March 2012 - Alabama Press Association

AlaPressa
THE NEWSLETTER
Important Dates
APA Web Contest
Deadline
Tuesday, March 20
APA Journalism
Foundation Board
Meeting
Thursday, April 19
Samford University
Better Newspaper
Contest Judging
April 26
Lincoln, NE
2012 Southeastern
Press Convention
July 5-7, 2012
Destin, FL
National Newspaper
Association Annual
Convention
Oct. 3-7, 2012
Charleston, SC
Institute of Newspaper
Technology
Oct. 11-13, 2012
Knoxville, TN
OF THE
A L A B A M A P R E S S A S S O C I AT I O N
March 2012
APA elects new officers
Don’t wait to make your reservations for the
2012 Southeastern Press Convention in
Destin
Survey results show
newspaper readership stays strong
Alabama Power donates iPad2
for Foundation raffle
Check out APA’s redesigned website
Apply now for editorial and advertising
summer internships
Blalock left a collection of hope
APA welcomes two new associate members
National columnist Connie Schultz addresses
Ayers Lecture audience at JSU
Summer High School Multi-Media
Journalism Camp
MARCH 2012
AlaPressa
2
Alabama Press Association
Alabama Newspaper Advertising
Service Inc.
3324 Independence Drive
Suite 200
Birmingham, AL 35209
(205) 871-7737
(205) 871-7740 (fax)
www.alabamapress.org
Board of Directors
Leada Gore, President,
The Decatur Daily
David Moore, First Vice President,
Arab Tribune
Tom Scarritt, Second Vice President
The Birmingham News
Alan Davis, Chairman of the Board,
VP of Media General
Scott Brown, The Decatur Daily
Glenda Curl, Wilcox Progressive Era
Michele Gerlach, Andalusia Star-News
John Harvey, Advertiser-Gleam
Ann Laurence, News Courier
Wanda Lloyd, Montgomery Advertiser
Mike Marshall, Press-Register
Bob Martin, Montgomery Independent
David Proctor, Clay Times-Journal
Russell Quattlebaum, The Southeast Sun
Pam Siddall, The Birmingham News
Horace Moore, The Northwest Alabamian
APA Staff
Felicia Mason, Executive Director
Brad English, Advertising Manager
Leigh Leigh Tortorici, Senior
Marketing Representative
Tay Bailey, Member Services
Coordinator
Chris McDaniel, Network Sales
Caroline Harbin, Tearsheet Clerk
Dennis R. Bailey, General Counsel
Scott Goldsmith, APA Accountant
(left to right) David Moore, first vice president; Leada Gore, president; Alan Davis, chairman;
Tom Scarritt, second vice president (not pictured)
APA elects new officers
Leada Gore, display advertising manager for The Decatur
Daily, has been elected president of the Alabama Press
Association. She succeeds
Alan Davis, vice president and
regional publisher for Media
General in Alabama. Davis
became chairman of the board.
Gore has been involved
with newspapers for almost 20
years, starting as a general
assignment reporter and later
working as a news editor,
columnist, managing editor,
editor and publisher.
She
began her career with The
Shelby County Reporter in
Columbiana and then worked
as publisher and editor of the
Hartselle
Enquirer
and
Madison County Record for 10
years. She previously served
as president of the Alabama
Press Association’s Journalism
Foundation and is a member of
the APA’s Better Newspaper
Contest committee.
Gore is a graduate of the
University of Montevallo, where
she serves as vice president of
the UM Foundation. She and
her husband, Greg, live in
Madison with their 4-year-old
daughter, Sutton.
David Moore, editor of The
Arab Tribune, became first vice
president, and Tom Scarritt,
editor of The Birmingham
News, was elected second vice
president of APA.
Moore, who has a degree
in psychology from the
University of Alabama, started
his newspaper career in 1978,
at
The
Shelby
County
Reporter. In 1985, he moved to
Andalusia as editor and then
on to Brewton as publisher. In
1990, Moore moved to Arab as
editor.
Tom Scarritt is a native of
Tuscaloosa and a graduate of
the University of North Carolina
and the Samford University
Executive MBA program. He
has
worked
for
The
Birmingham News since 1975
in a variety of reporting jobs,
including a stint as Washington
correspondent. He joined the
editorial board of the paper in
1985 and became editorial
page editor in 1986. He was
see Board Members pg 3
MARCH 2012
Board Members
from pg 1
named executive editor of The
News in 1989 and was promoted
to editor in 1997. In 2001, he
also was named vice president of
the newspaper.
He and his wife, Kathy, have
two grown children.
Horace Moore, publisher of
The Northwest Alabamian in
Haleyville was elected for a first
term on the APA board.
Board members elected for a
two-year term were: John Harvey,
advertising director of The
Advertiser-Gleam in Guntersville;
David Proctor, publisher of The
Clay Times-Journal in Lineville;
Russell Quattlebaum, publisher
of The Southeast Sun in
Enterprise; Ann Laurence, pub-
AlaPressa
lisher of The News Courier in
Athens; Bob Martin, publisher of
The Montgomery Independent;
and Michele Gerlach, publisher
of The Andalusia Star-News.
Members remaining on the
board are: Mike Marshall, editor
of the Press-Register in Mobile;
Scott Brown, director of operations for Tennessee Valley
Printing Co. in Decatur; Pam
Siddall, publisher of The
Birmingham News; Wanda Lloyd,
editor of the Montgomery
Advertiser; and Glenda Curl,
publisher
of
the
Wilcox
Progressive Era in Camden.
The
APA
Journalism
Foundation elected Huntsville
Times Editor Kevin Wendt as its
new president, and Darrell
Sandlin, publisher of the
TimesDaily in Florence as vice
president. Wendt succeeds Tim
Prince, publisher of The Shelby
County Reporter and The
3
Clanton Advertiser, who became
chairman of the board.
Wendt joined The Huntsville
Times as editor in 2008. He
worked for The Mercury News in
San Jose, Calif., as managing
editor, and held several other
positions at the newspaper. He
grew up in Chicago and received
a bachelor's degree in journalism
from Northern Illinois University.
