Helpful Resources For Journalists Covering the Upcoming Inaugural Events

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The Committee to Protect Journalists just published some helpful guidelines for journalists covering next week’s events – CPJ Safety Advisory: Covering the build-up to the U.S. presidential inauguration – Committee to Protect Journalists

Additionally, the NNA (National Newspaper Association) also provided a summary of tips/resources –

  • Do not meet in person with sources you do not know.
  • Be mindful of your surroundings.  Some sources say Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) may be used by rioters.
  • Employ social distancing tactics, as always.
  • Do not work alone if covering protests.
  • Obey orders from law enforcement. If legal assistance is needed, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press has a hotline for journalists at 1-800-336-4243, or www.rcfp.org.     
  • Be aware of potential use of live ammunition by protesters or police.
  • Stand back from crowds, where vehicle ramming could be a threat.
  • For journalists receiving verbal abuse, Radio-Television News Directors Association has an excellent resource page for maintaining good mental health. https://www.rtdna.org/article/webinar_newsroom_mental_health_strategies

The CPJ also made a downloadable checklist available.

Thank you, journalists, for your service during these difficult times. Without your efforts important and unbiased news coverage wouldn’t be possible. Stay safe!

Profiles in Print: The Roxton Progress

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If you’re looking for heart-warming articles and delicious recipes, The Roxton Progress is the publication for you. This Texas publication, published twice monthly, provides local community news coverage with a unique voice. Publishing since 1976, they have a print edition, online edition, popular Facebook page, and readers can even subscribe to breaking-news text alerts.

The current publishers, Kris & Karen Rutherford, provided us with a great description of their paper –

“We are a small Northeast Texas publication in a rural county. Roxton is known as “Hometown U.S.A” to many, and we have subscribers, mostly connected to the area, in 20 states.

We are not a traditional newspaper. The founders of the paper wanted to provide a “good news” paper, and that traditional has been respected for over 40 years. We post breaking news on our Facebook page (over 1,100 likes and followers) and we have debuted a new website that is gaining in popularity — www.theroxtonprogress.com.

We focus on human interest, history and culture, local events, agriculture/rural news of note, school district news (essentially we serve as the district’s school newspaper),  items likes recipes and one of our most popular features, The Texas Crossword. With the exception of one columnist, we pay for no content as we have found many people with ties to the area more than willing to write a column for each issue.”

Recipes are one of the most popular features.

Even if you’re not in their local area, we’d encourage you to subscribe to a free 7-day online trial.  Their publication is full of thoughtful, interesting, and positive articles that will provide some light in these challenging times.

If you’d like to request ad rates, fill out this short form or email publisher@theroxtonprogress.com  

Profiles in Print – Old Town Crier Magazine – Alexandria, VA

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The Old Town Crier Magazine, based out of Alexandria, VA is a wonderful example of how a local publisher highlights the amazing attributes of the communities they cover, year after year.

Established in 1988 as a lifestyle publication that covers the happenings in Alexandria, the publication expanded its coverage in 1995 to include Anne Arundel, Calvert and St. Mary’s Counties in Maryland, Fauquier, Loudoun, Warrenton and Rappahannock Counties in Virginia and points between including National Harbor.

The Old Town Crier provides unique, exciting, and detailed stories about local businesses, authors, artists, events, entertainment, arts, food and culture. High-quality photography enhances each article, along with an attractive layout.

One feature that we especially like is their inclusion of  pets & animals  in the stories they share. An entire section on their website is devoted to local pets of the month, animal adoption and other heart-warming topics about furry friends. In the recent print edition, they devote a special article about Halloween safety for pets.

Publishers Lani Gering & Bob Tagert

The Old Town Crier is distributed monthly to over 450 outlets including restaurants, retail establishments, hotels and visitor centers in all of the communities they cover; as well as several residential communities in Alexandria. Currently, their readership is well over 75,000 and growing!

