Tom Condon (second from left) at the New England Academy of Journalists 2022 Yankee Quill Award induction luncheon.
Thomas J. Condon, a newspaperman who for more than 50 years told Connecticut’s stories, fought injustices and challenged public policies with grace and unimpeachable authority, died early Tuesday. He was 78.
He died after a recurrence of cancer.
Condon’s career in journalism was almost entirely conducted at The Hartford Courant, where he started work in 1970 after a short tour in Vietnam. He retired from The Courant at the end of 2015 and wrote regularly for The Connecticut Mirror since then.
Condon was the rare journalist who was deeply respected and admired by colleagues, readers and elected officials alike. He won award after award, including the Yankee Quill and membership in the New England Newspaper Hall of Fame.
Good news! There’s still time to register for the Fall Publishers’ Conference, but hurry, registration closes on Sunday, September 15.
By registering today, you help us plan for the group breakfasts and dinners, Awards luncheon, and program sessions. It’s essential that we get an accurate headcount to make this an amazing event!
This year’s Fall Publishers’ Conference, the first-ever joint venture between the New England Newspaper and Press Association and the New York Press Association, is happening September 19-21 in Providence, RI. It’s packed with presentations from industry leaders, plenty of networking opportunities, and moments to celebrate excellence in journalism.
Curious if you’ve won an award? All notifications were sent out last week, so check your email! We’ll celebrate journalism excellence on Saturday, September 21, with the announcement of major awards, including the New England Newspapers of the Year, Publick Occurrences, Allan B. Rogers Editorial Award, New England First Amendment Award, Bob Wallack Community Journalism Award, and The Cornerstone Award.
Don’t miss the chance to meet your colleagues from New York, join us in Providence for an unforgettable event!
If you have any questions or need assistance with registration, please contact Linda Conway at l.conway@nenpa.com or Tara Cleary at t.cleary@nenpa.com.
Visit our conference page for the full program with session descriptions.
Great news! We were able to get an extension on the special hotel rate until tomorrow, Friday, September 6 at 5:00 pm. Reserve your room now before it’s too late, the hotel will not give another extension.
Please also register now for the Conference so we can plan accordingly for the group dinners, the Awards luncheon, and the program sessions. You can choose your meal options while registering. Complimentary conference registration is provided to spouses and guests.
Register here for the Fall Publishers’ Conference, the first-ever joint venture between the New England Newspaper and Press Association and the New York Press Association, September 19-21 in Providence, RI. We’re excited to invite you to an engaging and informative event that will provide opportunities to connect, learn, and celebrate excellence in journalism! The conference program is filled with presentations by industry leaders and experts.
Click here to book your room at OMNI Providence for $209 per night. The cut-off date for our special rate is September 6 at 5:00 PM!
Wondering if you won an award? Check your email! All award notifications were sent this week. We’ll celebrate excellence in journalism on Saturday, September 21, with the announcement of our most prestigious awards, including the New England Newspapers of the Year, Publick Occurrences, Allan B. Rogers Editorial Award, New England First Amendment Award, Bob Wallack Community Journalism Award, and The Cornerstone Award.
Come meet your colleagues from New York – we can’t wait to see you!
If you have any questions or issues registering please contact, Linda Conway at l.conway@nenpa.com or Tara Cleary at t.cleary@nenpa.com.
Visit our conference page for the full program with session descriptions.
Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with colleagues from seven states. Register today and secure your spot. We hope to see you there!
Help NAHJ New England celebrate at the NAHJ New England Journalism Awards, recognizing Hispanic/Latinx journalists across the region. The ceremony will be held virtually on Tuesday, Oct. 15, during Hispanic Heritage Month, announcing the winners of several journalism categories for professional and student journalists chosen by 14 volunteer judges from outside of New England.
The New England board will bestow the NAHJ New England Impact Award to a journalism professional in New England who has demonstrated leadership in promoting fair coverage of Latinos and the advancement of Latino/a/x journalists in the news industry. They are excited to launch these new awards in New England to elevate the accomplishments of Latino/a/x journalists and showcase exemplary coverage of Latino issues in our region.
Your investment allows NAHJ New England to produce this event and fund new initiatives central to ourmission. NAHJ is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and all contributions are tax-deductible.
Saralee often chronicled her new friendships in her column that ran on the first Friday of the month.
Saralee pulled no punches in her column, which won nearly every year at New England Newspaper and Press Association (NENPA) in the humor or serious category or both. Her first column appeared in the Cape Cod Times on Sept. 1, 1997.
Register now for the first-ever joint venture between the New England Newspaper and Press Association and the New York Press Association at the Fall Publishers’ Conference, September 19-21 in Providence, Rhode Island.
We’re excited to invite you to an engaging and informative event packed with opportunities to connect, learn, and celebrate excellence in journalism.
The networking and learning opportunities will be worth the trip with our dynamic conference program filled with presentations by industry leaders and experts in all areas of publishing!
