Ohio Newspaper Association | The trade association for more than 250 Ohio daily and weekly newspapers and more than 150 Web sites. | Page: 2

ONA pushes positive public records reforms

May 31, 2013 · Add Comment

By Dennis Hetzel, Executive Director

Editor’s Note: This column also will appear in the upcoming newsletter of the Ohio Coalition for Open Government, which is administered by the Ohio Newspapers Foundation.

The Ohio Newspaper Association has begun pushing four suggestions to improve Ohio’s open records laws.

When Ohio’s current open records statute became law, it was seen as nationwide model in many respects. That’s no longer the case due to a combination of problematic court decisions and the phenomenon known by the cliché “death by a thousand cuts.” We estimate there are more than 300 exceptions to the open records law in Ohio statutes, including 29 listed in the law itself.

Every legislative session brings new reasons for why new exceptions to openness are needed. As I write this on May 29, a House committee just fast-tracked an amendment to the House floor that appears to reduce transparency of JobsOhio. Despite Auditor Dave Yost’s request to at least wait a week so the proposed language can get a proper hearing, the House placed new restrictions on access to information about the economic development agency, which is funded with profits from the state-run liquor stores.

Meanwhile, issues raised by our digital age emerge all the time. In fairness, many of these issues raise legitimate concerns for public officials. For example, the sheer explosion in content means that many records requests take additional staff time to address.

We also are encouraged by the efforts of several well-meaning legislators and statewide elected officials to improve transparency. There are pending bills and initiatives to put a considerable volume of information about state government spending online. Two Republican House members are working to set standards so that information posted to the Internet is easier to search and organize – and remain freely available to the public.

Continue Reading>>

Read Full Article →

ONA members urged to take advantage of Google sales training

May 31, 2013 · Add Comment

According to the Local Media Association, more than $250 million is being spent in just nine Ohio markets alone on local paid search with, in most cases, little to zero of that going to local newspapers and their digital products. Google’s market share of paid search is more than 70 percent.

Newspapers that have become sophisticated in this area say a modest training investment can bring real gains in incremental revenue, improved support for existing customers and a greatly enhanced ability to attract new customers – particularly the “Yellow Pages” types of advertisers who now feel they must be part of digital search.

This is why our AdOhio Advisory Committee is urging ONA members to take advantage of a special training opportunity. The LMA is partnering with state newspaper associations to offer excellent rates for ad managers and sales reps to achieve the gold standard of search: being certified as qualified professionals in sales of Google AdWords and related products.

By all accounts, this is a difficult program to tackle on one’s own with a reported failure rate of 50 percent for the certification exam. The LMA online training module prepares sales professionals through a series of seven, fast-moving, one-hour training sessions.

The next series begins on June 3rd. Click here for more details on how to register. And thanks to a special deal between the ONA and LMA, all ONA members can register for this training at the reduced "Association Partners" rate.

We also urge members who have possible interest in us bringing the LMA trainer to Columbus for a two-day session to let us know.

Read Full Article →

Newspapers in Education appoints new chairperson

May 31, 2013 · Add Comment

Karmen Concannon, publisher of the Sentinel-Tribune, Bowling Green, has been appointed as chair of the Ohio NIE committee, ONA Board President David E. Dix announced. Concannon replaces Anne Coburn-Griffis from the Lima News, who is leaving that newspaper.

“The ONA thanks Anne for her service. She has chaired the committee for many years and led the group in producing quality NIE projects yearly,” Dix said.

The committee is working on the next NIE project for Ohio newspapers. It will be an update of the America Votes series targeted to Ohio elections. To view some of the past NIE projects go to http://www.ohionewspapers-in-ed.org/node/8

For more information about Ohio’s Newspapers in Education program contact Sue Bazzoli, ONA Manager of Administrative Services at sbazzoli@ohionews.org.

Read Full Article →

ONA training seminar on covering Ohio’s gaming industry

May 31, 2013 · Add Comment

By Sue Bazzoli, Manager of Administrative Services

The Ohio Newspaper Association along with the Ohio Association of Broadcasters held a successful session at the Hollywood Casino in Columbus on May 16. Matt Schuler, executive director of the Ohio Casino Control Commission, gave an overview of the commission’s responsibilities and regulations. He discussed the history of gambling in Ohio, the two failed constitutional amendments to allow gambling in Ohio and finally the passage in 2009. Licensing, investigations, regulatory compliance, sanctions, enforcement, and regional competition were outlined.

A panel discussion moderated by Steve Wartenberg of the Columbus Dispatch with Luther Heckman, Northfield Park, and Ohio University Professor Alan Silver, a nationally known expert on casino operations, reported on the economic impact of casinos and racinos. Professor Silver’s presentation can be downloaded here.

The second panel of Steve Wartenberg, Danielle Elias of WBNS-10TV and Alex Coolidge of the Cincinnati Enquirer brainstormed about ideas for covering gaming as reporters. Elias presented some of the feature media segments she did about the Columbus casino.

The day ended with Coolidge leading a discussion from Rob Walgate, vice president of The American Policy Roundtable, and Daniel Reinhard, vice president of legal and government affairs for Rock Gaming LLC on policy issues and concerns Ohio faces with gaming.

ONA urges it members to view the 2013 training schedule at http://www.ohionews.org/events/training-calendar/ and to take advantage of the training opportunities offered to members of ONA at reasonable fees.

Read Full Article →

Ohio Newspapers Foundation selects six scholarship winners

May 31, 2013 · Add Comment

ONA is proud to announce the winners of the 2013 Ohio Newspapers Foundation scholarships. Each of the six scholarships is $1,500 for the 2013-2014 academic year.