If you’re interested in advertising with the Crier, contact office@oldtowncrier.com or click here to request ad rates: https://www.mediabids.com/publication/ad-rates/old-town-crier/?pubId=71404

MediaBids is working on a series of short posts spotlighting notable community publications across the U.S. If you’d like to submit your publication for consideration, please email Jessica Greiner – jgreiner@mediabids.com

Profiles in Print – The Beacon Newspapers – Publishing in Washington D.C. & the Surrounding Areas

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Flexibility has been an integral part of life this year, and a special group of publications that are offering flexibility to their readers in how they experience their media brand is The Beacon Newspapers.  

Stuart Rosenthal, Publisher & his wife Judy Rosenthal, Associate Publisher

The Beacon Newspapers are a group of publications that have been offering readers in the 50+ age range in the Washington D.C., Greater Baltimore Howard County, MD & Richmond Virginia areas thoughtful articles, living tips and helpful resources since 1989. Reaching 400,000+ readers, The Beacon has been an invaluable publication for individuals in their target age group. The group publishes four geo-targeted editions, an annual print Resource Guide, and the Silver Pages online product and service directory.

From an experiential standpoint, The Beacon Newspapers are making an innovative pivot from in-person events to virtual events in an exciting way. In the past, a mainstay event The Beacon spearheaded was the 50+ Expo, a local event that showcased exciting speakers, entertainers and informational exhibits that provided a great way for citizens to learn about local resources in their area, and local businesses to present their offerings in a meaningful way.

This year, in light of Covid-19, rather than cancelling the event, they partnered with other local organizations to bring the 50+ Expo online in a fun and interactive way for folks who’d still like to attend. This year, people interested in attending can visit this link https://beacon50expo.com to view classes, hear speakers, visit exhibitors and enjoy the available entertainment. The 50+ Expo will be available online from November 1, 2020 – January 31, 2021.

If you have questions about participating in the 50+ Expo, or would like more information about advertising in any of The Beacon Newspapers’ offerings, please email:  alan@thebeaconnewspapers.com or, you can request print-only ad rates here: https://www.mediabids.com/publication/ad-rates/www.thebeaconnewspapers.com/?pubId=54131

MediaBids is working on a series of short posts spotlighting notable community publications across the U.S. If you’d like to submit your publication for consideration, please email Jessica Greiner – jgreiner@mediabids.com

Profiles in Print: The Rome Sentinel Company

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If you wanted to paint a picture of a lovely family-owned newspaper group, a candidate for your consideration would be the deeply-rooted, multi-generational, Rome Sentinel Company; passionate about covering local news in Rome and Oneida County NY for nearly 200 years.

Three generations of publishers: Stephen B. Waters, left, passes the torch to his son, Bradley R. Waters. The portrait in the background features George Waters, who in 1993 handed the publishing reigns to his son Stephen.

Founded in the 1820s and publishing nearly 7,700 copies Tuesday-Saturday & 19,500 copies of the Seven Day Sentinel on Sunday, the Rome Sentinel is a journalistic institution. The group employs over 50 long-time employees; folks who are deeply familiar all aspects of the community. Editorial features include coverage of local sports, health issues, senior affairs, arts, entertainment, and religion. In 2019, The Sentinel began adding podcasts to its multimedia mix, featuring sports talk & movie reviews.

Also in 2019, the Rome Sentinel Company acquired the 162-year-old Boonville Herald. The Boonville Herald reaches over 8,100 readers each Wednesday in the North Country and beyond. The Rome Sentinel Company also serves the communities of Clinton, Kirkland, Westmoreland and surrounding areas via the Clinton Record.  The Clinton Record is distributed bi weekly to over 15,000 readers in the communities of Clinton Kirkland Westmoreland and the surrounding area via the USPS’s Every Door Direct program.

If you’re a local advertiser in their NY coverage area looking to promote your business, or a regional/national advertiser interested in promoting your brand to a high-quality, engaged readership, this publication group may be a perfect fit. They offer full-service digital advertising services as well, so it’s truly a multi-channel way to reach a valuable audience.

