How will the Legislature deal with a record budget surplus, and what will it mean for taxpayer pocketbooks? Are there implications for public safety with the proposal to legalize marijuana? Which …
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Jim Pumarlo
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5/2/23
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This month’s column is mainly from someone else, because it illustrates a serious problem facing rural newspapers: How do they manage increasingly contentious public discourse and still …
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Al Cross
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2/16/23
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Here’s a periodic action item for every newspaper: The exercise can be quite revealing in evaluating how you are connecting with various audiences. It is even more important in today’s …
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Jim Pumarlo
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2/6/23
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Surviving in today’s fractured media landscape depends on your ability to identify, collect and deliver the relevant community news. That job becomes more challenging if readers become …
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Jim Pumarlo
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1/18/23
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My formula for shaping newspaper content is straightforward: Present a blend of stories that people like to read and stories they should read. Under the “should read” category, consider …
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Jim Pumarlo
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11/18/22
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You are the first editor of your writing. Yes, you are the first editor.
You are the writer, too. You wrote with both sides of your brain.
The right artistic side helped …
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Jerry Bellune
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10/20/22
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Newsrooms have toiled the past many weeks churning out stories to help voters make informed choices on Election Day. Now you’re ready to put the exclamation point on coverage.
“Votes …
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Jim Pumarlo
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10/10/22
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It's been more than two years since I received my last paycheck from a newspaper company. In that time, I've had the opportunity to advocate for local newspapers that remain Relevant to their …
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Tom Silvestri
The Relevance Project
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9/29/22
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Do you occasionally think you can’t write diddley squat?
Relax. English isn’t all that hard.
Even Henneke Duistermaat, who speaks English with a Dutch accent, learned to …
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JERRY BELLUNE
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9/29/22
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The N.C. Court of Appeals handed down some very good news for journalists this month. The case arose after the arrest of Wesley Walker for an assault. WTVD’s Ed Crump emailed the Wake County …
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Amanda Martin
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8/31/22
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As we gather to celebrate Independence Day, it’s a good time to reflect on how our most fundamental freedoms have served this nation well. It’s an even better time to think about what …
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Ken Paulson
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6/24/22
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Crime and public safety are garnering more headlines across the country. Law enforcement and racial disparities in the criminal justice system are under increasing scrutiny. Newspapers play a key …
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Jim Pumarlo
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6/14/22
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Coverage of public affairs – recording the actions and inactions of governing bodies from local to federal levels – demands attention from newsrooms year-round. And for good reason. …
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Jim Pumarlo
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5/2/22
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We all know that public records are the property of the people and that, generally speaking, public agencies can only charge you the costs of actual duplication – the cost of the paper, the ink …
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Beth Soja, Amanda Martin
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3/31/22
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Election coverage was a priority when I toiled behind the editor’s desk. It was all-hands-on-deck in the newsroom as we sought information to help voters make their choices.
As a final …
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Jim Pumarlo
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3/25/22
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I fondly characterize newsrooms as organized chaos. I witnessed that firsthand guiding staffs when resources were plentiful and community newspapers had captive audiences.
Dynamics are even more …
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Jim Pumarlo
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2/8/22
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This column is titled “Into the Issues” because it began as an effort to help community newspapers explore issues that affected their communities, sometimes from afar. It has evolved to …
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Al Cross
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2/7/22
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Almost a year ago, this column urged community newspapers to tell their readers the truth about the 2020 presidential election — that it was fairly held — to debunk the falsehoods …
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Al Cross
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1/7/22
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It’s standard procedure at many newspapers to chronicle headlines in year-end editions. The continuing social and economic impact of COVID-19 is certain to capture a lion’s share of …
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Jim Pumarlo
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1/7/22
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The members of NCPA will convene in Raleigh February 26-28 at the Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley. NCPA continues a tradition of offering free training for our members. We have tracks for editorial …
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1/3/20
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