Harold K. Douthit Regional Scholarship: Devon Marti, University of Findlay

Devon Marti is a junior at the University of Findlay, where she studies journalism and political science. She is a staff writer for the Pulse, the university's weekly campus newspaper, and also the producer and anchor of PulseTV, the weekly campus TV program.

Minority Scholarship: Jaelani Turner-Williams, Fort Hayes Arts and Academic High School

Jaelani Turner-Williams will be attending Kent State University in the fall, where she plans to study journalism. During her high school career she wrote for her school's newspaper and the Ohio State Bronzevillian. She is passionate about writing and wrote a senior paper on the objectification and stereotyping of women in hip-hop imagery.

Ohio Newspaper Women’s Scholarship: Danae King, Bowling Green State University

Danae King is a senior at Bowling Green, where she majors in print journalism. She's the campus editor for the student paper BG News and the president of the BGSU chapter of the SPJ.

University Journalism Scholarships:

Gianna Gizzi, University of Dayton

Gianna Gizzi is a freshman at the University of Dayton, where she majors in phychology and public relations. She says she has been passionate about journalism ever since high school, where she worked on her school newspaper, and has a strong love for writing.

Cassandra Stevens, Malone University

Cassandra Stevens is a sophmore at Malone University, where she majors in communications arts. She is a staff writer for the student-operated online newspaper, The Aviso AVW, and is passionate about journalism.

Shee Wai Wong, Youngstown State University

Shee Wai Wong is a junior at Youngstown State, where she majors in journalism. She has interned at TheNewsOutlet.com a university-media collaboration and has published article in a number of publications, including an A-1 story in the Akron Beacon Journal.

Read Full Article →

NAA Update: Action needed on federal shield law to protect journalists

May 30, 2013 · Add Comment

From the Newspaper Association of America

In the past few weeks, we all learned that the Department of Justice secretly obtained phone records of more than 100 Associated Press reporters and monitored Fox News reporter James Rosen’s personal e-mail and cell phone records. In the AP case, the collection of telephone records potentially revealed communications with confidential sources across many of AP’s newsgathering activities, including communications with members of Congress from the House of Representatives press gallery.

Reporters can no longer assure their sources that interviews will remain confidential if there is no way to tell if the government is tracking their communications. The government’s tactics will scare away sources from coming forward with information that could expose wrongdoing, fraud and waste in government and in the private sector.

Fortunately, members of Congress across the political spectrum have responded to the problem with a solution. Reps. Ted Poe, R-Texas, and John Conyers, D-Mich., in the House and Sens. Charles Schumer, R-N.Y., and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., in the Senate have introduced the Free Flow of Information Act of 2013 (H.R. 1962 and S. 987), which would protect the public’s right to know by protecting journalists’ confidential sources.

The legislation, while not identical, essentially prohibits federal prosecutors, criminal defendants and civil litigants from subpoenaing information from journalists unless they convince a federal judge that the need for the information outweighs the public interest in the free flow of information. President Obama supports this legislative effort and said in his national security speech on May 23 that journalists “should not be at legal risk for doing their jobs.”

In Washington, change often occurs in response to a crisis. This could be the best opportunity to establish reasonable and well-balanced ground rules ─ overseen by an independent federal judge ─ for when a journalist can be compelled to testify about confidential sources. But we need your help in building bipartisan support for action.

Please contact your representative or senator today by calling the Capitol Switchboard (202-224-3121) and asking him or her to co-sponsor H.R. 1962 (for representatives) or S. 987 (for senators). Please ask to speak to the chief of staff or the press secretary to communicate this request. While a phone conversation with key staff is the best approach, you could also send a letter.

We encourage you to take full advantage of the resources listed in a members-only toolkit on NAA.org, which includes a sample letter for use in contacting your representative, and an op-ed by NAA President and CEO Caroline H. Little that might be of interest to your editorial department and your readers.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please e-mail Sophia Cope or call her at (571) 366-1153.

Read Full Article →

Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation safety council incentive program

May 30, 2013 · Add Comment

ONA members looking for away to lower their workers' compensation cost saving measure should consider taking part in the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) Safety Council incentive program. To qualify for next year's rebate, employers must enroll in a local safety council by July 31, 2013.

As described in a release from the ONA's BWC group rating plan, which is run by CompManagement, the Safety Council program

"allows employers to earn rebates on their workers' compensation premiums by participating in their local safety council and reducing the frequency of workplace injuries. Participating employers receive a 2% rebate for attending a specific number of safety council programs and an additional 2% may be earned for demonstrating a reduction in the frequency and/or severity of workplace incidents.

"The safety council rebates can be stacked with all other rating programs offered by the BWC. (Employers enrolled in a group rating program are only eligible for the 2% performance bonus, while employers enrolled in a group retrospective program are only eligible for the 2% participation bonus.)"

To find a safety council program near you, visit the BWC website. To learn more about lowering your workers' compendation costs through the ONA's group rating plan, click here.

Read Full Article →

Senate passes JobsOhio auditing proposal ignoring Yost’s request for more time

May 30, 2013 · Add Comment

Editor’s Note: The ONA sent letters to both House and Senate members urging them to delay the vote so the changes in the law to limit the auditor’s authority could be debated more fully.

From The Columbus Dispatch

Another request from Auditor Dave Yost to slow down a bill that would largely freeze him out of auditing the books of JobsOhio was ignored today as the Senate quickly passed the proposal 22-10.

“The amendment is complex, cross-references many other sections of the Revised Code, contains numerous exceptions, and features somewhat dense language,” Yost said in a letter today to bill sponsor Sen. Bob Peterson.

“With only a few hours to review it, I am uncertain as to all its legal implications and its impact on matters wholly unrelated to JobsOhio. In particular, the new definition of ‘public money’ is untested and begs further consideration, and I cannot support it. It may well have unintended consequences in other areas of public accountability – although on such short notice, I am hard-pressed to state definitively what it does or does not mean.”

