Search

Discusses developments concerning local newspapers throughout the United States after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the country. Stories related to the terrorist attacks which appeared in local newspapers; Challenges faced by the newspapers regarding war coverage; Actions of the staff of the newspapers following the attacks.

Focuses on the launch of the newspaper `City Paper' in Nashville, Tennessee. Reasons for launching the `City Paper'; Description of the journalistic appeal of the newspaper.

The article focuses on "Omaha World-Herald" newspaper reporter Steve Jordan who spent more than four decades covering investor Warren Buffett. It states that Buffett has purchased the newspaper in 2011, however Jordan does not feel intimidated about writing news about his boss as he is hands off when it comes to journalism. It mentions Jordan's book "The Oracle & Omaha" which is still being developed and will be a compilation of Buffett's business accomplishments. Jordan is reportedly a part-time musician who plays the drums in some groups around Omaha, Nebraska. It notes that Jordan is a local celebrity and that "Omaha World-Herald" hopes to attract national attention to Jordan who is its longest-running business author.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to a column by John Morton in the June/July 2009 issue of the journal.

The article focuses on Community Newspaper Holdings Inc. of Birmingham, Alabama and its program that aims to generate a series of stories for its 90-plus daily newspapers. Bill Ketter, vice president of news, oversees the Elite Reporting Fellowship program. The first package to emerge from the program was "Hooked on Gambling," a three-part series in April 2006 on the problems of gambling addicts and the meager resources available to help them. Since then, the program has produced five more series, including "America's Interstate," which dealt with the Interstate Highway System's crumbling infrastructure, and "Playing Hurt," which looked at the dangers to which untrained coaches expose young athletes.

Presents a letter to the editor in response to the column "The Newspaper Business," by John Morton in the February/March 2004 edition of "American Journalism Review."

Discusses how `Pinnacle' publisher Tracie Cone and general manager and editor-in-chief Anna Marie dos Remedios filed a lawsuit against a former city councilman for being responsible in a series of offensive Web sites anonymously attacking the newspaper. Methods used to identify the councilman; Review of the newspaper's purchase by the women; How community responded to the action.

Describes a house in Rockport, Massachusetts which is made of used newspapers and was completed in 1923 by Elis F. Stenman. Other furniture created by Stenman; Reactions of visitors and tourists upon seeing the house.

Presents various reactions to the decision of 'The New York Times' to reverse its report after the 'Daily News' reported how the paper treated the sports columns of Dave Anderson and Harvey Araton, which alluded to the paper's editorial stance on whether Augusta National Golf Club should admit women. Comment from Fox News Channel media commentator Eric Burns; Opinion of 'Chicago Sun-Times' columnist Rick Telander; Views of Floyd Norris, 'New York Times' chief financial columnist.

York, Pennsylvania has always been an offbeat kind of newspaper town, so perhaps it is fitting that, in an unusual deal, the owners of York's two dailies recently merged properties. There are strategic reasons for this transaction. The two newspapers that serve the region, which are now in a joint operating agreement (JOA), are the "Daily Record," a morning paper with 46,500 weekday circulation, and the "York Dispatch," with 37,300 weekday and 93,200 Sunday circulation. Another unusual fact about York is that for a long time it was perhaps the only U.S. city to have an independently owned Sunday newspaper, the "York Sunday News." York had three newspaper ownerships, the two weekday dailies and an independent Sunday. When the two newspapers entered into the JOA, MediaNews received an option to buy the "Daily Record," which became the basis for the recent transaction. In effect, the option was insurance against the time when the afternoon syndrome might begin to erode the Dispatch's circulation. Indeed, over the last five years the Dispatch's circulation has declined more than 7 percent while the Record's has gained nearly 7 percent. Thus, the transaction brought MediaNews what it probably wanted all along, control of a seven-day morning newspaper.

Reports on the competition between `The Sidney Telegraph' and the `Sidney Daily Sun' newspapers in western Nebraska. Comparison of the advertisement rates of the two newspapers; Background on the Daily Sun; Plans of Western Publishing, Telegraph's publisher.

Provides information on the `Salt Lake Observer,' a newspaper published in Utah. Comments from Michael Kearns, its publisher/founder; Professional background of Kearns; Criticisms against the publication; Its markets.

Discusses the profits of newspaper companies in 1999. Factors that lead to profits in 1999; Discussion on the price of newsprint.

