25 Under 35

By: Deena Higgs Nenad They are young enough to have giant Homer Simpson cardboard cutouts in their cubicles, energetic enough to work long hours without Red Bull, and savvy enough to start not one but three newspapers in the midst of a historic downturn. Theirs is a different journalism than their older counterparts. They find it hard to believe that before Google people actually had to make calls or go to the library for information, or that media kits were hardbound and sent by snail mail. Although they've practically grown up with the Internet and a cellphone at their fingertips, they're smart enough to know that if they don't understand a new piece of technology, they can always ask someone five years younger than them to figure it out. Change is something so familiar, they simply roll with it. The following 25 publishing leaders are as diverse as their news organizations. Mike Nizza is breaking ground at the first iPad-only newspaper. Jennifer Bracken got into a position of power, quickly changed her 22,000-circulation Ohio daily into a source of breaking news and increased digital revenue by 58 percent. Each one of these young leaders has what it takes to move their brands forward and guide their newspapers or media companies through journalism's confusing and uncharted territory. They know one thing for sure: Keep up or get out. They are the generation that is re-energizing what some want to believe is a dying industry. They know better. Let their efforts inspire you. Jigsha Desai, 29 Visuals Editor, Knoxville News Sentinel, Knoxville, Tenn. 81,000 Circulation Daily When Jigsha Desai first came to the Knoxville News Sentinel, she was shy, had a stutter, and was not yet an American citizen. But this native of Zambia quickly overcame her speech problems, and it was clear to the newsroom she was a rising star, said multimedia editor Jack Lail. As online editor, Desai led the newspaper's embrace of video, launching a weekly video column called "Random This" with the other online producers at the newspaper. She launched the paper's effort to develop newspaper blogs, managing more than 50 Movable Type blogs. She also created an online community called GoSmokies.com about the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee and North Carolina. Desai has won dozens of awards and was selected as a Newspaper Association of America Minority Fellow in 2004. One year later, she became an American citizen. One year ago, she was named visuals editor, managing the online producers, videographers, and photo staff, turning even the most stubborn still photographer into a full multimedia journalist with video and storytelling skills. Q: Beyond the tablet, what will be the next big technological breakthrough for receiving news? You won't seek the news, the news will seek you. Geo-location functionality makes it more exciting with alerts specific to your location being sent to your smartphone. A growing part of these news alerts will not come from traditional news sources but from people's social and trusted networks (e.g., Facebook, friends, and family). I see an increased focus on push-functionality; feeling your phone vibrate with alerts on the latest news will be normal. Q: What is the biggest challenge your newspaper is facing today? Adapting to the new business model required in today's world. The revenue model, distribution model, and news model have all changed dramatically. It takes the whole company to research, analyze, and test new ideas in order to move the company forward. Jennifer Bracken, 27 Online Manager, The Morning Journal, Lorain, Ohio 22,247 Circulation Daily Jennifer Bracken changed the way her newspaper covered news by adding a breaking news feature to MorningJournal.com. She produced the first livestream video for parent company Journal Register Co., and added the first pre-roll commercial to company video content. Later as online manager, she began tearing down the proverbial wall between editorial and advertising. She was able to develop content and platforms that increased advertiser interest and revenue, including the development of news and sports features along with reader contests and voting. Under her supervision, The Morning Journal has had a 58 percent growth in digital revenue, a 38 percent growth in page views, and unique visitors increased by 47 percent. Bracken also initiated a video resume platform called "Net Me a Job" that provides free video resumes to unemployed readers. She's not all work. Bracken also developed an informational Web page with online donations for a long-standing Journal program that provides clothes for needy children. And she started a company 5K race that raised more than $6,000 for charity in its first year. Q: Beyond the tablet, what will be the next big technological breakthrough for receiving news? QR (quick response) codes will be a big player over the next couple of years in the news industry. These square, pixilated codes allow the reader and consumer to interact directly with editorial and advertising content. This technology will mesh well with today's extremely fast-paced news and advertising environment, where the reader seeks instant gratification. Q: What is the biggest challenge your newspaper is facing today? Creating profitable and compelling content in an extremely competitive Web environment. Journal Register Co., has started a movement by inviting the outside in to ensure we are providing editorial and advertising content our local audience craves. Rachel Miller, 31 Advertising Director, National and Image amNewYork, New