Editor and Publisher Reports

If you have been involved in any form of production and operations over the past three decades, odds are you have spoken with the Southern Lithoplate's (SLP) Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Steve Mattingly. Mattingly joined SLP in 1989 and helped this small, privately-held North Carolina lithoplate manufacturer become one of the leading consumables suppliers to North American printers and one of the top five largest manufacturers in the world. During those 30-plus years, Mattingly has been a voice for the operations sector as a board member of the international newspaper group as well as a frequent speaker at many industry conferences. In this episode of "E&P Reports," Publisher Mike Blinder goes one-on-one with Mattingly to gain his insight into the future of the still vital production / operations sector of the news publishing business. Topics include how the industry consolidation will affect bottom lines and what the future is for print as a profitable platform for news content.

  Hearst Connecticut Media Group (HCMG) has made a big investment in a new online platform offering statewide news called: CTinsider.com. The new site provides a mix of original content and articles selected from across all 24 HCMG sites, offering hard news, features, sports and opinion columns. The articles CTinsider.com are chosen by a central editorial team working with editors from each site who also suggest what content should go statewide. The new site will likely augment the growing reader revenue being achieved by the entire group which now boasts more than 1,000 percent growth in its digital subscriptions since September 2019. Print and digital subscriptions have also increased by 18 percent during the same time period. In this episode of “E & P Reports,” Publisher Mike Blinder chats with Group Publisher & President, Hearst Connecticut Media Group, Mike DeLuca along with VP of Content &, Editor-in-Chief Wendy Metcalfe about the new website along with what it took to realize such strong pr

Ryan Dohrn is a well-known industry sales coach who has traveled far and wide helping media companies of all sizes perform better (and he writes our monthly Ad Sales Life column). On his website, it states, “Ryan actively sells print, digital, broadcast, event sponsorships, exhibit space, and radio.” On his Twitter account, his description reads: Ryan Dohrn is a “motivational speaker, 28-year sales and marketing strategist.” And on the top of his LinkedIn page, there are just six words: “Sales Strategist – Keynote Speaker – Emmy Winner.” There is no question that when you watch Dohrn speak, there is always a true transference of positive energy emitting from him In this episode of “E&P Reports” publisher Mike Blinder chats with Dohrn about how ad sellers should adapt to a post-pandemic world. Dohrn offers actionable advice on how we can find, recruit, and keep sales talent. What are our best target business categories to prospect? How do we interact properly in a new Zoom world and use it to your advantag

Juneteenth is widely considered the final “nail in the coffin” of slavery in the U.S. The New York Times reported that the first written reference of the term occurred in the Galveston (Texas) Daily News. Owned by Southern Newspapers, the masthead proudly states it is the oldest newspaper in Texas, published since 1842. Even the original announcement of General Granger’s words freeing the slaves was recorded on the pages of the Daily News.   Daily News publisher Leonard Woolsey states that their company has been “pushing lawmakers, editorializing, and promoting Juneteenth’s accent for as long as anyone can recall.” They even published a special 150-year magazine a few years back and have worked with local community members, as well staff members, to lend their voices to help move the important day to the national spotlight.   In this episode of “E&P Reports,” publisher Mike Blinder chats with Woolsey and the Daily News’ editor Michael Smith about what it was like to report locally in a city that quickly g

According to Google, the word “unpublish” is defined as a verb that means “to make content that has previously been published online unavailable to the public. As in ‘The magazine first amended and then unpublished the article.” Years ago, publishers did not face problems of information permanence when a daily printed product was quickly discarded the next day. But more and more news publishers today are receiving requests from individuals to remove, obscure or significantly alter once-accurate information published about them in the past. In some cases, these requests are happening many years after a story was initially published online. A recent survey also suggests that more than 80 percent of North American news publishers believe all news organizations should follow a set of standard guidelines about what information can and cannot be removed from their archives. But are such standards being compiled? Exploring this issue is Deborah Dwyer, PHD candidate UNC Chapel Hill Hussman School of Journalism and Me

