READERS STILL RELY ON NEWSPAPERS

IN THIS ISSUE:
CASH FOR CONTEST WINNERS:
PG 03 | Win $100 in the OGE Monthly Photo Contest
JOURNALISM HALL OF FAME:
PG 06 | Nine Oklahoma journalists to be inducted
SPJ AWARD WINNERS:
PG 14 | State journalists receive honors from SPJ
Official Publication of the Oklahoma Press Association
Vol. 81, No. 3 • Sixteen Pages • March 2010
Download The Oklahoma Publisher in PDF format at
www.OkPress.com/the-oklahoma-publisher
19
WEEKS until the
Primary Election
Newspapers
are ready to
talk to you
about print
and web
advertising.
Call your local newspaper or
Oklahoma Press Service at
(405) 499-0020 for help
with your ad placement.
READERS STILL RELY ON NEWSPAPERS
Have you read an
Oklahoma newspaper this
week? If so, you’re in good
company.
A recent newspaper
readership survey shows
74 percent of Oklahomans
read a paper.
Given that Oklahoma
has a population of roughly 3.7 million, that means
more than 2.7 million people in the state are reading newspapers. To coin
a phrase made famous by
Martha Stewart, “That’s a
good thing.”
The Oklahoma Press
Service readership survey, conducted by Evolve
Research, shows that local
newspapers are the leaders
in delivering local news,
business and sports.
“When people want
local news, they look in
their local newspaper,”
said Mark Thomas, OPA
executive vice president.
“The local newspaper is
84%
notice print ads,
flyers and inserts in
their newspaper
9%
70%
74%
of Oklahomans
believe legal notices read newspapers
should not be posted
only on gov’t websites
read campaign
direct mail
AND THE SURVEY SAYS…
still the most trusted source
for information.”
Local newspapers also
are valued for their advertising, the survey shows.
Eighty-four percent of
newspaper readers notice
print ads – the same percent
that are looking through
flyers and inserts in their
paper.
“Readership of Internet advertising on newspaper websites is a small
but growing segment of
our business,” said Thomas. “Even so, there’s still
something special about
holding a paper in your
hands in this Internet age.
“Newspapers today
must deliver in a variety
of ways to reach all possible readers, whether it is
in print, online, by viral
marketing or other means,”
said Thomas.
When it comes to statewide political information,
newspapers fall slightly
behind television as the
source of information used
most when deciding how
to vote: 57 percent use
newspapers compared to
63 percent for TV. Take it
to the local level, however,
and the trend reverses: 54
percent for newspapers, 41
percent for television.
Both newspapers and
television far outdistance
direct mail as sources for
voting information. Only
nine percent of those
responding said they use
direct mail as the source of
information for statewide
elections, and only 12 percent for local elections.
Asked if government
should be required to pub-
lish printed legal notices
in a local newspaper, a
resounding 68 percent said
“yes.” Seventy percent said
government should not be
allowed to put legal notices only on the government
website.
“If you’re looking for a
legal notice, the newspaper
is the easiest place to find
it, and having ink on paper
ensures notices cannot be
changed or deleted as time
goes on.”
Thomas said the survey has provided valuable
information that will be
helpful in future planning.
“Although this survey
clearly shows that Oklahoma newspapers are doing
well, we live in a rapidly
changing society,” he said.
“We have to keep pace with
ever-changing technology
and the new methods of
delivering information,
including the paper, in the
future.”
Race for Space: The countdown is underway
Are you ready to race
for space?
Oklahoma Press Service (OPS) is inviting state
political candidates to participate in the first ever
Race for Space program.
Race for Space is a new
political advertising plan
for statewide elections.
Limited ad space will be
available for a limited time
to each of nine 2010 state
races: Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney
General, State Treasurer,
State Auditor & Inspector,
Superintendent of Public
Instruction, Labor Commissioner, Insurance Com-
missioner and Corporation
Commissioner.
Space will be available
in packages on a firstcome, first-served basis
and heavily discounted
in exchange for an early
commitment on the part of
the campaign.
During the primary
election, 100 inches of
ad space will be available
from participating newspapers; 50 inches in possible run-off elections; and
250 inches in the general
election.
Once a package for a
particular race is gone,
it’s gone. Subsequent ad
campaigns will be sold at
regular rates.
Race for Space packages go on sale May 3,
2010.
Candidates should be
on the lookout for information about the program
and be ready to race for
space.
2
THE OKLAHOMA PUBLISHER, March 2010
Catseye
OPA PRESIDENT’S COLUMN
BY GLORIA TRO
TROTTER,
OTTER,
Publisher of The Countywide & Sun
’Tis the season — for tulips, tornadoes and all things spring.
It’s about time! What a winter we had.
With the warmer days and new growth come the politicians. Have you noticed? It
seemed that the minute the calendar page flipped over to March, here they came. The
campaign season is underway, so get ready.
I hope you’ve all returned the form to participate in the Oklahoma Press Service’s
new political advertising plan. Yes, it’s a brand-new approach for us, but these are not
the good old days when we just sat back and waited for ads to walk in. It’s time for a
new approach.
We won’t know until we try this, although I really think Mark Thomas and the OPS
staff have come up with an exciting plan. But it won’t work like it’s supposed to unless
we all participate. So fill out that form and send it in, or you may miss out on those ad
checks!
While you’re at it, take a look at your own political advertising plan. We’ve had
good luck at our newspaper for several years with a plan that is similar to the new
OPS plan, selling blocks of inches at slightly reduced rates. We send the offer out early
while the candidates are planning their budgets, and they really appreciate it. You can
scale it up or down to fit the needs of everyone from a school board candidate to a
Congressional candidate.
The point is, be creative. The same ol’, same ol’ doesn’t adapt well to this new world
of multi-media marketing. We need to make ourselves part of the mix.
I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU, but I’m burned out on judging newspaper
contests. Seems like I’ve spent most of my weekends this winter plowing through
mountains of entries and writing comments. It sure makes me grateful for our
streamlined, easy-to-understand contest.
Of course, I’ll be right back in there volunteering to judge before long. When push
comes to shove, I remember some of the dumb comments we’ve had from contest
judges (like “too much white space in your ads”) and figure I should do my part. And of
course I always get some great ideas from those out-of-state newspapers.
The OPA awards committee is looking at tweaking our contest rules. While your
Better Newspaper Contest results are still fresh in your mind, let us know if you have
any suggestions or concerns.
The committee will hold its final meeting of the year April 15, so do it before
then. Send an e-mail to me, awards committee chairman Barb Walter or the OPA staff
(Jennifer or Lisa).
Now I’ve got to get about picking my entries for the NNA contest!
WAYNE AND I SPENT THE AFTERNOON with Lisa and Jennifer earlier this
month driving around the Shawnee-Tecumseh area making plans for the OPA board
planning retreat, which we will host the first of next month.
Your board always enjoys having the time to look at “the big picture” as we plan for
the new year, but we especially love the opportunity to visit and explore the president’s
home town.
We’ve dug for crystals in Cherokee, visited Vance Air Force base, toured a cheese
factory, played in the children’s museum in Seminole and much more. We’re really
looking forward to showing off Tecumseh and Shawnee.
AND WE’RE EXCITED ABOUT THE SUMMER CONFERENCE at Western
Hills. Wayne has volunteered to write a mini-Gridiron show, since we will be inviting
candidates.
If you enjoy performing and can carry a tune, we need you for this show. Send me
an e-mail at [email protected] if you’d like to take the stage with us. It will
be lots of fun!
Ethics and Excellence Foundation awards
$1.56 million to support journalism projects
The Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation recently announced the
distribution of $1.56 million in grants to 22
journalism organizations nationwide.
Founded by Edith Kinney Gaylord, the
foundation’s mission is to invest in the
future of journalism by building the ethics,
skills and opportunities needed to advance
principled, probing news and information.
“We are pleased to announce grants to
so many outstanding journalism organizations, many of which are pursuing entrepreneurial projects aimed at informing our
nation’s citizens,” said Bob Ross, President and CEO of Ethics and Excellence in
Journalism Foundation. “During this difficult economic time for the media industry,
these organizations are filling a void and
playing a critical role in our society.”
Organizations awarded grants from
Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation include:
• $150,000 to Center for Investigative Reporting
to build and test a replicable model for regional
news organizations to generate earned revenue.
• $125,000 to Center for Public Integrity for the
development of digital infrastructure for Investigative News Network, a consortium of nonprofit
news organizations. The design and development of a web-based hub will serve as both a
networking and story distribution platform.
• $105,000 to Radio Television Digital News Foundation for ethics resources and training for online
journalists on ethical news decision-making and
high school student media training for Oklahoma
teachers.
• $100,000 to Center for Public Integrity for Phase
I of Rocky Mountain Investigative News Networks I-News, multi-media investigative journalism with an emphasis on data analysis,
statistical analysis, data visualization and public
records research.
• $100,000 to Fund for Investigative Journalism
for the Regional Investigative Reporting Grant
Program, providing grants up to $5,000 for U.S.
journalists to investigate and report on regional
issues, often with national implications.
• $100,000 to InvestigateWest for production and
distribution of watchdog journalism on state and
regional issues through the creation of a strong,
self-sustaining Pacific Northwest Network of
media partners, ranging from established print
and online partners to hyperlocal online sites.
• $100,000 to Investigative Reporters and Editors for the 2010-2011 Watchdog program. The
workshops, covering the basics of investigative
journalism, are open to print, broadcast and
online journalists working for traditional and new
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
media or as freelancers, as well as journalism
students and professors.
$100,000 to Wisconsin Center for Investigative
Journalism for support of its local, collaborative
model for nonprofit investigative journalism.
$85,000 to Alfred Friendly Foundation for professional development opportunities for mid-career
journalists from developing countries, their fellow journalists and their mentors.
$85,000 to Oklahoma Scholastic Media/OIPA
(Oklahoma Interscholastic Press Association)
for grants to high schools starting or improving
newspapers and yearbooks.
$75,000 to American University for the Investigative Reporting Workshop to create significant
original investigative reporting on subjects of
national and international importance for publication or broadcast.
$50,000 to Associated Press Managing Editors
Association Foundation for NewsTrain, delivering training to news leaders, especially frontline
editors.
$50,000 to Eric Friedheim National Journalism
Library at the National Press Club for a one-year
series of classes for journalists on honing their
investigative reporting skills.
$50,000 to FairWarning for an online publication
focused on safety and health issues affecting
consumers and workers, and related topics of
government and business accountability.
$50,000 to Greater Washington Educational
Telecommunications Association (WETA) for
Washington Week national broadcast and interactive webcast.
$50,000 to Northeastern University to teach
investigative and watchdog reporting techniques
to community news pioneers and to reporters
and editors at smaller, traditional news outlets.
$50,000 to Voice of San Diego for research,
development, production and marketing of a
web-based resource aimed at helping communities replicate the voiceofsandiego.org model.
$38,341 to Colorado College for four courses as
part of the Journalism Thematic Minor.
$30,000 to Association for Women in Sports
Media for a member training grant program.
$25,000 to Fund for American Studies for the
Institute on Political Journalism and to underwrite one scholarship for a student from Oklahoma to attend the program.
$25,000 to Newspaper Association of America
Foundation for News Challenge, a training program for college students interested in working
in digital media.
$20,000 to Mid-America Press Institute Foundation for the College Scholar program, providing
travel, room and board and registration expenses for student participants in MPI’s 2010-2011
seminars.
