New England New Media Association

Training opportunity: FREE Investigative Reporting 2.0 Workshop

2010-05-11T11:56:00.000-04:00

It's a bit last-minute, but wanted to bring this opportunity to NENMA fans' attention:
Media Mayhem: FREE Investigative Reporting 2.0 Workshop

Slight agenda change for SEO conference this Thursday, Nov. 19

2009-11-16T07:35:00.004-05:00

To maximize participation for Thursday's SEO conference, we have shuffled the deck on the agenda, switching to consecutive rather than concurrent sessions.

So the schedule will be as follows:

10-10:30: Registration, coffee and mingling
10:30-11:15: The Power of Search from a Marketing Point of View
Panelists include Michael Orlinski, search marketing supervisor for Overdrive Interactive in Boston, and Brendan Picha, founder of Squareoak Media in Boston.

11:15-12:00: The Power of Search from a Technical Point of View
Panelists include Mark Roberge, vice president of sales for HubSpot in Cambridge; Brent Payne, SEO Director for Tribune Interactive in Chicago; Greg Jarboe of SEO-PR in Boston and San Francisco; and Eric Esposito of SilverTech in Manchester, NH.

12-12:45: Lunch and words from our sponsors
12:45-1:45: Keynote from Brent Payne
1:45-2:30: The Power of Search from a Content Point of View
Panelists include Monica Wright, VONT + HMG Performance Web Marketing in Westbrook, ME; Derek Edmond, KoMarketing Associates in Waltham, MA; and Sean Polay, product manager for distributed media for Dow Jones Local Media Group in Middletown, NY.
2:30-3:15: The Power of Search from a Revenue Point of View
Panelists include Sara Weaver, vice president of sales and business development for Mediaphormedia in Lawrence, KS; Dawn Paduganan, director of private label solutions for Local.com in Irvine, CA; Pauline Jakober, director of client relations for High Rankings in Framingham, MA, and co-founder of SEMNE; and Ashish Patel of Patelligence in Nashua, NH.
3:15: Adjourn to beat traffic, or more mingling at Not Your Average Joe’s in Needham

Not that you need reminding, but our events are purposefully informal. Folks should feel free to actively engage panelists, and share what they are learning (or just provide general feedback) via Twitter (reply to @nenma or use #NENMA as the hashtag), Facebook, LinkedIn, photos (tag them with "NENMA"), videos and more.

There's still time to register, too. Come join us this Thursday at Northeastern's campus in Dedham, MA, for a day that will fill you with ideas and new directions that search can drive success for your Web site and your business. Just fill in the registration form and fax it on in!

Come one, come all to the NENMA SEO Bootcamp on Nov. 19

2009-10-29T16:23:00.006-04:00

You've seen it looming on the calendar. You've been waiting with bated breath. You've been shouting from the hilltops: "Come on, NENMA! When is that fall conference already?!"

Stamp your feet no more. Here comes the NENMA Fall Conference: SEO Bootcamp Edition, to be held Nov. 19 at the Northeastern University Dedham campus located at 370 Common St. (Route 135).

We're pleased to announce that our keynote speaker will be Brent Payne, SEO Director for Tribune. You may have seen him quoted recently in the NiemanLab blog, and you can certainly read more about his SEO thoughts on his blog, subtitled as The Thoughts of a Bald SEO Guy. What you'll get from him at the NENMA event, though, is some of the secret sauce he has used to help double monthly visits to Tribune's portfolio of Web sites.

Personally, I love the last line of his job description:

Responsible for all aspects of SEO for 50+ Tribune Company sites/domains
Provide executive level summaries of search engine optimization strategy and tactics
Develop an SEO taskforce made up of key individuals in each Tribune department/market
Conduct SEO training throughout the 40+ Tribune markets
Develop a network of partnerships with other media companies outside the Tribune market regions
Not have a heart attack or other physical ailment that renders me dead

Amen, Brother Brent!

Surrounding the lunch session with Brent will be two sets of concurrent sessions, digging into the power of search from marketing, technology, content and revenue points of view. Among the panelists will be:

And if that's not enough to lure you out to Dedham, we've got door prizes too! We'll be giving away five copies of Inbound Marketing: Get Found Using Google, Social Media, and Blogs (The New Rules of Social Media) by Brian Halligan and the rest of the gang over at HubSpot in Cambridge. It's a must-read from one of the must-follow companies in the digital marketing space. Of course, you must be present to win!

The schedule will go as follows:

10 a.m. -- Registration, coffee and conversation
10:30 a.m. -- Concurrent sessions: The Power of Search from Marketing and Technology Points of VIew
Noon -- Lunch, words from our sponsors and keynote
2 -- Concurrent sessions: The Power of Search from Sales and Content Points of View
3:30 -- Adjourn to beat traffic, or continue the conversation at Not Your Average Joe's in Needham.

Speaking of words from our sponsors, we'll have several, and we thank them for their generous support: Adicio, Newsbank, Local.com and Second Street Media. Please make sure to stop by their tables, say hello, and check out their latest product offerings. We have room for two more, so if your company would like to be in front of dozens of new media decision makers and product managers, come on down!

We'll be sharing many more details with you in the coming days, especially about our panelists. Meanwhile, though, don't delay, NENMA members and fans. Sign up for the SEO Bootcamp now!

Save the date: NENMA Northern New England Meetup booked for Oct. 22

2009-09-23T08:11:00.003-04:00

Come one, come all, to the third layer of our 3-layer meetup cake that is the 2009 NENMA meetup series -- this time with a return visit in Manchester, NH, on Oct. 22 at 5:30 p.m.

Our turnout for the NENMA Middle New England Meetup was rich in board members, but sparse in regular members and guests. Returning to a place where we previously had a richer mix of minglers was clearly in order. So mark the the evening of Oct. 22 as "Out of Office" in your Microsoft Outlook now, and join us at Margarita's for appetizers, cash bar, conversation and a bowl full of laughs.

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We've said it before, and we really mean it: Whether you're deeply mired in paid content debates, four-legged sales calls, local search, multimedia convergence, Twitter training, or something so new that we don't even have a buzzword for it yet, please join us. And by all means bring friends, colleagues and anyone who you think can teach us a thing or two about new media. We've always got an eye on the horizon and appreciate the opportunity to meet new people and learn from them.

The details:
What: NENMA Northern New England Meetup
Who: Everyone in the local online news world -- and then some.
When: 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22
Where: Margarita's, 1037 Elm St., Manchester, NH
URL: www.margs.com

NESNE hosting meetup in Rhode Island

2009-09-09T09:50:00.003-04:00

This meetup thing is catching on! A NESNE note landed in my Inbox last night, promoting an editors' meetup in Rhode Island this Friday.

The New England Society of Newspaper Editors is hosting a social for editors (NESNE member or not) from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, at Cassarino's restaurant, 177 Atwells Avenue on Federal Hill, Providence, R.I.

NESNE is traveling throughout the region to meet and greet the region's editors. (If you'd like to host a social in your area, contact NESNE President Gary Witherspoon.)

For questions and further information, you can contact:
Gary Witherspoon, NESNE president, witherspoon@globe.com, cell: (857) 939-0081.

If you can't make it to that one, watch this space (or Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn) for details on the NENMA Northern New England Meetup on Oct. 22 in Manchester, NH.

Of course, the best thing to do would be to attend both!

NAA offers e-mail marketing study and webinar

2009-08-21T06:40:00.004-04:00

Not all things top-of-mind for me should automatically be top of mind for you, but a recent report by the NAA Digital Edge team on e-mail marketing seemed especially timely given some conversations we are having lately around our company.

The report's premise is that newspapers should own e-mail marketing, but despite the audience- and revenue-building opportunities that are possible with e-mail products, very few of us are effectively developing this portion of our product portfolio.

