Monday, October 07, 2019

Justice Dept. approves GateHouse-Gannett deal


GateHouse parent New Media Investments and Gannett have gotten approval to merge from the Justice Department, the New York Post reported, citing a SEC filing.
The $1.4 billion deal will result in the country’s largest newspaper company.
The merged operation will use the Gannett name and keep Gannett’s HQ in McLean, Virginia.
“We are pleased to report that the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice has completed its review of New Media’s proposed acquisition of Gannett,” Gannett’s new chief executive, Paul Bascobert, said in a memo that was disclosed in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. “As a result, the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act has expired, and we have domestic antitrust clearance for the merger.”
Bascobert said he believes the deal will close by the end of this year.
The European Commission and both firms’ shareholders need to approve the deal for the merger to happen.
News and Tech

Monday Morning in the Blogosphere

Baltimore Sun Guild reaches agreement with Tribune Publishing


The Baltimore Sun Guild has agreed to a three-year extension with Tribune Publishing, Baltimore Fishbowl reported. The extension maintains step-increase raises for young journalists, merit raises and other provisions from the old contract.
Sun journalists have been advocating for a universal pay boost for some months, and that’s possible with the extension, according to Baltimore Fishbowl.
Under the agreement, a pay raise for The Sun’s union members, with a top of 3 percent, is linked to current negotiations with the Chesapeake News Guild, which represents The Capital (Annapolis), The Carroll County Times and journalists in Baltimore Sun Media Group, Baltimore Fishbowl reports. If the Chesapeake News Guild manages to get a pay raise for its people, Sun journalists will also see a raise.
The Chesapeake News Guild is in a joint bargaining process that involves Tribune operations around the country where unions have recently formed, including The Hartford Courant, The Virginian-Pilot and the Chicago Tribune.
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Today in Labor History October 7th

Joe Hill

Radical labor organizer and songwriter Joel Emmanuel Hägglund (aka “Joe Hill”) was bornCLICK TO TWEETin Gavle, Sweden. Hill was an organizer for the Industrial Workers of the World(IWW). He was arrested and convicted on trumped up murder charges and executed in Utah. His famous last words to IWW co-founder Big Bill Haywood were “Don’t mourn. Organize”. Some of Hill’s most famous songs were The Preacher and the Slaver, Rebel Girl, There is Power in the Union, and Casey Jones-Union Scab. – 1879

The Structural Building Trades Alliance (SBTA) was founded. The organization’s primary goal was to provide a forum in which jurisdictional conflicts between trade unions could be adjudicated. But the organization lacked the power to enforce its rulings. Under pressure from competing AFL building trades councils and repeated threats of disaffiliation by its own members, it affiliated with the AFL in 1908. – 1903
The United Mine Workers withdrew from the CIO. – 1942
Hollywood’s “Battle of the Mirrors” took place on this date. Picketing members of the Conference of Studio Unions disrupted an outdoor shoot by holding up large reflectors that filled camera lenses with blinding sunlight. Members of the competing IATSE union retaliated by using the reflectors to shoot sunlight back across the street. The battle went on all day, writes Tom Sito in “Drawing the Line”. – 1946

Saturday, October 05, 2019

Fallen journalists memorial gets support


Lawmakers in the U.S. House and Senate recently put forth the Fallen Journalists Memorial Act of 2019 (H.R. 3465 and S. 1969). The proposed legislation would establish a permanent memorial in the nation’s capital for fallen journalists.
On Sept. 24, the National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission held a meeting addressing the proposed legislation. Representatives from the Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation testified at the meeting.
The Fallen Journalists Memorial Act would authorize the Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation to establish a commemorative work on federally owned and administered land in the District of Columbia. No federal funds would be used to build the memorial. The legislation was introduced by senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Rob Portman (R-OH) and representatives Grace Napolitano (D-CA) and Tom Cole (R-OK).
The FJM Foundation operates under the auspices of the National Press Club Journalism Institute, which is the non-profit educational affiliate of the National Press Club. The foundation is led by former Rep. David Dreier, chairman of Tribune Publishing. Initial funding for the foundation was provided by contributions from the Annenberg Foundation and the Michael and Jacky Ferro Foundation.
The News Media Alliance is among the entities supporting the memorial. “When a journalist is killed in the line of duty, the entire community suffers, but outside of their newsrooms, they rarely receive the recognition they deserve for their sacrifice. We strongly encourage the commission to support our efforts for this memorial and recommend its establishment to the U.S. Congress,” said President and CEO David Chavern.
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At Istanbul memorial for Jamal Khashoggi

Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, was joined by activists and friends Oct. 2 in Istanbul to mark the first anniversary of his killing. (Reuters)



PIA offers new print production for designers course


Graphic arts trade association Printing Industries of America has launched a print production for designers course in its iLearning Center. Presented by Joe Marin, vice president of education and training, the course reveals the lifecycle of a printed job and explores what it takes to design and build files that print, fold, trim and finish properly.
This fast-paced e-learning course delves into core production concepts, software tips and tricks, and the right questions to ask your printer, according to PIA.
PIA printer members can use the course to educate their clients, designers and creatives on how to properly prepare files to build a smooth working relationship from design to finished product, PIA says. Individual course logins may be purchased for $29 each. 
For more information about the iLearning Center, visit www.printing.org/ilearning.
News and Tech

Saturday Morning in the Blogosphere

Memorial for long time Los Angeles Times truck driver James Robinson




The News Industry Needs More Collaborations - INMA

Why great reporting and writing are not enough - Poynter

Aldi stops selling newspapers and magazines in UK stores - Press Gazette

DePaul town hall honors Chicago media’s ‘Power 25’ women - Robert Feder

Supermarkets are ditching their newspaper and magazine racks - Nieman Lab

Tribune launching digital-membership model Tuesday - West Central Tribune

Amal Clooney: give UN power to investigate journalist deaths - The Guardian

At Istanbul memorial for Jamal Khashoggi, a moment’s silence, then shouts for justice - WaPo

Reading political news in the age of Trump leaves people stressed, angry, and overwhelmed - NL

Americans Are Wary of the Role Social Media Sites Play in Delivering the News - Journalism UK

NYT, Verizon provide access to Title I schools


The New York Times Company is partnering with Verizon to provide free nytimes.com access to over seven million students and teachers in Title I high schools across the nation and middle schools within the Verizon Innovative Learning program. The access will also include curated educational content from The Times’s Learning Network, an educational resource that includes articles, photos, videos, illustrations, graphs and podcasts from The Times.
Title I schools are institutions where 40 percent of the student population belong to low-income households.
High school faculty and students will receive full digital access to The Times when connected to their school’s network, and middle school teachers will be able to access Learning Network content through the Verizon Innovative Learning Connections portal. The Verizon Innovative Learning program works to empower under-resourced Title 1 middle schools with free technology, internet access, and a STEM-infused curriculum to help inspire the next generation of technologists, entrepreneurs, innovators and more, according to the Times.
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Today in Labor History October 5th

The Battle of Burbank

A  six-month strike by set decorators turned into a bloody riot at the gates of Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank, California when scabs tried to cross the picket line. The incident is still identified as “Hollywood Black Friday” and “The Battle of Burbank”. By the end of the day, some 300 police and deputy sheriffs had been called to the scene and over 40 injuries were reported. The strikes helped the passage of the Taft-Hartley Act in 1947 and led to the eventual breakup of the Conference of Studio Unions (CSU) and the reorganization of the then rival International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) leadership. – 1945
[click_to_tweet tweet=”Bloody riot at the gates of Warner Brothers Studios with 40 injured in the ‘Battle of Burbank’ or Hollywood Black Friday’, UAW ends a 3-week strike against Ford.” quote=”Bloody riot at the gates of Warner Brothers Studios with 40 injured in the ‘Battle of Burbank’ or Hollywood Black Friday’, UAW ends a 3-week strike against Ford.”]
The UAW ended a three-week strike against Ford Motor Company when the company agreed to a contract that included more vacation days and better retirement and unemployment benefits. – 1976

