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The Weekly Newsletter for MNA Members.       
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November 11, 2021 - Issue 45
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Thank You Veterans!

We Honor You and All That You

Have Done for Us
 

Our View: Tightknit communities stay informed

Mankato Free Press - 11/1/2021

It’s no secret that the embattled newspaper industry constantly strives to get new readers. Doing so is tantamount to survival.

Attracting and keeping younger readers (which these days means anyone younger than age 50 or so) is a continuous goal of every paper. As longtime, dedicated readers die, the fear is that fewer newspaper readers will be replacing them. Making newspapers matter to younger readers is a never-ending mission in a society that, unfortunately, relies on social media and electronic newsfeeds for much of its information.

Which makes the Ewing South Post sparkle like a diamond.

Read full story from the Free Press.


 

Watch ‘Storm Lake’ on PBS on November 15


Go inside The Storm Lake Times, a family-run newspaper serving an Iowa town which has seen its fair share of changes.
Pulitzer Prize-winning editor Art Cullen and his family dedicate themselves to keeping the paper alive in an era when local journalism is struggling. ‘Storm Lake’ premieres on Independent Lens Monday, November 15.

Watch on PBS and the PBS Video app starting at 10/9c.

More information.
Poynter article.
 

MN's Small-Town Newspapers Stay Resilient

by | Mpls St Paul

Lately it seems like when small-town newspapers make headlines, it’s because they’re folding. But in many parts of Minnesota, not only are lots of regional papers persisting—they’re seeing a renaissance. Here’s why hyperlocal papers are more crucial now than ever.

If you picked up a copy of the Swift County Monitor-News in Benson, Minnesota, last July, you could have found out that the Benson City Council’s election year would change, that a biogas energy company was proposing to construct a facility to turn cow manure and turkey litter into renewable energy, that COVID vaccination rates in the county lagged behind the Twin Cities, and that the Benson Plowboys, the town ball team, ended the regular season with an 8–6 victory at Cottonwood.

In other words, news you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else.

Read full story here.

 
 
Opinion: Support small-town USA by backing the Local Journalism Sustainability Act

The Local Journalism Sustainability Act "could be a game-changer for small-town USA and the rural voices that are frequently drowned out by more dominant coastal outlets. Those mom-and-pop storefronts that have dwindled under a tidal wave of Walmarts and Dollar Generals? They would be a primary beneficiary of LJSA. Local fundraisers of all stripes, community banks, development groups, teachers and schools ... the list of winners when it comes to this relatively small price tag is as big as America itself."

Read more
 

Secretary of State Filing for Legal Newspaper
 
Legal newspapers are officially designated publications in which citizens and governmental units advertise notices required by law. 
 
One of the requirements for a qualified newspaper is a newspaper must submit to the secretary of state by December 31 a filing containing the newspaper's name, address of its known office of issue, telephone number, and a statement that it has complied with all of the requirements of  the statute for a qualified newspaper: https://www.sos.state.mn.us/business-liens/start-a-business/legal-newspapers/?searchTerm=legal%20newspaper%20filing 
 
The application to apply for legal newspaper status can be found on the MN Secretary of State’s website: https://www.sos.state.mn.us/media/1391/legalnewspaperapplication.pdf .
This filing must be accompanied by a fee of $25. The secretary of state shall make available for public inspection a list of newspapers that have filed. Acceptance of a filing does not constitute a guarantee by the state that any other qualification has been met. 

Review the full chapter pertaining to qualified newspapers here: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/331A
 

 DEADLINE:  FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10TH                                  


URGENT RESPONSE REQUESTED:
2022 MNA Advertising Rate Questionnaire

The advertising rates you provide are used to generate quotes and place insertion orders with your publication. To ensure we have current information for your newspaper, please fill out our 2022 Advertising Rate Questionnaire and return it via email to advertising@mna.org as directed.

Please be sure to fill out the email address for Legal Ads/Public Notices AND confirm the correct shipping address for Pre-Print Inserts. 
 
 NOTE: 
The Advertising Rate Questionnaire is an editable PDF form. Not only can it be quickly completed from your keyboard instead of handwritten, but it'll make future rate submissions more efficient.

If all of your Rates, Specs and Details are unchanged from what you submitted last year, there is a box you can check directly below the Instructions on Page 1. However, we still need an authorized signature and date at the bottom of Page 2 of the 2022 version for our files.

Please contact Dan at 612-278-0223 or dan@mna.org if you have any questions.

