PNNA classified network off to a good start

The PNNA classified ad network was launched July 1 and in this first month, participating member newspapers have raised $4,000 in placement fees from seven customers. This is a very good beginning to a program that should provide significant dollars to further the goals of the association. With only half of the member newspapers participating to date, the price of each ad is half of what could be charged for the same ads if the entire membership joined the network. The potential for income to the association could reach the projected $100,000 per year with total participation. This is a very painless way for the association to provide funds for training, college and university evaluations and support, better convention programming and dues mitigation. If your newspaper is not yet a member, please contact Jack Bates at (888) 344-7662 for information on the network and how to become a participant.

NEWS:

House panel advances federal reporter shield

The Associated Press reports that legislation to shield reporters from being forced by prosecutors to reveal their sources was approved Wednesday by the House Judiciary Committee. Media companies and journalism groups have argued that the measure is needed to keep the public informed about government corruption, but the Bush administration and other opponents say it could harm national security. Under the measure, federal courts would join 32 states and the District of Columbia in protecting reporters from being forced to reveal confidential sources, except in certain cases. The voice vote sent the bill, sponsored by Reps. Rick Boucher, D-Va., and Mike Pence, R-Ind., to the House floor. The Justice Department opposes the bill. Under the bill, reporters could still be compelled to provide information. However, an exception to the privilege would only apply if a court determines that the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in newsgathering and dissemination, Boucher said. Read the full article here. The Bush administration still opposes the bill despite sponsors’ revisions, a Justice Department official said last month.

Student journalists' free speech rights 
expanded in Oregon

USA TODAY reports that a law to help protect Oregon high school and college journalists from censorship by school administrations was signed last month by Gov. Ted Kulongoski. The Oregon law makes student journalists responsible for determining the content of school-sponsored media, and it gives them the right to sue schools if they believe free-press rights have been violated. It is the country’s first law in more than a decade to protect high school journalists, and the first ever to cover both high school and college journalists under one statute, said Warren Watson, director of J-Ideas, a First Amendment institute at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind. Six other states – Arkansas, California, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas and Massachusetts – have laws that protect high school journalists from censorship. All were passed before 1996. To read more about the bill click here.

Study: Four out of five newspaper website 
readers also read the print edition

A new study recently released by the Newspaper National Network LP, conducted by Scarborough Research, found that 81 percent of newspaper website users also read the printed newspaper in the last seven days. Crossover users (those who used both print and online newspapers in the past seven days) have deep affinity with both their printed newspaper and their newspaper website, and 83 percent say “I love both my printed newspaper and visiting my newspapers’ website.” For more information, click here to find the NNN Newspaper Footprint Study.

McCombs says digital, traditional journalists 
should work together at every step 

The College Media Innovation blog interviewed on July 5, via Instant Messaging, Regina McCombs, who has produced multimedia for startribune.com, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune’s online site, since 1997. McCombs was at The Poynter Institute recently for a college-related program emphasizing new media. When asked to share a couple of tidbits from the program, McCombs said: “It was great to see the emphasis on multimedia storytelling that it wasn’t just the photographers taking pictures and reporters writing text, but that both were gathering audio and video, and even both writing and taking photos. … The other great thing was to see them all working in a pod all together. That’s something that people who’ve worked in newspapers a long time aren’t very experienced at: working together at every step of the process, not just when your part is finished. It’s a very important, but not much discussed, new media skill.” Read the full interview here.

Video is the next big thing for classifieds

Media Life Magazine reports that video is the latest tool for classified ads. The article says the challenge after taping whatever you’re trying to sell is deciding where to post the video ad: “You can do it with the local newspaper. Or you can put it up on an independent site. The difference, a critical one, is that the paper will charge you, whereas the independent site will likely put it up at no charge.” The article suggests that papers should offer this posting ability to stay competitive in the classified market. Read the full article here.