New Foundation board members include: Tim Reeves, editor
of The Selma Times-Journal; Don
Hudson, executive editor of The
Decatur Daily; Robert Bozeman,
publisher and editor of The
Evergreen Courant; Brad Shurett,
publisher and editor of The Daily
Sentinel in Scottsboro; Kenneth
Boone, publisher and editor of
The Outlook in Alexander City;
K.A. Turner, business editor of
the Press-Register in Mobile; and
Brenda Pujol, publisher, The
Geneva County Reaper.
Don’t wait to make your reservations for the
2012 Southeastern Press Convention in Destin
You should receive registration forms in the next few weeks
for the 2012 Southeastern Press
Convention at the Sandestin Golf
& Beach Resort July 5-7.
Best-selling author Michael
Connelly will be among the featured speakers. Programs will
include:
• Generating Mobile
Revenue, Gordon Borrell
• Design: When White is
Wrong, Ed Henninger
• Postal Update, Max Heath
• Technology's latest, Lisa
Griffin
• NEWSPAPERS: Powerful
Beyond Measure, Gary
Miller (LA)
• News/Content program,
provided by FSNE
• Selling Against Competitive
Media, Amy Soverow,
Research Manager,
Birmingham News
• News/Content program,
provided by FSNE
The Village of Baytown Wharf
We anticipate a high demand
for rooms, so make your reservations now. When making your
reservation, please select the
Grand Sandestin if you want a
room close to the conference
center. Other options are further
away and may require a short
drive. Rates at the Grand
Sandestin for a studio room are
$199 (includes 12% resort fee)
per night, and a one bedroom
condo is $249 (includes 12%
resort fee). You can book online
using our group code 22H6AD or
call 800-277-0800.
There are multiple options
throughout the Sandestin property for accommodations. We will
provide more details next month.
Visit www.convene2012.com for
more information.
MARCH 2012
AlaPressa
4
Survey results show newspaper
readership stays strong
A January 2012 readership
survey proves that newspaper
readership in Alabama remains
strong over the past decade. A
readership poll in 2000 revealed
newspaper readership at a
healthy 87%. When APA hired
noted republican pollster Jim
McLaughlin to conduct a similar
poll this year, expectations varied.
“After discussing the survey
questions with the polling team, I
was a little nervous,” said ANAS
Manager Brad English. “One
team member even said to
expect a good bit of ‘neithers’ in
response to the question regarding the type of newspaper
Alabamians read.”
Birmingham News Research
Manager Amy Soverow, who
assisted APA in preparing poll
questions and analyzing the
results, wasn’t as apprehensive.
“I expected the results to
show strong readership throughout the state,” said Soverow. “In
fact, the numbers pretty much
mirror the numbers we find in our
own research.” And the results?
Overall newspaper readership
among Alabama adults is almost
identical to the poll taken twelve
years ago. 86% of Alabamians
polled said they read either a
daily, weekly or both types of
newspapers.
The question
specifically related to the print or
‘actual paper’ copy of the newspaper.
The survey polled 600 adults
across Alabama and included
other
general
readership
questions pertaining to section
readership, as well as a section
devoted to the issues surrounding public notice. Among the
findings: Sixty-five percent (65%)
of respondents say they regularly
read their Sunday paper, with
55% saying every Sunday and
10% saying nearly every Sunday.
Of those who oppose moving
Public Notice to online government websites, Sunday paper
readership increases to 68%.
The majority of respondents,
55%, said they receive the
newspaper they read most often
via “home delivery”. Thirty-six
percent (36%) buy it at a store or
retail location.
“Most Alabama adults read
a newspaper, which is where
they still go to as an important
source for their news and information,” said McLaughlin. “In
fact, in many ways, newspapers
are still viewed as required reading for a clear majority of
Alabamians.”
According to McLaughlin, if
public notices are no longer
printed in newspapers, a vulnerable portion of the population
such as minorities, seniors and
low income Alabamians will
become less informed.
“The findings from this survey speak for themselves,
Alabamians
overwhelmingly
oppose ending the practice of
publishing public notices in
newspapers,“
continued
McLaughlin.
“There is broad and intense
opposition to only putting public
notices on government websites, as less than one in five
Alabamians actually claim to frequent government websites on a
regular basis. Many people say
See Survey results pg 5
AlaPressa
MARCH 2012
Survey results
5
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from pg 4
they would not view public
notices if they were only on
public websites.
“Newspapers remain the
overwhelmingly preferred medium for Alabamians to read public
notices, concluded McLaughlin.
“Only 20 respondents have
no intention of voting in the 2012
election, while 535 are very likely
to do so – this is clearly a survey
with a strong voter base,” said
Soverow. “96% in the big four
Media markets are registered
voters, and 89.2% of these registered voters are “very likely” to vote.”
Access to Public Notice has
been a major concern in discussions among legislators. The survey found this is still the case.
More than a quarter of the
respondents (27.8%) have no
Internet access.
Of those
respondents with no internet
access, 94.6% are registered voters and 87.4% are very likely to
vote in the 2012 election.
76% of respondents read
legal notices in the newspaper at
some point, and 51% do so with
some
level
of
regularity
(always/sometimes). Less than a
quarter (23%) say they “Never”
read legal notices in the newspaper.
Local newspaper is the
number one place respondents
say they seek information on
public meetings.
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just one source for public meeting information are more than
three times as likely to seek this
information in the local newspaper than on the Internet.
76.5% of all respondents
oppose lifting the requirement for
legal notices to be published in
local newspapers; among those
82% of daily newspaper readers
oppose removing the legal
notices, with the highest opposition (83.5%) among those who
read every day. Almost 8 in 10
(78.7%) Internet users are also
opposed to removing legal
notices from newspapers.
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Almost half of respondents
(46%) say they “Never” use a
local government website and
82% said they “Rarely” or “Never”
use municipal websites. Only
18% logged onto local government websites during the course
of a week.
“Hopefully this will go a long
way in dispelling the false perception that we’re working for a
dying industry,” said English. He
added APA is working with
McLaughlin and others to develop a press release and house
ads for members to use in
reporting the results.
