IN THIS ISSUE: CHANGES AT SUN: PG 03 | Edmond Sun switches some issues to e-editions CREATING DISCUSSIONS: PG 7 | If you Twitter, they will follow ONF SUPPORT: PG 11 | Sign up for Pages for Tomorrow program Official Publication of the Oklahoma Press Association Vol. 81, No. 1 • Twelve Pages • January 2010 Download The Oklahoma Publisher in PDF format at www.OkPress.com/the-oklahoma-publisher Circulation growing at Claremore Progress By ADOLFO MENDEZ, driving the positive thought 28 Editor of The Inlander in your department.” WEEKS until the Bailey Dabney, pub- Dabney said a common Primary Election lisher of the Claremore misconception from nay- Daily Progress for the past sayers is that the public 18 months, posted impres- isn’t interested in newspa- Newspapers sive gains in circulation pers, but he doesn’t take are ready to in 2009, one of the worst that seriously. years ever for the newspa- “If you want to buy talk to you per industry. into the notion that nobody “Circulation growth reads newspapers anymore, about print does not have to be a thing get a DUI,” he said. “And and web of the past,” Dabney said. see how many people call “It’s not over for us … your momma wanting to advertising. we’ve been up 7.5 and 10 know what it in the world percent in circulation year is going on in your life over year. And we’re a that would have you get a small paper with very little DUI. It is just incredible The Claremore Daily Progress is a 6,000 circulation daily located in a 10,000-square-foot the number of people that resources.” building on Will Rogers Boulevard. The paper prints two dailies and about five weeklies. See Page 11 for results of see everything in the news- The Daily Progress is Photo supplied by Claremore Daily Progress who you said would a 6,000-circulation daily, paper.” buy the most newspaper with a growing profit mar- Dabney is convinced I am – but still, today’s to employees that growth Dabney’s positive out- advertising in the primary. gin, according to Dabney. many publishers and cir- market is one you can still is realistic. look is accompanied by old What’s his secret to culation directors have lost win in. “You need to say, ‘We fashioned hard work, he increasing profits? “We’re circulation because they “If you don’t think can show growth, and not said. not doing anything that’s expect to do so – losses that you can still grow in only can we, we have to “When I say it’s possi- ground-breaking,” he said. have become ingrained in today’s market, the mes- show growth,’” Dabney ble to grow circulation, I’m “We are just doing things their mindset. sage for you is, ‘yes we can said. “That will make a dif- not saying it’s easy. I’m that we feel like newspa- “It is still a market still grow circulation.’” ference in the folks around saying it’s still possible. It pers should’ve always been where circulation growth He said success really you. Your leadership is is going to be harder every doing. One of those core can happen,” Dabney said. won’t happen without going to deliver the results. year we continue to do it things is growing circula- “Unemployment in Okla- strong leadership that If you are in a position of until the [economic] tide tion.” turns in our direction.” homa is 8 percent where sends a positive message leadership, you need to be Continued on Page 3 Still time to register for OPA Mid-Winter Convention Whether you’re looking still plenty of time to reg- The Feb. 4, 5 and 6 convention is where win- We’re looking forward to for educational sessions or ister, said OPA Member convention will be held at ners of the 2009 Better seeing all of you there,” social interaction, you’ll Services Director Lisa the Sheraton & Reed Cen- Newspaper Contest will said Potts. find it all at the OPA’s Potts. “You can get online ter in Midwest City. be revealed. Complete convention Mid-Winter Convention. and register in minutes at In addition to educa- “The education com- information is available at Although the event is www.OkPress.com/con- tional sessions, round- mittee has planned an www.OkPress.com/con- only weeks away, there’s vention” she said. tables and receptions, the exciting convention. vention. 2 THE OKLAHOMA PUBLISHER, January 2010 OPA PRESIDENT’S COLUMN Nominating Committee suggests slate The OPA Nominating Committee met slate of officers and directors for the year in Oklahoma City on Jan. 14, 2010, to beginning July 1, 2010. recommend the slate of officers and direc- Current OPA Vice President Rod Ser- CatseyeBYBY GLORIA TROTTER,TROTTER, tors to serve during the 2010-2011 term, foss, publisher of The Clinton Daily News, PPublisherublisher ooff The CountCountywideywide & SuSunn which begins July 1, 2010, and ends June was recommended to serve as president. 