Are your news, ad departments on same page?
Are your news, ad departments on same page? Published March 28, 2023 By Jim Pumarlo, Newspaper Consultant Editors often raise red flags – or at least hesitate – at requests for business news, and often for good reason. A store seeks a story for its grand opening – three months…
S.C. media and First Amendment advocates must remain vigilant as new 'hurricane' brews in Florida
S.C. media and First Amendment advocates must remain vigilant as new ‘hurricane’ brews in Florida Published March 2023 By Eric P. Robinson, USC School of Journalism and Mass Communications In 2022, Hurricane Ian barreled across Florida, causing widespread damage and becoming the deadliest hurricane to strike Florida since 1935. Ian…
WHY WOULD AN INNOCENT MAN LIE?
WHY WOULD AN INNOCENT MAN LIE? Published March 2023 Editor’s Note: Member editors can pick this column up and run it in print and online as they see fit. By SCPA Attorney Jay Bender Why would an innocent man lie to police about the last time he saw his wife…
If it’s 10:08, it must be a watch ad
If it’s 10:08, it must be a watch ad By John Foust, Advertising Trainer Legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden once said, “It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.” That’s certainly true in advertising. Consider the nuances of photography. For example, the next time…
To build trust and your audience, show how much you care, not just how much you know
INTO THE ISSUES To build trust and your audience, show how much you care, not just how much you know Published March 20, 2023 By Al Cross The national headline on stories about the latest poll on the news media and democracy were about its finding that half of Americans…
Editor ‘can handle mean,’ but can’t stand ‘baseless cynicism and unwillingness to think’
INTO THE ISSUES Editor ‘can handle mean,’ but can’t stand ‘baseless cynicism and unwillingness to think’ Published Feb. 21, 2023 By Al Cross This month’s column is mainly from someone else, because it illustrates a serious problem facing rural newspapers: How do they manage increasingly contentious public discourse and still…
Managing and Covering the Murdaugh Case and Other “Trials of the Century”
Managing and Covering the Murdaugh Case and Other “Trials of the Century” Published Feb. 2023 By Eric P. Robinson, USC School of Journalism and Mass Communications Although it is common to call a high-profile trial “the trial of the century,” it is a misnomer; there have been several such trials…
What are they selling?
What are they selling? By John Foust, Advertising Trainer Greensboro, NC My wife and I once visited with Rick and Karen, a couple who had served as missionaries overseas. As part of their work to get involved in the community, Rick was assigned to teach a class at a local…
Prime time to take inventory of your newsmakers
Prime time to take inventory of your newsmakers Published February 2, 2023 By Jim Pumarlo, Newspaper Consultant Here’s a periodic action item for every newspaper: The exercise can be quite revealing in evaluating how you are connecting with various audiences. It is even more important in today’s fractured media landscape…
The power of enthusiasm
The power of enthusiasm By John Foust, Advertising Trainer There’s a story about a professor of literature at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. As he approached retirement, someone from the newspaper interviewed him. During the course of their conversation, the reporter asked the wise old professor about…