Volume 29, No. 6 August 2004 IN THIS ISSUE President’s Report ...... Page 2 Ray applies guidelines to O’Leary’s question ...... Page 4 ISWNEWS ...... Page 5 A note from Lou Cummins...... Page 6 Board minutes...... Page 7 General membership minutes...... Page 8 Foundation Board of Directors Meeting...... Page 9 Editors on local papers everywhere share same problems...... Page 10 Text of Charles Gay’s Golden Quill speech ...... Page 11 Lack of letters to the editor puzzling...... Page 12 Conference teaches importance of editorial page ...... Page 13 Great American bulge: A national disease ...... Page 14 So you wanna write a book...... Page 15 ‘Big box’ ban: It’s worth a try...... Page 16 Results of ISWNE Foundation Silent Auction ...... Page 17 Slepickas merge paper with competitor...... Page 19 On the road with Charles Kuralt — no, Bill Haupt...... Page 20 Marathon of sorts nearing an end...... Page 21 Errors are embarrassing but reinforce resolve of reporters...... Page 22 What happens when past editorials come back to life? ...... Page 23 Your country is safe from me ...... Page 24 Mass. paper questions open meeting law ruling...... Page 25 German delegation raises many questions ...... Page 26 Visit the ISWNE’s Web site: www.iswne.org

Published by the Institute of International Studies, Missouri Southern State University, Joplin, MO ISWNE Hotline: Material can be published as public record Do you have a tough question about edi- information — albeit cautiously — as a cates that things torial policy or journalism ethics? If so, matter of public record. A couple of the have been cook- send it to Chad Stebbins at stebbins- respondents referred to the 10 questions ing for some [email protected], and he’ll email all ISWNE developed by the Society of Professional time. members. You can expect a quick and Journalists and the Poynter Institute for “I would have as informed response from your colleagues, Media Studies presented by Garrett Ray at much interest in who may have encountered a similar situ- the recent ISWNE conference. (See related what seems to be ation at their newspaper. story, page 4.) procedural prob- This month’s question comes from Carol “The records you have in your possession lems, and I O’Leary of The Star News in Medford, are public records and despite the statue would in report- Wis.: “We have in our possession 54 of limitations, the documents are public ing the informa- pages of copies of incidence reports from records forever,” said Anna Marie tion that you the local sheriff’s department. The DA has Gonsalves, publisher of The Valley Voice possess. And, Carol O’Leary come to the conclusion that charges in Hellertown, Pa. “Be sure to say why the surely, the citi- should be filed; however, the person can- DA isn’t filing charges and get a state- zens who received anonymous documents not be charged because the statute of lim- ment from the DA. Ask the DA if the stat- would like to know more about what’s itations for this offense has expired. What ue of limitations did not expire would going on.” recourse do we have for letting the public he/she file charges. This person is a public Martin did advise not to publish a story know that a county supervisor, in all official and therefore fair game, and it without charges being filed. He recom- probability, violated election campaign seems this person is still attempting to mended seeking comment from the public laws in 2000 and possibly other times in win public office. You can also get a state- official regarding her position on the mat- the past? ment from this person, that’s always fun.” ter and asking the sheriff for his thoughts “There is a sworn statement from her for- A similar response was received from Brad on a case that can’t be prosecuted. mer roommate that he helped her mail Martin, editor of the Hickman County Donna Remer, executive editor of five the anonymous documents,” O’Leary Times in Centerville, Tenn.: “I think it’s weekly newspapers in Michigan, said if added. “He made this statement this past an easy decision to publish what you’ve the district attorney would say on the month only after having a falling out got, with some obvious care to be taken. record that charges should be filed but with the accused person. The accused is Based on the information you provided, it that the statute of limitations prohibits it, known to be a very clever and not always appears that the police have developed O’Leary would have enough for a story. truthful person. She is very active in the information that is sufficient for criminal community and even ran for mayor in charges — but none can be filed because, “You could use the supporting documen- last spring’s election, being soundly the DA says, the time has expired. That’s tation to fill out the story and, of course, defeated.” a major part of the story — why did it get a comment from the accused,” Remer said. “If the DA won’t go on record, then O’Leary received at least 10 responses, take so long to make this decision? With 54 pages of incident reports, that indi- it’s more difficult. Especially since the val- with most advising her to publish the idating source is suspect. Witnesses have continued on page 3 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors President’sresident’s

By David Burke Editor,The Tuam Herald Reporteport County Galway, Ireland It’s time to emphasise the I in ISWNE ONE of the many lessons I learned from my by Garrett Ray, and the editorial critiques especially for our U.S. members, who are in old secondary school English teacher was were still central to the agenda, and that is the majority. that one should never start a sentence with as it always should be. In common with millions of people around the word “I”. “Keep your ego out of it,” was One of the great things about ISWNE is the the world, I have a great admiration for the his advice. That’s something most of us geographical diversity of the membership. USA and its citizens. Among their great newspaper people try to do every day, but In that it must be very different from a state qualities are idealism and optimism. Not to it’s something I found very difficult in writ- newspaper association, as it is from my own mention egalitarianism, of which the ISWNE ing this first President’s Report of my term. RNAI (Regional Newspapers Association of is a fine example. I (there goes your rule, Mr. Kilgarriff!) was Ireland). America has been the great protector, the more proud than I can say to mount the It is always interesting and often refreshing great friend of free people, and of people rostrum at the Lodge in Pere Marquette to hear something along the lines of “Well, who want to be free, particularly since the wearing the symbol of office that bears so in our town (state/province/country) we do it 1940s. many worthy names. Since my first confer- like this ...” ence in Reading, Penn., in 1990, I have been But now many of America’s friends are wor- inspired many times by stories I have heard Several times I have marvelled at the differ- ried. We are worried by the events in Iraq, by and about ISWNE members. There were ences between our English-speaking coun- and we are worried about the possible future people I never met, like Hazel Brannon tries. In the U.S. and Canada local govern- direction of U.S. foreign policy. We are wor- Smith, and people I did meet, who are no ment is vastly different in its composition ried most of all that many Americans do not longer with us, like Landon Wills. and powers from the pale version we enjoy care about, or are not even aware of, our in Ireland. worries. There are many more stories of integrity and courage in the ISWNE archive, few as dra- And of course there are the differences in I know that I risk treading on some toes by matic as those of Hazel Brannon Smith, but language. In the opening paragraph I men- even mentioning U.S. foreign policy in this nonetheless extraordinary accounts of the tioned “secondary school”. I contemplated column. And I certainly have no intention lengths people have gone to resist political using “high school,” but decided against it. of expressing any opinions on the presiden- and commercial pressure and tell the truth. Likewise with “sub-editing” and “copy-edit- tial election candidates. ing”. Not to mention placing the period out- But I do hope that ISWNE members in the Many’s the time I have paused at a difficult side the quotation mark where the quota- point when writing an editorial or sub-edit- U.S. will consider reminding their readers tion does not make up the major part of the that there is a vast world out there beyond ing a story to put to myself the question: “If sentence. I were defending this at an ISWNE ethics or the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, a world that editorial critique session, what would my Why did I decide to emphasise that we are, peers at America through the powerful lens colleagues ask or say?” as G.B. Shaw put it, two nations divided by of TV and the print media, and just now a common language? fears that if America looks at it at all, it is That has been a powerful tool for me in through the wrong end of its telescope. deciding what direction to follow, and con- It’s simple: because for the first time the ference after conference has added to the ISWNE has elected a non-North American I have just spent a weekend on the Aran usefulness of that tool. An ethical dilemma president, and I take that as a signal to Islands, in Galway Bay. There is nothing but here, a community-dividing issue there: they acknowledge our diversity. a few thousand miles of the Atlantic all add to the general store of experience The society was originally the Conference of between them and your eastern seaboard. from which we draw to illuminate our own Weekly Newspaper Editors, and it became One islander said to me “The Americans situation. the International Society when Canadian think their foreign policy is none of our busi- ness, but it is.” The 50th anniversary conference at Pere members joined. Now we have members in Marquette was no exception to this. A cele- many countries, most though not all of My hope is that this year, once in a while, bration and a reunion it may have been for them English-speaking. This is the year, I we will be able to lift our readers’ gaze from many old friends, but the ethics session, led believe, to emphasise the I in ISWNE. the purely local to the global issues over There has rarely been a more important which the USA has such a powerful influ- time to be aware of international issues, ence.

2 August 2004 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors

Material can be published from page 1 been known to change their story. And the story and possibly damaging some- out giving grounds for libel action,” he scorned ‘roommates’ are especially likely one’s reputation on the basis of a doubt- said. to do so. ful allegation from a former roommate. If Judy Johnson, editor of The Times of “I’d go with what the DA says and if that it’s not good enough for the DA to go on Acadiana in Lafayette, La., said if the doesn’t work, try going to the suspect and record, I’d be worried.” charges are a matter of public record, ask her straight out. You never know, you Steve Thurston, coordinator for profession- O’Leary would be safe to publish a story. might get something. If neither of those al writing at Montgomery College in “But, since the charges are so old, you works, I don’t think I’d risk running with Rockville, Md., also recommended giving could be accused of (and sued for) sensa- the county supervisor a chance to explain tionalizing the incident,” she said. “Is no herself. one filing civil charges against this per- “I wouldn’t worry about hurting the son? That’s why most of the priestly abuse woman because you aren’t out to get her: cases come to light in civil court; the stat- she might have a perfectly valid explana- ue of limitations had expired by the time tion (remember: the DA is trying to find the children are old enough to come for- evidence to convict, and since this case is ward.” over the timeline, that office may not Carl Conley, editor of the Island Sand have looked too hard for exculpatory evi- Paper in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., also dence — why waste time on a case they warned of legal consequences. can’t prosecute?),” Thurston said. “The law does say one is considered inno- “And make sure you find out from the DA cent until proven guilty,” Conley said. why that office didn’t pursue this sooner,” “Though the standards for publication he added. “Talk with elections people and may be less than that used in a court- Officers of the International Society report whether the alleged problems were room, incident reports are still only of Weekly Newspaper Editors: criminal or clerical in nature. Someone, it reports — not proof. I’d be careful on this looks like, screwed up: the woman, the turf if only for the sake of avoiding a pos- President: David Burke DA, and even (no offense) the paper who sible libel suit and the attendant hassle The Tuam Herald, Tuam, Ireland might have assigned reporters to look into and expense.” campaign finance sooner. Does anyone Vice President: Carol O’Leary else in town ever look into campaign On the flip side, Goodloe Sutton, editor TP Printing Co., Abbotsford, Wis finance, and does your paper plan to get and publisher of The Democrat-Reporter into it now?” in Linden, Ala., would come out with his Executive Director: guns blazing. Dr. Chad Stebbins, Director, Institute of Bob Estabrook, editor and publisher emer- International Studies, Missouri Southern itus of The Lakeville (Conn.) Journal, said “What a wonderful opportunity!” he said. State University, 3950 E. Newman Road, the answer to the dilemma depends on “You can print the first week that you Joplin, MO 64801-1595 the news peg. have hints of this information and tease Phone: (417) 625-9736 your readers. Report in that story you are Fax: (417) 659-4445 “Did you publish a news story about the researching court records and other E-mail: [email protected] fact that the DA decided that charges sources and watch for more developments ought to be filed but could not because of next week. This way you can stretch the Board of Directors: the statute of limitations?” Estabrook story out a long time...” Don Brod asked. “That would be a legitimate reason St. Charles, Ill. to bring in the incidence reports, which I “Use all the information you can attribute Sandra George assume are public records like a police or prove. Then ask the [county supervisor] Jonesville, Mich. blotter. Can you publish the sworn state- about the data you have that you cannot prove. All you are doing is asking her Harry L. Hix ment of the former roommate that he Gaylord College of Journalism, helped her mail anonymous documents about allegations, and her response is fair University of Oklahoma, Norman, Okla. in apparent violation of the election laws? game. Also, in Times v. Sullivan, the U. S. Supreme Court ruled that newspapers can Robert Mihalek Estabrook said the ethical issue could be Yellow Springs News, Yellow Springs, Ohio say anything they want to about a public satisfied by (1) asking the accused person figure. Call your press association for a Jeremy Waltner for an explanation and (2) making clear copy of that ruling. Along about the third The Freeman Courier, Freeman, S.D. in the story that a person is legally inno- or fourth story as you wring this one out Chris Wood cent of any such charges until and unless for all it is worth, quote Times v. Sullivan. Door County Advocate, Sturgeon Bay, Wis. proved guilty. Immediate Past President: “It is important that you be aggressive. “But it seems to me that you, as an editor Down the road, this pays off by letting Donna Remer and keeper of the community conscience, Voice Newspapers, New Baltimore, Mich. opponents of the free press realize that have a duty to notify the public about they will be held accountable, too.” apparent persistent violations of the elec- tion laws, and I think you can do so with-

