newsclips
August 2011
Goderich newspaper deals with devastation Tornado rips through the town destroying homes and businesses
Time and time again community newspapers continue to overcome adversity to serve the needs of their communities, and the staff at the Goderich-Signal Star was certainly no exception this week. Crippled by an F3 tornado that touched down in the centre of their historic downtown at about 4pm on Sunday, August 21, staff rose to the challenge of covering the event and chronicling the catastrophe for posterity in the pages of their newspaper. The tornado is blamed for the death of one man and injuries to 37 others. No estimates have yet been made on the extent of the damage to homes and businesses, but it is expected to be high. Most of the buildings in the town’s square, many designated as heritage buildings, have suffered extensive damage and vehicles and approximately 150-200 homes in surrounding neighbourhoods have been destroyed. Continued on Page 5
Photo courtesy of Goderich Signal Star Online
Preparing for the Provincial Election By Kelly Gorven, OCNA Community newspapers are preparing for their post-election coverage, especially considering the timing of election day on Thursday, October 6. Results will be announced on the Thursday evening, which will impact the press time for Friday papers, remembering that it is the Friday before the Thanksgiving long weekend. There are 38 community newspapers in Ontario which publish on Fridays and three papers publishing on Mondays. Editors are devising creative ways to cover election issues and candidates as they deal with election fatigue from three elections in one year. The last municipal election was in October 2010, the federal election in May 2011, and now the provincial election in October 2011.
OCNA sent out a series of questions to members regarding how they will be covering the upcoming election. Many papers provide Editorial and Op-Ed space for columns from local MPPs. For Most of the time it is only where there is space available. Out of the 58 member responses, only seven of them choose to publish candidate columns during campaign. There are many that choose not to and there are others that find different ways to promote their candidates. Toronto Community News provides equal space to at least four candidates in a special forum riding feature. The Temiskaming Speaker asks all the candidates the same question and post their answers side by side every week. They offer candidates running in their riding equal opportunity and space. Similarly, Lake Erie Beacon does an extensive Election Q&A spread to which all candidates are asked to contribute. Continued on Page 10
What’s Inside: Straight Talk
Constructive Critizism to improve employee performances See page 11
A License to Print money Design ideas to generate revenue See page 15
point-of-sale rebate for newspapers
Qualifying newspapers are now able to apply for HST Pointof-Sale Rebate for the printing of their newspapers See page 19
Association News
Working for our members
Newsclips Volume 1, Issue 2 3050 Harvester Rd. #103 Burlington, ON L7N 3J1 p.905.639.8720 f.905-639.6962 e.info@ocna.org w. www.ocna.org
By Anne Lannan, OCNA AdReach
Where are all the government ads? This is the question of the day from our members who are experiencing the significant decrease of both federal and provincial advertising spends this year. Year to date, government advertising is down about 40 per cent over last year and some of our small market newspapers especially who rely on national advertising revenue are feeling the decrease. Although a decrease was anticipated with both a federal and provincial election being held in Ontario in the same year, the federal advertising spend has not rebounded since the May election and the provincial spend decreased overall much earlier than anticipated before the October election. So who is booking advertising in community newspapers through AdReach and what are they buying? It would be nice if we dealt with agencies and clients who wanted to buy ads in all 310 of our member newspapers, but that just isn’t reality.
OCNA Board President
Don MacLeod
First VP
Mike Mount
Second VP
Maureen Keeler
Secretary/ tresurer
Dave Harvey
past President
Abbas Homayed
Directors
Dave Adsett Gordon Cameron Jim Cumming Andrea DeMeer Ron Dunn Rick Shaver John Willems
Using 2010 as an example, AdReach’s National clients: ▄▄
47% of our customers spent Less Than $5,000 (and 59% of this group only placed one ad)
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24% of our customers spent $5,000-$20,000 14% of our customers spent $20,000-$50,000 10% of our customers spent $50,000-$150,000 5% of our customers spent $150,000+
This means we have to work harder to get smaller buys and find incentives for their customers to continue to advertise in community newspapers, all the while prospecting for advertisers who have larger advertising budgets and realize the strengths of our newspapers. It’s a challenge our AdReach team is up for. Continued on page 5
In this issue... 03
...............................................ASSOCIATION/MEMBER NEWS
11
........................................................................STRAIGHT TALK
12
.....THE 20/20 ON COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING
14
......................................................SELF SERVE ADVERTISING
15
...................................................A LICENSE TO PRINT MONEY
16
.............................................................................TECHNOLOGY
18
..........................................................................VIVA LA PRINT?
21
...................... POINT-OF-SALE REBATE FOR NEWSPAPERS
22
.............................................................................CIRCULATION
23
......................................INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS LUNCH
August, 2011
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OCNA Staff Executive Director
Anne Lannan
Controller
Todd Frees
Member Services
Karen Shardlow Kelly Gorven
Network Classifieds
Carol Lebert Susana Czyrnek
Accounting
Lucia Shepherd
Ad*Reach
Ted Brewer Doug Sexton Carolyn Press Erica Leyzac Courtney Watson
www.ocna.org
Association News Goodbye Carla! The OCNA recently said goodbye to one of its Member Services Coordinators, Carla Alexander.(right) She is excited to be returning to Sheridan College on a fulltime basis in September to pursue studies in Interactive Multimedia. We wish you all the best Carla! We are pleased to introduce Kelly Gorven (left) to the association, a Sheridan College journalism graduate. Kelly is eager to put her skills to work and meet our members.
Community Newspaper Connections
Join your peers and fellow community newspaper professionals for an informal conference call on one of the topics below. Use this opportunity to vent about various industry issues, share your ideas or expertise and network with like-minded peers. All calls will take place at 12pm on the date listed. ▄▄
Sept. 14: Editorial
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Sept. 16: Independent Publishers
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Sept. 21: Corporate Publishers
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Sept. 28: Production
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Oct. 12: Advertising
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Oct. 26: Circulation
Member News Staff Changes Lanark Era advertising representative Pat Habel has settled into retirement, with gardening, travel and friends taking up all of her spare time. Since her departure, the Era has hired Kristy Gibson as its new advertising rep, and she has met with many of the regular advertisers and begun some new initiatives. Mark Cripps, managing editor of Hamilton Community News, has left the company to pursue a life in politics. He’ll be running Oct. 6 for the Liberal Party in the riding of Hamilton East-Stoney Creek. www.facebook.com/votecripps The Algoma News Review has two new employees. Katrina Sloss has been there roughly 3 months and Ashley Gagnon started August 8th.
Call us at 905-639-8720 ext. 232 or email k.shardlow@ocna.org to reserve a place on the call(s) you wish to participate in, or if you would like to suggest a topic for discussion.
Annual Member Satisfaction Survey Dear OCNA member: Could we please request five minutes of your time to complete the Ontario Community Newspapers Association annual Member Satisfaction Survey? Each year we take a snapshot of our programs and services, and how they are rated by our members. Your feedback is valued by our volunteer Board of Directors and will continue to keep us moving forward to serve your needs. As an incentive to have you respond in a timely manner, we will have a draw for One Complimentary Registration for the OCNA/Newspapers Canada Convention, to be held at the Royal York Hotel in April 2012. (Accommodations excluded, non transferable).
The Flamborough Review is pleased to welcome Alistair Murray to the Retail Sales team. Alistair joined the Halton Media Group in 2009 and moved from Circulation into Sales for the Burlington Post in January of 2010. His experience in agency operations and small business marketing goals will be an asset as the Flamborough community and the paper to grow into the future. Sabrina Burrell has joined the staff at the Norwich Gazette as a multimedia reporter covering all beats. Sabrina replaces reporter Tara Bowie, who, after three years at the Gazette, moved on to the daily Woodstock Sentinel-Review.