The House passed the proposal yesterday, despite a similar plea from Yost, a few hours after making it public.

Senate Republicans argued the bill was reinforcing that state wholesale liquor profits leased by JobsOhio to fund its operations is private money that Yost is not permitted to audit.

Yost and Gov. John Kasich – both Republicans – have clashed over the accountability of money flowing to JobsOhio, the governor’s privatized group set up to handle the state’s economic development efforts. The nonprofit is being funded with $100 million from state liquor profits, which this legislation defines as private, not public, money.

Read the Full Story>>

Read Full Article →

4 reasons to stop calling tablets mobile devices

May 29, 2013 · Add Comment

From Mobile Marketer

I had one of those “only in L.A.” moments the other day. I was walking my dog and almost got run over by a teenager skateboarding on the sidewalk while texting on his iPhone. It may be time to extend the hands-free laws to non-motorized vehicles, as well.

We all have such stories of friends, strangers and reckless teenagers focused more on their phones than our health and safety. But these scenarios seem to play out far less with tablets in hand. Coincidence? I think not.

It might be hard to believe, but tablets are not mobile devices and here are four reasons why:

1. Tablets are rarely taken out of the home.
Would it surprise you to learn that relatively few people take their tablets with them when they leave the house?

Sure, tablets are great travel companions, but unless you are constantly traveling for business, the occasional vacation does not consume any impactful tablet time.

According to research from Google, the majority of tablet activity takes place on the couch, in bed or in the kitchen. And as this time of use study shows, tablet searches on Google spike in the evening, just as desktop searches decline.

Read the Full Story>>

Read Full Article →

USPS to offer 5% postage discount on samples

May 29, 2013 · Add Comment

From Direct Marketing News

From Aug. 1 to Sept. 30, product marketers will receive 5% off delivery of trial-sized samples. Earlier this year, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) introduced a program called Simple Samples that offered flat-rate pricing, volume discounts, and eliminated the need for outer packaging. Now, convinced that CPG marketers are making a bad bet by scaling down sampling programs, the USPS's new products marketers are cutting rates in an attempt to get them back into the game.

“We're trying to re-invigorate product sampling through the mail and we figure there's no better way to do it than to offer a promotion,” says Lisa Bobb-Semple, manager of lightweight parcels at USPS. “We're focused on trial-sized samples, because research shows they convert sales better and we want to encourage brand managers who aren't doing it to try it.”

In a presentation at the National Postal Forum (NPF) in March, Bobb-Semple urged mailers to get back into sampling, citing an Arbitron study stating that 75% of consumers become aware of a product by receiving a sample and 60% buy a product after sampling it.

Read the Full Story>>

Read Full Article →

LocalMediaInsider launches referral network for media technology

May 29, 2013 · Add Comment

From a press release by LocalMediaInsider

The first review site for media technology, MediaExecsTech (MET), is up and running, and taking in new members.

Created by a network of 200 media executives and subscribers of LocalMediaInsider, members endorse and review technology they use, in return for seeing recommendations from other members.

The network was developed for and subscribers of LocalMediaInsider.com, which publishes a newsletter and library of best practice case studies.

Like Angie's List and Yelp, the MET network gives customer reviews of vendors in a searchable, categorized directory format.

But like LinkedIn, reviewers use real names and can contact each other via email or forums. Technology for the network was developed during a fellowship at the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute at the Missouri School of Journalism.

The network launched with 200 members and more than 300 tech reviews and ratings.

Any member of a journalism-based media company or media technology company, can join the network by joining LocalMediaInsider.com or MediaExecsTech.com directly. They are prompted via an online form to rate and comment on two technology resources before gaining access.

Read Full Article →

Plain Dealer to do “bonus” Saturday edition at request of car dealers

May 29, 2013 · Add Comment

From Jim Romenesko

The Cleveland Plain Dealer announced in April that it would begin a three-days-a-week home delivery schedule in late summer. I’m told by two sources that the paper has revised that plan after getting pressure from car dealers. One Romenesko reader writes:

The Plain Dealer will be publishing and delivering a “Bonus Saturday” paper to subscribers after the changes take effect Aug. 5. Originally, Advance did not want to deliver on Saturdays but the car dealers raised such a stink that they forced the company’s hand on the issue. Advance will not market [the PD] as a four-day home delivery product because that’s not what the rest of the chain is doing.

A second Plain Dealer staffer confirms the report and adds: “To their credit, local management listened to advertisers – unlike in [other] Advance markets. The Saturday-delivery paper is the result.”

I’ve left messages for Plain Dealer publisher Terry Egger, editor Debra Simmons, and marketing director Shirley Stineman.

UPDATE: Simmons forwards a letter sent to Plain Dealer readers that includes this paragraph: “As an enhancement to the weekend experience, a bonus Saturday edition, including an auto section, will provide the latest high school sports coverage and a complete Ohio State football preview.”

Read Full Article →

Disputes over crime maps highlight challenge of outsourcing public data

May 29, 2013 · Add Comment

Colin Drane is an unlikely warrior in the fight for open government.

An inventor and TV infomercial producer, Drane spent much of his career marketing products like the Trunkanizer for organizing car trunks, a toy calledBendaroos, and Invisi-lift self-adhesive breast enhancement pads.

Six years ago, Drane started a different kind of business – a company called ReportSee, which operates the website SpotCrime.com. The site obtains publicly available crime records from police agencies and graphically displays them on colorful maps.

Drane says the site attracts a million views a month from people curious about the burglaries, shootings, and other bedlam in their towns. The site makes money through advertising and from partnerships with television stations and other media organizations.