MARCH 2012
AlaPressa
6
Alabama Power donates iPad2 for Foundation raffle
Peggy Kelley, retired from
The Clanton Advertiser, took
home an iPad2 from the APA
Journalism
Summit
in
Tuscaloosa last month. Alabama
Power Company donated the
iPad2 for a raffle to benefit the
APA Journalism Foundation.
The raffle raised over $1,000
for the Foundation. The proceeds
will be applied to the grants,
internships and scholarships for
journalism programs and students throughout Alabama.
Thank you to Alabama Power
Company.
Apply now for editorial and advertising summer internships
Included in this edition of
AlaPressa are applications for
the summer internships through
APA.
The editorial internships are
sponsored
by
the
APA
Journalism Foundation. There
are eight $1,500 newsroom
internships available again this
summer.
Newspapers pick their own
intern, and agree to pay the
intern at least minimum wage
over
a
10-week
period.
Newspapers will also pay the
matching portion of payroll taxes
and will reimburse the interns for
any business travel or other business expenses.
The Michael T. Ryland
Advertising Internships are sponsored by Alabama Newspaper
Advertising Service and the AlaSCAN networks. There are four
$2,500 summer internships for
college students interested in
newspaper advertising sales.
The internship program is
named for the late Michael T.
Ryland, former APA executive
director and former APA/ANAS
advertising manager. Please see
article in the enclosed Alabama
Publisher with more information
on the Ryland Internship program.
The internships are awarded
to one newspaper in each of the
four APA contest divisions.
Newspapers select their own
interns, and the entire amount of
the internship must go to the student.
The Ryland Internships are
available each year to APA members. Selections are made by the
APA Advertising Committee.
All funds for internships will
be paid in May.
We need your help in preserving
your newspapers.
For many years, the Alabama Department of Archives and History has
collected and microfilmed the newspapers printed in Alabama and kept them
cataloged in in the ADAH library.
With budget cuts in staff and equipment, they stopped microfilming
in 2009. While they have paper copies for 2009, 2010 and 2011, they are no longer
able to continue to collecting paper versions.
We are working with DOA to develop
a system to electronically collect and store our newspapers.
Watch for more information on this important project.
MARCH 2012
AlaPressa
Check out APA’s redesigned website – www.alabamapress.org
7
MARCH 2012
AlaPressa
8
Blalock left a collection of hope
When Cullman Tribune coPublisher Barbara Blalock was
diagnosed with cancer in 1996,
her first trip to the doctors in
Birmingham was a real shock.
No trip to the cancer doctor
can be pleasant, but what she
heard was all doom and gloom.
She was offered little hope and
less encouragement.
Blalock’s early experience
left her determined to create a
collection of work to help others
facing cancer and other
upheavals to cope with the
challenges.
Unfortunately, she died
before she finished her book,
“God’s Green Acres.” She
passed away Leap Day 2000.
Her husband, Cullman Tribune
co-Publisher Delton Blalock,
completed and published her
book in 2001.
Blalock’s book is still
available at $40.00, plus $7.00
shipping. Contact The Cullman
Tribune, 219 2nd Ave. S.E.,
Cullman, AL 35055.
APA welcomes two new associate members
The APA Board of Directors
approved two applications for
associate membership at its last
meeting.
CNN Wire/CNN Newsource
Sales is an affiliate of CNN in
Atlanta. The Wire offers newspapers, television stations, and
websites with the content of
CNN’s domestic and international newsgathering resources.
They provide original text and
photo coverage of the most
important stories in the most relevant categories.
Vicki Montet is the senior
director of sales. She can be
reached at CNN Wire, One CNN
Center, NT1215A, Atlanta, GA
30303.
http://newsource
.cnn.com. Phone: 404-827-2238.
Vicki. montet@turner.com.
Also joining APA is The
Oxford Sun, a weekly publication
of Consolidated Publishing in
Anniston. The Oxford Sun is a
community newspaper covering
the Oxford area of Calhoun
County.
The publisher is John Alred.
He can be reached at The Oxford
Sun, P.O. Box 2285, Anniston, AL
36202.
www.oxfordsun.com.
Phone: 256-235-3531. jalred@
jaxnews.com.
We want to give a special thank you to all of the newspapers that provided
judges for Nebraska’s contest on March 1st!
The Outlook (Alexander City)
The Decatur Daily
The Arab Tribune
TimesDaily (Florence)
The News-Courier (Athens)
The Choctaw Sun-Advocate
(Gilbertown)
Birmingham Business Journal
The Birmingham News
Clanton Advertiser
Shelby County Reporter
The Cullman Times
The Blount Countian (Oneonta)
The St. Clair News-Aegis (Pell City)
Troy University
The Tuscaloosa News
Congratulations to The Choctaw Sun-Advocate for winning a
free Summer Convention full registration!!
AlaPressa
National columnist Connie Schultz
addresses Ayers Lecture audience at JSU
MARCH 2012
By Cameron Steele, The Anniston Star
Connie Schultz has been
called lots of things over the
course of her journalism career.
By her peers: Pulitzer winner.
Campaigning with her senator
husband: “his lovely wife.” And by
some of her readers: “nutjob” and
— in an apparent play on “dumb”
and “Democrat” — “dumbucrat.”
Schultz
admits the latter
monikers sometimes make her
angry, that these epithets have
barbs that hurt her just like they
would anyone else.
But during a speech at
Jacksonville State University
Thursday, the Cleveland Plain
Dealer columnist repeated a
quote from poet Lucille Clifton
that soothes the sting, puts hurt-
ful words into perspective.
“What they call you is one
thing,” Schultz told the hundreds
at the annual Ayers Lecture.
“What you answer to is something else.”
And the successful, widely
read writer said she will always
answer first and foremost to
“Connie Schultz” — the name
given to her by her parents, the
people whose lives of blue-collar
hard work shaped her understanding of her country, her work
and herself.
“I am Chuck and Jamie’s kid,”
she said.
She explained what it means
to be that kid, leading JSU students and Calhoun County resi-
9
dents through the story of Chuck
Schultz, a man who hated his 36year-long career as a factory
worker but did it anyway. And of
Jamie Schultz, the “spicy” little
woman with the big beehive hairdo and bigger heart.
They were working-class
people who didn’t go to college.
But they were determined that
Schultz and her siblings would.
