Business coverage vital to your product and community
Editors are regularly solicited to publish news that puts merchants in good standing. In small communities, grip-and-grin photos of check presentations often dominate the...
Are you ready for the new year? Take inventory, prepare a calendar
It’s standard procedure at many newspapers to chronicle headlines in year-end editions. The continuing social and economic impact of COVID-19 is certain to capture...
Meaningful meeting reports demand substantive leads
Newspapers smartly are promoting their roles as government watchdogs to reinforce their strengths in the fractured media landscape. I join the chorus: Vibrant coverage...
Are you capturing all community voices?
Minnesota is in the spotlight following the recent death of a black man during a police arrest. Racial unrest has erupted everywhere...
Carefully screen columns by public officials
How will the Legislature deal with a record budget surplus, and what will it mean for taxpayer pocketbooks? Are there implications for public safety...
Don’t let pursuit of ‘shiny things’ diminish reporting
All journalists can look back decades or even just a few months to see examples of the “shiny things” that distract us from our...
Look in a mirror to find your best editor
In an era of constant cutbacks, it can be difficult for newspaper reporters to get good editing.
Many experienced editors have fled or been forced...
Assume the attitude of a lifelong learner
More art than science. More craft than vocation. More a calling than a profession.
All these statements are true about our chosen field of journalism....
What’s happened to the nuts and bolts of public safety reporting?
Crime and public safety are garnering more headlines across the country. Law enforcement and racial disparities in the criminal justice system are under increasing...
Enterprise reporting goes beyond the obvious
When it comes to interviewing reporter candidates, many editors want to see examples of so-called enterprise reporting.
I just finished serving as a judge for...