Hoosier State Press Association - The Indiana Publisher
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/583002
October 8, 2015 Page 3 News in brief Send promotions, announcements, staff changes and other corporate news to mtuley@hspa.com. Stellar training awaits your staff at seminar Schurz selling radio, TV stations Get news training in Illinois Schurz Communi- cations, owner of the South Bend Tribune, has agreed to sell its TV and radio stations to Gray Television. Atlanta-based Gray reached a deal to buy the Schurz properties – two dozen TV and radio stations combined – for $442.5 million. Schurz will retain the South Bend Tribune and its other newspapers, as well as the four cable compa- nies it now owns. The move by family- owned Schurz to sell its broadcast arm is one that could resonate for years, especially in Michiana, where the company has its headquarters. While the Schurz com- pany began more than 140 years ago with the South Bend Tribune, it launched a local radio station in 1922 and WSBT-TV in 1951, cementing its standing as a media powerhouse in the area. Todd Schurz, the fifth generation of his family to manage the Mishawaka-based com- pany, said newspapers and cable provide a foun- dation for growth, and Schurz Communications will continue primarily to be a media company. He said the publish- ing and cable arms of his company share a similar drive to find new ways to appeal to subscribers and members, instead of just relying on advertising. Schurz Communi- cations' annual revenue has almost tripled over the past 25 years, he said, but the main driver of that revenue has changed. In 1990 publishing drove about 60 percent of revenue. In the new Schurz Communications – consisting of the com- pany's 16 newspapers and four cable compa- nies – about 60 percent of the revenue is from cable, which is feeding the growing demand for broadband Internet access. Schurz is also an investor in South Bend- based technology firms Aunalytics and Data Realty. – South Bend Tribune APME's NewsTrain this month offers two days of training on data and watchdog reporting, social media, video, innovative features coverage and beat mapping. The event Oct. 29-30 takes place at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, 65 miles west of Chicago. Faculty includes Pulit- zer winner Michael J. Berens, New York Times social media staff edi- tor Karen Workman, NewsTrain director Linda Austin, Detroit Free Press visuals editor Kathy Kieliszewski, features editor Betsey Guzior, and Charlie Meyerson, vice president of news for Rivet Radio. The training is designed for print, digital and broadcast journalists from newsrooms of all sizes, as well as educators and students. Registration is $75. Diversity scholarships and discounted hotel rates are available. Get registration details at http://bit.ly/ DeKalbNewsTrain. T he scraping sound you heard came from the soapbox I just drug onto this page. Spare me, you plead. Bear with me, please. With the fantastic lineup of speakers who will present at the Newsroom Seminar Dec. 5, even the "also-rans" become winners. Say what? Translated: Those who enter the Better Newspaper Contest but do not place can gain as much as winners in the educational sessions prior to the awards luncheon. Why do so many newspa- pers allow only winners to attend the seminar? How do other reporters advance in the field without training? It makes no sense to me. I understand budget con- straints and rewarding those who win. But check out the lineup on the front page of today's Publisher. Where can you find this many quality speakers, plus lunch, for a $69 registration fee? This year's event returns to the Indianapolis Marriott North on Dec. 5, the first Saturday in December like always. The event includes lunch, and parking is free. Watch your mailbox for regis- tration materials. The Foundation subsidizes events to keep costs low for our members. Part of our mission includes enhancing the ability of Indiana news- papers to fully educate and inform the public. This means providing training to journalists in a wide variety of areas at affordable rates. Milissa Tuley took over event planning this year on top of her communication responsibilities. The ever- faithful Newsroom Seminar Committee came up with highly qualified speakers. As I looked over the list, I saw one of the great combinations in several presenters – pro- fessors with former news- room experience. These people can teach (and not everyone can) – and know what they're talk- ing about. If you've been to a recent seminar, you know Nancy Comiskey, a lecturer at The Media School at Indiana University since 2002. She worked for 14 years at The Indianapolis News and The Indianapolis Star as a reporter, columnist, features editor and managing editor. She is a past president of the Indiana Society of Professional Journalists and the Indiana AP Managing Editors. (And she's one of the few people ever to outscore our boss on evaluations. Shhh! We don't tell him.) She consistently pulls 3.8+ out of 4 – and trust me, jour- nalists do not mince words (or scores). Of 36 respon- dents, 30 wrote additional comments, and every one glowed, including the person who first mentioned the room was freezing. (A teaching moment here: When attending events in hotels, layer, layer, layer. By the time the temperature in the large rooms adjusts to our liking, we're home drink- ing adult beverages.) Are there any reporters on your staff who could use a few tips on investigative reporting and watchdog jour- nalism? We believe the rem- edy visits here in December. Coming from out of state, Mark Horvit, executive direc- tor of Investigative Reporters & Editors, is also an associ- ate professor at the Missouri School of Journalism. A longtime IRE member himself, Horvit worked as a reporter, editor and projects team member at newspapers in Texas, North