Please respond by September 6, 2011 to be included in the draw. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/OCNAsurvey Thanks for letting OCNA serve you. August, 2011
continued on pg. 7 >>>
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www.ocna.org
association news
Classifieds
Continued from Page 1
Publisher Dave Sykes was relieved to report that all of the 30 Signal-Star employees are okay, although some of their homes have minor damage from fallen trees and broken windows. They were busy into the night on Sunday covering the event and taking photos, but were limited as there were no services to the town – no hydro, no Internet, no gas. They pushed their press time from Monday until Tuesday morning in order to include aerial photos of the community after securing an airplane first thing Tuesday morning. Sykes is proud of the way staff handled the emergency situation. When OCNA followed up with him on Tuesday, the mood of the conversation was different from that of Monday when we quickly touched base to check on the business and staff. Sykes confirmed that for the first 24 hours everyone ran on adrenalin and did what they had to do to produce the paper. Then by Tuesday, they could look at the utter devastation, feel the emotion, and realize that their town has changed forever. Sykes was deeply saddened by the effects the tornado has had on Goderich, known as the prettiest town in Canada. The Sifto Salt Mine has been shut down ‘until further notice’ as a result of the damages it suffered in the tornado, and as the largest employer in the town of 8,000, this will continue to have an impact on the community, said Sykes. The Signal-Star is a paid newspaper circulating 4,800 copies by carrier force, so distribution challenges were the order of the day on Tuesday. Sections of the town hit hardest will continue to be cordoned off as authorities test for structural integrity, and gas lines in some areas have yet to be restored.
Northern Life requires a full-time reporter to join their multi-media newsroom team in Sudbury. The ideal candidate is a selfstarter and one who can generate story ideas quickly. This community is replete with interesting stories, and is the perfect setting for reporters looking to bite into current affairs. Northern Life is seeking to expand its newsroom with the addition of a hardworking reporter who is fully integrated with online journalism and video journalism. Northern Life publishes two papers weekly, with a circulation of 50,000 copies. They are also a dominant presence on the web with their award-winning site, NorthernLife.ca. The successful candidate must be keenly interested in reporting on politics and hard news, have strong photography skills, work with web content management software and engage in video reporting and editing. The successful candidate must be able to work under tight deadlines in a newsroom that is never static. Qualifications: • A journalism degree or diploma • A minimum of three years experience in journalism • Editing and layout experience would be an asset
Photos courtesy of Goderich Singal Star Online The powerful F3 tornado ripped through Goderich, destroying neighbourhoods. Trees were uprooted, roofs of buildings and houses were torn off. Many areas were extremely dangerous and remained off limits to residents. Various debris and fallen power lines littered the streets making it impossible to navigate. Damage will total well into the millions of dollars.
August, 2011
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• Web content management experience would be an asset Applicants should e-mail resumes and samples of their work to: Wendy Bird Managing Editor Email: wbird@northernlife.ca
Deadline: Sept. 2, 2011 www.ocna.org
association news Continued from page 2
nity newspapers across the country.
Advertising agencies are showing an interest in the Free Colour promotion being offered for the remainder of 2011. In an effort to introduce community newspapers to new national advertisers, they are being offered free full process colour for campaigns, typically onequarter page or larger and a series of three or more in participating newspapers.
Industry Advertising Campaign
Thanks go out to the Marketing Task Force for its assistance in the creation of the new industry advertising campaign that you received on August 22. The campaign includes a series of seven ads and an editorial for your use as you see fit, and has been designed to remind your readers and advertisers that Community Newspapers are the original Local Social Network. With the tagline ‘Did you see in the paper…’, the series reflects that articles and ads get people connecting with one another and calls them to action, and this is what builds community.
Network Classifieds
Revenue from the Network Classified Advertising program is the key source of operating funds for your non-profit association. The support of your classified and display team by upselling into the program is greatly appreciated, and is another source of revenue for your newspaper as you earn a finder’s fee of 35% for each Ontario ad sold.
The ads, formatted as InDesign files, have been saved on the Member’s web site and are available for downloading.
A newly designed template for the Networks will be introduced in the next few weeks as we work through the bugs of the new plug-in to format the ads from an exported text file. The new template will be formatted in InDesign – and away from the previous Quark files. Text files and PDFs will also continue to be provided.
The second phase of the industry marketing campaign this year is a competition geared to younger readers, and should prove to be quite fun. OCNA is working through the details of an online video competition for high schools who will create short videos about why they love their local community newspaper. We’ll keep you posted before it is launched in the fall.
Board of Directors
Junior Citizen Awards
Editors and Advertising Managers will be receiving their nomination packages and ads to promote the nominations of 2011 Ontario Junior Citizens of the Year by the second week of September. Nominations will be accepted until the end of November. This is your program so take ownership of seeking nominations and recognizing all the nominees from your community as they are all so deserving of the local recognition you give them. The 12 final recipients will be announced in the new year.
The board is preparing for its next meeting in September and would appreciate it if member publishers would complete the Member Survey (link provided in this newsletter). The Member Selection Committee will be sending its report to the board following its review of new membership applications. Deadline for applications is September 7. In its continual efforts to provide services to newspapers, the board is reviewing a proposal for funding which will allow the association to develop applications for community newspapers so readers can access them on smartphones and ipads. The second proposal will provide an online template for newspapers that will offer such services as e-subscriptions, archive, interactive advertising, news, classifieds, search functions, video, etc. which are features that not many of the smaller newspapers across the province have been able to incorporate thoroughly on their sites, mainly due to available resources. In fact there are approximately 30 independently-owned newspapers that do not have a web presence for their community.
Affordable media insurance for Canadian Community Newspapers Service includes: •Libel • Invasion of Privacy • Plagiarism • Piracy • Infringement of Copyright • Pre-Publication Hotline
Collaboration
OCNA has been working with its sister associations across Canada to redevelop the Community Media Canada brand and website to better promote the strengths and reach of community newspapers to advertisers. The new website is currently under development and will be launched in September. It will be showcased at an event in Toronto for advertising agencies as well as in a series of ads in industry publications. Our industry has a great success story to share and we need to get the word out. The new site will also promote the national Network Classified Advertising program and provide a one-stop portal to place ads in commuAugust, 2011
Contact us for a quote: Todd Frees, General Manager 905-639-8720 ext. 234 t.free@ocna.org 5
www.ocna.org
Association News
Training
Ontario Press Service OCNA distributes press releases and PSAs for members use on a weekly basis. Word and pdf files are available on the OCNA website at http://www.ocna.org Enter Member Username (member) and Password (ocmb2010) Scroll down left side to Ontario Press Service. Files found in 01_Releases from the current week folder. Here is what you will find:
OCNA’s Fall webinar schedule OCNA’s webinar lineup for Fall 2011 is currently under development. ▄▄
(August 3, 2011)
September 15 - Handling Customer Ojections: There is nothing worse than getting to the edge of the sale and then getting stuck with a customer objection that if handled differently could have actually resulted in an order or a contract. Learn how to move the customer from a defensive objection position to a trial close position and close more sales!
435 WORDS - Tanning Bed Regulations Needed in Ontario - Shelley Bresett hopes all MPPs in the next provincial government will seriously consider tougher regulations on indoor tanning. “Regulating the tanning industry would send a clear message about the dangers of indoor tanning and help raise awareness about this unhealthy behaviour.” says Cost: $50 + HST Bresett. (Photos attached and available for download on OCNA website). ▄▄ September 29 - Christmas Sales & Creative Design Christmas is coming, and with it many great advertising & editorial ideas for boosting your newspapers bottom line. Join our 682 WORDS - Gender Makes a Difference in Health Care panel of newspaper professionals for ideas to promote Christ- Women experience unique health issues like pregnancy mas sales and creative designs in order to assist with additional and menopause as well as health conditions like cervical, sales at this time of year! ovarian and breast cancer. Studies show women and men Cost: $50 + HST require specific care because of their biological and social differences, and Ontario’s health system needs to reflect There are still more webinars being scheduled. Their content this. (Photo attached and available for download on OCNA includes: website).