3
THE OKLAHOMA PUBLISHER, March 2010
OGE to give cash award
in monthly photo contest
There are 100 more good reasons
to enter the OGE Photo Contest every
month – a $100 cash award to each of
the monthly winners.
OGE will give the winners of the
daily and weekly Photos of the Month
$100 each. The annual sweepstakes
winners, selected from the monthly
winners in each category, will each
receive $250.
“We appreciate the great work we
see in the Publisher each month and are
excited to add this additional recognition,” said Brian Alford, OGE director
of corporate communications and community relations.
“There are a number of stories out
there each day that are told through the
images captured by some very good
photojournalists. It’s our hope that by
adding this incentive, we’ll see more of
their work.”
Winners of the monthly column and
editorial contest, sponsored by ONG,
also receive a $100 cash award each
month.
Complete contest rules for both contests are available at www.okpress.com/
contests--awards.
Tulsa World gives portion of settlement
to fund educational seminars for journalists
The Tulsa World’s nearly decade-long
battle to obtain public records from the
state Department of Public Safety has concluded with the state agency agreeing to
pay a substantial portion of legal fees the
paper incurred during the dispute.
Part of the World’s $60,000 payment
from DPS will help fund programs dealing
with computer-assisted reporting and open
records/open meeting issues.
The Oklahoma Newspaper Foundation
and FOI Oklahoma each received $2,500
to provide educational seminars to professional and student journalists.
The payment from DPS was a portion
of the World’s total legal fees, which were
more than $90,000. The Open Records Act
allows recovery of attorneys’ fees if a court
finds a state agency improperly denied a
records request.
Joe Worley, executive editor of the
World, said the decision to pursue the lawsuit was worth the wait.
“I’m just glad our newspaper was willing to spend the time and money because
the public deserves to know how the Oklahoma Highway Patrol is doing its job,”
Worley said. “Government records belong
to the public.”
TIMELINE
2001: Tulsa World files lawsuit in Oklahoma
County District Court after Department
of Public Safety rejects open records
requests for computerized and paper
records on the department’s use of
force, traffic stops and searches, and
agency procedures.
2005: Oklahoma County District Judge Vicki
L. Robertson rules five types of DPS
records sought were open records; three
others were not. Agency ordered to provide the World with records concerning
use of force by troopers, database of
police dog searches, list of lawsuits and
other legal actions involving agency, and
records relating to the agency’s computerized data.
2007: Court of Civil Appeals reverses portions
of Robertson’s ruling and affirms the
judge’s rulings in the World’s favor.
2008 & 2009: World and DPS resolve all
issues. Data sought in original requests
provided. World publishes several
stories based on the data.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
March 1, 2009
Gloria Trotter, President
Oklahoma Press Association
Dear Gloria:
I was saddened to read Tim Schnoebelen’s letter to the editor in the February
issue of Oklahoma Publisher. At a time
when quality journalism needs all the help
it can get, when the OPA’s membership is
shrinking and when adverse legislation is
threatening, it’s amazing that a newspaper
publisher would have the feelings Tim
expressed in his letter.
His biggest concern seems to be the
protection of his franchise as a legal publication to continue to receive revenues
from legal notices so he won’t have to
share them with free publications. However, Tim’s bigger fears should be that the
legislature might authorize placing legal
notices online and impose sales taxes on
his advertising.
Gloria, you’re right that the entitlement
to publish legal notices is statutory and
not a benefit of OPA membership. Tim
may rest easy that I have no intention of
pursuing legal notices for my publications,
whether my publications could join OPA
or not.
Tim said a lot of ugly things in his letter about free publications. In particular,
I take issue with his characterization of
our newspapers ending up as lawnmower
mulch. I publish a weekly newspaper with
over 50,000 circulation. All but about 3%
of the copies printed each week are picked
up from racks by people who specifically want to read them. Our circulation is
audited by a national auditing firm.
My newspaper strives for excellence
in journalism and, in a field of applicants including the two state dailies, was
found to be the second best newspaper in
Oklahoma by the Society of Professional
Journalists.
I hope that history does not take Tim
and your other members who share his
views to their corporate graves, desperately grasping their paid-circulation model
in their fists. Whether Tim likes it or not,
our culture is changing, including the way
people want their news. They want it free,
as well as where and when they want it.
I think our publications and the other
quality free publications in the state could
give an incredible boost to the strength of
your association if allowed to be members.
Criteria could be developed as to whether
the applicant was a “real” newspaper.
The criteria for free newspaper admission might be based on manner of circulation and the quantity and quality of
contents. While you’re at it, let in some
good magazines too. There’s a lot of good
magazine journalism going on in this state
and they share some of the same legislation concerns.
In conclusion, I disagree with Tim,
because I believe, like you, OPA membership criteria are broken and they need to
be fixed.
Cordially,
Bill Bleakley, Publisher
Oklahoma Gazette
ISSN 1526-811X
Official Publication of the
OKLAHOMA PRESS
ASSOCIATION
3601 N. Lincoln Blvd.
Oklahoma City, OK 73105-5499
(405) 499-0020 • Fax (405) 499-0048
Toll-Free in Oklahoma: (888) 815-2672
Web: www.OkPress.com
E-mail: [email protected]
PUBLISHER
Mark Thomas
[email protected]
EDITOR
Jennifer Gilliland
[email protected]
OPA OFFICERS
Gloria Trotter, President
The Countywide & Sun
Rod Serfoss, Vice President
Clinton Daily News
Joe Worley, Treasurer
Tulsa World
Mark Thomas, Executive Vice President
Oklahoma City
OPA DIRECTORS
Steve Booher, Past President
Cherokee Messenger & Republican
Rusty Ferguson,
The Cleveland American
Jeff Shultz, The Garvin County
News Star
Jeff Mayo, Sequoyah County Times
Jeff Funk, Enid News & Eagle
Robby Trammell, The Oklahoman
Dayva Spitzer, Sayre Record &
Beckham County Democrat
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.
4
THE OKLAHOMA PUBLISHER, March 2010
OPA CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Complete Listing of Events at
www.OkPress.com
POSTONED – OOLOGAH
NIE WORKSHOP
Watch for new date of workshop to be led by
Carolyn Estes, Oologah Lake Leader.
MARCH 27-28 – OKC
IRE MULTIMEDIA WATCHDOG
WORKSHOP
A crucial duty of a journalist is to serve the
public interest by acting as a watchdog on
government and business. This duty has
become all the more important at a time
when governments are restricting the flow of
information. To be held at The Oklahoman. For
more information visit www.ire.org/training/
watchdog/Oklahoma10.php
APRIL 15 – OKC
ONF DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY
WORKSHOP
Doug Henderson will present this workshop
about digital photography basics at the Francis
Tuttle Reno campus.
APRIL 29 – OKC
ONF VIDEO EDITING WORKSHOP
Rick Lepper will present this workshop on
video editing at the Metro Tech Springlake
campus.
JUNE 4-6 – WAGONER
OPA SUMMER CONFERENCE
Mark your calendar to join your newspaper
peers at this family friendly gathering at the
Western Hills State Lodge in Wagoner.
For more information on upcoming events,
visit the website as noted in the calendar, go to 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].
OKLAHOMA
NEWSPAPER DIRECTORY
$50
+tax
names, e-mails,
phone numbers,
mailing addresses
& much more
IN SPREADSHEET FORM
INCLUDES MONTHLY UPDATES
OKLAHOMA PRESS SERVICE
order online:
okpress.com/oklahoma-newspaper-directory
(405) 499-0020
ONF trustees review internships, grants and workshops
The Oklahoma Newspaper Foundation
Board of Trustees met Feb. 4, 2010, at the
Reed Center in Midwest City, Okla.
Attendees are listed at right.
Members approved minutes of the
Nov. 12, 2009, meeting and then reviewed
financial statements, expense summaries,
the investment report and donation report
for the period ending Dec. 31, 2009.
Thomas said grant funding of $40,400
was received from the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation for the student internship program. He also said cash
award amounts for the Edwards Outdoor
Writer of the Year and Breeden scholarship may need to be reevaluated since
interest rates have been low for two years
and are not accruing enough to sustain the
current cash amounts without additional
donations.
After further review, trustees acknowledged receipt of the reports as presented.
Trustees were updated on the progress
of the Pages for Tomorrow fundraising
plan. A signup form and explanatory letter
from W. Trotter were mailed to members
in December. At the time of the meeting, 80 papers had signed up. Trustees
reviewed a list of participating newspapers
and the maximum donation amount to be
received if OPS can sell advertising for the
fundraiser at the regular advertising rates.
EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS: Trustees reviewed a calendar of completed and upcoming
workshops planned by the education
committee. Booher suggested creating a
traveling training program for advertisers
to be held at technology centers.
During a previous meeting, ONF decided to offer scholarships for free registration to college newspaper advisers and up
to four student staff members to attend the
OPA Mid-W
Mid-Winter Convention. Five colleges – Lang
Langston University, Oklahoma
City Commun
Community College, Oklahoma State
University, R
Rose State College and University of Ce
Central Oklahoma – accepted
ONF BOARD ATTENDANCE
OFFICERS: President Sean Dyer, El Reno Tribune;
Vice President David Stringer, Norman Transcript;
Treasurer Joe Worley, Tulsa World
TRUSTEES: Terry Clark, University of Central Oklahoma; Carolyn Estes, Oologah Lake Leader; Rusty
Ferguson, Cleveland American; John D. Montgomery,
Purcell Register; Jerry Pittman, Chickasha ExpressStar; Jerry Quinn, Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise;
Wayne Trotter, Countywide & Sun; Barbara Vice,
Drumright Gusher; Barb Walter, Hennessey Clipper
OPA BOARD REPRESENTATIVES: Gloria Trotter,
Countywide & Sun; Rod Serfoss, Clinton Daily News;
and Steve Booher, Cherokee Messenger & Republican
OPA STAFF: Executive Vice President Mark Thomas;
Member Services Director Lisa Potts
ABSENT: Ray Lokey, Johnston County CapitalDemocrat; Joe McBride, Anadarko Daily News; Stu
Phillips, Seminole Producer; Larry Wade, Elk City
Daily News
the offer and were expected to attend.
Students from John Schmeltzer’s community journalism class at the University of
Oklahoma attended the convention’s social
media session.
NEWSPAPERS IN EDUCATION: Trustees
reviewed a list of 61 papers that published
the Will Rogers serial story written by
Estes and provided to members in January.
Walter said she had a weekly advertising
sponsor for the quarter-page feature. Estes
said she will schedule an NIE workshop
for teachers in Oologah.
Stringer said that the Audit Bureau
of Circulation (ABC) announced it will
not count NIE papers as paid circulation
beginning in fall 2010. Worley said the
Tulsa World discontinued its NIE program
and Quinn said his paper changed to a different auditing company because of ABC’s
decision.
Trustees also approved funding registration and travel expenses for three people
to attend the Central States NIE Conference on June 16-18, 2010, in Ft. Worth,
Texas.
