Public Notices Already in the Line of Fire: Virginia’s E-Press for August 1

LOOKING AHEAD TO THE ASSEMBLY

Local Government Mandate Review Task Force takes aim at public notices in newspapers
As announced last week, Governor McDonnell's Task Force for Local Government Mandate Review met July 30 in Glen Allen with a packed agenda of items for consideration, one of which was publication of public notices in newspapers. The "possible solution" posed by the task force would be to remove the mandate for newspaper publication and use electronic communications as a cost-saving measure.

Ginger Stanley, VPA executive director, testified before the task force, citing VPA's survey of Virginia citizens from October 2011 and other facts and figures supporting the publication of public notices in newspapers. Megan Rhyne of VCOG also spoke in favor of keeping notices in newspapers. The opposing local government perspective was voiced by the Virginia Municipal League and representatives of the Norfolk and Virginia Beach city governments.

While not endorsing Del. Steven Landes' legislative proposal that would give localities options for circulating public notices, the task force will invite Del. Landes to its next meeting to discuss his bill, which has been introduced and defeated for each of the past four years.

VPA's Public Notice Task Force meets tomorrow, August 2, to begin planning its strategy for the coming legislative session. Watch for much more to come as we prepare for the 2013 Assembly!

VPA TOTAL MEDIA DIRECTORY

Advertising space is going quickly in the new VPA Virginia Total Media Directory -- a publication that will still include all of our member newspaper information, but now with information added for TV, radio, current state events, current elected officials, etc.

This TOTAL MEDIA Directory will be distributed to all members (including our business members), advertising agencies, national advertisers, corporate executives, Virginia businesses, all statewide officeholders, and most state agencies. The directory will not only be distributed in print, but also in an electronic format.

Don't miss your opportunity to be featured in VPA's first Total Media Directory! If you would like to place a full-page color ad on one of the pages, please reserve your space quickly, as these premium spaces are the first to be requested. Please give Adriane Long a call at 804-521-7585 or email if you have any questions. Rate Card: http://www.vpa.net/images/pdf/directoryratecard1213al.pdf

TRAINING SPOTLIGHT

Share your thoughts on professional development
Is there a training session you'd like to see VPA offer during the coming year? Was there one you found especially helpful this past year? Now's the time to share your ideas with VPA's Professional Development Committee, which will meet August 9 to plan programming for 2012-13. If you have feedback to share, email Kim Woodward, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), no later than Tuesday, August 7.

UPCOMING WEBINARS

How to pursue an investigative project while juggling other stories
Thursday, September 13 / 2-3 p.m. EDT
We keep hearing about how important investigative reporting is to our newspapers' readers, yet these pieces take time. Moreover, our staffing resources are tight and reporters have to tackle other duties. This session provides tips on how to handle multiple stories and have time for the regular grind as well. Deadline to register for the $35 fee is Monday, September 10. A $10 late registration fee begins on Tuesday, September 11. Information/Registration: http://www.onlinemediacampus.com/2012/07/jugglingstories/

Digital Monetization
Friday, September 14 / 2-3 p.m. EDT
The Five Faces of a Multi-Media Salesperson: We've been selling print for YEARS so why is this online thing so difficult? This session will focus on building upon a foundation of successful audience-based sales by taking a look at roles within other industries that provide a framework for the salesperson of the future. Regardless of market size or digital opportunities, you are guaranteed to walk away with actionable insights and tools for increasing revenue.
Specifically, we'll focus on:
* Research Methods to Help Close the Sale
* Education and Providing Perspective for Clients
* Idea Development
* Setting the Stage for Effective Measurement
* Retaining, Optimizing and Upselling the Campaign
Deadline to register for the $35 fee is Tuesday, September 11. A $10 late registration fee begins on Wednesday, September 12.
Information/Registration: http://www.onlinemediacampus.com/2012/07/digital-monetization/

Previously announced webinars:

The Art of Selling Deals: Strategies for Securing the Best Offers with Inland Press Association
Wednesday, August 29 / 3 p.m. EDT
Information/Registration: http://www.inlandpress.biz/webinars/?ref=8292012

Online Promotions: Tapping Into a New Revenue Source
with Online Media Campus
Thursday, August 30 / 2-3 p.m. EDT
Information/Registration: http://www.onlinemediacampus.com/2012/07/onlinepromotions/

VPA partners with Online Media Campus and Inland Press Association to offer learning opportunities to our members. Each program allows participation by an unlimited number of people at your site, using one Internet connection and one phone.

