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Truth Seekers

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ThenternationalnternationalVolume 25, No. 2 February/March 2000

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NewspaperewspaperEditorsditors

IN THIS ISSUE

Viva Las Vegas ......................................................................Pages 4-5Now, Just a Minute, the so-called thinking man’s column on journalism ....Page 5How to pronounce ’00 has international implications ..................Page 6We need hometown icons instead of those like Clark Gable .........Page 7ISWNEws .................................................................Pages 8-10, 15-19Procedure for 2000 ISWNE Editorial Critiques............................1ISWNE New Members........................................................Pages 20-22The Los Angeles Sessions ............................................Pages 12-14, 22

Published by the Department of Communications, Missouri Southern State College, Joplin, MO

Visit the ISWNE’s Web site: www.mssc.edu/iswne

itled “Justice in MarengoCounty,” the article begins:

“Exposing corruption in a very small town can be dangerous, especially when the source of it is the popular local sheriff. One crusading editor and his wifefound this out the hard way whenthey were abandoned by friends and neighbors, harassed with death threats and seemingly ignored by law enforcement agencies. Yet Goodloe and Jean Sutton would not give up. The day of reckoning, they were certain, would come. The questionwas: would they and their family be alive to see it?”

The story begins in 1991, when Marengo County elected an Alabama state trooper namedRoger Davis as sheriff. AlthoughDavis seemed to crack down on crime and drugs, the Suttons were tipped off that he was using

Truth SeekersISWNE member Goodloe Sutton, publisher of The Democrat-Reporterin Linden, Ala., is featured in a 25-pagearticle in the February issue of Reader’s Digest.

T

‘Justicein MarengoCounty ’

‘Justicein MarengoCounty ’

continued on page 2

The greatest satisfaction is that as a newspaper we did all we could, and theauthorities took it the rest of the way.

Goodloe & Jean SuttonReader’s Digest photo

February/March 2000

The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors

2

RogerDavisMarengo County sheriff,former Alabamastate patrol officer

Goodloe Sutton, 61, received a B.S. in journalism from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1963 andbecame editor and publisher of The Democrat-Reporter inLinden, Ala., a year later. He married Jean Rodgers ofJackson, Miss., on Aug. 8, 1964.

Goodloe received the Hugh M. Hefner First AmendmentAward in 1998 for his expose of Marengo County SheriffRoger Davis and the corruption in his department. He wasfeatured on the Oprah Winfrey Show on July 30, 1998, andNBC’s “Dateline” on May 16, 1999.

Goodloe is writing a book about his newspaper’s investigation into the corruption of the sheriff’s department. A draft is in the hands of five literary agents.

The Suttons have two sons, Goodloe Jr., 28, and William, 15.

the county’s drug enforcement fundto buy personal items. On severaloccasions, The Democrat-Reporterreported that Davis was ordered bythe state to repay the drug fund.The Suttons began asking theAlabama attorney general and theAlabama EthicsCommission toinvestigate, buttheir pleas seemedto fall on deaf ears.

The people ofLinden turned on the Suttons as well, threatening violence against thecouple and theirtwo sons if theycontinued their“negative, biased,and slanted reporting.” At thesame time, TheDemocrat-Reporterwas losing about$1,000 each weekin advertising revenues. Much tothe paper’s dismay,the embattled Davis was reelectedin 1994. The threats picked up,including one from Davis’ chiefdrug enforcement officer to plantdrugs in the Suttons’ house andoffice.

The Democrat-Reporter received a shot in the arm when a deputysheriff began meeting secretly with

a special agent from the Alabamaattorney general’s office. In themeantime, the sheriff and two ofhis deputies were busy extortingmoney from a drug dealer and a bail-bonding business in MarengoCounty. To further increase

their take, they eventually decided to become marijuana suppliers. When a deputy paid$8,000 to anundercover stateagent in May 1997for 10 pounds of marijuana, thegame was up.

Sheriff Davis wasarrested soon afterfor accepting $975 from the bail bondsman,sentenced to 27 months inprison, andordered to pay$43,000 in fines,back taxes, and

restitution. The county’s chief drugenforcement officer was sentencedto life in federal prison withoutparole.

“The greatest satisfaction is that asa newspaper we did all we could,and the authorities took it the restof the way,” Reader’s Digest quotesSutton as saying.

George Barrowsspecial agent with the Alabama attorney general’s office

Who’s Who

JesseLangleyMarengo County deputy & local hero

E. T.RolinsonVeteran criminal prosecutor in the U.S.Attorney’s office

The people behind the story

Truth Seekers continued from page 1

The people of Lindenturned on the Suttons as well, threatening violence against the

couple and their two sons if they continued their

“negative, biased, andslanted reporting.”

About Goodloe Sutton

What kind of a responsedid you receive from thearticle in Reader’s Digest?The first call was in mid-January fromModesto, Calif. A woman

could not believe what we haveendured. The next day, one fromDenver; third day, Salt Lake City;then three or four a day every dayand night — 30 minutes to 90 minutes per call; plus about a hundred letters and other forms of correspondence; plus, thousands of compliments fromlocal people, other publishers, and editors at the Alabama Presswinter convention; and heavenonly knows what is next. The callsand letters ranged from lavishcompliments to pleas for help,and even one or two were frompeople who had read the NewYork Times story in June 1998 andhad written for help then — theysaid we inspired them to stick with their cause, believe in helpfrom God, and used some of the techniques of investigativereporting, and persevered inpleading with state and federalofficials to intervene. I didn’tknow we had done that, but Iguess we had. We simply tried todo our best as journalists, givingour readers the facts. Then, wehad to take action as responsiblecitizens to protect the people ofthis county, and yes, to protectour own lives.

What is the latest on Sheriff Davis?Sheriff Davis is back at hishome in the rural sectionof southeastern Marengo

County. He may face morecharges soon; however, he apparently is planning to get back into the drug business, andthe FBI, DEA, ABI, and attorney general all know this, but theywon’t tell me a thing. They didn’tin the first place! Damn them!(Not really.) He poses a threat to

my family, but police randomlypatrol our street once or twiceevery hour to show presence and thereby deter any ideas Davismay have. He has gone back toWesley Chapel United MethodistChurch and stood up andannounced, “I have been accusedof a lot of things, but I didn’t doany of them.”

Are there any plans tomake a move or TV moviebased on your story?In 1999, my attorneyadvised me not to accept$300,000 for the movie

rights because there was no clausein the contract to pay us a smallpercentage of the gross revenueeach year in the future. (One ofthe children in The Sound ofMusic got $38 last year for royalties while the maker receivedmillions. Maybe my lawyer wasright.) Anyway, another agenttold me a few weeks ago thefuture royalties would be no

problem. There are no dollars in hand, yet.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell your fellow ISWNE members?My experiences with each of you has been most rewarding and I

have learned a lot. If any of youhas a really bad pun-y joke I canget on Dick McCord, please send itto me. He told me the one aboutthe ‘Moron Tab and Apple Choir’in 1998 and I haven’t gotten overthat yet. Also, tell Dick McCord to call Bob Martin at theMontgomery Independent inMontgomery, Ala. Gannettbought the capital city daily and Martin is edgy. Finally, thesheriff’s offer to burn our homewith us in it has been met by aforce greater than me, and He hasalways protected Jean, William,Goodloe Jr., and me. Thanks!

withGoodloe

SuttonQA&&

February/March 2000 3


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February/March 20004


lived over 50 years withoutever going to Las Vegas. And,

if I live another 50, I am sure I couldget by without returning. But I hope I don’t have to.

It’s not that Las Vegas turned out tobe my all-time favorite place. But it isinteresting enough that I would liketo go back someday. I certainlywouldn’t go out there for the gambling. What little gambling I want to do can be done much closer to home.

I recently did have an honest reason to go. It was for a directors’meeting of the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors.

Carolyn and I decided that since neither one of us had ever been toVegas, we would go a little bit earlyand make a mini vacation of it. Itwas a very small vacation becauseflying out there onThursday and backon Sunday afternoondoes not leave muchtime for sightseeing.Especially whenSaturday is consumed by an all-day meeting.

But it did give us alittle time to get theflavor of Las Vegas. Iguess travelers get theflavor just as soon asthey arrive. Walkingoff the plane andinto the airportrequires going rightpast the slotmachines. Arriving at the hotel, we were also confrontedby slot machines aswe checked in.

For those who arefamiliar with Vegasstrip, we stayed at the Riviera. It isone of the older hotels, from the1960s. The Riviera is at the oppositeend of the strip from the new hugehotels like the MGM Grand,Mandalay Bay and Luxor.

My favorite part of Las Vegas was notLas Vegas at all.

It was the trip on Friday to Hoover

Dam. Carolyn and I had both beenfascinated by TV documentariesabout the building of Hoover Dam, orBoulder Dam as it was first named.

While it is only a fraction as long asthe Smithland Dam, Hoover Dam is726 feet high and at the base is 660feet thick. It dams the Black Canyon

of the Colorado Riverforming Lake Mead,which is 115 mileslong.

During its construction in theearly 1930s, 3,500people worked on thedam at all times. Itwas a massive projectfor those days, oreven now. To furnisha place for the workers to live, and to try to keep themout of rowdy LasVegas, the town ofBoulder City wasbuilt.

It was one of the firstplanned communitiesin the United States.Today it looks like avery nice place to live.Unlike most ofNevada, gambling

is not allowed in Boulder City.

Two other places near Las Vegas Iwould like to have visited are RedRock Cannon and Mt. Charleston.Unfortunately, we ran out of timebefore driving to them.

Several members of our group boughtadvanced tickets for a spectacularwater show called “O.” By the time I

got around to trying to purchase tickets, they only had individualrestricted view seats behind posts, and still the price was $90 per ticket.So Carolyn and I opted to see themusical, “Chicago.” That award-winning musical, set in Chicago inthe late 1920s, was playing in the theater of the Mandalay Bay Casino.The play was very good, the $18 buffet was OK, but Carolyn and Iwere really impressed by the extremely clean and well-lightedparking garage at Mandalay Bay.

