The Kansas Publisher A monthly publication for the Kansas industry February 4, 2009

Inside Today Why most can’t Page 2 Jim Pumarlo shows how re- stop presses, switch to digital porters can use statistics for the Editor’s note: The following contains A. Why it would be suicidal for any basis of solid local reporting. exerpts from Reflections of a Newsosaur, by reasonably profitable publisher to stop its Allan Mutter. presses in perpetuity. B. Why a paper going to digital-only Page 3 ontrary to some of the ill-informed publication would have to eliminate roughly half We need judges for the Loui- articles you might have read lately, of its editorial staff to achieve even a modest siana newspaper contest on Calmost every newspaper company still profit on that operation. March 5. needs to print newspapers if it wants to stay in Notwithstanding the above realities, this is business. not to say that publishing won’t, or shouldn’t, Although the idea of paperless newspapers migrate to all-digital media in the future. Page 4 ricochets around the with some regularity, Before that happens, however, the economics Dan Thalmann of the Washing- fans of the concept recklessly disregard the of the business would have to change far more ton County writes about economic realities of the publishing business radically than they have to date. his online . as it exists today. So, we’re going to do a little math in a moment to prove: See NEWSOSAUR on Page 3 Page 5 David Powls asks about online KPA monitors two public notice bills newspaper subscriptions. y the end of this week, Doug Anstaett, KPA’s executive the Kansas Legislature director. “It would effectively Bwill have two bills hide notices from the public.” Page 6 relating to public notice for our A second bill hasn’t been Doug Anstaett discusses his association to monitor. introduced yet, but likely will first five years at KPA. The first, Senate Bill 164, be on Thursday. would give cities, counties and Sponsored by the League school districts the option to of Kansas Municipalities, it place all their public notices on would allow cities to publish a KPA Calendar their own internet sites in lieu summary of newly passed ordi- of publication in a newspaper. nances in lieu of publication of Feb. 19 SB 164 was written by the entire ordinance. KPA board meeting, Topeka. Overland Park Sen. John Vratil, the Senate’s KPA’s Legislative Committee and Executive vice president. Committee are mulling options on that proposal “We will fight this bill to the death because and will be in contact with KPA members once Feb. 20 it is bad public policy, pure and simple,” said the bill is filed. Basics of InDesign seminar, Wichita State University. KPA’s online directory is ready for your use March 5 ansas Press Associa- The premium version to Bradbury at ebradbury@ Judging of Louisiana news- tion’s contains expanded informa- kspress.com. paper contest, KPA office, Kdirectory is now live. tion about each KPA member, “If any of the information Topeka. All members who have including contacts, mechanical is out of date or you have had paid their dues for 2009 will specifications and publication staff changes, we can update receive a password from Emily frequency data. that information immediately,” April 23-25 Bradbury that will allow them Each KPA member newspa- Bradbury said. “We want this KPA annual convention access to the “premium” ver- per is encouraged to check out directory to serve the needs of Airport Hilton, Wichita. sion of the site. the new site and send feedback our members and customers.” Kansas Press Association, 5423 S.W. 7th, Topeka, KS 66606 • www.kspress.com • (785) 271-5304 2 Kansas Press Association, 5423 S.W. 7th, Topeka, KS 66606 • www.kspress.com • (785) 271-5304 KPA Board Look beyond the statistics David Powls President to put faces with numbers Holton Recorder [email protected] By Jim Pumarlo take to avoid foreclosing on property? Do olice are called to a house where a renters have legal recourse if their land- Tom Throne teen-ager refuses to leave after the lords go bankrupt? First Vice President Powners are served eviction papers Search for success stories; are indi- Junction City Daily Union for being arrears on mortgage payments. viduals willing to share how they worked [email protected] The youth is removed through debt to regain financial stability? without incident. Unemployment statistics – Analyze Linda Mowery-Denning The last sentence the raw unemployment figures. Is there a Second Vice President of the story may significant difference between the public Ellsworth County Independent/Reporter have been the most sector and private sector? [email protected] noteworthy, however. Review the performance of other Police served papers categories – for example, manufacturing, Patrick Lowry Treasurer on 35 houses that day. retail, hospitality and agricultural jobs. Hays Daily News This news item Do local figures correlate with regional, [email protected] from a few years ago statewide and national patterns? could well be com- Building activity – Building permits Gary Mehl monplace today as offer another pulse of economic activity Past President Jim Pumarlo the economy takes by analyzing the number and value of resi- McPherson Sentinel its toll on thousands dential and commercial/industrial permits, [email protected] of homeowners. new construction vs. remodeling projects. The scenario also provides an excellent Stories can be expanded by visiting Ken Knepper reminder that editors and reporters should with real estate agents and financial lend- Legislative Director be diligent in looking for the story behind ers. Do a sidebar on the vacancy rate of Newton Kansan the statistics. commercial buildings or the number of [email protected] In simplest terms, newsrooms have homes on the market. ample opportunities to put local faces Assistance programs – Tough economic Greg Branson behind the numbers. times and higher energy prices