SCPA Bulletin - South Carolina Press Association

SCPA Bulletin
www.scpress.org
[email protected]
South Carolina Press Association
P.O. Box 11429, Columbia, SC 29211 · (803) 750-9561
FEBRUARY 2009
Myrtle Beach meeting set March 13-15 SCPA access saves
members $1,600
Hotel deadline Feb. 18
In these tough times, it isn’t easy to find
in rap sheet checks
something to cheer about. Honoring your
contest winners at this year’s SCPA Winter
Meeting gives you that opportunity. And
we have very low banquet rates and a
great room rates for attendees of the Winter Meeting and Awards Presentation, to
be held at the Myrtle Beach Hilton Resort
March13-15.
Along with the Weekly and Associate Awards Luncheon and Hall of Fame
Presentation, and the Daily Awards Dinner,
SCPA will host a variety of activities for its
members during the weekend.
The program features an opening reception Friday night at Ripley’s Aquarium and
a group dinner at Margaritaville, both at
Broadway at the Beach. Saturday’s activities will include a roundtable discussion
and southern breakfast buffet, a session
by newspaper design consultant Ed Hen-
ninger on “Design in Tough Times” and
a panel discussion on the importance of
newspapers staying relevant in communities today. On Sunday, SCPA hosts a golf
outing at The Dunes Golf and Beach Club.
The SCPA room rate is $119 , and all rooms
have an ocean view balcony. The deadline
to make your reservation is Feb. 18.
For a complete schedule and
registration info visit www.scpress.org or
see page 7.
During the first five weeks of partnering with SLED to run criminal background
checks for news stories, SCPA has helped
save its members more than $1,600.
Since Jan. 8, SCPA staff members have
been able to run checks free of charge.
Last October, SLED stopped waiving the
$25 per check fee for media because of
staff cuts.
“We’re glad that SLED was able to work
with us to provide these checks free of
charge,“ SCPA Executive Director Bill Rogers said.
Rogers thanked SLED Chief Reggie Lloyd
for working this out. He also asks reporters to call during working hours except in
emergencies.
For more info on SLED checks, call (803)
750-9561.
Defense attorneys invite media to cover deposition of reporter
In a rare if not unprecedented case,
defense attorneys subpoenaed a reporter
from one newspaper for a deposition in a
criminal case, and then invited a competing newspaper to cover his testimony.
The deposition of The Sun News reporter
David Wren lasted nearly five hours last
month and another two hours this week, and
sought information on how Wren gained
design
information in breaking a story about the
alleged theft of funds from the Five Rivers
Community Development Corporation.
SCPA Attorney Jay Bender says he knows
of past instances where the press has
sought access to a deposition, and that
request is almost uniformly rejected.
“All the more astonishing that this was
a deposition in a criminal case,” he added.
“This is highly unusual.”
InDesign & Good Design
Workshop
See page 14
Thursday, Feb. 26 • 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. • SCPA Offices, Columbia
Bender said that while courts are open,
depositions are typically in preparation for
a trial and there is no right of access.
Defense attorneys Charlie Condon, a former S.C. Attorney General now in private
practice, and Hemphill Pride invited The
Georgetown Times to cover the deposition
Jan. 23.
Please See DEPOSITION page 2
7: Meeting Register for the Winter
Meeting and Awards Presentation
Inside
MYRTLE BEACH
12: Stats Web site stats build
advertiser trust
15: Scam Beware relay caller scams
in advertising
Page 2 • February 2009 • S.C. Press Association Bulletin
Deposition
for much of that time he was alone in the
Solicitor’s Office conference room.
“You were left alone with evidence?”
Condon asked. That drew an objection
from attorney George Redman, representing Wren and the Sun News.
Redman said calling the information
“evidence” was a “mischaracterization.”
He said they were public documents
questioning.”
This did not sit well with Pride, who did
not get a chance to question Wren. Pride,
“A cynical person might say this rare
in his motion filed last week, said his clitactic was a PR ploy more than a legal
ent “has been severely prejudiced in the
strategy,” said SCPA Executive Director
preparation” of her case by Wren’s “refusal
Bill Rogers. He added that this was a case
to be questioned.”
where the reporter’s shield law might have
He also described Redman’s demeanor at
helped.
the deposition as “outrageous, cavalier and
“And I find it amazing that the
draconian.”
former Attorney General of our
Pride says in the filing “the rights
nd I find it amazing that the former Attorney
state knows so little about the
of the press cannot and do not take
General of our state knows so little about
FOIA that he would think a writprecedence over the right of the dethe
FOIA
that he would think a written request is
ten request is required for a pubfendant to prepare her defense.” He
lic agency to release information,
required for a public agency to release information, asked the court to allow him to ask
which was part of his argument
which was part of his argument at the deposition.” Wren about “how (he) might have
at the deposition,” Rogers said.
been coached for both deposition
– Bill Rogers, SCPA Executive Director
Five Rivers’ Beulah White and
sessions,” the documents state.
her daughter Dayo White – the
On Feb. 4, the judge ordered “the
two women charged with the alresumption of the deposition of
leged theft – watched from just feet away
Wren was examining. Since it was a deposi- Mr. Wren so Mr. Pride can ask questions on
as Wren answered a barrage of questions
tion, there was no judge to determine who behalf of his client,” the order states.
asked by Condon, Dayo White’s attorney.
was correct.
During the second deposition held
Condon said it is very unusual for a
Wren said he supplied the paper for the
earlier this week, Pride seemed to go after
deposition to be taken in a criminal trial.
approximately 1,500 copies he made durWren’s credibility by veering away from
None of the attorneys could recall a time a
ing the two days so there was no charge
asking about the documents. He asked if
reporter was deposed about how informaby the Solicitor’s Office for the use of the
Wren had ever been arrested or if he has a
tion for a story was obtained.
photocopier.
Confederate flag on his vehicle.
Five Rivers Chief Financial Officer Dayo
“They didn’t charge you anything for the
Wren’s attorney, George Redman, quickly
White – charged with nine felonies related
ink and toner?” Condon asked to which
jumped in with an objection and ordered
to misuse of Five Rivers’ money – is schedWren replied “no.”
his client not to answer because it was iruled for trial in March. Her mother’s trial
Wren said he visited the Solicitor’s Office
relevant and beyond the scope of quesdate has not been set.
on two other occasions – in September
tioning ordered by the court.
