Happy Holidays from NAA!
We hope you have a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year! The NAA Roundup will resume January 8.
Member Announcements:
CNHI opens Washington, D.C., bureau (CNHI)
Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. is opening a Washington, DC, bureau. Kery Murakami, who was appointed bureau chief, will cover federal government issues and how they affect the local areas in which CNHI has newspapers.
GateHouse Media parent company to purchase Times Publishing Company (GateHouse Media)
The Times Publishing Company has entered into an agreement to sell the Erie Times-News and GoErie.com to New Media, the holding company that owns GateHouse Media, LLC. The deal is expected to close in early 2016. The sale is subject to approval by Times Publishing Company shareholders.
Wochit Partners with Calkins Digital to Launch OTT channels (Calkins Media)
Calkins Digital is partnering with video creation platform Wochit to launch a new OTT (over-the-top) channel that provides the latest news on a variety of topics. The app is available to Amazon FireTV and Roku users.
Staff Announcements:
Morris Communications: Morris Publishing Group’s vice president of consumer revenue, Jeff Hartley, has been named publisher of the Log Cabin Democrat (Conway, AR), starting after the first of the year.
New York Times: Charlotte Gordon has been named vice president, international consumer marketing.
Tribune Publishing Company: Tribune Publishing Company has appointed Mark Campbell as Senior Vice President of Digital Acquisition and Marketing, beginning in January.
NAA Announcements:
Newspaper Association of America applauds introduction of Copyright Office for the Digital Economy (CODE) Act
NAA applauds the introduction of the Copyright Office for the Digital Economy Act (“CODE Act”) by Representatives Judy Chu (D-CA) and Tom Marino (R-PA). The CODE Act would establish the Copyright Office as an agency in the legislative branch, with a President-appointed Director. It would also require steps to be taken that would ensure the Copyright Office remains technologically advanced and separate – operationally and financially – from the Library of Congress.
Deadline Extended! Enter the Third Annual NAA Accelerator Pitch Program
The deadline for the 2016 Accelerator Pitch has been extended! NAA will accept submissions for its third annual Accelerator Pitch program at NAA mediaXchange 2016 through December 31, 2015. The program provides media startups the opportunity to showcase their businesses in front of 1,000 newspaper media industry executives and their colleagues at NAA mediaXchange, which will take place April 17-20, 2016 in Washington, DC. Read more.
What We’re Reading:
Wrist reporting: Testing the limits of the Apple Watch on assignment (RJI Online)
Three University of Missouri School of Journalism students tested the reporting capabilities of the Apple Watch to see how they compared to the iPhone. While the Watch can be used to gather certain story components, it comes up short of the iPhone, which can be used to produce a publication-ready product in the field.
How a small team in Wisconsin delivers investigative reporting to 10 Gannett papers (Columbia Journalism Review)
Gannett’s “I-team” works from three separate newsrooms across Wisconsin to provide investigative journalism to 10 Gannett publications in the state. The team works on self-directed projects and coordinates with other Gannett editors across the state to bring projects to publication.
New Washington Post promotional unit integrates editorial content to deliver a tailored ad experience (The Washington Post)
The Washington Post launched a new product, PostPulse, that pairs Post editorial content with advertising and targets the content to audience segments based on their interests. The product uses proprietary technology that allows advertisers to engage with audiences on and off The Post’s platform.
Figuring Out Digital Ads, Learning to Love Print Again (Nieman Lab)
NAA CEO David Chavern’s “Predictions for Journalism 2016,” focused on figuring out the digital ad arena and recognizing the true power and value of print advertising.
A New Emphasis on Fact-Checking in Real Time (New York Times)
A look at how The New York Times is approaching fact-checking in its coverage of the 2016 presidential campaign. One new feature is embedded Fact Checks in news articles and on social media to add context to statements, such as during political debates.
What’s your idea? Apply now for 2016-2017 RJI Fellowships (RJI Online)
The Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute has issued its call for entries for its 2016-2017 RJI Fellowships. There are three types of RJI fellowships: residential, nonresidential and institutional. The deadline to apply is February 15. For more information and to apply visit https://www.rjionline.org/fellowships
Lindsey is Director, Communications at the News/Media Alliance. She has over 15 years of experience working in communications for nonprofits.