newsclips
JULY/AUGUST 2013
IBC and OCNA Team Up to Support Community Service Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) and the Ontario Community Newspapers Association (OCNA) recently announced the Insurance Bureau of Canada Community Award in Memory of Mary Knowles. “IBC and its members have a proud history of working locally to make a difference, and partnering with OCNA is a great way to support those individuals who make outstanding contributions to better their communities,” says Ralph Palumbo, Vice President, Ontario, IBC. The Mary Knowles Award was created in memory of Mary Knowles, a dedicated newspaper employee and active community member who died from breast cancer in 1996. This award recognizes both the contributions of individual newspaper employees and the intimate connection community newspapers
have with their communities. “We are pleased IBC is committed to recognizing local heroes with this important community service award,” said Anne Lannan, OCNA’s Executive Director. “Community newspapers create strong communities across this province because of their intimate connection with local groups, businesses and government. Dedicated newspaper employees make it happen.” The recipient of the 2013 Insurance Bureau of Canada Community Award in Memory of Mary Knowles will be announced in February and recognized at the Awards Gala in April 2014. For more information about the Mary Knowles Award visit: www.ocna.org/communityserviceaward
For more information about IBC’s community outreach initiatives visit: www.ibc.ca/en/In_the_Community/ For more information or to set up an interview contact: Helen Lialias Media Relations Officer Insurance Bureau of Canada 416-362-2031 x 4312 hlialias@ibc.ca Kelly Gorven Member Services Coordinator Ontario Community Newspapers Association 905-639-8720 x 221 k.gorven@ocna.org
John. P Schmidt Retires After 47 Years with Ayr News Courtesy of Ayr News
In 1966, John attended the Galt Collegiate Institue and had a job, quite different from the newspaper business, lined up to start after graduation. However, a phone call from his Grandfather indicated there was a spot available at the family newspaper, the Ayr News, and insisted he take it. It was then that he declined the other job offer and began working at the one and only job he’s ever held. Less than two years later, John’s Grandfather passed away. The tasks of sweeping floors, getting the mail and learning how to hand-set and run a linotype suddenly turned into a serious matter of how best to support (From left to right): Jim Schmidt, John Schmidt, Paul Schmidt. his Uncle Jim, in his momentous task of carrying the family business. “Over the past nearly half a century, I have worked for and with many fine people and customers through the Ayr News newspaper and job printing divisions,” said John in a column he wrote for the News. “These people are what make the business most gratifying.” After 47 years, John is retiring but does not say goodbye to the newspaper as it remains a strong business in the family, now run by younger generations.
WHAT’S INSIDE:
COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS ARE STRONG It’s time to tell the world about newspaper success and triumphs.
See Page 5
TOXIC LEADERSHIP What makes a toxic leader tick?
See Page 15
HOW TO FIX A COMMON AD DESIGN FLAW Five tools that can help an ad break through the clutter.
See Page 17
MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE ONTARIO1 COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS ASSOCIATION July/August 2013 www.ocna.org
ASSOCIATION NEWS
Association Updates By Anne Lannan OCNA Executive Director
NEWSCLIPS VOLUME 03, ISSUE 01 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
Welcome College and University Publications
The OCNA Board of Directors is pleased to welcome the association’s Associate Members, comprised of college and university publications, as participants in the AdReach program. The existing ten publications who are Associate members of the association take part in the Better Newspaper Awards, Student Distance Education Program, training, as well as networking, communications, and career services. AdReach, which already has valued relationships with advertising agencies and direct clients, will create a supplementary rate card to assist agencies planning campaigns targeted to the 18-25 year old demographic in Ontario. Discussions with journalism coordinators and publishers at these publications, who wanted more involvement and assistance from the association, spurred the board’s decision. The media representative used most often by these publications had ceased operation earlier in the summer so our Associate Members are pleased to have OCNA step up to assist them and their students.
OCNA BOARD PRESIDENT
Gordon Cameron
FIRST VP INTERIM
Dave Adsett
SECOND VP
Andrea DeMeer
SECRETARY/ TREASURER
Dave Harvey
PAST PRESIDENT
Mike Mount
DIRECTORS
Abbas Homayed Mike Powers Rick Shaver Ray Stanton John Willems
Blue Box Program Update
Jim Bradley, Ontario’s Minister of the Environment, is proposing the new Waste Reduction Act to replace the existing Waste Diversion Act, which governs the Blue Box Program. OCNA and Newspapers Canada are reviewing the legislation and will speak our concerns on behalf of the industry to meet the September deadline. Main concerns regarding the legislation centre around a few key points – stewards’ relationship with municipalities, the relationship the new Waste Diversion Authority will have with municipalities, and the ability of stewards to create their own collection system. We are planning our Newspapers’ Queens Park Day and Publishers’ Reception on Wednesday, September 25 and are seeking support of Ontario’s publishers to come to Toronto that day to speak to MPPs about this legislation. Please mark your calendars now. Continued on page 4 >>>
IN THIS ISSUE... 04 ...............................................TC MEDIA LAUNCHES AUTOGO.CA 05 .....................................COMMUNITY NEWSPAPERS ARE STRONG 07 .......................................................................ADVERTISING ALERT 11 .............................................ONLINE MEDIA CAMPUS WEBINARS 14 .......................CREDIBILITY AT THE NEGOTIATION TABLE PAYS
OCNA STAFF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Anne Lannan
CONTROLLER
Todd Frees
