Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "media"

The Sacramento Press is hiring: Social Media intern

2012-02-06T20:22:03Z

We are currently seeking a highly motivated social media intern for Agency M at The Sacramento Press.

About the position:

The Social Media Intern will have a large role in maintaining and updating our clients' social media accounts, gathering data for regular reports, and helping with strategy. You will be expected to understand the in's and out's of every social media platform we use, and be able to think strategically and apply that understanding.

You are the ideal candidate if you can work independently and as a team member, if you have the drive to go above and beyond what you've been asked, you are creative and love to write, you are "social", you are constantly exploring new possibilities, you are an excellent researcher and you are very responsible.

Your responsibilities will include:

Maintaining and updating client social media accounts
Crafting original content for distribution on client's social media platforms
Live streaming video, tweeting and posting photos at local events
Promoting events on all event sites and across all social media platforms
Gathering data and creating monthly reports for each client
Working with clients to meet their expectations
Photo and video editing

This is a 16-week internship. We want to see you in the office 10 hours a week plus occasional events.

Please apply with the materials listed below:

i. A brief cover letter explaining why you would like this position.
ii. Your resume or the link to your LinkedIn profile.
iii. Links to the social media sites you use.
iv. Anything else that's creative and shows a bit about who you are.

Send to chris.brune@sacramentopress.com.

The Sacramento Press is hiring: Graphics intern

2012-02-06T20:20:46Z

We are seeking a highly motivated Graphics Intern for immediate hire. The successful candidate will assist with various projects that will help them gain real world professional graphic design experience in a fast-paced and deadline driven environment.

Job Description:

The successful candidate will assist with various web and print projects from concept to completion. Our Graphics Intern will work on a wide range of projects including, but not limited too, web banners, club cards, posters and pamphlets. Will support various departments at Sacramento Press including Sales, Marketing, Advertising and Operations.

Requirements:

Must be currently studying Graphic Design at an advanced level or have a Graphic Design degree.
Must have an advanced knowledge of current graphic design principles and practices.
Proficiency with CS3 Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign) is required.
Strong project management skills.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Must enjoy collaborating, learning from others and working as part of a team.
Proficiency with Macs is preferred.

Location:
Downtown Sacramento

Hours:
The position is 12 hours a week for 4 months. Flexible schedule available. This position is unpaid but eligible for school credit.

How to Apply:
Send a cover letter, resume and samples of your work to: dina.neils@sacramentopress.com

The Sacramento Press is hiring: Editor-in-Chief

2012-02-06T20:18:34Z

The Sacramento Press is seeking a dynamic editor-in-chief to oversee the day-to-day operations of the newsroom. This position will play a key role in expanding the presence and reach of The Sacramento Press into the surrounding media market.

We’re looking for someone who is ambitious, confident in their ability to learn quickly, and focused on creating compelling content for the local communities. Excellent writing and reporting skills and good editorial judgment are essential.

The ideal candidate will bring lots of ideas for new ways to present stories online, through text, photos, or videos.

Experience in using a content management system is a plus, as is experience in podcasts, editing video, conducting and moderating panels. Experience working with technology teams is also preferred. Ability to edit HTML and other light coding would be outstanding.

Ideal candidates will have:

Passion for journalism and an understanding of how it can transform a community

At least three years previous newspaper and/or other publication experience

A bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university

At least two years editing experience

Experience with online publications

A deep understanding of the demands of 24/7 websites

Experience leading a team

Ability to edit copy quickly and always improve stories

Understanding of how to promote stories via social media

Ability to speak confidently when appearing on TV and radio

Enthusiasm to create and sustain relationships with stakeholders and neighborhood leaders

Excellent news and editorial judgment

Strong diplomatic skills and ability to interact with journalists at all levels of the newsroom

Excellent organizational skills and ability to work under pressure

Proven ability to break news and generate outstanding story ideas

Excellent communication and presentation skills

Enthusiasm for working with a technology team to envision the future of news

Light coding skills and competence at HTML manipulation

Your job responsibilities will include (but are not limited to):

Make Sacramento a better place to live
Maintain engaging and relevant splash pages that are refreshed daily
Seek out ways to incorporate graphics such as surveys, charts, video, etc. in content
Write editorials
Will help maintain site and produce weekly electronic newsletters
Track daily and weekly deadlines
Compile monthly analytics and reports
Adapt to changing organizational forms and help other department heads meet goals
Supervise, train and develop a staff of two reporters, an intern coordinator and up to six unpaid interns
Plan scope and content of all editorial content and assign stories
Ensure content is factually accurate, and does not violate copyright laws or contain libel
Identify and pursue ways the Sacramento Press can increase editorial outreach into local communities
Responsible for quality of online content and layouts
Curates journalism workshops

The Sacramento Press offers a competitive compensation and benefits package including medical, dental and vision plans.

