text:
PressLines ILLINOIS
September-October Month 2015 2017
Official Publication of the Illinois Press Association
Geissler Roofing completes reroof of IL Press building 4 Citizen Newspaper Group to honor late patriarch 8 IPF announces new $5K grant 5 Transcription: There's an app for that 12-13
ILLINOIS PRESSLINES
Show your readers all you do to support the community Newspapers are truly a pillar of the community. I often think this, but was once again reminded during my recent visit to Hillsboro, Ill., for A Grace-Filled Journey 5K and one-mile fun run and walk event, held Saturday, Sept. 2. The Labor Day weekend event raised more than $22,000 and drew more than 550 participants to raise funds for infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy (INAD) research at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., in honor of 6-yearold Grace Herschelman. Grace is the youngest generation of the GalKATE er newspaper family – RICHARDSON granddaughter of John and Susie Galer, owners Director, Foundation & of the Journal-News in Communications Hillsboro, and daughter of Mary and Kyle HerEditor, PressLines schelman, editor and sports editor respectively. She often accompanies her parents on assignments, so you can imagine she is well-known in the community. You can read more about the
race on Page 6. It was amazing to see such a crowd support Grace and her family, and it made me think of the newspaper's role in bringing everyone together. The Galers and Herschelmans are active
#RealNewspapersRealNews in their community, and likewise, their community actively supports them. This brings me to National Newspaper Week, Oct. 1-7, 2017. The annual observance celebrates
and emphasizes the impact of newspapers to communities large and small all over. NNW is the perfect opportunity to show your readers all you do to support the community, both in providing valuable information and supporting their causes. The Newspaper Association Managers, Inc., sponsors of NNW, provide free content to run in newspapers during NNW. Materials are available for download on Sept. 25 at nationalnewspaperweek.com The content kit contains editorials, editorial cartoons, promotional ads and more; all available for download at no charge to daily and non-daily newspapers across North America. A great companion to these materials is a localized editorial about your newspaper's unique relevance in your community. An archive of content from previous years is available at nationalnewspaperweek.com. I encourage you to look around for ideas and plan to celebrate. If you share your content on social media, use the hashtag, #realnewspapersrealnews. I can't wait to read everyone's National Newspaper Week sections!
ON THE COVER: The West Hancock Titans defeated the Quincy Notre Dame Raiders for the first time in program history to continue an undefeated season. Photo by Ethan Lillard. Photo originally appeared in the Hancock County Journal-Pilot, Carthage (From the collection, IPA Contest Images).
OFFICERS Sandy Macfarland | Chair Law Bulletin Publishing 900 Community Drive Springfield, IL 62703 Ph. 217-241-1300, Fax 217-241-1301 www.illinoispress.org Illinois PressLines is printed and distributed courtesy of GateHouse Media, Inc. in Peoria and Springfield.
Wendy Martin | Vice-Chair Mason County Democrat, Havana
DIRECTORS Darrell Garth Chicago Citizen Newspaper Group Karen Pletsch Daily Chronicle / Shaw Media, DeKalb
Ron Wallace | Treasurer Quincy Herald-Whig
John Reed The News-Gazette Group, Champaign
Sam Fisher | Immediate Past Chair Sauk Valley Media, Sterling
Todd Sears The State Journal-Register, Springfield
Jim Shrader Civitas Media, Alton Jim Slonoff The Hinsdalean, Hinsdale Scott Stone Daily Herald Media Group, Arlington Heights Sue Walker Herald Newspapers, Inc., Chicago
Don Craven, Interim President & CEO Ext. 222 – dcraven@illinoispress.org
IPA STAFF | PHONE 217-241-1300
Owen Irwin, Assistant V.P. of Government Relations Ext. 224 - oirwin@illinoispress.org
Josh Sharp, Vice President, Government Relations Ext. 238 — jsharp@illinoispress.org
Cindy Bedolli, Member Relations Ext. 226 - cbedolli@illinoispress.org
Ron Kline, Technology & Online Coordinator Ext. 239 - rkline@illinoispress.org
Carolyn Austin, Business Manager Ext. 237 - caustin@illinoispress.org
Jeffrey Holman, Director of Advertising Ext. 248 — jholman@illinoispress.org
Kate Richardson, Director of Foundation & Communications Ext. 227 – krichardson@illinoispress.org
ILLINOIS PRESSLINES (USPS 006-862) is published bimonthly for $30 per year for Illinois Press Association members by the Illinois Press Association, 900 Community Drive, Springfield, IL 62703. Kate Richardson, Editor © Copyright 2017. All rights reserved. Volume 23 September/October/2017 Number 5 Date of Issue: 9/18/2017 POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to ILLINOIS PRESSLINES, 900 Community Drive, Springfield, IL 62703. Periodical postage paid at Springfield, Ill. and Peoria, Ill.
ILLINOIS PRESSLINES
Ensure your newspaper meets legal requirements to run public notices Over the past few months, government relations staff has received numerous inquiries regarding the legal requirements to accept and to publish legal notices. JOSH SHARP In order to proVice President, tect the integrity Government Relations of the industry and the public notice process, it is important for all members to know what constitutes a legal newspaper and what to check for in order to make sure that their newspaper is meeting these requirements. Any question OWEN IRWIN as to whether or Assistant Vice not your newsPresident, paper is correctly Government Relations following these guidelines should be directed to the Illinois Press Association government relations staff. The following items are taken from the Illinois Compiled Statutes, Chapter 715 section 10, the Newspaper Legal Notice Act. Your publication MUST meet all these requirements in order to be considered a newspaper by Illinois law, and therefore able to publish legal notices. Each of the following letters corresponds to its subsection in the Newspaper Legal Notice Act.
Page and Column Size Requirements (A) A newspaper MUST, "consist of not less than four pages printed matter and contains at least 100
square inches of printed matter per page." If you are unsure of the size of your paper, measure the dimensions of the columns with a ruler. This requirement does not refer to the size of the physical paper, but rather the size of the column of print. The printed text must be 10 inches by 10 inches.
Printing Requirements (B) To be considered a legal newspaper, the newspaper MUST be printed, "using a conventional and generally recognized printing process such as letterpress, lithography, or gravure." A newspaper must have, "the capability of placing, at no additional cost to government, notices required pursuant to this Act on a daily or weekly basis on the statewide website established and maintained as a joint venture by the majority of Illinois newspapers as a repository for such notices." Maintained by the (C) A newspaper MUST, "annual- Illinois Press Association, publicnoticeillinois.com serves as the aggregate public notice website for Illinois ly average at least 25 percent news newspapers. content per issue or annually average at least 1,000 column inches of by the merger or consolidation of with which such persons entered news content per issue. News con- two or more newspapers, one of such military service." tent is defined as any printed matter which has been continuously published at regular intervals of at least Public Notice Illinois Requirement other than advertising." once each week with a minimum of Further, (D) A newspaper MUST (F) A newspaper must have, "the "publish miscellaneous reading mat- 50 issues per year for at least one ter, legal, or other announcements year prior to the first publication of capability of placing, at no additional cost to government, notices reand notices, and news and informa- the notice. "A newspaper shall be considered quired pursuant to this Act on a daition concerning current happenings and passing of events of a political, as continuously or regularly pub- ly or weekly basis on the statewide social, religious, commercial, finan- lished although its publication has website established and maintained cial, or legal nature, and advertise- been suspended, where such sus- as a joint venture by the majority of pension was caused by fire or an Act Illinois newspapers as a repository ments or bulletins." of God or by a labor dispute or by its for such notices." owner, publisher, managing editor To ensure your newspaper is comInterval Requirements or other essential employee enter- pliant with the website component (E) A newspaper MUST be pub- ing the active military service of the of the Newspaper Legal Notice Act, lished at regular intervals; therefore United States, if the newspaper was be sure to send each PDF edition of a legal newspaper is a paper, "which continuously or regularly published your newspaper in a timely manner has been continuously published for at least one year prior to its sus- to the Illinois Press Association via at regular intervals of at least once pension and if its publication is re- FTP. If your newspaper does not each week with a minimum of 50 sumed at any time not later than 12 have the capability to produce PDFs, issues per year, for at least one year months after such fire or Act of God, hard copies are accepted. prior to the first publication of the or if its publication is resumed at Please do not hesitate to contact notice; or which is a successor to a any time within 12 months after the newspaper as herein defined with no termination of the labor dispute, or the government relations team with interruption of publication of more if its publication is resumed at any questions regarding your newspathan 30 days; or which is a merged time within 12 months after the ter- per. The IPA strives to protect the or consolidated newspaper formed mination of the war in connection integrity of public notices.
Content Requirements
Geissler Roofing completes construction on Illinois Press headquarters The Illinois Press Association/ Foundation's 10,500 square-foot headquarters, located at 900 Community Drive in Springfield, just completed a reroofing project. The building committee of the Illinois Press Foundation Board of Directors, comprised of Treasurer Nathan Jones (retired, Golden Nugget Publications, Virden) and John Galer (owner, Journal-News, Hillsboro), hired the building's architect to oversee the project. David Steckel of Steckel Parker Architects Inc. in Springfield solicited shingle and metal roof bids for the project in early spring. The building committee considered bids from Sutton Siding, Geissler Roofing, Cloyd Builders and Designed Roofing, and selected Geissler
Roofing at the April 21 Board of Directors meeting. Geissler Roofing began construction on Aug. 14, and completed the project on Aug. 28. "The roofing project of the IPA headquarters is an example of the ongoing need for funding of the Illinois Press Foundation," said IPF President Jerry Reppert, publisher, The (Anna) Gazette-Democrat. "The building and property are owned and maintained by the IPF with a rental agreement to the IPA." In early 1998, the IPF announced a $1.5 million campaign to build the permanent headquarters in Springfield. The IPA/IPF headquarters was then built in 1999, and in April 2000, the staff moved into the new building.
Geissler Roofing began construction on Aug. 14, and completed the project on Aug. 28. David Steckel of Steckel Parker Architects Inc. in Springfield oversaw the project.