VPA Training and Education Page: http://www.vpa.net/index.php/education/

MEMBER NEWS

Media General lays off 75 at Richmond offices
Media General Inc. cut 75 positions across all departments at its corporate offices in Richmond on July 31, leaving the company with about 140 corporate employees.

The reductions come just over a month after the company completed the sale of 63 of its newspapers and publications in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Alabama to Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway Inc. The $142 million deal left Media General with 18 television stations and digital media operations.

In a letter to employees (published on JimRomenesko.com), Media General President and CEO Marshall N. Morton said the cuts were necessary for the "smaller, more focused" company: http://jimromenesko.com/2012/07/31/media-general-gives-pink-slips-to-75-employees/

THE BOTTOM LINE

Economic slowdown affects ad growth, forecasts
Steve McClellan wrote in MediaPost this week that advertising growth is being impacted by the slowed economy to the point that ad agencies are revising their forecasts. The U.S. Commerce Department reported on July 27 that the economy grew at a rate of just 1.5% in the second quarter, down one-half of a percentage point from the first quarter, when Gross Domestic Product grew 2%. Read more: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/179754/slowed-economy-impacts-ad-growth-agencies-revise.html

NEWS ABOUT NEWS
Have recommendations for other sites? Send them to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)!
American Journalism Review: http://www.ajr.org
Columbia Journalism Review: http://www.cjr.org
Daily Briefing: http://www.journalism.org
Editor & Publisher: http://www.editorandpublisher.com
Investigative Reporters & Editors:
Mediabistro: http://www.mediabistro.com
National Newspaper Association: http://www.nnaweb.org
Newspaper Association of America: http://www.naa.org
Poynter: http://www.poynter.org
Public Notice Resource Center: http://www.pnrc.net
Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute: http://www.rjionline.org
Jim Romenesko: http://www.jimromenesko.com
The Rural Blog: http://irjci.blogspot.com
Society of Professional Journalists: http://www.spj.org

2011 VPA Contests
Click here to access the gallery: http://omnicontests4.com/gallery-search.aspx?gallery_id=11

National Newspaper Week kicks off October
Mark your calendar for National Newspaper Week, the first week in October! It's a great time to remind your readers of the importance of newspapers in their daily lives, and the role newspapers play in protecting citizens' right to know what their government is doing. It's a great time for VPA members to use those materials featured on the Public Notices resource page on http://www.vpa.net.

2013 Conference Dates
Next year's VPA/The Associated Press News & Advertising Conference will be held April 19-20 at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott. Contest information is coming this fall... start thinking about your entries now!

Who should be getting E-Press? Let us know!
Do you find yourself forwarding Virginia's E-Press every week to fellow staff members? Have you retired but still want to keep up with your VPA colleagues? Is there a new employee who should be added to our mailing lists? If you'd like to add people to our electronic (and postal) mailing lists, or if there are updates we need to make to our records, please send the names and email addresses to Caroline Cardwell, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), at VPA.

Job hunting? Hiring? Start with VPA!
For job hunters, VPA's online classifieds are a great place to start. Listings are added each week. And if you have a position to fill, remember that VPA members can post classifieds for free. Check it out!

Network for Rewards!
Participants in Virginia Press Services' Statewide Classified Ad (SCAN) and 2x2 Networks can earn significant rewards. If you are not participating and would like to begin, or if you are only participating in one network and would like to join both, please contact Adriane Long, Statewide Classified/2x2 Coordinator, at 804-521-7585 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Expert Advice: Ask the Columnists
Newspaper Technology: Kevin Slimp
Common Sense Journalism: Doug Fisher
Writing Matters: Jim Stasiowski
Design for Readers: Ed Henninger
Ad-libs: John Foust
Visit http://www.vpa.net/index.php/education/article/expert_advice_ask_the_columnists1/ for contact information!