To soak up a little bit more of the Las Vegas strip, on Saturday nightseveral of our group went to theFollies Bergere at the TropicanaCasino. The Follies include singingand dancing to all sorts of music withlovely scenery, interesting set changesand beautiful bodies. In some casesthe bodies were scantily clad.

Seeing a ballet dancer perform in a topless costume gave me a wholenew appreciation for the art of ballet.Actually, the dancer was so good, thatmost of the time you hardly noticedthat she only put on the bottom halfof her costume.

I was a little shocked when the special guest comedians came out fortheir part of the Follies. They wereMario and Daniel, two brothers whohad performed in Metropolis, Ill. Theywere the opening act for KennyRogers at one of Players summer concerts.

Driving down the strip, one sees a huge sign about Mr. Las Vegas,Wayne Newton, being back in town.

Las VegasLas VegasViva

By Clyde Wills, ISWNE Board of DirectorsMetropolis Planet

Metropolis, IL

I

It’s not that Las Vegasturned out to be my

all-time favorite place.But it is interesting

enough that I would liketo go back someday.

I certainly wouldn’t go out there for the

gambling. What littlegambling I want to do can

be done much closer to home.

continued on page 5



ou could almost see it coming,but you couldn’t get out of the

way, like an Alaskan avalanche.

It is near full employment, or a record low 4.0 percent unemployednationally. And what it is doing tosmall newspapers we need to discuss.I would like to start a dialogue here.If you have comments, please forward them to me. In the lastmonth, I have talked to three separate editors of small papers, with differing employment situations.

One is in a prosperous factory town, and she can’tkeep help very long. Another runs three newspapersout of one office, and hired two college graduates thispast summer. “We just kept plugging and promotingthe opportunities we have,” he said. A third took acouple of months to finds a sports writer, and heardevery excuse known to mankind during the search.

What are you doing to find reporters? Kentucky isworking on a three-week boot camp for beginningreporters this summer. Growing your own seems to beone way to go, especially since college students nowoften come out with five-figure loans to repay and usually can’t afford to start at low salaries.

Do you contact campuses? You almost have to be there to sell yourself and your paper as an opportunityto grow. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Fewsmaller papers do, but it did work for the group withthree papers out of one office.

And remember the words of the National Federation ofPress Women, which studied graduates of three Kansasuniversities recently. The low salaries cited by some of the graduates were not their main concern. Lowsalaries were not cited as the major problem. What the beginning reporters wanted was the opportunity tolearn new things, flex-time, and good mentors. They

knew they were unsure about themselves, and theywere looking for editors who would take time to helpthem with their adjustments. Good editors know thesestudents may eventually leave, but they still give themas much opportunity to grow and prosper as they canwhile they are at your paper.

Yes, this is going to take more time, but isn’t it betterthan not having any help at all?And what about a bright local high school studentwho shows you they can do the work? Could you consider helping them with some of their tuition in return for a promise of X years with you after graduation?

The bottom line is that newspapers do not improve bythrowing money at their problems. They thrive whenthey try innovative solutions to difficult problems. Thebest thing an editor/publisher has going for him/her isan imaginative approach.

Let me hear from you on how you handle your editorial staffing needs, and we will share this withother readers of this newsletter.

Now,aJust

MinuteaJust

MinuteThe so-called thinking man’s

column on journalism

BY RAY LAAKANIEMIBowling Green State University

Email [email protected] or write Box 71, East Tawas, MI. 48730-0071) Phone (419) 372-2078.

Y

And of course, many of us saw himin Metropolis, at a much cheaperprice than people pay in Las Vegas.

While Carolyn and I dropped a fewquarters into slot machines never tosee them again, there was one bigwinner in our group — or at least abig winner by not being a big loser.

Prior to going out Saturday night,several members of our group hadagreed to meet in the bar at the

Riviera Casino. While sitting therewaiting for others to come, thiswoman set her purse down beside thetable. As others arrived we decided tomove to another location where morechairs were available. After movingto the new location and the last people arriving, we all decided it wastime to leave. But lo and behold thepurse had apparently been left on thefloor where we originally were sitting.

Returning to that spot, there was of

course, no purse to be seen. However,after describing the purse to the nearby bartender, it quickly wasbrought out from behind the bar and given to the frantic woman. After being left in the midst of a thousand money-hungry people, thepurse was intact with all the money,credit cards, identification and suchstill in it.

I would say that woman was a big winner.

Viva Las Vegas continued from page 4

000? 2000 of WHAT?

I’m not comfortable with 2000expressed as a year. It just doesn’thave the right look and ring to it,and I’m ready to go back to 1999.And it gets even worse when it’sexpressed as ’00. Not only does itlook funny, how is it pronounced?

I have reason to believe this issue is causing all kinds of problems, not only in America but in othercountries. I’m getting ready to visitfriends in Ireland again, and I figure I’ll get some first-hand information about how this wholething is being handled over there.But I hear it’s not good.

For example, David Burke, a journalist colleague of mine whoedits and publishes the weeklyTuam Herald in the Republic ofIreland’s County Galway, writes acolumn which for decades, beginning first with his fatherJarlath, had been titled OMNIBUS85 or OMNIBUS 99, or whateverparticular year it happened to be.

I mentioned to David several yearsago that he was going to have a bigproblem when the century turned,because 00 following the O inOMNIBUS would make it appear as a three-eyed creature ready toleap from the page and tackle thereader. I wasn’t alone in makingsimilar predictions, so Daviddropped an age-old tradition. Nowhe simply calls it OMNIBUS.

So you see, this zero stuff has international implications, andthat’s why I feel the year 2000should be ruled illegal and called

off immediately. For example,

how in tarnation does one say he or she owns a new ’00 vehicle? Is it an “aught-aught”? Or a “double-aught,” “zero-zero,” “double-zero,”“O-O” or “double-O”? Or, perhapsmore properly,“naught-naught” or “double-naught”?

Aside from DavidBurke’s problemswith OMNIBUS inthe Republic ofIreland, certain factions in NorthernIreland have dividedthemselves intopolitical camps overthis issue. Now thereare the “Naughts”and the “O’s.” Andrumor even has itthat former U.S. Sen.George Mitchellonce again is heading across theAtlantic to help broker an Irishpeace over this newflare-up. But it maybe unusually difficult this timebecause severalfringe parties have emerged. Two expected to be especially tough to reckon withare the “O-Zero” breakaway groupof the Naughts and the naughtier“Naught-Naught” splinter elementof the O’s.

Beyond the Irish issues, the end of the 1900s has brought concernsto me on a personal level. Forexample, when I turned 16 my first car was a ’49 Ford that my dad

bought me, which was in ’55. Now I feel as if I have to prefacesuch references with “19,” whichfeels totally unnatural. But it won’t be long before that’s

an absolute requirement or we’ll get the centuries confused.

I really had wanteda new ’55 Ford inthe first place. You know howungrateful kids are.

However, I had tosettle for a used ’49,which I wish I hadlistened to myfather and keptbecause it wouldhave been a classic by now. But maybe I’ll have another shotat it — genetically, at least.

My 2-year-oldgrandson Jacobcould someday havea son who would be 16 in ’55, and he could buy the kid a ’49 Ford.Besides requiring

him to keep it, Jacob could tell mygreat-grandson a little bit aboutme.

Such as that I wailed all my lifeabout not keeping that ’49 Ford,and I finally lost my marbles.

But it was on a flight to Irelandpracticing how to pronounce ’00properly.

2

BY JIMSAWYER

How to pronouce ’00 has international implications

I mentioned to David several years ago that he was going

to have a big problemwhen the century turned,

because 00 following the O in OMNIBUS

would make it appear as a three-eyed creature

ready to leapfrom the page and tackle the reader.

February/March 2000


6



lark Gable, the movie actor, may well have beenone of the most dastardly persons ever to live.

Consider the fact that it was he who uttered the infamous “damn” in Gone With the Wind, breaking the code of language usage in movies and opening the floodgates, as it were, to the language we hear in filmstoday. (I pointed all this out in a previous column.)

Consider the fact that it washe who removed his shirt inthe film It Happened OneNight, revealing that he woreno undershirt. The sales ofundershirts dropped across thenation and even yet today,more than 60 years later,many men don’t feel compelled to wear undershirts.

Consider the fact that it washe, as Fletcher Christian, whogave credence to the notion that one could lead a mutinyand become a hero.

There are other transgressions of his that I can perhapsforgive, but in Teacher’s Pet as a hardboiled newspapereditor he went too far. He made fun of college journalisminstructors, just as I was entering the profession. The factthe journalism instructor he ridiculed was played byDoris Day made matters even worse.

I suppose it really does no good to rant and rave about a movie actor whose career began in 1926 andended with his death in 1961. Probably many readershave only the vaguest memories of him and those memories, for the most part, are reflected memoriesgained from television late shows.

The fact of the matter is that Clark Gable was a cultureicon in his time and he did impact on the lives and socialmores of a vast number of people. There are icons todaywho have the same effect, and while a reader may laughat my suggestions that Gable’s influences in the mattersnoted were hardly significant, I’ll wager that some of

those individuals rant and rave about the influences ofmodern-day icons.

And where do most of the icons gain their exposure andhave their influence? In the media, and we are part ofthe media. Remember when the movie star VeronicaLake in the early 1940s wore her hair with a bang overone eye? Factories had to require women to pull their

hair back out of their eyes. So many women were emulating this icon’s hairstyle thatwomen, now occupying a majorportion of thewartime workforce,were sufferinginjuries because oftheir inability to seetheir work clearly.

Newspapers even ran public service ads about hairdos!

And how many clothing fads have been influenced bymovies and other media?

My part in the media today is as an observer, a consumer, a sometimes contributor, and a frequent critic.And when a granddaughter chooses a hairstyle becauseof Shania Twain, and a grandson talks like a characteron “South Park,” I just sit back quietly, crumple up whatever newspaper I have had in my hands and mumble: “Clark Gable!”

