Publishers` Quarterly - North Dakota Newspaper Association

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Bismarck, ND
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PERMIT NO. 22
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ublishers’
Copyright © 2016 • N.D. Newspaper Association
1435 Interstate Loop • Bismarck, ND 58503
Vol. 23 No. 3 • Third Quarter 2016
Napoleon family prepares for D.C. trip
College student wins trip after
subscribing to local newspaper
When Shaina Weigel headed off for her second year of study at the University of Mary in
Bismarck, she decided she wanted to take her
hometown Napoleon Homestead with her.
As luck would have it, she subscribed just as
the Homestead was participating through the
North Dakota Newspaper Association in a state
wide readership promotion offering a chance to
win a family vacation to Washington, D.C.
Last week, she got lucky again. So did her
sister and parents.
Shaina’s name was drawn from among hundreds who were entered at 31 newspapers across
the state.
Now she’s making plans to travel to Washington with her family during National Newspaper
Week on an expenses-paid trip that includes a
special VIP tour of the Newseum.
Shaina will be travelling with her mom, Cheryl
Weigel, who is postmaster at the Napoleon post
office and who several years ago won the National Newspaper Association’s Ben Franklin Award.
The award was given to recognize postal
employees who go above and beyond the call of
duty in service to newspapers and other postal
clients.
Also making the trip will be Shaina’s father,
Shaina Weigel
The Weigels -- Cheryl, Shaina, Terry and Kelsey
Terry, a farmer and a
technician with the Logan County Soil Conservation Service, and her sister, Kelsey, a fourth-year
student at the NDSU Sanford School of Nursing
in Bismarck.
Shaina is in her second year in the athletic
training program at the University of Mary, and
plans to go on to graduate school to become a
physical therapist.
When she went off to school, she decided
to subscribe to the Homestead to keep track of
what is going on back home in Napoleon, especially with the Imperials sports teams.
“Shaina is living proof that young people really do read newspapers,” said NDNA Executive
Director Steve Andrist.
“She’s a perfect winner for a newspaper promotion because young readers are likely life-long
readers,” he said.
“Plus it’s really cool that the trip will include a
mother who has a long history of good service to
North Dakota newspapers.”
The Oct. 6-9 trip will include visits with North
Dakota members of Congress, a tour of the Capitol and time to see other sites in D.C.
Register at http://www.ndna.com/seminars/
Journalism, community, tailgating, football
There’s still time to register for the Witham
Symposium on Excellence in Newspapers, set
for Oct. 14-15 at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks.
The symposium will feature five seminars
and a keynote address, with tailgating and a
football game thrown in. All of it is free for
NDNA members, thanks to a grant from the
NDNA Education Foundation.
“Community” is a thread that runs through
the programming for the weekend, with
sessions on saving community journalism,
navigating the 7 Cs of Community Journalism, and how good newspapers help make
communities healthy.
Sessions on reporting with drones and
strengthening editorial pages round out the
program.
NDNA will then have a tailgating tent at the
Alerus Center, followed by the UND home-
For specifices on this year’s symposium,
please see Page 6.
coming football game against Southern Utah.
The keynote speaker is Penelope Abernathy, Knight Chair of Journalism and Digital
Media Economics at the University of North
Carolina.
Third Quarter 2016
Page 2
What ever happened to the sanctity of the mail?
This question was posed to
Postmaster General Megan Brennan during a roundtable discussion held at the ND Rural Electric
Cooperative offices in Mandan on
August 11.
Senator Heidi Heitkamp invited
Brennan to North Dakota after
sharing her Fix My Mail survey results with the postmaster in April.
Heitkamp also reached out to businesses and individuals who have
experienced major issues with
postal delivery and asked them to
be part of a roundtable discussion
with the postmaster general and
other key postal managers.
The person asking about the
sanctity of the mail was Cheryl
Borth, a retired postal employee
with 16 years of experience as a
postmaster.
Borth also pointed out that
when she was postmaster everything that came in had to go out
that same day -- first class, periodicals, parcels, etc.
-- it all had to be heading to its
destination by the end of the day.
People have an expectation of
service when it comes to the Postal
People have an expectation
of service when it comes to
the Postal Service . . . First
Class mail took the service
backward instead of forward.
Sara J. Plum , NDNA president • [email protected]
Service and Borth said the change
in service standard on First Class
mail took the service backward
instead of forward.
Brennan was also informed
about electric bills not getting
to customers in a timely manner
and/or customer payments not
being received in time. Jen Aeseth
of Verendrye Electric Cooperative
in Velva had a thick file filled with
information on these problems.
“We have started recommending people use our online bill pay-
ing,” she said. “That is revenue the
Postal Service is losing.”
Aeseth has been working with
Doug Stephens, a district manager
in the Dakotas District of the US
Postal Service, on trying to fix
these delivery problems.
Another roundtable member
drove from Ada, Minn. to share
her story.
Building a business from her
home, Edie Ramstad has expanded
to a bigger location and more employees. She expects her company
to gross around $2 million this
year. Ramstad has shipped items
through the Postal Service from
the start, but the poor delivery,
cut in hours at her local post office and the postmaster’s refusal
to take her packages after 1 p.m.
have forced her to send more and
more through UPS. The cost difference is absorbed by her company.
“Even mailing a letter to someone in town takes three days,” she
commented. “I’m looking at moving my company to a bigger city,
like Fargo or Grand Forks, so I can
once again provide the delivery
service my customers expect.”
When it was my turn, I presented Senator Heitkamp, Postmaster
General Brennan and several key
Postal Service managers with
binders sharing letters from subscribers and newspaper people in
North Dakota and South Dakota.
During my introduction, I
explained that I was representing
members of the ND Newspaper
Association and the National
Newspaper Association. I also told
the postmaster general that I, “ .
See PLUM, Page 15
Several deadlines: Legislative style
North Dakota’s 65th Legislative Assembly is just around the
corner, so it’s time now for all
newspapers to take action to help
the North Dakota Newspaper Association in what is shaping up as
one of NDNA’s most important
sessions in many years.
There are several key dates for
legislative activity and several of
them are just a few months away.
Obviously, the biggest one is the
beginning of the 2017 Legislature.
North Dakota’s 65th Legislative
Assembly will officially convene
Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017. That’s just
107 days from the date (9/19/16)
I’m writing this column. That’s not
a lot of time in legislative-speak.
But before that there are other
key dates coming up fast. The first
is Nov. 16-17, 2016, when nearly
all of the Legislature will meet in
the House Chambers in the Capitol
to hear reports from Legislative
Management’s 25 interim committees and review the approximately
100 or so bills that will forwarded
for introduction in the 2017 Legislature.
Just two weeks later, on Dec.
5-7, 2016, the 2017 Legislature
will hold its three-day Organizational Session. During this meeting
the Legislature takes care of all
its organizational work such as
selection leadership, committee
chairs and committee members.
It is more important than
ever that each NDNA
member take time right
now to make contacts
with their legislators.
Jack McDonald, NDNA Legal Counsel • [email protected]
This makes it possible for the
Legislature to hit the ground running once it officially convenes in
January.
Just one day after the Organizational Session, on Dec. 8, is the
deadline for all executive agencies
and the Supreme Court to file bills
with the Legislative Council. After
this date these agencies can still
get bills introduced, but it will have
to be by individual legislators and
not by the agencies. There likely
will be several agency bills that will
be real concern to NDNA this year.
And, between the end of the
Organizational Session and the
beginning of the 2017 Legislature,
legislators can start pre-filing legislation to be officially introduced
Jan. 3, 2017.
Once the Legislature convenes,
the deadlines become more intense. Beginning Jan. 9, just six
days after convening, no more
than five bills may be introduced
by each Representative. Jan. 16
has three deadlines. It is the last
day Representatives can introduce
bills; the start of a three bill limits
for Senators; and the last day for
introducing Senate bills containing
appropriations.
Jan. 23 – just 20 days after convening – is the deadline for introduction of Senate bills.
And, one of the biggest deadlines comes Friday, Feb. 24. That’s
Crossover – the date when all bills
from one chamber must literally
“crossover” to the other chamber.
Of course, bills that don’t survive
crossover are usually – but not
always – dead for the session. I say
usually because there are always a
few miraculous resurrections the
closing days of each session.
