Leading the Weekly and Community Newsroom

June 18 - June 21, 2008

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Featured Discussion Leaders

Dean Betz Content Director, Houston Chronicle Session: Managing the Community Conversation: Policies and procedures for hosting reader participation on your Web site.

Hunter Bretzius Editor-in Chief, The Gaston Gazette (Gastonia, NC) Session: Intelligent Risk Taking: No excuses! Learn how to innovate like crazy and get results in growing audience and producing quality journalism.

Gersh Kuntzman Editor in Chief, The Brooklyn Paper Session: Conflict and Context. SNA's “Editor of the Year” for 2007 will lead this lively discussion about strategies for making your newspaper a lively, must-read in the neighborhoods you serve.

Richard Stein General Manager and Co-publisher, The Riverdale Press (Bronx, NY) Session: Multimedia Storytelling: Steps for planning and producing news for print, online, mobile and community involvement.

Richard Weiss Writing and Editing Consultant, WeissWrite Session: How to Become the Most-admired Editor in the Newsroom: Raise the level of your staff's writing, accuracy and satisfaction.

Michael Wood-Lewis Co-Founder, Front Porch Forum, Inc. Session: Connecting Neighborhoods Online

Presented in partnership with Suburban Newspapers of America. SNA members receive an additional tuition discount by registering and paying through SNA. For more information, please click on the SNA logo above.

A seminar for editors of weekly newspapers of all sizes and of small community dailies who want to strengthen their local franchise.

Who Should Attend?
Editors responsible for shaping all or part of the print and online content for their news organizations.

How Your Organization Will Benefit
Audiences are demanding more local news and information than ever, and no organization is better positioned to deliver it than the community newspaper. Participants will gain fresh ideas and techniques for print and online content that engage the community and grow audiences across platforms. They will learn ways to strengthen the writing and design of their newspapers, develop targeted niche publications with new revenue streams, and create print and online “town squares” that serve as a forum for community issues. Participants will return ready t

• Craft enterprise stories across platforms
• Grow local audiences with new products beyond traditional news
• Combine great storytelling and compelling presentation on a shoestring budget
• Raise the level of their staff’s writing, accuracy and satisfaction
• Generate a community forum on local issues

Here’s what you’ll gain:

Day 1:

• The Agile Newsroom. Develop resources that build audience and monetize content. Dan Cox, president of Mediaphormedia®, talks about The World Company’s strategy for using databases, user-generated content, social networking and crowd sourcing.
• Connecting Neighborhoods Online. It’s what everyone is talking about -- how to setup community forums and manage the conversation. Michael Wood-Lewis, co-founder of Front Porch Forum and Dean Betz, content director of the Houston Chronicle’s chron.com, offer tips for success.
• Niche publications. Grow your local audience and build revenue with targeted new products. Bring your great ideas and take home lots more.
• Newspaper Next 2.0. Elaine Clisham, API Marketing Director, presents the methodology behind new products launched by companies using the N2 method.

Day 2:

• How to Become the Most-admired Editor in the Newsroom. Even if you’re the only editor in the newsroom, you can raise the level of your staff’s writing, accuracy and satisfaction. Newsroom coach Richard Weiss of WeissWrite tells you how.
• Multimedia Storytelling. Expand your news offerings across platforms. Find out how The Riverdale Press is integrating print, online, mobile and community involvement. Editor and Co-publisher Richard Stein leads this session.
• Design on a Shoestring. Combine great storytelling and compelling presentation on a shoestring budget. API associate director Mary Peskin uses participant’s newspapers and world-class examples to show you how.

Day 3:

• Content and Conflict: Leading a Community Weekly. The Brooklyn Paper’s Editor in Chief and SNA 2007 “Editor of the Year,” Gersh Kuntzman, tells how to make your newspaper a lively, must-read in the neighborhoods you serve. 
• Experience the Newseum. Check out the newly-opened Newseum on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Day 4:

• Intelligent Risk Taking: Every editor has excuses for failure to innovate -- not enough resources, staff, time, training, etc. The Gaston Gazette’s Editor-in-Chief, Hunter Bretzius, tells how her paper is innovating like crazy and getting results in growing audience and producing quality journalism.

What Alumni Say
“Never before have I been in such company -- great people so passionate about the same things I care about. This has changed the course of my career.”
Rachel Colliver, Editor
Wilmington (Ohio) News Journal

“I'm very glad I came. I'm loaded with ideas and renewed enthusiasm.”
Ted Kramer, Editor
The Observer, La Grande, Ore.

The Particulars

Please read:
:: API's Registration, Tuition and Hotel Policies
:: Special requirements for international members

Tuition: $1,195

Hotel/Meal Package: $980.
This charge is in addition to the tuition fee, and is paid directly to the hotel by the seminar member upon checkout.

Location: Reston, Virginia

(This seminar has already occured)