MEMBER SERVICES
Karen Shardlow Kelly Gorven
NETWORK CLASSIFIEDS
Carol Lebert
ACCOUNTING
Lucia Shepherd
AD*REACH
Ted Brewer Carolyn Press Erica Leyzac
15 .........................................................................TOXIC LEADERSHIP 16 .............................THE GIRL WHUT BRUNG YA: TYPEFACE TIPS 17 .................................HOW TO FIX A COMMON AD DESIGN FLAW July/August 2013
2
www.ocna.org
ASSOCIATION NEWS
Chesterville Record to Include Russell Villager
OCNA MEMBER UPDATES
The Russell Villager brand and news gathering effort was recently integrated into the pages of the Chesterville Record. The first combined issue was distributed on August 7. Both papers have been part of the same family enterprise since 1984 when the Morris brothers added the Villager to their collection of local publications. Etcetera Publications (Chesterville) Inc. owner Robin Morris says that rising printing and postal costs have compelled the new measure. The Record will continue to be the venerable paper it has always been for almost 120 years. But it’s set to become several pages thicker, to carry the additional news and sports coverage from the Russell area. And those staff members dedicated to gathering news in that community will continue with that as their primary focus. The same goes for the scribes working on the Record’s more traditional coverage areas. Separate Web sites for the Villager and the Record remain in place. In print, each community will see a little more news from the other in the combined publication, which still goes by the name of the Record. The front page, however, acknowledges the inclusion of the Villager’s Russel news inside. Running news from Russell is nothing new for the Record, which has had its eye on that community - to some extent- since its founding in 1984. And there’s all the more reason to pay attention to Russell with a substantial number of high schoolers from Chesterville opting to pursue their secondary education in the other community these days. For the younger Villager, this is just the latest evolution in a shorter timespan. It was a monthly newspaper when acquired 30 years ago, Morris recalls, and increased to twice monthly before reaching its current status as a weekly. For the past few years, Villager editorial and advertising staff have worked inside the same Etcetera Publications base of operations at 7 King Street, Chesterville. In large measure, the upcoming integration on paper reflects the reality of a combined operation anyway - but with even greater value for readers and advertisers.
LAKESHORE ADVANCE STAFF GIVING BACK TO THEIR COMMUNITY Lakeshore Advance Editor, Lynda Hillman-Rapley and office manager Kathy Young (both pictured in middle) participated in the Heart and Stroke Big Bike event on June 1st. Lynda Hillman-Rapley also volunteered at Tim Hortons Camp Day on June 5th.
CREEMORE ECHO EDITOR ATTENDING TEACHERS COLLEGE IN FALL Brad Holden, Editor of the Creemore Echo, has chosen to leave his position after six years with the newspaper to attend teachers college in the fall. He hopes eventually to land a job which will afford him more time with his wife and young twin girls. The Creemore Echo is currently looking for someone to fill his spot. The staff at the Creemore Echo wish Brad all the best and are excited to welcome new members to their newspaper.
ST. LAWRENCE EMC-BROCKVILLE SPONSORS ANNUAL CANADIAN TIRE BROCKVILLE ROTARY GOLF CLASSIC On July 10, the St. Lawrence EMC-Brockville was Media Sponsor for the 4th Annual Canadian Tire Brockville Rotary Golf Classic. Special guest for the event was the legendary Gerry Cheevers, two time Stanley Cup winning goaltender with the Boston Bruins. The members of the newspapers team, pictured left to right: Jon Walker, 1000 Islands Toyota; Dave Fox, Sales Rep. St. Lawrence News EMC, (Gerry Cheevers), Wayne Thornhill, Advertising Sales Coordinator, St. Lawrence News EMC and Al Jonkman, RE/ MAX Riverview Realty, Perth. Over $60,000 was raised from the golf tournament and silent auction. Proceeds go to support the Canadian Tire Jump Start program to help under-priviledged kids play sports.
OCNA is sad to say goodbye to the following papers that have recently ceased publication: Dresden/Bothwell Leader Spirit Russell Villager Oakville, North Oakville Today July/August 2013
3
www.ocna.org
ASSOCIATION NEWS
Sun Media Restructuring: 360 Jobs Lost In July, Sun Media Corporation announced a number of restructuring initiatives, including the closure of its 24 Hours newspapers in Edmonton, Calgary and Ottawa, the closure of eight weekly newspapers, and the elimination of 360 jobs. The strategic overhaul is expected to save approximately $55 million a year. “In recent years, the print media industry has been going through an unprecedented transformation such as it has never seen before,” said Julie Tremblay, Chief Operating Officer, Sun Media Corporation in a press release. “The management decisions we are making are difficult and highly regrettable, particularly the job cuts. However, the downsizing is necessary to maintain a strong positioning for our news media outlets on all platforms, and more broadly to secure our Corporations’ future success in an industry that is being revolutionized by the advent of digital. To the employees who are leaving us, we extend our heartfelt thanks for their contribution and we wish them every success in the future.” In addition to the three 24 Hours, the following eight titles have already ceased or will cease publication: L’Action Regionale in Monteregie (Quebec), the Lindsay Daily Post (Ontario), the Midland Free Press (Ontario), the Meadow Lake Progress (Saskatchewan), the Lac du Bonnet Leader (Manitoba), the Beausejour Review (Manitoba), Le Magazine Saint-Lambert (Quebec) and Le Progres de Bellechasse (Quebec). “Digital is more than a strong trend,” Tremblay added. “Today, young people are getting their information almost exclusively from digital sources such as computers, smartphones and tablets. We are working to meet the needs of all our readers and advertisers in this new environment. We are therefore making investments and expanding our high-potential newspapers and publications across all platforms, print and digital.” This isn’t the first attempt to cut down costs for the company, in 2012 approximately 500 positions were eliminated.