So can we find new icons for the young? I know we’llnever be able to replace the Leonard DiCaprios or whoever else may be “in,” but can’t we find icons in our hometowns, in our daily lives? Or is it too late? Are we truly in an age of “Me-ism” and power-grabbing emulation and self-adulation that looking around us to find those worth writing about and talking about atthe local level is too much of a stretch?

Oh, well. I intend to watch a Clark Gable movie tonightand wonder what he had that I never got.

HOMETOWN ICONSCLARK GABLE

We needWe need

Insteadof those

like

Insteadof those

like

BY RICHARD W. MASSARetired Communications Department HeadFormer Director, Institute of International StudiesMissouri Southern State College

C

There are other transgressions of his that I can perhaps forgive, but in Teacher’s Pet as a

hardboiled newspaper editor, he went too far. He made fun of college journalism instructors,

just as I was entering the profession.

February/March 2000


8

ISWNESend your ISWNEws to Chad Stebbins at [email protected] or to Missouri Southern State College,3950 E. Newman Road, Joplin, MO 64801-1595 by April 15, 2000 for next month’s newsletter.

NEWSmajor earthquake is expected in the coastal

region of British Columbia, but ISWNE confer-ence director Tony Richards says he will do all he canto prevent it from happening during July’s conferencein Victoria. According to seismologists, two oceanicplates are currently locked together, causing strain to build up in the earth’s crust. At some point it isexpected that the plates will snap loose and generatea huge offshore, subduction earthquake. Geologicalevidence shows that huge subduction earthquakeshave struck the B.C. coast every 300-800 years.

Before prospective conference-goers rush to cancel their travel plans, note that the foregoinginformation is offered as a glimpse into the Victoriaconference agenda. Seismologist Taimi Mulder of the Pacific Geoscience Centre in nearby Sidney willaddress ISWNE members about the earthquake danger.

The conference is scheduled for July 5-9 at theUniversity of Victoria, which sits on the edge ofBritish Columbia’s capital city. Because Victoria isthe centre of the B.C. political universe, delegates will tour the provincial legislature and hear from alocal expert on the state of politics in the province.B.C. has long been regarded as somewhat loonie as

far as politics are concerned. University of Victoriapolitical science professor Norman Ruff will explainwhy.

ISWNE is more about editorial writing and goodnewspapers than politics and earthquakes, so delegates will also spend some time on the businessof publishing a good paper. The editorial critique has been revamped through the efforts of ISWNE Vice President Tim Waltner, with the most significantimprovement being the requirement for delegates to send copies of their paper to a handful of other members. This will give everyone a chance to reviewpapers well in advance before discussing them at thecritique.

A new session this year will be for the presentation of editorial ideas. What editorial initiatives have you initiated in the past year that improved yourproduct? Bring them to the conference and sharethem with like-minded folk.

More speakers are being lined up as you read this, and plans are being finalized for a tour ofworld-renowned Butchart Gardens and the RoyalBritish Columbia Museum. Watch future newslettersfor further details.

ISWNE Annual Conference NewsA

Relevant websites:• B.C. Ferry Corporation:

http://www.bcferries.bc.ca • Travel sites:

http://www.travel.bc.ca http://www.discoverbc.comhttp://www.gulfislands.net

• University of Victoria: http://mpg.uvic.ca/index.html

• Butchart Gardens: http://www.butchartgardens.com

• Royal British Columbia Museum: http://rbcm1.rbcm.gov.bc.ca

Registration Costs: Early Bird, before May 1, 2000• Adults, $375• 1st and 2nd time registrations, $350• Children 18 and under, $325

After May 1:• Adults, $425• 1st and 2nd time registrations, $400• Children 18 and under, $375

All prices in US dollars.Please send payment to ISWNE 2000, c/o Driftwood Publishing Ltd., 328 Lower Ganges Rd., Salt Spring Island, B.C. V8K 2V3 Canada, cheques payable to ISWNE 2000.

resident Elliott Freireich calledthe meeting to order at 9 a.m.

1. The minutes of the June 12, 1999, June 30, 1999, and July 2, 1999, board meetings were approved (Waltner/Trapp Jr.).

2. Stebbins reported ISWNE had a current checking account balance of $24,714.53. Trapp Sr. said ISWNE was in the best financial condition he had seen in years. The board discussed mailing letters and invoices in four weeks to those members who have not paid membership dues for 2000. The financial statement was approved (Trapp Sr./Waltner).

3. The board voted that Stebbins should be paid $5,000 each July 1 for his previous year’s work as ISWNE executive secretary-treasurer (Wills/Murray). Stebbins said the money would be divided with Genie Undernehr, who designs all of ISWNE’s publications and maintains its Web site.

4. The board discussed the $8,913.18 made by the 1999 Halifax conference. Murray said the low Canadian dollar, some sponsorships, and lower bills than expected from Dalhousie University contributed to the conference’s financial success. Murray raised the issue of whether the conference was intended to make money for the Society. Wills said ideally it would generate a few thousand dollars. Waltner said it was a mistake to look at the conferences as “cash cows,” because members want to bring their families and want an affordable conference.

5. Richards apprised the board of the upcoming Victoria conference. He said members can expect “upscale” accommodations at the University of Victoria. He recommended that attendees rent a car to best see the area. He asked for the board’s advice on using meal cards and having attendees

pay for their meals separately. Waltner recommended includingthe meals as part of the registrationfee. “You’re asking for problems ifpeople have to settle up food billsbefore they leave,” he said.

Richards said his conference wouldaddress four main topics: thesalmon fishery dispute between the United States and Canada;native land claims; how provincialgovernment works; and the majorearthquake predicted on the southcoast of British Columbia. Specialinterest topics would include an editorial idea session, editorial writing, ethics, and an editorial critique. Richards hopes all conference attendees will be presenton Wednesday afternoon, July 5, forthe opening speaker. He said peoplecould arrive Tuesday night and payan additional charge for lodging.Richards is tentatively planning atrip to Butchart Gardens on Fridayand a whale watching excursionSaturday afternoon. The awardsdinner would be held Saturdaynight.

Richards asked the board for a clarification on the number of people who are not required to paythe conference fee. He was told six:the Golden Quill judge, the GoldenQuill winner, the executive secretary-treasurer, the conferencechairperson and spouse, and theCervi winner. Travel expenses arealso paid for these six. (During thein camera session, it was decided

that the executive secretary-treasurer’s spouse would be added tothe list.) Additionally, the ISWNE isto award four scholarships annually.The scholarships pay the conferencefee, but not transportation to theconference. Waltner said any ISWNEmember can nominate scholarship recipients.

The board asked Richards to selectthe Golden Quill judge from BritishColumbia to reduce travel expensesto the conference. Trapp Sr. said hepreferred the judge be a workingjournalist rather than a professor.The board then addressed the problem of previous contests including columns among the winning entries. Trapp Jr. suggestedincluding a definition of what aneditorial is. Waltner drafted a statement that said “Entries shouldreflect the purpose of the ISWNE:Encouraging the writing of editorialsthat identify issues that are or shouldbe of concern to the community,offer an opinion and support acourse of action.” Waltner’s state-ment was approved (Slepicka/TrappJr.), with the understanding it wouldbe given to this year’s judge andbrought before the membership inJuly.

The board voted (Slepicka/Wills) to form a conference committeeconsisting of four members: the conference chairperson, next year’sconference chairperson, the ISWNEvice president, and the executivesecretary-treasurer. The committeewill assist the conference chair andwill be responsible for the editorialcritiques, the awards banquet, andselecting the scholarship recipients.The conference chair is to serve asthe committee chair.

Waltner requested that Dick Lee beasked to be serve on a committeethat would solicit nominations for the Cervi Award. “Dick is a valuable resource that we shouldtap,” Waltner said. Past ISWNEpresidents would also make up thecommittee. The board asked that



International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors

Board of Directors Winter Meeting January 29, 2000

Riveria HotelLas Vegas, Nevada

In Attendance:

Elliott FreireichTim WaltnerChad StebbinsBruce MurrayTony Richards

Nancy SlepickaBob Trapp Sr.Bob Trapp Jr.Clyde Wills

P Minutes

continued on page 10



a list of past presidents be included in a future newsletter.

Waltner, who was placed in charge of editorial critiques for the Victoria conference at the July 2, 1999, board of directors meeting, updated the board on his plan. Upon registration, each newspaper will be assigned to an editorial critique group. (See further details elsewhere in this newsletter.)

Trapp Sr. said some groups mistakenly try to critique the entire newspaper. “We’re after editorial writing and editorial pages,” he said.

The board also discussed a letter from Marg Hennigar, last year’s conference host, dated October 28, 1999. Hennigar had several suggestions for improving the editorial page critiques, including:

A.The convention committee or chairman has too much to do and should not have to organize editorial page critiques. A separate committee should do that.

B.Critiques should be organized six or eight months before a conference.

C.It is unfair to members to expect them to read and judge newspapers in the midst of a busy conference.

6. Future conference sites were discussed. The 2001 conference will be in Madison, Wis., with Bill and Jan Haupt serving as hosts. Stebbins agreed to host the 2002 conference in Joplin, Mo. The Black Hills of South Dakota was mentioned as a possible site for 2003. Freireich said he would like to reserve 2004 — the ISWNE’s 50th anniversary — for southern Illinois. The board suggested that an item be placed in the newsletter to generate interest and proposals for future conference sites.

7. The board briefly discussed the ISWNE Web site. It was suggested that all members create a link from their newspaper Web sites to the ISWNE site. Waltner said he had been giving out the ISWNE address to prospective members.

8. Stebbins updated the board on his efforts to recruit new members. The board examined its current three-panel brochure, published in 1998. Waltner suggested updating it and turning it into a four-panel brochure, with the additional panel used for a membership application.