(August 10, 2011) 339 WORDS - BETTER PRODUCT LABELING GIVES CONSUMERS CHOICE - When it comes to consumer products, how much do we know about labeling of chronic hazard chemicals that may harm you or your family? (Photo attached and available for download on OCNA web site). 344 WORDS - Attractions Ontario is gearing up to give away fabulous prizes to 2 lucky winners, along with 18 consolation prizes! Launching the first ever Extreme Contest, tourists are encouraged to snap a picture or a quick one-minute video that showcases their experience at an Ontario attraction this summer and submit it for a chance to win a grand prize worth over $1,400! (Photos attached and available for download on OCNA website). Ontario Press Service is distributed by OCNA on behalf of press service clients. Views expressed in articles do not necessarily reflect those of OCNA or its employees August, 2011
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Selling Multimedia
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Grammar & Proofreading
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Court Reporting
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Writing for Multiple Platforms
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Managing Employee Performance
Stayed tuned for dates and announcements oN these informational sessions. If there is a particular topic you’re interested in, or if you think you have something to offer OCNA members by way of hosting, let us know. Contact Karen Shardlow (k.shardlow@ocna.org, 905-639-8720 ext. 232) with your suggestions and we will take them into account as we continue to put together the schedule.
www.ocna.org
Metroland North Media Announces New Media Marketing Presence In North Bay Every community needs a weekly voice. North Bay and Nipissing will be getting theirs. Metroland North Media has expanded into the greater North Bay and Nipissing region bringing hyper-local content to the residents and businesses of the Gateway of the North. Metroland is proud to launch its first integrated Media Marketing Solutions initiative for local businesses. Their wide array of products offered in North Bay includes a local weekly newspaper, a community website, and a whole host of targeted digital sites. Their trained team of Media Marketing Consultants will be presenting customized marketing plans to local small and medium-sized businesses, helping them build a more competitive presence in their market. The North Bay Nipissing News will be delivered at no charge to 43,000 homes in North Bay and the Nipissing region. The first edition will be hitting doorsteps on Thursday, August 18th, 2011. Their community website, www.northbaynipissing.com will be updated DAILY with breaking local news and events, seven days a week. Local advertisers will be able to connect with local buyers on the community site.
Metroland’s targeted digital sites will be accessed directly or through the community portal and will feature content and advertisers in North Bay and Nipissing. Wheels.ca offers automotive dealers national reach to users interested in purchasing a used vehicle. WagJag.com is among Canada’s leading deal sites and an excellent tool for many businesses to generate new business while promoting products and services to thousands of local buyers. Metroland will also be bringing Canada’s online flyer superstore Flyerland.ca to North Bay, which is filled with weekly flyer specials, coupons and contests. LocalWork.ca, YourClassifieds. com and GottaRent.com bring targeted classified information directly to online readers. In addition, they are proud to introduce North Bay to Metroland’s Digital Video Group, specialists in professional video production and business blogging for the small and medium-sized business sector. ABOUT METROLAND MEDIA GROUP LTD. With more than 100 trusted community and daily newspapers in print and online, as well as innovative web sites including wheels.ca, goldbook.ca, flyerland.ca, gottarent.com, and localwork.ca; Metroland Media is dedicated to delivering relevant and quality communication vehicles that reflect the local voice and connect its readers to their community.
TidBits
Links for more information Patch.com An article on Poynter’s site talks about AOL spending $160 million per year to operate Patch.com, its local news sites. That would be about $150,000 for each site. http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/romenesko/142796/analyst-patch-costs-aolabout-150000-per-site-160-million-a-year/ Facebook concept a stretch There’s an article on the Business Insider site that is stretching the concept that Facebook will replace local news coverage, even suggesting that local citizens will cover council meetings as a hobby and posting it to Facebook. http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-is-your-new-local-newspaper2011-8?op=1 August, 2011
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Association News member News Staff Changes Heidi Schmidt Ostner (below right) from Ayr News was recently appointed CEO and President of their generational business.
Her father James is still involved in the paper at the age of 84. Heidi’s sister Irene Schmidt Adeney (above left) was also recently hired as a writer. On August 17, 2011 Lee Berthiaume left Ottawa Embassy Magazine and moved on to work with Postmedia News. Carl Meyer and Kristen Shane have taken over as associate editors of Embassy. Carl can be reached at cmeyer@embassymag.ca or 613-688-8829.Kristen can be reached at kshane@embassymag.ca or by phone at 613-688-8824. Aylmer Express Purchases 40inch press John Hueston from the Aylmer Express recently purchased and installed a 6-colour Komori LS640 press at the company’s Barney Printing Ltd. facility in Woodstock. He hopes this will enhance their commercial print and put them in the 40-inch press market. The Lakefield Herald becomes a movie star Last year a documentary film crew spent most of the summer filming a documentary on the Lakefield Herald. The first showing of “Unheralded” will broadcast on TVO on Wednesday, September 7 at 9 pm and again on Sunday, September 11 at 11 pm. www.ocna.org
Association News
Temiskaming purchased by london publishing Owner/publisher Dave Armstrong reflects on career The Temiskaming Printing Company, which publishes the New Liskeard Temiskaming Speaker and a weekend edition, has been sold. Owner and Publisher Dave Armstrong will be stepping down in November after more than 30 years of leadership. He has been very involved in his local community over the years, as well as being a Past President of OCNA and a board member of CCNA. “I leave my post very proud to have served at the helm of this long-standing and respected community newspaper,” he told readers. “Newspapers like The Speaker play a vital role in our communities. This role goes far beyond reporting local news each week. Community newspapers boost the economy by showcasing local business in new stories and in advertising. They keep us informed about and connected with each other. They put the spotlight on local politicians and, hopefully, encourage participation and expression about the political process. Last but not least, they tell us feel good news about our friends and neighbours (from reporting on local successes at track and field meets, to hockey games, fundraising events, business openings and special events).
Temiskaming Printing Company’s new owners to produce a Speaker that all of our readers will look forward to reading each week.
The Speaker has played this pivotal role in our community for over a century. I am proud to have served as Publisher as the Speaker celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2006. Throughout its history, the paper has gone through any number of physical changes and incarnations. My tenure at the Speaker has been no exception, as we converted the Speaker from a broadsheet format to a tabloid format. We also added a weekend edition – The Weekender – and an online edition at www.northernontario.ca. The Speaker, like all other newspapers around the world, has had no choice but to adapt with the advent of the Internet and all of the challenges that it presents. I like to think that the Speaker has done well at coming up with creative and sustainable ways to meet these challenges and I am confident that the staff of the Speaker will continue make sure that it does so going forward.
I have no doubt that The Temiskaming Speaker will continue to play a pivotal role in this wonderful community for years to come. I encourage each and every one of you to continue to support The Speaker – and in turn your community – by reading The Speaker each Wednesday.” TPC has long been one of the larger employers in Temiskaming Shores and has grown to employ about 50 area residents. In addition to publishing The Speaker and Weekender, TPC also offers printing and promotional services and, more recently, web design and hosting. For part of Armstrong’s tenure at TPC, the company also grew to include numerous stationary and business machine retail operations across Northern Ontario.
I want to take this opportunity to thank the very dedicated staff of Temiskaming Printing and The Speaker for their commitment to producing a quality newspaper for the residents of the Temiskaming area each and every Wednesday. I have truly enjoyed working with each and every one of you and I wish you all the best as you continue to work together with August, 2011
London Publishing sprang on the Ontario community newspaper scene last summer and has since invested in newspaper companies around the King Township area, Essex as well as the Quebec Chronicle-Telegraph. 8
www.ocna.org
Association News
OCNF STUDENT Distance Placement Program It’s been one year since the implementation of OCNF’s Student Distance Placement Program and we’re getting ready to run again. This past spring saw three undergraduate journalism students – Janelle Nystrom and Kristen Spruit of Niagara College, and Sabrina Burrell of St. Clair College – complete co-op placements at OCNA member newspapers The Lakefield Herald and Your Brant Connection. Each student was selected based on their high academic performance, writing ability, and willingness to live and work in a geographic area unfamiliar to them, and were awarded $3,000 to use towards travel and living expenses while on their placement. By providing the selected students with funding from the Program, these aspiring journalists were able to participate in a co-op placement that saw them move to either Brantford or Lakefield for four weeks. There, with the help of OCNA members they had their first glimpse at life in the community newspaper industry as they covered various local events, municipal meetings and in some cases
wrote feature articles that appeared on the front page. Sabrina Burrell “Thank you for the opportunity to pursue an internship that was not only educational and informative, but fun. OCNA gave me a positive work experience that I would not have had otherwise. Thank you again for this experience, it has given me a step-up in terms of job experience and knowing what to expect in a real life situation.” Sabrina has since been been hired at the Norwich Gazette. Janelle Nystrom “The staff at the Lakefield Herald kindly welcomed me into their small newsroom and I became a member of their team by building trust and developing strong professional relationship. Working for this small community newspaper has expanded my reporting experience and the Lakefield Herald’s editor Simon Conolly has been a fantastic mentor to me over the past six weeks.” Janelle has since been hired by the Lakefield Herald as a full-time reporter.