TC Media Launches New Auto-Themed Web Property
Upcoming Webinars Digital Subscriptions: Highlights, Trends and Potential Friday, September 13 Jeffrey L. Hartley, Morris Publishing Group
Collaborating For Success: Competitive Business Models Friday, September 20 Lyle Muller, Iowa Center for Public Affairs Journalism
Register at onlinemediacampus.com Presented in partnership with:
High-quality, low-cost web conferences that help media professionals develop new job skills without leaving their offices.
July/August 2013
Montreal’s TC Media recently introduced AutoGo.ca, a new Web site designed for drivers looking for a new or used vehicle, anywhere across Canada. The bilingual site lets users search by lifestyle, whether it be Family, Luxury, Sport, Eco-friendly, Young Couple or Student. It also showcases a large inventory of more than 1,400 car dealers and 70,000 cars for sale in Canada. “We are thrilled to switch into high gear and present this new innovative media property, AutoGo.ca, to better meet the needs of our clients and consumers,” said Bruno Leclaire, Senior Vice President, Digital Solutions at TC Media. On AutoGo.ca, users can access expert opinions, reviews and one new test drive a day. It also features new launches, automotive news, latest trends and safety issues, making it the reference for drivers who want to make an informed decision. The site’s content is created by a team of professionals, inclusing Senior editor and journalist Marc Bouchard, reviewer and columnist Michel Deslauriers and a roster of seasoned journalists. To contact the AutoGo.ca sales team: 1-855-818-7012 or service@autogo.ca
New Group Managing Editor for Hamilton Community News Congratulations to OCNA President Gordon Cameron who recently joined Hamilton Community News in the position of Group Managing Editor. In his new role, Gordon will provide editorial direction and be responsible for working with the Editorial team overseeing the Ancaster News, Dundas Star News, Hamilton Mountain News and Stoney Creek News. Gordon has held various Editorial positions and comes from the Town Crier Newspapers where he held the position of Managing Editor. In this role he was responsible for managing the Editorial team and overseeing all phases of editorial production of newspapers, magazines and specialty products. In addition, Gordon is currently the President of the Ontario Community Newspapers Association where he is an active spokesperson for the Association and works with other various newspaper associations and groups. 4
www.ocna.org
ASSOCIATION NEWS
Community Newspapers are Strong By Gordon Cameron, OCNA President
percent vs. a decrease of 7.5 percent in the States. Then there’s the idea that printed newspapers are becoming obsolete owing to the fact that more and more people are getting their news and information online. That’s partly true, but what those making that argument fail to mention is that the majority of online news seekers turn to stories written by the traditional media outlets more often than online only sources. Perhaps the most important thing newspapers, particularly community newspapers, have going for us is our continued relevance to the places we call home. How many times have you heard an event organizer say “we must be sure to let the blogosphere know” or “we need to post our schedule on Craigslist?” Oh sure, if there’s a big story in town it might attract the national media, but where are they the rest of the time? They’re not at town council meetings like we are; they’re not covering the local youth soccer tournament like we are. In short, they’re not as locally relevant as we are. We know this, now we just need to do a better job of telling those who don’t.
If there’s one thing community newspapers are great at, it’s telling the world about the successes and triumphs of the places we cover. Open any OCNA member newspaper and you’ll see photos of young girls with missing teeth smiling with their spelling bee trophies; you’ll read about how the service club exceeded its fundraising goal for the new arena; you’ll smile seeing how well the high school band did at regionals. If there’s one thing community newspapers aren’t really great at, it’s telling the world about the successes and triumphs of our papers. Oh sure, we always write about the awards we’ve won or the wonderful things our staff members are doing in the community, but how often do we take the time to remind our readers and advertisers of how strong we are as an industry? A day hardly goes by without having to hear or read about how poorly newspapers are doing and how the whole industry is dying. But how much effort do we as an industry put into correcting that notion? While it is true in many places that newspapers aren’t doing as well financially as they once were, much of the ‘newspapers are dying’ bunk is based on trends among U.S. dailies. Recently Newspapers Canada released a fact sheet showing that total Canadian newspaper readership is eight percent higher than it is down south and is higher across all demographics. It also pointed out that ad revenues were up in Canada for 2012 by 1.3
OCNA’s Network Classified Advertising is an easy way for you to earn additional revenue. Upsell your retail and classified advertisers and each a 35% commission. An All Ontario 25-word ad is $475. You earn $166.25 each time you upsell your client into the program. LOGO ADS: OCNA recently introduced logo ads as an option. An All Ontario 25-word ad WITH LOGO and enhanced text is $975.
$$$
You already know that advertisers in community newspapers get results. Help your advertisers extend their reach into a region of the province, across Ontario, or right across the country. They Win - You Win. The Possibilities are endless: > Online Revenue - any retailer with a web site. Let the Networks drive traffic to their site for increased sales > Real Estate - any agent with vacation properties, commercial properties and luxury homes. Buyers from outside your newspaper distribution area need to know > Events - Fairs, Markets, Shows, Theatre, Concerts or Sports. Spread the word to draw more people > Help wanted - Trades and other positions that individuals would relocate or commute to
Contact OCNA Network Classified Coordinator Lucia Shepherd for full details at l.shepherd@ocna.org or 1-800-387-7982 ext 223.
July/August 2013
5
www.ocna.org
ASSOCIATION NEWS
2013 EPPY Awards Open for Entries Entries are now open for the 2013 EPPY Awards, honouring the best media-affiliated Web sites across 31 categories. The international contest is open to all media including Canadian daily and community newspapers as well as campus papers.
Entry deadline is August 30, 2013. All entries will be judged by a panel of notable figures in the media industry, chosen by the staff of Editor & Publisher. The winners of the 2013 EPPY Awards will be announced on editorandpublisher.com on Wednesday, October 30, 2013.