Illinois Press Foundation announces $5,000 grant opportunity for Illinois journalism programs The Illinois Press Foundation is pleased to announce a $5,000 grant, for which Illinois high school and college journalism programs are eligible. This grant will reward the program that locates the most missing photos of Vietnam veterans for the foundation's Wall of Faces effort. When the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. was finished in 1983, the wall listed about 58,000 servicemen and women who had either died in action or went missing in action during the war. Due to a fire at a government storage facility in 1973, the U.S. military lost millions of personnel records, including records for many of those who were listed on the wall. While
the military and other organizations made efforts to recover the lost data, 24,000 veterans listed on the wall still had no picture in military records in 2013. In January of this year, the Illinois Press Association/Foundation launched a coordinated effort among Illinois newspapers to recover the 579 missing Illinois Vietnam veterans' photos. Since then, Illinois newspapers have worked with their communities and readers to locate 172 of the missing photos, and tell the stories of these no-longer faceless veterans. Thirty-five Illinois counties are home to the remaining 407 veterans without photos; however, the bulk of the missing
Sen. Thomas Cullerton and Rep. David Harris introduce resolutions encouraging communities to participate in veterans' photo search Sen. Thomas Cullerton, D-Ill., and Rep. David Harris, R-Ill., both introduced resolutions in July to support the Illinois Press Association and Foundation in the search for 579 missing photos of Illinois veterans who went missing or were killed in action during the Vietnam War. Harris, sponsor of HR0530, said, "The Illinois Press Association is to be complimented for the initiative of finding local photos for Vietnam War veterans whose names are listed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, DC. The original military records of these veterans were destroyed or damaged by fire nearly 35 years ago, and it is a fitting effort that local photos of those who died in service to their country be put into their military records for future generations to see." Illinois newspapers and their readers have already located over 150 missing photos. Four hundred and seven photos remain. "These heroes and their brave families made the ultimate sacrifice," said Cullerton, sponsor of SR731. "It's our duty to help solidify their legacy by working
together to locate and preserve the untold stories of these Illinois soldiers. I urge every community in Illinois to work together to put a name with every face to allow generations to come to honor and reCullerton spect the sacrifices our Vietnam veterans made for our great country." Anyone can become involved in the project by visiting http://www. vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/ and using the advanced search feature to see a list Harris of veterans from Illinois without photos. "The Illinois Press Association and Foundation would like to thank Sen. Tom Cullerton and Rep. David Harris for their support of the Wall of Faces project. This project is a great way to for newspapers and their communities to come together to honor the legacy of Vietnam war veterans," IPA Assistant Vice President of Government Relations Owen Irwin said.
photos, 320, are from Cook County. With this grant, the IPF hopes to enhance the research skills of student journalists, honor Illinois veterans by locating the remaining missing photos, and provide valuable operating funds to the winning journalism program. Journalism programs can get started by following these steps: 1.	Go to: http://www.vvmf.org/Wall-ofFaces/ 2.	Click Advanced Search, to the right of the search box. 3.	Input the city and state. 4.	Scroll to the last box and check: "Does not have a photo" 5.	Hit submit. The search results yield a list of veter-
ans from the specified location that are missing photos in their personnel files. Local newspapers, school yearbooks and church directories have proven useful sources for locating missing photos. Once an image has been located, submit it directly to Foundation Director Kate Richardson so the school may be recorded as locating the photo. Please send images as JPEGs to krichardson@ illinoispress.org. Grant funds will be awarded to the program that locates the most missing photos from Illinois. Funds will be issued when all the photos in Cook County have been located. The IPA's goal for finding all the missing photos is Veteran's Day, Nov. 11, 2017.
Illinois newspapers have helped locate over 150 missing photos of Vietnam veterans so far! Please keep promoting the Vietnam Veterans Wall of Faces to your communities. Just over 400 photos of servicemen and women killed in Vietnam are still missing from the Wall of Faces (http://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/). A customizable editorial and house ads are available for download at http://illinoispress.org/Foundation/WallofFaces.aspx Thank you to all the newspapers participating in this effort!
A Grace-Filled Journey raises $22,000 for infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy Illinois Press Association members contribute over $1,000 This year's A Grace-Filled Journey 5K and one-mile fun run and walk event, held Saturday, Sept. 2, in Hillsboro, raised more than $22,000 for infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy (INAD) research at Washington University in St. Louis, MO. The race boasted 550 participants in Hillsboro for the start of the race, with another 150 participating virtually in all 50 states and five foreign countries. Illinois Press Association members donated approximately $1,200. The race was held in honor of 6-yearold Grace Herschelman, the daughter of Kyle and Mary Herschelman and granddaughter of John and Susie Galer. Grace, who spends ample time with her family at the Journal-News office in Hillsboro, had her ability to walk and speak stolen from her by a devastating and very rare genetic disorder called INAD.
Since 2014, Grace's family and local community members have been fundraising to support a research study at Washington University. To date, a handful of INAD families have raised $250,000 to fund the research. The inaugural "A Grace-Filled Journey 5K Run and 1-Mile Walk," held in 2015, raised over $25,000. In a letter to race attendees from the Galers, Dr. Paul Kotzbauer is quoted as saying, "The Kotzbauer Lab has learned a tremendous amount during the first two years of our INAD Research Project. We are grateful for the dedication of all who have joined to support our goal to develop treatments for INAD!" There are around 50 known cases of INAD worldwide, and children with INAD lose the ability to walk and speak. Many do not live to see their 10th birthday.
Photo above courtesy of James Ryan/NokoPhoto
Make Sales Soar Like Magic Improve your close ratios to 70% or more with the New MiAD
Wizard! It's a fact that spec ads help close more sales— and yet spec ads are used less than 20% of the time. Now, with the real-world magic of MiAD Wizard, personalizing and presenting spec ads for EVERY prospect is as easy as 1-2-3!
Go to miadwizard.com and see the magic for yourself!
service@metro-email.com
metrocreativeconnection.com
(Top) Following the race, Dhruva Dhavale, Dr. Paul Kotzbauer and Rebecca Miller of the Kotzbauer Lab at Washington University, Grace Herschelman, race directors John and Emily Galer, and Mary, Charlotte and Kyle Herschelman stand with the check to Washington University. (Above) Illinois Press Association staff and friends participated in the 5K and one-mile fun run and walk event in Hillsboro. Pictured left to right: Tom Austin, Rousey Austin (dog), IPA Business Manager Carolyn Austin, IPA Advertising Manager Jeff Holman, IPA Foundation & Communications Director Kate Richardson, Will Decker, and IPA Technology Director Ron Kline.
Need to fill an empty desk? Check out our job bank to post or find job openings! illinoispress.org/Services/JobBank.aspx
Boldrey shifts role to independent contractor Illinois Press Association Advertising Representative Rewa Boldrey has resigned her full time position with the IPA to accept a position as an office specialist handling medical processing with the Department of Healthcare and Human Services; however, she will remain associated with IPA as an independent contractor. Her last day in the office full time is Sept. 22. "I'm leaving but I don't feel like I'm completely leaving. There will still be opportunities to help mem-
bers and my clients. I'll still be doing a lot of marketing and social media campaigns." Boldrey grew up in Newton, a small farm town in southern Illinois. Prior to joining Boldrey the IPA in 2006, Rewa worked in advertising for the Chicago Tribune and served in the U.S. Air Force. She can still be reached at rboldrey@illinoispress.org.
IPF hosts first in series of bootcamps for high school journalism advisers
Photo courtesy of Scholastic Press Association of Chicago
On Saturday, Aug. 26, the Illinois Press Foundation, in partnership with the Illinois Journalism Education and the Scholastic Press Association of Chicago, hosted the first of several one-day bootcamps for high school journalism advisers at Roosevelt University in Chicago. The Robert R. McCormick Foundation provided funding. The bootcamp agenda included best practices from award winners, hands-on instruction in both InDesign and Photoshop, social media management, and adviser topics and talk. Pictured left to right: Nicholas Berrios (Argo Community High School), Kelly Klein (Reavis High School), IPA Business Manager Carolyn Austin, IPA Foundation & Communications Director Kate Richardson, John Gonczy (Marist High School), Katie Curtin (Pritzker College Prep), Scholastic Press Association Executive Director Linda Jones (Illinois Press Foundation Board of Directors), Katie Fernandez (Phoenix Military Academy), Lisa Joseph (Thornridge High School), Yvette Eshiba (Thornton Township High School), Brian Thelen (Hinsdale South High School), Elizabeth Fox (Oak Park and River Forest High School), Michelle Mowery (Walter Payton College Prep), Brad Bovenkerk (Normal Community High School), David Strom (Lane Tech), and Erika Zachery (Thornridge High School). A second bootcamp will be held in Charleston at the Eastern Illinois University campus on Friday, Oct. 13. Further bootcamps will be held in Arlington Heights, Belleville, Carbondale, Peoria, Rockford, and Springfield. Dates and venues will be announced soon. For more information, visit: illinoispress.org/Foundation/AdviserBootcamps.aspx.
File your Statement of Ownership by Sept. 29 The publisher of each publication sent Periodicals Class Mail, including foreign publications accepted at Periodicals rates, must file Form 3526 by Oct. 1 of each year at the original entry post office. Since Oct.1 falls on a Sunday this year, the post office expects to receive it by close of business on Sept. 29. The information provided on Form 3526 allows the U.S. Postal Service to determine whether the publication meets the standards of Periodicals mailing privileges. The required information also must appear in an issue of the publication whose primary mailed distribution is produced: •	Not later than Oct. 10 for publications issued more frequently than weekly. •	Not later than Oct. 31 for publications issued weekly or less frequently, but more frequently than monthly. •	For all other publications, in the first issue whose primary mailed distribution is produced after Oct. 1. To download Form 3526, visit: https://about.usps.com/forms/periodicals-forms.htm
Community newspapers in illinois
Local privately owned Illinois Newspaper Company looking to buy community newspapers in Illinois.
As a small but growing company we...
- Retain a local presence with locally controlled decisions - Are active members of the community - Value locally driven content by those that actually "live it" - Value the history and legacy of your products If you are thinking it might be time to sell or want to explore options please contact Jeff Holman at The Illinois Press Association 900 Community Drive, Springfield, IL 62703 jholman@illinoispress.org If emailing, please write: WANTED! Community Newspapers in Illinois in the subject line.
