DENVER BUSINESSMAN BUYS OPUBCO

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1 Official Publication of the Oklahoma Press Association Vol. 82, No Pages October 2011 Download The Oklahoma Publisher in PDF format at Find us at THIS MONTH: CHRISTMAS PAGES: How does your paper celebrate the holiday season? Get some great ideas from member papers around the state. PAGE 8 MORE ONF SUMMER INTERNS: Read about the experiences had by this summer s crop of interns. PAGE 12 OPA/S BOARD MEETINGS REPORT: See what was discussed, reviewed and passed at the last OPA/S Board of Directors Meetings. PAGE 14 DENVER BUSINESSMAN BUYS OPUBCO Offices of The Oklahoman, located on the Broadway Extension in Oklahoma City, were included in the sale of OPUBCO holdings to Phillip Anschutz. Word that The Oklahoma Publishing Company was to be sold spread quickly. Within hours of the announcement, media scrambled to cover the breaking news story. For more than 108 years, the Gaylord and Dickinson families have controlled OPUBCO. That will end this month after stock in the company is transferred to The Anschutz Corporation, owned by Denverbased businessman Phillip Anschutz. The sale includes The Oklahoman; NewsOK. com; the corporate headquarters building in Oklahoma City; printing facilities and all associated real estate; Pavestone LLC, headquartered in Dallas; and De Wafelbakkers LLC. Also included is the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs; Manitou & Pike s Peak Railway Company; the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas; numerous other real estate holdings in Oklahoma and Colorado; an aviation company in Oklahoma City; a collection of artwork by the Western Masters; and an interest in Suddenlink Communications, as well as other items. OPUBCO Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Christy Everest said this was a once in a lifetime opportunity for the Gaylord family to sell the business to a family with greater financial resources to help the company achieve its potential. Anschutz, originally from Russell, Kansas, has worldwide investments including oil and gas exploration and development, wind energy and electric transmission, real estate, ranching and agriculture, lodging and hospitality, transportation and telecommunications, newspaper and internet publishing, and entertainment. Anschutz currently owns the San Francisco Examiner, the Washington D.C. Examiner, the conservative periodical the Weekly Standard and Examiner. com, which caters to amateur journalists. The Oklahoman reported that Anschutz plans to operate the daily newspaper and newsok.com separately from his other holdings. No changes in the management team of OPUBCO Communications Group are planned. Chris Reen will continue with his duties as president of the Communications Group and publisher of The Oklahoman. Vice President of News and Editor Kelly Dyer Fry will oversee news gathering. In addition, Anschutz has asked Everest to remain on The Oklahoman s editorial board. The sale of all OPUB- CO s stock to the Anschutz Corp. closed on Oct. 13, Details of the sale were not disclosed.

2 2 TIM O P A P R E S I D E N T S C O L U M N BY RUSTY FERGUSON, PUBLISHER OF THE CLEVELAND AMERICAN It s exciting for me to see newspapers stepping away from the ordinary to teamup with others to promote worthwhile causes, often in extraordinary ways. For instance, just this past week I ve been seeing pink all over the pages of Oklahoma newspapers. Not only have there been creative uses of scaled back magenta, but in at least one publication a double-truck ad for breast cancer awareness actually used pink newsprint. Such efforts show that when newspapers across the state of Oklahoma get behind a worthwhile cause, great strides can be made in getting pertinent, even lifesaving information into the hands of our readers. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and for me, that s a subject that is close to my heart. Years ago I wrote the following column and it seems an appropriate time to share it now realizing that only through a true team effort will such a foe be conquered. I ll never forget it. It was the time of my life. I was enjoying the Sooner magic as a graduating senior at the University of Oklahoma, my best friend in the world and I had just discovered that our love for one another was going far beyond the bounds of friendship we knew, without a doubt, we were destined to spend our lives together. It was shortly after I asked Deana to marry me that I received a phone call from her sister. She asked me to bring Deana home her doctor needed to talk to her. I protested a bit, telling her it was cold and snowy and we were both very busy... couldn t it wait until later? It couldn t. A routine biopsy hadn t worried us too much. Deana was so young, we knew that breast cancer only happened to women over 50. It was that cold winter day, sitting in the living room of the Anadarko house where Deana grew up that I discovered Deana s uncanny ability to beat the odds...women ages account for only 0.3% of diagnosed breast cancers. But, the doctor said those words breast cancer followed by an even scarier word, mastectomy. How could this be? She was only 20 years old. Second...even third opinions, confirmed the worst fears. A mastectomy was the only option. A year that began with fright, followed by the uneasy stressful feelings that accompany the long hours o f hospital waiting rooms, ended joyfully as I walked my bride down the aisle... knowing full well how blessed I was to be marrying my best friend for richer or poorer, in sickness or in health. It was probably our Christmas wedding that prompted holidays to become such big events in our household. I love birthdays and the excitement of November and December, but for me each New Year s celebration rings the brightest. As those precious minutes tick away towards midnight, I think not of New Year s resolutions, but back to that cold January day when the words breast cancer entered my life. And I revel in quiet solitude, thankful that Deana has lived another year cancer free. My plea, as I write this, is not to women, but to the men in their lives. Guys realize the importance of early detection and urge your wife to take necessary precautions to detect breast cancer. The fact is, one in eight women will become victims. The American Cancer Society strongly suggests breast self-examinations for women ages 20 and older. There should also be a clinical breast exam by a health professional every three years for women 20 to 39 years of age and annually for women over 40. Women ages 40 and older should have a screening mammogram every year. I ve read articles over the years telling the stories of women who battle breast cancer. Some women talk of feeling like less of a woman. She has never verbalized it, but I hope Deana never felt that way because nothing could be further from the truth. When I think of her love for me how she accepts and loves me despite my faults and blemishes and the witness she has been to me through the embodiment of her faith, I know she s more of a woman than I will ever deserve. Deana bears several scars from her battle with cancer. The one I love most is on her back in an area where tissue was removed to be used during reconstructive surgery. During summer months the scar is obvious, and when someone asks her about it, they are usually amazed that she is a cancer survivor. I ve never told her, but many a night, when Deana is fast asleep, I lightly caress that scar on her back and thank God for that experience of years ago. That beautiful scar reminds me of Deana s fortitude. It reminds me just how lucky I am that she s lying there next to me. THE POINT AFTER Even when you ve played the game of your life, it s the feeling of teamwork that you ll remember. You ll forget the plays, the shots, and the scores, but you ll never forget your teammates. Deborah Miller Palmore, Basketball Olympian OPA Better Newspaper Contest materials mailing in November OPA s annual convention will move from February to June, so mark your calendar for June 7-9, Since the awards banquet is held during the convention, the contest period has also changed. Contest entry materials will be distributed in late November for the Better Newspaper Contest, Website Contest, Print Quality Contest and Outdoor Writer of the Year. The contest period during this transitional year will be Sept. 1, 2010, through Dec. 31, The deadline for entry submissions will be Jan. 23, OPA CALENDAR OF EVENTS GAME PLAN Complete Listing of Events at THURS., OCT. 27 ONF WORKSHOP, OKLAHOMA CITY AD SALES SUCCESS Carol Richer Gammell s Ad Sales Success workshop can help ad reps sell against competition, find new clients and build loyal customer relationships. For the first time in the ONF advertising training series, you can learn cold calling techniques! Richer Gammell will train attendees in closing sales, making cold calls and negotiation techniques. Her interactive trainings will help attendees develop new business. Registration $35. MON., NOV. 7, OKLA. CITY, OK MON., NOV. 14, WOODWARD, OK MON., DEC. 5, TULSA, OK MON., DEC. 12, LAWTON, OK OPEN MEETING/ OPEN RECORDS ACT SEMINARS Attorney General Scott Pruitt, the Oklahoma Press Association and Oklahoma Newspaper Foundation invite you to attend any of these seminars designed to deal directly with your questions and concerns about Oklahoma s Open Meeting and Records Acts. Oklahoma First Attorney General Rob Hudson and Communications Director Diane Clay will present these seminars. It s free and open to the public. The seminar is being presented six times in 2011 across the state. For more information, a press release or a letter from the attorney general s office, visit okpress.com/events-calendar. For more information on upcoming events, visit the website as noted in the calendar, go to the OPA website at or contact Member Services Director Lisa Potts at (405) , or LPotts@okpress.com.