INSIDE-OUTSIDE SALES/ ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVE Dynamic, locally-owned company has an immediate opening for a well-organized and highly motivated salesperson to work in an exciting and fast-paced environment on a full-time basis. We are growing exponentially with a long term plan for continued expansion in the area. The successful candidate will be given a well-established, existing account base to maintain and grow through outstanding customer service and time management skills, with a passion for assisting clients in promoting their business. This is a unique opportunity to develop a career with an unlimited earning potential. The position is commission-based with starting incentives. Sales experience is preferred, however we are willing to train the right individual. Please submit cover letter of interest along with resume in confidence to:
standardkelly@powergate.ca
H W can you capture more advertisers and audience?
With Metro e-Connect, you have what you need to take the lead with multimedia advertising. This integrated, flexible, cost-effective, multiplatform program is also easy to launch and easy to manage. Providing your ad team with the resources it needs to deliver real solutions for your advertisers’ evolving needs, while expanding audience engagement, Metro e-Connect translates into a win-win for all.
Find out more now! Go online to metrocreativeconnection.com/e-connect, call 800-223-1600, email service@metro-email.com or scan the QR code to see how you can immediately implement and benefit from Metro e-Connect.
94A Water Street, Port Perry 905.985.6985 We thank all those who apply, however only those considered for an interview will be contacted. July/August 2013
Metro e-Connect
The new multimedia ad program that is changing the way we connect. OCNAHOW2013
6
www.ocna.org
ASSOCIATION NEWS
Special Olympics
ADVERTISING ALERT:
OCNA’s Anne Lannan was a very proud mom and team cheerleader last month when her 22-year-old son David competed in his first Special Olympics Provincial Games for Athletics (Track & Field) in Markham. His Niagara Region 3 team brought home a record number of medals, 34 in total, for their various summer sports. David competes with the Grimsby-Lincoln Special Olympics Club and earned one Silver medal and two Bronze medals for shotput, long jump and 50m sprint. All the sporting events were held within York Region, which hosted 760 athletes from across the province.
MULTI-LEVEL MARKETING Source: Competition Bureau http://www.competitionbureau.gc.ca/eic/site/cbbc.nsf/eng/03035.html Scope: National Last updated: January 2013 Newspaper Classifieds are popular places for Multi-level Marketers to seek individuals to come onboard. Their ads often talk about revolutionary new programs, how to make an amazing amount of money while working part-time from home, spend more time with your family, some say no selling involved… Multi-level Marketing should not be confused with Pyramid Schemes which are illegal. The Competition Bureau’s website has an extensive definition of the two. MLM is regulated by the government. In promoting their ‘opportunity’, multi-level marketers are required to disclose only the actual compensation received. So they can’t advertise ‘make $8,000 a month’ if it is not the ‘average amount earned by participants’. In doing your due diligence before accepting these ads, and you question the amount of compensation being advertised, get it in writing from the advertiser. Newspapers may want to put these ads under ‘Business Opportunity’ as opposed to ‘Help Wanted’ as they do not ‘hire an employee’. The Bureau provides ‘written opinions’ of MLM plans to ensure they meet the requirements, but getting a copy is difficult as most participants who want to advertise are so far removed from the operations.
July/August 2013
7
www.ocna.org
ASSOCIATION NEWS
OCNA MEMBER UPDATES GLENGARRY NEWS PUBLISHER RETURNS AFTER FIVE YEAR RETIREMENT JT Grossmith has returned as Editor and Publisher of the Alexandria Glengarry News after almost five years of retirement. He had served in the same capacity from fall of 2000 to October 2008. Previously, he was Editor in Chief at Northumberland Publishers, which, at that time, published two dailies: the Cobourg Daily Star and the Port Hope Evening Guide and weeklies in Campbellford, Colborne and Warkworth.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS Queen’s Park Day: September 25, 2013
Publishers and General Managers are invited to meet with MPPs, senior civil servants and fellow publishers at Queen’s Park to discuss issues concerning the industry and show the provincial government how important newspapers are as a viable source of information. Meetings will be arranged with MPPs throughout the day. A Publishers’ Reception will take place in the afternoon.
Independent Publishers’ Retreat: November 8 - 9, 2013
Independent Publishers are invited to join OCNA for social and networking opportunities, information sessions, food and fun. Stay tuned for more information.
TORONTO DOWNTOWN BULLETIN MODERNIZES ITS WEB SITE
Spring Convention:
The Bulletin has just modernized its 13-yearold ‘hard-coded’ Web site to an interactive WordPress Web site that has attracted immediate community participation in Downtown Toronto. Advertiser response has been overwhelming and the publication is catching up on orders and might not revert to AdWords and AdSense in favour of purely local Web site ads.
Save the date for the 2014 OCNA Spring Convention and attend informative sessions as well as the successful BNC Awards Gala, honouring the best in the industry.
While the Web site: www.thebulletin.ca has always attracted web traffic from far and wide, it’s the local nature of the site that makes it valuable to local advertisers. It also helps that visitors to Toronto also visit the site, which is good news for the hospitality businesses Downtown. Keeping up with the demands of a Web site has brought new staff and increased freelance opportunities for many regular contributors.
July/August 2013
April 4, 2014
>>> Continued from page 2
Waste Diversion Act Legislation As you know, with the existing legislation newspapers, who are members of OCNA/ Newspapers Canada, are able to make their contribution through In-Kind Advertising, as opposed to cash. Municipal costs to operate the Blue Box Program have risen dramatically over the past nine years, so our industry’s contribution has gone from an average of $1.9 million to $6.1 million this year. We continue to work with Waste Diversion Ontario, Stewardship Ontario and the Association of Municipalities of Ontario about current concerns with the system.
