September 2012 Oklahoma Publisher

Transcription

The Oklahoma Publisher
Official Publication of the Oklahoma Press Association
www.OkPress.com
www.Facebook.com/okpress
INSIDE
ONF INTERNS: For the
next three months students
who interned at member
newspapers share their
experiences. Read what the
first six have to say about
working at newspapers –
and the ONF Internship
Program.
PAGE 8
GRAMMAR GUIDE:
Dr. Terry Clark takes
on punctuation with an
easy-to-use guide in his
monthly column.
PAGE 16
SUPERHEROES:
Read Jeff Shultz’s second
installment of his visits to
Oklahoma newspapers.
PAGE 18
Vol. 83, No. 9
20 Pages • September 2012
Judge unseals
records in Enid
perjury case
Van Dyck also said he was
aware of the “appearance of
impropriety” in the original
sealing of the court records
and that keeping those records
sealed would “heighten suspicions.”
News & Eagle pub‘With openness, Oklahomans lisher Jeff Funk said the
can have greater confidence newspaper was pleased
with the judge’s deciin their court system.’
sion.
Jeff Funk, Enid News & Eagle publisher
“The criminal charge
against attorney Eric
on Sept. 4 that the paper had Edwards should have been
grounds to intervene in the handled as other such chargcase and that court records es are handled — with public
pertaining to the case should records in open court,” Funk
said.
be unsealed.
“We hope other judges take
“The court finds the newspaper has a First Amendment note of this ruling. The court
right to publish the news as it system was designed to serve
finds it,” Van Dyck said. “The the public, all Oklahomans,
public needs to know what its and criminal cases need to
elected officials are up to. The remain open to the public.
public has a right to know.”
The court records of a
sealed felony perjury case
were finally unsealed after the
Enid News & Eagle sued to
intervene in the case.
Grady County District
Judge Richard Van Dyck ruled
Continued on Page 3
The Nowata Printing Company in Nowata, Okla., sustained
damage from a passing storm front on Sept. 7, 2012. Missing
sections of the roof exposed the newsprint storage area resulting
in a sizable paper loss, said Mike Brown, publisher of Neighbor
News publications in the Tulsa area. Neighbor News publications
are printed at Nowata Printing. Both companies are owned by
Community Publishers, Inc. Brown said all presses are up and
running and no delays on any printing schedules were expected.
Observe National Newspaper Week October 7-13
National Newspaper Week,
a week-long promotion of the
newspaper industry in the
United States, will be celebrated October 7-13.
The theme this year is
“NEWSPAPERS – The cornerstone of your community.”
The theme and supporting
materials were developed by
the Michigan Press Association.
The packet is available to
download at www.nationalnewspaperweek.com. Material
includes the 2012 NNW logo,
a crossword puzzle and word
search, and an editorial cartoon.
Also available are columns
by Caroline H. Little, president
and CEO of the Newspaper
Association of America; Mike
MacLaren, executive director
for the Michigan Press Association; Ron Dzwonkowski,
associate editor for the Detroit
Free Press, and U.S. Rep. Mike
Rogers (R-MI).
Newspaper
Association
Managers (NAM) has sponsored and supported – and
made material available – to all
newspapers NNW since 1940.
National Newspaper Week
is the only industry observance of newspapers during
the year.
2
The Oklahoma Publisher // September 2012
UP, UP AND
AWAY!
23$35(6,'(17·6&2/801
&HOHEUDWLQJ1HZVSDSHU+HURHV3DVW3UHVHQW
By Jeff Shultz, Garvin County News Star
The history of newspapers in our
nation and state is a rich story, filled
with many historical figures that either
influenced our nation or shaped the
literary world after their work in the
newspaper industry.
Two men in particular are personal
heroes of mine – Benjamin Franklin
and Mark Twain.
You all know their stories. Franklin
was one of the founding fathers of our
country while Twain gave us memorable stories and characters that have
stood the test of time.
In 1730 there were two so-called
newspapers in Philadelphia – The
American Mercury and The Universal
Instructor and Pennsylvania Gazette.
Both were more like newsletters
than newspapers, often reprinting
instructional material on the arts and
sciences from other books or newssheets.
Franklin took over the Instructor in
1730 and changed its name to simply
the Pennsylvania Gazette.
The Gazette quickly became one of
the more popular newspapers in the
original colonies.
Franklin used the paper to promote
his experiments and philosophical and
political viewpoints.
In 1752, Franklin used the paper to
give a third-person account of his now
famous kite experiment, though he
didn’t mention the fact it was he that
conducted the test.
Under his leadership, the paper
became the first paper to publish an
editorial cartoon.
Titled “Join or Die,” the May 1754
cartoon depicted a snake cut into various parts, with each segment of the
snake labeled with the initials of one of
the colonies at that time.
Franklin, who was the artist, accompanied the cartoon with an editorial
about the “disunited state of the colonies” and the cartoon was used to
help make his point about the need for
colonial unity.
The Gazette also was instrumental
in providing news of the Revolution.
In July of 1776, for example, the front
page of the paper had a list of military
actions announced by John Hancock.
While Franklin used his newspaper
as a means to inform and influence
Americans on the upcoming Revolution, Mark Twain used his newspaper
experiences to further his career as a
storyteller.
Twain admitted his career as an
author would not have come about
if it weren’t his work as a newspaper
reporter.
His big break came in 1866 as he
was working on the Hawaiian island of
Oahu.
Twain had heard of the tale of two
brothers who had been shipwrecked
and got the scoop on what happened.
Most of his life up to that point had
been spent in the newspaper business,
starting at the age of 12 as a printer’s
apprentice for the Missouri Courier.
But it was his stint in Oahu as a correspondent for the Sacramento Union
that got his pen name published nationwide.
When two Stamford, Conn., brothers washed ashore in Honolulu, they
had been on a longboat for 43 days,
ultimately surviving on strips of their
own boots after 10 days of rations had
depleted.
The two were sailing to California to
seek a better life and healthier climate,
since one of them had contracted tuberculosis.
However, the ship they were on
caught fire off the coast of South America, forcing them to abandon ship and
drift aimlessly at sea.
When the news reached Twain, he
was suffering from what he called “saddle-boils,” which made it difficult to
walk or sit.
Twain convinced the U.S. Minister
to China to carry him on a stretcher to
the hospital where the brothers were
being treated.
He spent the next night writing the
story of their ordeal.
When he finished the story he was
able to just catch the ship sailing for
Sacramento, Calif., tossing the manuscript onto the ship as it sailed away.
The story was published in the
Union and was soon telegraphed to
newspapers across the nation, thus
introducing Twain to a much larger
audience of readers who would later
give us such memorable characters as
Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer.
THE FIRST OF SIX regional workshops on the Open Meeting and Open
Records Acts begins this month.
On Sept. 27, representatives from
the Oklahoma Attorney General’s office
will be on hand in Lawton to answer
questions concerning the state’s open
meeting and records laws and inform
elected or appointed officials about
their responsibility under the acts.
The meeting will be held from 1-4
p.m. at the Great Plains Technology
Center, 4500 W. Lee Blvd., in Lawton.
This is a good time for your elected
officials to gain a deeper understanding of the laws, which we as a press
association are watchdogs over. The
meetings will also be some good, free
training for new reporters on your staff.
Please plan to encourage public officials in your area, as well as staff members, to attend one of these important
workshops.
For a complete listing of where the
seminars will be held, go to the OPA’s
website.
OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS,
many of our members have been
extremely busy covering wildfires and
other breaking news stories in their
area along with the normal news coverage they give their readers on a daily or
weekly basis.
It takes a lot of dedication and drive
to cover everything and sometimes it
can be mentally and physically draining.
The commitment to excellence is
evident as I look over some of the
papers I get as exchange papers and
I just want to say how proud I am of
our association and everyone for doing
such a great job.
OPA CALENDAR
OF EVENTS
Complete Listing of Events at
www.OkPress.com
THU., OCT. 18, WEATHERFORD
OPEN MEETING/OPEN
RECORDS ACTS SEMINAR
Attorney General Scott Pruitt, the Oklahoma
Press Association and Oklahoma Newspaper
Foundation invite you to attend a seminar
designed to deal directly with your questions
and concerns about Oklahoma’s Open
Meeting and Records Acts. Oklahoma
First Attorney General Rob Hudson and
Communications Director Diane Clay will
present the seminar. It’s free and open to the
public. The seminar will be held six times in
2012 across the state. For more information,
a press release or a letter from the attorney
general’s office, visit okpress.com/eventscalendar. Other dates of seminars include:
THU., OCT. 25, Oklahoma City, OK
THU., NOV. 29, McAlester, OK
THU., DEC. 6, Tulsa, OK
THU., DEC. 13, Enid, OK
For more information on upcoming events,
visit the OPA website at www.OkPress.com or
contact Member Services Director Lisa Potts at
(405) 499-0026, 1-888-815-2672
or e-mail [email protected].
Chickasha Leader
applies for OPA
business membership
The Chickasha Leader has applied
for business membership in the Oklahoma Press Association.
The application lists Jerry Pittman
as owner, publisher, editor and advertising manager.
The twice-weekly (Wednesday and
Friday) publication is located at 428 W.
Kansas Ave. in Chickasha, Okla. The
Leader’s website is chickashaleader.
com.
The Leader was admitted to the
United States mails as Periodicals mail
matter on Sept. 15, 2010. The newspaper is printed in Canadian County and
entered in the U.S. mails at Chickasha,
Okla.
Any current business member wishing to object to application of the Chickasha Leader must do so in writing
to the OPA at 3601 N. Lincoln Blvd.,
Oklahoma City, OK 73105-5499, by Oct.
5, 2012.
RECORDS
Continued from Page 1
“When cases are improperly closed,
it gives the appearance of favoritism or
improper treatment,” said Funk. “With
openness, Oklahomans can have greater confidence in their court system.”
Major County District Judge Ray
Dean Linder sealed the court records
of a felony perjury case against attorney Eric Edwards on May 17, hours
after the case was filed.
No hearings, announcements or
notice of sealing the case were given.
Judge Van Dyck dismissed the perjury case on July 16 after Oklahoma
County District Attorney David Prater
filed a motion to dismiss, stating the
case lacked merit.
On June 26, the News & Eagle filed
its motion to intervene in the case and
to unseal the records.
Stephen Jones, Edwards’ attorney,
objected to the intervention, stating the
News & Eagle had violated a gag order
about the case.
Mike Minnis, representing the News
& Eagle, said Jones’ objection was
“based on an assumption that somehow
the Enid News & Eagle has violated
an order it has never seen…The Enid
News & Eagle has never seen the order
or been given the order.”
Minnis also told the court he
believed the newspaper had several
rights to have the records made public.
“The court has held there is a constitutional right, and I believe there is
a statutory right, and that’s the Open
Records Act,” Minnis said.
Jones argued that not all court
records are open to public view and
that it was not Judge Linder’s intention
to keep the records sealed until the
paper began to report on the case.
“If the newspaper would have just
waited a few days, Judge Linder would
have unsealed the records, but he was
never given that opportunity,” Jones
said. Jones also asked for the probable
cause affidavit to remain sealed. However, Minnis argued that the unsealing
is for the benefit of Edwards.
“If this whole case is a sham brought
by a district attorney or a judge, the
probable cause affidavit he is trying
to keep sealed will not embarrass his
client,” Minnis said. “If he (Linder) was
going to open them, I don’t see why it
is harmful now.”
The records were released to the
News & Eagle on Sept. 5.
