Amateur hour: ‘Citizens’ take turn at journalism by Kim Burdett word differentiates Wikinews from other news sites, however: edit. Bulletin Staff That one small word written at the bottom of every article allows Anyone can be a reporter. Or so it seems if you log on to other Wikinewsies to add, fix, delete or otherwise change any infor- Wikinews at www.wikinews.org, a Web site that reports news sole- mation already posted. It is a collaborative worldwide newsroom, NEPA ly via user-generated content. where everyday people have a chance to write the news as well as The site displays a hyperlinked headline that will take the user to read it. the full text of any breaking news story reported on the page. One Bulletin ____________________________Pros, cons to Page 10 Volume 47/ No. 10 October 2006 Convention countdown Seminars aplenty ahead for NEPA’s 2007 convention Official notice about this winter’s New England Press Association annual convention will be on its way next month to NEPA’s almost 600 newspaper members as fall begins to come to a close. That’s when the convention planning that began this past spring takes a turn toward reality. And the reality is that NEPA’s 56th Annual Convention and Trade Show will fea- ture the kind of deep and varied menu of offerings as in years past. Promoting Again next year the convention has scheduled more than growth and 50 workshops during its two days – Friday, Feb. 9, and excellence in Saturday, Feb. 10 – at the Boston Park Plaza. Although the New EnglandN E P A 2007 convention’s emphasis is on technology, and includes discussions of multimedia news presentations and online newspapers news and advertising, the workshops will cover the usual broad range of other topics of interest to newspaper owners and practitioners: design; photography; sports coverage; Question of The New England Press Association soon will be distributing by advertising sales; management; legal issues; news reporting the Month mail copies of the 2007 NEPA New England Newspaper and writing. Directory to its nearly 600 members. The cover was designed by Other staples from past years’ conventions are returning in “How well has the Mark Johnston Associates of Plymouth, Mass. Extra copies and 2007 as well. A reception Friday evening will honor NEPA’s news media itself copies for non-members are available for $60 each. portrayed the _______________________Convention to Page 23 financial status of print newspapers today and their prospects for Big changes for GateHouse papers, P. 5 the future?” inside Advertising . 17 Deaths. 20, 24 September? Question of the Awards Briefs. 18 Legal Briefs. 8, 9 Month results, Page 6 Briefs. 2, 14, 15 News Ventures. 3, 22 Visit www.nepa.org to answer Classified Ads . 19 Transitions. 20, 21 this month’s question. Commentary . 6 Writing . 4 2 NEPA Bulletin • October 2006 NEPA Board of Directors President BRIEFS Lynn Delaney (802) 893-2028 The Milton (Vt.) Independent Computer glitch post-election article, but, as the to the mailroom in November Purcell injures hand Phoenix noted, the paper did and was permitted to do her job First Vice President delays Journal’s in boating accident Marlene Switzer (978) 739-1300 not mention its own Web site as from a sitting position. Community Newspaper Company, election report one of those affected by the The suit claims that the Patrick J. Purcell, publisher Beverly, Mass. of the Boston The Providence (R.I.) problem. Patriot Ledger fired Scannell Herald, made Second Vice President Journal’s decision to cut its crew Joel Rawson, the Journal’s Dec. 8, two weeks after her doc- headlines out- David Solomon (603) 673-3100 of election-tally runners before executive editor, was on vacation tors lengthened her expected The Cabinet Press Inc., Milford, N.H. side the news- Rhode Island’s U.S. Senate pri- when the NEPA Bulletin called recovery time and suggested that paper when he Secretary mary in September was part of for comment Sept. 28. The the paper provide a modified injured his Mary Pat Rowland (603) 742-4455 an effort to trim the Journal’s paper’s spokeswoman and pro- work regimen for an extended Foster’s Daily Democrat, Dover, N.H. hand in a fish- budget, according to a report in motion director, Barbara period of time. Scannell noted Nauman, did not return two ing accident Past President The Providence (R.I.) Phoenix. in her lawsuit that a co-worker Sept. 28. Patrick Purcell Ellen Zappala (978) 374-0321 The Phoenix said the decision messages from the Bulletin with an injured ankle was per- Purcell, who owns a home on Eagle-Tribune Publishing Co., proved particularly costly after requesting comments. mitted to work from a seated North Andover, Mass. Martha’s Vineyard in Massa- the Board of Elections’ comput- position for six months. chusetts, was fishing for bluefin Members er system failed. Disabled ex-worker Derek Anderson (207) 