Congratulations Grandpa Don Lamont
Received a great e-mail from former OCNA Executive Director Don Lamont this week that he and his wife Phyllis are proud new grandparents to identical twin boys. The Lamont’s have retired to Vancouver where they are spending time with their growing family. 8
www.ocna.org
ASSOCIATION NEWS
CONNECT WITH US!
David Zilstra Communications
OCNA and Ad*Reach are now on Twitter! Follow us @OCNAAdreach for frequesnt association updates, industry news, upcoming events and more.
Invigorate your ad planning calendar… to Increase sales and your bottom line! Let David Zilstra help you….battle your competition (print or broadcast), revamp your ad plan, add proven vertical and sustained features, help you generate new business, and steer your ad team in the right direction.
David has over 20 years of print sales and management experience, and is ready to help provide your operation with the boost it may need during these challenging times. For a confidential discussion please feel free to call or email David at any time. 705-770-0232 David.Zilstra@gmail.com
THE WELLINGTON ADVERTISER
FREE PRESS ~ NEWS WEEKLY
We have an opening in our Editorial department for a junior reporter position. This position involves reporting on community news and events of all types, writing feature stories, and taking photos. Qualifications: • Experience with Indesign and Photoshop on a Mac platform • Working knowledge of pagination concepts • An eye for great photography • Familiarity with CP stylebook • Comfortable with on-line news and social media • Good organizational skills & must be able to meet deadlines • Reliable transportation and valid license Education: • Minimum of a college diploma in journalism Hours of work: - Full-time position, with a flexible schedule to accommodate weeknight and weekend work as assigned. Deadline for submission: August 24th, 2013 Please send your resume and cover letter to: The Wellington Advertiser c/o Chris Daponte, Editor Box 252, Fergus, Ontario N1M 2W8 Or by email to: editor@wellingtonadvertiser.com All applications will be treated in confidence. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
July/August 2013
9
www.ocna.org
ASSOCIATION NEWS
Canada Post Announces Changes to Publications Mail and Unaddressed Admail Taking Effect January 2014 Unaddressed Admail
Canada Post has announced price and service changes to Publications Mail and Unaddressed Admail effective January 13, 2014. Newspapers Canada has assessed the impact of the new price sheets on member newspapers, and it has found that although a number of controlled-circulation newspapers may see a slight savings, the majority of both paid- and controlled-circulation newspapers will experience increases, with smaller paid-circulation publications in rural areas seeing the largest increases. The association has expressed its concern to Canada Post about the inequity of the new price sheets and will be pursuing the matter further. The following is a brief summary of changes affecting newspaper publishers. All customers should have received written notice of the changes, and details are also available online at canadapost.ca/notice.
▄▄
Price increases and simplified price structure effective January 13, 2014. ▄▄
2014 Unaddressed Admail Customer Guide will be available online on November 15, 2013. ▄▄
Simplified mail preparation for Unaddressed Admail effective immediately. Refer to the updated 2013 Mail Preparation Guides ‘Unaddressed Admail’ and ‘Brickpiling’ at canadapost.ca/mailpreparation. ▄▄
No longer required to produce a Distribution Plan or provide a mailing sample ▄▄
Maximum bundle height increased from 100 mm (4 inches) to 152.4 mm (6 inches) ▄▄
Single strapping (mechanically-applied) now extended to Oversize items
Publications Mail ▄▄
▄▄
▄▄
▄▄
No minimum weight requirements for brick-piled mail on pallets
Price increases to Publications mail effective January 13, 2014.
Clarification of how to perform a ‘pinch test’ used to assess whether an enclosure will separate from your mail item—effective immediately. See section 2.1.2.1 of the current online version of the Unaddressed Admail Customer Guide.
2014 Publications Mail Customer Guide will be available online on November 15, 2013. ▄▄
New optional Customized Postal Indicia to help promote your business—available immediately. ▄▄
▄▄
Clarification of how to perform a ‘pinch test’ used to assess whether an enclosure will separate from your mail item—effective immediately. See section 2.1.3.1 of the current online version of the Publications Mail Customer Guide.
Elimination of SOM Only version of Electronic Shipping Tools (EST) for Unaddressed Admail—effective January 13, 2014. Use Precision Targeter, EST Online, or EST 2.0 to complete all your mailing documentation and to access your contract prices.
Like us on Facebook!
September 25th
Frequent updates on our Facebook page. Upcoming events, association changes, industry news, job postings and more!
4:30pm-7:30pm Camera Dining Room
July/August 2013
10
www.ocna.org
ASSOCIATION NEWS
TRAINING OCNA is pleased to announce a partnership with Online Media Campus to help the association fulfill its mission of providing affordable and relevant training to members.
ONLINE MEDIA CAMPUS WEBINARS: August 28th - The Latest Apps for News Reporting iPhones have become a staple in newsrooms across the country. This webinar will explore the iPhone as a mobile reporting tool. You’ll learn about the latest tools for reporting, creating and publishing content using your mobile device. You will hear about the latest mobile applications to help you take photos, record video and audio, take notes and get content to your readers via social media. You’ll also learn about tools to easily move content between your phone, desktop computer and laptop computer so you can get content to your readers (and your editor) more efficiently. Cost: $35 before Friday, August 23rd. A $10 late registration fee begins on Saturday, August 24th.
August 29th - Photoshop and Colour: Layering a Good Foundation The old adage is true: garbage in, garbage out. You may not be putting garbage in your Photoshop workflow but if your colour settings and calibrations are off, you will definitely get garbage out. If you have ever wondered why your pictures appear ‘muddy’ or just over saturated with colour then there are settings you can check for the answers. A few simple adjustments can help give you the quality print results you seek. Cost: $35 before Monday, August 26th. A $10 late registration fee begins on Tuesday, August 27th.
