Clinton George “Red” Burnham
Judith Rabe
Donald W. Sharpe
Robert E. Barton
Delor A. Grimond Jr.
Robert W. Yaeger
Joan Morris McNally
Paul T. Seamans
Gerald Budgar
Matthew Cavanaugh III
Mary E. (Clayton) Crozier
Cynthia McManus
Gerald Budgar
Kathleen A. (Brousseau) Martin
Carla McGuire
Theodore Raymond “Ted” Howard
In an era of constant cutbacks, it can be difficult for newspaper reporters to get good editing.
Many experienced editors have fled or been forced out of a constricting industry. Some who remain are distracted by expanded job duties. Younger editors may not possess the experience and resulting confidence to aggressively edit or rework copy.
Meanwhile, copy editors – long the last line of defense against poor writing — are diminishing in number and may serve as page designers with numerous other duties. Opportunities for training have also been slashed or eliminated.
Yet, all is not lost. Whether or not one works with a top-notch editor, the truly devoted writer can use their skills, work ethic and commitment to quality to aggressively self-edit their copy and improve their writing. Becoming a great writer is a lifelong journey and invariably begins from within.
Here are some ways to eliminate errors, reduce wordiness and sharpen your copy on your own.
Writing effectively almost never happens by luck. Increasingly, it is up to writers to put in the time and effort on their own to improve their ability to communicate and write with clarity, concision and flair. In the end, readers will benefit and so will you.
Joseph was talking to me about something he feels is important to the ad staff he manages. “These days, there’s a lot of talk about multi-tasking,” he said. “But according to what I’ve read on the subject, there’s no such thing. We can shift back and forth between tasks, but doing two tasks at once would be like putting a stick-shift car in first gear and second gear at the same time. It can’t be done.
“Sadly, multi-tasking is seen as a desirable skill,” Joseph explained. “I know a lot of people who claim it’s one of their greatest strengths. Some job descriptions even list it as a requirement. They just don’t understand that multi-tasking is an unrealistic cliché.”
Psychologists agree that a human being is not capable of doing two tasks at the same time. Sure, we can do two things that don’t compete for our focus (like carrying on a conversation while walking), but we can’t concentrate on more than one thing at a time. When we think we are multi-tasking, we are actually task-switching – moving quickly from one thing to another. Think of it as a fast shift between first and second gear.
“I think of multi-tasking as multi-risking,” Joseph said. “We’ve all seen YouTube videos of
people walking into telephone poles and falling into fountains while they’re looking at their
phones. And of course, we know that texting and driving is a lethal combination. Talking on the phone while driving is distracting enough, but texting is stupid. It’s as dangerous as drunk driving.
“In the business world, trying to do two things at once might not put your life in danger, but it can cause mistakes. For example, if you try to write an email and talk on the phone at the same time, you’ll risk miscommunicating something to both parties. You can give one or the other your undivided attention, but not both. Even if you don’t make a mistake, it can be frustrating to the person on the other end to hear your keyboard clicking in the background.
“Trying to multi-task can also damage relationships,” he said. “I remember going to a luncheon which featured several presenters. The manager of one of the speakers was there to support her staff member, but spent the entire time looking down at her phone. Her seat was at the head table, right next to the lectern, so everyone in the audience could see that she wasn’t paying attention. A few days later, I ran into the speaker, and he told me that his manager’s actions showed that she obviously didn’t care about what he was saying, even though he was talking about the company where they both worked. Not surprisingly, a few months later he left to take another job.”
Joseph is right about multi-risking. When someone tries to concentrate on two important things at the same time, it creates a risk that is not worth taking.
Believe it or not 2019 is right around the corner … and so is the largest newspaper convention in New England.
The 2019 New England Newspaper Convention is shaping up to be one of the best convention’s yet. The convention is jam-packed with dozens of sessions and panels that address the latest developments, opportunities and obstacles in the newspaper industry. With over 600 attendees, the event is not only an opportunity to learn and gain some fresh ideas, but a chance to network with other newspaper professionals throughout New England.