The board voted (Richards/Trapp Jr.) to authorize Haupt to place two quarter-page ads in both Publishers’ Auxiliary and the Canadian Community Newspapers Association’s The Publisher promoting the Victoria conference and ISWNE. Haupt may

spend up to $2,500 for the four ads.

Waltner pointed out that ISWNE was missing out on some free publicity by not sending out news releases promoting its various activities. He volunteered to write a news release about the ISWNE’s winter board meeting.

9. Stebbins reported on his investigation of 501c3 (tax-exempt) status for the Society. He said it would cost $500, plus attorney’s fee, to seek a ruling from the IRS on whether the Society was eligible. “Basically, you fill out a 10-page form, send it off, and hope for a favorable ruling,” he said. “If accepted, you have to file a report every year.” Stebbins said he had checked with Larry Atkinson, who had looked into the matter last year.

Atkinson had told him: “It is my understanding that our current tax structure might allow tax deductible donations right now. If so, we would not need to establish a 501c3.” Freireich and Waltner said they knew of ISWNE members who might endow scholarships, but they wanted to make sure their contributions were tax deductible. Stebbins said one possibility would be that the money could be donated to the Missouri Southern Foundation, with the money earmarked for ISWNE scholarships. Freireich said he would consult with his family’s attorney before Stebbins scheduled an appointment with a tax attorney in Joplin. The board wondered whether any ISWNE members were attorneys and could provide free legal advice.

10.The board will recommend that ISWNE keep a one-year term for the Society’s president (Trapp Sr./Slepicka). At the July 2, 1999, general membership meeting, it was decided that increasing the president’s term to two years would be voted on at the next general membership meeting. The board will recommend that the by-laws not be changed.

It was announced that Slepicka and Richards’ three-year terms as board members would expire in July.

11.Under new business, the board had a philosophical discussion about corporate sponsorships for the annual conferences. Murray said he and Marg Hennigar had operated under the assumption last year that corporate sponsorships were not to be pursued. Richards said because Lighthouse Publishing had been accepted as a sponsor, it opened the door for anyone. Freireich said Gannett’s Freedom Forum, as an example, would not be acceptable. It was decided that the general membership should discuss the issue in July.

The board adjourned at 4:20 p.m.

Minutes continued from page 9



BY TIMWALTNER2000 ISWNE

Editorial Critiques

Procedure forProcedure for

TOPICS WILL INCLUDE:• Reaction to each of the editorials from the

group• Strengths and weakness of each of the

editorials• What about the rest of the editorial page?

EVERYONE SHOULD BE PREPARED TO RESPOND WITH:• What I like about this editorial/page is:• One suggestion I would make to improve

this page is:

EACH EDITORIAL WRITER/NEWSPAPER REPRESENTATIVESHOULD BE PREPARED TO RESPOND TO THESE QUESTIONS:• Why did you choose this subject?• Why do you use this writing style?• What was your motivation to write this

editorial?• Where did you get background and

information for editorial?• What impact did this editorial have on the

community?• What is your process of writing?• Who is involved in the writing process?

Each group will include a mix of active andretired newspaper people. The critiques will be a GROUP DISCUSSION with sufficient time allocated for a group critique of each paper.

Each newspaper representative should be prepared to give a brief background descriptionof the paper and the community. The role of thecritique leaders will to facilitate discussion.

PRIOR TO THE CONFERENCE

AT THE CONFERENCE

Upon registration, each newspaper will beassigned to an editorial critique group. Eachmember will be sent the mailing addresses oftheir fellow group members. The plan is for eachgroup to have four to six papers included (oneper participant) with two to four retired or otherwise non-active participants.

Each member is to mail — IMMEDIATELY — each member of the group THREE CONSECUTIVE ISSUESFROM THE MONTH OF APRIL. The copies must arriveABSOLUTELY NO LATER THAN JUNE 1 in order to beincluded in the critique. Please note: one paper per registrant; if you publish more than one paper, you must choosethe one you want to be included in the editorialcritique.

In addition, six copies of each issue should bebulk mailed to Chad Stebbins, Missouri SouthernState College, 3950 E. Newman Road, Joplin, Mo.,64801-1595.

Each member of the group is expected to haveread the editorial pages of the papers in thegroup prior to arriving in Victoria. The completepapers are exchanged for background; the editorial critique will focus exclusively on the editorial pages. Please bring at least the editorial pages of all the members of your groupwith you to the conference.

ISWNE Vice PresidentFreeman Courier,Freeman, SD

n college, I dubbed myself “restless soul.” It was

appropriate.

I always wanted more. Somethingelse. Something to keep the bloodpumping and the creative juices flowing. It’s not that I got bored, necessarily, it’s just that often I feltlike if I became too comfortable withwhat I was doing, I got in a rut. Andit always took something grand tohelp me claw my way out. For example, I had plans to enroll at the Minneapolis College of Art andDesign. It never happened, though;never mind why.

I had another plan I thought woulddo me good; travel the country interviewing and photographing 12 of the most diverse individuals I could find who call themselvesAmericans. The book would be titled,“I talked to America.”

That plan is on hold.

There were other ideas, too, thatnever amounted to anything exceptmoments in my imagination. Ishould have had John Lennon’sfamous line tattooed on my back,“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one…”

In the years since, not much haschanged. Even at 23 — the age

when the books tell you that it’s timeto settle into something — the title of“restless soul” still applies.

Which leads me to my latest adventure, which could be called,“From small town editor to renegade filmmaker.” Or, for thosewho prefer a more direct approach,“How to succeed in filmmaking without ever doing it before.”

Of course, I haven’t succeeded yet.The process has just begun. And it’sjust what this “restless soul” needs.

For those who have bothered to continue reading through my dibble — and for those who haveboth the time and patience for more— allow me now bring you up tospeed on my latest grand adventure.

It all started last July, the kind ofsticky summer evening that madeyou giddy with anticipation of themonths to come. The phone rang itsnormal ring. What followed wouldultimately change the rest of myyear…and maybe my life. But that isyet to be determined.

It was my buddy calling from LosAngeles, his voice crystal clear withexcitement. “Are you sitting down?”he asked. I told him I wasn’t.

“You should probably sit down,” he said.

So I did.

What followed produced a slew ofquestions and very few immediateanswers.

To sum up an hour and a half conversation in a few sentences, heasked me if I would be interested incoming out to LA for a couple ofmonths to be the Director ofPhotography for an independent film he and another friend had beenworking on for the better part of ayear.

My reaction was one you mightexpect.

“You guys are making a movie?” Isaid, my inflection full of doubt anddisbelief. And rightfully so.

These are two guys whose creativityonce yielded a project in which they manufactured Phorkchops,chopsticks with a wider base to pickup your food easier…held together,they became both a spoon and afork. It was a great idea — they mademore than 1000 sets — but theynever sold any, probably becausethey didn’t take the time or energy todo so.

Now they were involved in making a

Los Angeles

BY JEREMY WALTNER

Freeman Courier News Editor Jeremy Waltner spent the first two months of 2000 in Los Angeles,

working on an independent film with some friends. Hereturned to the Courier in late February to

continue working with his father, Tim L. Waltner, publisher of the small-town weekly in South Dakota.

While the younger Waltner’s project, which he hascalled “The Los Angeles Sessions,” isn’t finished, the

two months he spent in the city of angels proved to bea good start toward a grand goal.

GENESIS

The Way

January 22

2000

36 SessionsSessionsSessions

I



TheTheThe



movie, and I seriously doubted whether or notit would come to fruition.

I told them I was definitely interested, buthung up the phone with a scoff and probablymumbled something like…”yeah, right.”

Two weeks later a package arrived in the mail.The return address read DIONYSUS STUDIOS. Iopened it quickly, like it was memo from Godproviding me with life’s answers. It wasn’t amemo from God, but it might as well havebeen. Inside was a script for a movie calledThe Way, a projected budget, and a businessplan for LA’s newest independent film studio,Dionysus Studios. A week after the packagearrived, my two friends were at my house,talking to me about the project. We stayed upmost of the night, standing in my front yard,looking at the stars, discussing the future.

It couldn’t have been scripted any better.

Started by my friends mentioned above,Dionysus Studios was formed in June of 1999.The goal of the studio is to produce high quality films using ever evolving digital technology, and distribute them via theInternet, thus bypassing the current“Hollywood formula.”

While that is the long-term goal, the immediate goal is to make the first movieunder the studio name, and use the film as aspringboard to essentially destroy Hollywood.Likely, most scoff after hearing it, and loads ofquestions swell in their minds.

What qualifies us take on that challenge?Well, nothing, other than atremendous love for goodmovies and desire to makeone.

What makes us any different than the hundredsof other independent studios doing the samething? Well, nothing,except for the tremendouscommitment we’ve made todoing this right. But even bigger than that, is the fact that we’re not looking for a distribution deal. It’s not that we don’t want to distribute the movie, because that is theimmediate goal upon completion. But wewant to do it ourselves. And we feel we can.

Lofty goal, I know. But as we’ve said from thebeginning, if we can’t find a way, then we’llmake one.

Written by my two cohorts, The Way is a storyabout self-realization and rebirth. It’s a story

almost everybody should be able to identifywith, because undoubtedly, all have faced situations that went to the deepest, darkestdepths of despair.

The film revolves around one man, AveryHunter, a beaten down mechanic whose trialsand tribulations have driven him to the brinkof insanity. He’s just quit his job and brokenup with his strung-out girlfriend, who, if shewasn’t so beaten down by her drug addiction,would be beautiful.

Those two events result in Avery leaving the city of angels he has grown to hate, andtaking a journey to the middle of nowhere, awounded warrior searching for the spiritguides he is sure are there. On the road hefinds them: Les, an African-American cowboytrying to find acceptance for who he is; AHollywood tragedy in the person of Ryan, anintelligent cocktail waitress who turns tricks toearn a star on the famous Boulevard. AndBrandon, a young boy living a life of quietdesperation — a life being broken by a fatherabusing the American Dream and a weakmother who turns the other cheek.