The deposition of Wren, who wrote his
2007 and this past August to collect inforBoth sessions took place outside the
first story on the allegations in August
mation for follow up stories.
courtroom, but their questions suggest
2006, was ordered to be held by Judge
Wren also said he no longer has some
some of the avenues that Columbia-based
Steven John after concerns were raised by
of the documents he collected from Five
attorneys Condon and Pride may pursue in
White’s attorney at a hearing last month.
Rivers in August 2006, which led to the first their defense of the Whites.
At the January hearing, Pride said Wren
story being written. He said Brown called
“The best strategy in these cases is to
should have never been given any of the
and asked for the documents, so he gave
move to quash the subpoena,” Bender said.
documents because he made a verbal, not
them to him. Because those documents
“Thanks to our Reporter’s Shield Law, it is
written, FOIA request. He said state law
were used by Wren, some of them have
highly unusual to have a reporter comrequires written FOIA requests be issued.
notes he wrote even though they are now
pelled to testify.”
Wren said it was not uncommon for him
in the files of the SoliciIntroducing...
to make such requests verbally. He said he
tor’s Office.
has made verbal requests of the Solicitor’s
After Wren had been
Office and other agencies many times.
grilled for four hours by
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of financial records in late 2006. He said
to hours and hours of
Continued from page 1
“A
February 2009 • S.C. Press Association Bulletin • Page 3
FOI Briefs
Ga. newspaper
resolves police
records dispute
The Savannah (Ga.) Morning News has
settled a dispute with Savannah-Chatham
County police over public access to police
reports after the department agreed to
post a daily list of all reports on its Web
site.
The agreement resolves a complaint
the newspaper made to Attorney General Thurbert Baker last month accusing
the police department of violating the
Georgia Open Records Act by suspending unfiltered access to daily incident
reports.
For years, Savannah police compiled
copies of the latest reports, which are
public records by law and total about 300
daily, and kept them on a clipboard at the
front desk. Combing through the reports
for news stories was a daily ritual for police
reporters.
The department discontinued the clipboard Dec. 24, as it began converting to a
paperless, electronic system.
While copies of individual crime
reports could still be obtained at police
headquarters, there was no comprehensive list available to the media and
general public.
Under an agreement reached Feb. 2,
Savannah police will post a comprehensive list of the latest reports – including
all reported incidents, including traffic
accidents and false alarms – each morning
on the department’s Web site. The list will
detail the type of crime, date and neighborhood for each.
S.C. State won’t
release warning
South Carolina State University President
Dr. George Cooper said he won’t publicly
release a letter from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools outlining why
the university was placed under warning in
December.
“It’s our issue to respond to,” Cooper said
during a phone interview with The Times
and Democrat in Orangeburg. He classified
the contents of the letter as an institutional
matter.
Cooper added he would keep stakeholders informed about the process.
SACS announced in December that S.C.
State would be placed on a 12-month
warning for failing to comply with five
SACS standards.
Cooper said the university and its board
will take the necessary steps to address the
noncompliance issues.
SACS President Dr. Belle Whalen said
S.C. State isn’t required to make the letter
public. SACS is a private organization and
doesn’t have to comply with the S.C. Freedom of Information Act.
But as a public institution, S.C. State is
subject to FOIA, SCPA Executive Director
Bill Rogers said.
“If there are accreditation problems, the
public needs to know about that. It shouldn’t
be kept in the back room,” Rogers said.
The Times and Democrat has submitted an
FOIA request to S.C. State for that information.
•••
An item was added to the Spartanburg
School District 7 board meeting’s agenda at
the start of the meeting, which according to
SCPA Attorney Jay Bender, was illegal.
School District 7 has agreed to pay the
Country Club of Spartanburg $200,000 up
front and then $5,000 per year for 25 years
so the high-school golf team can practice
on the club’s course.
Complete agendas must be posted at
least 24 hours in advance of a meeting,
Bender said, to allow proper public notice.
Superintendent Thomas White said that
the November vote was not an attempt to
hide anything.
“Our board has acted in good faith and
attempted to be transparent and still
protect the confidentiality of contractual
matters prior to their authorization,” White
said. “If there has been a mistake somewhere along the line, it certainly was not
intentional.”
The newly signed contract allows junior
varsity girls and boys teams and varsity
girls and boys teams (about 50 students)
to use the course and allows the district to
put signs at the course. The contract also
gives District 7 priority over other K-12
teams at the Country Club of Spartanburg.
“No other public team will be able to use
that facility as their home course,” White said.
The only districts now paying for use of a
golf course are District 4, which pays about
$360 per year at Three Pines Country Club,
and District 6, which pays about $1,000 to
Carolina Country Club.
FOIA
Let SCPA
attorney Jay
Bender answer
your libel,
FOI or media
legal question
via e-mail.
This service is
only available
to SCPA
members.
Visit the Members Only section of
www.scpress.org.
Letting the light
shine on
government
The Public Official’s Guide to Compliance with South Carolina’s Freedom of Information Act is available
as a free download in PDF format
from SCPA’s Web site: www.scpress.
org. A printed version is also available for $1.50 per copy. To order, call
(803) 750-9561.
Page 4 • February 2009 • S.C. Press Association Bulletin
SCPA president looks back on year, career
As Bill Rogers, executive director of the S.C.
Press Association, reminded me, it’s time for
my “goodbye” column as
president of the association.
And he also pointed out,
this is a chance to write a
farewell column to my col- By Harry
Logan
leagues across the state.
SCPA President
I will retire in April
as regional editor for
Carolina Publishing, which includes being
editor of the Morning News in Florence and
as the news executive responsible for the
four weeklies Media General owns under
the publishing group – the Star & Enterprise
in Marion; The Observer in Hemingway; the
News & Post in Lake City; and the Messenger
in Hartsville.
It’s a career that I was exposed to long
before college, because I grew up in a
newspaper family on both sides.
My grandfather on my mother’s side for
whom I am named, Harry Legare Watson,
was the owner and editor of the IndexJournal in Greenwood.
I remember the visits to the office , its
distinctive smell and watching my aunt,
Margaret Watson, pound out stories on her
typewriter smoking unfiltered Pall Malls.
My mother, Virginia Watson Logan,
worked in advertising at Evening Post
Publishing long before I was born. And
before convergence was even a word, she
had a companion radio show “Shopping
with Virginia.”
She met my father, W. Hampton Logan,
while working in Charleston.
My great grandfather on my father’s side,
Roswell T. Logan, was telegraph editor of
the News & Courier in the late 1800s.
I feel privileged to have been a part of
the profession as well.