You might recall that we hosted David Hendricks of Datran Media at our 2008 fall conference, when he spoke with the NENMA members in attendance about the immense opportunity in e-mail marketing:

So while the NAA report is not a new topic for us, it does point out that e-mail marketing remains an untapped product offering in our content and advertising mix. The report includes three case studies from The Arizona Republic, The Houston Chronicle and The Dallas Morning News, and a cheat sheet for selling e-mail marketing solutions.

NAA will be following up the release of this report with accompanying webinars next month, one on Sept. 10 that will focus on how e-mail marketing can help build newspaper readership and retain subscribers, and another on Sept. 17 about the revenue opportunities that arise from building a robust e-mail audience.

If after reading the report and attending the webinars you feel there is a need for further exploration of this topic, or if it sparks another idea, let a NENMA board member know. We're always looking for NENMA membership input on conference and seminar programming.

Time for Round 2 of the NENMA 2009 meetup series

2009-07-24T12:23:00.008-04:00

Come one, come all, to the second edition in the 2009 NENMA meetup series, this time in Waltham, MA, on Aug. 20 at 5:30 p.m.

We had such a great time -- and great turnout -- at the NENMA Southern New England Meetup at the Wood N Tap in Rocky Hill, CT, last month that we're sticking with the brewpub theme. For the NENMA Middle New England meetup (NENMAMNE?) we'll be gathering at the Watch City Brewing Co. in Waltham.

Whether you're deeply mired in paid content debates, four-legged sales calls, local search, multimedia convergence, Twitter training, or something so new that we don't even have a buzzword for it yet, please join us. And by all means bring friends, colleagues and anyone who you think can teach us a thing or two about new media. We've always got an eye on the horizon and appreciate the opportunity to meet new people and learn from them.

The details:
What: NENMA Middle New England Meetup
Who: Everyone in the local online news world -- and then some.
When: 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 20
Where: Watch City Brewing Co., 256 Moody St, Waltham, MA
URL: www.watchcitybrew.com

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Key detail: We have a room reserved, so ask for NENMA, but also look for my shaved head atop a Hawaiian shirt. We'll cover the appetizers. You cover your bar tab.

We look forward to seeing anyone that can make it. Should you be booked for that date, one more networking event is nigh:

Oct. 22: NENMA Northern New England Meetup, Manchester, NH (exact location TBA)

Also, don't forget to mark the calendar for our fall 1-day conference, focused on SEO, slated for Nov. 19. More details coming soon!

Sharing MediaBistro Panel: Evolution of Journalism (Boston)

2009-07-14T16:12:00.002-04:00

An open discussion about the changing business models, innovation, and power of community that are changing journalism.

WHEN
Monday, July 20, 2009
Doors open at 6:15pm
Presentations begin at 7 pm sharp
Meet the panelists at a cash bar reception immediately following at 8:30 pm

WHERE
Wimberly Theatre
527 Tremont Street
Boston, MA 02116

WHO
Journalists, writers, editors, publishers, and anyone involved in the creation or distribution of content interested in revenue models (and who isn't?)

PRICE
$30 ($25 for Media Bistro AvantGuild members)

More info...

Posted using ShareThis

It's NENMA meetup season!

2009-05-29T01:05:00.002-04:00

Come one, come all, to the second annual NENMA meetup in CT, the first stop on our 3-city 2009 networking tour!

That's right. As promised, your NENMA board is taking its show on the road again this year and spreading new media goodness across the region. We had such a great time -- and fantastic turnout -- in Rocky Hill last year, that we're making it the first stop on our reunion tour. Whether you're deeply mired in paid content debates, four-legged sales calls, multimedia convergence, Twitter training, or something so new that we don't even have a buzzword for it yet (that means you, Jennifer Preston!), please join us. And please, bring friends, colleagues and anyone who you think can teach us a thing or two about new media.

The details:

What: NENMA Southern New England networking
Who: Everyone in the local online news world -- and then some.
When: 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, June 18
Where: Wood-n-Tap Bar & Grill, 12 Town Line Road, Rocky Hill, CT
URL: http://www.woodntap.com/rockyhill.htm
Details: We weren't able to reserve the back room, so we'll just take over the bar area. Just look for my shaved head atop a Hawaiin shirt. We'll cover the appetizers. You'll have to cover your bar tab.
Time Check: About 10 minutes from Hartford, 35 from New Haven, 40 from Springfield (assuming no traffic issues)

Look forward to seeing anyone that can make it.

Should you be booked for that date, two more networking events are nigh:
Aug 20: NENMA Greater Boston networking (exact location TBA)
Oct. 22: NENMA Northern New England networking, Manchester, NH (exact location TBA)

And don't forget to mark the calendar for the fall conference, focused on SEO, slated for Nov. 19.

See you soon!
--
Sean Polay
Product Manager, Distributed Media
Dow Jones Local Media Group
Ottaway Newspapers, Inc.
sean.polay@dowjones.com | 774.313.6093 | Gtalk: sean.polay

Web Ad Design Seminar

2009-05-14T11:41:00.003-04:00

New England Newspaper Operations Association (NOA) will conduct a seminar on Web Ad Design Thursday, May 21, at the Eagle-Tribune in North Andover, Mass.

The program will run from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with time out for light lunch (provided). The program is aimed at newspaper graphic artists and anyone else who is involved in the production of advertising for the web.

The featured speakers are Bill Ostendorf, president of Creative Circle Media Consulting, who has helped redesign over 300 publications and web sites and who has led consulting and training projects all over the world ... and Taylor Esteves-Pearce, formerly of GateHouse Media New England, a specialist with extensive real world experience designing ads with Photoshop, Flash and other forms of rich media.

Here are the topics:

* Web ads versus print ads
* Designing ads that deliver results
* Common misconceptions of web ad design
* Innovative placement of online advertising
* Overview of software available for web design
* Web design trends
* Photoshop tutorial ... how it can be used for web design
* Flash tutorial ... introduction to the program, overview of the tools, and basic ad design

The cost of admission is $40 for first registrant, $25 thereafter for additional sign-ups from same paper or company. Includes lunch. Complete the registration form here and return to NOA by regular mail at: 70 Washington St., Salem, MA 01970...by fax to: 978-744-0333...or by e-mail to nena@nenews.org.

Note: The Eagle-Tribune is located at: 100 Turnpike St., No. Andover, MA 01845, Tel.: 978-946-2000. Get directions at their website: www.eagletribune.com

Boston.com wins 2 EPpies

2009-05-07T21:07:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Boston.com -- and in particular NENMA board member Courtney Hollands, who is part of the Things To Do team at Boston.com -- for their double-EPpy win, announced today in New Orleans:

Web site of the Boston Globe, the newspaper whose future was still in doubt until early Wednesday morning, took home two of the five awards for which it was a finalist: Best Sports Blog, (for Globe sportswriter Tony Massarotti’s blog, “Mazz”); and Best Entertainment Web Site (with more than one million unique monthly visitors), a category in which its two finalists, Boston.com/ThingsToDo and Boston.com/ae (Arts & Entertainment), tied for the win. Boston.com had two of the three finalists in the latter category.

Former NENMA and NENA keynote Rob Curley and his team at Greenspun Interactive in Las Vegas also took home 2 awards.

Though most of us NENMA members could not make it to New Orleans for the Interactive Media Conference, we still do our best to bring the cream of the digital crop right to your doorstep whenever possible. Sure, you didn't need four EPpies to convince you of that, but it certainly doesn't hurt!

Web Ad Design Seminar scheduled for May 21 in Andover, MA

2009-04-30T05:16:00.002-04:00

New England Newspaper Operations Association (NOA) will conduct an important and unique seminar on Web Ad Design Thursday, May 21, at the Eagle-Tribune in North Andover, Mass.

The program will run from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with time out for light lunch (provided). The program is aimed at newspaper graphic artists and anyone else who is involved in the production of advertising for the web.