“Its primary appeal is folks involved in neighborhood watches and people who want to know what’s going on their communities,” Drane said in a phone interview. He said the information on SpotCrime, which typically is culled from police department logs and incident reports, can make communities safer.

“If an unusual van is in the neighborhood, and everybody knows there’s been a rash of burglaries, maybe somebody takes time to call the police, where maybe in the past it would have been brushed off,” he said.

More than 300 law-enforcement agencies around the country cooperate with Drane and provide him electronic access to their crime reports. But he’s had conflicts with dozens of other agencies, which either deny him access entirely or provide information that’s dated or incomplete.

Often, he finds that agencies already have struck deals with one of his larger competitors. The owners of sites such as CrimeReports.com,CrimeMapping.com, and RAIDS online compile and publish similar maps.

“Police departments contract with a vendor and give them preferential access to very important public data,” Drane said. “If you’ve got agencies controlling the information through a vendor, that’s not full transparency, and it limits accountability.”

Public data: profitable and contentious

Drane’s situation isn’t unique. As private companies have discovered there’s profit to be made from some kinds of government records, public agencies increasingly are outsourcing parts of their recordkeeping. That’s led to disputes over whether private firms can receive exclusive or preferential access to public data, copyright it, or withhold it from business competitors and other parties who request it.

“Conflicts are becoming more common,” said Peter Scheer of the First Amendment Coalition, a nonprofit California group that advocates for open government. “The demand for data and the perceived value in data has been rising exponentially, and that’s raising thorny legal-access questions.”

Read the Full Story>>

Read Full Article →

AP Stylebook marks 60th anniversary with new edition

May 29, 2013 · Add Comment

The new print edition of the AP Stylebook, which comes out (May 29), features new entries on a wide range of topics — weapons, fashion and social media, to name a few.

The Stylebook, which turns 60 this year, has traditionally done a good job reflecting the evolving nature of language.

Some of this year’s changes — such as the updated entries on illegal immigration and the new entry on mental illness — were in response to ongoing debates about the way journalists use certain terms and phrases in news stories about these topics. AP spokesperson Paul Colford, for instance, has acknowledged that the Newtown school shooting was a factor in the updated entries on mental illnesses. The Stylebook has also made a greater push in recent years to avoid labels, such as “illegal immigrant” and “mentally ill.”

Here are some of the notes or changes in this years new print edition:

A new, four-page numerals section that says numerals are now the preferred usage for all dimmensions and distances. The section provides about 200 examples of when to use numerals and when to spell them out.

The social media section has been expended to include terms such as Google Hangout, circles and flash mob. There’s also new information on how to authenticate, reference and attribute user-generated content.

Read the Full Story>>

Read Full Article →

William Herzig, former Toledo Blade Director of Circulation, passes away

May 28, 2013 · Add Comment

From obituary originally published in The Toledo Blade

Bill was born on September 30, 1942 to William G. and Helen C. (Warnke) Herzig. He passed peacefully on May 21, 2013. Bill was a 1960 graduate of Libbey High School. He loved sports his whole life. He was a pretty good shortstop and played high school and federation baseball where he set a record at that time of striking out 8 consecutive batters as a relief pitcher. He later played softball for several teams, finally retiring from playing at the age of 64.

Bill started as a truck driver at The Toledo Blade and worked his way up in various positions including interim Director of Circulation and retired after 37 years. He finished his career at Banner Mattress after 6 years. He was very involved in the Toledo community including President of the Old Newsboys Good fellow Association, President of the Ohio Circulation Managers Association, served on the City of Toledo Baseball Softball Commission and later the City of Toledo Athletic Commission. Bill also served as a Supply Sergeant in the 983rd Army Engineer Battalion, served on the Advisory Board of the Volunteers of America, was President of Meadowvale Boosters Club and most recently was on the Executive Board and was Treasurer at Morocco United Brethren Church.

His brightest moments were when he was able to coach his 3 daughters to many softball championships.

Bill loved the Ohio State Buckeyes and is looking forward to having the best seat in the house. He was also an avid golfer and enjoyed playing with two different groups. He was so very proud of his children’s and grandchildren’s accomplishments and he knows they will go far in life. Most of all he’s looking forward to his Sunday afternoon drives with Barbara again.

Surviving Bill are his daughters, Michele (Todd) Audet, Lori (Stewart) Carr, and Amy (Greg) Pisanti. He also leaves behind his beautiful and talented grandchildren, Andrew, Nick, Rachel, Sydney, Alex, Lindsay, Anthony, and Gabby.

Preceding Bill in death was his loving wife, Barbara; parents; sister, Berdonna, and brother, Jack.

The family would like to thank Jeff and Don for their endless support. We would also like to thank Pastor Todd Greenman and the entire congregation at Morocco U.B. for their support and prayers throughout Bill’s battle with cancer.

Friends may join the family for visitation on Tuesday, May 28, 2013, from 3:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at Reeb Funeral Home, 5712 N. Main St., Sylvania, OH, where the Funeral Service will be held Wednesday, May 29, 2013, at 11:00 a.m., Pastor Todd Greenman officiating. Memorials may be made to Old Newsboys Scholarship Fund or Morocco United Brethren Building Fund. Online condolences may be offered to the family at www.reebfuneralhome.com.

Read Full Article →

Bill would block release of some Newtown records

May 24, 2013 · Add Comment

From The Vindicator

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s office and Connecticut’s top prosecutor are working privately with state lawmakers to craft legislation that would block the public release of certain records from the Newtown school shooting and possibly other crimes.

Chief State’s Attorney Kevin Kane said today officials are trying to address privacy concerns expressed by some Newtown families and come up with legislation that would prevent information such as crime scene photos and possibly tapes of 911 calls from being released.

While Kane acknowledged traditional media outlets typically do not publish gruesome crime scene photos, he said “with the Internet, we’re in a whole different era.”