York 343,843 Circulation Daily When you are advertising director for the largest daily newspaper in Manhattan and a profitable free commuter daily read voraciously by New York's white-collar professionals, you have to know how to build and leverage relationships. Rachel Miller of amNewYork does. So much so, she talked four high-powered colleagues into nominating her for this honor. Their nominations nearly elevated her to sainthood. Russel Pergament, managing partner of Boston's StatehouseNews.com, who tried to hire her away from amNewYork but couldn't (she's too loyal), called her a "battle-hardened sales warrior who makes the calls and makes them again until success is at hand." Paul Turcotte, publisher of amNewYork said she's able to get groundbreaking business and has created units that competitors now regularly copy. Others said they've watched her grow, always one step ahead, always elevating a newspaper buy beyond the transactional level by developing breakthrough creative ideas that generate buzz, always teaching younger professionals the ropes and sharing leads. Cha ching. Q: Beyond the tablet, what will be the next big technological breakthrough for receiving news? News will continue to trend hyper-local, and consumers will expect to receive constant updating and live programming that will most effectively appear on new and innovative mobile devices. The mobile platforms that will continue to be driven by social media outlets such as Twitter, Facebook, and Foursquare will provide constant updates, faster downloads, and allow for high-speed video content at the push of a button or even through geo-tracking technology. Q: What is the biggest challenge your newspaper is facing today? As readers are constantly bombarded by media from inside the home (TV, Internet, radio) and outside the home (billboards, buses, taxicabs, in-store video), we must position our newspaper as a "direct to consumer" advertising medium that targets consumers as they head to work and provides a quick read and direct advertising messages. Chad Campbell, 34, Circulation Manager, The Daily Journal, Kankakee, Ill. 21,972 Circulation Daily There are the traditional sales channels - kiosks, carriers, free standing inserts (FSI), and telemarketing - then there is the Chad Campbell way. He used database marketing utilizing the MMS (multimedia messaging service) system. He targeted direct mail pieces at certain segments of the market using demographic and lifestyle information. Programs were target-specific and tracked to monitor success. This was critical, because not all were successful, which allowed the Journal to focus on what worked. Campbell's way worked with FSIs too. He developed a series of inserts with different price points and used them on a rotating basis. Campbell also used the MMS system in-house to develop targets for the reps to call weekly. As budgets tightened, Campbell restructured. He built teams among the home delivery staff, and each manager's incentive program was tied to the team, not just the individual. He analyzed the motor routes and improved them based on which ones were efficient. He also moved to distribution centers instead of individual drop locations. Daily paid circulation was up 0.2 percent in 2010, even with a 25 cent price increase. "We actually are starting to make growth in circulation," said General Manager Ken Munjoy. "And he's doing well even without the goofy third-party programs that other newspapers use to get their numbers up, and without deep discounts." Q: Beyond the tablet, what will be the next big technological breakthrough for receiving news? The next breakthrough will have less to do with how readers receive the news, and more to do with how they interact with it. Existing digital platforms will become more immersive and allow for greater interaction with the news source. Readers will become increasingly able to view other readers' comments, link to advertiser sites and make purchases immediately, research archives, and share stories with friends. Q: What is the biggest challenge your newspaper is facing today? The same one we're all facing - how to monetize an increasingly fragmented readership in a way that allows us to continue to produce unique and compelling content. Readers will pay for quality content, and we have to have the courage to charge a price that will allow us to continue delivering it, regardless of the format. Devin Hamilton, 33 Publisher, The Madison Press, The Tribune, and The Plain City Advocate, London, Ohio 4,509 Daily, 7,000 Weekly, and 1,500 Weekly When Devin Hamilton took over The Madison Press, a daily newspaper just outside Columbus, Ohio, it had little direction, inconsistency in content, untimely news coverage, revenue loss, and a bad reputation. But he had a plan to win back community respect and the trust of his ad department, and raise the bar in the newsroom a bit higher. It's working. In his three years at the company, the paper won 12 Ohio Associated Press Awards. Hamilton revamped the website Madison-Press.com to allow for more pictures, stories, and user interaction. On the site he also started a weekly opinion poll and added 63 local expert contributors on topics ranging from mental health to gardening. Traffic has shot up. In circulation, the paper collaborated with a promotions company on a six-month subscription program. The readership campaign netted more than 150 new starts, turning 91 percent into subscribers. After six months, it had an 84 percent retention rate. Around the community, Hamilton's building back trust from community