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colorado Lessons from small papers of interest to many. PAGE 4
Official publication of the Colorado Press Association / coloradopressassociation.com / Vol. LXXXV, No. 4 April 2014
editor
BUILDING on Page 8
By Matt Lubich Jerry Raehal has been selected as
the new CEO of The Colorado Press Association/Sync2Media, taking over the position from Samantha Johnston, who accepted the job as general manager with Swift Communications’ Colorado Mountain News Media in Aspen.
Raehal, 38, comes to CPA from the Laramie Boomerang in Wyoming,
where he has been the publisher since September of 2012. Prior to that he was the publisher of the Rawlins Daily Times, also in Wyoming, as well as an editor and reporter at papers in Colorado, Oregon and Wyoming.
“The Colorado Press Association/Sync2Media is an advocate for the industry we serve and we need a CEO who will honor the history we have created in our industry and prepare us
for the future that lies before us,” CPA board chair Bryce Jacobson, advertising director of the Greeley Tribune, said. “I don’t think that we could have found a better individual to do just that.”
Raehal grew up in Greeley and graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with a bachelor’s degree in journalism with an emphasis on print media. He said he and his wife, Jamie, are happy and excited to
be moving back closer to family. They have two boys, ages 4 and 2.
“I’m very excited for the opportunity,” he said. “But it’s also bittersweet. We have loved living in Laramie and the company I have worked for. Reaction to my announcement that I was leaving was both heartwarming and heartbreaking.”
“I’m deeply passionate about
CPA/Sync2 taps Raehal as new CEO
By Samantha Johnston Special to the Editor
The Colorado Press Association will be relocating to new office space this fall following the sale of its 86-year-old building in downtown Denver. The building is not on the National Register of Historic Places, although its neighbor to the south, The Denver Press Club, is listed.
CPA owned the building at 1336 Glenarm Place for more than 50 years before selling it in late March. Alex Ringsby, owner of Ringsby Realty Corp. of Denver, bought the building for $1.225 million under the name of his investment company, Ringsby Terminals, Inc. As part of the sale agreement, CPA is leasing back the first floor of the building from Ringsby through September.
The decision to sell the building came after the CPA board of directors voted last year to sell its commercial real estate so it could pursue investments and opportunities that better align with the mission and vision of CPA.
“If the goal of our organization is to champion the sustainability of the news industry in Colorado, then it makes sense that we appropriately plan for that future,” said CPA Board Chair, Bryce Jacobson. “We are at a point where we either invest a quarter of a million or more dollars into maintenance and upkeep of the building, or we invest in long-term strategies and programs that protect and support our membership.”
The 6,250-square-foot building once housed more than 25 employees and a clipping service, which was sold to
CPA seeks new space after sale of building
The focus was always on the soldiers.
Last year could be considered a tumultuous one for The Gazette. After an ownership change in late 2012, we immediately implemented a series of major changes: more than 30 pages added to The Gazette
each week; reorganization of the newsroom; and redesigns of both The Gazette and Gazette.com. All came within weeks and months of each other, so quick decisions had to be
made and then implemented.Through all of the changes,
investigative reporter Dave Philipps pushed a project that demanded our attention and focus. He had found that the Army was kicking out soldiers who had served multiple
Dave Philipps, center, pops open a champagne bottle as Managing Editor Joanna Bean and Photographer/Videographer Michael Ciaglo applaud after it was announced the Gazette won the Pulitzer Prize for its series “Other Than Honerable.” The Gazette actually had to pop open two bottles of champagne, one for the initial announcement and then when Philipps arrived back from Washington late in the evening.
With Honors
Glenarm Place had been home for 50-plus years
JoeHight
Gazette Editor
RAEHAL on Page 8
Gazette team wins Pulitzer for thorough series on soldiers in crisisn 10 Questions with Dave Phillips.
Page 6
PULITZER on Page 6
Raehal
2 colorado editor April 2014
colorado editorISSN #162-0010
USPS # 0122-940
Vol. LXXXV, Issue 4April 2014
Colorado Editor is the official publication of the Colorado Press
Association and is published monthly at 1336 Glenarm Place.Denver, CO 80204-2115
p: 303-571-5117f: 303-571-1803
coloradopressassociation.com
Subscription rate:$10 per year, $1 single copy
StaffJeanette Chavez
Interim Executive [email protected]
Brian ClarkDesign Editor
Board of DirectorsOFFICERS
ChairBryce Jacobson
PresidentTerri House
The Pagosa Springs [email protected]
Vice PresidentKeith Cerny
Alamosa Valley [email protected]
TreasurerBart Smith
SecretaryLaurena Mayne Davis
The Daily [email protected]
DIRECTORS
Matt LubichThe Johnstown Breeze
Don LindleyThe Durango Herald
Larry RyckmanThe Denver Post
Joe HightThe Gazette
Beecher ThreattOuray County [email protected]
Lisa SchlichtmanSteamboat Pilot & Today
Periodical postage paid atDenver, CO 80202.