The featured speakers are Bill Ostendorf, president of Creative Circle Media Consulting, a riveting speaker who has helped redesign over 300 publications and web sites and who has led consulting and training projects all over the world...and Taylor Esteves-Pearce, formerly of GateHouse Media New England, a specialist with extensive real world experience designing ads with Photoshop, Flash and other forms of rich media.

Here are the topics:

Web ads versus print ads
Designing ads that deliver results
Common misconceptions of web ad design
Innovative placement of online advertising
Overview of software available for web design
Web design trends
Photoshop tutorial...how it can be used for web design
Flash tutorial...introduction to the program, overview of the tools, and basic ad design

The cost of admission can’t be beat: $40 for first registrant, $25 thereafter for additional sign-ups from same paper or company. Includes lunch. Complete the registration form here and return to NOA by regular mail at:
70 Washington St., Salem, MA 01970...by fax to: 978-744-0333...or by e-mail to nena@nenews.org.

This is a thoroughly professional, key program that will benefit your newspapers enormously. We hope you will take advantage of this important seminar offering.

Jim Falzone, Program Chairman
Eagle-Tribune, North Andover, MA

Doug Hillman, NOA President
Daily Hampshire Gazette (Northampton)

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Note: The Eagle-Tribune is located at: 100 Turnpike St., No. Andover, MA 01845, Tel.: 978-946-2000. Get directions at their website: www.eagletribune.com

NENA offers workshop on multi-platform copy editing

2009-04-29T15:26:00.005-04:00

The New England Newspaper Association will hold a seminar on copy editing in the online age.

The session runs 9:35 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Thursday, May 14, at The Telegraph, Hudson, N.H. (directions below) and is aimed at daily and weekly copy editors.

The registration form can be found here: http://nenadev.sprintout.com/static/story_images/1240347451.pdf

Please note: Attendance is limited to 30.

Registration begins at 8:45 a.m., with coffee and light refreshments served throughout the morning.

Agenda, Thursday, May 14

8:45 a.m.: Registration begins.

9:35: Welcome, Rod Doherty, chairman of NENA's editorial committee and executive editor of Foster's Daily Democrat.

First session: How new resources and tasks have changed the work of newspaper copy desks, both in handling copy for print and for the Web. Desks are under pressure to take on more roles as the number of editors available for the work is getting smaller. How have the changes reshaped desks and how can the new resources amplify editing abilities and help desk leadership cope with the challenges?
Presenters: James L. Franklin, assistant night editor/metro slot, The Boston Globe, and Phil Kincade, managing editor, online news, Foster's Daily Democrat.

Second session, 10:30 a.m.: Time management and training. How to train editors to edit in a multi-platform environment and manage their multiple responsibilities. Finding low-cost training and encouraging staff development in an era of tight budgets and shrinking staff.
Presenters: Vanessa Palange, copy desk chief, The Telegraph, and Lydia Rebac, a slot editor, night desk, The Boston Globe.

Third session, 11:30 a.m.: General discussion, lead by our presenters Jim Franklin, Phil Kincade and Vanessa Palange, Lydia Rebac.

Discussion topics:
How we're doing it: Our copy desk in the shrinking news business.

Does wordsmithing count? What we expect.

Communicating with editors and reporters.

Finding and training copy editors.

Join us again:

A second copy editing workshop will be held Thursday, Sept. 17, and will be co-sponsored by the American Copy Editors Society, ACES. The session will also discuss efforts to organize a New England chapter of the American Copy Editors Society.

Registration: $39. There is no mailing on this seminar; it is all being done via this site and the e-mailed announcement. The form should be faxed to (978) 744-0333 and marked, "Check to follow."

Questions: George Geers, (603) 785-4811, gnews@empire.net

Location: The Telegraph, 17 Executive Drive, Hudson, N.H.
Telegraph phone: (603) 882-2741
Directions:

The Telegraph
17 Executive Drive, Hudson, N.H.

From Maine, N.H. Seacoast area

Take 101 West to Manchester, until you get to the exit for the F.E. Everett Turnpike.
Take the F.E. Everett Turnpike south to Exit 2 (Hudson).

Stay to the left on the exit ramp as you cross the Merrimack River, and you will come to a stop light. Take a left at the light onto Rte. 3A (Lowell Road). You will go through another set of lights at the Dunkin Donuts. Stay to the left.

At the next set of lights, take the left onto Executive Drive. We are the third tenant on the right (17 Executive Drive).

From the Keene area

Take 101 East to Manchester, until you get to the exit for the F.E. Everett Turnpike. Take the F.E. Everett Turnpike south to Exit 2 (Hudson).

Stay to the left on the exit ramp as you cross the Merrimack River, and you will come to a stop light. Take a left at the light onto Rte. 3A (Lowell Road). You will go through another set of lights at the Dunkin Donuts. Stay to the left.

At the next set of lights, take the left onto Executive Drive. We are the third tenant on the right (17 Executive Drive).

From the North

Take 93 South to Manchester, follow signs to F.E. Everett Turnpike. Take the F.E. Everett Turnpike south to Exit 2 (Hudson).

Stay to the left on the exit ramp as you cross the Merrimack River, and you will come to a stop light. Take a left at the light onto Rte. 3A (Lowell Road). You will go through another set of lights at the Dunkin Donuts. Stay to the left.

At the next set of lights, take the left onto Executive Drive. We are the third tenant on the right (17 Executive Drive).

From Massachusetts

Take 495 to Route 3 North in Lowell. Take Route 3 north to NH border, when it turns into the F.E. Everett Turnpike. Take the F.E. Everett Turnpike to Exit 2. Follow signs to Hudson.

Stay to the left on the exit ramp as you cross the Merrimack River, and you will come to a stop light. Take a left at the light onto Rte. 3A (Lowell Road). You will go through another set of lights at the Dunkin Donuts. Stay to the left.

At the next set of lights, take the left onto Executive Drive. We are the third tenant on the right (17 Executive Drive).

Click below to view and print out a registration form.

REGISTRATION FORM:

http://nenadev.sprintout.com/static/story_images/1240347451.pdf

For questions regarding the seminars, contact George Geers at (603) 785-4811 or e-mail gnews@empire.net.

He can also fax the registration form to you.

Web Sales "Boot Camp" details for April 30 Conference

2009-04-24T08:44:00.003-04:00

What you will learn: We’ll start with the basics. What are we selling? What’s the value proposition to both current clients and new business? What should you leave out of the conversation? Then we’ll get into the nitty-gritty of the sales call and the follow-up.

Who should attend: Managers and salespeople on the front lines of newspaper sales departments. In some cases, that’s newly minted new media specialists who are trying to get a toehold in grabbing new business and increased share of the online advertising spend in their markets. In most cases, however, it’s sales representatives who manage a large portfolio of newspaper business who have recently had specific and measurable online goals added to their plans. In order for managers to effectively manage this training or transition they need to understand the interactive ad sales environment.

Who is presenting: Mel Taylor, president of Mel Taylor Media; a Philadelphia based consultancy specializing in online revenue strategy & sales training for local media.
Mel’s background includes sales management & web training for companies such as Tribune Newspapers, Philly.com, Fox TV, Clear Channel Radio, and Calkins Media. Mr. Taylor’s blog can be found at www.MelTaylorMedia.com

Agenda:

· 10-11:30 a.m. Session 1: Interactive Sales Boot camp with Mel Taylor

· The Basics

· Overcoming common objections

· Selling best practices

· Avoid these selling mistakes

· Hottest selling online campaigns

· 11:30 a.m. -1 p.m. Session 2: Boot Camp with Mel Taylor - The Sales Call and Follow-Up

· Consultative selling

· Crafting the online campaign

· Client retention strategy

· How to sell against Google, Broadcast, & online-only sites.