August 2004 3 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors RayRay appliesapplies guidelinesguidelines toto O’Leary’sO’Leary’s questionquestion Garrett Ray, a retired newspaper publisher true, you wouldn’t have much of a beef. and what do and college journalism professor from 8. “What are the possible consequences?” you need to Colorado, presented an ethics workshop A wrong-doer might be exposed, even if know) also June 30 at the ISWNE conference at Pere she is beyond the reach of the law. The seems impor- Marquette State Park in Illinois. Ray took public would be better informed about tant. I’m a little the audience through 10 questions devel- public business. On the other hand, an uneasy about oped by SPJ and the Poynter Institute for innocent person might be damaged by taking the word Media Studies that would be helpful in the publishing innuendo and rumors. You of only one per- decision-making process. might face a libel suit, although your risk son — the for- Using Carol O’Leary’s query to the ISWNE of losing a libel suit may be slim because mer roommate Hotline (see related story, page 1), Ray she is a public figure and former public — who admit- addressed how the 10 questions might be official, with little protection from libel. tedly has had a answered: falling out with 9. “What are my alternatives?” Has the the accused 1. “What do I know? Need to know?” The DA or sheriff put any of this on the public individual and critical info here appears to be that she record or is he/she willing to do so? What who may have Garrett Ray violated the law “in all probability” and if you go to the accused person, tell her an axe to “possibly” (not a sure thing) and that for- the rumors are circulating, and ask her to grind. The DA’s conclusion is helpful in mal charges will not be filed. respond? How comfortable are you with adding weight to that one person’s sworn 2. “What’s my journalistic purpose?” printing the substance of a sworn affidavit statement, especially if the DA will go on Clearly, exposing wrongdoing by a public from a tainted source? the record re: his/her conclusions. That official is an important and traditional 10. “Can I justify my decision to others?” would also give you the newspeg, of journalistic purpose. And a political candi- If you think it through, you probably can course. date’s past behavior is relevant to the pres- — whatever you decide. “If the DA won’t be quoted, you may want ent and future. I’m concerned that you don’t have to consider digging further to corroborate 3. “Ethical concerns?” Presumably, you’re enough solid information to run a story the accusations, or at least to find others concerned about neglecting an important yet. Incident reports aren’t evidence. The who think they’re valid (for instance, can- story, but also concerned about the lack of former roommate has credibility problems, didates whom the supervisor has run solid public-record information, as well as as he didn’t come forward till they had the against, using these tactics). knowing that the source who squealed falling-out. The legal principle remains, “Under the ‘alternatives’ heading, aside isn’t the best of witnesses. You don’t want “Innocent till proven guilty.” You hate to from not running anything at all, I’d see to damage an innocent person, though feel that you’re (a) letting a bad person go the possibilities as doing a major news you are convinced that this person isn’t unpunished and (b) not printing a big story, doing a small news story (which I innocent. story. But you also probably hate to con- don’t like...if this is worth publishing, it’s 4. “Policies and guidelines?” What are duct “trial by newspaper” even if the worth playing solidly) and/or writing an your precedents? Can you think of other metro papers do it. I guess I would hold editorial. The latter has the advantage of cases where you ran stories about criminal off, keep digging, and try to get some offi- falling under the “fair comment” defense, charges that couldn’t be confirmed and no cial to go public. as well as the First Amendment defense to charges were filed? Would you do so in David Gordon, a retired college journalism libel, if the subject of the editorial should any other case that you can envision? If professor from Wisconsin, gave his take on happen to be so ticked off she sues. Just so, why? If you print information you O’Leary’s dilemma: “You’re right that you make sure the editorial is “fair” (however can’t confirm, do you risk a libel suit? can apply Garrett Ray’s guidelines to this a jury might define that), if you go that 5. “Include other people in the decision- situation. Of the ones he listed, I find route. making process?” The ISWNE Hotline is a ‘alternatives’ and ‘journalistic purpose’ to “Other alternatives to consider include good way to approach that. be the most useful ones here. I’d add to publishing immediately vs. holding off them a criterion re: where your loyalties and trying to add to the story. And there 6. “Who’s affected, what are their motiva- lie in this (or any) situation...to readers, tions?” The source who gave the tip did so probably are others that I haven’t thought the general public, sources, your own prin- of off the top of my head. with clouded motives. Do other players ciples, etc. — and there certainly can be have motives beyond the public good? For more than one focus for ‘loyalty’ in any “And, finally, I think every decision like instance, political paybacks to damage given situation. this needs to take Garrett’s final point into this political figure? consideration — can you justify your deci- “Under these circumstances (unless this sion and how you arrived at it, to anyone 7. “What if the roles were reversed?” material makes up a large part of the 54 Presumably, you’d feel it was unfair if the who might ask (as Garrett says in his pages of sheriff’s department reports), handout, to stakeholders, colleagues paper printed untrue information that Garrett’s first point (what do you know damaged you. But if the information were and/or the public)?”

4 August 2004 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors ISWNEWSNEWS “At this point, I’m planning on taking a little sabbatical from Ken Starck donates collection to MSSU journalism and pursuing some magazine writing ideas and a Dr. Ken Starck, who retired from the University long-held interest in writing historical fiction about China, as I of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass studied Chinese in college and lived in China for two years,” Communications this summer, has donated his Dennis says. “I will most miss the ability to do opinion writing office library to Missouri Southern State here at the Times and the joy of telling the stories of a small town University. community.” Dr. Chad Stebbins, ISWNE executive director, Laurie and Joe Dennis have a son, Kerry, 5 (who is not named picked up 10 boxes of hardbound and paper- after the presidential hopeful) and a daughter, Christina, 7. back books and seven boxes of journalism/mass communication journals from Starck in Iowa “We are losing a consummate professional,” Times publisher City on July 18 and transported them back to Donald Q. Smith said. “Her dedication to both the news product Joplin. and opinion responsibility of the Times has been exemplary. Her portfolio bursts with significant stories, perhaps none more impor- “Ken’s connection with ISWNE and Missouri Southern influenced tant to her — and to our readers — than the December 2001 visit his decision to give us his library,” Stebbins said. “He taught at to New York and Washington to interview 9/11 families who had Southern Illinois University when H.R. Long headed the journal- been embraced by the Monticello community.” ism program there and has had numerous articles published in Grassroots Editor.” Starck served as the 2002 Golden Quill judge for ISWNE and John Wald dies day after conference attended the convention in Joplin with his wife, Raija. He was John Wald, who attended the 2004 ISWNE conference at Pere director of the Iowa School of Journalism from 1975-86 and 1990- Marquette State Park in Illinois, died July 5 of a massive heart 96. attack. Starck has accepted a three-year appointment as dean of the John and Dottie Wald, of Lake St. Croix Beach, Minn., served as College of Communications and Media Sciences at Zayed the babysitter for Kris O’Leary and John Flink’s children during the University in the United Arab Emirates. conference. John was the brother-in-law of Carol O’Leary, ISWNE’s “The university came looking for me, and in early June I was new vice president. checking a map to find out exactly where in the world UAE was,” he said. “Raija and I at the outset were, at most, mildly interested. Bradley Martin wins writing awards The university flew us out there for a week. About two weeks later, Hickman County Times editor Bradley A. Martin won two awards I said OK. The place appealed to my zest for another challenge, for column writing in the annual University of Tennessee/ my intercultural sensibilities and, of course, the sense of adven- Tennessee Press Association Press Contests. The contests were ture.” judged by members of the Missouri Press Association. Martin won a second-place award in the Best Single Editorial cate- Laurie Dennis leaves Minn. For Boston gory for “The quest for the magic beans.” In it, he criticized local Laurie Dennis, editor of the Monticello leadership for attempting to blame the lack of job growth solely (Minn.) Times, has moved with her family to on the economic development director in hopes of finding another Boston. Her husband, Joe, has received a who might possess “the magic beans and the wand,” when the post-doctoral research grant from Harvard to root problem is actually a lack of commitment and involvement turn his dissertation into a book. by the community itself in the economic growth process. Dennis’ 12-year tenure with the Times He won a third-place award in the Best Personal Column category included an internship through the for “Getting ready for the second half,” which explained his expe- University of Minnesota and nearly three riences with coronary bypass surgery. “It’s halftime, and it’s time years at the helm of the news department. to make some adjustments to get ready for a successful second She spearheaded the Times’ redesign efforts a half,” he wrote. year ago and has helped coordinate the paper’s opinion pages. Martin, 48, has been editor of the Times, in Centerville, Tenn., Dennis won an ISWNE Golden Dozen award for editorial writing since 1985. in 2003.

August 2004 5 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors

the foundation for any appropriate amount, I’ll mail the shirt,” Kate Slepicka finds work at MTV Garrett says. His address is 3630 W. County Road 50, Fort Collins Nancy Slepicka reports that her daughter, Kate, has been hired by CO 80521. Checks should be written to the ISWNE Foundation. MTV as a production assistant. Her first gig started July 23 with a crew that followed the Ozfest concert tour around the country (maybe in some ISWNE neighborhoods — see ozfest.com). Leslie O’Donnell picks up NFPW award “Kate hasn’t had time to find an L.A. apartment yet,” her mother Leslie O’Donnell received third place in news reporting in the says. “She flew home to gather up enough clothes for the six-week National Federation of Press Women’s 2004 communications con- tour and will look for a homey, affordable place for her and her test. She had received first place in that category and in feature cat, Izzy, in September.” writing from the at-large contest of NFPW. O’Donnell reports that she is settling in to her new job as manag- David Gordon presents workshop ing editor of the Derry (N.H.) News after moving from Newport, David Gordon presented an afternoon workshop on the history of Ore. the United States news media at the World Press Institute on June 21. His presentation led off a two-week seminar on the role and responsibility of a free press in a democratic society. Stebbins to make second trip to China ISWNE executive director Chad Stebbins and five others from The WPI seminar, held on the University of Minnesota campus, Missouri Southern State University will be in China from Aug. 29 enrolled 10 Latin American journalism professors (eight of whom to Sept. 9. are also practicing media professionals) who were preparing to educate students and news media professionals in their countries. The group, which includes MSSU President Julio León, will partici- pate in the 50th anniversary ceremony of the Beijing Broadcasting University. MSSU and BBU signed an agreement in Garrett Ray has more T-shirts to sell November 2003 to become exchange partners. The most desirable of Garrett Ray’s journalism T-shirts attracted MSSU also will visit Yinghao College, one of the largest private big bucks at the ISWNE Foundation silent auction, but he took schools in China; the Shandong Foreign Trade Vocational College home three shirts that someone might want: an SPJ national con- in Qingdao; and Shandong University at Weihai. vention shirt, “I been misquoted — but I still back the First,” and This will be Stebbins’ second visit to China. In 2001, he participat- two “High Country News” limited-edition shirts (white with black ed in an International Forum on Internet Communication mountain goat, and crimson with white mountain goat). Development at the Beijing Broadcasting University, “If someone wants a specific shirt and sends me a contribution to AA notenote fromfrom LouLou CumminsCummins Editor’s note: Lou Cummins was ISWNE’s 1993 Greenslade so the amount of research which can be directed towards finding Bursary scholarship recipient and attended the conference at a cure is limited. Brookings, S.D. I shall be working at Oxfordshire Association for the Blind (and occasionally at home) for the forseeable future — my little charity This is no way to contact all those of you who have been support- has teetered on the brink for far too long and I am determined to ive through my latest health setback and all those of you who see us get into new premises and out of the poverty trap in which would have been, had you known about it. In the absence of a we exist. That is a clear and positive choice. My 2,700 blind and front railing and a notice to hang upon it: partially sighted clients, aged between one year and 107, are a source of wonder and inspiration to me. The cancer which nearly did four me four years ago has returned in an untreatable form, by opening several unauthorised branch I am particularly grateful to those friends who realise that success offices. An MRI scan has revealed that the tumours associated in my chosen task is the best possible medicine for me. with carcinoid syndrome are around and about, mainly in the I much dislike this kind of message but I want you to know that liver. However, this cancer is described as being “indolent” and as the light declines, I think of my ISWNE friends with deep and there is a good chance that I will be around to cause you grief for lasting affection. My newspaper life is way behind me but you are a while yet. The symptoms can be controlled by thrice daily injec- not, nor will you ever be. tions of Sandostatin (Ocreatide), but I do now understand what Best regards, hot flushes are all about. Lou There is a research programme going on at Cancer Research UK in Oxford, aimed at adding an element of chemotherapy to the The Reading Room Sandostatin, to inhibit tumour growth although there is no sign Winding Wood near Hungerford yet of a way of getting rid of them altogether. I am seeking the Berks RG17 9R fortitude to join this study. This is an extremely rare condition and

Auhudy 2004 6 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors

President Donna Remer called the meeting to 6. The board discussed the June newspaper order at 9:15 a.m. exchange, in which 30 papers participated. 1. The minutes of the Jan. 17, 2004, board Minutes “It was too much volume,” Waltner said. “We need a mechanism to cut the number of meeting in Goodyear, Ariz., were approved International Society (O’Leary/George). papers in half.” Remer suggested dividing of Weekly Newspaper Editors participants into two groups, those who will 2. Slepicka said attendance at the Pere attend the ISWNE conference and those who Marquette conference — about 100 — may Board of Directors Meeting, will not. Slepicka suggested moving the break ISWNE’s unofficial records, set in June 30, 2004 exchange to March or April and having Boston in 1996 and tied in Halifax in 1999. those who will participate in the conference 3. Stebbins reported ISWNE had $27,021.47 Pere Marquette State Park editorial critiques mail their papers at a later in its checking account as of June 22, 2004. Grafton, Illinois date. Burke said it might be easier just to On June 22, 2003, ISWNE had $27,480.64 in In Attendance: bring the papers to the conference. its checking account. He distributed a profit 7. Mazza discussed his plans for the July 6- and loss statement showing that ISWNE had Nancy Slepicka Chad Stebbins 10, 2005, conference in Alberta, which will $11,321.58 in income and $11,862.53 in be celebrating its centennial throughout the expenses from July 1, 2003, to June 22, 2004, Donna Remer David Burke year. He said the Calvary Stampede will be for an overall loss of $540.95. Burke asked at held July 8-17 and that conference attendees what point ISWNE should turn a small loss Chris Wood Carol O’Leary may want to visit it on the way home. into a small profit. Stebbins said from July 1, Delegates will board buses in Edmonton at 1 2001, to June 22, 2004, ISWNE had income Sandra George Jeremy Waltner p.m. Wednesday, July 6 for a 428-kilometer of $36,068.72 and expenses of $35,673.87, trip (266 miles) to Fort McMurray. “Fort for an overall profit of $394.85. Stebbins said Bill Haupt* Brian Mazza* McMurray is the fourth-largest city in the the ISWNE Foundation had $8,532.43 in its province and is a serious boom town,” checking account, as of June 22, 2004. The Elliott Freireich* * non-board member Mazza said. Attendees would visit the Oil financial statement was approved Sands Discovery Centre and spend two (Wood/O’Leary). nights at Fort McMurray, before leaving for 4. Stebbins distributed a membership chart Edmonton early Friday morning. In showing that ISWNE had 241 members as of association. Remer pointed out that only 20 Edmonton, lodging would be at the Coast June 2004, up 12 from June 2003. Grassroots actual newspapers were represented at Pere Terrace Inn (www.coastterraceinn.com). Editor has 95 additional subscribers, for a Marquette. “That’s a more important num- Mazza hopes Friday evening could be spent total circulation of 336. The membership ber to track each year than total atten- at Fort Edmonton Park eating dinner and report was approved (Slepicka/George). dance,” she said. Waltner said it was difficult watching a reenactment of a 1795 fur-trad- The board suggested encouraging everyone for newspapers with only two or three staff ing event. The editorial critiques would be to sign up new members at the special one- members to leave the office for half a week held Saturday morning, with the afternoon time rate of $20. Remer suggested finding to attend a conference. open to explore the West Edmonton Mall, which claims to be the world’s largest. out who is entering and winning the state 5. Haupt, the newly elected president of the and province press associations for editorial ISWNE Foundation, gave a summary of the 8. Remer said she would provide more infor- writing and contacting them. Waltner asked Foundation’s purpose and goals. “We’re a mation about the 2006 conference in Detroit how well ISWNE was represented at state fund-raising mechanism for ISWNE,” he at the January board meeting. Waltner said press conventions. George said it was crucial said. “ISWNE will decide how to spend the he and his father, Tim, would explore the to have a personal contact within the press money.” possibility of hosting the 2007 conference in the Black Hills of South Dakota. The board approved a motion endorsing this idea (Wood/George). 9. Waltner said he would assist Bill and Jan Haupt in improving the look of a proposed ISWNE flier promoting the Society’s editorial critique program to state and province press associations. 10. Burke said he would get together with Slepicka and Clyde Wills in developing con- ference guidelines for future conference hosts. 11. Stebbins said the ISWNE brochure needed to be updated, including the photos. He was instructed to send a revised version to all board members for review. 12. Remer handed out a proposal for an From left: Sandra George, David Burke, Chad Stebbins, Donna Remer, Nancy Slepicka, ISWNE Hall of Fame, and Burke displayed a Jeremy Waltner, Chris Wood, and Carol O’Leary. Hall of Fame book bound by the Kenny Bindery of Galway, Ireland. The board dis-

