By Peter W. Wagner Many publishers and their staffs are worried about jump-starting their local advertisers following the COVID-19 shutdown. Although they’ve faithfully published their paper, often at a loss the last three months, some former clients’ media confidence and buying habits have changed. We’ve had three long-established weekly newspapers …
Read More »Tips to do great journalism from your home
By Bart Pfankuch In the COVID-19 era, many more journalists are working from home, some enjoying the freedom, a few discovering the difficulties and most hopefully avoiding the traps. As someone who has worked from home for nearly three years, and who spent five years lightly supervised in a capital …
Read More »The future for community newspapers
By Peter W. Wagner November’s announcement of the merger of Gannett, once considered the apex of all newspaper chains, and Gatehouse rocked our industry. Gannett was once the strongest voice for the newspaper industry, but it was Gatehouse that absorbed Gannett. Gatehouse, however, has since adopted the Gannett name. Now …
Read More »Check in regularly with readers
By Jim Pumarlo When is the last time readers said they were misquoted in a story? Or called to say they’re pleased with a story but irritated by a headline? Or took issue with how their ideas and statements were presented in a story? News staffs translate hundreds of facts …
Read More »AG’s office provides training on Nevada’s open meeting, public records laws
In November, the Attorney General’s Office hosted a day of training for members of state boards and commissions subject to Nevada laws regulating their processes and conduct, including administrative rule making, state contracting and ethics in government. The training also featured modules on the responsibilities of official boards …
Read More »Objectivity: a noble idea that requires a process
By Bart Pfankuchj As journalists, we all seek to be objective when it comes to news coverage. Producing balanced, unbiased reporting has never been more critical. And yet, true objectivity is difficult to obtain, particularly when the best journalism is also probing, critical and focused on complex, multi-pronged problems. Therefore, …
Read More »Catalogs prove value of printed advertising
By Peter Wagner Every once in a while, someone asks me what I plan to do now that “newspapers are dead. ” But if print is dead, why are so many national companies still sending me their thick, slick, full-color catalogs?” Connie and I usually get at least two or …
Read More »Community paper is like being in the circus
By Peter W. Wagner There’s times when producing a community paper can seem like being in a circus. One moment you are the acrobat balancing your way across a high wire and the next you’re the featured clown. I learned, while attending seminars in Massachusetts recently, that the small tent …
Read More »Traditional network stations don’t usually report their lower viewership.
By Peter Wagner I’m amazed at how the traditional, over-the-air, television networks consistently report that “newspapers are dead.” Their anchors report that story time and again, but never report their own losses in viewership. The most recent example took place on the Oct. 6, 2019, broadcast of CBS News Sunday …
Read More »How to improve meeting coverage
Moving from routine to highly relevant By Bart Pfankuch This column is aimed at every single journalist working anywhere in the world now and in the future. That’s a big bill to fill, but with tips to improve coverage of any type of meeting, the following concepts apply both to …
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