The article profiles the media critic and journalist Jack Shafer and his drive to print stories without compromising his critical tone. The author provides comments by Erik Wemple, a blogger for the newspaper "Washington Post," and details Shafer's career, first as the editor of "Washington City Paper," and then as a journalist for "Slate" political magazine. Topics include Shafer's column called Press Box, his coverage of the telephone hacking scandal of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, and Shafer's views on the value of journalism education.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the column "Investing in Quality" by John Morton in the Winter 2011 issue, which discusses the performance and employment practices of the newspaper publisher New York Times Co.

This article examines how news outlets report issues regarding obscenities or crass language. In July 2008, the Reverend Jesse Jackson made such a comment with regards to Senator Barack Obama. His comment generally considered to be a crude colloquialism . Several prominent papers such as the "Los Angeles Times" and the "Chicago Tribune" published his comments unedited. However, others, such as the "Washington Post" and the "The New York Times" did not. Some argue that these papers did their readers a disservice because they could not discern for themselves the meaning or importance of Jackson's words. INSETS: A Stand for Civility;Avoiding Gutter Language;The AP's Take.

The article discusses the idea of extending some form of government support to the struggling newspaper industry in the United States. Arguments in favor of federal subsidies and tax relief for the press are discussed, as are counterarguments about the ethical contradictions of the press reporting on a government that supports it financially.

This article examines how the newspapers in the San Francisco, California, area has suffered more than others. The "San Jose Mercury News," was forced to lay off 31 out of 246 newsroom employees. In San Francisco, another newspaper is undergoing its own wrenching contraction. The "San Francisco Chronicle," the Bay Area's largest paper, announced it would reduce its editorial staff. When the numbers were finalized a few weeks later, 90 journalists, 23 percent of the Chronicle's newsroom had either simply resigned or agreed to take buyouts offered by the paper's owner, Hearst. Among those who've recently left the paper are Managing Editor Robert J. Rosenthal.

This article reports on the turmoil at the "Star Tribune" of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Much of the controversy surrounds editor Nancy Barnes, who had to oversee the downsizing and reorganization of the paper. Besides having to let 68 out of 400 employees go, the paper was bought by Avista Capital Partners, a New York investment company. The paper's publisher, Par Ridder, is also being sued by a rival paper. However, Barnes most resents accusations that her focus on local implies diminishing quality.

The article discusses the management of the "Richmond Times-Dispatch" newspaper, which added former marine Glenn Proctor to the staff as vice president and executive editor in November 2005. Proctor initiated a complete overhaul of the paper by focusing on reader-friendly journalism characterized by a focus on presentation and multimedia. Proctor has maintained quality and readership as the paper has shifted from a family-driven entity to a corporate-owned business, mirroring the path of newspapers around the United States.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "Cities Without Newspapers" in the June/July 2009 issue of the journal.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "The Newspaper Business," by John Morton, which appeared in the June/July 2009 issue of the journal.

This article features Ken Paulson and his contributions to USA Today. USA Today is a more settled place roughly a year after revelations of star reporter Jack Kelley's brazen fabrications shamed the paper and toppled its leaders. But the wounds from that episode still sting, and the paper's humiliation has galvanized efforts to shore up credibility. Paulson has steered the newspaper onto a course of painstaking attention to sourcing and attribution, of greater openness and accessibility to readers and staff, and of swift responsiveness to hints of reporter wrongdoing or missteps by the paper. Paulson developed many of his ideas about how to run newspapers as editor of smaller sister Gannett papers and as executive director of the Freedom Forum's First Amendment Center in Nashville, where educating the public about free speech and journalism's mission was central to his job.

This article focuses on the acquisition of Pulitzer Inc. and its flagship Saint Louis Post-Dispatch by newspaper chain Lee Enterprises. Founded in 1890 with A.W. Lee's purchase of Iowa's Ottumwa Courier, Lee has remained below the journalism industry radar, mostly because the vast majority of Lee's 44 dailies (pre-Pulitzer) are under 30,000-circulation. The company puts out good newspapers at healthy, consistent profit margins, focuses on building revenue and often outperforms other companies in advertising growth. Its papers have gotten little national recognition for journalism. But the Pulitzer deal, a $1.46 billion cash purchase announced January 2005, changes that. The deal is set to close by the end of June 2005. The acquisition of the Post-Dispatch is a decided departure from the company's small-paper history. INSETS: An Enterprising Company;Find Your Niche.