French print house works with QIPC-EAE


La Nouvelle Republique du Centre Ouest will be the third newspaper printing house in France to use closed-loop color control from Q.I. Press Controls - Engineering Automation Electronics (QIPC-EAE). QIPC-EAE, the Dutch specialist in measurement and control technology for the printing industry, will install a Performance Package at the print shop in Tours.
The Performance Package combines QIPC's measurement and control systems with EAE's control systems. La Nouvelle Republique du Centre Ouest has been using EAE's systems for many years. "It was logical to extend this to the rest of our press," says Laurent Lanos, director of the printing company.
The press consists of a Goss Uniliner from 2008 and Visa Creusot Loire from 1988 with three towers and one folder.
QIPC-EAE will install QIPC's IDS-3D color control system, equipped with Automatic Ink Mist Shield and dampening control. EAE's control systems will be extended to the Visa Creusot Loire, the Print PP system will be installed and there will be a PC retrofit, including two new control consoles.
QIPC – EAE is the result of the acquisition of EAE by Q.I. Press Controls in 2014.
News and Tech

Friday, October 04, 2019

Friday Morning in the Blogosphere

Las Vegas Sun sues Review-Journal owner Adelson


The Las Vegas Sun has sued casino mogul and Las Vegas Review-Journal owner Sheldon Adelson in federal court, Bloomberg and others reported.
Sun owner Brian Greenspun said in a court filing in U.S. District Court in Nevada that Adelson is not adhering to a joint operating agreement the papers share.
Adelson has stopped profit-sharing payments to Greenspun, cut joint promotions and has moved to bury Sun content, according to the filing, Bloomberg reported.
Under the joint operating agreement, the Sun is produced as an insert in the Review-Journal.
Adelson, a major GOP donor and Trump supporter, bought the Review-Journal in 2015. The Sun is widely characterized as a liberal voice.
In a counterclaim in August in state court, the Review-Journal claimed the Sun produces “substandard and often stale content” in its print edition and keeps better content for its online operation, Bloomberg reported. Adelson’s paper also said the joint operating agreement is a remnant of a past time, when the Review-Journal’s advertising dollars amounted to a lot more, Bloomberg said.
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Today in Labor History October 4th

Mt. Rushmore

Louisiana sugar workers went on strike, during which 37 unarmed black workers were murdered by Louisiana Militia, aided by bands of vigilantes. – 1887
An explosion at the T.A. Gillespie shell-loading plant in Morgan, New Jersey, triggered a fire and subsequent explosions that continued for three days. Hundreds of people were killed and injured and 60,000 people living in nearby towns were displaced.  The unidentified remains of some of the workers killed in the blast were buried in a mass grave. – 1918
[click_to_tweet tweet=”Sugar workers go on strike, Ammunition plant explodes killing hundreds and displacing 60,000, work began on Mt. Rushmore, and more.” quote=”Sugar workers go on strike, Ammunition plant explodes killing hundreds and displacing 60,000, work began on Mt. Rushmore, and more.”]
Work began on the carving of Mt. Rushmore, a task 400 craftsmen would eventually complete in 1941. Despite the dangerous nature of the project, not one worker died. – 1927
President Truman ordered the U.S. Navy to seize oil refineries, breaking a 20-state post-war strike. – 1945
The United Mine Workers of America (UMW) re-affiliated with the AFL-CIO, after decades of conflict with the organization. The UMWA had left the AFL in the 1930s when they refused to organize the auto and steel industries and played a pivotal role in the formation of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO). However, they withdrew from the CIO in 1942 in a dispute over labor-management relations during World War II. They were readmitted to the AFL in 1946 but left after a year when their president John L. Lewis refused to sign the non-Communist affidavit required by the Taft-Hartley Labor Act. – 1989
The Distillery, Wine & Allied Workers International Union merged with the United Food & Commercial Workers International Union. – 1995

Wednesday, October 02, 2019

Wednesday Morning in the Blogosphere

Nicaraguan newspapers shut down


Two Nicaraguan newspapers, El Nuevo Diario and Metro, announced they were closing down last week, Reuters reported. 
The papers blamed adverse economic conditions. Metro is a free paper. El Nuevo Diario is seen as the second major paper in Nicaragua after La Prensa. Private consortium Promerica owns both papers.
The country has been struggling with a political crisis since 2018. More than 300 people have died in the crisis, Reuters said.
The papers had said the government of President Daniel Ortega had stymied newsprint imports, Reuters reported.
Last Friday’s print edition was the last for both papers. There are no plans for the papers to produce news online, Reuters said.
“We thank our subscribers for their loyalty and we will now be in a process of reimbursing the outstanding balance of the subscriptions,” El Nuevo Diario wrote in an editorial published on its website.
News and Tech

