Editor and Publisher Reports

John C. Tompkins left college his junior year to buy his first newspaper. Today, he is owner of News Media Corporation, a company that owns 65 different newspaper titles in eight states, serving smaller cities and towns with populations between 5,000 and 50,000.   Tompkins also boasts good cash flow from his properties, even during a pandemic, and claims that the reason his newspapers maintain profitability is because he makes sure that all of his managers follow simple rules in monitoring their productivity via a system of metrics. Tompkins is not only bullish on our industry, he thinks now is a great time for entrepreneurs to buy community newspapers. In this segment of E&P Reports, Mike Blinder, publisher of Editor and Publisher, goes one-on-one with Tompkins to learn his secrets to success.

“Vision25: Building Racial Equity in Newsrooms” is a new initiative started as a collaboration between the Online News Association, the Maynard Institute and OpenNews, with a goal to be a major catalyst creating social change within journalistic institutions that help newsrooms be anti-racist and collaborative, and where journalists of color feel like they truly belong. Vision25 is creating programs that any news organization can access, in order to effect change in leadership, workforce and partnerships that can result in building a truly anti-racists environment. In this segment of “E&P Reports,” E&P Publisher Mike Blinder speaks with Vision25 founders: Irving Washington, Executive Director/CEO Online News Association; Sisi Wei, Director of Programs OpenNews; and Martin G. Reynolds Co-Executive Director, Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education, to learn why they feel there is such a need for such an initiative today, and, how news publishers can take advantage of the Vision25 resources.

The Branded Content Project, an initiative by the Local Media Consortium, Local Media Association and Facebook Journalism Project, today released the results of a report on content marketing in collaboration with Borrell Associates Inc., which found that, despite the effect Covid-19 had on businesses, content marketing remained relatively steady and is projected to be more of a priority in 2021. "Sizing the Content Marketing Opportunity" measured how vast the content marketing space is, what types of media benefit most and what kind of businesses are most inclined to utilize it and at what rates. In this segment of E&P Reports, Mike Blinder speaks with Julia Campbell of the Branded Content Project and Corey Elliott of Borrell Associates about the report's findings and what local media can do to seize the opportunities of content marketing.

Aequalitas is Latin for “equality.” But there is very little equal to today’s struggling media outlets at the growing Aequalitas Media Group, who now owns eight publications targeted to the LGBTQ+ Reader in several U.S. major markets. Plus, their sought after ad network has become popular with some very large brands that want to connect to their claim being a “single point of contact to almost 100% of all LGBTQ+ print/digital media now representing 2.2-Million+ readers they deliver each month.”  Aqualitas founder and executive director DJ Doran spent 23 years as a U.S. Air Force Reserve Pilot before working as a CEO for multiple corporations across varied industries. Today, he is a publisher who still believes in print and says he can turn around a niche publication from red to black in 45 days.   In this segment of E&P Reports, E&P publisher Mike Blinder goes one-on-one with Doran to not just learn more about the LGBTQ+ reader and why it is in demand by Madison Avenue but what secrets work for him in

Dr. Samir Husni is “the country’s leading magazine expert,” according to Forbes magazine; “the nation’s leading authority on new magazines,” according to min:media industry newsletter; “a world-renowned expert on print journalism” according to CBS News Sunday Morning; and The Chicago Tribune dubbed him “the planet’s leading expert on new magazines.” It's no wonder he is better known in the industry as Mr. Magazine.  As founder and director of the Magazine Innovation Center at the University of Mississippi’s School of Journalism and New Media, Husni decided he needed to find out how magazines, printers, designers, digital media, and other business executives were coping with COVID-19. His free new book, Publishing During a Pandemic, is online on Issuu and goes behind the scenes with the leaders of the magazine and magazine media, including Stephen Bohlinger, senior vice president group publisher of Better Homes & Gardens and Kent Johnson, CEO of Highlights for Children, recording their stories during the 2

One of the most anticipated media studies is the yearly release of the Borrell Associates’ Local Advertiser Survey where thousands of local advertisers complete more than 40 questions, yielding unique insights about current and future marketing plans.  Although the study is being fielded now to be released in November, Borrell has been issuing “snaps” of the data they are accumulating via “chart of the week” releases.   In this segment of E&P Reports, E&P publisher Mike Blinder asks Gordon Borrell, CEO of Borrell Associates, if he would offer an exclusive preview of what they are seeing from the thousands of datasets being garnered for the survey.  Spoiler alert: Gordon is high on local media focusing on content marketing (which he calls “storytelling”) and OTT  (Over the Top TV advertising). Plus, he also says now is the time to be 5G ready to stay competitive in your local market. 

In Memphis, Tenn., the Daily Memphian just celebrated its second anniversary. The website currently boasts more than 14,000 digital-only subscribers each paying an average of $9/month for the content created by a team of more than 45 fulltime and freelance journalists. Plus, they push 20 different email newsletters to the more than 45,000 subscribers they’ve managed to garner in this short time. But, Eric Barnes, founder and CEO, says even though they list themselves as a non-profit, the culture of this growing enterprise looks and acts just like any successful, aggressive news operation (print based or digital-only) that you would find in any city in the world. Moreover, their formula is not as innovative as you may think--it’s truly serving the community with good journalism. In this edition of E&P Reports, E&P publisher Mike Blinder goes one-on-one with Barnes to uncover what they are doing to win in a very competitive news market.