Featured panelist: Lisa Williams (@lisawilliams), founder and CEO, Placeblogger.com

2009-04-23T08:58:00.001-04:00

Also joining us for the NENMA Spring Conference on April 30th at the Radisson in Chelmsford, MA will be Lisa Williams, founder and CEO of Placeblogger.com.

Placeblogger.com is the largest searchable directory of local weblogs and winner of the Knight 21st Century News Challenge Award. Placeblogger has been covered by many media outlets including the New York Times, Wired, USA Today and the Washington Post. In addition to running Placeblogger, Lisa serves on the board of the New England Center for Investigative Reporting and does consulting for an array of media clients.

Before Placeblogger, Lisa launched H2otown.info, a nationally recognized example of a citizen journalism community site, covering and talking about Watertown, MA. Follow @lisawilliams on Twitter!

Lisa will be among a jam-packed set of panelists discussing what they’re doing in two key lines of business for local media companies: Hyperlocal & Local Search.

There's still time to register for the NENMA Spring Conference, a 1-day event with two tracks: A sales boot camp led by Mel Taylor; and strategy sessions on the power and potential of hyperlocal and mobile media.

Sponsorships are also available for businesses wishing to seize an opportunity to speak with and network among a concentration of new media leadership from New England newspaper and other media organizations.

Featured panelist: David Chang, co-founder and vice president of marketing, mobicious (@SnapMyLife)

2009-04-22T11:58:00.001-04:00

Also joining us for the NENMA Spring Conference on April 30th at the Radisson in Chelmsford, MA will be David Chang, co-founder and vice president of marketing for SnapMyLife.

David was previously director of product marketing at m-Qube, a pioneer in the mobile content space that was acquired by VeriSign in 2006. Prior to joining m-Qube, David was director of new products at TripAdvisor, the sixth most frequented travel website in the world, where he introduced new online advertising and search features to meet consumers’ travel research and planning needs. Before TripAdvisor, David held a senior product management role at edocs, before it was acquired by Siebel Systems. David was also formerly a vice president at Goldman Sachs, where he launched new financial products in North America, Europe, and Asia and developed real-time trading systems. David holds a BS with Distinction in Computer Science from Cornell University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

SnapMyLife is the leading mobile-web community for instantly sharing and discovering photos from locations around the world. The site is optimized for viewing directly on mobile phones, offers location tagging and interactive picture maps, and uses sophisticated filtering technology to ensure a great experience for a wide range of audiences and advertisers. SnapMyLife is venture-backed and headquartered in Needham, MA.

David will be among a jam-packed set of panelists discussing what they’re doing to build a mobile media business.

Sponsorships are also available for businesses wishing to seize an opportunity to speak with and network among a concentration of new media leadership from New England newspaper and other media organizations.

Featured panelist: Christopher Eck, director of online sales, GateHouse Media New England/WickedLocal.com (@WickedLocal)

2009-04-21T09:35:00.001-04:00

Also joining us for the NENMA Spring Conference on April 30th at the Radisson in Chelmsford, MA will be Christopher Eck, director of online sales for GateHouse Media New England/WickedLocal.com.

Chris is responsible for the revenue across 170 websites, including more than 150 hyperlocal community sites that comprise WickedLocal.com, serving eastern Massachusetts. Prior to this position Chris worked as an online sales manager for GateHouse Media New England and also as a retail account executive at Enterprise NewsMedia. Chris holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing, specializing in marketing management, from Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut.

Developed from the prize-winning Wicked Local Plymouth, each town-specific site features a combination of news from GateHouse newspapers, opportunities for user participation, deep community information, and lots of advertising from local merchants.

Chris will be among a jam-packed set of panelists discussing what they’re doing in two key lines of business for local media companies: Hyperlocal & Local Search.

There's still time to register for the NENMA Spring Conference, a 1-day event with two tracks: A sales boot camp led by Mel Taylor; and strategy sessions on the power and potential of hyperlocal and mobile media.

Sponsorships are also available for businesses wishing to seize an opportunity to speak with and network among a concentration of new media leadership from New England newspaper and other media organizations.

Featured panelist: Jason Jacobs, founder and CEO. FitnessKeeper (@runkeeper)

2009-04-20T08:01:00.001-04:00

Also joining us for the NENMA Spring Conference on April 30th at the Radisson in Chelmsford, MA will be Jason Jacobs, founder and CEO of FitnessKeeper.

Jason brings to FitnessKeeper more than 10 years of experience in and around emerging technology companies, including roles in recruiting, sales, business development, and most recently, conducting CEO and VP level searches on behalf of leading venture capital firms. He is also an avid runner. In fact, he’s running in the Boston Marathon today, and recently completed the Chicago Marathon. Jason received his BA from Wesleyan University and his MBA from Babson College, where he was an Olin Fellow.

FitnessKeeper is a company that combines Jason’s passions for mobile and fitness. Jason’s first product, RunKeeper, is an iPhone application for runners and cyclists that has been downloaded more than 325,000 times since August, and featured in publications such as Xconomy, Lifehacker, Mashable, TechCrunch, The New York Times, and by Apple in a series of iPhone ads and on the walls of Apple stores.

Jason will be among a jam-packed set of panelists discussing what they’re doing to build a mobile media business.

There's still time to register for the NENMA Spring Conference, a 1-day event with two tracks: A sales boot camp led by Mel Taylor; and strategy sessions on the power and potential of hyperlocal and mobile media.

Sponsorships are also available for businesses wishing to seize an opportunity to speak with and network among a concentration of new media leadership from New England newspaper and other media organizations.

Featured panelist: Adam Gaffin, founder and editor, Universal Hub (@universalhub)

2009-04-17T07:04:00.001-04:00

Also joining us for the NENMA Spring Conference on April 30th at the Radisson in Chelmsford, MA will be Adam Gaffin, founder and editor of Universal Hub.

Universal Hub started life as Boston Common - a Weblog that tried to capture the best writing from the hundreds of bloggers in the Boston area. In early 2005, Adam Gaffin and Steve Garfield (a previous NENMA guest) decided to try to extend that, into an alternate news and information resource for the Boston area - one written and edited by the people who read it.

Adam was previously a reporter and editor for a high-tech trade publication and before that, a suburban daily. He will be among a jam-packed set of panelists discussing what they’re doing in two key lines of business for local media companies: Hyperlocal & Local Search.

There's still time to register for the NENMA Spring Conference, a 1-day event with two tracks: A sales boot camp led by Mel Taylor; and strategy sessions on the power and potential of hyperlocal and mobile media.

Sponsorships are also available for businesses wishing to seize an opportunity to speak with and network among a concentration of new media leadership from New England newspaper and other media organizations.

Featured panelist: Jamie Thompson (@jamie_thompson), co-founder and president, Pongr

2009-04-16T07:02:00.001-04:00

Also joining us for the NENMA Spring Conference on April 30th at the Radisson in Chelmsford, MA will be Jamie Thompson, co-founder and president of Pongr.

Jamie oversees Pongr's strategic product development, finance, and administration. He has founded and led multiple software startups from inception, to funding and profitability. Jamie has built and managed direct and channel based international sales teams for HR and ECM software. He holds a BA from the University of New Hampshire. Jamie has prior experience in software product management, advanced research contract management, intellectual property licensing, IP litigation, and artificial intelligence research. Jamie brings a practical, hands‐on approach to managing an agile, distributed team of scientists, engineers, and mobile media sales professionals.

Pongr is a Boston-based mobile shopping search and commerce company that connects people with brands, products, retailers and special offers. Pongr builds vertical, mobile interactive marketing engines using text and image recognition technology products developed by our team of scientists and engineers. Pongr provides mobile marketing and targeted advertising solutions to agencies, advertisers and publishers looking for practical ways to reach mobile consumers through new and existing media efforts.

Jamie will be among a jam-packed set of panelists discussing what they're doing to build a mobile media business.

