01/06/2017

New Jersey sends a warning: Audit and upgrade your public notice practices

By Dennis Hetzel, Executive Director

The recent battle in New Jersey to keep public notices in newspapers, where they belong, illustrates why we pay so much attention to this issue in Ohio.

So far, despite ongoing pressure, no state has completely moved notices from newspapers to government websites that few people would see – which defeats the purposes of public notices. However, legislators pay attention to issues around the country just as we do. Once one state takes notices away, others will want to follow.

In Jersey, it appears that Gov. Chris Christie cut a deal with key legislators based on alleged savings to local government (more on that below).  Christie’s dislike for the state’s print media is no secret.  He also wanted a bill that would allow him to profit on proceeds from a book deal while still in office.

The effort was defeated, but New Jersey newspapers and their press association are working on ways to update state law since the issue is likely to return.   I’m pleased to report that we shared language from Ohio, particularly our efforts in 2014 to get everyone uploading to our statewide website, www.PublicNoticesOhio.com, at no additional cost to notice advertisers.

We must stay humble and focused. Illinois also has a good law, but the state’s fiscal crisis has returned Illinois papers to defense because of new efforts to take notices out of newspapers. A few years ago, our colleagues in North Carolina fought a similar, exhausting battle as conservative legislators sought to punish newspapers.

One of the ironies in New Jersey is that apparently no one talked much with local government people about the added cost, liability and requirements associated with handling notices themselves. The lack of enthusiasm from local officials for the change helped kill the backroom deal. Christie also wildly inflated the cost of advertising to government. (He apparently has joined the “facts don’t matter” movement.) However, it would have been devastating to many newspapers with lost revenue, job cuts and even closures looming.  (For more details, click here.)

All this is why it is imperative for newspapers to make it a priority to first, do a great job with public notices, and second, make sure that their readers and advertisers know why this this work is important. Here are some simple tips and suggestions that should be on everyone’s agenda:

1. Treat public notice advertisers with the TLC you give other major accounts. Talk to your largest notice advertisers regularly and find out how things are going. Consider an annual focus group with some coffee and snacks. Learn their concerns – usually their main requirements are absolute accuracy, ease of supplying copy and helpful deadlines.
2. Make sure you are promoting that you are the source for local notices. (Note that state law also requires that you link to the ONA website from somewhere online.) On the digital side, use clearly visible widgets and links so that notices aren’t buried. In print, use promo “filler” ads and larger ads to promote your public notices and the importance of them. We have widgets and print ads you can download from  this link at ohionews.org.
3. Assign someone in the newsroom to check them regularly for story leads. You might skim through the sheriff’s sales and find out the mayor’s house is being foreclosed. Maybe there’s a special meeting for someone getting a tax break or a public hearing on a new commercial development.  These notices are rich sources.  And make sure the story references the notice that was in the newspaper.  You can even pull out the notice and use it as art to illustrate the story.
4. Design your notice presentation! Think outside the box. Design consultant Ed Henninger offers some great ideas at this link on how to draw more attention to notices. This also builds readership for all your classifieds.
5. Stop calling them legal notices. Call them “public notices” in all your references and headings. Branding matters.

We urge all ONA members to spend some time in 2017 on this subject. Ask your department heads and staff to do what they can do to preserve great relationships with notice advertisers and raise awareness of the importance of notices in newspapers.