This week’s installment of E&P Reports is a recording of a live broadcast, hosted by E&P publisher Mike Blinder for the Association of Alternative Newsmedia’s AANOVATION 2020 virtual annual conference. This one-hour roundtable is a discussion on the future of news media. Topics include: Will reader revenue ever rise to a level to fund our newsrooms; how to recruit and maintain talent in turbulent times; should local media be compensated by Facebook & Google for the content these platforms monetize; how is hedge fund consolidation affecting the industry; and what does the future hold. The panel includes: * James Fallows, Atlantic national correspondent * Nancy Lane, Local Media Association CEO * Ken Doctor, Newsonomics CEO * Cheryl Thompson-Morton, Lenfest Institute of Journalism Program Manager

Many people were shocked last April when the Tampa Bay Times, the flagship newspaper of the Poynter Institute and the largest newspaper in Florida, made the decision to reduce its print frequency to only twice a week on Wednesdays and Sundays. To this day, the 11th largest media market in the country has no daily print newspaper. It was reported that the reason for this decision was the effect that COVID-19 had on advertising revenue, with more than  $1 million dollars of cancelations occurring in a two week period in early March. Industry veteran Bruce Faulmann and the current VP of sales and marketing at the Tampa Bay Times was a part of the senior management team who made that decision. In this episode of E&P Reports, Bruce chats with Mike Blinder, publisher of E&P, about how the Times' digital edition, robust website and niche publications are helping them maintain a great audience and the advertising revenues necessary to keep their news operation working. He also talks about how he is leading th

Ken Doctor Finally Reveals Lookout Local For more than a decade, media analyst Ken Doctor sat on the sidelines evaluating, commenting and even making sweeping predictions about where the news publishing industry was heading and how he felt about the factors that impacted it. But today, Ken has moved into the fray as CEO of a new startup he has been teasing the industry about called Lookout Local. Lookout hopes to expand across the country, but it's first model will launch in Santa Cruz, Calif. (Ken’s hometown) with Lookout Santa Cruz with funding from the Knight Foundation, Google News Innovation Challenge, The Lenfest Institute for Journalism and various other foundations. In this segment of E&P Reports, E&P publisher Mike Blinder interviews both Doctor and newly-announced Chief Revenue Officer Jed Williams who recently left the Local Media Association after a four-year stint as chief strategy officer. Related links: Lookout Local Announcement: https://lookoutlocal.com/lookout-local-launch-release/ N

A new 10-minute survey is asking local journalists and news publishers to share their story and experiences as part of a project examining the health of local newspapers. The project is supported by the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University and is seeking to find how local news is coping with COVID-19, corporate downsizing, concerns about  “fake news," mistrust in journalism, “news deserts,” and any and all factors influencing the local news publishing industry. This new study builds on the findings of earlier research performed by Tow in 2016-17, which shared lessons from the perspective of 420 journalists across the United States. By revisiting this earlier study, researchers hope to compare--and contrast--the experience of local journalists in late 2016 and mid-2020, while also highlighting the contemporary characteristics of today’s media landscape. Fundamental to the research is also the desire to hear and amplify the experiences of local journalists working on the frontline during ver

This year, Christian Hendricks, president of the Local Media Consortium, will head-up the judging for Editor and Publisher’s EPPY Awards. He will work with a panel of judges made up of media leaders with backgrounds in website design, marketing/advertising, editorial, technology, education, and management. In 2019, EPPY winners included the Boston Globe, CNN, the Weather Channel, USA Today and the New York Times. In this interview with E&P publisher, Mike Blinder, Hendricks urges small market digital leaders with limited resources who’ve created a platform or initiative that deserves recognition to make sure they enter the competition. He also would like to see more broadcast stations and universities participate as well.  Now in its 25th year, the EPPY Awards are open to all print, digital and broadcast media outlets to submit entries in 38 diverse categories. This year, the EPPY Awards has broadened its scope with new categories for college journalism and investigative reporting. Publications can also s

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused economic damage across virtually every sector of the news publishing industry with many newspapers already closing, and others are facing closure if the economic climate doesn’t change quickly. News deserts are being created by the end of local journalism, but HR 7640--The Local Journalism Sustainability Act (LJSA)--may be part of the solution.   The LJSA addresses many of the pressing issues and even helps local businesses by proposing three separate tax credits: 1) A credit for advertising in local newspapers and local media 2) A credit for local newspaper subscriptions 3) A payroll credit for compensation to the employers of local journalists   E&P publisher Mike Blinder checks-in with two of the bill’s founders: Francis Wick, president & CEO Wick Communications, and Alan Fisco, president of the Seattle Times. Also in this installment of E&P Reports, Paul Boyle, News Media Alliance's senior vice president of public policy, talks about how the lobbying in D.C.

