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colorado Ten Questions with Matt Lubich. PAGE 3
Official publication of the Colorado Press Association / coloradopressassociation.com / Vol. LXXXV, No. 8 August 2014
editor
The email of elected officials has been considered public record for many years. But accessing those records hasn’t always been simple.
A typical approach was to file a request through the Colorado Open Records Act, or CORA, and wait for a response.
Fort Collins has made accessing email from City Council members a lot easier. It can be done anywhere, any
time thanks to the magic of computer technology.
As I recall, the process of opening up email access started more than a year ago with a conversation between me and Assistant City Manager Kelly DiMartino. She was explaining to me how to access council email through a computer set up at City Hall for media use.
I explained to her that in a perfect world, I would be able to access that
email from my computer at work or home. (Yes, I would do such a thing.) DiMartino said she would check into it.
As it turned out, DiMartino told me last week, council members also had expressed interest in making their email more accessible to the public. But there were a lot of technical issues to work out.
Time passed. I kept asking. DiMartino provided occasional updates, assuring me a solution was in the works.
More time passed.And then, lo, it came to pass last
week. A system to check archives of council emails went live.
The simplest way to view council emails is to visit www.fcgov.com/council and check out information under the headline “Email Transparency Project.” The user name and password are provided.
KevinDuggan
The Coloradoan
Public access to council email gets easier
CPA/SYNC2 on the move
Organizations to relocate to Chancery after more than 50 years at Glenarm Place
By Ashlin Cross CPA Intern
After more than 50 years at 1336 Glenarm Place, the Colorado Press Association and SYNC2 Media are relocating to the Chancery, located south of the capitol.
The decision to move came after discussion about the costs of renovating the current building versus the price of a new location entirely, as well as which option would best provide for the long-term mission of CPA/SYNC2.
“The board is very excited for the move,” CPA/SYNC2 Board Chair Bryce Jacobson said. “Our organization is committed to the representation of Colorado newspapers and can better support them from the new location.”
CPA sold the Glenarm building in late March for $1.225 million to Ringsby Realty Corp. The savings and investment returns from the sale of the building should ensure that the cost of occupying the Chancery location should essentially be the same as the existing expenses at the Glenarm building.
“The new location is a much better financial arrangement regarding the future expenses of CPA/SYNC2 Media,” Jacobson said.
Although the official move date is Oct. 1, CPA/SYNC2 Media have the ability to move early as long as the build-out timeline of the Chancery location remains intact.
By Bob Sweeney The Villager Newspaper
Here’s what I remember, been a long, long time:
In 1961 CPA Manager Bill Long and his new hire Bill Lindsey ran the CPA office over a bowling alley a few blocks
away from the current building on Glenarm Street.
About a half -dozen newspaper publishers purchased the present building themselves as an investment. They were all friends and had served as Presidents of CPA.
Dick Lytle was a pioneer publisher who
owned The Meeker Herald and was on the Colorado Game and Fish Commission.
He and CPA friends, Glen Prosser from the Estes Park Trail-Gazette, Dale Cooley of the Limon Leader, and folks from The Boulder Daily Camera, all purchased the building for around $90,000.
They leased it to Bill Long and Bill
Lindsey for the new CPA headquarters. Gwen Johnson leased the upstairs for her Johnson Public Relation business and stayed there for many years.
CPA ran the clipping service in the back, while the offices were up front. The
A long history recounted by long-time newspaperman
ACCESS on page 6
The Colorado Press Association will be moving from Glenarm Place, above, to a new home at the Chancery, right.
MOVE on Page 4
HISTORY on Page 4
2 colorado editor August 2014
colorado editorISSN #162-0010
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Vol. LXXXV, Issue 8August 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
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Subscription rate:$10 per year, $1 single copy
StaffJerry Raehal
Chief 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
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API’s Fact-Checking seminar coming to CU
The American Press Institute wants to help you gear up for the political season at hand as it brings its Fact-Checking Project to the University of Colorado campus on Sept. 15, according to a news release.
CU News Corps Director Jeff Browne is working with the group for the free semi-nar scheduled to take place 4-7 p.m. at the Journalism Lab. All media organization staff, as well as students and faculty are invited but space is limited; go to www.americanpressin-stitute.org for information on how to sign up.
The grant-funded project is supporting re-search to improve political fact-checking. It is also working with news outlets to increase the adoption of fact-checking practices as well as contribute to public debates on the topic.
API Senior Research Project Manager Jane Elizabeth is directing the program.
Montrose publisher leaving to helm daily
Francis Wick is leaving his publisher du-ties at the Montrose Daily Press in late August after announcing his and wife Mandy’s plans to buy a daily newspaper Sept. 1.
He also steps down as Wick Group Man-ager of his family’s company, Wick Commu-nications, but will continue to serve on the board of directors.
The new daily newspaper – which has yet to be named and marks the first newspaper they will own outside of the family company – will partner with Wick Communications for administrative services.
Prior to his three-year stint as Montrose publisher, Wick worked for Swift Communi-cations in Summit County, and Wick’s Daily-Iberian in New Iberia, Louisiana.
He holds BA and MBA degrees from The University of Arizona; Mandy earned a BA at Texas Christian University.
During his time at Montrose, his team improved financial performance each year. Group Publisher David Lewis is leading the search for Wick’s replacement.
The Watch reporter earns writing award
Samantha Tisdel Wright, a reporter for The Watch in Telluride, has been honored with the Society of Professional Journalists’ Sigma Delta Chi award for Excellence for her Nov. 21, 2013, article covering a tragic mining accident in Ouray.
A day after her article was published she was invited by the society to submit her work for consideration in the category of Deadline Reporting for a Non-Daily Publication.
The in-depth article, which attracted na-tional attention, included biographies of the two victims as well as analysis of the incident. Wright also posted frequent updates to the newspaper’s website as she gathered informa-tion for her article from the victims’ families, co-workers and managers, and current and former officials from the Mine Safety and Health Administration.
Said Wright: “I felt like it was a long shot,
to say the least. Covering this kind of story is fraught with challenges.”
There were 1,800 applicants for the awards; Wright earned one of only 28 in newspaper services. It is her first national award; she has previously won awards in the Colorado Press Association’s annual contest for her work at the Ouray County Plaindealer. Her winning SPJ article is posted on www.spj.org.
Denver Post takes trio of video Emmy awards
The Denver Post was honored with three awards for video productions July 12 at the 28th annual Heartland Regional Emmy Awards and Silver Circle presentations.