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) of the Department of Canadian Heritage towards our project costs.
Kristen Spruit “Because Brantford is a small city, it was only a short time before people were recognizing my name when I'd go out to cover an event. Many of the reporters at the paper had been there for at least 15 years, making their names familiar in the community, so a new name in the paper was easy to spot. By covering many events, I was able to meet many people and get a good a sense of what the community is like.” To continue to attract talented young journalists to seek employment in the community newspaper industry and facilitate the continued growth of Ontario’s community newspapers, OCNA is extending an invitation to all members to participate in the Student Distance Placement Program for the 2011/2012 academic year. A contact form and Participation Agreement are required for participation in the program and are available on the OCNA website (www.ocna.org/ – Log-in required). For more information, please contact Anne Lannan at 905-639-8720 ext. 228, or email a.lannan@ocna.org.
Nous reconnaissons l’appui financier du gouvernement du Canada par l’entremise du ministère du Patrimoine Canadien
Newspapers Canada Webinar Schedule
From social media and page layouts to FOI requests and paywalls, the 2011/2012 webinar season features relevant and engaging material for your entire staff. This year’s training series includes presentations tailored to a variety of departments including editorial, sales, design and circulation. ▄▄ ▄▄ ▄▄ ▄▄ ▄▄ ▄▄ ▄▄ ▄▄
September 13 - Editorial: Video shooting skills (FREE) September 20 - Design: Page Layout Design October 18 - Sales: Selling Results, Not Space (FREE) October 25 - Editorial: Video Story Forms November 1 - Editorial: Watchdog Journalism November 15 - Editorial: Research: Using Twitter December 6 - Editorial: Business reporting December 13 - Editorial: Research: FOI Requests
A full list is available on the Newspapers Canada website: www.newspaperscanada.ca August, 2011
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www.ocna.org
ASSOCIATION NEWS Continued from page 1
There are times when candidates will submit Letters to the Editor. Almost all of the OCNA members that took part in this survey responded saying they do not publish these if and when they come in. The only time they have a possibility of being published is if in response to another letter or a specific local issue. Most papers have started profiling candidates. Metroland Durham Region plans to include atleast a full page in each edition beginning September 5 which will include a schedule of features, weekly polling to guage public reaction and coverage of major events. Perry Sound North Star mixes their coverage with ongoing series of stories about election campaign topics and stories focused on voter feedback and reaction. Timmins Times and Wheatly Journal/ Southpoint Sun provides each candidate space for a photo and 400 words of copy that does not get edited immediately before the voting day. Kingsville Reporter plans to seek comments from each candidate once the results have been announced.
Ontario Press Council Update: fOLLOWING SUN MEDIA WITHDRAWaL Publishers, Editors and General Managers Ontario News Organizations
Dear colleagues:
The recent Sun Media decision to leave the Ontario Press Council and withdraw support by its 27 daily newspapers and its community papers will create some difficulties for us but, I can assure you, we will survive as an organization. In fact, we anticipated the possibility of the Sun Media decision given its recent history of withdrawing from other important industry associations. While this amounts to a loss of about one-third of our total revenues, over the past year we have identified some areas where money could be saved and we will be able to continue. In the past few months, we have hired a new executive director at a reduced salary, moved our location to significantly cut our rental costs, eliminated the office secretary position, and moved our public hearings and council meetings to Ryerson University and to a shared boardroom in our office.
The majority of newspapers try to maintain fair and equal coverage. They don’t endorse specific candidates and try to be as unbiased as possible. Which is why many of them don’t use unsolicited columns, news releases or letters from politicians. Most of the time these documents are an attempt to attack opponents, re-hash old announcements or are used for self-promotion.
Because of the steps we have taken, we will not require any additional revenue from our member newspapers at this time. We recognize this has not been an easy time for any of us in the newspaper industry and we, like you, will strive to be more efficient. In short, we will live within our means.
In addition to in-paper coverage, some newspapers, including the Flamborough Review are operating a web page that will contain a calendar of events where candidates can sumbit information, readers can find reporter blogs about the coverage, riding maps and voting information.
It is important for all of us that the Press Council continues its role as a defender of freedom of the press and as a voice to encourage a greater understanding between the press and the public it serves.
Covering elections is important to community newspapers. Readers rely on these papers to provide them with unbiased and insightful news coverage regarding the candidates and election. The papers that publish on Fridays are still determining how they are going to cover the results. In the mean time, they are all finding creative ways to cover the election prior to voting day. August, 2011
We will be a leaner operation, but I can assure you that we will not compromise our function as a strong, independent voice. Be assured, we will continue working to support and uphold the highest ethical and professional standards of journalism.
Thank you again for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Dr. Robert Elgie Chair Ontario Press Council Council
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Don McCurdy Executive Director Ontario Press
www.ocna.org
Human Resources
Straight Talk
A TwoGreySuits Article
These articles are 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.
3. Be Clear in the Expected Changes: Make sure the person knows exactly what it is that they are expected to change and that if they don’t then they will not be achieving what you want as their manager and they will not be fulfilling the requirements of their job.
Ron Guest, Management/HR Consultant
4. Be Constructive: Straight Talk is not about demoralizing or beating people up, it is a serious attempt to improve a situation or find a solution; offer ways the person can change which will be conducive to better performance, take an active part in finding the solution, know what you can do to try and help, also let the person come up with their own views on what they think they can do differently to improve their performance.
Most employee performance issues are a direct result of the manager not giving feedback or Straight Talk of the employee’s performance because they don’t know how to do it. Conflict avoidance is the easiest and least painful thing to do. Many managers would rather hope things improve than be proactive and take the required actions to have what we call a straight talk session. What we mean by this is a constructive conversation aimed at improving the employee’s performance to an acceptable level. A manager who does not address employee performance issues for any reason is not doing the required people management part of their job. Interestingly, these same managers have usually never received any type of people management training at all. Providing feedback to good performers is also required but this is often not done because the manager does not want to rock the boat or in any way jeopardize the continuation of good performance. Providing feedback how to’s are covered in great detail in the 11 People Management Challenges in the Performance Management module of the HR Power Centre.
5. Get Agreement: You can’t leave things up in the air after a straight talk discussion. In the best case get the person to acknowledge there is indeed a performance issue and more importantly get agreement on what the next steps will be to improve the situation. 6. Capture the Straight Talk in Writing: This is not a warning letter, it is a summary (e-mail is fine) of what was agreed in terms of the problem and also the solution and the timeframes in which improvement is expected. The next straight talk session date should also be clearly understood and documented.
Having a Straight Talk session requires certain skills. Giving direct performance feedback or having a tough conversation is required for two reasons: to improve the employee’s performance and for the manager’s own development in managing people.
TWOGREYSUITS’ 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.
Here are the fundamentals required to have a constructive Straight Talk session aimed at improving employee performance.
Signing up is simple and free. OCNA member newspapers can call us today at 1-888-661-9234 or sign up here: http://www.twogreysuits. com/register.asp?assc=AG6EWD62IRDC8BR56GH1DSWO2D3YJ87Z
1. Be Timely: The Straight Talk conversation has to happen close to the event which gave cause for the conversation. A caveat to this is if you are too emotional about it at the time of occurrence. Performance feedback conversations left too long lose their impact and leave the employee wondering why if it was that important something wasn’t said earlier.
Why wait? Don’t let important people management issues go unresolved when you can deal with them today.
2. Be Honest: This is what we mean by straight talk, no candy coating or diluted messages. Of course you have to have all your facts straight, if not, you may be seriously challenged and may have to go back and gather more information. Never talk in generalities or hear-say information, always have specific incidents to refer to.
August, 2011
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Advertising
The 20/20 on Community Newspaper Advertising By Doug Sexton AD*REACH As the 60’s Broadway hit goes… “On a clear day rise and look around you and you’ll see who you are. On a clear day how it will astound you”. The community newspaper industry is doing just that, conducting an introspective. Some of the positive findings are astounding advertisers from coast to coast to coast.
pers in the GOOD OFFER category. In an effort to attract new advertisers to our papers last year we offered free colour with the purchase of 3 - quarter page ads (in some of our papers). The purpose of this was not only to attract new advertisers but to point out colour adds 34% more recall, thus providing the ad with more Power to Attract. We generated more than $170,000 in new revenue with this promotion and are doing it again this year. We are also directing the promotion to another tier of advertising agencies, one that perhaps is not a large corporation but smaller having fewer employees who could use a helpful free service.