September 13th - Digital Subscriptions: Highlights, Trends and Potential Learn what newspapers can do now to increase digital subscriptions using data collected from the Morris Publishing Group newspapers along with industry-wide research. Topics include: - How data plays a critical role in the evolution of your digital subscription strategy - Is your meter stopping enough readers? - Are you charging the right price? - How does activation affect overall retention? Cost: $35 before Tuesday, September 10th. A $10 late registration fee begins on Wednesday, September 11th.
September 20th - Collaborating for Success: Competitive Business Models Between the daily grind of a newsroom, where do you find the time to write that in-depth story you’ve been longing to pursue? During this webinar, you will learn how to organize your time so you CAN accomplish special projects without sacrificing the quality of your daily duties. Cost: $35 before Tuesday, September 17th. A $10 late registration fee begins on Wednesday, September 18th. Visit www.onlinemediacampus.com to register for any one of the webinars listed above. July/August 2013
11
www.ocna.org
GET YOUR PRESS IDENTIFICATION CARDS OCNA can provide you with laminated, business card-sized Press Cards. Cost is $10 each for the first three, and $5 for each one thereafter.
Group Managing Editor
3
3
GORDON CAMERON Hamilton Community News 905-523-5800 333 Arvin Avenue Stoney Creek, ON L8E 2M6
July 8, 2013 Date
Contact Kelly Gorven at k.gorven@ocna.org or call 906-639-8720 x239 for a Publisher’s Authorization Form and instructions on how to send photos.
July/August 2013
12
www.ocna.org
PRESS SERVICE
ONTARIO PRESS SERVICE Ontario Press Service is distributed by OCNA on behalf of press service clients. June 26, 2013
391 WORDS – Op Ed – Save $24.00 on electricity. - Premier Wynne and Energy Minister Chiarelli, congratulations on taking advantage of Samsung’s failing to meet their contract deadlines by reducing Ontario’s commitment to them by $2 billion. It’s an encouraging crack in the Government’s adamant stance on their Green Energy policy. However, to state that this will save every household $24.00 annually is a spit in the ocean, when the government’s own agencies project a 250% increase in the annual cost of electricity within 6 years! July 17, 2013
457 WORDS – How to survive the summer smog - What does it mean when a smog advisory is issued for your region? And what are you supposed to do about it? These questions arise every summer when air pollution reacts with sunlight and heat to produce the brown haze known as smog. 412 WORDS - The Pharmacist is In: Tips for a Safe and Healthy Summer - We all know that the summer months can mean sunburns, mosquito bites and even heatstroke. But did you know that sunshine and heat can affect your medication? Or that your local pharmacist can give you advice on how to treat those bites, stings and burns? 402 WORDS – LEMKEN Field Day Showcases New One-Pass high speed Tillage and Seeding combination as well as other new cultivation and ploughing options for Ontario Growers - LEMKEN CANADA is holding its first Field Day for Ontario growers southwest of Mitchell on August 9th unveiling new equipment innovations that can transform a field from stubble to a planted crop in just one pass. July 24, 2013
414 WORDS – Asian Market Visits Confirm Need for Selective Strategies - As a part of ongoing efforts to expand relationships in the beef industry in Asia, Canada Beef Inc. Director Paul Sharpe, along with Rob Meijer, President and Sylvia Carruthers, General Counsel, recently spent time with foreign partners in Hong Kong and Taiwan. August 7, 2013 484 WORDS - Jennifer Ashleigh Children’s Charity - Starting on August 18, the public can help support the children and families served by the Jennifer Ashleigh Children’s Charity (JACC) by making a donation at any of the 635 LCBO stores throughout Ontario. Donation boxes for the JACC will be displayed at the LCBO checkout counters until September 14. 353 WORDS - Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) and the Ontario Community Newspapers Association (OCNA) recently announced the Insurance Bureau of Canada Community Award in Memory of Mary Knowles.
Word and PDF files are available on the OCNA website at www.ocna.org. Photos may also accompany press releases. Please note: You must be logged in as a member to access these files. July/August 2013
13
www.ocna.org
BUSINESS
Credibility at the Negotiation Table Pays!
By Patrick Tinney, Managing Partner Centroid Training & Marketing Credibility at the negotiation table pays big time. Having participated in many multi-million dollar negotiations I can tell you for certain that I always ramped up my negotiation arsenal to equal or surpass my negotiation partner. I did this partly for economic reasons and partly for future encounters with these same individuals and their respective business colleagues. When readying for a large negotiation I am always looking for an edge at the negotiation table. Below is a partial list of negotiation essentials that will help you with bargaining credibility and will add to your potential to ‘make and save money’ in the process.
negotiation session because without doubt your negotiation partner is taking notice. They are evaluating their chances of advancing their objectives based on your capability and or susceptibility to respond.
4. Focus - Liberating your mind to live in the present is a tremendous advantage at a bargaining table. Your singular focus means that you are firing on all cylinders. It means your analytics skills are peaking. It means you have the clarity to realize when it is profitable to close a deal. It puts you in a position to advance positive risk and mitigate negative risk while still striving for a smart deal that maintains our productive relationship with our negotiation partner. Factors that inhibit focus are a lack of preparation, fatigue, stress and fear of failure.
1. Preparation - If you are not totally prepared for a big money negotiation you should not be surprised if you get skinned. Enough said. 2. Reputation - Your industry reputation as a skilled negotiator is like having an invisible partner in the room with you. It can be an intimidation factor for the other side. It means they have to look at your past negotiation performances and try to uncover a trend and possibly anticipate your future decision making process. It means that our negotiation partner must maximize preparation or suffer the consequences. It can impart a sense of positive risk for our side. The industry should not be surprised if we bring new innovative thinking to the bargaining table. Reputation means we can shift tactical and strategic gears more freely.
