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Industry News – Sept 2016

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Tips for getting the most out of networking events

John Foust Advertising
John Foust Advertising

John Foust, advertising

John Foust has conducted training programs for thousands of newspaper advertising professionals. Many ad departments are using his training videos to save time and get quick results from in-house training.

Email for information: john@johnfoust.com

john-foust-ad-libs

A lot of newspapers encourage salespeople to attend networking events. When one of those events pops up on your calendar, here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. Have realistic expectations. C-level executives and salespeople go to different events. As a salesperson, you probably won’t meet many decision-makers from your target companies. Frankly speaking, top-ranked decision-makers don’t like to go to events where they will meet one salesperson after another.

2. If possible, get a list of those attending (or their companies or both) in advance. That will allow you to develop a strategy. Whom should you meet? What would you like to learn in a brief conversation?

3. Don’t expect to make a sale at the event. This is not the right place for a sales presentation. Your job is to circulate. Find key people you would like to meet, get to know them, and – if it’s appropriate – ask if you should contact others at their company.

4. Act like a host. Keep the focus on others, not yourself. If you see someone standing alone, strike up a conversation and help that person feel comfortable. If you know two people who could benefit from knowing about each other’s businesses, introduce them. And keep in mind that a good host never lingers in one place too long.

5. Prepare an elevator speech. Brevity is important, 30 seconds or less. Keep it simple and stay away from minutiae. Relate your point to what you know about the other person’s business.

6. Listen more than you talk. Don’t join the crowd of networkers who talk only about themselves. That’s tedious and boring. When you are sincerely interested in what others are saying, they will enjoy your company. And they will be more likely to remember you.

7. Meet new people. Get out of your comfort zone and resist the temptation to spend your time around people you already know – people who aren’t in position to send business in your direction. The worst use of your time is to hang out with people from your office.

8. Keep it simple at the hors d’oeuvre table. People are on their feet at most networking events. Although that’s not an ideal eating arrangement (do you eat standing up at home?), it’s a good way to meet a number of people. The best host-like behavior is to be unencumbered as you move around the room, because it’s not easy to shake hands while holding a plate filled with crab puffs and cantaloupe cubes in one hand and a glass in the other.

9. Understand business card basics. Exchange cards, then write notes about your conversations on the back of the cards you receive. This is especially important if you promise to provide information about your paper.

10. Follow up right away. Don’t give a new contact time to forget your conversation. If you promise to send information – or if you run across an item of special interest – get back in touch as quickly as possible. Then stay in touch.

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Slimp lists most popular training topics in 2016

Kevin Slimp technology
Kevin Slimp technology

Kevin Slimp, technology

Kevin Slimp is director of the Institute of Newspaper Technology.

Email questions to him at
kevin@kevinslimp.com

It’s that time of year again. Depending on when you are reading this, I am either racing against time to prepare for the 20th session of the Newspaper Institute (newspaperinstitute.com), or I am catching my breath after its completion. The Institute takes place at The University of Tennessee and those attending come from Arizona and Idaho to Florida and New York. In the past, we’ve had folks from some of the biggest papers in America, and some of the smallest.

Each year, we’ve added instructors and topics and, with 24 classes related to sales, editing, writing, technology and design, it’s fascinating to see what newspapers are interested in these days.

This year, we have a large group, but we don’t seem to have as many from the metro papers as we have had in the past. On the flip side, that means we have more from smaller and midsize papers. I suppose that makes sense with increased centralization among the metro groups, leaving fewer staff members to run the papers and even fewer to attend conferences and training events.

Here are the class topics selected by the most of those attending:

  • The most popular class in 2016 seems to be “InDesign Tips for Editors and Designers.” I must admit, I am surprised. Design topics still seem to be the biggest attraction, with nearly half of those attending reserving a spot. And, for the first time, more folks signed up for InDesign classes than photo editing.
  • The second most selected topic was “Lessons for Newspapers that Focus on Print.” This class is designed for editors and writers. The high number of registrants for this class leads me to think that there are a lot of papers out there that are increasing the focus on their print products.
  • Number three, “An Overview of the InCopy Editorial Workflow,” really surprised me. Honestly, I threw it in at the last minute, thinking that there might be a few folks interested in seeing how InCopy and InDesign work together. With the increasing number of papers using the Adobe Creative Cloud, I suppose that shouldn’t have surprised me. But it did. Almost 40 percent of our participants signed up for the InCopy class.

Other topics popular among those attending include John Hatcher’s “Selling Print in a Digital World” and Ed Henninger’s design classes.

I suppose what I’m reminded of each year as I prepare for the Institute is that there are plenty of newspapers that still care about creating a good product, and plenty that care enough about training to fly staff members across the country for four days to learn more about design, technology, writing, editing and sales.

Industry experts interviewed online

I’ve become increasingly interested in finding methods to reach out to newspapers seeking to improve and grow. In late September, I began hosting an online live interview show with guests from throughout the newspaper world.

Listeners from the United States and Canada have been writing in, and the free broadcasts seem be catching on. Keep up with the latest schedule at newspaperacademy.com.