Mark Ojakian, Malloy’s chief of staff, said officials are “exploring ways to respect the families’ right to privacy while also respecting the public’s right to information.”

Read Full Article →

Democrats’ proposal seeks more JobsOhio accountability

May 24, 2013 · Add Comment

From The Columbus Dispatch

Two years ago, Rep. Connie Pillich supported the creation of JobsOhio, the nonprofit entity designed to take over economic-development activities for the state.

“It’s smart to try different options, and if having this type of entity brings jobs to Ohio, I’m all for it,” the Cincinnati Democrat said. “However, that does not mean we can do without the proper protections and transparency that every other state agency has.”

House Democrats say they want to shed light on JobsOhio and rolled out a proposal yesterday that they say will give elected officials and the public assurance that the entity is operating with full accountability and integrity.

Created by Gov. John Kasich and GOP lawmakers and funded by state wholesale liquor profits, JobsOhio is largely exempt from state public-records laws. “Due to its secrecy, JobsOhio is ripe for corruption and possible pay-to-play politics,” Pillich said.

The proposal would:

Require JobsOhio to adhere to state public-records and open-meetings laws.
Require JobsOhio employees to follow state ethics requirements.
Clarify that JobsOhio and its subsidiaries are fully subject to a state audit.
Create a website that provides information on recipients of JobsOhio funds.
Remove limitations on inspector-general oversight of JobsOhio.

Continue Reading>>

Read Full Article →

NY Times CEO lauds digital pay model

May 23, 2013 · Add Comment

In a commencement address to business students at Columbia University, New York Times Co. Chief Executive Officer Mark Thompson hailed the company’s digital subscription strategy and dismissed skeptics who say media outlets can’t reinvent themselves.

“[T]he launch of the pay model is the most important and most successful business decision made by the New York Times in many years. We have around 700,000 paid digital subscribers across the company’s products so far and a new nine-figure revenue stream that is still growing.”

Thompson added that media pundits predicted that the Times’ subscription model, which is based on a so-called“metered paywall,” would be a disaster when it launched in 2011. Since then, he noted, it’s become a standard for the rest of the newspaper industry. ”In modern media, you could make the case that the best way forward is to listen carefully to what the industry has to say and then do the exact opposite.”

Thompson also equated disruptions in the news business to what’s happening in other industries such as high tech and car rental and said that risk-taking is the secret of America’s culture of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Read the Full Story>>

Read Full Article →

Plain Dealer announces new publication schedule

May 23, 2013 · Add Comment

From The Plain Dealer

Dear Readers,

As you may have heard, we recently announced changes in the way The Plain Dealer will publish and distribute the newspaper later this summer. These changes will enable us to meet the evolving needs of our print and digital audiences while continuing to provide Northeast Ohio with the most comprehensive and up-to-date news and information 24/7.

Effective Aug. 5, The Plain Dealer will begin home delivery of its premium print experience three times a week, with larger news sections and expanded local coverage: a Wednesday edition enriched with more food and dining coverage, a Friday edition with Northeast Ohio’s most comprehensive blueprint for entertainment, and a Sunday edition filled with even more arts, travel, opinion, sports and news. Each premium edition will also include a free-standing Forum section, reflecting the thoughts and opinions on topics most important to the people in our community.

As an enhancement to the weekend experience, a bonus Saturday edition, including an auto section, will provide the latest high school sports coverage and a complete Ohio State football preview.

A full subscription of three premium days of home delivery will include access to our new digital edition seven days a week plus the Saturday home-delivered bonus edition.

Continue Reading>>

Read Full Article →

Retired Dispatch reporter Felix Hoover passes away

May 22, 2013 · Add Comment

From The Dispatch

Felix Hoover dabbled in jobs far afield from reporting, but he always returned to what he loved: journalism.

The retired longtime Dispatch reporter died yesterday of cancer at the age of 63.

Friends and co-workers rarely saw Hoover without the signature smile that lit up his face and drew people to his warmth and quiet-but-friendly manner.

“He was very good at getting people to talk to him because he was such a nice guy,” recalled Mark Fisher, his boss at The Dispatch when Hoover was a religion reporter. “He was very dedicated to the religion beat and wanted people to understand the different faith-based groups he wrote about.”

Hoover’s journalism career began at WLWC-TV, now WCMH-TV (Channel 4), then diverged with stints as an investigator for the Franklin County public defender’s office and as an arts administrator for the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department.

He returned to journalism and worked for the Columbus Call & Postbefore joining The Dispatch in the 1980s. Hoover also covered neighborhood issues and social-service agencies. He retired from The Dispatch in 2007.

Read the Full Story>>

Read Full Article →

Ex print reporters find new homes in TV

May 21, 2013 · Add Comment

From TVNewsCheck

Getting let go after 45 years on the job is tough, but Caulton Tudor, a Raleigh, N.C., sports writer with all the makings of a local legend, is in a pretty good place after packing it in March 1 at the only job he's ever had.

The morning after Tudor’s “forced retirement” from The News & Observer was announced, local broadcasters serving Raleigh-Durham, N.C. (DMA 24), came calling.

WNCN, Media General’s NBC affiliate, was first at bat, giving Tudor a temporary gig covering March Madness for the station’s website.

Before that ended, Steve Hammel, GM of Capitol Broadcasting’s WRAL, a CBS affiliate, was at the plate, asking Tudor — a four-time winner of the N.C. Sports Writer of the Year award and member of the U.S. Basketball Writers Hall of Fame — to join his team.

“He is someone we just couldn’t pass up,” Hammel says. ‘’Forget the platform. What we are getting out of this is his expertise, his knowledge of the area after more than four decades and his huge Rolodex of contacts for great content.”