August 2004 7 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors cussed criteria for the Hall of Fame, which consider service to ISWNE, outstanding com- bership meeting on July 3 (George/Waltner). included: munity service and/or significant contribu- 13. Remer said she would like to attend the • Any person who has been a member of tions to the field of journalism. 2005 convention of the New England Press ISWNE would be eligible for nomination. • A nomination would consist of a 500- to Association, Feb. 4-5, and promote ISWNE. • Nominations would come from the ISWNE 1,000-word biography of the person nomi- The board approved a motion to pay her membership. nated, focusing on the above criteria. expenses (Wood/Slepicka). Nominations would include a high-quality 14. Stebbins said the winter board meeting • Nominations would be due Dec. 31 each photo of the person nominated. year. would be held at the Pink Shell Beach Resort • For the first three years, any number of in Fort Myers Beach, Fla., on Saturday, Jan. • Inductees into the Hall of Fame would be individuals could be inducted; after that, up 15. ISWNE member Carl Conley, from the evaluated and approved by the board of to two per year. Island Sand Paper in Fort Myers Beach, is directors at the January meeting. The board approved a motion sending the helping with the arrangements. • In approving a nominee, the board would Hall of Fame proposal to the general mem- The board adjourned at noon. General Membership Meeting

July 3, 2004 at Wayne State University. cern that a hall of fame would dilute the Pere Marquette State Park 5. Chad Stebbins introduced J.R. Ledford, a awards that the Society currently has. Grafton, Illinois graduate student at Southern Illinois Estabrook said ISWNE should develop University-Carbondale, who is writing the more specific criteria and form a commit- history of ISWNE for his master’s thesis. tee to make a recommendation. “We’re President Donna Remer called the meeting not ready to vote on the structure of it,” he to order at 9 a.m. Ledford said he hoped to complete the project in May 2005. said. Mary Jane Schneider Lentz said she 1. The minutes of the July 5, 2003, general preferred a “hall of legacy” to a “hall of membership meeting were approved 6. Remer presented the board of directors’ fame.” (Sandra George/Elliott Freireich). proposal to establish an ISWNE Hall of Fame. Burt Freireich asked if any expense Burke said ISWNE needed symbols, such as 2. The financial statement was approved would result. George said David Burke had the gavel and chain of office, and that the (Carol O’Leary/Freireich). See minutes from donated the book that would feature the physical existence of the Hall of Fame board of directors meeting, page 7, for inductees. Remer said she couldn’t think of book was important. Dick McCord suggest- details. any expense, except perhaps for plaques ed that the ISWNE newsletter start profiling 3. Bill Haupt reported on the ISWNE that would be given to inductees. a legendary ISWNE member in every issue. Foundation, saying its board currently con- Discussion turned to whether the Hall of “Chad’s students could write it, or he could sisted of six people and represented a “pro- Fame would overlap with the Eugene Cervi tap a member,” McCord said. “If we got visional sort of government.” He said elec- Award. Phoebe Baker asked if ISWNE was one a month, that would be a lot better tions to the Foundation board would be collecting biographies of Cervi and Golden than only two per year.” A motion was held at next year’s conference and that the Quill winners. Don Brod said Cervi winners approved that the proposal be tabled until board could consist of up to 11 members. have been serving their communities and the ISWNE board of directors meeting in He said the board wouldn’t be “much of a that ISWNE wanted individuals who had January (Jeremy Waltner/Ursula Freireich). policy-making group” but would “give a been serving the Society. Burt Freireich said Dick Drysdale suggested continuing the certain amount of money for scholarships the criteria were so broad that ultimately, discussion in the meantime by email and to the conference host.” He said perhaps everyone who has attended several confer- through the newsletter. conference scholarships and travel expens- ences could be included in the Hall of 7. Mazza thanked Goodloe Sutton and es could be given to all the Golden Dozen Fame. O’Leary for their time on the board. He winners. Chris Wills asked if a weekly editors’ hall conducted the election of new officers, and 4. Brian Mazza said it would be helpful for of fame existed. Bob Estabrook said the the following were elected: Burke, presi- those attending the 2005 conference in New England Press Association had one dent; O’Leary, vice president; Brod, board Alberta to have a passport. “You need that could be a model for ISWNE. Brod of directors; and Robert Mihalek, board of proof of citizenship to get into Canada,” he suggested postponing the issue until directors. said. Mazza said most people will need to Ledford had completed writing the 8. Dick Lee remembered those who had arrive in Edmonton on Tuesday evening, Society’s 50-year history. A motion was died in the past 18 months: Bob Bliss, Pat July 5, as few flights would be coming into passed approving the concept of a hall of Bliss, Irving Dilliard, Bruce Murray, Jean the city on Wednesday morning, July 6. fame through a straw poll (Tom Sutton, Jim Sawyer, Jeanne MacNeill, and Remer, in discussing the 2006 conference Brooker/Elliott Freireich). Garrett Ray said Rick Friedman. “We’re an organization of in Detroit, said she had planned a day trip ISWNE could put stories of its noteworthy friends, not members,” he said. to the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield members together without establishing a The meeting adjourned at 11:05 a.m. Village. Attendees would likely be housed hall of fame. Marcia Wood expressed con-

8 August 2004 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors FoundationFoundation BoardBoard ofof DirectorsDirectors MeetingMeeting The meeting was called to order at 4:20 resources enabling ISWNE to pursue its p.m. June 29, 2004 stated mission. While suggestions and 1. Board members wondered whether they Pere Marquette State Park input from the Foundation board is were in compliance with the Foundation’s Grafton, Illinois encouraged, the ultimate decision on how bylaws, established in 2001, regarding the those funds are used — staying within the makeup of the board of directors. Freireich, IRS guidelines, of course — is left to the In Attendance: ISWNE board of directors.” Waltner, Haupt, and Stebbins were listed Donna Remer as the original board. Article III, Section 2 Chad Stebbins Waltner said he would like to see an of the bylaws reads: “Each of the directors Elliott Freireich endowment created for conference scholar- must also be on the Board of Directors of Tim Waltner ships and encourage people to remember International Society of Weekly Newspaper Bill Haupt the Foundation in their wills. Haupt said Editors, Inc.” The board approved a the ISWNE membership should be remind- motion that “the Foundation board shall ed every December that contributions to include the president, past president, and the Foundation are tax-deductible. executive director of ISWNE” (Waltner/ Stebbins said the Foundation president Haupt). The board also voted to strike the (Waltner/Remer). The Foundation’s board should write an occasional column for the first sentence of Article IV, Section 5: “The of directors and officers will be elected ISWNE newsletter. President shall be the immediate past pres- every year at the conference. The board may consist of up to 11 members. Haupt 4. The board discussed other fund-raising ident [of the] International Society of ideas, such as sponsoring a golf tourna- Weekly Newspaper Editors” said he would like to see some retired peo- ple serving on the board. ment and having another silent auction. (Waltner/Freireich). For next year’s conference in Alberta, it 2. Haupt was elected president, Waltner 3. The newly elected board discussed its was suggested that items be donated from vice president, Stebbins secretary/treasurer, purpose and mission, deciding upon the the province. and Freireich to the board of directors following statement: “The mission of the ISWNE Foundation is to provide financial The board adjourned at 6:30 p.m.

Marcia Wood presented the Eugene Cervi Award to Frank Garred at the 2004 ISWNE conference.

One of the eight editorial critique groups at the Pere Marquette conference chose to meet on the park’s beautiful grounds over- looking the Illinois River.

August 2004 9 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors EditorsEditors onon locallocal paperspapers everywhereeverywhere shareshare samesame problemsproblems By Julian Calvert Finally arriving at St Louis I was met by before I did a talk and my inability to con- Editorial Manager Chad, who hardly blinked when confront- tribute to the editorial pages critique ses- Helensburgh Advertiser ed by someone who had acquired several sion, on account of having no editorial Dumbarton & Vale of Leven Reporter chins since his mugshot was taken and pages. Brian Mazza, chairing the group, Scotland kindly ferried me to Pere Marquette. At this bore this blow bravely and tactfully sug- point jetlag kicked in for the first time and gested that I should consider changing. [Editor’s note: Julian Calvert was ISWNE’s the next day I overslept — missing not just True to my promise, I have indeed been 2004 Greenslade Bursary recipient and breakfast but lunch as well. looking again at my established policy of attended the conference at Pere Marquette Drew Cochrane, who received the first painstaking neutrality and may yet man- State Park in Illinois.] Greenslade Bursary back in the 1970s, had age to put my head above the parapet and promised me that the conference would be reveal my opinions — but such a sea “IT SAYS here that ideally they’d like some- very intense but also very friendly, and he change is still some way off, I’m afraid. one young and up-and-coming,” said the was certainly right about the hospitality. The conference was very revealing about secretary of the Scottish Society of Editors Obviously many of the people at Pere politics in the USA — my wife had warned after reading an e-mail from someone Marquette were old friends, but they could me not to sound off on British views of called Chad Stebbins. not have done more to make me feel part “Dubya,” but I soon found I had no need of the group and it would be great to stay to worry. He looked around the table at the society’s in touch with as many people as possible. quarterly meeting and his face fell — clear- Most useful, though, was getting to know ly Donald Fullarton felt that every- editors from the States, Canada one present was more like old and and Ireland. Newspapers in all down-and-gone. those countries look superficially Eventually all the Scottish editors different from mine, but editors put my obvious Englishness aside on local papers everywhere share and agreed that I was the nearest the same problems, as shown in thing to young they had on offer, Garrett’s ethics session. so I rushed home from Glasgow to We all know what a lonely place tell my wife that I was going to the editor’s chair can be — America. Without her. And I’d be although ironically it is also a missing our first wedding anniver- very hard job to hide from, as I sary (the day after Independence found when I went into a village Day...). shop by Loch Long on my way Barely flinching, she beamed and home from the airport and was said: “Of course you should go, it’s immediately quizzed about a a great opportunity.” Already she’d story in that week’s paper. started to calculate the incremental So as I left Pere Marquette and effect of my absence on the cost of Julian Calvert quickly made friends at the ISWNE con- embarked on a very slow Amtrak the anniversary present. ference, including Jane Steinmetz. journey to Chicago it was good to Eventually I got round to booking look back on the new friends I flights, as well as rooting out a CV had made, and to know that if and shamefully out-of-date mugshot for It was my first trip to the States and I really and when a new problem comes along Chad, before completely forgetting about wasn’t sure what to expect, but being so there might be someone who can help at the trip in the weekly grind of drugs, mug- far off the tourist trail was an ideal way to the other end of an e-mail. gings, health service cutbacks and pictures get a real flavour of the country, while the Waiting at Alton station (the train was late of schoolkids that fill my newspapers. excursions were excellent and helped to fill — they all were) I had an excellent book June 29 came round with alarming speed, the very wide gaps in my knowledge of the about the Gannett empire for company, however, and before I knew what had hap- area and its history. and once again this brought the similari- pened I was on the plane to Newark, get- But what of the real meat of the confer- ties between the UK and the USA into ting stressed about the chance of being ence? focus. I had a thought — maybe I could rumbled as a “working journalist” at Looking back I have two big regrets — tak- write a book about the tactics used by big immigration and being deported for not ing advantage of the barman’s lack of newspaper groups against the little guys in having the requisite visa. experience when he poured my whisky the UK...