The Legislature is limited to
80 legislative days. If it used all
of those days it would adjourn
Wednesday, April 25, 2017. Legislators usually try to keep a few of
those legislative days in the bank
in case they want to call themselves back into session, but this is
sometimes very hard to do.
The importance of all these
deadlines to NDNA members is
that things move very fast once the
Legislature convenes. A bill could
be heard by a committee Monday morning and could be on the
House or Senate floor the next day.
All this means that this session,
when NDNA will be facing some
key issues involving open meetings and open records, it is more
important than ever that each
NDNA member take time right now
to make contacts with their legislators and establish lines of communication that can be used once the
Legislature convenes.
There is simply not enough time
once the session begins to make
these contacts because after that
date it seems there are hundreds
of individuals and organizations
trying to get legislators’ attention
daily.
Act now. NDNA needs your
help!
Page 3
Third Quarter 2016
Constitution protects protestors and reporters
The First Amendment to the
Constitution of the United States
is a pretty powerful protector, one
that sets our country apart from
most others.
It protects the rights of “keep
it in the ground” activists to
peaceably assemble in camps
near Cannon Ball to protest
construction of a pipeline.
It protects your right to say
what you want about government
officials or law enforcement
officers or presidential candidates
without fear that you’ll be tossed
in jail -- or even executed -- for
saying it.
And it protects the press from
the heavy hand of big brother
when it may want to censor,
control the flow of information, or
take steps that might prevent the
press from doing its job.
It does not protect protesters
or people or the press from
criminal charges when they break
the law.
So here’s the question: does the
First Amendment come in to play
when a reporter has to trespass
on someone else’s property in
order to cover protesters who are
trespassing on someone else’s
property?
Here’s the answer: it depends.
New York reporter Amy
Goodman is in the middle of
that Q & A, having been charged
with misdemeanor trespassing in
Morton County. The charge was
filed following her reporting on a
particularly nasty confrontation
between protestors and security
guards at a Dakota Access
Pipeline construction site near
Cannon Ball.
There appears to be no
question that Goodman was on
private property, and that she was
there without having been invited.
In other words, illegally.
But so were a couple of
hundred others. Initially, only
two people were charged. One is
a well-known activist and one a
reporter.
That leaves the impression that
Copyright © 2016
The North Dakota Newspaper Association
1435 Interstate Loop, Bismarck, ND 58503
(701) 223-6397 • www.ndna.com
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NorthDakotaNewspaperAssoc
would be lost.
And so would the American
way.
“The First Amendment
should be so hallowed,
so revered, as to be
given deference... “
Steve Andrist, NDNA Executive Director • [email protected]
she was charged because she is
a reporter, a scenario that would
run afoul of the First Amendment.
There is some evidence to the
contrary.
Law enforcement officers
suggest they were going after
low hanging fruit, charging the
two people because they were
identifiable from Goodman’s TV
reporting and hundreds of others
were not.
Their claim is bolstered by the
fact that a handful of others at
the particular protest site have
since been charged. Not many, but
a few.
Nevertheless, the appearance
is that were she not a reporter,
Goodman would not have been
arrested.
Certainly she would not have
been arrested if she hadn’t gone
on TV and identified herself by
name in her report on the protest
activities.
The spirit of the First
Amendment, if not the letter, has
thus been violated.
Not to mention that the charge
gave protestors one more issue to
argue.
The First Amendment should
be so hallowed, so revered, as to
be given deference in gray areas
such as this.
It is so fundamental to freedom
and liberty that it protects not
just speech and journalism, but
distasteful speech and reporting
that doesn’t meet the standard of
journalism.
Newspapers have long been
First Amendment champions,
because it protects their ability to
practice journalism.
In protecting the First
Amendment it becomes
important, as difficult as it
sometimes may be, to apply it to
reporters who practice advocacy
as well as those who practice
journalism.
That is the case with Goodman.
Her right to report is sacred even
while no reader or viewer would
confuse her reporting, at least in
this case, with journalism.
There is no attempt at
objectivity, no balance or equal
weight to differing points of view.
She interviews only sources
who hold the point of view for
which she prefers to advocate.
Even her tone of voice and her
choice of pejorative words as she
questions and comments contains
a snarky quality that takes the
mask off her disdain for the
pipeline and what it represents.
The First Amendment, though,
makes no distinction.
That’s the whole point.
By necessity.
Because if someone else had
the authority to pick and choose
when to restrict someone’s right
to assemble, or what someone
wants to say, or what someone
else wants to report, freedom
You can’t hack print
Hackers have committed online
larceny just about everywhere.
Ashley Madison, The White
House, the CIA, Target, the NSA,
the DNC and on and on.
All victims of cyber attacks,
all immensely expensive, each
one another example of the
vulnerability of information
stored in cyber space.
So why would anyone who
wants to provide public notice
information to the public argue
that it’s better to do so on a web
site than in a newspaper?
The web sites of Forum
Communications to the McKenzie
County Farmer certainly are
subject to hack attack, but the
pages of their newspapers aren’t.
That’s particularly pertinent
now that experts fear that the
cyber attackers may soon be
moving from accessing data bases
to changing documents.
A headline in the Sept. 13
edition of The Atlantic asks: “How
long until hackers start faking
leaked documents?”
The story details this new
form of international espionage,
pointing fingers especially at
Russia.
But it could happen anywhere
to anyone.
Forging thousands of
documents, like, say, the printed
edition of a newspaper, is next to
impossible.
But slipping a single forgery
into one online document could
have an immense ripple effect.
It could be done by a
disgruntled employee in a city
near you.
But not if it’s in print.
Headlines of the week
If you forget about syntax, you
may learn entendre. To wit:
“Safety experts say school bus
passengers should be belted.”
“Iraqi head seeks arms.”
NDNA Officers
NDNA Directors
NDNA Staff
President
Sara J. Plum
Benson County Farmers Press
Minnewaukan, ND
First Vice President
Harvey Brock
Dickinson Press
Second Vice President
Jill Denning Gackle
BHG Inc., Garrison, ND
Immediate Past President
Cecile Wehrman
The Journal, Crosby/Tioga Tribune
Paul Erdelt
Steele Ozone & Kidder County Press
Steele, ND
Steve Andrist, Executive Director
Matt McMillan
Forum Communications Co.
Fargo, ND
Colleen Park, Advertising/Public Notices
Leah Burke
Emmons County Record
Linton, ND
Eileen Meidinger, Tearsheeting
Kelli Richey, Marketing Director
Rhonda Williams, Accounting
Mike Casey, Sales Director
Shari Peterson, Office Coordinator
Pam Jahner, Advertising Assistant
ND Press Clipping Service
Melissa Oribhabor, Newz Group, Inc.
(800) 474-1111 • [email protected]
Third Quarter 2016
Page 4
“I Know I Read it in the Newspaper” guide available
School is back in session and it
is time to give teachers ideas on
how to use the newspaper in their
classrooms.
Here is some information
from the NIE guide titled, “I
Know I Read it in the Newspaper”
published by KRP Productions.
It’s fun having all the answers,
isn’t it? It’s also easy — when
you read the newspaper every
day. Each edition is loaded with
enough information to fill an
entire book — information you
can use to impress your friends!
Whether you’re looking for
answers to life’s every day
questions or want to get a realworld view of things you’re
learning in class, the newspaper
is the place to turn. It takes you
to new places, introduces you to
new people, and, yes, teaches you
new things — the exciting, what’s
happening kind of things that
really put you “in the know.”
We don’t want you to take
our word for it, though. We want
you to check it out for yourself
— every day. We’ll even show
you how. Let’s go through the
newspaper from front to back
and find out how to become a kid
“in the know.”
Then, the next time someone
asks you, “Hey! Who knows
what’s going on?” you’ll be able to
tell them.
THE NEWS
Every day, the newspaper is
filled with news. There’s good
news and bad news. Local news
and world news. News of major
importance and news about the
everyday things in our lives.
News can be grouped into four
main categories:
Local News
News about the events
and happenings in your
neighborhood, city, or county.
State News
News about events or
happenings in your state.
National News
News about events or
happenings from other states
and news involving the federal
government.
World News
News about events or
happenings in other countries.
Activity: Look in the your
newspaper to find an example of
each of the four types of news.
Cut out and label each example to
share with the class.
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g
era
rald
rald
ld..
Sue Lindlauf, NIE Coordinator
Grand Forks Herald
Activity: A lot of people
talk about whether news is
“good news” or “bad news.”