Court to decide if private contractor
is in violation of Open Records Act
The Oklahoma Supreme Court has
been asked to decide whether a private contractor charging subscription
fees for online court records while
allowing a select group to access the
records is a violation of the Open
Records Act.
After multiple complaints, Mike
Evans, administrative director of the
courts, asked the Supreme Court to
look at the practice of the contractor
KellPro. Kellpro only allows Oklahoma Bar Association members to purchase subscription access to online
court records in the 64 counties serviced by KellPro’s On Demand Court
Records (ODCR) system.
In those counties, residents can
access court dockets online but only
Oklahoma Bar Association members
can download the actual court documents.
Subscriptions to ODCR cost $50
per month or $600 per year.
Residents that are not members
of the state bar association have to
drive to individual county courthouses to retrieve the documents and
often must pay for copies.
Currently, there are two online
court records systems in the state.
ODCR and the Oklahoma State Courts
Network (OSCN).
Since 2007, Oklahomans have been
paying for the construction of a statewide, free public court system for
free public records. The new system
should phase out both OSCN and
ODCR.
The unified system is at least six
months to one year behind schedule.
Until the new unified system is
completed, residents looking for
records in OSCN districts like Tulsa
and Oklahoma counties have more
access to records than those in counties served by KellPro’s system.
“This setup gives one organization special access to records that
are clearly public; the Open Records
Act doesn’t allow for that,” said Joey
Senat, a board member of Freedom of
Information Oklahoma, Inc.
KellPro maintains the state directed the company to only allow bar
association members to purchase subscriptions while the state maintains
they weren’t asked before KellPro
created the subscription system with
court clerks in counties using ODCR.
The
Oklahoma
Publisher
ISSN 1526-811X
Official Publication of the
Oklahoma Press Association
PUBLISHER
Mark Thomas
[email protected]
EDITOR
Jennifer Gilliland
[email protected]
OPA OFFICERS
Jeff Shultz, President
The Garvin County News Star
Jeff Mayo, Vice President
Sequoyah County Times
Gracie Montgomery, Treasurer
The Purcell Register
Mark Thomas,
Executive Vice President,
Oklahoma City
OPA DIRECTORS
Rusty Ferguson, Past President
The Cleveland American
Jeff Funk, Enid News & Eagle
Robby Trammell, The Oklahoman
OU student media begins study
Internet entrepreneur Rob Curley
was slated to kick off a semester-long
study of student media offerings at the
University of Oklahoma on Sept. 17.
Curley has spearheaded change in
new media and interactive news at the
Washington Post and elsewhere.
The study, Imagine the Future: Campus Media in a Digital Age, will help OU
Student Media determine the future
course of its 96-year-old independent
student newspaper, The Oklahoma
Daily, and its website, OUDaily.com.
The study will include a student survey, roundtable discussions, advertiser
focus groups and other events.
A blog (http://imaginedfuture.wordpress.com/) will keep the community
informed about each event and the
study’s progress.
Curley, who was named metro editor
of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Orange
County Register in August, was scheduled to discuss how journalism and
society are evolving as a result of changing media technology, changing uses
and changing relationships between
the players.
“I hope Rob Curley will present
details about how he made money from
his digital news sites, said Mark Thomas, Oklahoma Press Association executive vice president.
“That’s a presentation we would all
like to hear. Otherwise we’re just imagining a future where we all go broke.”
Curley has worked in management
positions at the Topeka (Kansas) Capital-Journal, the Lawrence (Kansas)
Journal-World, the Washington Post,
the Naples (Florida) Daily News and
the Las Vegas Sun, where he was chief
content editor for the paper’s Internet
media division.
Dayva Spitzer, Sayre Record &
Beckham County Democrat
Brian Blansett, Shawnee News-Star
Mike Brown, Neighbor News
Ted Streuli, The Journal Record
3601 N. Lincoln Blvd.
Oklahoma City, OK 73105-5499
(405) 499-0020
Toll-Free in Oklahoma: (888) 815-2672
www.OkPress.com
[email protected]
www.Facebook.com/OKPress
SUBSCRIBE TO
THE OKLAHOMA PUBLISHER
$12 PER YEAR
THE OKLAHOMA PUBLISHER (USPS 406-920) is
published monthly for $12 per year by the Oklahoma
Press Association, 3601 N. Lincoln Blvd., Oklahoma
City, OK 73105-5499. Periodicals postage paid at
Oklahoma City, OK.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE
OKLAHOMA PUBLISHER, 3601 N. Lincoln Blvd.,
Oklahoma City, OK 73105-5499.
3
4
Morgans sell Wetumka newspaper
After 55 years in the Morgan family, the Hughes County Times in
Wetumka has been sold.
Bill and Dayna Robinson, owners
of the Holdenville Tribune, The Allen
Advocate and Coalgate Record-Register, bought the paper earlier this
month.
Bill Morgan took over the Wetumka Gazette in 1957 and renamed it the
Hughes County Times. Following his
death on Feb. 2, 2012, his daughter,
Julie Morgan, stepped into that role.
“My Dad, Bill Morgan, dedicated
his life to the Times and The Weleetkan newspapers as the newspaper
business was his passion,” said Julie.
“We feel confident The Robinsons
will produce the Hughes County
Times in the same style our readers
know and have depended on for the
last 55 years.”
The Robinsons plan to keep the
same format of the paper as the Morgans.
Two longtime Hughes County
Times staff members, Peggy Smith
and Tracy Goza, will remain at the
paper.
In addition to their newspapers,
the Robinsons also own Lewis Printing. Bill Robinson served eight years
in the legislature and also served as
Holdenville’s mayor.
Longtime Clinton Daily News
staff member plans to retire
Clinton Daily News’ employee Ann
Marcy is retiring from the newspaper
business after more than 20 years of
service.
Marcy has spent most of the last five
years working in the composing department at The Clinton Daily News. Before
that, Marcy worked at the Weatherford
Daily News for 17 years and also spent
time working in Lubbock and Amarillo,
Texas.
She spent most of her newspaper
career as a reporter before working in
the composing department at Clinton.
“I just like words and going out and
talking to people and finding out about
a lot of things when reporting,” Marcy
said.
In addition to putting together each
page of The Clinton Daily News, Marcy
has also been responsible for looking
through the paper’s bound volumes
to come up with material for the “This
Week in History” segment. She will still
continue in that capacity.
“I’ve always been a history buff,”
Marcy said. “Most of it I can remember
from living here and I look forward to
doing it. Now I can take my time or
spend as much time with it as I want.”
Rod Serfoss, publisher of the Clinton
Daily News, said he hates to see Marcy
retire, but is happy for her.
“The combination of her work ethic
and skills will be sorely missed,” Serfoss said.
City Sentinel announces staff changes
Lee Vincent, graphics designer at
The City Sentinel in Oklahoma City,
has been promoted to the position of
creative and content director.
Former City Sentinel managing editor Stacy Martin will become a full-time
staff reporter for CapitolBeatOK.com.
She will stay on at The City Sentinel as
a contributing editor.
“I have appreciated Stacy Martin’s
skills as a journalist since I first met her
when we both worked at The Oklahoman,” said Patrick McGuigan, editor
of CapitolBeatOK.com and associate
publisher of The City Sentinel. “I am
blessed to have her join the staff of the
Oklahoma Capitol Bureau.”
Vincent has won awards for her page
one design from the Society of Professional Journalists.
She “has proven herself as a capable
‘conductor’ of weekly production at the
newspaper,” said McGuigan.
Martin was a real estate and business reporter for The Oklahoman in
the 1980s and ’90s. She was also a business reporter at the Tulsa Tribune.
5
Elk City Daily News names new editor
Veteran
journalist J.B. Blosser
Bittner
recently
joined The Elk City
Daily News as managing editor.
“We could not
be more excited to
have such an experienced and enthusiastic journalist join
our team,” Daily News publisher Elizabeth Perkinson said.
An Oklahoma native, Bittner holds
a bachelor’s degree in news-editorial
journalism from Oklahoma State University. She was the 2003 recipient
of the Oklahoma Newspaper Foundation’s Beachy Musselman Award, recognizing contributions to the field of
printed journalism.
Bittner has received top Associated
Press and Oklahoma Press Association
awards for news reporting, including a
number of investigative projects. She
is a member of the board of directors
of the Associated Press Media Editors
as well as a member of Investigative
Reporters and Editors and the Society
of American Business Editors and Writers.
Bittner served 12 years with Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.,
most recently as editor of the Stillwater
NewsPress. She previously worked at
the corporate level as a CNHI News
Service national editor and has been
CNHI Oklahoma bureau chief and managing editor of the Woodward News.
Before joining CNHI, Bittner staffed
a Northwest Oklahoma bureau 12
years for the Enid News & Eagle, was
Northwest correspondent for the Oklahoman and was a staff writer, legislative reporter and bureau manager for
United Press International. She also
has been an adjunct journalism instructor for Northwestern Oklahoma State
University.
Cherokee Messenger & Republican
welcomes new managing editor
After months of searching, the Cherokee Messenger & Republican has
hired a new editor, Kathleen Lourde.
Lourde grew up in Oklahoma,
spending some time at Woodward High
School before graduating from Jenks
High School near Tulsa. She has been
a resident of rural Dacoma for the last
eight years.
She attended Oklahoma State University and then moved on to State
University of New York at Buffalo and
two years at Old Dominion University.
She started her journalism career
in 1992 as editor at Our Own Com-
munity Press in Norfolk, Va. In 1997,
she became senior editor for Provider
magazine, covering business, finance
and politics.
After spending years in the Washington D.C. area, Lourde decided to move
back to northwestern Oklahoma.
“I can’t think of a better way to fully
immerse myself in what northwestern
Oklahoma is than to be editor of a
newspaper that tracks the big things –
like the oil boom and minutiae of ‘the
minutes were read,’” said Lourde. “To
make sure we cover the stories that
really hit us where we live.”
New editor at Sequoyah County Times
The Sequoyah County Times has
hired experienced journalist Eric Viccaro as news editor.
Viccaro has been a journalist in 11
states. This isn’t his first time to work
in Oklahoma.
In 2003-04, Viccaro was the sports
editor at the Blackwell Journal Tribune.
In 2007-08, he served in the same position at the Guymon Daily Herald.
Before coming to Sequoyah County,
Viccaro worked for more than two
years as editor of the Sioux County
Index-Reporter in Hull, Iowa.
“Let the editor tell everyone up front
that we will continue with the basic
tenets of journalism set down by the
family that owns this publication,” said
Viccaro in his introductory column.
“We will be fair. We will be balanced.
If you ever have a complaint with how
the editor wrote about a certain topic,
call me or email me and we will talk.”
THE COMANCHE TIMES recently moved to a new location at 513 Hillery Dr.,
Suite A, in Comanche. The community was invited to an open house celebration
on Aug. 3 to celebrate the new location and the paper’s 20th anniversary. Open
House guests were invited to sign up for a drawing for a $100 gift certificate to
Delbert’s Supermarket. Steve Bolton, publisher and editor of The Times, said the
first issue of the newspaper came out on Sept. 2, 1992. “It has been a privilege to
be Comanche’s hometown newspaper for these past 20 years and we are looking
forward to many more,” Bolton said.
Tulsa World receives awards in
business development contest
The Tulsa World took home several
awards in the 2012 Newspaper Business Development Contest sponsored
by the Inland Press Association.
Winners were selected from 130
entries in the contest to recognize special sections, niche publications and
other publications that generated new
revenue for their parent newspapers.
Awards were presented at the 2012
Newspaper Business Development
Conference held Aug. 9 and 10 at the
Seyfarth Shaw Conference Center in
The Citadel in downtown Chicago.