INTERNSHIP
PROGRAM: The ONF
internship selection committee met by
conference call on Jan. 28 to select the 17
newspapers to receive internship funding
for summer 2010. Preference was given
to newspapers that had not hosted an
intern the previous year and could provide
multimedia experience, requested by
the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism
Foundation. The 17 newspapers are The
Ardmoreite, Chickasha Express-Star,
Cushing Citizen, Elk Citian, Enid News
& Eagle, The Hennessey Clipper, The
Journal Record, McAlester News-Capital,
Muskogee Phoenix, The Newcastle Pacer,
Okeene Record, Oklahoma Gazette, The
Oklahoman, The Ringling Eagle, Sapulpa
Daily Herald, Shawnee News-Star and
Tulsa County News.
Trustees approved using $8,100 of ONF
funds to award three additional internships
at The Moore American, Inola Independent and Miami News-Record.
Potts said all papers participating in the
2009 internship program submitted payroll
verification forms to confirm all funding
awarded to the host newspapers was paid
to student interns. The board agreed to
invite all 2010 interns to ONF’s summer
workshops at no cost.
ETHICS & EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM
FOUNDATION GRANT: Trustees reviewed
an evaluation report of the 2009 internship
program to be submitted to the Ethics and
Excellence in Journalism Foundation. It
included five interns’stories and evaluations
completed by all 15 students and 11 host
newspapers about their experiences.
Due to the positive responses from students and newspapers, the board approved
requesting funding for 25 internships for
the summer of 2011 from the Ethics and
Excellence in Journalism Foundation.
Opportunity for reporters to enhance photography skills at ONF workshop
Opport
Professional photographer Douglas
Professio
Henderson will lead a hands-on photography work
workshop Thursday, April 15, at
F
i T
Francis
Tuttle Reno Campus in Oklahoma
City.
The workshop, sponsored by the Oklahoma Newspaper Foundation as part of
the Raymond and Mildred Fields Memo-
rial Fund Educational Series, is designed
for working journalists.
This fast-moving, multi-topic workshop will address not only the technical
side of digital photography but also the
aesthetic, story-telling side.
Henderson has worked all over the
USA, in South Africa, Ghana, Ivory
Coast, the Amazon jungle, the Galapagos
Archipelago and the Yucatan Peninsula.
He is the author of Photoshop Now as
well as several other textbooks used in
schools and tech centers across the USA.
Registration information will be sent
to OPA members soon. Watch your mailbox or check at www.OkPress.com.
5
THE OKLAHOMA PUBLISHER, March 2010
Because
HE’LL ALWAYS REMEMBER THE DAY YOU TAUGHT HIM HOW TO SWING.
6
THE OKLAHOMA PUBLISHER, March 2010
Nine to be inducted into Hall of Fame
OKLAHOMA JOURNALISM
HALL OF FAME
WHAT: 40th Anniversary Celebration featuring induction of nine
journalists and ribbon cutting
of the new exhibition hall in the
Nigh University Center
WHERE: University of Central
Oklahoma, Edmond
WHEN: Friday, April 9, 2010,
11:45 a.m.
GEAN B. ATKINSON
MIKE BOETTCHER
RAY DYER
TICKETS: $15 per person. To
order, contact Sherry Sump at
(405) 974-5121 before April 6.
Nine outstanding journalists will be
honored during the 40th anniversary celebration of the Oklahoma Journalism Hall
of Fame on April 9 at the University of
Central Oklahoma in Edmond.
The program will include the dedication of a new exhibition hall in the Nigh
University Center and a 40th anniversary address by war correspondent Mike
Boettcher, one of the inductees currently
teaching at the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communications at the
University of Oklahoma.
This year’s inductees are Gean B.
Atkinson, Oklahoma City journalist; Mike
Boettcher, war correspondent; Ray Dyer,
co-publisher of the El Reno Tribune; Sean
Dyer, co- publisher of the El Reno Tribune; Susan Boling Ellerbach, managing
editor of the Tulsa World; Melba Lovelace,
columnist for The Oklahoman; Andy Rieger, managing editor of The Norman Transcript; Bill Sherman, religion writer for
the Tulsa World; and Jack Stone, retired
executive editor of The Anadarko News.
The luncheon program will begin at
11:45 a.m. with a ribbon cutting of the
new exhibition hall on the third floor of
the university center, said Dr. Terry M.
Clark, director of the Journalism Hall of
Fame. Master of ceremonies will be Mark
Thomas, executive vice-president of the
Oklahoma Press Association.
More than 200 journalists, friends and
families are expected for the Hall of Fame.
UCO President W. Roger Webb, who provided resources and funding for the relocation of the Hall, will welcome the crowd.
Nomination forms are available at any
time from the sponsoring UCO Department of Mass Communication.
Framed citations are on display in a new
Hall, administered and hosted by the UCO
Department of Mass Communication. The
Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation helps underwrite expenses for the
ceremony.
The Hall of Fame was founded in 1971
by former Journalism Chairman Dr. Ray
Tassin. This year’s inductees make 361
total members. The Hall is supported with
funding from UCO, The Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation, and the
Oklahoma Newspaper Foundation.
This year’s inductees follow:
GEAN B. ATKINSON (1944- ) has held senior
SEAN DYER
SUSAN BOLING ELLERBACH
MELBA LOVELACE
level military, business and political positions
in journalism. A native of Blytheville, Ark.,
he has written three books, hosted programs
on WKY and KTOK radio, and owns his
own advertising agency. He also served in the
Oklahoma Legislature and as a governor’s
communications director. A decorated Vietnam
veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, Atkinson was
director of the Joint Information Bureau of the
United Arab Emirates during Operation Desert
Shield/Storm as a Navy captain. He has been
corporate communications director for Express
Personnel Services and a journalism instructor
at the University of Central Oklahoma where
he earned two journalism degrees.
MIKE BOETTCHER (1954- ),
JOHN A. ‘ANDY’ RIEGER
BILL SHERMAN
“The new exhibition area is impressive
and will attract a lot more attention, adding
to the stature of the Hall,” Clark said.
The new design for the Hall was created by students from the UCO department
of interior design and the department of
graphic design. Students helped create the
logo and design for the new location. Clark
said he hopes the new location will bring
more traffic and be seen by more students,
faculty and the public when they visit the
campus.
“We’re expecting a larger-than-usual
crowd and ask people to register early.
“The annual ceremony has become
an informal homecoming for honorees
and families. The Hall is a virtual Who’s
JACK STONE
Who of Oklahoma Journalism, and the
crowd will be filled with the giants of the
profession,” he said.
Invitations will soon be in the mail, and
luncheon tickets are available for $15 a
person by calling Sherry Sump, administrative assistant for the Hall of Fame, at
(405) 974-5121 before April 6. For those
who register and pay in advance, there will
be no standing in line this year. Nametags
and pens will be on the tables.
Honorees are selected by a committee
composed of members of the working
press and the Hall of Fame. The committee sifts through all nominations, both new
ones and those held over from previous
years before selecting the nine honorees.
a veteran
network foreign and war correspondent, began
his broadcasting career in his native Ponca City
for WBBZ radio. One decade later, in 1980, he
helped launch 24-hour news when he performed
the first live satellite report for fledgling
CNN. In between, he worked for Oklahoma
City stations KEBC, KTOK and KWTV as a
political and investigative reporter. He worked
for NBC, covering international news on
several fronts, before rejoining CNN where
he has been embedded as a war correspondent
in the Middle East. As chief correspondent for
CNN’s terrorism investigation unit, a team he
created, Boettcher was awarded a Peabody, his
third of four National Emmys and a National
Headliner award. He attended the University
of Oklahoma, and returned there as a visiting
professor in 2009 after a one year embed in
Iraq and Afghanistan during which he reported
for ABC, BBC and The Oklahoman.
RAY DYER (1957- ), co-publisher of the El
Reno Tribune and Mustang News, graduated
from El Reno High School and attended the
University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State
Continued on Page 7
7
THE OKLAHOMA PUBLISHER, March 2010
Hall of Fame Inductees
continued from Page 6
University before working as a reporter at
the Southwest Times Record in Fort Smith,
Ark. He also covered sports at the McAlester
Capital-Democrat before returning to El Reno
in 1980. He started throwing the Tribune
at age 11 and has worked in every area of
the paper. In 2002, Dyer was named editor
of the Sooner Catholic, the newspaper for
the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. Dyer has
served on several OPA committees, as well as
Sacred Heart Church parish council and school
advisory committee, El Reno Chamber of
Commerce board, El Reno Main Street board,
Saint Katharine Drexel Retirement Center
board, and as a reading mentor for El Reno
Public Schools.
SEAN DYER (1960- ),
co-publisher of the
El Reno Tribune and Mustang News, has
been an active member of the Oklahoma
Press Association for more than 25 years. A
third generation OPA president, he has served
on every committee at OPA. He graduated
from El Reno High School and earned a
degree in business at OSU. He’s also worked
at the Piedmont Gazette and the Okarche
Chieftain. Dyer is president of the Oklahoma
Newspaper Foundation, chairman of the OPAMEBT insurance trust, past-president of the
El Reno Rotary Club, Sacred Heart parish
council, Saint Katharine Drexel Retirement
Center board and a board member at El Reno
Blessing Baskets.
SUSAN BOLING ELLERBACH (1955- ),
managing editor of the Tulsa World since 1995,
joined the World in 1985 as a business writer
before being promoted to business editor, state
editor and Sunday editor in 1994. She was
a reporter and editor at the Tahlequah Daily
Press and managing editor of the Tahlequah
American in 1983. Born in Atlanta, she earned
a journalism degree from the William Allen
White School of Journalism at the University
of Kansas. Her career began with a group of
Kansas community newspapers in Baldwin
City, including the Wellsville Globe. She’s a
member of APME and AP/ONE, where she
has served as president. Ellerbach is active
in Leadership Oklahoma and has served
on the boards of Blue Cross/Blue Shield’s
Caring Program for Children and the Child
Abuse Network. Columbia Journalism Review
featured her in “Moms Who’ve Made It.”
MELBA LOVELACE (1930- )
was born in
Red Oak and graduated from Panola High
School. She joined the staff of the Oklahoma
Publishing Company (OPUBCO) as a secretary
and headed the typing pool before becoming a
journalistic star in 1977 when she started
writing “Melba’s Swap Shop” in The Daily
Oklahoman. After writing the column seven
days a week for 17 years – about 4,000 of
them – she retired in 1992. She did television
shows, a regular radio show and taught cooking
classes at the University of Central Oklahoma.
She also wrote 16 books of recipes, crafts,
quilts and household hints. She continues to
write her column on a weekly basis, which is
a favorite in the Life section and featured on
NewsOK.com. She also writes book reviews.
Her mailbox is consistently filled with letters
from readers and she says, “My readers are
my friends.”
JOHN A. ‘ANDY’ RIEGER (1957- ),
The
Norman Transcript’s managing editor, has
worked on Oklahoma newspapers for more than
30 years. Born in Norman, he graduated from
Norman High School and earned bachelor’s
and master’s degrees at the University of
Oklahoma. In high school, he was a Transcript
carrier, mailroom and switchboard employee;
in college, he worked for The Oklahoma Daily.
He later joined the Oklahoma City Times’ copy
desk, moving to police and city hall reporting
beats and editing a community section. He left
the Times to co-found a weekly newspaper
in Noble and attend graduate school. He was
an assistant professor and faculty adviser
to the student newspaper at OU’s School
of Journalism. Rieger is chairman of the
advisory committee of the Ethics and Ethics in
Journalism Foundation.
