In Battle of the Weeklies, Local Focus Is the Key
The San Francisco Bay Guardian, a 44-year-old alternative weekly newspaper, is thinner than it used to be, but it remains determinedly local, and that is its major strength.
By Jonathan Weber
Bruce Brugmann, who founded the San Francisco Bay Guardian 44 years ago, could be doing a lot worse in his lion-in-winter years.
His paper, which helped define the genre known as the alt-weekly, lives on, much thinner than it used to be and not making any money, but remarkably faithful to its own idiosyncrasies. He now owns his own building in Potrero Hill, and his talented No.2, the executive editor Tim Redmond, remains at his side after more than 25 years.
If Brugmann was relaxed, even genial, when I met him for breakfast last week, it was most likely because of the warm glow from a recent huge victory in his six-year legal war with the rival SF Weekly. An appellate court unanimously upheld a lower court ruling that found the Weekly guilty of anticompetitive conduct for selling advertising below cost in an effort to drive the Guardian out of business. The Weekly now owes the Guardian some $22 million.
Yet as Brugmann knows as well as anyone, there is nothing genial about the local newspaper business. His baroque courtroom battle with the Weekly only spotlights a question that looms over alt-weeklies everywhere: Is there a future for their kind of journalism, whose days of highest impact seem to have passed?
Brugmann, a one-time infantryman, has a simple strategy: keep marching. “We'd never give up print -- I'm a newspaper guy,” he said. “We're a valuable resource, kind of irreplaceable.”
From one perspective, the keep-doing-what-we've-always-done approach looks hopeless. Surely, innovation is required, lest the rest of the business go the way of the lucrative classified and personal ads that long ago migrated to the Internet. Plenty of people around town consider the Guardian an anachronism and would hardly miss it if it weren't around.
But consistency and sense of place have their merits. When you pick up the paper, with its solid reporting on local politics and strong point of view, you know what to expect. A well-defined sensibility, deep local roots and a focus on its one and only market give the publication staying power.
Brugmann's legal team worked the local angle in court, framing the case as independent, local business vs. voracious, out-of-town chain. Village Voice Media, which owns SF Weekly and 13 other weeklies around the country, is the end result of a string of acquisitions by New Times, based in Phoenix, and the pugilistic style of Michael Lacey, the New Times co-founder, evidently did not endear him to the jury.
Alt-weeklies share an editorial formula that marries anti-establishment politics with heavy entertainment coverage and listings. But as David Brewster, the Seattle Weekly founder, notes, they have also long reflected the personality of their founders and the culture of their communities. The in-your-face, libertarian-leaning approach of New Times was perfect for Phoenix, just as Mr. Brugmann's old-school leftism was a fit for San Francisco.
In the Internet era, there are plenty of options for those attracted to an alternative sensibility. But even if the Salons of the world capture some of that audience, there's still a place for the distinctively local approach -- and chains, by their nature, find that harder to cultivate.
The SF Weekly is in many ways a richer, more contemporary paper than the Bay Guardian. But its most recent issue, as an example, features a cover story -- about the persecution of border migrants -- that's part of a chainwide project and doesn't have much to do with San Francisco.
Lacey said in an e-mail that Village Voice Media is profitable, and Bill Jensen, the company's new media director, said Web traffic had quadrupled since 2007 and there were now a half-dozen new revenue streams from online and mobile. . (Though half of the Weekly's ad revenues are being diverted to an escrow account, Lacey remains contemptuous of the legal verdict and vows to appeal.)
Many alt-weeklies can probably get along fine for a while by keeping editorial costs down, relying on entertainment and lifestyle advertising and building their Internet presence.
But a strong local voice and brand identity are key to possible new strategies in areas like live events production and participatory journalism. Even on the Internet, where scale matters, local coverage remains a promising frontier. This is an issue close to my heart, as the success of The Bay Citizen depends on our ability to build close ties to the community by cultivating a distinctively local journalistic approach.
After all these years, Brugmann and the Bay Guardian, whatever their weaknesses, remain steadfast in their local focus. For that, they may yet be rewarded.
This column also appears in the Bay Area edition of the New York Times.