Businesses today find it more difficult to choose the most effective media mix that provides the most return. It’s like finding the right combination to unlock a safe full of gold. There are more choices in advertising now than ever….and it’s growing almost every day. The mainstream forms of advertising such as newspapers have had to embrace the burgeoning digital age with new applications that provide success metrics. Community newspapers are no exception… in particular changes made to this industry have made it still very much alive and in fact growing as consumers enjoy their dose of local news. There is a very specific culture around the reading and enjoyment of a local weekly newspaper. The reader is not forced to engage the paper, they want to read it. In fact most families enjoy the arrival of the weekly paper and all its local info and ads. Community newspapers’ total circulation, all editions, reaches almost 14 million copies per week. The most recent research from ComBase demonstrates that community newspaper readership remains strong, with 74% of Canadian adults reading their community newspaper. According to the 2008/2009 study, 25% of community newspaper readers read only their local paper, so can’t be reached by any other medium.
A QR code (abbreviated from Quick Response code) is a specific matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code) that is readable by dedicated QR readers, Smartphones, and to a less common extent, computers with webcams. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded may be text, URL, or other data and may be in the form of a link to a website, information on the business or a coupon. Community newspapers have embraced QR Codes and you will now find them embedded into an ad or even on the front page of the paper.
Advertisers are asking for more and we are offering more. Here are just a few applications that are gathering attention….
Spadeas are another type of newspaper advertising. A spadea is a separately printed yet shorter sheet of paper that wraps around the left spine of a newspaper. Spadeas are also folded in half with the newspaper and can be easily removed for viewing. Companies can print on one or both sides of a spadea. The primary benefit of a spadea is that it gets the reader’s attention because it covers part of the front page. This little annoyance is what helps draw attention to the spadea.
Across almost every demographic age group you will see community newspaper readership ranking higher. I recently prospected the Bank of Canada with hopes of them advertising the new polymer currency. Our conversation was lengthy and hopefully fruitful. I was told that in a recent BoC survey, newspapers ranked equal to the Internet in ‘How I found out there was new currency on the way’. (Second only to television.) The BoC were very pleased with the research WE are able to supply them and our Geographic Information mapping system will provide perfect targets for advertising additional currency information to come.
Digital editions…..our advertising agencies were asking to see specific community newspapers so we are compiling a digital
AdReach acknowledges the need to keep community newspaAugust, 2011
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Advertising online library. Saves time, money and looks great!
Advertising alerts:
Front page sticky notes have grown….4 panels making it 8 pages of direct response coupons. This is new USA technology that a California printer is offering to Canadian community newspapers. The hardware is free.
Advertising for Firewood
eTearSheets facilitate the proof-of-publication process between publishers, advertisers, and agencies; it provides high-speed Web-based access to digital tearsheets on the day of publication. Both newspapers and advertisers gain significant time and space formerly devoted to paper tearsheets. Newspapers can invoice much sooner which should reduce receivables.
Do you publish classified ads to sell firewood?
We’ve got an APP for that…more and more community newspapers are developing a Smartphone, IPhone APPlication. Now you can access editions of your favourite local weekly newspapers … straight to your phone or handheld device. Local sports photos, community dates and events all at your fingertips.
A list of EAB regulated areas in Canada can be found at http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/pestrava/ agrpla/regrestrice.shtml
The federal government has strict regulations about the movement of firewood in regards to areas impacted by the emerald ash borer and other pests, so in some areas you can not advertise certain woods for sale, even for firewood. The movement of all species of firewood out of emerald ash borer (EAB) regulated areas is prohibited.
For general information on EAB, see http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/pestrava/ agrpla/agrplae.shtml
It was said…”Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don’t know which half.” John Wanamaker 1922
Please note that the movement of firewood may also be restricted because of pests of concern other than EAB. For more information on the Don’t Move Firewood campaign and the list of domestically regulated pest in Canada, please consult the following webpage: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/for/prod/ firee.shtml
Community news is never a waste of time and the newspapers that report it will always thrive through their advertising. It’s just a matter of keeping up with the new and learning from the old….on a clear day of course.
Doug Sexton is a National Account Manager with AdReach. He was a Media Studies / Liberal Arts Professor at Conestoga College and a longtime advertising entrepreneur.
Contact Mireille Marcotte, Ph.D. Senior Program Officer, Forest Resources Section, Forestry Division, Canadian Food Inspection Agency at (613) 773-7270 or e-mail Mireille.Marcotte@inspection.gc.ca for more information.
We want to hear from you! Please share your news and/or opinions with us: newsclips@ocna.org August, 2011
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Multimedia
SELF SERVE ADVERTISING: A LOCAL COMMMUNITY SERVICE THAT INCREASES ONLINE REVENUE by LESLIE KRUEGER Denneboom
There are hundreds of local businesses in every community wanting to advertise online but for the majority of these plumbers, landscapers, restaurants and other small service providers creating and buying an online ad is complicated and confusing. Leaderboard, CPC, CPM and pixilation are not in the everyday vocabulary of the local roofer, renovator or retailer and the task of actually creating an online ad can prove to be an overwhelmingly time consuming and costly undertaking. For local newspaper websites, selling online advertising to these local businesses can be equally time consuming and costly. In most cases, the small advertising budget doesn’t justify the service levels of a direct sales team. Profits can be quickly eaten up by the second telephone call. One Canadian media agency recognized this challenge and created an application that automates the buying and selling of online display ads. Denneboom is a traditional ad agency with a unique technology division focused on local advertisers. They have developed and launched Denneboom Connect Local, a self serve solution that connects local advertisers to local websites, seeing much success with theweathernetwork.com and other local targeted web publishers. With the Denneboom Connect Local application, web publishers can easily and efficiently attract and sell to local businesses directly from their site. It is simple and some would say fun for the advertiser to create and buy their ad using the application. With new features such as the ability to upload existing creative and Ad Builder plus, the local advertiser has a wide selection of creative options literally at their fingertips. There is no start up fees or capital investments for the web publisher. They maintain control of pricing, ad size, inventory as well as who is advertising on their site. With only one click the web publisher approves or rejects the orders coming to their website and everything else from booking, billing to creative delivery is automated. The home grown advertising content, generated through the application, provides a nice local service to the community and the additional revenue and new advertisers can only be good for the bottom line.
Publishers looking for more information on the Denneboom Connect Local self serve advertising application may contact Jack Denneboom at 1.877.486.1508x109 or jboom@ denneboom.com.
August, 2011
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Design
A LICENSE TO PRINT MONEY
10 Design Ideas to Generate Revenue at Your Newspaper...Now! By Ed Henninger Henninger Consulting
Do you know what this is? Find out fast and it can make you money!
the families of the deceased...as an upsell. Offer a line below the name of the deceased—and let the family decide what it says (as long as it’s within your standards). If the family wants to say Avid fisherman then let them...as an upsell. If a couple wants to run Wed June 4 in Charleston as an underline in their wedding announcement, then let them...as an upsell. If the new mom and dad want to run a photo of their baby in the births list, then let them...as a, well...you get the point.
Yeah, it’s a long title. But there’s a reason for it: I’m proving to publishers that design isn’t an expense—it can add to the bottom line.
When I offered the presentation to publishers at the Kentucky Press Assn. convention, they agreed that what they had learned would add $5,000 to $6,000 to their revenue—in 2011 alone. Not bad for a couple of hours, eh?
New Content:
How about a recipe of the week, sponsored by the local IGA? The fun part is in the planning: If you’re going to run a recipe for chili, the IGA manager can agree to put chopped beef on sale. If it’s a recipe for fried chicken, he can put fryers on sale. If it’s a recipe for fruit salad, he can put oranges...well, again...you get the point.
At other subsequent workshops, publishers and ad directors agree the information is a valuable money-making resource. And some have asked me to offer some highlights in my column. So...highlights follow.
Classifieds:
Offer all of your classifieds buyers—even the reader who’s just trying to sell his son’s saxophone—an opportunity to buy a display that can go at the top of the page, above the classifieds header. Run a photo and a few lines of type—more than just the usual cryptic classified language. A package of three or four ads at the top of the page may just interest the casual browser more than your standby class header.