BILL SHERMAN (1945- ),
religion writer
for the Tulsa World since 2000, joined the
paper as a copy editor in 1983 while studying
at Rhema Bible Training Center. He quickly
moved to slot and assistant city editor and
became night editor in 1994. Born in Buffalo,
N.Y., he attended high school in Albuquerque,
N.M., and journalism school at the University
of Wisconsin before joining the Albuquerque
Journal in 1966 and the Burlington (Wis.)
Standard Press in 1968. He has won numerous
press association awards in New Mexico,
Wisconsin and Oklahoma, including a second
in the nation in the Religion Newswriters
Association. He was honored with the Russell
Bennett Faith and Courage Award from the
Tulsa Interfaith Alliance for covering all
religions equitably and fairly.
JACK STONE (1937- ) worked for The
Anadarko Daily News for 38 years until his
retirement as executive editor in 1996. Born in
Byars, Okla., he graduated from Capitol Hill
High School and earned a journalism degree
from Oklahoma Baptist University. He joined
The Daily News as an intern and worked on
the advertising staff for three years. He covered
cops for The Tulsa Tribune for seven months
before returning to Anadarko. More than 7,000
of his columns, “The Cornerstone,” appeared
in The Daily News for 30 years. He won many
awards from numerous state and community
educational and civic groups for his writing,
and was the recipient of the Oklahoma Press
Association’s Beachy Mussleman Award. He
served on a multitude of community boards
and activities, serving as chairman or president
of several of them.
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
Announcing the all
new Recas.com
Want to see these brands advertising in your paper?
Visit recas.com/new to find out how easy it is to effectively
boost your ad revenue with local ad dollars for these brands.
800.348.6485, ext. 5324 • recas.com/new
8
THE OKLAHOMA PUBLISHER, March 2010
THE OGE
PHOTO
CONTEST
JANUARY 2010 DAILY WINNER:
BEN WOLOSZYN
Stillwater NewsPress
JANUARY 2010 WEEKLY WINNER:
Laila Sulieman (left) and Mashelle Nicholson attempt to steal the ball from Ardmore’s Gaby
Agers during the opening round of the Ardmore Holiday Festival. The Millerettes toppled
class 4A No. 3 ranked McGuinness 45-35 in the finals.
Photo by CHUCK REHERMAN,Yukon Review, Published Jan. 3, 2010
CHUCK REHERMAN
The Yukon Review
WINNERS OF THE MONTHLY OGE PHOTO
CONTEST WIN $100, A CERTIFICATE AND
RECOGNITION IN THE OKLAHOMA PUBLISHER!
To review complete contest rules and see all winning photos, visit
www.OkPress.com/OGE-photo-contest
A Stillwater firefighter walks around a rolled over Chevy pickup truck on the southbound
side of Interstate 35 at the Oklahoma Highway 51 interchange on Jan. 28, 2010. Ice and
snow across most of the state caused slippery driving conditions.
Photo by BEN WOLOSZYN, Stillwater NewsPress, Published Jan. 29, 2010
9
THE OKLAHOMA PUBLISHER, March 2010
Make your website reader-friendly THANK
That InterWeb Thing
by KEITH BURGIN, OPA STAFF
In Kevin Costner’s 1989 film, Field of
Dreams, a ghostly voice tells him, “If you
build it, they will come.”
If the voice had been talking about a
website, it likely would have added, “but
if you build it badly, they probably won’t
be back.”
Truth is, in the world of website design,
functional, informative and user-friendly
trump good looks every time. Nothing is
more frustrating to a reader than to find
himself lost in a maze of “pretty” when
he’s trying to access your stories.
Here are a few tips to help you avoid
this:
SIMPLE, CONSISTENT NAVIGATION: Don’t
make readers re-learn your website every
time they go to a new page. Primary navigation (button bar, menu, etc.) should be
exactly the same on every page of your
website.
If you need to add new features or new
navigation for special sections, create a
secondary navigation but leave the main
bar consistent throughout the site.
I would also suggest that, just like the
primary, you keep the secondary navigation in the same location on the page so the
reader knows where to look.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME: It’s important that
your “Home” link always lead to the main
website page, regardless of what section
you’re on. It’s the reader’s lifeline if they
get lost.
Also, you should make sure your contact information is current and prominent.
Not only does knowing how to reach you
create a sense of trust, it invites subscribers
and advertisers alike.
AVOID ORPHANED PAGES OR SECTIONS:
When you drop a reader in what is essentially a completely different website with
new navigation, new colors, new graphics
and no identifying features, it’s maddening. The reader has no idea how they got
there or where to go from this point.
Don’t create a virtual Twilight Zone in
your website. Opening a new page or section with no way to return to where you
were other than the browser’s “back” button is very disorienting.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION: While
we’re using cheesy Twilight Zone metaphors, let’s mention “the signpost up
ahead.” Rod Serling knew if he was going
to give people the willies, he should be
courteous enough to tell them where they
were.
Clearly visible category or section
labels go a long way in making a reader
feel comfortable and safe. It also helps
them find their way back to a favorite story
or tell a friend where to look if they’re not
sending a link.
OPPOSITES ATTRACT: High contrast colors
make better bedfellows when considering text and the background on which it
lies. True, dark chocolate on mauve may
be aesthetically appealing, but it’s darned
hard to see, especially if eyes aren’t as
sharp as they used to be. Links within that
text should be clearly visible as well – the
default color is a high contrast blue.
I know it looks ugly when text links
within a story pop out at you, but if you
want readers to follow those links, you
should make sure they can see them.
OF COURSE YOU KNOW WHERE IT IS: Here’s
a two-dollar mouthful: Information Architecture. It’s a propeller-head term for figuring out how to structure your website so
that readers can find things easily.
When you’re considering this structure,
toss out the notion that because you can
find specific items easily, your reader
YOU
to the following individuals and
organizations for their recent
donations to the Oklahoma
Newspaper Foundation:
WAYNE & GLORIA TROTTER
In memory of D. Jo Ferguson
CHEROKEE MESSENGER
& REPUBLICAN
In memory of D. Jo Ferguson
TULSA WORLD
THE MADILL RECORD
Continued on Page 10
Cases point out importance of attributing sources
By MICHAEL MINNIS, OPA ATTORNEY
Two recent decisions
underline the importance
of the Fair Report Privilege.
One was by an Illinois
appellate court and the
other by the Tenth Circuit
Court of Appeals construing a case arising in Oklahoma.
The Fair Report Privilege is recognized as common law and, in Oklahoma,
by statute. The Illinois court relied on the
common law privilege as articulated in
the Restatement (Second) of Torts:
“The publication of defamatory matter
concerning another in a report of an official action or proceeding … is privileged
if the report is accurate and complete
or a fair abridgment of the occurrence
reported.”
In the Illinois case, a newspaper published a two-line report about a person
charged with theft. This report was based
on an e-mail received from the police.
The police sent a subsequent e-mail substituting a new name and address for the
alleged perpetrator.
Unfortunately, the newspaper was
closed when the second e-mail arrived
and the original information was published. The trial court granted the newspaper summary judgment concluding that
the subsequent police e-mail “was not
opened or read by anyone at the newspaper until after publication of the article
had issued.”
The Illinois Appellate court affirmed,
stating that the law “does not include a
timeliness component, or an obligation to
review updated information, in determining the fairness and accuracy of a published report.” The court also noted “that
when the defendant received the second
e-mail, it immediately removed the initial
report from its website and published a
retraction the next day.”
In the Tenth Circuit case, a panel
affirmed dismissal of a complaint by
prosecutors who sued authors of two
books about a wrongful conviction.
Among other things, the Court relied on
the Oklahoma Statutory Privilege which
provides that “[a]ny and all criticism upon
the official acts of any public officers”
are privileged and cannot be considered
libelous, unless a defendant makes a false
allegation that the official engaged in
criminal behavior.
The panel also noted that although the
statute only specifically includes libel, it
has been extended to “cover claims for
intentional infliction of emotional distress
and false light invasion of privacy.”
These cases emphasize cardinal rules
for newspapers: rely on official reports,
accurately report them and attribute the
information to public sources.
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
3601 N. Lincoln Blvd.
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
10
THE OKLAHOMA PUBLISHER, March 2010
OPA/S board of directors discuss activities and advertising
The Oklahoma Press Association Board
of Directors met Feb. 4, 2010, at the Reed
Center in Midwest City, Okla.
Attendees are listed at right.
After the meeting was called to order,
the board approved the minutes of the Nov.
12, 2009, meeting.
Thomas reviewed the OPA balance
sheet and profit and loss statement, and the
LSP financial statements reporting income
and total profit on the year to date. The
board acknowledged receipt of the OPA
and LSP financial statements and investment statements.
ACTIVITY & COMMITTEE REPORTS:
AWARDS COMMITTEE: Discussed allowing
electronic and photocopied entries in the
Better Newspaper Contest, but voted not
to make any changes to the 2010 contest.
The issue will be discussed again before
the 2011 contest.
EDUCATION COMMITTEE: Approved inviting
Kevin Slimp to present a training workshop
on Photoshop, InDesign and Acrobat, to
be held March 4; recommended inviting
gubernatorial candidates to participate in
a session at the 2010 Summer Conference;
reviewed the 2010 Mid-Winter Convention
budget and committee’s plans.
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS COMMITTEE:
Thomas said there are no active bills to
eliminate the tax exemption for newspaper
circulation or advertising and that the
governor’s new budget taxing vending
machines should not affect newspaper
racks. However, Thomas said there are
several FOI bills that need to be amended
OPA/S BOARD ATTENDANCE
OFFICERS: President Gloria Trotter, Countywide &
Sun; Vice President Rod Serfoss, Clinton Daily News;
Treasurer Joe Worley, Tulsa World
DIRECTORS: Past President Steve Booher, Cherokee
Messenger & Republican; Rusty Ferguson, Cleveland
American; Jeff Shultz, Garvin County News Star; Jeff
Mayo, Sequoyah County Times; Jeff Funk, Enid News
& Eagle; Robby Trammell, The Oklahoman; Dayva
Spitzer, Sayre Record & Beckham County Democrat
DIRECTOR-ELECT: Brian Blansett, Shawnee NewsStar
OPA STAFF: Executive Vice President Mark Thomas;
Member Services Director Lisa Potts; Advertising
Director Sarah Barrow; Media Manager Cindy Shea;
OPA Attorney Michael Minnis
or defeated this session. Funk said he
appreciated Thomas’ frequent updates on
government relations efforts.
LSP COMMITTEE: LSP is not currently
defending any Plan B cases; an advertisement promoting LSP was published in the
October issue of The Oklahoma Publisher;
committee members recommended a
harder selling headline for the ad before it
runs again in the first quarter of 2010.
MARKETING COMMITTEE: Discussed
the progress of a marketing campaign
promoting newspapers by the University
of Oklahoma’s student ad agency, Lindsey
+ Asp; students were given a spring break
deadline to complete the campaign.
In other business, Mayo said his county
library asked him to sign a copyright
authorization to allow the library to digi-
tize its microfilm of the Sequoyah County
Times. Thomas said signing the authorization might give the digitizing company
rights to release the newspaper in another
format in the future. The board or executive committee may need to provide advice
to members as to how to answer similar
requests from their local libraries, said
Thomas.
The board also received an update on
the office building heat and air project,
which is almost complete, and reviewed
member participation in the OCAN and
2x2 program.
OPS BOARD MEETING:
During the OPS Board meeting, directors approved the minutes of the Nov. 12,
2009, meeting and acknowledged receipt
of the OPS financial statements.