inevita- Daily Director Consider the statistics – those that are bly result in more utility shutoffs and Kansas City Star routinely generated as well as those that increased numbers of residents seeking [email protected] cross editors’ desks during these uncertain assistance to pay heating bills. Similar economic times. For example: stories can be pursued in the number of Dane Hicks Delinquent taxes – An auditor’s office welfare caseloads, applications for unem- Nondaily District Director reported a trickle of payments in contrast ployment pay or activity at food shelves. Anderson County Review [email protected] to the normal flood of checks following This list is but a start of potential sto- publication of delinquent taxes. ries. Convene a brainstorming session, and Dan Thalmann Are people waiting for the second pub- editors and reporters can likely produce Northeast District Director lication of notices due to tight finances? another dozen economic barometers. Washington County News Compare the delinquency rate to previ- Taken in aggregate, an economic down- [email protected] ous years once all taxes are collected. turn with the resulting budget shortfalls Foreclosure notices – A variety of and budget cuts in the public and private Chris Faimon angles can be pursued, beginning with a sectors eventually becomes more than Southeast District Director comparison of the numbers from a year numbers. Statistics translate into lost jobs, Coffey County Republican ago. Identify the available financial coun- shortened hours at city halls, delayed court [email protected] seling services. What avenues do financial institutions See PUMARLO on Page 3 Ben Marshall Central District Director Sterling Bulletin This month’s question [email protected] Q. When will newspapers be told the results of the Awards Brad Lowell of Excellence contest? Northwest District Director Concordia Blade-Empire [email protected] A. The judging takes place next week in Georgia. As soon as the staff members return and are able to compile the names Dena Sattler of the winners, we’ll notify newspapers by e-mail about the Southwest District Director results. All first place winners will receive plaques; second and Garden City Telegram third place will receive certificates. [email protected] Kansas Press Association, 5423 S.W. 7th, Topeka, KS 66606 • www.kspress.com • (785) 271-5304 3 today on the premise of selling both print and interactive . This is Pumarlo Newsosaur especially true for the many publishers that borrowed billions in recent years to Continued from Page 2 Continued from Page 1 finance acquisitions that for the most part calendars. Because newspapers on average derive haven not produced sufficient profits to All of these stories present an opportu- approximately 90 percent of their sales service the loans. nity to compare and contrast statistics, but from print advertising, the only ink- The latest buzz over paperless a recitation of numbers without interpre- on-paper newspapers that can afford to newspapers was triggered by a widely tation offers little substance for readers. attempt digital-only publishing are the noted post a few weeks ago by Jeff Jarvis, In similar vein, interpretation will prove ones that are irreversibly losing money. who reported that the Los Angeles Times more meaningful for readers by attaching Moving to digital publishing is the last, makes enough money from its website to faces to numbers. best hope to salvage at least some value cover the salaries of the 660 on What are the stories of evicted home- from their waning franchises. its payroll. owners? What are the emotions of a police But those web-only franchises would It is reasonable to conclude that some officer who spends his day delivering produce far less cash than their print communities could be left before long these ultimatums? How are unemployed predecessors, reducing the value of those with digital-only news coverage, if the workers and their families coping with businesses by several magnitudes. How business of dead-tree publishing continues the realization that they now must make much less? A conventional newspaper to shrivel amid shrinking ad revenues regular trips to the food shelf? moving to online-only publishing and inescapably high operating costs. Editors and reporters cannot underesti- might produce at best 10 percent of the But we are a long way from seeing a mate the difficulty of approaching the indi- cash generated by its print-plus-online publisher make the proactive decision to viduals affected by these circumstances. predecessor. pull the plug on a profitable print-on-paper At the same time, explaining the whys This would be catastrophic for any of operation; it is not a decision a rational and hows behind statistics is news. These the newspaper companies that operate publisher can afford to make. stories are the kind of news that should be reported if community newspapers truly are to be the recorder of local events – a Help us judge Louisiana news contest living history of our home towns. They are On March 5, the Kansas Press Associa- We’ll send out more information soon. necessary if community newspapers are to tion will judge the newspaper contest for Judging will take place at the KPA office remain relevant and to represent them- the Louisiana Newspaper Association. in Topeka. selves as the of local information. Usually, we try to have between 30 Lunch will be catered. and 40 judges and usually get all the work Each year, KPA and another state as- Jim Pumarlo regularly writes, speaks done in just a few hours. sociation exchange judging duties. and provides training on Community Newsroom Success Strategies. He can be contacted at www.pumarlo.com. KPA Marketplace TO GET A JOB LISTED integrated with your editorial and advertis- If you need to list a job, contact Nicole ing software. Contact Patrick Lowry at Schings at [email protected]. (785) 628-1081 or [email protected].