Using the examples from the
previous activity, categorize each
according to whether you think
it is good news or bad news. Be
prepared to explain your though
ts.
What’s up front?
The most important news
of the day is located on the
front page of the newspaper,
where it’s easy to find. Usually,
it is a combination of local and
state news, national news, and
world news —whatever the
newspaper’s editors think is the
most important news to the most
people. The top story of the day
is located “above the fold,” on the
top half of the front page, with a
large, bold-face headline.
FIVE W’s
Have you ever heard of the Five
W’s: Who? What? When? Where?
and Why? When it comes to the
news, these are five important
questions that are asked — and
answered — so you and other
readers can truly know what’s
going on.
Activity: Find a story in
today’s newspaper that you are
interested in reading. Write the
headline on a piece of paper.
Now, search the story for the Five
W’s. Summarize your findings:
A. Who was involved?
B. What happened?
C. When did it occur?
D. Where did it happen?
E. Why did things turn out like
they did?
To download the entire guide
to share with teachers, visit
http://nierocks.areavoices.
com/2013/03/04/i-know-iread-it-in-the-newspaper
Sue Lindlauf is a guest writer
and contributor for our NIE page.
Lindlauf is the NIE /Marketing
Coordinator at the Grand Forks
Herald. If you would like to
contact her, call her at (701) 7876732 or email her at slindlauf@
Page 5
Third Quarter 2016
Two chosen for 2016
scholarships from NDNA's
Education Foundation
Two North Dakota students
have been chosen for
scholarships funded by the
NDNA Education Foundation
through North Dakota Dollars for
Scholars.
Lexi Jorgenson is a Bismarck
native and a marketing student
at the University of Minnesota
Duluth.
In 2013, while working as an
intern for the Bismarck Tribune,
Jorgenson won the NDNA award
for high school reporter of the
year.
She will graduate from UMD
in 2018 and plans to pursue a
journalism-related career. She
hopes to write about finance for a
newspaper or magazine.
Dickinson native Austin Mack
is a communications student
at the University of Jamestown,
where he expects to graduate in
May.
As an intern with the
university's marketing
department he manages the Sir
Jimmie Blog and the Jimmie
Connection video interviews.
His plans for after graduation
include attending law school.
Lexi Jorgenson
Austin Mack
1555
43rd
Street,
S, Ste.
103
1411
32nd
Street
SW
Fargo, ND 58103
(701) 239-7194 or 1-888-469-6409
Check us out on the web!
www.ndsoybean.org
SAMP
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Octtober 8
2016
Each year one day is
set aside to recognize the
accomplishments of carriers
who work tirelessly to get the
newspaper into the hands of
our readers.
To commemorate this
special day – which takes
place October 8 this year –
NAA makes available carrier
appreciation ads that can be
downloaded from their web
site and customized for your
newspaper. Honor the day or
recruit carriers year-round!
Also, previous years’
ads are now available for
download.
www.naa.org
(search on “Newspaper Carrier Day”)
North Dakota Association of Builders
1720 Burnt Boat Dr., Suite 207
Bismarck, ND 58503-0801
701-222-2401 or 800-326-4746
www.ndbuild.com
Advertising in ALL
ND Newspapers is easy!
ONE CALL, ONE ORDER
ONE BILL!
Contact Mike Casey for details:
ND Newspaper Association
1435 Interstate Loop, Bismarck, ND 58503
701-223-6397 • 866-685-8889
[email protected] • www.ndna.com
8
YOU should be in the
Resource Directory!
For more information
or to schedule an ad,
contact Mike Casey,
Advertising Sales Director,
701-223-6397 or [email protected].
Third Quarter 2016
Page 6
Symposium: a lot of learning and a good time, too
Event promises to rejuvenate and entertain newspaper staffers
Symposium
Speakers
The October 7 deadline to register for the Witham
Symposium on Excellence in Newspapers is fast
approaching.
The hotel room block has now been released, but
rooms are still available. The Baymont Inn and Suites
and the Expressway Suites are close to the events at
the University of North Dakota, and are where you
would want to stay when attending this Symposium.
Information to contact the hotels is included on the
registration form.
NDNA members who attend the symposium will
experience a lively discussion of current issues
in the newspaper industry. They'll also have an
opportunity to participate in tailgating and to attend
a UND football game, all free of charge.
The symposium is scheduled for October 14-15 at
the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks.
It begins at 1 p.m. October 14 with a general
session in which Penelope Abernathy, Knight Chair
in Journalism at the University
of North Carolina, will discuss
"Three Epiphanies About Saving
Community Journalism."
Abernathy, author of the book
"Saving Community Journalism,"
will also present a keynote
address titled "Successfully
Leading Change at Your Paper"
following the October 14 banquet.
That afternoon there will be
concurrent sessions led by Tim
Waltner of Freeman, S.D., and
UND Journalism Professor Sarah Cavanah.
Two more concurrent sessions start at 8 a.m. Oct.
15, with Waltner leading and editorial page critique
(see column on Page 4 of this Bulletin) and UND
Communications Professor Ceri Danes leading a
session on drone use in journalism.
Then it's off to the NDNA tailgating tent for food
and fellowship, followed by football.
Abernath
Abernathy
W lt
Waltner
C
Cavanah
h
D
Danes
Symposium schedule, hotel info,
speaker bios, and registration at:
http://www.ndna.com/seminars
Deadline to register:
October 7, 2016
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Page 7
Third Quarter 2016
Newspapers offer great community dialogue
In 1993, 20 years after becoming a
weekly newspaper editor, I attended
my first summer conference sponsored by the International Society of
Weekly Newspaper Editors.
I heard of the organization, but
never attended a conference until I
was given a scholarship to attend in
1993, held that year in Brookings, S.D.
It proved to be life-changing experience in which I met some remarkable community journalists from
across the U.S., Canada and England.
That first encounter 23 years ago
opened my eyes, challenged my
thinking and resulted in some of the
strongest personal and professional
relationships in my career as a weekly
newspaper publisher/editor.
One of the most important benefits of ISWNE has been the editorial
critiques, which are often described
as the essential element at annual
summer conferences. These roundtable discussions about editorial
pages that participants literally bring
to the table offer opportunity to both
affirm and challenge what appears on
those pages. A facilitator helps lead
discussion on practices in a spirit of
healthy, constructive criticism.
I approached my first editorial
critique in 1993 with a mix of apprehension and excitement. With
nearly 20 years of experience writing
The key, I believe,
is that the editorial
critique is not some
theoretical discussion.
Tim Waltner, former publisher
Freeman, S.D.
editorials, I was eager to hear what
my colleagues would have to say and,
I confess, I thought I was bringing
a pretty good product to the table.
It was affirming, challenging and
certainly eye-opening. The honest,
candid observations of people who
shared a commitment to community
journalism and a vibrant editorial
page were transformative as they
revealed I could do better.
The key is that the editorial critique is not some theoretical discussion. It’s an organic, tangible experience, rooted in the pages we bring to
the table and a discussion by people
who have experience, insights, perspectives and opinions — and willingness to share openly and honestly. It
doesn’t get any more real than that.
I’ve participated in 23 ISWNE editorial critiques since that first session
in Brookings and every session has
helped strengthen the editorial pages
of the Freeman Courier. Generally,
the changes have been modest and
Providing quality client service
to help our clients...
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Audit and Review
Fraud Auditing
Internal Control Consulting
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...achieve their financial goals.
Office Locations:
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Dickinson, ND
Minot, ND
Grand Forks, ND
Thief River Falls, MN
www.bradymartz.com
incremental. But looking at the twoplus decades since we’ve been part
of the process, the transformation in
our publication is remarkable.
And, I believe, the Freeman community has been the beneficiary of
that transformation.
Obviously, newspapers have a
responsibility to inform the residents
of the communities they serve with
facts, providing information that
people want and that people need.
But newspapers also have a
responsibility to provide the communities they serve with a public
forum. The newspaper should be a
place where a community can talk
to itself, where anyone can share an
observation, a concern, a challenge
or a compliment. We can’t afford to
leave those conversations to Facebook posts among friends. Without
a public dialogue in our newspapers,
citizens are deprived of an essential
tool for participation in the affairs of
the community. Not only do individuals suffer from the absence of a
public dialogue, so do the communities themselves. It’s at the heart of a
functioning democracy.
The newspaper has responsibility to lead by example by setting
aside a portion of every issue for that
dialogue. And the newspaper has
a responsibility to lead by example
with an editorial every week.