The Tulsa World placed first in
Marketing Materials/Collateral Items
& Incentives (50,000-100,000 & Over
100,000 Combined) with its Holiday
Packages and also second in the same
category with its World Advantage
Club. The World also received first
place in the Theme Pages category
for its Service Directory; second in
Arts/Entertainment for its Last-Minute
Gift Guide; third in Travel/Tourism/
Transportation for its Road Trips; third
in Health, Family & Youth for Health
Answers; and third in Education/
Career with a College Guide.
“The winners in this year’s Inland
News Business Development Contest
represent a truly impressive collection
of innovative and creative projects,”
said Inland Executive Director Tom
Slaughter.
“All the entrants demonstrate their
commitment to strengthening their
brand in the communities they serve
while working to sustain the newspaper
in those cities and towns.”
NEWSPAPER & PUBLICATION BINDING
Before you have your next issue bound, give us a call. We offer exceptional quality,
competitive pricing and fast turnaround times. With three generations of experience, we have the knowledge and skill to get your job done. Other services
include Bible binding and restoration, embossing and much more.
ACE BOOKBINDING CO.
825 N. Classen Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73106
(405) 525-8888 or Toll-Free at 1-800-525-8896
E-mail: [email protected] • www.AceBookBinding.com
6
PLAYER PROFILE
Name:
GLORIA TROTTER, Publisher/Editor, THE COUNTYWIDE & SUN, Tecumseh
EDUCATION: BS in journalism, University of Memphis
FAMILY: Husband: Wayne, partner and co-publisher of the newspaper. Son: Greg, systems administrator, National Severe Storm
Lab, Norman, Okla.
NEWSPAPER EXPERIENCE: First newspaper job in Bristol, Va.-Tenn., while in high school and college (early ’60s). Worked for the
society department writing weddings and features. Married a co-worker and married
ge
myself out of a job; in those days, newspapers would not hire spouses. Worked college
public relations at University of Memphis and Randolph Technical Institute most of thee
time after that until we bought the Tecumseh newspaper in 1983.
Each month, The Publisher will profile a newspaper executive in this space. Learn more about your peers
from all corners of the state. To request the questionnaire for your Player Profile, email [email protected].
Q:
A:
Q:
A:
What’s something most people don’t
know about you?
I once worked at a bubble gum factory
doing clerical work (couldn’t type fast
enough to be a clerk/secretary). Also
worked at a check printing company
while finishing college.
Q:
What’s the best/most unusual part of
your job?
A:
The job is different every day. There’s
never a boring moment. I worked
enough other jobs along the way to know
how unusual that is, and I’m grateful. I
love meeting all kinds of different people
and telling their stories, and I especially
love covering government and doing
my small part in ensuring the citizens
are being properly represented. What’s
the most unusual? How about taking
someone’s subscription renewal at the
produce counter of the grocery store?
Q:
A:
Q:
A:
Q:
A:
Looking for a Complete
Chamber of Commerce, of course –
every newspaper person should be
involved with the local chamber. I’ve
served on lots of boards over the years –
Red Cross, YMCA, Downtown Shawnee,
League of Women Voters, Redbud Arts
Council, Central Oklahoma Juvenile
Center Advisory Board, several others.
Helped found the Tecumseh Historical
Society, Leadership Tecumseh and the
Redbud Arts Council. And of course I’m
involved in OPA, SPJ and FOI Oklahoma
Who’s had the biggest influence on your
career?
Wayne, my husband. He’s an
exceptionally fine journalist with very
high professional and ethical standards.
He’s way better than any of the teachers
I had in college!
What would you describe as the three
most important responsibilities of your
job?
Accuracy, timeliness and fairness.
What about newspaper publishing gets
you out of bed in the morning? What
makes you want to stay in bed?
I get out of bed to find out what’s going
Combination Solution
?
for Print and Online Special Sections
+
Metro Creative Graphics, Inc.
1.800.223.1600
www.metrocreativeconnection.com
to happen today! I’d rather stay in bed
most any day, but especially when it’s
income tax time, there’s a fight with the
post office, Wayne is in a bad mood or I
have to report bad news on a friend.
What civic activities are you involved in?
Now you can get
fully-templated, full-color
print special sections &
companion, ready-topost online MicroSite
sections from Metro
Editorial Services!
View samples and get
more information from
metrocreativeconnection.com,
call Metro Client Services
at 1-800-223-1600,
or send an e-mail to
[email protected]
Q:
A:
What’s the biggest obstacle you’ve
overcome in your career?
Other than the no spouses rules that
delayed my career, I can honestly say I
haven’t had any huge obstacles.
Q:
A:
What are you most proud of?
Q:
A:
What are your hobbies?
Q:
A:
That our community knows we are fair
and accurate, and tells us we do a better
job than the dailies.
Hobbies? Who has time for hobbies?
When I catch a few minutes to myself
I read — novels, especially mysteries,
suspense, Southern literature, historical
fiction and other stuff. I love to sing, but
haven’t been able to make it to choir
practice in months.
Q:
Wh t ttype off annuall events
What
t iis your
newspaper involved in?
A:
Frontier Days, Chamber auction, several
others.
Q:
In what ways has your newspaper
positively impacted the community?
A:
I think the answer is pretty much the
same as the one about the role we play.
It’s a lot of those “I wouldn’t have known
if it hadn’t been for the Countywide”
comments we get from readers.
Q:
What challenges are facing your
newspaper today and in the future?
A:
Paywalls for websites. Retaining
circulation in the digital age. Adapting
our product to play a crucial part in the
changing information delivery system.
Q:
What are some area attractions in your
community visitors shouldn’t miss?
A:
We have some amazing places to eat
for a small town. Neighboring Shawnee,
in our circulation area, has a wonderful
and under-appreciated art museum,
an incredible old train depot (now the
county historical museum) and several
other sights worth seeing. And our
county is rich in tribal history and culture,
not to mention a bunch of casinos!
Does your newspaper have a website?
Yes, we do. After a lot of
experimentation, we post condensed
“teaser” stories each week pointing to
the print copy, and of course we use it
throughout the week for breaking news
and other timely information.
Q:
How does your newspaper play an
important part in the community?
A:
It is absolutely the best source —
and often the only source — of local
government news. We explain issues
and describe candidates to the voters.
We support issues and candidates when
we agree with them, and oppose them
when we don’t. We’re cheerleaders for
the community in promoting economic
development initiatives, events, etc. We
are vital to our community’s health, we
believe.
DEATHS
married Judith Ann Malm on Oct. 10,
1959, in Winthrop.
A long-time resident of Meeker,
Friskup was the previous owner of the
Meeker Livestock Auction. At the time
of his death, he was a self-employed
grant consultant, auctioneer and in real
estate sales.
He was a charter member and threetime past president of the Meeker
Chamber of Commerce, member and
vice-chair of Gordon Cooper Career
Technology Center, and vice-chair of
the Lincoln County Industry Authority.
In 2001, Friskup received the Meeker Chamber of Commerce Lifetime
Achievement Award.
He is survived by his wife of 52
years, Judy Friskup; son and daughterin-law Steve and Robin Friskup of Muleshoe, Texas; daughter Debbie Grisson
of Prague; sister Marilyn DeBoer of
Lafayette, Minn.; five grandchildren
and four great-grandchildren.
a longtime
Oklahoma journalist and outdoor writer, died Aug. 21, 2012. He was 73.
Holladay grew up in Hico, Texas,
and attended the University of Texas
at El Paso.
He covered forestry and natural
resources for the state department of
agriculture and later was a writer for
the McAlester News-Capital.
Holladay worked at the McCurtain
Daily Gazette and Gazette-News for 14
years.
He covered a variety of topics from
general news to veterans’ issues and
social and political issues.
He also wrote farm and forestry stories for the Sunday Gazette-News.
Holladay and the late J.D. Cash collaborated on a series of articles that
scooped journalists across the U.S. and
world when they covered the Oklahoma City Bombing.
Holladay won numerous awards for
his writing throughout his career.
He was preceeded in death by his
wife, Tisha. He is survived by his son
Joseph Holladay, daughter-in-law Angie
Holladay, three grandchildren and his
sister Judy Taylor.
PHILIP EDWIN STOUT,
an Oklahoma
journalist, died Aug. 26, 2012. He was
71.
Stout was born on Sept. 3, 1940.
He was a graduate of Stillwater High
School and attended Oklahoma State
University. He received a degree in
marketing from OSU in 1963.
Stout served in the U.S. Air Force
and as a flight nurse in the Oklahoma
Air National Guard.
His journalism career began on the
Alumni Magazine at OSU and as head
of market research at the Oklahoma
Publishing Company.
He also held newspaper positions
with the Dallas Times Herald and The
Advocate in Baton Rouge, La.
Stout returned to Oklahoma and
became sales and marketing director
for the Tulsa World from 1992 to 1994.
He later started a newspaper con-
sulting firm with a partner before retiring in 2010.
He enjoyed gardening on his family
farm near Perkins, Okla., and raising
Labrador Retrievers.
Stout is survived by his wife of 48
years, Jean; two daughters, Penelope
and husband Nic Daniels of Mannford,
and Natalie and husband Steve Coker
of Tulsa; a sister, Barbara Stout of Monterey, Calif.; brother Ronald P. Stout of
Edmond; and four grandchildren.
GENEVA B. WILEY, former owner and
publisher of The Grove Sun, died Aug.
13, 2012. She was 95.
Geneva moved with her husband
Don to Grove in 1953 after Don purchased The Grove Sun.
Don reported and wrote while Geneva handled the bookkeeping and other
tasks. The couple sold the newspaper
to Pete Crow in 1969.
They might not have been trained
journalists but they personified the
Grove Sun, said Crow about the couple.
“Together they were owners, publishers, reporters, bookkeepers and
sales staff,” said current Grove Sun
publisher Cheryl Franklin.
Geneva was a member of the Grove
Women’s Business and Professional
Group that helped found the Grove
library in 1965. She was also president
of the Grove Public Library for many
years.
L. KENT FRISKUP, former publisher of
the Meeker News, died Sept. 5, 2012.
He was 71.
Friskup bought the Meeker News
in 1990 and owned it for 10 years. He
also served one term in the Oklahoma
House of Representatives from 2001 to
2002.
Born on Nov. 27, 1940, in New Ulm,
Minn., Friskup graduated from Winthrop (MN) High School in 1958. He
GEOFFREY HOLLADAY,
Oklahoma Pulitzer Prize winner pens new novel
Pulitzer Prize-winner Vance Trimble of Wewoka has published a new
book, his 14th, about Will Rogers
attempting a daredevil flying stunt
in a small Oklahoma town for a 1922
Hollywood silent movie.
“It is low-key suspense but dangerous and exciting,” says Trimble. “Will
is supposed to stand on the wing of
Wiley Post’s World War I biplane and
lasso Mary Pickford on top of a tall
water tower to rescue her from kidnappers. Of course, everything goes
wrong.”
The novel’s title is “Will Rogers
and His Daredevil Movie,” a 312-page
library-quality soft cover available
from Amazon.com at $14.95. It also is
an e-Book on Kindle and Nook.
“The yarn,” says Trimble, “is not
too serious, but is feisty and humerous. Besides Will and Mary Pickford,
other characters are Douglas Fairbanks, W. C. Fields, and assorted and
colorful vigorous Okies. Even bank
robber Henry Starr appears.”
Trimble has written more serious
books, including biographies of Sam
Walton, FedEx’s Fred Smith, publisher E.W. Scripps, even an activist history of hyperbaric medicine.