Chicago Citizen Newspaper Group to celebrate life of late patriarch ploring collaborative options to increase advertising revenue. Recently, the Chicago Citizen Growing up in Alabama, the late Newspapers Group partnered with William Darrell "Bill" Garth Sr. six other black news organizations in knew he was going to be a newspa- Chicago to successfully sell advertising to the Mariano's grocery chain. per publisher. As an adult in Chicago, Garth did Each working individually to garner just that. He established the Cit- Mariano's advertising business had izen Newspapers Group, owning not been successful. According to Darrel, the group and publishing for more than 30 met via conferyears the Chaence call severtham-Southal months ago east Citizen, under the dithe South End rection of TBT Citizen, the News Publisher Weekend CitiCarl D. West. zen, the Hyde Their mesPark Citizen, sage was simand the South ple. Suburban CitiBill Garth Darrell Garth Janice Garth " M a r i a n o's zen. could become Garth died a good community partner by doing Sept. 23, 2016 at the age of 78 from business with the black press, which complications from diabetes. On Oct. 5, the Illinois Press Asso- collectively reaches thousands upon ciation and the Cook County Subur- thousands of black consumers daily," ban Publishers will honor Garth. A Darrell wrote in an Aug. 9 column. The Chicago Citizen Newspaper reception will be held at the DuSable Museum of African American His- Group, alone, is the largest blacktory in Chicago. Hosts are son, Wil- owned chain of audited weeklies in liam Darrell Garth Jr., and daugh- the Midwest with a circulation of 121,000 and a readership of over ter-in-law, Janice Garth. William Jr., who goes by Darrell, 400,000. Darrell continued, "Each media and Janice now lead the Citizen Newspaper Group. They say there outlet received a firm commitment was no question about them continu- of 17 weeks of advertising, including the legacy the elder Garth began. ing one sponsorship event for the "Our father built an institution," remainder of Mariano's 2017 fiscal Janice said. "It was always his goal year." Looking ahead, Darrell and Janice to have us eventually take over. We are going to continue to be the voice say a strong black press helps comfor the people, which is what he saw munities remain strong—something they heard Bill often say. newspapers as being." "He said we're the eyes and ears of They have since added a sixth newspaper to the Citizen group, the the community and the voice for the Citizen Suburban Times, and are ex- people we serve," Janice said. By Debra Chandler Landis Special to PressLines
What golf teaches us about advertising I love golf, but I'm a terrible golfer. I'm the only golfer I know who has lost someone else's golf ball. On a best-ball round, I mistakenly hit the wrong ball – directly into a lake. Regardless of skill level, golf holds plenty of lessons for the business of selling and creating advertising. Let's take a look: 1. Club selection matters. Each club has a specific purpose. Drive with a driver, JOHN FOUST hit long approach shots with a fairRaleigh, N.C. way wood, chip with a wedge, putt with a putter. In advertising, there are tactics for different marketing situations. Image ads are designed to build brand identities and response ads are used to generate immediate results. 2. Pre-contact is important. A golf swing starts with lining up the shot, having the right stance and grip, then taking a proper backswing. Any experienced salesperson will tell you to prepare in advance for an appointment. Learn your prospect's marketing objectives, study their previous ad campaigns, and research their competitors' advertising. 3. Follow-through is equally important. A swing doesn't end after contact. And neither does a sales conversation. When you return to the office, there are "thank you" emails, additional facts and figures to research, and campaign recommendations to develop. 4. Every hole has a goal. And every ad campaign has an objective. At the completion of a particular marketing effort, your client wants to generate x-results. Along the way, there are interim goals, such as weekly and monthly targets. 5. Every hole has hazards. Obstacles are part of the game. There are
bunkers, creeks, and out-of-bounds areas. Some are visible from a distance, but others seem to appear out of nowhere. In advertising, there are sales objections, high-maintenance clients, fickle target markets and challenging deadlines. 6. Play it where it lies. You will make some shots from level ground, where the ball sits nicely on top of the grass. But others you will have to hit from tall weeds or sand or behind a tree. Whatever the lie, concentrate on the goal and choose the right club. 7. Grain and dew affect putting. The surface of the green can be compared to market conditions which are beyond your control. Read and respond to those conditions correctly, and you're on the way to a successful campaign. Read them incorrectly, and the ball will veer off course. 8. Close doesn't count. A score can't be counted until the ball is in the hole. Likewise, a publication can't build its business on sales that are almost made. 9. Divots should be repaired. It's important to keep client relationships in order. If something goes wrong – in a conversation or in a campaign – take immediate steps to put things back on track. 10. A tournament can be won by one stroke. It's crucial to pay attention to details, because little things make a difference. A sales conversation can turn quickly on one perceptive question. A typographical error can make or break a marketing proposal. And one word can determine the success of a headline. © Copyright 2017 by John Foust. All rights reserved. John Foust has conducted training programs for thousands of newspaper advertising professionals. Many ad departments are using his training videos to save time and get quick results from in-house training. E-mail for information: john@johnfoust.com
NEWSPAPER MEDIA HAS THE POWER TO INFORM, ENTERTAIN AND CONNECT. When you hold your local newspaper in your hands – whether in print or on a mobile device – you hold a powerful tool to inform and inspire. For centuries in towns and cities across North America, local newspapers have served as the voice for the public good and as a powerful connection between citizens and the communities around them. Oct. 1-7, 2017, is National Newspaper Week, a time to salute the dedicated professionals who work hard to bring you the news. In this digital age, the newspaper audience has never been greater, with millions reading in print, online or via mobile. No matter the medium, those millions of readers rely on their local newspaper. "Real Newspapers ... Real News!"
NATIONAL NEWSPAPER WEEK Oct. 1-7, 2017
Selling Newspapers 'If someone has a selling personality, we can teach them the rest.' "We need to find ways to give our staff the tools they need to get the job done. Training is necessary if we are going to have successful ad reps, editors and writers." While attending the Tennessee Press Association Convention recently, Jack Fishman, Morristown, said those words to me as we sat at the corner of a long table, waitKEVIN SLIMP ing for a board meeting to begin. I'm pretty sure Director, Institute of he knew he was Newspaper Technology preaching to the choir. What followed were emails, phone conversations and, eventually, a face-to-face meeting between Mike Fishman, publisher of the (Morristown) Citizen Tribune, Jack and myself. As I've written many times, there are correlations between successful newspapers and business practices. Mr. Fishman was right. Training is a necessary ingredient if we are going to have successful staff. Speaking of training, exactly one week after my visit to Morristown to discuss training, I traveled to Greeneville, Tennessee, just 30 miles up the road. The reason for the trip was to do some tests and work with the staff of The Greeneville Sun to improve the reproduction quality in photos. While there, I ran into a familiar face. Hala Watson has attended several of my design classes over the years. Hala was quick to tell me she had recently moved from the production area to the advertising staff. I told her I wasn't surprised because she has the personality of a salesperson.
I also was not surprised to learn she is loving sales and has gained quite the reputation as a successful ad rep after just four months on the job. "You know what I do? The publisher dares me to go out and make a particular sale, then I go out and make the sale. It's that simple." I've been working with Tim Smith quite a bit lately in training ad reps, and I knew it surely wasn't that easy. But maybe it was. She told me there was a new yoga studio in town. I later passed it on the way to lunch with some of the newspaper managers. "Gregg Jones (Sun publisher) dared
Training is a necessary ingredient if we are going to have successful staff. me to go out and sell them a double truck, so that's what I'm going to do," Hala told me just before lunch. For those unfamiliar, a "double truck" refers to a pair of facing pages with content that stretches over both pages. This usually occurs over the center spread of a newspaper. As our group walked into the dining room at General Morgan Inn, I saw Hala having lunch with the owner of the studio. They were deep in conversation. I didn't see any computers, folders or sales sheets. Just the two of them talking. Two hours later, back at the newspaper, I saw Hala. "Did you sell the double truck?" I asked.
"No, but let me show you what I did sell!" She pulled out a 52-week contract. That isn't a typo. She sold a 52-week contract over lunch. I don't know why, but I wasn't surprised. Later, I called Hala and asked if she would share some secrets to her success. She was more than happy to share her insights. "I just try to be me. I like people. I enjoy talking to people and they seem to respond." When asked how she ap- "People are responding," Hala Watson explained. "They want to advertise and I proaches a po- help them get the best advertising for their money." tential advertiser, she made it sound "I just started going out. I love simple. meeting people and visiting with "I don't take papers or a folder or anything with me. We just have con- them. I just decided to be me." During our phone conversation, versations. I don't push. No one likes I learned the yoga studio contract to be pushed." Asked what she did on her first day wasn't her first. She had signed anas a salesperson, she offered, "I just other year-long contract a few weeks left the office and went out and start- earlier. ed meeting people. And guess what. Artie Wehenkel, advertising direcIt worked." tor at The Sun, told me, "I worked I told Hala she was an interviewer's closely with Hala when she was in dream. She just kept feeding me one the newsroom. I always thought she great quote after another. But these was a natural salesperson, and I was weren't canned lines, she meant what right. If someone has a selling pershe was saying. She loves selling and sonality, we can teach them the rest." advertisers are responding. "At first," she told me, "I didn't think I would be a good salesperson. Kevin Slimp is the CEO of newspaWhen they showed me the paper- peracademy.com and director of The Newspaper Institute. Contact Kevin work, it was overwhelming." I asked how she got over that. at kevin@newspaperacademy.com
This time, privacy outweighs right to know Public records are the foundation for reporting a range of stories important to your readers. Police reports reveal a string of continuing break-ins in a eighborhood. JIM PUMARLO nMinutes from a school board Red Wing, Minn. committee reveal discussions and eventual recommendation to close an elementary school. Letters sent from a state agency to landowners identify potential locations for off-site location of spent fuel from a nearby nuclear power plant. All of these stories crossed my desk during my tenure as editor of the Red Wing (Minn.,) Republican Eagle. As you might suspect, none of the news sources willingly volunteered the information. We relied on open meeting and data practices laws to get the information. Our newsroom credo: The more roadblocks thrown our way to gain access to public information, the more aggressive we became in our efforts. At the same time, newsrooms should not report public records with reckless abandon. As with any right, newspapers have an accompanying responsibility. Consider our front-page report of a 7-week-old boy who was revived after suffering cardiac arrest. The "heroes" included the foster parents along with the Red Wing police lieutenant and other emergency personnel who responded – all who we identified. One name was purposely absent from the story – the name of the child, who was under foster care. We also didn't publish the child's name in the ambulance runs printed on a
separate page. In this case, we decided the potential hurt to the natural parent outweighed the public's right to know the identity of the infant. We made the decision after speaking with personnel at the county social services. This was one of those rare cases where we withheld information. Our reticence stemmed from the
to publish should be based on the merits of each case. Flexibility is the best posture. Editors should try to blend policies to best serve community needs. But public information should be sacred ground to newspapers. It should be to readers, as well. If editors bow to readers' wishes – and they were able to eliminate pub-
"Our newsroom credo: The more roadblocks thrown our way to gain access to public information, the more aggressive we became in our efforts."
fear that one or more of the child's parents might be living in the area. Identifying the child, who was born with medical problems, would raise the obvious question among acquaintances of the family: Why was the boy not in his parents' home? The county welfare director confirmed our suspicion. In nearly all cases, foster children are placed with families in the home county. That was true here, as well; one of the youth's natural parents lived in our home county. In the final analysis, we asked ourselves whether we still had a compelling story without identifying the child. As the welfare director said, "It was a great story. The crew did a terrific job." Editors and reporters should remain vigilant in monitoring public information and the needs of readers. As with this instance, decisions
lication of news at the ease of a phone call – imagine the vast incompleteness of repor ts. An entire newspaper's content would become suspect. Readers often ask why newspapers stand firm on access to and publication of these records. It's much like the proverbial "if you give an inch, they'll
take a mile." If the press agrees to one concession, all too often an individual or agency will try to stretch the rules. Soon laws are enacted with additional restrictions on what once was routinely public data. Newspapers should stand firm on the premise that readers are best served by a full menu rather than a selective serving of public data. Your argument is strongest if you deliver prompt and accurate reports. Jim Pumarlo writes, speaks and provides training on community newsroom success strategies. He is author of "Journalism Primer: A Guide to Community News Coverage," "Votes and Quotes: A Guide to Outstanding Election Coverage" and "Bad News and Good Judgment: A Guide to Reporting on Sensitive Issues in Small-Town Newspapers." He can be reached at www.pumarlo.com and welcomes comments and questions at jim@pumarlo.com.
