Classroom

By Jim Pumarlo It’s standard procedure at many newspapers to chronicle headlines in year-end editions. The continuing social and economic impact of COVID-19 is certain to capture a lion’s share of attention in most communities. Other noteworthy events can include the passing of key individuals; the success, or maybe failure, …

By Jim Pumarlo Newspapers smartly are promoting their roles as government watchdogs to reinforce their strengths in the fractured media landscape. I join the chorus: Vibrant coverage of public affairs is at the foundation of vibrant communities. The theme was underscored in a couple of recent webinars. What do you …

By Jim Pumarlo Many newsrooms, already strained by lean staffs, have seen resources exacerbated by the economic toll of the coronavirus. Circumstances have prompted editors and reporters to take shortcuts in gathering and publishing the everyday churn of news. Some of the practices have merit and can make for an …

By Bart Pfankuch Depending on where you live and work as a journalist, there are two basic levels of importance when it comes to coverage of the agriculture industry: “very important” or “extremely important.” How and where food is grown or raised, how it is processed and transported, what it …

 By Peter W. Wagner One of the best bits of advice I received before starting The N’West Iowa REVIEW came from the editor of the newspaper where we would be printing the new paper. “You need to write a weekly column,” he told me. “You need to let your readers …

By Peter W. Wagner There’s a small women’s clothing boutique in our town whose owner claims to have 2,400 Facebook followers. It’s a claim that begs the question, how does a small-town boutique attract almost 25 hundred followers? In larger markets most of the specialty stores have professional agencies regularly …

By Bart Pfankuch Of all the threats to the credibility of American journalists today, and there are many, the most damaging may be the result of a purely self-inflicted wound. The misuse of social media by reporters and editors — particularly on Twitter and Facebook — has made it easy …

Newspaper Relevance guru Tom Silvestri spent much of 2020 participating in webinars and virtual conferences and has compiled an exhaustive list of Best Advice. The nine-part series covers a wide range of topics with a heavy focus on revenue.“The Zoom world of newspaper conferences allowed me a front-row seat at …

By Peter W. Wagner The “good old days,” when the hometown newspaper was often the only game in town, are gone forever. New digital platforms are arriving, and sometimes disappearing, quicker than an editor can shout “stop the press.” But digital competition isn’t just upsetting the newspaper and shopper industry. …