Tudor, who just three months ago was hoping to find enough freelance work “to pay a few bills,” says he’s “really just tickled” at the opportunity, which includes writing his columns for WRAL.com and some on-air work.

“It’s hard when you’re 65 years old and a rookie again,” he says. “But it’s exhilarating, really.”

Tudor is the latest in a string of high-profile print journalists hired by local TV news operations over the last year or so not necessarily to turn them into on-air stars, but to take advantage of the writing and reporting skills.

The movement, industry watchers say, makes perfect sense at a time when TV stations need top-quality writing, particularly for their websites, and newspaper jobs are becoming increasingly tenuous.

Read the Full Story>>

Read Full Article →

Sentinel-Tribune Editor David Miller dies

May 21, 2013 · Add Comment

From The Sentinel-Tribune

David C. Miller, 66 of Weston, Ohio, the Editor of the Bowling Green, Ohio Sentinel-Tribune Newspaper, passed away Saturday, May 18, 2013 in York, Pennsylvania.

David was born in Newark, Ohio to the late Frank and Marcena (Cox) Miller. He married Joyce (Carlson) Miller in 1966 and she preceded him in death in 1968. He later married Judith “Judy” (Witmer) Miller on December 27, 1969 and she survives in Weston, Ohio.
Along with his wife Judy, David is survived by a daughter: Jessica (Tom) Blakely, of Perrysburg, Ohio; a son: Aaron (Becki) Miller, of Smyrna, Georgia; grandchildren: Emma and Jackson Blakely, Mason Miller; step-grandchildren: Nick, Kelly and Brian Blakely; a brother: Tim (Susan) Miller, of Onsted, Michigan and special nieces and nephews.
David was a 1969 graduate of Bowling Green State University and was the editor of the 1969 BGSU yearbook, The Key, which won an All-American Rating.

In 1971 David began working with the Sentinel as a reporter and then became the county editor from 1972-1980. David became the Editor of the Sentinel in 1980 where he remained.

Under his leadership, the newspaper won numerous awards including Associated Press honors as the first place winner for “General Excellence” in both 2004 and 2005.

Read the Full Obituary>>

Read Full Article →

Judge tells prosecutors she doesn’t want them representing her over lawsuits of illegally limiting access to court

May 21, 2013 · Add Comment

From The Cincinnati Enquirer

Judge Tracie Hunter has told Hamilton County prosecutors she doesn’t want them representing her in lawsuits accusing her of illegally limiting access to the Hamilton County Juvenile Court over which she presides.

“Judge Hunter has notified (the Hamilton County Prosecutors Office) that she has declined to be represented” by prosecutors, Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor Christian Schaefer wrote in Monday court documents in one of the lawsuits.

Hunter didn’t return Monday calls to her office and cell phones.

This is the latest in an ongoing battle over the lawyers who will represent Hunter. Previously, Hunter, a Democrat, said she can’t trust Republican Prosecutor Joe Deters, whose office includes a group of civil lawyers who, by law, serve as the attorneys for elected officials.

Hunter was elected Juvenile Court judge in the 2010 election but only took office more than a year later, after she won a federal lawsuit that required some previously uncounted votes to be counted. When they were counted, Hunter received enough votes to vault her over John Williams and won the election.

Earlier this month, Hunter tried to have three independent attorneys represent her in the suits at no cost. The Cincinnati-based Ohio First District Court of Appeals, though, ruled she can’t do that. It noted the county prosecutor is the attorney for all elected officials and there is a specific procedure Hunter must follow to get outside lawyers appointed to represent her. Hunter didn’t follow that process, which includes asking the Common Pleas Court judges to appoint attorneys for her.

In Monday filings, The Enquirer attorney alleged Hunter is violating the U.S. Constitution by banning its reporters.

Read the Full Story>>

Read Full Article →

West Jefferson residents rally for police chief’s Facebook page

May 20, 2013 · Add Comment

From The Columbus Dispatch

It used to be, if people wanted to know what was happening around town, they stopped in for dinner at Ann & Tony’s restaurant and just listened.

Then, in March, Police Chief Terry Ward started a Facebook page. Each day, he posted the logs of calls and arrests and traffic stops from the day before. People loved it.

Not because they’re a bunch of Nosy Nellies, but because the safety of a community rests with a well-informed citizenry, said local resident and mother Angela Denes.

So when the West Jefferson Village Council and Mayor Darlene Steele ordered Ward to take the Web page down a week ago, residents rallied.

They’re planning to protest at tonight’s meeting and ask the council to reconsider.

“This really isn’t about a Facebook page,” Denes said. “This is about wanting to live in a community that operates in the open.”

Council members said the Facebook page violates the Madison County village’s Web policies. Ward said he doesn’t see how. A review of the policy shows no obvious violations.

Steele acknowledged that the policy really only refers to the village’s official website, villageofwestjefferson.com, but it does say that there will be no links to social media.

Council members, she said, saw this as a violation.

Read the Full Story>>

Read Full Article →

Supreme Court decision could support release of closed case files

May 17, 2013 · Add Comment

By Dennis Hetzel, Executive Director

The reasoning is complicated, but an Ohio Supreme Court decision this week could help dislodge investigative records of closed cases that many police departments across the state have refused to release.

The stonewalling by some big-city police departments in particular has blocked the efforts of journalists, private investigators and defense lawyers to scrutinize closed cases and, in many cases, do the investigating necessary to determine if innocent people have been wrongfully convicted.

For several years, the ONA has been part of a coalition seeking either a court or statutory remedy to the argument that some agencies have been making that a case is never really closed as long as the defendant has any legal remedies available. The extension of this thinking is that if the defendant is alive to file even the most ridiculous motion, post-conviction records aren’t available for release.

It goes without saying – but I can’t resist saying it anyway – that a wrongful conviction doesn’t do a defendant much good if he’s dead.