Transcription: There's an app for that By Jennifer Peters Reporter, News Media Alliance Editor's Note: This article is reprinted with permission from the News Media Alliance. Technology has made it easier than ever for reporters to connect with their sources, whether they're across the street or halfway around the world. Contacting someone via phone or app is simple. With so many digital recording options, it takes no more than a few clicks and swipes to record a conversation with a source. The biggest problem reporters face when it comes to interviews, however, is how to deal with all the recorded content once the interview is over. Although most reporters still take notes manually, not many people can write or type as fast as a source speaks and get a verbatim quote, so recording is a necessary step. But turning those audio files into usable text isn't always easy. Transcription is a time-consuming and often costly part of the job. Today's reporters need all the resources available so they can focus on breaking news
and keeping their readers up to date. To help you overcome the issue of transcription, we've tested a slew of new apps and websites that promise to help give you back your valuable time and take some of stress out of your daily reporting routine. To test the majority of the services, we used a 13-minute phone call between two speakers, and the call had some background interference that made it slightly harder to hear clearly. Results will vary depending on the length and quality of your recordings, but should not change drastically enough to invalidate our findings.
oTranscribe A web-based transcription document, oTranscribe makes it easier to do the transcription yourself, if you're so inclined. Once you upload an audio file, you can control playback of the recording using your keyboard, so you never have to switch windows or fumble with a recorder while trying to type. The site lets you play and pause,
Visit http://otranscribe.com/ fast forward, rewind, and control the playback speed using the Escape and F-level keys. While it still requires you to do the heavy lifting, oTranscribe makes the cumbersome task a little less complicated. It takes a bit of getting used to, but overall it's an extremely helpful tool for reporters who have the time and don't want to pay for third-party services.
Cogi Unlike traditional recording apps, Cogi is designed to capture soundbites and not complete interviews. When you start a conversation, you
Visit https://cogi.com/ or search "Cogi" in the app store. start up Cogi and allow it to "listen" as you chat. When you hear something you want to capture, tap the button and Cogi will rewind back to capture the previous 15 seconds of audio and will continue recording until you stop it. The soundbites from each session are saved together, but in separate audio files, so you only ever have to listen to the snippet you're interested in. The app also allows you to name recording sessions and
soundbites, and lets you take pictures of your written notes to add to the folder for that session, so everything you need is in one place.
Tape-A-Call More than a call recorder, Tape-ACall allows you to search audio files for words or phrases that popped up, and then takes you directly to that segment when you play it back. But while Tape-A-Call's recording function is top-notch, the audio search feature needs some work.
Visit https://www.tapeacall.com/ or search "Tape A Call" in the app store. Even a simple call, with only a few repeated words, didn't test well, and a longer call tested with a wider vocabulary was fairly off. That said, if you're willing to do your own transcriptions, this app provides the highest quality cellphone recordings we've heard. The pro version of the app runs at $9.99 per year, and adding the word search feature will set you back only $14.99 annually. The investment for the pro app is definitely worth it, and we're hoping to see improvements in later updates that will increase the reliability of the search function.
Search "Steno" in the app store. and 500-minute blocks, with the price for each block ranging from 99 cents to $6.99, making it the most affordable of the paid apps we recommend. While the transcription itself is pretty weak, getting only a few words right at any given point, the app allows you to click on a segment of the transcript and play back the audio at that moment in the recording. While it isn't reliable enough to be used on its own, it's a worthwhile investment for those times when you don't need to transcribe the full conversation but want a faster way to hone in on certain keywords.
TranscribeMe On the high end of the transcription apps, TranscribeMe's services range from 79 cents per minute for first-draft transcripts with a turnaround that ranges from two to seven days, to $5.50 per minute for a verbatim transcript that requires
An app- and web-based transcription service, Rev charges $1 per minute of audio, with additional (but minor) fees for timestamps. The transcript we received from Rev was the clearest and most accurate, and included notes where the conversation was inaudible or where a speaker had made a sound Visit https://transcribeme.com/ or search "TranscribeMe" in the app store.
Trint is a subscription-based website that allows users to buy upload time on an hourly or monthly basis, with plans ranging from $120 per month for 10 hours of audio, amounting to 20 cents per minute, to an hourly pay-as-you-go plan
Visit https://www.rev.com/transcription or search "Rev" in the app store.
Visit https://trint.com/
While it can be a bit more costly, if you don't have the time or inclination for DIY transcription, Rev may be a worthwhile investment, especially for reporters who have longer lead times.
Steno An app-only resource, Steno lets you record directly or upload audio files to be transcribed, and gives you about an hour of free audio before you have to pay. After that, time can be bought in 50-, 250-,
that ups the fee to 15 cents per minute. Users are also given 30 free minutes when they sign up. The transcript from Trint was not the most accurate, and there were a couple minutes of conversation that were missed, but the site allows you to click on the transcript and hear the clip again so you can correct it yourself. While not the most ideal of circumstances for a busy reporter, it could be helpful for someone new to transcription. While currently a web-only transcription service, the company tells us that there's a smartphone app in the works, and we're hopeful that some of the bugs of the transcription will be worked out by the time the app is released.
(such as "Mhmm") instead of responding with words. Rev promises that interviews of 30 minutes or less will be turned around in 12 hours, and our 13-minute recording was returned in less than six hours.
an urgent one-day turnaround. To test the services, we purchased a verbatim transcript with a standard delivery speed, which cost approximately $2 per minute. The 13-minute tape took 2.5 days to be returned, and the transcript received had excellent accuracy and time-stamping. The quality of the transcript was no better than competitor Rev's document, which ran half the price for the same verbatim-level accuracy. If you have a longer lead time and are willing to go with the slightly lower accuracy of a first-draft transcript, the price can't be beat. For our money, however, we'd stick with Rev for affordable and fast transcripts, and look to TranscribeMe for special cases.
10 Facebook tips for getting a YOUR DOLLARS ARE
People spend a lot of time on Facebook so, it should be easy to reach them, right? Not exactly. Between competing with the sea of messages in your followers news feed and fighting a Facebook algorithm that determines whether they even see your message, it can be difficult for your content to impact your followers.
Post consistently: The goal is to make people not only expect, but to look forward to seeing your content show up in their newsfeed.
REWA BOLDREY Sales Consultant, IPA Certified in Digital Marketing, Analytics & Google video
Use videos: Video is popular with mobile users and more than half of all Facebook users log in from their mobile devices.
Create events: Creating a public Facebook event enables all Facebook users to invite other people to your posted events. It's a great way to use your followers to generate a larger audience for you.
Even a small donation can make a big difference
SupportHurricaneRelief.org
Ask Questions: Encourage your followers to engage by asking them questions. Their comments and feedback will help you create a dialogue.
Like and respond to comments in your posts: Not only does this help humanize you with your followers, but the more engagement there is with your posts, the more followers that Facebook sends
for content your content to.
Ask people to like, share and comment on your posts: You would be surprised at how simply asking them will help increase engagement and again, the more engagement you have, the more people will see your content.
Boost your content: If you are having issues with reaching people organically, you can boost for as little as $1 per day.
Use your insights: It's a great way to find out who and when people are engaging with your posts.
Pin posts: You can pin a popular post to the top of your Facebook page so that it's easier for people to find.
Be creative: Not only are you trying to compete against other businesses, you are competing against the content of your followers friends and families. So, how do you compete against a video of grandma dancing? Use fun, imaginative and engaging images and videos of your own!
Want one more tip? Don't be all business…be social! Always remember, it's called social media for a reason.
NASA offers free monthly column The NASA Space Place website team is producing a free, monthly column for newspapers. The 400-word column with accompanying image is geared toward upper-elementary school readers. Each column deals with a space or Earth science topic – and NASA's connection to that topic. It is
emailed to participating editors on the 12th day of each month. Visit http://bit.ly/2vWxXGk for a sample article. If you have questions about this program or would like to join the mailing list, please contact Nancy Leon at nancy.j.leon@jpl.nasa.gov.
You have questions. We have answers. Associated Beer Distributors of Illinois Independent wholesalers providing a diversity of products for consumers and means for new brands to enter the market.
uestions about school law, finance, policy, or other management issues?
www.iasb.com
Contact Robert L. Myers with questions about beer distribution. myers@abdi.org 217-528-4371
Illinois Petroleum Marketers Association / Illinois Association of Convenience Stores Contact us when you need the latest information on the petroleum marketing and convenience store industry. phone: 217.544.4609 fax: 217.789-0222
Illinois Press Association Government Relations Legal & Legislative
FREE Pre-publication HOTLINE for IPA members only:
Josh Sharp, VP jsharp@illinoispress.org
217-241-1300 www.illinoispress.org
Have a legal question regarding a story? Ask Attorney Don Craven first.