Yahoo! announces new tools for online advertising; 
online customized ads move a step closer

The New York Times reports that Yahoo! has announced new tools for online advertising that could pull the company ahead in the race for what is called “behavioral targeting,” that is, the ability to better tailor online advertisements to the people most likely to buy. Yahoo! SmartAds would help marketers create custom advertisements on the fly, using information on individual buyers and information on real prices and availability from the vendors. For example, a person who had recently searched for information about blenders might see an ad from Target that gives the prices for the blenders that are on the shelves in the store closest to that person’s home. Although the technology is complex, the goal of SmartAds is simple: show the right advertisement to the right person at just the moment that he is about to pull out his wallet to make a purchase. SmartAds is being tested on Yahoo!’s network of sites – which includes local newspapers as well as its own portal – by two major airlines. To read the full article click here.

Study: Papers still dominate local online ad spending

Editor & Publisher reports that newspaper websites might reap the most from local advertisers spending online, but a new study reveals online newspapers are losing share. According to Borrell Associates, newspapers controlled more than 35 percent of all locally spent online advertising in 2006, but that dominance is declining: Online newspaper share decreased 8.2 points over a two year-period. The study found there is no slowdown of advertising dollars flowing to the Internet, either; rather, more competition is honing in on newspapers’ turf. Newspaper companies teaming up with Google, Yahoo!, Monster and others stand to gain, suggested analysts. Read the full article here.

SNA, 10 community newspaper groups form 
national ad network

Editor & Publisher reports that Suburban Newspapers of America (SNA) and 10 community newspaper companies are launching a national advertising network in mid-August. The founding owners of the network include ASP Westward, American Community Newspapers, Community Newspaper Holdings Inc., GateHouse Media, Schurz Communications, Sun-Times Media Group and Suburban Newspapers Inc. (for-profit subsidiary of SNA). Four groups are fractional owners: Rust Communications, Packet Publications, Recorder Community Newspapers and Holden Landmark Corp. All SNA members are invited to partake in ownership of the network. The network will represent the entire community newspapers industry, not just owners. A division of the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, MANSI, will handle the back end of the network including billing and verification and the maintaining of databases.

Study: News outlets are unwilling to be transparent

According to an ICMPA study, most news outlets are unwilling to let the public see how their editorial process works. Fewer than half of the websites publicly corrected mistakes in their stories, and only a handful shared with readers the journalistic and ethical standards that theoretically guide their newsroom. Read the results in the study conclusions here. 

Commentary: Seven ways to improve business journalism

Businessjournalism.org writer Chris Roush says he likes “a lot of what I see in business journalism.” But Roush gives a list of seven ways newspapers can improve the way they report business news that you can read here.

PEOPLE:

Changes for several in The Seattle Times Co.

The Yakima Herald-Republic reports that Larry Duthie, the publisher of the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, will now report to Michael Shepard, who has been promoted to a new post by The Seattle Times Co. Shepard will continue as publisher of The Herald-Republic and will also serve as president for Blethen Washington Affiliate Newspapers. In the new position, Shepard will oversee the Walla Walla daily; two weeklies, The Issaquah Press and the Sammamish Review; and a monthly, Newcastle News. Although the position is new, its duties have been the responsibility of Charles C. Cochrane Jr., publisher of the Portland (Maine) Press-Herald and president of Blethen Maine Newspapers, for almost a decade. Shepard was named publisher of The Herald-Republic in 2003. He previously worked as the publisher for The Union-Bulletin and vice president of Sound Publishing.

Seattle Times Treasurer Will Blethen retires

The Seattle Times reports that its longtime treasurer and corporate risk manager Will Blethen retired in June. Blethen is a fourth generation member of the Blethen family, owners of The Times. He joined The Times in 1969 and has served as treasurer since 1974. Blethen will continue his service on The Times’ editorial board in an emeritus role, and he will continue to serve on The Times board of directors. He will also continue serving on the boards of the Blethen Corporation, Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, Yakima Herald-Republic and Blethen Maine Newspapers. His last day at The Times was June 29, 2007.

Spokesman Review's Sands takes job in D.C.

The Spokesman-Review’s online publisher, Ken Sands, in August will become executive editor for innovation for the Congressional Quarterly, a Washington, D.C.-based newsgathering operation that provides nonpartisan coverage of Congress. Sands, 48, will oversee much of CQ.com and its editorial product development. Sands, who started with The Spokesman-Review in 1981 as a reporter, has gained a reputation for being a pioneer in using creative website components, such as blogs and databases, to enhance traditional print journalism. Under Sands’ leadership, the newspaper’s website, spokesmanreview.com, has won numerous honors, including the 2005 Online Journalism Award. The website beat out PBS’ “Frontline,” New York’s Newsday and Chicago’s CBS 2 for the award.

