Editor and Publisher Reports

With the unpredictability of COVID-19’s impact on the local advertising ecosystem, Borrell Associates has revised its 2020 advertising and marketing forecasts. The bad news is that the previous 2019 forecast, which revealed local ad spending would increase, has been revised to show a decrease of 13 percent with print, broadcast and radio advertising dropping even more. However, there is some good news in what local advertisers say that they will do with their ad dollars on the backside of the pandemic. Mike Blinder, publisher of E&P, goes one on one with CEO of Borrell Associates Gordon Borrell to unpack these forecasts.

Evening Post Publishing, parent company of the Charleston (S.C.) Post and Courier, is investing in new markets, starting with Greenville and Myrtle Beach, S.C. The newspaper will hire and station reporters and editors in both markets to cover news as it occurs--direct from the source in two markets who already have daily newspapers owned by Gannett (Greenville) and McClatchy (Myrtle Beach). With papers already in place in Columbia (the state capitol) and Aiken, does this mean that the Post and Courier could become the statewide newspaper for South Carolina, and how smart is this move when the economy and industry as a whole are both in such a flux? Mike Blinder, publisher of E&P, goes one on one with SVP of Evening Post Publishing P.J. Browning and chief revenue/marketing officer Chris Zoeller to ask these questions and learn more about this new expansion.

Remote work, new products and workforce cuts are just some of the most likely outcomes predicted in a new study of Local Media Association (LMA) members. In May, 127 members responded to the survey that revealed in response to the COVID-19 crisis, new modes of communications with ad clients, new products and workforce cost reductions may have the most staying power once the crisis abates. Also, media leaders’ opinions vary regarding how long it will be before that happens: half said nine months or less, and the other half said more than nine months. E&P publisher Mike Blinder discusses the findings with LMA COO Jay Small.

Second Street, an audience engagement software platform used by more than 4,000 media companies, is moving their 7th annual summit from a two-day conference in St. Louis to a free, month-long virtual series in June that anyone can attend. More than 15 speakers from a wide range of traditional and digital media are scheduled to present on topics covering lead generation, recurring revenue, database growth and email.   E&P publisher Mike Blinder chats with Second Street president and co-founder Matt Coen about the summit and why they decided to provide the content free of charge.

Google’s Support Local News campaign will begin running today in print and digital formats for the next six weeks across most local newspapers, TV, radio stations and online-only news outlets in the U.S. and Canada. Designed to help raise awareness about the need and importance of funding newsrooms, the campaign will direct people to visit the  Support Local News website, where they can easily subscribe, advertise or donate — including an option to donate to a fund that supports local investigative reporting in newsrooms across North America.  Working together to coordinate the campaign are the Local Media Consortium (LMC), Local Media Association (LMA) in partnership and the Google News Initiative. E&P publisher Mike Blinder chats with Nancy Lane, CEO of LMA, and Fran Wills, CEO of LMC, to learn more about the entire initiative, how the advertising dollars are being allocated and what the metrics are to gauge the success.

For more than 25 years, Vin Crosbie has been one of the world’s most respected experts on media and its transformation into the digital world. Having just sold the Daily Chronicle of Willimantic, Connecticut (after 25-years of family ownership), Vin spends most of his time consulting and teaching a Master’s degree program for the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University in New York. When the Congressional Research Service briefed members of the U.S. Congress about the ongoing crisis in the nation’s newspaper industry, the first person--as well as the only academic and the only consultant--it quoted was Vin. Over the years, Vin’s clients have included The Atlantic, the British Broadcasting Corporation, Gannett, India Abroad, Johnson & Johnson, Playboy magazine, Scientific American magazine and may others. In this one-on-one interview with E&P Publisher Mike Blinder, Vin gives a very frank and unvarnished assessment of where the news publishing industry is today and it’s hope

Since the beginning of the crisis, research company Magid has been assessing changes in advertiser and consumer attitudes, opinions, and needs in order to deliver insights that can help news publishers focus on their business strategy better so they can manage through it all. In their latest study, Magid reveals data that shows information on news consumption, concerns and behaviors, what emotions advertisers and readers are feeling, and projections on what comes next. Moreover, deep in this data is valuable information on how publishers can better position their sales teams to approach the re-opening of America. Mike Blinder, E&P publisher, explores the entire report with Magid vice president Bill Day.

During the pandemic, people are staying apprised of national statistics and recommendations, but they also are seeking their local news outlets for information about their community. With this large surge in local news consumption, the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association (PNA) has launched PACoronaNews.org, a new website that aggregates the COVID-19 content from more than 200 publications throughout the state. In one place, Pennsylvania residents can find stories of local interest that range from ideas about how to stay healthy and active at home, to teaching activities that busy parents can share with their children, to heart-warming tales about the acts of kindness that neighbors are performing to help those in need, and more. Mike Blinder, publisher of E&P, speaks with PNA president Brad Simpson about the new site as well as how his members are dealing with the COVID-19 crisis. 

Kelly Wirges has trained more than 200,000 sales professionals during her 27 years as president of ProMax, and even through the challenges of the COVID-19 crisis, she is still helping media companies find practical techniques that can be applied immediately for increased sales success.  Mike Blinder, publisher of E&P, chats with Kelly about what advice she is giving today to sales managers and their reps on how to maximize performance during this economic downturn. She even offers suggestions to those who have been downsized on how to get back in the game.