5. Creativity - Free flowing, 360 degree thought production in the heat of a negotiation is absolutely powerful. To our negotiation partner it means that we are open to expanding perimeters or reducing boundaries to get a deal done. It also shows the other side that if we are creative thinkers while closing a pressure deal that we could also be counted on to think similarly when solving a customer problem. Watching someone channel and harness creative thinking is a thing of beauty. There are many bright managers in business who show great talent in leading teams however they are not all creative thinkers. When you are in the presence of a great creative thinker in a negotiation ‘drink up the experience with all of your senses’. Ask yourself… how did they just do that? What was the spark that ignited that creative combustion? Who does this person model themselves after? Where did they learn this lateral style of thinking? What is their source of creative inspiration? Which negotiation learning programs have they completed? How do I learn from this great experience and weave this creative moment into my next important business negotiation?
3. Table Presence - I have played a lot of ‘Texas No Limit Poker’ and I can tell you the first thing you want to do when you play the first half hour at a poker table is to get the other participants to believe you are either playing tight, loose, creatively, recklessly or tactically. You choose the table presence/image that gives you that maximum amount of flexibility to shift gears in the game if you need to. It helps our side reap rewards for playing a particular role that might be similar to or contrary to that of the general population of the table. The same holds true at a big negotiation table. We want to be seen in a certain way. We want the other side to feel a certain way in response to our presence. These actions give us latitude to shape time at the table. The person who has the most influence on time compression or decompression at a negotiation table is in a powerful position. Table presence can also be altered by the way we dress. Remember if your negotiation partner and their team looks and runs like a herd of zebras we want to blend in. Presence can be altered by our physical and emotional being. Do we look tired, stressed or concerned? Are we chatty or are we quiet? Or, best of all, do we exude a wonderful sense of inner peace and confidence. Always think about the table presence you are emitting at a July/August 2013
As you prepare for your next big money negotiation, plan and visualize how you are going to display your table image and negotiation credibility. In preparation… think creativity with calm assertiveness. Rest well the day before the face to face negotiation. Compress all important negotiation information including your BATNA (Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement) into mental crystals. Build and continue to build your reputation as a savvy, professional business negotiator! PATRICK TINNEY is the founder of Centroid Training and Marketing, a consulting firm helping organizations make and save money through consultative selling, sales prospecting and business negotiation training. 14
www.ocna.org
HUMAN RESOURCES
Toxic Leadership
A TwoGreySuits Article by Ron Guest Many people, at some point in their careers, will encounter a toxic leader. This is a manager who bullies, threatens and shouts, and whose mood swings dictate the office atmosphere. Toxic leaders are bad news for organizations. They bleed the energy and enthusiasm of employees, and often lower organizational productivity and damage corporate reputation. For small or start-up organizations, the toxic leader may even prove fatal to the business. To tackle the toxic leader, organizations must first understand who or what they are dealing with. What Makes a Toxic Leader Tick?
discourages toxic behaviour. Have a stated set of organizational values, then interview with the goal of determining whether the candidate subscribes to those values. Detailed reference checking is also essential. Utilize a rigorous hiring process that screens those who are likely to be, or become, toxic managers. ▄▄
Rewarding and promoting leaders who demonstrate that leadership success is not attained via toxic behavior. Where toxic behaviour is apparent, it is important to talk to the individual to try to get to the root of the problem. For instance, their behaviour may have become toxic due to an ongoing stressful situation in their personal life. If an organization decides to try to help a toxic manager, they should be offered coaching with a qualified professional, who can get to the root of their toxic behaviour and help them to change. It is also advisable to encourage the individual to have a medical examination to assess whether any underlying condition could be driving their toxic behaviour, e.g. anxiety, depression, etc.
What Makes a Toxic Leader Tick?
This can be a difficult question to answer, and has been widely debated. Some people believe the need for power and recognition is what ultimately creates and motivates the toxic leader. Others think incompetence or insecurity drive toxic behavior in some people. The toxic leader is often described as self-centered, often petty, abusive and interpersonally dangerous and harmful. Toxic managers can appear in different guises; the control freak manager, the unethical manager, the overly aggressive manager or the dictatorial and passive aggressive manager. Regardless of the guise, employees always know one when they are faced with one. Toxic leaders prefer an unstable environment where their own unpredictable behavior is the norm. They are often moody and their emotional sensitivity is high. They are difficult to work for, because they often change their minds, can’t sit still and pay little or no attention to others. Toxic leaders often shout, weep, sulk, and gush, often without any apparent sense of embarrassment.
Conclusion
We are not perfect. We all have our own particular behaviours, some that are engaging and others that are less so. It is important to be able to spot even the earliest signs of toxic leadership, and intervene to prevent such behaviours from harming employees and the organization even further. The HR Power Centre’s Recruitment and Performance Management modules can be particularly helpful in dealing with these issues.
What We Can Do…
The best way to tackle toxic behaviour is to prevent it from occurring in the first place. Organizations can accomplish this by: ▄▄ Developing an organizational culture that strongly
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.