In the vein of U-Turn with an Apocalypse Nowtwist, The Way is a drama about how far youhave to go to find yourself…and how close“lost” can sometimes be.

There are several things you have to understand about making a film. The first is that money gets you places and without it, you’re essentially dead in the water. Thesecond is that most involved in trying to

produce an independentfilm don’t have any.

Trying to secureinvestors is likepulling teeth.People don’twant to give youthe time of dayunless you’ve

got something to show them; something theycan see instead of read. Words only say somuch.

Fortunately, one investor did come through,allowing us to purchase the necessary equipment needed to begin filming.

Unfortunately, it’s the only money we’ve seen.

Which means we’ve have to side-step dozensof potential landmines, like casting actors whoare non-union, meaning we are not requiredby law to pay them. And with thousands of

THE STUDIO

I should have had John Lennon’s famous line tattooed on my back,

“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one…”

A SYNOPSIS

MAKING THE WAY HAPPEN


actors in the Los Angeles area whoare simply looking for work, findingthose willing to donate their time tothe movie was easy.

We posted casting notices in several area acting schools, andreceived more than 300 head shotsfor the three lead characters. Afterwhittling away at those interestedbased on look and past work, we read33 people for the roles. The film wascast by the end of November.

In the months that followed, severalthings happened. We got a web siteup and running — check outwww.dionysusstudios.com. We edited the script and then edited itsome more, began working on a schedule, researched what wewould need for camera equipment,sound, etc., and had several meetingswith the cast which included a readthrough, rehearsals and photo shoots.And all along the way, tried to securefunds to bring our vision to fruition.

Toward the end of 1999, one individual made a verbal commitment that he would invest$55,000 in the studio, a large chunkof the proposed $73,000 budget.Obviously you can understand ourexcitement upon hearing this news.Which means you can also understand our devastation when,two weeks before we were set to beginshooting, he backed out. Somethingabout a divorce.

So we pushed the starting date backfrom January 10 to January 22, hoping we could secure funds elsewhere. When January 22 cameand we were no further than we hadbeen, we pushed the starting dateback again to January 31, the latestpossible date we felt we could begin.

On January 31, ourworking capital was— are you ready forthis? — $0.00. Wehad nothing. Zilch.But we started anyway. We felt we had to.

Not having anymoney means lots of things. It means we

can’t purchase a

permit so we can shoot legally…apermit in Los Angeles costs $100 forthe application, $825 per day for thepermit, $45 per hour for the two necessary police officers that have tobe on site, and $45 per hour for the firefighter who also has to be present.

So we sidestepped that, crossed our fingers, and shot anyway. Sometimeswe got caught. Sometimes we didn’t.

Not having any money means wecan’t feed the actors on the set, paythem mileage, or reimburse them forany other expenses. Luckily for us,the actors we cast didn’t care. They

believe in the project so muchthey were willing to sacrifice compensation for those things.

Not having anymoney means

securing locations is next to impossible.For example, there’s

a scene in the moviethat takes place in adiner. So we scoured

the city for one. Every owner said,“sure, you can use my diner. Butplease give us a copy of your $2million insurance policy and…ohyes…$2,000 a day.

The diner scene was changed to abowling ally scene because we finallyfound somebody who wasn’t blindfolded by hundred dollar bills.As it turned out, the bowling alley was better anyway.

Not having any money means eating sandwiches and macaroni and cheeseevery day, and prioritizing the moneywe do get from friends and family,buying only those things we reallyneed, like coffee, gas for the car andthe most essential item…toilet paper.

This project is a roller coaster ridethat’s mind-bending. There aremoments of jubilation; getting a shot that is gold, capturing amoment in time that will never be duplicated. And there are moments of complete despair; trouble with thecamera, the lighting, the sound.Locking horns when discussing whatto do next. Running out of time…andpatience.

It’s what we bargained for when westarted, but until you actually live it,it’s hard to grasp what it’s really like.

The easiest thing to do when timesget tough is quit.

Walk away because the skies arecloudy. Turn away because the sun istoo blinding. Run away to escape therain…literally. Most who set out to do this under the circumstances we arefacing do those things. They quitbecause it’s too damn hard. They giveup… and fail.

We will not, even if it takes years to finish this thing. And the way thingsare going, it looks like it might.

We’ve gotten kicked out of Malibu.We’ve even gotten kicked off of a driveway of a friend’s house becausewe didn’t have a permit.

When it rains, we can’t shoot. Lastnight it rained. It’s supposed to



The Los Angeles Sessions continued from page 13

This project is a roller coaster ride

that’s mind-bending.There are moments of jubilation; getting

a shot that is gold, capturing a moment

in time that will never be duplicated.

And there are moments of complete despair;

trouble with the camera, the lighting,

the sound.

THE STRUGGLE WITHIN




om Wills of Chapel Hill, N.C., has made a $500 donation to the HazelBrannon Smith Scholarship fund. Tom writes: “I am not associated with a

newspaper or other publication, but grew up working at the McLean CountyNews and attending ICWNE meetings (as the group was then known) with myparents, Landon and Ilene Wills, and older brothers. I now work in the field ofsolar energy, designing, installing, and servicing water and space heating systems with Solar Consultants.”Other contributions to the Hazel Brannon Smith Scholarship fund have comefrom Albert Scardino, Rick Friedman, Edith Boys Enos, and Burt and UrsulaFreireich. Smith was a Pulitzer Prize-winning editor from the Lexington (Miss.)Advertiser who died in 1994.Scardino also has donated money to the H.R. Long/Houstoun Waring Scholarshipand the Greenslade Bursary, which funds the conference visit of a British Isleseditor. Other donors to the Greenslade Bursary include Eugene McGee, RobertEstabrook, Phoebe Baker, Garrett Ray, and Robert Trapp Sr.Several ISWNE members have become “sustaining members” of the Society bypaying $100 instead of the normal $50 in paying their dues for 2000. Theyinclude: Albert Scardino, Phoebe Baker, Elliott Freireich, Frank Garred, FredSteiner, Robert and Sandra Horowitz, Al Seiler, and Robert Lynch. NOTE: If you haven’t paid your $50 membership dues for 2000, please send a check to the ISWNE headquarters at Missouri Southern State College.

Several ISWNE members contribute to scholarship funds

ick Friedman of the Woburn, MA, Times-Chronicle, a former ISWNE president who renewed friendships with members at last year’s conference,

learned in early February that he has Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, which means hehas cancer of the lymph node between his lungs and over his heart, which is abetter bet than lung cancer to be cured. Nothing has spread to the lungs.“It is the curable Non-Hodgkin lymphoma kind, and Sybil and I are pretty upbeatabout my beating it,” he writes. The spot between his lungs has prompted him towrite a nightly diary and reflection, “The Spot Chronicles,” which he is sharingvia e-mail with anyone who asks. It is wonderful, wacky, serious, funny stuff,poured out of his soul through the sieve of his sense of humor. Among the thingshe has learned so far is that biopsy is not spelled “biopsi.”Anyone who wants to give Rick and Sybil a hello or get on the list for “The SpotChronicles” can e-mail him at [email protected]. (Submitted by Garrett Ray.)

Freidman diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

T

R

SWNE members Al Seiler, Ursula Freireich, and Jane Steinmetzwill accompany executive secretary-treasurer Chad Stebbins

and 14 students from Missouri Southern State College to an international media seminar in Paris, France, March 12-19. The group will be joined by journalism educators and students from Bowling Green State University, Washburn University, DePaulUniversity, Iona College, Utica College of Syracuse University,William Paterson University, and the American University ofBulgaria.The seminar is organized by the Paris-based Center for the Study ofInternational Communication in conjunction with the AmericanUniversity of Paris. The group will hear presentations by columnists,foreign correspondents, editors, producers, and diplomats, and willtour media facilities and the U.S. Embassy. On Saturday, March 18,the group will visit the Palace and Gardens of Versailles.

Three ISWNE members to participate in MSSC Paris trip

I

HOSTHOSTSUMMER

CONFERENCESUMMER

CONFERENCE?WANT

TO

Let Us Know!

AN ISWNE

ny ISWNE member who may want to host a future

ISWNE summer conference is urgedto submit a proposal or letter ofinterest to any of the officers orboard members. With Madison,Wis., set for 2001 and Joplin, Mo.,for 2002, the Society is looking fora 2003 location and beyond.

The host or hostess is responsiblefor securing accommodations andmeals, developing the program,arranging for excursions, and setting the conference fees.Typically, ISWNE rents space oncollege and university campusesand uses their facilities.

More than 90 ISWNE members and families attended the 1999conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

A

ugene McGee, editor of The LongfordLeader, reports that 40 of Ireland’s

regional weekly newspapers have formed an alliance with a major Internet supplier in Ireland called UNISON. “As a result, wehave state-of-the-art Web facilities for ournewspapers and, in addition, the new portalsite thus created will be seeking to become oneof the top three in Ireland within a year ortwo,” Eugene writes. “Not alone does the sitegive access to all our newspapers, but it alsoincludes the DAILY contents of Ireland’s largestdaily newspaper, the Irish Independent, as wellas access to many other Irish sites as well. Wesee a great future for our sites and we will soonhave the facility to update our site daily andeven to add sound to the sites.”The address for the general site is:www.rmbi.ie.

40 Ireland newspapers join with Internet supplierE

ISWNENEWS

ongtime ISWNE member FredNoer, from Delavan, Wis.,

reports that heembarked upon a full-time freelancing careerin 1995 and that drag racingjournalism is a major part.

“My interest in thesport has spannedmore than 35years, so I decided to combine mytwo interests and contribute to racing publications,” he writes.

“One of them is Inside Motorsports.I also write a monthly column, andmy latest topic concerns the problems journalists face when they do PR at the same time.Unfortunately, the ‘double-dipping’is prevalent, and Inside Motorsportseven uses such people because of the shortage of writers. As is common in the mainstream world,good money can be made in PR, sodrag racing journalists, most ofwhom are not well-versed in ethics,decide to cross the line with greaterand greater frequency.”

