Missouri Press News, April 2014
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Missouri Press News, April 2014 www.mopress.com Minority report: Sailing with the contrarians in our survey et me close the loop on some- tices could cost them subscriptions. thing, and open one. Again, these were the minority L I wrote in August about our views in the survey. “Very important” surveying publishers for their views was, far and away, the top vote get- and practices on posting public no- ter when we asked members to weigh tices to the Internet. By way of follow the need to develop digital notice ca- up, let me share some of the results pabilities. I should again hasten to and also suggest where we go from add that, as a publisher who relies here. on public notices as much as any- We collected 37 responses, a de- time we need to figure this thing out, body, in truth more than almost all, cent sampling for an organization says Group Two, but sometime isn’t I understand the concern and know our size, though I have no idea how now. Into this group, I would place the the dread. It’s just that I see coming scientifically representative. Let’s as- three respondents who rated getting up with solutions a healthier strategy sume not much at all, which is fine, our notices on the Internet “Not im- than denial. Here’s where I recom- because I want to discuss some of portant.” mend we go with this. the divergence of opinion rather than This second group reminds me of a Let’s not get too caught up in wheth- divine a consensus. friend in college who took his uncle’s er the Missouri Press aggregation site What struck me most was that a sailboat out onto the Chesapeake threatens any public notice-related persistent number of publishers don’t without permission. His co-adven- subscriptions we have. Let’s move post their legal notices to the Web, ei- turer asked, “Isn’t your uncle going beyond having to rely on mopublicno- ther onto their own sites or by sending to kill us?” The nephew replied, “As tices.com and instead focus on get- them to the Missouri Press Associa- long as there’s no problem,” meaning ting our notices up on our own sites. I tion for aggregation at mopublicno- no damage, no injury, and not getting would much prefer the MPA site sim- tices.com. Fifteen respondents, 40 caught, “there’s no problem.” They ply link to our sites rather than fulfill a percent of the cohort, do neither. sailed the Chesapeake several more function we should be doing for our- I don’t fault them. I understand the weekends that summer, and because selves. reasons and practicalities. But it’s there never was a problem, there Implicit in that is the need for each concerning, if not today then soon. never was a problem. of us to agree upon a practical set of Coupled with responses elsewhere You have to admire that. Call it the minimum standards and best prac- in the survey, those 15 publishers joi de vivre of the joyride. “As long as tices for how notices should look and seem to fall into three classifications, there’s no problem, there’s no prob- function online. I touched on this in with some likely overlap. lem” might work when you’re 21 and my August column, when I offered, for The first group comprises those invincible. But as an adult business starters, that digital notices publish in who understand the reasons to up- strategy, it’s, well, a problem. real time, be easily found, logically or- load legal notices but lack the re- Group Three finds representation ganized, searchable and sortable. sources—technology, staff and hours in the single respondent who passed Missouri Press can help in orga- in the day. I’d put 11 respondents into over the first four choices on our slid- nizing that effort to develop common that category, those who, on the slid- ing scale of posting-to-the-Internet standards. It may also be able to help ing scale we provided, rated online importance—Very, Important, Some- resource-strapped newspapers find publication, at best, “Somewhat im- what, Not—and selected option five: simple, cost-effective ways to get portant.” Oppose. their notices online. Group Two are those who simply Elsewhere in the survey, two re- Last, let’s take control of the issue don’t see any immediate need to go spondents clicked Oppose when it before it controls us. Waiting to react digital. Their readers haven’t clam- came to MPA’s having any role in en- to a crisis is a good way to come up ored for it, nor have their advertisers, couraging and helping members get with bad solutions, as we’ve seen in and the legislature, which prefers not their notices online. In comments at some other states. To tack differently to rock any boats in even-numbered the end, two publishers worried that from my friends on the Chesapeake, years, stayed blessedly quiet on the a Missouri Press Association website as