This article looks at the results of the efforts of the Washington Post newspaper to reverse declining circulation. Jolted by sharp circulation losses, the Washington Post is striving to turn the situation around. It has convened focus groups and commissioned readers's survey to get a grip of what is ailing the newspaper and how it can win back and attract more readers and subscribers. It has intensified efforts to shore up sales in a booming, affluent region without jeopardizing the paper's news coverage and character. These efforts included introducing a modest front page zoning, more stylish front-page key box, and pushing for shorter stories, more photographs and graphics. More changes are expected as circulation numbers go down. As managing editor Philip Bennett said, the Washington Post is in a period of continual change. It is good for the paper that they reputation remains as strong as ever, leading new immigrants to seek out their brand. But new immigrants do not mean new subscribers so that paper needs to find a way to keep such readers happy by maintaining diversity in the paper's articles. But still, the Washington Post has a lot of problems to deal with, including the way it presents local news, competition from other newspapers, and competition from its own web site, washingtonpost.com.

This article focuses on the lay-offs done at the newspaper Dallas Morning News in September 2004. Last September 2004 James J. Moroney III, publisher of the Dallas Morning News, summoned his newsroom staff to a meeting at the Dallas Convention Center in Dallas, Texas. By then, rumors about the lay-offs were heard but none believed it. At the meeting, Moroney reviewed the paper's economic problems and informed the staff that the paper needed to lose 150 of its 2,300 employees. Moroney said that lay-offs will be decided based not on individual merit or personalities, but on the jobs which the paper could do without. By October 27, 150 employees were laid-off, including 65 from the newsroom. Some of them have been with the paper for more than 20 years, some prize-winning. Dallas Morning News had been a wounded institution since that day. The staff is angry and sad. Some blame the upper management people and Moroney for the financial woes of the paper, citing cases of circulation fraud and managerial problems as the true cause of the paper's woes. The secrecy surrounding the lay-offs aggravated the matter further. The list of those employees who were laid-off remains a company secret. Also secret were the ethnic and gender compositions and other such demographic breakdowns.

This article discusses a news outlet's need for news ombudsmen, also known as public editors, reader representatives and reader advocates, to assign someone to listen to audience concerns and analyze its news coverage. Bringing an ombudsman on board sends the message that the paper, station or network is willing to subject itself to the kind of scrutiny it applies to everyone else. And having someone whose primary job is to listen shows readers that their opinions matter to the news outlet. Studies show that there's a widespread perception that the ombudsman is a public relations agent for his or her employer. But others say the job's public relations value is important. An ombudsman can serve readers--and the paper--by explaining how journalism works and how the news organization makes decisions. This is critical, reader advocates say, because if newspapers don't do it, someone else will. Just as important as explaining journalism to readers, ombudsmen say, is communicating readers' needs to journalists. Most news organizations have created a barrier between what the reader wants and what the newspaper delivers. An ombudsman can also advocate better play for a specific story that readers crave. The ombudsman can play an important role in maintaining high standards. Public editors hear from readers about everything from spelling errors to reporting problems on major stories, and can in turn push for corrections. Accuracy is also improved by allowing the ombudsman to serve as a conduit for the staff's concerns. Many reporters and editors are glad their papers have someone explaining the news business to readers, even if they don't always agree with the conclusions they draw. INSET: Who Needs One?.

This article focuses on the strategies employed by community newspaper, Greeley Tribune in Colorado, to diversify its staff. The Greeley Tribune and the Times-News of Burlington, North Carolina have much in common. Both say their parent companies, the Tribune is owned by Swift Newspapers, do not have corporate diversity initiatives; and both papers are in not-so-attractive cities, places where the few restaurants close at 9 p.m. and nightlife is nonexistent. Both pay entry-level hires about $25,000 a year. Times-News and Greeley Tribune have similar circulations and hometown demographics. Yet while the staff in Burlington's newsroom is practically all white, Greeley's is diverse. Every year, Editor Chris Cobler, who joined the Tribune in November 1995, visits area campuses and meets with students, including students of color, many of whom later come to the paper as interns. In addition, the paper offers $500 internship scholarships for students of color at CU-Boulder and Colorado State University, the annual awards also include a part-time for-credit job. The paper reaches out to younger students of all races by sponsoring a high school journalism day at Greeley's University of Northern Colorado and bringing in 12 high school students to write a Summer Break page once a week.

This article discusses the story behind the media coverage of the revelation by former Oregon Governor Neil Goldschmidt that in the 1970s, when he was 35 and the city's mayor, he had an ongoing sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl. The Oregonian, the biggest paper in the Northwest, had been beaten on the story by Williamette Week, a Portland alt-weekly. In May 2004, Willamette Week reporter Nigel Jaquiss broke the news of a sex scandal involving Goldschmidt and a 14-year-old girl. Though Goldschmidt did confess to the Oregonian, his unburdening that on May 6 came just hours after Willamette Week confronted him with questions about the girl. When the Oregonian's story posited that Goldschmidt's deteriorating health and impending media accounts of the affair were equal parts responsible for provoking the confession, many journalists in town cried foul, saying that not only was not that fair to Willamette Week, it was not an accurate portrayal of the day's events. The weekly had been far ahead on the story and had posted its account the day before the Oregonian published its piece. The Oregonian's Friday morning paper symbolized the paper's failure to take real measure of Neil Goldschmidt. According to Oregonian columnist Steve Duin, hopefully, next time, the Oregonian will see more clearly, challenge the institutions, aggressively chase the seemingly impossible story.

