Kevin Slimp Online
Kevin Slimp is a favorite speaker and trainer in the publishing world. He can be reached at kevin@kevinslimp.com.

Current Newsletter

New Tools in Photoshop Elicit Warning

Oct 31, 2023 at 07:55 pm by INT

Latest versions of Photoshop include use of artificial intelligence   By now, you would think I’ve learned not to write things that will get me in trouble. So, be.... Read More

Kevin critiques common issues in newspapers

Oct 11, 2023 at 11:00 pm by INT

A funny thing happened to me in Denver a few days ago while I was in town to speak at the Colorado Press Association Convention. I had just finished my fourth presentation of.... Read More

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Recent Columns

Online Training Available at Newspaper Academy

Mar 06, 2017 at 04:20 pm by staff

NewspaperAcademy.com features training you need from people you trust. Join Kevin Slimp, Ed Henninger, John Hatcher, Tim Smith and other trusted names in newspaper training fo.... Read More

Meeting Deadline: Learning to Get Along

Jan 27, 2017 at 01:09 pm by staff

A few years ago, I spent several days with a newspaper in Tennessee. They were converting from an editorial workflow based on QuarkXPress to InDesign and asked if I would be o.... Read More

Know When to Fold Them

Nov 21, 2016 at 09:54 am by staff

While in Minnesota last week, I had an assignment similar to assignments I've had many times during the past 20 years: to spend a day with a small community newspaper group, m.... Read More

This Story is About Hamburgers: If you think it's about something else, you are wrong

Nov 21, 2016 at 09:37 am by staff

This story is about hamburgers. Nothing else, just hamburgers. If you think it's about something other than hamburgers, you are mistaken. This story is simply about hamburgers.... Read More

Learning what I can from really smart people: Interviews with experts yield valuable information

Oct 11, 2016 at 08:45 am by staff

I live a charmed life. Last week, I spent four days with nine of the top newspaper experts in the business, along with journalists from 22 states at The Newspaper Institute in.... Read More

Iris Chyi, John Oliver and hundreds of journalists leave me no choice but to write this column

Sep 02, 2016 at 08:14 am by staff

Those of you who write columns for a living know what I'm talking about. This is one of those days when I'm not sure what to write. It's not that I lack subject matter. The op.... Read More

Pressing Issues

Jul 14, 2016 at 11:34 am by staff

If a person hangs around long enough, he's bound to get noticed. That's my theory anyway. When asked why I receive so many requests for help from newspapers, I simply mark it.... Read More

Common Sense Pays Off

Jul 14, 2016 at 11:05 am by staff

Doggone that Joey Young. And doggone that Al Cross, too. While we're at it, doggone the managing editor of that daily in Tennessee and the journalist from the metro paper who.... Read More

Industry-related pubs begin take notice of growing community newspapers

Jun 14, 2016 at 11:31 am by staff

A few months back, I had breakfast with the publisher of a very successful community newspaper in Minnesota. As we walked around the restaurant, I was introduced to local resi.... Read More

A Newspaper Fable

Apr 28, 2016 at 05:20 pm by staff

Imagine with me, if you will.   It's January 2020. NFL football has been making record profits, primarily due to product licensing and TV contracts, year after year. &.... Read More

Front Page

What (or who) to believe about the state of newspapers

May 11, 2017 at 02:48 pm by staff

I don't know about you, but my life seems to get busier with each passing day. I just finished publishing my second book in a month, began work on a major project to help rais.... Read More

Closer to home: Health of newspaper largely depends on ownership model

Feb 23, 2016 at 01:00 pm by staff

It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke: "What do you get when you gather 760 newspaper executives and ask them how things are going at their papers?" That's just what I di.... Read More

Dancing with the one who brung me: Answering questions from readers

Jan 13, 2016 at 06:30 pm by staff

An editor in South Carolina wrote to me yesterday, "I'm always amazed at your productivity." I get that a lot these days. Since yesterday, I've written an opinion piece that's.... Read More

In 2015, I visited a lot of Successful Papers

Dec 22, 2015 at 01:08 pm by staff

I've been training and advising newspapers for 21 years, every since Larry Smith asked me to come look over his operation in LaFollette, Tennessee back in 1994. I worked with.... Read More

The best word to describe Minnesota Newspapers: PHENOMENAL

Nov 18, 2015 at 09:40 am by staff

The best word to describe Minnesota Newspapers PHENOMENAL There's a reason I love my work so much. There's a reason that there are folks around the country waiting for me to r.... Read More

Dead at Deadline!