3 Sluggish response to open records request from DHS The Oklahoma Department of Human Services took six months to provide the Tulsa World with information about lawsuit settlements related to child abuse and neglect. The World made three Open Records Act requests on March 8, all related to legal costs and lawsuit settlements. DHS did not provide information on two of those requests until the World informed officials that the newspaper was planning to publish a story about the department s failure to comply with the requests. On July 11, the DHS told the World that its legal department was still researching and compiling information and needed at least two more months. Officials said the legal staff was searching past files in storage to cull the requested information, and that cases were not separated by category. Oklahoma s Open Records Act states that, A public body must provide prompt, reasonable access to its records. Brian Lamb to receive OU journalism award C-SPAN CEO Brian Lamb will be the third recipient of the University of Oklahoma s Gaylord Prize for Excellence in Journalism. Lamb will receive the award and speak at a luncheon on Nov. 8 in Oklahoma City. Lamb founded C-SPAN in 1979 and it is available across the country, broadcasting live proceedings of the U.S. House and Senate, as well as other political and public affair events. Lamb started his journalism career in his hometown of Lafayette, Ind. He graduated from Purdue University in 1963 and joined the U.S. Navy. He worked at the White House and Pentagon public affairs offices during the Johnson administration and the Vietnam war. Lamb then began working as a freelancer for UPI radio and served as Senate Press secretary. The prize is supported by an endowment created by the E.L. and Thelma Gaylord Foundation as part of the gift that established the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communications at OU. Scan a code to read commissioner proceedings Neighbor Newspapers is making it easier for citizens of Tulsa and Wagoner counties to monitor the proceedings of county officials. Now anyone with a smartphone and a QR code reader can scan the QR code in Neighbor Newspapers publications and be taken to a copy of the most recent county commissioner proceedings. This is just one more way for Neighbor Newspapers to help keep citizens informed about things going on at the county level that may impact or concern them, said Mike Brown, Neighbor Newspapers publisher. A QR code is a scannable, barcode-like tag that smartphones with QR reader apps are able to scan. These codes directly link to some form of media, be it a photo gallery, videos or, in this case, a website hosting county proceedings. A free QR reader should be available for download in your smartphone s app store; some smartphones already come with QR readers installed. Readers without smartphones or QR readers can access the proceedings at Press shuts down at McAlester News-Capital As of Oct. 1, the McAlester News- Capital no longer prints in McAlester. While writing, editing and composition of the News-Capital is performed in McAlester, printing and distribution of the paper has been moved to facilities owned by the Muskogee Phoenix. Editorial and advertising copy will be transmitted to Muskogee, where the paper will be printed and then returned to McAlester for delivery. Community Newspaper Holdings Inc., owner of the News-Capital, made the decision in an effort to consolidate its Oklahoma printing operations. The News-Capital lost nine members of its press and distribution crew with the change. That s the toughest part, said Publisher Amy Johns. While there will be changes in the production of the newspaper, plans are for subscribers to have it delivered to them as usual. Our readers will still be able to enjoy our papers when they come home from work or school, she said. Plans call for the press to be dismantled for any parts that can be salvaged. Countywide & Sun moves to new office in Tecumseh The Countywide & Sun in Tecumseh has moved. After more than 20 years at its old location the paper moved across the street to 108 E. Washington. Gloria and Wayne Trotter, co-publishers, bought the new building two months ago and began remodeling it. One reason for the move is space. As technology progresses in the industry, less equipment is needed. Nothing has changed, said Gloria Trotter. The phone number is the same and our most important asset our people are all the same. ISSN X Official Publication of the OKLAHOMA PRESS ASSOCIATION 3601 N. Lincoln Blvd. Oklahoma City, OK (405) Fax (405) Toll-Free in Oklahoma: (888) Web: news@okpress.com Facebook: facebook.com/okpress PUBLISHER Mark Thomas mthomas@okpress.com EDITOR Jennifer Gilliland jgilliland@okpress.com OPA OFFICERS Rusty Ferguson, President The Cleveland American Jeff Shultz, Vice President The Garvin County News Star Gracie Montgomery, Treasurer The Purcell Register Mark Thomas, Executive Vice President Oklahoma City OPA DIRECTORS Rod Serfoss, Past President Clinton Daily News Jeff Mayo, Sequoyah County Times Jeff Funk, Enid News & Eagle Robby Trammell, The Oklahoman Dayva Spitzer, Sayre Record & Beckham County Democrat Brian Blansett, Shawnee News-Star Mike Brown, Neighbor Newspapers SUBSCRIBE TO THE OKLAHOMA PUBLISHER $12 PER YEAR THE OKLAHOMA PUBLISHER (USPS ) is published monthly for $12 per year by the Oklahoma Press Association, 3601 N. Lincoln Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK Periodicals postage paid at Oklahoma City, OK. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to THE OKLAHOMA PUBLISHER, 3601 N. Lincoln Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK

4 4 First Amendment Congress to be held Oct. 26 FOI Oklahoma s annual First Amendment congress for high school students will be held on the campus of the University of Central Oklahoma on Oct. 26. The theme will be Stand up for Freedom. This year s event will discuss the value and the danger of free speech in the U.S. and abroad. A panel of international students studying in Oklahoma will discuss events in the Arab Spring and the risks of speaking out in countries that do not allow for the basic right to free speech. Professor Joshua Landis, director of the University of Oklahoma s Center for Middle East Studies, will moderate the discussion. Landis has spent more than 14 years living in the Middle East and writes Syria Comment, a daily newsletter on Syrian politics. Also on hand will be former ACLU- Oklahoma Executive Director Joann Bell, who will talk about her involvement Your new art & ad destination. CreativeOutlet.com create@multiad.com with the landmark court case, ACLU vs. Little Ax. Bell won FOI Oklahoma s Marian Opala First Amendment Award earlier this year. Bell will also lead a panel discussion on Oklahoma ACLU cases with plaintiffs the organization supported during their legal fights. UCO Professor Dr. Mark Hanebutt will open with a program on understanding the First Amendment s provision on freedom of speech. Hanebutt, who also is an attorney, will present examples of challenged speech and court cases. Essay winners will be awarded prizes during the event and there will be a tribute to Oklahoma Civil Rights leader Clara Luper. FOI Oklahoma was founded 22 years ago and is a national leader in training educators to teach the First Amendment in Oklahoma classrooms. For more information or to register, visit ALISHA DIANE BLEVINS, a graphic artist at the Pauls Valley Democrat, died Oct. 3, 2011, near Stratford, Okla. She was 45. Blevins was attempting to avoid hitting a deer when she collided with another car, driven by 17-year-old Darian Hinkle of Stratford, who was seriously injured in the crash. Blevins was born Sept. 13, 1966, in Oklahoma City. She later attended East Central University in Ada and earned a degree in English. Before working at the Democrat, Blevins had worked at the Ada Evening News. Blevins is survived by her mother, Judy O Bryant of Pauls Valley, and one brother, Garion Fuller and wife Shelly of Byng, Okla. ALAN HOLLAND JENKINS, former long-time employee of the Oklahoma City Times/ The Daily Oklahoman, died Sept. 16, 2011, in Norman. He was 84. Jenkins was born Nov. 22, 1926, in Carnegie, Okla. He grew up in Oklahoma City. After graduating high school he joined the U.S. Navy and was stationed in Fort Wallace, Texas. He attended the University of Oklahoma and graduated in 1949 with a degree in journalism. Jenkins married Mary Virginia Ivy in 1950 and shortly after was called to serve in the Korean conflict. After his overseas service, Jenkins DEATHS joined the staff of the Oklahoma City Times/The Daily Oklahoman, where he worked for 42 years. He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Virginia, of the home; two sons, Carl of Silver Spring, Md., and Harley of Norman; two daughters, Lee Nelson and husband Mike of Norman, and Kay Jenkins of Norman; seven grandchildren and one greatgrandchild. ORINNE EMMA (GRAY) WILEY, former co-publisher of The Countywide News in Tecumseh, died Sept. 10, She was 79. Wiley was born June 2, 1932, in Ottawa, Kan. She graduated from Lyndon High School and attended Kansas University, graduating with a nursing degree in She married Cloyce Wiley in In addition to nursing, Wiley sold real estate, was a tax preparer, published a weekly newspaper with her husband, coowned a retail personal computer store with him, and was the office manager for a bank courier firm. Wiley is survived by her husband, Cloyce; two daughters, Elizabeth Wiley and her partner Kristine Hofstra of Yellow Springs, Ohio, and Susan Wiley-Carter and her husband Trent Carter of Overland Park, Kan.; one son, Mark Wiley and his wife Gerry of Wilmetter, Ill.; one sister, Deanna Gray Moore, of Springdale, Ark.; and five grandchildren. Granite/Blair and Eldorado papers cease publishing Wells Publishing, owner of The Granite/Blair Enterprise and The Eldorado Courier, announced it would be closing its Oklahoma papers effective Oct. 6. The Granite/Blair Enterprise had published for more than 50 years and The Eldorado Courier for more than 100 years. Wells Publishing purchased the Enterprise in December 2009 and the Courier in December No local employees were affected by the closures. Both papers have been operated from Wells Publishing s Texas headquarters. Both papers published their final editions on Oct. 6. LEGAL ADVICE is just one of the benefits of being a member of the Oklahoma Press Association s Legal Services Plan. Remove the worry of needing professional advice by enrolling today. For more information contact: OKLAHOMA PRESS ASSOCIATION S LEGAL SERVICES PLAN or