Now it’s the end of a ride that began
for me professionally as an intern at
The State newspaper in the summer of
1968 and continued there in the spring
of 1969 through that summer and full
time at The Columbia Record in August
of 1970.
I stayed at that paper until moving to The
State as an assistant managing editor.
I left The State in August of 2001, where
I was deputy managing editor, to come to
Florence as editor.
There are too many to name, but I have
been privileged to have worked for and
with some of the finest journalists in the
country.
And through the press association I have
been exposed to many others.
It’s been exciting to see them advance in
our profession or in related fields.
And I have had a window to a world
that has seen some amazing changes and
events in my 41-year career.
When I started, newspapers were produced on typewriters, linotype machines
(hot metal) and letter presses.
Now we report the news 24 hours a day
on Web sites where we produce video,
slide shows, audio and much more.
And we still produce a print product that
is the core of our existence.
Neither I nor anyone knows where we
are headed for sure as the method of transmitting news and information continues to
evolve.
But one thing has remained the same
and is still the reason we, journalists,
exist.
The press association will gather in
Myrtle Beach on the weekend of March 13
and 14, to celebrate great journalism.
That’s what we are about.
I don’t think the importance of that will
ever go away.
And that’s why I think this association
is so important – to recognize great work
and to lobby and serve as a voice for our
industry.
I thank everyone for the faith they
showed by electing me president in what
has certainly been a trying year for all of us.
I will serve the next year as the group’s
immediate past president and as a member of the S.C. Press Association Foundation Board.
But in the next few weeks, for the first
time in many years, I won’t have a deadline to meet, a phone to answer or the
challenge of producing a quality product
under incredible stress.
I know I’ll miss parts of it. And others I
won’t.
But I will continue to enjoy the amazing work that journalists do and be
thankful for it.
I hope to see lots of you at the beach to
tell you goodbye in person.
If not, I’ll drop by for a visit and see if you
can buy me lunch.
Winter Meeting Hotel Info
This year’s meeting will be held at the Hilton Myrtle Beach
Resort. The SCPA room rate is $119 per night for a single or
double room. Each room has a private balcony and ocean view.
For details on how to make reservations, call Michelle at (803)
750-9561 or visit www.scpress.org.
To ensure you receive the SCPA room rate, you must make your
reservations before Wednesday, Feb. 18.
February 2009 • S.C. Press Association Bulletin • Page 5
People & Papers
Georgetown
hires editor
Bob Piazza, a former editor at the
Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch, has been
named the Georgetown Times’ executive
editor for print and online.
Piazza worked as a reporter then editor
at the Richmond paper from 1993 to 2006.
Before that, he reported for the Greenville
News.
“This new position is charged with a
corporate initiative to develop a more
platform-integrated news department,”
Georgetown Times Publisher John Carr said.
“Being chosen for this initiative is an enormous feather in the cap for our newsroom.
“This will mean that additional effort and
attention is steered toward ramping up
our online efforts. All of our products are
core products now. All complement one
another.”
Piazza has master’s degrees in journalism
and business administration. He comes
to the Georgetown paper following a
two-year stint as publisher of the Chowan
Herald in Edenton, N.C.
Lake City names
Tomlinson editor
Lake City native Charles Tomlinson has
joined the News & Post’s staff as editor.
He previously worked as a reporter at the
Morning News, which, along with the News
& Post, is operated by Media General.
Tomlinson received a bachelor’s degree
in journalism in 2004 from the University
of South Carolina, where he served as editor in chief of the student newspaper, The
Gamecock. He began his journalism career
as an intern at the Morning News in 2003
and joined the staff full-time as a copy editor in fall 2004.
He also attended Lake City High School
and has family members living in the Lake
City, Kingstree and Florence areas
•••
David Williams, Oconee County news
bureau chief for the Anderson Independent-Mail, has been named the newspaper’s city editor, the second-ranking
editor in the newsroom.
Williams, 57, spent
nearly 10 years based in
Seneca as a reporter and
news bureau manager
in charge of the paper’s
Oconee-Pickens coverage.
Williams had served as
interim editor since early
October, filling the responsibilities of former Editor
Don Kausler, who left the
Independent-Mail.
Williams is a 1974
graduate of Auburn
University, with a degree
in journalism. He has
worked at newspapers
in Alabama, Georgia
and South Carolina. He
is former editor of the
Seneca Journal-Tribune,
managing editor of the
Rome (Ga.) News-Tribune
and editor of the Walker
Reporter Rob Novit of The Aiken Standard takes notes
County Messenger in
during the Covering Local Government and School
LaFayette, Ga. He has
Board Finances workshop on Feb. 5, in downtown Coalso been editor of the
lumbia. Attendees studied the impact of Act 388.
Valley Times-News in
Lanett, Ala., and worked
with the Opelika-Auburn News and the
Every Landmark employee will take one unAlumnews, Auburn University’s alumni
paid day off a month for the next five months.
newspaper.
Landmark owns The Lancaster News,
•••
Carolina Gateway, Chester News and ReOur state has lost several newspapers in
porter and the Pageland Progressive-Journal
these difficult times.
in South Carolina.
The Anderson Journal stopped publish•••
ing Jan. 31. It had a free circulation of
Toya Graham has joined the Fort Mill
about 14,000 and was published weekly.
Times staff as an assistant editor.
Its sister publications, The Journals in
Most recently, Graham was a reporter
Greenville and Spartanburg, continue to
covering the crime and courts beats for the
publish.
The Herald, the Times’ sister daily.
The Dutch Fork Chronicle, an associate
She started her career at The Herald in
member newspaper published monthly in
2001 as a community reporter. She later
Prosperity, has also ceased publication. It
was assigned the western York County
had a circulation of 5,500.
beat.
Efforts to reach the Sumter Herald have
She has attended York Technical College
been unsuccessful for some time and
and Winthrop University. In addition to
their phone has been disconnected. It
her editing duties at the Times, Graham
was a free paper with circulation of
will also serve as the paper’s primary
10,000.
reporter.
•••
She takes over those duties from reporter
Landmark Community Newspapers emJonathan Allen, who has been promoted
ployees are taking furloughs to cut back on to editor of the Enquirer Herald, the Times’
expenses until the economy picks back up. sister weekly.
Page 6 • February 2009 • S.C. Press Association Bulletin
Applications
Exhibit honors leading lady of journalism
for design grants
being accepted
Design grants worth thousands of dollars
are available immediately to small and
community newspapers.
The grant program has been developed
by Ed Henninger, Director of Henninger
Consulting and a frequent contributor to
the SCPA Bulletin.