There’s more. Much more. And you can turn these ideas into cold, hard cash. It’s all about using design elements, approaches and techniques to generate revenue. A novel concept, eh? If you want more...A License to Print Money can be part of your association’s next convention or training session.
QR Codes:
That’s a Quick Response code and it looks just like the illustration with this column. QR codes can take your readers to your web pages, to an advertiser’s web site, to a list of their stores. A QR code can also be used to send an e-mail directly to an editor...or an advertiser. If you get ahead of the game (before your advertisers beat you to it!) you can offer your advertisers a fee to generate and place a QR code in their ads for them. But hurry...some national advertisers like Best Buy are already placing QR codes in their inserts—and your advertisers will catch on soon. For more, google the phrase QR Code. This is the future. It’s here now. Don’t miss out!
ED HENNINGER is an independent newspaper consultant and the Director of Henninger Consulting, offering comprehensive newspaper design services and design evaluations at www.henningerconsulting.com.
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. Photos are also welcome!
Selling Photos:
Many newspapers sell photos on their web sites, partnering with photo services. But...most don’t let readers know a photo is for sale: Readers have to go searching on your web site to find out if they can buy a photo...or not. How about putting a line right with the photo caption? Something like: You can purchase a copy of this photo. Go to www.befordfallssentinel.com. I’ll bet your photo sales will increase measurably.
Upselling:
Even if you don’t sell obits, you can offer some opportunities to August, 2011
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Technology
sHARING A LOVE FOR THE NEWSPAPER INDUSTRY
By Kevin Slimp Institute of Newspaper Technology
Talk about a busy week. After two days with the West Virginia Press Association in Morgantown, I’ve spent the past four days with Alyse Mitten, executive director of Mid Atlantic Community Papers Association, driving through Ohio and Pennsylvania. It’s one of those trips where regional training events are held on college campuses and training facilities for area newspaper staffs. It’s a longer trip than usual with lots of traveling built in. I normally don’t do these long trips anymore, scheduling most of my travel on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, but Alyse booked this adventure three years ago and I wasn’t about to let her down. On the first day of our journey, Alyse had an idea that, in my humble opinion, was quite innovative. In addition to the scheduled training events, Alyse decided to contact publishers along the seven-hour route between Mansfield, Ohio and Philadelphia, Pa., and ask if they’d like to host gatherings around meals. This provided us the opportunity to meet with their staff and discuss anything that might be on their minds. I was surprised when, at the first stop in New Castle, Pa., Karen Hutchinson and 20 of her employees showed up at Compadres Mexican Restaurant full of excitement about the opportunity to discuss the future of our industry. It was late in the evening and I didn’t expect more than a couple of folks to show. Karen giggled as she explained to me that she told her staff a few hours earlier that Kevin Slimp was coming to town and any of them were welcome to join him for dinner. I laughed. I laughed harder when Mark, the paper’s editor, handed a magazine to me and asked if I would autograph the page with my column.
Mark Beers, New Castle, PA, looks over Kevin’s shoulder as he autographs his column at a restaurant in Mark’s home town.
At one point I turned to Karen, who was sitting next to me, and ask her to tell me how she got started in the business. We laughed when she told me about typing the stories on a typewriter and using stencils for the headlines. She beamed when she talked about their first computer: an Apple Classic with a nine-inch screen. She and her late husband Frank couldn’t figure out how to use the computer to create pages. Luckily their 13-year-old son figured it out and they were in the digital age at last. I asked Karen how business was going and, like most publishers I visit these days, she told me they were having a good year. It’s always comforting to hear that.
Frank Jr., Karen’s son and now the paper’s publisher, turned the topic to revenue. He said he’d heard that I sometimes speak on I’ve been asked to sign Acrobat boxes, programs, shirts and all the topic of making money from newspaper web sites. He was kinds of items during my travels, but it still takes me by sur- eager to hear my ideas. prise whenever it happens. I quickly transformed from Kevin the dinner guest to Kevin the The discussion turned to business very quickly. We spent lecturer and shared some ideas sent to me from readers of my more than an hour discussing the paper’s online presence and column. I noticed several people around the long table frantically strategizing what could be done to draw more visitors and ad- writing notes as I suggested possible ways to increase revenue on their site. vertisers to the site. We held healthy discussions concerning technical issues like colour settings to improve their photo quality, best ways to create PDF files and the need to upgrade some of the software and hardware being used.
After learning how their current web site was created and maintained, I suggested moving immediately to a vendor who could greatly enhance their product in just a few days. Time was wasting as they had new online competition in their community.
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Technology “Don’t spend another year or two trying to create your own perfect web site,” I told them. “Find a content management vendor that can get a better, easy-to-use site online within the next few days.”
Quark Update: A Letter from the CEO
More frantic writing followed. Fortunately, all I had to do was talk. Two nights later, I met with a group of publishers and MACPA board members in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It was interesting to see the factories that were torn down in the Billy Joel song are now casinos.
Dear Loyal Customer: I am writing to share some fantastic news with you: Platinum Equity, a California-based private equity firm, has acquired Quark. This is a substantial step forward in the evolution of our business and one that we have been working toward for some time, because we know that it will provide new benefits to our customers and partners.
Our discussion focused on the future of our industry and everyone agreed that things are definitely looking up this year. My enthusiasm about our business is fueled when I take a trip like this. Meeting so many people who are excited about the role of newspapers in their communities and looking for ideas to move into the future provides an adrenalin rush that’s hard to match.
This transition comes at an exciting time for our company and our customers. Since I joined in 2006, we have made great strides in helping our customers realize dynamic publishing, have re-invigorated QuarkXPress, and have readied Quark to take an early leadership position in digital publishing.
By the way, Karen was right. The chili pablanos at Compadres were excellent. 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 and makes his home in Knoxville, Tennessee. Kevin’s insight on technology is highly sought after at various industry events across North America. www.kevinslimp.com
As a global investment firm, Platinum Equity is well-positioned to help us continue to execute our dynamic publishing vision through their market reach, merger and acquisition experience, and operational support. Just as importantly, the firm shares Quark’s commitment to our customers. This is the natural next step in Quark’s evolution. On behalf of the entire Quark team, I want to thank you once again for the relationship we have built and for your continued confidence in our capabilities. We look forward to earning that trust each and every day. Should you have any questions at all, please e-mail us. We hope you’ll share the confidence and excitement that we have for this new chapter for Quark, our customers, and our partners. Regards,
Ray Schiavone Quark President and CEO Kevin speaks to a packed house of newspaper designers, publishers and photographers in Coatesville, PA, just outside Philadelphia.
August, 2011
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Technology
Viva la Print?
I’m not trying to scare anyone. Okay, I am. I talk with so many publishers of papers who are convinced newspapers will survive in printed form forever. I don’t see it that way. The trends are showing otherwise.
Blog by Russel Viers A few months ago I was on a train to Brussels, Belgium, leafing through the International Herald Tribune and a story caught my eye. It was a story about a newspaper that refused to have a web site...they only had a print edition.
Can you rely on the post office for distribution?
The United States Postal Service has been in the news a lot lately. It’s already begun closing branches and has 3,600 more in its sights. The numbers in various articles jump around, but no matter what you read, it’s not an optimistic future for small papers that rely on the local post office to distribute the paper each week.
I have heard this line too many times. ‘If we put our stories up on the Internet, who would buy the paper on Wednesday?’ publisher Claude Angeli, asked. “We believe in print.” What made it different this time was that it was a publisher of a newspaper in Paris, France saying it.
I’m not a postal expert, but I would guess having to work with a post office in a different town would have some impact on price. If not, at the very least that paper would have the added expense and time of delivering it further.
The newspaper, Le Canard Enchainé, is a satirical weekly targeting politicians, entertainers and the elite with great success. In a climate where France’s other papers are beginning to struggle, Angeli is succeeding. His readership is up. His subscriptions are up. Profits are up. ‘Well if he can do it, why can’t everyone else? Let’s just stop with this web site experiment we’ve been doing and go back to print?’ Is that what you were thinking?
Last week there was an article in USA Today about the USPS anticipating an $8.38 billion loss this year. How are these loses going to impact the price per piece for newspaper distribution? Back to an earlier question: ‘How much of an increase on postage rates and delivery can I sustain with my current pricing structure?’