5 5 Sequoyah Red Rock Canyon Beavers Bend Make yourself at home...away from home. Visit OklahomaParks.com to book your getaway. The best way to get away with your family is to visit one of Oklahoma s State Parks. For the outdoor enthusiast there s plenty of fishing, hiking, backpacking and horseback riding. Following your fun-filled day outdoors, make a new memory in one of the newly updated eco-friendly cabins. Experience the great outdoors...and indoors. Roman Nose

6 6 PLAYER PROFILE Name: PHILLIP REID, OWNER, REID FAMILY PUBLICATIONS Newspaper(s): WEATHERFORD DAILY NEWS, VINITA DAILY JOURNAL, PERRY DAILY JOURNAL, BETHANY TRIBUNE, AFTON AMERICAN, THE GRAND LAKER, NOWATA STAR Contact Information: Educational Background: University of Oklahoma, BS Journalism Spouse/Children: Wife: Jeanne Ann (comptroller of family newspapers), Daughters: Hayden, an interior designer in Dallas; Olivia, a senior at ECU in North Carolina; Son: Owen, a junior at Weatherford High School Newspaper Background: The Norman Transcript in college, family newspapers from then on Each month, The Publisher will profile a newspaper executive in this space. Learn more about your peers from all corners of the state. To request the questionnaire for your Player Profile, jgilliland@okpress.com. Q: What s the most best part of your job? A: Fellowship with managers and employees of newspapers in creating a product we can be proud of each and every day! Q: What civic activities are you involved in? A: Typically serve on 5-8 boards per year. Everything from Chamber of Commerce to Revitalization and every fundraiser in between. I keep a tally of the boards and campaigns I have served on and we have raised over $63 million. Q: Who s had the biggest influence on your career? A: My parents Ken and Phyllis Reid. They are where I learned work ethic and dedication to the communities I serve. Q: What would you describe as the three most important responsibilities of your job? A: Watchdog of the government, keeping community informed and fostering strong local businesses. Q: What about newspaper publishing gets you out of bed in the morning? A: Dreaming about great coffee gets me out of bed and good red wine makes me want to stay in bed. Other than that I really feel like I need to be responsible, productive and try to make a difference in the communities I serve that takes a lot of awake hours. Q: What s the biggest obstacle you ve overcome in your career? A: The joys, pleasures and frustrations of a family owned business. Q: What are you most proud of? A: Family, of course. In business I would say it has been expanding the family business and developing a business plan for our newspapers, which keeps them viable and profitable. Q: What are your hobbies? A: I have a photography studio that I really love. We have also prioritized travel and have been very fortunate to have traveled all over the world with our children. My family will tell you I also love gadgets and even write a weekly column called Gadgets and Gizmos great excuse to purchase the latest products. Q: Does your newspaper have a website? How do you differentiate between the two products? A: Not only do we have a website, the Weatherford Daily News was one of the first newspapers in the state to have a website. All of our newspapers have a presence online and I think it is definitely key to our success in the future. We capitalize on all forms of social networking. We want to bring home the fact that newspapers are the largest player by far in providing online news content. We are our own competition and I want to keep it that way. Q: How does your newspaper play an important part in the community? A: Our readers will tell you our newspapers are on top of what is local and important in the community. Our newspapers are the greatest history book ever written about each community and I take a lot of pride in that. Q: What type of annual events is your newspaper involved in? A: I venture to say there is rarely any event happening in our communities that our newspapers are not involved in and in a very big way. Q: In what ways has the newspaper positively impacted your community? A: We are the vehicle to bring about change, hold elected officials accountable and bring about positive results. Our readers have come to expect that from our newspapers and I appreciate their support and encouragement every day. Q: What challenges are facing your newspaper today and in the future? A: Unfortunately, like so many industries, we are our own worst enemies. We must understand the value and importance of what we do and not take it for granted. We also must work every day to perfect what we do. Many times throughout the year I ask for aggressive feedback on how people would run our newspapers if they owned them. Every single time they offer insight that makes me want to slap my forehead. Sometimes it is too obvious. So, I take their ideas and run with it. Q: What are some area attractions in your community visitors shouldn t miss? A: Southwestern Oklahoma State Universities with one of the top pharmacy schools in the nation; Astronaut Thomas P. Stafford Air and Space museum, which is a Smithsonian affiliate and houses one of the world s most extension collection of spacecraft and artifacts; Western Oklahoma Heritage Museum featuring Weatherford heritage including a 50s diner and authentic one-room school house, and you must come get a guided tour of the wind turbines in Weatherford, which is named the Wind Energy Center of Oklahoma!