In staff reports, Barrow said OPS
received more advertising revenue in
December 2009 than in December 2008
and that OPS sales reps are promoting web
advertising with every quote. Board members reviewed the Did-Not-Run advertising report for October 2009 to January
2010.
OCAN/2X2: The board reviewed other state
associations’ classified and 2x2 program
rates and circulations as well as a graph
of the OPS programs’ total revenue for the
previous 10 years. Thomas said the 2x2
price increased in July 2005 to balance the
number of paid and free ads, to encourage
display advertising from clients, and not
request too much free space in members’
newspapers. The price comparison to a
Reader-friendly website
continued from Page 9
Newspaper Brokers
Appraisers
Consultants
THOMAS C. BOLITHO
P.O. BOX 849
ADA, OK 74821
(580) 421-9600
[email protected]
We have many years experience in
the community newspaper market
www.nationalmediasales.com
EDWARD M. ANDERSON
P.O. Box 2001
BRANSON, MO 65616
(417) 336-3457
[email protected]
should also be able to. Think like someone
who doesn’t know a thing about your filing system.
If your newspaper covers world, national and state news, you wouldn’t create
sections for ‘World,’ ‘National’ and ‘State’
then give each a news sub-section. You
would create a ‘News’ section and list the
three categories of news within it, right?
Make it easy for the reader to find your
content and they’ll read more of it.
LUNCH BREAK PHOTOS
One more thing… format your images.
If you toss one straight from print onto
regular 2x2 is still a good deal, Thomas
said.
READERSHIP SURVEY BENEFITS: Thomas said
Evolve Research presented survey results
to the OPS staff on Feb. 3 and provided a
few preliminary results. Trotter requested
the research data be sent to the board prior
to the April 1-2 board retreat to allow
members time to review it in advance.
POLITICAL ADVERTISING SALES PROGRESS:
Thomas said staff is working on a
political sales package for the board to
approve. Barrow said many of the political
candidates and strategists contacted rated
creative design and high frequency as
very important. They also want efficient
placement in reaching their target market
of undecided voters. Thomas asked Minnis
to prepare a legal opinion on political
advertising sales plans as they develop.
OKLAHOMA NEWSPAPER DIRECTORY: Thomas
said the former media guide has been
revamped and is now available digitally as
the Oklahoma Newspaper Directory. The
$50 package includes an Excel spreadsheet
of contact information, monthly updates of
changes and a PDF version to print.
ONF FUNDRAISING AD CHECK DEDUCTIONS:
The ONF Board of Trustees voted to
create the Pages for Tomorrow program to
request advertising space from members
in lieu of cash donations. OPS will sell the
space at a discount to clients not currently
advertising in newspapers and will keep no
commission. Thomas said client revenue
would be applied to the newspapers’ OPS
accounts for insertion processing, but then
deducted and donated to ONF.
your website, the file size will be monstrous. The reader will be able to go off
and get a sandwich while the page downloads.
Try to keep JPEG images at around
100 dpi and 60 percent compression. Look
closely at the visual size in pixels, not
inches. Slow downloads are a major turnoff for users.
IN SUMMATION
If you create an online environment for
your readers that allows them to access
information quickly, logically and effectively – an environment that lets them
know where they are and a consistent
navigation system – they’ll feel comfortable and confident.
11
THE OKLAHOMA PUBLISHER, March 2010
OPA members receive
conservation awards
Awards were presented to three Oklahoma journalists at The Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts’ (OACD)
annual Day at the Capitol.
Excellence in Communication Awards
were presented to two conservation districts and three newspaper employees for
outstanding efforts to support and promote
conservation.
Outstanding Coverage of Conservation
Awards by OPA members went to Bridget
Nash, Enid News & Eagle; Mitch Meador,
Lawton Constitution; and Kelly Bostian,
Tulsa World.
The award honors journalists for feature articles, news, editorials, display ads
or photos that “raise awareness and promote the cause of conservation.”
Nash won for an outstanding feature
article titled “First In the Nation Conservation – Ground breaks for Turkey Creek
Dam,” a story about a flood control dam
built with federal stimulus dollars. Builders say Turkey Creek Dam will reduce
flood impact for 6,000 residents in the
area.
Meador won for his outstanding feature
article, “Skip Loader to Help in Fight
Against Pesky Trees.” The story covered
a $55,000 piece of equipment purchased
with a grant. The loader was specially outfitted to shear and stack the predatory Red
Cedar and Mesquite trees in Comanche
County.
Bostian picked up an award for his
outstanding broadcast feature, “Group
Surveys Water’s Health,” a piece that
profiled the Blue Thumb Water Pollution
Education Program. Blue Thumb, a group
that relies heavily on volunteers, works
with Conservation Districts to monitor the
health of waterways.
The Oklahoma Press Association and
OACD also sponsored awards for Outstanding Public Information Campaigns,
which are given to conservation districts
that successfully use one or more types of
media in their promotions.
East Woods County Conservation District won for providing a continual stream
of information to area newspapers to promote its conservation activities. Beaver
County Conservation District won for an
outstanding series of full-page ads, placed
one-per-month, promoting their conservation programs.
The ceremony was held in the Governor’s Blue Room at the State Capitol.
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 Oct. 31 and
Dec. 31, 2009, LSP processed 34 inquiries: 7 were answered immediately, 9 were answered
by letter, and 18 were answered by letter after research.
Following are some of the questions the Plan received for the quarter ending Dec. 31, 2009:
INVALID CLAIMS
An executive session can be held to discuss a “pending claim” with the attorney
representing the public body when that attorney has determined that “the disclosure will
seriously impair the ability of the public body to process the claim … in the public interest.”
25 O.S. § 307(B)(4). That the pending claim may itself be invalid or illegal is an issue to be
determined by the public body on the advice of its attorney. Thus the validity of the claim
does not affect the right of the public body to conduct an executive session preceded by
appropriate agenda notice.
NEWSPAPERS CAN REJECT ADS
Newspapers can accept or reject any advertisements submitted to them. If a person
submitting an ad threatens to sue if the ad is not published, the newspaper has no
obligation to legally acquiesce to such a demand. Fernandez v. Progress Printing Co.
Inc., 1983 OK Civ App 51, ¶ 4, 670 P.2d 611. (“The publisher of a newspaper is not
required to accept and publish an advertisement in the absence of circumstances
amounting to illegal monopoly or conspiracy. It is immaterial whether the refusal is based
on reason or mere caprice, prejudice, or malice.”)
ARREST RECORDS
Information about an arrest can be learned from at least two law enforcement documents
open to the public: (1) the arrest or incident report records and (2) jail registers, assuming
the arrested suspect was incarcerated. The statute providing for the openness of jail
records specifically states that the public body must provide the “date of birth” of the
arrestee. 51 O.S. § 24(A.8)(A)(1).
SUSPENDED PUBLIC OFFICERS
The public is entitled to access to any records of “final disciplinary action resulting in
loss of pay, suspension, the demotion of position, or termination”. 51 O.S. § 24(A)(7)(B)
(4). The records relating to a public officer suspended with pay for “misconduct” pending
an investigation may not be open to public inspection. The question is whether such a
suspension is considered a “final disciplinary action.”
TRADEMARKED NAME
A man arrested tried to prevent his name from being published claiming his name was
trademarked to distinguish it from another person who was using the name falsely. This
is not a valid reason for denying public access to a record or from accurately publishing
information in the record including the alleged trademarked name. This claim does
highlight the necessity for public records to continue to include identifying information
other than just the name, including dates of birth.
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
3601 N. Lincoln Blvd.,
Oklahoma City, OK 73105-5499
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
12
THE OKLAHOMA PUBLISHER, March 2010
National trainer makes learning software easy
computer notes
More tips from Slimp
from the road
by WILMA MELOT
Kevin Slimp, master of the PDF, showed
students at an ONF software training seminar how to create the best possible documents and fix poorly constructed ones.
Slimp stressed the importance of converting your document by first creating
an EPS file from InDesign, Quark, etc.,
then running it through Acrobat Distiller
to make a PDF.
Separation Preview is an excellent way
to check for issues such as improper spot
colors or problems with CMYK files.
According to Slimp, the best way to
find font problems in a PDF is by going
to File > Properties. Check for fonts that
are either CID or not embedded properly,
which can cause problems with printing or
image processing. If you find issues, Slimp
Kevin Slimp shows how to make the perfect PDF at a workshop on March 4 in Oklahoma City.
suggests flattening the PDF in Photoshop
or Acrobat 9.
He also recommended outputting Acrobat files you intend to flatten in Photoshop
first as EPS files, then saving them from
Photoshop as TIFF, JPEG or whatever
format best suits your layout software. If
everyone practiced this procedure consistently, it would save a lot of headaches.
According to Slimp, the upgrade price
to Acrobat 9 (10 will be released shortly)
is well worth the cost for just the Flattener
Preview. If you have the latest version of
Acrobat, access it through Advanced >
Print Production > Flattener Preview.
As always, Slimp entertained the audience, making the workshop lively and
informative.
Make classified design simple by using Character Styles
The best question from the road this
month: How do I automatically format
the first three words of a classified ad as
bold type?
The answer: Use paragraph styles AND
character styles.
Let’s look at how this works. I’m going
to show you how to take two lines of plain
classified text and turn it into this:
EASY FORMATTING. Classifieds that are
easy to make and look great on your page.
You may already have your classified
body type set up in paragraph styles. If
not, go to Paragraph Styles under the Type
menu. Now click on the flyout menu (in
the upper right corner of the palette) and
choose New Paragraph Style. Under Basic
Character Formats set your font, size and
leading. Name this style BASIC CLASSIFIEDS, or something you can remember.
There’s a lot more you can do here but
we’ll keep it simple.
Go back to the Type menu and this
time select Character Styles. On the flyout
menu choose New Character Style to create a new font style. You can change the
font type or size to make it stand out from
plugged IN
the body text. Name
the style something
you’ll remember, such
as Class Bold.
Go back to Paragraph Styles and select
BASIC
CLASSIFIEDS and click on
Drop Caps and Nested
Styles.
Now you can
choose your character style. Select Class
Bold and determine
how many words you want to be bold in
your classified.
So far, this is the only use I’ve found
for Character Styles. Most styles should
be set using Paragraph Styles. If you’ve
found a clever use for Character Styles, let
me know.
Okay, you’re thinking, I get that and
thanks for sharing this tip but how do I get
those rules above and below?
Thanks for reminding me! If you want
to add rules automatically, go back to Paragraph Styles and click on Paragraph Rules.
Check “Rule On” for both Rule Above and
Rule Below. Determine the line weight and
offset and save. Instant lines.
This may seem a bit confusing and time
consuming, but trust me – once you set it
up it’s done. You’ll save hours by not having to highlight those three words, change
the font style and size – not to mention
drawing rules above and below each box
of type.
One of the topics in Kevin Slimp’s
ONF software class was the effective
use of Photoshop for the newspaper
industry.
Proper color settings for newsprint
was discussed first, including dot gain,
working spaces and spot settings. You
can edit those at Edit > Color Settings.
Slimp suggested creating a custom
profile using these settings:
RGB: ADOBE RGB 1998
(We’ll come back to CMYK)
• Gray: Dot gain 30%
• Spot: Dot gain 30%
• Turn Color Management Policies to “off”
for RGB, CMYK and Gray
CUSTOM CMYK:
• Ink Colors: SWOP (Newsprint)
• Dot Gain: 34%
• Separation Type: UCR
• Black Ink Limit: 85%
• Total Ink Limit: 255%
Select Save and name the profile
whatever you like.