Jonathan Weber Jonathan is Editor-in-Chief of The Bay Citizen. Before joining as the founding editor of The Bay Citizen, Jonathan served as CEO and editor-in-chief of New West Publishing, the Missoula, Montana-based media company that he founded ...
Monday, August 23, 2010
The Typo Hunter
This is an excerpt from a current story in the Washington Post. To read the entire article, click here.
Wiping out typos across the country
By Andrea Sachs, Washington Post Staff Writer
Tourists in Washington are always looking for something: monuments, the Mall, the president, their hotel. On a visit last week, Jeff Deck and Benjamin Herson were no different, except that they were seeking something smaller and more subtle, a prize that could win you favors from an English teacher but has no place on a traditional postcard.
"We are with the Typo Eradication Advancement League," Deck said to a surprised waiter at Bistro Bistro in Dupont Circle, presenting a business card. The 30-year-old in the Indiana Jones-style hat explained that he had noticed a missing 'p' in the "red snapper" written on the menu board outside. "It reads 'snaper,'???" he added helpfully.
The TEALsters offered to fix the mistake, using the correction kit that dangled from Deck's waist. The waiter graciously accepted the assistance, admitting that he himself had probably omitted the consonant, his focus wavering because he was fasting. He then asked whether Deck, the designated artist of the two, could "put some decoration" on the board as well. Chalk in hand, Deck plugged in the missing letter, then sketched a small fish beside the name of the dish. Another typo banished.
"Once you start, it's really hard to stop," said Deck of his multi-state typo pursuit. "It's in some part of my brain at all times, but it's not interfering with my enjoyment of places."
Two years ago, Deck heard the call of the road, a siren that strangely sounded like a stern grammarian. Groomed as an editor, he was sensitive to the literary mistakes that litter our nation's signs, menus and placards. Living in Somerville, Mass., he was constantly mocked by a sign that read, "No Tresspassing."
To redress these errors, he embarked on a 21/2-month-long, 33-state journey with a rotation of friends who would help him clean up the grammatical trash. One pal, Herson, joined him for two legs: Silver Spring to Los Angeles, and Madison, Wis., to Somerville. The two pals from Dartmouth College spun their experiences into the new book "The Great Typo Hunt: Two Friends Changing the World, One Correction at a Time" (Crown, $23.99).
Wiping out typos across the country
By Andrea Sachs, Washington Post Staff Writer
Tourists in Washington are always looking for something: monuments, the Mall, the president, their hotel. On a visit last week, Jeff Deck and Benjamin Herson were no different, except that they were seeking something smaller and more subtle, a prize that could win you favors from an English teacher but has no place on a traditional postcard.
"We are with the Typo Eradication Advancement League," Deck said to a surprised waiter at Bistro Bistro in Dupont Circle, presenting a business card. The 30-year-old in the Indiana Jones-style hat explained that he had noticed a missing 'p' in the "red snapper" written on the menu board outside. "It reads 'snaper,'???" he added helpfully.
The TEALsters offered to fix the mistake, using the correction kit that dangled from Deck's waist. The waiter graciously accepted the assistance, admitting that he himself had probably omitted the consonant, his focus wavering because he was fasting. He then asked whether Deck, the designated artist of the two, could "put some decoration" on the board as well. Chalk in hand, Deck plugged in the missing letter, then sketched a small fish beside the name of the dish. Another typo banished.
"Once you start, it's really hard to stop," said Deck of his multi-state typo pursuit. "It's in some part of my brain at all times, but it's not interfering with my enjoyment of places."
Two years ago, Deck heard the call of the road, a siren that strangely sounded like a stern grammarian. Groomed as an editor, he was sensitive to the literary mistakes that litter our nation's signs, menus and placards. Living in Somerville, Mass., he was constantly mocked by a sign that read, "No Tresspassing."
To redress these errors, he embarked on a 21/2-month-long, 33-state journey with a rotation of friends who would help him clean up the grammatical trash. One pal, Herson, joined him for two legs: Silver Spring to Los Angeles, and Madison, Wis., to Somerville. The two pals from Dartmouth College spun their experiences into the new book "The Great Typo Hunt: Two Friends Changing the World, One Correction at a Time" (Crown, $23.99).
