The Kansas Publisher Official monthly publication of the Kansas Press Association April 22, 2015 Inside Today Page 2 Jim Pumarlo explains the impor- tance of the police beat to your coverage of community safety. Page 3 John Foust says a fresh look at advertising is a key to keeping your clients happy. Page 4 KPA president Dan Thalmann reviews his year as KPA presi- dent and is surprised it’s already over. Design consultant Ed Henninger was a popular to be bold with advertising, sell front page ads at a Pages 6-8 presenter at the Kansas Press Association convention premium and do whatever is necessary, within reason The 2015 Kansas Press Associa- in Junction City on April 18. He encouraged attendees of course, to meet the needs of advertisers. tion convention’s top award win- ners are chronicled in pictures. Clasen, Zerbe enter Hall of Fame Page 8 Taylor is 2015 Master Editor Both grew up as sons of newspaper publishers. Doug Anstaett talks turkey on The meeting at the Courtyard by Marriott UNCTION CITY — Two professional jour- the need to reinstitute a “Day in Junction City also included recognition for nalists — both long-time Kansas newspaper at the Legislature” to bring our journalists for community service, investigative publishers — were inducted posthumously message directly to Topeka. J reporting and career accomplishments. into the Kansas Newspaper Hall of Fame Friday Clasen was born in Norborne, Mo. in 1942. He night at the annual meeting of the Kansas Press began his career as editor of the Florence Bul- KPA Calendar Association in Junction City. letin in 1964. He later was co-publisher and editor Richard “Dick” Clasen, the late publisher of of the Yates Center News before purchasing the the Eureka Herald, and Carter Zerbe, the late Eureka Herald in 1976. July 16-17 publisher of the Augusta Gazette, were honored He was a former president of the KPA and Adobe Creative Suite training, by their colleagues for a lifetime of service to the with Russell Viers, KPA office newspaper industry in Kansas. See AWARDS on Page 5 in Topeka. Oct. 1-3 Lynn elected KPA president National Newspaper Associa- usan Lynn, editor and pub- The slate elected for the coming tion Convention, Saint Charles lisher of the Iola Register, was year includes: (Mo.) Convention Center. Selected president of the Kansas • Sarah Kessinger, editor and pub- Press Association Board of Directors lisher of the Marysville Advocate, first Dec. 15 Saturday at the association’s annual vice president; National Bill of Rights Day. convention. • Olaf Frandsen, editor and pub- Lynn succeeds Dan Thalmann, lisher of the Salina Journal, second April 22-23, 2016 owner-publisher of the Washington vice president; Kansas Press Association an- County News and the Linn-Palmer • Andy Taylor, editor of the Mont- nual convention, Overland Park Record, who will serve another year DoubleTree Hotel. Susan Lynn on the board as past president. See LYNN on Page 3 Kansas Press Association, 5423 S.W. 7th, Topeka, KS 66606 • www.kspress.com • (855) 572-1863 2 Kansas Press Association, 5423 S.W. 7th, Topeka, KS 66606 • www.kspress.com • (855) 572-1863 2015-16 KPA Board Police logs basic ingredient Susan Lynn President Iola Register for monitoring public safety [email protected] s it necessary that the traffic ticket was campaign and issued nine tickets for drunken reported in the newspaper again, a reader driving in an evening. It’s noteworthy that a Sarah Kessinger asks. The original citation was published dozen underage youths were cited for illegal First Vice President I Marysville Advocate two months ago. drinking at a graduation party. Publication of traffic citations probably A great deal of the value of police logs is [email protected] generated the most calls during my tenure as in the immediacy of the reports, especially if editor. No. 1, nobody likes being linked with the incident prompts a community response. M. Olaf Frandsen Second Vice President a police report – whether it’s something as That would not be accomplished if newspa- Salina Journal common as speeding or something pers reported only the adjudication [email protected] that carries greater notoriety, such of cases, which can take weeks or as a DWI. No. 2, the offenders months. Andy Taylor get confused – and often angered Newspapers certainly have Treasurer – between the report of the actual a right to report public records. Montgomery County Chronicle ticket and then the report of the court They also have an accompanying [email protected] disposition. responsibility. Editors should be just We collected traffic reports as diligent to report charges that are Dan Thalmann regularly from the police and sheriff dropped or changed through plea Past President departments. The reports were bargaining. Washington County News part of the menu