Volume 32, No. 3 April 2007 QUOTE OF THE MONTH
“A newspaper has a number of constituen- cies. Among those are readers, advertisers, employees, creditors, and stockholders. If a newspaper and its publisher always keep those constituencies in that order: readers first, advertisers second, employees third, creditors fourth, and shareholders last, then the newspaper will do well journalistically and financially, and the interests of all con- stituencies will be well served.”
— Walter E. Hussman (1906-1988) Visit the ISWNE’s Web site: www.iswne.org
Published by the Institute of International Studies, Missouri Southern State University, Joplin, MO When a national story comes to town By Fred Steiner was flooding due Editor to heavy rains. I Bluffton (Ohio) News planned to drive around town and Editor’s note: Fred Steiner is a longtime take some photos ISWNE member. first thing Friday. When a large national story occurs in your My backup photo weekly newspaper’s community, several plan was a Dr. things in your weekly routine change — Seuss birthday drastically. I know. It happened to me. cake contest at the Bluffton Public On March 2, a chartered bus carrying Library on Friday. approximately 35 members of the Bluffton (As you might Fred Steiner University baseball team crashed in Atlanta, guess, I never Ga. Five student-athletes died in the crash; made it to the library at all.) the two bus drivers died. About 6:30 p.m. Thursday someone called That incident put my regular community me about a house fire outside of town. news coverage on hold for two issues — it Lightning struck it. I rushed out there in the dragged out into three issues at this writing rain and took photos for about 20 minutes. — while I tried to cover things that would be It was a pretty bad scene. As I drove home I missed by CNN, the Atlanta media, and all thought to myself, “The house fire is my the Ohio large-city dailies and TV stations. front page photo.” (It ended up on the clas- Here’s a look at how things developed at the sified page.) News during two weeks following the acci- Friday at 7:10 a.m. I received the first of sev- dent: eral calls: “Bluffton University bus accident The Bluffton News is a weekly (2,900 circula- in Atlanta. Turn on your television.” tion). I’m the only full-time staff member. After that hit, here’s how my day went: I Deb Beer, my assistant editor, is part-time. went to the office and told my assistant edi- On Thursday evening at home I was going tor to handle all the non-accident items. I’d over my plans for Friday. First, Riley Creek
continued on page 3 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors President’sresident’s
By Harry Hix School of Journalism & Broadcasting Reporteport Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Okla. Musings on Brian, the Black Hills, and homophones An unexpected death always brings sorrow, visited the Black Hills en route to Montana company. As you may already know and as I but it is an especially sorrowful occasion when and Wyoming and other points west. We had discovered, a homophone is a word that it is a good friend who has died. not anticipated how interesting our time in sounds like another word, but each is spelled The recent death of Brian Mazza was one of the Black Hills would be. I look forward to a differently and has a different meaning. those occasions. return visit. Hay and hey, for example, are a homophone Certainly, it was a surprise and unexpected. The conference program sounds interesting, pair. Like you, I was stunned when I received word but Carol and I are also intrigued by the In a spasm of ambition, it seemed an interest- from Chad. opportunity to visit Freeman and environs. ing challenge, though not a notably worth- Although some city folks haven’t discovered it, Brian was one of the many who warmly wel- while endeavor, to attempt to concoct sen- a visit to a small town is a treat and a learn- tences using homophone pairs beginning with comed Carol and me into ISWNE, and at ing time. Each town has something unique every conference or board meeting he always the letter A and continuing through the about it, something that is special and intrigu- alphabet to the letter Z. found time for a one-on-one conversation. ing to learn about. Those conversations were both enlightening As quickly as you could say there’s fur on a and fun. He had ample knowledge to share, Freeman will be no exception. hare, not hair, I realized that I would have to and I particularly enjoyed that he had a sense Scouting out the town and the nearby areas knock on wood for luck or I would strive in of humor and loved a good laugh. will be fun for everyone who makes the visit. vain to strike the vein of words that would His contributions to ISWNE were numerous It will be if Tim and Jeremy don’t lasso every- give feet to this desired feat. and greatly appreciated. If in no other way, one and put them to work getting out the I thought of seeking aid from an aide, some- his love of the organization was evident in the Courier. one who perhaps could apply a balm to keep fact that he twice hosted the annual confer- me from being a bomb with the effort. (OK, so ence. Having done that once, I realize what a * * * * * that one was only close. Can’t be perfect every contribution that was. Learning to talk is one of the great achieve- time.) So, barren of ideas, I called a bald All of us will miss him. ments of childhood, though our parents at baron who bawled because, no, he did not times might choose a word other than know how to help me — he was too dis- Brian Mazza was a journalist’s journalist. achievement. Language opens doors we may traught that his serf and his son had left him not have realized were even there. Speaking to surf in the sun. * * * * * the language can make children stand taller With furrowed brows, I continued to browse I don’t know about you, but I’m getting hyped in their own eyes. Learning to talk can lead to through my thoughts and mined my mind for about this year’s conference. It should be a many things, such as making adults laugh or a cache of words I could cash in. But I was in great time. Carol and I are looking forward to getting things we want. a daze for days as I chased some not-so-chaste it. In adulthood, language can continue to thoughts and cowered like a coward at the (Hold on, Tim and Jeremy, the money’s com- embellish our lives, to increase our under- keyboard. ing, I promise. It’s only early April. There’s standing and communication skills, to aid in Taking time for bread bred new thoughts as time, there’s time to pay. Not only our money, humor, and to add to the quality of life. my guest guessed it would. With pen, not but others’ money as well will get there. Sorry, Language is important. sword, in hand, my imagination soared and I just had to throw this in ‘cause I remember at But it’s fun, too. knew new flights of fantasy. Though you may this time last year wondering when payments groan to realize that a grown man who is would start arriving and when we could tell Think of the anomalies certain words present. past his prime has passed such childish the hotel folks how many of the rooms we For example: two and to, and tea and tee, too. visions through his mind, keep in mind that had reserved we would be needing. No doubt, Fun, huh? But, did you know that you just in days of yore your thoughts likely turned to this little side comment will bring great com- read some homophones? fantasy, too. fort to the Waltners.) I remember once many moons ago that, in a You might have asked such questions as For what it’s worth, the Black Hills of South rare moment of intellectual curiosity, I these: Dakota are fascinating. Years ago, we took learned the word homophone. the kids on a vacation to the West and we No, that’s not something new at the phone continued on page 19 2 April 2007 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors
When a national story comes to town from page 1 take the accident story myself. By 5 p.m. on Washington Post radio group (I was inter- Friday I had covered two press conferences, viewed on the air at 4:28 p.m.). was interviewed in person by the Columbus Questions to me ranged from: How is your Dispatch, and received phone calls from town handling it? How many people live in CBS sports desk, New York (twice), Atlanta Bluffton? Do you know anyone on the bus? Journal Constitution (twice), CNN in Atlanta Do you know the safety record of the bus (several calls from them), Toledo Blade, company? Do you know the name of the Bowling Green (Ohio) Sentinel Tribune, Ft. bus company? What are Mennonites? Wayne (Ind.) Journal Gazette, and The (Bluffton University is affiliated with the Mennonite Church. This question always makes me chuckle. I, too, am a Mennonite. No, I don’t drive a horse and buggy. You are thinking of Amish.) A reporter from WTVG in Toledo interviews Fred At the first press conference, at 11 a.m., I Steiner (left), editor of the Bluffton News. counted 40 to 50 media persons who attend- ed. The second conference was at 4 p.m. The result of all this was: About 20 attended it. A 20-page issue. The first five pages were In addition, the News started to receive devoted entirely to the accident. Those pages phone calls from Bluffton University alumni were entirely filled with copy and photos on all across the country. We also received the event. In addition, we published six obit- phone calls from persons in Atlanta want- uaries elsewhere. We had to go after these ing to offer their assistance. obits by tracking down funeral homes. Four Officers of the International Society During all of this, I was collecting informa- were students (a fifth student died later); one of Weekly Newspaper Editors: tion about the bus company and the mem- was the bus driver and the second was his bers on the team. I made two visits to the wife. President: Harry L. Hix Bluffton University athletic department We are printed by the Bowling Green School of Journalism & Broadcasting office and one visit to the Bluffton University Sentinel-Tribune. All our pages were sent to Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Okla. PR office. BG by 4 p.m. BG was very helpful and understanding in all of this. We made our Vice President: Jeremy Waltner To make matters more complicated, one of The Freeman Courier, Freeman, S.D. the four student-athletes killed is a cousin of deadline. my wife. My wife works at Bluffton Univer- Here’s a shorter summary of the second Executive Director: sity. I became aware of this at noon, but no week of coverage: On the next Friday I Dr. Chad Stebbins, Director, Institute of announcements were made to the media attended the funeral of one of the players in International Studies, Missouri Southern until 4 p.m. I had to keep quiet about this, Bryan, Ohio. On Monday night I attended State University, 3950 E. Newman Road, and it also affected my work concentration, and reported on a campus/community Joplin, MO 64801-1595 because I knew the student personally. Phone: (417) 625-9736 memorial service. It was attended by 2,500- Fax: (417) 659-4445 After Friday, I worked three hours on plus persons. I devoted the first five entire E-mail: [email protected] Saturday and three hours on Sunday, just pages of the 20-page issue to more accident putting things together. In addition to my coverage. Attending that service was the Board of Directors: regular 8-5 Monday, I worked three hours governor of Ohio and members of the Don Brod Monday night. I wrote a personal column Atlanta fire department. I talked with each St. Charles, Ill. on the event. I also drove around town and of these people and took photos of them. Charles Gay took photos of signage in windows. I wrote a second opinion piece. In addition, Shelton-Mason County Journal In addition, I know several communication I collecting several unrelated stories to place Shelton, Wash. students at Bluffton University. I called one in a column. For example, an attorney from Jim Painter and asked if he would e-mail students and Boston has called me twice to ask if I need West Valley View, Litchfield Park, Ariz. ask for their responses and thoughts. Most his services. He’s handled many bus acci- Jeremy Condliffe students were already on their way home dents. He never gave me his name. Congleton Chronicle because spring break started on Friday. The Congleton, Cheshire, England. In my third week of coverage, the university student writing this story for me was at announced that the baseball season would Robert Mihalek home in Wooster, Ohio. He came through begin on March 30. I have another full page Yellow Springs, Ohio with a really nice story for me. of coverage planned for page one. Chris Wood Then on Tuesday (our regular layout day) Wisconsin Web Offset, Brookfield, Wis. was a 10 a.m. press conference at Bluffton Fred Steiner can be contacted at fsteiner@ Immediate Past President: University. I attended it and wrote a story. Carol O’Leary blufftonnews.com. Central Wisconsin Publications, Inc. Abbotsford, Wis
April 2007 3 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors 20072007 ISWNEISWNE SummerSummer ConferenceConference A wide range of programming is on tap for the people attending the Friday, June 29 2007 ISWNE Summer Conference in the Black Hills on the western Daytime programming on SDSMT campus: Greenslade Bursary pres- edge of South Dakota in late June. The conference will be held on the entation; South Dakota politics with David Kranz, political writer for campus of South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid the Sioux Falls Argus Leader; Scientific research/innovation at SDSMT; City June 27-July 1 annual ISWNE business meeting/discussion. That includes several “big name” attractions — visits to Mount Evening: Downtown Rapid City — reception at The Prairie Edge (a Rushmore (Wednesday) and Crazy Horse Memorial (Thursday) with store/gallery featuring American Indian art), dining at choice of special programs arranged for ISWNE at each. selected restaurants. But there’s a lot more planned. Here’s a quick look at the schedule (some details are still being final- Saturday, June 30 ized): Daytime programming on SDSMT campus: Editorial critique sessions, plenary session, “State of the ISWNE Editorial Pages” with Jack Getz, Wednesday, June 27 journalism professor at South Dakota State University; free time. Morning: Meetings for the ISWNE and ISWNE Foundation boards. Evening: Tour, Reception and Banquet at The Journey Museum. Afternoon: Welcome and introductions, leave for Mount Rushmore. Evening: Dinner, tour Mount Rushmore Memorial/lighting ceremony. Sunday, July 1 Goodbyes and departures. Thursday, June 28 Registration includes all fees, meals and housing from Wednesday Morning: Leave for Crazy Horse Memorial. noon through Sunday morning. An early arrival option is available; Morning/Afternoon: Visit with Ruth Zilkowski, travel to top of moun- see the registration form for details. tain carving, program on American Indian issues, including discus- sion of Native Indian High School Journalism program with Jack The Freeman Option Marsh, vice president of diversity with the Freedom Forum. A pre-conference visit to Freeman (on the other end of the state) will Evening: Entertainment — comedian/musician Gordy Pratt, hospitali- be held June 25-26. It will include a mini Schmeckfest (a festival fea- ty room. turing the ethnic foods of the Germans from Russian/Mennonite com- munity) on Monday evening and a Tuesday visit to the Hutterite Colony. People need to make their own housing arrangements at the Freeman Country Inn; see the registration form for details. Editorial critique a cornerstone of conference By Tim L. Waltner prior to the conference. That means work- The editorial critique has been a cornerstone of the annual ISWNE ing with a May 15 deadline in which every summer conferences. attendee will indicate, on the registration form, how they will participate in the edito- The review of the editorial pages of the participating newspapers rial critique: reflects the mission of ISWNE and has been a valuable tool in helping members improve the quality of their editorial pages and their service • As someone with editorial pages to to their communities. review; In recent years the focus of the editorial critique sessions has been • As someone without editorial pages to roundtable discussions in which groups of six to eight people discuss review; the pages of the newspapers in the group to which they have been • To not participate. assigned. On the basis of that, assignments will be One of the greatest challenges for this exercise is the simple logistics. made to balance those who provide papers The concept is to exchange three consecutive issues of the papers with for review and those who do not. Each par- Tim L. Waltner the members of the group. To make the most of the limited time ticipant will be notified with instructions on devoted to the editorial critiques — usually two to three hours — who to send papers to. Our hope is that everyone will have all the preparation is essential and that means having the papers in the papers from their group in their hands by early June. That will allow hands of the participants early enough for study and review. Too the participants to read and review the papers prior to the conference. often, the delay in getting the papers results in “last minute cram- They should bring the papers — at least the editorial pages — with ming” the night before the critiques. them to the conference. Our plan for 2007 is to push hard to have people exchange papers We also are going to encourage members of the group to meet infor
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4 April 2007 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors LondonLondon editoreditor toto attendattend BlackBlack HillsHills conferenceconference Moira Sleight, managing editor of the news from her school and village. This rein- British Newspaper Methodist Recorder in London, is this year’s forced her wish to pursue a career in jour- Editors (in 1967). Greenslade Bursary recipient and will be nalism. Greenslade was attending the ISWNE conference in the A graduate of Queen Mary College of the editorial director Black Hills of South Dakota. University of London with a B.A. degree in of the ISWNE has paid for a British Isles editor to English literature, Sleight became editor of Nottingham attend its annual conference for the last 30 the Methodist Recorder in 1997, the Chronicle years. youngest person to hold that position and Advertiser and Guardian. The Methodist Recorder is a weekly, nation- the first woman. In 2002 she became man- al newspaper founded in 1861. While it aging editor, assuming control of all aspects His association serves Methodists in Britain and also has of the company. with ISWNE readers around the world, it is independent Sleight is secretary of the Weekly Indepen- began in 1960, of the Church, enabling it to follow its own dent Newspapers Association (WINA) and a when he took Moira Sleight editorial line. member of the Newspaper Society Council H.R. Long, the Society’s founding father, to lunch at a pub. “Moira edits a national newspaper that’s and Independent Publishers Forum. She also belongs to the Society of Editors. She is Long was in Great Britain on a month-long also very local,” said Jeremy Condliffe, a tour of newspapers. Greenslade attended member of the ISWNE Board of Directors a liveryman of the City of London’s Worshipful Company of Stationers and four ISWNE conferences in the United who also was the Society’s 2005 Greenslade States: three at Pere Marquette State Park in Bursary recipient. “The Methodist Recorder Newspaper Makers and a freeman of the City of London. Illinois and one in Carbondale, Ill. At is aimed at those who attend Methodist Greenslade’s urging, ISWNE members spent churches across the U.K., but it has the Sleight lives in London, where the newspa- three weeks touring England, Scotland, and same round of parochial stories that we’d per is based. Ireland in the fall of 1976. all recognize; religion just plays a bigger role. “His precise choice of language, clarity of History of Greenslade Bursary thought and breadth of information made “However, Moira’s greatest asset is that con- In recognition of David Greenslade’s out- a deep impression on the Society,” wrote trary to her occupation (and, it has to said, standing service and interest in the goals of ISWNE member Karl Monroe of the first impressions!) she can be bitingly witty ISWNE, the Society established a scholar- Collinsville (Ill.) Herald, who knew and amusing. On top of that, she has a ship in 1977 to bring a British Isles editor to Greenslade and participated in the 1976 sound knowledge of the newspaper indus- the annual conference. Greenslade, a mem- tour. “He was recognized in England as one try. She’s also very hands-on, and has han- ber of ISWNE for many years and a distin- of the bright stars of the profession, dled everything (apparently) from rewiring guished British journalist, died Jan. 16, although his unassuming, open style belied the office to selling ads. 1977. the honors he earned.” And, technically, she’s only editor I know Greenslade was president of the Newspaper The first recipient of the Greenslade Bursary who’s got God as a boss!” Society — representing all the British Scholarship was Drew Cochrane, editor of While a teenager, Sleight worked on a free- provincial newspapers — in 1975-76. He the Largs & Millport Weekly News in Largs, lance basis for her local town’s newspaper, was the only person to have held that post Ayrshire, Scotland, in 1977. The Wisbech Standard, mostly covering and the office of president of the Guild of
Editorial critique a cornerstone of conference from page 4 mally during the conference prior to the edi- and used for a presentation on “the state of 2. Respond immediately by exchanging torial critiques to visit about their respective the editorial pages” for the 2007 ISWNE sum- papers when your group assignment is made. communities. That will allow the editorial cri- mer conference. 3. Read and critique the papers prior to the tique sessions to focus on the editorial pages. To make the most of the editorial critiques, it conference. There is one final addition to this year’s edi- is essential that everyone exchange their 4. Bringing those papers with you and partic- torial critique. In addition to sending the papers in a timely fashion. We hope to make ipate in the roundtable discussions June 30. papers to the members in the group, we are the assignments by mid-May which means offering an independent critique of each every participant should have all the papers This should help make the most out of this paper that will be the final element in the from their group in hands no later than mid- value exercise and further the mission of 2007 editorial critique session. That means in June. making our editorial pages stronger and more engaging. addition to sending three issues of your paper Here’s the four-step plan. to the members of the critique, you will also Tim L. Waltner can be contacted at send a set to the editorial critique coordina- 1. Include your plans for participation when [email protected]. tor. Those editorial pages will be reviewed completing the registration form.