Featured panelist: Ben Saren, CEO, CitySquares

2009-04-15T07:12:00.005-04:00

Joining us for the NENMA Spring Conference on April 30th at the Radisson in Chelmsford, MA will be Ben Saren, CEO of CitySquares.

Ben is a technology veteran with more than 12 years of industry-leading experience in building privately held organizations. Ben's entrepreneurial experience includes founding Atomic Enterprises, an IT Consulting Firm, specializing in technology and new media consulting as well software and web development. He has served in roles including CTO, project manager, and sales engineer, among others, at start-ups such as Delphi Forums, Prospero Technologies, and at multinationals such as Bell Atlantic, Digital Equipment Corporation, GE Capital, RSA, and Parametric Technologies Corporation.

CitySquares was founded in 2005 based on the simple premise that finding local, neighborhood businesses online is really hard and very frustrating. Furthermore, small businesses are being challenged every day to keep up with the Jones’.

Ben will be among a jam-packed set of panelists discussing what they’re doing in two key lines of business for local media companies: Hyperlocal & Local Search.

There's still time to register for the NENMA Spring Conference, a 1-day event with two tracks: A sales boot camp led by Mel Taylor; and strategy sessions on the power and potential of hyperlocal and mobile media.

Sponsorships are also available for businesses wishing to seize an opportunity to speak with and network among a concentration of new media leadership from New England newspaper and other media organizations.

Spring NENMA Conference

2009-04-06T13:14:00.010-04:00

The Spring NENMA Conference is coming up fast. It will be held at the Chelmsford Radisson beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 30. Registration form is here. There will be two distinct tracks to help members stay on top of what's really important in the online newspaper business today:

Track 1: Sales Boot Camp
What will you learn: We’ll start with the basics. What are we selling? What’s the value proposition to both current clients and new business? What should you leave out of the conversation? Then we’ll get into the nitty-gritty of the sales call and the follow-up.

Who should attend: People on the front lines of newspaper sales departments. In some cases, that’s newly minted new media specialists who are trying to get a toehold in grabbing new business and increased share of the online advertising spend in their markets. In most cases, however, it’s sales representatives who manage a large portfolio of newspaper business who have recently had specific and measurable online goals added to their plans.

Who is presenting: Mel Taylor, president of Mel Taylor Media, and former sales director for MyFoxPhilly.com and Calkins Media. Mel, who also write a blog, Local Media in a Web 2.0 World, specializes in online revenue and digital transition strategy for local media and small business, with a particular emphasis on instruction and tough love for newspaper and television sales staffs.

Agenda:
· 10-11:30 a.m. Session 1: Interactive Sales Boot camp with Mel Taylor - The Basics
· 11:30 a.m. -1 p.m.Session 2: Boot Camp with Mel Taylor - The Sales Call and Follow-Up

Track 2: Beyond Banners
What will you learn: While the sales staffs focus on selling out your display inventory, where should you be looking next? Panels will discuss what they’re doing in two key lines of business for local media companies: Hyperlocal & Local Search, and The Power/Potential of Mobile.

Who should attend: New media managers and directors, publishers and other newspaper executives focused on developing new products and services.

Agenda:
· 10-11:30 Session 1: The Draw of Hyperlocal to Smaller Businesses, with Ben Saren, co-founder and CEO of CitySquares; Lisa Williams, founder of Placeblogger; and Adam Gaffin, founder and editor of Universal Hub.

· 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Session 2: The Power and Potential of Mobile with Jason Jacobs, founder of FitnessKeeper; and Jamie Thompson, co-founder of Pongr; among others.

And here are the combined sessions to round out the day:
· 9:30-10 a.m. Continental Breakfast
· 1-2 p.m. Buffet Lunch table and networking
· 2-3:30 p.m. Combined session with Mel Taylor: How interactive sales differ from traditional media and ideas for publishers to make money.
· 3:30-5 p.m. Networking

To register, Click Here!

Fwd: BIMA Events: Embracing User Experience (3/19)

2009-03-19T10:19:00.001-04:00

A few of these events piqued my interest. Figured I would share. Maybe
I'll see you at one or two.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: BIMA <dustin@mitx.org>
Date: Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:01:35 -0400
Subject: BIMA Events: Embracing User Experience (3/19)
To: sean.polay@gmail.com

What's Next: Event Spotlights
3/19 - User Experience: How it's Changed and Why it's Important
3/24 - Measurement 2.0: How to Tell the Full Digital Story
4/9 - Mobile Analytics
4/16 - Who Owns Data?
=======================================================

User Experience: How it's Changed and Why it's Important
A MITX User Experience Series Event
Thursday, March 19 | 8:00am - 10:00am
Location: K&L Gates, State Street Financial Center, One Lincoln
Street, Boston, MA

Moderator: Kerry Bodine, SVP, Experience Design, Hill Holiday

Panelists: Adamya Ashk, Director, NAD Usability, Staples Inc; Toby
Bottorf, Director of Design, WGBH Interactive; Alex Jenkins, Product
Designer, Microsoft Start-up Labs; Fred Leichter, SVP User Interface
Design, Fidelity Investments; Chauncey Wilson, Senior Manager, AEC
User Research, Autodesk, Inc.

Hear this panel of seasoned user experience professionals from various
disciplines offer advice on how to help you make sense of user
experience, how it's applied to different projects, who's responsible
for it (hint: everyone), and why it is important.

Follow this event series on Twitter using hash-tag #MITXUX

Log-in and Register Today at bima.org!
=======================================================

Measurement 2.0: How to Tell the Full Digital Story
A MITX Marketing Technology Series Event
Tuesday, March 24 | 8:00am - 10:00am
Location: Google, 5 Cambridge Center, Floor 3, Cambridge, MA

Moderator: Charlie Ballard, Manager, Measurement & Analytics, One to
One Interactive

Panelists: Paul Botto, Head of Google Analytics Sales, Google; Matt
Cutler, Vice President of Marketing & Analytics, Visible Measures;
Perry Hewitt, VP Marketing, Crimson Hexagon; Morris Martin, Analyst,
Microsoft's Atlas Institute; Michael Schneider, Vice President &
Director of Contributions, Allen & Gerritsen

In a year where measureable results are more important than ever, a
universal approach is needed that incorporates all mediums and all
components of the full digital picture. Hear from a panel of
technologists and practitioners who will discuss their perspectives on
a new measurement paradigm in a 2.0 world.

Follow this event series on Twitter using hash-tag #MITXMT

Log-in and Register Today at bima.org!
=======================================================

Mobile Analytics
A MITX Mobile Series Event
Thursday, April 9 | 8:00am - 10:00am
Location: DLA Piper, 33 Arch St, Fl 26, Boston MA

Join MITX for the first event in the Mobile series, in which we will
discuss how analytics is driving mobile marketing success today,
what's challenging its growth, and meet some of the new players that
are trying to help solve some of these challenges.

Follow this event series on Twitter using hash-tag #MITXM

Log-in and Register Today at bima.org!
=======================================================

Who Owns Data? - Save the Date
A MITX Digital Strategy Series
Thursday, April 16 | 8:00am - 10:00am
Location: TBD

Data is everywhere in the digital marketing world, from
consumer-generated data to media companies' information collections,
and agencies advertising data. Recently, an agency declared that
their clients owned that data, causing the industry to roil in debate.
In this session, everyone in the advertising food chain will try to
explain why they own the data, or why no one owns the data. What do
you think? Come and hear from the practitioners, then decide where
you stand.

Follow this event series on Twitter using hash-tag #MITXDS

Watch for Updates at bima.org!
=======================================================
ATTENTION STUDENT ENTREPRENEURS: If you are a student interested in
attending our events and would like financial assistance, scholarships
are available through www.stayinma.com. Register you and a friend,
and your friend goes for free (or you can split the cost)!
=======================================================

Join BIMA's LinkedIn Group to connect and network with fellow BIMA
members. Visit http://tk1.publicaster.com/DC/ctr.aspx?6C6164=35393530393637&736272=12696&747970=7478&66=30.
Become a fan of BIMA on Facebook to share event information, stories,
photos and more! Login to www.Facebook.com and search for BIMA, A
MITX Organization.

