The Oklahoma Publisher Official Publication of the Oklahoma Press Association
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The Oklahoma Publisher Official Publication of the Oklahoma Press Association www.OkPress.com Vol. 91, No. 6 www.Facebook.com/okpress 16 Pages • June 2020 INSIDE Cleveland American adopts BETTER NEWSPAPER CONTEST WINNERS: Cleveland American 06/03/2020 Copy Reduced to 35% from original to fit letter page Take a look at all the 2019 winners of the OPA Better Newspaper Contest. tabloid size for the summer PAGES 4-8 The Cleveland American got smaller, actually feels bigger ADDITIONAL AWARD a little smaller when it switched as you hold it and flip through Wednesday THE JUNE 3, 2020 WINNERS: See who won the to tabloid size on June 4. page after page,” he said. “A A NEW LOOK additional annual awards in this “Being our 100th Anniver- 10-page broadsheet suddenly CLEVEL ND FOR SUMMER! Volume 100 | Number 48 year’s contests. sary, we wanted to wrap up becomes 20 pages.” 1 SECTION, 20 PAGES MERICAN ¢ PUBLISHED IN CLEVELAND, PAWNEE COUNTY, PAGE 9 our year-long celebration with Another benefit, said Fergu- 75 OKLAHOMA SINCE SEPTEMBER 1919 something different and spe- son, is that ads appear bigger IN MEMORIAM: cial,” said Rusty Ferguson, pub- on a tab page, so clients may Remembering our friends and lisher of The Cleveland Ameri- think they’re getting more for colleagues that we lost the can. their money. previous year. It’s not the first time the The tab size also allows Fer- PAGES 12-13 newspaper switched to a tab, guson to use more color. “It said Ferguson. In the summer suddenly doubles when you DONATE TO ONF to receive of 2013, the weekly newspaper flip the paper sideways — so this Will Rogers print. Available to converted to a taloid size. it’s another opportunity to use order online at okpress.com/store. “Our ONF intern that sum- color photos and sell color ads,” mer was a photographer and he said. I wanted to give her as much In 2013, Ferguson heard a experience as we could,” Fer- lot of compliments from read- guson said. “I had remembered ers, with the exception of one COOLING OFF years Unitedbefore that my dad We had “old-timer”Stand! who made it a point AT FEYODI Using her Wonder Woman powers, shared the idea of printing tab to drop by the newspaper office this young swimmer enjoyed splashing in the lake waters Saturday at Feyodi size“A with house nothing divided but a againstphoto on itself to tell cannot Ferguson stand.” “it just wasn’t a Park, just south of Cleveland. ~ Abraham Lincoln NATASJA KEMP PHOTO ENTURY page 1, so it was an opportunity newspaper if it wasn’t full size.” A C OF HEADLINES to give that awildcountrymeats.com shot. “He associated tabs with “Today, our reporterA Company Natasja You Cangrocery Trust store gossip rags. His 10 0 Kemp is also an excellent pho- words stuck with me, and being The Cleveland American shows a colorful photo on the front page of tographer, so this gives her an someone who honors tradition, the its new summer size. opportunity to see what pics I didn’t hesitate to switch back she can come up with this sum- to broadsheet at the end of the pages, puzzle pages, summer- something different than you’ve mer.” summer,” Ferguson said. fun ideas… it will be different in done for so long, week after Ferguson said he’s been “However, with just one more ways than just the size.” week. I’ve been doing this a publishing a lot of eight-page tab published so far, I have But the best part, Ferguson very long time and so far, it has papers, and although he doesn’t to say it was enjoyable putting says, is the welcome change in been like a breath of fresh air.” like it, it’s a sign of the times. it together. I want to make monotony. “So, a tab, while appearing it family-friendly, with picture “You know, being able to do OPA reveals award winners in fi rst virtual awards ceremony The Oklahoma Press Asso- first virtual awards ceremony munities concerning COVID- Press Association judged ciation announced the winners of the Oklahoma Press Asso- 19, or helping our communi- more than 1,300 entries from of the 2019 Better Newspa- ciation, brought to you this ties undertand how our public 74 Oklahoma newspapers in per Contest Awards in a video year from my living room,” institutions can be affected by the 2019 Better Newspaper released on June 15. Wesner said. systemic racism, and, more Contest. Brett Wesner, owner of 10 “I don’t think in my 32 years importantly, what we can do This issue of The Oklahoma community newspapers in in this industry there has ever about it, I don’t think our work Publisher provides a list of all Oklahoma and treasurer of been a more