The program is an effort to reach out to
publishers and editors at small newspapers
– especially those who believe their newspapers can't afford professional design
assistance. Ultimately, the objective is to
bring a new level of design, direction and
distinction to those papers that qualify.
"Over the past couple of years, I have
repeatedly heard from editors and publishers that they could not afford design help
for their newspapers. I know that's not true
– and this grant program is my commitment to prove that," Henninger said.
The Francis A. Henninger Grant Program
is named for Henninger's father, Francis
A. Henninger, who believed in hard work,
commitment to family and giving to others
without any desire for recognition.
The grant is a way for small newspapers
to benefit from the work of an award-winning designer at a significantly reduced investment. Each grant is considered on such
criteria as staff size, cycle and circulation.
Applications for the grant are being accepted now. The application form is only
two sides of one sheet of paper and can be
completed in less that five minutes.
"I'm on a mission," said Henninger. "I want to
bring newspaper design excellence to even
the smallest of newspapers. Even if you're
happy with the look of your newspaper, you
probably know some other editors or publishers who would be interested in this opportunity. Please pass the word and welcome them
to contact us. With the Francis A. Henninger
Grant Program, we can help them create a
newspaper that will attract more readership
and increased advertising revenue."
For information, visit www.henningerconsulting.com, e-mail Henninger at edh@
henningerconsulting.com or call (803)
327-3322. A limited number of grants will
be awarded each year.
The Aiken County Historical Museum has
an exhibit in the Ladies of Aiken County
room honoring North Augusta’s leading
lady of journalism.
An exhibit on Miriam “Mim” Woodring
will be on display during February.
The Woodrings owned the The (North
Augusta) Star from 1954 to 1998, during
which time Mim served as associate editor
and later as editor. The couple were named
the North Augusta Chamber of Commerce’s Citizens of the Year in 1972.
She was the first woman elected to the
board of the South Carolina Press Association and served as president of the Association’s Women’s Division. She received
an honorary doctorate from the University
of South Carolina Aiken and received the
North Augusta Chamber of Commerce’s
first Business Woman of the Year award
in 2000. She received the North Augusta
Exchange Club’s Golden Deeds award for
community service in 2002. Woodring was
elected to three terms on Aiken County
Council representing District 4, and served
one year as Council’s vice chairman. She
is a member and chairman of the Aiken
County Board of Trustees and serves on the
Boards of Directors of the North Augusta
Board of Health, the North Augusta Health
Center and the North Augusta Chamber of
Commerce.
PLAQUE ORDERS
Order by Feb. 18, 2009 and
get your plaques at the
discounted rate of $12!
To make sure we have enough plaques for 2nd and 3rd place winners, please order your plaques now
to be picked up at the SCPA Winter Meeting in Myrtle Beach, on March 14. First place plaques will be
engraved as usual. Second and third place winners will not get a mounted certificate unless they order
a plaque. There will also be a limited number of plaques available for purchase at the 2009 Winter
Meeting in Myrtle Beach for $15 each. After the Winter Meeting, plaques may be purchased for the
regular price of $20 each (including shipping). Please note: the plaque insert size is 6” x 8”.
Newspaper
Number of
Plaques
Price ($15; $20 after Winter Meeting)
Total
Payment
☐ Check enclosed $_____ Bill my: ☐ Visa ☐ Mastercard
Name
Card #
Credit card billing address with city, state and Zip
Exp. Date
V-code
Cardholder Signature
Please return this form with payment to: SCPA • P.O. Box 11429 • Columbia, SC 29211 • Fax: (803) 551-0903
March 13-15, 2009 • Myrtle Beach
Schedule of Events
Friday
6:00 – 7:15
7:30
8:30 – 9:45
10:00 – 10:45
11:00 – 11:45
Saturday
Opening Reception, Ripley’s Aquarium, Broadway at the Beach
Optional Group Dinner, Margaritaville, Broadway at the Beach
Roundtable Breakfast
Design in Tough Times with Ed Henninger
Panel Discussion “Staying Relevant,” with Trisha O’Connor of The Sun News in Myrtle Beach,
Jack Osteen of The Item in Sumter and Tay Smith of The Press and Standard in Walterboro.
SCPA Business Meeting
Weekly and Associate Member Awards Luncheon and Hall of Fame Presentation
AP News Council Meeting
President’s Reception
Daily Awards Dinner
SCPA at Broadway at the Beach
Shuttles will be running to and from the Hilton and Broadway at the Beach from 9 p.m. – 2 a.m.
Optional Golf, The Dunes Club
11:45
12:00
4:00 – 5:00
6:00 – 7:15
7:15
9:00
Sunday
8:45
Newspaper Name
Contact Name
Address
Phone Number and Ext.
City, State and Zip Code
E-Mail Address
Fri.
Print Name
(As it will appear on name badge)
Sat.
Sun.
Group
Dinner at
Design
Weekly
Daily
Check Opening Margaritaville Roundtable in Tough Staying
Awards
AP
Awards
here if Reception (Pay on your Breakfast
Times Relevant Luncheon Members Dinner Golf Total per
Spouse
$15
own)
$25
Included Included
$25
Meeting
$45
$120 person
Fees for sessions are included with Luncheon or Dinner Registration.
☐ Check Enclosed
☐ Bill my credit card as follows: ☐ Visa
☐ Mastercard
Total Amount Due $____________
Total Amount $_______
Name as it appears on card
Card Billing address with City/State/Zip Code
Card Number
Cardholder Signature
V-Number (3 Digit Code on Back)
Exp. Date
Fax this completed form to SCPA at (803) 551-0903.
To be included in the program, registration information must be returned by Friday, March 6, 2009.
For hotel reservation information and more details on this year’s meeting, please visit www.scpress.org.
If you have not received an e-mail confirmation within five days, please contact SCPA.
Page 8 • February 2009 • S.C. Press Association Bulletin
Lists, records: important copy in your newspaper
Records copy is an
to be given typographic treatment that
CONSIDER EXTRA SPACING: How about
important part of the
makes each of them stand out from the
putting an open line of space between the
content of every comothers – while not attributing any hiitems? It makes the list even easier to skim.
munity newspaper. We
erarchy so that one item appears more
CONSIDER BOLD LEAD-INS: This gives
use it in items such as
important.
the beginning of each item just a bit
police and fire reports,
Here are some tips:
more punch. It helps if you’ve started the
calendars and the like.