Looking for NEWS NEWSPAPERS FOR SALE Kansas Pregame is looking for freelance Kansas Niche Paper for Sale. A publishing recession-proof writers to complete features focused on business for a bi-monthly paper promoting high school and college football in the Kansas specialty shops and events includ- ad dollars? state of Kansas. Kansas Pregame will pub- ing quilting, antiques, crafts and more, lish its first ever Winter Edition in early is for sale. The newspaper is part of a March and the fourth annual fall preview licensed network of specialty papers with issue goes to print in late July. E-mail clips a 20 year history of success. Perfect home and references to john@kansaspregame. office based business for creative and self- com motivated person with the skills and desire to be in business for themselves OR for a NEWSPAPER SERVICES current publishing business to create extra Is your newspaper on the World Wide income. Ad revenues this past year were Web? If not, you’re missing a powerful over $65,000. E-mail [email protected] Register to win 6 months of free revenue generator. You’re also leaving or call 785-838-9964 for further informa- access to the latest sales-generating yourself vulnerable to outside vendors tion. who have no geographical boundaries. ideas that will help grow your Dominate your local Internet audience. WANTED business—even during a recession. Creating an online edition is easy and af- David Powls of the Holton Recorder is Visit www.recas.com/recession to fordable with Pixel Power Haus, a division looking for a used Imagesetter. Anyone register • 800.245.9278, ext. 5324 of The Hays Daily News. Custom designs with information can call him at (785) tailored to your market that feature easy- 364-3141 or e-mail him at holtonrecord- to-use content management systems fully [email protected]. 4 Kansas Press Association, 5423 S.W. 7th, Topeka, KS 66606 • www.kspress.com • (785) 271-5304 Rural publisher sees internet as the key to survival o you’re a weekly newspaper actively using Twitter. A real sign of the trip and send Twitpics and video for folks publisher and you produce a quality times was a survey response received from back home to see. Snewspaper product with original lo- one newspaper publisher – “What is blog- The tweeting of the high schoolers cal news and a vibrant editorial page. Your ging and what is Twitter?” encouraged many local residents to sign ongoing efforts and commitment have At a weekly newspaper roundtable up for Twitter accounts (around 35 new allowed you to control your discussion during the 2008 Kansas Press rural Kansas Twitter users in just a few market. Readers respect you and look to Association annual convention, the ques- days), which has developed new avenues you for the facts – they want you to act as tion of web sites and online news was of information sharing among them. Now a watchdog on local government, but also discussed by the attendees – generally a I’m considering the possibility of trying to tell them unique and interesting stories gray-haired group of news veterans. Many the first ever Twitter only interview/story about their neighbors. Your subscribers are knew they should probably create an for a Kansas weekly. The possibilities are committed enough to online presence for their newspaper, but endless and encouraging. The your product that they many also claimed the printed newspaper will not be killed by the internet, but the block off a segment was a hill on which to die – any online way news is dispersed certainly will, of time on one day efforts should only be accessories to the because consumers are demanding change. each week to read print edition. All forms of media will have to evolve to your newspaper when With that as the baseline, to discuss survive. they receive it in the and promote the potential news applica- There are challenges. With the major- mail. All is blissful in tions of the Web 2.0 could be a David vs. ity of small newspapers being owned by newspaperland. Goliath effort. (Though a panel discussion veteran newspapermen or by conglomer- Then it happens. on blogging and news is scheduled for the ate publishing companies, change does not An energetic and come quickly to either venue. Even Dan Thalmann articulate resident learning the lingo of the Web 2.0 of your community You thought things in news- can be a daunting task, let alone has some extra time paperland were going along just figuring out how to use everything on his or her hands and starts a local blog fine and that printing stories and to its utmost capacity. Add to that that occasionally covers topics of local the constantly changing nature newsworthy nature. pictures on several big sheets of of the social web and hot new Soon, instead of the coffee drinkers at paper once a week was the best developments within it (Twitter is the local convenience store buzzing about way to distribute the news and not even three years old yet and in your most recent editorial, they are talk- my opinion makes blogging look ing about a blog post on a specific action bam … it’s like you’ve suddenly old school)… the learning curve taken by the city council and the thread of been Rickrolled. (But since you could be too overwhelming and anonymous but pointed comments about real comprehension could be