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Baptist Journalism Conference
The Southern Baptists hold an excellent collegiate journalism conference each year. My hope is that, with planning, some Grace students may be able to attend in the future. Here are the introductory paragraphs--to explore the site, click here.
Welcome to the 2010 Baptist Press Collegiate Journalism Conference site. We are looking forward to a new year and hope to see you there. The conference will take place October 7-9, 2010 at the Southern Baptist Convention building. Please register by September 1, 2010 to ensure your seat at the conference.
Join us for an enriching time of worship, Christian fellowship, professional networking and skill-building workshops. Take advantage of every opportunity to grow spiritually and professionally these few days … and have fun exploring a little bit of Music City while you Pursue Excellence.
Welcome to the 2010 Baptist Press Collegiate Journalism Conference site. We are looking forward to a new year and hope to see you there. The conference will take place October 7-9, 2010 at the Southern Baptist Convention building. Please register by September 1, 2010 to ensure your seat at the conference.
Join us for an enriching time of worship, Christian fellowship, professional networking and skill-building workshops. Take advantage of every opportunity to grow spiritually and professionally these few days … and have fun exploring a little bit of Music City while you Pursue Excellence.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
What Should a Christian Do With the Secular Media?
Here's a half-lighthearted, half-serious look at Christians and the secular media by longtime journalist Dan Wooding. This is an excerpt--to read the entire article click here.
(ANS) -- I will never forget the day that my father, the Rev. Alf Wooding, took me on one side in our home in Birmingham, England, and told me that he needed to have a “chat” with me.
Thinking he was going to talk about the “birds and the bees” I settled down for what I thought would be a most embarrassing conversation. But I was in for quite a surprise when he said, “Son, I want to warn you about getting involved with the press. They are very wicked people and they drink, smoke and swear as well.”
My Dad, at the time, was the pastor of the Sparkbook Mission in this industrial city, and had previously been a pioneer SIM missionary in Nigeria, West Africa, where he met my mother, Anne, who was also from Liverpool. They were married in 1939 in the walled city of Kano and I came along in December, 1940, in a missionary hospital in the small Nigerian town of Vom located in Plateau state.
He told me that his big dream for me was to become a pastor like himself, so when I had expressed the desire to become a journalist, he became very concerned about what I was getting myself into.
Although it was a bit of a misquote, he pointed out a verse in Luke 19 verse 3 which read, says “And he [Zacchaeus] sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press…” (Geneva Study Bible).
(ANS) -- I will never forget the day that my father, the Rev. Alf Wooding, took me on one side in our home in Birmingham, England, and told me that he needed to have a “chat” with me.
Thinking he was going to talk about the “birds and the bees” I settled down for what I thought would be a most embarrassing conversation. But I was in for quite a surprise when he said, “Son, I want to warn you about getting involved with the press. They are very wicked people and they drink, smoke and swear as well.”
My Dad, at the time, was the pastor of the Sparkbook Mission in this industrial city, and had previously been a pioneer SIM missionary in Nigeria, West Africa, where he met my mother, Anne, who was also from Liverpool. They were married in 1939 in the walled city of Kano and I came along in December, 1940, in a missionary hospital in the small Nigerian town of Vom located in Plateau state.
He told me that his big dream for me was to become a pastor like himself, so when I had expressed the desire to become a journalist, he became very concerned about what I was getting myself into.
Although it was a bit of a misquote, he pointed out a verse in Luke 19 verse 3 which read, says “And he [Zacchaeus] sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press…” (Geneva Study Bible).
Monday, August 9, 2010
Jobs in Journalism Growing
From Journalism 2.0:
Jobs in journalism growing
Did you go to journalism school to become an online community manager? Probably not, but that is one of the hottest jobs on the market these days and you can’t launch a successful digital news business without it.
The era of specialization is dead, but a new class of jobs and roles at new era news businesses offer exciting opportunities for journalists and communicators who are interested in new thinking and new approaches.