Throughout college, her years as
a young single mother, as a journalist and later award-winning
columnist, Schultz kept her parents’ determination, their dreams,
their life lessons close to heart.
“Don’t marry him until you
see Schultz pg 11
Summer High School Multi-Media Journalism Camp
The Miles College Division of
Communications announces its
2012 Summer High School MultiMedia Journalism Camp, July 8
through July 14.
The Division is accepting
applicants from throughout the
state to participate in the journalism camp at which students live
in dormitories at Miles College.
The deadline for submitting applications is Friday, May 11.
Selected students will be notified
by May 25.
Juniors, seniors, and May
graduates who have demonstrated knowledge and skills in journalism are encouraged to apply.
The camp is designed to instill in
a diverse population of students
the desire to enroll in a mass
media curriculum in college and
seek employment in journalism
or a related field.
The advisory board of the
camp will select 20 students who
will attend workshops focusing
on media convergence emphasizing how to collect, evaluate,
and disseminate newsworthy
information via print media,
video, audio, and the Internet.
The camp, including room and
board, is free of charge.
Working journalists from representative media outlets will
lead workshops while Miles faculty members will conduct theory
courses. Workshops will include
developing journalism skills in
reporting, interviewing, photography, video and audio editing, and
social media. Students will also
tour media outlets, such as The
Birmingham News and FOX6.
The camp will award a
$1,000 scholarship to the top student to attend Miles College and
major in Communications. The
first 20 students to submit a completed application packet on or
before the May 11 deadline, and
who are selected to participate in
the camp, will be eligible to enter
a drawing to receive an iPod
Touch.
The camp will also have a
closing luncheon, awards presentation, and keynote address on
Saturday, July 14. Students may
bring two guests to the luncheon.
Additional guests will cost $15
each.
For applications and additional
information,
contact
Lynette Garner, program director,
at
(205)
929-1609
or
lgarner@miles.edu.
MARCH 2012
AlaPressa
10
MARCH 2012
Schultz
from pg 9
Connie Schultz
see how he treats the waitress,”
Schultz recalled her mother saying. It’s another touchstone
phrase that she runs her fingers
over when she approaches new
stories, new columns.
It reminds her, Schultz said,
to write about the people who
need expression the most — the
poor, the working class, the single mothers, the people like her
parents, the young girls like
“Chuck and Jamie’s kid.”
It reminds her to tell good
stories that readers will care
about.
And she does — whether
she’s detailing the joy that she
and her husband, U.S. Sen.
Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, find in
their puppy Franklin or lashing
out against business managers
who pocket the tips intended for
service workers.
Sometimes people respond
with overwhelming approval,
Schultz said. Often, just as many
will disagree.
But as long as she stays true
to Chuck and Jamie’s kid, as
long as she tries to sincerely
AlaPressa
connect with people, Schultz
said, she thinks she does OK.
Case in point: Schultz spent
eight hours at the Cleveland airport Wednesday when her plane
into Atlanta was delayed. In that
time, she ran into a man who
said he hated her politics. But, he
told her with a smile, he loved
her puppy Franklin.
“If you can write about your
relationships with your dog, people are going to be a lot more
patient with you when you write
about the economy,” she said.
After answering a variety of
questions on topics from the vitriol injected into the current political rhetoric to engaging young
people in current events, Schultz
received a standing ovation from
the crowd.
“She’s really smart,” JSU
sophomore Zach Tyler said. “I
agree with a lot of what she
says.”
Tyler is a 19 year-old public
relations major. But after Schultz’
speech, the Pell City native said
he felt inspired to switch his
major to journalism.
Jan Case, a mathematics
professor at the university, was
similarly impressed with Schultz,
praising the columnist’s ability to
speak as well as she writes.
11
Case particularly enjoyed
Schultz’ discussion of how she
intersperses her more controversial columns on politics with writing about her family.
“It’s harder to dislike a person than an idea,” Case pointed
out. “Personal stories really make
a difference.”
And “Chuck and Jamie’s”
daughter feels the same way.
So what if people call her
liberal or a feminist; she’ll tell you
the stories that shape her beliefs.
She’ll give you the narrative: The
beginning days in a home with
framed, side-by-side pictures of
John Kennedy and Jesus … the
middle years as a young woman
watching her father’s boss condescend to him … as a journalist
earning the trust of a wrongfully
convicted black man … and for
now, a self-proclaimed “liberal
with gratitude” standing in front of
a room at the Houston Cole
Library.
“I had to turn out this way,
didn’t I?” she asked.
And this:
“I will never change my
name.”
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MARCH 2012
AlaPressa
People
Chris Yow joins The Moulton
Advertiser’s sports staff. Yow has
worked at several Alabama
Newspapers, most recently at
The Daily Mountain Eagle in
Jasper. Yow began his college
career at Huntingdon College in
Montgomery then transferred to
Jacksonville State University
after his freshman year. While at
JSU, Yow covered sports for The
Chanticleer, the university’s
newspaper, and later became the
newspaper’s editor. In addition to
Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc.
has promoted Natalie Nettles to
managing editor of Lake Martin
Living and Lake magazines.
Nettles graduated from Auburn
University with a degree in jour-
Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc.
has announced a new publication, “What’s Right Here!”
“It’s designed to be a
companion piece to Lake Martin
magazine,”
said
Publisher
Kenneth Boone. This high-quality
magazine will focus on creating a
positive, can-do attitude within
the community. The Economic
Development
Alliance,
the
Chamber, The Outlook and
advertisers will distribute the
product all year long designed to
market “What’s Right Here!” to
those who live in Alexander City,
Dadeville, and the Lake Martin
area. General Manager Roger
his work at The Chanticleer, Yow
also served as the assistant program director of the student radio
station.
At
The
Moulton
Advertiser, Yow will serve as a
sports writer and general assignment reporter.
Briefs
Industry Watch
12
nalism and joined TPI in
February 2010 as a general
assignment reporter. Since the
summer of 2011, Nettles has
worked extensively with Lake
magazine. Publisher Kenneth
Boone said, “Natalie has done a
very good job working with Lake
magazine since last summer. The
acquisition of Lake Martin Living
last week opened up the opportunity for Natalie to work full time
with both magazines.”