7 Tablets and netbooks: Can any beat the ipad? computer notes from the road by WILMA MELOT Tablets are cool and everyone seems to want one, but next year might be the best time to buy. Prices are coming down and operating systems are improving every day. Basically there are three categories of tablets: ipad (Apple s OS), Android 3.0 and other operating systems, like HP and Blackberry. The ipad is the best tablet out there but its $500+ price tag makes us want to look at other options. Before we go any further, I want to flatly state that a good netbook is better than any of these tablets for the money. Unlike tablets, they have a real operating system, keyboard and trackpad for you to use. And trust me, it s hard to type even 30 words per minute on any kind of a touch screen. Plus, you can put real programs on netbooks, not just apps. Look at these three netbooks for the same money as a tablet: 1. ACER ASPIRE ONE 722-BZ197 NET- BOOK for $ has the best specs and is highly rated. It comes with AMD Dual-Core Processor C-50 (1MB x 2 L2 cache, 1.0GHz). This netbook comes with some great features including 2GB (2) DDR3 SDRAM (most netbooks Most of what I know and think of Steve Jobs comes through using his products. I had no idea when I first used an Apple II computer in the 80s where that Apple logo would take me. Supporting desktop publishing on Apple products has been a large part of my life s work and it would not have been possible without the vision of Steve Jobs. It seems to me that he really came into his own when he came back to Apple the second time in His annual announcements of new products was greatly anticipated and the electricity he put off made the whole crowd hang on his words. As a marketer, he was one of the best. I will always remember the announcement of the Mac Cube in It was the beginning of the consolidation of big, don t come with 2GB of RAM pre installed or included in the price), a 250GB4 SATA hard drive, 5400RPM with a multi-in-one card reader, and Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit),which lets you run any Windows software that fits on the hard drive. 2. TOSHIBA NB505-N508BL 10.1-INCH NET- BOOK for $ It only comes with 1GB of RAM but you can upgrade to 2GB for an additional $12. Specifications: Intel Atom processor N GHz, 512KB L2 Cache, 250GB (5400 RPM) Serial ATA hard disk drive (same as above), and Genuine Windows 7 Starter 32-bit (a lesser operating system than the Acer). This is a faster computer than the one above but less RAM standard with 1GB DDR2 (works at 667MHz, max 2GB). 3. ASUS EEE PC 1015PN-PU27-BU 10.1-INCH NETBOOK for $299. ASUS has always been a leader in solid netbooks with top specs. This one has Windows 7 Starter and Intel Atom N570 dual-core processor (1.66 GHz), 1GB DDR3 (expandable to 2GB), a card reader: 2-in-1 MMC, SD(SDHC) flash card slot. Additional RAM is $12. Now let s take a look at the tablets. If that $500 price tag isn t too steep for you, get the ipad; they just blow all the other products out the water right now. But by this time next year, others may catch up. For Android tablets, the Asus Eee Pad Transformer TF101 is the least expensive of those with the Honeycomb OS. Its $ price tag seems to be a good buy. clunky computers into small, compact products. It was one of Jobs many firsts. We were all so amazed that a computer could fit into such a small box and yet be so powerful. That was only the beginning of the small devices Jobs had in store for us. If I remember correctly, it was also the first announcement of his that I watched on live streaming video. Jobs idea of keeping things simple so the end user would be able to easily understand the product made it possible for almost anyone to enter the digital age. I remember giving a demonstration to a group of publishers on how to use a mouse after the first Mac computers came out. It wasn t easy to create enthusiasm in that crowd! This was just one of the new concepts I got to try explain over the years The biggest drawback is no flash for the camera. The Android operating system is quickly catching up with Apple and Goggle and provides all the office-type programs needed to get real work done. The Asus $150 dock accessory turns this tablet into a notebook. Still, for the price, ipad wins hands down. Kindle s latest, the Kindle Fire, adds speed to your web surfing. For $200, this tablet isn t as robust as some, but it does most of the things you want a tablet to do. You can read Word documents and PDFs as well as run your program. For now, it s only WiFi, but it s a great price and offers great books for reading. Computer consultant reflects on loss of Steve Jobs as Jobs rolled out one amazing product after another. Jobs excelled at taking practical ideas and making them easy, fun and beautiful to look at. And his products really lasted. Some of the first Mac SE 20s I installed in 1989 were still running as late as They may have cost a lot at the time, but you got your money out of them. As a lifelong admirer of Jobs, I will miss his spirit. I hope he will be remembered for inspiring us to live each day to the fullest. He left behind a great team at Apple. The company will progress forward with his spirit and vision. plugged IN OPA COMPUTER CONSULTANT WILMA MELOT S COLUMN BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE OKLAHOMA ADVERTISING NETWORK (OAN). FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE OAN PROGRAM, CONTACT OKLAHOMA PRESS SERVICE AT (405) Opening PDFs in web browsers A frustrating problem with web browsers occurs when they won t open a PDF within the browser. Instead, it saves the file to a folder on the hard drive. Here s how to control where the file goes and what program opens it. In Firefox, go to the Firefox menu > Preferences. Click on the Applications button at the top of the window. Within this screen scroll to PDF and select the application you want to open the file or choose always ask if not opening a program at all is what you desire. This helps determine the right program to open the PDF, but what if you want to open the file within the program? In older versions of the Mac OSX it was easy. We just removed all older versions of Adobe Reader, reinstalled the latest version compatible with our computer s browser, and it just worked. An internet plug-in was installed in the hard drive and the browser knew to look for it there. Depend on Adobe to change the game again. With 10.5 and up it no longer just works. And Adobe says it now only supports Safari. One browser that does work is Google Chrome. It opens PDFs within the browser instead of downloading them. To save space on your hard drive, give this newer browser a try. Model misprint If you were looking for that Canon camera I mentioned last month, the model number wasn t correct. The model I was referring to is the Canon SX130is. It s a good point-and-shoot for under $200. 7

8 8 Time to start getting ready for the holiday season Christmas is getting closer. As the holiday season quickly approaches, what is your newspaper doing to mark the season? Just like any brick and mortar store, newspapers should look to the holidays not only as a time to maximize profits but also as a time to provide readers with ways to make their holiday season easier. Are you offering any special ad or subscription rates? Are you looking to the community to help you celebrate the season with inventive special sections? These examples from member papers offer a small cross section of what you can do during the upcoming holidays. Let us know if you re doing something special this holiday season. Send your ideas to news@okpress.com. Christmas Covers Special Sections Fun with flags Fun design draws readers into the information. The Frederick Press (left) uses a classic, Norman Rockwell-type image of Santa Claus on the cover of its Dec. 23, 2010, issue. The Drumright Gusher uses an inventive border of a town coated in a fresh snowfall to liven up its Dec. 23, 2010, issue. Promotions Adding a bit of Christmas cheer to your flag can help your newspaper get noticed on the rack and make it a more collectible record of the season. From top, The Garvin County News Star, Woodward News, The Norman Transcript and The Marlow Review add festive elements to their flags. The Sequoyah County Times used the holidays as an opportunity to promote giving gift subscriptions to the newspaper. The Sapulpa Daily Herald and local businesses teamed up for a sweepstakes where readers received tickets for shopping at local businesses and were then entered into a drawing for $10,000. Use this time of year to involve the community and offer some great service pieces. The Marietta Monitor features art from local elementary school classes in its Christmas coverage. The Shawnee News-Star has a songbook for families to enjoy during the holidays, complete with musical notations and guitar chords. The songbook also features Christmas recipes.

9 9 THE OGE PHOTO CONTEST Ben Thomas, left, gets an accidental splash to the face by Hayden McLennan while the two are playing in the water at Kever Kids Academy in McAlester. Photo by KEVIN HARVISON, McAlester News-Capital, August 15, 2011 AUGUST 2011 DAILY WINNER: KEVIN HARVISON McAlester News-Capital AUGUST 2011 WEEKLY WINNER: RACHEL ANNE SEYMOUR The Bigheart Times VIEW ALL WINNING PHOTOS AND SEE CONTEST RULES AT Pawhuska s Joey Phillips rides Rudy Downing s bull No for 74 points during the International Bull Riders Inc. Bull Mania event in Skiatook. Kade Alberty took home first, along with a severely sprained knee, at the event. Photo by RACHEL ANNE SEYMOUR, The Bigheart Times, August 25, 2011