USE SANS SERIF: It helps to differentiate item with a couple of words describing
Without records
list copy from your standard body text.
the event, such as: “Car show” or “Yard
copy, our readers
GO FLUSH LEFT: Again, it’s different
sale.”
By Ed
would be much less
from body copy – but flush left also is
CONSIDER COLUMN RULES: They can
Henninger
informed. Yes, they’d
more forgiving when you’ve got to list long give the package a bit more support and
Henninger is
have our stories and
names of groups or events.
stability.
an independent
photos and our reports
USE A REVERSE INDENT: It’s differYou may not consider lists and records
newspaper
on what’s going on in
ent from text and it helps to inject some
the most important content in your newsconsultant
and director
the community – but
needed negative space into long columns
paper. But many of your readers would
of Henninger
they wouldn’t have inof lists.
disagree – and they would want you to
Consulting in
formation that is often
DON’T SKIMP ON SIZE: True, your lists
give that content proper display.
Rock Hill
crucial to day-to-day
may not be Pulitzer Prize caliber writing,
living. They wouldn’t have school lunch
but the content is critical to many readMORE INFORMATION
ED HENNINGER is an independent newspaper
menus. YMCA workout listings. Support
ers. Don’t make these packages difficult to
consultant and the Director of Henninger Consulting,
group meetings. Senior citizen health
read – especially for older subscribers.
offering comprehensive newspaper design services,
including redesigns, staff training, workshops and
screening.
ALIGN TO A BASELINE: It makes your
evaluations. You can reach him at: 803-327-3322.
And they wouldn’t be aware of the fun
lists easier to read – and easier for you to
E-mail: [email protected]. On the web:
www.henningerconsulting.com
stuff that’s coming up in town: Arts and
place on the page.
crafts shows. Church ice cream
socials. Summer reading programs. Garden club shows.
Most of this content is
handled in the form of lists:
paragraph after paragraph of
tightly written items, notices
and calendar events. And it
needs to be given a different
typographic approach because
it’s not read in the same way as
your stories.
Typical news stories tend to
be written in a linear fashion:
point b follows point a and is
itself followed by point c, etc.
Records and lists are organized,
also – mostly by date – but the
items are usually not connected
in any way.
Lists and records are not
“read” so much as they are
skimmed. Readers tend to
breeze through a half dozen
Register to win 6 months of free access to the latest sales-generating
or more items until they find
one that interests them. Then
ideas that will help grow your business—even during a recession.
they may skip ahead another
Visit www.recas.com/recession to register.
few items, stopping again at
another one that piques their
Questions? 800.245.9278, ext. 5324 • [email protected]
interest.
So lists and records need
Looking for recession-proof ad dollars?
February 2009 • S.C. Press Association Bulletin • Page 9
Free tools to add spice to newspaper Web sites
As we say in Tennessee, we are “smack
dab in the middle” of
convention season.
Here in the states,
most press associations
conduct their conventions sometime between
late January and late
By Kevin
April. In Canada, they
Slimp
tend to come a little later,
Institute of
around April and May.
Newspaper
Technology
As convention season
approaches, I tend to do
a lot of research to prepare new information.
Last week, in Indianapolis, I addressed the
publishers of the state on my latest topic
titled, “Online Journalism II: The Sequel.”
Over the past two years, my most requested convention topic has been related
to converging media. Now that media has
converged, it seems like the right time to
take a look at where we are and where
we’re headed. During my research over the
past few months, I’ve become increasingly
aware of the changes that have overtaken
our industry in a short period of time.
Online newspapers, rare just a few years
ago, are now the norm. Audio slideshows
and videos, unheard of on newspaper sites
three years ago, are now the norm.
As many of you have shared with me, trying to keep up with the options available
to online newspapers is nearly impossible.
In my research, I’ve come across several
tools, available to newspapers of all sizes,
that could take your Web site to the next
level. Here are two of them:
Publish2.com
When the news broke of Illinois governor Blagojevich’s arrest, Chicago Tribune
complemented their extensive original
reporting with a roundup of coverages
from journalists and blogs around the Web.
The Tribune used a Publish2 newsgroup to
dynamically update the page as the story
evolved, creating one of the most popular
collections of Blagojevich news on the Web.
What does this mean to a paper that
doesn’t have the staff of Chicago Tribune?
The same thing it meant to them. Publish2 is free to journalists and newsrooms.
Select a topic and see a listing of what
others are writing. If you see something of
interest, include it on your own Web site or,
if you want to automate the operation, Publish2 stories and blogs can
be updated automatically.
Angela Dice is Web editor and
food lover at the Kitsup Sun in
Kitsup County, Washington. On the
newspaper Web site, she writes,
“In addition to cooking and eating,
I also find myself reading a lot of
great articles and blog posts elsewhere on the Internet. I run across
interesting food tidbits, recipes and
more, and I get so excited by some
of them that I want to share. So, as
a way to share some of the more
interesting things I’m reading, I’m
using this tool for journalists called
Publish2 that lets me bookmark
and share stories and comments
on them after I read them. You can
find it on the right-hand column of
this blog under ‘Food Stories’ under
the ‘More Stuff ’ heading.”
Tom Chester, Director of NewsChicago Tribune utilizes Publish2. It gathers stories
and blogs from journalists on one site. In this case,
room Operations at the News
Sentinel in Knoxville, Tenn., tells me an area has been created with information related
one of their most visited areas was to the arrest of Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich.
created using Publish2.
When the University of Tennessee footbed it. Then, using a webcam or cellphone,
ball coach Phil Fulmer resigned in Novemyou’re ready to broadcast live video to the
ber, Knoxnews.com gathered stories and
masses. Press conferences, county commisblogs from newspapers throughout the
sion meetings and more can be streamed
United States using Publish2 and created a live to your community.
place for visitors to go when they wanted
Mogulus comes in two flavors: The free,
more information. According to Tom, this
which is ad supported, and Pro, which
made knoxnews.com the place to go if you requires payment for usage. For more
were looking for information about Fulmer. information, visit mogulus.com.
Hits increased dramatically as a result of
Web surfers searching for this information.
MORE INFORMATION
To learn more about this free service, visit
KEVIN SLIMP is director of the Institute of
publish2.com.
Newspaper Technology. He can be reached at
[email protected].
Mogulus.com
Did you ever wonder how those big
newspapers get live video streaming on
their sites? Wonder no more. Mogulus is a
service used by many newspaper and television Web sites, among others, to broadcast live video. Users can use the Mogulus
browser-based Studio application to create
live, scheduled and on-demand internet
streaming to broadcast on your Web site.