Contrary to what some may think,
the primary purpose of an editorial is
not to change people’s minds or tell
them how to think. The primary purpose of an editorial is to make people
think, to offer a perspective that
helps people explore ideas in ways
that they might not have considered.
 Editorials should provoke
thought.
 They should offer a new perspective
 They should take a stand.
 They should be bold.
 They should include a call to
action.
 They can be affirming.
 They can be critical.
 They should be thoughtful.
 They should be well written.
 They should have local impact,
though that doesn’t mean the topics
need to be exclusively local.
 They need to connect with your
readers.
The editorial critiques can help
newspaper editors and publishers work through some of the core
aspects of our editorial and opinion
pages. I look forward to joining you
in Grand Forks in October to explore
ways that we can amply our editorial
voices and strengthen our important
role in our communities.
Third Quarter 2016
Page 8
Working at the newspaper helped
build confidence and independence
Grants from the NDNA
Education Foundation
(NDNAEF) have given a
valuable, hands-on learning
experience for several
North Dakota students.
NDNAEF provided funding
for coll
llege and
d high
h school
h l
students who worked and
learned about community
journalism by interning at a
North Dakota newspaper.
This year, interns worked
at the Lakota American,
various
i
BHG
BH
G papers,
The Journal (Crosby),
)
Edgeley Mail, Traill County
Tribune (Mayville), Devils
Lake Journal, and
the Hillsboro Banner.
The students participating
in the internships provided
these views on their
experiences after working
in the newspaper business.
(This is part 1 of 2. Part 2
will
ill be in th
he fourth
h quarter
Publishers' Quarterly.)
OUR MISSION
Promoting the
advancement of
journalism education,
study, research and
development through
financial assistance,
internships, fellowships,
lectureships and other
means to enhance the
newspaper profession
in North Dakota.
This is my second year working
as a summer intern for the paper
in the Hazen and Beulah area, and I
enjoyed it just as much, if not even
more, than the first summer. Working at the newspaper for the second
summer in a row provided me with
more experiences that will no doubt
help me in future jobs, and I’m so
grateful to have been brought back
again to my job of choice.
I loved getting to go to many
new places, and conducting interviews really helped me learn how
to professionally meet and speak
with people. I was taught how to
handle different interviews, such as
if someone was running for a position, or just telling an interesting
story. This year I also went to more
The people I worked
with were fantastic,
and always willing to
answer my questions.
Sierra Moeykens, MN State University- Moorhead
College Intern: various BHG papers
meetings, and realized the best way
to handle sensitive subjects.
The people I worked with were
fantastic, and always willing to
answer my questions. Kate Johnson, the Beulah editor that I worked
under, was extremely patient and
gave me many opportunities to try
different things. She always had
good constructive criticism, something that I deeply appreciated as
I always wanted to do better and
learn what needed improvement.
She pushed me to write longer stories, which really motivated me to
get as much information as I could
on a story. I really appreciate her
guidance.
One of the main reasons I love
working at the paper is because it is
a job that requires a lot of independence and responsibility. I appreciated the trust that was placed in
me. If something went wrong while
on an assignment, it was up to me
to figure out how to adapt and fix
the problem. I believe working at
the paper helped build my confidence and independence. I would
love to return next year if the opportunity arises.
Experience gained applies to future
My internship here at the
McLean County Independent was
very pleasant. I came into this job
unsure of what task they would
have me do. Considering the fact I
have only had one year of college
experience, they didn’t seem to
mind that because they gave me a
poster to do right away.
The BHG staff gave me assignments that catered to my skill set.
For example I take photography
classes so they gave me the task of
taking some photos for the newspaper. It was really a great opportunity because it showed me what
The BHG staff gave
me assignments that
catered to my skill set.
Autumn Garman, Bismarck State College
College Intern: McLean Co. Independent
challenges came with taking photos
for the newspaper.
It’s not as simple as I thought it
was because sometimes you literally have to run after people and
patience is key. When I was with
the graphic designers they gave
me some ads to do. I was nervous
at first because I have never done
an ad but they let me view some of
their ads they had done in the past.
Besides all the technical work,
they have given me the experience
and really showed me what it was
like to work in an environment with
a diverse group of people. Everyone
here helps each other out even if
they are in different departments.
It was a great opportunity to
intern over the summer and if given
the chance I would do it again. The
experience I gained from here I will
apply to jobs in the future.
Internship forced me to step out of
comfort zone; improve writing skills
There are three particular experiences that stand out to me. One
of the first stories I covered was a
simulated active-shooter exercise at
the Lamoure County Courthouse.
Initially, I was apprehensive about
covering the exercise because I
had no idea what my expectations
should be. However, I found it to be
a valuable experience which forced
me to step out of my comfort zone
and improve my skills as a writer.
Another instance that stands
out was my interview with North
Dakota’s Miss Rodeo. I found the
interview very interesting and
enjoyed writing the article. The
interview was over the phone and
allowed me to improve my phone
etiquette, which I had not had many
opportunities to do before.
The final experience that stands
out was touring one of four North
This internship has
also solidified my
decision to pursue
creative writing.
Bridget Henderson, South Dakota State University
College Intern: Edgeley Mail
Dakota industrial hemp fields.
The tour was very educational
and interesting. Beforehand, I was
skeptical about covering the story,
but I believe it turned out to be a
worthwhile experience because it
was informative and challenged me
to write a clear and comprehensive
article for people unfamiliar with
topics such as industrial hemp.
I learned many practical business skills through this internship.
I now feel much more confident
in conducting interviews, both in
person and over the phone. I also
believe that interviewing others
has helped me prepare for my own
future interviews, whether it be for
a job or a scholarship.
In addition to interview skills,
I feel that I have become a better
writer because the journalism style
of writing is very different from
the style of writing for educational
purposes such as research essays,
which I am more accustomed to.
Learning to write news releases is
another important skill I am confident I will use again in the future.
Overall, I thought this summer
internship was very advantageous
because it suits my undergraduate major of English specialized in
writing very well. This internship
has also solidified my decision to
pursue creative writing.
Page 9
Third Quarter 2016
Even in a small North Dakota community, always
something to learn and new experience to be had
This past summer I was an
intern at the Lakota American.
It was much different than my
previous summers working for the
Benson County Farmers Press as
the Benson County Farmers Press
acquired the Lakota American in
April and it was still in its infancy
stage when I started the end of
May. That element made working
at the Lakota American an opportunity for a perfect experience.
I have always been interested
in learning more about running
a business, and especially newspaper businesses as I have been
working at one since high school.
As I began the summer with minimal staff in Lakota, I had to learn
how to do certain things I never
had to do before as there was
always a large enough staff at the
Benson County Farmers Press. This
included elements such as editorial duties and management of an
office as my boss split her time
between the two papers and I was
in charge there a few days of the
week.
I also had the opportunity to
exercise my little knowledge of
public relations when customers
called daily about the status of
their paper in the mail due to is-
Working for a newlyacquired newspaper in
an unfamiliar community
a
was the perfect experience.
w
Katherine Sears, University of North Dakota
College Intern: Lakota American
sues with the United Postal Service
and when residents of the area
would come to the office to ask a
question or put something in the
paper. This didn’t exclude sifting
through email either. I was more
than happy to learn a little bit
about public relations dealing directly with people any day and any
time and this summer reiterated
the importance of public relations
for a brand, especially a small
North Dakota newspaper.
Since my duties grew from last
summer due to the small staff at
the Lakota American, I learned
more about the postal side of
things as well as the logistics of
mailing the newspapers. I even
got to make a few trips to where
the paper is printed and learned
how to read a postal report and
how the papers are grouped and
mailed. This also helped me understand recent issues within the
postal service.
Another great opportunity for
me this summer was getting to
know a new community. I grew up
in a small town, but I had never
had to sort of “implant” myself
into an unfamiliar one and go to
work. I think this was a valuable
experience not only for me personally but also professionally. Professionally, I was required to make
connections with people in the
community as a part of the Lakota
American and make sure this connection reflected the Lakota American in a positive way – another
important lesson in improving my
career skills.