Slimp also is fond of Bridge,
Adobe’s replacement for File Browser.
With Bridge, Slimp said, it’s
possible to see, sort, add keywords or
copyright and bulk process, rename or
convert digital photos.
The File Info function is useful for
categorizing and storing photos. It can
make your life easier when you want to
look up stored images quickly.
In File > File Info you’ll find a
dialogue box where you can enter the
photographer’s name, information about
the photo, dates, times, keywords and
more.
Slimp said keywords are very useful
in locating photos later. For example,
if you have a picture of the mayor
walking his dog around Christmas, you
might enter Mayor Smith, dog, walking,
December, 2009, snow, Christmas,
Yorkie.
Now Adobe Bridge will let you
search for “Mayor Smith walking his
dog in December.”
Lots of great tips from software guru
Slimp. You should have been there.
OPA COMPUTER CONSULTANT WILMA MELOT’S COLUMN BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE OKLAHOMA ADVERTISING NETWORK (OAN).
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE OAN PROGRAM, CONTACT OKLAHOMA PRESS SERVICE AT (405) 499-0020.
13
THE OKLAHOMA PUBLISHER, March 2010
Good writing fills the pages of community papers
Clark’s Critique
BY TERRY CLARK, Journalism Professor,
University of Central Oklahoma
[email protected]
I had withdrawal pains one recent Sunday morning. The yard sprinklers came on
early and drenched my New York Times in
the driveway, despite its blue plastic bag.
Sure, I could look it up online, but
that isn’t the same as sitting on the back
porch with coffee, leafing through pages of
newsprint, listening to birds and enjoying
a quiet morning.
Posting this on Facebook, I got a lot
of comments from journalists and friends
alike – about how one’s mother would put
them in the oven, and another commenting that crosswords just aren’t the same
online. Earlier in the week I saw a Facebook note that one person was going to
“sit down with my Cherokee newspaper.”
Think about that – sitting down next to a
lamp or on the back porch and choosing
what you want to read, and when, without
getting carpel tunnel syndrome from clicking a mouse.
So I thought I’d let you write this column this month, with ideas and heads and
good writing and such stuff that makes you
want to sit down and read the newspaper.
Marlow Review, Jason McPherson:
“Ronnie Pettijohn felt betrayed Monday
night.
“After 10 years of service to his alma
mater, the 62-year-old maintenance man
was told he would not have a job after
May 25.
“‘First, they cut my bus route. Then,
they cut my hours,’ Pettijohn said. ‘Now,
they say they are going to outsource a lot
of the things I did.’
“Pettijohn was one of five members of
the Central High Public Schools staff….”
Head: School cutting six teachers.
Watonga Republican, Tim Curtin: “More
than 100 teachers and parents packed the
school board meeting Monday night, forcing it to reconvene in the school cafeteria
for the meeting.
“Only three board members were present, as Aaron Clewell was at a trade show
and Dr. Andrea Scoville’s successor had
not been elected, due to the runoff vote. It
made little difference, because each vote
was unanimous in favor of Supt. Dr. Craig
Clinton Daily News draws in readers with
photos of workers in the community (above).
McIntosh County Democrat (right) showcases a strong human interest story on page one.
Cummins’ recommendation without public discussion.
“The main issues drawing the crowd to
the meeting were: Jobs affected by severe
school budget shortfall; lack of discipline
shown by some students; continuation of
the band program; moving the fifth grade
to middle school next term.”
Probably the best newspaper readership
idea I’ve ever seen, and the only newspaper in America where people look at the
bottom of the paper first – The Clinton
Daily News. Day after day this paper runs
10 citizen mug shots of workers in the
community titled “Proudly Saluting Western Oklahoma’s Diverse Working Community.”
Hartshorne Sun, Amber Davenport
Sutton: “Unless you have been living
under a rock, you know that the U.S. is in a
financial downfall. Although we have been
hearing about this in the media for some
time now, Oklahoma, more specifically,
Pittsburg and surrounding counties, are
now showing the signs of a new depression era.
“As stated on the current Oklahoma
Employment Report, Pittsburg County’s
unemployment rate had risen….”
Claremore Progress, Tom Fink: “Just
when the city thinks the bottom has been
hit, new levels of low are found.
“With Friday’s release of February
2010 sales tax collection figures from the
Oklahoma Tax Commission…”
Waurika News-Democrat, Jeff Kaley:
“If you’re looking for a way to measure
the scope of the 70th Jefferson County
Junior Livestock Show, run these numbers
through your cerebral calculator:
“By the time the three days of the
2010 show end, 1,080 cloven hooves and
106 bipeds will have strolled around the
show ring of the Fair Barn at the Jefferson
County Fairgrounds.”
Wagoner Tribune, Zane Thomas:
“Psuedoephedrine is used to help sinus
symptoms caused by allergies and colds.
Ammonia is used as a cleaning product.
Lithium batteries are used to run appliances, such as cameras.
“All three products are legal to own and
legal to buy.
“However, they can be used to make
something illegal: crystal meth.”
Ryan Leader – Funeral story of beloved
ppolice chief Morris Bryant: “Over the past
116 years Bryant has served the county as
a law enforcement officer. Besides his
dduties as Chief of Police, he also served
aas an EMT and Firefighter for the Ryan
A
Ambulance and Ryan Fire Department.
M
Many of the elderly of the community
w
were privileged to have him maintain their
la
lawns….”
The final words spoken in Bryant’s
hhonor at the service were by his son
C
Clyde:
“‘Ryan 8, Jefferson County Ryan 8,’ he
sa
said. (Ryan 8 was Chief Bryant’s original
ccall sign.)
“After a moment of silence he
aannounced, ‘Ryan 8 is now 10-7.’ (The
ccode that officers let dispatch know they
aare going off duty – their shift is over.)
“Rest in peace Ryan 8. You’ve comppleted your last shift.”
Head: Dr. ‘No’ Visits Spiro. Spiro
G
Graphic, Jim Fienup: “In a whirlwind tour
oof Oklahoma, ‘Dr. No’ made a whistle
st
stop in Spiro to update his constituents on
aaffairs and politics in Washington, D.C.,
w
while conducting a town hall meeting.
“‘Dr. No.’ is a nickname for U.S. Sen.
Tom Coburn….”
Pawhuska Journal-Capital, Bruce R.
Jackson: “Osage County native, Major
General Clarence Leonard Tinker, hasn’t
been forgotten. Tinker was the first American Indian in U.S. Army history to attain
the rank of major general.
“Tinker is profiled in the recently
published book, ‘In Their Honor: The
Men Behind the Names of US Military
Bases’.”
McIntosh County Democrat, Tony
Downing: “She sets on the bench with a
sometimes-dejected look on her face. She
longs to be on the court with her teammates.
“It is never easy to suffer an injury your
senior season and have to watch and not
get to play.
“But the injury Checotah senior Shelby
Christy suffered was a blessing in disguise. Lurking underneath her chest was a
silent killer….”
Head: No more selling cookie dough
and candy bars during school. Hennessey
Clipper, Barb Walter: “‘We are not in the
resale business here,’ School Supt. Joe
McCulley said in his booming coach’s
voice. ‘We’re in the education business!’
14
THE OKLAHOMA PUBLISHER, March 2010
Oklahoma journalists receive honors at SPJ awards banquet
T
he Oklahoma Professional Chapter
of the Society of Professional Journalists recognized the state’s top
journalists at its annual awards banquet on
Feb. 20 in downtown Oklahoma City.
Journalists from two out-of-state SPJ
chapters judged the contest’s more than
1,200 entries.
A veteran journalist, a meteorologist
and a journalism professor received top
honors at the banquet.
DIVISION A
NEWSPAPERS:
Circulation over 25,000
INVESTIGATIVE
REPORTING/INDIVIDUAL:
1st: Ron Jackson,
Oklahoman
2nd: Gavin Off, Tulsa World
INVESTIGATIVE
REPORTING/TEAM:
1st: Oklahoman staff
2nd: Nolan Clay,
Randy Ellis, Oklahoman
IN-DEPTH ENTERPRISE
REPORTING/INDIVIDUAL:
1st: Ken Raymond,
Oklahoman
2nd: Nicole Marshall,
Tulsa World
3rd: Ginnie Graham,
Tulsa World
IN-DEPTH ENTERPRISE
REPORTING/TEAM:
1st: Oklahoman staff
2nd: Ron Jackson, Robert
Medley, Johnny Johnson,
Monica Albert, Oklahoman
3rd: Oklahoman staff
POLITICAL/GOVERNMENTAL REPORTING:
1st: Michael Kimball,
Oklahoman
2nd: Curtis Killman,
Oklahoman
3rd: Ben Fenwick
Oklahoma Gazette
SPOT NEWS REPORTING:
1st: Oklahoman staff
2nd: Matt Barnard,
Tulsa World
3rd: Matt Barnard and Nicole
Marshall, Tulsa World
FEATURE WRITING:
1st: Michael Overall,
Tulsa World
2nd: Matt Gleason, Tulsa
World
3rd: Travina Coleman,
Muskogee Phoenix
PERSONAL COLUMN:
1st: Carla Hinton,
Oklahoman
2nd: Christy Watson,
Oklahoman
3rd: Lynn McMillon,
Christian Chronicle
EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY:
1st: Wayne Greene,
Tulsa World
2nd: Christy Watson,
Oklahoman
3rd: Bill Bleakley,
Oklahoma Gazette
GENERAL NEWS
REPORTING:
1st: Ann Kelley, Oklahoman
2nd: Ginnie Graham,
Tulsa World
3rd: Rhett Morgan,
Tulsa World
HM: Nolan Clay, Oklahoman
SPECIAL PROJECTS:
1st: Tulsa World sports staff
2nd: Brian Barber,
Tulsa World
3rd: Tulsa World
business staff
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
REPORTING:
1st: Nolan Clay & Ken
Raymond, Oklahoman
2nd: Gavin Off, Tulsa World
3rd: Ken Raymond,
Oklahoman
HM: Vallery Brown,
Oklahoman
DIVERSITY REPORTING:
1st: Michael Kimball,
Oklahoman
2nd: Jenny Coon Peterson,
Oklahoma Gazette
3rd: Deon J. Hampton,
Tulsa World
EDUCATION REPORTING:
1st: John Greiner,
Oklahoman
2nd: Heather Warlick,
Oklahoman
3rd: Scott Cooper,
Oklahoma Gazette
HEALTH REPORTING:
1st: Heather Warlick,
Oklahoman
2nd: Scott Cooper,
Oklahoma Gazette
3rd: Greg Horton,
Oklahoma Gazette
HM: Kendra Blevins,
Greater Tulsa Reporter
SCIENCE, TECH & ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING:
1st: C.G. Niebank,
Oklahoma Gazette
2nd: Carol Cole-Frowe,
Oklahoma Gazette
3rd: Cary Aspinwall,
Tulsa World
BUSINESS REPORTING:
1st: Zeke Campfield,
Lawton Constitution
2nd: Ron Walton & John
Stancavage, Tulsa World
3rd: Erik Tryggestad &
Bobby Ross Jr.,
Christian Chronicle
HM: Steve Lackmeyer,
Oklahoman
John Greiner and Gary England received
Lifetime Achievement Awards. Greiner’s
career as a journalist includes nearly four
decades at the state Capitol. England has
been director of meteorology at Oklahoma
City’s KWTV News 9 for 38 years.