On July 6, Trimble observed his
99th birthday with a five-mile walk.
DONATE
TO ONF
A donation to the Oklahoma
Newspaper Foundation will
support its efforts to improve
the state’s newspaper industry
and quality of journalism.
ONF’s programs include
training and education for
professional journalists,
scholarship and internship
programs for journalism
students, and Newspaper in
Education efforts.
ONF relies on donations and
memorial contributions to fund
these programs.
If you would like to make a
donation, please send a check
to:
OKLAHOMA
NEWSPAPER
FOUNDATION
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
7
8
Journalism students hone new
This summer,
18 journalism
students learned
new skills at
Oklahoma
newspapers,
thanks to the
Oklahoma
Newspaper
Foundation’s
internship
program.
The paid
internships were
made possible
by a grant from
the Ethics and
Excellence in
Journalism
Foundation.
The ONF’s
internship
program
promotes the
value of working
at Oklahoma
newspapers and
benefits students
as they begin
their professional
careers.
This month,
The Publisher
features articles
by six of the
interns describing
what they learned
at the newspaper
they worked at
this summer. Six
more interns will
be featured in the
October issue and
the final six will
be featured in the
November issue.
THAD AYERS, Oklahoma State University, Interned at THE EDMOND SUN
On one of my last days at The Edmond
Sun, publisher Karan Ediger told me I fit right
in with the staff, and managing editor Lisa
Shearer and reporter Patty Miller agreed.
When I walked into one of Oklahoma’s
oldest newspaper at 123 S. Broadway on June
4, I immediately saw this paper’s history on
its walls. Copies of cornerstone newspapers
told of wars, the Murrah building bombing,
the 1986 Edmond Post Office Massacre,
numerous awards and photos from readers
connected to a newspaper whose life began
nearly 20 years before the state of Oklahoma.
I’m proud to now say I’m part of its history.
During my time, I covered the 2012
University of Central Oklahoma Endeavor
Games and was encouraged by the athletes. I
reported on an ever-expanding Edmond community and, in turn, the pains associated with
a growing city. I also got to experience the
2012 LibertyFest, which was a blast.
But most of all, I picked up a new skill -photography.
My first pictures sucked. Ask Lisa and
news editor Drew Harmon. They coached me
and helped craft me into a better photographer and writer.
I learned that journalists end up eating a
lot of pizza. Between June primary election
coverage, office shindigs, the celebration of
the 2011 Sequoyah Award in the OPA Better
Newspaper Contest and my going away party
(yes, they even sent me off), I ate a lot of
Mazzio’s. It was spectacular.
At the end of my eight weeks I had a lot of
photos, a lot of clips, a Pinterest page I created for the paper, a lot of connections and a
building full of friends in Edmond.
Thanks, Kari Tompkins, for sitting in
the same room as me for eight weeks and
answering my questions. I know a lot more
about Doctor Who because of you.
Thanks to fellow reporters James Coburn,
Patty Miller and Mark Schlachtenhaufen for
lending me your many years of expertise,
your beats and your Yellow Pages (because
CARMEN BOURLON, Oklahoma City University, Interned at THE SHAWNEE NEWS-STAR
My time at The Shawnee News-Star has
been wonderful. Working at the News-Star
reminded me of why I studied journalism in
the first place. Everyone was very welcoming, and incredibly helpful. At first I was a
bit rusty, because it’d been a while since I
worked at my school’s paper, but it’s like rid-
ing a bike, as they say, and I picked it back
up quickly.
I rekindled my love of writing, and remembered exactly how thrilling it was to see the
finished product and to know people were
really reading it. From covering city meetings
to features on retired Sunday school teachers,
and everything in-between, I had the chance
not everything is on the Internet). Hopefully
we’ll cross paths again.
In July I asked Lisa if I had kept up with
the hectic pace in her newsroom. She told
me I did. A special thanks goes to her for her
patience, guidance, coaching and getting my
$14.89 back from the City of Edmond.
Drew imparted his photography knowledge to me, laughed at a few of my jokes and
was a lot of fun to work with as well. Thanks
to him.
I want to thank my wife Nicole for her support. I had to drive an hour away for work,
but you were patient and were a great help.
I love you.
I also want to thank the Oklahoma Newspaper Foundation for this program. The experience I gained went beyond what I could
learn in a classroom.
Anyone thinking about becoming a journalist should intern in this program. And if
you want to understand the rigors of an excellent modern daily newspaper, work at The
Edmond Sun. You will be busy, but you will
also have a lot of fun.
to write a little of everything and it was great.
The variety kept me interested, and working
on the different subjects at the same time
proved an exciting challenge.
But it didn’t stop there. This internship
helped me fine-tune my writing style and
showed me that there is always more to learn.
I learned something new every day, and I
came away from my internship ready to tackle the next thing, and confident that I could.
JULIE BRAGG, University of Central Oklahoma, Interned at THE NORMAN TRANSCRIPT
A week ago, I began reflecting on my summer internship at The Norman Transcript,
and what I was going to write for my column.
Up to this point, my photography assignments had included summer activities around
town, concerts, construction projects and
various news assignments.
Last Friday, the unthinkable happened in
our county. A wildfire devastated more than
2,000 acres of land and destroyed 50 homes,
affecting hundreds of people in our community. What started as a slow news day turned
into four or five days of emotional, sometimes
heart-wrenching coverage. The day after the
fire, I was sent into the affected area to photograph families returning to their homes (or
what was left of them). Many families found
they lost everything they owned, including
their pets.
Midway through the day, I returned to
town to photograph a beautiful woman celebrating her 104th birthday, only to return
back to the fire zone to take more photographs. While it was a very emotional day,
I felt very privileged to be able to document
this tragic event that will be remembered for
a lifetime.
During my summer at The Transcript, I
gained skills that are impossible to learn in
the classroom. I gained experience in dealing
with the public, gathering news and cutline
information and an increased confidence to
do what it takes to “get the shot.” By the end
of my internship, I felt increasingly confident
to face most news situations and be able to
create good photographs, especially in spot
news situations.
Through the summer some of my favorite
shoots included Olympic athletes from Norman, the Norman Conquest bicycle ride,
Photo by Julie Bragg
9
skills through ONF internships
the Midsummer Night’s Fair, soccer
tournaments, Fourth of July activities,
a barbecue competition, drama performance rehearsals, a sailboat regatta
and various spot news events.
Because The Norman Transcript
also publishes a magazine, I was able
to gain experience in magazine pro-
duction, still photography and issue
planning. I especially enjoyed food
and corporate photography. One of my
favorite shoots was the Ghost Tours at
the University of Oklahoma.
My only regret is that the internship
wasn’t longer. I have established good
working relationships with the various
editors and writers, as well as local
police and fire officials, and now my
internship is over.
The experience I gained is priceless.
I so appreciate my fellow photographers taking me under their wings,
as well as the editors and reporters
assisting me with news gathering and
WHITT CARTER, University of Central Oklahoma, Interned at SULPHUR TIMES-DEMOCRAT
In mid-April, I received a phone call
from longtime Sulphur Times-Democrat publisher Jamey John. He asked if
I wanted to return home this summer
to take an internship at his newspaper.
A chance to write for the paper I grew
up reading every week? My response
was issued back to Jamey in less than
three seconds.
And what a great experience it was.
It was a summer that will go a long
way in my young, but prospering jour-
nalism career. From distributing the
newspaper to learning how to lay out
page after page, I was fortunate enough
to learn many tricks of the trade, something I will carry with me as I go.
Not only was I able to learn different
ins and outs about the newspaper business, but also I was given the opportunity to write.
I wrote about as many different
types of things as I could get my hands
on. From sport event recaps, to police
CARMEN FORMAN, University of Central Oklahoma, Interned at THE OKLAHOMAN
I was in high spirits Tuesday morning the last week of my internship as
I walked through The Oklahoman’s
newsroom to my desk. Those spirits
vanished quickly as I scrolled through
my email.
The editor of a local blog had emailed
me about a story I had done on the
effectiveness of sobriety checkpoints
in Oklahoma City. He asserted that
something in my story was inaccurate
and “borderline slanderous”. My mind
raced, I kept thinking I knew this was
going to happen.
Before I started my internship, I
realized I was one of the youngest
interns out of a class of 22 that summer at The Oklahoman. I was terrified
I was going to make some sort of huge
mistake and people in the newsroom
would wonder how this youngster ever
got hired.
But that never happened. I talked to
my editor who said the story was fine
and nothing was going to get changed
just because somebody was unhappy
about it.
I pushed the email out of my mind
and spent the afternoon covering a
roaring chemical fire. When I got back
from the fire looking like a hot mess
I was told by a fellow intern that the
HOPE FORSYTH, University of Tulsa, Interned at CUSHING CITIZEN
I had little experience with the newspaper and publishing world before my
internship. A liberal arts media studies major, I had studied journalism a
bit, but nothing takes the place of the
hands-on experience I acquired during
my internship.
I learned quite a few new vocabulary
words – rails, flags, refers and the like –
and studied the AP Stylebook. Yet, the
people I interacted with were the most
interesting part of my job.
My internship provided opportu-
nities for me to learn about a variety of people I might not have otherwise encountered – like the man who
received the Red Cross’ highest award
for saving a young boy from drowning
at the city pool or the woman who overcame partial blindness caused by brain
surgery in order to write a book. It was
intimidating to scale their stories into
readable news articles, and I hope I did
them justice.
Before my internship and the elementary school talent show I covered,
chases through a nearby town, to even
a feature on a former 4th grade teacher
of mine who was honored as “Teacher
of the Year.”
The Sulphur Times-Democrat staff
and I were able to issue a new feature
in the newspaper titled “Where are you
now?” This special was a Q&A with
former Sulphur athletes about their
playing days and the lives they live now.
Without a doubt, it was a lucky experience. Not very often are you given an
expressing their confidence in me. It
has been a very exciting and beneficial
summer.
I look forward to returning to the
classroom for my final year of college
with a wealth of practical experiences.
opportunity to express your creativity
and ideas through writing at such a
young age. The John family gave me
that opportunity.
I’m not sure where my journalism
path will end up, at this age most aren’t,
but there’s one thing I’m sure of: my
time at the Sulphur Times-Democrat
will be time that I’m grateful for.
It’s time that I’ll probably never forget.
same angry blogger from the email
had done what bloggers do best, he
blogged.
So there I was, called out for inaccuracies on The Lost Ogle’s website,
ironically with my name spelled wrong.
The same feeling of dread from earlier
that day welled up inside me.
I learned a valuable lesson that day.
If you aren’t pissing someone off as a
journalist, you probably aren’t doing
your job correctly. Another reporter
told me about all of the times he and
other Oklahoman reporters had been
blogged about by the Ogle. He called
it a “rite of passage” and basically said
if someone isn’t getting angry then you
aren’t doing quality journalism.
Thanks to the Oklahoma Newspaper
Foundation, my summer as a breaking
news intern was a summer full of lessons. From the editor of the paper I
learned to show up mentally for work
every day. From the court reporter I
learned that sometimes you get the
story just by being there, wherever
there may be.
But the gem of summer lessons
came from my mentor who told me to
use buttocks in my ledes whenever possible. It was a summer full of breaking
news, lessons and buttocks, thanks to
wonderful people at The Oklahoman
and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
I wasn’t aware that there is an Alvin
and the Chipmunks version of Michael
Jackson’s “Beat It,” or that the local
fifth graders have some serious moonwalking skills.