On the personal side, after
college it is very possible that I acquire a job in a community that is
foreign to me. It is both a challenge
and a pleasure to get to know and
understand the dynamics and
atmosphere of an area or community and I’m excited that I had
that experience this summer. One
example (of which there are many)
of this was attending Lakota’s
Annual Turkey Barbecue held in
June. A storm the night before had
knocked out the power and taken
down trees all over town. The park
where the barbecue is held was hit
the hardest. It had to be cleaned
up in order to hold the event that
night and start cooking the turkeys
that morning. Right after the rain
quit, the park was full of people
from the community working to
clean the park. I was around town
taking pictures when I saw the
great efforts in the park. I stopped,
grabbed a rake and began helping.
The park was ready for the barbecue before noon. I felt such a sense
of community that morning and
was happy to meet a few people
while helping out and understanding the dynamics of that particular
community. I truly had a great
time learning about the area.
Working for a newly-acquired
newspaper in an unfamiliar community was the perfect experience
for me, personally and professionally. Not only did I learn new
things, I also had the chance to
improve and attempt to perfect
skills I have acquired the last few
summers, as well as put my education to work before my senior
year of college. If there’s one thing
I learned this summer, it’s that
there’s ALWAYS something to
learn and a new experience to be
had, even in a small North Dakota
community.
Internship helped me decide which college to
attend and to further my career in journalism
I was interested in becoming an
intern at the Devils Lake Journal
because I wanted a better understanding of what it means to be a
reporter and the responsibilities
a reporter takes on. During my
summer at the Journal, I’ve learned
so much and that has helped me
decide on a career path.
Louise, the editor of the Journal, and I covered many events,
such as Relay for Life, a Dairy
Queen visit where a five year old
named Blaine McIvor, who has a
disorder called hemophilia, greeted everyone at the door for Miracle
Treat Day. We also attended a self
defense class, a girls night out
event, fishing tournaments, and
Fort Totten powwow. I also covered a two day nutrition camp in
Fort Totten where two groups of
30 kids learned about the importance of living a healthy lifestyle.
Sam, the sports reporter for the
Journal, and I attended the Devils
Run Muscle Car Show and we also
I've had a positive
experience at the
Journal and I've made
many new friends.
Mindy Morin, Bismarck State College
College Intern: Devils Lake Journal
covered baseball games, Sam wrote
the stories and I took the photos.
Chuck, a general reporter for the
Journal, and I went to various
events including City Commission
and Park Board meetings.
After going with Chuck several
times to the police station to gather crime news daily, that became
my responsibility.
I’ve learned about AP style, design and layout, how to interview
people and how to write articles.
I have practiced proofing pages,
note taking for stories, picture taking, interviewing and even worked
one afternoon as an inserter.
I’ve had the opportunity to
do my own interviews, My first
interview was a cancer survivor,
Brenda Hoime at the Relay for
Life, the first weekend in June. I
was nervous at first but I asked all
the right questions to find out the
Who? What? When? Where? And
why? Louise walked me through it
and I used that knowledge for later
interviews I conducted.
While I’ve been at the Journal
I’ve traveled to Fort Totten, Lakota
and other areas around Devils
Lake.
The Women in Agriculture
“Girls Night Out” event Louise and
I covered on July 27 was my favorite event because I had a lot of fun.
The night started off with speakers who talked about the many
“hats” women wear: mother, sister,
friend, co-worker, dog walker,
therapist, lover, child, etc. The importance of strong, hard working
women in today’s society, and also
the importance of taking those
hats off sometimes was discussed.
Later there was a silent auction, a
meal, and a raffle. Louise and I sat
with some other ladies and we had
a good conversation, and shared
lots of laughs.
The next day’s front page of the
Journal was nearly filled with my
stories and photographs. I have
saved a copy of that paper for a
souvenir.
When I started this internship I
wasn’t sure which college I wanted
to attend. In the end I decided on
a semester at Northland College
in East Grand Forks and then the
University of North Dakota where I
plan to study communications and
further my career in journalism.
During my summer I’ve had a
positive experience at the Journal
and I’ve made many new friends
at the newspaper and in the community that I will miss once I move
on. I would like to thank Louise
Oleson, the staff at the Journal and
NDNA for making my internship
possible.
Third Quarter 2016
Page 10
University of ND student restores 1897 printing press
A senior graphic design student at the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, demonstrated an antique printing press that he restored at the annual threshing bee and antique
show at Braddock, N.D., Sept. 10 and 11.
Shawn Marshall of Burlington, N.D., restored
an 1897 Challenge Gordon platen press as part
of an internship for his graphic design major.
He printed a souvenir card on the 119-year-old
press during the show.
The press was originally used for printing
envelopes, letterheads and business cards at the
Isabel Dakotan, a weekly newspaper at Isabel,
S.D. Former publisher Myron Lofgren, now of
Sioux City, Iowa, donated his antique letterpress
equipment to the Timber Lake & Area Historical
Society, but the museum did not have space for
two of his presses, the Challenge Gordon and
a much larger Babcock Standard Pony cylinder
press that once printed the newspaper. Both
were put into storage. The Challenge Gordon
ended up uncovered in an open building at
Firesteel, S.D., where it rusted and deteriorated
for many years.
Kathy Nelson, publisher of the Timber Lake
Topic and a long-time member of the historical
society, arranged for the two presses plus an
Intertype type-setting machine to be transferred
to The Braddock News Letterpress Museum at
Braddock. The museum is part of the South Central Threshing Association, Inc. pioneer village.
Marshall began restoring the Challenge Gordon in June and worked on it until mid- August.
He finished it over Labor Day weekend.
He disassembled the press and put the small-
er parts into water in a large plastic garbage can
and the two largest pieces in a farm stock tank.
Electrolysis was used to remove the buildup of
rust, ink and dirt. Then he buffed the pieces to
the bare metal before priming and painting.
Marshall painted the press blue, a color
uncovered during the electrolysis process, and
pin-striped various parts, including the wheel
and treadle, in metallic gold.
“I had no idea how long it would take when
I started, and it went far beyond the hours
required for the internship,” Marshall said. “It
turned out well, and the press prints like it did
when it was first put into service in the 1890s.”
Marshall’s goal is to have his own letterpress
studio after he graduates from UND and to use
antique equipment to create works of art.
Also volunteering at the Braddock News during the show will be Dr. Lucy Ganje, the UND
professor who inspired Marshall’s interest in
letterpress. She retired in May and has a letterpress studio which she will be moving from
Grand Forks to Rapid City, S.D., this fall.
Curator of the Braddock museum is Allan Burke, publisher emeritus of the Emmons
County Record at Linton, N.D., and the Prairie
Pioneer at Pollock, S.D. Burke said the press
probably would not have been restored without
Marshall’s internship and dedication.
The model of Challenge Gordon that Marshall restored is one of fewer than a dozen in
the country believed to have avoided being
scrapped.
Marshall is the son of Gregory and Margie
Marshall of Burlington.
Shawn Marshall, Burlington, N.D., restored this 1897
Challenge Gordon platen press as part of an internship for
his graphic design major. He printed a souvenier card on the
119-year old press during the Threshing Bee and Antique
Show in Braddock, N.D. in September.
Page 11
Third Quarter 2016
Good papers are honest information brokers
It’s just true. And time hasn’t
changed it: Find a well-run, stable or
progressive community and it will
be served by a well-run local newspaper.
The Mississippi Press Association
is observing its 150th birthday this
year. Members gathered last month
in Biloxi to toast the milestone.
Clearly, much has changed in
the industry since a bunch of old
men gathered on a steamboat near
Vicksburg, puffed their cigars and
decided that forming a trade association would be a good way to
stifle Yankee interlopers who were
launching publications.
Turns out, those carpetbaggers
weren’t the last of the intruders.
Radio followed. Television. Cable.
Satellite. Internet. And who knows
what’s next?
Molten lead, pica poles, proportion wheels and black and white
film have given way to offset presses, pagination and digital imaging.
And who knows what’s next?
Of all the “threats,” the internet
has had the greatest impact. That’s
because it bolloxed up the economic
model.
One day, real estate firms, employers, car dealers, restaurants,
grocery stores and many others
were paying newspapers to deliver
information about their products
and services. The next day, it seems,
people were obtaining this informa-
The key, I believe,
is that the editorial
critique is not some
theoretical discussion.
Charlie Mitchell, Contributing Columnist
Clarion Ledger, Jackson, Mississippi
tion on their phones.
So was that to be the end?
Not hardly.
According to research presented
at the MPA meeting, three of four
Mississippians are regular readers
of their papers — most likely their
local papers — or their websites.