In terms of jobs, journalistic occupations are outperforming the overall economy, according to Michael Mandel, former chief economist at BusinessWeek and founder of Visible Economy LLC. That certainly seems counterintuitive to anyone who has heard about, or directly experienced, layoffs at newspapers and TV stations in the past five years. A shift in journalistic employment to nontraditional companies such as Yahoo and AOL, plus an increase in self-employed journalists has created surprising growth.
Drawing from numbers based on the Current Population Survey, a monthly survey of roughly 60,000 households conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau, Mandel found the overall number of employed journalists increased by 19% from 2007-2010.
Over a comparable time period, Mandel notes, employment in newspaper publishing has fallen 26%; periodical employment is down 16%; and radio and television broadcasting is down 11%.
Journalists are getting jobs. Just not in the traditional industries or at the companies you would expect.
And those traditional news companies that are hiring? They aren’t looking for the same old thing any longer. A spirit of innovation is mandatory, previous experience is not. If you are willing to learn new ways of communicating to – and with – an audience, including inventing some of your own, you’re ready for a job in a new era news business.
Luddites need not apply. New skills can be learned, but those individuals who have shown a previous proclivity toward trying new types of digital communication will separate themselves from the pack.
Indeed, here’s a piece of a job posting from July 30, 2010 on the Tribune website:
The TV revolution is upon us – and the new Tribune Company is leading the resistance. We’re recruiting a solid team of anti-establishment producer/editors, “preditors”, to collaborate on a groundbreaking morning news/infotainment format unlike anything ever attempted on local TV. Don’t sell us on your solid newsroom experience. We don’t care. Or your exclusive, breaking news coverage. We’ll pass. Or your excellence at writing readable copy for plastic anchorpeople. Not interested.
Sell us on this:
-Your personal relationship with the internet, blogs, video-sharing, iPads, Droids, Blackberries, Blueteeth, Facebook & Twitter, and all things Modern Culture
-You’re in sync with the pulse of the streets, not the PC, Capital “J” journalism world
It’s a new era, whether you’re looking for work in journalism at a traditional company or ready to explore the emerging world of journalism outside newspapers and TV stations. The career path is no longer well-defined, however. In addition to new skills, you will need a new adaptability to find your way. Just know that, if you have an open mind and an innovative spirit, the possibilities are out there.
Jobs in journalism growing
Did you go to journalism school to become an online community manager? Probably not, but that is one of the hottest jobs on the market these days and you can’t launch a successful digital news business without it.
The era of specialization is dead, but a new class of jobs and roles at new era news businesses offer exciting opportunities for journalists and communicators who are interested in new thinking and new approaches.
In terms of jobs, journalistic occupations are outperforming the overall economy, according to Michael Mandel, former chief economist at BusinessWeek and founder of Visible Economy LLC. That certainly seems counterintuitive to anyone who has heard about, or directly experienced, layoffs at newspapers and TV stations in the past five years. A shift in journalistic employment to nontraditional companies such as Yahoo and AOL, plus an increase in self-employed journalists has created surprising growth.
Drawing from numbers based on the Current Population Survey, a monthly survey of roughly 60,000 households conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau, Mandel found the overall number of employed journalists increased by 19% from 2007-2010.
Over a comparable time period, Mandel notes, employment in newspaper publishing has fallen 26%; periodical employment is down 16%; and radio and television broadcasting is down 11%.
Journalists are getting jobs. Just not in the traditional industries or at the companies you would expect.
And those traditional news companies that are hiring? They aren’t looking for the same old thing any longer. A spirit of innovation is mandatory, previous experience is not. If you are willing to learn new ways of communicating to – and with – an audience, including inventing some of your own, you’re ready for a job in a new era news business.
Luddites need not apply. New skills can be learned, but those individuals who have shown a previous proclivity toward trying new types of digital communication will separate themselves from the pack.
Indeed, here’s a piece of a job posting from July 30, 2010 on the Tribune website:
The TV revolution is upon us – and the new Tribune Company is leading the resistance. We’re recruiting a solid team of anti-establishment producer/editors, “preditors”, to collaborate on a groundbreaking morning news/infotainment format unlike anything ever attempted on local TV. Don’t sell us on your solid newsroom experience. We don’t care. Or your exclusive, breaking news coverage. We’ll pass. Or your excellence at writing readable copy for plastic anchorpeople. Not interested.
