MPA eBulletin, Oct. 11, 2012 _______________________________________________ -- Wisconsin judging assignments being made -- Chances are good at $100 prize! -- Photojournalism Hall of Fame induction Oct. 18 -- How was the Convention? -- Journalism Fellowship on Aging and Work -- What Convention programs do you want? -- Webinar on Valassis implications -- Contact Congress to fight Valassis deal -- You need Intelligent Mail Barcodes in January -- Online news site may partner with public radio -- Media General sells its last newspaper -- Training for sales people will help your business -- Mo. Professional Communicators' season begins Oct. 13 -- Family Owners Conference Oct. 26-27 -- Inland Press annual meeting Oct. 28-30 in Chicago -- Classified Multimedia Conference Nov. 7-9 -- Help Wanted / Marketplace -- MPA Calendar -- Who else needs or wants to receive this eBulletin? _______________________________________________ -- Wisconsin judging assignments being made The Wisconsin Newspaper Association is sending assignments by email to those who signed up to help with the online judging of its contest. A few judges will have entries shipped to them for judging. Not all of those who signed up to help will receive judging assignments (we got several more volunteers than needed! Thanks folks!). You may begin judging today -- Thursday, Oct. 11. _______________________________________________ -- Ballot summaries by Missouri Digital News Phill Brooks' crew at Missouri Digital News has created summaries and stories about the Constitutional Amendment and three Propositions that are on the Missouri ballot for November. You can get the material here: http://www.mdn.org/2012/elect/ballot.htm _______________________________________________ -- Chances are good at $100 prize! You could win a $100 Apple Store gift card from Missouri Press! Update forms for the 2013 Missouri Newspaper Directory and Mo. Press Service Advertising Agreements have been mailed. Everyone who returns the Newspaper Directory update by the Oct. 19 deadline will be entered into a drawing to win one of three $100 cards. With fewer than 300 newspapers potentially eligible, and with three prizes, your chances of winning are good, but only if you return your Directory Update form by Friday, Oct. 19. Please fill out the Directory Update completely. Up-to-date information about your newspaper is critical to Missouri Press being able to provide advertisers with accurate quotes for their buys. Watch for the Update form in your mail. Return the form promptly for your chance at a $100 Apple Store gift card. _______________________________________________ -- Photojournalism Hall of Fame induction Oct. 18 Three people will be inducted into the Missouri Photojournalism Hall of Fame at 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18, in Washington, Mo.: Kansas City native Jean Shifrin, longtime St. Louis photojournalist Wiley Price and government and space program photographer Lee Battaglia. The program is free and open to the public. Seating and refreshments need to be ordered, so everyone wanting to attend should contact the Missouri Press Association at (573) 449-4167, dcrews@socket.net. Information about the Photojournalism Hall of Fame and previous inductees can be seen at mopress.com/Photojournalism_HOF.php. _______________________________________________ -- How was the Convention? Would you like to be entered in a drawing for $100 OFF next year's MPA Convention registration? Even if you didn't attend the Convention in Columbia, take a couple of minutes to complete this Convention survey by Oct. 31. Everyone who does will be entered in the drawing. The information you provide will help shape future MPA conventions. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9RYM9Q2 Next year's MPA Convention -- the 147th -- will be Sept. 5-7 at the Marriott Downtown in Kansas City. We hope to see you there! _______________________________________________ -- Journalism Fellowship on Aging and Work The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, in partnership with AP Managing Editors, is offering a new one-year journalism fellowship that will focus on the economics of aging and work. This fellowship is a 12-month residential fellowship located at the headquarters of the independent research organization NORC at the University of Chicago. Midcareer journalists working for AP or an APME news organization are eligible to apply. The topic and the work will be closely connected with the AP-APME special project "Aging America,” and the fellow selected will participate in that work. More information about the fellowship, including the online application process, is available at www.apnorc.org. Applications are due Nov. 30. _______________________________________________ -- What Convention programs do you want? The Missouri Press Association is working with the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute at the Missouri School of Journalism to develop annual convention presentations tailored to your most urgent needs. Brian Steffens at RJI would like you take just a few minutes to complete this very brief survey so