Steele said, “Whatʼs Right Here!”
is a unique opportunity to reinforce a positive mindset about
our community right now, which
will ultimately help raise spirits,
which in turn will help raise our
economy by encouraging people
to do business locally.”
Community Reporting: Making a Difference
“Journalism Primer: A Guide
to Community News Coverage”
has been released by newspaper
consultant Jim Pumarlo. The 49page book, available in both ebook and print format, is intended
to be a toolbox for practical and
effective community journalism.
“Community news is delivered in an assortment of venues
by individuals with varying backgrounds and skills,” said Pumarlo,
former editor of the Red Wing
(Minn.) Republican Eagle. “One
premise is constant if news
providers are to connect with
their readers: Stories must be
timely, relevant and substantive.”
For the rookies, this book
offers the ABCs to covering the
gamut of headlines from proclamations to business news to local
public affairs. For the veterans,
they can use this book to test and
tweak some of the things they
have been doing all along.
“If you can take away one or
two fresh ideas for coverage, your
news product – and, most important, your readers and community – will benefit,” Pumarlo said.
The book was endorsed by
Ken Blum, publisher of Butterfly
Publications and author of the
“Black Ink” Newsletter.
“Journalism Primer is not
designed as a comprehensive
textbook for hometown news coverage, but as a series of brief
reminders, tips and insights
about how to handle the presentation of complicated government
issues, approach everyday stories, improve content and reader
participation on the editorial
page, and connect with readers
via the Internet,” Blum wrote.
“Anyone who writes for or
edits a hometown newspaper can
use these tips as a way to learn
or remind himself about the most
effective ways to write stories that
make the complex understandable and readable.”
Journalism Primer, which
costs $9.99 for the e-book and
$14.99 for the print edition, was
published by Romeii LLC. The ebook can be purchased at major
book outlets like Apple, Amazon
and Barnes & Noble, and the
print edition is available through
Amazon. Or it can be purchased
directly by visiting Pumarlo’s
website at www.pumarlo.com.
Chapters from “Journalism
Primer”
Chapter 1: Preparing for the story
Chapter 2: The nuts and bolts
of m e a t a n d p o t a t o e s
see Journalism Primer pg 13
MARCH 2012
Journalism
Primer
from pg 12
Chapter
3:
Examine
approaches to everyday stories
Chapter 4: Editorial page:
Exchange of ideas
Chapter 5: Public information: Access and management
Willene Thornton, wife of
the late publisher of The Daily
Home
in
Talladega,
Jay
Thornton, passed away Feb. 17.
She was 91.
A native of Haleyville,
Thornton moved to Talladega
when her husband went to work
at The Daily Home in 1965. He
became publisher in 1991.
She is survived by son Stan
AlaPressa
Chapter 6: Connect with
readers
About Jim Pumarlo
Jim Pumarlo spent 27 years
working at small daily newspapers in International Falls and
Red Wing, Minn. He served as
editor of the Red Wing
Republican Eagle for 21 years.
His weekly column was recognized
by
the
Minnesota
Newspaper Association’s annual
Better Newspaper Contest as a
consistent winner in the category
for “best explanation of news
operations of ethics.” He
Obituary
Thornton,
daughter
Carol
Thornton, eight grandchildren,
22 great grandchildren and 3
great great grandchildren.
John D. Crawford, former
editorial cartoonist at the
Alabama Journal in Montgomery,
died Feb. 28, in Birmingham. He
was 75.
He is survived by his wife of
13
resigned in 2003 and currently is
director of communications at the
Minnesota
Chamber
of
Commerce, the state’s largest
business advocacy organization.
Pumarlo is also author of
“Bad News and Good Judgment:
A Guide to Reporting on
Sensitive Issues in a Small-Town
Newspaper” and “Votes and
Quotes: A Guide to Outstanding
Election Campaign Coverage.”
He also speaks and provides
custom training for successful
strategies in community newsrooms.
47 years Catherine D. Crawford
and children, Elizabeth (Frank)
Moody,
Christopher(Judy)
Crawford,
David
(Allison)
Crawford and Ellen Crawford;
grandchildren Frank, Emma and
Luke Moody and Jack and
William Crawford; brother Neil
Crawford; sister Shirley (Ardis)
Weems and many faithful friends.
Stay Tuned.
Development of house
ads and other promotional
materials regarding the
readership survey is
underway.
We’ll send those out
to all papers in the coming
weeks.
MARCH 2012
AlaPressa
14
Are There Successful
Papers Out There?
You bet. And the news guru has something to say about them.
Kevin Slimp
Institute of
Newspaper Technology
kevin@kevinslimp.com
I’ve had an interesting couple of weeks.
For the first time, I was invited to speak at
the Michigan Press Association’s convention in
Grand Rapids. I never know what to expect
when I’m with a new group.
Will the group be somber and quiet or will
the attendees be lively and responsive?
My worries were relieved after just a few
minutes. Publishers who arrived early waited
to tell me how excited they were to hear what I
had to say about our industry’s future. Others
came by while I was setting up to tell me how
much they enjoy reading my columns.
With ample ego strokes, I presented two
topics on Friday, related to online revenue and
customer service, then went on to set up for a
morning keynote on Saturday.
The president of the association came by to
say “hi” and to let me know I shouldn’t be disappointed in the turnout. “It’s always a light
crowd on Saturday morning,” he said.
“No problem,” I responded, “I never expect
a crowd on Saturday morning at 8:00.”
The room was substantial and had seats arranged in eight or ten rows, maybe 20 to 25
chairs in a row. It was a wide room, but not very
deep. I figured maybe 30 people would show up
and I’d speak in front of an empty room.
Just as happened in Kentucky the week
before, when dozens of chairs had to be
added, the room began to fill and before I
knew it, all the seats were taken. The topic
was “What I’ve learned this year from successful newspapers.”
I talked about papers I had visited in
Ontario, Kentucky, Tennessee, Minnesota
and points all over the map. I shared some
of the commonalities among these papers.
Things like:
- Investment in staff, training and
equipment
- Trust between staff, publishers and
other managers
- Keeping staff in place, whenever possible
The audience laughed out loud when I told
of some of the things I had seen at newspapers
and wrote furiously as I shared advice as they
plan for the future.