The 2019 line up of speakers are passionate, engaging and ready to share their best ideas. Be sure to sign up early to ensure you get a seat in the sessions and panels that are most important to you.
Here are just a few of the 2019 session topics that you don’t want to miss …
This year the New England Newspaper Convention will be held on February 15th and 16th at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel in Boston, MA. Students pay just $29 (sessions only).
Reserve your hotel room today! Note the deadline to receive the group rate for hotel reservations is Monday, January 28, 2019.
Interested in exhibiting or being a sponsor? Download our exhibitor and sponsorship form.
Sometimes a design just goes stale. Over the course of even just a few years, inconsistencies creep in, color use gets out of hand, odd typefaces appear. Stuff happens.
But you can turn that around. You can bring a crisp, clean, compelling look to the tired face of your newspaper.
Here are ten steps to guide you:
If your design has gone stale, if it’s not where you’d like it to be, these ten steps are the road to a turnaround.
Every now and then inspiration strikes a writer like lightning and a nearly perfect news story is the result.
They’ll craft a piece with an engaging lead, a meaningful nut graph, intelligent exposition, on-point factual evidence, colorful imagery, telling details, unforgettable quotes and a kicker that lingers.
For some, it all comes together only once a year or even once a career. And yet, a few writers find such success almost every time they put pen to paper or align 10 fingers on a keyboard.
Often, those top-notch writers don’t wait to think about writing until after the reporting is complete. Instead, they plan ahead, think almost constantly how to approach an assignment, create a structure for a piece and – most importantly – use the reporting process to drive their writing. One method of planning can lead to improved writing, especially on breaking news stories or events covered by multiple reporters. I call it “Reporting to Write,” a fairly simple concept in which journalists think and focus almost constantly on the story and its structure before, during and after the reporting process.
I put this to good use in 2000 when I was the statewide general assignment reporter for a big Florida daily and drew an assignment to do a “scene piece” about tornados that had killed more than a dozen people.
As I drove to the scene (with the radio off and my thoughts fully on the job ahead) I wondered how to approach the reporting. The fact the funnels blew in at night on Valentine’s Day were both sure to be touched on by the two other breaking news reporters on our team.
I began to see debris scattered about fields and people picking through the wreckage and suddenly it hit me: One terrifying element of every tornado is how it exposes the possessions and lives of is victims for all to see.
I settled on a plan to tell the stories of some of the victims by focusing solely on their scattered possessions and by confirming those assumptions by talking to surviving family members or neighbors. I found and recorded the titles of children’s books owned by a toddler who died; I examined trophies scattered about a home where a teenaged athlete had been injure; and I found record albums and took note of the artists beloved by a middle-aged musician who was killed. I didn’t dilute my effort by attending press conferences or talking to cops or firefighters or interviewing numerous survivors who all told much the same story.
Once I had an opening sentence, the story nearly wrote itself. In fact, after my computer crashed on the way to use the modem in the public library where I wrote, I was able to rewrite the entire piece in 15 minutes. My editors loved the piece and I was home by 5 p.m. that day.
Here are some basics about Reporting to Write that can help you become a better storyteller and get you home in time to make dinner.
Burnsville, MN, December 5, 2018 — The Boston Herald has implemented Tecnavia’s NewsMemory© eEdition on web browser and mobile apps to replace and upgrade their electronic print replica product.
“We see growing reader interest in digital and want to give our readers the best print replica experience we can. We also need our digital products on a modern platform that can provide the features and innovative products we need going forward,” said Michael Sheehan, Regional VP of Circulation for Northeast for Digital First Media.
Tecnavia’s web eEdition is built on the latest HTML code to optimize performance and user interface on the platform. Mobile apps for Apple iOS and Android use native coding to provide fully integrated features, higher performance and security.