It's a three-prong approach. First, offer any local business that is open to advertise for free in both print and online. Then, have your sales force perform a “needs analysis” to learn marketing needs. And third, offer them a tailored solution where you match their investment, dollar-for-dollar. The result for the Adams Publishing Group's Florida market is more than 160 new local advertisers, resulting in millions of dollars in new revenue. Learn more about this effective stimulus program and gain access to the marketing materials used as E&P publisher Mike Blinder goes one-on-one with Mike Beatty, president of APG Media of Florida. 

We all know that there will be a backside to the crisis we are trying to manage through, but are you making time to realign your management structure so you're poised to recruit the best on the backside of this down-turn? Plus, if you’re currently furloughed or downsized out of your job, what are you doing now to ensure you will be at the top of the list when media companies find they need to infuse new talent into their teams? To help answer those questions is Laurie Kahn, president/CEO of Media Staffing Network, who has helped media people connect to the right job and recruiters make the right hires for over 20 years. E&P publisher Mike Blinder speaks with Laurie about all facets of media staffing and how to manage through it during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

“Local newspapers and their journalists are also among the front-line workers dedicated to serving their communities, ” says Dean Ridings, CEO of America’s Newspapers, an organization that just rolled out a new marketing campaign called "Newspapers Have Your Back." All newspapers are invited to download and use the free marketing materials that stress how important local newspapers are to the community. http://newspapers.org/americas-newspapers/marketing-campaign/    E&P publisher Mike Blinder goes one-on-one with Dean Ridings to learn how newspapers can best use these materials to not only increase their brand awareness, but also help build subscription and membership revenue during these critical times.

Most of us know Ken Doctor, the president of Newsonomics, who in 2010 predicted many of the industry disruptions that occurred over the last 10 years. Now he is working on “Lookout," a wide-reaching new model for local news that will launch later this year. Ken just released a new paper, based on intensive reporting, that predicts where the industry will be in 2025. As Ken looks forward to where we may be in a few short years, some may call his findings eye-opening and even sobering. E&P publisher Mike Blinder goes one-on-one with Ken Doctor as he predicts where our industry is heading with reader revenue, newsroom staffing, print frequency and more.

Alternative news publishers are feeling the impact of COVID-19 in a number of ways, especially since a large part of their advertising base comes from restaurants, clubs and performance venues. However, some are seeing major increases in membership revenue, and others are finding new revenue streams from offering new products. John Heaston is publisher and editor of The Reader, the alternative publication in Omaha. He is also president of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia and serves on the board of the National Association of Hispanic Publications. In this one-on-one interview with E&P Publisher Mike Blinder, John maintains a very positive attitude about the alternative news industry’s ability to truly define itself during this crisis and come out of the pandemic even stronger.

The Association of Free Community Publications (AFCP) represents publishers of community papers from coast to coast who offer free circulation. AFCP’s executive director Loren Colburn has been in touch with hundreds of members during the Coronavirus pandemic to learn how they are coping with a number of different challenges, including the loss of revenue and key distribution points from the large number of restaurants and entertainment venues they conduct business with.   AFCP’s Loren Colburn goes one-on one with E&P’s publisher Mike Blinder discussing the new ways that free papers are dealing with COVID-19.

Borrell Associates is the nation’s leading provider of advertising trends and data for the media industry. Each month, hundreds of local businesses and advertising agencies are researched and compiled into ongoing reports. With this information at hand, Gordon Borrell, CEO of Borrell Associates, reveals what trends we can expect--and more importantly--what tactics and practices we can adopt to help stem the tide of revenue loss due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As the coronavirus spreads across the world, news media companies are grappling with so much more than coverage: work-from-home plans, coronavirus-related product development, advertising declines, and the impending fallout on the economy and advertising revenues. With more than 7,000 members in 80+ countries, the International News Media Association (INMA) is conducting ongoing research and outreach to its members to help advise on best practices in dealing with pandemic.   Mike Blinder, publisher of E&P, goes 1-on-1 with INMA CEO Earl Wilkinson to learn more about their findings.  

Make Sure You Are Deemed "Essential" By Your Local/ State Government. In Italy, which is currently under lockdown in an effort to halt the spread of the coronavirus, a debate is waging about the importance of print newspapers. Here in the US some states and cities are making sure that local newspapers have "essential" status in order to publish their products in this time of crisis. Essential to this initiative is the News Media Alliance (NMA) as they have put together all the tools needed to make sure that we stay in business to serve our communities. Mike Blinder, Publisher of E&P, speaks with Dave Chavern, CEO of the NMA on what they are doing to help us and what resources are available for you to make sure your town, city or local government gives you "essential" status to publish. Mike also asks Dave about two other important initiatives that NMA is working on in our behalf: The News Impact Project and the Safe Harbor Bill.

The Facebook Journalism Project is partnering with the Lenfest Institute for Journalism and the Local Media Association (LMA) to offer a total of $1 million in grants to support US and Canadian local news organizations covering the coronavirus. These grants will help fill immediate gaps for resource-constrained newsrooms covering the impact of the coronavirus in their communities. Mike Blinder, Publisher of E&P speaks with Jed Williams, Chief Strategy Officer of the LMA about the program Apply for the great, here: http://bit.ly/33uB9dZ

The Financial Times understands what it’s like to be a digital leader. It launched its first paywall in 2002 and over the last decade, the paper has focused on a “north star” metric based on reader engagement. In April 2019, the FT reached 1 million paying readers, one year ahead of schedule. Due to its digital success, E&Precently named the FT as one of their 10 News Publishers That Do It Right. E&P editor-in-chief Nu Yang goes 1-on-1 with FT chief data officer Tom Betts to discuss their formula, the launch of their boutique consultancy firm FT Strategies, and how publishers can find their own metric "north star."