When the Michigan keynote ended, a line
formed. One publisher after another wanted
to talk about their situations. Representatives
of metro papers and small weeklies wanted a
minute. College students (there were probably
30 or 40 in attendance) asked me for advice
concerning their futures.
Finally, after visiting with at least two dozen
folks, the line was gone. From my left appeared a man who asked if he could speak with
me. He shared that he published a newspaper
in the state and was already making plans to
cease his printed newspaper and go with an
online version.
“I’ve got to tell you,” he said. “You may have
changed my mind.”
Like thousands of other publishers, he’s
heard the reports of gloom and doom. And
like some others, he was ready to accept his
newspaper’s fate.
It’s not my job to talk people into anything.
I just present the facts and share what I see at
newspapers all over North America. I’m constantly amazed that anyone has any interest in
hearing anything I have to say. It surprises me
even more when I hear from publishers that
tell me they’ve changed their future plans after
reading or hearing what I think.
Iowa was more of the same the week after
Michigan. Another convention. More chairs
had to be added to the already large room.
That was three weeks in a row.
Next up are conventions in Colorado, Pennsylvania, Texas, New York, Kansas and back to
Iowa.
We keep hearing that our industry is at a
crossroads. Coming to a crossroad doesn’t
mean it’s best to take a hard right or hard left
turn. Sometimes you move ahead.
Let me suggest that for most of us, it’s time
to move ahead. Sure, you’ll pick up some new
tools along the way. But the introduction of
mobile media, social media and competing
sources for news doesn’t mean that newspapers
are outdated or history.
Be careful when you come to that crossroad.
Straight ahead might be the best route for your
newspaper.
Coming Soon to a City Near You
Denver, Colorado . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CPA
February 23-25
Hershey, PA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .MACPA
March 9
Bowling Green Univ . . . . . . ONA
March 22
Houston, TX . . . . . . . . . . . . TCNA
March 24
newspaperinstitute.com
New York. . . . . . . . . NYPA
March 30-31
kevin@kevinslimp.com
Invite Kevin to your next conference or training event!
Columns
MARCH 2012
AlaPressa
15
It’s truly March Madness for APA
Over the coming days
offices around the state – and
country – will be completing
NCAA brackets. It’s estimated
some 3 billion dollars will be
bet in office pools around the
country this March. Talk about
your madness.
So I started thinking about
the initiatives APA is attempting to launch – or refine –
before April 1. You could say
we have stumbled into our
own brand of March Madness.
• Online Network
We have 125 member
newspapers. Of those, roughly 70% have web sites. For
the past year, we have
attempted to come up with
some formula creating a remnant, run of site network to
offer our advertisers. Like all
of our networks, the focus is
on those who seldom, if ever,
look to newspapers as a primary source of advertising.
We’ve attempted to model this
network after our others, with
each participating newspaper
site receiving an equal share
of the revenue. As of today,
we have 24 papers agreeing
to participate. In order to
launch, we need more.
Your ad director should
have received several notices
by now. All we need is your
average number of monthly
page views, number of unique
visitors, and the minimum – or
guaranteed number – monthly
page views.
Again, this
should be considered run of
site, or remnant, advertising.
Like our other networks, you
have the right of refusing any
ad. It’s our hope we’ll see
more participation since
revenues earned by APA help
in conference and convention
support, lobbying and sales
efforts, and pretty much every-
Ad Vice
by
Brad English
thing else in which your association is involved.
• Retail Display Network
We’ve grown this small
display network into one of the
South’s largest in the past few
years. And like other states,
we’re looking for ways to
improve and expand. Most
importantly, we would like to
make it easier for our newspapers to sell into the network.
So effective April 1, we’ll not
only offer a statewide buy, but
three regional buys.
The north region will
consist of counties from
Madison to Jefferson. The
central region stretches from
the counties of Jefferson to
Montgomery, and the south
region from Montgomery to
Mobile.
More information will be
sent to your network coordinator in the coming days.
• We’re officially legal
E-verify. Never did I think
the rules would apply to us.
But in order to continue our
sales relationship with state
agencies, APA had to enroll.
I’ll never forget the look on
Felicia’s face when I walked in
to her office only to have her
turn from her computer screen
to say, “I have to take a test?”
30 multiple choice questions
later, we passed with a 75.
(Passing grade was 70. And
some of the questions were
tough. Really.)
This is followed by an affidavit, which for
us is more difficult to come by
than it probably is for you. We
haven’t had a notary on staff
since Laura Hankins left in
2000. And the one next door
is a stickler for details. But
thanks to her just the same.
Then there is the thirteen page
MOU – memorandum of
understanding. Which is really
an oxymoron, since none of
this process is remotely understandable.
• Legislature
And speaking of oxymorons, there’s our work in the
legislature. I can truly say the
legislature redefines the term
March Madness. Most of you
know the status of SB 73, our
bill regarding public notice.
With the speed in which it
passed the Senate and then
the House, I had hopes it
would be the third general bill
passed this session. But with
the democrats filibustering the
remaining 23 sunset bills –
each of which could take 1
hour and 10 minutes of
“debate” – the NCAA tournament champion could be
crowned before our bill makes
it to the Governor’s desk.
And that, you might say, is
truly maddening.
Brad English is advertising manager for APA. He can be reached
at 205.871.7737 or email him at
brad@alabamapress.org
Columns
MARCH 2012
AlaPressa
16
Be aggressive – and responsible –
in pursuit of news
Nothing is more important
to establishing a community
newspaper as the premier
source for local information
than being the first with the
news. Hand in hand, however,
is being responsible in your
coverage.
Social media allows newspapers to deliver information
24/7. The landscape allows
non-dairy newspapers to level
the playing field with their
daily counterparts. At the
same time, Twitter and
Facebook and other tools
demand constant oversight of
editors.
Consider this incident by
Bob Salladay, a senior editor
at California Watch and the
Center
for
Investigative
Reporting. Salladay was riding on a train when he realized he was sitting near Santa
Ana City Council Member
Michele Martinez. He listened
to her phone conversation
and tweeted about what she
said about her campaign. He
also tweeted that he was “99
percent sure it was Michele
Martinez.”