April 2007 5 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors
6 April 2007 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors
April 2007 7 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors ISWNEWSNEWS ISWNE editorials inspire Kansas publisher by Transcontinental Media in 2004. The Washington County News in Kansas recently received notice that it “Despite significant investments in the publication over the past two years was awarded second place in the editorial pages category of the Kansas — including a complete redesign of both the print and Internet versions of Press Association’s Awards of Excellence. Publisher Dan Thalmann also the newspaper — efforts to turn the publication around unfortunately did received third place in the editorial writing category. not attract the expected advertising dollars.” Often inspired by editorials printed in the ISWNE newsletter, Thalmann The Wednesday publication had an audited circulation of 37,730 and said he has been focusing on improving the editorial section of his news- employed 10 people. It looks likely that six employees will be offered jobs paper over the last year and was thrilled to receive recognition for his elsewhere at Transcontinental. efforts. competes in the non-daily division for newspapers with a circula- tion between 1,751 and 4,000. An invitation from Julian Calvert ISWNE members are invited to the Society of Editors’ annual conference in McKnight’s daughter to graduate college Glasgow, Scotland, Sept. 7-8. Gisele McKnight, editor of the Kings County Record in Sussex, New Organized by Society chairman Julian Calvert — a former ISWNE Brunswick, together with her family, will celebrate the university Greenslade Bursary recipient — the event will feature high-profile speak- graduation of oldest daughter, Ashley, on May 7. Ashley will gradu- ers dealing with issues such as training in new technology. ate from St. Thomas University in Fredericton with a B.A. in history A warm Scottish welcome is guaranteed in an historic city well known for and Irish studies. She will continue her studies this fall in either his- its architecture, shopping and nightlife. tory or library science. For more information, email Calvert at [email protected]. McKnight was recently selected by her company, Brunswick News, to represent their weeklies newspaper group on the University of Kings College Journalism Advisory Board in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Valley Voice cleans up in Pa. contest ISWNE new member The Valley Voice’s Kara Getsko, Ann Marie Gonsalves and Paul Bealer For almost 30 years, Lori Evans has won multiple newspaper journalism honors in the 2007 Pennsylvania worked for three Morris Communica- Press Club Communications Contest. tions newspapers in Alaska — first as The prestigious state competition honors the best work in print and broad- a reporter for the Juneau Empire and cast journalism, public relations and book publishing. later as that paper’s assistant editor. In 1991, when Morris bought the Getsko won first place in feature writing among non-daily newspapers Peninsula Clarion in Kenai, she was and a third-place award in education writing. Valley Voice publisher named that newspaper’s editor. Gonsalves won second- and third-place writing awards for editorials. During her time at the Clarion, the Editor Paul Bealer won a first-place feature photography award, first place paper went from publishing five days in the sections/supplements edited category, second place award in news a week to adding a Sunday edition. It reporting, second place award in sports writing and an honorable men- also changed from a tabloid-size tion award in feature writing. paper to a broadsheet. In 2005, Evans The first place winning pieces by Getsko and Bealer will compete this was named editor and publisher of the Homer News, an summer with the best work from other state press clubs throughout the award-winning weekly which Morris acquired in 2000. United States in the N.F.P.W. National Communications Contest. She started her journalism career as a reporter and photogra- pher for the Englewood Herald, a weekly on the Gulf Coast of Newfoundland paper ceases publication Florida. She later became that paper’s editor before joining The Express in St. John’s, Newfoundland, is calling it a day. The weekly the staff of the daily paper in Punta Gorda, Fla., where she publication, owned by Transcontinental Media, has published its final was a section editor and then city editor. The move to Alaska issue. was intended to be a two- or three-year adventure, but Evans says she fell in love with the state — its scenery, its weather, Miller Ayre, regional director of Transcontinental Media’s NL newspapers, its politics, its people and its stories. said, “This was an extremely difficult decision but The Express had been struggling financially for quite some time, well before it was purchased Evans can be contacted at [email protected].
8 April 2007 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors NewNew mailmail ratesrates couldcould bebe worseworse By Gary Sosniecki And we don’t know everything there is to This is what the Co-publisher know yet about the within-county decision. Postal Regulatory The Vandalia (Mo.) Leader We hope to learn more when Helen and I go Commission wrote March 7, 2007 to Washington for a National Newspaper about my testimo- Association meeting later this month. ny in its ruling You probably heard the news last week that But my guess right now is that we’ll need to last week: the price of a first-class stamp is going up to increase The Leader’s local subscription rate “In recent cases, 41 cents, probably in May. about $2 a year to cover our increased costs. concern over the What you didn’t see on TV or in the daily At $18.59 per year (plus $1.41 sales tax), speed and reliabil- papers was how the postal rate and fee The Leader has had one of the least-expen- ity of service changes recommended by the Postal sive local subscription prices in Missouri. received by Regulatory Commission affect rural newspa- Even with an increase, it would be about as Within County pers like The Vandalia Leader. cheap as you’ll find anywhere. publications has Gary Sosniecki tended to focus on The news was both good and bad, and that, We’ve been upfront with you as our costs delayed delivery too, unfortunately, will affect your pocket- have increased — we’ve endured five prices of newspapers sent to subscribers that live book. increases at the printing plant in 3 1/2 years quite a distance from the county of publica- The good news is that it could have been so we’re confident you’ll understand when tion. NNA witness Sosniecki provides a use- worse. The U.S. Postal Service had asked for we know for sure how much of a subscrip- ful perspective on the much broader service a 24.4-percent increase in “within-county” tion increase we’ll need in order to break concerns in this subclass. His testimony newspaper postage. Some analyses of the even. highlights the special service challenges that USPS proposal were that the actual increase After all, it could have been worse. newspapers on or near a county line face. It would be as much as 30 percent. also documents the considerable workshar- Instead, the Postal Regulatory Commission * * * * * ing Within County publishers perform to recommended that “within-county” rates Some of you have told us that you wouldn’t obtain delivery service through the postal increase 18.3 percent, probably in May. mind paying what you do for a subscription network... More good news came when the commission if delivery were more timely. “The Commission acknowledges the efforts rejected a USPS request to charge newspa- That’s not much of a problem in Vandalia, that Within County publishers undertake pers 85 cents on top of our other postage for Farber and Curryville, but it’s been a prior to presenting their mailings to the each bundle of newspapers mailed at a local headache for us just about everywhere else. Postal Service. As Sosniecki indicates, this post office. We mail a lot of bundles each Because of your complaints to Helen and can now extend not only to traditional week in Vandalia, Farber, Curryville, me, and our subsequent complaints to the efforts, such as presorting, but to using Laddonia, Middletown and Rush Hill. USPS, I was selected by the National CASS-certified software and making several The bad news is that our postage still is Newspaper Association last year to be one of runs to different post offices. The Service’s going up. three witnesses against the proposed 24.4- intended Network Redesign may further percent within-county increase. complicate Within County mailers’ interac- Regardless, any time you have an 18.3-per- tion with the Postal Service. The Commis- cent increase instead of a 24.4-percent One witness was an economist, the other sion urges the Postal Service to encourage its increase, and you’ve avoided having to pay was the chairman of the NNA’s Postal managers in the field to find ways to pre- a new charge that you’re not paying now, Committee. I was the only small-town news- vent service delays and inconsistencies and it’s a victory. paper publisher to testify about the impact to effectively assist publishers who bring per- Jerry Tidwell, a newspaper publisher from the rates would have on a typical newspaper sistent service problems to their attention. Texas who is president of the National and its subscribers. Generally, all subscribers to Periodicals pub- Newspaper Association, said the Postal Working with NNA lawyers in Washington, lications desire speedy, reliable and consis- Regulatory Commission seems to have I filed 16 pages of written testimony, then tent delivery. However, witness Sosniecki’s trimmed the proposed rates for within-coun- responded to USPS “interrogatories” with testimony shows that subscribers to Within ty mail more than for any other significant nine more pages. On Nov. 3, I testified in County publications have service needs that mail class. For that we can be grateful. person before the Postal Rate Commission — differ somewhat from those who subscribe to But it’s a victory that will cost us more its previous name — in Washington. monthly or quarterly publications. The money for every paper we mail in Audrain Though my testimony was supposed to be Commission urges the Service to bear these County. about the proposed rate increase, I talked as needs in mind as it proceeds with Network Redesign.” We don’t know enough yet about the Postal much about your delivery complaints as the Regulatory Commission’s ruling — it’s more lawyers would allow. Gary Sosniecki can be contacted at van- than 500 pages long — to know how our And I’m grateful that those complaints were [email protected]. out-of-county rates will change in May. heard.