 CLICK HERE to download the 2022 Advertising Rate Questionnaire


 DEADLINE:  FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10TH                                 
 

Statewide Advertising Networks

Revenue for Your Newspaper.
Revenue for Your Association.
Cash Bonuses for YOU!

Updated Network Sales Collateral is available in the Member's Only section of the MNA website. You'll find all of the details you need to include Statewide Display, Classified and Digital advertising programs into the media mix of your local advertisers, providing them with expanded reach of their marketing message.  

The Sales Resource Guide is your comprehensive A to Z source for selling network advertising.

Please direct additional questions about network advertising opportunities to either Randy at 612-278-0225 / randy@mna.org or Dan at 612-278-0223 / dan@mna.org
 













 
SAVE THE DATE!


The MNA Convention is BAAACK...

We Are So Excited to See You Again!!


2022 Minnesota Newspaper Association

155th Annual Convention

January 27-28, 2022

LOCATION
Marriott Minneapolis Northwest
Brooklyn Park MN

 
Send your speaker and session ideas to: Lisa@mna.org

Minnesota NewsMedia Institute:
Silent Auction


Once again MNA Convention attendees can support the MNA’s nonprofit training arm, the Minnesota News Media Institute, at the annual Silent Auction. Always a highlight of the convention, attendees peruse the collection of goods and services for sale (and exercise various competitive bidding methods) to benefit the future of the newspaper industry!

The MNA Silent Auction will be back in 2022!

We are looking for at least 50 items, each valued at $35-100 or more, in order to make this annual fundraiser a success! Please download a  Silent Auction Donation Form and submit it to MNA by Friday, January 14, 2022. You may send or drop off your silent auction items to the MNA Office by Monday, January 17, or arrange to drop it off at the convention hotel Wednesday, January 26 during setup.

All proceeds benefit the Minnesota News Media Institute, the 501(c)(3) arm of the Minnesota Newspaper Association. A partnership of the more than 260 members of MNA, the Institute's mission is to provide education, training and professional development opportunities for current and future news media professionals, promote fair and trusted journalism, and work to increase the public’s understanding of the role and obligation of a free press in our society.

Download the Donation Form. (PDF)
 

Submit your donation pledge form today! Contact Laura Niemi with any questions: laura@mna.org or 612-278-0226.

Thank you in advance for your support!

Full Color 2022 Press Passes Now Available


MNA is pleased to offer full color Press ID Cards for members again in 2022. The customized ID cards feature the card holder’s photo and signature, as well as the newspaper’s name and phone number. The press card is driver’s license-sized and printed in full color on durable plastic so it will last all year without tearing or bending, like MNA’s traditional paper cards. ID cards for each publisher and staff member can be ordered for only $5 each.
Cards can be ordered and paid for online via a secure server.

To complete your order, visit:
http://mna.org/members-only/press-id-cards/

MNA will send all cards for a newspaper directly to the publisher in order to avoid non-authorized persons from ordering and receiving ID cards. If you have any questions, please contact member@mna.org.

 


11/11 – Advertising Quick Clicks


5 Advanced Selling Skills (& the Techniques to Nail Them)
(Courtesy of Hub Spot)

Thoughtful Questions Can Benefit Buyers and Sellers
(Courtesy of Partners in Excellence)

Qualifying Questions Every Salesperson Should Ask
(Courtesy of Sales Fuel)

Prospecting from a Place of Strength
(Courtesy of The Sales Blog)

What Do Our Retail Sales Customers Expect From Us?
(Courtesy of MTD Sales Training)


For a comprehensive archive of Advertising Quick Clicks along with an expansive collection of relevant advertising sales resources, please visit The Sales Cycle on the MNA website.

If there are specific advertising, prospecting, presentation or negotiation related topics you'd like to see included in this sales resource section, please contact Dan at dan@mna.org

 



2021 Online Media Campus Webinars Are FREE to MNA Members
 
Online Media Campus webinars are FREE to MNA members. Members can access free registration to all webinars and training sessions.

There are currently 165 webinars in the archive that can be downloaded at any time. In addition, employees of MNA member newspapers may register for new webinars in 2021 free of charge with an access code unique to MNA. To register for a webinar members may obtain the access code by contacting MNA at member@mna.org.
 

Check Out These Available Virtual Training Sessions!


Redistricting and Elections 

States are redrawing political districts based on 2020 census data. This 90-minute webinar will prepare journalists to cover the redistricting process in their state and track the impact on upcoming elections.