Why?
Because people want information
about the places where they live and
work.
There is no actual record of what
was said at that first huddle of Mississippi newspaper owners, but it’s
clear enough the topic was how to
keep subscribers. That’s always the
topic whenever publishers gather.
Strangely, it’s not at all complicated. It’s a value proposition: Offer
people a product they find worth
what it costs and they will buy it. If
it’s not worth their money or their
time, they won’t.
And that leads to this: Stan Tiner,
former editor of The (Biloxi) Sun
Herald, and Delbert Hosemann,
secretary of state, were headliners
ADVERTISE in
EVERY NEWSPAPER in N.D.
at the newspaper confab. Tiner was
feted as the newest inductee of the
MPA Hall of Fame. Hosemann was
invited to talk about the Y’all Mississippi business development website
he shepherded. Both went off script
a bit.
Separately, the retired newsman and the elected official had
an admonition: Do journalism. The
people need it. The state needs it.
Communities need it.
Solid news coverage is the value
part of that value proposition, or at
least a big part of it.
For his part, Tiner led the news
team presented the Pultizer Prize
for its post-Katrina efforts. He
spoke of how the great storm
accented the privilege of being a
journalist — of earning and serving
the people’s trust. And he said that
good, solid journalism— day in and
day out — is a pathway to a brighter
day.
Hosemann bore down on his
audience. “You’ve got to ask questions,” he said, pointing out that no
other mechanism exists in society
to hold officials accountable.
There was a lot of silence in the
room because, frankly, there’s not
as much journalism going on in Mississippi or elsewhere as there was
in the halcyon days. Owners have
concentrated too much on threats
to their business and neglected why
subscribers subscribe. Again: People
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Third Quarter 2016
Page 12
Despite 'Doom & Gloom,' Newspapers Growing Stronger
By Sharon Knolle, Journalist
Editor & Publisher
Small, community newspapers
across the country are not just
surviving, but—in many cases—
actually thriving. Many of them have
managed to dodge the layoffs and
downsizing that larger papers have
had to face.
Chip Hutcheson, president of
the National Newspaper Association
(which represents more than
2,100 community newspaper
companies), said, “You don’t hear
about community papers going out
of business. It’s not the doom and
gloom that major market papers
face. At a recent press association
meeting, I met several people who
say they started a (small) paper two
or three years ago. I started one
in 2008. Weekly and small dailies
are faring better than our major
counterparts.”
E&P spoke with several of these
successful community papers to find
out how they’ve navigated through
the storms.
“Print is our lifeblood”
Despite dire predictions that
print is dead, it’s still the backbone
of many community dailies and
weeklies nationwide.
“Print is our lifeblood,” said
Billy Coleburn, editor of the weekly
Courier-Record in Blackstone,
Va. The paper’s circulation is
6,100, more than twice the town’s
population of 3,000. “For seven
full-time employees, we rock ‘n’ roll
down here,” he said.
In Petoskey, Mich., Jeremy McBain,
executive editor of the Petoskey
News-Review (circulation 9,108), also
said print was going well for them.
“We haven’t seen erosion in print
that other larger papers like the
Detroit Free Press and Grand Rapids
Press have.” He credits part of that to
his paper’s “hyperlocalized” content.
Michael Messerly, publisher of
Batavia Newspapers Corp., which
puts together The Daily News in
Batavia, N.Y. (circulation 10,000)
said, “Our ROP revenue was up
30.1 percent over the previous year,
without raising rates. Through the
first quarter of this year, we’re again
outpacing last year by more than 30
percent. So, yeah, print is still doing
well for us.”
At the Inter-Mountain in Elkins,
W.Va., publisher and general
manager Heather Goodwin Henline,
shared, “I think if you ask any
newspaper, print still remains the
lion’s share of revenue.”
Keeping Up with the Times
On the other hand, as for most
papers, digital is now just as
important. Digital strategy varies
among smaller papers: Some
publications are embracing the latest
technology and offering multiple
formats to their readers while others
still focus primarily on print.
“Online numbers have climbed
to where daily visits compared
to circulation boast much higher
percentages than our online
advertising equates to our total ad
revenue percentage,” said Henline.
Their latest circulation numbers:
Almost 8,000, about a thousand
more than the population of Elkin
itself.
McBain described the Petoskey
News-Review’s website as “cuttingedge.” “We are doing 360 video,
we’re doing photo, augmented
reality, live broadcast, live concerts.”
He explained that about 80 percent
of their print articles are rewritten
for the Web for a “quick read,” then
enhanced with interactive graphics,
photo galleries and other Web-only
features.
“We’re a media company, no
longer just a newspaper,” said
Messerly.
Scott Matthew, senior advertising
representative of the Courier-Record,
told E&P, “We have a digital e-edition
of our newspaper, and we’ve dabbled
some in small local advertisers
purchasing banner ads on our
website. Our digital presence has
helped us increase our circulation
slightly, by several hundred, and
it allows a small extra source of
marginal advertising revenue.”
The Courier-Record didn’t even
have a website until 2014. “We
have some ads and we have a paid
subscriber site where you pay us $25
a year, you can get the paper sent
to you by email. We’ve got about
400 paid subscribers for that. It’s
a fraction of our print circulation,”
Coleburn said.
A digital edition is definitely
paying off for The Inter-Mountain.
“We offer our website as well as an
e-edition online daily,” Henline said.
“Nearly all of our content is behind
a paywall for subscribers, though
mobile alerts and other breakingnews features are not. Having a
digital option, which includes digitalonly, has helped to retain subscribers
we otherwise likely would have lost.”
When it comes to competing
with social media, Matthew said, “It
has become nearly impossible as a
weekly newspaper to cover breaking
news in the social media age, so we
now concentrate on bringing our
readers the most accurate story with
lesser-known details we as a media
source are able to obtain.”
Coleburn agreed. “My biggest
competitor is Facebook. We have to
grab people by the shoulders and
shake them and say, ‘Stop! Listen to
some facts and some well-researched
truth.’ And that’s harder and harder
to do.”
But Facebook is also a valuable
tool for any reporter. “It’s easier
to contact the wreck victim, the
newsmaker,” Coleburn said. “In
fact, I’m using Facebook right now.
We had a fugitive that went on the
run for 90 days after she allegedly
stole a lot of money. She’s free on
bond, and I’m gonna Facebook her
this afternoon and see if I can get an
interview.”
Built-In Advantages
Residents are eager for news
about their own communities,
which, increasingly, only local news
organizations can provide. According
to a 2013 study conducted by The
Reynolds Journalism Institute
on behalf of the NNA, about 67
percent of residents in small U.S.
communities read local newspapers
ranging from one to seven days a
week.
“Perhaps our greatest advantage
is we have content no one else does,”
said Henline.
Coleburn, whose father also
worked at the Courier-Record, is a
proud third-generation resident of
Blackstone. “Our paper’s staffed with
local people, so we’ve got strong
knowledge of the community and
the pecking order. Anybody can
come here and learn that pretty
quick. But when you write a story
about a building that burns down,
we can tell you what it originally
was, what family owned it, the whole
history of the building.”
He added that once upon a time,
he was intimidated by the nearest
big paper, the Richmond TimesDispatch. “It used to be, ‘Oh gosh,
the daily paper scooped us, so
there’s no point in doing the story.’
But a lot of my readers here in
Blackstone don’t even look at a daily
paper. Or they might miss it because
it’s on page B17.”
The Benefits of Being Small
The people who run smaller
newspapers point out there are
several advantages over their larger
colleagues, including lower overhead
and greater adaptability.
The Daily News’s Messerly said,
“I’ve worked at newspapers of all
sizes. The advantage we have in
Batavia versus our much larger
competitors is we’re smaller and
more nimble. We can get to market
faster with new ideas and adjust
faster to market conditions.”
At the Petoskey News-Review,
McBain said, “We’re faster…and we
understand the communities more
and we understand the readers a lot
more.” He also says that being small
also means more independence
and freedom from a “cookie cutter”
approach to news that might exist
at a national chain. “Not every
community is alike and what works
with one may not work in yours.”
And as the larger metro papers
operate with shrinking newsrooms,
many of the community newspapers
are stepping up to fill in the missing
local coverage readers want.