The event took place at the Seawell Grand Ballrooom at the Denver Center for the Per-forming Arts.
Some 600 professionals were in attendance to see 104 awards in more than 100 areas as well as student achievement handed out for the Heartland’s five-state region.
The Post’s winning entries were: Public/Current/Community Affairs for “The Fire Line: Wildfire in Colorado”; Public/Current/Community Affairs-Feature/Segment for “In Sickness and In Health: Cecil and Carl”; and Arts/Entertainment for “Colorado Variety Performers” by producers Eric Lutzens and Mahala Gaylord, and photographer Cyrus McCrimmon.
The event was produced by YGHDTV in Denver and available via live stream to all NATAS (National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences) chapters in the United States.
Catholic Register wins four contest honors
The Denver Catholic Register took home four awards June 20 from the 2014 Catholic Press Association contest. Its sister publica-tion, El Pueblo Catolico, earned eight awards.
The awards were presented at the annual Catholic Media Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Denver Catholic Register awards were: Most Effective Use of Small Space – Second Place, for a series promoting the newspaper’s Join the Mission subscription campaign, by Roxanne King, Julie Filby, James Baca and
Nissa LaPoint; Best Newspaper Website – Third Place, for the newspaper’s new online site at www.DenverCatholicRegister.org, by Karna Swanson, David Hazen, Roxanne King, Julie Filby and Nissa LaPoint; Best Front Page, Tabloid – Honorable Mention, by Roxanne King and Filippo Piccone; and Best Coverage of the Year of Faith – Honor-able Mention, for articles on the Pilgrimage Passport, by Filippo Piccone, Julie Filby, Jean Torkelson and Roxanne King.
The Chronicle-News hands out scholarships
The Shearman Company, owner of The Chronicle-News in Trinidad, has announced the two winners of The Chronicle-News Scholarship for the 2014-2015 school year.
One went to Trinidad High School gradu-ate Jessica Martinez, 18, who plans to major in criminal justice on her way to becoming a Border Patrol agent. She held a 3.8 GPA through high school, was a member of the National Honor Society, the cheerleading squad, and many clubs and organizations.
Said Martinez: “It is going to be a lot of help to me for my studies this fall. With this scholarship, I am one step closer to reaching my star.”
The second scholarship went to Janelle Sowards, a Trinidad State Junior College (TSJC) Valley Campus student who aspires to become a flight nurse.
“I cannot begin to express how much it helped me,” said Sowards. “It helped my funding in a major way, it turbo-charged my determination, and it fed my self-confidence in a manner that was never present before.”
Sowards received the scholarship for the upcoming school year. The scholarships are valued at $1,850 per student per year and are awarded to any graduate of a public or private high school within Trinidad or Las Animas County who wishes to attend Trinidad State Junior College. If there are no applicants from the county, the scholarship goes to the next student deemed eligible, including students outside Las Animas.
As reported by The Chronicle-News, ap-plicants must carry a minimum 3.0 GPA, be enrolled as a full-time student, and submit “two letters of recommendation and a brief letter describing their goals and the reasons why they want to attend college.”
The Colorado Editor wants to hear from you. We’re on the lookout for news about your staff, publications and businesses for our all-new columns and features in the Colorado Editor – your monthly membership newspaper from Colorado Press Association.
What’s new in Colorado news?
Colorado Newspapers
In the News
Send us your “breaking news” on:• New Hires• Promotions• People Moving On• Anniversaries• Retirements• Contest or Staff Awards & Honors
• New Building or Equipment Projects or Updates
• Meetings, Seminars and Training• Community Projects• College-Related News and Events• Industry news that affects you• And any other personal news your staff
members might want to share
Send your news items of 150 words or fewer (photo also welcome) to Cheryl Ghrist – [email protected] – using subject line “Colorado Editor News.”
colorado editor 3August 2014
By Cheryl Ghrist Contributing Editor
This issue, “10 Questions” checked in with
Matt Lubich, co-owner (and also listed on the masthead as a reporter) of The Johnstown Breeze, general manager and student advisor of The UNC Mirror, and member of the Colorado Press Association board of directors.
How did you wind up at UNC?
In 1978, before my senior year in high school, I was part of Dr. William Hartman’s “Leaders of Tomorrow” program there. He was the former JMC (Journalism & Mass Communications) chair. High school students spent the summer, lived in dorms, took journalism classes, and put out a paper. Wayne Melanson, one of the professors, told me: “You know, Woodward and Bernstein are going to die eventually. Don’t do something stupid like becoming a doctor or a lawyer.” I took a year off after high school and drove a warehouse parts truck. There’s nothing like honest hard work to convince you that maybe journalism isn’t such a bad gig. I decided to go to college at UNC. While there, I eventually went to work at The Mirror, thinking, “Why go to class when I can learn working at the paper?” Another professor, Dave Anderson, introduced me to someone once as his “most recalcitrant student.” I had to go home and look up recalcitrant.
What are the challenges and the rewards of working with the students and their newspaper?
I think the challenge my first semester was not actually being involved in the newsgathering, reporting, editorial decisions, and other “hands-on” stuff that goes into the production. Everything is a “suggestion.” It’s their paper. Any parent who has ever taught their kid to drive knows there comes the critical mass moment when the angst of letting them do it, and the urge to grab the wheel, has to be submerged. But it’s not always easy. Especially when I’m doing business stuff, and they’re getting to have all the fun.
The reward is that it is rejuvenating to be around people who actually think it’s fun to work at a newspaper. They go to class full-time, and many of them work somewhere else to pay their bills. There is drama, there were and are tears, but I haven’t heard someone complain about having to work at a newspaper. I’ve begun telling folks from my generation who want to complain about the business: “Anytime you are ready to get out of that chair, I know plenty of people who’d be glad to sit down there.”
How did you and your wife, Lesli Bangert, meet, marry, and wind up in the industry together?
We met at UNC. Intro to Anthropology. One of the few days I went to class, this beautiful hippie chick from Boulder came walking in. I used to sit outside class and wait for her to walk up to the building. One day she stopped and said “Hi, I’m Lesli,” and suggested I introduce myself or she would have to talk to her friends on the UNC police force. We were just friends (not my idea) all through college. She came and went, traveling, etc. It seemed like throughout all the changes I went through in college, one constant was always Lesli. I was finally getting close to graduation (Lesli got a master’s degree in Public Health Administration in the same time it took me to get a bachelor’s) and I guess we (she) realized this was something we
should at least try. We were married in 1988. After living in New Mexico for a few years, we came back. I was working at The Breeze, and Lesli was working for the Weld County Health Department. When the opportunity came in 1997 to buy the paper from Clyde and Ardis Briggs, we decided Lesli could do the business management, advertising, and production. Smartest idea I ever had in this newsroom. She’s a better journalist than a lot of people I know who have a degree, and has grown into the role both on the advertising and business side as well as becoming a strong voice on the
editorial side, which she now also runs since I left for The Mirror.