10 August 2004 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors TextText ofof CharlesCharles Gay’sGay’s GoldenGolden QuillQuill speechspeech By Charles Gay more than 50 awards for his work. When I tims and detest Editor & Publisher stepped into his shoes five years ago I felt our policy. Shelton-Mason County Journal obligated to join this society because of his I felt awkward Shelton, Wash. involvement in it that gave him great sat- conducting the isfaction. I explained in my introductory interview with [Editor’s note: This is the acceptance letter that I came by a certain amount of the agency’s speech given by Charles Gay on July 3 independence from the feistiness of my director to write upon receiving ISWNE’s Golden Quill grandparents and father, who had been my editorial, but award at Pere Marquette State Park in running newspapers for 70 years. When my community’s Illinois. Charles received a standing ova- the police in Monterey, California, would- need for a shelter tion after delivering the speech.] n’t crack down on a brothel in town, my for battered grandparents printed the license-plate women was more numbers of the cars parked out front. They important than I’m 51 years old and I was still in high printed John Steinbeck’s musings after he school when my father won his first my differences Charles Gay had worked with the farm workers in with her. But Golden Dozen Award. He eventually won Salinas. My grandfather once tried to cover eight, including two in 1986, the year he that wasn’t as uncomfortable as attending a Ku Klux Klan meeting and got thrown a meeting of the Domestic Violence Task won the Golden Quill and also had his sec- out. A man upset with his news coverage ond editorial chosen for the Golden Dozen. Force early this year with some of the com- once hit him at a chamber of commerce munity’s counselors. I went because the Because of the awe I had for his writing meeting. My father’s life was threatened ability, I never dreamed I would be on a subject of the talk sounded like editorial and his newspaper picketed by people who material. What happened after the presen- list of editorialists like him and Bob didn’t agree with him. In my letter to the Estabrook, whose knowledge of the world is tation was another lesson for me in linger- society I explained that I had also inherit- ing stigmas. much vaster than mine and who have ed some of my father’s writing ability. I honed their writing skills to a much finer said the bad news was that I had about Two of the women attacked The Journal. edge. My father could say so much in so one-tenth of his talent. The good news was They were appalled that in our court cov- few words. I’d like to read you one of his that that made me average. erage of a felony domestic assault, we editorials that was nine sentences long. It would name the woman allegedly beaten was called, “Let’s take a poll.” Now I am humbled to win an award that up. One of the two women who had harsh meant a great deal to my father and Newspapers and radio and television sta- words for me, who works with victims, means a great deal to those in the society protested that her sister had been named tions are still reporting the reaction of he loved. I will cherish this honor in mem- Americans to the conviction of Lieutenant in a story as the assault victim of the man ory of him and try my best to live up to she lived with. The worst part, she told William Calley for the murder of 22 the standards the award symbolizes. I also Vietnamese civilians. Response to a poll those at the meeting, was that her sister know dozens of other entrants deserve this had wanted to handle this herself and conducted by a radio station in Virginia award and that my entry struck a cord revealed only three of the 688 callers keep it quiet. This counselor thought it was with the judge. That’s part of what makes awful that her first knowledge of her sis- thought Calley was guilty. A woman in this night humbling as well as joyful. Chicago wired the military jurors who ren- ter’s beating was when she read it in The dered the decision and said: “The whole There are a couple of ironies surrounding Journal. Her sister hadn’t told her. world is behind him.” Her statement this particular editorial winning this What I heard was that a woman did not intrigued us, and we decided The Journal award. When I had chosen the two editori- know that her own sister was attacked, should conduct a poll in a foreign nation als I wanted to enter, I went to the files of that she could not respond with love only to determine whether or not her assump- old issues. Usually there are 20 to 30 copies a sister could provide, because of a stigma tion was correct. We chose South Vietnam, from each week. When I checked the slot that prevented her sister from telling her since that country is our ally and its citi- for July 10, 2003 there was one paper left. I this embarrassing fact. She was attacking zens should have a firsthand knowledge of had to decide whether this entry was worth a newspaper that believes the stigma she the case. Scanning a map, we selected a destroying the last copy we had. I cut out suffers from is perpetuated by the secrecy town at random. It was a hamlet named the editorial and paper-clipped a note to she insists on. It was the 1986 Golden Quill My Lai 4. Through the services of Pacific the issue when I put it back in the file: editorial all over again, just substituting Southeast Bell, we placed a hundred phone “This has the editorial missing.” domestic violence for rape. The greatest calls. To our amazement, not one was The more serious irony is that 18 years line in that editorial still applies: “When answered. Apparently, there wasn’t a man, ago, my father won the Golden Quill for a an innocent victim of a vicious crime is woman or child at home last Tuesday at defense of our policy of covering all felony devastated because of what she fears socie- My Lai 4. trials — even rape trials — consistently, an ty will think of her, society has failed her.” When my father died in 1999, I had never editorial in which he questioned the mixed My plea is that we do our professional best written editorials, but since those Vietnam messages counselors are giving rape vic- to destroy these stigmas that are destroying days I had been very close to one of the tims. And tonight I was given the same lives with senseless shame. We can dis- best opinion writers anywhere who won award for championing the cause of an agency whose counselors work with vic- continued on page 28 August 2004 11 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors LackLack ofof lettersletters toto thethe editoreditor puzzlingpuzzling By Gary Sosniecki torial page,” Garrett Ray, a retired newspa- paper,” one pub- The Vandalia (Mo.) Leader per owner and journalism professor, told lisher suggested July 7, 2004 us later in the conference. we tell our read- Except for the brouhaha following the ers. The subject was The Leader’s editorial page school board not renewing the contract of When we owned in general and its curious lack of letters to the Van-Far High School principal last the Webster the editor specifically. winter, which prompted an organized let- County Citizen at ter-writing campaign, we have not Seymour, we had We were sitting around two shoved-togeth- received many letters to the editor. Most so many letters er patio tables behind the lodge at Pere weeks we receive no letters. that we had to Marquette State Park, overlooking the We’re puzzled why not. restrict writers to Illinois River, north of Alton, Ill. two a month. Our rules for letters are fairly simple. We It was Friday morning, and we — and The We would love to Leader — had been assigned to one of require a signature. We don’t have a length limit, although long letters some- have that prob- Gary Sosniecki eight editorial-page critique sessions at the lem here. annual conference of the International times wait until more space is available. Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors, a We accept letters in person, by mail, by Write us! fax or by e-mail. We have a few restrictions, but nothing * * * * * * out of the ordinary. We Letters were not the only topic discussed require “thank-yous” to be about our editorial page. The group’s paid, we don’t publish poetry biggest concern was that we don’t publish because it takes up too much an editorial, just this personal column. space, we won’t publish let- ters that praise or criticize Helen and I explained that we have pub- private businesses, and we lished regular editorials elsewhere but won’t publish letters that thought that, as newcomers to Vandalia, it support or oppose political was more appropriate to introduce our- candidates. Candidate letters selves to the community through a col- often are orchestrated by umn. Editorials can come later, when the campaigns in order to get newcomer status wears off and our opin- free publicity in newspapers, ions, hopefully, will have more credibility thereby freeing up money to in the community. spend on television commer- Our group liked the historic picture that cials. We do, however, pub- we’ve begun running at the bottom of the Davod Burke (left) visited Helen and Gary Sosniecki lish letters on political issues, page and even suggested that we publish a (right) in Vandalia, Mo., en route to the ISWNE confer- such as the two constitution- “today” photo alongside it. But our col- ence. al amendments that will be leagues noted that the picture and the on the Aug. 2 ballot. We “Yesteryear” column aren’t commentary meeting one member described as “a pep also don’t publish letters from outside the and, therefore, we don’t have a full editori- rally for editorial pages.” area, unless they are from a subscriber or al page. That’s a valid criticism. someone with a connection to our commu- Our group included the husband-wife The group also suggested that we make nity. A prominent St. Louis politician the name of my column, “Soz Sez,” bigger. owners of a 60,000-circulation weekly accused me of censorship when I rejected newspaper in the west Phoenix suburbs, his wife’s letter regarding the principal’s We also faced criticism for not endorsing the general manager of a 6,000-circula- contract. He was not from Vandalia and political candidates. We defended our poli- tion, family-owned weekly newspaper in did not read. This was not his affair, and cy by explaining that in a small town, the central Wisconsin and the retired husband- many people who live here already had candidates already are known by our read- wife operators of a weekly newspaper stated the same position quite eloquently. ers, and that if we do a good job of inform- north of Washington, D.C. ing readers of candidate positions on the Our colleagues around the table Friday The Leader was by far the smallest news- issues through our surveys and other news encouraged us to aggressively pursue let- coverage, the readers are intelligent paper around the table, and, in terms of ters from readers, suggesting that we pub- staff size, the smallest newspaper repre- enough to make up their own minds how lish invitations to letter writers on pages to vote. sented at the conference. But what distin- other than this one, that we pose topics for guished us the most from almost all other letter writers to consider, even that we Our group wasn’t entirely convinced, and newspapers there — and not in a positive recruit some regular letter writers. I’ll admit that I’m weakening on the way — was our lack of letters to the editor. endorsement issue. Several of you thanked “This is their paper, it’s not just our “Letters, really, are a key to a healthy edi- me for my comments a few weeks ago on

12 August 2004 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors the candidates in the governor’s race, and of an opinion poll taken at our conference. and more religious argument is being there is one constitutional amendment (This being an international conference, 10 injected into political debate”). coming up that Helen and I feel strongly of the 78 voters were from other countries.) about. Asked who was their choice for president, * * * * * * One comment at a session Saturday morn- 80.8 percent chose John Kerry, 12.8 percent ing really made me think: “The names on George Bush and 2.6 percent Ralph Nader. The new president of the International the (newspaper) mastheads are things like Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors is Asked who they thought would win, 53.8 David Burke, editor of The Tuam Herald in The Advocate and The Leader, and we percent said Kerry, 42.3 percent said Bush. should be leading and advocating.” County Galway, Ireland. David dropped A close election was predicted by 80.8 per- by our office last week en route to the con- Ouch. cent. ference, then took his family to Nancy’s So I pose this question to you: Do you The biggest single issue? Iraq was picked Place for a late lunch (he recommends the want to make political endorsements? If by 65.4 percent. meatloaf). so, at which level — local, county, state, America’s role in Iraq was very much on and/or national? Write us a letter with * * * * * * David’s mind. In a speech at the confer- your opinion. U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, one of our ence, he urged Americans to be aware of what people are thinking about us over- * * * * * * conference speakers, said the three main issues in the election this year are foreign seas. I often find myself defending the political policy (“What will we do as Americans to “People are gravely afraid of America views of our profession to others. We are combat terrorism?”), the deficit/budget now,” he said. “The great protector is now not all a bunch of liberals, I claim. crunch, and the relationship between gov- also the great threat.” So I’ll let you be the judge after the results ernment and organized religion (“More ConferenceConference teachesteaches importanceimportance ofof editorialeditorial pagepage By Stacey Waltner Immediately we ran into Mary [Waltner], to use that voice. Freeman (S.D.) Courier who had flown in with Tim the day before Will it be heard or July 7, 2004 and she began introducing me to people will it remain that I would be spending the rest of the silent? Believe it or [Editor’s note: Stacey (Kramer) Waltner week with. Jeremy ran off for a board not, editors want married ISWNE board member Jeremy meeting and I was quickly immersed in to hear from you, Waltner on Feb. 28. Inspired by her experi- the fun and fellowship that makes up a whether it’s in ence at the recent ISWNE conference, she great deal of the conference. response to some- will be contributing a regular column to Yes, I had a good time and enjoyed spend- thing they wrote the Courier.] ing time with my husband and “his peo- or something hap- ple.” But more importantly, I learned pening in the much more than I thought I would. community. If The boundaries I have experienced in life you speak up you Stacey Waltner changed in more than one way when I The core of the conference is the editorial will be heard, married Jeremy. critique session that took place on Friday because someone is listening. morning. All the people in attendance are One of those ways is through different Besides meeting wonderful people (they newspaper people that I now often broken into small groups and given edito- rial pages to look at and read prior to the really are warm, welcoming and accept- encounter. This past week I traveled to Pere ing), getting rained out in Busch Stadium, Marquette State Park near Grafton, Ill., for conference. They then gather together to discuss, critique and debate the content, hearing from “Andrew Jackson” and learn- my first International Society of Weekly ing, about the preparation camp for Lewis Newspaper Editors (ISWNE) conference. In layout and format of the editorial pages of their newspapers. I had been warned that and Clark at Camp River Dubois, I learned the Waltner family these conferences hold that the editorial page — and consequent- great importance and I had heard a lot these sessions could at times get rather heated and even brutal, so I braced myself. ly ISWNE — is all about the people’s right about them, even meeting a few of the to free speech and finding ways to promote individuals prior to last week. I had been What I learned that morning is partly why it. We don’t have to all agree — life could assured over and over again that these I am writing now — the importance of the become rather boring if that were the case would be some of the warmest, welcoming editorial page. People writing to the editor, — but we do have to be accepting and and most accepting people that I would letting their opinions be known and the willing to listen to other’s opinions and ever meet. However, apprehension still importance of people speaking their minds ideas. seized me as we drove onto the grounds of — whether you agree or disagree — the state park. Would I be bored? Was I became more evident to me than ever We can all learn a lesson from the mem- going to spend the entire week talking before. People have a voice, but it’s up to bers of ISWNE, as I did during my week newspaper? the individuals to decide how they’re going with people from all over the world.