This is a fast-paced role in a high potential growing company. This is a unique opportunity to be a critical piece of our growth. This position is located in Sacramento, CA.

Compensation:
This is a full-time contract-to-hire position.
Upon hire, it is a full-time salaried position.

Ready to apply? Submit your resume, portfolio or clips and any other helpful information to colleen[at]sacramentopress.com.

Round-up: Recent changes in local news outlets

2012-01-21T02:05:23Z

In a world where nearly everyone has a smartphone or an iPod and news flashes are delivered in 140 characters or less, the landscape of news media is rapidly changing. Here is a quick roundup of recent changes in the local news outlets:

Sacramento News & Review: Looking for a new editor

The Sacramento News & Review has been a print publication since 1989, and Melinda Welsh has been the editor for most of that time. About a week ago, she decided to step down, and now the News & Review is conducting a nationwide search for her replacement.

“I love the job, it’s the coolest job,” Welsh said Friday. “But it’s been long enough. Eighteen years as an editor? It’s time to do something different.”

Welsh said the nationwide search began as soon as she announced her plans to leave, and ads for the position have been appearing in local outlets and across the nation.

Welsh said, so far, there have been some responses to the ads, but the hiring office at News & Review is not yet to the point of conducting interviews.

“We’re targeting other alt(ernative) weeklies and looking for someone with experience in what we do,” Welsh said.

Although the search for an editor is open nationwide, Welsh said the News & Review would prefer someone with ties to Sacramento – especially since the paper focuses on local stories.

Welsh said the News & Review has gone through a number of changes over the years – but that’s the nature of media.

“It’s a time of change,” Welsh said. “I don’t think we’re behind the eight ball. The News and Review is thinner than it’s been, but our readership has increased. It’s just the ever-changing landscape of media.”

Capitol Weekly: Leaving print behind, going to online-only

Jan. 12 saw the print edition of Capitol Weekly – a newspaper devoted solely to politics and governance in Sacramento – delivered to offices in the state Capitol for the last time.

According to the Jan. 17 announcement in Capitol Weekly, the newspaper suspended its print edition in favor of an online-only presence.

Calling it “an essential element of the reorganization of our company,” Editor John Howard said in the announcement that the move was prompted by “challenging economic times coupled with the need for new technologies” to expand the company’s capabilities.

The switch to online-only came with employee layoffs at the newspaper – something
Lilly Fuentes-Joy, former photo editor with Capitol Weekly, said many people hoped would never happen.

“Financially the paper was going through hard times,” Fuentes-Joy said Friday, “but we all thought the paper would pull through.”

Fuentes-Joy said about 10 people were let go from the paper when it halted its print edition.

Howard said in the announcement that “the economy, changing readership habits and increasing demand for speed and access” spurred the change, and the company wants to focus on how to meet the needs of its readers and advertisers.

“I’ve seen Capitol Weekly go through so many changes,” Fuentes-Joy said Friday, “but not keep up with the changing times.”

The social media aspect of journalism has been key to the struggles of Capitol Weekly, Fuentes-Joy said.

“People still like print media,” she said, “but they want quick fixes – immediate news – but there’s no real depth.”

Capitol Weekly will continue to produce a conference series, special events and its television show, “Politics On Tap,” according to Capitol Weekly Publisher Arnold York.

Capital Public Radio: Moving jazz to sister station, focusing on news

Jazz and music lovers will no longer find their favorite music on KXJZ 90.9, because Capital Public Radio is making some changes to its format.

“Over the last several years, our research has shown a growing demand for news information,” Capital Public Radio General Manager Rick Eytcheson said Friday.

“The way people consume music has been evolving, and that rate of change is accelerating. People have so many options, and a lot of radio stations are struggling,” Eytcheson said.

In response to listeners’ requests and research that the organization did, Eytcheson said, the station moved its popular "Excellence In Jazz" program and several other music programs from KXJZ 90.9 to its sister station at 88.9 KXPR to allow more airtime at 90.9 for news and information programming.

“The news side continues to grow on public radio,” Eytcheson said, “and we’ve seen robust ratings growth. We want to build on that.”

Eytcheson said about two years ago, the station started to stream jazz music online, and managers were pleasantly surprised to see the number of people tuning in. Soon, the station began to simultaneously stream classical music to reach a larger audience.

With the newest format changes, Eytcheson said, he hopes no one loses out: Fans of news and information will get full-time programming on one station, and music lovers will get full-time programming on another station.

“Jazz isn’t going away,” Eytcheson said. “It’s just moving down the dial.”

In addition to the format changes, Eytcheson said, the news station will add new shows including, “The Splendid Table,” “Q” from Canadian Broadcasting Company, “Marketplace Money” and others.