leaders. Everyone knows him by his trademark sunglasses. He wears them because just over three years ago, after experiencing intense headaches, doctors discovered a mass inside his skull behind his left eye. After risky surgery, his pupil doesn't dilate properly - requiring him to wear shades. And we thought it was because his future looks so bright. Q: Beyond the tablet, what will be the next big technological breakthrough for receiving news? A simple adjustment to current smartphones will be the next big thing for receiving news, perhaps a breaking news video app that is integrated to all social networks sent directly to your mobile device. Q: What is the biggest challenge your newspaper is facing today? We must continue to adapt to the wants and expectations of our small market community and keep up with a technological evolution that demands flexibility. We have to maintain the quality and reach of our print editions, while maximizing our niche digital and online brands to expand and deepen our overall market presence so that revenue streams from both print and online can be maximized. Katharine Zaleski, 30 Executive Producer and Head of Digital News Products, The Washington Post, Washington, D.C. 545,345 Circulation Daily Katharine Zaleski was hired away from Huffington Post to get more people to read The Washington Post content on its website, mobile phones, tablets, and social media. Right away, Zaleski went to work, happy to be at a company that is willing to be on the cutting edge. "The exciting thing about working at the Post is we're able to experiment," Zaleski said about a crowdsourcing experiment during the Rally to Restore Sanity in the National Mall last fall. "Here we are looking at new ways of bringing in user-generated content." Zaleski helped the Post launch Network News, which integrated Facebook on WashingtonPost.com to create a socially driven news experience. And she created a search and traffic team. All of her efforts contributed to WashingtonPost.com having its best year in traffic. Q: Beyond the tablet, what will be the next big technological breakthrough for receiving news? Personalization. Q: What is the biggest challenge your newspaper is facing today? Keeping up with the demands of our growing audiences on mobile, online, on social networks, and everywhere else. Marissa Williams, 32 Publisher, Blue Mountain Eagle, John Day, Ore. 2,800 Circulation Weekly When the white supremacist group Aryan Nations wanted to bring its headquarters to the remote town of John Day last year, Marissa Williams knew this was her newspaper's big chance. She broke the news online and used Facebook to bring the community together, produced compelling news reports and, in the absence of town leadership, organized and livestreamed town hall meetings. The work was so exceptional for the small weekly, they have their first-ever Pulitzer Prize nomination for public service and breaking news. Williams isn't afraid to step into the shoes of one of her editors if needed. And for four months last year, she became temporary advertising manager at sister paper the East Oregonian, while still running her own. She encourages her staff to use social media to raise the paper's awareness, and because she's a hometown girl, she's especially loyal to those around her. "It's oh-so-much easier to get things done for her than some others, because of the give-and-take and smiles along the way," said Laura Sellers, director of audience development for East Oregonian Publishing Co. "She's a top-notch example of how good things come from small places." Q: Beyond the tablet, what will be the next big technological breakthrough for receiving news? News consumption will be hyper-personal. Our readers will create their own news menus, and news organizations will act much like personal shoppers, delivering the requested content. Newspapers will cease being individual operations but will instead collectively contribute content to a global network, which populates the news menu. Advertising will be specific to the reader's interests and current location. Instead of providing a niche market for our advertisers, newspapers will deliver a niche product to our readers. Q: What is the biggest challenge your newspaper is facing today? The knee-jerk answer is loss of revenue. However, consider that newspapers are often our own worst enemies by repeatedly predicting our demise. Then we try to lure people back through free online access, Facebook, Twitter, etc., thereby training our readers not to need us. We need to grab their attention, and tell them why they should care about newspapers and stories longer than 140 characters. Because, in the end, if we don't have readers, it doesn't matter where the money is. Allison Hudson, 25 Editor, The Donaldsonville Chief, Donaldsonville, La. 1,000 Circulation Weekly Allison Hudson broke several barriers when she became editor-in-chief just two years out of college. She is only the third woman to have the position at the paper and the first African American. That's quite an accomplishment in a town that still honors its historic, Union-won Civil War battle, and despite its large African American population, Donaldsonville still has mostly white leaders. "I kind of stick out like a sore thumb at all events, but they love me," she said. In her two years on the job - she's also the reporter, photographer, and everything in between - she has given the paper a new logo and a design facelift, added more newsworthy stories, and amped up school coverage. She also redesigned the paper's website. Readership