The Johnstown Breeze is no stranger to awards. How do you keep finding people dedicated to good reporting, writing, photography, design, etc.?
I think, as a small paper, we are actually lucky that we get people who are just starting out in the business; they’re excited by the opportunity and don’t know “you can’t do that” yet, so they try different things. I think that shows in the work. We give them their
first break, and they repay us by bringing their talents to our pages. But it’s the natural order that they will likely move on. So we have sort of a constantly regenerating and revitalized newsroom. I think that keeps things fresh.
You currently have a very cool FaceBook profile picture. In fact, you have a good mix of photos, links, and observations. Are you one of those people driven to communicate?
I’m not so sure it’s a drive to communicate
10 Questions with: Matt Lubich
There are plenty of mementos, nickknacks and assorted other goodies at the desk Mat Lubich has occupied since the day he started at the Johnstown Breeze in 1991.
LUBICH on page 6
4 colorado editor August 2014
HISTORY from Page 1
Denver Press Club was our adjacent neighbor, and if you came to town, Lindsey would take you next door for a drink.
A few years into the lease some of the owners started to pass away, and legal matters arose about passing on building ownership to heirs. Matters appeared to be heading for long-term trouble with the numerous owners.
As a board member and incoming president, I resided in Craig, publishing The Northwest Colorado Press. I visited my neighbor and friend Dick Lytle at his Meeker office.
He was running his linotype and doing all of his work letterpress at the time, as I did, and he had set some linotype galleys for me.
He expressed his willingness to sell his stock for about what he paid as well as his desire to work with the other owners to sell their stock in the building to CPA.
We devised what was known as the “Lytle Formula,” a system that was fair to all and spelled out the amount of money to be paid back to the building owners. They made little profit from the formula. Dick contacted all of them and worked out the agreement with the owners.
Bill Long had passed away by this point in time, and Bill Lindsey was very worried about the debt and obligation placed upon CPA.
Seeing as I was the incoming President, he told me, “You will buy this building over my dead body.” We purchased the building, and he didn’t die. Instead he went on to be a great Colorado Press Manager.
The board lost President John Sheldon of Alamosa Valley Courier after he suffered a heart attack. I served two years as President to
fill in for John’s term, with Percy Conaroe as my Vice-President.
We went to A.G. Bowes, a private banker, to obtain a good loan for the $90,000, and Lindsey mellowed so we could complete the deal. Colorado Press owned its first, and maybe its last building.
The story doesn’t end quite yet.The Canadians descended upon
Denver in the early 1970s in an energy boom that made downtown Denver real estate prices skyrocket. They came and offered to pay $1 million for the building, and made a $100,000 down payment that we quickly accepted.
The oil boom ended about as quickly as it started, and the Canadians defaulted on the purchase of the property. They asked Percy for their money back, but Percy and the board refused to return the money.
We had already taken the funds and paid off the building note. The building has been free and clear of any debt to this day, and was recently sold by the board for around $1.2 million cash.
The clipping service was sold, and the present office staff reduced. There is too much space in the aging building for the Association to maintain.
A new hotel is being constructed next door to the Association, so it was time to pack up and move. In my opinion this was a good board decision—time to cash out.
For now, the Association has a five-year lease close to the Capitol on 1120 Lincoln St. The new office is on the same floor as the Associated Press.
Investing the funds will be a challenge, but it is nice to have some money in the bank and a brand new CEO in Jerry Raehal.
MOVE from Page 1
CPA’s tentative date to relocate is Sept. 22.
“The Chancery continues to give CPA/SYNC2 Media a very visible presence near downtown,” CPA CEO Jerry Raehal said. “This location benefits our ability to work with the Legislature and government entities as well as with our clients.”
The Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, which has been housed in the CPA offices for about a year, also is relocating to Chancery. CFOIC is equally as excited about the move and what it means for the continued relationship between the two organizations, said Jeffrey Roberts, CFOIC executive director.
“The Colorado Press Association couldn’t be more helpful, gracious, and supportive,” Roberts said. “CFOIC is pleased that we will be very close to the state capitol because of how many of our activities focus on events at the capitol during the legislative session.”
The relocation to the ninth floor of the Chancery means a downsize for CPA/SYNC2 Media from 9,000 to 1,600 usable square feet. Part of the downsizing is because of the staff sizing decrease through CPA’s history. CPA used to employ around 25 people; it currently employs six. The digitization of workflow has also reduced space requirement needs.
The relocation means CPA — located in Suite 912 — will be on the same floor as the Associated Press, located in Suite 901.
“CPA’s proximity to the Associated Press will hopefully generate increased interest in both organizations,” Raehal said.
AP is a member of CFOIC and Roberts said he also looks forward to the AP’s closeness to the Chancery location.
The Chancery building not only offers benefits in its closeness to various sites downtown, the capitol and AP, but it is also a new and exciting transformation for CPA/SYNC2 Media.
“The Chancery is a beautiful
location and the staff is very excited about the change,” Raehal said. “The Glenarm building has served CPA well, but in regards to CPA’s mission, it no longer serves our purposes.”
CPA/SYNC2 Media members also recognize the history they will be leaving behind when it moves away from Glenarm Place.
“I do not see any downsides to the move aside from the fact that CPA has had a long and successful history in its Glenarm home,” Jacobson said. “Nonetheless, relocation is what’s right for the organization.”
CPA/SYNC2 Media are scheduled to host a meeting on Aug. 22 for the CPA Past Presidents to discuss what needs to be transferred to the Chancery location. Other items are slated to be part of the annual silent auction at the convention.
One common misconception is that the CPA and the Denver Press Club are the same organization or run by the same people, Raehal said, in part due to the two locations being side by side on Glenarm. This is not true
and DPC is staying at its current location.
“Although the Denver Press Club and the Colorado Press Association are two totally separate entities,” said Denver Press Club General Manager Carmen Green, “we will continue to support each other in a positive way after CPA’s relocation.”