long as there’s no problem, there’s subject this past session. Yes, some- allowing public access to public no- no time like the present. PRESIDENT: Richard Gard, DIRECTORS: Mark Maassen, The Kansas City Star. St. Louis, Missouri Lawyers Media Joe Spaar, The Odessan FIRST VICE PRESIDENT: Jim Robertson, Trevor Vernon, Eldon Advertiser Columbia Daily Tribune Bill Miller Jr., Washington Missourian SECOND VICE PRESIDENT: Dennis Warden, Jeff Schrag, Springfield Daily Events Owensville, Gasconade County Republican Carol Stark, The Joplin Globe SECRETARY: Dennis Ellsworth, St. Joseph News-Press James White, Benton County Enterprise, Warsaw TREASURER: Donna Bischoff, St. Louis Post-Dispatch Darryl Wilkinson, Gallatin, North Missourian EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Doug Crews NNA REPRESENTATIVE: Brad Gentry, ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: Mark Nienhueser Houston Herald EDITOR: Bryan E. Jones MISSOURI PRESS NEWS (ISSN 00266671) is published every month for $15 per year by the Missouri Press Association, Inc., 802 Locust St., Columbia, MO 65201-4888; phone (573) 449-4167; fax (573) 874-5894; e-mail [email protected]; website www.mopress.com. Periodicals postage paid at Columbia, MO 65201-4888. (USPS No. 355620). POSTMASTER: Please send changes of address to Missouri Press Association, 802 Locust St., Columbia, MO 65201-4888. www.mopress.com Missouri Press News, April 2014 Jim Robertson elected 2015 MPA president Managing editor of the Columbia Daily Tribune to succeed Richard Gard Jim Robertson, a native of Wya- sion. conda in northeast Missouri, is man- Robertson’s community activities aging editor of the Columbia Daily Tri- include former board leadership roles bune. A graduate of the MU School of for Job Point, a job training and em- Journalism, Robertson has worked in ployment agency, and on Columbia’s community newspapers since 1977. New Century Fund. He was a found- After working as a reporter and edi- ing member of the Mid-Missouri Com- tor at the Chariton Courier in Keytes- munity Foundation board of directors. ville and the Kingdom Daily News in He and his wife, Debbie, a family Fulton, he joined the staff of the Co- nurse practitioner, have two daugh- lumbia Daily Tribune in 1981 and be- ters, Jaime Dodson, a nurse, and came managing editor in 1987. Cody Higgins, a speech pathologist. Under his leadership, the Tribune Robertson, elected Sept. 26 will has won numerous awards for news, succeed Richard Gard, St. Louis Dai- photography and commentary. He ly Record, Missouri Lawyers Media, has served in leadership positions as president of the Missouri Press on the boards of Missouri Associated Association Jan. 1. Press Managing Editors, the Missouri Gard will continue on the MPA Jim Robertson Society of Newspaper Editors and the board of directors through 2015 as Missouri Sunshine Coalition. He also immediate past president. nal (filling two-year term of Bill Miller, serves on the Missouri Governor’s Other 2015 MPA officers and direc- Jr.) Civil War Sesquicentennial Commis- tors elected Sept. 26 are: First Vice Tianna Brooks, Mountain View President Dennis Warden, Owens- Standard News, is the MPA’s National ville Gasconade County Republican; Newspaper Association state chair. National Second Vice President Bill Miller, Jr., Continuing on the MPA board in Washington Missourian; Secretary 2015 will be directors Carol Stark, Newspaper Week Jacob Brower, Monett Times and The Joplin Globe; Joe Spaar, Odessa Cassville Democrat; Treasurer Paul Odessan; Trevor Vernon, Eldon Ad- Oct. 5-11 Berry, Springfield News-Leader. vertiser; James Mahlon White, War- National Newspaper Week Directors for three-year terms: saw Benton County Enterprise; and (NNW) is Oct. 5-11, 2014. This Dennis Ellsworth, St. Joseph News- Jeff Schrag, Springfield Daily Events. Press; and Donna Bischoff, St. Louis Brad Gentry of the Houston Herald marks the 74th year of the week, Post-Dispatch. and Darryl Wilkinson of the Gallatin which observes the importance of Director for two-year term: Jack North Missourian are retiring from the newspapers to communities large Miles, Warrensburg Daily Star-Jour- MPA board at the end of December. and small. The theme of this year’s NNW is: “Newspapers: The Foun- dation of Vibrant Communities.” Promotional materials are post- Missouri Mules and Men ed on the website: http://www.na- tionalnewspaperweek.com/nnw/ This year’s kit contains editorials, cartoons, ads and more available for download at no charge. PLEASE PROMOTE National Newspaper Week as much as possible to reinforce the impor- tance of newspapers to our local communities. In addition, please editorialize Photographs on display through Oct. 31, 2014 locally about how your newspaper is important and relevant to your at McDougall Center Gallery, Lee Hills Hall community.