The Indiana Publisher

June 12, 2014 Page 3 News in brief Send promotions, announcements, staff changes and other corporate news to mtuley@hspa.com. Three reasons to smile about journalism today Editor promoted at Star Press Three promoted within Schurz Reporter joins Pharos-Tribune Greg Fallon has been named to lead The Star Press news room. Pre- viously digital editor of the news- paper, Fallon had been acting editor since March. His new title is man- aging editor. Fallon has been with The Star Press for 10 years. He began his career at The Star Press as a part- time sports reporter in 2003, while he was still a journalism student at Ball State University. He graduated in 2004, the same year he became a full-time sports reporter and copy editor. He was sports editor from 2007 until 2012. Fallon was promoted to digital editor in 2012, overseeing the growing online and social media presence of The Star Press, as well as the photo and video departments. Fallon replaces Lisa Nellessen-Lara, who became executive editor at another Gannett property in Florida. – The Star Press Schurz Communications Inc. made several leader- ship promotions. Kerry Oslund and Scott Schurz Jr. have new roles on the Schurz senior corporate staff, and Cory Bollinger was named to the newly created posi- tion of vice president for publishing. Oslund, formerly the vice president of digital media, became senior vice president of publishing and emerging media May 1. Effective July 1, Schurz Jr., who also serves as the president of Schurz-owned Advocate Communications Inc., will take on duties as vice president of corporate development. In realigning oversight of its publishing division, Schurz promoted Bollin- ger, who since 2010 has served as president and publisher of Schurz' Aber deen News Co. The holdings include the American News and Farm Forum in Aberdeen, S.D. Bollinger will add responsibilities for optimiz ing the publishing division to his current duties in Aber deen, Oslund said. Schurz Communications is headquartered in Mishawaka. Ben Middelkamp has joined the newsroom staff of the Pharos- Tribune (Logans- port). He is a recent graduate of Indiana Wesleyan University, where he served as managing editor of the school newspaper, The Sojourn. Having earned a degree in convergent journalism, Middelkamp also dabbled in radio as news director for the university radio station. Middelkamp will focus on education news in his new position but will seek news of general interest in Logansport and the surrounding communities. "I'm passionate about giving people a voice who don't have one or who don't normally get that opportunity," he said. "People have great stories, and I want to listen to them and tell them to the community." – Pharos-Tribune (Logansport) Ben Middelkamp Greg Fallon E very so often life affords us 30 seconds to look at a completed task and smile. And when three such opportunities occur in the same number of weeks, it seems like we struck gold. (OK, I exaggerate.) But I must admit when I looked at the Meet the Speakers page of the new Annual Conference brochure, I smiled. It took months to resched- ule some from the canceled February conference (after Mother Nature struck) and recruit others. In the end it looks awe- some. I hope our members realize the talent available to them in a single day. The Page 1 story gives you the lineup for Sept. 25-26. On Page 5 you can find the speakers' brief bios. I won't repeat. But I dare say at least one person in the lineup will attract a member enough to sign up. The joint conference is designed for publishers, executives, ad staff and cir- culation executives (as well as those editors who always enjoy mixing with the "dark side"). The Hoosier State Press Association and HSPA Foundation Boards of Directors opted to try this format last fall to increase attendance at the conferences and Advertising Awards Gala and participation in the golf outing. It also provides an opportunity for the busi- ness side to network across departments. Note the Newsroom Seminar remains a stand- alone event for editorial staffers. With more than 200 people attending, six ses- sions running in the morning and two hours of doling out awards, we opted to leave well enough alone. (Living in the shadows of the Indy 500, we certainly know not to tinker with a well-oiled machine.) Both the HSPA and Foundation boards real- ized the cost at the upscale JW Marriott might prohibit some newspapers from send- ing staff. After many hours with the calculator and note pad, we devised a formula that allows each discipline to attend at basically the same rate as last year's conference. These subsidies required approval by both boards. It shows the strong commit- ment of the association and Foundation to training, prob- lem solving and networking. The Indiana Newspaper Advertising Executives Association and the Indiana Circulation Executive Association pitched in too. Using their innate skills, the INAEA recruited to date more than $10,000 in spon- sors. (Please buy INAEA board member Laura Ragle a drink at the Awards Gala. The advertising director for Schurz Communications properties in Bloomington, Bedford, Martinsville and Mooresville landed about 90 percent of these.) The ICEA offers a $50 coupon toward the $75 con- ference fee to help defray expenses this year for circu- lation managers. Without this support, circu- lators' registration fees would triple this year. (To qualify, attendees must verify circula- tion as their primary respon- sibility. We understand everyone wants to increase numbers, but you get the point.) We hope you take advan- tage of this opportunity to hear top national speakers right here in Indiana. Your discounted room rate should help you enjoy a night at one of Indy's finest hotels. (And ICAN members would have to go to Motel 6 to find a bet- ter deal. They get a $75 dis- count when they stay Sept. 25.) New advertising interns Another smile came after meeting our new advertising interns. In the latter part of May, Pamela Lego, director of HSPA's advertising arm, held a sales training session for the five students. Pete Van Baalen, ad director at the Herald Bulletin (Anderson), taught in the afternoon. One could detect the ener- gy in the room as the stu- dents introduced themselves. The advertising intern pro- gram is running in the pilot stages in its inaugural year, but seeing faces instead of names on paper proved some- thing worked. In most cases HSPA Foundation matched stu- dents with newspapers in or near their hometowns – and at least two in small commu- nities. We will never know if the newspaper and student would have crossed paths through some stroke of luck, but we like to think the pro- gram helped facilitate their meeting. The verdict remains out, but at this point we proclaim the new program a keeper (subject to annual review). Eugene S. Pulliam interns Last week the Pulliam interns gathered at the HSPA office for a workshop with multimedia mentor Jim Brown, executive asso- ciate dean emeritus of the IU School of Journalism – Indianapolis. I look forward to meeting each class of bright young journalists eager to chase even county fair stories – particularly if they cover their own hometown. This year proved no different. Brown divided the 10 interns into groups and sent them to three businesses in area that agreed to allow them to interview and shoot video – on their smartphones. The groups visited Red's Classic Barber Shop, Edward E. Petri Co. jewelers and Indianapolis Monthly. After a morning of instruc- tion on video storytelling and shooting, they left about 1 p.m. on assignment. By 3:15 they shared their edited videos to the group. (I stayed at the office and tried to fig- ure out how to keep my fin- gers off the iPhone lens.) People ask me why I still work. I just smile. Karen T. Braeckel is director of the HSPA Foundation. Foundation Front By Karen T. Braeckel Plain Dealer names GM Kelly Gretschmann is the new general sales manager of the Wabash Plain Dealer. Gretsch- mann, who replaces Publisher Andy Eads, oversees day-to-day operations in the advertising department, while managing editor Joseph Slacian will continue to do so in the news department. Gretschmann has 14 years of experience in the newspaper and publishing industry. She worked for newspapers in Wisconsin and Arizona and also for Swiss Colony, helping to coordinate that company's annual sales catalogue. She has been with the Plain Dealer for one year. Kelly Gretschmann

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