The Mogulus player can be embedded
on most Web sites. Simply customize the
player and paste the code into the HTML
[email protected]
editor on the site where you wish to em-
Page 10 • February 2009 • S.C. Press Association Bulletin
A different perspective on asking for the order
Chase was talking to
me about selling. “Ever
since I started my sales
career, I’ve heard that
it’s important to ask for
the order. Most of the
sales books I’ve read –
and most of the sales
seminars I’ve attended
– preach that successful By John
Foust
sales people always ask
Advertising Trainer
their prospects to buy.
In fact, I wouldn’t be
surprised if ‘ask for the order’ is the most
frequently quoted sales principle in the
world.
“I used to buy into that philosophy
hook, line and sinker. But through my
years of selling advertising, I’ve come
around to a different point of view. Without a doubt, questions are key elements
in the sales process. It’s crucial to ask
relevant questions during the exploratory
part of a sales call. We have to ask questions – and listen intently to the responses – as we get to know our prospects and
the problems they face in business. We
have to stay in step with their thought
process, and ask how they see our paper
as a viable solution to their marketing
Ad-Libs
needs. But when it comes to closing, I’ve
learned that a directive can work better
than a question.
Chase has a good point. When a salesperson has done a good job of identifying
needs and solutions, answering objections,
and demonstrating the value of purchasing – why in the world should he or she
ask for anything? Just come right out and
tell them what to do (diplomatically, of
course). For example:
Sales person: In our meeting today,
we’ve seen that The Gazette reaches the
audience you want to target, and that our
creative team can put together a campaign
that will communicate your message.
Prospect: Yes, I think The Gazette brings a
lot to the table.
Sales person: When would you like to
sign the contract to get things started?
Prospect: Just leave the information with
me, and I’ll let you know.
What just happened? The sales person
has asked for the order, but the prospect
has backed away. Here’s how a different
ending could have produced a more positive result:
Sales person: In our meeting today,
we’ve seen that The Gazette reaches the
audience you want to target, and that our
creative team can put together a campaign
that will communicate your message.
Prospect: Yes, I think The Gazette brings a
lot to the table.
Sales person: That’s great news. Since
this is a prime time for your business, I
know you want to get results from your
advertising as quickly as possible. Just put
your autograph on this agreement, and
we’ll get things started.
Prospect: Sounds good. Where do I sign?
See the difference? By asking permission
in the first example, the sales person has
given the prospect a reason to delay the
decision. The second example provides a
clear action step. It says “do this” instead of
“will you do this?”
“The secret,” Chase concluded, “is to build
a strong case for your product, get agreement – then just tell them what they need
to do next.”
MORE INFORMATION
JOHN FOUST conducts on-site and video training
for newspaper advertising departments. Contact:
John Foust, PO Box 97606, Raleigh, NC 27624 USA,
E-mail: [email protected],
Phone 919-848-2401.
Available at www.scpress.org
Entries must be postmarked, shipped or
hand-delivered by March 20
Questions? Call Bill or
Michelle at 803.750.9561
February 2009 • S.C. Press Association Bulletin • Page 11
Industry Briefs
Charleston
lays off 25
The Post and Courier announced 25 layoffs companywide on Feb. 6, or about 5%
of its work force, citing a broad downturn
in advertising and a sharp decline in January revenue.
Publisher Larry Tarleton called it “a very
difficult day” for the newspaper, which
now has 460 full-time and part-time employees. The layoffs followed a voluntary
buyout program that the paper offered all
employees last summer.
“We have put off this tough decision
as we have watched the announcement
of layoffs by other newspapers and local
television,” Tarleton said.
He said the paper “had hoped to avoid this
day, but no one could have foreseen the rapid
decline in the U.S. economy that has impacted
practically every American business.”
Tarleton said the local advertising market
deteriorated in the fourth quarter of 2008,
and that the downturn intensified in January “with the sharpest revenue decline in
our history.”
Sun News to print
at another site
The Sun News plans to print the daily
newspaper at another site in a move aimed
at improving print quality while trimming
costs and avoiding long-term capital investment, the publisher said Feb. 3.
“It will provide better quality and allow
us to keep our deadlines consistent so we
can maintain our commitment to news
coverage and delivery schedules,” said Pamela J. Browning, president and publisher
of The Sun News.
The move, which is expected to take effect in April, will directly affect 58 employees. Once details are finalized for moving
the printing and production operations,
some of those positions may be restored,
Browning said.
A letter of intent has been signed with
another firm, but the name of the company won’t be released until the contract has
been signed, Browning said. The decision
is one that has been made by newspapers
nationwide.
By contracting with another firm to
handle printing and production, the news
companies avoid making major investment upgrades to keep presses and other
production equipment up to date, Browning said.
“The long-term strategy is to avoid a big
capital outlay,” she said.
•••
The Times and Democrat in Orangeburg
will lose an inch – in page width that is.
Beginning with the Feb. 10 T&D, the
width of newspaper pages will be slightly
narrower, putting The T&D in line with the
nationwide industry standard. Pages will
go from 12 inches wide to 11. This change
affects all content – news and advertising.
•••
Osteen Publishing will implement rolling
furloughs of all employees beginning this
month and concluding in May, company
officials have announced.
Each employee will be required to take
four unpaid days between now and the
end of May, according to General Manager
Larry Miller.
“We are facing all the economic challenges that our clients are facing,” Miller said.
“The newspaper industry, much like the
real estate and auto industries, has been
hit particularly hard during this downturn.
We’re trying to keep our revenues and
expenses in balance.
The company, which publishes The Item,
The Clarendon Sun and SumterCity Weekly,
is also looking at other cost-saving moves.
Also, beginning this month, the Sunday edition of The Item in Sumter will
now be printed by The State.
•••
Scot Newcom got mad when a judge
ruled he couldn’t have a state license plate
with the Christian slogan “I Believe.”
So, he came up with his own unique way
to proclaim his faith - newspaper tubes,
those plastic tubes you see next to many
mailboxes.
It helps that Newcom is the circulation
director for the Aiken Standard and he’s the
one who orders tubes for the newspaper.
If he gets enough requests, he’ll consider
ordering other personalized news tubes.
One popular slogan for Aiken might be “I
Scot Newcom holds an “I Believe” news
tube. He came up with the idea of putting
the Christian slogan on the tubes after a
federal judge said South Carolina could
no longer make or market the “I Believe”
license plate.
love horses,” he said.
Newcom doesn’t know what the interest
might be.