Learning Outcomes

After this presentation, panel discussion and Q&A, you will be able to:

  • Outline key redistricting concepts as you examine your state’s unique process
  • Define how redistricting in 2021 looks different than it did in 2011 and before
  • Generate story ideas about redistricting, voting and elections that you can work on right away and over the long term
  • Utilize expert sources for your reporting
Wednesday, November 17
11:00 AM
FREE

Read more and register. 

 


Reviving Newspapers in Digital News Deserts

The digital landscape is analogous to the Great Plains of 19th century middle America.

If you try to build a farm (website) without a clear path to the railroad (Google/Facebook), then there is no practical way of developing a sustainable town (digital business).

 

In this webinar, Our Hometown CEO, Matt Larson, will present the steps needed to forge and maintain digital channels to the major Internet platforms, where the newspaper’s audience has already assembled.  Learn how to:

  • Help Google index your site
  • Get headlines to appear in Google News
  • Direct traffic from Facebook to your website
  • Keep readers engaged on the website longer
Presenter: Matt Larson of Our Hometown
(Register by November 15.)

Webinar
Thursday, November 18
1:00 - 2:00 PM

Register here.


(MNA members can register for free, email member@mna.org to request the access code.)
 


7 Ways to Get 25% More From Every Advertiser: Compare, Contrast, Close!

We’ve all heard it before… No budget.  Or, we are moving in a different direction.  So, how do you sell past these objections and get more ad dollars than ever before?  Compare, consult and conquer!  Ad sales advisor, Ryan Dohrn, will show you a daring and inventive way to ethically share what competitive advertisers are doing in the market to draw out money from those reluctant advertisers that give us the same lame excuses.  COMPARE them to others in their category that are doing great.  CONSULT with them on how to be bigger and better.  Then, CONQUER the close by showing the advertiser how to dominate the companies they hate most… their competition.  This is an advanced selling workshop that has received 5 stars from over 1,000 salespeople. 

Presenter: Ryan Dohrn of Brain Swell Media
*Register by December 6.

Webinar
Thursday, December 9
1:00 - 2:00 PM

Register here.

(MNA members can register for free, email member@mna.org to request the access code.)
 








Memorial Contributions


The Minnesota News Media Institute (MNI) strives to provide educational programs and training for our members. This is accomplished through generous donations from our friends and members. If you are interested in donating in memory of a colleague or loved one; cherish their memory by a donation to MNI in his/her name. Please contact the MNA office for more information.
 
If you have relevant news to share, please email member@mna.org
 
 
 

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

*****Please check your listings and let MNA (member@mna.org) know if they have been filled.


Enterprising Editor
The Albuquerque Publishing Company (family owned) is seeking an aggressive, enterprising editor to help rebrand one of our community newspapers located in the fastest growing city in New Mexico. More...

Community Editor
Cover the news and events that matter as a community editor. This full-time position at the News & Times, located in the west metro and based in Waconia, More..

Senior Editor
Industry-leading national business publication Franchise Times is hiring a full-time senior editor at its Minneapolis headquarters. Salary range: $60,000-$70,000 More...

Editor
Opportunity for an editor in the heart of lake country. The Aitkin Independent Age is a subscriber-based newspaper that plays a critical role in the community. More..

Reporter
The Jordan Independent, a subsidiary of MediaNews Group, is seeking a Reporter to join the team! MediaNews Group offers news reporting and third party advertising..More..

Editor
The Sun and Country Messenger is seeking an editor to lead our newspaper. Our two newspapers, located on the beautiful and scenic St. Croix River, serve the communities of Osceola, Wis. and Scandia and Marine on..More...

Reporter
We are looking for a reporter at the Cannon Falls (Minnesota) Beacon who is passionate about telling stories that matter to our community -- someone who is fair, accurate and ethical. More...

Editor
Do you want to make a difference in the lives of others? Do you enjoy a different experience every day? We have an opening for an editor at the Union-Times in Princeton. More...

General Assignment Reporter
The McLeod County Chronicle in Glencoe, Minnesota, is seeking a full-time general assignment reporter. The successful candidate will be involved in a wide range of duties, More...

Sports Reporter
The Marshall Independent is seeking a sports reporter. Page design experience a plus. Must be willing to work nights and weekends. Coverage includes prep and college. More...

Page Designer
The Marshall Independent is seeking a page designer who isn’t afraid to get creative. Requirements include excellent editing and headline writing skills with experience in InDesign and... More

Newsroom Editor
The Detroit Lakes Tribune and Perham Focus is looking for its next rising star: an editor to lead and develop a team of reporters in a digital-first newsroom. More...