“The Associated Press doesn’t
have as much content anymore,
(and) as bigger publications wane
and stories don’t proliferate news
services, such as AP and Reuters,”
said Henline. “This has been
particularly difficult with regard
to our state coverage. Our smaller
community newspapers have had
to pick up the slack. We, along with
other smaller papers throughout the
state and our state press association,
have helped to bridge the coverage
and content gaps.”
Messerly added that providing
unique coverage alone is far from
the only consideration. “We can see
opportunities left open by larger
publications as they pull back in
some areas, but if there is truly an
opportunity to be had, it will most
likely be filled by an even smaller
competitor with much lower margins
needed to survive. Our focus needs
to be on constantly maximizing the
potential in the footprint we occupy
and react quickly and effectively to
any new opportunities within those
boundaries.”
Making Big Changes
Even in a small town like
Blackstone, where, as Coleburn
admitted, “things move slower,”
newspapers of all sizes have had
to adapt. For example, the CourierRecord just added a second ad sales
person to their staff.
Courier-Record’s Matthew named
a few more big changes: “Within the
last several years, we’ve switched
to a new printer, launched a digital
e-edition, closely analyzed and made
positive changes to our company’s
accounting, more closely analyzed
expenses and sought ways to cut
them, and reinvented our special
publications. All have paid off very
well.”
Meanwhile, Messerly reported at
the Daily News their biggest change
was in reducing the size of their
sales staff.
“We had a lot of turnover in
the last year, but it was necessary
turnover to have a team that now
buys in to the new process and
strategies we have going forward. We
lost some quality people, but they
See KNOLLE, next page
Page 13
Third Quarter 2016
Former NDNA executive dies in Minnesota at age 85
Gene Carr, 85, who operated
community newspapers in North
Dakota and Minnesota and spent
nearly 15 years as executive
director of the North Dakota
Newspaper Association, died
Sept. 10, 2016 at Cornerstone
Nursing and Rehab Center in
Bagley, Minn.
Gene was hired to manage
NDNA in 1971, and continued
in that role into 1985. In those
days the job included teaching
journalism classes at the
University of North Dakota.
Eugene G. Carr was born April
17, 1931 to Glenn and Marie
(Birkeland) Carr in Grand Forks.
He graduated from Warren, Minn.,
High School, then earned and
graduated from the University
of North Dakota with a degree in
journalism. He served in the U.S.
Army, receiving Korean Service
awards.
Gene married his high school
sweetheart, Adele Stewart, July 3,
1952.
Gene Carr
He was editor of the Oklee
Herald before and after the
Korean War.
In 1961 they purchased the
Hillsboro, ND, Banner, then added
the Hatton Free Press and Steele
County Press in Finley. They sold
the newspapers in 1971 when
Gene went to work at NDNA.
When he left NDNA he moved
to Minneapolis to run American
Newspaper Advertising Reps.
The Carr family purchased The
13 Towns newspaper in Fosston,
Minnesota in 1988 and sold it in
1997. He continued working for
the newspaper until 1999.
Gene was active in every
community he lived, and his
newspapers won numerous
awards. He was a tenor soloist in
Mound, Hillsboro, Grand Forks,
and Fosston church choirs. He
served on the city council in
Hillsboro and was a member of
the Masonic Lodge. In Fosston, he
was president of East Polk County
Heritage Society, a member of
Hope Lutheran Church and a
member of the Lengby VFW. He
was named “Person of the Year”
for his vision and coordination of
Fosston’s Annual Heritage Days
Celebration.
Surviving are his 4 children
David (Barb), Lengby, MN; Nancy
(Kip) Kaler, Fargo, ND; Susan
(Duane) Borgeson, Sartell, MN;
and Peter, Fosston, MN. He has 6
grandchildren, Elizabeth (Nathan)
Olson, Amanda (Jonathan) Voigt;
Grant, Greta and Mara Borgeson;
and Nicole Jones; 4 great
grandchildren, Kellen and Palmer
Olson and Kai Jones and Pyper
Reid. Also surviving are his sister,
Margaret Stolee, Plymouth, MN
and brother, Tom (Bobbie) Carr of
Monterey, CA. He was preceded in
death by his wife, Adele in 2002.
Funeral services were held
Friday, September 16 at Hope
Lutheran Church in Fosston with
Rev. Paul Magelssen officiating.
Interment was at Memorial
Park Cemetery in Grand Forks.
The Carlin-Hoialmen Funeral
Home of Fosston is in charge
of the arrangements. Messages
of condolence may be sent to
carlinhoialmen.com.
KNOLLE: Despite 'Gloom and Doom,' Newspapers Growing Stronger
just weren’t the right people for the
media company we are today.” He
boasts that the Batavia Newspaper
Corp. is now enjoying a three-year
growth curve.
Over at the Petoskey NewsReview, McBain restructured the
editorial stuff. “Last July, I split
the newsroom in half, with half on
print and the other half on digital.
It helped us out immensely. On the
print side, it’s allowed us to do more
investigative and watchdog stories.
Before, we had reporters trying to
do everything, trying to tweet while
trying to write a story. Now we’re
doing at least one enterprise story a
week and it used to be one a quarter.
It’s a monumental change in the way
we’re doing things that’s resulted
in upticks in numbers in print and
upticks in numbers online.”
McBain said that his paper has
been fine-tuning its news approach.
“We found out that national news
and world news, like AP, does not
work for our paper at all. We also
found that in our print side, the
short stories don’t really work for
our readership. They want more indepth reading.”
And with the split in his
newsroom team into print and digital
teams, some of the old news beats
had to go away. “We went through
analytics and reader focus groups
and data to make that decision. We
pulled back a lot on outlying areas
that only have populations in the
hundreds. We condensed our core
coverage area.”
McBain admitted there was some
blowback, but that having those
smaller communities send in press
releases and photos “smoothed
things over.”
A Bright Future
Not surprisingly, most of the
editors, publishers and ad people
E&P spoke with are convinced that
the future for newspapers remains
bright especially at their smaller
publications.
“Newspapers are alive and well,”
said Henline. “We are relevant and
vital to the communities we serve.
Our future is paved with a path of
services that continue to lift and
enhance the communities we serve
and to provide the stories no one
else can tell. These are our stories,
our people, our communities, our
commitment. Ultimately, we have not
abandoned them, and I don’t believe
our readership will abandon us.”
Coleburn also was optimistic
about the journalism industry. “I
know the product that we put out
and the manner in which we do it is
going to change. I’m buying movie
tickets on my phone and I’m like,
‘My god, what is the future of our
business?’ But they said the same
after radio, they said the same thing
with television. As long as you have
a story and information to provide
people and they trust you and
you do well, I’m naïve enough to
believe that you will stay in business
because your product will remain.
The form of that may change. It may
look different. But the stories are
still the same. They’re stories about
people, about events, controversies—
that has not changed.”
Third Quarter 2016
Page 14
Search Me:
What medium is used more
than Google?
The answer is …. wait for it, wait for it ….
NEWSPAPERS! Unbelievable? Not if you’re one
of the 131 million Americans who have read a daily
newspaper in the past week. In print and online,
newspapers deliver more customers in seven days
than Google does in a month (126 million),
according to Scarborough Research, 2013 R1.
Smithsonian Museum
Features Top Community
Newspaper and Families
Leading community newspapers
are featured in a new virtual exhibition by the Smithsonian National
Postal Museum. The exhibition,
“America’s Mailing Industry,” was
launched in a reception at the museum Sept. 13.
The National Newspaper Association developed the story of newspapers for the exhibit, working in
conjunction with the NNA Foundation and the Smithsonian staff.
Curators interviewed key publishers during the March 2015 NNA
Leadership Summit, and developed
the stories of their newspapers and
their use of the mail.
The exhibition is found at: http://
postalmuseum.si.edu/americasmailingindustry/.
Other industries included are
the direct mail, shipping, printing,
software and nonprofit sectors, all
of which rely upon the U.S. Postal
Service and which collectively
represent more than $1 trillion in
economic activity each year.
Allen Kane, director of the
museum, said: “America’s mailing
industry is quite possibly the most
successful government-private
sector partnership in our nation’s
history. We are excited to tell this
story, as most people don’t even
know the industry exists.”
The project will be expanded to
include on-site physical artifacts at
the Postal Museum’s Washington
site. The museum draws more than
1 million visitors a year. The digital
exhibitions bring in about 3 million
people a year.
More industry stories will be
added as resources permit, according to the museum.