To request ad rates from the Rome Sentinel or learn more, click here: https://www.mediabids.com/publication/ad-rates/the_rome_sentinel/?pubId=74704

*Circulation as of U.S. Postal Service Statement of Ownership October 2, 2020

MediaBids is working on a series of short posts spotlighting notable community publications across the U.S. If you’d like to submit your publication for consideration, please email Jessica Greiner – jgreiner@mediabids.com

Profiles in Print: Winston County Journal

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Local newspapers not only offer citizens of the communities they cover unique insights into important issues and events in the area, but some go above and beyond to add a smile to their readers faces.

The Winston County Journal does just that, especially during the holidays. In their annual Christmas sections, they not only feature the classic “Letters to Santa”, but they also publish “Letters of Gratitude”, where local children share stories about the people and things they’re grateful for in life.  This feature may be appreciated more than ever this year.

Here’s a brief snapshot of this community newspaper: 

History:
The Winston County Journal was founded in 1892 by William C. Hight and covers Winston County, Mississippi community. The newspaper is presently owned by Emmerich Newspapers, a third-generation newspaper company.

Coverage:
The Journal serves Winston County with news, upcoming events, sports and all community happenings, each Wednesday.

Readership & Advertising Opportunities The Winston County Journal has a paid circulation of 3,000+ print subscribers. With every print ad purchase, The Winston County Journal will also place ads on its website and promote the advertiser on its social media channels. For additional advertising opportunities in surrounding areas, ads may be purchased in conjunction with its sister newspapers – the Choctaw Plaindealer (1,700 print subscribers) and Webster Progress Times (2,300 print subscribers).

Request Ad Rates in the Winston County Journal:  https://www.mediabids.com/publication/ad-rates/winston_county_journal/?pubId=58190

MediaBids is working on a series of short posts spotlighting notable community publications across the U.S. If you’d like to submit your publication for consideration, please email Jessica Greiner – jgreiner@mediabids.com

NEWSPAPERS PARTICIPATING IN MEDIABIDS’ PERFORMANCE-BASED PRINT ADVERTISING PROGRAM GENERATE RECORD REVENUE IN AUGUST 2020!

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For over a decade, MediaBids has been driving print advertising revenue to newspaper publishers through its unique performance-based print advertising program. Every time a reader makes a qualified phone call, online inquiry, or purchase in response to a print ad placed on behalf one of MediaBids’ impressive roster of direct-response advertisers, the publication driving the response earns revenue. To date, August of 2020 has been the program’s most successful month ever, generating hundreds of thousands of ad dollars for newspapers large and small across the country. A daily newspaper in NY earned $40K during this record-breaking month from running a wide array MediaBids’ ads that were a perfect fit for their readership .

“MediaBids’ print ads have been a lucrative tool for our publication month-after-month. The revenue has been substantial and is increasing over time; 2020 has been a tough year in many respects, but MediaBids’ ads have been a bright spot. We can always count on receiving classified liner ads from top national brands, right when we need them. It’s easy to participate, and the team is great to work with.” – Janelle Anderson, Wisconsin Community Papers

“We have always believed in the power of newspapers and appreciate the crucial role they play in society – perhaps now more than ever before. We are proud to be an ally of the publishing industry and continue to strive to drive as much revenue as possible to print media brands to support their journalistic efforts.” – Jedd Gould, President, MediaBids Inc.

Newspapers can create a free profile on the MediaBids’ website (www.mediabids.com) to view a full list of available advertisers and payout information. Each ad has a unique phone number or URL that tracks response specifically to each publisher, and earnings are paid out monthly. There is no cost for newspapers or magazines to use MediaBids.

About MediaBids
MediaBids brings together newspapers and large consumer brands to leverage the power of print advertising to generate new customers for clients and additional revenue for publications.

For more information, contact MediaBids at 800-545-1135 or visit www.mediabids.com

pro-News. pro-Citizenship. pro-Small Business.