Saturday at noon, we’ll celebrate excellence in journalism with the announcement of our most prestigious awards, including the New England Newspaper of the Year, Publick Occurrences, Allan B. Rogers Editorial Award, New England First Amendment Award, AP Sevellon Brown New England Journalist of the Year, Bob Wallack Community Journalism Award, and The Cornerstone Award.
Did we mention the food? We have made arrangements for group dinners. Gracie’s is a storied Providence institution and Hemenway’s is a renowned seafood favorite. WaterFire sets the river ablaze on Saturday night, featuring scenic gondola rides, cocktails, your choice of food trucks, seafood restaurants, unlimited Italian choices on Providence’s famous Federal Hill, and more.
Click here to book your room at OMNI Providence for $209 per night. The cut-off date is September 4th.
Visit our conference page for the full program with session descriptions and times.
Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with colleagues from seven states. Register today and secure your spot!
Program Highlights Include:
Thursday, Sept 19:
NENPA Board of Directors meeting followed by a “Getting to know you/Great idea exchange” networking session.
Enjoy cocktails and dinner at Gracie’s.
Friday, Sept 20:
Start the day with breakfast, followed by sessions on organizational excellence, AI in local journalism, effective newsletters, and promoting civil discourse.
End the day with a cocktail reception and dinner at Hemenway’s.
Saturday, Sept 21:
Explore strategies for digital revenue, adapting to evolving consumer preferences, setting a community-centric strategy, and mastering audience growth amid new challenges.
Celebrate excellence in journalism at the NENPA Awards luncheon.
Wrap up with an evening of fun at WaterFire, featuring cocktails, food trucks, and entertainment.
This conference is a must-attend for anyone passionate about the future of journalism. We hope to see you there!
The Marshall Project is launching a new initiative called Investigate This! to empower criminal justice journalism in local communities. We want to connect journalists and other newsrooms with resources and data to help with their creation of strong, original stories that have the potential for significant local impact.
Our team of reporters and editors has created story toolkits filled with reporting resources, data downloads, multimedia assets, shareable illustrations, FOIA guidance, expert sources, style guidance, and more. Each toolkit will include a live webinar and video demos to surface insights into the nuances and opportunities around covering the criminal justice system, incarcerated people and their loved ones.
Investigate This! is launching with toolkits that can help local newsrooms examine:
What the rise in state prison populations and a decline in correctional officer staffing means for taxpayers and people behind bars.
The spike in prison deaths during the COVID pandemic and lessons that can be applied to future health crises.
John Foust has conducted training programs for thousands of newspaper advertising professionals. Many ad departments are using his training DVDs to save time and get quick results from in-house training. Email for information: john@johnfoust.com.
Luke told me about a business panel discussion in which he participated. He represented the ad department of the local newspaper, and others represented industries like banking, accounting, and various office services.
The moderator asked each panelist to introduce themselves, identify their company and position, and then give a brief, one or two-sentence statement of one thing they would like the audience to know about their specialty.
The brevity requirement was broken immediately. The accountant’s statement was several minutes long and, according to Luke, completely forgettable. The banker rambled for a minute or two and ended up saying how much she liked her job. The other panelists were equally vague and unmemorable until it was Luke’s turn. After introducing himself, he said, “People don’t buy features, they buy benefits.”
That was it: People don’t buy features, they buy benefits. In one sentence, he summed up the most important thing that a salesperson needs to know – whether it’s selling through advertising or selling in a one-to-one conversation.
Luke’s strategy was right on target. “My kickoff statement was easy to remember,” he said. “Some of the people in the audience had never considered the concept of seeing products in terms of features and benefits. As the meeting progressed, their interest gave me a chance to cover important details about advertising. Some of them even wanted to set appointments.”
His experience reminds me of the story of the old sea captain who was famous for his years of success in always delivering the ship’s cargo on time. In the face of countless storms and dangerously high seas, he never lost a ship, a crew member, or a passenger.
Every morning, the old captain went through a strange ritual. He opened the safe in his quarters, opened an envelope, and pulled out a small piece of paper. After staring at the paper for a few minutes, he locked it up again and went about the day.
When he retired, the first mate said, “Captain, we feel the secret to your success is on the piece of paper in your safe. May we see it?” The captain smiled and handed the key to him. A few minutes later, the first mate opened the envelope in front of the entire crew.
They were stunned when they learned that the paper read, “Port left. Starboard right.”
The old captain’s focus was on the most basic of sailing basics. From a canoe to a battleship, port is always the left side and starboard is the right side. That will never change.
In advertising – as in any kind of selling – people don’t buy product features, they buy what those products can do for them. That’s the most basic of advertising basics. And that, too, will never change.
As long as advertising people remember that in every sales presentation – and as long as they remember that in every ad they create – they’ll stay on course.
Jim Pumarlo writes, speaks, and provides training on Community Newsroom Success Strategies. He is the 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.
Campaigns are in full swing as Election Day nears. Editors should pay extra attention to letters that give a thumbs up or thumbs down to candidates and other ballot initiatives.
