In this 170th episode of E&P reports, chats with well-known news publishing analyst Ken Doctor, who recently published a lengthy update on the 2-year progress of his innovative Santa Cruz, CA digital news start-up, Lookout Local, while also stating that he is proving that “a robust replacement for suicidal dailies can, indeed, be built. That’s especially important in the age of Gannett’s trainwreck, Axios Local’s skimming, and the misguided Journalism Competition and Preservation act currently before Congress.” Also appearing is Ashley Harmon (Holmes), Lookout Local’s new director of sales & marketing. more

About a decade ago, Peter Laufer, Ph.D., was in Italy enjoying a leisurely lunch with a publisher. They were making plans for an Italian translation of a book he’d written, “The Dangerous World of Butterflies,” when their discussion turned to the plight of news and the public’s changing news consumption habits. Where they sat, they weren’t far from where the “slow food movement” was born — for which quality ingredients and their provenance from farm to table are valued above speed and cost-efficiency. Laufer conceived of a similar concept applied to newsgathering, what he called “slow news.” more

It’s a new year and time for media, agencies and local advertisers to digest the many competing forecasts for 2023 ad spending. There will be sales quotas; agencies will create pitches; and local advertisers will search for the most effective media mix. However they may approach these tasks, the universal forecast is: Digital advertising will continue to gain on legacy media and become an even more dominant force. more

Every generation seems to have a way of seeing the one that follows as being different from their own. Now, as Gen Z (people born between 1997 and 2015) comes on the scene, it will be fascinating to observe how they'll find and engage with news content, which platforms and types of content will resonate with them, whether they’re willing to fund quality newsgathering, and how Gen Z journalists will themselves influence the news profession. more

Are you afraid of the perception of others or have some irrational fear of ineptness? Perhaps you’re intimidated or worried that you won’t be able to relate to or have honest conversations with someone who doesn’t look, sound or think as you do. If so, please know that it's simply an illusion. Competency, ambition, hard work, instinct and ability aren’t tethered to gender, ethnicity, age or cultural background. more

In this 169th episode of "E&P Reports," we go one-on-one with Danielle Coffey, Executive VP & General Counsel for the News/ Media Alliance (NMA), to gain her perspective on what really happened in 2022 to the nearly passed Journalism Competition and Preservation Act” (JCPA). She'll also address why this controversial legislation, designed to allow news publishers to collectively negotiate with “big tech” platforms like Google and Facebook for fair compensation for news content, failed to become the law of the land. Coffey also reviews the next steps the NMA will take for the JCPA and the future of other compensation models like publisher tax credits and several pending antitrust suits currently being filed by local media companies more

This year's Sales Superstars stand out in their ability to stand up against the challenging times newspapers face today. They stay focused and get the job done for their customers, their communities and the companies they represent. Our list of 16 individuals spans the age range, years of experience and small to large markets. Their words ring with wisdom born in the trenches. With extreme appreciation and celebration, we introduce E&P’s 2023 Sales Superstars. more

Focusing on high-quality journalism that is essential to the communities it serves has sustained Hearst Newspapers and enabled it to grow through challenging times, said Jeff Johnson, the company’s president. The newspaper company was Hearst’s original business venture, and Johnson said the parent company embraces the role of the Fourth Estate. more

Although newsrooms have increased their coverage of homelessness, many journalists need more guidance about reporting on this topic fairly and accurately. Now, publishers, editors and journalists can gain those needed insights with “A journalist’s guide for reporting on homelessness,” recently published by Street Sense Media. more

Wednesday, May 3rd, will mark the 30th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day, which was first proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993. The theme of this year’s celebration is “Shaping a Future of Rights: Freedom of expression as a driver for all other human rights.” We must do all we can to further the efforts toward worldwide press freedom. more

In this 168th episode of "E&P Reports," we feature a special, inspirational, and motivational interview with Dave Stevens, an Emmy award-winning broadcaster born without legs, who is helping others with disabilities find careers across all forms of media. Stevens chats with E&P Publisher Mike Blinder about his passion for sports, media, and helping others to look beyond their personal challenges and those of others. more

Lately, workplace angst has been getting much attention. Our jobs put us in contact with heart-wrenching stories, real lives and difficult situations. Several of our stories this month highlight the need for checking on ourselves and checking on each other in the workplace. more

What do the Ford, Chrysler, Scripps, Booth and Kuser families have in common? They all were pioneers in automobile manufacturing. Three of these families were perhaps better known as newspaper owners. Of the several thousand makes of automobiles manufactured in the United States in the early to mid-1900s, only one is known to have borne the name of the newspaper-family member who designed and produced it: Scripps-Booth. more

Tom White is leaving his post as editor of Documentary magazine, citing his depression over departed colleagues.  more

In hopes to make it easier for the public to recognize trustworthy journalism, Reporters Without Borders created the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) in 2019 offering a three-step process to help media outlets distinguish themselves from the myriad of other sources sharing information on the internet and social media. In this 167th episode of “E&P Reports,” we chat about the JTI with Beth Potter, Ph.D., U.S. regional manager of the Journalism Trust Initiative; Paul Samyn, editor of the Winnipeg Free Press; and Kevin Rehberg, vice president of client development at the Alliance for Audited Media (AAM). more

Since The Diversity Pledge Institute launched in 2021, it has placed dozens of journalists in newsrooms across the globe — and none of them have quit their jobs yet. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, it can cost a company up to nine months of an employee's salary to replace an employee who quits. However, the business case for diversity extends beyond the costs of recruiting and training. more

After spending years leading news sites just over the state border, Lynne Sullivan has been named regional executive editor of The Providence (Rhode Island) Journal and The Newport (Rhode Island) Daily News.   more

Lindsey Young, co-owner of Kansas Publishing Ventures, which publishes four weekly newspapers, has developed an on-demand journalism training course for news organizations to utilize when onboarding reporters. It’s called “Earn Your Press Pass” and aims to address staffing issues in the news industry. The course launched Sept. 1, as a member benefit of the Kansas Press Association. The goal is to sell the course to other press associations for use in their associations. more

John and Jennifer Garrett created Community Impact, a collection of hyperlocal news publications, in the game room of their home in Pflugerville, Texas, in 2005. The company now reaches 2.6 million households and 160,000 email inboxes. Garrett worked at the Austin Business Journal when the idea for his business began; he envisioned Community Impact as a business journal that focused on hyperlocal content. more

In this 166th episode of “E&P Reports,” internationally recognized journalist/ cartoonist Rob Tornoe reviews some of his 2022 monthly contributions to E&P Magazine, which include his March 2022 interview with The New York Times's David Leonhardt on “The polarization of pandemic reporting.” An April 2022 column looked at editorial cartoonist David Fitzsimmons. May 2022’s look at how the Pulitzer prize category changes left illustrators feeling slighted. more