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Journalists taking a buyout from The Providence Journal

Among the journalists taking a buyout recently from The Providence Journal are the following: Edward Fitzpatrick, leaving as political columnist to become director of media and public relations at Roger Williams University in Bristol as of Oct. 5; Bob McNamee, content editor; Tony LaRoche, section editor; Channing Gray, staff writer; Jim Donaldson, sports columnist. For 28 years, Fitzpatrick was a reporter, an editor and a columnist. He spent 16 years at the Journal, including as political columnist for the past eight years. Before joining the Journal, he was a reporter at The Hartford (Conn.) Courant and the Albany (N.Y.) Times Union. He also was city editor of The Saratogian of Saratoga Springs, N.Y. McNamee was an editor at the Journal for 26 years. Before that, he was at The Times of Pawtucket. He spent the first eight years there as a reporter. He spent the next five years as city editor and his last three years there as assistant managing editor. LaRoche was an editor at the Journal for 22 years. Before that, he was sports editor for three years at Wilson Newspapers, based in Wakefield. He later was a sports reporter at the Norwich (Conn.) Bulletin. Donaldson was a sports columnist at the Journal for more than 37 years. Before that, he was a public affairs officer for the U.S. Navy. He later was employed at the Virginia News Leader, formerly of Richmond, Va., for two years.

The Transitions were written, at least in part, from published reports by Bulletin staff members Ashleane Alabre, Nico Hall and Hope Oje, undergraduate students at Northeastern University.

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Laura Beth Levis

Laura Beth Levis
Laura Beth Levis

Laura Beth Levis, 34, of Somerville, Mass., died Sept. 22 of a severe asthma attack.

Levis began her career at The Boston Globe as an editorial assistant for two years.

Most recently, she was an assistant editor and editorial production manager with Harvard Magazine and The Harvard Gazette at Harvard University.

She leaves her parents, William and Georgia; her husband, Peter; two half-brothers, William and Robert.

The obituaries were written, at least in part, from published reports by Bulletin staff members Elizabeth Allen, Sophie Cannon, Jenna Ciccotelli, Georgeanne Oliver, Julia Preszler and Thomas Ward, undergraduate students at Northeastern University.

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Natalie Timberlake

Natalie Timberlake, 89, of Norway, Maine, died Sept. 20 at the Norway Center for Health and Rehabilitation.

Timberlake was a correspondent for the Portland (Maine) Press Herald and the Maine Sunday Telegram of Portland.

She leaves her son, Ross, and three grandchildren.

The obituaries were written, at least in part, from published reports by Bulletin staff members Elizabeth Allen, Sophie Cannon, Jenna Ciccotelli, Georgeanne Oliver, Julia Preszler and Thomas Ward, undergraduate students at Northeastern University.

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Denis Finley / Michael Townsend

Denis Finley, former editor in chief of The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk, Va., is becoming the new executive editor at The Burlington Free Press as of Oct. 17. Finley was a photographer, news editor, managing editor, and an editor in chief at the Virginian-Pilot. Michael Townsend, former executive editor of the Free Press, took a buyout about a year ago. He was employed with the Free Press’ parent company, Gannett Co. Inc., of McLean, Va., for 27 years. In 1975, he began employment at two weekly newsppaers in Carroll County, Maryland. He then became a reporter for the Carroll County Times of Westminster, Md., and then an editor there for three years. He later became senior managing editor of the suburban editions of the Baltimore Sun. His next move was to metro editor at the Rockford (Ill.) Register Star for two years. He was promoted there to assistant managing editor and then managing editor. He had been exeutive editor of the Free Press since 2001.

The Transitions were written, at least in part, from published reports by Bulletin staff members Ashleane Alabre, Nico Hall and Hope Oje, undergraduate students at Northeastern University.

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Richard T. ‘Dick’ Murphy

Richard T. ‘Dick’ Murphy
Richard T. ‘Dick’ Murphy

Richard T. “Dick” Murphy, 78, of Stoughton, Mass., died Sept. 24 in Blue Hills Health and Rehabilitation Center in Stoughton.

He was a journalist for 40 years at several local newspapers. He was most well-known as a broadcaster for Stoughton Local News, operated by Stoughton Media Access Corporation.

Murphy leaves six children, Robert, Steven, Nancy, Kathleen, Susan and Christine; eight grandchildren; a brother and sister.

The obituaries were written, at least in part, from published reports by Bulletin staff members Elizabeth Allen, Sophie Cannon, Jenna Ciccotelli, Georgeanne Oliver, Julia Preszler and Thomas Ward, undergraduate students at Northeastern University.

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Gerald E. ‘Jerry’ Bertrand

Gerald E. ‘Jerry’ Bertrand
Gerald E. ‘Jerry’ Bertrand

Gerald E. “Jerry” Bertrand, 69, of Scituate, Mass., died Sept. 24 in the South Shore Rehabilitation and
Skilled Care Center in Rockland, Mass.

Bertrand had a part-time job at the transcription desk of The Boston Globe for many years.

He leaves a brother, Kenneth; a niece, Caroline; a nephew, Luke.

The obituaries were written, at least in part, from published reports by Bulletin staff members Elizabeth Allen, Sophie Cannon, Jenna Ciccotelli, Georgeanne Oliver, Julia Preszler and Thomas Ward, undergraduate students at Northeastern University.

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Lloyd P. ‘Mike’ Heldman

Lloyd P. “Mike” Heldman, 81, of Augusta, Maine, died Sept. 5 in Togus Springs Hospice in Augusta.

Heldman had been a salesman with the Sun Journal of Lewiston, Maine, and television station WCSH, Channel 6, in Portland.

He leaves two sons, Richard and Michael; two daughters, Laurie and Jennifer; two stepdaugh-ters, Debbie and Suzanne; a stepson, Gary; seven grandchildren;
a stepgrandson; two great-grandchildren; two sisters; a brother.

The obituaries were written, at least in part, from published reports by Bulletin staff members Elizabeth Allen, Sophie Cannon, Jenna Ciccotelli, Georgeanne Oliver, Julia Preszler and Thomas Ward, undergraduate students at Northeastern University.

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