2010/2011 CNA/CCNA Webinar Season

Register for the full season of CNA/CCNA webinars by September 20th and receive all 12 for just $225 (save $75).  This offers a way to deliver cost-effective training to the staff of community newspapers.  The webinars are held every second Tuesday at 9am PST.  Individual webinars are $25 each.

Webinar topics:
Better Beat Reporting: Digging for Articles
Beyond Google: Tips on Better Research Skills
Column Writing: Finding Your Voice
Digital Editions and Mobile Apps
Enter to Win: Contests and Promotions for Newspapers
Facebook and Beyond: Advanced Options
Headline Writing on Any Platform
Interviewing: Getting the Story
Legal Roundup
Magnificent Multimedia
Shoot to Thrill: Photography Skills
Using Social Media the Right Way

CCNA/CNA Webinar - Register Now!

The CCNA/CNA will be hosting a webinar on Better Beat Reporting on September 21 from 12pm to 1pm EDT.  BCYCNA’s own Gord Hoekstra of the Prince George Citizen will host the webinar and discuss finding features while still producing copy for your regular beat.

You can find all the details here or go directly here to register.  $25 for CCNA/CNA Members (which includes BCYCNA members) and $50 for non-members.

Freedom of Information Update

Today, the Canadian Newspaper Association (CNA) released the interesting results of a recent Freedom of Information audit which includes Western Canada.  Click here to read the press release and see how BC fared in providing access to information.

Community Newspapers Review 2010

The Ontario Community Newspapers Association (OCNA) is enabling community newspapers from all across Canada to participate in their annual newspaper peer review.  This is a great way to improve the quality of your newspaper through the exchange of fresh ideas with industry professionals from around the country.

Unlike a professional critique program, the Community Newspaper Review is peer-run and makes use of the skills and experience of community newspaper professionals.  You will receive thoughtful and constructive comments and suggestions about your paper and how it could be made even better!

As an incentive to participate, newspapers will receive a free registration to the first OCNA webinar in September if they complete the program by the deadline.

If you would like to have your newspaper reviewed and conduct a review yourself, please contact Courtney Thack, Member Services Coordinator, at the OCNA directly at (905) 639-8720 x 232.  Registration deadline is June 18.

BC & Yukon Community Papers Win Big at BNC

Last week, the Canadian Community Newspapers Association (CCNA) held its annual Better Newspapers Competition.  Our BC and Yukon community newspapers did us proud!

Gold Winners:
John Van Putten from The Abbotsford News for Best Photo Essay
Alfie Lau from Burnaby Now for Best Historical Story
Eric Welsh from The Chilliwack Progress for Best Feature Series
Bonnie Krulicki from The Chilliwack Progress for Best Ad Design
Chilliwack Times for Best Headline Writing
Duncan Cowichan Valley Citizen for Best Agricultural Edition
Gulf Islands Driftwood for General Excellence
Melissa Lampman from Kamloops This Week for Excellence in Rural Reporting
Langley Advance for Best Holiday Edition
Langley Times for Best Special Section
North Island Gazette for General Excellence
Mike Wakefield from North Shore News for Best Spot News Photo Coverage
North Shore News for Outstanding Community Service
The Powell River Peak for Best Website
James Murray from Salmon Arm Observer for Best Spot News Photo Coverage
Michael Booth from The Surrey Now for Best Agricultural Story
Diane Strandberg from The Tri-City News for Best Feature Story
Richard Mostyn from Yukon News for Best Local Editorial
Wyatt Tremblay from Yukon News for Best Local Cartoon
Mike Thomas from Yukon News for Best Feature Photo
Yukon News for Best Sports Coverage
Yukon News for Best Website

Full list of BCYCNA member winners from the Better Newspapers Competition.

Full list of all winners from across Canada.

BCYCNA members recognized at 2010 Better Newspapers Competition

Earlier this week the winners of the 2010 Better Newspapers Competition were announced. We couldn’t help but notice the several BCYCNA members who were selected as finalists and winners. At the BCYCNA office we wanted to congratulate our members for the hard work that helped them receive this recognition. Well done on each of your accomplishments!

The Better Newspapers Competition recognizes the best in editorial, photography, advertising, promotional and overall excellence in community newspaper publishing. This year, 255 newspapers submitted 2,551 entries encompassing 31 community newspaper categories. Eighty-one peer judges reviewed the submissions. Blue ribbons were also awarded by judges in the General Excellence classes to newspapers deserving honourable mention.