Carolina, Missouri and Florida. Photojournalists enjoy the informal reviews of photos entered in our own contest. Maybe one who does not bring home the hardware could pick up some point- ers. Or the reporters who just learned they will shoot photos on their smartphones along with interviewing might appreciate help. David LaBelle, photog- rapher, editor, teacher and author, worked for 20 newspapers and magazines. He directs the photojournal- ism program at Kent State University and taught at Western Kentucky University and the University of Kentucky. CNHI's Director of Digital Content Kayla Castille over- sees digital content initia- tives for a network of 67 daily newspapers. The former digital news producer and then managing editor for two TV station websites started her career as a reporter at Louisiana newspapers. While she does not lead a journalism program at a uni- versity, she deals with papers of all sizes and will offer something for everyone. Frequent seminar goers now expect two popular sessions: HSPA's Steve Key and Public Access Counsellor Luke Britt will address access issues, while Evansville Courier & Press photojournalist Denny Simmons will lead a panel in reviewing photos. We understand it's a Saturday conference, but after multiple discussions, we can't find a better time. Could staff members other than your winners build their confidence and careers by attending sessions presented by these successful veteran journalists? Can you find an extra $69 or even $138 in the bottom of the coffer for a hard worker who hasn't cracked the win- ners list yet? We hope to see them in December. (Hmmm … I hear a crack- ling sound and smell smoke. Anyone seen my soapbox?) Karen T. Braeckel is director of the HSPA Foundation. Foundation Front Karen T. Braeckel MEMBER NOTICES Multimedia general assignment reporter – The Elkhart Truth, an award-winning daily newspaper with a digital first philosophy in all aspects of our operation, is seeking a multi- media general assignment reporter with strong writing, photography and video skills. Specific duties include: • Cover breaking news • Develop enterprise and feature sto- ries for online and print • Shoot video and photos, including sports • Show familiarity with social media and digital platforms • Ability to work a flexible schedule, including some weekends and nights. Full-time professional newspaper experience is preferred, but we will consider a recent college graduate with strong part-time experience or internships. Benefits include medi- cal, dental, life insurance and a 401K plan. To be considered, please submit a cover letter, resume and three to six work samples to Managing Editor Mark Maley at mmaley@elkharttruth. com. Design editor – The Princeton Daily Clarion has a 170-year history of serving as the local news source for Gibson County in southwest Indiana. Immediate opening for design editor to package our print edition and update our online prod- uct. Production-side position Sunday through Thursday evenings. Copy editing, sharp headlines, clean design skills in a Mac-based production envi- ronment (Adobe Creative Suite 5.5) are essential skills. Submit resumes and work samples to Andrea Howe, editor, at andrea@pdclarion.com. Sports editor – The Republic (Columbus, Indiana) is seeking an energetic sports editor who has the drive and skills to direct coverage and write sport stories. Candidates must have innovative coverage ideas, focus on the local community and have excellent judgment and planning skills. Must be able to do and develop in-depth enterprise, breaking news, features stories and daily stories. Send resume and clips to ssyse@ hnenewspapers.com. Part-time designer/copy editor – The Elkhart Truth, an award-winning daily newspaper in north-central Indiana, is looking for a part-time page designer/copy editor who can create smart, crisp and compelling news, sports and feature pages. Familiarity with Adobe Creative Suite and AP stylebook is strongly pre- ferred. Must be able to communicate clearly and work well with others under deadline. This is part-time position of between 24 and 28 hours per week, primarily nights, including Saturdays. This opening is ideal for a talented recent college graduate who is ready to launch a career in journal- ism. Submit a cover letter, resume and three to six work samples to Managing Editor Mark Maley at mmaley@elkharttruth.com. Digital producer – The Elkhart Truth, an award-winning daily newspaper with a digital first philosophy in all aspects of our operation, is seeking a journalist with strong social media, SEO, reporting and editing skills to fill a key role on our newsroom's digital desk. Specific duties include: • Covering breaking news primarily for an online audience • Working with editors and other reporters to write and post breaking news stories and updates online • Editing stories, photos and videos • Using web analytics tools like Google Analytics and Chartbeat on a regular basis • Writing feature and breaking news stories • Working with the digital assistant manager editor to develop ideas for programmed content and other ways to grow web readership and interac- tions • Managing conversations with read- ers on social media • Ability to work a flexible schedule, including nights and weekends. Candidates with basic knowledge of HTML, as well as photo and video editing, are preferred. Full-time professional newspaper experience is preferred, but we will consider a recent college graduate with strong part-time experience or internships. Benefits include medi- cal, dental, life insurance and a 401K plan. To be considered, please submit a cover letter, resume and three to six work samples to Managing Editor Mark Maley at mmaley@elkharttruth. com. Send member notices to mtuley@hspa.com. Postings will be listed as space permits in print and in full at www.hspa.com. Employee sought