I did some fun research throughout
the summer, such as when I interviewed this year’s inductee into the
local high school’s hall of fame – a zoologist and safari leader – and he said his
favorite animal was the scimitar-horned
oryx. I made an account on The Knot
website while researching an article
about planning weddings; every time
I logged in, I got a chuckle from the
prompt to link my Facebook account
to share the news of my (non-existent)
engagement.
My internship’s story would not have
been possible without other people’s
stories, including those shared generously by Art Bieri, Dale Tuttle, the Clift
family, and Majel Redick, among others, and I’m grateful to everyone who
made this internship possible, especially the Citizen’s publishers, David
and Myra Reid.
10
THE OGE
PHOTO
CONTEST
JULY 2012 DAILY WINNER:
ED BLOCHOWIAK
Ty Scott of Sanger, Texas, makes a safe escape after failing to score in the bull riding competition
at the International Finals Youth Rodeo at the Expo Center.
The Shawnee News-Star
Photo by ED BLOCHOWIAK,The Shawnee News-Star, July 11, 2012
JULY 2012 WEEKLY WINNER:
RACHEL ANNE
SEYMOUR
The Bigheart Times
Enter and Win a $100 Check from
OGE Energy Corp.
View contest rules and all winning photos at
www.OkPress.com/OGE-Photo-Contest
Justin Palmer of Mounce Arena isn’t competing in the bronc
riding event. He was bucked off by his own horse during the
senior men’s calf roping at the annual Cavalcade Rodeo in Pawhuska,
Okla.
Photo by RACHEL ANNE SEYMOUR,The Bigheart Times, July 26, 2012
It’s time … for OG&E’ss new SmartHours Price Plans.
™
1-877-898-3834 OGE.COM
MIDNIGHT
12
1
2
3
4
5
MONEY- SAVING OFF PEAK
6
7
8
9
10
11
NOON
12
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
PEAK TIME, WATCH YOUR USE
8
9
10
MIDNIGHT
11
12
PEAK OVER . START SAVING …
© 2012 OGE Energy Corp.
11
State newspapers embrace public notice ad campaign
This summer the Oklahoma Press Association launched
a public notice advertising campaign consisting of six ads.
The series of six-column by 6.5-inch ads began in July to
remind readers of the importance of public notices in the
newspaper. Each ad asked readers how they would know
about events in the community without public notices. Featured topics included transferal of water rights, zoning on
an agenda, termination of parental rights, school election,
sale of oil and gas leases, and property being sold for delinquent property tax.
Copy on all six ads was identical, as was the anchored
logo in the lower right-hand side. Large artwork drew
readers in to answer questions that ended in “how will you
know?”.
The campaign was highly effective, said OPA executive
vice president Mark Thomas.
“They got noticed around the state,” he said. “We got
feedback from several industries.”
OPA members were asked to run the ads on a space
available basis. Anywhere from 122 to 131 newspapers ran
the ads each week. Fifty-six members ran all six of the ads;
46 ran five of the ads; 24 ran four ads; 14 ran two ads, and
13 ran one ad.
A second round of public notice ads is being planned for
distribution in mid-December through January. Jeff Funk,
chairman of the OPA marketing committee and publisher of
the Enid News & Eagle, asked members to suggest topics
for the new series of public notice ads.
IF HER PARENTS’
RIGHTS ARE BEING
TERMINATED
HOW WILL YOU KNOW?
State and local laws require public notice because you need to know when actions that
affect you are about to happen. We expect accountability, transparency and warnings from
our state and local governments.
Many important notices are included as part of this newspaper. Printed newspaper notices
are permanent, affordable, archived, independent of government and well-read.
In a statewide survey, 68% of Oklahomans said government should be required to publish
notices in local newspapers. Furthermore, 70% said government should not be allowed to
put notices only on their own website. Oklahomans know internet postings don’t achieve
the same result as printed public notice put in the hands of local citizens.
Public notice is for you – when you need to know.
What topics do you want
in the next Public Notice Ads?
Email your suggestions to
[email protected]
or mail to Oklahoma Press Association
Attn: Marketing Committee
Oklahoma City, OK 73105.
IF THERE’S A SCHOOL ELECTION TODAY
HOW WILL YOU KNOW?
IF WATER RIGHTS ARE BEING TRANSFERRED
HOW WILL YOU KNOW?
IF ZONING IS ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT
HOW WILL YOU KNOW?
IF OIL & GAS LEASES ARE BEING SOLD
HOW WILL YOU KNOW?
IF PROPERTY IS BEING SOLD
FOR DELINQUENT TAXES
HOW WILL YOU KNOW?
12
Students invited to
enter essay contest
The 14th annual First Amendment
Congress for high school students will
be held Wednesday, Oct. 31, on the University of Central Oklahoma campus in
Edmond, Okla.
The theme of this year’s event is
Truth, Lies and the First Amendment.
The First Amendment Congress, sponsored by FOI Oklahoma, Inc., features
special sessions for high school and the
cost is $5 per student.
Oklahoma high school students are
invited to enter the annual First Amendment Congress Essay Contest. The
first-place winner of the 2012 Zach Taylor Essay Contest will receive a $300
cash prize, second place will win $200
and third place will get $100.
Students are asked to write about
500 words on this year’s question:
“What, in your opinion, is the greatest
threat to First Amendment Freedoms
in this day and age?’’
Students are encouraged to do factual research on the topic and to write
creatively and personally rather than
write a report.
Entries should be typed doublespace. Grammar and spelling will be
considered. Deadline for entries is 5
p.m. Oct. 11.
Entries must include the student’s
name, name of school, name of teacher,
mailing address and phone number and
an email address if available.
Entries should be emailed to Dr.
Vickie Williams, Associate Director,
Cooperative Council of Oklahoma
School Administration: ccosabulk@
gmail.com.
Winners will be recognized and prizes awarded during the First Amendment Congress.
For more information about the
event contact Dr. Vickie Williams, (405)
524-1191, or Kay Boies, (405) 525-5100.
FOI Oklahoma is a statewide organization that for 23 years has promoted
education of the public on the First
Amendment and openness in government.
The organization counts among its
members journalists, librarians and
educators. FOI Oklahoma is a national
leader in training educators to teach
the First Amendment in Oklahoma
classrooms. For more info, visit their
website at www.foioklahoma.org.
The Elk City Daily News car won second place in the commercial division of the Elk City Rodeo of Champions Parade. Kids
affectionately called the vehicle covered in newspapers “The Paper Car.” Daily News publisher Elizabeth Perkinson and circulation
director Brady Russell toss candy to the kids along the parade route while Jerry Perkinson drives.
Closing case files may violate First Amendment rights
Legal Notes
by Michael Minnis
OPA Attorney
A judge in Grady County has found
that the closing of entire case files within hours of the filing of a felony perjury
charge violated the First Amendment
to the Constitution.
After learning that the court had
sealed the case file, the Enid News &
Eagle obtained a copy of the docket
sheet from the online On Demand website before the sealing order became
effective.
This docket sheet merely showed
that a felony perjury charge had been
filed by the district attorney’s office
against a lawyer. However, by that eve-
ning, even the docket sheet was no
longer available.
The closing of entire case files
appears to be somewhat epidemic even
though no specific law authorizes judges to summarily close a case file. It is
as if the entire case never existed.
Newspapers in several counties have
checked the docket sheets and noticed
gaps in the numbering of the docket
sheets that are available.
The missing numbers for several
counties are significant. These closings
could have been consistent with an
expungement order, which would have
been entered after the case file had
been opened for a considerable period
of time.
However, the possibility also is that
these closings had nothing to do with
expungement laws, but were merely
closures based on requests by the parties for reasons unknown that may have
violated the First Amendment and the
Open Records Act.
Fortunately, a district judge has now
clearly placed on the record that the
closing of a case file other than by
expungement violates First Amendment rights.
Although the court did not specifically so find, such an order would also
probably violate the Oklahoma Open
Records Act, which applies to court
records.
This decision is not part of a reported appellate case and hence not controlling on other judges, but one would
hope that other judges would take
notice and act consistent therewith.
13
NAA files appeal to stay Valassis decision
The Postal Regulatory Commission’s decision to approve a contract
between the U.S. Postal Service and
Valassis Direct Mail shocked the newspaper industry.
On Aug. 23, the PRC voted 4-1
against the newspaper industry’s united opposition to the contract, which the
National Newspaper Association and
the Newspaper Association of America
labeled harmful to the marketplace.
Within 24 hours, NAA filed an appeal
with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the
District of Columbia Circuit and filed
an emergency motion for a stay of the
decision.
“NAA believes this decision is contrary to law, and will challenge it immediately and vigorously in the U.S. Court
of Appeals for the District of Columbia
Circuit,” said NAA Chairman James M.
Moroney III, CEO and publisher of The
Dallas Morning News.
Prior to the decision, NAA and its
members called on Postmaster General
Patrick R. Donahoe to acknowledge the
overwhelming opposition expressed by
the newspaper industry and others in
the mailing community during this proceeding, and urged him to withdraw
this special deal that benefits only one
mailer.
As NAA’s comments filed with the
PRC noted, granting this special rate
to one major competitor in the mailing
business will cause significant financial harm to newspapers throughout
the country, and will not improve the
financial condition of the nation’s postal
system.
NNA President Reed Anfinson,
publisher of the Swift County Moni-
tor-News in Benson, Minn., said the
National Newspaper Association was
deeply disappointed in the PRC’s analysis.
“The mailing contract with Valassis
is an unfair deal in which the principal
result is to drive down the advertiser’s
prices and not necessarily to bring any
new mail volume to the Postal Service,”
said Anfinson.
“What the commission does not
explain is why this goal is in the best
interest of either newspapers or the
Postal Service. Nor does it take seriously the arguments raised by many
that this deal will force more newspapers out of the mail and create a net
loss for the Postal Service after the deal
kicks in.”
Anfinson said the NNA board of
directors will explore all avenues for
reversing the decision.
“We know that in thousands of
communities around this nation that
newspapers remain the most vigorous
watchdog of government as well as the
primary source of community news,”
said Anfinson.
“The Founding Fathers recognized
that the post office needed to work in a
partnership with newspapers to provide
citizens with the news fundamental to
their ability to make informed decisions. Despite the Internet, TV and
radio, newspapers still play this essential role.
“However, it appears the Postal Service is abandoning this founding principle to compete with rather than support
newspapers.”
Avoid postal delays; how to count electronic subscriptions
Postal Notes
by Bill Newell
OPA Postal consultant
[email protected]
It wasn’t very long ago that a threedigit container of newspapers labeled
“Clinton, OK 736” would go to the
Clinton, Okla., Post Office for processing and distribution even though the
container might have had single pieces
and five-digit bundles.
Under new guidelines, this container
is being directed to the Oklahoma City
Processing Center where the processing and distribution will be performed
and is labeled “Oklahoma City, OK
736”. This process could result in
newspapers being delivered two days
later instead of the next day.
Publishers may avoid this possible
delay of delivery on the five-digit bundles by placing all bundles for the
same five-digit ZIP code in their own
container and labeling it to the five-digit
destination.
However, the mailer must still pay
the rate they would have paid if the
bundle had remained in the three-digit
containers. This option should only
be used for those five-digit bundles
remaining in your own three-digit ZIP
code area.
POSTAL SERVICE’S POSTPLAN
“Save the Post Office” recently
reported that USPS is beginning the
process of notifying people of possible
changes in either the hours or discontinuance of their Post Office. Offices
that come up for review seem to be
especially those that currently do not
have a postmaster – currently around
4,000.
