems for both a company and also for the independent contractor. A company should be remitting taxes on behalf of an employee and the remittance would not occur if the company incorrectly thinks that a person is an independent contractor. In addition, a person who believes they are an independent contractor may be in for a surprise when they have been deducting business expenses and then find out that the Canada Revenue Agency considers them to be an employee. For employment law, an employee is covered under various types of legislation including the Employment Standards Act, S.O 2000, chapter 41 (the “ESA”), the Employment Insurance Act, S.C. 1996, c. 23, the Canada Pension Plan, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-8, and the Canada Labour Code, R.S.C. 1985, c. L-2, to name a few. Each of these statutes have their own definitions of an employee, so even through a person is an employee under one statute, they may be considered as an independent contractor under another. Companies will have obligations under some or all of these statutes for an employee. A company may be liable after the fact where an employee was incorrectly classified as an independent contractor. Under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, S.O. 1997, chapter 16, if a person is injured and it is determined that they are in fact a worker and not an independent contractor, then the company has an obligation to pay contributions. In the event the employer wants to end the relationship with a person, the classification is important since as an employee the person may be entitled to remedies under the ESA and the common law for wrongful dismissal, which would not be available to an independent contractor.

Conclusion

In order to ascertain where the relationship falls, the company should begin by analyzing all relationships with independent contractors. Each relationship should be assessed individually. This is a good exercise for the company to engage in to establish where their obligations fall with respect to these workers and to determine the steps company can take now to ensure that the relationship does not astray any further. Megan Burkett is a lawyer and a member of the Keyser Mason Ball, LLP Labor and Employment Group. Her practice is focused on employment and labor issues, particularly as they affect employers. For additional information about Megan or the firm, please visit www.kmblaw.com. The HR Power Centre and HR Hot Line is a one-of-a-kind product specifically designed to get you the answers you need fast, in hundreds of different HR situations. Signing up is simple and free for OCNA members. You can call us today at 905-639-8720. Why wait? Don’t let important people management issues go unresolved when you can deal with them today.

Characterization of the Relationship

When using the services of an independent contractor, you should be looking for someone who operates their own business and will be March 2015

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