10 10 Americans rely on a variety of sources for news Clark s Critique BY TERRY CLARK, Journalism Professor, University of Central Oklahoma TClark@uco.edu Will they miss you if, or once, you re gone? Yes and no, apparently, if you re reading the latest survey results about newspapers from the Pew Research Center s Project for Excellence in Journalism and Internet & American Life Project. What was different about this survey was that people were asked about their sources for 16 different categories of news. I found some encouraging and some discouraging results, some of which we knew, and other food for consideration in what we cover. Here s the good news Americans rely on many different sources for news, depending on types. Radio dominates traffic, TV, weather and breaking news. In all, the data show that the majority (64 percent) of American adults use at least three different types of media every week to get news and information about their local community and 15 percent rely on at least six different kinds of media weekly. Newspapers (both the print and online versions, though primarily print) rank first or tie for first as the most reliable source for 11 of the 16 different kinds of local information asked about more topics than any other media sources crime, taxes, local government activities, schools, local politics, local jobs, community/ neighborhood events, arts events, zoning information, local social services and real estate/housing. But most of these topics many of which relate to civic affairs such as government, taxes, etc. are ones followed by fewer Americans on a regular basis, according to the survey. The Internet was a distant second, with 5 of 16. But weirdly, here s the bad news: The same people, 69 percent, said if the newspaper no longer existed, it would have little impact on their ability to keep up with local news. I don t get that, except that people have no idea how much newspapers invest in gathering news. They just think it s out there. This dependence on newspapers for so many local topics sets it apart from all other sources of local news. The internet, which was cited as the most relied upon source for five of the 16 Great pages from community newspapers this month. Borrow some ideas and create great pages of your own. topics, was a distant second to newspapers in terms of widespread use and value. The main demographic, as the researchers love to say, was age, with 40 the dividing line. Here s a summary: If someone is under age 40, she tends to get the following kinds of local news and information from the following places: Internet: weather, politics, crime, arts/cultural events, local businesses, schools, community events, restaurants, traffic, taxes, housing, local government, jobs, social services, and zoning/development. Newspapers: crime, arts/cultural events, community events, taxes, local government, jobs, social services, zoning/development. TV stations: weather, breaking news, politics, crime, traffic, local government, and social services. If she is 40 or older, she tends to get the following kinds of news in the following places: Newspapers: politics, crime, arts/cultural events, local businesses, schools, community events, restaurants, taxes, housing and real estate, government activities, jobs, zoning/development, social services. TV stations: weather, breaking news, politics, traffic, crime. Internet: local businesses, restaurants. There are lots more food for thought for our strengths and roles that should help us hang around. You can read all the details: Local-news.aspx. LOOKIN EM OVER. With all that in mind, consider the few items that stood out to me this month. Where else do people learn this about where they live? October turning pink, breast cancer package by Shana Adkisson in the Moore American. Listeria lurking, by Jon Watje in the Mustang Times. Annexation outcry, by Matt Montgomery in Friday Gazette. Town bumps speed bump request, by Christina Campbell in the Ft. Gibson Times. Drug dealers adapting to new laws and enforcement tactics, by Dale Denwalt in The Daily Elk Citian. Food pantry hit hard, in the recession, about a fund drive, by Christy Wheeland in the Coweta American. Life in Rural America, by Lindsey Temple in the Garvin County News Star. Shrinking Lake, Don Alquist photos of Lake Murray in The Daily Ardmoreite. Wall Street anger at OSU, by Silas Allen in the Stillwater NewsPress. Animal cruelty arrests, by Anny Sivilay in the Vian-Tenkiller News. Foot lost and fancy free, about the animal shelter needs and a three-legged pup, in the Seminole Producer. In Afghanistan with Oklahoma National Guard members, an Army article, in the Tulsa Beacon. Schools in, so are the head lice, in the Stigler News Sentinel. Boomer emblem brings in the green, by Blayklee Buchanan in the Oklahoma Daily. Here s her great lead: Boomer Sooner is more than just a chant for OU fans. It s part of a multimillion dollar enterprise. And no place else will you get a front Continued on Page 11

11 11 Clark s Critique Continued from Page 10 page obituary of a long time country correspondent, than remembering Opal Costello in the Eakly Country Connection. It is said that when a person dies, especially an older person, a library burns. A library surely has burned with Opal s death; however, C. C. Readers were fortunate to have witnessed a great amount of history through Opal s Observations. Her humor, her recollection of long ago events, and her talented writing skills were truly remarkable; bringing back memories to older readers, and informing younger readers of things they had missed long ago. In addition, Opal kept up with Binger residents, writing tomorrow s history today, as newspaper people like to say. We will miss her greatly, as will our readers. / We will not see the likes of Opal Costello ever again. And when a lawman dies, where else than a place like The Bigheart Times can you read this on the front page, under Osage 41: 10-7 and laid to rest : Dwight Barnard, a lawman who had an irrepressible sense of humor, a huge love for Osage County and no stomach at all for gore, was buried Friday in the Burbank cemetery after he lost a personal war on cancer. Barnard, 68, was a legend among fellow police officers and members of the general public. He was universally adored, though his colleagues liked to poke fun at him for one flaw: His utter inability to spell, which sometimes prompted his coworkers to suggest he employ a dictionary. NEWSPAPER & PUBLICATION BINDING Before you have your next issue bound, give us a call. We offer exceptional quality, competitive pricing and fast turnaround times. With three generations of experience, we have the knowledge and skill to get your job done. Other services include Bible binding and restoration, embossing and much more. ACE BOOKBINDING CO. 825 N. Classen Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK (405) or Toll-Free at AL@AceBookbinding.com HEAD EM UP AWARDS. First place, Oklahoma City Black Chronicle Judge wails after she loses twins. Second place, Stigler News-Sentinel, Creepie Crawlies School s in So are the head lice Third place, Seminole Producer Foot Lost and Fancy Free Honorable mentions: Thomas Tribune, Terriers maul the Bulldogs ; Mustang When the time comes to explore the sale of your community newspaper, you can count on us. We offer decades of experience and a record of success in community newspaper sales. Community newspapers still have good value. If you re ready to sell, call us for a confi dential discussion. Times, Listeria lurking ; Fort Gibson Times, Town bumps speed bump request. PERSONAL NOTE: The biggest news in the state and the nation this past month involved media. The sale of The Oklahoman ends an era of one of the few remaining family owned metropolitan papers. The death of Steve Jobs deprives the country of an innovative genius. Their impact has been tremendous on the state and country. NEWSPAPER BROKERS, APPRAISERS, CONSULTANTS Serving the Newspaper Industry Since 1966 THOMAS C. BOLITHO P.O. Box 849, Ada, OK (580) bolitho@bolitho.com EDWARD M. ANDERSON P.O. Box 2001, Branson, MO (417) brokered1@aol.com NATIONAL EDIA ASSOCIATES