Today in Labor History October 2nd

Slave rebellion leader Nat Turner was born. Turner led the only effective, sustained slave revolt in in U.S. history in 1831. His actions set off a new wave of oppressive legislation by whites prohibiting the education, movement and assembly of slaves. – 1800
President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed a crowd in right wing San Diego, asserting the right of all workers to join unions. “It is now beyond partisan controversy that it is a fundamental individual right of a worker to associate himself with other workers and to bargain collectively with his employer.” – 1935
Joining with 400,000 coal miners already on strike, 500,000 CIO  (Congress of Industrial Workers) steelworkers closed down the nation’s foundries, steel and iron mills, demanding pensions and better wages and working conditions. – 1949
Starbucks Workers Union baristas at an outlet in East Grand Rapids, Michigan won their grievances after the National Labor Relations Board cited the company for labor law violations, including threats against union activists. They were organized by the Wobblies. – 2007
Union members, progressives and others rally in Washington D.C. under the Banner of One Nation Working Together, demanding “good jobs, equal justice, and quality education for all.” Crowd estimates ranged from tens of thousands to 200,000. – 2010

1,800 exhibitors expected at drupa 2020


The drupa trade fair for the global printing industry is scheduled for June 16­–26, 2020, at fairgrounds in Dusseldorf, Germany. Some 1,800 exhibitors from 50 countries are expected to showcase their products at the event.
The top five exhibitor nations to date are Germany, Japan, Italy, China and Britain. Exhibitors range from global industry players to ambitious small companies and promising start-ups representing the entire value chain, organizers say. Thirty percent are new exhibitors. For the current exhibitor list, visit www.drupa.com.
Drupa 2020 is structured with the following product groups: prepress/print, premedia/multichannel, post press/converting/packaging, future technologies, materials and equipment/services/infrastructure.
Trends will also be addressed in special forums: drupa cube, dna - drupa next age, touchpoint packaging, touchpoint 3D fab+print and touchpoint textile.
Investments have also been made in updating infrastructure and adding new services for customers, organizers say. A new trade fair app, a matchmaking tool, a new online ordering system and a new way finder for better navigation on the fairgrounds are available.
News and Tech

Tuesday, October 01, 2019

The Bombing of the Los Angeles Times


Tony Valdez on his Midday Sunday program on KTTV Los Angeles, interviews Lew Irwin, the veteran Los Angeles newsman, about his critically praised book, "Deadly Times: The 1910 Bombing of the Los Angeles Times and America's Forgotten Decade of Terror." With at least 20 killed and more than 100 injured, the bombing remains the deadliest crime ever to go to trial in California and the worst ever committed against journalists anywhere in the world.







More than 70 get lay-off notices at Canadian mill


More than 70 at the Catalyst Crofton pulp and paper mill have gotten lay-off notices, the Ladysmith Chemainus Chronicle reported.
The mill is located in British Columbia, Canada.
Travis Gregson, president of Unifor Local 1132, which represents some of the around 570 workers at the mill, said the mill’s newsprint and package grading machines were stopped last week, the paper reported.
Company officials had no comment by press time, the paper reported.
Gregson said the work stoppage is expected to last about two weeks, but management gave no fixed date for when the machines will fire up again.
He said the stoppage is linked to the decline in demand in newsprint globally and the trade war with China, among other factors, the paper reported.
News and Tech

Tuesday Afternoon in the Blogosphere






Books Won’t Die - The Paris Review

Staff of The Columbian Unionizes - Portland Mercury

America's most polarizing brands: News media companies - Axios

How Magazines Can Avoid Disaster by Coming Back to Earth - Folio

Journal Tribune to cease publication after 135 years - Macon Telegraph

Mohammad bin Salman denies ordering Khashoggi murder - CBS News

Apple News+ Launches in the UK with The Times and Hearst on Board - Digiday

News Publishers Fight to Recapture Advertising Dollars From Facebook and Google - EP