Melissa Corker is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @MelissaCorker.

Editorial Note: Spelling corrections were made to this article after it was posted.

Former Michigan Govenor Granholm Lunches on 9th Street

2011-10-18T22:40:42Z

Former Michigan Governor, Jennifer Granholm cozied up to members and guests at today's Sacramento Press Club Luncheon. She and her husband, Daniel Mulhern, have written a book that was available for attendees. It's called a "A Governor's Story.

The savvy couple's lively presentation was very casual, but smooth. Mostly discussed were problems Granholm faced as governor, and how they mesh with other current as well as future strategies business and government might connect for the benefit of sharpening America's competitive skills among nations.

Granholm is soon to host a daily cable television talk show on Current TV. It will be adjacent to Keith Olbermann's "Countdown." The title for Granholm's program is "The War Room."

The former FULL time, TWO term governor appeared not to be necessarily doing cable TV talk to compete with Current TV's Mr. Olbermann or, for that matter, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow. But Granholm, who also appears to be a bring-it-on kind of person, would likely take any winning numbers that come her way.

Current TV, a project of former Vice-President Al Gore, is available in Sacramento from cable providers.

Gary Chew - 10-18-11

Disclosure: No personal connection. I was a paying guest to the event. Wanted to hear Granholm, not on camera, video, or my TV set.

News10 reporter shares tips for video storytelling

2011-09-24T01:10:29Z

“The nature of the media is changing,” said KXTV News10 reporter George Warren at Thursday evening’s video storytelling tips and shortcuts workshop, hosted by The Sacramento Press.

Warren is an Emmy-winning reporter/multimedia journalist. He recently celebrated his 30th anniversary working with News10. He started started creating videos when he was a senior in college and has shot with primitive videotapes and 16mm film.

“The equipment today has gotten so good that it’s easy for one person to go out and produce really good content in just a short amount of time,” Warren told the audience of about 30 aspiring writers, journalists and community members.

Warren used his own recent videos to demonstrate examples of what a single person can do to produce quality videos and tell memorable stories in as little as an hour and 15 minutes.

“You usually want to start with your strongest element,” Warren said. “But on the other hand you want to build to the big finish.”

Warren showed an example of this through his story about a shoplifter caught on a surveillance camera stealing $300 worth of merchandise. The piece began with the footage of the woman filling her bag multiple times with stolen merchandise. It built up to the final kicker: the shoplifter was only caught because, at the end of her spree, she filled out a raffle ticket with her full name and contact information.

“Think about how you’re going to start the story, think about how you’re going to end, and the rest will fall into place,” he said.

Warren added that when planning the beginning and end of the story, the reporter must choose strong pictures for both.

Prosumer camcorders and microphone kits are available in the $5,000 range, though small handheld cameras, camcorders and video phones work well and get the job done.

If using smaller cameras, it is important to invest in a tripod, he said. Smaller cameras are very sensitive to any type of movement – even simply the pulse in your hand, Warren joked.

For those serious about video journalism, it is not ideal to depend on the camera’s built-in microphone, he added. Investing in external wireless microphone options allows for improved audio, particularly in windy or less ideal situations.

Images should be shot wide and should not be head on. The subject should fall off-center onto the left or right third.

“Shooting people wide allows them to use their hands and guarantees they won’t lean out of your frame,” Warren said.

Other tips included: let people and cars in the background enter and exit shots; let shots linger as you film; allow natural sounds in the background; shoot more video than you think you need; avoid excessive head room; film in tight, medium and wide shots; and avoid panning and zooming in and out. These practices allow for best overall footage and edit points.

To narrate the story behind the footage, Warren emphasized the use of an active voice opposed to a passive voice. “To be” verbs such as “was,” “is” and “were” should generally be avoided. Action verbs provide a direct approach to conveying the message and setting the scene.

Narrations should be kept simple and should reinforce the videos. The audio should not retell what is already seen on the screen.

It’s important to have a specific shot in mind for every piece of narration written. To reiterate this, Warren shared the common saying, “If we didn’t shoot it, it doesn’t exist.”

Jason Silva, an architect who often makes videos about future projects, said he took away a lot of information about composing the pieces.

“It’s not just about taking shots and building it later,” he said. “It’s about building it first in your head, narrating it in your head and then filming to match that.”

“While I don’t shoot video,” said Trina Drotar, who recently started writing articles for The Sacramento Press, “I thought there were a lot of really good tips that he gave us for even taking photographs that accompany our articles as well as (for) writing our articles.”

Every year, the number of people watching local news on television drops. Because of this, Warren said there is a move toward experimenting with unconventional methods to present news in videos outside the traditional package.

“They’re encouraging us to kind of push the envelope, to be uncomfortable, to take chances.” Warren said. “Anything goes.”