Sports Reporter
Join an Award Winning Team! Echo Press in Alexandria, Minnesota is looking for a full-time reporter to produce engaging sports and news content for our print newspapers and digital sites... More

Managing Editor
An award-winning weekly newspaper is seeking an Editor/Writer for a community newspaper located in the beautiful central Minnesota lakes area in Otter Tail/Becker counties. More...

Community Editor / Reporter
Great opportunity at a lakes-central newspaper. This full-time position at the Mille Lacs Messenger, which covers the Mille Lacs lake area, involves coverage of business, breaking news,  More...

General Assignment Reporter
APG Media of Southern Minnesota is looking for two general assignment reporters — one in Northfield and one in Owatonna.. More..

Ag & Rural Reporter with Editor Possibilities
Star Publications has a full-time ag reporter position available in central Minnesota. The primary duties of this individual will be writing agriculture stories and.. More..

News Assistant
Herald Journal Publishing is seeking a full-time or part-time News Assistant for ongoing news gathering and weekly newspaper production duties. This position includes preparing newspaper items for print .. More..

Staff Writer
Press Publications in White Bear Lake is seeking a regional staff writer to join its award-winning team. As a regional staff writer, you will be responsible for coordinating editorial content and layout..More...

Reporter
The Sentinel of Fairmont, MN, a daily morning newspaper in south-central Minnesota, seeks a FULL-TIME REPORTER.  Excellent opportunity for recent college grads or reporters at weeklies..More..

Editor / Sports Writer
Award-winning weekly newspaper is seeking Editor/Sports writer. Editor is retiring after 30+ years.  Beautiful community in west central Minnesota. More..

Editor
Do you enjoy.....Being Involved in your Community ~ Being ‘in the know' - Speaking with others ~ Conducting Interviews - Conveying Information to a large audience - Writing ~ Photography...More..

Circulation Marketing Manager
Join the MN APG team as our Circulation Marketing Manager focused a growing our audiences across multiple communities. More...

Entry Level Graphic Designer
Do you have a knack for layout design? Want to be more involved in your community? Consider a job with Press Publications! We are a local community newspaper group in the north metro, More..

Distribution District Manager - $1,000 Sign-on Bonus
Adams Publishing Group, a leading media company serving local communities across the United States, is seeking a Distribution District Manager to join its team in Elk River, MN. More...


 


FOR SALE/WANTED


Bi-Monthly Newspaper for Sale 
The Newsleaders covers the fast-growing St. Cloud metro area cities of Sartell, St. Stephen and St. Joseph. One edition serves readers in Sartell-St. Stephen...More..

Weekly Newspaper for Sale
The Standard-Gazette & Messenger, located an hour and a half south and west of the Twin Cities is currently for sale. This newspaper covers two school districts and four small towns in three counties. More...

Access to the MNA Member Classifieds Page is free to MNA members. To submit an ad, please click the “Submit a Job Posting” or “Submit a For Sale/Wanted Posting” buttons on the Member Classifieds page. MNA members are also encouraged to post ads for available internships (submit as a Job Posting). The charge for non-members is $25 per week, payable by check or credit card. For more details, contact MNA: member@mna.org or 612-332-8844.


NOTE: Once jobs are filled or postings expire, please ask MNA to remove your post from the Member Classifieds by sending an e-mail to member@mna.org.
 

Members Only!

To log into the "Members Only" section of the MNA website, please use the following information:

Username: Member
Password: Newspaper
2021-2022 MNA Board of Directors

Justin Lessman
President, Jackson County Pilot

Chad Koenen 
1st Vice Pres., Citizen's Advocate, Henning

Crystal Miller  
2nd Vice Pres.,
Albert Lea Tribune

Diann Drew  
3rd Vice Pres.,  Alexandria Echo Press

Mark Weber 
Director, APG Media, Eden Prairie

Tara Brandl
Director, Tracy Area Headlight Herald

Lisa Schwarz
Director, St. Cloud Times

Kelly Boldan
Treasurer, West Central Tribune, Willmar

Chris Knight  
Immediate Past President, APG Media, Virginia

 

"All business is personal, so make your friends before you need them."

- Robert L. Johnson, Founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET)  
Reviving Newspapers in Digital News Deserts
Webinar
Thursday, November 18
1:00 - 2:00 PM
Register here.

7 Ways to Get 25% More From Every Advertiser: Compare, Contrast, Close!
Webomar
Thursday, December 9
1:00 - 2:00 PM
Register here.


2022 MNA 155th Annual Convention
Marriott Minneapolis Northwest
January 27-28, 2022

 
MNA/MNI Event Calendar
MNA Member Classifieds
This Week's Network Ads
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