McClatchy newspaper is raising thousands of dollars to support its education reporting - NL

Mark Zuckerberg rallies FB employees against critics, competitors, and the US government - Verge

Starbucks no longer selling print newspapers, now offering free digital newspapers - Chicago Tribune

Waycross Journal-Herald closing


The Sept. 30 edition of the Waycross Journal-Herald (Georgia) will be the final edition, the publisher said, according to The Brunswick News.
The paper is 105 years old.
Publisher Roger Williams, whose family has owned the paper since his grandfather purchased it in 1916, said his siblings and other stockholders would have had to drain their personal finances to keep the paper going, the Brunswick paper said.
Williams said he informed employees Friday. “We told them what the situation was. I hate it, but we didn’t have any recourse,’’ Williams said, according to The Brunswick News.
The family attempted to sell the newspaper and had two offers, but both collapsed.
News and Tech

Today in Labor History October 1st

Los Angeles Times Building

Twenty-one people were killed when the Los Angeles Times building was dynamited during a labor strike. Anarchists were immediately blamed. The McNamara brothers were kidnapped and taken to the private home of a Chicago police sergeant, where many labor leaders believe they were tortured. They were convicted based on the testimony of a third individual who was also presumably tortured. A union member eventually confessed to the bombing, which he said was supposed to have occurred early in the morning when the building would have been largely unoccupied. – 1910
[click_to_tweet tweet=”21 people die when the Los Angeles Times building was bombed. Dairy farmers go on strike, PA Turnpike becomes first toll superhighway, and more.” quote=”21 people die when the Los Angeles Times building was bombed. Dairy farmers go on strike, PA Turnpike becomes first toll superhighway, and more.”]
The George Washington Bridge officially opened, spanning the Hudson River from New Jersey to New York. Thirteen workers died during the four-year construction project for what at the time was the longest main span in the world. – 1931
Thousands of dairy farmers in Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana and Iowa struck in support of higher prices for their milk. – 1935
The Pennsylvania Turnpike opened as the first toll superhighway in the United States. It was built in most part by workers hired through the state’s Re-Employment offices. – 1940
The United Transport Service Employees of America merged with the Brotherhood of Railway, Airline & Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express & Station Employees. – 1972
The Insurance Workers International Union merged with the United Food & Commercial Workers International Union. – 1983
The Railroad Yardmasters of America merged with the United Transportation Union. – 1985
The Pattern Makers League of North America merged with the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers. – 1991
The Stove, Furnace & Allied Appliance Workers International Union of North America merged with the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers, & Helpers. – 1994
The National Hockey League team owners began a lockout of the players that lasted 103 days.  It came a year after the League played without a collective bargaining agreement. The lockout was a subject of dispute as the players sought collective bargaining and owners sought to help franchises that had a weaker market as well as make sure they could cap the rising salaries of players. The lockout caused the 1994-95 season to be shortened to 48 games instead of 84, the shortest season in 53 years.- 1994
The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union merged with the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union. – 1998
The International Union of Electronic, Electrical, Salaried, Machine & Furniture Workers merged with the Communications Workers of America. – 2000

BuzzFeed, Group Nine Media, Insider to form ad alliance


BuzzFeed, Group Nine Media and Insider are grouping their video ad space, The Wall Street Journal reported.
The companies plan to work together to better face off against Alphabet-owned YouTube and other platforms, the paper reported. The alliance will sell ads for the firms’ websites, apps and YouTube channels, according to the companies, the paper said.
The three are talking to Discovery and other media operations about participating in the effort, according to WSJ, citing sources at BuzzFeed, Group Nine and Discovery.
The yet-unnamed alliance will sell advertising independently and on-board publishers will share revenue tied to the number of ads they bring to the alliance, the paper said.
YouTube is the top seller of digital video ads. Amazon, Facebook and Snap are growing players in the industry.
BuzzFeed, Group Nine and Insider count almost 100 million subscribers for their YouTube networks and get over a billion video views monthly on their own sites and apps, WSJ said.
News and Tech