The tubes are available at the Aiken
Standard for $12.99 plus tax. It includes a
bracket to install the tube.
•••
A group of concerned newspaper executives has decided to fight back against the
misrepresentation of newspapers and their
continuing importance to the public, to
the marketplace and to democracy. The
name for the grassroots crusade is the
“Newspaper Project.”
They’ve created a Web site – www.
newspaperproject.org – that will feature
stories and commentary about the
value of newspapers, and share tips
on how they can cope with the tough
times.
SEND US
YOUR NEWS!
[email protected]
(803) 750-9561
Page 12 • February 2009 • S.C. Press Association Bulletin
Web site stats build advertiser trust
Every weekly newspaper has an ad that hasn’t
changed in five years.
Maybe longer.
You know which one
I mean – the 2x2 ad,
usually for a mechanic, a
plumber or some other
tradesman, that’s on your By Gary
run sheet every week
Sosniecki
Townnews.com
“tfc” or “tfn.”
Dependable revenue
week after week, year after year, even
if you can’t remember the last time you
freshened it up so it might be more effective for your customer.
Don’t let ads go stale in your newspaper
- and especially on your Web site.
The Internet gives you the ability to
track the effectiveness of advertising.
Regardless whether you host your site inhouse or pay an outside company to do
it, you probably have software that details
how many “impressions” – eyeballs – have
seen each ad on your site. The software
also tells you how many times a visitor
has “clicked thru” the ad on your site to
your advertiser’s own Web site, which is
like a customer walking through the front
door of the advertiser’s business.
The more sophisticated your Web site,
the more stats it will produce for you.
Your ability to track readership of ads –
news stories, too – is one of the coolest
things about the Internet. When I owned
a weekly newspaper, I checked my
Web stats every day, sometimes more,
because I was fascinated to see – after
all my years in print – what my readers
actually were reading. All the guesswork
was gone.
What you do with these stats after you
check them can make the difference
between a customer being happy or unhappy with his online advertising.
A business owner in your town may
trust you enough to buy an ad on your
Web site, but the owner may not understand the Internet enough to trust its
effectiveness as an ad medium. The owner
will write a check once a month for a 2x2
that hasn’t changed in years, but he won’t
write a check very long if he isn’t convinced his Internet ad is working.
So you should use your stats to prove to
every online advertiser, every month, that
people are seeing his or her ad.
I did that with a written report generated by my ad-serving software. The
report included total impressions, total
clickthrus and the clickthru rate for the
ad, both overall and by position since all
my ads appeared in multiple locations
on my site. It also included a glossary
of the terms in the report and – I really
liked this – a reproduction of the ad
itself.
The stats took up only three-quarters
of a page, so each month I prepared my
own report for the bottom of the page. I
included the total pages read online that
month, the total number of visits and a
listing of the top 10 pages read. I wrote a
paragraph or two of positive news about
Internet advertising, including a welcome
to my new advertisers. I also invited
advertisers to contact me if it was time
to change their ad or the ad’s location on
my site.
The personal touch came last. I looked
at each advertiser’s stats for something
positive to say. If I could find something
– “No. 1 on our site!” “Great numbers!”
“Much improved! – I handwrote it on the
report.
We mailed this “online traffic report”
with the advertiser’s bill. It’s even better
to take it to the advertiser in person, ask
him if he has any questions and thank
him for his business. You’ll look like the
Internet expert in your community, and
your advertiser will gain confidence in the
effectiveness of his online ad.
If you’re lucky, you’ll have something
positive to say every month about every
advertiser.
But if an advertiser’s stats are declining,
or if they’re not doing as well as another
advertiser selling the same product, suggest that it’s time to change the ad. It’s
better for you to tweak an ad than for an
advertiser to pull it.
A fresh ad will generate more traffic –
online as well as in the newspaper.
And now you have the stats to prove it.
Gary Sosniecki, regional sales
manager for Townnews.com, will
be leading a workshop on community newspaper Web sites and
ad sales at SCPA Offices on March
26. More information is available
at www.scpress.org.
Job Listings
on scpress.org
• Editor, S.C. weekly
• Ad Director, S.C. weekly
• General Manager/Advertising Director, S.C. weekly
• Marketing Representative, Hometown News,
Woodruff
• Night Editor/Paginator, Daily Journal/Messenger,
Seneca
• Page Designer, The Index-Journal, Greenwood
• Page Designer/Copy Editor, Richmond County
(N.C.) Daily Journal
• Regional Editor, Carolina Publishing Group,
Florence
• Reporter, The Morning News, Florence
IMPROVING
COMMUNITY WEB
SITES & AD SALES
March 26 • 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. • SCPA Offices, Columbia
G
ary Sosniecki, a regional sales manager for TownNews.com specializing
in weekly newspapers, will conduct an SCPA workshop March 26 on
improving your community newspaper Web site and selling ads on it.
Sosniecki has done similar workshops for press associations around the
country. He has had a 34-year newspaper career that included owning, with
his wife, three weekly newspapers and publishing a small daily, all in Missouri.
Gary also has worked for newspapers in Tennessee,
IIllinois and Kansas.
His topics will include why papers need to be online, how to get online, how to make money
o
online, how to post news without hurting your print product and how to build online traffic. He
eemphasizes that this will be a plain-language workshop and he will not use tech-speak.
The session will start at 10 a.m. and wrap up about 3:30 p.m. Lunch will be included.
On the sales side, Sosniecki will discuss basic terms, concepts and formulas, including
iimpressions, page views, unique visitors, click-through rates, visits, run-of-network, run-of-site,
rreach, frequency and composition.
The workshop is designed for publishers, editors and ad sales people at newspapers that still
aaren’t online or that haven’t figured out how to make money online with their current site.
As part of the workshop, there will be a discussion for all of the participants to speak about the
p and cons of their own Web sites.
pros
CONTACT
PAYMENT
Newspaper: _______________________________________
Total: $__________ ☐ Check Bill my: ☐ Visa ☐ MC
Contact: __________________________________________
Name on card: ____________________________________
E-mail: ___________________________________________
Billing address: ____________________________________
Phone: __________________________________________
Card number: _____________________________________
The cost is $50 per person.
Exp. date: ___________________ V-code: ____________
ATTENDEES
Print as to appear on name badges.