DEVELOPING A HIGH PERFORMANCE ORGANIZATION Every business owner or manager wants to lead an organization that produces consistent and sustainable high performance. It’s your people who deliver performance and simply hoping they will perform won’t make it happen. It takes leadership. The TwoGreySuits HR service that OCNA is offering our members absolutely free includes all the information you need to start this journey. Have a look at the video and then explore the HR Power Centre at www.twogreysuits.com. It contains everything you need for effective people management. And, when you need answers fast, you can talk to a senior HR Professional 24/7 through the HR Hot Line. For more information, call us at 905-639-8720 July/August 2013
15
www.ocna.org
DESIGN
The Girl Whut Brung Ya
By Ed Henninger Henninger Consulting There’s an aphorism I heard many years ago that has stuck with me since: ‘Ya gotta dance with the girl whut brung ya.’ During my almost-quarter-century as a design consultant, I’ve used that saying to reassure many of my clients about typefaces we can use as we redesign their newspapers. The point I’m making with them is that they may already own all the typefaces they need. I recently proved the point again while redesigning two small sister papers in Iowa. I took a close look at their font list and I was able to reassure the publisher that we had everything we needed in the way of type to create a crisp, contemporary look. Before continuing, let me make clear the difference between ‘typeface’ and ‘font.’ It’s a pet peeve of experienced designers that others use the terms interchangeably. They are not the same thing.
Bodoni Seventy Two is a display typeface that can work well for headlines in a new design. It’s almost universally available.
A typeface is the design of a type family, such as Times or Helvetica. A font is a variant within the family, such as Times Italic or Helvetica Bold. So, a list of typefaces would be something like: Bell…Bell Gothic…Birch…Blackoak… But a font list would read as: Bell Regular…Bell Italic…Bell Semibold…Bell Semibold Italic…
both, we used Futura Condensed as the sans serif display typeface.
So, when I check a list of typefaces for use in a redesign, I want to be sure there are enough fonts in the family to allow for some design contrast and flexibility.
1. Helvetica: Overused to death, no character in its characters.
Following are some typefaces I recommend that I believe you already have in your system software:
3. New Century Schoolbook: Too wide for a text font, it eats space.
Three typefaces you probably own that really don’t work for a redesign:
2. Times: Overused to death.
Having said that, I once did a redesign of a community newspaper in Nebraska where we used Times for headlines, Helvetica for sans serif display and accents and New Century Schoolbook for text.
TEXT: Georgia. Bookman. Lucida Bright. DISPLAY SERIF:
Arno Pro. Baskerville. Bell. Bodoni SvtyTwo. Garamond Condensed. Goudy
DISPLAY SANS SERIF: Univers.
Why? The composition system at that newspaper was so antiquated that we couldn’t trade out any typefaces, even if we could have afforded to purchase them.
Frutiger. Futura Condensed. Myriad.
As I said, sometimes ‘Ya gotta dance with the girl whut brung ya.’
Not a very long list, that’s true. But within these type families are gems that can help give you that new look you want. In that recent project in Iowa, for example, we used Bodoni SvtyTwo as the standard headline typeface in one paper, with Garamond Condensed as the standard headline typeface in the other. For July/August 2013
ED HENNINGER is an independent newspaper consultant and the Director of Henninger Consulting, offering comprehensive newspaper design services at www.henningerconsulting.com. 16
www.ocna.org
ADVERTISING
How to Fix a Common Ad Design Flaw By John Foust Raleigh, NC
The Flaw: An advertiser is concerned because her ad seems to blend with the others on the page. She says, “There’s a lot of information in the ad, but it gets lost on the page.” The Fix:
To stand out, simply make one element – preferably an illustration or photo – substantially larger than the other elements in the ad. This technique is especially effective when you’re working with smaller ads.
Let’s look at five tools that can help an ad break through the clutter:
4. Colour. Because most pages are black and white, it makes sense to use colour to attract attention. However, it’s important to use restraint. Too much colour – like too many graphic elements in an ad – will result in clutter. And that defeats the purpose of using colour in the first place.
The problem starts with her statement that “a lot of information” is a good thing. Like many advertisers, she thinks an ad should be noticed because it is loaded with information, but the opposite is true. A preponderance of information is usually synonymous with clutter. Cluttered ads get lost on the page.
1. White space. An ad layout can be compared to a room in a house. Just because it’s possible to put a coffee table on top of a sofa doesn’t mean that’s a good idea. And just because you can overlap illustrations and copy blocks in an ad doesn’t mean that’s a smart tactic.
We’ve all seen ads that look like an explosion in a crayon factory. So when it comes to colour, remember that a little bit is often all you need to stand out.
5. Break the rectangle. Think about shapes. The page is rectangular. Most photographs are rectangular. Comics are rectangular. Crossword puzzles have multirectangles. And the majority of ads are rectangular.
Just like a room should allow plenty of space to walk around the furniture, an ad should allow room for the reader’s eyes to navigate the elements.
One way to stand out is to break the rectangular pattern – in a unique, non-symmetrical way. Forget about rounding all four corners or putting everything inside a circle. Instead, let a top-to-bottom illustration with a curved left edge serve as the left side of the ad. Or move the top border down to let a design element ‘extend’ above the border.
White space equals drawing power. That usually means taking something out of the ad to make room for it.
2. Readable type. Here are some quick rules for print and online ads: Upper and lower case type is easier to read than all-caps. Sans serif headlines are generally bolder than serif headlines. In long copy, serif fonts are easier to read than sans serif fonts. Copy that is flush left (with an equal vertical margin on the left side) is easier to read than copy that is flush right.
(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
3. Graphic hook. When everything in an ad has the same visual weight, it all blends together into one nondescript blur.
Service includes: Libel, Invasion of Privacy, Plagiarism, Piracy, Infringement of Copyright, Pre-Publication Hotline Affordable media insurance for Canadian Community Newspapers July/August 2013
Contact us for a quote: Todd Frees, General Manager 905-639-8720 ext. 234 t.frees@ocna.org 17
www.ocna.org
WWW.OCNA.ORG . INFO@OCNA.ORG
July/August 2013
18
www.ocna.org