Join Us on December 2012 Newsletter of The Press Club of Cleveland From the President “We Have Seen the News, and it is us” – Ed Byers The Plain Dealer’s Future This is my final The future of The Plain Dealer has become a published in the newspaper. Guild members column as president national story, a story that took another dramat- who stay will have some of their previous pay of The Press Club of ic turn last week, when Local 1 of the Northeast cuts restored. But there is also language in the Cleveland. (If you Ohio Newspaper Guild ratified a new contract deal that allows additional layoffs if “the Com- could be so kind, with the company that calls for 58 layoffs among pany ceases to publish a print edition … at least please hold your union members beginning May 1. one day a week.” applause until the But the deal also extends the union contract Advance Publications has not commented on completion of this column. Thank you.) through February of 2019, offering more pro- the negotiations. Nor has it revealed whether its When I was approached to run in tection to the journalists who remain in the new “digital-first” strategy will result in publish- 2007, I was told it would be a two-year newsroom. ing the print version of The Plain Dealer only hitch, but somehow, two turned into According to reports, the guild currently three days per week, as it has done at some of its three years and four turned into five represents 168 journalists and support staff. other properties. years. It seemed as though each year, The first reduction will reduce that number to If that does happen, The Plain Dealer would there was encouragement to stay on for 110. Another five guild members can be laid become the largest newspaper in the country to “one more year” – just one more year— off in 2014. The Plain Dealer also has about 50 abandon daily publication, according to USA so I did, at the behest of a great group exempt managers. No word yet on how many Today. The Plain Dealer’s print circulation has of board members – none of whom of them will be cut, but guild president Harlan declined to 219,509 daily and 315,978 on Sun- wanted the job! Spector was told that management layoffs will day but total readership is up when digital edi- But thanks to their dedication, direc- also be “significant.” The New Orleans Times- tions are included, according to the September tion and guidance we have made some Picayune, which has the same parent company, report by the Audit Bureau of Circulations. wonderful strides. Our membership Advance Publications, went through similar Terry Egger, publisher of The Plain Dealer, numbers have stabilized, this monthly cuts and kept about 30 managers. said in an article on Cleveland.com that the newsletter underwent an extreme make- Similar reductions here would leave The Plain agreement with the guild should hasten the over, the website was upgraded and the Dealer with about 135 newsroom employees, not planning process. “We’ve seen what happened Excellence in Journalism contest went counting staff members from the other Advance in other [Advance] markets,” he said. “I would online, both for entering and judging. subsidiaries here, Cleveland.com and The Sun say in the next two or three months we should Social media? In 2008, we were Newspapers. In 2000, The PD had more than 400 k n ow.’’ LinkedIn, but few of us knew what a newsroom employees. Egger, who is retiring in January, is reportedly “Facebook” or a “Twitter” was. Social The new contract also allows copy produced planning a series of meetings with community media was in its infancy, but we jumped by non-guild members for Cleveland.com to be continued on page 3> on it, establishing a Facebook page and a Twitter account. Feagler, Manuel, McGahan, Mitchell, Skoch While we have been quick to embrace Named to The Press Club of Cleveland’s Board of Directors change, we also love to celebrate our Five new board members have been Great Lakes Publishing’s Ohio Club’s traditions. The two annual signa- approved by The Press Club board to serve Magazine, a publication cov- ture events, The Cleveland Journalism two-year terms. ering the best in travel, arts, Hall of Fame Induction and the ever- The new board members are: Ohio history and life in the Buckeye expanding All-Ohio Excellence in Magazine editor Linda Feagler, WEWS TV- State. She served as senior Journalism Awards continue to make us 5 News Director Jill Manuel, Dix & Eaton editor of Cleveland Magazine unique among professional journalism Senior VP Amy McGahan, WKYC TV-3 for four years before joining organizations in the state of Ohio. anchor and managing editor Russ Mitchell the staff of Ohio Magazine in 2002. This is a great organization and I have and Lorain Morning