that we can create the content that will strengthen the core competencies of (and grow revenue for) your business. This information will help RJI develop training and tools that community news organizations most desire to maintain and grow successful and sustainable service to their communities. Your participation is voluntary. All the information you provide will be kept anonymous. Responses will be analyzed to allow researchers at RJI to better address your needs and expectations. Please take the brief survey here (if the link is broken, copy and paste it into your browser): http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/1040552/Missouri-Press-Association Should you have questions or concerns about the survey you may contact Brian Steffens at the Reynolds Journalism Institute: steffensb@rjionline.org. _______________________________________________ -- You need Intelligent Mail Barcodes in January Effective January 2013 newspapers must implement Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb) in order to be eligible for automation mailing rates. (An IMb is easy to recognize. Current barcodes have ascenders only. The IMb is longer and has ascenders and descenders. Your mailing software provider may already have updated you to IMb). If you have not yet adopted the IMb, you may be interested in the Online Media Campus webinar at 1-2:30 p.m. (Central) on Friday, Nov. 2. It will show you how to continue taking advantage of automation rates by adopting the IMb, including creating the barcode, obtaining a Mailer ID, working with your software vender and much more. The webinar cost is $35. Register by Oct. 30 to avoid the $10 late-registration fee. You'll learn: About the Intelligent Mail Barcode -- What it is and what it means -Differences between Basic and Full-Service -- Different types of IMb (piece, sack/tray, container) -- USPS requirements for IMb transition -- What is needed to produce and use a basic IMb -- Business Customer Gateway account -Mailer ID (MID) -- Compatible software and hardware -- Possible adjustments to mailpiece design. Get more information and register at www.onlinemediacampus.com. While you're there, check out OMC's archived webinars, which you can view for staff training, and the webinars coming soon. Online Media Campus is brought to you by Southern Newspaper Publishers Association and Iowa Newspaper Foundation. MPA is a co-sponsor, which entitles you to the $35 webinar fee. _______________________________________________ -- Online news site may partner with public radio St. Louis Public Radio and nonprofit news site the St. Louis Beacon on Friday announced their intention to explore forming a local news alliance. According to the letter of intent, signed by Margaret Wolf Freivogel, a founder and the editor of the St. Louis Beacon, and St. Louis Public Radio GM Tim Eby, the two organizations believe they can serve the St. Louis-area better together and will begin exploring options for strengthening regional news. _______________________________________________ -- Media General sells its last newspaper Oct 8 (Reuters) -- Media General Inc. said it has sold its last newspaper, the Tampa Tribune. The company sold almost all its newspapers to Berkshire Hathaway in May for $142 million to focus on its broadcast business. The sale of the Tampa Tribune to Revolution Capital Group for $9.5 million completes Media General's switch to a broadcast television and digital media company. The Tribune has an average Monday to Friday circulation of about 144,000, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulation. The company said its corporate staffing has been reduced in half since June, partly as a result of the sale of its newspapers and partly due to layoffs of 75 employees. _______________________________________________ -- Training for sales people will help your business Your Missouri Press Association is partnering with the Local Media Association (LMA) to provide advertising sales certification training for your ad reps. Sales staffs can improve and reinforce their print and online sales skills using this new web-based media sales program. Current courses include Basic Online, Basic Print and Basic Print and Online with new courses being added in the next several months. LMA formerly was known as Suburban Newspapers of America. The training consists of nine video webinars on topics including needs analysis, product knowledge, terminology, territory management, basic marketing, competitive media, presentation skills, answering objections and closing skills. Upon completion of the nine modules, participants will take a 50-question test that requires a 90% grade or higher to earn certification. Some newspapers have used the certification program to introduce new salespeople to the basic skills they need to be successful. Others have used it as a refresher for experienced salespeople, with many companies requiring their entire sales team to participate and pass the test. The cost of the training is $35 per webinar, per person, with multiple-user discounts available. For more information contact Mark Laskowski, Association Partnership