Got Trucking Questions? Need Answers? If you have one and need the other, contact us! Don Schaefer Executive Vice-President
dons@mid-westtruckers.com
Illinois Movers' and Warehousemen's Association www.imawa.com oving! about m we know
40 Adloff Lane, Suite 2 Springfield, IL 62703-4441 217-585-2740 FAX 217-585-2472 e-mail psmith@imawa.com Since 1953
To advertise in PressLines, contact Jeffrey Holman at 217-241-1700
When life throws you a financial challenge, you've proven you have what it takes to ace it. Now it's time to tackle your retirement savings at AceYourRetirement.org
Durand Volunteer owners seeking new management Since 1990, The Volunteer has been dedicated to providing news to the residents of Davis, Dakota, Durand, Rock City and Lake Summerset. The owners, Curt Stalheim and Gary Haughton, have come to a point in their lives where publishing the paper has taken a back seat to other priorities. "The last thing we want to do is close the doors," Stalheim said. "It would be a disservice to the community," co-founder Gary Haughton said of ending the 27-year-old publication. Haughton, along with Jane and Owen Phelps, began publishing The Volunteer in 1990 when the former Durand Gazette merged with other publications and relocated to Loves Park. "Keeping a local flavor for the Durand and Dakota School Districts as well as the communities that they serve has been the focus of the operation," Haughton continued. The owners are looking for a community minded person/persons that would like to take the reins of this profitable paper. Perhaps the biggest requirement would be to have a sincere affection for the small town communities and the way of life they provide. For more information contact Haughton at 815-742-0578 or email volunteer@ statelineisp.com.
Tronc acquires New York Daily News Tronc, the parent company of the Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune, has acquired the New York Daily News. This deal for the tabloid, which includes the Daily News' website and other assets, has been in the works for some months and was finalized Sept. 3. The deal carries a price tag of $1 and the assumpt ion of operational and pension liabilities. Tronc, formerly known as Tribune Publishing, has been actively engaged in high-profile merger talks with other newspapers since technology entrepreneur Michael Ferro became the company's largest shareholder and chair in February 2016, but the Daily News acquisition is the first to come to fruition. In March 2016, Tronc was the top bidder for the bankrupt Orange County Register in California, but Justice Department antitrust concerns over the Register's proximity to the Tronc-
owned Los Angeles Times thwarted the deal. And newspaper chain Gannett, publisher of USA Today and more than 100 other titles, abandoned a contentious and unsolicited six-month pursuit of Tronc in November. Acquiring the Daily News comes less than a month after Tronc's unsuccessful attempt to purchase the Chicago SunTimes, which was acquired in early August by an investment group led by former Chicago Aid, Edwin Eisendrath and labor unions, among others. Tronc operates newspapers in nine U.S. markets, including Baltimore, Hartford, Conn., and Orlando, Fla. The New York Daily News had been owned since 1993 by billionaire Mort Zuckerman and his one-time business partner, Fred Drasner. The latter left the company in 2004. Two years ago, Zuckerman seriously explored selling the newspaper but eventually abandoned those plans.
H&R chosen for investigative training program The Herald & Review (Decatur) is one of 10 newsrooms from across the country chosen to receive a grant for watchdog training through Investigative Reporters and Editors Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening investigative journalism. IRE's Total Newsroom Training provides two days of in-house sessions for small and medium-sized newsrooms dedicated to watchdog and enterprise reporting. The program is customized and sessions can range from securing public records to hands-on data analysis. The Herald & Review was chosen from more than 50 applications this year, the organization reported Aug. 3. Other newsrooms selected are: •	The Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville •	Illinois Public Media in Urbana •	KPBS in San Diego •	Missoulian in Missoula, Mont. •	North Country Public Radio in Canton, NY •	PA Media Group in Mechanicsburg, Pa. •	Traverse City Record-Eagle in Michigan •	WKBT in La Crosse, Wis. •	WNPR in Hartford, Conn.
The Southern wins Associated Press Media Editors grant for coverage of Cairo housing crisis The Southern Illinoisan was one of two newspapers in the country named winners of the sixth annual Associated Press Media Editors' Community Journalism Public Service Initiative. The Southern and Unalaska Community Broadcasting Inc. (KUCB Radio) in Alaska were named as winners of $2,500 grants plus expenses to attend the annual ASNE-APMEAPPM News Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. "The judges felt that these two news organizations presented totally different projects, but were both equally deserving of the hon-
or," Joe Flight, chair of the grant project and judging panel this year, said in a news release from APME. "They and the other entrants typify the outstanding public service work that smaller news organizations are doing in this country. APME continues to honor them through these grants." The grant will support The Southern Illinoisan's ongoing coverage in Cairo and other issues concerning rural public housing. "This newsroom's powerful award-winning watchdog work on conditions in Cairo has already drawn a lot of outside attention and
praise. Best of all, HUD took action against corrupt housing officials in the face of evidence documented by the newspaper," Cate Barron, a grant judge and vice president for content for PA Media Group, said in the release. "Now, The (Southern) Illinoisan wants to take its investigation to another level, using multimedia to examine conditions in neglected public housing developments throughout the region. ... With the newsroom's track record of dramatic results, we are sure the funding will be put to good use." The Southern reporter Molly Parker has been covering the issues in
Cairo since 2015. In March of this year, HUD announced it was going to tear down the McBride and Elmwood housing complexes and help residents find housing that is safe and decent. Since HUD made its announcement, major news organizations from all over the country have picked up on the story. The Unalaska Community Broadcasting Inc. won for its project to record the history of the Unangax people, who were forced to evacuate and then were interned after the bombing of Dutch Harbor in Alaska's Aleutian Chain during World War II.
Dispatch•Argus moving to East Moline The Dispatch• Argus•QCOnline on Sept. 1 announced that it is moving to one of the new development projects in the Quad Cities. The newspaper will move later this year to an 11,521-square-foot structure at 1201 7th St., East Moline, the home of East Moline Glass Co. The newspaper also will have a 6,000-square-foot warehouse to coordinate deliveries and customer fulfillment. A timetable for the move has yet to be finalized, pending renovations and upgrades to the building. It was announced June 19 that Lee Enterprises Inc., the owner of the Quad-City Times, had reached an agreement to purchase the assets of The Dispatch•Argus•QCOnline, long owned by the Small Newspaper Group for $7.15 million. Those assets did not include the building that has housed the Dispatch•Argus•QCOnline at 1720 5th Ave., Moline, since 1922. "We were determined to remain an integral part of the Illinois Quad Cities," Publisher Debbie-Anselm said. "Since we announced the purchase, we have emphasized that the Dispatch•Argus•QCOnline and The Quad-City Times would remain independent publications." She continued, "Today's announcement underscores both tenets that the newspapers will remain independent of each other and Dispatch•Argus•QCOnline will remain in Illinois." The location is near the John Deere Harvester Works in East Moline and The Bend on the Mighty Mississippi development, currently under construction. Ground was broken April 20 for the $80 million complex with retail, lodging, restaurants, apartments and offices on a 132-acre site that once was home to a Case-IH plant. Two key elements are a 134-room Hyatt Place hotel and a 99-room Hyatt House hotel.
Hearst acquires Telegraph, Journal-Courier Hearst announced on Aug. 31 that it has acquired The Telegraph and Journal-Courier from Civitas Media, LLC ("Civitas"). The acquisition strengthens Hearst Newspapers' commitment to covering news in Illinois communities, adding to the reporting done by the Edwardsville Intelligencer. The announcement was made by Hearst President and Chief Executive Officer Steven R. Swartz and Hearst Newspapers President Mark Aldam. Financial terms were not disclosed. Civitas, headquartered in Davidson, N.C., is a portfolio company of Philadelphiabased private equity investment firm Versa Capital Management LLC ("Versa"). With the addition of the Illinois papers, the Hearst Newspapers stable of news properties includes 24 dailies and 64 weeklies across the U.S., in addition to one news magazine and several digital businesses. "We are excited to strengthen our commitment to quality journalism in the local communities of southern Illinois," Aldam said. "Combined with our Edwardsville Intelligencer media
assets, the additions of The Telegraph and the Journal-Courier will enable us to upgrade our enterprise reporting across the region, while serving advertisers with the most comprehensive media solutions." Known as the oldest continuously published newspaper in Illinois, the Journal-Courier was founded in 1830 in Jacksonville. The Telegraph was established in 1836 in Alton. Together, the newspapers have a circulation of more than 30,000 in the southwestern Illinois region. Hearst's commitment to providing local news coverage in Illinois began with the 1979 acquisition of the Edwardsville Intelligencer. Hearst Newspapers is the operating group responsible for Hearst's newspapers, local digital marketing services businesses and directories. With more than 4,000 employees across the nation, Hearst Newspapers publishes the Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle, San Antonio Express-News and Albany Times Union. It also operates digital marketing services and directories businesses under the LocalEdge brand.
Law Bulletin Publishing Company rebrands Law Bulletin Publishing Company has undergone a comprehensive rebranding, including a corporate name change to Law Bulletin Media, Law Bulletin President Mike Kramer announced July 17. The fifth-generation Macfarland family continues to own and manage the business. Kramer said the company changed its name after 162 years, "because we need to be forward-thinking, representing the digital growth of the company in the Amazon cloud and in the dissemination of information we de-
liver to clients every day through products and services like Lawyerport, JuraLaw, Public Notice Network, chicagolawbulletin.com and many others." He continued, "Fittingly, we have decided to change the name of the company from Law Bulletin Publishing Company to Law Bulletin Media." To learn more about Law Bulletin Media, visit the new corporate website at lawbulletinmedia.com/rebrand. News content from the Daily Law Bulletin remains at its current site, chicagolawbulletin.com.
E&T News Report will require paid subscription in October After five years of providing the Effingham & Teutopolis News Report free of charge, Owner/Publisher Steve Raymond announced Sept. 7 that the time has come to convert the newspaper to a paid publication. Effective Oct. 1, the Effingham & Teutopolis News Report will require a subscription to continue receiving the locally-owned publication. The cost of a yearly subscription is $49. "First of all, I want to thank our advertisers and readers for their support," said Raymond, "That support has allowed us to produce what we believe is a very good local newspaper that our readers have thoroughly enjoyed, based on the feedback we have received the past five years." He continued, "The newspaper opened in July 2012, and its first issue was delivered Aug. 2. The business climate just isn't what it was five years ago. Because of that, the time has come to convert from a free newspaper to one that requires a paid subscription. The paper will continue to be delivered free through the month of September, but a paid subscription will be required, beginning with the Oct. 5 issue.