“Another reason for moving to Tecnavia was to finally get clear metrics on eEdition readership, and see with detail how eEditions are actually being used,” said Kevin LaMagdelaine, Regional Sales & Marketing Manager for Digital First Media. “Our old setup had us pretty much flying blind. Reports we received were not measuring the data what we needed. We had to make assumptions about numbers that no one felt good about.”
With other Boston Herald projects planned for 2018, only a month was available to plan and execute the eEdition change over. Another challenge was interfacing with internal systems that had not been touched for years, and in some cases replacement was already underway.
“With all our projects going on, for us it was all hands on deck. We found Tecnavia’s customer support was fast to get back and accommodating to adapt when we were limited by systems or time by what we could supply. They set up a conversion schedule with regular web meetings to keep things on track. It was clear they had an in-depth understanding of the process, even with 3rd party systems,” said LaMagdelaine.
“Tecnavia even helped us create marketing programs to support the transition. We did emailers and even ran a contest for early adopters,” said Gerry Sher, Boston Herald Home Delivery Manager. “We had a seamless transition with no service interruptions. It’s a real achievement considering high reader activity thanks to the Red Sox, Patriots and elections.”
Tecnavia has over 20 years’ experience in e-publishing and was a pioneer in the concept of digital print editions. Today, Tecnavia manages over 2,000 titles and processes over 8 million pages per year. Services now include Total Media Apps for live news, eEditions, website meters, digital archives, eTearsheets and the new Tecnavia Ad Network. We aim to continue offering high-performance, innovative and cost-effective solutions relying on hard
work, bright ideas, and continuous research and development.
Some of you will remember Facebook. If you’re over 40, you probably visit Facebook on a regular basis. If you’re like most of the college students in my life, ask a parent or older friend. They can tell you about it.
Earlier this week, I checked my Facebook notices. I generally skip the “memory” notices. Those are the ones meant to remind us of posts we’ve made on this date in years past.
There it was. Seven years ago on this date, I spent the day in Manhattan, in front of 50 or so journalists at the CUNY Journalism Graduate School, recently renamed the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York. Why was I there, you asked? To discuss digital journalism.
Beginning in the late 1990s, I began receiving requests to speak about the future of digital journalism at conferences and schools of journalism throughout the U.S. and Canada. Large audiences would pack rooms as I discussed online video, vodcasts, podcasts, slideshows, hardware, software and more.
Back in those days, like a lot of folks, I was enamored with the technology. I loved teaching folks how to use the software and gadgets needed to record and get videos online, create newspaper websites, and most of the hardware and software companies were more than happy to send me free samples of their products, in hopes I might include them in reviews.
Like a lot of folks, I was giddy with thoughts of how the Internet was going to change the newspaper business.
At the time, we anticipated converting our print publications to digital publications, assuming readers would gladly switch from paper to screen. We also assumed advertisers would be just as thrilled with the possibilities of digital media, and gladly pay hefty sums to fund our journalistic efforts.
It’s funny how time can change expectations. It didn’t take long to realize print wasn’t going away, at least not as quickly as we anticipated back in those heady days. It was tempting to ignore the facts and move full-steam ahead into the digital era, leaving print behind. Most of the folks I know who took that approach aren’t in the news business any more.
Like many things in life, most healthy papers came to realize the newspaper business isn’t an either/or proposition. For most newspapers, it became quickly evident that digital advertising dollars couldn’t sustain their publications without a serious reduction in staff and other resources.
Sure, there’s the Wall Street Journal and New York Times, but those are exceptions to the rule, not the rule itself.
As recently as last week, a publisher of a very successful community paper emailed me to let me know he was significantly reducing his newspaper’s digital emphasis. In his words, he put pencil to paper and came to the conclusion there was very little financial return based on the number of hours his staff was putting into their website and social media presence.
I still visit a lot of community newspapers. Heck, I still visit a lot of all types of newspapers. What I’m seeing is no increase in the digital efforts at most newspapers, especially community papers. Most have a website, with highlights of news. Most have a paywall for readers who want to see full stories. Most engage with social media, primarily Facebook and Twitter, to promote stories, share late-breaking news and attempt to draw readers and
subscribers.