Before you buy into Angeli’s thinking, there are some important questions to answer:
Who will fill the online void?
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What’s the future of print?
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How will you distribute it?
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Will your competitors fill the online void?
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How unique is your content?
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Does your community REALLY want print?
This may be my biggest concern for publishers who only want to do print editions. What impact will it have on your paper when the local Chamber of Commerce starts putting feature stories of local businesses and events on a web site they name anytowntoday.com or whatever fits. What will happen when the school booster club starts a web site with hundreds of colour pictures of all the school activities, including sports, and you only have a couple of black and whites on the sports page each week. I would like to say that I’m spit-balling here, but it’s happening. And what about the various “suck” sites in your community already, like topix or americantowns.com. And then there’s Patch. com, which AOL started to compete with papers with an online edition right in their communities.
The Future of Print
When you look at all the newspapers that are, at best, just getting thinner, it raises the question about supply and demand of newsprint and other print supplies in the future. Taking just the Detroit Free Press, which has recently become a weekly paper, as an example, how much newsprint is no longer needed to stay in business? Using numbers from last year, the paper had a weekday circulation of just under 300,000 copies and Sunday was as high as 580,000. Even though they are still printing and distributing to newsstands, the elimination of print editions to households six days of the week is a substantial decrease in the amount of newsprint being used in Detroit.
Is your content unique enough?
So how does the future fare for Angeli in Paris? Provided he can get the paper printed and distributed in a cost-effective manner, he might continue to do well. He is the only one in his country with the staff and connections to deliver the type of investigative, satirical content his readers crave. It would be very difficult for someone to start an online version of his paper with the same content. As long as he remains unique in that niche with his print product he may do fine.
As this trend continues among large dailies, how is this going to impact the cost of print supplies and the availability of suppliers in rural areas?
Provided his readers continue to want print…
Some questions you should be prepared to answer today are: ‘How much of an increase in printing cost can I sustain under my current pricing structure?’ and ‘What would I do if my printer closed its doors?’ August, 2011
Does your community really want print?
Statistics are starting to show otherwise. Publishers are often so protective of their paid circulation and the risk of losing it to 18
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Technology
est look at what’s happening in the media today and don’t hide behind a hope.
online, they don’t take a hard look at just who the paid subscribers are. An attendee at one of my seminars recently told me the average age of his subscribers was 65. That’s 65. A sixty and a five. If you look at the consuming public that advertisers are trying to reach, they’re not in the demographic. So this paper is protecting 2,000 paid seniors at the risk of a larger public that is younger, web savvy, mobile device savvy and has money to spend on what your advertisers are selling: tires, cars, furniture, groceries, etc.
I’m a print guy. My background is print. I want to be wrong. I’ve made a living teaching people how to produce a better newspaper faster…in print. I still do. But I also spend a lot of time these days helping newspapers and magazines embrace electronic media and enjoy the many benefits. For now, there is room for both.
In this plan focus on two things:
I suggest newspapers take a hard look at the community as a whole, as well as the subscribers, and really find out what they want and what they are willing to pay for. And as fast as the trends are changing, this is a question that needs to be asked often. What they wanted yesterday isn’t what they may want today.
Seven years, think about that…that’s like the day after tomorrow in dog years (or something like that). To make this prediction I’m looking back seven years at how things have changed. To name a few milestones and how they have changed the way we communicate. Facebook launched in 2004
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iPhone released June 2007
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Twitter launched March 2007
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iPad released 2010
Improving the print product
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Developing an electronic edition
We must work now to make our print editions the best they can be. It’s important we show our community we are the news providers they can rely on, not the Chamber of Commerce or PTA. We can do this through better design, better photos, better ads and better writing. All of these add up to the ONLY product like it in most communities…and we need to take advantage of that.
I’ve speculated that we won’t be printing newspapers in seven years. It’s an educated guess, but I’ll put it in writing and hope I’m wrong.
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At the same time, we need to develop a plan to offer online editions to our readers. This allows us to get new readers who don’t read print, offer more photos and other content in color and enjoy an additional revenue stream as we sell ads on the web site. For those who might accuse me of preaching doom and gloom I’ll conclude with ‘I would buy a paper today.’ I still believe in community journalism. I still believe there is a future for small newspapers. I just don’t have a lot of faith, long term, in the Postal Service or the printing industry as it is today.
So now what?
Be prepared. Put together a five year plan and take a hard, hon-
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Government Advocacy
pOINT-OF-SALE REBATE FOR NEWSPAPERS Update from Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) According to Ontario’s Ministry of Revenue, qualifying newspapers are now able to apply the HST Point-of-Sale Rebate for the printing of their newspapers. This was confirmed to OCNA in a meeting with Assistant Deputy Minister Bob Laramy.
‘print newspapers that contain news, editorials, feature stories or other information of interest to the general public, and that are published at regular intervals (typically on a daily, weekly or monthly basis), but not flyers, inserts, magazines, periodicals and shoppers.’ This definition replaces the previous definition used for the former Ontario RST exemption, including the old point system approach, which became redundant with the introduction of the HST. Electronic and digital publications will not qualify for the point-of-sale rebate.
The Point-of-Sale Rebate for printing services is similar to the previous Ontario Retail Sales Tax (RST) exemption for newspapers as it related to expenses for the production of newspapers. The ministry is considering the newspaper’s ‘purchase’ of their product from the printer to be ‘a sale’ in the distribution chain. The Point-of-Sale Rebate applies to all qualifying newspapers, regardless of whether their circulation is paid or controlled.
Charges for other specific incidental services from a printer, like graphic design related to the supply of a qualifying newspaper, may be eligible for the rebate if they are considered to be part of a single supply of the newspaper.
The original interpretation of the Point-of-Sale Rebate was for the sale of newspapers (bulk, subscription, single copy sales) in the distribution chain, so distributers and ultimately readers (end users) would not be hit with an additional tax.
When a printer or publisher is not certain about the application of the rebate, they should contact the Canada Revenue Agency’s GST/HST rulings service for full clarification.
Although the HST is a flow-through tax, so publishers paying the 8% portion of the HST on their print bills have been able to claim it back, this new interpretation will eliminate that tax on invoices in future for qualifying newspapers. This change will improve the cash flow situation for newspapers, which has been the concern for some publishers since the introduction of the HST.
For more information
For more information on the rebate, please refer to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) publication GST/HST Info Sheet GI-060 Harmonized Sales Tax for Ontario - Point-of-Sale Rebate on Newspapers. The CRA is your source for information about the GST/HST. Visit the CRA’s website at cra.gc.ca/gsthst or call: 1 800 959-5525 for general enquiries or 1 800 959-8287 for rulings.
The Ministry’s new definition of a Qualifying Newspapers is
Looking for 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.
PRESS CARD
PRESS CARD
This certifies the individual identified has been awarded Press Credentials by the Publisher of this newspaper, and is to be used for identification purposes.
Kawartha Lakes/North Durham CAPS News 905-985-9755 201 North St. Port Perry ON L9L 1B7
2010
MARK This newspaper on the reverse side RIBBLE is, as of date of issue, a member in good standing Reporter of the Ontario Community Newspapers Leamington Post Association (OCNA) www.ocna.org.
Publisher
905-871-3100
450 Garrison Unit 1 Dec. 1,Rd. 2010 Fort Erie ON L2A 1N2 Anne Lannan, Exec. Director Date
PRESS CARD
This new of date o of the Asso
2010
DON MACLEOD
2 0 11
2 0 11
This certifies the individual identified has been awarded Press Credentials by the Publisher of this newspaper, and is to be used for identification purposes.
Anne La
PRESS CARD
Gorven or call ThisContact certifies theKelly individual identifiedat hask.gorven@ocna.org been awarded This certifies the individual identified has been awarded Press Credentialsx239 by the Publisher of this newspaper, Press Credentials by the Publisher of this newspaper, 906-639-8720 for a Publisher’s Authorization Form and and is to be used for identification purposes. and is to be used for identification purposes.
