Ohio News Photographer January 2007 Member News Newspapers; the shrinking business that’s growing Bob DeMay Hanke and special projects editor Rick year. ONPA Board Chairman Senften have accepted buyouts as The One of ONPA’s newest members had a At the Akron Beacon Journal it might be Repository adjusts operating expenses in front row seat for a course not taught on cam- known as the long hot summer. It had nothing preparation for the sale of the paper. A num- pus. Kent State University student David to do with the weather, but the temperature ber of other staff reductions are pending. Foster started his internship at the Beacon in rose like the tension in the Paul Newman, There is obvious speculation that the late August just as staff reductions were Orson Welles screen gem of the same name. Beacon’s new owner would be interested in being announced. It played out differently at other newspa- other acquisitions in the region. Half the photo staff was busy pursuing pers across Ohio, but when it was all over In Cleveland and Dayton staff reduc- job boards and trying to figure out what part there were far fewer staff photographers tions were achieved through buyouts rather of the country they might want to unwilling- working for papers in the Buckeye state. than layoffs. ly relocate to. Not quite the nurturing envi- In Akron the angst began in Nov 2005, In Dayton Bill Garlow, Bill Reinke, ronment one would envision for an intern- when Knight Ridder announced that it was Skip Peterson and Ed Roberts have all ship. going on the auction block. The paper was accepted the early retirement option offered It was a first hand lesson on the state of sold twice in the span of three months. The by Cox Newspapers. In all, the Dayton Daily the newspaper business today. Its one thing to McClatchy Company was the top bidder for News is losing 18 people from the newsroom. hear about an industry’s decline in a new the Knight Ridder chain. McClatchy then Cox papers in Hamilton, Springfield and story. The lesson sinks in a little more when sold the Akron property to Black Press Ltd. Middletown could see changes as some oper- every Friday they are serving cake in the for $165 million in June. ations may merge to Dayton’s new office newsroom for another departing journalist. By August, owner David Black directed building. Wide-eyed high school graduates need Akron’s new publisher Ed Moss to cut news- At The Plain Dealer, staff members to know what they face after graduation room staffing by 25 percent. The proposed Richard Conway, C.H. Pete Copeland and before they start filling out FASFA applica- cuts for the photo department were to be Rosemary Kovacs are retiring. tions. It can still be a great career choice for much deeper. Black wanted six of the twelve Five-time ONPA Photographer of the an aspiring photojournalist. positions cut. Year Mike Levy has left the paper to free- Don’t ignore reality though. Take a real- Editor Debra Adams-Simmons lobbied lance and teach. istic look at your talent level, and the salary to reduce that number to four when the lay- Eustacio Humphrey has accepted a posi- your talent will bring. School loans them- offs were announced and later saved another tion as assistant photo editor at the Seattle selves may be next to impossible to pay off position in the department after voluntary Post-Intelligencer. earning a non-living wage. resignations in the newsroom took place. All have accepted buyouts offered by The changing landscape of the newspa- In the end Jocelyn Williams, with 19 Advanced Publications. A Plain Dealer story per business makes it necessary for veteran years of service and Robin Sallie with 12, said that 64 of the paper's 372 newsroom staffers to learn new job skills. Video and opted for voluntary severance packages. employees accepted buyout offers. Incentive multi-media are your new storytelling tools. Those actions saved the jobs of Karen packages were based on age and seniority. The still camera may soon be relegated to the Schiely and Ken Love. Elsewhere in Ohio it’s a game of attri- NFL sidelines where no video is allowed. Not all of the departures were voluntary tion as open positions go unfilled. As always, some newsrooms are ahead though. Lindsay Semple was laid off and has In Columbus, Barth Falkenberg has of the curve, while others talk a good game, since taken a position as a staff photographer taken an early retirement from the Dispatch, but don’t provide the resources or training at The State in Columbia, SC. where he served as director of photography needed. It’s a challenge for managers who One of those opting for voluntary sever- for 21 years. Managing editor of graphics, must find a way to balance the needs of the ance packages