POSTMASTER:Send address changes to
Colorado Editor1336 Glenarm Place
Denver, CO 80204-2115
from the president
At the Colorado Press Convention, I spoke about the many changes that I’ve seen in our industry since I was 15 years old and working in the mailroom of
The Pagosa Springs SUN, stuffing inserts into the papers we printed for Steve Haynes’ Mineral County Miner and South Fork Tines. That was 34 years ago. I don’t just work in the mailroom these days; now I own the newspaper, and
I do a little bit more than mailroom work.
Little did I know that following February’s convention the CPA would face a huge change when our executive director resigned and the board went through the selection process to hire our new CEO.
Change is inevitable, yet one thing that hasn’t changed in many, many years is the definition of a newspaper with full membership in the Colorado Press Association. This year our membership committee will develop a new dues structure and expand our membership criteria to better reflect our current media
landscape.
We accomplished step one at the annual meeting of the CPA with the membership approving a bylaw change that stood in the way of us bringing our association to the current century. Our next goal is to implement a new dues structure.
More often than not, change can be good, but one thing that hasn’t changed is my love of community journalism. I was reminded of that when I read a Facebook message the morning after posting about awards our staff received at the Colorado Press Convention.
Some of you might remember the economic downturn that happened around 2008. That year, a real estate agent left town owing my newspaper over $7,000. She was one of many who left with
unpaid bills, but she did something different.
When I contacted her about her bill on Facebook, which, by the way, is a great collection tool – she started sending me monthly checks to pay on her balance. It is only $50 a month, yet each payment arrives inside of a beautiful greeting card with a note thanking me for letting her make payments.
This is what she wrote on Facebook the morning after the awards ceremony:
“That is so wonderful and not surprising … however what an honor!! Congratulations to you Terri and to the entire staff at The SUN!
“I was reading the online Pagosa Springs SUN yesterday thinking that this fantastic paper is the lifeline for everyone in Pagosa!
“It truly brings together the entire community for the good times and when those need comfort and help from their neighbors!
“I remember how important this ‘newspaper’ was to me and my family living there for over 14 years.
“The internet can’t do for a community what one amazing strong Pagosa Springs SUN can!! Here’s to many more years of success! Bravo!”
With all of the industry changes we have experienced, one thing is certain – community journalism remains more relevant than ever.
Marrika Zapiler joined the Colorado Press Association/SYNC2 Media in February 2014 as the Multimedia Coordinator.
“I’ve been enjoying working with all of our member newspapers and clients to coordinate both print and digital advertising,” she said.
Her prior professional experience includes working for Xerox Educational Services, and Full Sail University, where she coordinated higher education marketing campaigns. She grew up in Colorado, but left to get her bachelor’s degree in Classics from the Florida State
University, and was happy to move back here a few years ago.
“Even though I’ve never taken a marketing class, I happened into the industry, and have loved it ever since. I jumped at the chance to take this job, as I am very excited to learn the newspaper industry and take advantage of all of the opportunity that the Colorado Press Association can offer,” she said. “I’m looking forward to fully digitizing our tearsheets this year, which would be a big step towards modernizing our processes and making us more efficient!”
Love for community journalism one thing that will never change
Zapiler new addition to CPA/Sync2
TerriHouse
CPA President
Stay up to date at coloradopressassociation.com
Public notices are one of the key links for making sure governmental entities give the public information about upcoming construction projects as well as other contracts that should be bid out.
In recent years, many legislators have questioned why these notices shouldn’t be put up on a government website to meet the public notice requirement. This year, new legislation was introduced to meet the greater need with no additional cost to taxpayers, government or newspapers. Public notices will continue to be printed in newspapers but also be placed on a common website run by Colorado Press Association.
One of the beauties of the site is that if someone is interested, they can ask for automatic notifications about new public notices.
The governor signed the legislation in March.
Some states, such as Illinois and California, have already adopted this system.
CPA is in the process of setting up training sessions for member newspapers. In most cases, newspapers will be able to insert code to upload the notices automatically; however, each newspaper or newspaper group will need to have someone trained to do it manually as a backup.