April 2007 9 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors Let sun shine on local government
By Jim Painter to tax us and restrict our liberties through provide public Managing Editor law enforcement and national military records to the West Valley View drafts, when necessary. For the most part, View). Litchfield Park, Ariz. they do a good job, and we don’t have to March 9, 2007 worry about losing our personal liberty unless we break the law. However, the only Our job is to challenge This is the sixth in a series of articles way to ensure that our governments contin- explaining the workings and philosophies ue to work for us instead of against us, as is secrecy of the West Valley View. the case in many other nations, is through Sometimes, city constant scrutiny of government actions, councils use exec- from the school board level all the way to utive sessions, I think most Americans would agree that Congress and the White House. the best form of government is democracy which are closed — government by the people, exercised to the public, to Jim Painter either directly or through elected representa- West Valley governments are hide what they are doing. We in tives. That’s what our nation’s Founding usually open Fathers fought and died for and that’s why the press have a moral obligation to chal- Unfortunately, it is the nature of govern- lenge these when they seem to be happen- we now have troops fighting and dying in ment to try to operate in secrecy. Many the far reaches of the globe. ing too often. Local city councils can, and bureaucrats think they can do their jobs we suspect do, abuse the Open Meetings For a democracy to work, government must more efficiently if they don’t have the pub- Law that allows them to go into executive be open so citizens can review the actions lic looking over their shoulders. That’s prob- session to discuss real-estate purchases, liti- being made by our elected representatives ably true — dictatorships are more efficient gation and certain personnel matters. on our behalf. Awareness of the need for than democracies. That doesn’t mean open government was the idea behind We agree with Rich Oppel, editor of the they’re better, but the decision-making Austin (Texas) American-Statesman, who Sunshine Week, which is March 11-17. The process can go more quickly and smoothly third annual Sunshine Week, led by the once said in an address to the American when only one person is making the deci- Society of newspaper Editors: American Society of Newspaper Editors, is a sions. The downside is that the decisions national initiative to open a dialogue about being made aren’t always good for the pub- “Experience tells me to challenge the prac- the importance of open government and lic. tice of a public board going into executive freedom of information. Participants session to discuss litigation, land acquisition The West Valley View takes its local-govern- or personnel matters. Experience tells me include print, broadcast and online news ment watchdog responsibility very seriously. media, civic groups, libraries, non-profits, that ‘litigation’ is a much-abused cover for If we err, we hope to err of the side of being politicians to hash out controversial public schools and others interested in the public’s overly zealous in our pursuit of open gov- right to know. issues in darkness; that a meeting to discuss ernment rather than being lackadaisical. property, which theoretically needs to be One of the roles of the national news media We’re lucky that most of the local agencies is to fight to keep our federal government done in secret to avoid escalating land we cover understand the need for openness. costs, is a much-abused cover for deals open to public scrutiny, and to expose the Granted, there are lapses from time to time, efforts of the administration’s ongoing between politicians and connected land but that’s why we’re here — to make sure owners; that a ‘personnel’ meeting is a efforts to delve into the privacy of individ- the lapses don’t become the norm. ual citizens while hiding the actions of the much-abused cover to conceal one hell of a government under a cloak of secrecy for the In recent years, the city of Avondale has mess going on in some school or govern- sake of “national security.” been the paragon of openness; Tolleson and ment agency.” Litchfield Park provide information when Even real-estate purchases, litigation and One of the roles of community newspapers asked; Goodyear and Buckeye are usually like the West Valley View is to fight to keep personnel matters are the public’s business open, but still need to be goaded from time when public agencies — and public money the business of local governments open to to time. the public. While the federal government — are involved, and those issues should certainly has an impact on our daily lives, Most of the West Valley school boards com- always be discussed in public meetings. the decisions of local governments can have ply with the state’s Public Records Law and The West Valley View has a duty to you to an even more immediate effect on us — our Open Meetings Law, although some of help open the windows on local govern- personal safety, the education of our chil- them need to be reminded occasionally. ment and let the sunshine in. We are com- dren, the rates of sales taxes and property Our local law-police and fire departments mitted to honor that moral obligation to taxes and the ease by which we travel on are usually remarkably forthcoming with you. our local streets and highways, to name just information (with the exception of the Jim Painter can be contacted at editor@ a few examples. Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, which still westvalleyview.com. Governments at all levels have power over defies the state’s Public Records Law and a our lives. The government has the authority Superior Court judge’s ruling that it should
10 April 2007 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors Walter Reed & The Newspapers
By Dick Drysdale ing.” investigations. Editor For its thanks, when the story broke, the A brilliant seg- Herald of Randolph Washington Post had to endure the whine ment of Randolph, Vt. from Army officials that the paper was only “Frontline” a few March 18, 2007 reporting the bad news. Lots of great things days later told the were happening at Walter Reed Hospital — same tale — of The scandal at the Army’s Walter Reed why was the Post just reporting the bad how corporate Hospital in Washington, D.C. was uncov- stuff? ownership is ered by a newspaper. And it wasn’t easy. This is one time that ancient complaint fell draining the news- That’s why it’s a fitting subject for Sunshine flat. The public understood the importance rooms of even our Week, dedicated to openness in govern- of the newspaper’s role, understood that the top-flight news ment. newspaper had no obligation to dilute its organizations (focusing on the Dick Drysdale It was the Washington Post that exposed story by “balancing” Walter Reed’s failures with its manifold successes. The Walter Reed Los Angeles the shameful living conditions and bureau- Times), to say nothing of the hundreds of cratic nightmares faced by many service story was a shameful story, but an impor- tant story, that needed to be told, because pretty-good newsrooms in smaller cities veterans who were housed in a kind of dor- around the country. The same trend away mitory outside the hospital premises. Not a something could be fixed. And the Washington Post did its job. from hard news is happening in television, government inspection agency, not the too, of course, where news is being dis- Army itself, not an advocate for the soldiers. * * * * * placed by opinion and entertainment; but It was a newspaper, a family-owned news- it’s most important in newspapers. That’s paper, which decided that the welfare of because, the “Frontline” broadcast said, of returning United States troops was worth That’s why a comment the next week on all the important news that ends up on TV spending hundreds of hours and thousands the Jim Lehrer News Hour came with such radio or in webcasts or blogs, almost all of it of dollars to investigate. devastating force. It came from David first appeared in newspapers. It was news- The Post assigned two reporters, Ann Hull Brooks, the likeable, somewhat conservative papers which paid the money to train the and Dana Priest, basically full-time for four columnist at the New York Times. Pointing reporters and send them out to work. Most months to ferret out the story of the failures to the financial resources that the Post had other media just recycled what the papers at Walter Reed Army Hospital. Four months devoted to its exposé, Brooks hazarded the told them. Case in point: after Hull and prying into things that authorities didn’t guess that such a story couldn’t be written Priest reported the Walter Reed exposé, want them to know, of quietly talking to in most cities. more than 1,000 blogs linked to the story. veterans’ families, visiting the hospital, The reason? Most newspapers, even in large Unfortunately, the newspapers are doing even staying overnight. They came back cities, don’t have that kind of money any difficult original reporting less and less, cut- from each visit, Priest said, filled “with out- more, and if they do, their corporate chain ting reporters and foreign bureaus. That’s rage and sadness that were very motivat- owners won’t spend it on independent partly because of competition from other media, but mostly because of the media chains who see newspapers not as a vital public service but as a source of cash. Not ISWNE new member as a life, but as a living. Bill Blauvelt is publisher/editor/pressman of The Superior * * * * * (Neb.) Express. He received a B.S. in agricultural journal- The Walter Reed story, then, is not just a ism from Kansas State University in 1969 and joined The story about the competence of the Army, or Express a year later, at the age of 24, as managing editor of the Bush Administration. Even competent and publisher. organizations will have things go wrong, Blauvelt also publishes the Jewell County Record. “With and will try to cover them up. The Walter the two titles we circulate 4,000 to 5,000 copies each week Reed story is also about the importance of of 16 to 20 pages most issues,” he says. “We are very inde- newspapers, about the kind of service they pendent. We printed in a central plant for 10 years but can provide to people who deserve help but didn’t like to march to the central plant’s drum so we put aren’t getting it, about how they can muster in our own two-unit press. That has grown to four units. resources to counter untrammeled power, “We like the flexibility having a press offers. If we have a and provide a voice for the common people. late-breaking story, we can hold the press. Also if a storm If David Brooks is right, though, this may is moving in that might delay delivery, we can print early — that is a more frequent be a story written in the past tense. That happening. We have about 15 employees so it isn’t a one- or two-person effort.” would make it a sad tale indeed. Blauvelt can be contacted at [email protected]. Dick Drysdale can be contacted at editor@ OurHerald.com.
April 2007 11 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors WalterWalter ReedReed storystory deservesdeserves farfar moremore attentionattention thanthan AnnaAnna NicoleNicole
By Laurie Ezzell Brown haunted me, and by way of a response, I sequences. If veterans’ health care and the Editor offer this: lack thereof are not on the tips of every The Canadian Record In a one-hour special report on ABC News tongue today in America, then that answers Canadian, Texas last Tuesday evening, Bob Woodruff offered the question of whether the media’s tale March 8, 2007 eloquent counterpoint to the oft-voiced criti- wags the dog, or vice versa. cism of journalists who use the media’s To tell the shameful truth, I’ve heard far For a journalist, the question inevitably aris- bully pulpit to focus public attention on a more talk about Anna Nicole and the latest es, fueled by sensational stories like the one particular story. While reporting from Iraq American Idol flap than I have about the surrounding Anna Nicole Smith’s life and last year, Woodruff sustained traumatic real national scandal over veterans’ health sudden, if not altogether unforeseen, death. brain injuries when an IED blew bits of rock care. That could change, of course, and Bob “Why do you report it?” I’ve been asked into his neck and broke open his skull. Woodruff is certainly our best hope for more than once — the “you” being the Woodruff came back from the near-dead doing so. His story is enormously com- generic one reserved for the scum-sucking, and a 36-day coma to tell not only his story, pelling. He tells it with the authentic voice of bottom-feeding press as a whole, I assume, but the largely untold one of the many sol- one who has suffered and survived. His dra- since until this very moment, I have diers who suffer from traumatic brain matic personal experience can only lend cre- emphatically not wasted a drop of ink on injury. dence to his reports, and will surely create the subject. some level of trust among veterans in his Woodruff contrasted his care with that of ability to tell their story for them. It’s a good question, though, and one I’ve soldiers shuffled off to local V.A. hospitals muttered each time I punch the remote con- which are not prepared to deal with such The burning question is whether the public trol to escape yet another of the countless complex health issues. His report also drew will listen, whether our national attention televised reports that focus on some aspect public attention — or the scant amount we deficit disorder will keep us tuned in, and of her sorry, sordid life. Why do we report it? are willing to spare — to the discrepancy in whether our overwhelming collective indif- Do we report about Anna Nicole in order to the Veterans Affairs Department’s official ference will finally yield to the emotional feed the public’s insatiable appetite for her count of 23,000 nonfatal battlefield casual- force of these stories. Will the public news story — and the dark, festering pit of others ties in Iraq and Afghanistan and the actual viewer’s fascination with the self-absorbed just like it? Or does our reporting about patient count of 205,000. Anna Nicole’s self-inflicted wounds — may Anna Nicole create the spotlight which we all rest in peace — continue to overshad- In a series of reports on the neglect soldiers ow its attention to double amputees in draws public attention to her story like moth returning from Iraq face at Walter Reed to flame? heroes’ uniforms and wounded soldiers in Army Medical Center, Washington Post staff moldy, rat-infested hospital wards? I would- Rubber chicken or rotten egg — which writers Dana Priest and Anne Hull revealed n’t even hazard a guess. comes first? the terrible living conditions in one veterans’ But if it does, then hell surely awaits us in a I cannot answer that question conclusively, outpatient facility, and exposed the tangle of red tape that often keeps our soldiers from continuous loop of Anna Nicole video clips nor would you necessarily believe me should that we will watch from the comfort of I try. I am, after all, a journalist. I’m one of receiving critically needed treatment on a timely basis. homes decorated with yellow ribbons and them. And although I’ve avoided even the American flag decals. We, who have sacri- mention of Anna Nicole Smith throughout These three journalists shone an unyielding ficed so little, surely owe our soldiers more. this unendurable feeding frenzy, here I am light on the story of our wounded veterans, now, joining the rankest of ranks with these the challenges they face upon their return Laurie Ezzell Brown can be contacted at edi- few tremulous strokes of the keyboard. from the war front, and the woeful failure of [email protected]. Why do we report it? The question has this administration to prepare for war’s con-
12 April 2007 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors Schexnayders escape tornado in Arkansas By Frank Garred after ourselves,” she continued. received contribu- She said the town lost a large part of its tions from a neigh- boring town Charlotte and Melvin Schexnayder, Cervi highway business district, though the old downtown escaped damage. Many homes ($10,000) and from Award recipients in 1996 and former own- Potlatch Corpora- ers/editors of the Dumas, Ark., Clarion, and a mobile home park were leveled by the storm. tion, a wood prod- escaped unharmed after a tornado tore ucts manufacturer, through their hometown in February, lev- Power and water services were out for at $50,000. She is eling homes and business buildings, injur- least four days in the area. Emergency working in the ing several, and leaving the area with services crews hauled in a huge portable community seeking minimal communications, emergency and electrical power station that restored elec- assistance for those utility services. tricity by March 1, the day Charlotte and homeless, using her The Schexnayder’s son, Steve, a doctor in Melvin returned home. Residents of the contacts at the state Little Rock, flew into Dumas following the town had to boil water until the water dis- house in Little Rock Frank Garred storm to assist with the injured, and to tribution system was restored. and in Congress to evacuate Charlotte and Melvin to Little Hardest hit was the feed mill, the area’s get needed services and financial assis- Rock. largest employer, with damage estimated tance for the recovery. The first of two tornados struck at 3:03 to that facility at $15 million. Already eco- Charlotte served as NNA president in 1992, p.m. Feb. 23, “and nine seconds,” nomically depressed with unemployment was active with the Arkansas Press Charlotte said, her precise journalism at 9 percent, the storm left even more resi- Association, and served in the Arkansas training kicking in. She said the town had dents out of work in addition to the struc- legislature many years representing the about a three-minute warning from the tural damage. Dumas area, finally retiring as a senator. sirens, though television programs were “People really pulled together and looked Frank Garred can be contacted at alerting residents...those who were watch- out for one another,” Charlotte said. “Only [email protected]. Charlotte Schexnayder ing. No one was killed, though many were two looters were arrested.” can be contacted at cschexnayder@centu- injured by the twin tornados. Charlotte reported that the Disaster Relief rytel.net. “I really wished I’d had a notebook and Fund of the Community Foundation, pen for this, but I knew we had to look which she and Melvin started in 1999, has Stebbins,Stebbins, LongdenLongden reconnectreconnect inin LondonLondon
On a recent visit to London, ISWNE 200 years. A brisk walk around St. Paul’s Executive Director Chad Stebbins and two Cathedral and to the Millennium Bridge of his colleagues spent an evening with over the Thames capped the evening. Anthony Longden, the Society’s Greenslade “It was one of the best times I’ve had in a Bursary recipient in 1999. long time,” Stebbins said. “My colleagues, Stebbins and Longden had not seen each who had never been to London before, other since the ISWNE conference in both agreed that it was the highlight of the Halifax, Nova Scotia, eight years ago. week. Being able to spend time with a real After meeting at the entrance to Brit was quite enjoyable.” Farringdon tube station, Longden took Longden works for Newsquest, England’s Stebbins and his friends to dinner and then second largest regional newspaper publish- to some of London’s oldest pubs in the er. He is managing editor of two divisions, Fleet Street area of the city, which was the Hertfordshire & Middlesex, and heart of the British newspaper industry for Buckinghamshire & West London.