Teacher of the Year was awarded to
Philip Patterson, journalism professor at
Oklahoma Christian University.
Prizes for newspaper and online journalism included:
BUSINESS FEATURE:
1st: Ginnie Graham,
Tulsa World
2nd: Scott Cooper,
Oklahoma Gazette
3rd: Laurie Winslow,
Tulsa World
HM: Rob Collins,
Oklahoma Gazette
ENTERTAINMENT
FEATURE:
1st: Rod Lott,
Oklahoma Gazette
2nd: Becky Carman,
Oklahoma Gazette
3rd: Gene Triplett,
Oklahoman
HM: C.G. Niebank,
Oklahoma Gazette
ARTS CRITICISM:
1st: Phil Bacharach,
Oklahoma Gazette
2nd: Kim Brown, Tulsa World
3rd: Cary Aspinwall,
Tulsa World
HM: Michael Smith,
Tulsa World
LEISURE WRITING:
1st: Ben Fenwick,
Oklahoma Gazette
2nd: Heather Warlick,
Oklahoman
3rd: Dave Cathey,
Oklahoman
SPORTS REPORTING:
1st: Jimmie Tramel,
Tulsa World
2nd: Berry Tramel &
John Helsley, Oklahoman
3rd: John E. Hoover,
Tulsa World
SPORTS FEATURE:
1st: John E. Hoover,
Tulsa World
2nd: Guerin Emig,
Tulsa World
3rd: Jimmie Tramel,
Tulsa World
HM: Jenni Carlson,
Oklahoman
SPORTS COLUMN:
1st: Berry Tramel,
Oklahoman
2nd: Jimmie Tramel,
Tulsa World
3rd: John Rohde,
Oklahoman
FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY:
1st: Steve Sisney,
Oklahoman
2nd: James Gibbard,
Tulsa World
3rd: Stephen Holman,
Tulsa World
SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY:
1st: Mike Simons,
Tulsa World
2nd: Chris Landsberger,
Oklahoman
3rd: Stephen Pingry,
Tulsa World
GENERAL
PHOTOGRAPHY:
1st: John Clanton,
Oklahoman
2nd: Tom Gilbert,
Tulsa World
3rd: Stephen Holman,
Tulsa World
STORY/PHOTO ESSAY:
1st: Mike Simons,
Tulsa World
2nd: Stephen Holman,
Tulsa World
3rd: Tom Gilbert,
Tulsa World
SPOT NEWS
PHOTOGRAPHY:
1st: Steve Gooch,
Oklahoman
2nd: Jim Beckel, Oklahoman
3rd: Stephen Pingry,
Tulsa World
BEST PHOTOGRAPHIC
PORTFOLIO:
1st: Stephen Holman,
Tulsa World
2nd: Mike Simons,
Tulsa World
3rd: Tom Gilbert,
Tulsa World
PAGE ONE LAYOUT
AND DESIGN:
1st: Felicia Murray,
Oklahoman
2nd: Ethan Erickson,
Tulsa World
3rd: Chris Street &
Shannon Cornman,
Oklahoma Gazette
HM: Phillip Baeza,
Oklahoman
FEATURE PAGE LAYOUT
AND DESIGN:
1st: Phillip Baeza,
Oklahoman
2nd: Chris Schoelen & Todd
Pendleton, Oklahoman
3rd: James Royal,
Tulsa World
HM: Renee Lawrence,
Oklahoman
HEADLINES:
1st: Rusty Lang,
Tulsa World
2nd: Amanda Fite,
Tulsa World
3rd: Tom Maupin,
Oklahoman
HM: Beth Gollob, Oklahoman
USE OF
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION:
1st: Chad Crowe,
Oklahoma Gazette
2nd: David Housh,
Tulsa World
3rd: Phillip Baeza,
Oklahoman
HM: T.J. Gerlach,
Tulsa World
BEST REPORTING
PORTFOLIO:
1st: Ken Raymond,
Oklahoman
2nd: Michael Overall,
Tulsa World
3rd: Jimmie Tramel,
Tulsa World
HM: Bobby Ross Jr.,
Christian Chronicle
BEST NEWSPAPER:
1st: Tulsa World
2nd: Oklahoma Gazette
3rd: Oklahoman
HM: Muskogee Phoenix
DIVISION B
NEWSPAPERS:
Circulation 7,000 to 24,999
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING/INDIVIDUAL:
1st: Kandra Wells,
McAlester News-Capital
2nd: Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Daily O’Collegian
IN-DEPTH ENTERPRISE
REPORTING/INDIVIDUAL:
1st: Kandra Wells,
McAlester News-Capital
2nd: Jason Smith,
Shawnee News-Star
3rd: Meredith Simons,
Oklahoma Daily
HM: Emily Holman,
Daily O’Collegian
POLITICAL/GOVERNMENTAL REPORTING:
1st & 2nd: M. Scott Carter,
Norman Transcript
3rd: Hailey Branson,
Oklahoma Daily
HM: LeighAnne Manwarren,
Oklahoma Daily
SPOT NEWS REPORTING:
1st: Kim Morava,
Shawnee News-Star
2nd: Kandra Wells &
James Beaty,
McAlester News-Capital
3rd: James Beaty,
McAlester News-Capital
HM: Meghan McCormick,
Norman Transcript;
FEATURE WRITING:
1st: M. Scott Carter,
Norman Transcript
2nd: Kandra Wells,
McAlester News-Capital
3rd: Ted Bado,
Daily O’Collegian
PERSONAL COLUMN:
1st: Hailey Branson,
Oklahoma Daily
2nd: James Cooper,
Daily O’Collegian
3rd: Shana Adkisson,
Norman Transcript
HM: Linda Henley,
Norman Transcript
EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY:
1st & 3rd: Mike McCormick,
Shawnee News-Star
2nd: Patrick B. McGuigan,
City Sentinel
GENERAL NEWS
REPORTING:
1st: Emily Holman,
Daily O’Collegian
2nd: Meredith Simons,
Oklahoma Daily
3rd: Kim Morava,
Shawnee News-Star
HM: Kandra Wells, McAlester
News-Capital
SPECIAL PROJECTS:
1st: Ponca City News staff
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
REPORTING:
1st: Kim Morava,
Norman Transcript
2nd: Kandra Wells,
McAlester News-Capital
3rd: Meghan McCormick,
Norman Transcript
DIVERSITY REPORTING:
1st: Robin DornerTownsend, City Sentinel
2nd & 3rd: Patrick B.
McGuigan, City Sentinel
EDUCATION REPORTING:
1st: Patrick B. McGuigan,
City Sentinel
2nd: Beverly Bryant,
Ponca City News
HEALTH REPORTING:
1st: Johnna Ray,
Shawnee News-Star
2nd: Kandra Wells,
McAlester News-Capital
3rd: Carol Cole-Frowe,
Norman Transcript
SCIENCE, TECH & ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING:
1st: Carol Cole-Frowe,
Norman Transcript
BUSINESS REPORTING:
1st: Kandra Wells,
McAlester News-Capital
2nd: M. Scott Carter,
Norman Transcript
3rd: Louise Abercrombie &
Beverly Bryant,
Ponca City News
BUSINESS FEATURE:
1st: M. Scott Carter,
Norman Transcript
2nd & 3rd: Carol ColeFrowe, Norman Transcript
ENTERTAINMENT
FEATURE:
1st: Carol Cole-Frowe,
Norman Transcript
2nd: Patrick B. McGuigan,
City Sentinel
ARTS CRITICISM:
1st: James Beaty,
McAlester News-Capital
2nd: Patrick B. McGuigan,
City Sentinel
3rd: Dusty Somers,
Oklahoma Daily
LEISURE WRITING:
1st: Charlie Price & Amber
Price, Edmond
Life & Leisure
2nd: Patrick B. McGuigan,
City Sentinel
SPORTS REPORTING:
1st: Ryan Stewart,
Daily O’Collegian
2nd: Grant Belcher,
Daily O’Collegian
3rd: Fred Fehr, Shawnee
News-Star
SPORTS FEATURE:
1st: Ted Bado,
Daily O’Collegian
2nd: Steven Jones,
Oklahoma Daily
3rd: David Youngblood,
Daily O’Collegian
SPORTS COLUMN:
1st: Porky Falcon,
McAlester News-Capital
2nd: Fred Fehr,
Shawnee News-Star
3rd: Kevin Harvison,
McAlester News-Capital
FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY:
1st & HM: Kevin Harvison,
McAlester News-Capital
SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY:
1st: Kevin Harvison,
McAlester News-Capital
2nd: Zach Butler,
Oklahoma Daily
3rd: Ed Blochowiak,
Shawnee News-Star;
GENERAL
PHOTOGRAPHY:
1st & 3rd: Kevin Harvison,
McAlester News-Capital
2nd: Robin DornerTownsend, City Sentinel
STORY/PHOTO ESSAY:
1st & 2nd: Kevin Harvison,
McAlester News-Capital
3rd: Patrick B. McGuigan,
City Sentinel
SPOT NEWS
PHOTOGRAPHY:
1st & 3rd: Jason Smith,
Shawnee News-Star
2nd & HM: Kevin Harvison,
McAlester News-Capital
BEST PHOTOGRAPHIC
PORTFOLIO:
1st: Kevin Harvison,
McAlester News-Capital
PAGE ONE LAYOUT
AND DESIGN:
1st: Luke Atkinson &
Elizabeth Nalewajk,
Oklahoma Daily
HEADLINES:
1st: Matt Lane, McAlester
News-Capital
BEST REPORTING
PORTFOLIO:
1st: Kandra Wells,
McAlester News-Capital
2nd: James Beaty,
McAlester News-Capital
3rd: Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Daily O’Collegian
BEST NEWSPAPER:
1st: McAlester News-Capital
2nd: Shawnee News-Star
3rd: Oklahoma Daily
HM: Daily O’Collegian
DIVISION C
NEWSPAPERS:
Circulation less than 7,000
IN-DEPTH ENTERPRISE
REPORTING/INDIVIDUAL:
1st: Doug Russell, Stigler
News Sentinel
2nd: Randall Turk,
OKC Business
3rd: Heidi Rambo Centrella,
OKC Business
HM: Dana Lea Smith,
TCC Connection
POLITICAL/GOVERNMENTAL REPORTING:
1st & HM: John A.