Sell us on this:
-Your personal relationship with the internet, blogs, video-sharing, iPads, Droids, Blackberries, Blueteeth, Facebook & Twitter, and all things Modern Culture
-You’re in sync with the pulse of the streets, not the PC, Capital “J” journalism world
It’s a new era, whether you’re looking for work in journalism at a traditional company or ready to explore the emerging world of journalism outside newspapers and TV stations. The career path is no longer well-defined, however. In addition to new skills, you will need a new adaptability to find your way. Just know that, if you have an open mind and an innovative spirit, the possibilities are out there.
Magazine Newsstand Sales Slide
Magazine newsstand sales still sliding, but improve over last year
By ANDREW VANACORE , Associated Press
NEW YORK - U.S. magazine sales at newsstands and other retail outlets continued to slip in the first half of 2010, though the latest figures marked an improvement for an industry hard-hit by the recession.
So-called single-copy sales fell 5.6 percent to roughly 32.5 million in the January-June period compared with the previous year. The decline had been 9 percent in the last six months of 2009 and 12 percent in the first half of 2009, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations.
The single-copy sales at newsstands and other retailers are an important gauge because publishers charge full prices for them. Subscriptions are typically discounted so publishers can boost the overall circulation they can promise advertisers.
The number of magazine subscriptions fell 2 percent in the latest period to 267 million, making for an overall sales decline of 2.3 percent to about 314 million copies.
The downturn last year was painful for magazines. Along with circulation declines, the U.S. consumer magazine industry lost more than a quarter of its advertising pages, which constitute the main source of revenue at most publishers.
Although the latest figures show most titles continue to suffer at the newsstand, some saw the beginnings of a rebound in the first half of 2010.
Hearst Corp.'s Cosmopolitan, still the top seller, saw newsstand sales edge up 1.5 percent over the same period a year ago to 1.6 million copies.
People Stylewatch, published by Time Inc., was up 15 percent to more than 572,000 copies. Women's Health, owned by Rodale Inc., jumped 10 percent to nearly 368,000, and Hearst's Seventeen was up 5.8 percent to about 340,000.
By ANDREW VANACORE , Associated Press
NEW YORK - U.S. magazine sales at newsstands and other retail outlets continued to slip in the first half of 2010, though the latest figures marked an improvement for an industry hard-hit by the recession.
So-called single-copy sales fell 5.6 percent to roughly 32.5 million in the January-June period compared with the previous year. The decline had been 9 percent in the last six months of 2009 and 12 percent in the first half of 2009, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations.
The single-copy sales at newsstands and other retailers are an important gauge because publishers charge full prices for them. Subscriptions are typically discounted so publishers can boost the overall circulation they can promise advertisers.
The number of magazine subscriptions fell 2 percent in the latest period to 267 million, making for an overall sales decline of 2.3 percent to about 314 million copies.
The downturn last year was painful for magazines. Along with circulation declines, the U.S. consumer magazine industry lost more than a quarter of its advertising pages, which constitute the main source of revenue at most publishers.
Although the latest figures show most titles continue to suffer at the newsstand, some saw the beginnings of a rebound in the first half of 2010.
Hearst Corp.'s Cosmopolitan, still the top seller, saw newsstand sales edge up 1.5 percent over the same period a year ago to 1.6 million copies.
People Stylewatch, published by Time Inc., was up 15 percent to more than 572,000 copies. Women's Health, owned by Rodale Inc., jumped 10 percent to nearly 368,000, and Hearst's Seventeen was up 5.8 percent to about 340,000.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Freedom of photography: Police, security often clamp down despite public right
This is an excerpt from an interesting article in Washington Post. To read the entire article, click here.
Freedom of photography: Police, security often clamp down despite public right
By Annys Shin
Washington Post Staff Writer
A few weeks ago, on his way to work, Matt Urick stopped to snap a few pictures of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's headquarters. He thought the building was ugly but might make for an interesting photo. The uniformed officer who ran up to him didn't agree. He told Urick he was not allowed to photograph federal buildings.
