Edgar Dunning on CBC

As was blogged on January 7th, Delta Optimist columnist Edgar Dunning turned 100. To read more about this BC icon, our member paper, the Delta Optimist has archives of material. Another place to turn is CBC, reporter Alan Waterman recently featured a story on Edgar celebrating his 100 year mark. To view this story, click HERE.

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.

Happy 100th Edgar!

The BC & Yukon Newspapers Association would like to extend warm wishes to honourary life member Edgar Dunning and his family, as he celebrates his 100^th Birthday. Happy Birthday Edgar!

Born in Elbow, Sask., Edgar is the BCYCNA’s first centenarian. He moved to British Columbia at the age of 12, where his father, a printer, founded the Delta Optimist in 1922. The newspaper was first housed in the Delta Hotel’s former saloon and Edgar recalls helping set type — by hand.

The quick-witted Edgar continues write a weekly newspaper column for the Delta Optimist, which he’s been writing for over 58 years.

BCYCNA member Edgar Dunning honoured in legislature last week

The sharp-minded Edgar still has a his quick wit and life-long love of music.

Edgar Dunning was named a Hal Rogers Fellow by Kin Canada Saturday. Dunning was honoured by the Kinsmen Club of Ladner-Tsawwassen with An Evening with Edgar. Dunning helped found the local club back in 1935.

Also, this grand old gent, who becomes a centenarian on Jan. 7, 2010, continues to pound out a weekly newspaper column for the Delta Optimist. He’s been writing it for 58 years.

Oh, not to mention that Edgar replaced his typewriter 10 years ago with a desktop computer for writing and filing the column, that he’s a long-time former owner and publisher of the Optimist, which his father founded in 1922, and that he still drives his own car?

More to the point, his many years of extracurricular community service have earned him the right to be called “Mr. Delta” — and that’s why there was a special dinner for him held on September 12.

Aptly titled “An Evening With Edgar,” it was organized by the Kinsmen Club of Ladner and Tsawwassen. In fact, a great deal of what Dunning has done for Delta over these many years was accomplished through the Kinsmen. Heck, he helped found its local chapter in 1936 and, as Kinsmen Club secretary Stuart Holmes says, “as far as we know Edgar is the only living founder of Kinsmen clubs in Canada.”

And that’s why representatives of the Kinsmen’s national and regional executives joined a wide cross-section of other Delta community groups last night.

This honour followed a special recognition of Edgar in the B.C. legislature last week by Delta South MLA Vicki Huntington.

“Most towns have archives for their historical record,” Huntington said. “In Delta, we have Edgar Dunning.”

Of course much of what Edgar has seen has been through his eyes as a community newspaper reporter and publisher.

Born in Elbow, Sask., he arrived in Ladner as a 12-year-old, where his father, a printer, founded the Delta Optimist in 1922. The newspaper was first housed in the Delta Hotel’s former saloon and Edgar recalls helping set type — by hand.

Alas, as Edgar recalls with a chuckle, dad apparently had an eye for the ladies. Consequently, dad quickly departed and Edgar’s mother, Gertrude Agnes Dunning, took over the Optimist in 1923 and ran it successfully until selling it to Edgar in 1940.

“Some people give Ma Murray [owner of the Bridge River-Lillooet News] credit for being the first woman newspaper pioneer in B.C., but my mother had her beat by quite a few years,” Edgar says. “But on buying it, I became publisher, editor, printer, a reporter, the janitor and just about everything else,” he adds.

However, aside from running the Optimist and its small staff until selling it in stages by 1980, Dunning was also instrumental in founding a number of other now well-established Delta organizations, including the Delta Museum and Archives Society and the Delta Concert Band Society.

And as the walls in his Ladner apartment attest, Edgar has received many awards and life-time memberships over the years.

Last weekend they simply added a little more icing onto Mr. Delta’s life.

Energize editorial pages with point/counterpoint

The members of the BCYCNA are already recognized locally and nationally for their exceptional op-ed pages, but it’s always good to get a reminder about the importance of strong editorial and its influence on the communities for which we write. Check out the following article by Jim Pumarlo, author, seminar leader, and community newspaper consultant. Jim gives some great examples of how to solicit point/counterpoint commentaries, and how to use them to develop vibrant local editorials.

By Jim Pumarlo

Timid editorial pages unfortunately are becoming the norm in far too many community newspapers. Even more disconcerting are those newspapers where editorial pages are largely nonexistent.

Many editors and publishers are so preoccupied with directing their print and online operations that editorial pages take the back seat. A common complaint is that they don’t have time to develop, research and produce thoughtful opinions on important issues facing their communities.

Here’s an idea to jump-start that discussion. Develop a regular point/counterpoint series. These features will not overnight result in an ability to produce regular commentary, but they are a good sparkplug along that path. And it’s one strategy to elevate editorial pages to a must-read section of your newspaper.

To be certain, many newspapers carry a page labeled “Viewpoint” or “Opinion” or “Community Forum.” But look closely at the content.

A publisher muses about a weekend outing.  A letter to the editor extends a special invitation to a family reunion. A column reprints the latest Ole and Lena jokes and other light-hearted fare heard on the street. A minister delivers a Bible lesson.

These items may indeed deserve space in community newspapers, but they’re not the type of material that prompts discussion of important community issues. A page void of ideas is the biggest deterrent to a vibrant exchange of ideas.

Point/counterpoint features, if organized and focused, can be an asset in advancing substantive discussion on issues at top of mind.