Noer has recently decided to offer

his writing and editing services tobusinesses and organizations aswell as individuals through hisImage Source company. He owned, edited, and published The Times, aweekly based in Walworth, Wis.,from April 1980 to November 1986.From August 1987 to September1988 he was the editor of LakeGeneva magazine, a bimonthlyleisure and lifestyle publication.From early 1989 through the end of1994 Noer edited Shopper Sunday, a general-interest news and featurepaper circulated in WalworthCounty.

??



ou Cummins sends greetings and an update

from Kintbury, England.

“I was, until three years ago,editor of one of the leadingindependent weeklies inEngland,” he writes. “I waschopped, within two days of my 50th birthday. Many colleagues of my age wereexcused from duties within that year, mainly for trying to uphold unfashionable standards.

My last link with newspapers is through ISWNE and all mailings are consumed

greedily. The GreensladeBursary was a magic carpetwhich wafted me to Brookingsfor 10 days and into friendshipswhich I sustain poorly butwhich I value. I am now running a charity supportingblind and visually impairedpeople.

Pass on my love to Garrett,Dick, Marcia, Larry and otherswho remember me fromBrookings and from London,where I was able to entertainmany of them four or five years ago, at the House ofCommons.”

Cummins values ISWNE friendshipsL

f your state or provincepress association carries a

news release from the ISWNE in its monthly bulletin ornewsletter, please send a copyto executive secretary-treasurerChad Stebbins.

“Tim Waltner wrote a very nice release that I mailed and emailed to every pressassociation in the UnitedStates and Canada,” Stebbinssaid. “We’d like to track the publication of this release andsee where we’re having successin getting our message out.”

The news release mentions theboard’s winter meeting in LasVegas, plans for the July 5-9 conference in BritishColumbia, the editorial critiques, and the ISWNE’spublications and Web site.

“Tim pointed out to the board that we could be doinga better job of promotingISWNE,” Stebbins said. “Everytime we do something newsworthy, such as puttingour Web site online or selecting Golden Quill winners,we need to get the word out.”

ISWNE mails, emails news release to press associationsI

Noer freelances for racing publicationsL

CCCCaaaannnn yyyyoooouuuu nnnnoooommmmiiiinnnnaaaatttteeee ssssoooommmmeeeeoooonnnneeee ttttoooo rrrreeeecccceeeeiiiivvvveeee

A CONFERENCESCHOLARSHIP

ISWNE members are asked to nominate individuals for

the four conference scholarshipsavailable this year. The scholarshipswill provide each recipient’s lodgingand meals at the July 5-9 conferencein Victoria, British Columbia.

Because the recipient must pay his or her transportation to Victoria, itmay be best to nominate newspaperprofessionals from the PacificNorthwest. It is hoped the scholarship winners will becomemembers of ISWNE.

Letters of nomination should be sent by April 1 to:

Chad StebbinsInstitute of International StudiesMissouri Southern State College3950 E. Newman Road Joplin, MO 64801-1595A conference committee consisting ofTony Richards, Bill Haupt, TimWaltner, and Stebbins will select therecipients.

I

Noer



ary and HelenSosniecki, editors of

The Lebanon (Mo.) DailyRecord since June 1999, also have been named thenewspaper’s publishers andvice presidents of its parentcompany, LebanonPublishing Co.

The promotions, which took effect in December, were announced by DaltonWright, president, chief executive officer and ownerof Lebanon Publishing Co.

The Sosnieckis joined TheDaily Record after selling theWebster County Citizen andWebster County Advertiser inSeymour, Mo., to Lebanon

Publishing Co. last year.They also are former owners of the Humansville(Mo.) Star-Leader and haveworked on newspapers inMissouri, Illinois, Tennesseeand Kansas since their graduations from theUniversity of Missouri Schoolof Journalism in 1973.

As publishers, the Sosnieckiswill be responsible for day-to-day operations of The Daily Record. Theybecome the newspaper’s firstpublishers since R.B. “Bob”Smith left The Daily Recordin 1994.

Helen Sosniecki, 48, alsobecomes vice president of

operations of LebanonPublishing Co. GarySosniecki, 49, becomes vice president of news, a newposition. They remain editorsof The Daily Record andLebanon Publishing Co.

“With their extensive newspaper backgrounds and professionalism, theSosnieckis have broughtmany innovations to TheDaily Record the past sevenmonths, including a renewedemphasis on local news coverage,” Wright said.

“The community can lookforward to continuedimprovements in The DailyRecord and our family of

weekly newspapers as theirduties expand.”

Besides The Daily Record,Lebanon Publishing Co. andits affiliates own the weeklyRichland Mirror, the PulaskiCounty Democrat inWaynesville, the OzarkCounty Times in Gainesvilleand the Webster CountyCitizen and Advertiser inSeymour. The company alsopublishes The Guidon, aweekly newspaper at FortLeonard Wood, under contract with the U.S. Army,and the Weekly Trader, aRolla-based shopping guide.

Sosnieckis promoted to publishers, vice presidents of Lebanon Publishing Co.

early two dozen KansasState University faculty

members and administrators participated in a three-day symposium at the Universityof Costa Rica, Feb. 7-9, and in related activities of programdevelopment, alumni relations,and international student recruitment.

More than 30 University of Kansas faculty membersand administrators alsoattended the symposium. The symposium, “Costa Rica:Human Development andSustainability — Challengesand Perspectives for the 21stCentury,” celebrated the long-standing relationship the three universities share.

Gloria Freeland, director of theHuck Boyd National Center forCommunity Media at KansasState University, was amongthose attending. She met withcolleagues in the Departmentof Communications at theUniversity of Costa Rica andwith the editor of La Nacion,San Jose’s biggest daily. Sinceher return to Kansas, two K-State journalism and mass communications students haveindicated an interest in

obtaininginternshipsin CostaRica.

“I think it’simportant for facultyand students to be more internationally active,” Freeland said. “Internships orother exchanges are great opportunities to learn aboutother cultures and ways ofdoing things.”

Freeland lived in San Jose fromSeptember 1978 to May 1980.

Linkages between Kansas andCosta Rica were establishedmore than four decades agowith an agreement between KUand the University of Costa Rica.K-State became a party to theagreement in the mid-1980s. Incelebration of this long period of cooperation, KU hosted a symposium on “Democracy, Peace, and Environment” inLawrence, April 1-3, 1999. K-State administrators issued an invitation to continue the dialogue on the K-State campus in Manhattan in April 2001.

K-State faculty, administrators travel to Costa Rica

G

N ohn Smail, of Selkirk, Scotland, reports that hestepped down as editor of the Southern Reporter

newspaper at the end of December. John spent 25years on the paper, including 18 as editor.

He writes: “This newspaper was owned by my familyand formed part of the Tweeddale Press Group. Myfather bought the Southern Reporter in 1950, and in1995 he was succeeded as chairman of the companyby my brother Derek. Although my brother and I represent the eighth generation of Smails involved in the business, in recent years we have had toacknowledge that change was inevitable, given ourfirm’s limited capital resources, and so in May thedecision was taken to sell the business to JohnstonPress, Britain’s fourth largest newspaper publishers with 183 titles, but with a strong familyhistory — Fred Johnston remains a director of thecompany.

“As you can imagine, this has been a time of verymixed emotions, but what made things easier was listening to the address given by Johnston Press chiefexecutive Tim Bowdler when he came to the Selkirkoffice at the end of December to address staff members. It was reassuring to hear that his companyremains committed to developing and investing in theSouthern, and I have every confidence the paper willflourish under the new regime.

“I have been asked to continue my ‘Border Comments’ column, which I have been penning for 20 years now, so this will help maintain my links with thenewspaper. I also remain keen to maintain my ISWNEties, having been lucky enough to travel to the NewHampshire conference in 1984 as a Greenslade fellow.”

Smail sells Southern Reporterto Johnston Press

J

Freeland

February/March 2000


18

Ellen AlbaneseJo-Ann Albers

Chris BakerPhoebe BakerThom Barnes

Maurine BeasleyDavid Bell

Nicholas F. BentonCharlyne Berens

Everett BeyHoward Blankman

Dale BlegenLee BollingerDonald Brod

Quentin & Ellen BurkeDavid Burke

Patricia CalhounBruce Campbell

Kathryn CampbellVickie Canfield Peters

Ross ConnellyJohn Conway

James CoxDavid Cox

Edward DeCourcyJohn DeMott

William DevlinArt DrakeEdith Enos

Robert Estabrook

Gloria FreelandBurt & Ursula Freireich

Elliott FreireichRick FriedmanFrank GarredCharles Gay

Tom GeogheganKeith Green

Karl GutknechtJoel HackBill Hale

Dan HammesRenee Harms

Craig HarringtonGuy Hatfield

Bill HauptMargaret Hennigar

Harry L. Hix Jr.Robert & Sandra Horowitz

Judy JohnsonBob KarolevitzRonald Kemp

Landmark CommunityNewspapers, Inc.

Paul LaursenRichard Lee

Peter LesniakAnthony Longden

Tim LykeRobert Lynch

Jan MacNeillPaul MacNeill

Shirley MacNeillFrank & Martha Manley

Mike MathesJim Mayo

Brian MazzaRichard McCordEugene McGee

Mel MencherRobert MihalekDavid Mitchell

Heather MooreBruce Murray

P. Carter NewtonSkip Nichols

Fred Noer, Jr.Vincent O’Hern

Henry OverduinPercy Pascoe

Don PeaseMartha Perkins

Tom PhillipsJoan Plaxton

Helen RattrayGarrett Ray

Donna RemerJerry ReppertTony Richards

Joanne Root

Michael RyanJim Sawyer

Albert ScardinoBarbara Schaffeld

William Schanen III.Charlotte & Melvin Schexnayder

Mary Jane Schneider LentzAllan Seiler

Nancy SlepickaJohn Smail

Donald SmithMary Snow

John SommerladDavid Sommerlad

Gary & Helen SosnieckiDouglas P. Starr

Fred SteinerJane SteinmetzGoodloe SuttonDr. Bruce Swain

Norio TamuraRobert Trapp, Sr.