and subscriptions have increased, and readers say they like the community feel. Q: Beyond the tablet, what will be the next big technological breakthrough for receiving news? Something so small it can fit in the palm of your hand, and with some type of hands-free device. You won't have to go online or attempt to retrieve news; it will come on automatically when news is available. Q: What is the biggest challenge your newspaper is facing today? Keeping a community feel to the paper. We try to maintain a balance of feature articles, alternative story formats, and interactive activities. Craig Baird, 30 Editor, Fairview Post, Fairview, Alberta, Canada 2,659 Circulation Weekly When Craig Baird joined the Fairview Post last June, he realized the small province of Alberta, Canada didn't have much local news. So he started doing stories on the area's rich history, examined local politics and had columnists debate the issues. For Remembrance Day, he spent weeks researching veterans from the area and put together a three-part series that highlighted those who fought and lost their lives in World War I and World War II. No one cared that he didn't have a journalism degree. Subscriptions shot up, the city council began regularly commending the paper for its positive articles, and locals now say the paper hasn't been this interesting in decades. "I have a deep love for my paper, and every week I push myself to do new things with it," Baird said. Q: Beyond the tablet, what will be the next big technological breakthrough for receiving news? Dedicated electronic newspaper readers (rather than costlier tablets) allowing for instant news updates using a digital paper technology that allows you to turn paper (keeping the distinct feel of a newspaper). Printing costs would be nonexistent, overhead would be low, and the newspaper industry would thrive. Q: What is the biggest challenge your newspaper is facing today? The number and size of ads falling and the size of newspapers shrinking as a result. Sites like Craigslist and Kijiji (eBay) take away classified revenues, and companies advertise online, rather than in print. Tim Turner, 27 Digital Media Manager, The Kokomo Perspective, Kokomo, Ind. 32,000 Circulation Weekly When Tim Turner was asked to transition his small-town weekly into the digital world, the newspaper was "incredibly far behind," he said. He demanded complete control and set out to revolutionize the way the company sees itself. In just over a year - on a shoestring budget - he brought video, streaming audio, live blogs, and other interactive features to the paper's website. The result: the paper's best February ever, with $9,600 in revenue. "Before Tim, we had around 1,000 monthly unique visitors," said managing editor Lisa Fipps. "We now hover around the 27,000 monthly unique visitors range. We have even hit more than 500,000 page views in a single month a couple of times." Turner is a risk-taker who's not about to wait for someone else to figure out the paper's business model. He's currently working on the paper's first mobile app and plans to use QR codes to transition readers from print to online. "We can't transition into the future with a gimmick," he said. "I think the most important thing we can focus on is the quality of our content." Q: Beyond the tablet, what will be the next big technological breakthrough for receiving news? Google TV is going to do for television what the iPhone did for mobile devices. Right now, television is one of the last closed devices. An open television platform is going to be incredibly powerful. It will allow television to truly become local, especially in smaller markets. Q: What is the biggest challenge your newspaper is facing today? Agility. We have to be willing to change and adapt on a monthly, weekly, and even daily basis. We have to be willing to change the way we deliver content, what content we deliver, and how we monetize that content. We have to have the technology in place to make those changes. We have to continue to search for that technology on a daily basis. We also have to examine technology that is being used in other industries and determine how to use that in our industry. Mike Nizza, 32 Managing Editor for News, The Daily Circulation: Just launched When you're the managing editor of the first-ever digital newspaper created for Apple's iPad, you're already flirting with journalism's destiny. The Daily's Mike Nizza doesn't mind being on the cusp of change. He's always been that guy who looks ahead. He was on a team at The New York Times as it transitioned from print to Web, penned a breaking news blog (when blogs weren't as prolific as they are now) and helped develop new digital media products at Atlantic Media Co.'s Innovation Center. He was editor-in-chief of AOL News before jumping ship to take part in the historic launch of News Corp.'s The Daily. "We're keen on being the first to figure out a new model for journalism - both in content and in business model," Nizza said. "We're breaking stories and finding new ways to tell them, using the iPad's native strengths. Already, we've created a product that has broken new ground across the spectrum." Q: Beyond the tablet, what will be the next big technological breakthrough for receiving news? The masses still haven't embraced mobile's ability to deliver news fast and specific to your location and interests, but that'll be the next big thing for delivering pure information. Tablets are king for user experience, and we're just getting started. Q: What is the biggest challenge your newspaper is facing