“NNA and the NNA Foundation
are delighted to participate in this
excellent exhibition,” NNA President Chip Hutcheson, publisher
of The Times Leader, Princeton,
KY, said. “America’s community
newspapers play many roles in our
nation’s culture and economy, but
one role that is not always visible
is that we are mailers. The U.S.
Postal Service essentially links us
to our readers and supports our
communities, particularly in smalltown America. We depend upon
the mail, and the Postal Service
depends upon us to tell its story.
We hope many people will learn
from visiting this exhibition that
community newspapers are thriving and that they can be found in
the mailbox!”
Newspapers and newspaper
families featured in the exhibition
are:
 “The Budget,” Sugar Creek,
OH, whose story is told by the late
Publisher Keith Rathbun.
 “The News-Gazette,” Lexington, VA, whose story is told by
fourth generation Publisher Matthew Paxton IV.
 “The Nebraska Signal,” Geneva, NE, whose story is told by
fourth generation publisher John
Edgecombe Jr.
 “The Times Leader,” Princeton, KY, whose story is told by
John “Chip” Hutcheson, NNA president, who succeeded his father as
publisher.
 The Tom Mullen family, of
Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Ohio
and Washington state, who have
started, purchased and published
small-town newspapers for several
decades. Tom and his wife, Annie,
have been joined in the family by
sons Jesse, Louis and Lloyd, all
who are now active in the business.
If you’re not reading newspapers yet, remember it’s never too late to get in on a great
thing. And if you’re in business and want to reach the masses, there’s no better way to
reach a large fan base than through America’s daily and weekly newspapers.
Find out how. Call today for more information.
Your
logo
here
Source: Scarborough Research 2013, R1
Page 15
Third Quarter 2016
PLUM: What ever happened
to the sanctity of the mail?
PHONE CALLS
DIRECT MAIL
RADIO
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
PERSONAL VISIT
Voters believe newspapers are more
effective than TV, internet, direct mail, and
radio in helping them decide how to vote.
TV
ing those on the roundtable and
others in attendance that she is
aware that the Postal Service has
a systems problem. She also said
the Postal Service is a self-funded
entity that is trying to get back on
its feet and compete with social
media and other forms of mail
delivery.
The largest civilian employer of
veterans, Brennan called the Postal
Service a human organization that
delivers 450,000,000 items a day.
She commented that her younger
brother is a mailman and he lets
her know there are still problems.
Heitkamp and Brennan expressed their commitment to
making mail delivery in North
Dakota better. The senator urged
people to keep posting on her Fix
My Mail survey, while the postmaster general shared a new customer
service program called Your Mail
Matters. Everyone can share issues
with the Postal Service via email at
[email protected] or by
calling 605-333-2648, a customer
service line managed and operated
by the Postal Service District Office in Sioux Falls, SD.
While it felt good to be able
to air concerns to the “one in
charge,” it may take a while before
improvements are noticeable. One
Postal Service manager stated
after the meeting that, “Things are
better now that the new sorting
center is up and running in Fargo.”
I told him there hasn’t been any
improvement and that he really
needs to look over the information
in the binder.
Will rural mail delivery in North
Dakota and other states improve
because of this roundtable meeting? Not in the near future.
I believe that right now, the
best thing newspapers can do
is to be a constant “thorn in the
side” of the Postal Service. We can
also contact our congressmen and
women and ask them to vote for
helping the Postal Service with the
huge financial burden they are
under.
If the government can bail out
the automobile industry, home
mortgage industry, etc., why can’t
they help the Postal Service before
it gets to a bail out situation?
I, for one, would like the Postal
Service go back to its main service
-- delivering the mail. Instead, they
are spending time trying to make
money by competing in markets
they don’t need to be in.
Maybe if they had some help
with the $55 billion for the retiree
health care fund, they could focus
on improving their main service.
NEWSPAPERS
. . am your worst nightmare” and
ended the introduction with a sincere “Welcome to North Dakota.”
Among the items in the binder
that I went into more detail on
was a letter from a subscriber who
had been tracking the receipt of
her Benson County Farmers Press
since May of 2015. I asked Brennan to please make it a point to
contact the subscriber, who has
threatened to cancel her subscription if delivery of her newspaper
doesn’t improve.
Other items included neighbors
two houses apart who get the
same newspaper on different days
or one of them not at all; a post
office calling the “new” sorting
center in West Fargo looking for
the newspapers it was required to
send for sorting and being told the
bags were sitting in a corner and
would be sent out later; the impact
on the state of the Postal Service’s
decision to take sorting capabilities away from four of North
Dakota’s main post offices; and
the frustration felt by newspaper
people when a paper is returned
as “Unable to Forward” or “No
Such Number” and the subscriber
has lived at that address for many
years.
“We have to pay almost 60
cents for each paper returned and
either the return is weeks late and
the address has already been fixed
or the address is fine and a postal
worker messed up,” I told Brennan. “Why do we have to pay for
your mistakes?”
Brennan also heard from ND
Legislature Minority Leader and
District 4 Representative Kenton
Ohnstad of Parshall and Representative Robert Skarphol of Tioga
from District 2. One of the headlines the morning of the roundtable was about tribal members
of the Fort Berthold Reservation
not receiving their monthly checks
because they had all been returned
by the Postal Service.
Attorney Greg Hennessy of
Williston talked about certified
letters not getting to their destination and asked the postmaster
general what he should do since
the law requires certain legal
forms be mailed that way.
Other issues brought to Brennan’s attention included inconsistency in the time of day mail is
delivered to homes, the perceived
disregard for customer service and
the lack of accountability on the
local level.
Brennan addressed the issues by referring them to District
Manager Stephens and by assur-
The source voters relied on
most for information on:
Congress
Candidates
Newspaper
Internet
Word of Mouth
TV
Radio
Direct Mail
Outdoor
25%
23%
17%
22%
6%
3%
1%
State
Local
Ballot
Candidates Candidates Measures
29%
21%
21%
17%
7%
2%
1%
27%
18%
31%
13%
7%
3%
1%
35%
24%
17%
11%
6%
4%
1%
www.ndna.com
www.facebook.com/NorthDakotaNewspaperAssoc
701-223-6397
Source: 2014 survey conducted by Newton Marketing & Research
Third Quarter 2016
Page 16
N.D. Newspaper Assoc. to host gubernatorial debate
Candidates for the governor of North Dakota will
be asked to roll up their sleeves and leave their ties at
home when they participate in an Oct. 3 debate sponsored by NDNA.
Democrat Marvin Nelson, Libertarian Marty Riske
and Republican Doug Burgum have agreed to participate in the debate at 7 p.m. Oct. 3 at the Belle Mehus
Auditorium in downtown Bismarck.
Harvey Brock, publisher of The Dickinson Press,
will moderate the debate, and panelists questioning
the candidates will be Mike Jacobs, retired publisher
of the Grand Forks Herald, and Sara Plum, editor of
papers in Minnewaukan and Lakota.
A story and photo from the debate will be available for use by NDNA member newspapers courtesy of
Forum News Service. Newspaper readers from across
the state are being invited to submit suggestions for
questions, and the event will include time for the candidates to question one another.
Marvin Nelson
Marty Riske
Doug Burgum
Monilaws named to NDNA Education Foundation Board
Tom Monilaws, general manager of the Traill
County Tribune, has been appointed to the
board of directors of the North Dakota Newspaper Association Education Foundation.
He replaces Allan Burke, publisher emeritus
of the Emmons County Record in Linton, who
resigned.
After two terms on the NDNA board he
moved onto the executive committee, serving as
president of the association in 2014.
Monilaws previously served on the foundation board as a representative of NDNA while he
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was first vice president, president and past president of the
association.
He has been general manager of the Traill County Tribune
for 15 years.
Aaron Becher, general
manager of The Forum of
Fargo-Moorhead, is president
of the foundation.
Tom Monilaws
Vice president is Steve Listopad, student media advisor at Valley City State
University.
Other directors are Tony Bender, publisher of
newspapers in Ashley and Wishek; Daryl Hill, retired marketing manager for Basin Electric; Mike
Gackle, president of BHG Inc. in Garrison; Terry
Schwartzenberger, publisher of the Napoleon
Homestead; Jim Fleming, director of the North
Dakota Child Support Enforcement Division;
Jack McDonald, a media attorney in Bismarck;
Cecile Wehrman, who publishes newspapers
in Crosby and Tioga; and Sara Plum, editor of
newspapers in Minnewaukan and Lakota.