April 2007 13 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors IdahoIdaho weeklyweekly toto launchlaunch recreationrecreation guideguide The Island Park (Idaho) News has designed tions,” says Elizabeth Laden, the new ven- pen,” Laden explained. “We will show you an all new recreation guide to go with a new ture’s co-publisher, with her husband John what happened. The Internet edition will web site, HenrysForkCountry.com. The inau- Losch. “This superb area of Idaho and enhance the content in the printed guide. gural issue of Henry’s Fork Country: A recre- Greater Yellowstone needs its own recreation The synergy between the two formats will ation guide to Fremont County, will launch guide like never before. We chose the name, celebrate all the wonderful recreation oppor- on May 15 with its accompanying web site. Henry’s Fork Country, because this world tunities in our communities.” Henry’s Fork Country: A recreation guide to renowned river connects all our communi- Topics will include feature stories about Fremont County will be published twice a ties.” Island Park, Ashton, and St. Anthony; year — a May to October issue and a Laden and Losch also publish the Island events; photos; videos; history; national November to April issue. HenrysFork Park News weekly newspaper and daily forests and national parks; state parks; Country.com will be updated weekly. Internet edition (IslandParkNews.net). wildlife; birds; fishing; photography; ATVs; The News has been publishing award-win- Laden said she recently compiled a list of hiking; biking; boating; camping; snowmo- ning summer and winter guides for almost events scheduled in Fremont County from biling; skiing; lodging; dining; entertain- 10 years with names like Island Park now through December, and “there is some- ment; real estate; and local art, crafts, and Summer Journal and Yellowstone-Teton thing going on in our county every week — literature. Journal. with multiple events on some weekends.” HenrysForkCountry.com will have a dynam- “With the growth in Fremont County and The web site, HenrysForkCountry.com, will ic directory with links to web sites through- the wonderful recreation opportunities here, be updated weekly with reports, photos, and out the region. All the display ads in the Island Park, Ashton, and St. Anthony have videos of events featured in the guide. printed edition will be placed on the web become vacation and recreation destina- site, and display ad content will be added to “We won’t just tell you what it going to hap- the online directory. “Our content will also be valuable to the many new people who are moving to our area, or who are considering a move here,” ISWNE new member Laden said. “We will offer tips on responsi- ble birdfeeding and photography, home Vernon Oickle was born and raised in Liverpool, Nova building, high altitude cooking and land- Scotia, where he continues to reside with his wife Nancy scaping, and being bear aware. We envision and their two sons. After completing high school in 1979, all the area’s chambers sending copies of Oickle moved to Lethbridge, Alberta, where he studied Henry’s Fork Country to potential travelers journalism. Upon his graduation in 1982 with an honours and new residents.” diploma, he returned to his hometown to begin his news- First Day Story, the state-of-the-art online paper career at The Liverpool Advance. publishing company that hosts IslandPark By the time he left The Advance in 1994, he had been News.net, will host HenrysForkCountry.com appointed editor and had helped the paper become one of and has secured the domain name, as well Canada’s best weeklies in its circulation class. Today, he is as HenrysForkCountry.org and Henrys the editor of the nationally award-winning newspapers ForkCountry.net — so that people keyboard- The Bulletin (Bridgewater, Nova Scotia) and The Progress ing any of the domain suffixes will reach Enterprise (Lunenburg, Nova Scotia), both of which have the site. been named Canada’s best weekly newspaper in their respective circulation class. First Day Story creators Larry Graf and In addition to his newspaper work, Oickle is the author of eight books and has two Michael Coleman are already at work on more scheduled to be published this year. Active in several community and profes- the new project, archiving the 2006 Island sional organizations, he is past president of the Atlantic Community Newspapers Park Summer Journal at HenrysFork Association, chairman of the local school advisory council and chairman of the com- Country.com, with its popular “Historic mittee to refurbish the old burial ground in Liverpool. Additionally, he lectures and Driving Guide to Island Park.” gives talks on various aspects of newspapering including investigative reporting, writ- Henry’s Fork Country: A recreation guide to ing and newspaper design, and has been a political commentator for local radio and Fremont County will be distributed to busi- cable television. He was seen in November 2005 on the television series nesses, visitor centers, and trade shows “Shadowhunters” on the Space Channel. throughout the region. It will be available Oickle can be contacted at [email protected]. for free, and there will be no charge to access HenrysForkCountry.com.
14 April 2007 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors BoulderBoulder manman oneone ofof thethe luckylucky onesones
By Jan Anderson if somebody doesn’t step in there and inter- base. The Boulder Monitor rupt what’s been going on...the Iraqi people It was all “really, The Jefferson County Courier deserve better,” says Zufelt. really stressful,” he Boulder, Mont. He even supports the Bush proposal for a says. “On my base March 7, 2007 surge, though he thinks it is far too late in alone there were coming. several individuals Tony Zufelt might be one of the lucky ones. “I think that we should have gone in there that committed sui- With four years of active duty in the U. S. full force and took control of the situation cide.” Navy and more than six years in the Navy and not been messing around like we have Staring into the dis- Reserves, the 33-year-old was shipped to Iraq been,” says Zufelt. tance, Zufelt says he in September 2006. Stationed near Baghdad But what he saw and experienced in Iraq managed pretty in an area known as the Sunni Triangle, he has him questioning the wisdom of what is well, though, grew accustomed to the sound of med evac being done. The first month he was there, because he tends to Jan Anderson helicopters overhead, bringing the dead and four soldiers — including one buddy from be an optimist. injured back. “I look to the future and it helps me get past “It kind of gave you a sick feeling,” he says, the stuff that is happening. I know it isn’t thinking of all the victims of the war. going to last forever and you’ve just got to But Zufelt was one of the lucky ones. He got work through it.” to come home, uninjured, after only three The entire region is in conflict, and lots of months. Called home by a family medical people are starving or barely avoiding it, emergency, the father of four is supporting and walking away from that is not the his wife Shelly as her mother battles cancer. answer, says Zufelt. He is also launching himself into his work as But he’s not sure what is. a supervisor at a residential facility for trou- bled youth in Boulder. There is plenty to do, “One has to wonder to themselves what it he says, and he is getting back to it. would take to stop all the bloodshed. I don’t know what the answer is,” he says, “but I It’s not ever going to be the same, though, wish we would figure it out soon.” as it was before he left, he says. Sending the same troops back to Iraq time “Life is just too short,” says Zufelt. and again is wearing thin, he says. In 1993, two months after graduating from “Some soldiers have done three and four Jefferson High School, Zufelt began four Tony Zufelt tours, and I think that’s crazy. I think years on active duty with the Navy. He took they’re pushing their luck,” he says. After a a break in service from 1997 to 2000 but pause he continues, “At the same time, then signed up for the Navy Reserves. near Billings — were killed when their some people might think it’s pretty noble.” Humvee hit an IED, one of the improvised His prior service took him to Kuwait City Even though he came home without a during the first Gulf War, but he really did explosive devices lying in wait all over the country. scratch to show for his time in Iraq, Zufelt not see any action, he says. It was different made it clear that there are things he will in Iraq. “You’re really in an environment where you never forget. don’t know what could happen,” says the “I’ve decided I won’t go back to Iraq,” Zufelt “My oldest son cried for over an hour when I says. “My contract’s going to be up in ‘08, Boulder native. “You’d go to bed every night not knowing what tomorrow could bring.” got back. Just sobbed. And I hope all the rest and I’m going to be done.” of my troops come home safely,” he says. There were lots of foreigners working on the What made the experienced sailor decide it As he stands in the door, ready to depart, was time to close out his military career? base — including Iraqis and “third country nationals” all trying to make money to Zufelt shares one last thought. It’s not that he doesn’t support the war. His withstand the extreme poverty that has hit “You kind of become numb a little bit. You family is so supportive that he has a broth- the region — and it was hard to know who just do what you have to do,” says the er-in-law, Spence Fowler, still in Baghdad. to trust, says Zufelt. Boulder man lucky enough to return home Politics are discussed all the time, he says, He would work seven days a week, 10 to 16 safely. and “the soldiers really feel like they need to hours a day, “and all the time you worry Jan Anderson can be contacted at jander- be there.” It frustrates the troops to hear that about home,” he says. [email protected]. people feel they don’t need to be there, he says. In between times, you worry about your buddies, he says, and about your next trip “It’s a bad place. It’s a really bad place, but “outside the wire,” a term for leaving the
April 2007 15 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors ‘In Memoriam’ replaces weekly editorial By Judith Levine Scott and Nicole McLaughlin had only Union School placed Seven Days recently moved to Hardwick. They had a an ad in the school (Vermont’s Alternative Webweekly) baby daughter, Molly, and a 6-year-old son, paper, the T-Bone. It March 15, 2006 Tyler. McLaughlin had enlisted in the was a photograph Marines after high school, then returned to of a graveyard; its Editor’s note: Ross Connelly is a longtime Vermont and joined the National Guard. text began, “You ISWNE member. This column was published Before shipping out, he worked as a laser- can’t be all you can more than a year ago. cutting technician in Middlesex. He was an be if you’re dead.” active member of Living Hope Fellowship The ad pointed out, church. He loved strawberry shortcake and “There are other It was Memorial Day 2005 when Ross fishing — he went fishing on his wedding ways to get money Connelly, co-publisher and editor of The day, in his tux. for college,” and Hardwick Gazette, decided to use his weekly urged students to editorial to name the American soldiers That week, Connelly dedicated the column to Scott McLaughlin. He set the announce- “think about it” Ross Connelly killed in Iraq. By that time, 34 months after before signing up. the U.S. invasion, the American casualty ment inside a black border. Then he resumed the ordinary lists. Recruiters regularly set up tables in the cafe- count was 1,735. teria, distributing pens and other souvenirs Connelly headlined the column “In Until last week. to students who show interest. To reach its Memoriam.” Trying to squeeze in as many Just six months after Scott McLaughlin’s enlistment quotas, the Army has admittedly as possible, he listed only the soldiers’ names death, the Gazette ran a second black box, targeted working-class communities like and ranks. He set the column in agate type, for another Hardwick family burying one of Hardwick, where jobs are few and many a small point size generally used for classi- its own. This time, it was National Guard families cannot afford college tuition. After fied ads. Within several weeks, he was able Specialist Christopher Merchant, a volunteer the ad ran, a raft of letters hit the Gazette. A to print the names of all the Americans with Company C, 1/172nd Armor, who later few writers supported the students, but most killed in Iraq through Memorial Day. transferred to Task Force Saber. Merchant were angry. Each week, Connelly — who has owned the was killed on March 1, in an attack on Iraqi By contrast, the Gazette has not received one paper with his wife, Susan Jarzyna, since police headquarters a few miles outside letter about Connelly’s “In Memoriam” 1986 — would go to the Web to download Ramadi. He died instantly after being hit by columns. Only a handful of folks have even “another chunk” of the Department of a rocket-propelled grenade, according to the mentioned them to Connelly. One person Defense casualty reports. Reading the details National Guard. The press release added, was appreciative. Another, who served in of the reports, which include not just the sol- “He was wearing his full complement of Afghanistan, asked if Connelly meant to diers’ names and ranks, but also their home- Individual Body Armor and Kevlar helmet.” make a political statement. Before the editor towns, armed-forces divisions and circum- Merchant, born in Burlington, was the could answer, his interlocutor answered his stances of death, had an effect on Connelly: father of three daughters and a stepson, own question: “I guess it’s whatever politics “They became real people, not just names.” ages 9 to 14. He was a fan of the New York you want to put on it. It’s up to the reader.” These people came from a place, maybe like Yankees and Star Wars, and an excellent U.S. deaths in Iraq have reached 2,300, Hardwick, where each had a family, a pet, a bowler and baker; he attended St. Norberts including 23 servicepeople with ties to best friend, a hobby. And each suffered his Church. Only two months before leaving for Vermont — two from Hardwick, a town of own, unique death. Iraq, he had been hired as a custodian at his 3,200. An estimated 15,000 to 32,000 Iraqi “As I was doing it,” Connelly told me, “I had alma mater, Peoples Academy in civilians have also been killed. We don’t this real emotional sense of loss. I felt sad. I Morrisville. His mother Janet worked in the know their names. cafeteria. wanted to share that with readers.” Since Memorial Day, the editor’s space in So the Gazette started printing all the infor- “He volunteered to go to Iraq with the hope the Hardwick Gazette has become a serial mation Connelly downloaded. He aban- that he could make a difference, so his son memorial. Connelly has not missed a week doned the agate for a larger type. It was a would not one day have to go to war,” wrote of listing, except the first of the year, when newspaperman’s humble homage. his wife, Monica, in a public statement. His the paper customarily shuts down publish- friend Colin expressed a similar sympathy. ing. But the Gazette can’t keep up with the Then, on September 22, 2005, the realness “I think [Chris] joined up when he saw what got realer. Specialist Scott P. McLaughlin, war in Iraq. “In Memoriam” is three months was happening to the soldiers there. He saw behind. 29, of Hardwick — 1st Battalion, 172nd a lot of young kids dying too young.” Armor Regiment, 42nd Armor Division of Merchant was 32. Ross Connelly can be contacted at News@ the Vermont Army National Guard — was thehardwickgazette.com. fighting outside Ramadi when a sniper’s Recently, some members of a student club bullet pierced the seams of his body armor. that opposes military recruitment at Hazen
16 April 2007 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors ElevenEleven yearsyears later,later, andand stillstill nono planplan By Mike Moore oversee the downtown revitalization effort. mind. The flower Editor “From what I remember, Sammy made him pots along Main The Jessamine Journal chairman of the committee,” he said. Street are also a nice Nicholasville, Ky. touch, and the ban- March 22, 2007 Later in 1996, Collier wasn’t re-elected and is ners that hang from unsure what the commission’s focus was the Main Street light over the course of his two-year absence. posts are pleasant. Here are two headlines taken from the pages “We thought we had a pretty good jump on of The Jessamine Journal. The festivals are it with Harlan,” Collier said. “But after I seasonal things that “Nicholasville eyes downtown plan,” and wasn’t re-elected, I’m not sure what hap- are here for a few “Downtown development to be discussed pened.” days than gone, but Monday.” Since March 22, 1996, the newspaper has our dilapidated These headlines have much in common. done many stories on Nicholasville’s woeful downtown remains Both headlines had stories discussing the downtown dilemma. In the past 12 months, the same. Empty Mike Moore pros and cons of coming up with a master this newspaper has had headlines such as store fronts — plan and focusing on the need to revitalize “Does Nicholasville have a downtown iden- though the burned out buildings along Nicholasville’s downtown. tity crisis?”, “Find me a cure for the down- Main Street are coming along — greet each town blues” and “Jessamine residents need and every visitor that comes through our And both headlines were written and pub- pride in their communities.” lished in a March issue of the Journal. community. Unsightly power lines, utility Some were columns/editorials, others were polls, broken sidewalks, and the list could go What’s the difference between the two? stories addressing the downtown needs. on. Let’s not begin to touch on the traffic The first headline was published March 15, Eleven years have passed, and it seems that problem. 2007, and the second headline was pub- downtown revitalization is getting nowhere Frankly, downtown Nicholasville has the lished March 22, 1996. fast. look and feel of a second-rate city. They say What’s the deal? In those 11 years, Nicholasville Now! has first impressions are everything, and if that Why has it taken so long to get a “plan” for become a part of the local lingo. is true, I’d hate to know what visitors are thinking. downtown? More importantly, it’s been at Its Web site states, “The purpose of least 11 years since the need of revitalizing Nicholasville Now! is to stimulate and And what about those who live in down- downtown Nicholasville has been brought encourage the civic, social and commercial town. It seems they are being funneled to up before the city’s leaders. welfare of downtown Nicholasville by using the outskirts of town, to the Brannon In fairness, the current group of commission- a comprehensive approach that integrates Crossings of the world for shopping and ers, with the exception of Johnny Collier, design, promotions, organization and eco- entertainment. Thank goodness for places were not in office in 1996, but over the nomic restructuring into a downtown man- like Brannon Crossing and the tax base and course of 11 years, there have been three agement strategy that will have useful and number of jobs it is bringing in, but let’s not mayors elected, and a slew of commissioners lasting effects.” forget about downtown. Right now, there is in and out of office. no reason for anyone to hang out down- Nicholasville Now! has brought many posi- town. Curious, I asked Collier about it. tives to our area. The Kentucky Wine and Vine Festival, helping the tourism office When I’ve spoken to various members of the He told me then Mayor Sam Corman city commission and fiscal court, I get the appointed Commissioner Harlan Veal to bring back Jessamine Jamboree, and Spooktacular are a few events that come to impression they, too, are wondering what’s going on. Does anyone really know what is going on when it comes to downtown revi- talization? Why can’t our downtown be more than just 2007 Sustaining Members banks and government office buildings? Why can’t the power lines be put under- In addition to paying their $50 ISWNE membership dues, these ground? Is it because of Town Branch? individuals have donated $50 more to the Society. We appreciate That’s one reason I’ve been given. It seems their generosity! like other communities our size have found a way to make their downtowns better. Donald Smith Albert Scardino Frank Garred Tamura Norio Why can’t Nicholasville? Bob and MaryLou Estabrook David Burke Hopefully it won’t take another 11 years to Larry Atkinson Chris Wood find out. Paul MacNeill Jeremy Condliffe Mike Moore can be contacted at mmoore@ jessaminejournal.com.