The first training session is May 7, but more will be scheduled. Please contact Jeanette Chavez, interim executive director, 303-571-5117, to schedule your newspaper either for the May 7 session or for a later training session.
CPA plans training for new public notices site
With all of the industry changes we have experienced, one thing is certain – community journalism remains more relevant than ever.
Zapiler and her son, Leo.
colorado editor 3April 2014
Election season poses a host of questions for editors as they sift through the natural surge in letters. For those in the midst of spring elections, editors are likely making many decisions on the fly. For the primary and general elections later this year, it’s not too early to set the ground rules.
Then share the policy with as broad an audience as possible, including candidates and their campaign managers. It’s an excellent topic for a column to readers.
Election season is an opportunity to get fresh voices on your page. The ultimate goal is to serve the electorate by offering a lively debate on the pros and cons of candidates and issues. At the same time, editors face the headache of sifting through organized letter-writing campaigns.
Here is one list of dos and don’ts that newspapers consider when offering their “advice to readers” for editorial page submissions:
Stick to local authors. Unless the circumstances are extraordinary, it’s reasonable to reject letters from residents outside your readership area.
Focus on local issues. Election coverage on your news pages
predominantly focuses on local issues. The strongest letters should highlight the local perspective of issues.
Make letters substantive. We’re all familiar with the standard litany of candidate attributes – trustworthy, hardworking, honest, accessible, dedicated to family and committed to representing the interests of their
constituents. Such endorsements shed little light on the candidates and likely do little to advance their electability. Feel free to aggressively edit these letters and reserve space for letters that address meaningful issues.
Keep the exchanges civil. Encourage writers to focus on the issues and provide the appropriate sources for their facts. It’s well within newspapers’ purview to reject those letters that are strictly personal in nature.
Set ground rules for rebuttal. Space is too precious to allow long-running exchanges among candidates and their supporters. Consider allowing each individual two letters; each has an opportunity for a rebuttal after the initial exchange. Someone always will have the “last word.”
Don’t ramble. Readers grow tired of lengthy letters on the same subjects and letters columns dominated by the same writers. A short letter to the point has greater impact than a rambling letter repetitive in its message.
Limit target of letters. Exceptions might arise, but as a general rule, newspapers should be careful about allowing candidates to write letters in response to issues raised in paid ads. The best guideline is that candidates respond to the message in the same avenue as the original message. Campaigns are right to be upset if their paid ads are rebutted on a regular basis in the free letters column.
Allow candidates to submit letters – with restrictions. Keep in mind that candidates have the opportunity to advance their positions on issues in a variety of avenues – and not just through paid advertising. They routinely issue press releases and participate in forums. Editors should be attentive to the savvy candidates who methodically submit letters as a strategy to supplement or replace paid advertising.
Verify all letters. The process is tedious and time consuming, but the possibility of fake authors is not far-fetched.
One of the most important guidelines is the deadline for letters that raise new issues that might warrant a response from the other side. Eleventh-hour charges fall into two camps, each prompting a different handling: Some letters are strategically lobbed in the final days; the information is known well in advance but surfaces late with the hope that it might deliver a knockout punch. Editors are well within their bounds to reject this type of letter altogether – even if the point might have proved legitimate had the letter arrived earlier.
In rare cases, letters might raise an issue that truly just came to light and warrants public attention. In the worst-case scenario, a letter might arrive with only one edition prior to the election. Editors have a couple of options: One avenue is to do a news story. The reporter can contact all the parties involved, noting the circumstances of how the issue was raised. Or the newspaper might decide to publish the letter, but let the “opponent” see the letter in advance and write a response. Both letters would be published alongside each other with an explanatory editor’s note. The “other side” may not want to respond, but the offer should be extended.
Editors can be subjective in deciding whether to publish these letters. At the core is whether the newspaper has time to do justice
with the information, despite how compelling it might be.
Editors’ best defense is their offense: Publish the letters policy early and often, so writers cannot complain – with any basis – that they weren’t aware of deadlines. Then stick to the deadlines. If 5 p.m. is the cutoff, check with the front desk when the hour strikes. Clear the fax machine and e-mails. And then be prepared for the creative challenges – that the newspaper’s clock must be five minutes faster or that an errand took longer than expected to make the delivery tardy. The excuses are most amusing when they come from veteran managers who have coordinated letter campaigns for years.
Jim Pumarlo writes, speaks and provides training on community newsroom success strategies. He is author of “Journalism Primer: A Guide to Community News Coverage,” “Votes and Quotes: A Guide to Outstanding Election Coverage” and “Bad News and Good Judgment: A Guide to Reporting on Sensitive Issues in Small-Town Newspapers.”