unat- the council that followed. aren’t Web 2.0 savvy, you have tainable. You thought things in newspaperland no idea what being Rickrolled As a result of the Web 2.0, were going along just fine and that print- means.) many newspapers will print their ing stories and pictures on several big last issue within the next decade sheets of paper once a week was the best and be relegated to the microfilm way to distribute the news and bam… it’s 2009 convention in April.) shelves at the local museum. Others will like you’ve suddenly been Rickrolled. But it is a worthwhile effort. Like a find opportunities to continue their cover- (But since you aren’t Web 2.0 savvy, circuit rider crossing the high plains, go- age of the news and their dispersal of you have no idea what being Rickrolled ing from territorial village to village, all opinion, just in a new, possibly yet to be means.) we need is a little fervor and an audience invented online format. And some commu- A digital divide is forming in the and I believe we can get converts to our nities will find new frontier bloggers ready weekly newspaper industry and it seems message. to fill the news gap with a responsible many small town publishers, formerly the The opportunities for small town rendition of the local news. movers and shakers of their communi- are amazing. A recent blog The digital gap is a huge canyon for ties, will not only sit idly by and watch a project on my backroadsnewsroom.com small newspapers, but at least the Web 2.0 technology gap form, if recent history says site used a Yahoo Pipes mashup created by offers a bridge to the other side. anything about it, they will likely refuse the NewsTechZilla gurus that allowed my to do anything about the growing chasm. blog readers to follow the progress of a Dan Thalmann is owner/publisher The Web 2.0 is a serious threat to small small group of high schoolers who toured of the Washington County News, a 3,000 newspapers that are unwilling or unable Washington, D.C. and attended the presi- circulation weekly newspaper. He admin- to change and those newspapers may soon dential inauguration through a feed on my isters the www.backroadsnewsroom.com find themselves branded as irrelevant or blog. They tweeted about their adven- blog and can be found on Twitter as @ out of business. tures and posted video to YouTube. This backroadsnews where he tweets about the The early signs are not good for small concept inspired the next online mashup newspaper, new media and politics. He newspapers. A survey of weeklies in project which will follow another local is also Northeast District Director of the Kansas showed that there were only three high schooler on a mission trip to Japan Kansas Press Association. weeklies that have blogs and two were for a week. He wants to tweet about his Kansas Press Association, 5423 S.W. 7th, Topeka, KS 66606 • www.kspress.com • (785) 271-5304 5 Anyone having luck selling online subscriptions? ne of our longtime subscribers sent me an e-mail today to tell me she would not be renewing her sub-scription. I replied to her note, thanking her for her years of Osubscribing. I also reminded her that the price she paid to subscribe was about 50 percent off our newsstand price. I also informed her that many weekly papers in the state charge as much, or more, for their 52 issues per year as we charge for our 104. This longtime subscriber had moved away from Holton many years ago but had contin- ued to sub-scribe to The Holton Recorder for about 40 years. Later in the day, while I was helping with the Monday newspa-per mail preparation, scribe for another year. I thought about how each copy of The Re- The answer I received was that she had decided she could David Powls corder represents a subscriber, or a group receive all the news she needed from other sources — and she of readers, and how impor-tant it is for each wasn’t talking about the regional daily paper. subscriber to re-ceive a good product. She was talking about the inter-net. She basically said she In these days of newspaper cir-culation declines, every sub- could acquire all the news she wanted for free – so why pay for a scriber is important. The old saying about subscribers is still true. subscription to The Recorder? It’s easier to keep a subscriber happy than it is to get a new one. How do you argue with that? We had three preprinted inserts Monday and I spent time dou- We have a free internet website as part of our newspaper ble-checking each issue (along with other staff members) to make operation, like most other newspapers. The comment from this sure that each copy contained all the inserts. Our KANSA three- longtime sub-scriber made me wonder again why we’re giving into-one inserting machine has not been performing properly. away our content. When you’re “hand-stuffing,’’ as we call it, you have time to If you have been successful with online paid subscriptions to think about upcoming events and other things. I thought about your newspaper, drop us a line at the KPA office. that e-mail from the longtime subscriber. After the paper was mailed, I called her on the telephone and David Powls is president of the Kansas Press Association asked if there was anything I could do to convince her to re-sub- Board of Directors and co-owner of the Holton Recorder.