The article examines the challenges faced by USA Today on its third generation as a newspaper in the U.S. Born to derision in 1982, USA Today saucily called itself as the nation's newspaper and shocked journalists with its bold color, its big weather map, its late sports scores and its stories. As of April 2004, the newspaper is already 21 and a half. And as a young adult learns to compete journalistically with its more decorated elders, its elders want the paper to remain committed to its reader-friendly roots. The third generation will also test USA Today's journalistic ambition and leadership. Over the next few years, the paper will answer questions about whether it can keep the reporters it has worked hard to recruit, how well it uses their talents and how effectively it melds their skills with the paper's distinctive mission. The challenges USA Today faces bear some resemblance to those of the McDonald's. Like McDonald's, USA Today is a known product, beloved and purchased by millions of U.S. citizens. The paper circulates to 2.15 million people Monday through Thursday, and 2.6 million readers by its weekend edition, published each Friday. But less than 15 percent of those sales are home subscriptions.

The article discusses several issues affecting journalists and newspaper publishing in the U.S., including the ones affecting regional reporters in Washington D.C. In the shadows of largest and most prestigious bureaus labor scores of reporters who cover the nation's capital for small and midsize papers. Some correspondents work for prominent newspaper chains and benefit from the name recognition and resources their bureaus can provide. Some toil alone in offices scarcely larger than a closet or share space with other reporters who work for the same newspaper or serve sister papers. No matter how diverse the correspondents' responsibilities, however, similar obstacles dog most regional reporters. The nation's capital is a town that respects prestige and power. Correspondents at small and midsize newspapers often discover that access to federal officials does not come easily. Unlike national beat reporters, most regional correspondents are generalists, a reality that requires dexterity in covering issues as diverse as local highway projects and national energy policy, antiballistic missile systems and immigration disputes. Most regional reporters have endured the pressures of competition with national newspapers that have larger staffs and better resources.

The article discusses the actions being taken by Indianapolis Star newspaper editor Dennis Ryerson to keep the newspaper viable after a merger and ownership change. In August 2000, the Star went from being a family-owned paper, with all its charms and eccentricities, to being the third-largest property in the biggest newspaper chain in the country. But perhaps the most personal change for the newsroom has been the loss of colleagues. About 97 of approximately 275 staffers have left since 2000. Janet Williams, the assistant managing editor, says there were several times when there was a lot of opportunity at the paper, moments when it seemed it would break through to another level. Under independent ownership, the Morning Star and afternoon News were good places to work, an extended family in many respects. Staffers fondly recall the days when the News and the Star were highly competitive, when reporters from the rival papers disliked one another and fought hard for scoops. Follow-up reorganizations of the newsroom continued, with many staffers repeatedly reapplying for their jobs. There was much trepidation in the Star newsroom about what the sale to Gannet would mean. Staffers say there were preemptive departures.

Deals with the resignation of Cole Campbell, the editor of the `Saint Louis Post-Dispatch' newspaper. Complaints of the journalists of the paper against the management style of Campbell; Role of Campbell's personality in his resignation; Some of the initiatives of Campbell criticized by the staff of the paper; Circulation of the paper under Campbell's tenure. INSET: Campbell's Take.

Describes several buildings occupied by newspaper companies. `USA Today'; `Baltimore Sun'; `Daily Oklahoman.'

Reports on the acquisition of the newspaper `Berlin Reporter,' by Salmon Press in Berlin, New Hampshire. Owners of the publication; Business losses of the newspaper; Details on the publishing industry of New Hampshire.

Reports that Tim Giago has started to publish `Lakota Journal' in February of 2000 after selling his first newspaper the `Lakota Times.' Reason for publishing another newspaper; Background information on `Indian Country Today,' which is the former `Lakota Times.'

Highlights the competition between newspapers `Portland Tribune' and `Oregonian' in Portland, Oregon. Acquisition of the Tribune by Pamplin Communications; Plan of Pamplin Communications; Reaction of Peter Bhatia, executive editor of the `Oregonian.'

Discusses online publishing of newspapers in the United States. Information on Internet advertising; Advantage of traditional newspaper advertising; Comparison between print and Internet advertising.