April 2007 17 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors AtkinsonsAtkinsons buybuy 22 paperspapers inin SouthSouth DakotaDakota Bridge City Publishing, Inc., owned by (ASI) distributorship, which has more than Mobridge advertis- ISWNE members Larry and Roberta 75,000 different products imprinted with ers with a greatly Atkinson of Mobridge, S.D., has purchased business or personal logos and information expanded area for Missouri Dakota Publishing, Inc., owned by available. Being an ASI distributor allows their advertising,” David and Carol Clausen of Gettysburg. Bridge City Publishing to deal directly with Atkinson said. Missouri Dakota Publishing, Inc. publishes the manufacturers of the imprinted items, Now with a com- the Potter County News of Gettysburg and with no middlemen involved. In addition, bined total staff of the West River Eagle of Eagle Butte. Bridge Bridge City Publishing’s Mobridge Tribune 40 people, Atkinson City Publishing, Inc. publishes the Mobridge website (www.mobridgetribune.com) con- said it will offer all Tribune and the Monday Reminder. tains an online catalog of thousands of three newspapers advertising specialty products, and that link The sale was effective on March 1. opportunities to do will soon be added to the Potter County more, such as pro- The Clausens will continue to assist at News and West River Eagle websites. ducing special sec- Gettysburg and Eagle Butte until the transi- “We can provide all the popular imprinted tions that all three Larry Atkinson tion is completed. items like caps, T-shirts, pens and coffee newspaper staffs All of the staff members at both Missouri mugs, plus literally thousands-upon-thou- will jointly create and insert in all of the Dakota Publishing publications will remain, sands of other products,” Atkinson said. papers in the future. with a couple of adjustments in staff respon- “Basically, you name it, we can imprint it!” “We’re so excited to be adding such a great sibilities to accommodate the work the Bridge City Publishing’s Monday Reminder group of people to our publishing group, Clausens had been doing, said new shopper, which is now distributed to every and to have two quality community news- Publisher Larry Atkinson. household in a roughly 50- to 60-mile radius papers included in the deal,” Atkinson said. “We are impressed with what the Clausens around Mobridge, will also be expanded “We think the future is bright for both and their staffs have done with the two into Gettysburg and Eagle Butte in the near Gettysburg and Eagle Butte and we thrilled newspapers,” Atkinson said. “We plan to future. At first the papers will be distributed to be able to be a part of it.” continue with the outstanding job both in racks at high traffic locations in both For the previous 10 years, the Clausens pub- papers are doing covering their communities communities, and if there is enough adver- lished the Potter County News, the Eagle and areas and providing an effective adver- tising support, the shopper will be mailed to Butte News and the West River Progress of tising media for the businesses in the every household later. Dupree. On Jan. 1 the West River Progress region.” “This will give Gettysburg and Eagle Butte and Eagle Butte News were combined into a Bridge City Publishing was already printing businesses a way to reach a huge portion of single newspaper called the West River both papers on its Goss web newspaper north central South Dakota with their adver- Eagle, which is published from Eagle Butte. press, so there is already an established rela- tising message, as well as providing tionship with the staffs of both papers, Atkinson said. The only difference is that both newspapers will now have full color pages in every weekly issue from now on. ISWNE new member Atkinson said both newspapers will also play a strong role in supporting growth and Cathy Gilbert is managing editor of The Manning (S.C.) economic development in the region which Times. She was born in Charlotte, N.C., raised in Miami, the papers serve. Fla., and has been a resident of Manning since 1992. “I’m a big believer that newspapers need to She attended the University of South Florida in Tampa, be a cheerleader for the communities they and after many changes in majors, finally settled on visual serve,” he said. “In Mobridge we are an communications, also known as advertising. Gilbert lives unswerving community promoter and in Manning with her mother, Sybil, the former Clarendon encourage our staff members to be involved County library director, and Percy, the cat who is the cur- in the community in any way they can. We rent head of the Gilbert household. will do the same in Gettysburg and Eagle Gilbert stays busy with civic activities including Habitat for Butte.” Humanity, the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life Bridge City Publishing plans to offer single and the Animal Shelter of Clarendon County. color and full color printing, plus “while you “Working for The Manning Times is a dream come true as I have loved writing for as wait” digital color printing at both the Eagle long as I can remember,” she says. “Being a part of my community, both as a jour- Butte and Gettysburg newspaper offices. In nalist and a volunteer, is exciting and rewarding. It is great being a part of so many addition, Bridge City Publishing will offer different people’s lives and getting to know their stories.” imprinted advertising specialty products Gilbert can be contacted at [email protected]. through its Advertising Specialty Institute
18 April 2007 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors Don’tDon’t dodo thethe methmeth
By Charles Gay all ages. More than half of the defendants Mexican and Editor and publisher were at least 30 years old; 43 were in their Californian meth Shelton-Mason County Journal 30s, 39 in their 40s and four in their 50s. has picked up the Shelton, Wash. They included a 40-year-old woman charged slack in supply. March 8, 2007 with selling meth from the caretaker’s house And now meth at Sand Hill Park, a 41-year-old woman cooks are adding One out of every 350 people in Mason accused of driving under the influence of candy flavors to County went to court last year to face meth and killing someone in another car their product, evi- methamphetamine charges. We uncovered and a 35-year-old man up on his 14th dently to make it that sad statistic by digging through 52 felony charge. more attractive to weeks of Journals after being astounded at The Journal has published a couple of series kids. the proliferation of meth stories. One hun- about this scourge over the last several Meth’s criminal- dred and forty-six people ended up in years, and the regional press is full of the justice costs to Mason County Superior Court in 2006 grim facts as well. The stories detail the local taxpayers Charles Gay because of that filthy drug. immediate addiction and the physical effects total hundreds of We’re not pretending that the 146 people on the body. Tweakers stay awake for days thousands of dollars annually, and the are the extent of the tragedy. Those are just on end, develop mental problems and human toll is immeasurable as it destroys the ones who had a run-in with the law over scratch themselves bloody because it feels individuals and families. Since the supply possessing or dealing meth. The figure does- like they have bugs under their skin. The continues unabated, the community needs n’t include other users or dealers or any of prison system is spending millions of dollars to work in people’s lives to curtail demand, the juveniles the drug has ensnared. The 146 on dental care for inmates because meth offering hope for the despondent, inspiration all went through adult court for those age makes their teeth fall out. for the aimless, passionate parenting for 18 and older. The latest bad news indicates that, while children, strong education for all and treat- ment for meth’s victims. The research shows nothing “young” about Washington apparently cut the number of the characters involved with this crud. It’s local meth labs by restricting sales of cold Charles Gay can be contacted at jnews@ much like the abuse of alcohol — spanning medicines used to manufacture the drug, masoncounty.com.
President’s report from page 2 Can you envision a gambling man gambol- patients. Our nose knows when a scent is sent time to wrap up this rap with you. And ing at a swift gait through the gate? Or, if a our way. We know that a car is driven down though I have failed to include homophones hoarse horse were here, could you hear him the road while a boat is rowed upstream. An starting with each letter of the alphabet, I am whinny? Is an idol idle if it just sits there? Do unpainted pail is pale — unless, of course, it is at peace with the piece as written. mussels have muscles? Does a knight read at rusted. A tern can turn in the air. Your side night? Is a stolen lute loot? Can a man be a may ache if you have sighed sighs of great * * * * * liar if he says he doesn’t have a lyre? Can a size. To steal steel is a crime. Sailors know that Closing thought — If you actually read all king reign over his subjects and rein in his you cannot always sail straight through a this, it may be that you have too much time horse? strait. You may wade through water, but you on your hands. Not all in life is fantasy. Oh, we owe a lot to are weighed on a scale. At some homes, it is the maid who has made the bed. Harry Hix can be contacted at harry.hix @ reality, which allows us to see beyond the sea okstate.edu. of fantasy. We know, for instance, that doc- I hope this fare has been fair to homophones; tors need patience at times to deal with if not, just call it a weak week. Whatever, it’s
April 2007 19 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors SilenceSilence ofof thethe landland
By Tim L. Waltner representatives of the citizens deserve our lic discourse over Publisher appreciation for, their considerable contri- cups of coffee and Freeman (S.D.) Courier butions of time and commitment. Stern glasses of beer Feb. 28, 2007 along with Ricky Schrag, Chet Sorensen and negative and Charly Waltner on the Freeman City comments gener- “Is the problem ignorance or apathy?” Council and Eva Olson and Doug Uecker ally seem to out- someone asked. on the Freeman Public School Board have weigh positive earned the gratitude of this community for ones. “I don’t know and I don’t care” was the their public service. The job goes well response. And so when the beyond attending an occasional meeting opportunity to That exchange comes to mind given that and anyone willing to play an active role actually do some- only one person returned a nominating in local government is to be commended. thing about those petition for a total of six openings in local It’s certainly not my place to criticize them concerns presents government. for not seeking another term in office. That itself — as it does Tim L. Waltner Scott Stern, a member of the Freeman City said, the leadership we’ve received from on a regular basis Council, was the only person to seek re- these individuals has been positive and the thanks to the election process — it’s sober- election to his post for another two-year respective governing bodies would be well ing and disconcerting when the silence of term. The terms of three other council- served by their continued service. the land is so obvious. members and two Freeman Public School What is troubling is that not a single citi- So much for apathy. Board members expire this summer as zen from the public sector stepped up to As for ignorance, the Courier bears some well. Neither the other officeholders nor offer his or her service. Citizens find it easy any citizens stepped up as candidates. responsibility. While the official public to sit on the sidelines and criticize. The notification of the upcoming vacancies First, those individuals who have served as school and city are frequent targets of pub- appeared in the Courier in early January as required by law, we failed to give it the news coverage we usually do. No excuses. No explanation other than we ISWNE new member just plain missed it. No one will know if that would have made Christine Smith has been the publisher of the Dubois a difference. No one will know if our over- (Wyo.) Frontier for the past 10 years. Three years ago, she sight led to someone else’s oversight. was also named editor of the weekly newspaper. But we made a mistake by not calling With a degree in graphic and advertising design, Smith’s more attention to the fact that there were first job out of college was as a designer for a publishing four openings on the Freeman City Council company in Tennessee, before coming home to Wyoming and two openings on the Freeman Public in 1990. She came to the Dubois Frontier as a part-time School Board. employee in 1993, creating advertisements for local busi- nesses. The deadline has come and gone and we’re confident both the city and the Smith loves life in Dubois, a community of 1,000, and school will continue to go about their busi- believes every reporter should receive training at a commu- ness in the upcoming months with consci- nity newspaper, where reporting about friends and neigh- entious people sitting around the table, bors provides a valuable education not offered in any engaging in responsible discussions. classroom. It is, however, unfortunate that the public “Small-town newspapering has the advantage of providing opportunities to form — for whatever reason — didn’t have the close relationships with diverse groups, and with that comes the responsibility of opportunity to have some input. knowing that your ‘subjects’ are more than just a piece of the story — they are real people,” she says. “There is nothing that compares to community journalism — even We’ll take responsibility for our part in the on a bad day, I have the best job in the world.” ignorance arena. Smith can be contacted at [email protected]. As for the apathy, that’s another matter. Tim L. Waltner can be contacted at couri- [email protected].
20 April 2007 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors QualityQuality ofof WeekliesWeeklies BetterBetter ThanThan SomeSome SuspectSuspect By David Burton week. However, one comment he made in that the only place Civic Communication Specialist the middle of the column, a comment about I have read about University of Missouri Extension weekly or rural newspapers, seems to have cow gas over the been passed over by many. This is the one last several years In the Feb. 27, 2007 issue of the Maneater, that caught my eye: has been in an independent student newspaper on the “Can you farmers dig through all the daily national maga- University of Missouri-Columbia campus, events and weave a coherent yarn explain- zines and newspa- columnist (and pre-journalism student) Dan ing why any of it matters? No way. I’ve read pers that have Friesen took a swipe at agriculture (students the papers that come out of the country. written about stud- and families), rural living and weekly or They have headlines like ‘O’Flannigan Cow ies on the impact rural newspapers. Farts.’ Nice try. Tell you what: You stick to of “cow methane” David Burton the ... (farming), we’ll stick to the important on global warm- The result was a firestorm of criticism from ing. campus. Friesen heard the complaints loud work of print.” and clear. He even issued an apology saying I enjoyed my work at a weekly newspaper. I Big city journalism does not always mean he intended the column, titled “I can service produced some serious journalism during better journalism. In fact, good weekly news- a horse,” as satire. that time and I met other weekly newspa- papers that practice quality community journalism are having business great success The newspaper itself backed away from sup- pers editors in Missouri who were considered to be at the very top of the profession. and are the only newspapers in the nation porting Friesen by printing an editorial note seeing circulation increases. I’ve detailed saying, “The opinions of Dan Friesen or any During those six years at a weekly newspa- some of that success of weekly newspapers other columnist, guest columnist or letter to per I heard plenty of comments from peers in this blog before. Journalism needs more of the editor solely reflect the opinion of their who didn’t think weekly newspaper work the community/local reporting that takes respective authors.” was “real” journalism. The comments origi- place at weekly and rural newspapers. Friesen’s views on agriculture and farm fam- nated from a stereotype, just like Friesen’s suggested “country” headline. The irony is But one other fact also deserves a special ilies have been dealt with fully this past note. Weekly newspaper editors do garner national journalism honors. The Associated Press and other newspaper organizations recognize their work and several have actu- ISWNE new member ally won the Pulitzer Prize. John Hatcher has a great piece, “Small papers, big stories: A Cindy Sheets is editor of The Perkins (Okla.) Journal. One comparison of community newspapers that of the state’s oldest weeklies, The Journal serves a rapidly- have won the Pulitzer Prize,” in the Spring growing community in north central Oklahoma. 2005 issue of the Grassroots Editor, the quar- Sheets has a bachelor’s degree in animal science from terly journal published by the International Oklahoma State University. Originally intending to pursue Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors. a career in agricultural communications, Sheets switched Perhaps this journal article should be gears and joined The Journal in 1998, serving as a staff required reading for journalism students. writer and reporter until she and husband, Keith, pur- I hope the writer of the Maneater column chased the paper in 2000. The couple opted to sell the has learned a lesson or two. I know when I paper in 2003, but Sheets remained onboard as editor-in- was young, and a college newspaper editor, chief. I made some foolish decisions too. The bad Sheets enjoys writing news stories and a weekly personal thing about putting your opinions in print is column in addition to overseeing editorial content and that years later, they can come back to paginating. She is also active in the Oklahoma Press Association, and is serving as haunt you. chair of its education committee this year. In her free time, Sheets enjoys travel, the- David Burton can be contacted at bur- ater and geocaching. [email protected]. Dan Friesen, the Sheets can be contacted at [email protected]. Maneater columnist, can be contacted at [email protected].