Many patrons have received or
will be receiving a letter describing
plans and options that are being considered. The implementation of the
plan involves scheduling a community
meeting, sending out surveys about six
weeks prior to the meeting and asking
customers to return the surveys within
two weeks. After the postal service
tabulates the results, a meeting will
be scheduled to discuss the survey
results. Approximately a week later,
the Post Office will announce its decision regarding that particular office.
More to come on this as the Post Office
tries to re-invent itself.
HOW TO CLAIM
ELECTRONIC SUBSCRIPTIONS
Do you plan to claim electronic subscribers on your Statement of Ownership? These subscribers may be reported on the Oct. 1, 2012, Statement of
Ownership. You will be required to
complete the Statement of Ownership
PS Form 3526 in hard copy and also
attach a Statement of Ownership PS
Form 3526X where you record your
paid electronic copies.
To obtain this worksheet go to
pe.usps.gov. Now select Postage Statements (found in the left column). Then
select Periodicals Forms, look for
PS Form 3526-X (pdf), print it, complete
it and attach it to PS Form 3526.
POSTAL RATES TO INCREASE
Mailers can begin projecting a possible rate increase to be implemented on
Jan. 27, 2013. The exact amount of the
increase will probably be announced in
October. The Consumer Price Index
(CPI) is currently 2.5 to 3.0 percent.
Hopefully the legislation being considered in Congress will delay any rate
increases for periodicals for at least two
years.
POST OFFICE FACTS
LARGEST POST OFFICE: James
A. Farley Post Office, New York, NY –
393,000 square feet.
SMALLEST POST OFFICE:
Ochopee, FL – 61.3 square feet.
THE PEACH SPRINGS, ARIZ.,
POST OFFICE has walk-in freezers
for food destined for delivery for the
Havasupai Indians at the bottom of the
Grand Canyon. Mail – along with food,
supplies and furniture – is delivered by
mule train via an eight-mile trail. Each
mule carries about 130 pounds and
the total delivered in a week averages
41,000 pounds of goods.
LEGAL ADVICE
is just one of the benefits of being a member of the Oklahoma Press
Association’s Legal Services Plan. Remove the worry of needing
professional advice by enrolling today. For more information contact:
OKLAHOMA PRESS ASSOCIATION’S
LEGAL SERVICES PLAN
1-888-815-2672 or 405-499-0020
14
Two Oklahoma
journalists to be
honored by OCU
Oklahoma
City
University’s
Meinders School of Business will honor
five local business leaders including
Mary Mélon and Russell Perry at the
annual Oklahoma Commerce & Industry Hall of Honor luncheon Oct. 24 at
the Cox Center.
Mélon will receive the President’s
Award and Perry the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Other 2012 inductees are Bill Cameron, recipient of the Chairman’s Award;
Jane Jayroe Gamble, Outstanding
Achievement Award; and G. Stephen
Mason, Entrepreneurial Spirit Award.
Mélon was named publisher of The
Journal Record Publishing Co. in September 2001, and president and publisher in 2006. She previously served
as associate publisher and advertising
director.
She was appointed by Oklahoma
City Mayor Mick Cornett and currently
serves as the first woman on the Oklahoma City Urban Renewal Authority
and Oklahoma City Urban Redevelopment Authority. She was appointed
by State Health Commissioner Terry
Cline to serve on the advisory committee for Healthy Communities and
Healthy Schools.
Perry is a businessman, banker,
community leader, former state official,
publisher and broadcaster. Perry started the Black Chronicle, a weekly paid
newspaper in Oklahoma City, in 1979.
Perry Publishing & Broadcasting is
one of the largest independently-owned
radio groups in Oklahoma. Its network of eleven stations reaches African
American communities in Oklahoma
with Urban radio.
Perry also owns the controlling
interest in a small Oklahoma City bank.
Gov. Frank Keating appointed Perry
his Secretary of Commerce, and he was
the first African American to ever serve
in that position.
In addition to recognizing members
of the business community, the Oklahoma Commerce & Industry Hall of
Honor luncheon benefits the Meinders
School of Business scholarship program.
When you need legal advice…
THINK LSP
When you have legal questions, you need answers.
LSP (Legal Services Plan) provides legal assistance, advice and
some defense services at a reasonable cost. Between April 1 and
June 30, 2012, LSP processed 20 inquiries: 9 were answered
immediately, none were answered by letter, and 11 were
answered by letter after research.
Following are some of the questions the Plan received for the
quarter ending June 30, 2012:
ACCESS MUG SHOTS
In an apparent effort to mimic what Federal judges are doing, the
Cleveland County District Attorney’s Office sought to deny access
to mug shots. Such a denial appears to violate the Open Records
Act Section 24A.8A(1), which states that the public has a right to “an
arrestee description, including the name, date-of-birth, address, race,
sex, physical description, and occupation of the arrestee.” A photograph
is a record of an arrestee description and a physical description that is
arguably more accurate than any articulated description.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
When receiving letters to the editor, particularly those containing
controversial statements, a newspaper would be prudent to call the
person who allegedly sent the letter to confirm that the name on the letter
is accurate. This policy would be facilitated by having those who submit
letters to include their phone numbers.
EMPLOYEE RESIGNATIONS
If an employee resigns, the employer accepts that resignation, and
thereafter the employee asks to withdraw his resignation, whether to
accept the withdrawal is up to the employer who should be certain that the
resignation or the refusal to accept the withdrawal were not prompted by
an alleged violation of Federal or State Anti-Discrimination laws.
PLAN A BENEFIT INCLUDES:
•
•
•
•
•
Legal Newspapers (25 O.S. 106)
Sales & Use Tax Exemption
Excise Tax
Advertising
Management
• Circulation
• Production
• Anti-Trust
• News
• Open Meeting Law
• Open Records Law
• Libel, defamation, slander
• Honest Mistake Act
• Minutes Request Law
• News Reporter, Shield Law
• Juvenile Names
• Cameras in Courtroom
• Copyright
• First Amendment
• Subpoenas
• Invasion of Privacy
• Internet Law
PLAN B BENEFIT INCLUDES:
Provides defense of
suits and subpoenas.
For complete benefits under both
Plan A and B, visit the OPA website at
www.OkPress.com/LSP
For dues and other information about the
Legal Services Plan, or to become an
LSP member, contact Mark Thomas at the
Oklahoma Press Association.
OKLAHOMA PRESS
ASSOCIATION
Don’t be left with your questions unanswered.
Join the OPA Legal Services Plan today.
Call (405) 499-0020 for more information.
Phone: (405) 499-0020
Information in this advertisement is not a substitute for legal advice provided by a licensed attorney.
Toll-free in Oklahoma: 1-888-815-2672
Fax: (405) 499-0048
3601 N. Lincoln Blvd.,
Oklahoma City, OK 73105-5499
15
Replacing older servers – Windows 8 Preview
Computer Notes
from the road
by Wilma Melot
[email protected]
Several years ago Apple dropped its
line of business servers and decided to
focus on server software for home use.
I have been looking for a good solution
to this problem since then.
Many Windows home servers aren’t
full featured enough for what a newspaper needs and full business servers
are often too expensive for most small
businesses.
Many papers have adopted a USB
external drive hooked to a stand-alone
computer as a server but it’s slow and
can’t handle the network traffic like a
real server software.
Likewise, the networked external
drives some papers use have been too
slow for larger groups.
The NAS (network-attached storage) servers have greatly improved
in the last couple of years and I think
these will handle the traffic and do the
tasks mid-sized papers need.
The fastest in data transfer for the
money is the Synology DS712+.
It’s pricier than others in its class but
it is fast, flexible and-top rated in many
reviews for 2012.
It works well with Mac’s file format
and with Windows computers. It does
not come with the hard drives so you
must buy them separately.
The good news is that the price is
still under $800 – less than the price
of many new computers. For those of
you who have been using stand-alone
external USB drives, it provides a much
more reliable setup.
The interface is
easy to use and
your files can be
retrieved
from
home via FTP.
This type of
setup has fewer
virus
problems
than big servers
but it can still serve
email and up to 30
websites.
If the DS712+
doesn’t
have
enough storage for you, there are
expansion options.
The Synology DX510 expansion
unit is a good choice and allows you
to increase storage by adding five
hard drive bays. The Synology DX510
securely connects to the DS712+ via an
eSATA cable with specially-designed
locking connectors. The Synology
DX510 expands the existing storage on
the Synology DS712+ up to a maximum
28TB capacity.
This serve also offers USB printer
sharing capability, which can cut cost
by sharing printing resources throughout the office.
Comprehensive network protocol
support assures seamless file sharing
across Windows, Mac and Linux platforms. The software only works with
OSX 10.5 and above but the file sharing works with older Mac operating
systems.
This system offers locks on both
drives and comes with keys to prevent
theft as well.
If you want to speed up your operation for a minimum outlay of money,
give this system – or one similar to
it – a look.
Western Digital also makes a special class of hard drives for NAS. Red
WD10EFRX is a good choice. It comes
in 1TB, 2TB and 3TB sizes. Remember
that you will need two drives to create
a RAID for live file backup.
WINDOWS 8 RELEASE DATE
The Windows 8 release date for
desktops, notebooks and tablets is Oct.
26. The preview download is available
now. Hang on to your hats because the
world is about to shift again.
Don’t worry, though. It’s not that
drastic of a change. It’s just an attempt
by Microsoft to keep up with the Apple/
Google crowd.
Microsoft will release Windows 8
for its phones on Oct. 29 in a massive
rollout.
The tablet/phone market is really
a small computer market these days.
With quad core co-processors and 1 to
2 GB of RAM, some phones and tablets
are better computers than many newspaper employees sit in front of every
day. Many even run the Internet better
than our older computers.
You might want to heed this warning: the early adopters of new technology often have many troubles so give
it a month or two before you take the
plunge.
It seems that with Windows 8 Microsoft wants to turn your computer into a
tablet.
It’s all set up as if your computer
has a touch screen. It works well with
a mouse but sure seems like you’re
taking extra steps during the very long
learning process.
Windows 8 has two operating systems in one. The new “Metro” OS runs
over the Windows 7 interface – much
like we used to run Mac OS9 under
OSX in classic mode. Metro appears to
be more tailored for tablets.
But what this all means is that some
programs will open in the Metro system and other programs will open in
the Windows 7 environment that we’re
used to.
It’s confusing but it enables Microsoft to sell you apps on your computer
like they do on a tablet or phone.
Microsoft also created a barrier
where all new applications must be
authorized before they are available to
buy.
This will help with virus problems
but it makes it harder for the end user
to put a third party program on their
own computer. I can’t say whether this
is a good idea or a bad one, but it’s
coming and we’re going to have to deal
with it.
As with all computer changes, it
takes time learn your way around the
new Windows OS. Just expect a steep
learning curve and be ready to do a lot
of extra clicking to go between the two
interfaces until Microsoft moves programs to the “Metro” style. I personally think that will take several years
since so many Microsoft users are still
on Windows XP.
Note: As a word of caution, I should
mention this. If you create installation
media by first starting your PC from
the media and then installing Windows
8 Release Preview you won’t be able to
keep your files, programs or settings
this way. If you want to keep files, programs and settings, you need to install
Windows 8 Release Preview by starting
your installation from within Windows.
Windows 8 will keep all your settings and programs from Windows 7
but older operating systems will lose
some system settings.
The user accounts and files should
be the same but some programs may
not work. Check to see if your programs will run on Windows 8 before
upgrading.
The Start screen replaces the start
menu in Windows 8. You can pin apps,
contacts and websites to Start to easily
access what you use most.