Raehal also thanked former Executive Director Samantha Johnston, former Interim Director Jeanette Chavez and CPA Board of Directors in their help in moving the process through.
“No doubt this was a hard decision, but a wise decision and all of them were critical in the process,” he said.
CPA’s current building has served the organization very well for the past 50 plus years, but looking forward the change in location will only benefit the association, Jacobson and Raehal said.
“The Chancery location fits who CPA/SYNC2 Media is now as well as what the organization hopes to be in the future,” Raehal said.
At a glanceThe Colorado Press Association/SYNC2 Media’s new address as
of Oct. 1 is 1120 Lincoln St. Denver, CO 80203, Suite 912.The main phone number is expected to remain the same. The new location will house the CPA, SYNC2 Media, and the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition.
The Colorado Press Association is an organization committed to preserving and progressing the state’s newspaper industry. CPA works to manage the general interests of its members as well as to improve and advance the methods and influence of Colorado’s daily, weekly and monthly newspapers.
SYNC2 Media is a full-service print and digital placement agency that offers regional, state, national, and global placement services, in addition to providing a complete tear sheet service for clients. SYNC2 Media is also the advertising branch of CPA.
The Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition, which is currently housed in the CPA offices, is a non-partisan association of groups hoping to ensure the transparency of the Colorado state government. CFOIC does this by supporting freedom of press as well as promoting open admission to government records and meetings.
New location serves CPA’s mission
Building steeped in history
A new hotel is being constructed next door to the Association, so it was time to pack up and move. In my opinion this was a good board decision—time to cash out.”
I recently had the distinct pleasure of sharing a full workday with news guru Kevin Slimp.
Kevin calls himself “the news guru.” I too, have been called a “guru” occasionally. And, yes, I’ve been called many other things, too!
Kevin had been asked by the publisher of a group of papers in New Jersey to take a look at his papers and offer his suggestions for improvement.
Kevin and I had already done a couple of presentations jointly and he invited me along to help out. So, on a day in early May, we met a bit west of Asheville, NC, to spend the
day together reviewing 10 papers.
It was a delight working with Kevin and discovering that we shared many of the same thoughts about what we were seeing.
What follows is a brief look at key points we suggested. I believe many of you can find a few of these will apply to your publication.
TEXT TYPE: Throughout these papers, text was in a face that was too light, a bit too condensed—and way too small.
PHOTOS: Many were poorly
cropped and some were muddy and dark. Often, there were too many in a package and none was dominant.
STORIES: Far too long. Remember, readers will only give you 12”-15” before they quit a story.
STANDING HEADS: Not well designed and inconsistent.
PAGE LABELS: Too strong and often competed for attention with the lead headline on the page.
HEADLINES: Often the same font and size, page after page after page. Definitely need to use other fonts in the family for more contrast.
ORGANIZATION: Some events listings packages jumped from page to page to page—occasionally to more than 8 or 9 pages.
NAMEPLATES: All needed tweaking, some were badly in need of complete redesign.
We did find that editors in most of the papers were trying their best to offer a package that was comfortable and easy to read. We appreciate those efforts. But there’s a sense that some of those editors are “swimming upstream” because of a lack of design training.
It was fun working with Kevin and we’re planning to do more of these evaluations as time goes by.
WANT A FREE evaluation of your newspaper’s design? Contact [email protected] or 803-327-3322
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 www.henningerconsulting.com
ED HENNINGER is an independent newspaper consultant and the Director of Henninger Consulting.
Doing some Slimpicity
EdHenninger
colorado editor 5August 2014
By Cheryl Ghrist Contributing Editor
Features are the heart of any newspaper.
News and sports stories inform the reader about something new, or clarify something that has already happened. Editorials urge the reader to take action, or at least to contemplate the issue at hand. Wedding and birth announcements, death notices, and memorials all play to emotions. Advertising copy and classified ads give the readers what they need to make informed purchases.
But features – be they news, business, sports-related, or just pure general interest – provide the foundation upon which any good local community or general circulation newspaper builds. Features are about the people, for the people.
Wikipedia defines a feature story as “a special human interest story article that is not closely tied to a recent news event. It focuses on particular people, places, and events, and it goes into great detail regarding concepts and ideas of specific market interest.”
But what is it about this writing niche that people love? What really makes a good feature story? And how can you make sure your feature is worth reading?
Here are 10 quick tips for crafting a calculated, compelling feature article:
1. Organize Okay, you’ve been handed an
assignment to do a feature and don’t know where to start. Take a breath, look out the window, relax, and get organized. Think about all sides of the issue or all talking points
regarding the person, place or thing that is your subject. Write down an outline of questions, and then put them in logical order. Also, conduct some research before your first interview to get any background or previous news coverage you can find. This may lead to some good questions to ask, and it will prepare you for information you don’t know now, and help it make more sense when you do hear it.
2. Have a good attitude going in
When you do your initial interview on the phone or in person, be in a good frame of mind. If you’re really tired, annoyed, ill, or just overworked, it will be evident in your voice on the phone, and also in your body language in person. It may discourage your subject from talking, or from giving you more than a cursory interview. They may not think you really care to be talking to them, and if you don’t, they won’t.
3. Be curious Chances are that if you are
curious about some aspect of a story, others will be too. Don’t be afraid to ask anything (within bounds of decency). Let your thoughts roam; explore all avenues of your subject. Ask calmly, politely, concisely. Be straightforward, and let your subject know you genuinely want to know the answer, and it will come. Your feature will be all the better for your extra efforts.
4. Notes, notes, notes. Do not be afraid to take a lot of
notes for a story. Research notes, interview notes, notes to yourself about what points to make or what direction to take your article. Jot them down whenever you think of them. If you wait until you’re ready to write, you will have forgotten most of them. Take notes even if you’re not sure you will include the information. When you start, you don’t always know where you’ll end. You may not use all the notes you take, but they will help you shape your final draft. In the actual interview, take notes, and also make use of some type of recording device; each will back up the other.
5. First draft powerDo a first draft as soon as
you can after gathering all your information. A good feature interview should energize you. Capitalize on this energy to crank out a draft with all the honest emotion it deserves. You might need to tone it down later, but that’s all right – it’s better than trying to go the other way. And honestly, if you can’t get excited about writing your feature, you probably shouldn’t be doing it anyway.
6. Take a day offIf you have the deadline room,
let the article sit a day and go back to it with a fresh mind and a more objective eye. You’ll catch errors, make organizational changes, and polish the wording. All good measures to make it a piece you’ll want published.