12 12 Interns appreciate opportunity to work at newspapers Part 2 of ONF interns experiences at Oklahoma newspapers this summer TONI HILL Toni, a Tulsa Community College graduate, interned at The Owasso Reporter My love for media began during my teenage years when I developed an insatiable desire for knowledge about events and authority figures that influenced my world. I learned that my personal universe was connected by the lives of others and that knowledge was indeed power, and I wanted to be part of that cycle. Not for personal gain, but to better the lives of others. My summer internship with the Owasso Reporter allowed further engagement within the world of media. I interviewed two prominent Owasso citizens who also serve as representatives, District 74 state Rep. David Derby and Oklahoma state Sen. Rick Brinkley who is serving District 34. My interviewing techniques and communication skills were challenged by governmental mandates and procedures. I did more research and spent additional time to convey the legislative updates accurately. Other stories I covered include The Bible Church in Owasso as they traveled to Joplin to assist in the tornado relief efforts and a profile on a recent high school graduate, Jacob Martin. Martin journeyed to Africa to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. Other memorable experiences include sharing the fulfillment of a dream as local veterinarian Sharon Baker opened her own facility, the Cat Clinic of Owasso. I grew during the Neighbor Newspapers internship, sponsored by the Oklahoma Newspaper Foundation, by gaining knowledge regarding the proper usage of sources, including the limitation of relying on websites. Also discussed was the importance of appropriate follow-up as a journalist versus using venues one would use in public relations. My time at the Owasso Reporter not only enhanced my knowledge and skills, but also confirmed my desire to engage within the ever-changing and essential world of media. I will always feel gratitude for the privilege of sharing copy space in the Owasso Reporter, the Collinsville News and the Skiatook Journal alongside other journalists intent on providing unbiased coverage to inform and protect the communities served. This experience further convinced me that my career path, one that demands 24-hour commitment, nontraditional hours and unwavering commitment to integrity and truth, is one of the most critical as our world continues to change and grow. Above all, I can think of no greater purpose in life than to serve my fellow human beings through transferring information vital in the quest not only to educate and inform the public, but also to empowering others to experience life fully. STEVEN HYDE Steven, a University of Central Oklahoma graduate, interned at The Hennessey Clipper. I would have never believed that it would be hard for me to say goodbye to driving an hour four days a week to work, and then working out of a utility room converted into an office. That was before I reached my last day at The Hennessey Clipper, and the end of my visit to Hennessey. Today marks the end of my summer internship and I must say I m going to miss it. There are many things that have been fun and created a great experience for me as I approach my journey into the professional world. Over the last two months, I have enjoyed being a part of this small town atmosphere. All the people I have met have been very friendly and I really appreciate it. I know it can be hard to welcome a stranger into your community, but you have. The Clipper brought me here to Hennessey and for that I am thankful. I got my first look into the world of a small newspaper. Interning at a small-town newspaper gave me a chance to do a little bit of everything. I have been designing advertisements for local clients, shooting photos at many events and my favorite task of all, putting together the papers on Wednesday for delivery on Thursday. Learning to be a jack-of-all-trades was definitely a must for me to be effective this summer. Some of the other things I will miss are my morning coffee from Daylight Donuts, lunches at the library and relaxing walks to get the mail in the morning. Having all these places within walking distance is a big change for me, and I liked it. I would like to thank all the people who took time to read my column. If you ve read my column, you know that family, life experiences, sports and even video games make up much of who I am. So I guess I m heading back to The City, but I will always have a connection with this town and remember the good times I had here. Thanks, The Hennessey Clipper, for adding another great chapter to my book of life. This town and this paper have shown me things that I do well and things I still need to work on to be the best I can be. I leave here equipped with more experience and knowledge than when I arrived. I now must apply these skills to my professional life. Thanks again for everything, and just from me to you, you re awesome! CHELSEY KRAFT Chelsey, a University of Oklahoma junior, interned with The Shawnee News-Star. My aunt and her family once won a trip to Disney World, and to this day, my 39-year-old cousin cannot stand to hear the song, It s a Small World. Even if the song drove my cousin bonkers during his Disney World visit, it is very true. Here I am in the last week of my summer internship through the Oklahoma Newspaper Foundation. I find it hard to believe because the past seven and a half weeks have flown by. It doesn t feel like that long ago that I walked into the News-Star office for my first day, nervous and unsure of what to expect. Through my internship, I have gained valuable experience that will benefit me in my future career and enjoyed talking to sources as well as my co-workers. I also discovered that it really is a small world. In my time here in Shawnee, I met people who have family that once lived in my hometown of Hooker. One day, I met someone who grew up in Hooker, something I definitely did not expect. Here at the News-Star, I met Tina from Turpin, a town 20 miles from Hooker. My internship taught me many lessons and skills, and it has also helped me realize that it really is a small world after all, and part of my world is now Shawnee. I have to admit, I am going to have to check the News- Star website every now and then to find out what is going on where I spent a summer learning and growing. Continued on Page 13

13 ANDREW MORPHEW Andy, a senior at the University of Science and Arts in Chickasha, interned at The Duncan Banner. Being 23 years old, with a single semester until I complete my communications degree, I consider my experience at The Duncan Banner invaluable. Before I started my internship, I was nervous. Although I knew so much about journalism, how well I d learn new things was at the forefront of my mind. At the University of Science & Arts of Oklahoma in Chickasha, I knew my passion was sports writing. I took that all the way to earning the sports editor position at the student newspaper, The Trend. At The Duncan Banner, however, I was thrown out of my comfort zone. A co-worker, David Laughlin, who is now the managing editor at the Waurika News-Democrat, told me even though I m not writing sports, these stories would make me a better writer. I agree with David and thank him for giving me some much-needed pep talks despite our hectic deadlines. I also would like to thank Toni Hopper for being so helpful, even though I know how busy she was taking on the interim managing editor position. Thanks for showing me some great photo-editing skills. Along with Toni, I would like to thank Justin Nutter, sports editor for The Duncan Banner, for helping me realize some of my biggest writing flaws. I wish him the best of luck as he gets ready for his first full season covering Duncan-area sports. 13 Lastly, I would like to thank Mr. Ed Darling, publisher of The Duncan Banner, for giving me a chance to show what I was made of and for taking me on this summer. Even though we would only talk for a little while and were both busy with our jobs, without him hiring me I wouldn t have had this amazing opportunity. For future interns and others looking into a newspaper, I have some advice for you: Make sure you have a great internship and always ask questions, no matter how redundant they might seem to you. I recommend that you step out of your comfort zone a little and write more than what you are used to. The best stories I ve written for this paper, believe it or not, were non-sports stories. To wrap up, I would like to thank the Oklahoma Press Association and all of the people who made this internship possible. Without the staff at OPA and the hard work they put into making this program a success, students like us wouldn t get a great opportunity like this. PSYCHESHA MOSS Psychesha, a senior at Oklahoma State University, interned at Oklahoma City Friday. My experience as an intern at the OKC Friday newspaper has truly been educational and rewarding. The skills and information I have learned so far while attending Oklahoma State University have been valuable and applicable to my internship. And the information and on-the-job experience the internship provided, I am sure will be beneficial to my senior year at OSU and my career in the future. The staff at the OKC Friday is kind and experienced in the newspaper industry. The main advertisement designer, Jason, helped me improve my Adobe Photoshop skills, which I really appreciate because that s an important program in advertising. One of the sales representatives, Lovina, took me with her on a couple of sales appointments so I could see the reverse side of advertising. That was an experience I learned from as well I learned that clients can be sometimes difficult or particular with what they want, so you have to create a balance of power and knowledge so that you both can be happy and successful in the end. I still definitely prefer the design part of the advertising process. The general manager, Rose Lane, and the owner, Leland Gourley, I would say were the most valuable resources at the company. They both have so much experience in the industry and knowledge that has kept them successful for years. They are two people who I can look up to and learn a lot from. I appreciate them giving me the opportunity to intern for them this summer, because it has truly been a blessing. I was also given the opportunity to attend a workshop by the award-winning publisher Peter Wagner where I learned tons about how to design an advertisement successfully and approach a potential client. The information I learned will definitely help me create better advertisements now and during my career. I think every student should intern if they are given the opportunity. The things you experience can t be taught through a book and the knowledge you gain will put you ahead of your fellow peers. I enjoyed interning at the OKC Friday this summer and am glad I was given this wonderful opportunity to practice and improve my design skills, meet with professionals in the industry and gain an experience a classroom could never give me. I would like to thank my OSU adviser Karen, the manager and the owners of the OKC Friday, Rose and Mr. & Mrs. Gourley, and the Oklahoma Newspaper Foundation for providing me with this great opportunity and experience. The Oklahoma Newspaper Foundation s internship program, made possible by a grant from the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation, promotes the value of working at Oklahoma newspapers and benefits students as they begin their professional careers. The final three interns experiences will be featured next month. Tech-savvy protest organizers make print a priority That InterWeb Thing by KEITH BURGIN, OPA STAFF Sometimes, a website just isn t enough. Heck, sometimes the combined forces of the mighty Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and a slavering television media aren t enough. Occupy Wall Street, an intended yearlong protest of banks and corporations, has all of these tools at its disposal. But when it wanted to reach the community at large in a way that projected legitimacy, it published a newspaper good ol newsprint a broadsheet, no less, 75,000 copies. The truth is, in an age when television newscasts struggle to balance reporting the facts and being the first to report, where gossip junkies get their fix from a 140-character digital rumor mill and my daughter s dog has a Facebook page, newspapers are trusted. Who d of thunk it? Ironically, this arguably anti-capitalist group chose a medium that built and was built by capitalism. That s beside the point, I suppose. The point is, Occupy Wall Street felt the need to print the Occupied Wall Street Journal. Today, right or wrong, perception is reality. The perception that newspapers provide legitimacy is built upon a long tradition of quality journalism in real newspapers. Occupied Wall Street Journal leans heavily upon this perception, just as heavily as its name leans upon the reputation of one of the nation s preeminent newspapers. That s why websites, social media, content aggregators like Huffington Post and hyperlocal blogs will never replace newspapers. All of these new sources of information are built upon a foundation that print media provides. Even though Facebook is the most visited website in the world, the most common source of news for Web users is their local newspaper website. When people say, Well, if it s on the Internet, it must be true, they mean it as a joke. Even the tech-savvy organizers of Occupy Wall Street know that what newspapers bring to the table is no joke.