30, 2011. Rusty Ferguson, publisher of The Cleve- Happy 2010! Not so happy, you say? Revenue’s down? Circulation’s down? Doing The seven member committee is com- land American, was recommended to serve more — the web, etc. — with fewer people? posed of the six most recent OPA past as vice president, and Barb Walter, co- Welcome to the world of 21st century print journalism. presidents who are still active as news- publisher of The Hennessey Clipper, was Yes, I know — just a couple of months ago, I was writing about how Oklahoma news- paper executives and the current OPA recommended to serve as treasurer. Gloria papers, especially the smaller ones, were surviving the economic downturn pretty well. president. Trotter, co-publisher of The Countywide Well, apparently I spoke too soon. The shoe has dropped into the red dirt for most of us. Attending were Chairman Joe Worley, & Sun and 2009-10 president, was recom- At our place, we began to feel it in November. That’s also when it began to hit us Tulsa World; Ray Lokey, Johnston County mended to serve as past president. statewide, judging from sales tax receipts. Capital-Democrat; Gracie Montgomery, The committee also recommended the So now that the holidays are behind us and the new year has begun, it’s time to take a The Purcell Register; David Stringer, The renewal of three-year director terms for hard look at the numbers and try to do some long-range planning, like we do every Janu- Norman Transcript; Stu Phillips, The Sem- Jeff Mayo, associate publisher of Sequoyah ary. But man, is it hard this year! At our place, we’ve trimmed the payroll down to the inole Producer; Steve Booher, Cherokee County Times, and Jeff Funk, publisher of nub, cut expenses any way we can and are still looking at a pretty scary picture. I know Messenger & Republican, and Gloria Trot- Enid News & Eagle. many of you are in the same boat. ter, The Countywide & Sun. Brian Blansett, publisher of Shawnee Some didn’t get this far. The Midwest City Sun and the North Central Reporter are no The committee reviewed the OPA By- News-Star, was recommended as a new more. The Big Pasture News and Bryan County Star have ceased in recent weeks, and Laws, Nominating Committee Structure, director to serve a three-year term. several others may disappear in the next few months. Some dailies have become weeklies board policies regarding board service A general election for new officers and or semi-weeklies, and more will probably follow. and the board positions to be filled by the directors will be held during the OPA busi- You know what fewer readers and subscribers mean to your particular publication, but committee. ness meeting at 5:15 p.m. Thursday, Feb. I want you to think about what fewer members mean to our association — both in clout Upon completion of the reviews, the 4, 2010, at the Reed Center in Midwest and financially. committee recommended the following City. Nominations for officers and direc- Twenty-eight years ago, there were 247 papers. Now there are 201. In 1982 we had tors may also be made from the floor. 194 weeklies and now only 162. In 1982 we had 53 daily papers and now only 39. The decline has been gradual, but the direction consistent. And when we have less papers our OPA dues income decreases, and remaining papers are going to need to pay more dues. Remember that a few years ago, we voted on whether to loosen membership require- ments so that newspapers that don’t have legal notice status could join as business mem- bers. I was in the minority that supported that idea, but our arguments were less than con- Voices of community newspapers vincing. Our membership soundly rejected the idea. I’m now urging you to reconsider. From everyday life to life changing events, Oklahoma newspapers keep readers informed There are some excellent newspapers in the state that don’t qualify for business mem- about what’s happening in their community. Following are samples of what’s appearing bership under our current rules. A couple of dozen of them are sustaining members, but in Oklahoma newspapers. that leaves them out of many of the benefits of business membership and deprives us of good soldiers in our fight to push our industry forward and much needed dues revenue. WE HAVE THESE PLASTIC totes and pride. Today this act and the Sons Opening up the membership could add dozens to our rolls, possibly bringing the total that we put all our Christmas stuff in.