of public records Readers frequently asked that a [email protected] that readers expected to see in our Jim Pumarlo public record be withheld. It might newspaper. be a marriage license, divorce John Baetz We also believed the information was valu- proceeding or ambulance run, but tickets were Northwest District Director able to readers in terms of public safety. Is a most commonly requested. Lincoln Sentinel-Republican neighborhood experiencing a rash of vandal- The reasons were varied, and some had [email protected] ism? Are DWIs on the rise? Should residents more merit than others. Callers may be be on the lookout for another scam artist? screaming or crying, loud or barely audible, Peter Cook Of all public records, traffic citations are embarrassed or obstinate. They might be Southeast District Director among the most worrisome and embarrassing calling for themselves or for a friend or family Parsons Sun [email protected] to violators. A youth is afraid that he’ll lose his member. job. A teacher is concerned how she can ex- Reduce all these requests to the most basic Mary Hoisington plain a speeding ticket to students. An elderly term, and each person was seeking special Daily Membership Director woman is flustered that this is her first-ever treatment. Each was asking the impossible Great Bend Tribune ticket. A coach dreads facing his players after because our policy was that we could not [email protected] getting ticketed for a DWI. pick and choose. If we printed one, we must Adding to the frustration of the accused is print them all. To do otherwise would place Tim Kellenberger the lag time between when a ticket is issued us in the position of being judge and jury – to Northeast District Director and when the court disposes of the case. It determine that one person’s plea was more Sabetha Herald can be weeks, or even months, depending on worthy than another’s. And we’d never know [email protected] circumstances. all the facts. We believed both parts of the reports were The simplest and fairest policy is to treat Denice Kuhns newsworthy. For example, police might break all public records as just that – public – in the Southwest District Director up a beer party and issue several tickets. The belief that openness serves the greater number Meade County News community should be apprised immediately. of people over the greatest period of time. [email protected] It’s equally important to follow a case to see Many individuals will disagree with such what penalties are assessed. a policy, especially if their own names appear Travis Mounts The accused are not the only ones to raise in a police log. But it’s a good bet they would Nondaily Membership Director concerns over detailed police blotters. Editors be even more upset if newspapers selectively Times-Sentinel Newspapers are not of a similar mind-set either. published names on the basis of who made the [email protected] Consider this sampling from one news- most convincing argument to an editor. paper’s police log: June 3 – theft, U.S. 160; Scott Stanford Legislative Director May 28 – Found property, Country Center Jim Pumarlo writes, speaks and provides Lawrence Journal-World Drive. June 3 – Disturbing the peace, Hermosa training on Community Newsroom Success [email protected] Street. June 9 – Violation of custody, San Juan Strategies. He is author of “Votes and Quotes: Street. No offense intended, but one must ask: A Guide to Outstanding Election Coverage” Joey Young What value is this report? and “Bad News and Good Judgment: A Guide Central District Director Editors should recognize the role of police to Reporting on Sensitive Issues in a Small- The Clarion (Andale) blotters. For example, there’s value to know- Town Newspaper.” [email protected] ing that police conducted a Safe and Sober He can be contacted at www.pumarlo.com. Kansas Press Association, 5423 S.W. 7th, Topeka, KS 66606 • www.kspress.com • (855) 572-1863 3 After some ads run, focus on results, future ot long ago, I was in the audience our attention, let’s concentrate on two ence. When a rocket is launched to the for a consultant’s presentation on things: What’s happening now and what’s moon, constant adjustments have to be Ntoday’s business climate. The thing the next step to reach your overall objec- made. I remember hearing that a trajectory I most remember was listed in the bullet tives?” which is off by one degree will miss the points on one of her PowerPoint slides – Let’s take a closer look: destination by one mile for every 60 miles the words “What’s now? What’s next?” She 1. What’s now? The beauty of this traveled. Since the moon is an average of spent all of 30 seconds discussing them. question is that it takes today as the starting 238,857 miles from Earth (allowing for the Although these four words were not the point.