Fort Erie Times 905-871-3100
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ANILside JHALLI This newspaper on the reverse is, as of date of issue, a member in good/ standing Editor Reporter of the Ontario Community Newspapers Ottawa, The Now EMC Association (OCNA) www.ocna.org. 613-688-1491 57 Auriga Dr. Suite 103
This new of date o of the www.ocna.org Asso
010
Editor
010
KRIS DUBÉ
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August, 2011
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instructions on how to send photos.
circulation
CLassifieds
ABC Board Approves New Audit Program for Smaller Canadian Newspapers
Olympic Freelancer Kevin MacLean is a journalist with more than 10 years’ experience in community newspapers and 23 years as a senior editor at the Toronto Star. He is offering his freelance reporting and photography services to anyone wishing to recieve 2012 Olympic coverage.
Endorses Broader Reporting of Digital Magazine Metrics, Freezes Rates for Fifth Consecutive Year At its recent meeting, the ABC Board of Directors approved a new service that will lower costs and simplify the audit process for Canadian newspapers with circulations below 30,000. Available on Oct. 1, the Canadian Audit Program 30 (CAP30) features a more flexible, costeffective audit approach for smaller circulation newspapers, including: ▄▄
All-inclusive, flat-rate pricing beginning at $2,500 per year
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Off-site biennially
audits
conducted
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Simplified reports and audit procedures
rates and prices in 2012, the fifth consecutive year without an increase in fees. The board also announced the appointment of two new directors: Stacy Boone, media manager at Target Corporation, representing U.S. advertisers, and Sara Hill, president of M2 Universal, representing Canadian advertising agencies.
He recently moved into teaching and freelancing last year, and now instructs young aspiring journalists at Sheridan College in Oakville and in downtown Toronto at Ryerson University.
The board also elected Scott HeekinCanedy, president and general manager of The New York Times, to serve as treasurer. Heekin-Canedy replaces retiring treasurer Brian Segal of Rogers Publishing.
With his background in suburban and small-town papers servicing Richmond Hill, Scarborough/North York and Newmarket/Aurora, as well as his many years at Canada’s largestcirculation daily, he understands what local media wants for their publication and web sites.
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Inclusion in FAS-FAX and ABC’s online database for media planners and buyers
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Flexible billing options
The board also approved a new report format for all other Canadian newspapers. Effective with September 2011 statements, the revised prototype reflects a more streamlined approach to reporting circulation data. The updated report is the first step in a broader industry initiative to enhance ABC’s Canadian newspaper reports with key digital metrics and more user-friendly features. “ABC continues to provide innovative audit programs and reports that serve the evolving needs of the Canadian marketplace,” noted Joan Brehl, ABC’s vice president and general manager in Canada. “We’re thrilled to offer a costeffective audit to smaller newspapers under ABC’s gold standard.”
Other Key Board Actions
ABC is a forum of North America’s leading magazine and newspaper publishers, advertisers and advertising agencies. The organization provides credible, verified information essential to the media buying and selling process. ABC maintains the world’s foremost online database of audited circulation information and a growing array of readership, audience and website usage data. ABC’s digital arm, ABC Interactive, is one of the world’s leading independent auditors of websites and digital adbased technology. To learn more, visit http://www.accessabc.com.
ABC Media Contacts: Kammi Altig 224-336 -6365 kammi.altig@accessabc.com
If your newspaper has local participants in the 2012 Games or, you are interested in Olympic coverage for your publication, please contact Kevin MacLean asap at: o- 416-596-8838 c- 416-568-2013 kmaclean14@gmail.com kmaclean14@ryerson.ca kevin.maclean@sheridanc.on.ca
Your ad could appear in the next edition of NewsClips!
Susan Kantor 224-336-6432
Email us for more info: newsclips@ocna.org
The ABC board agreed to freeze audit August, 2011
While the Games are about 11 months off, media accreditation applications need to be submitted to the Canadian Olympic Committee as soon as possible in order to ensure access to events.
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Mackenzie
Printery & Newspaper Museum 16TH 16TH ANNUAL ANNUAL
Golf Tournament
W E D N E S D AY, S E P T E M B E R 1 4 t h , 2 0 1 1
NIAGARA PARKS COMMISSION WHIRLPOOL GOLF COURSE NIAGARA PARKWAY, NIAGARA FALLS ~ TEE TIMES START @ 11:40 A.M. ~ REGISTRATION FEE $14000 Includes: Golf, Cart, Five Star Prime Rib/Smoked Salmon Buffet Dinner, Prizes for Every Golfer ($4500 tax receipt issued)
~ NOTE: GOLF FORMAT “BEST BALL” WILL BE PLAYED AGAIN THIS YEAR ~ August, 2011
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Photo Gallery
Independent Publishers Lunch By Anne Lannan, OCnA
Elections aren’t what they used to be. This was echoed by many who say elections don’t provide advertising support for newspapers, yet the candidates all want plenty of editorial exposure. But there doesn’t seem to be the intense races between rival candidates and great debates in most elections.
Discussion has been stimulating at the summertime Independent Publishers Lunch series being held across the province. The OCNA Board of Directors launched this venue last year as a forum to develop open communication amongst this segment of the association’s membership and to create a network of peers and friendships who share common goals and experiences.
Ontario’s community newspapers are as diverse as the personalities of their publishers. OCNA represents 96 individual independent publishers, producing 147 titles around the province, or 47 per cent of our membership. They range from the Hornepayne Jackfish Journal in Northern Ontario with 295 copies each week to the Toronto Now at more than 105,000 each edition.
OCNA President Don MacLeod and Executive Director Anne Lannan have been meeting with publishers in Chatham, Peterborough, Stratford and Ottawa and are enjoying the face-to-face feedback about successes, challenges and initiatives being undertaken by publishers across the province.
It is nice to see friendships being formed with second and third generation newspaper professionals who deal with common matters such as working with family members, breaking away from traditions, dealing with emerging technologies, examining business and distribution models, and changing community preferences.
One of the main items of discussion was how publishers dealt with the Canada Post service disruption in June. OCNA knows of three newspapers in the province who did not publish during one of the weeks during the lock-out, mainly because of the difficulty to create a separate distribution system in rural and remote Ontario. Other publishers hired private distributors, Canada Post contractors unable to work because of the lock-out, and made use of newspaper staff and community groups. Others were able to promote centralized pick-up sites through the co-operation of local businesses, and some promoted electronic distribution for subscribers who weren’t able to get out to pick-up their newspaper or lived outside the local community. One member who operates solely as a husband and wife business hit the streets and distributed the papers themselves, even though it was totally exhausting. The common theme amongst all the publishers was the adulation and appreciation of their readers and advertisers who recognized the lengths the newspapers went to in order to continue serving their communities.
Paid vs. Controlled circulation is a hot topic with paid circulation publishers. OCNA data shows the following for Independent papers: ▄▄ ▄▄
84 controlled papers with circ of 1,810,114; avg. circ. 21,548 63 paid papers with circ of 193,146; avg. circ. 3,065
Paid newspapers struggle with presenting an online presence while maintaining paid subscriptions. With few newspapers earning substantial revenue online and their own limited staffing levels, there is little incentive for them to actively pursue it. Shown below (l-r) in Stratford are Bill Gladding, Tavistock Gazette; Dave Adsett, Fergus Wellington Advertiser; Heidi Ostner and Irene Schmidt Adeney, Ayr News; Chris Daponte, Fergus Wellington Advertiser; Helen Hall, Kitchener Citizen; Shaun Loughlin, Blyth Brussels Citizen; Carrie Debrone, Kitchener Citizen; Kelly Gorven, OCNA; Keith Roulston, Blyth Brussels Citizen; Don MacLeod, North Kawartha CAPS
Shown above (back row l-r) in Peterbourgh are Rik Davie, Scugog/ Uxbridge Standard; Don MacLeod, North Kawartha CAPS; Cathy Bond and Bev Martin, Millbrook Times; (seated) Simon Conolly and Terry McQuitty, Lakefield Herald.
August, 2011
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Make Money with Network Classifieds
$
OCNA’s Network Classified Advertising is an easy way for you to earn additional revenue. Upsell your retail and classified advertisers and earn a 35% commission. An All Ontario 25-word ad is $475. You earn $166.25 each time you upsell your client into the program. 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, Sports. Spread the word to draw more people »» Help Wanted – Trades and other positions that individuals would relocate or commute to should be advertised here Contact OCNA Network Classified Coordinator Susana Czyrnek for full details at s.czyrnek@ocna.org or 1-800387-7982 ext 230.
August, 2011
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www.ocna.org . info@ocna.org