Illinois newspapers celebrate milestone anniversaries
Kane County Chronicle
Coulson Publications
Effingham & Teutopolis News Report
New newspaper begins production Newspaper Publisher Michael Taylor brought a new weekly publication to Central Illinois, with attention to stories from the region's African-American communities. The first issue of the Decatur/ Bloomington Courier was published July 14 in nearly 100 locations between the two cities, Taylor said. A copy costs 75 cents and can be found in various
churches and stores throughout town. Taylor Publications, based in Bourbonnais, publishes a dozen different newspapers in the Chicagoland and Kankakee areas, as an alternative voice for communities in Illinois, Taylor said, and he's excited to bring forward positive stories in and outside the black community here.
Pana News-Palladium switches printing schedule A tradition that went back to the 1940s ended on Thursday, Aug. 17, with the last printed Thursday edition of the Pana News-Palladium. After decades of publishing twice a week on Mondays and Thursdays, the newspaper switched to publishing once a week on Wednesdays effective with their Wednesday, Aug. 23 edition. "After careful consideration and looking to the future of the newspaper, we felt it was in the best interests of all – the newspaper, staff and subscribers – to make this change," Owner/Publisher Thomas J. Phillips Jr. said. The newspaper history of Pana dates back to late 1857 when the Pana
Weekly Herald made its debut. There were several publishers and owners through the late 1800s. Having become a daily newspaper, it was reduced to weekly in the late 1930s. During the 20s and 30s, two newspapers served the growing community – the Weekly Palladium and the Pana News. A new publication, the Weekly News, began publishing in 1932 and grew in scope until the free newspaper went on to become a paid publication. In November of 1948, the Pana News acquired the Weekly Palladium and merged the two publications to become the twice-weekly Pana News-Palladium.
The Times eliminates Friday edition
On Friday, Aug. 4, The Times (Ottawa) suspended the printing and delivery of the Friday edition. In the announcement on July 8, the Times reported, "This change will
PRESS PEOPLE
Jim Kirk leaves Chicago Sun-Times Editor/publisher resigns to join Tribune parent, Tronc Jim Kirk, the veteran journalist and media executive who led the Chicago Sun-Times through five of its most tumultuous and challenging years, resigned Aug. 11 as publisher and editor-in-chief to join Chicago Tribune parent company, Tronc. Kirk, 52, was named senior vice president of strategic initiatives for Tronc, the digital content and commerce division of Tronc. He will report to Tim Knight, president of Tronc and former Kirk Chief Executive Officer of Wrapports LLC, previous owner of the Sun-Times. The move comes one month after Tronc lost a bid to acquire the SunTimes to an investment group headed by Edwin Eisendrath, the former Chicago alderman, and backed by a coalition of labor organizations. At the time, Eisendrath had said he hoped Kirk would stay on as publisher and editor. He reiterated his intention to retain Kirk in an interview late August. In a statement released by Tronc, Kirk said, "I'm pleased to join the company during this time of rapid change and reinvention in the media industry. I'm looking forward to working with
allow us to focus our resources on improvements, both in our print and digital editions. Our change comes as other newspapers have tried elimiThe Record Newspapers/Shaw Menating their print edition completely." dia has hired Shea Lazansky of Oswego to the newly created position of general assignment FREE Pre-publication reporter and photograHOTLINE for pher. A 2010 graduate of IPA members only: Oswego High School, 217-544-1777 Lazansky received a bachelor's degree in Have a legal question journalism with an emregarding a story? Lazansky phasis in photojournalAsk Attorney Don Craven first. ism at Eastern Illinois University in 2014. While at EIU, Lazansky served as
some of the best, award-winning news organizations in the country and helping them grow their audiences through new and innovative content offerings. Tronc has some of the most well-respected newsrooms across the country and I'm looking forward to working with them." Kirk not only will be reunited with Knight but also with Michael Ferro, the chair of Tronc who hired Kirk at the Sun-Times when Ferro Jim Kirk was chair and a principal owner of Wrapports. It's also a homecoming for Kirk, who was a reporter, columnist and editor at the Tribune earlier in his career. In his newly created role, Kirk will work in each of the company's nine markets and its digital properties in executing plans to accelerate the company's digital growth to develop "strategic plans that leverage the company's new content management system," according to a company statement. Kirk, who served as senior vice president and editor-in-chief of the SunTimes since April 2012, was named publisher in June 2013. It marked the first time the roles of editor and publisher were combined at the newspaper.
Record Newspapers hires Lazansky as reporter
managing editor of EIU's yearbook. Also during her college years, she served as a photography intern for the Kane County Chronicle in St. Charles. Upon graduation from EIU, Lazansky opened her own photography business and worked part-time as a photographer for School District 308. Over the past 1.5 years, she has worked as a photographer and staff writer for downstate newspapers owned by GateHouse Media and Paddock Publications. Most recently, she worked at the Marion Daily Republican.
Eric Wait to manage Herald-Whig marketing Ron Wallace, vice president of newspapers and general manager of The Herald-Whig, announced early August the appointment of Eric Wait as marketing manager for the newspaper. Wait will be responsible for developing strategies to promote The Herald-Whig and support company initiatives. He also will coorWait dinate the development, promotion and staging of special events, serve as liaison with community groups and assist in employee relations initiatives. Wait joined The Herald-Whig in March 2014 as an advertising account executive. He was named the 2016 advertising sales representative of the year by the Illinois Press Association. Wait earned a bachelor's degree in political science from Eastern Illinois University. He worked in human resources at Blessing Hospital before joining The Herald-Whig. Wait has served as a loaned executive, a member of the Resource Investment team and on the promotions committee with the United Way of Adams County. He also will be the 2017 chair of the "Are you tougher than a Boy Scout?" annual golf fundraiser for the Mississippi Valley Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Wait and his wife, Katie, are the parents of two daughters, Zoe and Ruby.
Chicago Crusader Publisher Dorothy Leavell elected chair of the National Newspaper Publishers Association Dorothy R. Leavell, longtime publisher of the Chicago Crusader and the Gary (IN) Crusader, was recently elected chair of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA). There are more than 200 NNPA member papers from Boston to Seattle, and from Mississippi to Minnesota. Leavell The NNPA member papers have a combined readership of 15 million readers. Leavell took the reins of the newspapers when Crusader founder, her late husband, Balm, died in 1968. She is among only a handful of black publishers who have been associated with one paper more than 50 years. Leavell has been unwavering in her support of the NNPA, a Black Press trade association, founded in 1940 in Chicago. Not only has she led her papers successfully over the decades, she has been instrumental in achieving many of the advances made in the Black Press. From 1995-1999, she served two consecutive terms as chair of the NNPA. Leavell also has been a NNPA board member several times, as well as the president of the NNPA Foundation – the nonprofit arm of the organization. During her tenure as Foundation president she led a successful campaign,
involving all NNPA member papers, to gain a pardon for the Wilmington 10 from the governor of North Carolina. She has worked to expand the visibility, impact and prominence of the NNPA by leading delegations to meet with African leaders, as well as with several U.S. presidents. In 1998, she was named NNPA Publisher of the Year. In 2013, she served as chair of the National Black Chamber of Commerce, and in 2014, was appointed as board member of the National Civil Rights Hall of Fame. She received a State of Illinois Proclamation from Gov. Pat Quinn proclaiming Oct. 21, 2014, as Dorothy Leavell Day in Illinois. In 2016, the National Association of Black Journalists inducted Leavell into its Hall of Fame. She also has an extensive history as a lifelong supporter of the arts, and commitment to the community. Leavell donated a valuable personal art collection of 150 commissioned pieces to the DuSable Museum of African American History in Chicago; additionally, she is a co-founder of "Heroes in the Hood," a program which celebrates young people in the black community who perform volunteer services and good deeds, yet often go unrecognized.
Rogals named Landmark staff photographer Alexa Rogals has been hired as the new staff photographer for the Riverside-Brookfield Landmark and its three companion neighborhood publications. Rogals is a Chicago-area native and lives in Oak Park. A graduate of Southern Illinois University, Rogals has previousRogals
ly freelanced for the Landmark and other area publications. She was also a staff photographer for the daily in Farmington, N.M. Her hiring was announced by Claire Innes, editorial design manager, and Bob Uphues, editor. Innes said the strong and varied portfolio presented by Rogals was persuasive, but more compelling was her energy and enthusiasm for com-
munity journalism. Rogals succeeds William Camargo, who left the Landmark to pursue art and photography interests in his native California. In addition to the Landmark, its independently owned Oak Park-based company also publishes the Wednesday Journal of Oak Park & River Forest, the Forest Park Review and the Austin Weekly News.
Helenthal takes helm of Star Courier Mike Helenthal, a professional writer and editor in Illinois for nearly 25 years, has assumed the editor's position at the Star Courier (Kewanee). Helenthal will be in charge of the newspaper's day-to-day editorial operations and will be the key community contact for issues related to the news function of the newspaper. Helenthal He succeeds 40-plusyear Star Courier veteran Mike Berry, who retired in July. Helenthal earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from Eastern Illinois University in 1988 and spent the first five years of his career at the Greenville Advocate, a bi-weekly newspaper in southern Illinois. In 1993, Helenthal moved to the Chicago suburbs, working as a city editor for Elmhurst-based chain Press Publications covering western Cook County, and then as a city editor at the Pioneer Press chain covering Schaumburg and Hoffman Estates out of the Arlington Heights office. Helenthal moved to East central Illinois in 2006, serving for a year as the editor of the Champaign News Gazette's Tuscola Review and then five years as a reporter and section editor at the daily Danville Commercial-News. In 2011, Helenthal was named the assistant editor of Inside Illinois, the faculty-staff newspaper of News Bureau of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He served in that capacity for six years before the position was eliminated with the closing of the newspaper last spring. Helenthal has won numerous editorial association writing awards, most notably the 2010 Top Business Feature award for the Illinois Associated Press annual editorial contest.
20 ILLINOIS PRESSLINES
SJ-R photographer's monarch photo showcased in new postage stamp collection A photograph of a monarch butterfly pollinating a goldenrod in rural Sangamon County is featured on a postage stamp released early August by the U.S. Postal Service. The image, captured by State Journal-Register staff photographer Justin L. Fowler, is among five of monarch butterflies and western honeybees in the new Protect PollinaFowler tors Forever stamp series. The stamps were dedicated Aug. 3 at the American Philatelic Society. The series highlights the beauty and importance of two of North America's most iconic pollinators, each shown pollinating plants native to the continent. Fowler's photograph was taken in September 2015 and was originally featured in a photo essay about monarch butterflies migrating from Canada and the northern U.S. to spend the winter in Mexico. Fowler documented the monarchs as they gathered on land belonging to Tracy Evans and her husband, Andrzej Bartke, in rural Sangamon County. The Postal Service noted that monarch populations are collapsing as their habitats disappear to accommodate farming, urban development and illegal logging. Fowler has been a photographer at The State Journal-Register since 2005. A native of Kentucky, he studied photojournalism and political science at Western Kentucky University. His work has been recognized by College Photographer of the Year, Illinois Press Photographers Association and National Press Photographers Association. He also was named Illinois Sports Photographer of the Year for 2010.