April 2007 21 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors TroubleTrouble aheadahead forfor VandaliaVandalia We must prepare for impact of new Wal-Mart in Bowling Green
By Gary Sosniecki center is to have 99,000 square feet, as the • Retail sales in Co-publisher Bowling Green Times reported, you can bet Vandalia over the The Vandalia (Mo.) Leader that it will sell groceries. past five years are March 21, 2007 This is not an anti-Wal-Mart column. We stable. Based on don’t shop often at Wal-Mart because it city sales-tax rev- As I sat in the barber’s chair the other day, competes against the businesses that, enues, retail sales one of the customers waiting for a haircut through their advertising, keep our business peaked in 2003- started talking about the number of jobs alive. But I admire Sam Walton, a true 04, slipped the Vandalia and Farber have lost in the past American success story, and what the next year and 20-30 years. Walton family has accomplished. It makes recovered in 2005- good business sense for Wal-Mart to locate 06. Retail sales in His estimate was 2,000. He started totaling 2005-06 were 6.9 them up, brick plant by brick plant, gar- a supercenter at Bowling Green, where the region’s two U.S. highways cross, and if I percent above ment factory by garment factory, and had sales in 2001-02, Gary Sosniecki reached 1,500 or so when the conversation were Wal-Mart’s CEO, I might do the same thing. not adjusted for got sidetracked, as barber-shop conversa- inflation. It would be nice to have growth tions tend to do. Rather, this column is about the impact a like that every year, but even 6.9-percent The customer’s figures didn’t include the Wal-Mart Supercenter will have on growth over a 5-year period is better than a jobs that have been gained during the same Vandalia. The business districts of Bowling decrease in sales. Green, Louisiana and Vandalia all will be period — 600 jobs at the prison alone, plus • Waters Furniture Store remains a regional growth at Target Windows and Doors, affected significantly by a supercenter in Bowling Green. But each town will be draw, luring shoppers to Vandalia from a Green Supply, Casting Source and else- significant portion of Missouri and Illinois. where. impacted differently, and each town will need to implement its own strategy for deal- Some of those visitors spend money else- Still, there’s no argument that Vandalia ing with it. The smart towns will be able to where in town, such as at the restaurants, and Farber have experienced a significant minimize the impact, which, especially for creating a spin-off effect similar to what a net loss of jobs, and that loss of jobs has Louisiana and Vandalia, could be over- Wal-Mart creates in its host community. translated into a significant population loss whelmingly negative. Vandalia needs to be So what’s next? for Vandalia and a significant enrollment one of those smart towns. decrease for Van-Far schools. The Vandalia business community needs a First, let’s consider that though Vandalia better idea what it faces from a Wal-Mart Now Vandalia is about 18 months away businesses have been losing customers to Supercenter in Bowling Green than what I from another potential economic hit. The surrounding Wal-Marts for more than three can provide from an afternoon of surfing difference this time is that, unlike with the decades, they never have competed against the Internet. Once Vandalia knows what it sudden loss of an industry, Vandalia has a Wal-Mart this close before. This is not a faces, it can plan a strategy to combat it. time to prepare for it. case of Wal-Mart replacing an aging, tradi- That information — what Vandalia faces That economic hit will be the opening of a tional store with a supercenter, as happened and what it can do about it — would best Wal-Mart Supercenter in Bowling Green, in Mexico last year. This is a case of Wal- come from a paid consultant, someone less than 20 miles to our east. Mart entering a new territory, a territory who’s an expert on the impact Wal-Mart The Bowling Green newspapers reported last closer to Vandalia than ever before, and has on small towns. Vandalia city govern- week that the Bowling Green Planning and erecting a supercenter. That’s not good news ment is in charge of the community’s eco- Zoning Commission approved preliminary if Vandalia wants to stave off any further nomic-development efforts and has a vested sketches March 5 for a large-scale commer- erosion of its business district. interested in the business district prospering cial development behind the Bowling Green In a best-case scenario, Vandalia already — especially since it needs sales-tax revenue Dairy Queen that would include a Wal- has seen the worst of its retail-sales drain to to pay off $1.24 million in debt for the new Mart. Wal-Mart from the existing stores in swimming pool — so the city is the likely Information released so far is sketchy, and Mexico, Louisiana and Hannibal. The issue entity to hire such a consultant. And the neither newspaper clarified whether the pro- Vandalia faces now is how much worse will cost of the consultant should be shared with posed Wal-Mart would be a “supercenter,” it get with a large supercenter just down the the existing business owners, who stand to which would include a full-service super- road in Bowling Green, a location that may benefit from the findings. market, as opposed to a traditional Wal- prove more tempting to Vandalian shop- Twenty years ago, I was editor and general Mart. pers. manager of a weekly newspaper in a pros- But Wal-Mart doesn’t build many tradition- Heading into this battle, Vandalia has sev- perous small town an hour north of al stores these days, and if the shopping eral things in its favor, including that: Wichita, Kan. I remember an argument I
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22 April 2007 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors Becoming friends with your publisher’s arch-enemy By Byron Brewer press free in not one but two local papers, was pitched, the Frankfort, Ky. the Georgetown News and the George- fires made, the town Times, working on several famous sleeping bags I had been a journalist in Scott County stories, including one that was important unrolled. Then it for many months before I made the in my career, the infamous Tent Girl hit! After almost acquaintance of Ralph Maurer. A former case. four months local newspaper editor and co-owner of During his years with those two sister without rain, I the Scott Shopper, Ralph was the prover- newspapers, Ralph also kept rumors believe, here bial arch-enemy of Graphic publisher burning around the city’s gossip mill by came the gully Archie Frye. All these decades later, I writing the immortal column under the washer. Luckily, never did find out what great issue divid- pen name, “George Towne” — a model we were in the ed them. It was certainly more than for later columns such as News-Graphic shadow of a U.S. cross-town competition. But they disliked former managing editor Kevin Hall’s lodge and my each other with a passion. “City Spin” and my own beloved “Bits & buddy Wendell Byron Brewer Pieces.” Ralph later wrote “Ralph’s was good at find- Luckily, Ralph never let this disdain ing shelter. reflect on me...although he was leery Report” in the Scott Shopper, a similar when he first met me. column. It was 3 a.m. Georgetown time. I had no Combining talents in the 1970s with cell phone, but there was a pay phone. I It was at a Georgetown Municipal Water put in a coin and called Ralph. Now Board meeting, ironically Mr. Frye’s usual then-Mayor Warren Powers and then- County Judge Charlie Sutton, Ralph Ralph had polio and was especially crab- beat. He was not feeling well and so I by after being woke up anyway. I found was covering it for him. During the pro- helped create the Georgetown-Scott County Senior Citizens agency run by this out when we went to Smyrna, Tenn., ceedings, Ralph, a board member, would together after the coming of Toyota (but say things to me on the record like, Mason Glass and Lillie Robinson. Still in existence today, the organization has that is another column). I could see him “Byron, it’s hard to believe you work for in my mind’s eye, in his wheelchair in Archie Frye. You look much too intelli- only grown bigger to offer more and bet- ter services to the community’s elderly the dark, going down his little hallway, gent for that.” And: “I swear, I wish this hitting great novels stacked to the ceiling board could come to some kind of con- population. Ralph would indeed be proud, I think. on one side, adult magazines stacked on clusion! All we could ever agree on was the other, knocking over lamps, using that Archie Frye was a son of a ...” Well, One story I have never told in print hap- adult language as he made his way you get the picture. That was Ralph. He pened during the drought of the early down the aisle. Not a word printable. knew I was not going to write that stuff 1990s. At the paper, the newsroom had and he was seeing what the story would been working day and night with emer- He picked up the receiver and said that it read like the next day with all that crap gency meetings. Royal Spring had had better be the popular leader of the thrown in. He called me the next morn- stopped for the first time and people were Christian church on the other end, the ing and congratulated me for getting a scared. We were still a weekly paper, one born in Bethlehem Dec. 25. I said great story “out of all the malarkey I coming out on Thursdays, and I had that, no, it was His Father and that Ralph threw at you.” already slated a weekend camping trip to had done an awfully good job on that Land Between the Lakes so I went. Just as nude rain dance! We laughed for as long We were fast friends thereafter, although as my change lasted. Mr. Frye never knew about it. I guess that I left town, Ralph called me and told me is how I kept my job. that on Saturday he was going to ruin Ralph Maurer was an original. I miss my trip by doing a rain dance in the him every day. I am not sure the people of Georgetown, nude. old-timers and newcomers, appreciate Byron Brewer can be contacted at b- just how much Ralph Maurer did for his We got to the national recreational area [email protected]. community. Without being elected to and all was well. Ah, boating, fishing, office, this crusading journalist kept the nature, the fellowship of friends. The tent
Trouble ahead for Vandalia from page 22 had with the owner of the local Gambles The Gambles owner pooh-poohed my con- Gambles friend, nor is it time to take a store about the Wal-Mart that was planned cerns. He had won battles with every dis- nothing-can-be-done attitude and, thus, do for McPherson, 30 miles to our west. count store for 40 years, and he would beat nothing. I warned the owner that from what I had Wal-Mart, too. Rather, it’s time to invest a few dollars in seen in Missouri, our town’s business district But he was wrong. Gambles closed up a Vandalia’s future and come up with a plan. would have some tough competition when couple of years after Wal-Mart opened. Gary Sosniecki can be contacted at van- the Wal-Mart opened. This isn’t a time to be cocky, like my [email protected].
April 2007 23 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors Wal-Mart Should Be Media Friendly By Brian Blackley We met up at a local eatery over sodas and Wal-Mart is only The Scott County Times went over the idea of the new health clinic. one example. Forest, Miss. Both Dr. Krouse and I were rattled by the Since I have been Jan. 24, 2007 experience. As a new renter of space from in Forest, I can Wal-Mart, Dr. Krouse was at a loss for count at least Last summer, I got a call announcing that words about the situation. He wanted to four businesses a new clinic would be opening up in the show off his brain-child and get some pub- that have refused Wal-Mart Supercenter that would offer peo- licity on his business. Who could blame to return phone ple access to a nurse practitioner for peo- him? It is, for these parts, a pretty revolu- calls when we ple’s routine medical needs. tionary and newsworthy idea. were reporting good stuff or that Dr. Neal Krouse with Check-Ups was excit- His protests had been unheard. His expla- have sent us ed about the idea and wanted to take me nations had been ignored. Wal-Mart has a bouncing from on a tour of the new office before it opened media policy and the assistant manager one person to the Brian Blackley and talk to me about the whole Check-Ups was there to enforce it. next only for us concept. Anyone who follows reports in the news to finally run out of people to be bounced I was intrigued. As someone who is prone about the retail giant has to understand to and end up with no information. to sinus infections and who has had to wait that the company is a little gun-shy when And for the most part, we don’t complain. I for hours at a time to see a doctor, I it comes to the media. suppose I am picking on Wal-Mart now to thought the idea was fascinating. But we’re a couple of guys from a little make the point that media relations is Dr. Krouse met news editor Chris Baker and weekly paper trying to write some good more than sending out a press release and me at the store a few days later to show us news about the store and its partners. I fig- saying “no comment.” Media relations is, around, but upon our arrival at the new ured it would go a long way toward getting in essence, public relations. store (the old store was still open and the us in. Public relations is a lot like customer serv- transition was ongoing), we were told we At any rate, I speculated aloud to Dr. ice. And no one can offer too much of that. could not enter. It had something to do Krouse that it isn’t hard to understand why Let me say, with that minor lecture aside, with Wal-Mart company policy and the the media and the retail chain have such a media. that Wal-Mart’s top management has been contentious relationship. great. At Christmas, we were allowed inside Unfortunately, at the time, I had not met I felt pretty doggone contentious. I felt like to snap a few pictures. The store manager and talked with the store manager, a very a lot of journalists feel when they’re shut talked to me for a few minutes on opening nice and accommodating fellow who took out. day, telling me a little about the store and a few days after the opening of the new explaining how things were going. store to talk to me. “If you don’t have anything to hide, why are you running us off?” is sort of the gist The people I know who work there put a lot Had I known then what I know now, I of it. It’s like chum in the water in shark into what they do and — with this one would have talked it over with him to see if territory when you do something like that exception — I have no quarrel with the some allowance could be made. But I was to a journalist. And while I work at a news- retail chain on a local level. stuck. I didn’t know him. paper, I have always tried to classify myself But the higher-ups would be wise to learn I didn’t know what to do and neither did as a community newspaper guy, not a to let their hard-working managers handle Dr. Krouse. We looked at the assistant “member of the media” or, for Pete’s sake, media relations. I think giving them a manager who was barring entry and began “a journalist.” good deal of autonomy to talk with and to ask if we could work out other arrange- I’m Brian. I run a business in Forest. I have handle the local media would go a long ments. two kids. My wife is a teacher. I pay taxes. way toward building a better relationship He firmly — but politely — booted us off And I am not one of those so-and-so’s between the store and the community. the premises. His understanding was that that’s on the news every night. But I don’t Brian Blackley can be contacted at bblack- we couldn’t be there. like being shut out. [email protected].