To view the complete list of winners and Blue Ribbon recipients, visit the Better Newspapers Competition website.

For more excitement within the world of community newspapers, keep reading our blog for more updates of the 2010 Ma Murray Awards set to take place on April 10 at the River Rock Casino Resort in Richmond, BC.

Ontario papers doing much more than surviving

Kevin Slimp
Institute of Newspaper Technology
kevin@kevinslimp.com

I spent a good bit of my afternoon thinking about the current state of newspapers. In a discussion with a trusted friend and colleague, I once again was challenged to rethink the traditional role newspapers have played and consider a world where most of what we read is provided online by other sources.

Then I remembered a group of newspapers based in the small town of Prescott, Ontario. With a decrease in the number of industry-related conferences, I’ve found myself visiting more places like Prescott of late.

You might call Prescott, located about an hour south of Ottawa, the epicenter of a group of community newspapers that serve the towns in that area. That’s where I spent two days with Beth Morris and the staffs of the six newspapers that make up the Morris Group. Three of the papers are paid circulation; three are free.

I had dinner with the staff of the Prescott Journal my first night in Ontario. There was electricity in the air as the group talked about the new equipment waiting in the new building we would occupy for training. New computers, new software and a new press all awaited editors and designers from the six papers the next morning.

When the training was done, I asked Beth Morris if we could discuss her papers. After all, while word on the street is that newspapers are struggling for survival, here’s a group of newspapers that are not only surviving, but adding facilities, staff and soon, two new publications.

Beth shared a very simple vision statement for the Morris Group of newspapers: “A place where people like to work and customers want to support.”

She added that a key to a newspaper’s success is its staff. “It’s important to keep an eye toward staff. They all work hard. They know they have secure jobs. There is definitely a team spirit.”

She wasn’t blowing smoke. The staff I met in Prescott was, in a word, impressive.

We first discussed the three free papers: The Barrhaven Independent, The Packet (serving South Ottawa) and Business News.

I asked about the difference in free and paid newspapers. She noted that both have their place, but she doesn’t see many new paid newspapers in the future. Her two new papers will be free.

Beth emphasized the importance of customer service, which keeps advertisers returning. She noted this was a deciding factor for many advertisers who had several options when it comes to print.

Eventually, I turned the topic to the Manotick Messenger. The Messenger is a paid weekly with a circulation of 1,100. There are two people on staff, with the layout and production done in the Prescott facility.

I asked if it was possible to make a profit with a circulation of 1,100. “At best, it’s break even,” said Beth, “but it’s important to the people.”

When pressed she added, “This paper is important to the thousand people who read it. All you have to do is look in the eyes of a parent when a child is in the paper. Then you’ll know why we do this.”

Playing the devil’s advocate, I pressed even further. I wanted to know why she even cared if there was no profit involved.

“I care,” she said, “because I’m part of a long chain of newspaper people. It’s like a legacy. I’m not going to be the one to end it.”

If you’ve followed my work very long, you know that I was one of the first voices urging newspapers to resist the temptation to ignore online journalism. And you might know that I speak on topics related to online journalism at schools of journalism and industry-related events on a regular basis. However, it’s people like Beth Morris that give me optimism concerning the future of our business.

Following our earlier conversation this afternoon, my friend sent the following email: “Don’t take my statements earlier today as my saying that newspapers will vanish. I don’t think that’s the case at all. However, I do believe that in order to maintain survival, both the printed paper and the online presence have to find a way to complement each other.”

I think we might have found a point of agreement.

Great webinars: Some of the fabulous benefits of BCYCNA membership

A popular benefit of membership in the  BC & Yukon Community Newspapers Association is the continual access to webinars. BCYCNA members can benefit from a substantial discount on webinars at BrainCast.biz, led by industry software guru Kevin Slimp.

To access these discounts, enter the association discount code, PRASSOC, when registering online at http://www.braincast.biz/association.html. With this code you will receive a 20-percent discount off the $89 price. Each webinar lasts 60 minutes and includes time for participants to ask questions of Kevin afterwards.

See the class descriptions below or for more information, visit BrainCast.BIZ.