Letter-writing campaigns have become as sophisticated and strategic as advertising campaigns. An unfortunate result is that many newspapers now charge for election-related letters. I appreciate the arguments for enacting the policy. It’s still disappointing, and I respectfully disagree.
The policy is perplexing as editors often bemoan the lack of reader interaction on opinion pages. Then, when election season swings around and letters naturally ramp up, newspapers limit debate to “paid opinions” only.
The pros and cons of paid letters could consume an entire discussion, but I pose one question as newspapers contemplate, and implement the policy: Where do you draw the line? Orchestrated letter-writing campaigns occur year-round on a variety of issues before local policy-making bodies. Are you accepting only “paid opinions” in these instances as well? It’s a surefire way to squelch the lively exchange of opinions and vibrant community conversation.
That debate aside, editors can and should diligently enforce letter policies – and even take extra steps – during election season. Here are a few guidelines to consider. Newsrooms should brainstorm to tailor policies to their circumstances:
Edit in ample proportions. For starters, it’s a good bet that the introductory and concluding paragraphs can be eliminated from most election letters. From there, feel free to edit aggressively for redundancy. The delete button on your keyboard should receive an extra workout as election day nears.
Limit the frequency and length of letters. Consider restrictions beyond normal letter policies. For example, limit individuals to one letter for the primary election campaign and one for the general election, or one letter per race for individuals weighing in on several contests. Set a word limit and make a few exceptions without strong justification. A lot can be conveyed in, say, 300 words.
Verify. Confirm all letters, preferably with a phone call. Be wary of letters coming from the same e-mail address, FAX number, or other social media account.
Set parameters for responses. The letters column is typically used to respond to issues raised in stories, editorials, and other letters. Letters usually should not be a forum for candidates to react to paid ads. The best guideline is that candidates respond to the message in the same avenue as the original message. There may be exceptions; an ad that contains misinformation or is terribly misleading may warrant a response in the letters column.
Establish deadlines. Deadlines are necessary to allow ample opportunity to debate issues. Set a separate deadline for letters that raise new issues. Publicize deadlines early and often.
Identify authors where appropriate. Some circumstances dictate that newspapers identify authors by position or relationship to a candidate. For example, school district business managers may write why it’s in their best interests to support a school levy referendum, or campaign managers might respond to criticism leveled against their candidates.
Set ground rules for rebuttals. Election season invariably produces letter-writing volleys. Don’t be afraid of implementing reasonable ground rules; it’s in the best interests of readers. A good rule of thumb – even in standing letter policies – is to limit each individual to an original letter and one rebuttal. Then kindly direct them to a private conversation. Dismiss any complaints that the other person had the last word; that will always be the case.
As an Eagle Scout, I always reacquaint myself with the Boy Scout Law during election season. I have memorized the credo: “A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.”
I may be a bit facetious, but show me a candidate for elective office, and I can likely produce letters from supporters that extol values befitting of an upstanding scout.
Editors are increasingly challenged to separate the wheat from the chaff in today’s orchestrated letter-writing campaigns. Election season demands special guidelines to let writers have their say and still maintain some control over the letters column. It’s an opportune time to sound the alarm to candidates and readers alike.
If journalists want our coverage to aid in civil discourse and civic engagement. We need journalists to commit to producing coverage seen as fair and even-handed by news seekers across the political spectrum — and for people who are not engaged at all.
In this training series, Trusting News focuses on quick, actionable steps journalists can take ahead of the 2024 election to help coverage feel credible and accessible to a larger audience.
Here’s what you can expect: In each session, we’ll spend 45 minutes focusing on how journalists can take action. We’ll include perspectives from partner journalists and show examples of how they’ve implemented these strategies in their newsrooms. Then we invite you to stick around for another 15 minutes if you have questions or want help brainstorming.
Register here and you’ll get access to all of the webinars, but feel free to pick and choose the sessions that feel most helpful for your work. Learn more about each webinar here.
Aug 15, 2024 01:00 PM – Reach beyond political junkies: Election coverage for news avoiders
Aug 29, 2024 01:00 PM – Depolarize the news: Avoiding common pitfalls that make coverage feel biased
Sep 12, 2024 01:00 PM – Bring your receipts: Explaining your reporting process
Oct 3, 2024 01:00 PM – Avoiding polarization when reporting on hot-button issues
Oct 17, 2024 01:00 PM – Lightning round: Tips for Election Day
Good news! There’s still time to 
Great news! We were able to get an extension on the special hotel rate until tomorrow, Friday, September 6 at 5:00 pm. Reserve your room now before it’s too late, the hotel will not give another extension.
Help NAHJ New England celebrate at the 
The Marshall Project is launching a new initiative called 
If journalists want our coverage to aid in civil discourse and civic engagement. We need journalists to commit to producing coverage seen as fair and even-handed by news seekers across the political spectrum — and for people who are not engaged at all.