594-5351 The Patriot Ledger has hired tuna near Nomans Land Island, VillageSoup Co., Rockland, Maine The Journal’s Web site, at Patriot Ledger Mark W. Batten, a lawyer with about three miles offshore in his www.projo.com, had advertised Sean Burke (508) 746-5555 the Boston 36-foot-long boat, Weekend plans to begin posting results sues over her firing MPG Newspapers, Plymouth, Mass. firm of Pros- Edition. While anchoring the when polls closed at 9 p.m. The Phillip Camp (802) 457-1313 A former mailroom worker at kauer Rose boat, Purcell caught his hand Phoenix said the Journal’s Web The Vermont Standard, Woodstock, Vt. the Patriot Ledger of Quincy, LLP, to repre- between the motorized anchor- site relied on real-time results on sent the paper. Terry Carlisle (207) 667-2576 Mass., is suing the newspaper, ing line and the boat’s hull. Ac- the Rhode Island Board of The Ellsworth (Maine) American claiming that she was fired Eben Krim, cording to Chilmark, Mass., Elections’ Web site, which failed also a lawyer Nick Daniloff (617) 373-4050 because she was disabled. Police Chief Timothy S. Rich, to post its results in time Northeastern University, Boston The Ledger reported that a with Pros- one of Purcell’s fingers was al- because of a computer glitch. Mark Batten kauer Rose, Oreste D’Arconte (508) 222-7000 discrimination suit was filed in most completely severed in the According to the Journal, the The Sun Chronicle, Attleboro, Mass. August on behalf of former will join Batten in the paper’s accident. company used to relay voter tal- Patriot Ledger employee Diane defense. Neither would offer After initial treatment at Gary Farrugia (860) 442-2200 lies to the Board of Elections The Day, New London, Conn. Scannell of Quincy, and her comments to the Bulletin about Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, initially neglected to disengage husband, William Scannell. The the Patriot Ledger’s counter- Purcell was taken via helicopter Matthew Hayes (401) 253-6000 its computer’s security device, East Bay Newspapers, Bristol, R.I. details of the suit — including claims, noting the sensitivity of to Boston Medical Center, delaying the transmission of the compensation the Scannells the case. where doctors were able to reat- Tim Kane (413) 283-8393 results. The first set of voter tal- Turley Publications, Palmer, Mass. are seeking and what claim or The Bulletin did not receive tach his finger. lies were not posted on the claims William Scannell is mak- an immediate response to a tele- Cal Killeen (603) 436-1800 board’s Web site until 10:10 Portsmouth (N.H.) Herald ing – were not disclosed in the phone message seeking com- Farragher named p.m. By that time, the Phoenix Patriot Ledger’s report. Diane ment from Kirk Davis, publish- John Lenger (617) 495-1585 said, local television channels editor of Globe’s Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. Scannell had worked in the er of the Patriot Ledger. were declaring the election’s Spotlight Team paper’s mailroom for 10 years. As part of the federal Marcia O’Brien (401) 789-9744 winner, U.S. Sen. Lincoln The Boston Globe has an- The Narragansett (R.I.) Times According to the Patriot Americans with Disabilities Act, Chaffee, who defeated his nounced that Tom Farragher Ledger, the lawsuit alleges that employers are required to make Will Rowlands (203) 226-6311 Republican opponent, Stephen will replace Walter Robinson as Westport (Conn.) News in July 2005, Scannell injured reasonable accommodations for P. Laffey, by an eight-percent- editor of the Globe’s award-win- her knee on a metal bar that was disabled workers who cannot Helen Smith (617) 969-5243 age-point margin. ning Spotlight Team. NE Scholastic Press Association, Boston The Journal described the protruding from a mailroom otherwise perform their assign- to Page 14 Jane Spencer (802) 388-4944 board’s computer glitch in a machine. She said she returned ed tasks. ________Briefs Addison County Independent, Middlebury, Vt. Thomas Ward (401) 334-9555 Postmaster: The Valley Breeze, Cumberland, R.I. Send address changes to: Correction New England Geordie Wilson (603) 224-5301 Katherine Herbert is a Concord (N.H.) Monitor Press Association 360 Huntington Ave. 428CP graduate student at the EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Northeastern University Brenda L. Reed Boston, MA 02115 (617) 373-5610 School of Journalism and a ADVERTISING DIRECTOR fax: (617) 373-5615 Linda Conway member of the Bulletin Periodical Postage paid at: staff. Her last name was MEMBER SERVICES AND Boston, Mass., MARKETING DIRECTOR and aditional mailing offices. misspelled in last month’s Elaine Reiter Subscription rate: $25/year Bulletin. NEPA Bulletin • October 2006 3 NEWS VENTURES The new paper has a broad- er than the traditional magazine sheet format, as did the old format, with full color through- ones, Patten said.