=======================================================

BIMA STRATEGIC SPONSORS

Advertising.com
ESPN.com
IAC Advertising Solutions
Undertone Networks
United Online
ValueClick Media

=======================================================
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--
Sent from my mobile device

Sean Polay
Product Manager, Distributed Media
Dow Jones Local Media Group
Ottaway Newspapers, Inc.
spolay@ottaway.com | 774.313.6093 | Gtalk: sean.polay

UPDATE: Bring a guest for $5 to Newsout on Saturday March 21

2009-03-16T13:36:00.001-04:00

Passing this along on behalf of the New England News Forum:

-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Densmore [mailto:bdensmore@newenglandnews.org]
Sent: Wednesday, March 11, 2009 1:26 AM
To: bdensmore@newenglandnews.org
Subject: UPDATE: Bring a guest for $5 to Newsout on Saturday March 21

PLEASE FORWARD OR REPOST

Dear Friend of the NENF:

Have you registered yet to particpate in "Newstools," on Sat., March 21
at
the BU College of Communciation?

SEE: http://www.newstools.org

As a New England News Forum supporter, we invite you to bring a guest
for
just $5. Do you know a citizen, a public official or a non-profit or
civic-group manager or volunteer who has an innovative way to reach out
to
constituencies with the web? Do they have a story about how shrinking
news
coverage is affecting the civic life of a community? Bring them.

We want to collect ideas and stories from throughout New England --
then settle on some ideas for action.

And we've got an all-start group of collaborators to get us started,
including Steve Clift . . . the nation's expert on connecting people
with
government . . . Jane Stevens . . . who is starting the "RJI
Collaboratory," a place to help citizen-powered local onlline news
communities to grow fast and get help to do so . . . and Joe Bergantino
.
. . who is running New England's first non-profit investigative
journalism
outfit.

So, if yo're ready to join us, go to http://www.newsout.org . . . find
the
link to registration . . . and let us know you're coming. After you
register, you or your guest can register using the "Guest" tab for only
an
additional five dollars.

If you have an idea for a breakout session, write us at
bdensmore@newenglandnews.org. And thanks to our co-sponsors, including
The Boston Foundation, the University of Massachusetts, the BU College
of
Communication and

-------------------------------------
Bill Densmore, director/editor
The New England News Forum
108 Bartlett Hall
Univ. of Massachusetts
Amherst MA 01003
OFF: 413-577-4370 / CELL: 413-458-8001
densmore@journ.umass.edu

NENMA in 2009: Renew now!

2009-03-07T17:03:00.003-05:00

We’ve returned to the time of year when we recap for you what we’ve accomplished as an organization the prior year, and let you know our intentions for the coming year. From that, we hope you glean that you received tremendous value for your dues and participation last year, leading you to renew without a moment’s hesitation.

Suddenly, though, even our incredibly affordable annual membership undoubtedly is looking ripe as another place to trim expense in your annual budget. Does it make any sense to join a trade association in times such as these?

I’ll be honest: This is the first year I will skip the Newspaper Association of America annual interactive conference in more than 7 years. In fact, I’ve sworn off newspaper conferences outside of New England entirely. Maybe I’m too grizzled an online veteran – now with more than 11 years of digital work under my belt – to get much more value out of the panels, keynotes and buzz sessions at such events. While I will miss the networking opportunities, I find myself thirsting for knowledge that can only be acquired outside of our industry.

Last year I attended the inaugural Inbound Marketing Summit in Cambridge, and this year I traded my NAA expense to go to the annual Omniture Summit in Salt Lake City. Both experiences affirmed for me that I have much more to learn, especially if I turn my gaze away from my proverbial newspaper navel and expand my horizon to learn from and network with web metrics analysts, search engine optimization practitioners, independent bloggers, new media marketers, and more.

And that is why the New England New Media Association could be the best investment you could make all year.

Here’s what we accomplished last year:

Changed our bylaws to welcome non-newspapers members to the organization and to hold leadership positions. As we noted in last year’s letter, we’ve seen that some of the best contributions to our recent conferences have come from guests – panelists, speakers or otherwise – outside of the newspaper industry. Given that we are a “new media” association, limiting membership to newspaper employees and directly affiliated interactive teams was limiting our ability to expand regular and frequent knowledge-sharing with those outside of our traditional media culture.
In that vein, we mixed some of our best and brightest New England new media peers at our fall conference with a multitude of panelists from outside of the industry, including:

Steve Garfield, video blogger extraordinaire, media company advisor and Boston University teacher.
David Jackel and Shana Bethune of Shave Media, a Boston-based video production company that has been specializing in 60-second online video "documentaries" for advertisers.
Amy Derjue, blogger for Boston Magazine’s Boston Daily (she has since made a career change).
Bill Gaffney, regional interactive director for Providence-based LIN Television.
Malcolm Lewis, vice president and general manager for private label of Local.com.
Dave Hendricks, executive vice president of operations for Datran Media, overseeing the company’s e-mail, display and list management businesses.

Held networking meetups in five of the six New England states (photos from NH, photos from CT, photos from ME). It was great fun to get out and mingle with so many of you – and even some folks who’d never been members before – at these events.
Helped the New England Advertising Executives Association and New England Society of Newspaper Editors book digital media-focused panels for their annual conferences.
Co-sponsored a “Reader Comments on the Web” seminar along with NENA, NEPA and law firm of Prince, Lobel, Glovsky & Tye.
Promoted the opportunity to attend webinars led by Borrell Associates in conjunction with NENA and the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association.
Launched a new Web site at http://www.nenma.org/ on the backbone of Blogger, greatly simplifying administration for us while making the site more reflective of the new media culture we’re trying to foster. The site includes dynamic blog and jobs feeds, along with adding listserv signup and easier photo and video embedding capabilities.

So what’s in store for this year? We’ve already got a multi-track spring conference in the works for April 30, with one of the tracks including a new media sales boot camp. We’ll follow that up in the fall on Nov. 19 with a search engine optimization boot camp and related seminars.

In between, we’ll pepper the calendar with another round of meetups, likely to be in June, August and October in southern New England, the greater Boston area, and northern New England, respectively. We’ll continue to work with our sister newspaper organizations to schedule new media programming for their events, while also looking for opportunities to partner with non-newspaper organizations to promote training and networking opportunities outside of our core industry.

And we’ll continue to foster networking, whether via the listserv, on Twitter, in the blog comments, over on Facebook, and even on LinkedIn.

Those of us involved in NENMA’s founding did so because we knew not everyone at New England newspapers can afford to attend events outside of the region. Our core mission has always been to bring the learning opportunities from outside the region to us, whether we’re booking high-profile guests for our conferences or by sharing our common challenges and successes with each other. Never has that been more important than right now.

Please renew your membership today for just the $125 annual fee per media organization. Once your media organization is a member, any number of employees from that organization may join our listserv and receive discounts on conference and seminar registrations.

In doing so, please let us know how we’re doing, and what new initiatives we should be trying. We very much look forward to seeing you at this year’s events, and conversing with you in the meantime.

Sincerely,
Sean Polay
NENMA President

NENMA Spring Conference Planning

2009-03-04T08:35:00.000-05:00

Attention NENMA Members!

We are trying to take a pulse, on what the most beneficial programming would be for our spring conference, currently planned for April 30, 2009. Equally important how many people you might send, this will help us determine the best location so it can be convenient to all parts of New England within a few hours drive.