at the Beacon was Susan Karl Kuntz will take over Falkenberg’s print and online products with reduced staffs Kirkman, managing editor of multimedia & responsibilities. and tighter capital budgets. special projects. Kirkman plans to start grad- In Canton, the vacancy created when ONPA won’t sit on the sidelines as our uate school at Kent State University. David Distelhorst left the paper, will not be industry is reshaped. We will make every The anxiety in Akron is now playing out filled. effort to tailor educational programs to serve at it’s competitor to the south as Copley Press While the cuts are felt at the individual the membership as the distinction between has hung for sale signs on The Repository in papers, they also have an effect on ONPA. To still and video members evaporates. Canton and dailies in Massillon, and New borrow a line from our publishers, we will You’ll soon be one of those people with Philadelphia. need to make sure costs are inline with a video camera that’s been standing in front In Canton, general manager Michael E. expected revenue. Membership retention will of you all these years. be more important than ever in the coming Ohio News Photographers Association Inc. Board Chairman - Bob DeMay Secretary - Lindsay Semple Still Clip Contest - Neal Lauron Akron Beacon Journal, (330) 996-3887 Akron Beacon Journal, (330) 996-3880 The Columbus Dispatch, (614) 461-5191 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] President - Ed Suba Jr. Still Vice President - Jonathan Quilter Quarterly TV Contest - Bill Reagan Akron Beacon Journal, (330) 996-3880 The Columbus Dispatch, (614) 461-5191 WBNS-TV, (614) 460-3950 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Treasurer - Kimberly Barth TV Vice President - Anthony Mirones ONPA Online - Apryl Pilolli Akron Beacon Journal, (330) 996-3884 WCPO-TV, (513) 852-4051 (330) 207-7111 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 2 www.onpa.org January 2007 Member News New clip chair Growing Season brings migrants to life Neal Lauron from The Last year Kent Columbus Dispatch is the new State University chief chairman of the monthly still clip photographer Gary contest. January clips should be Harwood won the mailed to Lauron at The Columbus James R. Gordon Ohio Dispatch, 34 S Third St, Columbus, Understanding Award OH 43215. for his five-year proj- Clips must be in the hands of ect documenting the the contest chairman by the 7th of lives of migrant farm the month following publication. workers who annually Lauron is taking over for David travel to work on the Distelhorst who served in the posi- Zellers family farm in tion since April 2004. Hartville, OH. Distelhorst was very diligent in Kent State his duties, constantly reminding University Press has judges to adhere to the contest dead- now published the lines and compiling point standings project. “The Growing in a timely fashion. Season - Life of a Migrant Community” with text by David Odds n’ ends Hassler goes even beyond Harwood’s Gary Harwood autographs books with Brianna Soto. Members of the Hartville migrant The Press Club of Cleveland community joined co-authors Gary Harwood and David Hassler during an autograph has inducted Cleveland-based free- winning contest entry. The book’s com- session at the conclusion of the opening reception of the exhibit "Growing Season, The lance photographer Ron Kuntz, Life of A Migrant Community" at the Canton Museum of Art. into the Cleveland Journalism Hall ing out party was held of Fame. at the Canton Museum of Art, which dis- Former graphic editor Apryl played fifty prints from the project. Pilolli from The Morning Journal in The authors shared the stage with many Lorain has taken a job with VOX of the subjects, who joined them for an auto- Teen Communications in Atlanta, graph session at a reception to mark the occa- Ga. Pilolli will be the visual arts sion. On this night, the migrants were the life coordinator for the nonprofit of the community. youth-development organization The photographs were also on exhibit at and will teach teens about photog- the Salem Branch of The Butler Institute of raphy, and news and web design. American Art. William Cannon has left his position at the Lancaster Eagle On the web http://upress.kent.edu/ Gazette and is now photo editor at Growing the Utica Observer-Dispatch in Season can Utica, NY. Ken Ritchie has also left be purchased the Gazette and is now a staff pho- from Kent tographer at The Madison (IN) State Courier. University GARY HARWOOD/Kent State University Press Repository staff photographers Press online Ruben Balderas looks toward the fields at sunrise while waiting Scott Heckel and Julie Vennitti and is avail- for the work bus to take him to the fields.