24 April 2007 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors APN New Zealand to Outsource Some Jobs International Business Times pers, though main rival Fairfax Media would continue at each local site. March 22, 2007 New Zealand outsources some non-editori- Reporting and news gathering activities al functions to private suppliers. would not be affected. A New Zealand newspaper publisher APN’s titles include The New Zealand The company declined further comment announced Thursday it plans to outsource Herald, the nation’s largest daily, provin- on the plan. much of its editorial production to another cial dailies The Northern Advocate, If adopted, it would be implemented at the company — a move that brought a pledge Hawke’s Bay Today, Bay of Plenty Times, New Zealand Herald from July and in from unions to fight the proposal. and The Daily Post. Other titles affected other papers after that, said Simon Collins, APN New Zealand, half-owned by Irish are weekly giveaway The Aucklander, The a delegate of the Engineering, Printing and businessman Tony O’Reilly’s Dublin-based Listener magazine and weekender Herald Manufacturing Union who attended the Independent Newspapers Ltd., told staff up on Sunday. company briefing. to 70 editorial staff jobs would be lost if it ISWNE member Ewan McDonald, manag- Editorial staff at the Herald would be cut sources some editorial production from an ing editor of The Aucklander, said the out- by 20-25 percent, he said. outside supplier. sourcing is a new business model that his Collins said staff were shocked by the pro- The company said in a statement it is company is considering introducing within a few months. posal but the same strategy had recently evaluating a plan to buy production serv- been announced at newspapers owned by ices from Pagemasters New Zealand, a “In essence, we would continue to edit and O’Reilly in Ireland. Melbourne-based subsidiary of news assign copy/photos/graphics to our pages,” agency Australian Associated Press. he said. “This information would be sent Union national secretary Andrew Little said the cost-cutting exercise would have a It would be a first in New Zealand newspa- to an independent contracting firm based in another building, and we would receive major impact on the quality of news. The designed, copy edited, finished pages on move was revolutionary in the newspaper our screens to sign off for production. Now industry and unproven on such a scale, he that might be something for your editors said, adding the union would fight the to comment on!” plan. Newspaper and magazine editors would Fairfax Media New Zealand Chief retain total control of all published materi- Executive Joan Withers said a similar al, APN said. Content selection, design and move “is not on our agenda.” layout of main news and sport pages also
Here are the first 28 to register for conference Sosnieckis receive NNA Baker, Phoebe — Avondale, Pa. Haupt, Jan — Lodi, Wis. awards in Washington, D.C. Brod, Deb — St. Charles, Ill Haupt, Kevin — Lodi, Wis. Brod, Don — St. Charles, Ill. McCleary, Carl — Neosho, Mo. Gary and Helen Sosniecki, publishers of The Burke, Colum — Tuam, Ireland McCleary, Doris — Neosho, Mo. Vandalia Leader, each received a 2007 Burke, David — Tuam, Ireland Sleight, Moira — London, UK President’s Award from Jerry Tidwell, president Cornett, AnnaMarie Waltner — Steinmetz, Jane — Hendersonville, N.C. of the National Newspaper Association at the Lexington, Ky. Sutton, Goodloe — Linden, Ala. NNA’s annual Government Affairs Conference Cornett, Roy — Lexington, Ky. Waltner, Ella Ruth — Freeman, S.D. in Washington, D.C. on March 22. Cornett, Sophia Wren — Lexington, Ky. Waltner, Jeremy — Freeman, S.D. The awards were presented “for public policy Cornett Pochodzay, Riley — Waltner, Mary — Freeman, S.D. leadership to the NNA and community news- Frankfort, Ky. Waltner, Stacey — Freeman, S.D. papers,” specifically for Gary Sosniecki’s testi- Garred, Frank — Port Townsand, Wash. Waltner, Tim L. — Freeman, S.D. mony before the U.S. Postal Rate Commission Garred, Pat — Port Townsand, Wash. Wells, Colin — London, UK in opposition to the size of a postage increase Gay, Charlie — Shelton, Wash. Wormley, Chery — Woodstock, Ill. proposed for newspapers mailed within a coun- Haupt, Bill — Lodi, Wis. Wormley, Jim — Woodstock, Ill. ty.
April 2007 25 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors Editor’sEditor’s suddensudden deathdeath aa shockshock toto familyfamily andand communitycommunity
The Mountaineer topical, well-informed and gave him an munity. He was a Rocky Mountain House, Alberta opportunity to analyze and comment on familiar face at March 6, 2007 politics in depth. On many occasions, he schools and acted as moderator during local election events, where he Brian Mazza, editor of The Mountaineer, forums. was easily recog- passed away suddenly and unexpectedly Brian was deeply dedicated to communi- nized as the in his home on Sunday, March 4. He was ty service and spent many hours volun- “newspaper guy” 45. The cause of death was coronary teering with local organizations includ- with a camera artery disease, which was never diag- ing the Bicentennial committee (as chair- bag slung over nosed. It’s a shock to family and friends, man), Canada Day committee, Hire A his shoulder and since he was health-conscious and led a Student, Museum, Chamber of a notebook in very active lifestyle, loving to cycle, Commerce, Performing Arts Council, Big hand. He was weight train and curl. Brothers/Big Sisters, David Thompson extremely knowl- edgeable about Brian Mazza Brian became editor of The Mountaineer Days 10 km Trail Run, Toastmasters Club, and Rocky’s first internet commit- Rocky’s history in 1988 after four years as a staff and events, and he was often contacted reporter. His career with The Mount- tee. He was honoured with The Rocky Mountain House Chamber of Commerce by CBC Radio and other media to pro- aineer, which is a family business, began vide commentary. in his childhood. Brian was born in Community Service Award in 1999 for Calgary, and at six his parents, Lawrence his work with the Bicentennial project, Brian was a positive, open, outgoing per- and Mildred Mazza, returned to Rocky to and the Humanitarian Award in 2003, son with a zest for life. He tackled proj- purchase the newspaper. Brian spent for giving a voice to humanitarian cam- ects with whole-hearted enthusiasm. He most of his after school hours at “the paigns and being an advocate for local loved talking to people, travelling, pho- shop” doing odd jobs in the printing charities. tography, books, the arts, cycling, and plant. Brian’s influence in the newspaper busi- sharing a good bottle of wine. Family was very important to Brian; he was By junior high school, Brian was working ness extended far beyond Rocky Mountain House. He served on the proud to be part of a second generation in the darkroom developing film and family business, and also spent a lot of photos for the newspaper. His interest in Alberta Weekly Newspapers Association’s technology committee and in September time with family outside of work. He the business quickly expanded to include loved sharing time with his nieces and writing, and he decided to pursue a 2006, he was inducted as the Assoc- iation’s Vice President. He was deeply nephew, reading stories, giving rides and career in journalism. He attended The playing games. University of Calgary and graduated with involved with the International Society of a Political Science degree. He worked at Weekly Newspaper Editors, serving as Brian is survived by his mother Mildred, The Gauntlet, the campus newspaper, president in 1994. He always looked for- brother Glen Mazza, sister Gail Krabben, during most of his studies. Before settling ward to attending the Society’s annual all of Rocky Mountain House, and sister in Rocky, he did a brief apprenticeship at convention, and he organized two confer- Lorine Stevens of Calgary. He is also sur- the Eastern Graphic in Montague, Prince ences, bringing delegates from around vived by many aunts, uncles and cousins. Edward Island. In 1997, Brian took over the world to Calgary in 1994 and He was predeceased by his father, the newspaper business from his parents, Edmonton in 2005. He also helped estab- Lawrence, in September 2006. along with brother Glen as publisher and lish an exchange program for Japanese If so desired, donations may be made to sister Gail working in production. journalism students. His involvement Rocky Mountain House Health Centre, with these groups allowed him to travel 5016 - 52 Ave., Rocky Mountain House, Local, provincial and national politics throughout Canada, the United States, were one of Brian’s greatest interests. His Alberta, T4T 1T2, for emergency room the United Kingdom, Japan, and equipment. column, “Ink by the Barrel,” was rarely Germany. about anything other than politics. It was Brian was very well-known in the com-
26 April 2007 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors BrianBrian mademade thethe mostmost ofof hishis life’slife’s journeyjourney By Sandra George there’d be a launch at Cape Canaveral on and grace, and in Jonesville, Mich. Wednesday. I was so close, but it was too his spare time, late. which is one of the Sandra George is a former executive director When we convened at the meeting, there things I’ve of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association and was Brian, fresh from covering the launch! admired about our a former member of the ISWNE board of He’d checked it out and come down early to entire ISWNE com- directors. see it. I was impressed on several fronts: one, munity. His death that he had a weekly newspaper operation is a big loss for our community, and NOOOOOO!!!!! That was my reaction when with enough people, so well-managed, that he could get away and explore. Two, that he for his geographic I got the word that Brian Mazza had died. community, in His youth, his vigor, his enthusiasm, the was so attentive to what was going on in another country, that he could and would addition to his Sandra George odds that another of our ISWNE family family. could be taken suddenly, all made it espe- go thousands of miles away from home and cially shocking for me. hone in on the biggest news story of the day I’m really sorry I can’t be there for the serv- in person. He had done his homework and ice and for his family. I’m glad we got to I never told Brian about his positive influ- really made the most of his trip...which com- meet them in Edmonton and was so sorry to ence on my life. It happened in Florida forts me because I realize he did that in his hear of his father’s death just a few months before an ISWNE board meeting. I’d gone life...he made the most of his life’s journey. ago. With all my sympathy.... early to see family and drive around in a convertible in the sunshine with my sister. He was such an important part of our Sandra George can be contacted at sge- We did this, but I belatedly learned that ISWNE community: such a volunteer, and a [email protected]. cheerful one. He handled logistics with ease MazzaMazza serviceservice heldheld inin packedpacked hallhall Brian Mazza was an ISWNE member since all the politicians on a first-name basis. “He was always so 1986 and editor of The (Rocky Mountain “I spoke to Mildred, his mother, and Glen, positive and out- House) Mountaineer since 1988. He served his brother, and expressed condolences on going, too. Very as president of the Society in 1994-95. He behalf of myself, my staff and also the encouraging to hosted two ISWNE conferences in Alberta, in ISWNE. I told them how much Brian will be everyone. I 1994 and in 2005. One of his editorials was missed, especially since he was such a big remember how he chosen for the ISWNE’s Golden Dozen in help to the ISWNE and the AWNA. He was encouraged me to 2005, which selects the top 12 entries in the supposed to take over as the AWNA presi- join the ISWNE Society’s international opinion writing com- dent this fall. and what a great petition. He was first vice president of the time we had in Alberta Weekly Newspaper Association at “Prior to the service starting, they showed Fort McMurray the time of his death on March 4, 2007. family photos of Brian and his life growing and Edmonton. I up. As you know, Brian lived by himself and will sure miss him. ISWNE member Isabell Fooks, editor and his next door neighbour gave a very moving Isabell Fooks publisher of The Valley Times in Drum- tribute to him. She told how she will miss “They had a heller, Alberta, attended his memorial serv- their ‘over the fence’ chats. She called him a luncheon after the service and the hall was ice on March 10. Here is her report: ‘walking encyclopedia’, which I agree with. full. He touched a lot of different lives.” “It was a very nice service. It was a packed I’ve never known anyone in my life who Isabell Fooks can be contacted at ifooks @ church. Ty Lund, a former provincial gov- could remember stats and details like he valleytimes.ca. ernment minister, was even in attendance. could. That’s quite a testament to how Brian knew
April 2007 27 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors Breadth of Brian’s knowledge most impressive By David Burke ble shame it is that we will never again be That was the kind Editor and publisher able to retail that yarn and enjoy Brian’s of man he was — The Tuam Herald perspective on the adventure. knowledgeable, County Galway, Ireland Over the years I came not just to enjoy balanced, witty, Brian’s company but to develop a deep and always open Reading, Pennsylvania, was a long way respect for the breadth of his knowledge. I to new experi- from the America I had imagined when I am a typical journalist, knowing a little ences. Having attended my first ISWNE conference there about everything but not a lot about gone with him on in 1990. Reading is a post-industrial mill much, but Brian seemed to have an in- explorations of town and I was trying to figure out its depth knowledge of any subject in which New Orleans, place in the economy with some fellow he took an interest. From the impenetrable Savannah, attenders when a chunky, broad-shoul- mysteries of Canadian politics to the eco- Victoria, and vari- dered guy joined in the conversation with nomics of the oil industry to the muscular ous other board some pertinent facts and lots of figures. I benefits of weight-lifting, Brian could meeting and con- David Burke had seen him around with a pretty serious- always enlighten the discussion. As a visi- ference venues, looking camera and assumed he was a tor to North America, I found in him an and having had the pleasure of introduc- professional photographer on assignment. extra value. Most of us Europeans have a ing him to the beauties and pleasures of Ireland, it is a deep regret to think that we Of course it was Brian Mazza, then just reasonable notion of the War of Independence from the Boston Tea Party to will never again enjoy his life-enhancing short of 30, and already becoming an company. ISWNE fixture. We swapped a few stories the surrender at Yorktown, but few of us and struck up a friendship of the kind that think about the colonists who did not want The old Irish blessing says it all: Ar dheis is common in our group — you are as to be part of the new USA. Brian first told Dé go raibh a anam. May his soul dwell at thick as thieves during the conference, me about, and afterwards often reminded God’s right hand. have little or no contact in the interim, me of, the British Empire Loyalists who David Burke can be contacted at david- and then resume the conversations the fol- moved north to places like New Brunswick [email protected]. lowing year as if the interruption was one and Nova Scotia and helped lay the foun- of a few weeks, not 12 months. dations for modern Canada. In the case of Brian and I, the gap was four years, because I did not get back to a conference until 1994, when he organized the event in Calgary. That was when I dis- covered that not only was he a photogra- pher and an economics buff, he was also an excellent organizer. We all had a great time in Calgary, between the annual Stampede and the dinosaur bones at Drumheller and a Prairie Home Companion style concert. That was the year of the great ISWNE ele- vator lock-in, when certain people who should be nameless but were actually Larry Atkinson and Ron Peters joined us in the already crowded elevator with the result that we spent 40 minutes between floors 15 and 16 of the Fairmont Hotel in Calgary — while our colleagues dealt with their anxiety by starting on the banquet. Well, that’s the way I choose to remember it. If Brian was a worried man that night, he managed to conceal it well, and it turned into a great story, which has enlivened David Burke, Tim Waltner and Elliott Freireich joined Brian Mazza (right) at the ISWNE board many a conference since. What an incredi- meeting in New Orleans in January 2002.