Small, Johnston County
Capital-Democrat
2nd: Brendan Hoover,
Mustang Times
3rd: Randall Turk,
OKC Business
SPOT NEWS REPORTING:
1st: Carolyn Cole,
Mustang News
2nd: John A. Small,
Johnston County
Capital-Democrat
3rd: David Reed,
The Southeastern
FEATURE WRITING:
1st: Brendan Hoover,
Mustang Times
2nd: Carolyn Cole,
Mustang News
3rd: Lori Goat,
Countywide & Sun
HM: John A. Small,
Johnston County
Capital-Democrat
PERSONAL COLUMN:
1st: Barbara A. Walter,
Hennessey Clipper
2nd: Ryan Red Corn,
Bigheart Times
3rd: Dyrinda Tyson-Jones,
Mustang News
HM: Gloria Trotter,
Countywide & Sun
EDITORIAL/COMMENTARY:
1st: Wayne Trotter,
Countywide & Sun
2nd: Brett Jones,
Mustang News
3rd: Ray Lokey,
Johnston County
Capital-Democrat
HM: Steven Kizziar,
Mustang Times
GENERAL NEWS
REPORTING:
1st: Louise Red Corn,
Bigheart Times
2nd: Jon Watje,
Minco-Union City Times
3rd: Brett Jones,
Mustang News
HM: John A. Small,
Johnston County
Capital-Democrat
SPECIAL PROJECTS:
1st: Mustang Times staff
2nd: Ray Lokey,
Crystal Lokey &
John Small, Johnston
County Capital-Democrat
3rd: Minco-Union City
Times staff
Continued on Page 15
15
THE OKLAHOMA PUBLISHER, March 2010
SPJ award winners
Continued from Page 14
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
REPORTING:
1st: Crystal Herber,
Northwestern News
HEALTH REPORTING:
1st & 2nd: Toni A. Hill,
TCC Connection
SCIENCE, TECH & ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTING:
1st: Pennie Embry,
Country Star
2nd: Randall Turk,
OKC Business
3rd: Toni A. Hill,
TCC Connection
BUSINESS REPORTING:
1st & 3rd: Randall Turk,
OKCBusiness
2nd: John A. Small,
Johnston County
Capital-Democrat
BUSINESS FEATURE:
1st: Randall Turk,
OKCBusiness
ENTERTAINMENT
FEATURE:
1st: Crystal Herber,
Northwestern News
2nd: John A. Small,
Johnston County
Capital-Democrat
3rd: Brendan Hoover,
Mustang Times
HM: Ashton Ghaemi,
Northwestern News
ARTS CRITICISM:
1st: Cynthia Praefke,
OCCC Pioneer
2nd: Dana Lea Smith,
TCC Connection
3rd: Quiency Brannon,
The Southeastern
LEISURE WRITING:
1st & 2nd: Charlie Price,
Journal Record
3rd: Toni A. Hill,
TCC Connection
SPORTS REPORTING:
1st: Jon Watje,
Minco-Union City Times
SPORTS FEATURE:
1st: Brendan Hoover,
Mustang Times
FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHY:
1st: Marianne Pickens,
The Campus
2nd: Valarie Case,
NWOSU Web
SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY:
1st: Corbin Hosler,
The Campus
2nd: Darbi Williams,
The Campus
3rd: Valarie Case,
NWOSU Web
GENERAL
PHOTOGRAPHY:
1st: Joseph A. Moore II,
OCCC Pioneer
2nd: Valarie Case,
NWOSU Web
SPOT NEWS
PHOTOGRAPHY:
1st: Brendan Hoover,
Mustang Times
2nd: Kenny Hilburn,
OCCC Pioneer
BEST PHOTOGRAPHIC
PORTFOLIO:
1st: Shannon Cornman,
OKCBusiness
2nd: Marhya J. Price, Stigler
News Sentinel &
Country Star
3rd: Valarie Case,
NWOSU Web
PAGE ONE LAYOUT AND
DESIGN:
1st & 2nd: Brett Jones,
Mustang News
3rd: Louise Red Corn,
Bigheart Times
FEATURE PAGE LAYOUT
AND DESIGN:
1st: Alaina Stevens &
Corbin Hosler, The Campus
HEADLINES:
1st: Bryan M. Richter,
Stigler News Sentinel
2nd: Heidi Rambo Centrella,
OKC Business
USE OF GRAPHIC
ILLUSTRATION:
1st: Greg Lohrke,
The Collegian
BEST REPORTING
PORTFOLIO:
1st: Louise Red Corn,
Bigheart Times
2nd: Doug Russell,
Stigler News Sentinel
3rd: Chris Lusk,
OCCC Pioneer
BEST NEWSPAPER:
1st: Mustang Times
2nd: Bigheart Times
3rd: Mustang News
ONLINE
ONLINE WRITING:
1st: Cary Aspinwall,
TulsaWorld.com
2nd: Michael Overall,
TulsaWorld.com
3rd: Kathryn Jenson White,
TulsaPeople.com
HM: Morgan Phillips,
TulsaPeople.com
MULTIMEDIA PROJECTS:
1st: NewsOK.com &
Ken Raymond
2nd: Sarah Hart &
Mike Maddux,
TulsaWorld.com
3rd: Nicole Marshall,
Mike Simons & Mike
Maddux, TulsaWorld.com
HM: NewsOK.com
BLOG:
1st: Berry Tramel,
NewsOK.com
2nd: Dave Cathey,
NewsOK.com
3rd: Mike Boettcher & Carlos
Boettcher, NewsOK.com
HM: Cary Aspinwall,
TulsaWorld.com
BREAKING NEWS
COVERAGE:
1st & 2nd: NewsOK.com
VIDEO JOURNALISM:
1st: Adam Wisneski,
TulsaWorld.com
2nd & 3rd: Darren Brown,
News9.com
HM: Mike Simons,
TulsaWorld.com
BEST WEB SITE:
1st: NewsOK.com
2nd: Joe Fleckinger,
Mark Mitchell &
Kate Hawk, www.ok.gov
3rd: Jason Collington &
Laura Cavagnolo,
TulsaWorld.com
HM: Blaise Labbé,
www.News9.com
Will Postal Service end Saturday delivery?
Postal Notes
by BILL NEWELL, OPA POSTAL CONSULTANT
The possibility of the U.S. Postal Service discontinuing Saturday delivery is
becoming more and more real.
Even though President Barack Obama
is not in favor of eliminating a day of
delivery, the USPS is expected to approach
Congress later in the year to eliminate one
day of delivery. Should this come to pass,
it is expected it wouldn’t be implemented
until the latter part of 2011.
Those publications that expect Saturday delivery may want to put this in their
developing business plan for the future.
For updated information on this issue, continue to watch this column and National
Newspaper Association’s PubAux.
PERIODICALS FLATS DROOP TEST
Coming June 7, a new standard for maximum deflection/droop goes into effect.
Currently, the maximum allowable
droop is 4-inches for a flat 10-inches or
longer. This will be changed to allow only
3-inches. This rule will not apply to carrier
route mail deposited at a DDU using the
exceptional dispatch option.
Failing to meet this requirement on carrier routed mail will result in an upcharge
to five-digit automation/bar-coded or nonautomation/nonbarcoded, as applicable.
The upcharge is expected to be applied in
October of this year. In addition, out-ofcounty pieces failing this test will be in the
nonmachineable flats category.
To determine the deflection/droop, lay
the publication on a table with the length
perpendicular to the edge of the table.
Move the piece out from the edge of the
table five-inches and from that determine
how far it droops from the horizontal.
Half-fold publications that fail this
droop test may want to consider becoming a quarter-fold, which is less likely to
fail. Be aware of address label placement.
Watch for Max Heath’s article in PubAux
in April where he will discuss this issue in
more detail.
DEPOSIT AND DOCUMENTATION
As many of you know, the post office
is now requiring documentation to be fully
completed at time of mailing. An exception to this is if the mailing is presented to
the post office after the stated acceptance
hours [known as critical entry time (CET)]
for permit mail.
If you deposit mail after CET, you have
until 11 a.m. the next business day to present your documentation. If you mail under
these conditions, it is important that you
date your postage statement for the next
day and not the day you take your mail to
the post office.
Mail deposited after CET but before
outgoing dispatches will still be dispatched.
Example: Your post office’s CET is 3
p.m. Outgoing dispatches leave at 5 p.m.
You deposit your mail at the post office
between 3 and 5 p.m. In this case, your
mail will still be dispatched; however,
your completed postage statement must be
dated the following day and be presented
prior to 11 a.m. the next business day.
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
LISA POTTS, Member Services Director
[email protected] • (405) 499-0026
EMILY HOOD, Member Services Coordinator
[email protected] • (405) 499-0040
ADVERTISING
SARAH BARROW, Ad Director
[email protected] • (405) 499-0021
CINDY SHEA, Media Manager
[email protected] • (405) 499-0023
LANDON COBB, Account Executive
[email protected] • (405) 499-0022
MELISSA TORRES, Advertising Assistant &
OCAN/2X2 Contact
[email protected] • (405) 499-0035
CREATIVE SERVICES
JENNIFER GILLILAND, Creative Services Director
[email protected] • (405) 499-0028
EastWord launches in Eastern Oklahoma County
A new, free newspaper has opened in
Eastern Oklahoma County. EastWord, a
weekly newspaper published by Tierra
Media Group – parent company of Oklahoma Gazette and OKCBiz Magazine – hit
the streets on March 4.
“Readers can expect high-quality local
news in a great-looking format that will
be convenient to pick up and interesting
to read,” said Bill Bleakley, publisher.
“We hope to make EastWord the very best
source for local information.”
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
KEITH BURGIN, Editorial Assistant
[email protected] • (405) 499-0029
COMPUTER ADVICE
WILMA MELOT, Computer Consultant
[email protected] • (405) 499-0031
POSTAL ADVICE
BILL NEWELL, Postal Consultant
[email protected] • (405) 499-0020
OPEN (DIGITAL CLIPPING)
LOUISE GARVIN, OPEN Manager
[email protected] • (405) 499-0032
GENERAL INQUIRIES
(405) 499-0020 • Fax (405) 499-0048
Toll-Free in Oklahoma: 1-888-815-2672
16
THE OKLAHOMA PUBLISHER, March 2010
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE JANUARY 2010 CONTEST WINNERS
Column:
Editorial:
JEFF
MULLIN
DAVID
GERARD
Enid News & Eagle
Muskogee Phoenix
JANUARY 2010 EDITORIAL WINNER DAVID
GERARD, MUSKOGEE PHOENIX
To impound or not to impound
Driving an uninsured vehicle is illegal. Without insurance, a driver creates a greater financial
risk to himself and other drivers.
But the state should see how the new Compulsory Insurance Verification System works
before it begins impounding vehicles for failure to carry liability insurance.
Rep. Steve Martin, R-Bartlesville, is proposing a bill that would allow law officers to
impound a vehicle if a driver is not carrying the required liability insurance.
Uninsured vehicles are a big problem in Oklahoma. The state estimates one in four vehicles
are without proper coverage.
That’s why legislators approved the creation of a state database, which became operational
last year, that allows police officers to know real time whether a vehicle has the required coverage or not. According to state law, the fine for someone convicted of being an uninsured motorist is a maximum of $250 and up to 30 days in jail.
The state Department of Public Safety also suspends that person’s driver’s license upon conviction, as well as the registration of the uninsured vehicle. Getting those privileges back will
cost even more.
Punitive laws persuade people to do the right thing, because as we all know, not everyone
does the right thing. But we have to ask the question, at what point do added penalties stop having any effect on increasing coverage. Impounding vehicles may turn into a good business for
companies doing the impounding, but it may not get more people to insure their vehicles and it
may have unintended consequences.
Legislators and officials clamored for the instant verification system, saying it would resolve
the uninsured motorist problem. Now only a few months after the system went into effect, they
say they need even more extensive powers to penalize people.
Let’s see how the new verification system and fines work before hauling people’s cars away.
Enter and Win a
$100 Check from ONG!
1.
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.
2.
Include the author’s name, name of publication,
date of publication and category entered (column
or editorial).
3.
Only ONE editorial and/or ONE column per writer
per month will be accepted.
4.
All entries for the previous month must be at the
OPA office by the 15th of the current month.
5.
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)