PNNA’s Print Quality Contest is coming up in August. Watch your mail and go to http://www.pnna.com/extras/pqcontest.html where information will be available shortly about the dates to pull copies and where you can download the entry form. The print quality contest awards will be presented at the PNNA Annual Conference at the Davenport Hotel in Spokane, Wash., in November.

Call for judges: Print Quality Contest

John McKinney, production director at The Oregonian, has issued a call for print quality judges for this year’s PNNA Print Quality Contest. Judging criteria for entries are: Ink density and laydown, halftone and color separation quality, color registration, page alignment and page count, and overall appearance. If you’re interested in serving as a judge, please contact John McKinney at (503) 221-8184 or by e-mail at johnmc@prod.oregonian.com. Your help in making this one of the best print quality contests is greatly appreciated, and the experience will be rewarding.

Seattle P-I narrows width, launches redesign

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer on July 18 narrowed the paper’s width by an inch and introduced new design features. The paper is now printed on a 50-inch web. New features include Page One summaries of the day’s top news stories. “The World in 5 Minutes,” on Pages A2 and A3, provides a quick understanding of the day’s most significant news in words and photos. Health and science news is found on Page A4. A new comic strip, listings of talk-show guests and changes in business news are also part of the redesign. A pull-out section packed with restaurant reviews, lounge and coffeehouse profiles, tips for happy hours, late-night nibbles and bargain bites, plus the latest restaurant news, has been added to Friday’s What’s Happening section.

Washington court releases prison worker names

The Washington state Supreme Court ruled in mid-July that the state can’t keep secret the names of prison medical workers who have botched the treatment of inmates of hide the identity of people who witnessed the misconduct. According to a Seattle Post-Intelligencer report, “the decision was a long-awaited win for activist and former prisoner Paul Wright, editor of Seattle-based Prison Legal News.

Bend Bulletin is fastest growing paper in Oregon

The Bulletin in Bend, Ore., is the fastest growing paper not only in the state but in the northwest and one of the fastest growing papers in the country, according to Audit Bureau of Circulations latest Fas-Fax report. The Bulletin grew by 4.8 percent or 1,294 copies daily and by 908 copies on Sunday or 3.2 percent, according to a release from the newspaper. The Bulletin is part of Western Communications Inc. family-owned newspapers located throughout Oregon and California.

Ground broken on new facility for Herald and News

Excavation at the site of a new facility for the Herald and News in Klamath Falls, Ore., began in mid-July. When complete in August 2006, the 39,000-square-foot building will house the newspaper’s offices and printing plant. A new 16-unit Dauphin Graphics Machines press will replace the 38-year-old seven-unit press and increase color capacity for the Herald and News.

U.S. shield law draws mixed reactions in D.C.

According to a New York Times report, the Senate Judiciary Committee on July 20 gave a "generally positive reception" to proposed legislation that would protect journalists from being forced to disclose confidential sources. But the Justice Department called the bill "bad public policy" and said the it will hamper the department's ability to enforce the law and fight terrorism.

NAA, others urge support of federal shield law

Representatives Mike Pence (R-IN) and Rick Boucher (D-VA) and Senators Richard Lugar (R-IN) and Christopher Dodd (D-CT) have introduced the "Free Flow of Information Act." The legislation, H.R. 581 and S. 340, closely follows the U.S. Department of Justice guidelines that have been in place for more than 30 years, and allows testimony to be compelled from a journalist only after non-media sources have been exhausted and such testimony is essential to the investigation, prosecution or defense of a criminal case or essential to a dispositive issue in a civil case. The legislation also expands upon the guidelines by providing additional protection of the identities of confidential sources. Here’s a link to the NAA’s briefing paper on the federal shield law: http://www.naa.org/policy/PDFs/Shield_law_Background.pdf. Thirty-one states and the District of Columbia have some form of "shield" laws in force in state courts, and 17 other states have recognized a reporter's privilege as a result of judicial decisions.

ONA study identifies drivers of web usage

Research results released last month by the Online Publishers Association identify 22 experiences that describe and define how people interact with and relate to digital media. Those experiences at the top of the list that drive website usage are: "Entertains, absorbs me"; "Looks out for people like me"; "Regular part of my day"; "My personal timeout"; "A credible, safe place"; "Connects me with others"; "Touches me and expands my views"; "Makes me smarter"; "Turned on by ads"; and "Easy to use."

Washington Post 1st to put ads in RSS feeds

Washingtonpost.com in mid-July began integrating ads into its RSS feeds, the first major news site to do so. RSS – known as "Really Simple Syndication"– is an increasingly popular way to automatically gather information from the Internet. RSS feeds enable an individual to define the kind of information he or she wants to receive as it is published across the Internet each day, functioning something like a private wire service.

Hearst joins with others to invest in broadband

The Wall Street Journal reported in early July that the Hearst Corp. had teamed with Google and Goldman, Sachs & Co. in investing nearly $100 million in Current Communications Group (CCG), a company that is developing broadband services over electrical power lines. The Federal Communications Commission authorized broadband over power line services early this year, and CCG is one of the first to exploit the concept.

Copley News Service offers 2 special sections

Editor & Publisher reported in early July that the Copley News Service released two new special sections: "Senior Life," which offers information on topics such as travel, finances, fitness and family; and "Back to School” offering tips on returning to the classroom, getting help with homework, finding after-school activities and more.

Help wanted ads drop in May

Media Post reported on July 1 that job ads in newspapers dipped in May, while online recruitment ads continued to grow. According to a Conference Board report based on 51 newspapers, help-wanted advertising in print newspapers declined two points.

Study: Best to keep online ads, editorial separate

Readers best remember sponsorship ads placed in the middle of online newspaper stories, but those ads also annoy them the most, according to a report in BtoB Online, which cites a study by University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism professors aiming to find out whether the location of a sponsorship ad would confuse readers or hurt the e-newspaper's credibility.

People

News-Review publisher is ONPA president-elect

Mark Raymond, publisher of The News-Review, Roseburg, Ore., is the 2004 president-elect for the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association. Raymond was elected to the ONPA board of directors in 2001 and recently served as its treasurer. ONPA is the statewide trade association serving all of Oregon's daily newspapers and 68 of the weekly newspapers in the state.

Vantosky named ad VP in Tacoma

Kurt Vantosky joined The News Tribune in Tacoma, Wash., as vice president of advertising. He had been advertising director of the Anchorage Daily News since 2001. He brings nearly 20 years of management experience in newspaper advertising, having worked also for newspapers in Idaho, Connecticut and Maine.

Poe is sales director for Idaho State Journal

Dick Poe, a 12-year newspaper veteran, was promoted in early July to director of sales for the Idaho State Journal in Pocatello. Poe came to the Journal in September 2004 from Gannett Co., where he held a variety of positions since he began working there in 1993.

Coleman is circulation marketing manager in Bend

Pam Coleman recently took over as circulation marketing manager for The Bulletin in Bend, Ore. Previously, she was circulation director for the News Herald in Panama City, Fla.

Volume 86, No. 3

July 21 , 2005

PNNA Print Quality Contest set for August

Call for judges: Print Quality Contest