His tweets became the
subject of news stories and
generated conversation in the
journalism community.
For Salladay’s good fortune, the woman turned out to
be Martinez. But the fact that
he correctly identified her is
secondary to the questions
raised about the journalistic
practices. You’re the editor.
Would you have tweeted the
council member’s comments?
Would you have published a
story based on the tweets?
The medium may have
changed, but similar principles should guide fact-gathering and reporting.
The
Society
of
Professional Journalists Code
of Ethics encourages journalists to seek and report the
By Jim
Pumarlo
truth – journalists should be
honest, fair and courageous in
gathering, reporting and interpreting information. The code
also stresses accountability –
clarifying and explaining news
coverage and inviting dialogue
with the public over journalistic
conduct.
But editors and reporters
should not need a formal code
to judge their actions. A handful of common-sense questions should guide their decisions:
What if you were the subject? Is it fair to be quoted
when you are under the
assumption you are having a
private conversation – even if
your comments can be overheard by others?
Did you talk with the subject of the story? Most individuals expect to be contacted as
part of the news gathering. It’s
common courtesy and professional conduct expected of
reporters.
How will you justify a decision? Salladay and his supporters defend his practice on
the premise that he was
“tweeting a snapshot in time of
what she was saying; that’s
how you use Twitter.” The
medium should not be an
excuse for bypassing accepted
journalistic practices.
Is the report fair? A story –
a tweet – may be factual – but
does that guarantee balance?
Omission of certain information, or failure to seek a
response from a party, can put
a completely different slant on
a story.
Make no mistake that individuals, once they enter the
public arena, place their everyday conduct under a microscope. At the same time, public officials have private lives,
too. Editors and reporters
should use every right afforded
them under state and federal
laws to monitor, report and
comment on the actions of
public officials. Every right,
however, also carries an
accompanying responsibility.
Social media may provide
shortcuts to posting news as it
happens. But the tools are not
intended to short-circuit the
principles of sound journalism.
Jim Pumarlo writes, speaks
and
provides
training
on
Community Newsroom Success
Strategies. His newest book is
“Journalism Primer: A Guide to
Community News Coverage for
Beginning
and
Veteran
Journalists.” He also is author of
“Votes and Quotes: A Guide to
Outstanding Election Coverage”
and “Bad News and Good
Judgment: A Guide to Reporting
on Sensitive Issues in a SmallTown Newspaper.” He can be contacted at www.pumarlo.com and
welcomes comments and questions at jim@pumarlo.com.
Columns
MARCH 2012
AlaPressa
17
Selling is a business of words
Ad agency legend David
Ogilvy
once
wrote,
"Advertising is a business of
words." The same can be said
for selling. The right word can
make a sale, and the wrong
word can lose a sale.
Sharp sales people are
aware that certain words call
for special handling. Generally
speaking, these are common
expressions that seem harmless at first glance – but can
communicate the wrong message or the wrong tone. Let's
take a look at a few examples:
1. "Advertising cost." Cost
suggests spending. When it
comes to money, business
people don't like to think of
spending. "Investment" is a
better word, because it indicates that there will be a return
on their money.
Don't send the wrong signal. Talk about investing,
instead of spending. After all,
ROI (return on investment) has
been a hot business acronym
for years.
2. "Sign here." When it's
time to close the sale, some
prospects flinch at words that
suggest an iron-clad, formal
agreement. "Sign" is cold. It
makes the document sound
like a treaty.
It's better to say, "Just
approve here," or "All we need
is your autograph here." It's
even stronger to follow up with
a benefit statement like, "...and
we'll get to work on that ad
idea we've worked out."
3. “But.” This little word has
big implications. Consider
what happens when a sales
person says, “I like your idea,
BUT it might work better with a
Ad-libs
By John
Foust
change in the headline.”
The word “but” voids the
first part of the statement. It
says, “Forget what I just said.
Here's the bad news.” And it
can make the speaker sound
condescending and corrective.
It's better to substitute “and" for
"but." The statement now
becomes, “I like your idea,
AND it might work even better
with a change in the headline.”
See the difference? Although
only one word has changed,
the statement is less confrontational.
4. Waffle words. “Kinda,”
“sorta,” and “basically” are
puny words that have joined
“you know” in the fuzzy
thinker’s vocabulary.
What do these words say
about a sales person? At best,
they are evidence of bad communication habits. At worst,
they suggest that he or she is
an indecisive person who has
a hard time being specific.
I laugh every time I hear
an athlete say, “Basically, we
were trying to keep our
momentum going.” What does
“basically” add to this sentence? Nothing.
5. "You'll have to..." This
phrase creeps into a lot of conversations:
Advertiser: "I need help
with my ad design."
Sales person: "You'll have
to talk to someone in our creative department."
In reality, your advertisers
don't "have to" do anything. By
placing ads in your publication
– or on your website – they
have put their trust in you to
help them grow their businesses. It's more respectful to substitute "I'll be glad to" for "You'll
have to."
Advertiser: "I need help
with my ad design."
Sales person: "I'll be glad
to introduce you to our design
team. Let's set an appointment."
It's all a matter of using the
right words.
(c) Copyright 2012 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 inhouse training. E-mail for information: jfoust@ mindspring.com
MARCH 2012
General
Reporter/Editor
Assignment
Gulf Coast Newspapers is
looking for an organized go-getter
for its Bay Minette community
newspaper, The Baldwin Times.
This individual will personally,
or with the aid of stringers, report
on the news and activities of the
communities in north Baldwin
County. As editor, this individual
also receives, edits and prepares
submitted copy for inclusion in the
twice-weekly newspaper. The
company seeks an individual willing to live in and become part of
that community.
Responsibilities also include
posting daily to the GCN website.
Excellent reporting, writing and
photography skills required.
Layout skills a plus as well as
experience using QuarkXpress.
This is a full-time, salaried job
with medical, dental benefits
available. Email resumes to:
spropp@gulfcoastnewspapers.co
m. For more information, contact
Sheila Propp at 251-928-2321 or
947-7712.