Tom Dreiling, editor of the Norton Telegram, needed to fill some space recently, so he designed a one-column house ad (left) touting his circulation compared to the New York Times. Tom’s nephew decided to use PhotoShop and spoof the Times’ famous “All the News That’s Fit to Print” slogan in the upper left hand corner. 6 Kansas Press Association, 5423 S.W. 7th, Topeka, KS 66606 • www.kspress.com • (785) 271-5304

KPA must be ready to adjust KPA Office Staff Doug Anstaett to changing realities in industry Executive Director bout 10 days ago, I got to walk my provement, of course, our financial [email protected] second (and last!) daughter down strength is evident. Despite a tough Athe aisle on her wedding day. economy in the last quarter of 2008, we Emily Bradbury Right in front of us was my 2-year-old still had a very good year. Member Services Director granddaughter, Olivia, who served as her At the end of 2008, the KPA board saw [email protected] Aunt Ashley’s flower girl. fit to share some of our good fortune with When it was her turn, Olivia sheepishly members. Every member in good standiing Richard Gannon started down the aisle. Suddenly, she saw received a check in December. It wasn’t a Governmental Affairs Director the 90 people stuffed big check, but for a number of our smaller [email protected] into the Danforth newspapers, it represented an amount Chapel on the Univer- equal to their annual dues. Becca Gray sity of Kansas campus. In 2005, the KPA board authorized a Advertising Placement Director Towering over her, $250,000 gift to the Kansas Newspaper [email protected] they must have looked Foundation. We are about to make the like giants to this three- fourth $50,000 payment on that pledge to Nicole Schings foot-tall toddler. an endowment called the KPA Fund for Advertising Sales Director And she froze in her Excellence. [email protected] tracks. Earnings from the fund eventually will She didn’t start be available to the KPA board to meet Victoria Singer Doug Anstaett crying, but it was unexpected needs, underwrite a special Accountant obvious she needed program, possibly help newspapers pay [email protected] some encouragement. for summer internships or fund a variety I left Ashley’s side and approached of other possibilities that the board decides Rachel Willis Olivia. I bent down to her have potential value to our Education Director, KPA and suggested she go see members. Executive Director her Mommy, who was I certainly had We’ve hit a precarious Kids Voting Kansas the matron of honor and ideas about what I period of uncertainty in [email protected] already at the front of the wanted to accom- our industry and in the chapel. Mom was trying to national economy as well. KPA Consultants coax her as well. plish, but I also Because of that, KPA She did as she was told, this year will be forced Cort Anderson felt some trepida- Technology Hotline and the wedding ceremony to be very lean on its Training Seminars continued without another tion, just like my programming and to get [email protected] hitch. granddaughter as the greatest value pos- I tell this story to illus- she contemplated sible out of every dollar trate how important it is to we spend. Just as one Tom Eblen News-editorial have a solid plan for what whether being a example, we’re already Community Newspaper Tuneups you’re about to do — but discovering some of our flower girl was all [email protected] to always be ready to im- it was cracked up past convention sponsors provise and change course simply cannot afford to if circumstances change. to be. help us out this year. Mike Kautsch Media Law I came to the Kansas The bottom line is: University of Kansas School of Law Press Association five years ago. I cer- KPA exists for you. We will continue to [email protected] tainly had ideas about what I wanted to listen to you and change our programs accomplish, but I also felt some trepida- with the times. tion, just like my granddaughter as she Call any of our staff members any Michael Merriam Media Law contemplated whether being a flower girl time and make a suggestion. We actually Legal Hotline was all it was cracked up to be. can react fairly quickly to changes in the [email protected] I’m not going to rehash the history, industry and requests from our members. because most of you lived through it right Emily Bradbury, Rich Gannon, Becca along with us. Gray, Nicole Schings, Victoria Singer, Ra- But KPA’s board, its past presidents,its chel Willis and I stand ready to serve you. FRIEND OF KPA friends and, especially, its staff members Thank you for your confidence in the Randy Brown worked hard to re-establish trust in the staff and me. We look forward to a chal- Executive Director association. lenging but nonetheless exciting year. Kansas Sunshine Coalition We had a plan, of course, but we also for Open Government had to alter it many times as we worked Doug Anstaett is executive director of Wichita State University hard to recover our bearings. the Kansas Press Association and a 36- [email protected] While there is always room for im- year veteran of the newspaper industry. It’s Time to Think Outside the Box

