Editors are regularly challenged: What mix of stories and photos will collectively make this edition a “must see” for readers and advertisers? There is no universal formula.

The first step in any market, however, is to know your community. Fundamental to providing pertinent coverage is living in the neighborhoods where your readers work and play.

By JIM PUMARLO, consultant

As youths we all likely tried to hide bad behavior from our parents. The truth inevitably surfaced, and we bore the brunt of punishment. Lesson: Be up front with circumstances and repercussions typically are minimized.

By Jim Pumarlo, consultant

Newspapers should communicate the same lesson to public officials who try to keep secret what they deem sensitive or unwelcome news: Be forthright. Make it standard procedure to volunteer the news and minimize rumors.

One of my greatest satisfactions sitting behind the editor’s desk was appreciating the newspaper had a pulse of the community. Credit extended beyond the newsroom; all employees served as our collective eyes and ears. 

By JIM PURMARLO, Consultant

Delivering news is hard work, as editors well know. Stories don’t just fall in your lap. You must develop news sources, which can be a painstaking process. Sources willingly share good news. When bad news surfaces, they often create detours and roadblocks.

By Jim Pumarlo, Consultant

Elections are over, and you breathe a sigh of relief. The exhaustive campaign season has concluded, and newsrooms can return to some level of normalcy.

Not so fast. The most substantive aspect of election coverage may loom. Your pages have been filled with campaign promises detailed in stories, letters to the editor and ads. The next logical step: Are the winners keeping their promises?

By JIM PUMARLO, Consultant
Election Day is fast approaching. Newsrooms are likely starting the countdown when they take a collective breath from the exhaustive campaign season and return to some level of normalcy. 

Campaigns are in full swing as Election Day nears. Editors should pay extra attention to letters that give a thumbs up or thumbs down to candidates and other ballot initiatives.

Letter-writing campaigns have become as sophisticated and strategic as advertising campaigns. An unfortunate result is that many newspapers now charge for election-related letters. I appreciate the arguments for enacting the policy. It’s still disappointing, and I respectfully disagree.

By JIM PUMARLO, Consultant

Maintaining your status as the premier clearinghouse for community news is a constant challenge in today's fractured media landscape.

Diminished resources are a fact of life in most newsrooms. Social media has spawned a proliferation of de facto news sites. And there are the inevitable instances when regional and statewide media outlets swoop into your towns for the big headline.

By JIM PUMARLO, Consultant

Hardly a year passes without legal requirements for public notices coming under assault. It’s happening this year in the Minnesota Legislature, where the Minnesota School Boards Association is seeking authority for school districts to remove public notices from newspapers.

The initiative comes on the heels of Alden Global Capital shutting down eight community newspapers. The proposal not only attacks the essence of open government, it also significantly decreases citizen access to vital information. 

Attention newsrooms: It’s time to get serious about 2024 elections coverage. I hear the collective groan. The reaction is likely shaded by the strident national contests and their seemingly never-ending campaign cycles.

By JIM PUMARLO, Consultant

Editors are routinely challenged with making uncomfortable news decisions. To be certain, there is no universal right or wrong call on whether to publish a story and in how much detail. Several factors may be in play, including community norms and longstanding newspaper policy.

By JIM PUMARLO, Consultant