Wells hired as Record Newspapers' general manager The new general manager of the Record Newspapers is a veteran community journalist who began his career as a printer's assistant in the pressroom at the old Kendall County Record office in downtown Yorkville. Effective Aug. 1, Wells became general manager for the Record Newspapers, succeeding Steve Vanisko, who continues to serve as general manager for the Morris Herald-News and Joliet HerWells ald-News. Ryan Wells recalled he had recently graduated from Yorkville High School in 1995, when he was hired by former Record publishers, Jeff and Kathy Farren, to assist the Record's printer. In addition to his duties in the pressroom, Wells said he gained his first professional editorial experience working for the Record as a sportswrit-
er covering YHS sports and as a news reporter covering some Kendall County governmental meetings. Wells continued his study of journalism at Waubonsee Community College and at Northern Illinois University. He went on from NIU to earn a bachelor's degree in business management from the University of Phoenix. While attending college, Wells began working part-time as a reporter for the Elburn Herald. Wells continued his career at the Herald, rising from reporter to writing coach to editor. In 2011, Wells purchased and became publisher of the Herald. Last year, Wells sold the Herald to Shaw Media and became general manager for Shaw's Kane County Chronicle newspapers and Suburban Life Media in DuPage County. Wells lives in Plano with his wife, Natalie, and their two sons, Ryan Jr. and Cayden.
Shaw Media welcomes new editor The Kane County Chronicle, Elburn Herald and Sugar Grove Herald welcomed a new local editor in June. Zachary Van Vuren will oversee coverage of Elburn, Sugar Grove,
Haley BeMiller, a Bloomington-Normal, Ill., native, has joined the Wausau Daily Herald as a public issues investigative reporter. BeMiller most recently worked as a statehouse reporting intern for the Chicago Tribune Media Group in Springfield, Ill., was a social media manager for Tribune Content Agency and a BeMiller photo editor for Tribune News Service in Chicago. BeMiller has a bachelor of arts degree in journalism from DePaul University and a master's degree in public affairs reporting from the University of Illinois at Springfield. In December 2016, she was a recipient of one of the Illinois Press Foundation's three $1,000 scholarships awarded annually to University of Illinois Springfield Public Affairs Reporting graduate students.
Conn named Herald & Review sports editor
Maple Park and Kaneville. A graduate of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., Van Vuren Justin Conn, a Herald & Review remajored in professional writing porter since 2007, has been named and minored in communication and sports editor of the Herald & Review and philosophy. heraldreview. com. Executive Editor Chris Coates made the announcement Aug. 29. in journalism from Creighton UniverA native of Keokuk, sity. Iowa, Conn started at the Under Hibbert's leadership, ChronHerald & Review in Noicle Media has won numerous presvember 2007 as a sports tigious journalism awards. In June writer. He moved to the of this year, the editorial team won Conn newsroom in December 13 awards, including five first place 2015, where he covered healthcare and awards, at the Illinois Press Associthe Decatur Park District, and wrote a ation's Best of the Press contest. The weekly column that appeared on Tuesawards included the 2016 Knight days. Chair Award for best investigative reHe is a graduate of Western Illinois porting from the University of Illinois University and started his journalism caJournalism Department, as well as reer at the Macomb Journal in May 1998. first-place awards for news reporting, Conn replaces Mike Albright, who left business/economic reporting, public the position last month after 30 years notice journalism, and newspaper de- with the newspaper, more than 15 as its sports editor. sign.
Chronicle Media names Rick Hibbert publisher Chronicle Media, LLC, publisher of the Peoria County Chronicle and 13 additional print and digital publications, announced July 26 that Rick Hibbert has been named publisher of the company. Hibbert is a 36-year veteran journalist in the Hibbert Chicago area, and has held editorial leadership positions at media companies including SunTimes Media, Pioneer Press Newspapers, and Suburban Life. Most recently, he served as Chronicle Media's editor-in-chief. Hibbert earned a bachelor's degree
BeMiller joins Wausau Daily Herald
John Lux John Lux was an editor at the Chicago Tribune and a predecessor newspaper, Chicago Today, for more than three decades, earning the respect of colleagues for his deft hand at shaping and improving reporters' copy. Lux, 73, died of complications from kidney cancer Aug. 31, 2017 at the Journey-Care hospice center in Glenview, said his wife of 40 years, Marilyn. He had lived in Northfield and previously Lux was a resident of the east Lakeview neighborhood in Chicago and the northern suburbs. Born in Chicago, Lux grew up on the Southwest Side. He graduated from Brother Rice High School in Chicago and then studied journalism at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Lux's first job was as city editor for the now-defunct Champaign-Urbana Courier. After a year there, he worked as an editor for the Salt Lake Tribune. In 1971, Lux joined the staff of Chicago Today as an editor. After Chicago Today was absorbed by the Tribune in 1974, Lux came to the Tribune and worked first on the news side as a makeup editor, laying out news pages. In 1977, Lux began working as an editor in the Tribune's features sections. Among other duties, he oversaw the comics section and the launches of new features sections, his wife said. Lux later worked as an editor for the Tribune's business section and as a digital editor before retiring in 2005. Lux was part of a crew mostly composed of retired Tribune workers who would take weekend fishing trips three times a year. Known as the "Bellyboys," the group was started some 30 years ago by Lux, Frost, Bob Jones and the late Jim Masek, and three items were on every agenda: morning fishing, dinners out at night and spirited poker matches. A previous marriage ended in divorce. In addition to his second wife, Lux is survived by two daughters, two brothers, and five grandchildren.
"Dick" Locher
Betty Lou Benner
Anne Elizabeth Jordan
Betty Lou Benner, 93, of Roodhouse, died July 24 in White Hall. Benner started her career as editor of the Roodhouse Record. She ended her career with the Greene Prairie Press. Benner was born June 29, 1924, in Roodhouse, the daughter of Oren Depp and Helen G. Tucker Dean Eddinger. She married Ralph "Skinny" Benner June 4, 1944, in Roodhouse. He preceded her in death Jan. 12, 1994. Benner Surviving are two daughters, three grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Anne Elizabeth Jordan, a longtime leader in the East St. Louis community and a newspaper publisher, died July 23, 2017. Jordan, 81, was the wife of well-known East St. Louis politician Clyde C. Jordan. Together the Jordans launched the East St. Louis Monitor in 1965. Anne took over the Jordan newspaper in 1987 after the death of her husband. She was the mother of five children, grandmother of 16 and great-grandmother of three.
Jack R. Kubik
Jack R. Kubik, 87, a former owner and publisher of Life Newspapers, died July 26, 2017, after a long battle with cancer. A second-generation owner of Life Printing and Publishing, Kubik fervently believed in community journalism, said his son, Jack L. Kubik, who served in the Illinois House of RepreKubik sentatives. "My dad truly believed local newspapers have a part to play in communities and make communities better," Kubik said. "He really felt a community was better if there was a strong local paper covering it." Life Newspapers got its start in the early 1930s when Kubik's father, John F. Kubik, and two partners purchased The Suburban Leader and renamed it Suburban Life. As the publication grew, it split into two separate titles – Cicero Life and Berwyn Life – and in 1936 began publishing three times a week. Kubik joined the Life Newspapers staff in 1952. In 1975, the company purchased the LaGrange Citizen and Graphic Herald Newspapers, extending Life's reach into DuPage County.
Kubik was named president and publisher in 1980 upon his father's death. Under Mr. Kubik's direction, the company launched one of the first electronic newspapers, Life Newsvision. In the 1990s, Life also launched one of the first internet classified ad services in the nation and one of the first telephone and internet dating services in the region. During Kubik's tenure, Life's total circulation grew to 130,000 in 40 west and southwest suburbs. In 1999, Kubik sold Life Printing and Publishing to Liberty Group Publishing. Since that time the chain has been sold twice more. Kubik served as an emeritus director on the Illinois Press Foundation board of directors. He was also a past president of Suburban Newspapers of America, and a former board member of the Illinois Press Association, the Cook County Suburban Publishers and the Suburban Press Foundation. He and his wife, Barbara, lived and raised three children in Riverside from 1951 until 1999, when they downsized to a home in Westchester. Kubik is survived by his wife, Barbara Kubik (nee Moravec); his children; five grandchildren; his sister; and many nieces and nephews.
A longtime editorial cartoonist for the Chicago Tribune who won a Pulitzer Prize in 1983, Richard E. "Dick" Locher also worked on the popular comic strip "Dick Tracy" for more than three decades, both writing and drawing the adventures of the square-jawed police detective. Locher, 88, died of complications from Parkinson's disease Aug. 6, 2017 at Edward Hospital in Naperville, said his son Stephen. He had lived in Naperville for more than 45 years. Born and raised in Dubuque, Iowa, LochLocher er graduated from Loras Academy in Dubuque and then studied at Loras College, the University of Iowa and the Art Center of Los Angeles before earning a degree from the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. Locher spent two years on active duty as a test pilot in the Air Force, followed by another 18 years in the Air Force Reserve. While a Chicago Academy of Fine Arts student in 1957, Locher was tapped to do some inking for Chester Gould, the creator of the "Dick Tracy" strip. He went on to work as Gould's assistant for the next four years. Locher left Gould's employ in 1961 and eventually headed an art studio in Oak Brook called Novamark. In 1973, despite having no experience as an editorial cartoonist, Locher was hired by the Tribune. He remained on staff until his retirement in 2013, producing more than 10,000 drawings on a raft of topics. Locher won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning with work that weighed in on President Ronald Reagan, with whom he once dined in the Oval Office. Locher was pulled back into Dick Tracy's orbit in 1983 after the death of Rick Fletcher, who had taken over when Gould retired in 1977. Locher continued drawing the strip until 2009 and kept writing the storyline until 2011. In addition to his son, Locher is survived by his wife of 60 years, Mary; a daughter, Jan Evans; a brother, Bob; a sister, Carolyn Holubar; five grandchildren; and one great-grandson.