Urick wanted to tell the guard that there are pictures of the building on HUD's Web site, that every angle of the building is visible in street views on Google Maps and that he was merely an amateur photographer, not a threat. But Urick kept all this to himself.
(Examples of photos that got people in trouble with the police)
"A lot of these guys have guns and are enforcing laws they obviously don't understand, and they are not to be reasoned with," he said. After detaining Urick for a few minutes and conferring with a colleague on a radio, the officer let him go.
Courts have long ruled that the First Amendment protects the right of citizens to take photographs in public places. Even after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, law enforcement agencies have reiterated that right in official policies.
But in practice, those rules don't always filter down to police officers and security guards who continue to restrict photographers, often citing authority they don't have. Almost nine years after the terrorist attacks, which ratcheted up security at government properties and transportation hubs, anyone photographing federal buildings, bridges, trains or airports runs the risk of being seen as a potential terrorist.
(Can an entire downtown be declared a no-photo zone?)
Reliable statistics on detentions and arrests of photographers are hard to come by, but photographers, their advocates and even police agree that confrontations still occur frequently. Photographers had run-ins with police before the 2001 attacks, but constitutional lawyers say the combination of heightened security concerns and the spread of digital cameras has made such incidents more common.
In the past month, in addition to Urick's encounter, a retired oceanographer said he was threatened with arrest for snapping pictures of a federal courthouse in Silver Spring, and an Alexandria man was briefly detained for photographing police making a traffic stop in Georgetown.
(Traffic stop video sparks debate over police use of wiretap laws)
Law enforcement officials have a hard time explaining the gap between policy and practice. The disconnect, legal experts say, may stem from a dearth of guidelines about how to balance security concerns with civil liberties.
"Security guards are often given few rules to follow, but they have clearly gotten the message that they need to be extra vigilant," said Kent Willis, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia. "In the end, it seems you never know how a particular security guard is going to react."
Freedom of photography: Police, security often clamp down despite public right
By Annys Shin
Washington Post Staff Writer
A few weeks ago, on his way to work, Matt Urick stopped to snap a few pictures of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's headquarters. He thought the building was ugly but might make for an interesting photo. The uniformed officer who ran up to him didn't agree. He told Urick he was not allowed to photograph federal buildings.
Urick wanted to tell the guard that there are pictures of the building on HUD's Web site, that every angle of the building is visible in street views on Google Maps and that he was merely an amateur photographer, not a threat. But Urick kept all this to himself.
(Examples of photos that got people in trouble with the police)
"A lot of these guys have guns and are enforcing laws they obviously don't understand, and they are not to be reasoned with," he said. After detaining Urick for a few minutes and conferring with a colleague on a radio, the officer let him go.
Courts have long ruled that the First Amendment protects the right of citizens to take photographs in public places. Even after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, law enforcement agencies have reiterated that right in official policies.
But in practice, those rules don't always filter down to police officers and security guards who continue to restrict photographers, often citing authority they don't have. Almost nine years after the terrorist attacks, which ratcheted up security at government properties and transportation hubs, anyone photographing federal buildings, bridges, trains or airports runs the risk of being seen as a potential terrorist.
(Can an entire downtown be declared a no-photo zone?)
Reliable statistics on detentions and arrests of photographers are hard to come by, but photographers, their advocates and even police agree that confrontations still occur frequently. Photographers had run-ins with police before the 2001 attacks, but constitutional lawyers say the combination of heightened security concerns and the spread of digital cameras has made such incidents more common.
In the past month, in addition to Urick's encounter, a retired oceanographer said he was threatened with arrest for snapping pictures of a federal courthouse in Silver Spring, and an Alexandria man was briefly detained for photographing police making a traffic stop in Georgetown.
(Traffic stop video sparks debate over police use of wiretap laws)
Law enforcement officials have a hard time explaining the gap between policy and practice. The disconnect, legal experts say, may stem from a dearth of guidelines about how to balance security concerns with civil liberties.
"Security guards are often given few rules to follow, but they have clearly gotten the message that they need to be extra vigilant," said Kent Willis, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia. "In the end, it seems you never know how a particular security guard is going to react."
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