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
Signature: ________________________________________
Return this form with payment to:
S.C. Press Association
Fax: (803) 551-0903
P.O. Box 11429,
Columbia, SC 29211
(803) 750-9561
[email protected]
design
Thursday, Feb. 26
10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
SCPA Offices, Columbia
InDesign &
Good Design
Join SCPA for everything you ever wanted to know about Adobe
InDesign and effective newspaper page design. Find out what grabs
readers. Is it loud headlines, big photos, juicy stories, splashy colors,
or something more traditional? Also, let us walk you through the
nuts and bolts of Adobe InDesign, the most widely used newspaper
design software program.
CONTACT
Newspaper: ________________________________________
InDesign for the Newsroom
10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
How can your newspaper’s
creaƟve staī beƩer uƟlize Adobe
InDesign to produce a knock-out
paper? Join Michelle Kerscher,
SCPA’s Director of MarkeƟng and
Programs, and Įnd out how to
use InDesign’s toolbars, panels
and preferences to work for
your publicaƟon. She’ll also give you her favorite
InDesign Ɵps and tricks. This session is for
beginning and intermediate InDesign users.
Contact: ___________________________________________
E-mail: ____________________________________________
Phone: ___________________________________________
ATTENDEES
Print as to appear on name badges.
__________________________ ☐ Beginning ☐ Intermediate InDesign user
__________________________ ☐ Beginning ☐ Intermediate InDesign user
__________________________ ☐ Beginning ☐ Intermediate InDesign user
SESSION
☐ InDesign ☐ Good Design ☐ Both Sessions
Each session is $25. If you aƩend both sessions, the cost is $40.
Lunch on your own
12:00 – 1:30 p.m.
PAYMENT
Total: $__________ ☐ Check Bill my: ☐ Visa ☐ MC
Name on card: ______________________________________
Good Design
1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Billing address: ______________________________________
Tom Peyton, visual director at The
State newspaper in Columbia, will
instruct aƩendees on eīecƟve
page design. He’ll cover the
fundamentals – headlines, text,
photos – as well as his rules of
thumb for good story and page
design.
Tom has a wealth of knowledge on all things
print. He’s been an art director, photo director,
graphic arƟst, poliƟcal cartoonist, illustrator, and
he’s designed in sports, features and news.
Card number: ______________________________________
__________________________________________________
Exp. date: __________________
V-code: ______________
Signature: _________________________________________
Return this form with payment to:
South Carolina Press AssociaƟon
Fax: (803) 551-0903
P.O. Box 11429, Columbia, SC 29211
QuesƟons? Call Jen at (803) 750-9561
or e-mail [email protected]
Page 15 • February 2009 • S.C. Press Association Bulletin
Celebrating winners, leaders Use caution
We’ve done a lot to
help you attend the
annual SCPA Winter
Meeting this year.
The cost to attend the
banquets has been cut
in half.
We have changed
the days of the week so
By Bill
staffers won’t miss as
Rogers
much work.
SCPA Executive
Director
We have a fun location and a great room
rate to encourage folks
to bring their significant others.
And the theme – Something to Cheer
About – is something to think about.
Reward your winners and yourself
by coming to Myrtle Beach...in these
days of shrinking staffs and shrinking
budgets, being recognized for journalistic excellence is “something to cheer
about.”
Winning an SCPA award means you rose
above some stiff competition. And if you
don’t come, it is sort of like wetting your
pants in a blue wool suit: It gives you a
warm feeling, but nobody else knows
what you’ve done.
Sign up today...the hotel deadline is Feb.
18 for our $119 rate.
SCPA is losing some outstanding veteran
leadership due to retirements.
Our current president, Harry Logan,
retires in April from The Morning News in
Florence. After a long career at The State
and The Columbia Record, Harry went
to Florence eight years ago. If you ever
doubt what impact good leadership can
have on a newsroom, take a look at what
Harry did in Florence. Harry has done it
all at SCPA, and continues on our Foundation board.
Likewise with past president Larry
Tarleton, who retires in April from The
Post and Courier. Larry and his staff
turned the P&C into a strong newspaper
with great morale that routinely wins our
SCPA President’s Cup for their performance in the contest. Larry served on
our FOI Committee for many years and
has been a workhorse in helping lobby
the Charleston delegation.
And immediate past president Carl Beck
of Spartanburg retired in December. Carl
goes out with a bang also, as The HeraldJournal had an extremely strong contest
showing in his final year. Carl served on
our executive committee for nine years,
and I will always remember him as the visionary leader who, when we were debating years ago whether we needed a FAX
machine at SCPA, pushed the purchase
through.
So who steps up? I certainly encourage
our younger newspaper leaders to help
lead SCPA. It is a good way to help our
industry and meet some great people from
across the state.
Let me hear from you if you want to
get involved. Email me at brogers@
scpress.org.
Feb. 18: Hotel Deadline Call Michelle at (803) 750-9561
or visit www.scpress.org to reserve your room.
with relay calls
The S.C. Newspaper Network recently rejected an ad received through an internet
relay call and SCNN has heard from several
papers that have received similar calls.
Originally introduced in the 1970s, the
text telephone (TTY) has been a communication breakthrough for the hearing
impaired, allowing users with a TTY device
to connect with users of a regular telephone
through a third-party operator. Advances in
technology now allow these calls to be relayed to a third-party operator through the
internet rather than a traditional TTY device.
This enables hearing-impaired users the
ability to connect to other telephone users
using any computer or mobile device.
Internet relay calls leave few details as to
where the call is originating and make the
task of tracking down the users of such services virtually impossible. This means that
international criminals, posing to be deaf,
can now call American companies with
little threat of ever being caught. Please
make your staff aware of the dangers of
accepting advertising through relay calls.
The scams often involve the use of stolen
credit cards and likely direct your readers
to deceptive business opportunities.
Relay calling is still a valuable service and communication tool for the
hearing-impaired community. . . just be
sure that your sales reps understand the
potential for abuse that internet relay
calls pose.
Special thanks to our
2009 Winter Meeting sponsors.
Feb. 26: InDesign/Good Design Workshop SCPA
CALENDAR
Offices, Columbia. See page14 to register.
March 13–15: SCPA Winter Meeting and Awards
Presentation Myrtle Beach Hilton. To register, see page 7.
March 20: PALMY Advertising Contest Deadline To
view rules and entry tags, visit www.scpress.org.
March 26: Improving Community Web sites & Ad
Sales Workshop SCPA Offices. To register, see page 13.
April 3: SCPA Collegiate Meeting and Awards
Presentation Clemson University. More info available soon.
April 23: Ad Basics Workshop SCPA Offices, Columbia.
Visit www.scpress.org to register.
For sponsorship opportunities, please call Jen at (803) 750-9561.