August 2004 13 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors GreatGreat AmericanAmerican bulge:bulge: AA nationalnational diseasedisease By Robert H. Estabrook Basically it is a matter of leadership requir- the most impor- The Lakeville (Ct.) Journal ing the urgent attention of both parties. tant issue, com- July 22, 2004 Not until we make it a matter of national pared with 14% concern requiring the involvement of lead- the economy. ers at all levels from the president on down SURPRISE! HERE I am again, like the glitch HAVING BEEN are we likely to make headway in curbing away for three on the computer, despite having promised what has become a national disease. to suspend this column for a couple of weeks, I return When you think about it, it is a problem with the feeling months. Enough people have paid me the that causes far more damage than interna- compliment of saying that they missed it that Bush tional terrorism to the future well-being of administration to reignite the itch to write. I can’t resist Americans, scratching a mosquito bite. exaggerations THE FOCAL POINT of our trip was the and deceptions My co-pilot and I were perambulating in 50th anniversary meeting of the Inter- about Iraq and our van-camper to a newspaper meeting national Society of Weekly Newspaper unpreparedness in Illinois on a 4,000-mile circuit. Our Editors at the Pere Marquette State Park to deal with the Bob Estabrook course also touched parts of New York, near Grafton, Ill. This brought together aftermath of the Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West community editors from various parts of war remain the principal issue. Fahrenheit Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Iowa, the United States and Canada as well as a 9/11 is not exactly fair and balanced, but Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and few from overseas. The new president, it certainly is provocative. Yet John Kerry Ohio. David Burke, editor of the Tuam Herald in either is not impassioned enough to regis- More than ever before, I was struck by the Ireland, cautioned American members to ter his criticisms, or is boring people in the prevalence of the Great American Bulge, recognize the new worry of friends abroad. political campaign. I hope John Edwards the number of obese people we encoun- “The great protector is viewed as a great can humanize the appeal. tered at parks and campgrounds as well as threat,” he said. Among the speakers was I also think, though, that the state of the at shopping malls. This was especially U.S . Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois, a economy may prove a very major concern. apparent, sad to say, among the kids. Fully Democrat who voiced concern about the Despite the glowing prognostications by a quarter of the youngsters we saw seemed degree to which religious fundamentalism Bush & Co., we simply are not creating fat, many of them grotesquely so. is shaping political debate. “The founding new jobs that pay as well as those lost to NOW, AS A fellow who has had to fight fathers got it right,” he said, by insisting outsourcing and globalization. A new the Battle of the Bulge all his life, I am on complete separation of church and study by the Public Policy Institute of the sympathetic to the problems of persons state. Former U.S. Rep. Paul Findlay of Business Council of New York shows that who cannot control their appetites. Illinois, a Republican, traced the root of few if any net new jobs have been added What is appalling is the obviously increas- terrorism and worldwide antagonism in that state since 1990. Peter G. Peterson, ing number of people of both sexes and all toward the United States to the “total bias” founder of the Concord Coalition and ages who stuff themselves on fast food of U.S. policy favoring one side of the chairman of the Council on Foreign cheeseburgers, French fries, potato chips Israeli-Palestinian dispute, quoting an Relations, warns of a “hard landing” with- and other munchies loaded with fat, then assertion by Condoleeza Rice that this in five years because we are borrowing ingest gooey desserts with whipped cream, country has “an Israel-centric foreign poli- $500 billion each year to finance our trade washed down by huge containers of sugary cy.” and other deficits. soft drinks. All participants irrespective of nationality BACK TO THE matter of diet. Our French Plenty of information is available about were accorded a vote in a straw poll about friends, who somehow manage to keep what is necessary for a healthy diet. But so the election. Interestingly, 80.8% favored their shapes, may be just as happy to have far it is not offsetting the come-on televised John Kerry for president compared to us call those instruments of the devil and billboard appeals to satisfy appetites 12.8% for George W. Bush and 2.6% for “Freedom fries” instead of “French fries.” with fast food and goodies irrespective of Ralph Nader. Yet only 53.8% were confi- the harm done. This is hardly a political dent Kerry will win, compared to 42% for issue, but it is surely a political problem. Bush. Sixty-six percent thought Iraq will be

14 August 2004 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors SoSo youyou wannawanna writewrite aa book...book...

By Dave Mitchell We had, I said, but we didn’t have time to Beside the good Editor & publisher travel and still get that week’s issue out on reviews, a two- The Point Reyes (Calif.) Light schedule. Barber became concerned until I hour movie told her we would be on the Tomorrow made for CBS, Show with Tom Snyder. “Attack on The day after Easter back in 1979, the That would be okay, she said. Our faces Fear,” was loose- Pulitzer Prizes were announced at 3 p.m. in had appeared in so many news stories by ly based on the New York City, noon in Point Reyes then that it seemed odd that either the book. The Station, Calif., where my former wife Today Show or the Tomorrow Show inter- Readers Digest Cathy and I published The Point Reyes view was unusually important to her, but published a Light, a 3,050-circulation weekly. Shortly with so much happening, I didn’t take piece on Cathy after 3 p.m. that Monday, the Associated time to quiz her about this. and me that Press called to say we had won the prize drew heavily for Meritorious Public Service. The prize The front page of that week’s edition had a from the book. two-line head in 96-point, going-to-war- Dave Mitchell was for an exposé of the Synanon cult’s Synanon, mean- lawbreaking, including attempts to murder sized type: “The Light wins Pulitzer Prize.” Once the issue was out, Cathy and I flew while, tried to curtail the bad press it was two people. The Light had been the first receiving by filing libel suits and claimed news medium, for example, to reveal that to Burbank, were squired around in a lim- ousine provided by NBC, and ultimately various news media were conspiring to dis- Charles Dederich, founder of Synanon, credit the cult. Synanon sued media as dis- had called for an attack on an attorney, were interviewed by Snyder for about an hour. (One discovery: those coffee mugs parate as: KGO-TV, Time magazine, The Paul Morantz. Morantz, who had just won San Francisco Examiner, The Readers a false-imprisonment case against the cult, placed beside guests on the show were not filled with coffee. Apparently the drinks Digest, and Cathy and me. In all, Synanon was nearly killed when two Synanon lawyers filed six lawsuits against my wife members hid a 4.5-foot rattlesnake (whose were supposed to relax guests and loosen their tongues. ) and me asking a total of $1,032,000,000 (a warning rattles had been cut off) in his billion, 32 million dollars). mailbox. The attorney was bitten, but a In any case, the interview was fun but quick response by paramedics with anti- merely an expanded version of what we There have seldom been supposed causes venom serum saved him. had said in previous interviews. Nonethe- of action as bizarre as Synanon’s. The cult tried to claim that The Point Reyes Light’s As Cathy later said, we knew The Light’s less, when we got back to Point Reyes Station the next day, Barber called to say, publishers and a Readers Digest writer coverage of the cult was good reporting, working from a book published by Playboy but we never expected it would be recog- “The Snyder show went well.” In the next breath she added, Huber was now ready to amounted to our all colluding to besmirch nized on a national level. However, it was, the cult. and after I finished yelling to the staff that sign a contract. It would be months before we had won a Pulitzer Prize, I gave AP a I understood the connection between Cathy and I received pro bono representa- brief interview while my wife gave UPI an Cathy’s and my performance on the tion from the Heller, Ehrman, White and interview on another line. Within an Tomorrow Show and our immediately get- McAuliffe law firm, and in 1984, Synanon hour, the old San Francisco Examiner had ting a book contract. As we would eventu- paid us $100,000 to settle the lawsuits it a reporter at The Light. So did The Los ally learn, how we came across on televi- had brought against us. We probably Angeles Times. KGO-TV, the ABC affiliate sion — and to a lesser degree on radio — could have gotten more than $100,000 if in San Francisco, sent a reporter by heli- was as important to a publisher as any- we had agreed to not reveal the amount, copter to our fairly remote town on the thing our book had to say. This became but publicizing the fact that we had coast. NBC and CBS arrived with camera obvious, however, the moment The Light received a substantial settlement was more crews. Cathy and I were interviewed by so on Synanon: How a Country Weekly important to us. We wanted to get the many radio stations we lost track of whom Exposed a Corporate Cult and Won the word out that trying to bully the press with we were talking to. And as readers jammed Pulitzer Prize was finally released in 1980. libel suits can backfire. The settlement was, our small office to join the celebration, a Immediately I was booked on talk shows in fact, widely publicized, but it didn’t sell movie agent and two literary agents called from San Francisco to Los Angeles, Texas any more books for us. to sign Cathy and me up. to Chicago, New York to Boston, with stops After Cathy and I split up in 1981, I spent in between. Within a day, the Ginger Barber Literary two years reporting for the old, Hearst- Agency in New York did sign us and Despite the talk shows and our book’s get- owned San Francisco Examiner. Just before immediately pitched our story to Seaview ting rave reviews from 25 or 30 large news- I showed up for work, however, I traveled Books, which at the time was a wholly papers, we sold only about 2,500 copies. In to Thailand and visited a number of owned division of Playboy. Less than 24 1984, two friends bought the remaindered camps filled with refugees from the wars in hours later, Barber called back to say an copies and gave them to The Light. We’ve Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. I was fasci- editor at Seaview Books, Sherry Huber, was been making pocket change by occasional- nated by what I saw and sold a couple of interested. And by the way, Barber had ly selling copies ever since ($10 paperback stories to The Examiner, which ran them heard we had been invited to be guests on including postage). on page 1. Six months later, The Examiner the Today Show the following morning. I was amazed the book didn’t sell better. sent me to Central America for three

continued on page 16 August 2004 15 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors ‘Big box’ ban: It’s worth a try

By Dick Drysdale and businesses, of ruthless tactics than that, ever. The Herald of Randolph (Vt.) employed by Wal-Mart against competi- Disallowing July 15, 2004 tors, of callous indifference to local and stores of more regional economies. Several editorials stud- than 50,000 or ied during the weekend warned of the 60,000 square The several dozen present and former Wal-Mart nemesis. feet, however, newspaper publishers gathered last week- might work. end at a convention of the International The general shape of American retailing — largely created by Wal-Mart and other Such a step Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors could- would keep out n’t agree on much. These folks pride them- mass merchandisers — also drew a sad observation from an Irish editor, David the super-stores selves on the independence and the variety now favored by of their views and perspectives, so that Burke. His greatest disappointment in visit- ing the U.S., he said, has been the same- Wal-Mart, which their meetings present a wonderful kalei- reach 100,000 Dick Drysdale doscope of small-town Americana. ness he encounters. If you’ve seen one American city, he said, the others don’t square feet or On Wal-Mart, however, these weekly edi- offer much that’s new. He hopes to visit more. The prohibition might save some tors did agree: The superstores are lethal New England some day, having heard that small businesses and the village character dangers to small towns. Story after story village centers still thrive here. of our town. was told of the drying-up of downtowns Holding on to Randolph’s village Planning Commission Chair Julie Iffland center was the reason behind a confirmed this week that “we feel pretty Planning Commission proposal this strongly” about this. “We could quibble year that the new town plan should about the number of square feet,” she said, prohibit “big box” stores here. As “but the point is you put a limit. part of a general revision, however, Otherwise, you’re just opening the doors.” the Selectboard removed the big-box A regional approach would be better, so prohibition. From what we heard that Wal-Mart (or another chain) wouldn’t last weekend, the Selectboard should just build in a nearby town. In fact, the reconsider. Irish address the problem by creating a The Planning Commission original- national limit on the size of stores — some- ly proposed a size limit of 35,000 thing that the state of Vermont could con- square feet as the largest permissible sider. In the upper White River Valley, store in Randolph. That is probably however, Randolph is the only logical Dick Drysdale received a Golden Dozen award too restrictive. It’s the size of Shaw’s place for a super-store, so local zoning just for editorial writing at the recent ISWNE confer- supermarket, and it may be unreal- might be successful. ence. istic to prohibit anything bigger It’s worth a try.

So you wanna to write a book... from page 15 months to cover the fighting in El Salvador appointed, but on my own showed it to The loss, however, is only to my vanity and Guatemala, which was even more fas- Harper Collins. No interest. Finally the and not my pocketbook. Seaview paid cinating — but often in terrible ways. At Snow Lion Press offered $1,000 for total $20,000 for The Light on Synanon and the end of 1983, I took The Point Reyes rights to the manuscript. Given how Tomorrow Entertainment paid $15,000 for Light back from its new publisher, who much work I had put into it, I wasn’t inter- the right to make the CBS movie Attack on hadn’t been making payments on her ested. I’ve thought of self-publishing, and Fear. From that we had to pay agents their note to Cathy and me. maybe I’ll do it someday. However, run- cut, and because Cathy and I had worked By then I felt I had seen enough of war ning a small weekly is time-consuming with a sociologist from the University of and refugees in the tropics that I had enough without taking on another project. California at Berkeley, Professor Richard enough material for another book. I wrote Several years ago, when I had a partner, I Ofshe, my share of the book rights (after my old literary agent Virgina Barber that I started learning Quark and Photoshop the agent’s cut) was about $5,000 while was just finishing a manuscript, and she with the intention of producing the book my share of the rights to the movie, which asked to see it. Three weeks later she wrote from scratch. But my partner left (amica- came out after Cathy and I divorced, was back to say it wasn’t the type of book pub- bly) to become a lobbyist, and I haven’t only about $4,000. I made far more lishers were buying at the time. I was dis- touched my second book since. money being sued, and perhaps there is a lesson in that.

16 August 2004 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors Results of ISWNE Foundation’s Silent Auction at Pere Marquette State Park, Illinois

Amount Item Winner Donated By $10 1874 Montgomery County atlas map Susan Belliveau Nancy Slepicka $12 Autographed Anne Murray scrap book Gary Sosniecki Suan Belliveau $25 Two sets baseball prints Bob Whetstone/Donna Remer Nancy Slepicka $15 Anne Murray Country Croonin’ CD Gary Sosniecki Susan Belliveau $25 Cheese & CD basket #1 Nancy Slepicka Chris Wood $25 Cheese & CD basket #2 Kevin Flink Chris Wood $21 Cheese & CD basket #3 Helen Sosniecki Chris Wood $30 Cheese & CD basket #4 John Galer Chris Wood $5 Colored Colorado ISWNE picture Phoebe Baker Nina Ray $12 Autographed Anne Murray ball cap Joan Plaxton Susan Belliveau $30 Sand dollar jewelry Carol O’Leary Marg & Ralph Hennigar $20 Homemade Vermont maple syrup Jane Steinmetz Dick Drysdale $45 Indian basket Pat & Frank Garred Burt & Ursula Freireich $20 Vol. 1, No. 1 of Grassroots Editor David Burke Dick & MaryJo Lee $15 Anne Murray book & CD/Wonderful World Joan Plaxton Susan Belliveau $25 Ceramic courthouse of World Needs God Vickie Canfield Peters Nancy Slepicka $25 Illinois capitol lighted ceramic Sandy Horowitz Nancy Slepicka $60 Paul Simon - The Autobiography Gary Sosniecki Nancy Slepicka $35 The Other Side of Eden MJ Lentz Yukon News/Peter Lesniak $35 The Man Who Mapped the Artic Bob Estabrook Yukon News/Peter Lesniak $20 Maps and Dreams Bob Estabrook Yukon News/Peter Lesniak $50 Harvey Dunn print from South Dakota State David Burke Dick & MaryJo Lee $25 Our Culture of Pandering (Paul Simon) Dave Ambrose Nancy Slepicka $65 25th Anniversay ISWNE memento Nancy Slepicka Garrett Ray $60 Book and engraved Scottish cup of friendship Kris O’Leary Julian Calvert $27 Amos pewter Blue Heron pin Carol O’Leary Marg & Ralph Hennigar $14 Twisting in the Wind Margaret Sawyer Kim Mobley/Aurora Advertiser $25 Freeman luminary pottery Debbie Brod Mary & Tim Waltner $44 Two sensational volumes Bob Whetstone Sandy & Bob Horowitz $30 2003 Freeman red wine Peter Lesniak Stacey & Jeremy Waltner $33 Ultimate Punishment -Autographed Scott Turow Carol O’Leary Nancy Slepicka $10 Chile pepper mitt and towel/switch plate MJ Lentz Guy & Marcia Wood $30 Silver broken chariot wheel pin Helen Sosniecki David Burke $21 Michigan oven mitt Jim Painter Sandra George $20 Pottery dish Sandy Horowitz MJ Lentz $20 Pottery dish Ursula Freireich MJ Lentz $30 Detroit basket Dick & MaryJo Lee Donna Remer $27 Detroit basket Chad Stebbins Donna Remer $35 Civil War Extra Vickie Canfield Peters Mary Lou & Bob Estabrook $20 Geode and garnet (uncut) Peter Lesniak Nils Rosdahl $25 Fluorite chunk Donna Remer Nils Rosdahl