14 14 THANK YOU to the following individuals and organizations for their recent donations to the Oklahoma Newspaper Foundation: In memory of J.L. Jennings: THE HENNESSEY CLIPPER JIM & REBECCA MAYO ANDY & KAREN RIEGER In memory of Daniel Blackstock and Jim Pate: THE PURCELL REGISTER In memory of Daniel Blackstock, Dick Mayo and Jim Pate: THE HOBART DEMOCRAT-CHIEF In memory of Jim Pate: JIM & REBECCA MAYO A donation to the Oklahoma Newspaper Foundation will support its efforts to improve the state s newspaper industry and quality of journalism. ONF s programs include training and education for professional journalists, scholarship and internship programs for journalism students, and Newspaper in Education efforts. ONF relies on donations and memorial contributions to fund these programs. If you would like to make a donation, please send a check to: OKLAHOMA NEWSPAPER FOUNDATION 3601 N. Lincoln Blvd. Oklahoma City, OK OPA/S Board of Directors meet in Oklahoma City The Oklahoma Press Association Board of Directors met in in Oklahoma City on Sept. 29, See list at right for those attending. After calling the meeting to order, Ferguson asked the board to review the minutes of the July 28, 2011, meeting. The board approved the minutes as presented. External auditor Carol Oliver reviewed the OPA, LSP and OPS combined financial statements and said the financial statements represent fairly the financial position of the Oklahoma Press Association, Legal Services Plan and Oklahoma Press Service, Inc. on June 30, The board acknowledged receipt of the combined audit. The board reviewed OPA and LSP income statements, and OPA and LSP investment reports for the period ending Aug. 31, A proposed amendment to the investment policy, which includes a procedure to address if a corporate debt instrument falls out of rating compliance, was discussed at the meeting. The board unanimously approved the proposed amendments to the policy. Also reviewed was a consolidated report that compares total income, expenses, profit and cash for the month of August with previous years as well as the proposed budget for The proposed budget reflects a reduced rental rate for the former clipping space in the OPA building and an effort to sell more advertising in The Oklahoma Publisher. The number of legal actions during the year will determine LSP profit, Thomas said. LSP Committee Chairman Brown has requested a LSP membership drive, which could increase membership. The board unanimously adopted the proposed OPA and LSP budgets. COMMITTEE REPORTS Awards Committee: No changes were recommended for the Better Newspaper Contest rules. Contest materials will be mailed to members in late November. The committee and staff hope to increase participation in all divisions with a special emphasis in the second year of the college division. Equal distribution of circulation divisions will be reviewed by the committee at its March meeting. Education Committee: A list of upcoming workshops and topics discussed by the committee for 2012 was reviewed and board members were asked for input OPA/S BOARD ATTENDANCE OFFICERS: President Rusty Ferguson, The Cleveland American; Vice President Jeff Shultz, The Garvin County News Star; Treasurer Gracie Montgomery, The Purcell Register DIRECTORS: Past President Rod Serfoss, Clinton Daily News; Jeff Mayo, Sequoyah County Times; Jeff Funk, Enid News & Eagle; Robby Trammell, The Oklahoman; Dayva Spitzer, Sayre Record & Beckham County Democrat; Brian Blansett, Shawnee News-Star GUESTS: CPA Carol Oliver, External Auditor OPA STAFF: Executive Vice President Mark Thomas; Member Services Director Lisa Potts; Accounting Manager Robert Wallar ABSENT: Mike Brown, Neighbor Newspapers on session topics and speakers for the OPA convention in June. Marketing Committee: Committee member Phillip Reid, publisher of the Weatherford Daily News, is developing an advertising campaign promoting legal notices to the general public. The committee and staff are also considering a column in The Oklahoma Publisher to discuss and share creative ads. OTHER BUSINESS In other business, the board discussed Arcasearch, which digitizes newspaper images for the OPA. Arcasearch recently partnered with a vendor, Dirxion, for delivery of digital subscriptions. The transition is to be complete Dec. 31, Member newspapers currently using Arcasearch for digital subscriptions can choose to make the switch to Dirxion or choose another vendor. Ferguson appointed an ad hoc committee composed of Mayo, Shultz and Blansett to study and compare other possible vendors for members to consider. The board also discussed the 25-centper-page fee, which was instituted in July 2010, for newspapers that do not upload PDF pages to Colormax/Arcasearch. Following a large promotional effort, most business members are now uploading. Board members reviewed the list of about 20 papers not uploading and, after considerable discussion, agreed either to bill the newspapers for shooting pages as planned, or after 90 days have the amount deducted from their OPS ad check. The Oklahoma Supreme Court asked OPA for comments on its efforts to protect personal identifier information in court documents. Thomas said he will send his letter for the board s approval before submitting it to the court by the Nov. 4 deadline. Thomas and Mayo attended the NNA Convention in Albuquerque, N.M., in September. Thomas said NNA is fighting to prevent postal rate increases, retain Saturday mail delivery, and keep USPS from making operational changes that would significantly decrease the timeliness of newspaper mail delivery. The board also reviewed the upcoming Attorney General Seminars. OPA and ONF have teamed up with Attorney General Scott Pruitt and his staff to host six regional seminars on the Open Meeting and Records Acts in The first seminar was held in Ardmore Sept. 26, which 60 people attended. Future meetings are scheduled in Muskogee, Oct. 17; Oklahoma City, Nov. 7; Woodward, Nov. 14; Tulsa, Dec. 5; and Lawton, Dec. 12. Thomas informed the board of the upcoming House General Government Committee s interim study on legal notices scheduled for Oct. 17. Thomas and Mary Mélon, publisher of The Journal Record, plan to participate in the hearing. OPS BOARD MEETING After calling the OPS meeting to order, Ferguson asked external auditor Oliver to review the OPS audit. Oliver said the financial statements represent fairly the financial position of the Oklahoma Press Service on June 30, The board unanimously acknowledged receipt of the audit. Reading of the minutes of the July 28, 2011, meeting was suspended and approved by the board. The board reviewed and acknowledged receipt of the OPS income statement for the period ending Aug. 3, In summarizing the proposed OPS budget for , Thomas said the staff would focus on OPS reform as planned. Growth in the clipping department is expected and additional funds are budgeted for promotion of the department. Thomas also said the 17th edition of the Open Meeting and Open Records Acts book is now available and that the legal notice guide is currently being updated. The board unanimously adopted the proposed budget. Board members also reviewed the Did- Not-Run Advertising report for July and August 2011, which included 52 missed ads by 31 newspapers at a cost of $5, in lost advertising revenue.