important time to has ever been more vital.” award winners in the contest, the National Newspaper Asso- do what we do as community The video, created by Will as well as the Digital Media ciation, delivered opening journalists. Conover, is available to view at category, the OPA Magazine remarks for the video. “Whether bringing vital okpress.com/contest. Contest and other awards that “Hello and welcome to the health information to our com- Members of the Maine were announced in the video. Contact: June 12, 2020 4:54 pm / 2 The Oklahoma Publisher // June 2020 ROOTS ON 66 Sheriff wins open records case A judge has ruled in favor of Custer ly require the sheriff to email a digital County Sheriff Kenneth Tidwell regard- copy of documents. ing a 2019 open records case. “Although it might be more efficient Milwaukee resident A. Jay Wagner, to produce the requested documents through his attorney Kevin R. Kemper electronically, the ORA does not require of Norman, filed the lawsuit last July in the Sheriff to do so,” Weedon wrote in Custer County District Court. the ruling. Wagner alleged Tidwell’s office vio- Although the case is resolved, it was lated the Oklahoma Open Records Act reported at the Custer County Com- by not providing records in a suitable missioner’s meeting that it cost Custer manner, and that Tidwell should have to County $23,705 in legal fees. The county BY OPA PRESIDENT RAY DYER, Co-Publisher of the El Reno Tribune email the open records, not just provide had to pay an attorney from outside the them for Wagner’s view in person. county because there was not a district District Judge Jill Weedon found that attorney available to handle the case. Living in a time of constant change the Open Records Act does not current- I remember asking Brian Blansett what would be the toughest part of being OPA board president. Brian was ending a run of 18 months as president after the incoming president, Ted Streuli, resigned to take a job outside of journalism. The Oklahoma health agency reverses normal term is, of course, 12 months. I also was blessed with an 18-month term, which ends this month. decision on releasing COVID-19 data It’s amazing what can happen in just 18 short months. The collapse of the energy industry, a worldwide pandemic, protests, and Ted Streuli is now back in On June 3, the Oklahoma State president, said he welcomed the deci- journalism, taking over the leadership reins of Oklahoma Watch. Department of Health reversed its deci- sion to reverse course. Also, my daughter got married on June 6. It was supposed to be a wedding at sion to no longer release COVID-19 “Nobody wants to invade the medical Sacred Heart Catholic Church in El Reno. Instead, it changed to a civil ceremony infection data by city and zip code. privacy of our fellow Oklahomans,” said on my sister Kelly and brother-in-law Chris’ 10-acre goat sanctuary near Jones. Attorneys at OSDH and in the gover- Thomas. “We must not allow rumors It’s not really a goat sanctuary; it’s a great place with tons of trees, a small herd of nor’s office made the earlier decision to and online gossip platforms to spread goats, and with a newly created wedding arbor, it was changed into a beautiful and stop releasing the data because of state misinformation when facts are readily magical ceremony. medical privacy laws. They claimed they available.” Changes were necessary, so change we did. were doing so under powers granted to Gov. Kevin Stitt’s Secretary of Health Change can come quickly. Kind of like column deadlines. the governor under the Catastrophic Jerome Loughridge and Interim Health Brian told me getting these columns written for the Oklahoma Publisher was Health Emergency Powers Act, which Commissioner Lance Frye said in a joint probably the toughest part of the position. He was telling the truth. had expired. release with Hunter that they also wel- Mark Thomas and his staff at OPA make serving as the board president pretty That decision was reversed after the comed the decision. simple. And thank heavens for that. Can you imagine the past 18 months with a agency met with Attorney General Mike “It is incumbent upon us as state less experienced leader and association staff? Hunter, who said that releasing the data leaders to protect sensitive health infor- Our industry is experiencing change like never before. Newspapers have closed. about COVID-19 infections does not vio- mation,” Frye said. “I encourage Okla- On a personal note, we ended our printing operation. For the first time in more late state or federal law, as long as indi- homans to use the information to make than 100 years, there are no newspapers being printed in Canadian County.