August 2004 17 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors

Amount Item Winner Donated By $35 Leinenkugel beer sampler Donna Remer Sue & Dave Gordon $17 Yellow Springs, Ohio old dam photo Dottie Wald Robert Mihalek $6 Weaver Street Market grocery bag Kris O’Leary Tom Wills & Robin Schectman $7 Weaver Street Market grocery bag Donna Remer Tom Wills & Robin Schectman $45 Sedona (Arizona) picture frame Mary Waltner Marquita Porter & Elliott Freireich $5 Branson — Show Me linen Bob Whetstone Margaret Sawyer $28 All the News is Fit to Print Carol O’Leary Chad Stebbins $20 Brother Bear’s coffee Tim Waltner Robert Mihalek $13 Missouri Southern cap and shirt Nils Rosdahl Chad Stebbins $20 Missouri Southern cap and shirt Joan Plaxton Chad Stebbins $20 Superman T-shirt Rachel Freireich Metropolis Planet/Clyde Wills $110 Hand-blown wine carafe Tim Waltner Vickie Peters & Jim Graue $20 Valleyview tourism T-shirt Goodloe Sutton Valleyview Valley News/Joan Plaxton $27 Sawyer Tales Kris O’Leary Margaret Sawyer $30 One of a Kind (book/picture/article) Joan Plaxton Margaret Sawyer $10 Shot glasses Kris O’Leary Phoebe Baker $20 Crawfish Festival T-shirt Nancy Slepicka Goodloe Sutton $50 4 Ozark Press Association mugs John Galer Gary & Helen Sosniecki $25 Gardening baske Dottie Wald Carol O’Leary & Bob Whetstone $27 Patriotic basket Dottie Wald Carol O’Leary & Bob Whetstone $30 Lodi cheese & summer sausage gift box Kevin Flink Jan & Bill Haupt $35 Isleta Pueblo wedding vase Peter Lesniak Dick McCord $11 Murder in Metropolis Phoebe Baker Metropolis Planet/Clyde Wills $16 Superman Award Chris Wood Metropolis Planet/Clyde Wills $40 Exploring the Olympic Mountains 1878-1890 Donna Remer Port Townsend Leader/Garreds $10 Black & white Colorado picture MJ Lentz Nina Ray $12 Park Forest (Illinois) Dreams & Challenges Bill Haupt Jane Steinmetz $40 Cubs pilsner glasses Bill Haupt Don & Debbie Brod $22 Freedom’s Choice: Elijah Lovejoy (Paul Simon) Robert Mihalek Nancy Slepicka $21 Freedom’s Choice: Elijah Lovejoy (Paul Simon) Phoebe Baker Nancy Slepicka $20 Freedom’s Choice: Elijah Lovejoy (Paul Simon) Elliott Freireich Nancy Slepicka $16 Freedom’s Choice: Elijah Lovejoy (Paul Simon) Dave Ambrose Nancy Slepicka $15 Freedom’s Choice: Elijah Lovejoy (Paul Simon) Bob Estabrook Nancy Slepicka $15 Freedom’s Choice: Elijah Lovejoy (Paul Simon) Chris Wood Nancy Slepicka $14 Freedom’s Choice: Elijah Lovejoy (Paul Simon) Kris O’Leary Nancy Slepicka $19 Mushrooms Dottie Wald Phoebe Baker $18 Mushrooms Chad Stebbins Phoebe Baker $16 Mushrooms Marcia Wood Phoebe Baker $14 Mushrooms Nancy Slepicka Phoebe Baker $12 Mushrooms Carol O’Leary Phoebe Baker $10 Mushrooms Donna Remer Phoebe Baker $53 Journalism T-shirt Marcia Wood Garrett & Nina Ray $52 Journalism T-shirt Elliott Freireich Garrett & Nina Ray $$30 Journalism T-shirt Jeremy Waltner Garrett & Nina Ray $10 Journalism T-shirt Jim Painter Garrett & Nina Ray $114 Miscellaneous monetary donations $2,321 — Grand Total

18 August 2004 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors SlepickasSlepickas mergemerge paperpaper withwith competitorcompetitor

With an eye to the future and reverence for Journal-News the county’s largest and merge,” John tradition, The Montgomery County News most widely read newspaper. Current paid Galer says. “In and The Hillsboro Journal in Illinois have subscribers of either or both newspapers the coming announced the merger of these family- will see their subscriptions converted to The weeks and owned newspapers, effective Aug. 1. Journal-News at no additional cost. months, we The announcement was made by Richard Businesses that have been duplicating their welcome feed- and Nancy Slepicka, Phil and Nancy advertising in the separate newspapers will back from the Galer, and John and Susie Galer. see no increase in cost while gaining community. We broader coverage of Montgomery County. encourage our Phil and John Galer are the second and readers and third generations, respectively, of their “Advertisers wanting affordable, total mar- advertisers to family to publish The Hillsboro Journal, ket coverage, can reach all households in help The founded in 1852. and around the county by advertising in Journal-News Nancy Slepicka is the fourth generation the paid circulation Journal-News and the expand our free distribution M&M Journal,” Galer Bliss to publish The Montgomery County coverage and Nancy Slepicka News, founded in 1869. says. provide a “The Journal-News will combine the best of The Journal-News will continue to staff greater service two newspapers that have operated contin- existing offices in both Hillsboro and to the communities and residents of uously and independently for more than Litchfield. Readers can look forward to Montgomery County.” 150 years,” says Slepicka. more color photographs, more features Merger took a year to complete and special sections, and expanded cover- The Monday/Thursday newspaper debuted age of sports county-wide. The merger between The Montgomery on Aug. 2. County News and The Hillsboro Journal Regular features of both newspapers will In addition, The Journal-News will draw took nearly a year to complete, according continue, including the yard sale and pub- to Nancy Slepicka. on the talents of the next generation of lic sale directories, prime time TV schedule, both families. American Profile, a weekly editorial/opin- “I’d hoped to be able to announce it at the John and Susie’s daughter, Mary, a 2002 ion page with editorials by Phil Galer, ISWNE conference and introduce John, photo-journalism graduate of the Richard Slepicka and others, “Our Susie and Mary as our new partners in University of Missouri-Columbia, returned Neighbors” by Nancy Wright Galer, “Back chaos, but the contract wasn’t finalized in to her family’s business at the end of May Through the Years” by Richard Slepicka, time,” she said. after working for nearly two years as staff “F.Y.I.” by John Galer, “Journalisms” busi- “Jaws literally dropped all over the county. photographer and reporter for The Clarion, ness news, “About Town” by Nancy We’re traditionally known as the a daily newspaper in Princeton, Ind. Slepicka, “Afterthoughts” by Mike Democratic paper, and they’ve been the Richard and Nancy’s son, Pavel, graduated Plunkett, “Ramblings” by Ron other, so there’s LOTS of curiosity on how last year from Southern Illinois University- Deabenderfer, “Around Our House” by we’ll handle the editorial page.” Carbondale with a bachelor’s degree in lib- Susan Galer, “Butler Grove Stories” by Jan John Galer is publisher/production manag- eral arts/university studies. Pavel returned Long, “Freida’s Coonridge Digest” by Ken er of the new Journal-News, with wife Susie to The News in mid-May after working Bradbury, plus other staff columnists. serving as financial/personnel manager. since August in Norfolk, Va. “Although our families have been com- Nancy and husband Richard are senior Mary and Pavel both graduated from petitors for years — for generations — we editors, with son Pavel working in sales, Hillsboro High School in 1998. have a lot in common,” Nancy Slepicka news, and photography. Mary Galer is the “Merger of the two papers allows us to says. “The goal of both families has always Litchfield editor. eliminate many duplicated efforts,giving been to serve the community, and we all Richard will continue to operate the our combined, excellent staffs the time to devote a lot of time and energy to our Slepickas’ So Many Books store, and the do more and do it better,” says John Galer. newspapers. Combining our talents and couple will maintain their modest com- “The Journal-News will use the strengths of efforts makes sense.” mercial printing operation. two community newspapers to become the And, the time is right. “We’ll both write, cover some meetings, information source for all of Montgomery “Mary’s and Pavel’s decision to return as and be involved in page layout,” Nancy County.” the next generation of community journal- says. Subscriber lists will be merged to make The ists makes this the opportune year to

August 2004 19 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors OnOn thethe roadroad withwith CharlesCharles KuraltKuralt —— no,no, BillBill HauptHaupt

By Bill Haupt a significant whine about the frustrations I also visited Kadoka, South Dakota of the fuel shortage, including a few gratu- Amelia Earhart’s July 9, 2004 itous grunts toward Baghdad, a kindly girlhood home. gentleman and his wife appeared to offer This is a hand- [Editor’s note: ISWNE member Bill Haupt assistance. They saved me from a poten- some home, wrote weekly dispatches on his motorcycle tially awful experience and raised the sail perched on a journey along the Lewis and Clark trail. of at least one human spirit. They were Missouri River Several newspapers published his articles, great. bluff and fronting and here’s the first installment.] I continued through Missouri, dodging a beautiful, some fierce rainstorms, and drove to unlimited hori- Independence. I visited some of Harry zon. It was this Greetings from Kadoka, South Dakota, environment, near the crusty edge of the Badlands. I Truman’s old stomping grounds, lunching near the beautiful county courthouse seemingly on the have retired by mid afternoon today, worn edge of the clouds by the intense heat of the Plains and where he once labored and touring his home near downtown. It’s a nice Victorian that nurtured a Bill Haupt weighted by the environment I have just legendary vision- experienced. More on that later. in a pleasant neighborhood — stately but unpretentious — similar to its former ary. Go figure. Let’s begin from Pere Marquette State Park. owner. I continued through Kansas into Nebraska. Following a four-day conference for news- I drove through Kansas City, seeking to At this point I opted to deviate from the paper editors, I departed Illinois from river route, choosing to head to Lincoln to Grafton, just upstream from Lewis and avoid the interstate maze surrounding this industrial and transformation center. see two state shrines — the capitol and the Clark’s launching point at Wood River. I University of Nebraska football stadium. I also needed a nautical vessel or two to Except for a few miles, that mis- sion was landed at a downtown Holiday Inn located secure passage, using ferries to cross the between the two sites. The capitol Illinois and then the mighty Mississippi impressed me from to reach land in Missouri near St. the exterior, Charles. I was on my way. a tall unpre- Two highlights from my July 4 ride tentious sky- through central Missouri: 1) the com- scraper on the munity picnic featuring smoked pork Plains. Inside, barbecue in Tebbetts; and 2) the however, it kindness of a Good Samaritan who seemed dark aided me and my disabled vehicle. and even a bit The picnic basically speaks for itself, dank in places. but the scene was mid- It’s not one of Missouri Rockwell. my favorites Community groups were and neither is serving food, kids were the governor’s running and playing residence across games, bingo drew its tra- the street. It’s ditional crowd, the band nice, if you like played in the background, Colonial Brady and folks were having a Bunch. good time. It was a nice, The football stadi- reaffirming American um was cool — big interlude on my trek west- and old and tucked ward. quietly into a corner The Good Samaritan of the campus. It’s about a mile from the appeared near Columbia. accomplished. I proceeded north along the capitol. But it’s no easy walk in a city that That’s where my cycle’s engine chugged to river, spending Monday evening in is designed to accommodate the automo- a halt, gasping for fuel along a busy four- Atchison, Kansas. Atchison is a town of bile. Cars race on one-way streets four to lane highway. (Long story — doesn’t mat- trains and grains, and it appears to have six abreast throughout the core of town. ter.) It’s mid afternoon, about 90 degrees, plenty of both. Grain silos line the multiple It’s not a comforting environment for I’m already baked, cars are zooming past train tracks that define the city. The sounds walking pedestrians but it seems a perfect and I’m stuck on the flipside of the of chugging and approaching train whis- market for a Humvee. Rockwell moment. About five minutes into tles are routinely in the background. I was not disappointed to leave Lincoln or