The most stirring arguments against this have come from the Ohio Innocence Project, which is centered at the University of Cincinnati. Ironically, the majority of closed-case investigations determine that the right person was convicted, and the authorities did their jobs. However, mistakes get made, and sometimes there is outright malfeasance or abuse of power that puts innocent people in prison or even to their deaths.

Continue Reading>>

Read Full Article →

Praise for the Plain Dealer’s kidnapping rescue coverage

May 17, 2013 · Add Comment

By Jason Sanford, ONA Manager of Communications and Content

Last week's rescue of three kidnapping victims from a house in Cleveland generated international headlines and coverage. Ohio newspapers ran the rescue across the front pages of their editions for several days, and continued to run smaller stories through this week.

One paper which excelled in its coverage was Cleveland's Plain Dealer, whose reporters were on the scene within minutes and created numerous in-depth reports in the following days. These reports continued long after the international media moved on from the story, as in their report on May 16 describing how the Cleveland community had raised a half million dollars to help the kidnapping victims. The Plain Dealer also created a special section on their website focused on the kidnappings and an excellent frequently asked questions article, which was updated when new information became available.

Congratulations to the Plain Dealer for demonstrating how a local newspaper can take the lead on such an important and emotional story.

For more information on the Plain Dealer's coverage, check out the American Copy Editor's Society special article focused on the paper's print editions. And in related news, Poynter has an interesting article on how Cleveland’s Department of Public Safety used Twitter to communicate with journalists. And a Cleveland TV station had to apologize after reporting on the criminal record of the man who helped the women escape.

Read Full Article →

Kent Multimedia Workshop to be held June 6, 7, and 8

May 17, 2013 · Add Comment

From The Kent Multimedia Workshop

The Kent Multimedia Workshop was founded by faculty members at Kent State in 2012 to provide low-cost training to journalists and students from Ohio. The workshop is an outgrowth of the Keystone Multimedia Workshop founded in 2008 by Penn State University faculty members.

Since 2009, KSU School of Journalism lecturer and student media adviser Susan Zake and her husband, adjunct photography instructor Bruce Zake have helped the Keystone faculty. Since beginning of the collaboration, the Keystone faculty has talked about having a workshop in Kent. This year, it has become a reality.

Penn State University faculty – Curt Chandler, John Beale and Will Yurman will join us for our first year in Kent. The three-day training event will be held on the Kent State University Campus in Franklin Hall, home of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Registration fee:

$195 for Professionals & general public
$95 for Ohio college students
$295 for out-of-state participants.

To Register, click HERE

Read Full Article →

Editorial: AP phone dragnet was out of bounds

May 17, 2013 · Add Comment

Editorial from The Plain Dealer

Last May, after delaying publication for five days at the request of Obama administration officials who cited national security concerns, the Associated Press published a story detailing a CIA operation in Yemen and Saudi Arabia that derailed an al-Qaida plot to bomb an airliner bound for the United States.

Soon after, the Justice Department announced it was investigating how that story leaked. Often such probes go nowhere, but the Obama administration has been especially tenacious about pursuing leaks: It has prosecuted six officials under the Espionage Act -- compared to three previous cases since the law passed in 1917.

Last week, AP executives were notified that federal prosecutors had obtained phone records for some 20 office, personal and cellphone lines used by its reporters in three cities over roughly two months. Officials waited the maximum 90 days allowed under Justice Department guidelines before telling AP, a cooperative owned by member newspapers -- including The Plain Dealer -- and broadcasters, what had been done.

The sweep of the federal seizure is startling and seems designed to have a chilling effect on journalists and their sources -- far beyond the realm of national security. That's dangerous in a democracy and demands further investigation and closure of legal loopholes that may have enabled such an abuse.

In a letter to the Justice Department, AP President Gary Pruitt said those telephones would have been used by more than 100 reporters and editors. The records could give investigators an X-ray look at a wide swath of AP's reporting, not just the story at issue.

That alone would make this a fishing expedition well outside the boundaries of the Justice Department's long-standing policy to make narrow information requests from news organizations. The prosecutors also gave AP no notice that they were seeking information and therefore no opportunity to reply or negotiate. Indeed, they didn't even say initially what they were investigating. That makes it hard to have a conversation or develop a coherent response.

American democracy depends on a free press and a free flow of information. This kind of government intimidation threatens both.

Additional Coverage

Criticized on Seizure of Records, White House Pushes News Media Shield Law (From the New York Times)
NAA issues call to action in wake of AP phone records scandal

Read Full Article →

NAA issues call to action in wake of AP phone records scandal

May 17, 2013 · Add Comment

From the NAA

The Associated Press learned May 10 that the Justice Department had obtained more than two months’ worth of telephone records from April and May 2012. The call logs covered more than 20 telephone lines assigned to AP journalists and offices. These included both home and cell phones, as well as AP offices in the press gallery at the U.S. House of Representatives and in New York City; Hartford, Conn.; and Washington, D.C.

In a scathing response to Attorney General Eric Holder, AP President and CEO Gary Pruitt estimated that more than 100 journalists could have been affected by the records seizure. Pruitt wrote:

“There can be no possible justification for such an overbroad collection of the telephone communications of The Associated Press and its reporters. These records potentially reveal communications with confidential sources across all of the newsgathering activities undertaken by the AP during a two-month period, provide a road map to AP’s newsgathering operations, and disclose information about AP’s activities and operations that the government has no conceivable right to know.”

Continue Reading>>

Read Full Article →

How would you like to add $100,000 to your bottom line?

May 17, 2013 · Add Comment

By Pat Conkle, AdOhio Operations Manager

How would you like to add $100,000 to your bottom line? That is just what one of our OhioScan Network members made in one year. It could be as easy as training your classified sales representatives to ask one more question when they are on the phone with clients or at the front desk taking an ad.