Manager, LMA, at (843) 667-6647 or mark.laskowski@local.media.org. _______________________________________________ -- Family Owners Conference Oct. 26-27 Inland Press Association's 2012 Family Owners and Next Generation Leadership Conference will be Friday-Saturday, Oct. 26-27, at the Renaissance Chicago Downtown. For information go to inlandpress.org. _______________________________________________ -- Inland Press annual meeting Oct. 28-30 in Chicago Direct mail expert Jim Hart will lead a session to arm publishers and sales executives with a proactive strategy to keep Valassis out of your insert market. Inland Press Association's 127th Annual Meeting, Oct. 28-30 in Chicago, will provide a powerful reminder of the strength of newspapers and guidance on how to wield that strength to prosper across any platform, including digital, mobile, ecommerce and social media. For complete information go to inlandpress.org. _______________________________________________ -- Classified Multimedia Conference Nov. 7-9 Local Media Association (formerly Suburban Newspapers of America) will hold its annual Classified Multimedia Conference Nov. 7-9 at the Sheraton Chicago O’Hare Airport Hotel. It will focus on using all of the tools of multimedia to grow this critical segment of our business. Missouri Press members who are not LMA members can register online at www.localmedia.org. The registration fee is $495 for the first attendee and $445 for each attendee thereafter. Register before Oct. 19 to receive this early-bird pricing. Room rates are $149 per night plus tax for reservations made by Oct. 14, (888) 627-8117 _______________________________________________ -- Help Wanted / Marketplace FOR SALE SOUTHEAST KANSAS weekly newspaper for sale. Newspaper of record for multiple entities, solid subscription and advertising base. Good opportunity for individual wanting to be own boss or addition to current news organization. Send inquiries to seller546@yahoo.com. 10-2(2) HELP WANTED REPORTER: Are you someone who wants to make a difference? If you do, and you possess the skills to work in the Editorial department of a community newspaper, we would like to talk with you about a full-time position in OZARK, MO. Experience in Photography and Page Design preferred and any Web experience a plus. Quark, NewsEdit Pro and Photoshop experience preferred. We are a family of eight local newspapers surrounding Springfield. We offer good benefits and many opportunities to make a difference. EOE. Email resume and samples to: careers@MO.NeighborNews.com. Fax to: 417-326-8701 or Mail to: CCH Reporter, PO Box 330, Bolivar, MO 65613. 10-10 ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE (AE) / SALES REPRESENTATIVE: If you are integrityoriented. . . If you are serious about customer service. . . If you care about solving problems for your clients. . . If you are self-motivated. . . If you have a desire to succeed. . . If you have a genuine interest in business. . . AND, If you desire to be compensated for a job well-done. . . You may be a candidate for an outside Advertising Account Representative position within our company in the Southwest MO area. We pride ourselves in being a “Customer-1st ” kind of company. We put the needs of our clients before our needs, and we work hard to always do what we say we will do. We are currently looking for an advertising sales representative who will assist local businesses with their advertising needs. EOE. Visit our web site at www.commpub.com. If you are all the above and are: * Detail-Oriented * Creative * Trustworthy * Responsible * a Consistent Achiever * Send resume to: AE position, PO Box 330, Bolivar, MO 65613, email: careers@MO.NeighborNews.com or fax: 417-326-8701. 10-10 REPORTERS: The Platte County Landmark, an award-winning weekly, is looking to hire part-time reporters, approximately 24 hrs per week. Combination of day and evening hours. Freelance opportunities also available. Call Ivan Foley, 816223-1410, or email resume to ivan@plattecountylandmark.com. 10-9 EDITOR: Immediate opening for editor for established award-winning Northeast Missouri weekly. Strong writing and photography skills a must. Candidate must be energetic, willing to take on the challenge and motivated. Excellent benefits package, 401(k), etc. Contact Walt Gilbert, vice president, Lakeway Publishers of Mo. at lmovp@lcs.net. 10-4 ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: The Montana Newspaper Association (MNA), a non-profit organization representing 87 member newspapers and 16 associate members, seeks an Executive Director. This position will work closely with a board of directors and will direct operations of the 127-year-old MNA, its for-profit advertising sales subsidiary and the Montana Newspaper Foundation. Responsibilities include financial planning and operations, legislative work, marketing/advertising, seminars and conventions, contests, office and personnel management, publications. Successful candidate will understand community newspapers, web-based news and advertising, and exhibit strong communications and interpersonal skills. Send letter of application, resume and salary history to Montana Newspaper Association, 825 Great Northern Blvd., Ste. 202, Helena, MT 59601. Deadline for applications is November 1, 2012. 