In these tough times it is even more important we stick together as a group, share resources and learn from each other. To keep the conference affordable we have changed the hours to 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Most participants should be able to come for the day avoiding hotel expenses. There will be an informal networking session after the conference for anyone who would like to stay and a continental breakfast from 9:30-10 for those that arrive early.

Two exciting tracks are being planned, an interactive sales boot camp and a strategic track revolving around emerging new media trends. We are looking for each newspaper to send at least one person for each track. Both groups will meet at lunch and share the last session presentation. Our goal is to foster cooperation and have all participants leave with ideas and tangible skills to immediately generate revenue!

The boot camp will be designed to create super sellers that can go back to their newspapers and champion best practices within a department or cross departmentally.

We have researched different presenters for the boot camp and want to bring in Mel Taylor. Members of the NENMA board have worked with Mel previously in different capacities and we feel confident he will deliver a quality experience. Check out http://meltaylor.wordpress.com/ for more information and a video of Mel in action!

Mel has done training for Tribune in various markets and has a broadcast television/new media background. He presents interactive advertising options in easy to understand language that salespeople and advertisers can understand. Shannon Dunnigan, NENMA Board Member and Director of Online Revenue for Gatehouse Media said on a recent conference call, “He brings a different energy than we are not used to seeing at these conferences.”

With video ad revenue predicted to grow 20x in the next four years, more than any other category of interactive advertising, you can’t afford not to send someone!

We haven’t set any firm topics for the strategic track and are open to suggestions based on the needs of the membership. If someone has something they think would be particularly relevant to plan a session around please let us know.

We are seeking feedback to this email as soon as possible so we can finish planning the spring conference.

Sincerely,

New England New Media Association Board of Directors

FW: NEWS: "Newsout" symposium March 21 to explore options, strategies to cope with decline in New England news coverage

2009-02-07T15:42:00.001-05:00

-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Densmore [mailto:bdensmore@newenglandnews.org]
Sent: Monday, February 02, 2009 6:46 AM
To: bdensmore@newenglandnews.org
Subject: NEWS: "Newsout" symposium March 21 to explore options,
strategies to cope with decline in New England news coverage

PLEASE FORWARD OR REPOST AT WILL

NEWSOUT: WHAT HAPPENS WHEN NEWSROOM LIGHTS DIM?
OPTIONS AN STRATEGIES FOR NEW ENGLAND COMMUNITIES

BOSTON, Mass. - Dramatic declines in the quantity or quality of local
news, and the impact on participatory democracy in New England
communities is the topic of a daylong collaboration among public
officials, journalists and concerned citizens set for Sat., March 21.

"Newsout: Options and strategies for New England communities when the
newsroom lights dim," is a one-day participatory conference co-sponsored
by the New England News Forum (NENF) at the University of Massachusetts
Amherst, the Boston University College of Communication and the Donald
W. Reynolds Journalism Institute at the Missouri School of Journalism.

The conference will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Boston
University's College of Communication, 640 Commonwealth Ave., . A $45
registration fee includes a box lunch. A $45 registration fee includes
a box lunch and one-year membership in the NENF.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER: http://www.newsout.org
--------------------------------------------------------------------

Featured speakers are Steve Clift, founder of Publicus.Net, in
Minneapolis, Minnesota; Joe Bergantino, director of new New England
Center for Investigative Journalism; Jane Stevens, a Donald W. Reynolds
fellow at the University of Missouri; Carol Amick, former editor of the
Bedford [Mass.] Minuteman weekly, a one-time Massachusetts state
senator; and Steve Collins, a reporter with The Bristol Press, a
Connecticut daily which nearly closed in January.

Across the country many newspapers are closing their doors or reducing
the size of staffs as they scramble to stay afloat amid declining
revenues. In the last 18 months, some 15,000 U.S. working journalists
have lost their jobs through retirement, buyouts or layoffs.

"The impact is greatest at the local and state levels" explains
Meredith McCulloch, Interim director of the News Forum. "As the number
of reporters declines, the watchdog role of the press is reduced. The
information that citizens need to participate in government is less and
less available. Who will watch the school board? Check public records
before planning, zoning and conservation boards? Champion those in need?
Connect the dots on critical regional issues?"

Advertising, and the revenue it brings, is migrating from newspapers to
a wide variety of web sites. This creates a revenue shortfall for
newspapers, which is compounded by the recent economic downturn.
Newspapers simply no longer have the funds required to cover local and
state government as in the past. Many are working on a new financial
model for the press, but no clear solutions are on the horizon.

ABOUT THE NEW ENGLAND NEWS FORUM

The New England News Forum (NENF) is collaboration among news
professionals, citizen journalists, educators and the public to promote
vigorous, trusted, accountable journalism - and accountable government.
It aims to increase public trust and deepen public understanding of the
news media by promoting the practice of trusted, thorough, and
accountable journalism.

NENF is a member organization based with the journalism program at the
University of Massachusetts Amherst and initially funded by a seed grant
from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

NENF is an independent resource which can help define, research, advise
-- and hopefully strengthen and expand -- the relationship between news
producers and news consumers. Its website offers journalists, web-news
entrepreneurs and active citizens a place to engage in discussion, to
share and resolve disagreements over media issues such as privacy,
coverage, access, accuracy, bias and emphasis.

For more information, contact the New England News Forum at UMass
Amherst
by phone at (413) 577-4370 or email to mail@newenglandnews.org or go to
the website, http://www.newenglandnews.org

-------

ADDITIONAL CONTACT:
Meredith McCulloch, 781-275-6256
Meredith.mcculloch@newenglandnews.org
http://www.newsout.org

Testing e-mail distribution of our blog posts to the listserv

2008-12-04T14:57:00.002-05:00

Please pardon this brief interrution. Trying to integrate the blog with the listserv, and this is the first test of the blog-post-becoming-listserv-content system. This is only a test....

Bangor Daily News hiring new media marketing and revenue manager

2008-12-04T14:28:00.001-05:00

Here's the posting, forwarded by new media director Todd Benoit:

Marketing and Revenue Manager

The Bangor Daily News New Media Department has an opening for the position of Marketing and Revenue Manager. The person serving in this role will oversee marketing and sales for the online products of the Bangor Daily News and support the company as it seeks new areas for growth. He or she must be able to communicate effectively across multiple departments and with our audience to gather requirements, promote products and communicate feedback on projects. An understanding of New Media marketing and industry trends is crucial to successfully performing this job.

Particular focus for this position will be to work with the advertising department to create online advertising products and to develop new online revenue sources.

Successful applicants for this role will be energetic, have strong communication skills, be comfortable working with the public, have online experience, and preferably project management experience. Other necessary skills include the ability to work under tight deadlines and in high-pressure situations, remain focused on business objectives and ensure that the delivered product best meets the department's objectives.

Applications accepted through December 12, 2008.

Apply to:
Jennifer Holmes
Human Resources Manager
Bangor Daily News
PO Box 1329
Bangor, Maine 04402-1329
jholmes@bangordailynews.net
207-990-8000

Beyond Breaking News presentation from Nov. 14 NESNE conference

2008-11-15T13:45:00.003-05:00

As promised at yesterday's New England Society of Newspaper Editors conference, here are the links and notes shared by our Beyond Breaking News panelists:

Becky Holt, burlingtonfreepress.com
Andrea Panciera, projo.com
Jeanne Leblanc, courant.com

Special thanks to the three of them for participating and sharing their advice and experiences.

Nov. 20 Workshop: Reader Comments on the Web

2008-11-15T09:57:00.004-05:00

Coming on the heels of yesterday's wide-ranging and engaging panel at the NESNE conference regarding reader comments on the Web, NENMA joins the New England Newspaper Association and the New England Press Association, along with the law firm of Prince, Lobel, Glovsky & Tye and prominent media lawyers from throughout New England, in promoting an opportunity for deeper discussion this Thursday in Worcester.

This seminar will be a collaborative workshop of newspaper editors and media lawyers, plus a lunch address on "Change Now: How Newspapers Can Prevail in the Internet Age."