7. Fact checkGo over your article and make
sure you haven’t spelled anyone’s name wrong. That has to be the most common and worst mistake you can make. Get their titles right, the cities and counties, the business names – anything that’s a proper name or a reference name or place. Then check your quotes. Again – this is very important. Misquote someone and it’s like a bad restaurant review. They will tell everyone they know how you wronged them. Check the article itself and your captions as well. Nothing worse than getting someone’s name right in the article, and wrong on the photo caption. Finally, check your outline points, your flow, and your general tone, and make sure it all adheres to the message you want to come through to your readers. They will invest time reading your article, and they deserve it.
8. The 5 W’s Look to see if you have
incorporated the classic 5 W’s that news writers rely upon: Who, What, When, Where, Why. If you can’t figure out if you have one of these, you likely don’t. Take a few minutes to figure out what you might have left out that a reader would miss.
They’re starting from scratch after all. They don’t have all the notes and the face-to-face information on the topic that you do. Look for the obvious that isn’t there.
9. Check your workRead your piece over, then over
again. Remember to spell and grammar-check. Keep your article within the word or other length limits you’ve been assigned. Your editor will thank you for making the process easier, and you’ll thank yourself when you don’t have to go back and cut your piece on deadline. Or worse, see it in print, shortened and changed to a point where it’s not an article of which you are proud.
10. CARE The best overall advice for a
good feature article is simple. Make the effort to truly care about who or what you’re writing about, and it will show. You must have genuine feelings – that you love writing, that you love telling people’s stories, and that you love the good will and emotional highs you give others when you express for them in words what they cannot or do not have the resources to let other people know about them.
On writing a feature
worth reading
• Community Projects• Meetings, Seminars and Training• College-Related News and
Events• Industry news that affects you• Other personal news your staff
members might want to share
Doggone good newsThe Colorado Editor wants to hear from you. We’re on the lookout for news about your staff, publications and businesses for our all-new columns and features in the Colorado Editor – your monthly membership newspaper from Colorado Press Association. Send us your “breaking news” on:
• New Hires• Promotions• People Moving On• Anniversaries• Retirements• Awards & Honors• Building, Equipment Projects
Send your news items of 150 words or fewer (photo also welcome) to: Cheryl Ghrist – [email protected] – using subject line “Colorado Editor News.”
6 colorado editor August 2014
By Ashlin Cross CPA Intern
SYNC2 Media welcomes a new face and a familiar face, Luke Graham and Cheryl Ghrist.
SYNC2 Media serves as a full-service print and digital placement agency as well as the advertising branch of the Colorado Press Association.
Ghrist returned to SYNC2 Media on June 1 as business development assistant.
She worked for CPA from 2006-2013 as advertising coordinator, and then briefly left the association to work with her husband and his editing and writing business, the John Ghrist Agency.
Originally from Wichita, Kansas, Ghrist also spent time while growing up in Louisiana, Florida, and Georgia. She attended the University of Georgia, where she received a degree in Agricultural Journalism.
Ghrist came to Colorado in 1975 to work in the advertising production department of the Rocky Mountain News. In between her time at Rocky Mountain News and CPA/SYNC2
Media, Ghrist worked at a number of different community papers as an editor and writer.
In addition to her position as business development assistant, Ghrist serves as contributing editor for the Colorado Editor.
After working with her husband to write and edit at the John Ghrist Agency, she says
she is happy to be back at CPA/SYNC2 Media.
“I enjoyed getting back to the newspaper industry. It’s a very unique and supportive community to work in.”
Graham joined SYNC2 Media in late June as business development specialist. Graham grew up in Leadville, Colorado, and
attended the University of Colorado, where he received a BS in Journalism.
Graham came to SYNC2 Media after nearly eight years of reporting, mostly sports coverage for the Steamboat Pilot & Today in Steamboat Springs. He spent his final two years in Steamboat as the Exploresteamboat.com
editor, and has experience working for various newspapers throughout Colorado.
He said he enjoyed his time spent on the editorial side of newspapers, but looks forward to working in the business side of the industry.
“I love newspapers and it’s been fun getting to know the business aspects and all the different advertising tools that are available,” Graham said. “Being able to delve a little deeper into the business side of the industry has been fun and rewarding.”
Graham and Ghrist joined SYNC2 Media after the departure of Marrika Zapiler and Elizabeth Bernberg. Zapiler left the association after joining in February as multimedia coordinator. Bernberg departed SYNC2 Media after nearly eight years as vice president of sales.
“Losing Elizabeth and Marrika has been sad for CPA/SYNC2 Media,” Raehal said. “Elizabeth has been an influential part of the creation of SYNC2 Media and I am proud of the work that she has done; however, Luke and Cheryl are helping us move forward and we are excited for our future.”
LUBICH from Page 3as much as a drive to be noticed and praised, ha ha ha. Isn’t that why we put our byline at the beginning of the story? I have been accused of being worse than a 15-year-old girl when it comes to Facebook, and that’s probably one of the kind appraisals, but I call it “the modern coffee shop.” It is an incredible reporting tool. I try to “friend” people across the spectrum in the communities we cover to keep an eye on what is going on. They’ll post things on their page that they would never think to “tell the newspaper” about. And those sometimes make the best stories.
What’s your best short story about your time at The Lafayette News with Percy Conarroe?
I told this at his memorial service: Lesli and I were getting married on a Sunday night. Friday afternoon as I left the newsroom, Percy took me aside and wished us well and handed me a crisp $100 bill. He then pointed out that the Lafayette City Council meets on Tuesday night and he didn’t have someone else to cover it, and he wasn’t about to have them “pull something because a reporter isn’t there,” so he expected me to have my behind in a chair when they started the meeting. To me, that is the perfect distillation of what a kind and generous man he was, and a “bleed ink” journalist.
Can you rank for us your top three mentors and how they influenced you?
Percy. Even though I had no idea I’d buy a small weekly when I was working for him, just experiencing the way he and his wife Carolyn ran
the papers, treated the staff, saw their role in the community, etc., was a perfect example for what Lesli and I have tried to do.
M.E. Sprengelmeyer. Former Rocky Mountain News reporter, he is now reporter/publisher of the Guadalupe County (N.M.) Communicator. I tell M.E. he came along and bought his paper when the new on my weekly newspaper-editor penny was getting pretty tarnished. Our friendship has helped me to shine that enthusiasm and perspective back up.