Paul Dunn named editor of Tahoe Daily Tribune

The Tahoe Daily Tribune has named Paul Dunn its editor. Dunn, 55, a California native, has more than 22 years of experience in various capacities in the newspaper industry. For the last four years, Dunn was the assistant managing editor at The Daily Reflector, in Greenville, N.C. He began his career as a photojournalist after graduating from San Jose State University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. As a photojournalist he worked for several papers, including the Palm Beach Post, Austin American-Statesman and The Olympian in Olympia, Wash. He’s also been a graphic designer, entertainment editor, special sections editor and senior writer/reporter.

IN MEMORIAM:

Michael Lemke, 53

The Seattle Times reports that Michael Lemke, The Times’ senior vice president for sales and marketing, died June 23, eight months after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He was 53. Lemke’s responsibilities at The Times were broad. Advertising and the online new media division reported to him. Until recently, so did circulation and corporate marketing. He was responsible for selling not only The Times but also the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. The Times has handled most business functions for both papers since 1983 under a joint-operating agreement. Lemke’s death came just months after he received a career-achievement award from the Newspaper Association of America. Lemke was born and raised in Honolulu. He was part native Hawaiian and was proud of that heritage, friends say. He attended the University of Hawaii and Santa Clara University, receiving his degree in 1975. He worked briefly as a merchant mariner before beginning his newspaper career. Lemke was hired by the now-closed Los Angeles Herald-Examiner in 1977. Lemke also met his wife, Barbara, while at the Herald-Examiner. They married in 1983. He left the classified-advertising manager’s job at the Los Angeles paper in 1986 for the same post at The Times. In the mid-1990s, he headed company task forces that led to the creation of seattletimes.com. He was promoted to vice president of advertising in 1996 and became a senior vice president in 2000. Lemke held leadership positions in numerous trade organizations. He served on the boards of the Yakima Herald-Republic and Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, both owned by The Seattle Times Co. Lemke’s survivors include his wife, Barbara Lemke, and daughters Rachel and Sarah, all of Woodway; his mother, Florence Lemke; brothers David Lemke and Herman Lemke Jr.; and sisters Marlene Lemke and Adele Badone, all of Honolulu.

Hugh Harrison, 87

The Seattle Times reports that Hugh Harrison, who worked at The Times for five decades as a copy editor and wire-news editor, died June 29. Born in Napa, Calif., on June 23, 1920, Mr. Harrison grew up in California and Minnesota, graduating from the University of Minnesota with a journalism degree. He joined the Army during World War II and served in the South Pacific. Stationed at Fort Lewis before he shipped out, the young lieutenant attended a United Service Organizations dance at Seattle’s Olympic Hotel. There he met Jeanne Dobler whom he later married and had five children with. They were married for 56 years. Beginning in 1950, Harrison worked five decades for The Times as a copy editor and wire-news editor. In addition to daughters Julie and Debbie, Harrison is survived by his son John and daughter-in-law Sandra, of Shelton; daughter Becky Giovine and son-in-law Luke Giovine, of Gig Harbor; and son Mark and son-in-law John Kinerk, both of Tacoma. He is also survived by 12 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and his brother Hal Harrison.

Robert Myers, 76

The Associated Press reports that Robert Myers, who was an Associated Press bureau chief in San Francisco, Honolulu and Salt Lake City during a 15-year career with the news agency, has died. He was 76. Myers died June 22 at a Los Angeles hospital from complications of kidney failure. He had been in and out of the hospital since Christmas, his wife, Lee, said. Myers was with the Associated Press from 1954 to 1969. Myers, the son of movie producer-director-writer Zion Myers, graduated with an English degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, where he was a sports editor on the Daily Bruin student newspaper. He was drafted for the Korean War, serving with the military police in Korea and also working as an editor for the newspaper Stars and Stripes, his wife said. At the time of his death he was living in Los Angeles and was president and owner of Los Angeles-based Myers/Smith Inc., a management firm for professional engineering societies. In addition to his wife, survivors include a daughter, three sons and a sister.

CALL TO READERS : Send stories to the editor Kristen Lowrey.

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