BCYCNA members also have access to webinars via the CCNA and the OCNA. Coming up in September are sessions on interview techniques, cold calling, and creative copywriting. The fees range from $25 to $60 (use one speakerphone and one computer and train as many people as you like). For more information and to register, visit http://www.ocna.org/webinars.

Upcoming topics include:
Advanced InDesign Tips & Tricks - Thursday, October 1, 3 p.m. (EST) / 2 Central / 12 Pacific

Instructor: Kevin Slimp
The problem with being a newspaper designer is that there’s not a lot of time to learn time saving tools in our favorite applications. Join Kevin as he teaches experienced and newer users how to speed up your work and do things you didn’t know you could do in InDesign.

To register, click on the following link or visit the url listed above:

https://www.telspan.com/Registration/AnonymousLandingPage.aspx?EventNo=3911

Finding Problems in PDF Files - Friday, October 2, 11 a.m. (EST) / 10 Central / 9 Pacific

Instructor: Kevin Slimp
Learn to find problems in PDF Files before they cause problems on your newspaper pages. Kevin is the guru of all things PDF. Don’t miss this fast-paced class. Good for users of Acrobat versions 5 through 9 Pro.

To register, click on the following link or visit the url listed above:

https://www.telspan.com/Registration/AnonymousLandingPage.aspx?EventNo=3913

Fixing Problems in PDF Files - Thursday, October 8, 3 p.m. (EST) / 2 Central / 12 Pacific

Instructor: Kevin Slimp
On October 2, we learn to find problems in PDFs we receive from others.  Join Kevin Slimp, the guy who started this whole PDF printing craze, on October 8 as he demonstrates how to fix most common PDF problems.

To register, click on the following link or visit the url listed above:

https://www.telspan.com/Registration/AnonymousLandingPage.aspx?EventNo=3915

Photoshop: Improving your color & gray images - Friday, October 23, 11 a.m. (EST) / 10 Central / 9 Pacific

Instructor: Kevin Slimp
Learn to set your color settings for consistent results. Learn how to use color adjustment tools to get better reproduction on newspapers. Kevin will also teach a new method for saving grayscale images to achieve better results, without burning out the whites

To register, click on the following link or visit the url listed above:

https://www.telspan.com/Registration/AnonymousLandingPage.aspx?EventNo=3917

Showing support for Canadian newspapers!

Over the past few months several debt-ridden newspapers in the U.S have made headline, as Canadian newspapers continue to prosper. The Canadian Community Newspapers Association in partnership with the Canadian Newspaper Association will be providing members with a pro-newspaper ad campaign to acknowledge the many of the country’s papers who consistently deliver to significant audiences across the country,

Visit http://www.cna-acj.ca/newspapercampaign/ for more info.

Differences/Similarities in NA & EU newspaper production

Janelle Jordan, a freelance writer with Canadian Community Newspapers Association, wrote an insightful piece published in the June, 2009 edition of The Publisher entitled “Trends in the global newsroom.”

Jordan entices her readers by the intriguing thought, “It used to be that there was little to distinguish European and North American newspaper production.”

It is apparent much has changed in the industry, but what between the North American and European markets? Jordan quickly points out the reasoning behind the thought introducing an online study by Betrand Pecquerie, director of the World Editors Forum. Over 700 editors-in-chief and newspaper executives were surveyed in the two continents finding similarities and differences in both areas.

With questions covering a variety of arenas in newspaper production, Pecquerie findings showed some interesting information. A commonality between the two, both markets seek to boost audience engagement through interactivity, citizen journalism and new-media devices such as reader voting and polls, maps, videos and slideshows. Much like the ones shown from The Vancouver Courier and Yukon News online sites.

The great differences were in the new development of designs with the European newspapers. One of these is dubbed the “hub and spoke” design, first used by the London Daily Telegraph, improves flexibility and production flow, despite its outdated look.

According to the Jordan, “Content is also transforming dramatically, as “newspapers become viewspapers,” in the words of Simon Kelner, former editor of London’s The Independent. “Newspapers are no longer mass media, but niche media,” Pecquerie said. “It’s the reason why a lot of European newspapers now try to get a strong point of view from a colour page with just one image. It’s a real European trend at the moment I have not found in North American dailies.”

With the developments of technology, it appears several niches are emerging in each market causing newspapers to find creative methods to grab the attention of potential readers.

To read Janelle Jordan’s entire article click HERE.