Please Follow this Podcast Series For 15 years, Ken Doctor has been preaching innovative news publishing business models through Newsonomics, his own company and website. Six months ago, he started his experiment Lookout Local, which launched with Lookout Santa Cruz, the company’s first site based in Santa Cruz County, Calif. Doctor’s intention with the site is to show the industry his vision on what is needed to be the local news leader this decade. Today he boasts over 12,000+ email followers and just under 1,000 paid website subscribers after just three months of putting his content behind a paywall. Lookout Local was started with $2.5-million dollars donated by the Knight Foundation, Google News Innovation Challenge, The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, and various other foundations. One of his news publishing competitors is Dan Pulcrano, CEO of Metro Newspapers and owner of Good Times a free-circulation weekly newspaper based in Santa Cruz. Pulcrano recently penned an editorial claiming that the $2.5 mi

What do two millennial media execs from New York City do when they move to Texas? They buy a small market weekly newspaper and transform it into the center of the community. And how do they do this? By purchasing and renovating a building to house not only the newspaper’s office but a restaurant/ bar/ coffee shop and banquet center called The Sentinel. In this segment of “E&P Reports” Publisher Mike Blinder interviews Max Kabat the co-founder of a New York City-based brand consultancy firm, who along with his Emmy Award-winning, documentary filmmaker wife, Maisie Crow, purchased The Big Bend Sentinel, a weekly newspaper in Marfa, Texas. After purchasing the newspaper just two years ago, they are funding a vibrant newsroom and building their audience up with out-of-the-box thinking that not only creates revenue but connects their publication with the community. Related links: Big Bend Sentinel: https://bigbendsentinel.com The Sentinel (Restaurant) Website: https://www.thesentinelmarfa.com  

In the June 2021 Editor and Publisher cover story, editor-in-chief Nu Yang takes an in-depth look at how a number of Minneapolis journalists covered the events from George Floyd’s death to the conviction of the police officer deemed responsible. In this edition of E&P’s Vodcast series “E&P Reports,” publisher Mike Blinder has a frank discussion with the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s editorial management on what it was like to run a newsroom remotely, while covering one of the biggest stories of our time. Moreover, with all the global attention focused on their city, was it hard to hold to journalistic standards of balance of fairness in each story filed? Plus, with reporters receiving death threats and being shot at with rubber bullets, how did they maintain safety for each team member in the field? As they reflect a year later, how did the incidents and issues effect the Star Tribune’s own feelings and policies on diversity and inclusion? Learn what it was like to manage a newsroom through crises with S

For years, many media companies used remnant inventory as reciprocal trade in order to receive in-kind goods and services, such as prizes or meals. But what if there were new start-up companies willing to give you equity in their business in exchange for being able to market to your readers and viewers? That opportunity is now available from a new venture capital firm called Arrandale Ventures. Founded by two industry veterans, Zach Richner (Richner Communications) and Jeremy Mims (Spoken Layer/OwnLocal), Arrandale Ventures’ job is to seek out growing B2C and B2B startups that serve local residents, businesses, and governments, and match them with marketing services across a national footprint of local media. Today, they have hundreds of media companies onboard who are gaining equity in exchange for the advertising services they provide. In this segment of “E&P Reports,” publisher Mike Blinder chats with Richner and Mims about how their new venture capital firm works, and what the benefits and risks are f

Raymond Alcide Joseph is arguably one of the most remarkable news publishers in our industry today. In 1971, while working as a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, he founded, with his brother Léo, the Haiti Observateur, a weekly newspaper and 24/7 website that publishes in four languages (Haitian Creole, French, and English). Today, it remains the free voice of the Haitian people.   For five years, Joseph served as Haiti's ambassador to the U.S., and during the massive 2010 earthquake, he was essentially the functioning government since the capitol, Port au Prince, was substantially damaged, and the country's elected leadership could not be reached. Joseph is credited by The American Bible Society as the original translator of the New Testament with the Psalms from original languages and French to Haitian Creole. His autobiographical book, "For Whom the Dogs Spy," reveals Joseph’s insider’s account—having served under four presidents—of Haiti’s struggle to build a democracy during the tyrannical reign of d