Ad Sales, community newspapers, journalism, local newspapers, newspaper reporting, newspapers, Politics, print ads, Print Advertising

Main Street pic

Our local news media businesses and organizations sit at the crossroads of pretty much everything that make our communities work.

  • Small businesses
  • Residents/citizens
  • Local government

Our local newspapers provide a place for local business to advertise to their local customers. Our papers cover local government and politics and help to keep citizens informed. Without our local papers there’s almost no transparency, citizenship is stymied, the credibility and authority of our local governments is undermined. This all means healthy local news organizations are a necessary prerequisite for strong local economies, thriving communities and local democracy.

Local news was struggling with competitive pressures well before the pandemic. But since March and the sudden and massive decline in local advertising dollars, many local newspapers are barely hanging on. This is why the ”Local Journalism Sustainability Act” is an important attempt at supporting local news orgs and better local journalism. Please link to more info about this proposed legislation here. Also, call the U.S. Congress switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to be connected to your Congressperson. Don’t know who represents you? Click this lookup page. Then make the call. Do it today!

 

Democracy

 

Print Advertising Is Having A Moment

Ad Sales, community newspapers, local newspapers, newspapers, print ads, Print Advertising

Whats Old is New Again

As we all know the COVID crisis has had enormous impacts on our lives and on the economy. Newspapers have been especially hard hit among the many industries that saw a large number of their customers disappear virtually overnight. Once again people were declaring print media dead and perhaps buried this time.

But since the COVID shut downs began we’ve seen a really strong surge of ad placements and consumer response. Several advertisers that have done particularly well have done so in part because of the pandemic – OMAHA STEAKS, LEAF FILTER, ADT SECURITY, AT&T TV AND OTHERS. In fact, April response was up by 35% over March. May response was up another 36% over April. June is currently running another 17% ahead of May. These are very strong month-over-month increases. So at Mediabids we’ve seen anything but the notion that print media is dead and it’s certainly not buried.

Need a little more convincing? Understandable. An article appeared at Forbes.com today, highlighting how suddenly there are more marketers using full-page, print ads. This isn’t that surprising really. Newspapers have long been a place where marketers go to say something, especially if what they are saying is a little weightier or requires more space. These are complicated and challenging times. Print ads are unique in their ability to capture reader’s attention and say more rather than less (or nothing at all.) So it stands to reason marketers are once again turning to print (and newspapers in particular) to talk to consumers. To read the full article click here.

”Long copy sells more than short copy.” -John Caples, VP- BBDO

For more info about response-based print advertising and the campaigns to start running now, please visit Mediabids.com or email Jim at jjinks@mediabids.com.

 

 

 

 

Holiday Ad Spotlight: Fairytale Brownies

Ad Sales, affiliate advertising, affiliate marketing, community newspapers, cpa, CPL, digital advertising, direct mail, direct marketing, Holiday Advertising, local newspapers, newspapers, online advertising, pay per call advertising, pay-per-call, per response advertising, performance media, Print Advertising, Programmatic Print

Fairytale Brownies

 

Fairytale Brownies are back this holiday season at Mediabids. Fairytale Brownies make a terrific gift that everyone is sure to love. Their brownies are made from the ”finest all-natural ingredients like rich Callebaut Belgian dark chocolate, creamery butter, fine cake flour and fresh eggs.” They also don’t use any trans fats, preservatives or artificial colors and they’re certified kosher. Fairytale Brownies are delicious and come in eleven different flavors from cream cheese to mint chocolate and raspberry swirl to toffee crunch. Fairytale Brownies also offers gourmet bars and cookies for nearly every occasion in their own uniquely designed gift boxes.

 

FB Brownies

Their ”Christmas Brownie Bliss” gift box includes thirty-six individually wrapped, bite-size brownies in six different flavors. This special holiday gift is regularly $54.95 but is being offered for a limited time at $39.95 (25% off!) plus FREE shipping. A delicious holiday gift at a great price point for gifts to family, friends and associates. Visit Mediabids.com or call us at 1-800-545-1135 for more information or to request an ad today. The holidays are fast approaching!