10-3 SPORTS REPORTER: The Republic Monitor is seeking a Sports Champion to cover local high school sports and general assignments. Experience in Photography and any Web experience a plus. NewsEdit Pro and Photoshop experience preferred. We are a family of eight local newspapers in print and online surrounding Springfield, MO. We offer good pay and benefits and many opportunities to make a difference. EOE. Send resume and samples to: Sports, P.O. Box 330, Bolivar, MO 65613; email: careers@MO.NeighborNews.com or fax: 417-326-8701. 9-26 ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: We are looking for an energetic individual to join our advertising sales team. Must possess the ability to manage multiple accounts and projects simultaneously in a fast-paced, deadline-critical environment. Must excel at prospecting new business accounts, earning rapport and providing ongoing customer service. Must be able to master and present the features, advantages and benefits of a wide portfolio of product offerings including newspaper advertising, special sections, specialty publications, commercial printing, direct mail, search engine marketing and an array of online advertising products. Successful candidates will have the ability to consult with clients to develop, sell and executive a marketing plan that will produce results for the advertiser. Good communication skills are essential. Print and Internet sales experience will be helpful, but is not mandatory. We offer an attractive benefits package including health & dental insurance, 401K and profit sharing. EOE. Please email cover letter, resume and salary history to Liberty Tribune publisher Matt Daugherty: mdaugherty@npgco.com. The Liberty Tribune is a division of NPG Newspapers and the News-Press & Gazette Company, a growing, multi-generation familyowned company based in St. Joseph, Mo. 9-25 REPORTER: Immediate opening for reporter for award-winning weekly newspaper in Bowling Green, Mo. Attention to detail, positive attitude, and strong writing and photography skills a must. Candidate must be energetic, motivated, and willing to take on the challenge of all reporting duties at a small weekly. Excellent benefits package, 401(k), etc. Contact Linda Luebrecht, publisher, Bowling Green, P.O. Box 110, Bowling Green, MO 63334 or email bgtpub@lcs.net. 9-20 AD DIRECTOR: The Joplin (Mo.) Globe seeks an experienced, innovative and results-oriented advertising director. The advertising director must possess a keen understanding of print and digital advertising, as well as audience-based selling. We need someone with a track record in advertising leadership who can create and execute a multi-platform sales strategy including print, niche publications, websites and mobile products. Our advertising director develops revenue opportunities through acquisition, retention and consultative selling. The advertising director works with key accounts, drawing upon a large base of small businesses, makes sales calls and attends community and client events. The ability to quickly assess situations, create innovative plans and establish superior partnerships and relationships is essential. We need a skilled leader who can train, recruit and develop a committed sales and marketing organization. The Joplin Globe is a 24,000-circulation, seven-day newspaper in southwest Missouri. The Globe publishes several monthly and bimonthly magazines, a weekly TMC product and a website, http://www.joplinglobe.com. Joplin is home to Missouri Southern State University and offers a range of recreational activities including Missouri's first Audubon Nature Center. Send resume and cover letter to Michael Beatty, Publisher, 117 E. Fourth Street, Joplin, Mo., 64801; or email to mbeatty@joplinglobe.com. 9-17 CIRCULATION DIRECTOR: A 5,000-circulation daily in Southwest Missouri is seeking a highly motivated and professional circulation director. Qualified candidates should have experience in the mailing and carrier delivery of a daily publication, as well as supervisory and computer skills. Must be a well-organized team player. Experience in carrier route management a must for this position. Competitive compensation and benefits package. Please send resumes and references to: Matt Wright; The Lebanon Daily Record; 100 E. Commercial; Lebanon, Mo., 65536. No phone calls, please. 9-11 _______________________________________________ -- MPA Calendar October 7-13 -- National Newspaper Week (nationalnewspaperweek.com) 18 -- Missouri Photojournalism Hall of Fame Induction, 4 p.m., Washington, Mo. November 17 -- Mizzou football v. Syracuse (kickoff time to be announced), Columbia _______________________________________________ -- Who else needs or wants to receive this eBulletin? If others in your office should receive this eBulletin, please reply with their names and email addresses. EBulletins are archived on the MPA website at http://www.mopress.com/ebulletin.php. Direct comments to Kent Ford, MPA editor, kford@socket.net. ###