Alec Johnson is the fourth generation to manage Johnson Newspaper Corporation, owners of the Watertown Daily Times, a newspaper serving New York's North Country region since 1861. Today the Johnson family's media company has five daily publications, several weeklies, and magazines. They have a solid commitment to multimedia with a company-wide website, NNY360.com, that serves the entire region with news and classifieds. In 2019, Johnson made the difficult decision to shutter the Ogdensburg Journal, one their publications that dated back to 1858, serving a city of 10,000+ residents along the St. Lawrence River. However, starting in June, the paper will begin to print again. In this segment of ‘E&P REPORTS' Publisher Mike Blinder discusses with President & COO Alec Johnson why the company decided to bring back the Journal and their strong commitment to printing a quality product in a growing digital world. Johnson Newspaper’s Webiste NNY 360: https://www.nny360.com

In 2018, ten former employees of The Denver Post started The Colorado Sun in response to multiple layoffs after the Post's acquisition by the private equity firm Alden Global Capital. Initially started with a combination of financial and technical support from Civil, a blockchain platform for news organization and from a Kickstarter campaign, The Sun was able to hire the staff and build the business disrupt the news ecosystem of this major market. Today the Sun remains journalist-owned and is growing audience relying on member support and sponsorships in order to pay the bills. And now, thanks to help from The National Trust for Local News the Sun has purchased Colorado Community Media, which has 24 weekly and monthly newspapers serving eight counties including and surrounding Denver.  In this segment of “E&P Reports” E&P Publisher Mike Blinder chats with Larry Ryckman Editor at the Sun, along Elizabeth Hansen Shapiro Co-Founder at The National Trust for Local News and Senior Research Fellow at the To

Dr. Iris Chyi is an associate professor at the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in media economics, and well-known for benchmarking reader demand for the print and digital content provided by major market newspapers. A few years ago, she caused a stir in the industry by describing through data that the digital content that the top 50 newspapers provide was being perceived as an “inferior good” by their readers. She went on to compare digital non-replica news sites as “Raman noodles,” and the print editions to steak, stating that people tend to perceive online newspapers as less likable and less satisfying. In her book, “Trial and Error: U.S. Newspapers’ Digital Struggles toward Inferiority,” she challenges U.S. newspapers’ technology-driven strategy, calling for a critical reassessment of the future of the industry. In her latest research, “The Impact of COVID-19 on 20 U.S. Newspapers’ Print and Digital Circulation,” Dr. Chyi takes a hard look at empirical data on the impact of COVID-19 with these

In his byline, Lansing’s City Pulse Managing Editor Kyle Kaminski proudly states he is “a cannabis enthusiast who has been smoking marijuana just about every day for the last decade.” So, it is no wonder that this alternative weekly in Michigan’s state capitol has become, arguably, the state’s authority on everything you need to know about cannabis. The April 14 issue features images of pot on the cover, back, and 10 inside pages of the 32 total in this latest edition. And many of those images are on the tons of ads they get each week from the local “Provisionaries,” legal since December 2019 to dispense recreational marijuana to residents over the age of 21. In this edition of “E&P REPORTS,” Publisher Mike Blinder chats with City Pulse’s Owner and Publisher Berl Schwartz and Managing Editor Kyle Kaminski about how cannabis has built an audience and needed revenue for their media company. Plus, they’ll share their views on covering Michigan state politics as Governor Gretchen Whitmer gains national attent

Paul Glader is an award-winning journalist, who spent 10 years as a staff writer for The Wall Street Journal with bylines for numerous publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post,TheNewYorker.com, The Indianapolis Star, The Associated Press, Der Spiegel Online, FastCompany.com, USA Today and ESPN.com. Today, Glader is an associate professor at The King's College in New York City; director of The McCandlish Phillips Journalism Institute; executive director of The Media Project, a global non-profit journalism training organization; and executive editor of its award-winning, nonprofit news outlet ReligionUnplugged.com. He is also founder of Vett Incorporated, a Knight Foundation-funded start-up. Vett Inc. has built a new tool called VettNews Cx that is “reimagining how modern newsrooms handle corrections.” It is now gaining a lot of traction with key industry partners including more than a dozen news organizations, Poynter.org, and the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA). In this