20 August 2004 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors

Nebraska for additional reasons. After enjoying the moment and bashing fueled by racism, indigence, and class. A avoiding rain for three days, my luck sur- Nebraska at every available opportunity. later read of the local Todd County rendered. I was drenched heading north “Yes,” they all agreed, “Nebraska has a Tribune reinforced these claims. toward Yankton, reputation After leaving the newspaper office, I cruise South Dakota. I as a speed through town seeking a recommended stopped at a gas trap,” and restaurant. About four blocks from station and later enthusiasti- Mission’s main intersection, a blue car utilized a cally joined darts over the median stripes on the four- Village Inn the verbal lane road and is headed directly toward restaurant as a onslaught. It my motorcycle. Startled, I drive into the far changing sta- was much right lane and the car swerves maliciously tion and hang- fun, actually past me, still on my side of the road. out spot until worth at the storm least $119. I stop at the main intersection, calming my nerves and engaging the sidewalk food cleared. I decided to Mercifully it did vendor. “I was just almost hit by a car stay in driving on the wrong side of the road,” I after about three Freeman an hours. I said. “I wonder if they were drinking?” I extra day, asked. remounted the mostly to bike, and drove give my “They say about one in five drivers is Bill Haupt spent some time with ISWNE member north toward body a drunk, but around here it’s more like one the promised Donald Smith in Monticello, Minn., on his trip in three,” she shrugged. “Or maybe they home to Lodi, Wis. break amid land of South additional were just mad because they thought you Dakota. “Not so weather concerns. It was a great decision, had a nice motorcycle.” fast, you Wisconsin reprobate.” That’s as I completed a host of housekeeping “Oh,” I responded, immediately aware basically what the police officer said after assignments and felt well rested for my that the circumstances I had somewhat stopping my cycle for exceeding the posted departure west this morning. I headed to benignly discussed in the newspaper office limits by about 10 m.p.h. I was within Mission, a small town west of the Missouri were now remarkably personal. It was not three miles of the state border when I and east of the Badlands. The town is a good feeling. experienced this $119 greeting call. I was located on the Rosebud Indian After fueling the bike, I headed west from not overly delighted, even if I was guilty. Reservation. Mission and north toward the Badlands. I crossed the river at Yankton, in the south- Poverty is no stranger to this neighbor- The raw, hard beauty of this incredibly eastern corner of the state. I drove north hood. It broods in the atmosphere, linger- remote territory always inspires me, and about 40 miles to Freeman to visit the ing uneasily amid the brilliant South today was no exception. It stands as unwa- Waltners, friends in the newspaper busi- Dakota sunshine. Downtown buildings are vering as the hard truth that lies just to the ness who also attended the Pere Marquette boarded, dogs run freely, and a dusty south and east. conference. Freeman was the perfect tonic unkemptness persists. A scheduled meeting I’ll reconnect with the river and the L&C after a long and soggy day. Five of us with the local newspaper editor, a Native route at Pierre tomorrow morning. And I’ll enjoyed a wonderful dinner that night, American, reveals the community tensions connect again with you next week, proba- MarathonMarathon ofof sortssorts nearingnearing anan endend By Bill Haupt marathon of sorts. At least that was the definitely cool! Chinook, Montana message from my body. Much like the Corps of Discovery, I didn’t July 25, 2004 It also felt good. Reaching the final desti- dally long at this camp amid the towering nation after traveling the entire route of native timber. I headed north, crossing the Greetings from central Montana. Much the trail generated a sense of quiet pride mighty Columbia River into Washington has transpired in the quick week since my and humility for me. I had actually and proceeding along the coast. last correspondence from western Oregon. reached the Promised Land, accomplishing Accompanied by the endless ocean views a long-standing personal goal. Standing in and the salty sea breeze, I realized I wasn’t As expected, I reached Lewis and Clark’s front of the replica fort that is similar to in Kansas anymore — or anyplace else I’d Pacific seaside home at Fort Clatsop on models at Wood River in southern Illinois traversed. This land enjoys its own unique Saturday, July 17. It took 13 days and and Washburn (Fort Mandan), North character, notable for mighty pines and stretched almost 3,000 miles from southern Dakota, I experienced a sense of satisfac- evergreens interspersed with neighboring Illinois. I suppose that qualifies as a tion that is difficult to describe. But it was bodies of salt and fresh water. It’s special

August 2004 21 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors real estate. I reveled in it, continuing place is grander than Glacier National northeast in the shadow of the Olympic Park. I detoured from Highway 2 to tra- National Forest to visit newspaper pals in verse the marvelous route of about 50 Shelton and Port Townsend. winding miles through Logan Pass and the I ultimately navigated to Seattle in a mas- rest of the park. Stupendous, magnificent, sive car ferry across the Puget Sound, unbelievable — mountains, lakes, glaciers, which reminded me of more prosaic earlier and wildlife. It must be seen to be believed. crossings of the Illinois and Mississippi Leaving the park and re-connecting with Rivers. There I rested and relaxed with Highway 2, I recognized that I had just bid friends for three delightful days before con- adieu to greenery and hills for many miles tinuing the trek homeward. After coursing and several moons. I had entered the west- about 2,600 miles over the previous 10 ern Plains, where the land in summer is days, this hiatus was much appreciated by golden, flat, and endless. I grasped the several of my personal constituencies. throttle and headed east. I headed east from Seattle on Highway 2, a I continued past grain fields and grain route I will follow into North Dakota. mills, and the omni-present rail lines that Washington offers great forest scenery in accompany them. I landed in Chinook, a the west and a dramatic shift to desert small town physically girded by this part- topography in the east. It’s sort of a bi- nership. At a local dining bistro last night, polar state, from my psycho-travels. But I learned from a rancher named Cody that I’m generally in the mood for the boldness he allots about 25 acres of grazing land for of its offerings. each of his almost 500 cows. “You do the After nighting in Spokane on Washing- math,” he said, revealing that more than ton’s eastern edge, I proceeded east the sky is big in Montana. through the skinny top of Idaho and into I now commence the final stage of my Bill Haupt in front of the Shelton-Mason western Montana, where nothing is skin- return trip to Wisconsin. I expect I’ll write County Journal in Shelton, Wash., after ny. But traveling through the Rockies and the final chapter of this journey next week visiting with ISWNE member Charles the Continental Divide is grand, and no from my home in Lodi. Happy trails. Gay on his trip from the Midwest to the Northwest. ErrorsErrors areare embarrassing,embarrassing, butbut reinforcereinforce resolveresolve ofof reportersreporters By Donald Q. Smith heartwarming Musings column on her question. We’ve Publisher, Monticello (Minn.) Times mother’s wedding. reviewed procedures. June 24, 2004 But we erred, too. We renewed our pledge to get it right And it was in the most embarrassing ways. and complete as often Several years back, the Times had a news We fell short of our aim for error-free pub- as humanly possible. editor who made this vow: If a weekly lishing in two obituaries. Hundreds, maybe As news people, errors issue were published with no errors, he even thousands, of our readers detected the would circle our block naked. tear us apart. This is a mistakes. We pictured the daughter of deeply personal busi- It was not Thor Carlson’s sole intention to Martha Korpela in an obituary; in the ness, especially in make light of mistakes in our news report- typographical process of putting page 4 cities the size of ing. Rather his oft-repeated proposition together, we inserted Mary Dorf’s picture Monticello. As Donald Q. Smith during his tenure here was a reminder of into the story of her mother’s death. reporters, we care the near impossibility of compiling the The obituaries column was our nemesis deeply about our week’s events without somewhere commit- last week. In the short death notice of Elsie work. Our names go on bylines and ting an error or omitting some part of the Allen, we inserted the name of just one of columns. news. her children, omitting that she had two Certain accounts of importance are read, Newspapers, especially those published in sons in addition to one daughter. corrected and proofed again by as many smaller communities like Monticello, are Both obituaries are run in complete form as five-six people. Stories are published profoundly human institutions. We can and according to our long-held practices in that are first written by a staff member, succeed at hitting the marks of accuracy this week’s Times. And we’ve apologized edited by Laurie Dennis (and now Eric and fairness...and sometimes excellence. on more than one occasion to these family O’Link, her successor) and then proofed by In last week’s Times, we may have come members. two additional people. We also have a close to all of those — with our govern- I’m sure there are people shaking their process for checking that corrections are mental reporting on annexation and other heads and saying, “How could the Times properly made. issues; back-page features on Monticello’s get that so wrong?” Still mistakes happen. Occasionally, com- distinguished teachers; and Jen Faber’s Internally, we’ve asked ourselves the same munity members will jump on our errors.

continued on page 28

22 August 2004 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors WhatWhat happenshappens whenwhen pastpast editorialseditorials comecome backback toto life?life? Everyone has an opinion but not everyone the paper trail I leave behind. I think each thing many editors puts them in print for the world to read. editor needs to explain what they were do. Instead of look- That fact has caused grief for some news- thinking and doing five, 10 or 20 years ing at the topic, they paper editors and reporters who decide to ago to put an older editorial in perspective. should look at your switch careers and are then singled out for Experiences change. Life changes. People ability to represent “politically incorrect speech” by persons are allowed to change their positions and an idea thoroughly offended by past editorials. philosophies.” and debate any sub- “It can be a touchy situation when you — Stacy Chastain, editor, The News ject, which is useful change from an being an editor, where Observer in Blue Ridge, Ga. to you in your new you are paid to write thought-provoking position.” editorials that may raise the hair on peo- Editorials reflect character — Elizabeth Kelly ple’s neck, to other types of jobs where you “I have written columns and editorials for Klay, features editor, can be encouraged to keep your personal 28 years and I’m sure that anyone who Springfield (Mo.) David Burton opinions to yourself,” said David Burton, had read them consistently has formed an News-Leader civic communication specialist for the opinion of my character and values based University of Missouri Extension. on the words I’ve written. I don’t necessari- What is the big deal? According to Burton, that fact led him to ly hold with the same opinions I had 15 or “I don’t see a problem. I’ve been writing do a study among other current and past 20 years ago, but neither do I apologize for editorials for 20 years on a daily basis. newspaper editors to determine what sort them. If a writer has been true to himself, Anyone is welcome to go back and look at of impact past opinion columns and edito- then his editorials and columns are an any of them. I know perfectly well that rials have (or can have) on future work. honest reflection of his character and a there are plenty of individuals, businesses, part of the package. I am who I am. The and organizations that would never hire Case study facts question you pose is so far outside the me because of editorials I have written Imagine the day when you are no longer a realm of concern that I’ve never even con- over the years. That’s the price I pay for newspaper editor or journalist. You apply sidered it.” telling the truth as I see it. If you are wor- for (or even get) another job which works — Jim Hamilton, editor, Herald-Free Press, ried that someday someone might hold with and represents diverse audiences and Bolivar, Mo. you accountable for what you are writing opinions. What happens when a potential and that it might hurt your future earning employer, or co-worker, discovers an edito- Editorials are supposed to potential, you have no business in this rial you had written 12 years before? be provocative business. Those of us who set ourselves up Assume also that the topic of the editorial, as the conscience of our communities by and position taken by you, are not in “An editor is always vulnerable to the writing editorials and pontificating on how keeping with the position of your new (or ramifications of an editorial. Our publish- others should conduct their own business potentially new) employer or co-worker. er in 1940 wrote an editorial saying it was or the public’s business need to realize that wrong for the U.S. to get into a war in we’ll never become popular or beloved. What is a former editor to do? You may Europe. I refer to it today as a classic. If the have written hundreds, maybe thousands, The most we should hope for is that fair opinion piece can’t be defended 10 years minded people will examine the body of of editorials during your tenure. What can from now, it shouldn’t be written today. you, as a former editor whose work is our work and find that occasionally we Editors should not have to apologize for made a point worth considering.” available for the public to see, do to protect their work. If they do, they should have — James E. Reagen, managing editor, your career? What are you ethically bound been more thoughtful in the first place. If The to do? When does this become a First the new employer has a problem with Journal Advance News, Ogdensburg, N.Y. Amendment issue? And finally, what such a piece, there will be other problems Join in the discussion about damage control to your reputation? in the future. Any employer should know an opinion piece, by the nature of opinion Feel free to join in the discussion on this Nationwide responses pieces, at times should be provocative. If sensitive topic involving journalism ethics Here are a few of the responses that were an old one still is, the writer should be by sending an e-mail to the author at bur- shared in regard to this journalism ethics respected for delivering the goods, and any [email protected]. Burton is a member of scenario when it was posed to a group of good writer should be able to work with a the Missouri Press Association, Society of nearly 300 practicing community journal- superior in shaping opinion pieces for the Professional Journalists and the Inter- ists from around the United States. current market, even if the views haven’t national Society of Weekly Newspaper always matched.” Editors. He was the managing editor of a Put it in context weekly newspaper for nearly six years and — Murray Bishoff, editor, Monett Daily was twice honored during that time for his “Unlike a tattoo that can be surgically Times, Monett, Mo. removed, the newspaper, its editorials, and editorials and columns. your work will be around as long as bound Look at ability to debate a subject volumes remain at the county courthouse, “I think you would have to explain to the the library keeps microfilm and the website new employer that they hired you for your archives are in place. I hope I am never diverse background in media and that ashamed of the work that I do, including writing columns on sensitive topics is one

August 2004 23 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors YourYour countrycountry isis safesafe fromfrom meme

By Elena Lappin sored by eight business organizations. hour crisis — which The New York Times With or without the special visas, journal- would have resulted July 4, 2003 ists are now scrutinized by the Department in his detention had of Homeland Security, which questioned it occurred on me in detail in Los Angeles, and by the American instead of Two months ago, I traveled from London State Department, which — when I reap- Canadian soil — to Los Angeles on assignment for a British plied to travel back to the United States — was finally resolved paper, The Guardian, believing that as a asked me whom I was going to interview with the help of British citizen I did not require a visa. I was in the United States, what the nature of my British and wrong: as a journalist, even from a coun- article was, and even what fee I would be American diplo- try that has a visa waiver agreement with paid. There is a turf war between the two mats, members of the United States, I should have applied for departments, usually won by the former. Congress, journal- Elena Lappin a so-called I (for information) visa. Because Even with a visa, one can be turned back ists, and immigra- I had not, I was interrogated for four at any port of entry. tion lawyers. hours, body searched, fingerprinted, pho- tographed, handcuffed, and forced to American journalists working abroad, “We don’t want to let you in, we don’t spend the night in a cell in a detention especially in free countries, are not accus- think you should come in,” McEwan facility in central Los Angeles, and another tomed to monitoring of this kind. By recalls being told by an immigration offi- day as a detainee at the airport before fly- requiring foreign journalists to obtain spe- cial. “But you have powerful allies and we ing back to London. My humiliating and cial visas, the United States has aligned don’t like the publicity.” McEwan began physically very uncomfortable detention itself with the likes of Iran, North Korea, his Seattle talk by wryly thanking the lasted 26 hours. and Cuba, places where reporters are treat- Department of Homeland Security “for ed as dangerous subversives and dissemi- protecting the American public from I’ve since learned that mine was not an nators of uncomfortable truths. British novelists.” Today, he says, “I think isolated case: since March 2003, when the In June 2003, for example, the State what has happened is that this depart- Department of Homeland Security became ment has been spawned in short order and responsible for immigration and border Department cabled all its diplomatic and consular posts, urging them to pay atten- is pumped up with a mission. But the peo- patrol, 13 foreign journalists were detained ple on the ground have not been properly and deported in a similar manner in that tion to “an increasing number” of journal- ists being denied entry. “Aliens coming to informed about the legislation by year, all but one at the Los Angeles airport. Washington, and tend to make up the The visa requirement itself and the treat- practice journalism are not eligible on the visa waiver program or a business visa,” it rules on the spot. It suggests the same ment of journalists by American authori- gung-ho carelessness that typified the ties are deemed untenable by the explained. “Journalists who attempt to do so . . . are subject to removal.” postinvasion effort in Iraq. I’m not American Society of Newspaper Editors immune to the argument that you need and by Reporters Without Borders. Both Ostensibly, this information is meant to Homeland Security to help counter terror- organizations have sent letters of protest to apprise visa applicants of the rules of entry ists; America has a lot of enemies, more Tom Ridge, who heads the Department of and spare them later distress. Still, the now than ever. But this sort of thing Homeland Security, as well as to Secretary approach seems that of a police state with increases its isolation.” of State Colin L. Powell and Attorney a repressive ideological agenda. The ordeal endured by the Canadian nov- General John Ashcroft. Possibly as a result But in truth, journalists and writers are not of this concentrated action, Robert Bonner, elist and Booker Prize nominee Rohinton being singled out for their political views. Mistry is more disturbing still, because it the commissioner of Customs and Border Take the case of the British novelist Ian Protection, recently announced that jour- raises the question of racial profiling. McEwan. Laura Bush admires his books so Mistry abandoned a speaking tour in the nalists arriving without an I visa may be much that he was invited to a lunch she allowed a one-time entry but should be United States in 2002 because of the treat- had with Prime Minister Tony Blair at No. ment he and his wife received at a number advised that they must apply for it for any 10 Downing Street in the fall of last year. future journeys. “We are an open society,” of airports. They were stopped and interro- Several months later, when McEwan trav- gated “to the point where the humiliation Bonner declared, “and we want people to eled to the United States via Canada to feel welcome here.” for him and his wife became unbearable,” address an audience of 2,500 in Seattle, he a representative of his American publisher, This claim could be disputed by American was refused entry by American immigra- Alfred A. Knopf, told the Globe and Mail of businesses, which have lost $30.7 billion in tion officials at the Vancouver airport. Toronto. Brent Renison, an attorney in the last two years because of visa delays (Their explanation was that his $5,000 Portland, Ore., and an immigration law and denials for their foreign partners and honorarium was too high for him to quali- specialist who worked with McEwan, points employees, according to a survey spon- fy for the visa waiver program.) The 36- to some of the excesses committed by