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Newspaper employees working along federal highways soon are required to wear a specifi c type of high-visibility safety vest.

The new US Department of Transportation regulation, which went eff ect on Nov. 24, requires media representatives who work within the rights-of-way of federal-aid highways to wear a specifi c type of high-visibility vest. This applies to all newspaper employees — not just reporters and photographers.

The required garment is an ANSI Class II-2004-107 safety vest. For sizes Small, Medium, Large and XLarge, the price is $15 plus shipping and handling. For sizes up to 4XLarge, the price is $17 plus shipping and handling.

High Visibility Safety Vests

Please order _____ vests for our staff at $15 each; $17 for plus sizes. Vest $ ______Number of each size: S _____ M _____ L _____ XL _____ 2XL _____ 3XL_____ 4XL_____ Plus sizes are 2XL, 3XL and 4XL

Please check

† NNA logo / Press † Press only † Please ship to the address below. The cost is $2 per vest. Shipping and handling $ ______Total $ ______Contact person ______Newspaper/company ______Shipping address ______City ______State _____ ZIP______Telephone ______E-mail______Payment options (check one)

† Visa † MasterCard † American Express † Check enclosed Credit card # ______CVV code*______Exp. date______Name of cardholder ______Address ______City ______State _____ ZIP______Signature ______*Card Verifi cation Value Code: For Visa and MasterCard, the 3-digit number on the back of the card. For American Express, the 4-digit number on the front of the card.

Return this form to National Newspaper Association P.O. Box 7540, Columbia, MO 65205-7540 Questions? Contact NNA (573) 882-5800

fax (573) 884-5490 Dec. 1, 2008