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

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

I've noticed a definite trend lately. It might be related to the increased number of industry activities I'm involved in these days, or perhaps it's just be one of those thing.... Read More

During a keynote address at the Kansas Press Association convention in February, I presented the results of my annual survey of newspaper publishers in the U.S. and Canada for.... Read More

As I sit in my hotel room in Gloucester, VA, I can't help but think about the 2018 version of our annual newspaper publisher's survey from the Newspaper Institute. As is often.... Read More

I suppose any time is the right time to look over your newspaper operation and search for ways to make improvements., but the beginning of the year seems especially appropriat.... Read More

Speeding up your workflow while improving your design in Adobe InDesign At the 21st session of the Newspaper Institute last week, Ed Henninger and I did something we've neve.... Read More

Focus groups can change the way you create your newspaper I guess it comes with experience (that sounds better than "age"). In the "old days" when I visited a newspaper, it wa.... Read More

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

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

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. 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

I probably start my workday about the same as most of my readers, checking email. Somewhere around two hours of each day is spent helping people solve their problems. It’s not.... Read More

I’m in the midst of one of those crazy, multi-town, trips that leaves little time for remembering what happened yesterday because I’m too busy getting ready for today. Friday.... Read More

I’m in the midst of one of those crazy, multi-town, trips that leaves little time for remembering what happened yesterday because I’m too busy getting ready for today. Friday.... Read More

When I walk into a newsroom for the first time, there’s always a moment of hesitation as I gauge how prepared the group is for my visit. I’m normally greeted with one of two e.... Read More

I probably start my workday about the same as most of my readers, checking email. Somewhere around two hours of each day is spent helping people solve their problems. It’s not.... Read More

In the midst of my busiest year ever, Dale Gentry, publisher of The Standard-Banner in Jefferson City, Tennessee, called to ask if I could find time to visit his newspaper. Le.... Read More

I guess I might as well change my permanent address to “Midwest,” following more than a dozen scheduled visits to Iowa and Minnesota during February, March and April. People b.... Read More

I really don’t mean to get this worked up about things. Oh, sorry. I sometimes digress. Let me catch you up. While taking a drive through the Smoky Mountains, about 45 minute.... Read More

Wow! Today has been one of those days. You’re in the business. You know what I’m talking about. I planned to start on this column four hours ago, but the phone started ringin.... Read More

Wow! Today has been one of those days. You’re in the business. You know what I’m talking about. I planned to start on this column four hours ago, but the phone started ringin.... Read More

There are few times I envy my PC using friends. Prior to the G5, I wondered why many Windows-based computers came with USB ports on the front, while Mac users had to move to t.... Read More

There are no desktop computers on my desk. I like the freedom of taking my computer wherever I go. There are some disadvantages to working on a notebook system. One is that th.... Read More

Recent surveys indicate somewhere between 60 and 85 percent of all email is spam. It amazes most observers when they learn that I receive approximately 400 to 500 such message.... Read More

So many products, so little time. With the release of several major software titles over the past few months, we

Each year I take the opportunity to create a list of my favorite software and hardware products for newspapers. This list is by no means exhaustive. It merely represents an at.... Read More

With an ever increasing number of newspapers utilizing OS X and Windows XP, it

What request do I receive most often from newspapers? Lately, it

By the time most folks read this, we will have just completed the Spring Session of the Institute of Newspaper Technology. The months leading up to an Institute session are fi.... Read More

Every now and then you come upon a software application that makes you ask yourself,

With all the new versions of software on the market, newspaper designers find themselves looking for training on a regular basis. Here are two of my favorite new titles: Ad.... Read More