In the past, I noticed the majority of the publishers I visited felt like they were missing out on something. There was a feeling that “everybody” else had a handle on the whole digital thing, yet they were somehow left behind.
This seems to be another area where time seems to alleviate many of our misconceptions. Sure, newspapers still try to determine the right “mix” of print and digital efforts. Metro and many dailies might have a hard time existing without income from their online presence.
Most – notice I wrote “most” – community papers have come to the conclusion that digital media isn’t going to be their savior, at least not anytime in the near future.
So they offer subscriptions to their newspaper online. They get a little income, usually not much, from online advertisers. They use social media to promote subscriptions. I’ve seen a few community newspapers make significant income by livestreaming area high school ballgames and other events, with sponsorships from local advertisers.
It’s becoming more common, as I visit community papers, to see live broadcasts of news or news-makers, usually on a daily or weekly basis. In many cases, the focus of the effort is to enhance what is happening in the local newspaper, not replace it.
Do I think print will totally give way to digital in the near future? No, as I first wrote ten years ago, print is going to be around for a long time. Do I think newspapers will give up on digital efforts? No, of course not. Heck, even the cupcake shop down the street has a website. It’s a normal part of business.
Then what do I think is going to happen? I think newspapers will continue to look for ways to incorporate digital efforts in ways to enhance their current products and, as time moves forward, find even more ways to benefit from their digital presence.
It’s my educated guess that we will continue to search for ways to benefit from the digital side of our business, without throwing out the products that still bring in the most revenue and reach the widest audience.
Just a reminder: In the latest Newspaper Institute survey of U.S. and Canadian newspaper publishers, more than 90 percent indicated print advertising is still their number one source of income. What was number two? Print subscriptions. Income from digital sources came in at a little under one percent.
So here’s my advice. Keep putting out a great newspaper. If it’s not great, figure out how to make it better. Look for ways to use your digital presence to increase readership and advertisers, but don’t think they will replace income from your most profitable product.
You’re not alone. Just about everyone is still trying to figure this digital thing out. Look at me. I started writing and speaking about digital news more than 20 years ago, and I’m still trying to figure it out.
Jodi is a sales manager with an interesting philosophy. “We’re all familiar with win-win,” she said. “It’s a common cliché these days. In business relationships – especially any kind of negotiation – each side should benefit. I help you win, and you help me win.
“Win-win is a noble objective, but I don’t think it covers all the bases in the advertising business.
I’ve heard people say that we’re dealing with four wins, not two. We talk about this all the time in staff meetings. As long as we focus on winning in four areas, we’re on the right track.”
Let’s take a look at Jodi’s four wins:
“It all starts here,” she said. “Advertisers and prospective advertisers want results. The purpose of advertising is to generate sales and market awareness, so we go into every presentation with that in mind.
“After all, that’s how they judge the value of running ads with us. They constantly ask
themselves, ‘Are the ads working?’ If they can’t answer ‘yes’ to that question, we have a big problem. If there’s no win for the advertiser, the other wins don’t matter.”
“When we tell prospects we’re working for a win-win, they automatically
think of their business and our newspaper,” Jodi explained.
“We work for the newspaper, and everybody understands that we’re expected to keep our employer’s interests at heart. When our advertisers get good results from their campaigns, they’ll naturally run more ads. That boosts our business as well as theirs. By helping them win, we win right along with them.”
“This is the first of the additional wins,” Jodi said. “Even though it doesn’t apply to every industry, it’s a big part of what we do in advertising. In a lot of ways, you could say we’re a bridge between businesses and their customers. If it weren’t for advertising, a lot of people wouldn’t know what’s available in the marketplace.