Provides information on online publication. Advantages of audio online; Popularity of audio clips; Online publications that are using audio.

Reports that economic trends and competition are turning the United States into a nation of one-newspaper towns. Information on joint operating agreements; Factors that contributed to the changes; Benefits of having only one newspaper.

Recounts what William Allen White of Kansas' `Emporia Gazette' wrote upon the 1925 death of Frank Munsey, a journalist. Information on the sale of Wisconsin's `Oshkosh Northwestern' to `Thomson Newspapers'; Realities of the newspaper business; What forces changes in how newspapers do business.

The article discusses a student newspaper at the American University of Iraq-Sulaimani (AUI-S) called "AUI-S Voice." The newspaper works to bring Arab and Kurdish students together to cover the news in an objective way. Student Arez Hussen Ahmed works on the newspaper for which the author is a former adviser. The social and political climate in Iraq is considered, particularly how the sociopolitical climate has raised challenges for the newspaper. The freedom that the newspaper enjoys is described as is a disagreement the author had with the paper's first editor regarding his interview practices. The members of the editorial staff are described as is the paper's online component.

The article discusses the leadership styles of women in the field of journalism, focusing on American women journalists such as Jill Abramson, the first women executive director of the news paper the "New York Times," and Charlotte H. Hall. The author examines the experiences of women in journalism, which the author indicates has traditionally been a field dominated by men. The idea that female journalists do not possess a different interest in news stories than men is debated in light of statements made by Abramson in an article in which she argued that gender does not play a role in men's and women's reporting. The perspectives of other women journalists are presented, including Karen Magnuson, Sandra Mims Rowe, and Diane McFarlin.

The article discusses the rise of startup news organizations dedicated to covering foreign news in the wake of decreased foreign coverage from traditional U.S. news agencies. First discussed is the situation of mainstream journalists like Colin McMahon, previously foreign correspondent and editor for the "Chicago Tribune" who now simply edits foreign stories taken from other Tribune Company papers. Discussed next are the innovations of other journalists and the startups they founded, including: Jon Sawyer and the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting; John Schidlovsky and the International Reporting Project; Philip Balboni and GlobalPost; and others.

The article reports on the contrarian business strategy of Walter E. Hussman Jr., the owner and publisher of the "Arkansas Democrat-Gazette" newspaper. While other newspapers have scaled back their print operations and offered free content online to try to keep readers and advertisers, Hussman has expanded the print edition of his paper, and charges non-subscribers for access to the newspaper web site. His traditional approach to journalism, and the acquisitions of his media company, Wehco Media, are discussed as well.

The article reports on the partnership between the Anniston Star, an Alabama newspaper, and the graduate journalism program at the University of Alabama. The program sponsors students as Knight Community Journalism Fellows, reporting for the paper while gaining valuable job skills. Similar school-newspaper collaborations around the United States are discussed, and contrasted with the advanced nature of the Anniston partnership, in which the degree-granting program is housed right in the newsroom.

This article examines the role and impact of 'charticles' on newspapers. Charticles is a combination of chart and article. It is becomings a popular method of conveying information that may not be substantial enough for an entire article. The origins are in dispute but Monica Moses of the "Charlotte Observer" is generally credited with coining the phrase. But many in the business are critical of the practice such as Choire Sicha who quit the web site gawker.com because of its heavy reliance on charticles. Josh Crutchmer of the "Omaha World-Herald," believes there is a place for both charticles and traditional articles in today's paper.

This article examines the state of newspapers and ways in which they can maintain their relevance into the future. The internet dramatically disrupted newspapers traditional market domination of news. The author suggests that papers fall back on things the internet does not provide such as investigative reporting. He contends that readers still need someone to put information into context and bring meaning to it. Trust and influence within the community is a good newspaper's most valuable asset.

This article reports that many newspapers are dispensing with their own film critics to save money. In 2007, Tampa, Atlanta, Fort Lauderdale and Denver, papers have bought out, laid off or reassigned their movie critics. Newspapers across the country are under intense financial pressure and many are responding by cutting their arts staffs and focusing on local stories. Some longtime critics being bought out include Robert Denerstein of the "Rocky Mountain News" and Eleanor Ringel Gillespie of the "Atlanta Journal-Constitution."

This article discusses the emerging trend within the newspaper industry of selling advertising space on the front page and section fronts. For years this was considered taboo, as it appeared to compromise the integrity of the news reporting. But with dwindling revenue and readership, newspapers are discovering they have no choice and that the ads can support more journalism. But some critics, like Gene Roberts of the University of Maryland, believe the ads work against the long-term interests of the paper but turning away readers.