Reporter/Writer
General Assignment Reporter
- The Magee Courier/Simpson
County News is seeking the right
candidate to join our staff as a
general assignment reporter.
Experience is not required however candidate should have
school training in journalism.
Candidate must have excellent writing skills and computer
knowledge. This position will
include covering city and county
government, sports, law enforcement as well as other news
assignments.
Compensation $20,000 to
$22,000 based on experience.
We offer paid vacation, holidays,
insurance benefits and 401K. For
more information please send
resume to mcourier@bellsouth.
net. EOE M/F
Photographer
Mississippi River bluffs, balloon races and antebellum houses — the setting is picturesque
already; it only needs your photographic eye to get the perfect
shot. Natchez Newspapers Inc., a
media group in historic southwest
Mississippi that publishes a daily
newspaper, magazines and niche
publications, is looking for a photographer to join our award-winning staff.
The company’s largest publication is The Natchez Democrat,
a 10,000-circulation a.m. daily
AlaPressa
Help Wanted
with a long history of being one of
the best community daily newspapers in Mississippi. Our visual
report is a key part of that history.
The Democrat’s coverage
area spans approximately four
Mississippi
counties
and
Concordia Parish in Louisiana.
Photographers’ work includes
coverage of everything from spot
news and features to prep and
college sports. Former photographers have successfully moved
up to much larger newspaper
positions after working and learning with us for a few years.
Qualified candidates will have
experience with digital photography and Adobe Photoshop but
most of all will have enthusiasm,
curiosity and a strong work ethic.
The Democrat offers competitive salaries, excellent benefits
and the opportunity to work with a
dynamic group of community
newspapers throughout the
United States. Send resume,
portfolio and professional references to Managing Editor Julie
Cooper, at 503 North Canal St.,
Natchez, MS 39120, or by e-mail
to juliecooper@natchez democrat.com. 01/11/12
Spring and Summer Interns
The Madison Record seeks
interns for spring and summer
Madison Publications, LLC is
seeking enthusiastic, driven
interns for spring 2012.
Job responsibilities include
reporting, editing and some photography.
Preferred candidates should
have excellent writing skills and
be eager to learn new things.
They should be able to write
clearly and concisely, as well as
meet deadlines.
Madison Publications, LLC
publishes two weekly newspapers, The Madison Record and
the Madison County Record, as
well as the monthly Madison
Living magazine.
This is a wonderful opportunity to gain experience in the journalism field.
Experience is vital when
applying for jobs, so this will be a
great thing to put on a resume.
Students who are interested
can send an email containing a
resume and clips to Michael
Hansberry, at michael.hansberry@madisoncountyrecord.com.
1/5/12
Weekly Publisher – Mississippi
Accepting resumes for an
immediate opening for either an
up-and-coming editor or ad mgr.,
or a publisher who wants to settle
in and call it home. The ideal candidate
would
have
a
business/sales background, solid
editorial judgment and proven
leadership skills. Background in
ad sales, building ads and page
layout skills are essential. We are
PC-based,
using
Quark,
Photoshop, and PDF workflow.
This 2,000 paid circulation,
three-person staffed small weekly
operation is 20 miles west of
Vicksburg, Miss. If you do not
wish to work hard, forget about it.
Compensation range $35K-$40K,
401(k), health benefits, etc. Send
resume, references, and letter of
interest to: Dan W. Strack,
Emmerich
Newspapers,
at
strack@emmerichnewspapers.co
m. 1/5/2012
Graphic Artist
Southeastern
advertising
agency representing national and
regional accounts in financial,
retail, industrial, political, environmental and educational fields
seeks an experienced, self-motivated
and
creative
art
director/graphic designer/web
designer with 3 + years of experience.
Permanent or freelance positions open.
College degree required. Must
possess good organizational and
communication skills and the ability to manage multiple projects in
a fast-paced environment.
Email resume, portfolio,
graphic work samples, and three
professional references to graphicartist.request@gmail.com.
Marketing Consultant
Dynamic media company has
an immediate need for a marketing consultant. Qualified applicants should be goal-oriented,
team players, well-organized and
trainable. The ability to sell across
several different media platforms
is essential.
Compensation plan includes
base weekly salary, aggressive
commission & bonus plan,
health/dental insurance, 401(k),
paid life and disability insurance,
retirement plan, and paid holidays
and sick leave.
Shelby County Newspapers,
Inc., is an award-winning media
company experiencing dramatic
growth which publishes three
hyper-local community newspapers, a monthly lifestyles magazine, several niche products, and
a variety of websites and other
digital media.
To apply, please EMAIL a
18
resume, cover letter, references
and earnings expectations using
MARKETING CONSULTANT as
the subject line to: tim.prince@
shelbycountyreporter.com
No phone calls, faxes or walkins, please. Qualified applicants
will be contacted directly for interviews.
Managing Editor
The Southeast Sun, a prizewinning weekly in Enterprise, AL,
is looking for a managing editor to
lead its newsroom. This position
is a working position and requires
the candidate to be hands on in
leading a seven-person staff. The
candidate must have a full spectrum of skills from page layout to
feature writing, photography
experience and website management. Local news and sports is
our focus. Competitive pay based
on experience and benefits
including health insurance, retirement plan, vacation and some
holidays. We are locally owned
and have been operated by a
family company for 30 years.
Please e-mail a cover letter,
resume and references to or mail
to: Publisher, The Southeast Sun,
P.O. Box 311546, Enterprise, AL
36331.
Reporter – Mississippi
A strong weekly in Indianola,
Miss., is now accepting resumes
for a reporter position in the heart
of the Delta. We’re seeking a
motivated individual who likes
hard work and is eager to deal
with all aspects of community
journalism. Candidate should
have newswriting experience or
solid knowledge of newswriting
style and approach. Ideal candidate will have some experience in
photography, some knowledge of
layout and design, background of
covering local government and
events, and a strong desire to
challenge themselves to grow
and learn in this role. Good
opportunity for an early-career or
a seasoned journalist seeking a
fast-paced challenge.
Compensation range $18,000
to $23,000, 401(k), health insurance and other benefits. Please
submit resume, letter expressing
interest, writing samples, and references to Dave Brown at
dbrown@enterprise-tocsin.com.