He can be reached at www.pumarlo.com and welcomes comments and questions at [email protected].
Set ground rules now for barrage of election letters
JimPumarlo
4 colorado editor April 2014
So many topics, so little space. This morning, I created a poll on my Facebook wall, which includes thousands of newspaper friends, and asked for help in deciding among three potential topics for this column. The poll looked like this:
I need your thoughts. Help me pick a topic for my column today. Select one of the following:
• A few new tools out there to help newspaper folks get their jobs done.
• The fallout from my previous Digital First column and their announcement to close down their Thunderdome division.
•What I learned from working with six small papers in Nebraska this month about running successful papers.
Within minutes, I received 40 or so responses. I was a little surprised at the results. Almost 60 percent selected “What I learned from working with six small papers in Nebraska.”
Approximately 22 percent chose “A few new tools,” while 19 percent selected a column concerning the Digital First fallout.
I wasn’t surprised that the column on successful small newspapers was selected, but I didn’t expect a blowout. Making the results even more surprising, I could tell who voted for what and it was clear that people at large dailies are just as interested in what the papers in Nebraska are doing to be successful as are people in small community papers.
So let me tell you a little about Nebraska. Rob Dump and his wife, Peggy, own six small papers in rural northeast Nebraska. The largest is Cedar County News in Hartington. According to US Census Bureau numbers, Hartington has dropped in population from 1,662 in 1990 to approximately 1,500 today.
The circulation of the Cedar
County News is 2,000. The circulation of the five smaller papers averages 900 each, with the smallest, The Coleridge Blade, reporting a circulation of 312. Total circulation for all six papers is 6,500.
Scenes for the movie “Nebraska” were filmed at the Osmond Republican.
Rob, along with Peggy, attended the Institute of Newspaper Technology
years ago and has been contacting me ever since about my coming to work with their papers. The obvious problem was the cost associated with flying a consultant across the country to spend a few days in Hartington.
I learned years ago, when Jean Matua (another Institute alum) had both Ken Blum and me at her newspaper, a 1,300-circulation weekly in a Minnesota town of 700, in the same week to work with her and her staff of one, that such problems are opportunities for people like Rob and Jean. So I wasn’t surprised when Rob called me a few months back to let me know he had received a government grant to bring me to Nebraska.
After arriving in Sioux Falls and making the 90-minute drive to Hartington on Wednesday, I spent Thursday training Rob’s incredibly impressive staff. Most seemed to be graduates of journalism schools in or near Nebraska. His daughter, Kalee, shared time between school at The University of Nebraska, in Lincoln, and working with the paper in Hartington. Most of the staff had worked at the papers for extensive periods and seemed to thoroughly enjoy their work.
The staffs of all six papers gathered on the town’s primary street, in a former store that has since been converted to a home for the newspaper press, with a conference area in the front.
We spent most of the day improving the photo editing process for the papers and training the staff in advanced skills using Adobe InDesign. We worked on improving their method of creating ads for their websites and making the
printing process go more smoothly.On day two, I worked
individually with several of the staff members. Peggy and I created a new system for streamlining her classifieds, using nested styles in InDesign. Rob and I began the work to create a photo archiving system for the papers. I worked with other staff members to solve PDF problems, get all the fonts to work together in all six papers and streamline the entire process.
At the end of day two, Rob and I sat in his office and discussed the time we’d spent together. He was amazed at how much we’d gotten done. “I never imagined we could do so much in just two days,” he told me a few times.
Then it was my turn to ask questions. In our conversation I learned that all of his papers were written and designed in the communities they served.
All six papers have editors who live in, or near, the towns they serve. And get this: All are profitable.
I asked Rob how he could afford to have a paper with a circulation of 312.
“Well, people ask me that question a lot,” he said, “and I look at it this way. We’re able to pay for our staff and to make a little profit.” He continued, “And it’s good for the community to have its own newspaper.”
Rob pretty much summed up what I say are the three qualities that exist in most successful newspapers:
• Focus on local content, produced locally
• Support and training for staff
• A quality sales staff that understands the role and benefits of newspaper advertising
Maybe next month, we can discuss those new tools.
KevinSlimp
Lessons learned in Nebraska not limited to small papers
Journalists take part in a recent workshop put on for newspapers in rural northeast Nebraska
It was clear that people at large dailies are just as interested in what the papers in Nebraska are doing to be successful as are people in small community papers.
colorado editor 5April 2014
As I’ve been working with various press associations recently, I’ve added another service: one-on-one design evaluations for those who bring in copies of their newspapers.