Dave McNeely, the former political writer for the Austin American-Statesman and Lesli’s cousin. He has always been a voice of encouragement, with gruff editor kick-in-the-seat prodding to get better as a journalist and take seriously what it is we do. The last time we were in Austin, as we were getting in a car he handed me his reporter’s notebook and asked me to hold it for him so he wouldn’t tear the seat in the car he was driving. I thought I was going to cry.
What prompted you to buy a newspaper? Was it your idea or Lesli’s or both?
I came to work at The Breeze in 1991. By 1997 I had two small kids, a wife working 60 hours and missing their childhoods, and I desperately needed to make a jump to a northern daily. One editor told me he had a pile of resumes six inches thick on his desk with mine at the bottom. … Nobody would hire me. Clyde and Ardis were thinking about selling and talking to The Denver Post, which was buying a lot of small weeklies. Lesli and I talked, and I asked if there was a
way the two of us could buy it. They laughed and said they’d spent the weekend saying they didn’t want to sell it to a corporation; they wanted another husband and wife who would keep it independent. While I could have done without the 3 a.m. nights lying in bed thinking I had really screwed things up for my family, I owe all those editors who wouldn’t hire me a thank you. Some of them still work for newspapers, and I own one. But if I hadn’t been here at The Breeze, I likely would have just heard it had been sold.
Neat desk or not? What would we see there?
I have been sitting at the same desk at The Breeze since I came to work here in May of 1991. Some would say I haven’t thrown anything away since then. They would probably just be slightly exaggerating. Scanning it right now: piles of editorial and business papers about which I only rarely curse under my breath that I have missed a deadline on something buried. A pottery coffee mug (now a pen holder) that used the human ash of my father in the glaze. A weird assortment of toys, balls, cars and a motorized dancing Santa that hasn’t worked for years. On the wall – pictures of my daughters, Riley and Harper Lee, mostly from when they were little (they are now 20 and 18), and Lesli and me. A tattered cover of the American Journalism Review with the headline “Adapt or Die: How newspapers plan to survive.” An original print of Hunter S. Thompson riding a tractor with a Bush bumper sticker on the front with a swastika instead of an S – taken by my old Mirror buddy, Roy
Willey, when he worked for The Aspen Times. A 2012 Colorado Press Association first place feature story award, with The Pueblo Chieftain listed as the paper for a story that my hero Steve Henson and I worked on together. And all sorts of postcards and pictures, including one of a velvet painting of Elvis with a single tear on his cheek.
On top of my computer tower: A bunch of tiny Buddha statues given to me by my girls or Lesli, one of which rested on a piece of the marble floor of the Basilica of the church in Maracaibo, Venezuela, that Lesli brought me back from a translator trip; a small die-cast Dale Earnhardt black #3 Chevy; and two wooden pieces of type (M & L) that former CPA president Brenda Brandt gave me for Christmas last year. That’s the first, observable level. I could dig deeper but I don’t want to start an avalanche.
What’s the next big thing on your horizon?
This fall will be “the first staff ” that I have helped build at The Mirror. I’m focused on getting that going right now and helping them create a modern student media platform encompassing print, website, and social media. There is also talk that I may begin teaching newswriting at UNC, which is exciting. I would also like to maybe figure out a way to work on longer-term, more in-depth projects for The Breeze. To get back to more of a writing and reporter focus here. But mostly, trying to come to terms with, learn, and get better in my new role at the student paper where it all started – back when dinosaurs roamed the campus.
ACCESS from Page 1
The log-in opens a page where one can plug in parameters for searching the archives, such as names and keywords.
Of course, one won’t find every email. Correspondence with legal staff can be shielded under attorney/client privilege. Emails sent by constituents marked “private” also are not supposed to be accessible, although the city cautions there’s no guarantee those messages would remain private under CORA.
The archive system dates to July 14. Messages will remain in the system 90 days before being automatically deleted, in keeping with city policy.
There’s a lot to wade through, but it’s a pretty slick system. Using a focused search is the key to finding what one wants.
The emails of the Larimer County commissioners, who use Gmail, have been readable from any computer for some time. To check out the commissioners’ email, visit Larimer.org/bocc and scroll down to the bottom of the page.
Transparency is a popular buzzword in government circles these days. The goal is to build trust with a deeply suspicious public by showing them officials do work in the open.
In this case, seeing whether that’s true is as simple as a few clicks.
Kevin Duggan is a senior reporter. Follow him at Coloradoan Kevin Duggan on Facebook or @coloradoan_dugg on Twitter.
Role at UNC’s Mirror a priority for Lubich Transparency in a few clicks
Ghrist returns to SYNC2, Graham joins for first time
Ghrist Graham
colorado editor 7August 2014
One of the most memo-rable ads I’ve seen was a billboard on Highway 80 north of Tombstone. I was in southern Arizona on business and had some free time to make a side trip to the town where the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday had their famous gunfight in 1881 with the group known as the “Cowboys” at the OK Corral.
The billboard promoted the Tombstone Motel with the simple line, “Rest in peace.”
That’s a phrase which wouldn’t work for any other business with any other name in any other town. But for a motel in an Old West town named Tombstone – with the main attraction being the site of a
gunfight which has been the subject of movies and books – the line seemed entirely appropriate.
I didn’t spend the night in Tombstone and I’ve never met anyone who has stayed at the Tombstone Motel, so I can’t speak for that establishment. All I know is that – years after the trip – I still remember that billboard. I mention it here, because it illus-
trates some important principles of advertising:
1. Billboards can teach us a lot about advertising. Newspa-per and billboard advertising face the same basic challenge of being readable and attracting attention at
a glance. As you drive, you have a few seconds to read a roadside sign in its entirety. And as you turn the pages of a newspaper or scan a web site, you have only a few seconds to decide if a particular ad is worth further reading.
If a message doesn’t commu-nicate at a glance, it will miss the mark.
2. The best ads are targeted. Tombstone is a tourism destination. It’s a safe guess that a large num-ber of out-of-towners traveling to Tombstone are planning on visiting the OK Corral, the Boot Hill cem-etery and various buildings which have been preserved as they were when Wyatt Earp was Marshall.
It’s smart to appeal to those travelers’ knowledge of what made
Tombstone famous. And it’s smart to place the sign on the road leading into town.
3. Uniqueness is an advantage. In the environment of Tombstone, Arizona, “rest in peace” does not ap-pear offensive at all. Sure, it’s a little corny. But the slogan is not likely to generate outrage among consumers. On the other hand, can you imagine “rest in peace” in an ad campaign for Hilton or Marriott?
