Extra, Extra! Classified advertising promotions

Recently many of the community newspaper associations across the country have changed their ad promotions. Here is the rundown list of the current classifieds promotions for each association.

The AWNA & QCNA is buy 10 receive the 11th free.

Until January 1, 2010 the OCNA & MCNA is buy three and receive the fourth free.

The SWNA is buy three receive the fourth free, but only allows provinces to sell in Saskatchewan what they are allowed to sell into your province.

The ACNA is buy three receive the fourth free.

The BCYCNA will continue its four ads for the price of three up to December 31, 2009.

Third party election advertising isn’t dead yet

The controversial B.C. ”gag law” restricting third-party spending on political advertising during provincial elections, which has been dubbed as a threat to free speech, is not dead yet.

Attorney-General Mike de Jong has announced the government will appeal the BC Supreme Court decision last spring that struck down limits on third party advertising before the four week election period begins.

Law Dates Back to 1995
B.C.’s spending limits legislation dates from 1995, but was challenged successfully by the publisher of the Vancouver Sun and Province newspapers.

The B.C. Liberal government then amended the law in May 2008.

Elections BC rules define election advertising to include messages that take a position on an issue that is associated with a candidate or registered political party.

The rules, however, exclude messages sent directly to members of the ad sponsor’s group, employees or shareholders, and personal political views sent by individuals on a non-commercial basis, including text messages, phone calls and the internet.

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.

BBB Warning on Three Scams Targeting Job Hunters

As we receive many inquiries concerning the BCYCNA’s Community Classifieds, we occasionally come across an ad which appears a little fishy. In case our members’ classifieds teams are experiencing the same thing, please see the following tips from the Better Business Bureau (BBB):

 ______________________

The economy may be showing signs of recovery, but it is still challenging to find work in BC. BBB is concerned that those out-of-work are also becoming targets of scammers looking to take advantage of those who are already facing a tough financial situation, warns the BBB.

“Job scams crop up in an extremely competitive job market,” says BBB President and CEO Lynda Pasacreta. “Scammers have set their sights on the unemployed because these people are vulnerable and looking for any decent work opportunities.”

BBB advises job hunters to beware of:

Job offers that require an upfront fee

This past month in Kamloops, online job ads as a mystery shopper ended up hurting one woman financially. After replaying to an email from a company offering mystery shopper work, the woman received a cheque for $2933.69 which she was instructed to deposit into her account. She was then instructed to wire the money to a Montreal address. She later found out that she was on the hook for the money as the cheque was worthless.

BBB Advice: Job hunters should never have to pay money up front to be considered for a job. If a potential employer asks for the job hunter to pay the company to cover the costs of testing, training or background checks, it should be considered a red flag.

Job placement assistance that makes big promises but can’t deliver

Job placement companies often do not charge the job seekers for help finding a job, but are instead paid by companies that need help filling positions. Some job placement companies, however, have been taking money from job hunters and not fulfilling their promises of quick employment.

Job hunters reported one job placement firm that claimed to offer work on Craigslist, but later was found to only be a resume writing service. The company charged about $75 for the resume service, but failed to find job hunters work. 

BBB Advice: Always research a job placement company first with BBB before signing any contracts or paying any money.  Be extremely cautious about terms like “no experience required,” or “guaranteed work,” and ask for the contract upfront to see what the placement terms are.

Phishing attempts by ID thieves pretending to be real businesses

Identity thieves employ many different methods for getting personal financial information from job hunters.  Spam e-mail might offer a great opportunity and direct the job hunter to a website that is designed to install malware on his or her computer or solicit bank account or Social Insurance Numbers. In other cases, the job hunter might even be asked to submit a resume, find out they’ve been hired and then immediately be asked for bank account information or Social Insurance Numbers.

BBB Advice:  Be extremely cautious when responding to unsolicited e-mails from supposed employers—even if the company name is well-known—and do not click on any links in the e-mail until having vetted the company fully and can confirm that the e-mail came from a legitimate source. Legitimate employers will need Social Insurance Numbers for tax purposes and may need a bank account number to deposit paychecks for new employees, but job hunters should be wary of any requests for such information from companies and job offers that they have not vetted fully. Verify that the company has a physical address.

For more advice on avoiding scams and fraud visit www.mbc.bbb.org.

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.