They can localize the impact of national and state public policy. What does a national health care program really mean for local health-care providers and the citizenry? What is the impact of the proposed overhaul of a state’s property tax system?

They can educate. What are the dynamics behind a proposed cap-and-trade system on carbon emissions, and what are the ramifications of a federal vs. regional system? What is the history behind a community’s weak mayor/strong council governance and does the structure still serve the city’s best interests?

They can advocate. What are the pros and cons of a proposed highway bypass, land annexation or feedlot ordinance? Why should citizens support or oppose a proposed school referendum, a reorganization of a public safety department, a riverfront development or an expanded commercial district?

They can entertain. A community narrows its choices for a school name or an inaugural festival or a memorial bridge. Let the proponents of the finalists from which a name will be chosen put forth their best arguments.

These examples are a starting point. A brainstorming session can produce numerous opportunities worth exploring in a point/counterpoint. Broaden the discussion beyond the newsroom. Individuals from other departments and even the community at-large will enrich the conversation.

The biggest byproduct of these commentaries is that they can supplement news coverage. That’s especially important in newsrooms strapped with resources to cover all the angles and complexities of many issues. That underscores why editorial pages should be a routine consideration – a vital element – in planning news coverage of specific and ongoing events.

Remember, a point/counterpoint feature must be managed. Otherwise, despite the best intentions, these commentaries can become nondescript and provide little value to the newspaper or, more importantly, the community.

If the topics explored are the subject of a vote by a governing body, then make certain the commentaries are published well in advance of that decision to allow ample time for reader exchange. Display these features with prominence. Publish photos of the authors and short biographies. Round out the package with graphics or photos that illustrate the topic.

Then invite readers to comment in the print and online editions.

A stellar lineup of these commentaries on a regular basis – for example, every month for starters – can provide a solid foundation to generating reader involvement. If topics are chosen carefully, readers will respond. And soon individuals will advance their own topics to be explored in a point/counterpoint.

These exchanges have another benefit. Publishers and editors have the opportunity to evaluate the opposing arguments and the reader feedback, then weigh in with a local editorial. The result is win-win for the newspaper and the community.

Jim Pumarlo regularly writes, speaks and provides training on Community Newsroom Success Strategies. He is author of “Votes and Quotes: A Guide to Outstanding Election Coverage” and “Bad News and Good Judgment: A Guide to Reporting on Sensitive Issues in a Small-Town Newspaper.” He can be contacted at www.pumarlo.com.

Ground rules for columns by public officials

By Jim Pumarlo

What’s the impact of a legislative budget-balancing bill on local schools? How will a proposed change in the market value of commercial/industrial property affect city taxes on residential parcels? Will a proposed constitutional amendment on transportation funding pit metro vs. rural interests?

These are among the myriad issues facing local governing bodies at any given time. These issues also provide excellent fodder for additional explanation by school, city and county officials. Columns on these subjects can be informative and can engage citizens in valuable community dialogue.

Local officials frequently press editors for a regular column in the name of advancing dialogue with residents. The request is not surprising. What candidate for elective office has not pledged to open the lines of communication.

The caution is that these columns do not become a public relations campaign. They must be substantive, or otherwise the floodgates will open for requests from every special interest.

Here are some ground rules when contemplating regular contributions from public officials:

• The column should be an avenue to elaborate on issues facing the particular entity. It should not be a stage to respond to comments expressed through editorials, letters to the editor or story comments on the Web. Those replies should be handled through normal channels such as letters to the editor.
• The column should be a voice for the specific author – for example, the superintendent, city administrator or county administrator. If the elected officials from those bodies wish to comment on subjects, they have the standard avenues available to other readers.
• The column should be subject to the same review and editing as all other items offered for publication. That does not mean censorship. The authors should have free reign to express their opinions, even if they are contrary to ideas advanced by a newspaper.
• The column should not be a substitute for press releases from the particular body. For example, it’s fine if a superintendent wishes to expand on a district’s position on busing. But the first public statements on the issue appropriately belong in a news story.
• The column should not be a tool to give the school, city or county “good PR.” For example, if school personnel have an idea for a story, they always are welcome to contact the news department. The ideas for school stories – all articles for that matter – should be judged on individual merits.

Editors are right to raise red flags on such column requests if the clear intent is blatant boosterism.

At the same time, these columns can be worthwhile elements on editorial pages and can contribute to the discussion of vital community issues. They can supplement – but should not be a substitute – for newsroom coverage

Aggressive reporting of local public affairs ranks among the prime responsibilities of the community press. Newspapers are still in the best position to provide the most thorough and credible coverage of these governing bodies that make decisions that affect all aspects of citizens’ everyday lives.

At the same time, newsrooms are stretched to dispatch reporters to every meeting or track down every story that might warrant coverage. During these challenging economic times, it seems hardly a week passes without another story surfacing of how the federal stimulus bill or state budget cuts can affect local government budgets and, as a result, your readers.

Newspapers often are challenged by space and resources to publish everything that might be discussed at a meeting or submitted to them for publication. In some instances, subjects might warrant additional explanation in columns by public officials.

The bottom line is that editors should have firm criteria for these columns. As soon as the first one is accepted, others will demand similar treatment. Each request should be evaluated on whether it will enhance the knowledge and debate on issues important to your community.

Jim Pumarlo writes, speaks and provides training on Community Newsroom Success Strategies. He is author of “Votes and Quotes: A Guide to Outstanding Election Coverage” and “Bad News and Good Judgment: A Guide to Reporting on Sensitive Issues in a Small-Town Newspaper.” He can be contacted at www.pumarlo.com.