Highlights of the Media Forum

IDC/Jobs 2020
April 28, 2005 – 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Sawmill Inn, Grand Rapids, MN

Guest Speakers: Billy Crews, President and CEO of Journal Publishing, and Lloyd Gray, Editor Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal from Tupelo, Mississippi and Tim Shears, general manager of Minnesota News Network

Local Panelists: Maggie Montgomery, general manager of KAXE radio, Ron Oleheiser, publisher of the Grand Rapids Herald Review, Mike Iaizzo, owner KOZY/KMFY radio and Jennifer Vail-Storrs, Operations Manager at Itasca Community Television.

The Media forum was the sixteenth in a series of Itasca Development Corporation/Jobs 2020 forums. The purpose of the forum was to talk about the role of the media in economic development and industry trends and small rural media.

Tim Shears, Minnesota News Network (MNN)

When Tim Shears joined MNN in 1988 the Network provided news, farm, and sports programming to radio stations throughout the region. MNN has reporters and news anchors that create hourly newscasts for affiliated radio stations and its affiliates work together to delivery quality news coverage that would otherwise be impossible for local stations to afford on their own.

Local media can play a critical role in the communication of shared values and can stimulate a community to work together. Tim commented that the Itasca area is fortunate to have its own home town media. Because of consolidation of media, with ownership by a few, locally involved media has become the exception. Many communities in the country and in Minnesota do not have local connection and advantage. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 changed the rules on ownership of radio and TV stations. The bill essentially did away with the limits of ownership nationwide. Stations in major markets can now own as many as eight radio stations in a given market. That control dictates what news is covered and which public service projects get the media attention. Media consolidations means: fewer voices, less access for the community and less media involvement.

In the 18 years Tim has worked for MNN, the Network has gone from dealing with locally owned radio stations to now dealing with groups that own stations in most communities around the state. Tim has witnessed the changes in local community involvement in cities like Austin, Albert Lea, Fargo, Duluth, Aitkin, Hibbing and many others. This “group ownership” trend is not unique to radio – it has happened to newspapers and television stations as well.

Tim spoke to the forum about the advantages of having media owners and managers who have roots in the local area and can make their decisions locally. He suggested 1) keeping up the dialogue with local media managers, 2) asking them to participate in what is going on in the community and 3) supporting the hometown media with local advertising.

Billy Crews, Journal Publishing, Tupelo, Mississippi

Journal Publishing is owned by the nonprofit CREATE Foundation formed by George McLean. The Foundation was formed “to be a catalyst for positive change in Northeast Mississippi by committing its resources to projects that will improve the quality of life for all citizens of Northeast Mississippi and by helping individuals and groups by providing financial support to meaningful projects.” (George McLean passed away in 1983).

The Northeast corner of Mississippi has historically been the poorest part of the poorest state in the country. The newspaper has played a large role in the economic and community development of that area over a long period time. The newspaper has invested heavily in what is local, with 5% of profits going back into the community for economic development or charitable contributions. $7.5 million has been invested back into the community over the past 20 – 25 years. The Foundation’s business and community investments have been diverse. They have invested in real estate (now owning 1 million s.f. of industrial warehouse space) as well as hiring reading assistants for the first grades of all schools in Lee County to help combat the low reading test scores of children in rural areas of Lee County.

A brief recap of the principles that guide the Journal in its service to the community as written by George McLean is as follows:

• Human resources are their most vital assets
• The Journal is one of the important agencies in the development of the community – it must strive to be a good player on a strong community team
• The Daily Journal is an independent, locally owned newspaper
• Having bought a bankrupt bi-weekly paper from a bankrupt bank during the depression, the Publisher knows that a newspaper must be financially strong if it hopes to survive during times of economic stress or withstand public or private pressure
• The Publisher believes that a local newspaper and other local business institutions must go far beyond written or oral support of worthwhile causes
• The Publisher believes that informed, enlightened and active citizens constitute the only sure foundation of a democracy
• Unless a newspaper is read by the people it cannot effectively serve its community so emphasis is placed on a large circulation
• No city, no county is an island to itself alone – either go forward together or stagnate together
• A basic obligation of any business institution is to provide for its employees (pay and benefits)
• The measure you give will be the measure you get back

A Good Newspaper
by George McLean (a brief recap)

A good newspaper should…

• be a catalyst in its community
• be its community’s encourager
• seek to promote a spirit of neighborliness
• be a friend of its community
• carry stories about progressive undertakings and methods
• not merely report but also enlighten
• have staff that develops expertise
• be one of the hardest workers and most generous givers in civic affairs
• be an economic tool for personal and community progress
• serve as an educational institution
• reach out as far as it can touch or see to bring new ideas, new approaches, and new information to its readers
• provide the tone in its community built around high ethical standards, a cooperative spirit, broadly based tolerance among all groups, a yearning for personal and community growth, a belief in God, service to man, and hope for a better tomorrow

Lloyd Gray, Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, Tupelo, Mississippi

The objectives of the newspaper are 1) community development, 2) employee development, 3) circulation penetration, 4) market share and 5) profitability. The content focus is on education, economic and community development, and human achievement.

Key points:

• Building community is the first responsibility of a newspaper
• Strive to reflect all that the community is
• A newspaper should not dwell on negative news, but rather focus on issues of public education, community development, economic development and state and local government (60% of the Journal’s front page deals with one of those subjects)
• Frame issues, set agenda and tone for the community (relentless focus and repetition)
• Give readers a sense of shared identity and common experience
• Newspapers shouldn’t revel in conflict for the sake of sensationalism
• Provide constructive coverage – do not shy away from conflict or controversy, but rather help search for solutions – provide a positive tone
• Emphasize human achievement
• Hold elected officials accountable only when there is conflicting interest – avoid the “gotcha” stories

Lloyd Gray told the audience “We don’t get anywhere by being satisfied with where we were”. Our media should be leaders in writing “the next chapter”.

LOCAL PANELISTS

Maggie Montgomery, general manager of KAXE radio, Ron Oleheiser, publisher of the Grand Rapids Herald Review, Mike Iaizzo, owner KOZY/KMFY radio and Jennifer Vail-Storrs, Operations Manager at Itasca Community Television were the local panelists that addressed the forum. Each one talked about the mission and values of their individual media businesses and how they seek to serve the local community.

There was recognition by members of the audience and Tim Shears that
the Itasca area media has been, and continues to be, a positive contributor to building our local community.

Itasca Development Corporation/Jobs 2020 is a non-profit organization that brings together private and public sector leaders from the Itasca region committed to helping create quality jobs