today? It's the first tablet newspaper; we need to figure out how to do something completely new. Simple as that. Ivan Lajara, 33 Life Editor, Daily Freeman, Kingston, N.Y. 15,818 Circulation Daily This native Peruvian couldn't speak but a few words of English when he came to New York with his family in 1995, but now he blogs and edits and has complete command of American slang. Ivan Lajara worked his way up the newspaper chain to life editor, but most call him the "digital guru." That's because Lajara, with his trademark long hair, wry sense of humor, and a vocabulary that includes words like "Wowza," is Twitter fast and Apple smart when it comes to anything technological. Some of his projects at the Daily Freeman include launching QR codes to push the print audience online, livestreaming local events, launching a community media lab to recruit local bloggers, and crowdsourcing much of his reporting. He holds a weekly Twitter chat with his Journal Register Co. peers to encourage social media use and training (it's not his job; he just wants the team to get better.) And he built tutorials for his newsroom staff on digital and social applications. Wowza. Q: Beyond the tablet, what will be the next big technological breakthrough for receiving news? "Gamification" platforms. Q: What is the biggest challenge your newspaper is facing today? Old newsprint culture mentality still permeates the newsroom. Nicole McMullin, 35 Digital Products Manager, Richmond Media Group, Richmond, Va. Richmond Times-Dispatch: 129,587 Circulation Daily; Four weeklies: 59,700 Combined Circulation; TimesDispatch.com: 1.2 million monthly unique users; Richmond.com: 227,762 monthly unique users Just four months into her job as digital products manager, Nicole McMullin already is shaking things up. She quickly brought Richmond Media Group's flagship paper, the Richmond Times-Dispatch, its two websites, TimesDispatch.com and Richmond.com, and four weeklies up to speed digitally with social media and apps for mobile phones and e-readers. A strategist and tactician, McMullin easily directed the group's digital specialists on content and technical support. And she's the key decision maker about a proposed pay-for-content system. "Nicole's enthusiasm about our digital future is contagious," said Rick Thornton, vice president of audience and content development for the media group. "She will tell you that she is a content person at the core. However, her technical acumen is high. She possesses a rare combination of skills." Q: Beyond the tablet, what will be the next big technological breakthrough for receiving news? Optimized content that delivers an ideal user experience regardless of device - text, video, and interactive content designed for their screen and desired experience. As more households adopt Internet-enabled televisions, the Web experience will move from computer to other in-home screens. Q: What is the biggest challenge your newspaper is facing today? Delivering quality journalism to our traditional print audience while planning and producing for the growing digital audience. We foster new digital products and content without the same revenue models or staffing resources that have traditionally supported newspapers. Our challenge is not only to seek out and engage new audiences but also to create new revenue streams that will support journalism and digital delivery. Adam Stone, 32 Publisher, Examiner Media, Mt. Kisco, N.Y.; The Examiner, The Yorktown Examiner, and The Putnam Examiner 17,000 Circulation Weekly (combined) At age 29, Adam Stone started Examiner Media's The Examiner with a group of newspaper journalists to dispel the notion that "print is dead." Stone delivered the first 2,000 copies to two local communities out of his car. In three years, it has grown to three newspapers, all free, with a combined circulation of 17,000 copies delivered weekly. Revenue continues to grow as well. Stone also expanded his online presence on Twitter and Facebook and built a website rich with content and breaking news. His motto: Small news is big news. Stone also introduced online services for advertisers, including creating custom websites, and bundling print and Web ads as part of these packages. And he makes additional revenue billing for social media consulting. Stone's not about to stop. He's already researching nearby New York counties and surrounding Connecticut towns. Is another print newspaper in the works? Q: Beyond the tablet, what will be the next big technological breakthrough for receiving news? Affordable electronic devices that have the general physical feel and texture of printed newspapers or magazines. Q: What is the biggest challenge your newspaper is facing today? One challenge we are facing is how best to tap into the power of the Web without watering down our print products. Ben Shaw, 34 Chief Digital Officer, Shaw Suburban Media, Dixon, Ill. 60 print and online publications, 100,000 Circulation Daily (combined) Publishing may be in Ben Shaw's blood (he's the great-great-great grandson of founder Benjamin Flower Shaw, and his dad, Tom Shaw, is president and CEO), but invention runs through his veins. He developed Shaw Media's first formatted template for viewing content on tablet devices, leading a cross-discipline team from the publishing group. The technology allows readers with tablets to view the content live on four websites. The tablet-specific site for Shaw Media's largest (38,000 circulation) newspaper, the Northwest Herald in Crystal Lake, Ill., won the company a "Best Online Innovation" award from th