By JIM PUMARLO, consultant

By Jim Pumarlo, consultant

By JIM PUMARLO, Consultant
Are you looking for a project that can energize your news staffs, generate new advertising revenue and underscore the value of a local newspaper to potential new subscribers?
Mark Oct. 28: National First Responders Day.
Full disclosure on two fronts.    
First, highlighting the accomplishments of first responders is not my original idea. I picked it up while presenting earlier this year at a Management Boot Camp sponsored by the Texas Center for Community Journalism.

By Jim Pumarlo, Consultant
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 role in examining the dynamics in their own communities.
But what’s happened to police logs, the most basic of public safety reporting? Where are the regular records of traffic citations, thefts, property damage, burglaries and much more?

By JIM PUMARLO, Consultant

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 step, we endorsed in all races from the city council to U.S. president. Regrettably, many newspapers today, small and large, have dropped weighing in on the editorial page. I believe it’s a missed opportunity, but that’s a topic for a different column.

By Jim Pumarlo, consultant

By Jim Pumarlo, consultant

By JIM PUMARLO, Consultant

By Jim Pumarlo,
Consultant

I fondly characterize newsrooms as organized chaos. That definition has aptly described operations for the past 18 months with the impact of COVID-19. The story has demanded constant attention, and there are likely fewer reporters to handle the task due to the economic toll of the pandemic.

By JIM PUMARLO, Consultant