Celebrating the Voice of Newspapers
By Chuck Friend
On Thursday and Friday, Feb. 2 and 3, newspaper publishers, editors and staff members from across the state will converge on the Marriott Hotel in Des Moines for the annual convention and trade show sponsored by the Iowa Newspaper Association. The theme of the convention this year is “Celebrating the Voice of Newspapers.”
Throughout the two days, presenters will speak on topics such as photo editing, postal updates, selling digital
advertising, sales strategies, and writing for the online reader.
New technology will be a big topic.
When I bought the paper almost nine years ago it was still being put together by the cut and paste method. Today our paper is designed here in the office using a computer program called “In Design” and sent via the Internet to the Times Republican where it goes through a computer to plate process and is then printed.
And although this old publisher is a little in the dark sometimes when it comes to high tech devices, it sure helps to have members of the younger generation on staff that can get the job done for me.
Ad sales and increasing revenue is another big topic that will be discussed.
Sales strategies, generating new revenue, going mobile and selling digital. I am sure there is going to be a lot of good information shared in these sessions.
But already I am sure thankful to have a salesman like Roger Polt that will enthusiastically be there to help you with your advertising needs.
And the newspaper is only as good as its ad sales personnel, as it is their ability to bring in revenue that keeps us afloat.
I enjoy getting together with my peers in the business
to exchange ideas on our own. To meet and greet and socialize and learn what is working for others in the business and what problems others are having.
And the trade show ... 24 of the best in the business. Everything from graphic services, to the state journalism schools, publishing groups, printers, and news groups to insurance companies and Iowa Courts Online.
One of the programs that we use faithfully each week was discovered at one of the tradeshows a few years back and it has been a real cost saving measure.
And of course there is the awards banquet in the evening
and that is always an exciting time, as newspapers across the state find out what their peers are saying about them.
Indeed — The newspaper does have a voice!
We are the official newspaper for the City of Conrad, the BCLUW School District and Grundy County — for which we are grateful. We try to get as much coverage of school news as we can, even though our recent attempt to get a school student-produced section once again failed.
And even though I have been accused otherwise, my staff and I try to be in as many places as humanly possible
to be the voice for the community that you our readers expect to hear as you read through the pages each week.
But we in turn also need to hear your voice.
Send us your comments on what we are doing right, what we are doing wrong. Tell us the things that you like to see in the newspaper and things that you think should be left out. Maybe there are things that we are not including
that would be of interest to you - let us know and we can try to include it in a future issue. As publisher, I am not afraid to “think outside the box.”
If you have opinions about something, write a letter to the editor. That is what our editorial page is for - not just our opinions.
If you do not want your ideas or letters published, tell us so, but send them to us anyway. Send things to editor@
therecord.biz , or Box 190 in Conrad, Iowa, 50621 or drop them off at 104 N. Main Street. (The latter would be very good, because coming into the office will give you a look at all of the new items and services that The Record can offer you).
This is your newspaper. We are just the instruments that produce it for you. And without you (subscribers, contributors and advertisers) there would be no newspaper
and we would all be out of a job.
So accept our thanks.
Celebrate with us, as we “Celebrate the Voice of Newspapers.”
I look forward to your letters and comments.
From a Friend,
Chuck