All applications – those installed
from the Windows store and desktop
applications – are available from the
Start screen.
You can also use the Windows key
on your keyboard to go to Start.
OPA Computer Consultant Wilma Melot’s column is brought to you by the Oklahoma Advertising Network (OAN). For more information on
the OAN program, contact Oklahoma Press
Service at (405) 499-0020.
16
CLARK’S GUIDE TO PUNCTUATION
Clark’s Critique
by Terry Clark
Journalism Professor,
University of Central Oklahoma,
[email protected]
“Broadcasters pronounce better, but
newspaper people punctuate correctly,”
joked Mark Thomas at one of the Journalism Hall of Fame ceremonies.
After looking at some of our stories,
I’d have to add, “Sometimes.” I also
know that many of my students have
not had grammar since they were in
eighth grade.
As an old English major who repented and turned to journalism, I know
the Gospel of Correct Punctuation may
have been amended some for us heretics, but the basics are the same.
Correct punctuation is essential for
accurate writing.
So here is the Revised Version of
the Gospel of Punctuation, also known
as Clark’s Easy Reference Punctuation
Guide for Journalists.
Let’s start with our “problem children,” the ones we have the most
trouble with. Next month I’ll cover periods, question marks, virgules, dashes,
ellipses and parentheses.
Clip the guide below and put it near
your computer.
Revised Version of the Gospel of Punctuation, also known as
CLARK’S EASY REFERENCE PUNCTUATION GUIDE FOR JOURNALISTS
THE APOSTROPHE – We have an apostrophe catastrophe in this country.
A. Contractions, possessives. It’s and its are the most misused in the country. Its is comparable to his and hers (a
pronoun). It’s is a contraction for it is. There is no its’. I saw a sign once that read “Deliciou’s Apple’s.”
B. With plurals:
• With singular common nouns ending in s, add ’s unless the next word begins with s. For singular proper names
ending in s use only an apostrophe: “Mark Thomas’ job is to lead the OPA.”
• With regular plural nouns, add only an apostrophe, “The Thomases’ children….”
• With irregular plural nouns, add an apostrophe ‘s’, “The children’s”
• Never add an apostrophe to a noun that ends in ‘s’ if there is no possessive. Wrong: “These word’s…”
• If it’s a compound noun, only the last word gets an apostrophe: “The editor-in-chief’s job….”
• Compound possessives, only on the second noun, Lewis and Clark’s journey…
COLONS – AVOID. They stop the reader’s flow in the sentence. They always come at the end of a complete sentence: He
bought five vegetables: cukes, tomatoes, corn, okra and radishes. Do not use it in the following manner (as in this sentence):
He bought the following: cukes, tomatoes, corn. Rewrite both. He bought cukes, corn and radishes.
EXCLAMATION MARKS – AVOID! Especially more than one at a time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They show you don’t know how to write
for emphasis and cheapen your writing like all those ads in the inserts that put exclamation marks after every item: “Hair
Dryer”! Two speeds! Black or brown! Wall mount!” Etc. You should use it in a quote only when clearly called for. “Don’t
use exclamation marks!” Clark yelled.
QUOTATION MARKS. In America, quote marks always, always, always go outside the period and comma. Question
marks and exclamation marks depend on context. This includes single quotes: “I told you he said ‘I quit,’” Clark yelled. With
question marks, quotes go inside if the quote is a question as in “Are you cold?” he asked. But outside like this, Did Clark
say, “Question marks go inside quotes”?
COMMAS – THE MOST DEBATABLE. Best rule – always use for clarity and according to AP style on addresses, etc.
Other than that, try omitting or rewriting to avoid as many as possible.
• Use with a non-restrictive clause or appositive (one that’s not essential). Clark, who grew up in New Mexico, lives
in Oklahoma. vs. The man who was bleeding from the wound died in 20 minutes. Try to write around it and cut the
words. Clark grew up in New Mexico and lives in Oklahoma.
• In a series, omit the comma before the last item: He loves tomatoes, iced tea and jalapenos. Your English teacher
and others would insert a comma after iced tea. That’s called the “Oxford comma.” Oxford is in England. This is
America. Journalists don’t use it except in rare cases where needed for clarity.
• Setting off introductory clauses and phrases, In the beginning, God created…. Or Although the city council met for
five hours, it took no action. It’s usually better for us to rewrite it and get to the point first. After five hours the council
accomplished nothing. No comma because it’s essential to the meaning, it’s shorter and easier to read. Get to the
point.
Always ask yourself if you have a question about punctuation, “Why do I need this?” or “Why am I using this?”. Most
grammatical problems can be cured with short sentences. (Lots of periods.)
LOOKIN’EM OVER.
How old is the
courthouse in your county? In Ellis
County, folks are planning the 100th
birthday party for theirs later this
month.
Here’s how Jerry and Anita Denson
of The Gage Record start the story out:
“The year was 1912 and William Taft
was President of the United States;
3,000 cherry trees were planted in
Washington D.C. to symbolize friendship between Japan and the U.S. The
Titanic sinks in the Atlantic Ocean,
Jim Thorpe won two gold medals in
the Olympics and the Boston Red Sox
won the World Series. / Ellis County
residents voted in 1908 and selected
the township of Arnett, formerly in
Day County, to be the site of the Courthouse. The brick building was built on
the town square and completed in 1912.
… There were seven towns within Ellis
County and a total of 107 school districts.”
I know the courthouse in Hobart
was built in 1902, predating statehood. I
think there are others. Stories are begging to be told here that will interest all
your readers.
Need ideas? The Edmond Sun carried a disturbing story that could be
localized all over the state. Did you now
the number of suicides in Oklahoma is
double the number of homicides? Mark
Schlachtenhaufen writes about a local
training program for counselors to help
prevent it. Edmond has had 13 suicides
this year.
Sister newspapers The Shawnee
News-Star and The Ardmoreite teamed
to carry stories about meth and its
effects. Carmen Bourlon of Shawnee
interviewed a meth addict and Marsha
Miller and Michael Pineda of Ardmore
wrote about the effects of the drug.
Karen Atkinson of the The Madill
Record wrote a story you can localize
with the help of a game ranger. Cougar
population is up in the state, and one
attacked and injured some local horses.
Karen West Sanchez of the Stigler
News Sentinel wrote a strong feature
story on a 13-year-old girl who will be
the poster child for a fund raising rodeo
in the fight against diabetes. The Chelsea Reporter salutes, with lots of photos,
local firemen working on Labor Day
Continued on Page 17
17
Clark’s Critique Continued from Page 16
CLARK’S FEATURED PAGES: From local
stories to great headlines, Oklahoma
newspapers keep citizens informed.
Featured this month are the Enid News &
Eagle, The Gage Record, Okmulgee Times
and Durant Daily Democrat.
with the fill-the-boot campaign against
muscular dystrophy.
At The Miami News-Record, Melinda
Stotts wrote about a new chaplain corps
organized by the police department.
Does such a thing exist elsewhere in
this state? Jeff Harrison of The Tuttle
Times reported on the increasing number of people driving off without paying
for gasoline.
How’s your municipal water supply? James Neal of the Enid News &
Eagle writes that the city has outgrown
its aquifer. And Phyllis Zorn reported
about how the drought has affected the
canned food exhibits at the Garfield
county fair.
How many children are homeschooled in your area? Bill Johnston
of the Collinsville News reported on a
group project of home schooled students.
“What, When & Where” is the title
of the front page feature in The Lindsay
News, carrying short items on scheduled events – a good way to handle all
that short stuff and guarantee high
readership.
Also, kudos to the Enid News &
Eagle for winning its fight with a
county judge to open the records
on a lawsuit.
Congratulations to Bill and
Dayna Robinson, the new owners of the
Hughes County Times, buying it from
Julie Morgan.
HEAD’EM UP AWARDS: First place,
The Okarche Chieftain, on Matt Montgomery’s story about West Nile virus:
Fight the Bite.
Second place, Marietta Monitor, on
Willis Choate’s photograph of casino
hotel construction (accompanying a
story on county property valuation
growing rapidly)
Rooms to grow.
Third place, tie, Muskogee Phoenix
and Yukon Review.
Muskogee, on D.E. Smoot’s report
about the city taking back an employee
raise:
Sweet raise sours for city workers
Yukon, on Conrad Dudderer’s story
about an antique tool show in town:
Just tooling around.
Honorable mentions: Okmulgee
Times, “Up in Smoke,” on the state-
Muscogee (Creek) tobacco settlement;
The Norman Transcript, “Classical gas,”
on Hanna Cruz’s story about a local car
show; The Bigheart Times, on Louise
RedCorn’s story about a Ben Affleck
movie in the state, “Affleck movie
afflicted with boos, mixed reviews”;
Sequoyah County Times, on a Mark
Evens story about a 7-0 football game,
“Defensive Dandy”; The Okarche Chieftain, “Pain at the pump,” about rising
gas prices.
FEATURED FLAGS
NEWSPAPER BROKERS, APPRAISERS, CONSULTANTS
Serving the Newspaper Industry Since 1966
When the time comes to explore the
sale of your community newspaper,
you can count on us. We offer
decades of experience and a record
of success in community newspaper
sales.
Community newspapers still have
good value. If you’re ready to sell, call
us for a confidential discussion.
THOMAS C. BOLITHO
P.O. Box 849, Ada, OK 74821
(580) 421-9600 • [email protected]
EDWARD M. ANDERSON
P.O. Box 2001, Branson, MO 65616
(417) 336-3457 • [email protected]
NATIONAL EDIA
A SSOC IATES
www.nationalmediasales.com
18
ADVENTURES IN
PART 2
… it’s a bird …it’s a plane …
it’s OPA President Jeff Shultz visiting superheroes at Oklahoma newspapers.
We began the second day of our road
trip last month in Idabel with our first
stop at the McCurtain Daily Gazette.
Owner and publisher Bruce Willingham says he first fell in love with the
newspaper business in 1972 when he
was editor and chief of his high school
newspaper.
After high school, he studied at
the University of North Carolina and
worked at the Chapel Hill newspaper
while in college.
After college he came home and
dabbled in some other business interests.
“I got into chicken farming for a
while,” Willingham said, with a chuckle.
However, it didn’t take long for him
to get back into newspapers as he soon
became part owner of a weekly newspaper – The Tribune – that was a competitor to the Gazette.
Shortly after starting at the Tribune
the owner of the Gazette convinced
Willingham to come to work for him.
“It was good timing,” Willingham
recalled. “I was having some problems
with my business partner. So, I went to
work as the advertising director of the
Broken Bow News.”
Later he became executive editor of
both papers – the Gazette and the Broken Bow News – and when the owner,
Jim Monroe, decided to retire in 1988,
Bruce and his wife Gwen bought both
papers from him.
Bruce said his biggest challenge is
finding quality reporters for his newsroom.
“We have very low turnover in our
editorial department, but when we do
we have difficulty getting good reporters to relocate in a distant part of the
state,” he said.
“It’s important to have really good
reporters,” Bruce added. “It’s difficult
to get them to come to this part of the
state. They usually have to have some
type of family tie to want to come to
this area.
“It’s kind of sad that they all want to
work at the large metro papers when
in reality there’s probably more job
stability with the smaller papers,” he
continued.
The Gazette’s number one priority,
says Willingham, is a commitment to
local news.
“We feel it is important to have a
strong focus on local news and our
front page is 100 percent local every
day,” he said.
The Gazette’s dedication to quality
reporting has given them some notable
accolades over the years.