With a world permanently changed from a global pandemic, what is in store for the news publishers, and how should we best meet the challenges ahead. E&P assembled four industry leaders to offer their thoughts on: The value of media companies today and what will we be worth as we put COVID-19 behind us Are Philanthropic revenue opportunities or non-profit models a realistic way to help offset content creation costs? What is the future of maximizing consumer revenue for the news we produce, and can we expect it to grow in the months to come Should we look at partnerships with tech media like Facebook and Google or continue to fight for compensation for the news they monetize How do we find new talent and build critical diversity in our industry, and what priority should we place on having our newsrooms reflect the communities we serve?   In this segment of "E&P REPORTS," Publisher Mike Blinder poses these questions and more to- Dave Chavern President and CEO at New Media Alliance Nancy Lane CEO at Loc

Shaw Media claims to be  “the third oldest, continuously owned and operated family newspaper in the nation.” Today, Shaw Media has more than 300 employees working at 53 newspapers and magazines across Illinois and Iowa.   Tom Shaw, who has worked at various levels within the company, currently holds the position of vice president and chief product officer. He recently led the launch of a news consolidation model called Shaw Local,  designed to better their communities that contributed to their yearly double-digit growth in reader revenues. In this segment of “E&P Reports,” publisher Mike Blinder goes one-on-one with Shaw to learn more about how news consolidation models may not just benefit their company, but the industry as a whole. Plus, we learn Shaw's thoughts about the industry’s relationship and future with Google and Facebook, growing advertising revenue, building diversity in our newsrooms, and Shaw Media’s plans for growth in the future. Related Links: Shaw Local, Shaw Media’s new consolidated ne

Talking Glass Media (TGM) recently celebrated 6 million page views on its flagship “good news” website SignalsAZ.com, launched in March 2018 by Brad Fain, CEO of its parent company: Fain Signature Group, a multi-generational land holdings and real estate group based in Prescott Valley, Ariz.  Today, TGM publishes two regional magazines, the area’s premiere recreational guide, broadcasts podcasts and videos, and offers outdoor digital display marketing along with a complete suite of digital services for local businesses. TGM’s executive editor Guy Roginson’s background is not from the legacy media side of the business. He was brought in from an advertising agency to build TGM by “bringing together highly motivated professionals, dynamic content, the latest technologies and regional assets to deliver essential information, events, entertainment and news to a place once aptly named Lonesome Valley,” as stated on their website. In this edition of “E&P Reports,” publisher Mike Blinder discusses with Roginson a

It’s true that over the years we have seen the Borrell Associates’ Advertiser Research Studies show a downward trend in local advertiser spending for printed newspapers. But today, Borrell Associates CEO Gordon Borrell feels that those same newspaper companies are now in the right position to gain larger shares of local digital dollars as those advertisers look to shift their expenditures to those companies with the right solutions. According to Borrell’s latest newspaper study, most local ad directors feel they are poised for significant growth over the next year. It’s all part of a new study being performed by Borrell Associates and America’s Newspapers to help the industry find the best opportunities for growth in 2021. In this segment of E&P Reports, publisher Mike Blinder goes one-on-one with Borrell on initial findings and what opportunities are available now for garnering new ad dollars. Related links: More information about participating in the Borrell/America’s Newspapers Study: https://newspaper

Damian Radcliffe is the Carolyn S. Chambers Professor in Journalism at University of Oregon and also a fellow of the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University. However, most of us know Professor Radcliffe as the author of numerous studies that provide insight into the global journalism ecosystem. His latest study on the impact of COVID-19 on journalism was just released in conjunction with The Thomson Reuters Foundation. It reveals the pandemic’s impact on the personal safety and welfare of journalists,  the structure of newsrooms and disruption to business models and the proliferation of fake news, and surging threats to media freedom. The study also identifies best practice and innovative approaches that have been developed as a response to the challenges of COVID-19. In this segment of E&P Reports, publisher Mike Blinder chats with Radcliffe about his current findings from this study and what trends he is seeing in the other research projects he is currently working on. Related links: Mo