28 April 2007 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors Brian was something big to ISWNE By Richard McCord At the 1992 conference in Colorado Yellowknife, I was Santa Fe, New Mexico Springs, I was assigned a pleasant duty as some 1,200 miles a former president: asking Brian to serve on from the the board of directors. I collared him in the Edmonton airport, A bright young face appeared at the 1986 group men’s room in our dorm at Colorado where my plane ISWNE conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia, College and made the pitch. He was both was departing two and behind it lurked an even brighter per- flattered and flustered, and protested that days later. With sonality. Both belonged to 24-year-old he was too young, too inexperienced and empty roads, a Brian Mazza, a western Canadian journal- too busy to make time for this additional high rate of speed, ist who had been an apprentice with obligation. “For goodness sake, Brian, aside and naps in the ISWNE stalwart Jim MacNeill at the from attending the summer conferences, car, I realized on esteemed Eastern Graphic newspaper on which you already do, all it requires is a the way back that Prince Edward Island. Jim felt that ISWNE quick weekend airplane trip to somewhere I was getting close and Brian Mazza might be well suited to warm for a midyear board meeting in the enough to make Richard McCord each other, and so had invited the young depths of January, when the temperature it. man to Halifax. It was the start of some- in Rocky is 40 below. Can’t you swing thing big. So that’s when I did something foolish. The that?” His quick eyes brightened, and he map told me that with a little detour of 200 Brian’s enthusiasm for everything in grinned. “I take your point,” he said. “Yes, I miles or so, I could drive through much of Halifax overflowed, and also was conta- think I can swing that.” the alpine glory of Jasper and Banff nation- gious. All the ISWNE-ers relished his com- Just two years later, Brian was hosting a al parks — and even more important, pany, certainly myself included. The next splendid conference in Calgary, Alberta, could return via Rocky Mountain House! year’s gathering was set for my own town, and was eagerly looking forward to serving The hour was very late when I reached Santa Fe, New Mexico; and on the theory as president in 1995, when ISWNE held its Rocky. Brian would be asleep, and besides, that often the second conference is the one grand-extravaganza tour of England, I was still more than 100 miles from that converts curious visitors to committed Wales, Scotland and Ireland. “Not bad,” he Edmonton. So I did not call, but I did locate members, I strongly urged Brian to come. said. “No, not too bad,” I agreed. the offices of his newspaper, the And so he did, and again a good time was Mountaineer, and left a scribbled note for had by all. Years and geography flowed, and as the new millennium got under way, Brian him at the front door. The only paper I Once hooked, Brian became a fixture at delighted ISWNE by offering to host anoth- could find for writing it on was a candy ISWNE conferences. Over the next 20 years er Canadian conference, in 2005, this time wrapper. he failed to attend only twice, a statistic he based in Edmonton, with a major side trip A delighted e-mail from Brian, back at cited proudly. I was somewhat less diligent, to the vast oil-sand fields of northern home in Santa Fe, confirmed that he had missing four during that span. Still, that left Alberta. This touched off a friendly rivalry gotten my note, and so knew that I had 16 more occasions to mix and mingle, and between him and me, for I also had been made good on my threat to get to Rocky Brian and I became good friends. I made enough of a glutton for punishment to Mountain House someday. How very much sure to sit with him on at least one bus ride organize not one but two conferences — I was looking forward to welcoming him each time, for a good one-on-one visit. one in Santa Fe, one in Atlanta. The only back to my town in 2008! He was planning Whenever I did, I learned much — about way I could see to regain my lead was to to come, too. But now I and we all must Alberta, about Canadian politics, and propose another Santa Fe gathering, which sadly settle for him to be among us in spir- about Brian himself. I was fascinated by I rashly did. It’s down for next year. it, rather than in person. Yet what a spirit. the name of his town, Rocky Mountain House, and Brian enthusiastically told me After the Edmonton conference I rented a For years and years to come, the spirit of its story, from its origins as a remote fur- car and set out for the vast Northwest Brian Mazza will reside in the annals of trading outpost to its growth into a solid Territories of Canada, just to say I had been ISWNE. He was something big. community of 6,500 people. His love for his there. Distances in Canada are huge (after Richard McCord can be contacted at town was clear, and I said I’d be sure to get all, it’s the second-largest country on richardcmccord @msn.com. there someday. Earth), and by the time I reached the end of the paved road at the territorial capital of
April 2007 29 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors BrianBrian hadhad thethe earear ofof allall politicianspoliticians
By George Brown Editor and publisher Devon Dispatch News Devon, Alberta
I was on holiday in Florida when I received the e-mail message from the Alberta Weekly Newspapers Association that Brian Mazza had died. I was stunned. That Brian died from undiagnosed coro- nary artery disease is frightening and aggravating. I’ve often lamented the fact that our indus- try is losing many of its characters, and that corporate ownership is robbing us of independent voices who care about their communities. Another strong voice has been silenced. I knew Brian for more than 20 years. We were both cub reporters in Central Alberta in the 1980s; he for his family’s Rocky George Brown and Brian Mazza upon being sworn in as AWNA vice presidents in September 2006 Mountain House Mountaineer, and I for the Sylvan Lake News. We weren’t com- petitors exactly, but there were larger sto- and I know he was influenced by many of important his ISWNE friendships were to ries of importance to our communities that his colleagues. him and I tried to convince him to hire a saw our paths cross regularly. I was twisting his arm over some fine freelancer to take his place so he could Brian was active as an organizer in provin- Scotch the last time the two of us were attend. cial politics in those days and his support together. He was planning not to attend He’ll now be with us in spirit. for a dark horse candidate for the Prog- the ISWNE convention this summer George Brown can be contacted at george- ressive Conservative party leadership ran because he had so many high school grad- [email protected]. him afoul of supporters from my commu- uations to cover for the paper. I knew how nity who supported the high profile fron- trunner. They were pissed off that a twen- tysomething kid might run their candidate off the rails. StatementStatement fromfrom AWNAAWNA executiveexecutive directordirector Once Brian became editor of The Mountaineer his days of active politicking “Brian had volunteered his services to the members were were behind him, I think, but he had the association for many years, most recently discussing how it ear of all politicians who were in a posi- as Vice President for 2006-07. He was to was time to tion to affect his community. It must have become AWNA President in September recruit Brian to been fascinating growing up in a small 2007. head up the asso- rural town at the feet of men who would “As was always the case with Brian, he ciation’s impor- become leaders — and then later be in a put 100% of his effort into any AWNA tant digital position to criticize and influence them. project he took on. Most recently, he archive project. Brian and I were elected to the AWNA’s chaired the Symposium that was held in “Brian will be board of directors together in 2005; he Calgary at the end of January. He and fel- missed a great would have been in line for the presidency low board member George Brown conduct- deal by his many this fall. We worked together on several ed an editorial session, a topic that Brian AWNA friends.” committees and he chaired our latest sym- was very passionate about. — Dennis Merrell, Dennis Merrell posium at which the two of us presented a “Brian could always be counted upon to executive director, session on editorial and column writing. put his energies into important association Alberta Weekly Newspapers Association, ISWNE members know that the editorial initiatives. Even late last week, board on March 7 critique process was important to Brian
30 April 2007 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors Brian Mazza was great because he stayed home By Johnnie Bachusky most important person in the world. lost a good Express A few weeks later I received a phone call friend.” Red Deer, Alberta from Glenn Werkman, who was then edi- Red Deer city March 21, 2007 tor of the Express. Glenn said Brian had RCMP Const. told him that I was available and he invit- Kathe DeHeer was In the media industry there is a notion ed me to come to Red Deer. The rest is his- Brian’s first held by some, if not many, that greatness tory but I have never forgotten Brian’s cousin. Among with journalists is directly tied to wide- thoughtfulness. many things she spread recognition, acclaim and awards On March 10, hundreds of people from will always hold they have earned. While it is certainly true Rocky Mountain House and places from all dear about Brian, there are many outstanding journalists over attended Brian’s funeral. His impact she will especially who have earned awards and recognition on the community was immense and folks, remember him as on the provincial, national and interna- shocked over his untimely death, wanted a man who had a Johnnie Bachusky tional stage, there are some who have to pay their special respects. real gift of being achieved greatness by simply staying at a able to talk to place they call home. Brian had been part of the community anyone on any level. since the age of six, when his parents More often than many journalists would moved to Rocky and bought the local “The ability to talk to anybody is some- care to admit, it is in the small towns and newspaper. The journalism bug was thing very people have. He was given that villages where his or her contributions to a always in his blood and after earning a gift,” said DeHeer. community earn such a high degree of political science degree at the University of “He will be sadly missed because his respect and admiration that no amount of Calgary he returned home to serve his enthusiasm and his knowledge assisted in awards on the provincial and national community. He started at the Mountaineer many committees, and the planning and level could ever replace it. as a reporter and four years later in 1988 organizing of many different events in the One such journalist was Brian Mazza, a he was named editor, a position he kept community.” man who I met only a few times but who until his passing. When Brian died part of the shock to left such an impression on me that it Brian was not the type of editor to just sit everyone was that he was seemingly physi- played a big part in my decision never to back. He was always out and about min- cally fit. He led a very active lifestyle, and enter the so-called big leagues of journal- gling — attending every important com- loved to cycle, weight train and curl. ism ever again. munity event. To honor Brian’s commitment to healthy Brian was the ultimate community news- “He truly cared about his community and lifestyle choices, locals have already decid- paperman, and sadly he has left us. He took seriously his role as someone who ed to rename this summer’s 13th Annual died March 4, a victim of undiagnosed could improve things in Rocky,” said David Thompson Trail Run at Crimson coronary artery disease. He was 45. It was Werkman, now an editor at the Edmonton Lake in his name. far too young for him to pass on. Sun. “Brian always did champion the little Meanwhile, life in Rocky will continue. But Central Alberta, especially the community guy, which is an admirable quality in any it won’t be the same without Brian Mazza. of Rocky Mountain House, has lost a great newspaperman.” His legacy of community commitment and community journalist and a good and The list of organizations and groups in decent man who did so much for the town dedication will be felt for many, many Rocky that Brian helped is almost endless. years to come. and region. As a journalist who cared He spent countless hours volunteering with deeply about his profession, his influence many local organizations. Perhaps some cynics might say that Brian touched many people in the industry Mazza the journalist never realized any across Alberta and the country. In fact, In 2003, he received a local Humanitarian dreams of big city life to uncover national Brian was to be president of the Alberta Award for giving a voice to humanitarian headline scoops. They miss the more Weekly Newspaper Association later this campaigns and being an advocate for important point entirely. local charities. year. Brian chose to answer to a more meaning- It was because of Brian that yours truly is As well, he was a huge voice for the histor- ful and loving calling — staying home. employed here at the Red Deer Express. ical preservation of Nordegg, which for many years was a ghost town few cared His greatness can instead be measured on Almost six years ago I dropped into to see about. Brian cared, though, and many a more important scale — lifelong devo- Brian at his office at the Rocky Mountain Nordeggers are deeply feeling his passing. tion and service to a community he loved. House Mountaineer. A few days earlier I For week after week after week, Brian was married in Nordegg and decided to “He truly cared about what we were doing ensured citizens were brought the news — visit him because my new wife and I felt and how we were going about it. And he comprehensively, fairly and accurately. the area would be a great place to live. never failed to publicize what was happen- ing with the Nordegg Historical Society,” Community newspapering does not get There were no jobs available at the news- said Anne Belliveau, the society’s historian any better than that. paper but Brian was a terrific and engag- and a life-long Nordegger. Johnnie Bachusky can be contacted at ing host. For more than a full hour he left [email protected] me with the impression that I was the “Yes, the Nordegg Historical Society has lost one of its best supporters and I have
April 2007 31 Flying a new flag
Nicholas News continuous ownership, owning the publica- mailing data bases Carlisle, Ky. tion from 1913 to 1987, through two genera- of both newspa- Feb. 28, 2007 tions. pers. The Nicholas Countian & The Carlisle However, begin- Carlisle and Nicholas County will now be Mercury has served the county for more than ning next week, served by only one in-county newspaper. The a decade, nearly 13 years. March 7 there will Nicholas News and The Nicholas Countian The Nicholas News, which earned legal sta- be a change. The & The Carlisle Mercury have both been sold tus as of Oct. 2005, was first published July 1, newspaper will be to an investment company, which will take 2005. available by sub- operational control March 1. scription only. The Nicholas County News will be included The newspaper will be published under a as part of the new flag for the publication to As an introductory new, single flag, The Carlisle Mercury, The specifically identify the roots and location of offer, for 30 days, Nicholas County News. The office will be the newspaper. the price will be Hank Bond located at 117. S. Locust Street, in the base- $20 per year in ment of the Deposit Bank building. We will be adding American Profile maga- Nicholas County. After the introductory offer, zine and the Kentucky Business Journal in the price will increase to $25. M.C. Investments is the holding company, weeks to come. Special publications will be which owns the newspaper, which is owned included in the paper. In addition, local tele- Other prices include $30 elsewhere in by Chris McGehee. He also owns the vision listings will be included. Kentucky and $35 out-of-state. The paper Breckinridge County Herald-News. Hank will be mailed as a second class or periodi- Bond will remain as publisher. “It is the mission of the new company to pro- cals publication. vide readers and advertisers with absolutely The Mercury is Nicholas County’s second old- the very best product with each edition,” Initially, the single copy price for copies est continuing business founded in 1867, sec- Bond said. “As time goes by the items added available through Nicholas and surrounding ond only to Deposit Bank of Carlisle. will add value to the product.” counties will be 50 cents. The Fisher family holds the longest tenure of This week’s edition was mailed to all in the
ABOUT THE ISWNE Dr. Chad Stebbins Editor & ISWNE Executive Director Director, Institute of International Studies The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors (ISWNE) was founded in 1955 at Southern Illinois University (SIU) by Howard R. Long, then chair of SIU’s Department of Journalism at Carbondale, and Houstoun Produced by the Institute of Waring, then editor of the Littleton (Colo.) Independent. ISWNE headquarters were at Northern Illinois University International Studies at Dekalb from 1976 to 1992, at South Dakota State University in Brookings from 1992 to 1999. Missouri Missouri Southern State University Southern State University in Joplin became the headquarters in 1999. 3950 E. Newman Road ISWNE’s purpose is to help those involved in the weekly press to improve standards of editorial writing and news Joplin, MO 64801-1595 reporting and to encourage strong, independent editorial voices. The society seeks to fulfill its purpose by holding (417) 625-9736 annual conferences, presenting awards, issuing publications, and encouraging international exchanges. There are (417) 659-4445 FAX ISWNE members in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. There are subscribers to Grassroots Editor, the society’s quarterly journal, in still more countries. [email protected] This publication will be made available in alternative formats upon request to Chad Stebbins 417-625-9736.
International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors Institute of International Studies Missouri Southern State University Joplin, MO 64801-1595 FIRST CLASS