During the dark days of the Oklahoma City bombing, it was the Gazette’s
coverage of the bombing and how it
affected McCurtain County that
received national attention from the
New Yorker magazine and NBC News.
But it’s all not serious reporting
for Willingham and his editorial staff.
Sometimes they blend the more serious crime news with a little humor.
“One year we started noticing a
trend of sorts in our police news. There
had been several reports of domestic assaults where chicken and dumplings were the weapon of choice,” he
recalled.
“It happened three times and every
time we reported it our readers loved
it.”
OUR NEXT STOP
was just across the
street from the Gazette, at the Southeast
Times co-owned and published by State
Senator Jerry Ellis.
As we walked into the Southeast
Times’ office, Ellis was busy getting his
paper ready to mail out.
Being a state senator, Ellis said the
best time to get his paper out is on
Friday since the legislature is not in
session on that day.
Ellis started the Southeast Times in
1988 and recalled the first issue.
“We went around collecting stuff off
of bulletin boards at grocery stores and
laundry mats for several weeks,” said
Ellis. “We finally got our first issue out
and we decided to throw a little party
to celebrate.
“We were sitting around, enjoying
some ice cream, and then it dawned on
us. We had told these people we were
going to put out a weekly paper.
“We had been collecting for a month
to six weeks for our first issue. What
are we going to do now?” Ellis said
laughingly.
Some in the area didn’t give the
Southeast Times much of a chance.
Some, Ellis said, thought it was only a
fly-by-night operation that wouldn’t be
around much longer than six months.
“The biggest question people were
asking me at the time was, ‘How much
longer are you going to last?’ They just
thought it was a matter of time until we
would fold up.
“So, it got to the point when someone would ask me that, my response
was, ‘Long enough to print your obituary,’” Ellis said. “That kind of stopped
the questions.”
Ellis was elected to the Oklahoma
House in 2002 and then in 2008 he was
elected to the Oklahoma Senate.
Despite the hectic schedule of a
Continued on Page 19
It’s a family effort for the Willinghams to put out the McCurtain Daily Gazette in Idabel. Starting his training early is 18-month-old
Parker, son of Angie and Christopher and grandson of Bruce and Gwen.
Sen. Jerry Ellis at the Southeast Times newspaper office in Idabel. Ellis launched the
weekly newspaper in 1988 and today remains as its owner and publisher in addition
to serving as a state senator.
ADVENTURES
Continued from page 18
state lawmaker, Ellis finds a way to
publish his paper each week.
“I’d like to dedicate more time to
it,” he said. “Once I term limit out I’ll
be able to dedicate more time to the
paper.”
Meanwhile, Ellis has been a strong
proponent for newspapers. Whenever a
threat to our industry is proposed, Ellis
is there, ready to fight for newspapers
on the Senate floor.
It may not be a popular stance to
take, but Ellis takes it because he
knows first hand how important newspapers are to our state.
OUR FINAL STOP on this road trip was
in Wilburton to visit Mitch Mullin.
Mullin publishes the Latimer County
News Tribune, Latimer County Today,
Clayton Today and Talhina American
under the company name of Tri-County
Publications.
Mitch admits he’s from the advertising side of the ledger and depends on
a professional editorial staff to get the
news so many of his readers desire.
“They really work at being accurate,” he said.
One of his editors, Gloria Criswell,
shared with us how she is very diligent in editing the paper, making sure
errors were corrected.
“I attended an OPA seminar where
they showed pictures of some Oklahoma newspapers and pointed out various editing mistakes made by those
newspapers,” she recalled.
One of the newspapers depicted in
that seminar was a paper she was the
editor of.
19
At Wilburton, publisher Mitch Mullin publishes four papers under the Tri-County
Publications flag, which include Latimer County News Tribune, Latimer County Today,
Clayton Today and Talihina American. Staff members at the weekly publications
include Mullin’s son Mitchel Mullin (Tri-County Publications), Brenda Showell
and Mark Showell (Latimer County News-Tribune) and Gloria Criswell (Tri-County
Publications).
“I decided then that I never wanted
to be there again, so I’ve been very diligent in finding and correcting errors
before the paper goes to press,” she
said.
Mitch understands the balance
between news and advertising and
often comes to the rescue of advertisers, helping them with their business
decisions.
He shared with us how he began
working with local grocers to keep
them from accepting offers from wholesalers to run their inserts.
Many grocers, he explained, are
forced to stock what the wholesalers
advertise in the inserts instead of stocking what they know their customers
want.
“I just told them they needed to take
control of their business and not let the
wholesalers make decisions on what
they should stock in their stores,” he
said.
His papers have a full-page grocery
ad in them each week as a result of
Mitch’s advice.
“Their stores are benefiting from the
full-page ads more than if they ran the
inserts,” he noted.
Heroes are dedicated to the truth
and making sure the truth is given to
the public whether it’s in the form of a
news story or advertising.
They care about the people they are
serving while making a stand for what
they know and believe is right.
On this second day of our road trip,
I met three heroes who are fine examples of those attributes.
OPA STAFF DIRECTORY
ADMINISTRATION
MARK THOMAS
Executive Vice President
[email protected]
(405) 499-0033
ROBERT WALLAR
Accounting Manager
[email protected]
(405) 499-0027
SCOTT WILKERSON
Front Office/Building Mgr.
[email protected]
(405) 499-0020
MEMBER
SERVICES
ADVERTISING
LISA POTTS
Media Manager
[email protected]
(405) 499-0023
Member Services
Director
[email protected]
(405) 499-0026
ELI NICHOLS
Member Services
Coordinator
[email protected]
(405) 499-0040
CINDY SHEA
LANDON COBB
Account Executive
[email protected]
(405) 499-0022
COURTNI SPOON
Advertising Assistant &
OCAN/2X2 Contact
[email protected]
(405) 499-0035
CREATIVE
SERVICES
COMPUTER
ADVICE
OPEN
OPEN (CONT’D)
NELSON SOLOMON
WILMA MELOT
(DIGITAL CLIPPING)
KEITH BURGIN
JENNIFER GILLILAND
Creative Services Director
[email protected]
(405) 499-0028
Computer Consultant
[email protected]
(405) 499-0031
OPEN Manager
[email protected]
(405) 499-0024
MORGAN BROWNE
POSTAL
ADVICE
KYLE GRANT
Creative Assistant
[email protected]
(405) 499-0029
BILL NEWELL
Postal Consultant
[email protected]
(405) 499-0020
Digital Clipping Dept.
[email protected]
(405) 499-0045
Digital Clipping Dept.
[email protected]
(405) 499-0032
GENERAL INQUIRIES
(405) 499-0020 • Fax: (405) 499-0048
Toll-free in OK: 1-888-815-2672
20
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE JULY 2012 CONTEST WINNERS
Column:
Editorial:
TED
STREULI
DAVID
BURGESS
The Journal Record
Vinita Daily Journal
JULY 2012 EDITORIAL WINNER DAVID
BURGESS, VINITA DAILY JOURNAL
It’s time to make county elections non-partisan
Imagine this scenario: You live in
rural Craig County. You arrive home
one night to find that your house has
been burglarized. You call the Craig
County Sheriff’s Department. And the
first question is, “Are you a Democrat
or a Republican?”
Of course, that question would never
be asked.
But asking it would be no more
ridiculous than the current system of
electing county officials.
Craig County voters – Republican
voters, anyway – got their latest taste of
the flawed system three weeks ago, as
did voters for county offices throughout
the state.
There are 2,200 registered
Republicans in Craig County, and none
was able to vote in the primary.
There are 682 registered
Independents in Craig County, and
none was able to vote in the primary.
That’s because all six candidates
running for office were Democrats,
even though the offices they were
running for – sheriff, county clerk and
county commissioner – administer their
services in a non-partisan way.
Craig County Dist. 2 County
Commissioner Hugh Gordon should be
commended for pointing out, as he did
in the weeks leading up to the primary,
that the system used to elect county
officers needs to be changed.
It’s been tried before.
Almost a decade ago, Rep. Larry
Ferguson (R-Cleveland) and Rep.
Dale DeWitt (R- Braman) attempted
to change the closed primary system,
pointing out that it was particularly
troublesome in county races, which
often draw candidates from only one
party.
For evidence, Ferguson cited a 2004
election in which Rep. Leonard Sullivan
was elected Oklahoma County assessor
exclusively by Republicans, since the
only two candidates for the office were
from that party. That left more than
200,000 Oklahoma County residents
excluded from voting in that race.
The trend was repeated in other
elections across the state, with the
parties taking turns.
Only Democrats elected the sheriff
and county clerk in Logan County,
while only Republicans elected the
sheriff, county clerk and court clerk in
Canadian County.
Is this any way to run county
government?
But the proposal to change the way
the system works was shot down in the
Legislature in 2004, as it had been in
1999 and 2001.
Rep. Randy Grau and Sen. Rob
Johnson attempted to change one part
of the system earlier this year, but they
came up just short.
SB 327 would have required
elections for county sheriffs in
Oklahoma to be non-partisan. It stood
a good chance of being passed, with
perhaps only the Oklahoma Sheriff’s
Association’s lack of support dooming
it.
Some sheriffs like the current
system, and the Sheriff’s Association
chose not to take an official position.
The lack of support likely doomed
the bill, which eventually failed in the
House by a single vote.
But even if SB 327 had passed, it
would have only changed a single piece
of the flawed system. The next time
county elections come up, the other
races would still have been partisan –
for no good reason – and many voters
would still likely have been unable to
vote.
In rural counties, such as Craig, the
shut-out voters are usually Republicans.
In more urban counties, the shut-out
voters are usually Democrats.
There is a better way to run
elections, and Vinita went with it more
than 20 years ago.
After years of being saddled with the
same problem that county voters are
still saddled with – partisan elections
for non-partisan positions – Vinita made
a change for the better in 1989.
Now everyone gets to vote in city
elections, not just those who happen
to be registered with a certain party.
That’s the way it should always have
been, since all city residents are
affected by the decisions of, say, the
mayor.
And that’s the way it should be
in county elections. Of course, the
difference is that, unlike Vinita, Craig
County and other Oklahoma counties
can’t make that change at the local
level. It will have to be done in the
Legislature, which means prodding
legislators.
It’s time to start prodding.
Enter and Win a
$100 Check from
ONG!
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Each month, send a tear sheet or
photocopy of your best column and/
or editorial to ONG Contest, c/o OPA,
3601 N. Lincoln Blvd., Oklahoma City,
OK 73105-5499.
Include the author’s name, name of
publication, date of publication and
category entered (column or editorial).
Only ONE editorial and/or ONE
column per writer per month will be
accepted.
All entries for the previous month must
be at the OPA office by the 15th of the
current month.
Winning entries will be reproduced
on the OPA website at www.OkPress.
com.
Entries must have been previously
published. Contest open to
all OPA member newspapers.
Although Oklahoma Natural Gas Company
selects representative contest winners’ work
for use in this monthly ad, the views expressed
in winning columns and editorials are those
of the writers and don’t necessarily reflect the
Company’s opinions.
Thank you for continued support of “Share The Warmth”
Read the Winning Columns and Editorials on the OPA website: www.OkPress.com (Under Contests)

September 2012 Oklahoma Publisher

Transcription

Similar documents

WOTOL poster

Misty May-Treanor September 26, 2014 FREE

Print`s future, June 2012 - Oklahoma Press Association

News2You online newspaper - T-Room

A golden opportunity to A golden opportunity to

Building a Culture of Wellness - Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New

click here - Oklahoma City University School of Law

News from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission

Rodgers and Hammerstein`s