WHEN: Thursday, November 20, 2008

Continental breakfast 8:00 am
Workshop 9:00 am – 12:00 Noon
Lunch 12:00 noon – 1:30 pm

WHERE: Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza, 10 Lincoln Square, Worcester, MA 01608.

WHAT: A half-day workshop discussing your newspaper's liability for reader comments on your Web site, including:

The current state of the law
Examples of reader-comment policies of newspapers in New England and beyond
Practical discussion of how newspapers have addressed such challenges as "gutter talk," anonymity, subpoenas, spoofing, and online harassment.

We expect to spend approximately a third of the time discussing the legal aspects of reader comments and two thirds dealing with the practical issues editors and Web site administrators need to address when they allow reader comments.

PLUS: Luncheon featuring Josh Benton, founding director of the Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard University, who will offer comments on "Newspapers Online and the Changing Journalist-Audience Relationship."

WHO: This is meant to be interactive. Please come ready to discuss your paper's experiences and questions. In addition, the expert panel will include:

Moderator: Richard C. Gagliuso (Gagliuso & Gagliuso, Merrimack, NH)
Jim Bodor, Director of Online, telegram.com (Worcester Telegram & Gazette)
Damon Kiesow, Managing Editor/Online, The Telegraph (Nashua, NH)
Jessica Kosowski, Online Editor, Attleboro Sun-Chronicle (MA)
David Olson, Editor, The Salem News (MA)
David Ardia, Director, Citizen Media Law Project, Berkman Center for Internet & Society
Rob Bertsche, media lawyer (Prince, Lobel, Glovsky & Tye LLP, Boston, MA)

Discussion leaders:

T. Barton Carter, Professor of Communication and Law, Boston University
Peter J. Caruso Sr. (Caruso Law Firm, Andover, MA)
Alan Neigher (Law Office of Alan Neigher, Westport, CT)
Mary-Rose Papandrea, Assistant Professor, Boston College School of Law

Map: www.crowneplaza.com/h/d/cp/1/en/hotel/WRCCP/transportation

Directions: Take Route 90 (Mass Pike) to Exit 10 (Auburn). After the tollbooth, bear left at the fork. Take Route 290 East. Get off at Exit 17. Take a left at the top of the ramp at a set of lights. At the second set of lights at the bottom of the hill make a left onto Major Taylor Boulevard (formerly Worcester Center Boulevard). The Hotel is on your right.

HOW: Please sign up by Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2008 by emailing this completed registration form to
rbertsche@PrinceLobel.com or faxing it to 617.456.8100.

HOW MUCH: $25 for the first attendee from a newspaper (includes lunch). $10 for each additional attendee (without lunch), or $25 with lunch. You can pay at the door (cash or check) or by faxing this registration form with credit card information.

IMPORTANT REQUEST: As part of the program, we would like to hand out examples of policies/rules/terms and conditions that newspapers are currently using. If you'd like your newspaper's policies to be included in that group, please forward them to rbertsche@PrinceLobel.com.

Herald Interactive seeks Web Developer / Designer

2008-11-15T09:41:00.001-05:00

Herald Interactive, the online division of the Boston Herald, is looking for a Web Developer / Designer. We need a highly motivated individual who is willing to communicate and work well with a team of Editors, Account Executives and Developers. We need someone that is creative, forward thinking and can help Herald Interactive continue to grow. Someone who has a passion for the online industry and is knowledgeable in the world of New Media.

The proper candidate should have:

* A solid understanding of web concept development and interactive design
* 4+ years of PHP5 / MySQL development
* A strong understanding of HTML, XHTML, CSS
* Experience working in a LAMP (Linux Apache MySQL PHP) environment

Please email at jobs@heraldinteractive.com for more information.

SouthCoast Media Group seeks multimedia reporter

2008-11-11T17:59:00.002-05:00

SouthCoast Media Group, based in New Bedford, Mass., is seeking a qualified reporter who is comfortable working on deadline and telling stories across multiple platforms. This job will marry new and old media, with the qualified candidate responsible for reporting on deadline for SouthCoastToday.com, as well as for The Standard-Times.
The qualified candidate will be an experienced reporter who is comfortable covering traditional “hard news” stories (municipal government, cops and courts, spot news, etc.) as well and feature and other general assignment reporting.

Ability to work quickly and accurately on deadline is a must. In addition to meeting deadlines for the daily paper, this reporter will also file frequent updates for our award-winning Web site, SouthCoastToday.com and will have the opportunity to maintain a blog or virtual beat.

For reporters with demonstrated multimedia experience, this is your chance to shine. The reporter we hire will be given the opportunity to show off a wide range of skills beyond traditional print reporting, including shooting and production of video reports, photography and production of audio slideshows. Demonstrated multimedia experience is preferred.

The position offers a competitive salary and benefits package, including medical and dental insurance, 401(k) and paid vacation.

To apply, please send a resume, writing and design samples to Editor Bob Unger, The Standard-Times, 25 Elm St., New Bedford, MA, 02740.

Meetup with NESNE

2008-10-31T21:59:00.005-04:00

The New England Society of Newspaper Editors will hold its annual convention next month, joined by members of the New England New Media Association. The event takes place on Friday, Nov. 14, at The Boston Globe.

Several new media panelists will speak at a session titled "Beyond Breaking News: How the Newsroom can help Your Media Organization become your market’s News and Information Resource." Come hear Jeanne Leblanc (online editor, courant.com), Andrea Panciera (online editor, projo.com) and Rebecca Holt (associate editor/digital operations,
burlingtonfreepress.com).

Details on hotel, directions, and other speakers are here on the NENA web site.

That evening, four New England journalists, including a Colonial-era journalist, will receive the Yankee Quill Award for their contributions to the betterment of journalism in the six-state region.

Oct. 30 Fall Conference

2008-10-31T09:51:00.005-04:00

Thanks to everyone who showed up at the Oct. 30 Fall Conference in Lowell. It began with a great look at a variety of ambitious video applications and ended with a relatively easy way to find new dollars with a restaurant-card sales program. Howard Owen's lunchtime presentation on "Reinventing Journalism" alone was both a look back at the roots of journalism and a reminder of the work to be done in the future.

If you didn't make it, here's a link to photos from the day on Facebook.

Videos from the first panel:

Powerpoints:

Search Panel

E-mail Marketing Panel

David Hedricks, Datran Media

Gift Certificate Panel

Jeff Lee, courant.com and MetroMix Connecticut

NENMA Fall Conference on Oct. 30

2008-10-24T09:33:00.000-04:00

The NENMA Fall Conference takes place Oct. 30 in Lowell, Mass.

Let us start by introducing our keynote speaker, Howard Owens, director of digital publishing for Gatehouse Media. If you attended our fall conference last year, you'll remember Howard participated in our social media panel. This time, he's our headliner, and intends to regale as at lunch about "Reinventing Journalism."

Before we even get to lunch, however, you won't want to miss our leadoff video panel, for which we've recruited a panoply of New England-based video stars in the making.

Next, we've got a search-focused round robin: Search marketing to build audience, pay-per-click advertising for local advertisers and Internet yellow page companies perspective on what makes a compelling local search product.

In the afternoon, we've got three more sessions planned.

We'll start with e-mail marketing 101 as our panelists explore industry fundamentals and strategic possibilities for newspapers.

That will be followed by panel focused on reaching the 24/7 news and information audience. This is not so much about doing around-the-clock online news production, but is more an exploration of tactics and strategies aimed at fulfilling information needs in an on-demand media culture.

From there, we'll transition to a session showcasing coupon programs around New England and how they have boosted interactive revenue while also aiding circulation marketing efforts.

The NENMA Fall Conference will take place on Thursday, Oct. 30 from 8:30 to 5 p.m. at the Doubletree Hotel in Lowell.