Tom VaughanNewton Wallace

Tim WaltnerDarryl Wilkinson

Nick WilliamsBess Evans Williams

Tom WillsStephen Zender

those 2000 ISWNE membership dues

NOW!

Pay As of March 1, only 119 ISWNE members had paid their membershipdues for 2000. If your name is NOT onthis list, you still owe $50. Please makeyour checks payable to ISWNE andsend it at once to:

Dr. Chad StebbinsInstitute of International StudiesMissouri Southern State College3950 E Newman RoadJoplin, MO 64801-1595

ISWNE board members decided at the winter meeting to take a moreaggressive stance in pursuing delinquent membership dues.Membership dues and revenues from the summer conferences are the Society’s only sources of income.

Iof

ThenternationalStatement:

If You Are A New Member:

SocietyWeekly Newspaper

Editors

2000 ISWNE Dues ..............................................................$50(The general ISWNE membership voted to raise the ISWNE dues to $50 at the July 1997 Flagstaff conference.) With the ISWNE membership, you will receive a monthly newsletter and Grassroots Editor,a quarterly journal.

You may wish to do one of the following:

Be a Sustaining Member at $100

Make your editor-friends members of ISWNE at a special price of $20 per year. If you do, please list their addresses on the back of this statement.

Contribute to:❏ Greenslade Bursary to fund the

conference visit of a British Isles editor :Amount: $____________

❏ H.R. Long/Houstoun Waring Scholarship for conference :Amount: $____________

❏ Hazel Brannon Smith Scholarship for conference:Amount: $____________

Please attach a brief description of yourself for the ISWNE Newsletter if you are a new member. A mug shot would be appreciated.

Mail To: Dr. Chad Stebbins, ISWNE, Missouri Southern State College, Department of Communications, 3590 E. Newman Road,Joplin, MO 64801-1595

Questions: Phone: (417) 625-9736 Fax: (417) 659-4445 E-mail: [email protected]

Total Enclosed: $__________________

Name:

Organization:

Address:

Phone Number:

Fax Number:

E-mail Address:

Web Site:

For Our Records

February/March 2000


20

New MembersWE

LCOME Joel Hack, Bodega Bay (Calif.) Navigator. Joel appeared on Jim Lehrer’s “NewsHour” program on

July 29 along with ISWNE members Nancy Slepicka, Larry Atkinson, and Robert Trapp Sr.Guy Hatfield, Hatfield Newspapers, Irvine, Ky. Hatfield Newspapers publishes the Citizen Voice & Times in Irvine and the Clay City Times in Stanton, Ky.Kathryn Campbell, Department of Communication, Southern Oregon UniversityDr. Bruce Swain, Head, Department of Communication, Central Missouri State UniversityBruce Campbell, Pike Press, Pittsfield, IllinoisPaul Laursen, editor, Merrick (N.Y.) Life, the Freeport-Baldwin Leader in Freeport, N.Y., theBellmore Life in Merrick, N.Y., and the Wantagh-Seaford Citizen in Merrick, N.Y. The papers areowned by L & M Publications.Ron Kemp, publisher, Piggot (Ark.) TimesBess Evans Williams, publisher, Williston (Fla.) Sun-NewsNick Williams, editor, Williston (Fla.) Sun-NewsMichael J. Ryan, publisher, Rio Rancho (N.M.) ObserverChris Baker, publisher, Valencia County News-Bulletin, Belen, N.M.Keith Green, editorial adviser, Ruidoso (N.M.) NewsThom Barnes, publisher, Castroville (Texas) News BulletinJohn Sommerlad, executive editor, Regional Publishers Pty Limited, Tamworth, AustraliaMelvin Mencher, emeritus professor of journalism, Columbia University, New York, N.Y., and the author of several journalism textbooks.

Nicholas Benton, owner and editor-in-chief of the Falls Church (Va.) News-Press. Founded by Bentonin March 1991, the News-Press has been called by state delegate Bob Hull as “probably the bestnewspaper of its circulation size in the Commonwealth of Virginia.” Nicholas, a California native,received a B.A. from Westmont College in Santa Barbara and an M. Div. from the Pacific School ofReligion in Berkeley. A lifelong journalist, he moved to Falls Church, Va., in 1985, working as aWhite House correspondent. Six years later, he founded the News-Press. Nicholas retains his WhiteHouse press credentials and frequently covers briefings and presidential press conferences.

Nicholas was named the “Pillar of the Community” in 1993 by the Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce. He was president of the Chamber of Commerce in 1993 and 1994. He is a member ofthe White House Correspondents Association, the Senate Periodical Press Association, and theNational Press Club. His biography appears in the 1997 and 2000 editions of The Marquis Who’sWho in America.

Nicholas’ wife, Janine Schollnick Benton, is a partner with the Washington, D.C. law firm of Epstein,Becker and Green. His brother, Dr. Stephen Benton, is director of the Media Lab at the MassachusettsInstitute of Technology. Nicholas appeared on Jim Lehrer’s “NewsHour” program on July 29 alongwith ISWNE members Nancy Slepicka, Larry Atkinson, and Robert Trapp Sr.

Benton

Reppert

Jerry Reppert, owner of Reppert Publications,which includes The Gazette-Democrat andMonday’s Pub in Anna, Ill., The Cairo (Ill.)Citizen, the Tri-State Advertiser, and a number of specialty publications.

Jerry, a native of Anna, grew up in a newspaperfamily, and after earning a journalism degreefrom Kansas State University in 1968, returned to his hometown with his wife, Dianne, andbecome editor of The Gazette-Democrat. In 1998,he received the Amos Award at the NationalNewspaper Association’s annual convention.Recognized as one of the highest and most

dignified tributes in community journalism, theAmos Award is given to an individual who hasprovided distinguished service to the communitypress.

Jerry has been the NNA state chairman forIllinois for nine years and was the chairman ofNNA’s 1999 government affairs conference.Former U.S. Sen. Paul Simon has described himas a “civic-minded, responsible citizen, and hisservice to the community has been far aboveaverage.” He has also served as president of theIllinois Press Association and the SouthernIllinois Editorial Association.

Mary Snow, managing editor of Colorado Hometown Newspapers, Lafayette, Colo. Mary oversees three paid weekly newspapers — theLouisville Times, the Lafayette News, and the ErieReview — and one free weekly newspaper, theFront Range Review.

From June 1992 to February 1999, Mary was operations editor of the Reporter-Herald inLoveland, Colo. Her duties included overall designof the paper, supervision of six design editors and one weekend editor, story selectionfrom multiple wire networks, planning for special sections, andredesign projects. She was news editor of the Port Arthur (Texas)News from October 1989 to June 1992.

Mary, who has a B.A. in journalism from the University ofArkansas, has also worked for the Victoria (Texas) Advocateand the Springdale (Ark.) News.

Percy Pascoe, publisher of The Cuba (Mo.) Free Press and the Steelville Star-Crawford Mirror, took a job as a printer with theCrawford Mirror, a ruralMissouri weekly newspaper,in 1956. After three years, he got the bug to write a column, but the publisherrejected the idea.

“It was then that I made plans to own anewspaper so I could control my own destinyand have the freedom to write,” Percy says. “I had no assets, which made it impossible toget a loan to buy a newspaper.” As a result,he started The Cuba Free Press in the nearbytown of Cuba on a shoestring in 1960. Thelocal bank would not grant a loan, but thefriendly owner of a shoe store loaned him thenecessary $3,000.

“The existing newspaper, one of a three-paperchain, folded six years later,” Percy says.“During this time, the editor of the othernewspaper made much light in her editorialsof my meager education, describing me as astill wet-behind-the-ears, 30-year-old Linotypeoperator. She was right on the last point.”

In 1980, he started his second newspaper with another $3,000 loan. The Steelville Star, atabloid, faced the newspaper Percy earlier hadworked for as a printer. It had been purchasedby a multimillion dollar newspaper chain. Sixyears later, he bought the 113-year-old Mirrorfor a “pittance” and merged it with his Star.Three years ago, a small weekly newspaper ina nearby town closed, leaving Percy with theonly two newspapers in the county.

In the 39 years of its existence, The Cuba FreePress has won 76 awards. Today, Percy, 70, is semiretired, but he continues to write hard-hitting local editorials, which makeshim a natural for membership in ISWNE, and to manage the business side of the twonewspapers. He’s also writing the history ofThe Cuba Free Press, titled “I never went towork.”

“I’m proud to be one of the slowly dyingbreed of fiercely independent newspaper editors,” he says. “So many newspapers arebeing bought up by the giant conglomerates,most of which are only concerned with thebottom line. I have been offered a mind-boggling price for my newspapers, but I willnever sell to them. I plan eventually to sellmy newspapers to my present editor, at a figure substantially less than I could get from these journalistic parasites.”

February/March 2000


21

Darryl and Liz Wilkinson, owners of the Gallatin (Mo.) PublishingCompany. Besides printing its own weekly county seat newspaper,the Gallatin North Missourian, the company’s four-unit web press prints about a dozen neighboring weekly newspapers. The Wilkinsons are also constructing a regional portal on theInternet, www.northwestmissouri.com, featuring content from 11 newspapers.

While raising a family of four children, the Wilkinsons haveworked in community journalism together as a team since the startof their marriage. Both were members of the student newspaperstaff at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville. Darryland Liz then worked briefly at the Ida County Courier-Reminder inIda Grove, Iowa, before operating the Times-Tribune at Grant City,Mo., for two years. They have worked at the newspaper in Gallatinsince 1978. Two daughters are now enrolled at the University ofMissouri-Columbia and two sons attend Gallatin public schools.

The Wilkinsons have received numerous awards in competitionwith other newspapers sponsored by the Missouri Press Association,including the 1999 Tilghman Cloud Memorial Editorial Award(Weeklies). Darryl served as president of the Northwest MissouriPress Association in 1985.