One association director told me that those who were part of the evaluation process said, “… you gave them a lot of ideas on things they need to work on to make the product better. So they’re apparently accepting that challenge.”
I am delighted to hear that — especially the part about “accepting the challenge.”
My evaluations are not pat-you-on-the-back-and-tell-you-what-a-great-job-you’re-doing sessions. I like to think I’m tough but fair. And honest. And frank. Most of all, I like to look at a newspaper as a reader would … and ask the same questions and make the same comments a reader might.
Sometimes, that can be a bit disappointing for the person whose paper I’m reviewing. I can’t be concerned about that. I’m there to help, not hype. I want to offer an honest assessment of that paper’s design, the way I see it.
When I go through that process, there are some basics I look for. It might work for you to do the same with your editors and designers.
Here are things I focus on:
Text: Is it large enough to be read comfortably, without being too large? Is it set in a legible typeface and used in a readable fashion?
Is it aligned to a baseline grid?
Other Text: Are you setting lists in a typeface and format that’s different from text? Is it easy to scan? Is it divided into subsets where possible?
Headlines: Do your headline fonts appear dated? Is there a good range of bold, italic and
regular typefaces? Are some just too small? Are you using good headline hierarchy on the page? Are you sticking to one typeface family or using too many funky fonts?
Color: Is it used sparingly and with good purpose, or are you scattering color willy-nilly on your pages? Do you have a signature color and are you using that well?
Spacing: Are you allowing enough space between the separate packages on the page? When a package is special, are you setting it off with enough negative space?
Boxes: Are you still using them? Don’t. Use rules between packages instead. The lighter the rule, the better the look.
Consistency: Are your basic design elements such as standing heads, column sigs and page labels all set in the same style? There’s no need to make these different. As a matter of fact, a consistent look helps to add credibility to your newspaper.
Organization: Does the flow of content make sense, or is some
broken up? Example: Does sports begin your B section…and then continue on a jump page behind classifieds? If so, how do you get sports to be a contiguous whole?
The Nameplate: What does it say about your newspaper? Is it classy…or silly? Is it cast in a typeface that tells your readers their newspaper is credible and careful…or is it too playful? Is it dated…or classical so that it stands the test of time?
Go through your paper soon. Do a design evaluation of your own. Take a hard look and be honest with yourself.
Does your design need work?Does it look dated?Does it do everything you want
it to do for your readers?You can answer those questions
for yourself ... if you take the time to do a thorough evaluation.
WANT A FREE evaluation of your newspaper’s design? Just contact Ed at 803-327-3322 or [email protected]
IF THIS COLUMN has been helpful, you may be interested in Ed’s books: Henninger on Design and 101 Henninger Helpful Hints. With the help of Ed’s books, you’ll immediately have a better idea how to design for your readers. Find out more about Henninger on Design and 101 Henninger Helpful Hints by visiting Ed’s web site: www.henningerconsulting.com
ED HENNINGER is an independent newspaper consultant and the Director of Henninger Consulting. Offering comprehensive newspaper design services including redesigns, workshops, staff training and evaluations.
The top nameplate gives your newspaper a sense of authority and credibility. The bottom nameplate? Uhhh ... not so much.
Focusing on good design
In my years around newspapers, here are a few statements that made me say, “Huh?”
1. “Let’s run the ad one time to see what happens.” People who run an ad one time would get just as much for their investment by throwing it down a storm drain. This advertiser didn’t realize – perhaps because no one had told her – the power of reach and frequency. How many people do you reach? And how often do you reach them?
2. “It’s recyclable.” A sales person said this in response to the question, “What is the number one reason to advertise in your paper?” It didn’t occur to him to talk about how advertising is good for business.
3. “You should support your local paper.” The same sales person offered this as the second reason to advertise. He didn’t realize that most businesses are looking for ways to sell product, not support the local media.
4. “The only reason to cultivate relationships with people is to get money out of them.” This was said by a sales manager during a staff meeting. While it revealed a shallow and manipulative approach to customer relations, it was worsened by the fact that several people on his staff were in their first job. What a lousy introduction to the sales profession.
5. “White space is a waste of money.” An advertiser said this, while reviewing the proof of an ad that featured some white space between illustrations. She insisted on adding more pictures, which resulted in an uninviting glob of clutter on the page.
6. “My office building is brown. So print my logo in brown ink.” This advertiser was hung up on color, even though he
had not built his brand on color (like Coca-Cola’s red or McDonald’s golden arches). When an advertiser has the freedom to pick any color, it’s best to base the decision on what will look good on the page.