15 Abuse by public bodies of emergency exception By MICHAEL MINNIS, OPA ATTORNEY In these hard economic times, some public bodies for economic or other reasons may abuse the emergency exception to the requirement that municipalities publish their ordinances in full prior to the ordinance becoming effective. The requirement for full publication of an adopted ordinance serves a very salutary purpose. A historical record is created of how a particular ordinance reads and the record is published to the public by a non-government source that is not easily subject to post-publication manipulation. A municipality can avoid the full publication rule by attaching an emergency clause to an ordinance. Municipalities that adopt ordinances with an emergency clause attached are not required to be published in full, but may be published by title only. [A]n emergency measure necessary for the immediate preservation of peace, health, or safety must state in a separate section the reasons why it is necessary that the measure become effective immediately. The question of emergency must be ruled upon separately and approved by the affirmative vote of at least ¾ (threefourths) of all the members of the governing body of the municipality. Thus, if a routine ordinance is not published in full because of a claimed emergency, a newspaper should obtain a copy of the ordinance to make sure that it was: (a) ruled upon separately, (b) approved by at least ¾ of all members of the public body, and (c) valid reasons are set forth for why the measure must become effective immediately. If the procedures were not followed or the reasons stated are not valid, newspapers should interview all the participants for an explanation of the apparent deviation from the law. These interviews could then be the basis for an article or a series. IMAGESETTER OUTPUT CASSETTE WANTED The Elk City Daily News is seeking an imagesetter output cassette (canister) that is 20 wide for a Konica EV Jetsetter Please contact Elizabeth Perkinson at the Elk City Daily News, (580) , or elizabeth@ecdailynews.com. United States Postal Service STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, and CIRCULATION 1. Publication Title: THE OKLAHOMA PUBLISHER 4. Issue Frequency: Monthly 2. Publication Number: Number of Issues Published Annually: Filing Date: September 21, Annual Subscription Price: $ Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: (Not printer) (Street, city, county, state, and ZIP+4) THE OKLAHOMA PUBLISHER, 3601 N. LINCOLN BLVD., OKLAHOMA CITY, OK Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher (Not printer) OKLAHOMA PRESS ASSOCIATION, 3601 N. LINCOLN BLVD., OKLAHOMA CITY, OK Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor PUBLISHER: OKLAHOMA PRESS ASSOCIATION EDITOR: MARK THOMAS MG. EDITOR: JENNIFER GILLILAND OKLAHOMA PRESS ASSOCIATION 3601 N. LINCOLN BLVD., OKLAHOMA CITY, OK Owner OKLAHOMA PRESS ASSOCIATION, 3601 N. LINCOLN BLVD., OKLAHOMA CITY, OK Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities: NONE 12. N/A 13. PUBLICATION TITLE: THE OKLAHOMA PUBLISHER 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: September Extent and Nature of Circulation Average No. Copies No. Copies of Single Issue Each Issue During Published Nearest to Preceding 12 Months Filing Date a. Total Number of Copies (Net Press Run) b. Paid and/or Requested Circulation (By Mail and Outside the Mail) c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation (Sum of 15b. (1), (2), (3), and (4) d. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail) (1) Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on PS Form (Include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser s proof and exchange copies. (2) Mailed In-County Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541 (Include paid distribution above nominal rate, advertiser s proof and exchange copies. (3) Paid Distribution Outside the Mails including Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid Distribution outside USPS (4) Paid distribution by Other Classes of Mail Through the USPS (1) Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County Copies included on PS Form 3541 (2) Free or Nominal Rate In-County Copies included on PS Form (3) Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes Through the USPS (e.g. First-Class Mail) (4) Free or nominal rate distribution outside the mail (carriers or other means) e. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (Sum of 15d (1), (2), (3) and (4) f. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c, and 15e). 1,226 1,191 g. Copies Not Distributed h. Total (Sum of 15f and g). 1,400 1,400 i. Percent Paid (15c divided by 15f times 100) 71% 73% 16. Publication of Statement of Ownership. Will be printed in the October 2011 issue of this publication. 14. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher or Business Manager, or Owner 9/21/11 I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions including civil penalties). Looking for a Complete Combination Solution for Print and Online Special Sections? Now you can get Metro Creative Graphics, Inc fully-templated, full-color print special sections & companion, ready-topost online MicroSite sections from Metro Editorial Services! 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16 16 CONGRATULATIONS TO THE AUGUST 2011 CONTEST WINNERS Column: Editorial: KENDALL KIM BROWN BENEDICT The Norman Transcript The Ardmoreite AUGUST 2011 COLUMN WINNER KENDALL BROWN, THE NORMAN TRANSCRIPT Tom Lee and a life changed Everyone is afforded in life those few moments, those flashbulb memories, where you meet someone truly inspiring, someone who in an instant changes your life forever. Something they do, something they say or maybe just something they simply are touches something inside of you, and you re better for it. Tom Lee did that for me. I was a freshman in college, a scared, timid little Northwest Oklahoma transplant that was unsure of where I was headed in life. All I knew were two things: first, I needed a job and second, I thought I might like to take pictures. Not enough to commit to changing my major, mind you, as the thought of telling my parents I d become the dreaded art student was too much to bear, but just enough to toy with the idea of the mysterious, glamorous idea of a future as a photojournalist. That s when I saw it: a listing in the classified section of the student paper stating, simply, Local photographer looking for an assistant. Well, that was it, I was sold. I immediately applied for the job and, without ever having actually spoken with this local photographer over the phone, set up an interview. I was nervous, I was ecstatic, I was convinced that this job was going to set me on my way. When I walked into Tom Lee s studio later that week I was both shocked and shocking. You see, what I did not know until I walked in that afternoon was that this local photographer, this Tom Lee, was a quadriplegic. I was shocked, of course, but he looked just as surprised as I was. My name, Kendall Brown, is an admittedly androgynous one, and he had apparently expected a bulking young man to walk through the door, not barely 5 feet and 120 pounds of small blonde girl. Once the shock wore off for both of us, we settled in for our conversation. I can t call it an interview, because that s simply wasn t what it was. Tom was looking for someone to not only help with his photography, but also daily needs, something I wasn t strong enough to do. Many people would have probably simply said thanks and shown me to the door. Tom invited me to sit down and asked why I wanted the job in the first place. I explained to him that I thought that being his photo assistant would help me decide whether I wanted to be a photographer. I wanted to know for sure before I committed even so much as a semester of college to the new course of classes. Tom, to be quite honest, looked absolutely bemused at my stupidity. Why would being my assistant teach you if you want to be a photographer? he asked, staring at me with a half-smile on his face. Go be a photographer. That will teach you if you want to be a photographer. That was the last time I saw Tom Lee. He called me the next day and left me a very kind voic informing me of what I already knew, that I wasn t right for the job, but that I was welcome to come by his studio any time to talk shop. I was too intimidated by the man and his talent to even return his call. But I did what he said. I went and I became a photographer. I changed my major to photography and began spending countless hours in the basement of the art school, wrists deep in photo chemicals learning the alchemist magic that is traditional photography. Many late nights in the darkroom, as I would tire of being there, tired of printing the same image over and over again, looking for that perfect print, I would think of Tom. I would be near to giving up, to putting my prints up to dry and returning back to my apartment for just a few hours of precious sleep when I would think about what I saw that one afternoon in Tom Lee s studio, how his work made me feel. I wanted my work to inspire. So I kept going. Tom passed away in the last year, and it will always be one of my deepest regrets that I never stopped by his studio to talk shop. But I am so glad for his influence that led me to becoming a photographer, and, eventually, to being editor of POP. I hope that many in the community will join me tonight for IAO s retrospective of his work. Tom spent much of his life quietly producing amazing work in Norman, and now it s time for us to loudly celebrate it. Enter and Win a $100 Check from ONG! 1. Each month, send a tear sheet or photocopy of your best column and/ or editorial to ONG Contest, c/o OPA, 3601 N. Lincoln Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK Include the author s name, name of publication, date of publication and category entered (column or editorial). 3. Only ONE editorial and/or ONE column per writer per month will be accepted. 4. All entries for the previous month must be at the OPA office by the 15th of the current month. 5. Winning entries will be reproduced on the OPA website at com. Entries must have been previously published. Contest open to all OPA member newspapers. Although Oklahoma Natural Gas Company selects representative contest winners work for use in this monthly ad, the views expressed in winning columns and editorials are those of the writers and don t necessarily reflect the Company s opinions. Thank you for continued support of Share The Warmth Read the Winning Columns and Editorials on the OPA website: (Under Contests)