Skip Nichols, editor of the Wise CountyMessenger, an 8,000 circulation semi-weekly inDecatur, Texas. Skip was owner/publisher of theCrane (Texas) County News from 1992 to 1997.For 13 years prior to that, he was sports editorand wire editor of the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, a 15,000 circulation daily paper inWashington. He has also served as sports editor of the Casa Grande (Ariz.) Dispatch andeditor/sports editor of the Stephenville (Texas)Empire-Tribune.

Skip has been married for 29 years to Paula Nichols, who teachesfirst grade in Boyd, Texas. They have two daughters: MichelleCarpenter, a teacher in Anchorage, Alaska, and Jennifer Nichols, aprogram manager at PC Service Source in Dallas. Skip holds mem-berships in the Society of Newspaper Design, the Texas PressAssociation, the National Newspaper Association, the ThirdMarine Division, the Vietnam Veterans of America, andGreenpeace.

Nichols

Pascoe

Snow

Charles Mills, of Vandalia, Ill., says he hasnot been active in the newspaper businesssince he sold the Leader-Union to LandmarkCommunity Newspapers in Shelbyville, Ky.,in 1979.

“I continue to write a weekly column, but Iplan to give that up before long,” Charleswrites. “I turned 84 in February. I thinkISWNE is a great organization. I attended one of the early meetings and presented aprogram on the local and nationwideresponse to The Talk in Vandalia, a bookwritten by Joe Lyford in 1963. The book wasalso used in a number of colleges for thestudy of small communities.”

Margaret Howard, of Yellow Springs, Ohio,writes: “I have decided not to renew my membership in ISWNE this year. I am unableto attend conferences any more and so manyold friends are gone, and consequently I don’tfeel ‘connected’ with ISWNE any more. Myhusband, Kieth Howard, was an early member and we enjoyed years of wonderfulexperiences at the summer meetings ofISWNE. He died four years ago at age 88. Bestwishes for your service to ISWNE.”

David Grossman, of Marietta, Ga., writes: “Years ago I served a term as president of ISWNE. Shortly thereafter, I sold my newspapers and left the business. It’s beenmore than a dozen years since I was involvedin the newspaper business. Please do not feelobligated to keep me on the list.”



rain for the nexttwo days straightand we won’t be able to shoot.

The actors aregetting restless.The three of uswho own thisproject are getting irritated.The schedule is basically shot.

The ball of twine is unraveling andthe downwardspiral is in fullswing.

But just when itlooks like it can’tget any worse, something happens andthings get better. It’s unexplainable.Maybe it’s thestrong belief that what wecan, in fact, do what wewant. Maybe it’s the sense ofpride we take in wanting tosee this done the right way.Maybe it’s a spirit saying,“Okay. Time to be happyagain.”

I don’t know. It just happens.

What I do know is that the

battle is in fullswing.

During my twomonths in LA, weshot four scenesof The Way;nearly 10 hoursof footage. It wasall we could dobecause of thecircumstances wewere facing. Weshot 10 hours offootage — a goodstart — and Ireturned to mysafe haven inSouth Dakota.

And we put theproject on hold.

In the next few months,dozens of longdistance phoneconversationsbetween myfriends and I will

likely take place, duringwhich time we will come upwith a game plan so we canfinish our project in a timely,perfect manner.

And reach our own, lofty standards on our own perfectterms.

I think I might get that tattooafter all.

Farewell...At the same time ISWNE is adding new members, we are sad to report that we havelost the following three: The Los Angeles Sessions

continued from page 14

Maybe it’s the strong belief

that what we can, in fact, do what we

want. Maybe it’s the sense of pride

we take in wantingto see this done the

right way. Maybeit’s a spirit saying,“Okay. Time to be

happy again.”

Ellen Albanese [email protected]

Larry [email protected]

Lisa Atkinson [email protected]

Roberta Atkinson [email protected]

Phoebe Baker [email protected]

Maurine Beasley [email protected]

David R. Bell [email protected]

Charlyne Berens [email protected]

Everett E. Bey [email protected]

Iris & Howard [email protected]

Megan Bolin [email protected]

Lee Bollinger [email protected]

Don Brod [email protected]

David Burke [email protected]

Joanne Cadogen [email protected]

Patricia [email protected]

Bruce Campbell [email protected]

Kathryn B. Campbell [email protected]

Mike & Kathy Cleveland [email protected]

Ross Connelly [email protected]

David Cox [email protected]

James Cox [email protected]

Lou Cummins [email protected]

Art Drake [email protected]

Dickey Drysdale [email protected]

Bob & MaryLou [email protected]

Gloria Freeland [email protected]

Rick Friedman [email protected]

Frank Garred [email protected]

Tom Geoghegan [email protected]

Sandra George [email protected]

Joel Hack [email protected]

Renee Harms [email protected]

Amy Harper [email protected]

Craig Harrington [email protected]

Guy Hatfield [email protected]

Lynn M. Hennigar [email protected]

Marg Hennigar [email protected]

Carol Hix [email protected]

Harry Hix Jr. [email protected]

Bob & Sandy Horowitz [email protected]

Dr. Seth & Rona Jaffe [email protected]

Judy Johnson [email protected]

Ron Kemp [email protected]

Debbie & Scott Kipp [email protected]

Paul Laursen [email protected]

Richard Lee [email protected]

Mary Jo Lee [email protected]

Peter Lesniak [email protected]

Anthony Longden [email protected]

Gail MacNeill [email protected]

Jan MacNeill [email protected]

Paul MacNeill [email protected]

Shirley [email protected]

Richard McCord [email protected]

Kim McCully [email protected]

Eugene McGee [email protected]

Tommy McGraw [email protected]

Frank & Martha Manley [email protected]

Jim Mayo [email protected]

Brian Mazza [email protected]

Robert Mihalek [email protected]

David V. Mitchell [email protected]

P. Carter Newton [email protected]

Skip Nichols [email protected]

Fred Noer [email protected]

Carol O’Leary [email protected]

Dr. Henry Overduin [email protected]

Percy Pascoe [email protected]


eelleeccttrroonniiccmmaaiillISWNE

Members

Officers & Board of DirectorsPresident: Elliott FreireichWest Valley View, Litchfield Park, [email protected]

Vice President: Tim Waltner Freeman Courier, Freeman, [email protected]

Executive Secretary-Treasurer: Dr. Chad Stebbins, Missouri Southern State College, Joplin, Mo.

[email protected]

•••

Bill HauptLodi Enterprise, Lodi, [email protected]

Bruce MurrayPictou Advocate, Pictou, Nova Scotia [email protected]

Tony RichardsDriftwood Publishing LimitedSalt Spring Island, British [email protected]

Nancy SlepickaMontgomery County News, Hillsboro, [email protected]

Robert Trapp Jr.The Mountain Sun, Kerrville, [email protected]

Clyde WillsMetropolis Planet, Metropolis, Ill.

[email protected]

Robert Trapp Sr. (Immediate PastPresident)Rio Grand Sun, Española, [email protected]


International Society of Weekly Newspaper EditorsInstitute of International StudiesMissouri Southern State CollegeJoplin, MO 64801-1595

ABOUT THE ISWNE

The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors (ISWNE) was founded in 1954 at Southern Illinois University(SIU) by Howard R. Long, then chair of SIU’s Department of Journalism at Carbondale, and Houstoun Waring, then editor of the Littleton (Colo.) Independent. ISWNE headquarters were at Northern Illinois University at Dekalb from1976 to 1992, at South Dakota State University in Brookings from 1992 to 1999. Missouri Southern State College inJoplin became the headquarters in 1999.ISWNE’s purpose is to help those involved in the weekly press to improve standards of editorial writing and newsreporting and to encourage strong, independent editorial voices. The society seeks to fulfill its purpose by holdingannual conferences, presenting awards, issuing publications, and encouraging international exchanges. There areISWNE members in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines,Japan, and India. There are subscribers to Grassroots Editor, the society’s quarterly journal, in still more countries.

Dr. Chad StebbinsEditor & ISWNE Secretary/Treasurer Director, Institute of International Studies Genie UndernehrAssociate Editor

Produced by the Department of Communications and the Institute of International StudiesMissouri Southern State College3950 E. Newman RoadJoplin, MO 64801-1595(417) 625-9736 (417) 659-4445 FAX

Non-ProfitOrganization U.S. Postage

PaidPermit No. 66

Joplin, MO 64801

Don & Jeanne Pease [email protected]

Martha Perkins [email protected]

Vickie Canfield Peters [email protected]

Joan Plaxton [email protected]

Garrett Ray [email protected]

Donna J. Remer [email protected]

Jerry L. Reppert [email protected]

Joanne Root [email protected]

Jim Sawyer [email protected]

Albert Scardino [email protected]

William F. Schanen III [email protected]

Charlotte Schexnayder [email protected]

Mary Jane Schneider Lentz [email protected]

Donald Smith [email protected]

Mary Snow [email protected]

David [email protected]

Gary & Helen Sosniecki [email protected]

Douglas Perret Starr [email protected]

Fred Steiner [email protected]

Jane Steinmetz [email protected]

Dr. Bruce Swain [email protected]

Norio Tamura [email protected]

Tom Vaughan [email protected]

Newton Wallace [email protected]

Darryl Wilkinson [email protected]

Bess Evans [email protected]

Carolyn Wills [email protected]

Richard & Collette Wills [email protected]

Tom Wills [email protected]

Guy Wood [email protected]

Marcia Wood [email protected]

Stephen Zender [email protected]

continued from page 23 eelleeccttrroonniiccmmaaiillISWNE

Members

This list of e-mail addresses has been updatedaccording to the information

you submitted with your ISWNE dues payment.

Please check your listing and report any inaccuracy

to Chad Stebbins at [email protected]

in this ssue s w newspaper editors - iswne.org · a bail-bonding business in marengo county. to...

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