7. “They just don’t get it.” This is the way one publisher described his advertising staff.
What he didn’t realize is that, when everybody doesn’t get it, something is wrong with the communicator – namely him.
8. “I don’t believe in having friends at work.” An owner made this absurd statement at an all-staff meeting. Thank goodness, my boss didn’t discourage friendship in my first job after college. My former co-workers are still some of my closest friends.
9. “If your account rep doesn’t do a good job, let me know.” An ad manager said this to a client, in the presence of the account rep. In an effort to impress, he put the sales person in an awkward position. Not exactly a confidence builder.
10. “An ad doesn’t need a headline.” This was mentioned by a recent graduate who was showing his portfolio to ad agencies. Commenting on an ad with all copy and no headline, he said his professor had called it a creative approach. In reality, numerous studies have shown that the headline is the most important part of an ad. No headline? No way.
© Copyright 2014 by John Foust. All rights reserved.
John Foust has conducted training programs for thousands of newspaper advertising professionals. Many ad departments are using his training videos to save time and get quick results from in-house training. E-mail for information: [email protected]
Strange things I’ve heard around ad departments
CLASSIFIED SALES REPRESENTATIVE Candidate must be strong with outbound
phone calling, handle multiple projects at one time and work in a fast paced deadline oriented environment. Candidate would be expected to grow current established account base on a monthly basis. Newspaper sales not required. Please send cover letter, resume to [email protected]. Please include job title in subject line.
EdHenninger
JohnFoust
MANAGING EDITORValley Publishing seeks a full-time managing
editor for six small weekly publications in beau-tiful southern Colorado. Primary duties include pagination/layout of weekly newspapers and special editions, as well as copy editing, supervi-sion of reporters and coverage of events, activi-ties, meetings, etc. in Monte Vista, Colo. Send resume, letter of interest, salary requirements and clips to Valley Publishing Inc., P.O. Box 607, Monte Vista, CO 81144 or email to:[email protected] (attn: Jennifer).
PRESS SUPERVISORCMNM’s state of the art printing facility
in Gypsum, CO is seeking a Press Supervi-sor to print Vail, Summit, Glenwood, and Aspen Dailies and magazines. Come Live, Work, and Play in America’s playground. We are a part of Swift Communications: http://www.swiftcom.com/
Candidate will be a crew Leader re-
sponsible for all functions on the press for the assigned shifts including SAFETY, per-
formance, training, and communication to and from the company, while printing our daily products. Be resourceful, mechani-cal, self-reliant , and enjoy printing high quality work with pride. Be able to work quickly and safely, and be eager to grow and learn more about the business. This position is full-time with competitive ben-efits including health, dental and 401k. To apply: send letter of interest and C.V. or resume to Bill Walker, Plant Manager at [email protected]. EOE.
CPA Marketplace
6 colorado editor April 2014
Pulitzer from Page 1
deployments overseas but had returned home with traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder. These soldiers had been getting into trouble: some with minor and others with major infractions, but all had been kicked out without benefits and left without support when they needed it the most.
I was excited to learn that Dave had returned to The Gazette just before I became editor in December 2012; already a Pulitzer finalist and Livingston winner, Dave has the skills, drive and passion to turn any complex situation into a compelling story. And this one was certainly complex. We also had an outstanding editor working with Dave whom I had also promoted. Managing Editor Joanna Bean was left in charge of Dave’s work so we could continue the focus on the soldiers and the story about them, and she became a vital link in not only the editing but also the coordination of the overall project. He had also attached himself to a talented intern, Michael Ciaglo, who spent countless hours with the soldiers taking photos and shooting video. They seemed almost inseparable at times. I later successfully pushed for Michael to become a full-time photographer/videographer for The Gazette.
However, The Gazette needed more of a team to bring together the story, photos, video, interactive graphics and key documents for its print and online platforms, not only for this story but for all of our work. I named Dena Rosenberry Presentation director and promoted Josh Swearngin to news editor. Tulsa World Web Editor Jason Collington had told me about a web editor who had moved to Colorado Springs but was still consulting with the World on its website redesign. So I connected with Chris Hickerson, and we eventually hired him as a newsroom web developer. Stephanie Swearngin, a former Page 1 designer for the St. Petersburg, Fla., Times (now the Tampa Bay Times), had indicated that she might want to return. We hired her along with other talented designers. These moves complemented the already talented journalists in The Gazette’s newsroom.