'Bob' Holzkamp Robert Bruce "Bob" Holzkamp, a visionary Tribune Co. executive who instilled the values of hard work and perseverance in his family and inspired a generation of employees during his 42-year career, died July 31, 2017, in Fernandina Beach, Fla. He was 84. Holzkamp began his newspaper publishing career at the Chicago Tribune in 1956 as a classified advertising salesperson and held various Holzkamp advertising and marketing positions. Between 1977 and 1983, he worked for two Tribune Co. newspapers in Florida, first as vice president and director of sales for the Orlando Sentinel, then as executive vice president and general manager of the Ft. Lauderdale News and Sun-Sentinel. At his retirement in 1999, he was the vice president of sales and marketing for all of Tribune Co. Holzkamp built a national reputation for reshaping newspaper industry norms. He led the charge for building stronger relationships between advertising and news departments to heighten understanding of their vital interdependence. After women were hired for classified phone sales in the early 1960s, under his leadership they quickly rose to become more than half of the Tribune classifieds staff. He helped transition the financially struggling New York Daily News during a massive and contentious restructuring of that paper in the early 1990s involving its sale to the British financier and publisher, Robert Maxwell. Holzkamp served as an officer in the U.S. Army from 1954 to 1956 and was stationed at Fort Belvoir, Va., and Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., as a commander in the Engineer Officer Candidate School. He was called back for service in 1961 due to the Berlin Crisis, when he was stationed for six months at Fort Polk in Lake Charles, La. Holzkamp received an honorable discharge in 1968 as a captain in the U.S. Army Reserves. Holzkamp is survived by his wife, Jane, children and grandchildren.
'Marge' Louise Fanning Marjorie "Marge" Louise Fanning, 88, formerly of Peoria, died July 1, 2017, at Bella Terra Nursing Center in Morton Grove. Fanning became a reporter for the Pekin Daily Times in 1967, assistant editor of Tazewell County News in 1969 and served on the first Peoria Journal Star AdFanning visory Board in 1970. She joined the Peoria Journal Star in 1974, holding several positions before being promoted to managing editor in 1979. While at the Peoria Journal Star, she achieved many firsts: first woman supervisor in the newsroom, first woman on the copy desk, first woman Sunday edition editor and the first woman managing editor of a major Illinois newspaper. Fanning served as president of the Illinois Associated Press Editors Association in 1990. She retired from the Peoria Journal Star in 1991.
Fanning was also the first woman to be named to the Morton Civil Defense Board (1969) and selected Morton Citizen of the Year (1971). She helped to organize the Morton Junior Women's Club (1966) and served as its president (1970). She was president of the Morton YWCA Board (1970), as well as the Morton Community Chest Drive chair (1971) and director (1972). Fanning graduated from Canton High School in 1946. She attended the Lutheran Seminary in Maywood in preparation for the four years (19601964) she and her husband, William Kelly Fanning Sr., spent serving in India as missionaries for the Lutheran Church. Her husband preceded her in death on Aug. 7, 2014. She was also preceded in death by two sons, William Kelly Fanning Jr. and Eric Paul Fanning Sr. Fanning is survived by two sons, Robin (Sandra) Fanning of Wilmette and Tim (Christine) Fanning of Park Ridge; eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Nancy M. Lawson Nancy M. Lawson, a former editor of the Neoga News, died at the age of 76 on July 31, 2017, surrounded by her family outside of Neoga. The daughter of George Edward and Mary Jane (Birnbaum) Coe, Lawson was born July 15, 1941, in Springfield. She marLawson ried Duane M. Lawson on Dec. 27, 1965, in Springfield. He preceded her in death Dec. 31, 2002. Lawson graduated from Springfield High School in 1959 and from Eastern Illinois University in 1963 with a bachelor's degree in education. She met Duane, also an English major, at EIU. Upon graduation, Nancy began her English teaching career at Gi-
rard, then at Neoga High School and retired from Charleston High School in 1998. She also worked at Warner's Office Supply and Lake Land College, tutoring, teaching and advising the Lake Land Lighthouse for many years. She was the recipient of an Education is the Key Award. While at Charleston High School, Nancy taught English and journalism and sponsored the student newspaper, the CHS Press. Upon her retirement, Nancy continued with her passions for journalism and English and joined the Neoga News as editor, working there for almost 15 years. Lawson is survived by three daughters, a granddaughter, and four great-grandchildren.
James A. Finley James A. Finley, an acclaimed photojournalist who served as a mentor to countless others during his 22 years as The Associated Press staff photographer in St. Louis, has died. He was 76. Finley died July 23, 2017 of peripheral vascular disease at his home in St. Louis, according to his sister, Denise Porter. Finley was born in 1940 in East St. Louis, Finley Ill. His love of photography began at an early age when he would sneak out with his uncle's camera. He continued to take photos while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. After military service, Finley worked for newspapers in East St. Louis and began doing freelance work for the AP under longtime St. Louis staff photographer Fred Waters. In the early 1980s, while covering a cargo plane crash near Interstate 70 in the dead of winter, Waters suddenly handed his film to Finley and said, "I'm done." Finley was hired as his replacement in May 1984. During his years as the staff photographer in St. Louis, Finley was often called upon to help in major stories elsewhere. He worked 10 Super Bowls, covered baseball playoffs and World Series. Finley and St. Louis sports writer R.B. Fallstrom were honored for their work on the Mark McGwire/ Sammy Sosa home run chase with the 1998 Fred Moen AP Staffer of the Year for Missouri and Kansas. Finley was elected into the Missouri Photojournalism Hall of Fame in 2009. Finley was also a key part of Diverse Visions, an annual AP program for student photojournalists of color. In fact, the first meeting of the annual gathering was near St. Louis, with Finley playing a key role in establishing the program. He also spent hours as a classroom volunteer at the high school in East St. Louis.
Lyle Fawer Lyle D. Fawer, 84, of Pekin, passed away at Sept. 7, 2017, at Hallmark House Nursing Center in Pekin. He was a newspaper production manager, dedicating over 50 years of service to the Pekin Daily Times and Galesburg Register-Mail. He was very progressive in the newspaper industry Fawer and installed the first computer system at the Pekin Daily Times. Fawer was born March 4, 1933, to Frank and Lydia (Ganger) Fawer in Pekin. He married Marilyn Bumgarner in Mackinaw, on July 1,1955. She passed away Oct. 23, 2007. Fawer is survived by two sons, two daughters, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren, Elijah and Jonah Smith. Fawer was a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving during the Korean conf lict.
Donald F. Nagel Donald F. Nagel, 56, an employee of Southwest Regional Publishing, died suddenly Aug. 8 at his home in LaGrange Park. Nagel was born and raised in Chicago's Clearing and Garfield Ridge neighborhoods. Nagel He attended St. Rene Goupil School and Kennedy High School, both in the neighborhood. At Southwest Regional Publishing, Nagel worked as a second pressman. His anonymous work was displayed for thousands of readers weekly on the pages of all the company's family of publications, including The Regional News, The Reporter, The Desplaines Valley News and his old neighborhood's local paper, the Southwest News Herald. Nagel's survivors include his wife, Tammy T. (nee Marshall), two sons and a granddaughter.
'Bill' DeMestri Willard "Bill" DeMestri, award-winning chief photographer emeritus of the Belleville News-Democrat, died Aug. 10, 2017, just four days shy of his 96th birthday. DeMestri was a lifelong Belleville resident and spent 66 years capturing images. Until the last few weeks prior to his death, his life was lived on the same Belleville lot on DeMestri Vernier Avenue where he was born in 1921. During World War II, Sgt. DeMestri was part of a secret photographic unit that created 3D images of France and its terrain to show the Allied invaders the obstacles they faced. He was based near London and was wounded when a German V-1 rocket exploded near his bus and showered him with glass. But DeMestri was best known as a photographer. He photographed six U.S. presidents, yet he was best known for the feature images of kids caught breaking a window with their baseball, of a drinking fountain splashing a youngster's nose and of idled kids who lost their football when it stuck in the arm of a streetlight.
"I got to do what most people consider to be a hobby as my job," DeMestri said for a story about Belleville's 200th anniversary. "And I made a nice living at it. I feel like I never worked a day in my whole life." He first worked for the Belleville Daily Advocate, then was one of the staffers who migrated when the News-Democrat purchased its competitor in 1958. DeMestri lost his wife of 61 years, Arlene DeMestri, in November. They are survived by their daughter, Cindy Heidorn, who as a child could occasionally be spotted in her father's photographs, bundled up for sledding or with a lightning bug on her nose. DeMestri retired in 1989 but worked part time for another 18 years and never stopped being a presence in the newsroom. DeMestri still tended the paper's rose garden, which was named for him, and provided ample produce from his home garden for the local food pantry, as well as the News-Democrat's staffers. Arlene was the baker and inspired recipes in the newspaper's food section, and made Christmas extra special for the staff with dozens of cookie varieties.
Jerry Klein Jerry Klein, a mainstay of the Journal Star's (Peoria) opinion page for decades, died Aug. 21, 2017, at age 90, following the solar eclipse. In his day, few were as synonymous with the newspaper as Klein, who retired in 1992 as an arts critic/columnist but stuck around doing the latter for 16 more years. Wordsmith to the end, he wrote for The Catholic Post thereafter, his last piece in May. As a columnist he could be a conservative curmudgeon railing against the direction and pace of technological and social change, as a person unfailingly a gentleman. He was Peoria's historian and poet, capable of lec-
ture or lullaby but always able to find something sacred in the everyday. "There is something tenacious about the seasons. They tend to hang on until the last possible moment, like people clinging to life itself," wrote Klein in that 2004 ode to August. "Darkness still throbs with that raucous insect chorus. By 8:30, the warmup has ended and the fiddlers and croakers have hit their full stride, like members of some frantic ensemble in a marathon performance that only fades with the dawn. Where do they go when the cold nights finally come and the great silence falls over the woods?"
Wade Nelson Wade Nelson, former journalist and political troubleshooter, died July 25, 2017, of gall bladder cancer at the age of 70 in Chicago. After earning a journalism degree from the University of Missouri, he worked at City News Bureau, the Wilmette Life, the Chicago Daily News and the Baltimore Sun. Nelson Around 1980, he shifted to political strategy and messaging. He served as communications director for Sen. Alan J. Dixon (D-Ill.), as a campaign manager for Aurelia Pucinski, and as a speechwriter for Mayor Richard M. Daley. Nelson met his wife, Ellen, when they worked at City News. Ellen is a columnist at the Chicago Tribune. She survives, as well as, two sons, and a sister and brother.
Illinois Press Association
illinoispress