Jim Pumarlo

The ethics of business coverage in community newspapers.

Transcript

1. Black, White or Gray: Dilemmas on Deadline Ethical challenges at community newspapers: The challenges of local business coverage Jim Pumarlo
2. Our agenda  Broaden the discussion  An everyday consideration  Sustained, credible coverage  Elements of coverage  Generate revenue  Explain your policies
3. Let’s have a conversation  Your biggest challenge?  News, advertising on same page?  Biggest complaint from advertisers?  Biggest complaint from readers?  Unorthodox business story?
4. Three-step process  Set the policy  Implement the policy  Explain the policy
5. Underlying principles  Fairness and consistency  Rights and responsibilities
6. Elements of coverage  Think beyond chamber newsletter  Prepare for interview  Write for your readers  Create prototypes  Develop regular presence  Report good and bad news
7. Elements of coverage  Generate story ideas  Special circumstances  Proclamations  Labor negotiations  Organize your own event  Focus on ‘what,’ not ‘whom’  Develop relationships
8. Think beyond chamber news  Reject ‘red coat’ photos  Embrace the networking  Everyday story opportunities  Springboard for other stories
9. Prepare for interview  Prep yourself  Understand dynamics of industry  Balanced story  Ask the question
10. Write for your readers  If you don’t understand, readers won’t either  Distill corporate press releases  Always find the local angle
11. Story: Write for your readers Publishers, parent company of this newspaper, announced it has agreed to the terms of a restructuring agreement. A news release on the company's Web site said that the agreement is with the holders of more than 75 percent of its outstanding senior subordinated notes. If the restructuring is approved, the holders of the $278.5 million in outstanding notes would exchange their existing notes for $100 million of new second lien secured notes.
12. Create prototypes  Business openings  Guidelines for anniversaries  Business closings  Explain
13. Column: What constitutes business news A store is opening. Another business is expanding. An agency is relocating. A firm is carrying a new product. A company’s named a new president. An annual open house is planned. A local person wins in a national sweepstakes. All of these items are interesting. But which are legitimate news stories? The increasing volume of business news has brought questions about what constitutes a news story. Following are a few guidelines.
14. Develop regular presence  People in the news  Devote section or page  Profile a business  Solicit items  Utilize editorial page
15. Report good news, bad news  Impact of employer news  Truth squelches rumors  Lay groundwork for pitching good news  Shared responsibility
16. Generate story ideas  Localize  Put face behind statistics  Think beyond the norm  Convene Readers’ Board  Brainstorm
17. Special circumstances  Proclamations  Labor negotiations  Organize your own event  Focus on ‘what,’ not ‘whom’  Letters to the editor
18. Special circumstances  Proclamations  Not news by themselves  Avoid ‘grip and grin’ photos  Develop story
19. Special circumstances  Labor negotiations  Balanced coverage  Understand dynamics  Identify benchmarks
20. Special circumstances  Organize your own event  Take the initiative  Coordinate with special section  Seek partnering sponsors
21. Special circumstances  Base coverage on ‘what,’ not ‘whom’  Good and bad news  Beyond business news
22. Special circumstances  Letters to the editor  Double-edged sword  Complimentary letters  Critical letters
23. Column: Take complaints directly to business A woman called with a complaint against the Salvation Army Store in Red Wing. Her comments will not be published but have been passed along to the store manager. The Republican Eagle has a pretty strict policy against publishing comments about private businesses – whether the comments are positive or negative.
24. Generate revenue  Businesses will notice  Business pages  Special sections  Develop events  Coordinate with ad staff
25. Explain your coverage Column: Favorite stores won’t be debated It’s a legitimate question: Should the Port Authority be doing anything to draw another discount retail department store to Red Wing? But we’ll not permit a public debate on whether Target is better than Wal-Mart or Fleet Farm. Or which store has the best customer service. Or which stores have the best buys on a particular product.
26. Explain your coverage Column: Base coverage on ‘what,’ not ‘whom’ Readers want assurances that stories are accurate, fair and not tainted by ethical lapses. … One of the most sensitive areas is business coverage, and at the top of that list are advertisers who have direct access to publishers.
27. Develop relationships  Know the landscape  Shared responsibility  Take the first step
28. Community Newsroom Success Strategies “Bad News and Good Judgment: A Guide to Reporting on Sensitive Issues in a Small- Town Newspaper" "Votes and Quotes: A Guide to Outstanding Election Campaign Coverage" "Journalism Primer: A Guide to Community News Coverage for Beginning and Veteran Journalists in the Age of New Media" Jim Pumarlo Newspaper Consultant Red Wing MN (651) 380-4295 jim@pumarlo.com www.pumarlo.com