I think it’s safe to say the Tomb-stone Motel adopted a slogan that was uniquely theirs.
4. The best messages are simple. Obviously, “rest in peace” had a double meaning. While ac-knowledging the town’s well-known background, it suggested a reason to
stay at the Tombstone Motel. With the combination of the headline and the motel’s logo, that simple sign communicated: (1) a clearly stated consumer benefit (rest), (2) a connection to history (the Old West), (3) the advertiser, and (4) the location (which was part of the advertiser’s name).
All of that was communicated in just a few words. In a few seconds.
That’s a worthy objective for all advertisers.
© 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. Email for information: john@johnfoust.
By Jeffrey A. Roberts CFOIC Executive Director
A month after a new statewide cap on public records fees went into effect, many governments and agencies in Colorado have adjusted their records policies – or have posted policies for the first time – to comply with the revised statute.
But many others have yet to post policies or fee schedules that meet the requirements of HB 14-1193, even though the bill was signed by the governor in early May, a review of state and local government websites shows.
Some governments raised their hourly rates after previously charging less than the new law’s maximum.
As of July 1, local and state governmental entities in Colorado are allowed to charge no more than $30 per hour – with the first hour free – to research and compile information available to the public under the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA). They aren’t allowed to charge research fees without first publishing their fee policies on the Internet or in some other form.
The new law is working as intended to significantly lower research-and-retrieval
costs in some jurisdictions, such as Aurora and Salida, which previously posted fees well above the new maximum rate.
It also has forced some governmental entities to replace vague or non-specific fee policies so that records requestors now know exactly what they will pay. Lakewood’s policy, for example, no longer says that charges will be “based on hourly rate, including benefits, of the least technically trained person capable” of performing the research.
Many governments that had charged for the first minute of research now must provide the first 60 minutes at no cost to the requestor, and they have amended their policies to reflect that requirement. But some also raised their rates in the process. And some that previously gave away the first hour, but charged less than the maximum rate thereafter, now charge $30 per hour for that additional time or have reserved the right to do so.
The city of Fort Collins previously provided the first hour of research free and then charged $15 per hour for routine CORA requests and $20 per hour for larger requests. The new policy is $30 per hour after the first hour.
Christine Macrina, the city’s boards and commissions coordinator, said Fort Collins increased the hourly rate after reviewing its open-records procedures and deciding to train additional employees to handle requests.
“When we saw the new legislation, we took the opportunity to look at how we were handling open records,” she said. It became apparent that “the cost to retrieve records actually exceeded what we charged. That’s the reason (for the increase).”
On Monday, the city of Arvada’s website still showed research rates of $25 per hour with the first 30 minutes free and $50 per hour, billed in 15-minute increments, if a request needs legal review. City communications manager Maria Vanderkolk said the no-charge period would be changed to one hour after the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition pointed out the inconsistency with the new law.
She was still checking late Monday as to whether the city would lower the $50-per-hour charge for legal review. CFOIC President Steve Zansberg, a First Amendment attorney, has said that reviewing requested records for matters of attorney-client privilege, or other
legal issues that could make them off limits to the public, is part of the job for lawyers who represent government bodies “so those fees should not be charged to the citizen.”
“Under an interpretation that says those services are part of research and retrieval,” Zansberg added, the new law makes it clear that the public can’t be charged more than $30 an hour and the first hour must be free.
The Colorado Attorney General’s office recently adopted a CORA policy that explicitly caps its rate for legal research. The policy says requestors will be “charged $30 an hour for time spent by an agency attorney engaged in the practice of law directly related to a records request, including but not limited to, the review of documents for privilege or exemptions to production; document redaction; creation of documents that articulate the privileged nature of the requested documents; or conducting Colorado Open Records Act-related legal research.”
CFOIC looked at the CORA fee policies of more than 100 Colorado governments and agencies, before and after the law went into effect July 1.
Many have yet to adjust records fees policies
An advertising lesson in Tombstone, Arizona
JohnFoust
8 colorado editor August 2014
CPA MarketplaceREPORTER/NEWS EDITOR REPORTER/NEWS EDITOR for award-winning weekly on High Plains. Are you up to the challenge of continuing a strong tradition? Can you do it all? Do you want to learn the news business? This person will plan news coverage, co-ordinate the work of part-time staff, cover stories and features, take photos, design and lay out pages, post to web pages and facebook. Journalism degree or some newspaper experience preferred. Competitive pay, about four hours from Denver. Apply to [email protected] and [email protected]. The Oberlin Herald/Nor’West Newspapers, Oberlin, Kan. (785) 475-2206. EOE m/f/h/v
MANAGING EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR for small daily on High Plains, 3 1/2 hours east of Denver on I-70. Are you ready to step up? This person will lead a full-time staff of three, plus part-timers, plan and track news coverage, co-ordinate photo and stories, design and lay out pages, cover some meetings and write some stories, deal with public and online/facebook pages, generally run the newsroom. Journalism degree preferred, at least two years’ newspaper experience. This is a good paper, hoping to get better. Apply to Sharon Friedlander, publisher, [email protected], and Steve Haynes [email protected]. Colby Free Press/Nor’West Newspapers, Colby, Kan. (785) 462-3963. EOE m/f/h/v
CLASSIFIED SALES Prairie Mountain Publishing is expanding its Classified Sales Team!
Do you have a positive attitude with a solid work ethic? We have an opening on our Classified Call Center sales team for an Account Executive, and you might be the right fit. This position is perfect for the person who is a self-starter and goal-driven with the ability to deal with customers in an efficient, professional manner to help them maximize results using their advertising budget.
We are looking for a detail-oriented, energetic candidate with customer service and sales experience. The ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline-oriented team environment is a must. Computer and typing skills with a high level of accuracy are vital to this position. A high school education or equivalent is required, as is a valid Colorado driver’s license, reliable vehicle, and good driving record.
This position offers competitive pay and excellent benefits including a choice of medical insurance, dental and vision insurance, life & AD&D, managed disability insurance, a 401(k) investment savings plan, and immediate eligibility for paid time off.
Interested individuals may apply by sending a resume with cover letter, telling us why you are the ideal candidate for our team, to [email protected] or fax to 303-449-2063.
Prairie Mountain Publishing is a part of the Digital First MediaFamily and a subsidiary of MediaNews Group.
REPORTER-PHOTOGRAPHER F.T. Reporter-Photographer, with Pagemaker and PhotoShop skills, photography and newspaper layout,
attention to detail, customer service, and proofreading.