Journal Editor Tom Through the years, she has won been honored to serve as your president Skoch. awards for her work from the Society of for the past five years, which they tell The new board members were approved Professional Journalists and The Press Club me is some sort of record for longev- unanimously at the Oct. 19 board meeting of Cleveland. ity. Well, whatever. All I can tell you it and will be installed with a full membership Linda is a trustee of the Ohioana Library that it has been a fun run. Never a dull vote at The Press Club’s annual meeting / Association, Ohio’s nonprofit organiza- moment, for sure. holiday party on Dec. 12 at Nighttown. tion dedicated to preserving and promot- continued on page 2 > Linda Feagler is the senior editor of continued on page 4> 28022 Osborn Road Cleveland, Ohio 44140 | 440-899-1222 | Fax: 440.899.1010 | www.pressclubcleveland.com 2 The Press Club of Cleveland December 2012 Happy Holidays Holiday Cheer was in abundance at Night- town on 12-12-12 as The Press Club spon- sored its annual Holiday Party and Annual Meeting. There was much merry-making, new officers and board members were sworn in and as you can see, everyone had a great time. They all agreed, these parties just keeping better and better every year. Thanks to Lynn Bracic and Debi Weslek for their hard work in making it all happen. more pics on page 4 From Scribe to Shill, From Fourth Estate to ROI & Corporate Communications By Laurie Mitchell, Certified Personnel Consultant I have never taken and informational epithets describing their that I’m targeting my experience at people a Journalism, Public employers for the benefit of corporate and who aren’t familiar with what journalists Relations, Commu- agency hiring influences! do on a daily basis.” nications or Business My use of heretical phrases such as As imminent PD downsizing once again course although I “compellingly crafted”, “robust wordsmith- increases competition amongst local jour- excelled in Honors ing” and “personality” to describe the nalists to land suitable business and non- English & Literature in caliber of résumé copy necessary to pique profit roles, those who brand themselves high school and col- the interest of overworked managers and as versatile communicators will have the lege, and one of my HR screeners has not always been appreci- advantage. graduate school profes- ated by J-school grads needing to reinvent As 2012 comes to a close, a heartfelt sors regularly read my papers out loud to themselves or transition to the dark side. thanks to all of my clients, candidates, the class. (Yes, I have stayed at a Holiday But, those whose egos are not overly applicants and buddies for many hearty Inn Express.) After grad school, I fell into vested in their “college placement office” or good laughs, wonderful shared journeys a career as a writer, editor, and stringer white bread “outplacement” version, and and happy endings, and enduring relation- without a single clue about what is taught who understand the imperative to regard ships. May everyone enjoy the blessings of in J school. their résumé as a product sell sheet and a family and friends this holiday season, and Later, when I morphed into a head- stand-alone writing sample demonstrate may your 2013 be filled with only good hunter, I gleaned from print journalist an open mindedness and flexibility that things, and may all of us continue to go applicants that they had been schooled to talent acquisition professionals cherish and from strength to strength, success to suc- write simply and eschew padding, flesh- respond to. cess. ing out any semblance of hyperbole, and This week, a Plain Dealer reporter color commentary. Oh, the sharp retorts emailed “Thank you so much for the Laurie Mitchell & Company, Inc. received when I critiqued or edited their advice. On one hand, changing my résumé Marketing Communications résumés, and encouraged them to incorpo- is a challenge because I’ve always looked at Executive Search rate a bit of professional storytelling, some it as a simple summary of my professional [email protected] anecdotal parsing of job accomplishments, career. But on the other, I have to recognize www.LaurieMitchellCompany.com PRESIDENT FROM PAGE 1 Press Club Member On January 1, 2013, Stuart A publication of Warner will officially assume Anniversaries: December 2 years The Press Club of Cleveland duties as president and I want 16 years to take this opportunity to wish Gail Bellamy John Ettorre Editor Stuart nothing but the best and 13 years David Pfriem Lee Moran I hope you will give him all the Ken Krizner Tim Ryan Tom Quinn Associate Editor support he needs to keep The 4 years 1 year Maryana Bradas Press Club of Cleveland strong William A.