By the time we had completed the moves, Dave had found three soldiers to focus a series about the issues faced by them at a time when the Army was going through a historic period and pressure to downsize their ranks.
With all the parts in place, we decided to name the series “Other Than Honorable.” Chris started working with Dave, Joanna and Online Director Jerry Herman on a web design and social media strategy. Stephanie worked with Dena and Josh on the print package. Photo/Video Director Mark Reis and Senior Military Editor Tom Roeder provided expertise. We seemed to have everything in place for an outstanding investigative project, a special one that would make a difference.
As we moved closer to publication, we started to receive complaints and concerns about what Dave was finding. These concerns seemed to indicate certain people knew details that only newsroom staff members should know. I ordered the series pulled offline just to make sure. We had to protect the series and our focus.
As we neared publication, we pushed Dave to turn this into a national story, and he found compelling statistics showing a nationwide trend on the increasing numbers of less than honorable discharges without benefits. Through it all, we maintained the focus: the stories were about those wounded soldiers. Statistics and those noble individuals and groups defending them backed up the premise; the soldiers themselves made people care. We constantly talked about them as if they were there with us in the newsroom.
Today, The Gazette holds the 2014 Pulitzer Prize in National Reporting – the smallest news organization to win one this year – because of an impassioned reporter and a dedicated team of staff members who knew how to photograph, videotape, edit, design and fight for a story that deserves this country’s attention. Dave’s first story after the Pulitzer announcement was on what was being done for these soldiers, showing again our focus was always on them.
It’s now our hope that the coveted journalistic prize awarded to ”Other Than Honorable” will propel more of a national focus that goes well beyond a news organization in Colorado Springs.
Dedicated team fought to tell story
colorado editor 7April 2014
By Cheryl Ghrist Contributing Editor
10 Questions this issue checked in with David Philipps, the new owner of the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting, besting two other finalists from The Wall Street Journal. Visit www.pulitzer.org for all the details. Philipps joined The Gazette in Colorado Springs, his hometown, as an intern in 2002. He graduated from Fountain Valley School of Colorado in Colorado Springs, then earned a bachelor’s degree in 2000 from Middlebury College in Vermont, and a master’s in journalism from Columbia University.
1) Your newly-earned Pulitzer Prize is the recognition all journalists hope for but few receive. You also got close as a finalist in 2010 for another military piece, “Casualties of War,” with a focus on violent tendencies within a post-Iraq Fort Carson combat group. Everyone wants to know how it feels to get the Prize.
It feels great! And then it feels overwhelming. And a little scary. And great. Really, really great. It’s way too big to fathom. I saw the competition, and I didn’t think what I did was necessarily better, so I am deeply humbled and frankly a little stunned.
2) What time was it in your workday when you got the news about the Pulitzer, were you waiting for the announcement, and how did you react?
They announce the prize in the afternoon. I was actually in the airport in Washington D.C. I knew the prizes were being announced that day, but I had already been passed over for all the other big national prizes, so I was trying to put it out of my head. Then I got a text message from my wife that said. “You won. National reporting.” My reply was unprintable. Five minutes later I got on my flight. I was so excited I asked the flight attendant to announce the win to the whole plane.
3) Who was with you/who did you call when you heard?
I called photographer Michael Ciaglo and managing editor Joanna Bean as soon as I heard. There was a lot of screaming and clapping. Some crying. It was a huge day for The Gazette. A lot of champagne is now soaked into the newsroom carpet.
4) When did you join The Gazette staff and where did you write before? Has it all been building up to the Pulitzer recognition?
I was hired more or less straight out of school by The Gazette. I also worked a few months at the Colorado Daily in Boulder. My job at The Gazette for most of my time there was to write about the outdoors: Mountain climbing, biking, heli-skiing, mushroom hunting – you name it. During that time The Gazette laid off a lot of its staff, and so I started writing what I thought were important news stories in my free time because they would have otherwise slipped through the cracks. I was a finalist for the Pulitzer in Local Reporting in 2010. After that I began dedicating myself more and more to focusing on big issues where writing can have an impact.
5) Not all reporters can say they have a Wikipedia entry. It lists your major works, including one of The Livingston Awards
for Young Journalists (under 35) in 2009 from the University of Michigan. That was also for “Casualties of War.” Did Wikipedia get everything right?
True, I have a Wikipedia entry, but it’s really, really small. It is nice though, that when sources Google me it now pops up that I’m a Pulitzer winner. Maybe they’ll return my calls more often.
6) You’ve even written a book, “Lethal
Warriors,” along similar military lines as your other big projects. When did you find the time to accomplish that?