Would you like to have a better reach with your ad? Let the client know your newspaper offers a network of newspapers where their ad could reach over a million more people.

A few ideas for advertisers to up-sell could be for collectibles, antiques, collectors of cars and motorcycles. You can try this with people advertising horses, festivals in your area, area attractions, and camping facilities. The categories are endless. Sell one of these ads for $295 and you get to keep $177. When was the last time you made that from one sale in line classified?

Want a few other ideas on how to increase revenues? Become a member of the AdOhio 2 x 2/ 2 x4 networks. If you are not a member of this network you are also losing revenue, including year-end rebates. Last year, network participants received more than $100,000 in rebates from AdOhio.

Many of these ads are placed for area festivals and weekend getaways. Bed and Breakfast people love this avenue of advertising. You need to be creative and get your people thinking. Sell one of these ads for $995 and keep $696.50. It all adds up quickly.

One suggestion to get the word out to your readers is to do a small ad on your web page promoting the OhioScan network in your classified section and in main news, promote the 2 x 2/2 x 4 network. Be sure your clients know the added value you can offer with these networks.

If your newspaper is not a member of the networks, please contact Kathy McCutcheon at 614-486-6677 ext. 1022 or e-mail Kathy at kmccutcheon@adohio.net.

It’s time to add to your bottom line and help your customers get new results that only can help you improve your relationship with them . Happy Selling.

Read Full Article →

Eddie Adams photo workshop accepting applications until May 31

May 16, 2013 · Add Comment

From a press release by the Eddie Adams Workshop

Eddie Adams was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American photographer and photojournalist noted for portraits of celebrities and politicians and his coverage of 13 wars. Eddie Adams passed away on September 19, 2004. His legacy continues in the annual photojournalism workshop, Barnstorm: The Eddie Adams Workshop, which he created in 1988, and is still running strong today.

The Eddie Adams Workshop would like to announce the 26th Workshop, which will be held October 11-14, 2013 in Jeffersonville, New York. The Workshop is one of the premier photojournalism events for students and young professionals, and the only one that is tuition-free. The weekend offers an excellent opportunity to meet the top photojournalists in the world, and to work alongside the best photo editors in the business. We will be accepting applications through May 31, 2013. Please encourage all who qualify to apply at www.eddieadamsworkshop.com.

Read Full Article →

Deseret syndicates its faith and family values coverage to GateHouse Media

May 16, 2013 · Add Comment

Deseret News Service, which has focused a good share of its content on faith and family values issues, now is expanding that effort by syndicating the material to other publishers.

The first such deal, announced this morning, is with GateHouse Media, which publishes 78 small and midsize dailies and claims 12 million unique visitors per month to its websites.

“Others are in the pilot stage,” Matt Sanders, who is directing the licensing effort, told Poynter by phone. “We will be announcing other relationships as the year goes on.”

Deseret shifted to an aggressive digital expansion strategy several years ago under CEO Clark Gilbert. Part of that initiative has been to re-orient enterprise coverage to faith, family and related matters and offer that in several platforms available to a Mormon audience worldwide. (Deseret, based in Salt Lake City, is owned by the Church of the Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).

Read the Full Story>>

Read Full Article →

Ohio Supreme Court: Criminal defendant’s public records request triggers state’s right to demand reciprocal discovery

May 16, 2013 · Add Comment

From the Ohio Supreme Court

The Supreme Court of Ohio ruled today that when the defendant in a criminal case directly or indirectly makes a public records request for information that could have been obtained from the state through a discovery demand, the public records request is the equivalent of a demand for discovery, and it triggers the defendant’s duty under Ohio Criminal Rule 16 to provide reciprocal discovery to the state.

The court’s 4-3 majority decision, authored by Justice Terrence O’Donnell, reversed a ruling by the First District Court of Appeals.

The case arose from a December 20, 2010 traffic stop in Hamilton County during which Sergeant Cory Wright of the Ohio State Highway Patrol arrested Gary Athon and charged him with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, speeding, and failing to reinstate his driver’s license. Athon, represented by attorney Steven Adams, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Read the Full Story>>

Read Full Article →

Criticized on seizure of records, White House pushes news media shield law

May 16, 2013 · Add Comment

From The New York Times

Under fire over the Justice Department’s use of a broad subpoena to obtain calling records of Associated Press reporters in connection with a leak investigation, the Obama administration sought on Wednesday to revive legislation that would provide greater protections to reporters in keeping their sources and communications confidential.

President Obama’s Senate liaison, Ed Pagano, on Wednesday morning called the office of Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York, and asked him to reintroduce a version of a bill that he had pushed in 2009 called the Free Flow of Information Act, a White House official said.

The bill would create a federal media shield law, akin to ones most states already have, giving journalists some protections from penalties for refusing to identify confidential sources in federal law enforcement proceedings, and generally enabling journalists to ask a federal judge to quash subpoenas for their phone records.

Read the Full Story>>

Read Full Article →

Page 2 of 49«123 4 5...10 20 30...»Last »

Important Dates

Ongoing
Google AdWords Certification-Training Program
Local Media Association training

Ongoing
Advertising Sales Webinar Package
Online Media Campus webinar

June 27
Top Strategies and Tactics for Sales Success!
Online Media Campus webinar

July 12
Savings, Costs and the How-to You Need on Full-Service IMb
Online Media Campus webinar

View the Full Training Calendar
Marketplace

Upload your job postings and resumes for free!

ONA members can post their job openings for free as a benefit of ONA membership. Job seekers can post their resumes for free for ONA members to see.

Submit Your Job Posting
Submit Your Resume
View Job Postings
View Resumes (ONA Members Only)