Pay commensurate with experience. Benefits: vacation and sick time, 401K match, plus pleasant, working environment. Challenging, fast-paced, ever-changing experience at independently owned, largest community weekly newspaper in southeast Nebraska, covering the news of 25 communities. Call 402-792-2255 or send resume and writing sample asap:[email protected] in Hickman, Nebraska, 15 minutes south of Lincoln. www.voicenewsnebraska.com
COLORADO DAILY PUBLISHER OPPORTUNITYExcellent family-owned media company…nice geographical location…a successful daily newspaper operation that is growing…AND WE NEED AN EXPERIENCED PUBLISHER. The Montrose Press is accepting applications and resumes for this opportunity in southwest Colorado.
The Montrose Press is an award-winning 6-day-a-week morning newspaper that is enhanced by the community’s favorite website, a local magazine and a powerful Total Market Coverage (TMC) product. In addition, the company has a sizeable commercial printing operation..
The operation is part of Arizona-based Wick Communications, now in its third generation of family ownership. Wick Communications is a family-owned community media company in 11 states.
Our current publisher, and a Wick Family member, is buying his own newspaper. His replacement needs to be a hands-on leader who will build upon past successes and provide the know-how and energy to take the operation to the next level. Expectations include:
• Provide the strategic insight and direction that positions our franchise to meet continually changing market and competitive conditions.
• Focus on team building and commitment for a competent group of managers.
• Bring a demonstrated track record of success in the sales and marketing areas.
• Be the role model for effective communications, listening and empathy, along with a strong work ethic.
• A proven and experienced track record of overseeing a successful press/commercial printing operation.
This is a challenging, yet very rewarding opportunity. The successful candidate will likely have managed other community newspapers. A college degree in a related field, with industry or similar related training and experience is required.
Montrose, Colorado is a very appealing place to live and work. If you like hiking, skiing, and other outdoors activities linked to the Colorado/mountain lifestyle, you’ll enjoy and thrive in the area.
• We offer competitive pay, performance bonuses, a 401K plan, paid vacation, a competitive health care plan and relocation assistance.
• Our contemporary administrative office and press buildings illustrate our appreciation of a good working environment and commitment to being a leader among our media peers.
• You will find competent, friendly
managers and staff throughout the organization.
We expect to fill this position in the upcoming weeks, so urgency is important. Please apply ONLY electronically. Please send a cover letter, resume and references, salary history and expectations to: David Lewis, Group Publisher, Wick Communications. [email protected]
PUBLISHER LOS ALAMOS MONITORLOS ALAMOS, NM
Applications are now being accepted for the Publisher position in Los Alamos, NM. The Monitor is a five-day per week broadsheet published (Su,Tu,W,Th,F) and carrier delivered in the historic community of Los Alamos, NM where the Los Alamos National Laboratory is located. Los Alamos is located in northern New Mexico, just 30 miles from Santa Fe and 90 miles from Albuquerque. Los Alamos is a mountain town that offers many outdoor recreation activities. The in-county paid circulation as of September, 2013 was 2,321. The newspaper is printed on the newspaper’s onsite 5 unit/one folder Goss community press. The Las Vegas Optic, a tri-weekly sister paper, is printed by the Monitor. The Los Alamos Monitor can also be found online at www.lamonitor.com.
Qualifications:• Proven ability to get results –
particularly ad sales, in-county circulation and profit
• Proven leadership skills to lead a dedicated staff of 15 FT and 10 PT employees
• Demonstrated strong team building, delegation and administrative skills
• Newspaper management experience – minimum 3 years, including bottom line responsibility, is essential
• Effective communication skills• Good organizational and interpersonal
skills• An innovative approach to business
growth• Demonstrated high-energy level, with
ability to motivate self and others• Commitment to quality in all aspects of
the operation• Experience and skill in developing and
implementing short and long term strategic plans
Essential Functions:Cultivate and coach a developing employee team
• Achieve desired business results• Actively participate in various
community functions and events. Take a leadership role in the community.
• Oversee business, marketing and growth development of all products published
Interested persons should apply (preferably by e-mail) to: Dan Sykes, Executive Vice President Landmark Community Newspapers, LLCP.O. Box 549Shelbyville, KY [email protected]
Notify your immediate supervisor and LCNI Human Resource Director if making application. Deadline for applications is Thursday, July 31, 2014.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
NEWS EDITOR The Lamar Ledger, a twice-weekly newspaper in Southeast Colorado, is seeking a News Editor. This is a full-time salaried position with hours roughly 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Friday 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Hours and days may be adjusted as work requires; periodic weekend work is likely. Check us out at www.lamarledger.com.
This position requires a journalist with experience in, but not limited to, reporting, writing, editing, page design, photography and web posting.
The successful candidate• Will have the ability to write concisely
and accurately adhering to AP Style.• Will have a track record of meeting
deadlines and displaying solid judgment regarding local, regional and national/world news.
• Will be able to take charge of situations, motivate others in the newsroom, and lead by example.
• Will quickly become familiar with the geography of our coverage area and maintain a good rapport with sources and the community.
Job Duties Include:
• Planning news placement for two newsprint products, working with sports editor to coordinate sections.
• Working with design staff to produce news pages digitally in a timely manner to meet deadlines.
• Editing local content for newsprint and online platforms, including but not limited to, press releases, headlines, captions, articles, etc.
• Promoting content via Twitter and Facebook and responding to comments in real time.
• Turning around stories during the day for web posting.
• Identifying and reporting on trends for new features.
• Managing sports editor and freelance writers.
• Writing feature stories for special sections, events and/or magazines.
• Keeping schedule of events and meetings and working independently on articles for publications while managing deadlines.
• Monitoring police scanner and watching other media for breaking news. Coordinating with editors at sister papers as necessary. Keeping readers and followers updated on breaking news. Writing, photographing and posting breaking news on all platforms.
• Contributing content ideas to engage readers on all platforms.
• Taking on periodic editorial writing responsibilities.
• Other assignments as given by General Manager.
We offer a competitive wage and benefits package including vacation, personal time and sick leave, managed short- and long-term disability, medical, dental and vision insurance, as well as life and AD&D, supplemental life insurance, and a 401(k) Savings Plan.
Interested individuals should send resume to [email protected].
The Lamar Ledger is a division of Prairie Mountain Publishing, a part of theDigital First Media Family, and a subsidiary of MediaNews Group.
