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Your connection to industry & member news | Nov. 12, 2020
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| S.C. newspapers cover Biden's win in their print editions
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If you'd like to share your paper's election coverage, please send us your PDFs.
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SCPA offers copyright white paper
Over the past few months, we've had a couple newspapers contacted by copyright enforcement agencies demanding payment for photos published on their websites. Even the smallest weekly and college newspaper websites can appear in bot scans if the images are found. Our basic guidance is -- if you didn’t take it or pay for it, don’t use it. We've written a white paper for members about best practices and resources related to copyright/fair use, especially related to images on your website. If you'd like to read the guide, contact Jen Madden.
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Member Spotlight: Andrew Wigger
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 | Wigger met his childhood hero, Kevin Conroy, the voice of Batman in Batman cartoons, at Soda City Comic Con.
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What do you like best about your job?
I enjoy being "in the know" especially when it comes to county events, new businesses or any other major news event happening in Newberry County. I also enjoy sharing that information with our readers.
What is your proudest career moment?
My proudest moment involved getting first place in Sports Enterprise Reporting from the South Carolina Press Assocation in 2015. This was my first full year of being a reporter for The Newberry Observer and I was able to write about a topic I'd known about since I was a child. When the Confederate Flag came down from the State House, following the Charleston Church Shooting. I knew that would open the state up to NCAA Championships. I was able to work with Newberry College Athletics and write a story detailing how they could officially host a championship game.
What's the most exciting thing going on at your paper?
We've recently had a new publisher (Andy Husk) take the helm at The Newberry Observer. He brings with him new ideas and a new attitude. I'm excited to see the direction he takes the paper.
What’s your favorite SCPA member service?
I've really enjoyed attending various roundtable events and other trainings. These not only bring me fresh ideas, but also give me a chance to connect with other journalists from around the state.
What adjustments have you made during COVID-19?
For the most part, I have been conducting interviews via phone, email and Zoom. A lot of our annual events are not happening anymore, so I've had to get creative when it comes to covering some of my beats -- text and email have been my friend.
When it’s safe to get out and about again, what are some area attractions/restaurants in your community we shouldn’t miss?
There are some great festivals that take place in the City of Newberry, my absolute favorite is Newberry Oktoberfest. If we are past COVID-19 by next year I would highly suggest making the trip the first Saturday in October and visit Newberry for this incredible town event.
What is something most people don’t know about you?
I'm a pretty big geek, which most people know, with Batman being my favorite superhero (in fact I met Kevin Conroy last year). However, what people don't know is I have a very impressive collection of 1980s/1990s toys.
What do you like to do outside of work?
Outside of work, and before COVID-19, I enjoyed going to the movies and spending time with my friends. Chances are also good that if I'm not at work, I'm walking and playing Pokémon Go.
Know someone that you’d like SCPA to spotlight? Email us your recommendations.
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NNA hosts webinar on newspaper mail flat tub discounts
Preparing Periodicals newspapers in white USPS tubs helps subscribers get their mail on time and saves costs for the Postal Service. Beginning in January, USPS will begin to recognize a discount for some newspaper mail in flats tubs instead of sacks.
NNA is hosting a webinar on Thursday, Nov. 19 at 3 p.m. where you can learn the benefits of Sacking the SACKS! And get in on the early days of the discount.
Presenters include Linda Marie Malone, USPS Vice President, Capital Metro Area Operations; Lisa Adams, USPS Area Marketing Manager, Atlantic Area; and Sami Rehman, USPS Manager of Pricing.
The cost to attend is $30. Find out more and register here.
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By Gene Policinski, senior fellow for the First Amendment, Freedom Forum
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| On behalf of the First Amendment: ‘Dear Mr. President-Elect’
Dear Mr. President-elect: Congratulations on your election victory.
That’s a non-partisan congratulations. The First Amendment, with its 45 words encompassing our core freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly and petition, doesn’t take political sides.
The year 2020 has seen a dramatic increase in the ways our fellow citizens are using the First Amendment. There’s every reason to believe 2021 will be more of the same.
By this Election Day, a record number of us exercised our right to vote, the ultimate expression of our rights to petition the government.
Years of simmering injury, insult and resentment over blatant and hidden racism have boiled over into a wave of public protests, prompted by the repeated deaths of Black men and women at the hands of police officers, and rooted in economic and social systems that people of color see as tilted against them.
The national crisis that is COVID-19 is tearing at the very fabric of daily life — and even as it hammers everything from employment numbers to how we sometimes can say farewell to the dying, the pandemic is sparking street demonstrations for and against health measures like masks and business shutdowns.
I write to ask that as you consider your election victory, you keep these First Amendment considerations in mind — using the order of the five freedoms, to help organize your thoughts. Read more
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By Jim Pumarlo, Newspaper Consultant
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| Execute your strength: Put names and faces behind the stories
Nothing is more satisfying than looking at your product – whether it’s the print or digital edition – and smiling in approval, “We’ve got it covered. We’re connecting with our readers.”
Developing relationships with subscribers and advertisers is imperative to success in today’s fractured media landscape. The stakes are even higher as many newspapers navigate the economic impact of the pandemic.
So play to your strengths. Connect the names and faces of those involved in and affected by items in your everyday news report. Tell their stories.
As a first step, collect a half-dozen copies of your newspaper and sit down for a brainstorming session. Go beyond your newsroom. Your entire newspaper family often represents a great cross-section of your community and can contribute valuable insights. Review the editions, and pay particular attention to the names and faces of the newsmakers. Circle them in red, and make a list.
The exercise is especially helpful when examining coverage of local government meetings. Do many of the same names appear over and over? As an editor friend points out: Are you giving more attention to the folks in the front of the room versus those in the back of the room? Are you writing for the sources or for those affected by government decisions? Read more
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