In 2010, after I wrote “Casualties of War,” I was approached by a New York publisher about a book. I had left a lot out of the newspaper series and was excited at the chance to tell the story of one war-torn Army battalion using a narrative style. The publisher gave me enough of an advance that I took six months off to write the book, then returned to the paper.
7) You’re also the reporter we all saw U.S. Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar threaten in 2012 over your questions on the nation’s wild horse program. Any plans to go back and revisit that issue for an updated article?
An update on the federal wild horse program is needed. Things keep getting worse and worse, and no one is really proposing solutions. No wonder Ken Salazar felt like punching people. The funny thing is, this makes me sound like some bulldog reporter. In fact I take pains to be polite and I’m rather small and unassuming. Most people assume I’m an intern.
8) Your major projects involve very serious issues and have to be stressful at times. What do you do in your spare time to give yourself and your brain a break?
I love to run, ski and mountain bike. Cheaper than therapy and more effective. I›m a big believer that exercise at lunch clears your head and makes you more productive. And I don’t take myself too seriously; my two young kids make sure of that. I like to have fun. I do the work I do because otherwise I feel like no one would and it needs to be done.
9) Serious writers want to know: Do you accomplish all these great works from a neat desk, or a messy one? And what do you keep on your desk at work to inspire you?
My desk is a mess, but a functional mess. It is piled with reports, FOIAS, notes, recordings –stuff I need on a daily basis. I’m also a big believer in talismans collected in the course of reporting, so my desk is home to things like candles from a penitente gathering in the San Luis Valley, a pine cone from the oldest tree in the Rockies, an antelope horn from the grasslands, and a lighter a soldier was carrying when he was hit by a roadside bomb in Iraq. I also keep a photo of our paper’s founder, William Jackson Palmer, on my desk. He is a hero of mine.
10) What’s next?
I wish I knew. The Pulitzer has changed people’s lives for better and worse, it certainly is a lot to live up to. I just hope I get to continue doing the work I’m doing. I can’t imagine being satisfied doing anything else.
10 Questions With David Philipps
8 colorado editor April 2014
BUILDING from Page 1
NewzGroup in 2007. Following the sale of the clipping service, and downsizing in 2008, CPA currently employs five full-time people.
“I think CPA got a good price for the building. We just don’t need that much space anymore,” said Colorado publisher, CPA member and CPA Past President Bob Sweeney. “It was a great investment and served us well. The challenge now will be what to do with the funds and where to relocate. It’s important that we make really good decisions.”
In February, CPA leased 2,000 square feet of upstairs office space to Swinerton Builders and Shiel Sexton, two construction firms contracted by White Lodging Services Corp. to build the Hyatt Place/Hyatt House next door, in an effort to offset building expenses and maximize building efficiency.
“We simply realized we didn’t want to be commercial landlords and we don’t want to be in the commercial real estate business,” Jacobson said. “Time and energy spent managing commercial assets is time and energy that we aren’t spending on the important business that our members expect us to be focused on.”
The board has said that they intend to leverage the principal amount of the sale to fund the lease of new commercial space as well as supplement operations for new endeavors.
RAEHAL from Page 1
what we as a business provide people,” he said. A business that Raehal points out in a vignette in his cover letter of application, is finding its way in the digital age while holding tight to its parchment roots:
He sat across from me, looking a little nervous.
Truth is, he needed to be.I began to read from a sheet
of paper. On it was the First Amendment.
“This,” I said with emphasis, “is what we are all about. Our Founding Fathers thought so much of what we do and our role that they put Freedom of the Press up there with speech and God.”
I began tearing up the sheet into smaller and smaller pieces.
“When we make mistakes — when we don’t follow the fundamentals — this is what we do to the First Amendment. We shred it.”
Then, according to him, I threw the torn up First Amendment at him. (I recall it being more of a gentle toss.)
“Every week you go without a correction,” I said, “you can tape a piece of it back together. Your goal is to make it whole again.”
That conversation was with a reporter five years ago who was likely a mistake away from being fired. Today, that reporter owns his own publication in Arizona, Raehal said.
“I believe a leader’s job is to find ways to reach people,” Raehal wrote. “I admit that weeks later, when I saw the First Amendment taped back together, pinned to the wall next to his computer, I felt pride, not for what I did, but for what he accomplished. He said he felt pride, too — not only in his work, but in what we do in our profession.
“Ink, as they say, is in my blood,” Raehal said.
He will start as the new CEO May 19.
Seeking new home Greeley native Raehal will take over in May