24 August 2004 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors immigration officials. “Rohinton Mistry McCarran-Walter Act, enacted in 1952 at from the public sphere, journalists have was born in India, not a ‘special registra- the peak of the McCarthy era. One of the become the new subversives, even when tion’ country, and is a Canadian citizen, bill’s co-authors, Senator Pat McCarran, they have no agenda at all. This has creat- entitled under the current rules to avoid boasted that the act was an effective screen ed a sense of unease among American the program of fingerprinting and photo- against subversives. Opposition to the publishers and writers. “I truly feel graphing upon entry on a visa waiver.” measure was fierce. The National Council ashamed to be an American these days,” As it happens, these difficulties predate of Churches called it “an affront to the Jonathan Galassi of Farrar, Straus & 9/11. The minuscule print warning after conscience of the American people.” Giroux told me. The author and journalist the signature line on the visa waiver form, President Truman, whose veto of the Jack Miles, a senior fellow at the Pacific stating that “you may not accept unautho- statute was overriden by Congress, said its Council on International Policy, fears that rized employment; or attend school; or rep- national-origins quota system smacked of “American relations, diplomatic and cul- resent the foreign information media dur- the Nazi master-race philosophy. Brent tural, with its closest allies are only some- ing your visit” first appeared in the early Renison points out that the bill listed jour- what less in need of repair than our rela- 1990’s, when the visa waiver program nalists as “a new class of nonimmigrants” tions with the countries of Muslim majori- itself was introduced (initially in pilot and removed them from the visitor catego- ty.” form) for 27 countries, including mine. ry. In any event, visas were denied over While old and new ideology seemingly “The I visa was always implemented,” says the years to major intellectual figures like mesh within the Patriot Act, the truth is Danielle Sheahan, a spokeswoman for Graham Greene, Gabriel Garcia Marquez that in the name of fighting terrorism, it Customs and Border Protection. When I and Carlos Fuentes. As late as 1991, The has transformed a free, open, inimitably told Sheahan that I had felt discriminated New York Times reported that the State attractive democracy into something against, she laughed: “Well, you don’t Department “maintains a list of hundreds resembling an insular fortress of have to feel that way, because authors, of thousands of aliens who are considered Kafkaesque absurdity. Perhaps Kafka was who are supposed to be coming in under O to have dangerous beliefs or intentions wise to write his visionary novel “Amerika” visas, are also stopped and queried.” Ian and ought to be kept out of the country.” without ever having visited it. Chances are McEwan, she added, “should have had an The Patriot Act revived much of the that today he would not have received a O1 Visa, which means he’s outstanding in McCarran-Walter Act. It placed antiterror- visa. his field as an author.” In fact, McEwan ism measures in a peculiar conceptual Elena Lappin is the author of Foreign was entitled to earn a fee during his stay, proximity to laws supporting the control Brides, a short-story collection, and The and later received an apology. and removal of undesirable aliens, Nose, a novel. Her journalism has The I visa was initially conceived against although with a new emphasis: as dissi- appeared in Granta, Prospect and Slate. the background of the highly controversial dent writers seem to have disappeared Mass.Mass. paperpaper questionsquestions openopen meetingmeeting lawlaw rulingruling The Hanson (Mass.) Express is fighting a board members said they wanted to pre- open meeting law?” asked Paul J. Dias, decision by the Plymouth County District serve their ability to hire the second choice president of the Hanson watchdog group. Attorney to ignore a clear violation of the candidate if the first choice did not accept Ironically, in a case with a strikingly simi- state’s Open Meeting Law. the position — although the Open Meeting lar fact pattern in Beverly, the Essex “The ruling, if adopted elsewhere, would law does not allow for such a provision. County district attorney reached the oppo- create a whole new exception to the Open The Plymouth County District Attorney’s site conclusion. District Attorney Jonathan Meeting Law and have a chilling effect on office ruled that even though the board Blodgett found that the Beverly School the public’s ability to witness the delibera- took a recorded roll-call vote to hire one of Committee had violated the open meeting tions and decisions of its elected officials,” the two finalists in executive session, there law when they deliberated on the hiring of said Express editor Josh Cutler, who is also was a conditional nature to the vote that a school superintendent behind closed an attorney. made it an exception to the requirements doors and he ordered school board vote be The issue stems from an April 20 meeting of the Open Meeting law. rescinded. of the Hanson Board of the Selectmen in The Express and a local watchdog group Cutler advised editors in this and other which the board went behind closed doors have actively protested the Plymouth counties to be aware of the Plymouth deci- to vote for a new town administrator (still County D.A.’s decision. sion. officially called executive secretary) and “The Open Meeting Law clearly states that “If town boards can take votes in executive then refused to say who they picked after- all votes to hire personnel are to be done session and then say they were ‘condition- wards. in open session. This allows the public to al’ to avoid public scrutiny then there is It was not until a week later, at their April witness that action. The board of select- precious little left covered by the Open 27, meeting that the board announced men, by their own admission, voted to hire Meeting law,” he said. “Nearly any vote a their pick. In response to complaints from the new executive secretary in executive board takes can be called conditional on the press and a local watchdog group, session. How is that not a violation of the some level.”

August 2004 25 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors GermanGerman delegationdelegation raisesraises manymany questionsquestions By R. Braiden Trapp Managing Editor Rio Grande Sun Española, N.M.

The Santa Fe branch of the National Council on International Relations hosted a group of eight German visitors to north- ern New Mexico the first week of August. It was a mix of politicians at many levels and media. The level of politician was impressive. There was a member of parliament, equal to our U.S. senator, and many leading “state” legislators. Some were party lead- ers. They toured Santa Fe over the weekend. Monday they came to Española and visited Following the horseshoe around from the left are Arne JungJohann, Bavaria; Brigitta the Rio Grande Sun, the eighth grade Richman, Washington, D.C.; Philipp Roesler, Hannover; Melanie Osswald-Stoesslein, school in Española, then sat down with the Nuremberg; Thomas Bareiss, Stuttgart; Thomas Markus Kufen (under light), Essen; Pojoaque Pueblo marketing director. Albert Robert Ruprecht, Weiden; translator Pauline Wimmer, Miami; Christiane Hinz, Tuesday they met with a Santa Fe city Hamburg; Hendrik Brandt, Hannover; and coordinator Louis Erhard, Santa Fe. councilor, the assistant secretary of state, and a state representative. Iraq. The philosophical reasons are long Brandt said, “Oh, that’s quite reasonable. Louis Erhard, a volunteer with the Council, and many, but the bottom line, they don’t We estimate a reporter costs us 100,000 brought the group, with two translators, to have the money or manpower. euro a year.” (about $120,000) the Sun Aug. 2. The translators were rarely We didn’t get into how to rig a deficit Unfortunately he didn’t know how much necessary. The group was a little sluggish budget. the Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung gets following a night of “home hospitality.” Brandt didn’t understand why we had the for a column inch of advertising. Different We discovered later that equated to a lot of Freedom of Information Act, yet the federal department. See, it’s the same everywhere. local wine tasting. government won’t turn requested public They were all disappointed in the national News editor John Foster and I gave them a documents over immediately. media. The lack of substance in television history of the newspaper, the town and the With Los Alamos only 18 miles away, reporting and the total lack of internation- readership area. We addressed the prob- Brandt also thought we should cover the al news was disheartening. lems the city of Española and Rio Arriba loss of secret disks and the management Brandt said the only German news they County face and how we write about those shakeup at the national laboratory. We had gotten in three days was on CNN problems. explained we cover local news and Los where they learned a driving school As you might guess, the one with the most Alamos has its own newspaper. While that instructor had been teaching driving for 30 questions was the editor from Hannover- paper doesn’t really cover the lab, it is years without a driver’s license. sche Allgemeine Zeitung, Hendrik Brandt. responsible to the Los Alamos community “Your national media has a strange sense He was the only print journalist there. and we have our own fish to fry. for what is important in international Another woman with North German Radio Fighting to get records out of them would news,” Brandt said. ARTE program identified herself as a jour- be a full-time job in itself. nalist but later she said her work would be We discussed that conversely, an American likened to programs on Discovery “What about FOIA?” he queried. in Europe has a large variety of news out- Channel. We explained the way the federal govern- lets to keep up with what’s going on in the United States. They quickly came to life though and were ment can drag its feet until doomsday. fascinated by local politics, schools, infra- Foster said there were two of us versus the I didn’t miss the opportunity to stick some structure, and the reporting of news in federal government and its lawyers. literature in his hand and give him the general. Topics discussed were broad but I said it would take three full-time reporters ISWNE pitch. If he could pass it along to they seemed to focus on health care and and a lawyer to try to cover anything his weekly brethren, tell them they’d be the the economy. going on at the Lab. “Three more reporters first weekly German newspaper to join ISWNE. He liked that idea. They didn’t seem overly interested in who would be an additional expense of will win our presidential election. Later we $150,000, including taxes, benefits, com- Although he is at a huge metro daily, he discovered that was because it doesn’t mat- puters, phone, and mileage etc.,” I said. said he had friends at small weeklies. Like ter who wins, Germany is not joining us in With a very serious and straight face the 400,000 circulation weekly newspaper in Hamburg.

26 August 2004 The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors

All those attending the 2004 ISWNE conference assembled for a group picture prior to the awards banquet on July 3.

ISWNE held its annual conferences at Pere Marquette State Park from 1962 to 1974. The lodge, shown here, was constructed in the 1930s.

Susan Belliveau, from Springhill, Nova Scotia, enjoyed her visit to the Piasa Winery in Grafton, Ill.

August 2004 27 Charles Gay speech from page 11 agree about the way to destroy stigmas, but we can all agree they Do you remember 40 years ago when parents of mentally retard- need to be abolished. Take suicide. Somehow, with news stories ed children were ashamed, as if there was something wrong with and editorials, we need to demystify this issue that keeps destroy- them? Do you remember when divorce was a scandal, when chil- ing lives after it takes the life of the victim. We should tell our dren from broken families were looked down upon, when you did- communities it’s happening. We should not devalue the life of a n’t tell anyone you were a recovering alcoholic? Those were all suicide victim by ignoring his death or the stigma remains, just as stigmas in my lifetime. it remains when we act like the surviving family has something to I want to be able to say in my lifetime, “Remember when being a be ashamed of. rape victim, a domestic violence victim, the parent of a gay per- Those of us who would not print a complaining witness’ name in son, or a family member of a suicide victim was a source of a rape trial should think about asking her if she would mind if shame?” And I want to be able to say I did something about it. her name was used to show other women they need not feel Thank you. shame. If we don’t use names, we shouldn’t ignore these problems in our communities because of taboos. A lot of people are living in hell Errors from page 22 out there, haunted by shame, and it’s partly our fault as journal- ists because we prolong the stigmas with our silence. Make no Overreaching comments like this infrequently arrive: “If you can’t mistake about it: Society demands that we keep silent under get that right, how can I believe anything I read in your paper?” threat of sanctions. I’ve had a law passed against my newspaper There are times we wish we were a daily newspaper. That way we by the state legislature. But newspapers shouldn’t keep a problem could make the required correction in print the next day (like we in the closet because we’re afraid of the consequences of shining a immediately do at our Web site www.monticellotimes.com). We light into the darkness. If the community is in denial, we mustn’t could then as a news team move on to the next deadline. Not become its enabler. In one of his columns, Mr. Estabrook pointed publishing for a week can seem like a long time to make amends. out the credo of Katharine Graham’s father that resonated with To repeat, errors remind us of our human condition. They also me: He said, “In the pursuit of truth, the newspaper shall be pre- bring resolve to aim high in our reporting practice. pared to make sacrifices of its material fortunes, if such a course be necessary for the public good.” My father once told me that if No Times’ editor has circled our East River Street-Broadway block the attacks against us brought about our financial ruin, he would unclothed. I’d like to be the first: That would signal an error-free rather lose the newspaper than give up the principle of fair court Times. reporting. I predict that trek is not soon to happen.

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