Aug 26, 2015 at 09:00 pm by staff

In retrospect, I love the email subject line: "Dead at deadline." The email came to me at 6:15 last night, just as I was getting ready to take my two teenagers out for dinner..... Read More

Newspaper Hall of Fame unveiled July 17

Jul 20, 2015 at 02:58 pm by staff

The Tennessee Press Association Foundation did it. On Friday, July 17, 2015, the new Tennessee Newspaper Hall of Fame was officially unveiled at a celebration that included pu.... Read More

Adobe Bridge: There's a surge in interest

Jul 03, 2015 at 01:24 pm by staff

When a person visits as many newspapers as I do, he starts to notice similarities. It used to be that most papers wanted staff training in InDesign (or QuarkXpress in years pa.... Read More

Top four reasons some newspapers aren't having a good year

Jun 20, 2015 at 12:16 pm by staff

"It's a quarter to three," sang Frank Sinatra, "no one in the place 'cept you and me." I'm not sure why that song comes to mind. It might have something to do with the fact th.... Read More

Thinking about your newspaper's future

Jun 02, 2015 at 11:19 am by staff

I don’t know about you, but I’m not much of a sitter. By that, I mean I can sit through speech for a few minutes, but then I usually start to get bored. That’s when my mind st.... Read More

New Tools in Photoshop Elicit Warning

Oct 31, 2023 at 07:55 pm by INT

Latest versions of Photoshop include use of artificial intelligence   By now, you would think I’ve learned not to write things that will get me in trouble. So, be.... Read More

Kevin critiques common issues in newspapers

Oct 11, 2023 at 11:00 pm by INT

A funny thing happened to me in Denver a few days ago while I was in town to speak at the Colorado Press Association Convention. I had just finished my fourth presentation of.... Read More

Making space for the important stuff on a newspaper page

Sep 13, 2023 at 11:00 pm by INT

Simple changes invite readers to pick up your paper   Younger readers might not know what I'm writing about when I mention Facebook "memories." Still, most of you are f.... Read More

Fixing problems before they appear on the page

Aug 16, 2023 at 11:00 pm by INT

Kevin shares ideas to prevent font and photo errors   My friend, Kari, wrote to me from her newspaper in Indiana this morning. Her message reminded me of the questions.... Read More

Sharing the Good News of Newspapers

Jul 07, 2023 at 02:25 pm by INT

As I listen to the July 4 fireworks outside my window, my thoughts revolve around the newspaper colleagues I’ve met over the past few weeks and the lessons I’ve le.... Read More

Improving Your Newspaper: No two papers are alike

Jun 02, 2023 at 03:30 pm by INT

If you regularly read my columns, you know that I write about focus groups quite often. Don't worry. I'm not writing bout focus groups today. However, I want to discuss anothe.... Read More

Putting in the Effort to Get More Ad Sales Results

May 16, 2023 at 03:45 pm by INT

It dawned on me this morning that my schedule changes significantly from day to day. There are always some things that have to get done most days. Regardless of what else is o.... Read More

Taking Control of Your Time

Mar 12, 2023 at 09:49 pm by INT

It has been one of those days. You’ve had them. It began with a website that wasn’t working like it was supposed to. When you have a website that lists items for.... Read More

The Secret to Newspaper Growth

Feb 22, 2023 at 10:45 pm by INT

Earlier this month, I traveled about an hour from my home to conduct focus groups for a weekly newspaper in Tennessee. Focus groups come in all sizes and shapes. This particul.... Read More

A few reasons some papers grow

Jan 22, 2023 at 10:13 pm by INT

I’m going to let you in on a little secret. I don’t plan these columns in advance. Most months, I receive an email from newspaper industry executive Jack Guza remi.... Read More