By Al Cross Last month I shared the story of a community newspaper editor who showed an effective way to respond to concerns of readers, often not politely expressed, that his newspaper was liberally biased. Brian Hunt of the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin is an experienced editor, but an intern at …

By Jim Pumarlo Public records are the foundation for reporting a range of stories important to your readers. Police reports reveal a string of continuing break-ins in a neighborhood. Minutes from a school board committee reveal discussions and eventual recommendation to close an elementary school. Letters sent from a state …

I knew Jake Highton mostly by reputation, and what a reputation it was. The retired journalism professor died Monday at his home of a heart attack, according to this obituary in the Reno Gazette-Journal. He would try most years to attend the Nevada Press Association convention. We’ll find a moment …

Many politicians, I think you would agree, have a knack for public speaking — or at least have attended enough Toastmasters meetings to be able to deliver a passable speech. There are some, of course, who simply have nothing to say. And there are plenty, especially nowadays, who rely on …

There’s more to holding the attention of your readers than writing a well-crafted, exceptional story. Today’s younger readers generally have a shorter attention span and are easily distracted. They often lose interest in even the best-written story after just one or two paragraphs. Even the finest reporting needs to be …

by Kevin Slimp While meeting with publishers one-on-one at conventions, the conversations run the gamut of running a newspaper or newspaper group. Over the weekend, while at a newspaper association convention in Oregon, publishers arrived at our scheduled meetings with questions about structuring groups, designing pages and increasing revenue, among …

by Jim Stasiowski A recent enjoyable email exchange with a reporter I once supervised included this from him: “OK, maybe we don’t miss the inevitable entreaties to ‘make just one more phone call,’ but we do miss most everything else you brought to the newsroom.” I do especially value the …

Two changes went into effect recently on public notices involving name changes because of bills approved by the 2017 Legislature. No notice is required at all if the name change is for purpose of conforming to the person’s gender identity, according to Senate Bill 110. It went into effect upon …

Two recent rulings on the East Coast confirmed the ability of the public to take videos of police and to access the videos that police take on their body-worn cameras. Both help affirm that police videos are public record — as Nevada’s statute clearly states when it comes to body-cams. …

Former NPA president Steve Ranson, recently in the news for his appointment as president of an international newspaper association, has announced he’ll be retiring from the Lahontan Valley News on Aug. 1. Here’s his bittersweet column on calling an end to a long career at the LVN. Fortunately, he’s still …