The Cushing (Okla.) Citizen has had many owners since its first issue came off the press in 1895. Today, (along with two other nearby publications), it is in the capable hands of J. D. Meisner, who purchased the paper with his wife, MaryLee, one month before COVID-19 wreaked havoc on the local economy. After downsizing, J.D. now maintains profitability while still serving his three small markets. Even while providing most of the management functions of writing, editing and selling ads, he still carved out some time to create a widely popular activity page along with MaryLee to help provide a critical benefit to the remedial students that she teaches in the local school system. In this segment of E&P Reports, publisher Mike Blinder goes one-on-one with Citizen publisher J. D. Meisner to discuss small market survival during challenging times, along with their new homegrown activity page product that local readers are loving.

Last year, the Maag-Brown family, owners of The Youngstown (Ohio) Vindicator, announced it would shut down after serving its local community for 150 years. As a result, 144 employees and 250 carriers were laid off. Not finding a buyer, the family made an announcement to their 34,000+ subscribers in June 2019 that their last edition would be published Aug. 31. Hearing the news, Ogden Newspapers put together a plan to publish a daily product for Youngstown and the Mahoning County, Ohio residents from their operation 16 miles north at the Warren Tribune Chronicle. In just three months, the staff at the Tribune Chronicle approached the Maag-Brown family and negotiated the purchase of the masthead, subscription list and Vindicator website (Vindy.com), and began the task of generating a quality local news product for the residents. One year later, the investment has paid off with close to 70 percent of the Vindicator’s old subscribers receiving the new product. E&P publisher Mike Blinder interviews Tribune Chro

The Local Journalism Sustainability (LJS) Act is a bi-partisan bill that would provide tax credits to support subscriptions, advertising and journalists salaries for the news industry. Introduced in Congress on July 16 by Arizona Democratic Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick and Washington state Republican Rep. Dan Newhouse, the bill was the “brainchild” of Francis Wick, CEO of Wick Communications who began championing in March when he saw the effects the COVID-19 pandemic was having on the news industry's revenues. Currenetly, industry trade organizations, with more than 30 congressional leaders, have pledged support for the LJS Act in hopes that it can be fast-tracked through Congress in the very near future. Mike Blinder, publisher E&P Magazine, goes one-on-one with Francis Wick to learn how the LSJ Act got started, where it is today and what is needed in order to get it passed.

Called a “take back the night” movement, The Relevance Project is a coordinated promotion and marketing campaign by The Newspaper Association Managers (NAM). It's designed to reposition, rebrand and harness the collective reach of 9,600 newspapers throughout the U.S. and Canada to create a uniform voice spreading important messages about the unique value community newspapers deliver to their readers and advertisers. Earlier this year, NAM hired industry veteran Tom Silvestri to lead and coordinate the project. In this installment of E&P Reports, E&P publisher Mike Blinder interviews Silvestri, along with executive director of the New York Press Association Michelle Rea and Steve Nixon, NAM director and executive director of the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspapers Association, about how The Relevance Project is going. Plus, they discuss the newspaper industry’s current challenges and how to meet them.

The entire industry was stunned when WEHCO Media announced they were planning to stop printing their flagship statewide newspaper, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and only deliver it to their subscribers via a paid web/ APP based platform. After many market tests, their final solution to keep their audience was to purchase iPads and offer them to their print subscribers for free. Now more than a year later, the paper publishes just one print product a week, while profiting and retaining more than 70 percent of their audiences and saving hundreds of jobs as well. E&P publisher Mike Blinder checks in with Walter E. Hussman Jr., WEHCO’s CEO and publisher of the Democrat-Gazette, to see how the project is going and how they have expanded the concept to other WEHCO properties. Hussman also chats about his thoughts on moving newspapers to non-profit status, surviving in a COVID-19 world, and if Facebook and Google should pay for the content they receive from the news publishing industry.

Ryan Dohrn is a globally recognized media revenue consultant who has helped newspapers, niche publications, broadcast stations and online publishers generate more than $500 million in new revenue. Recently, Dohrn and his company, 360 Ad Sales, reached out to media partners to send in their sales proposals that closed deals and those that did not. After analyzing the results, they learned what common factors helped gained orders and which ones failed to work. In this one-on-one interview with E&P publisher Mike Blinder, Dohrn reveals to the industry the results of the study as well as reviews the best tactics and practices he sees in order to continue to drive revenue through COVID-19.

In March 2018, the McClatchy-owned Idaho Statesman began to print their newspaper in Twin Falls, a 2.5 hour drive from the Boise market. That June, the Adams Publishing Group's (APG) Idaho Press decided to take advantage of this change by implementing an aggressive plan to expand its news coverage and distribution area by doubling down on traditional print publications and increasing local news coverage and home delivery across the entire city of Boise. In addition, APG purchased the alt-weekly Boise Weekly and established a Boise bureau in their downtown office building. The result has been a steady decline in Statesman readership and a more than 40 percent growth in print subscriptions for the Idaho Press. Matt Davison, publisher of the Idaho Press, outlines this entire winning strategy in this one-on-one interview with E&P publisher Mike Blinder Read more here: https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/business/article202238419.html#storylink=cpy