“Around the office, we joke about being consumer advocates, but that’s our way of saying we work to take care of our audience. We’re obligated to help advertisers package their messages to help readers make good buying decisions. If an advertiser hands us a bad idea, we don’t hesitate to say it’s a bad idea. Our ad team knows principles of effective advertising, and they do everything they can to steer clients away from weak ideas.”
The fourth win hits close to home. “We want the people in our ad department to enjoy their work and celebrate their successes,” she said. “When someone lands a new client, renews a contract or sells a campaign, it gives their confidence a big lift. We believe each victory is a stepping stone to more accomplishments.
“The better our team members feel about their work, the more valuable they become – to the paper, to advertisers, to our readers and to themselves.
“In our business, two wins are not enough. We go for the win-win-win-win.”
COPYRIGHT LINE
(c) Copyright 2018 by John Foust. All rights reserved.
Time to Stand up for Journalists, for the Pursuit of Truth
Unlike most of Time magazine’s “Person of the Year” designees since 1927, we can be certain none of those featured this year on that iconic, red-framed cover wanted to be there.
This year, Time has four cover images, all recognizing journalists who are imprisoned, facing charges or who died in the pursuit of news on behalf of the rest of us — collectively titled, “The Guardians and the War on Truth.”
The selectees: Jamal Khashoggi, The Washington Post contributor believed killed in Turkey by a Saudi Arabian “hit squad;” the staff of the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Md., which saw five staffers killed by a deranged gunman; Reuters news service reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who have been jailed in Myanmar for a year; and Philippine journalist Maria Ressa, whose news site Rappler, a frequent government critic, faces dubious tax-related charges.
Time said it selected the group “for taking great risks in pursuit of greater truths, for the imperfect but essential quest for facts that are central to civil discourse, for speaking up and speaking out.”
Those words, and that task, are as good a definition of journalism as we might want. The description also puts a lie to the core untruths of those critics who find any excuse to bray — mostly for political gain — about “fake news,” or who claim “alternative facts” when faced with a reality they find uncomfortable or incompatible with pre-conditioned views.
Yes, journalists — as all of us — can at times do an imperfect job. But the vast majority set out each day on that “essential quest for facts.” And in doing so, they act on our behalf, bringing us the information we need for both the decisions we make in our private lives and for the votes we cast as part of the greatest experiment ever seen in self-governance.
These “Guardians” also stand for thousands of men and women in nations around the world who put themselves in harm’s way each day to stand up to tyrants and tyranny. As the magazine noted, at least 52 journalists have been murdered this year for simply doing their jobs. Hundreds more are imprisoned and threatened. The Committee to Protect Journalists notes 262 are now being held and 60 are “missing.”
Journalists killed in the previous year, and more than 2,300 others since the early 1800s are recognized each June in a rededication of the Newseum’s Journalist Memorial, in Washington, D.C. For those who question the motives of all journalists under misleading and inaccurate references to “the Media,” — visit and learn the stories of the men and women noted on that memorial. If your view of journalism and those who practice it doesn’t shift as a result, you’re not really thinking.
The journalists’ stories were intertwined with the second part of Time’s recognition as the most “influential” in 2018 — the ongoing effort to manipulate what is true and “the many ways information is being used and abused across the globe.” In an essay, the magazine’s editor-in-chief said it was “the common thread in so many of this year’s major stories, from Russia to Riyadh to Silicon Valley.”
In the name of those who died, who are wrongly imprisoned or threatened, and in the name of “truth,” the rest of us have an obligation to step away from partisan bickering and disgraceful sloganeering — including that bogus claim by President Trump and repressive regimes worldwide that journalists are “enemies of the people.”
Call for better reporting, but also be willing to support better journalism. Continue to call for investigations and prosecutions whenever a journalist is attacked or killed; don’t settle for a politically expedient decision to excuse or ignore such criminal conduct. Defend journalism and commit to the pursuit of truth, even when it means extra effort to separate it out from misleading and false information.
In the name of those recently recognized for their courage and sacrifice, it’s Time we all did that.