WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
Matthew Von Pinnon, managing editor of The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, found himself in a pickle recently when a reporter's sharing of a public salary list triggered a "mini firestorm" that led city officials to accuse a Forum reporter of unethical behavior.

In the end, the reporter was removed from the beat.

In a report from APME's Credibility Committee, Von Pinnon is seeking advice from other editors, asking, "What would you have done?"

Read his story at:
www.apme.com/committees/credibility/2006/042906credibility.shtml

SPRING ISSUE OF APME NEWS IN THE MAIL
The Spring issue of APME News magazine should be arriving in your mailbox any day. This issue's must reads include:

— Can editors get too close to the communities serviced by their newspapers? In the cover story, Scott Angus, chair of APME Readership Committee, looks at how editors can be engaged in their community without compromising objectivity of the news reporting. Packed with this story are tips on how to balance community and professional responsibilities, and a look at several newspapers' practices to improve customer service.

— What do you do when your ace reporter suddenly seems burned out? Jon Broadbooks, editor of the Utica (N.Y.) Observer-Dispatch, on special assignment for APME News, poses the question to five veteran editors who share their tips on motivating unproductive staff members.

— Should the news media hire a lobbyist when legislative proposals threat access to public records? Three editors offer their perspectives on this ethical dilemma in ever popular "You Make the Call" column, edited by Rick Hall of the Deseret Morning News.

— Looking for new ideas? Why not look North, says Lance Johnson, keeper of APME's "Great Ideas." Johnson, executive editor of the New London (Conn.) Day, says the Canadian Newspaper Association's unique approach to brainstorming yields plenty of new and innovative ideas to grow readership.

— What's a newspaper doing with a video camera? Find out how the Virginian-Pilot  found its niche in video and tapped into a booming market.

— What is AP's thinking behind recent closings or consolidations of news bureaus in some areas of the country? Mike Silverman, AP's managing editor, provides the answer to this and other questions about The Associated Press.

AP SOUNDING BOARD
AP requested your feedback on BC-Under 35, a weekday advisory listing stories of interest to young adults. In brief, does the advisory serve a useful purpose in your efforts to reach at-risk readers? Or is the advisory dispensable, as long as the content remains?

This, the 40th Sounding Board survey, received replies from 22 newspapers – the most of any Sounding Board query so far. A wide range of circulations and regions were represented in the responses.

In a nutshell, most regard BC-Under 35 as a handy backup for identifying and highlighting AP material of interest to the target group. Several don't use it at all. A few found the lines too diffuse, and a couple questioned the idea of aiming news at one group.

Read all the responses at:
www.apme.com/soundingboard/40.shtml

To receive e-mail notification of new APME Updates, write to APME@ap.org

Previous issues: April 24, 2006 | April 17, 2006 | April 11, 2006 | April 4, 2006 | Archive