Journalist Jonathan Mumm retires from News 10

2011-05-13T03:56:06Z

Sacramento TV reporter Jonathan Mumm – host of KXTV News 10's California Postcard and Mumm at the Movies – will retire from the station this month after nearly 30 years.

But don't expect to find him spending afternoons playing checkers just yet.

The five-time Emmy Award-winning journalist is just moving his energy and talent east to Roseville Performing Arts (RPA) Studio, which he owns with his wife, singer and music teacher Roberta Mumm.

About a year after joining News 10 on July 11, 1983, Mumm became the reporter and producer for the station's new travel feature series called California Postcard. The show ran twice a week for 15 years, took an eight-year hiatus and resumed in May 2007.

Mumm interviewed intriguing Californians and visited unique spots such as the Bodega Bay house where Alfred Hitchcock directed the 1963 horror classic, "The Birds." He kayaked whitewater rivers, crawled through caves and flew the Goodyear blimp during the show's 19 years.

"I'd find myself in these positions and think, 'What am I doing here?' But they made great stories for the show," he laughed. "They were often more fun to tell than they were to live through."

Mumm has been obsessed with broadcasting, announcing, and being on the air for TV and radio for most of his life. He first saw broadcasters at work in television reruns of movies from the 1930s featuring the golden age of radio.

Even as a kid, Mumm was more interested in the people and the work that went on behind the scenes than the stars of the movies.

At age 8, he and his brother pretended to have a talk show broadcast in their basement in Lynchburg, Va. The TV camera was made from a metal milk box with "WOWW" scrawled on the side, and a block of wood was their fake microphone. They spent hours watching disc jockeys spin records at a local radio station in the early 1960s.

In high school, Mumm got a weekend job at country music station WBRG. He ran gospel tapes, read headlines from the Associated Press wire and recorded National Weather Service updates. He soon became a country DJ spinning records on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

He got his own time slot, "The Johnny Mumm Show," in his senior year of high school. He raced to the station every afternoon after school and played records until sunset – the station's closing time.

His voice and his name were famous, but his face was not. Once, when his mom paid for groceries with a check, the store clerk asked, "Are you Johnny Mumm's wife?"

"My mom said, 'No, I'm his mother,' " Mumm recalled. "Particularly then, they didn't expect a kid to be on the radio."

Mumm majored in speech and drama at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. – alma mater of Susan Sarandon (a senior when he was a freshman) and Jon Voight.

He worked at radio stations in Washington, D.C., during the school year and at home in Lynchburg during school vacations. Mumm was known as "Good Guy Johnny Mumm" when he became a top-40 DJ at WLLL in Lynchburg the summer after freshman year.

In 1973, he cut his long hair and shaved off his beard to get his first on-camera TV job as the sports director for a station in Lynchburg. He was also the station's only sports reporter and sports camera operator.

"I was a one-man sports department," he said.

Mumm also filled in as a news reporter. He shot his own footage and did standups in front of the camera by setting it on a tripod and running to stand in front of the lens.

The nephew of movie tough guy Claude Akins, Mumm moved to Los Angeles and focused on acting for five years. Mumm did community theater, commercial voiceovers, industrial films and occasional parts on TV shows. His big break came in 1977 when he was cast in one of his uncle's shows, “Nashville 99.” He got 14 lines playing a rookie cop.

"That was big-time stuff," he said. "I thought I was on my way to fame and fortune."

He left acting a year or so later, after marrying and not getting cast in bigger roles. Mumm got a job at a Bakersfield radio station. Six months later, a neighboring TV station hired him to produce and anchor the 11 p.m. newscast. Mumm worked in TV news in Bakersfield for five years.

He joined News 10 as a reporter doing hard news and features. He didn't do any camera work then. That era was much more laid-back for TV news, he said.

Big stories included the Democratic and Republican conventions, floods, political coverage and the second Sacramento bombing by the Unabomber in 1995. He joined a week-long road trip following actor Arnold Schwarzenegger on the campaign trail in his first run for governor.

As the station's movie reviewer, Mumm covered the Academy Awards five times. He interviewed stars including Morgan Freeman, Cate Blanchett, Hilary Swank and Reese Witherspoon.

Mumm will retire May 27, at the end of the spring ratings season. He now plans to focus on writing plays, teaching classes and directing performances at RPA Studio's Little Theatre. He teaches voiceover classes, acting and film history.

In his decades-long broadcast career, he's watched technology grow and change. Cameras are much smaller and recording with videotape or digital video, rather than film, allows journalists to do more with stories through editing and to use more creativity. That also can take more time. Working in news is no longer as laid-back as when Mumm started.

"Each innovation that has happened in the industry has increased the workload and the intensity," he said.

The Internet has also changed the industry drastically. Reporters are writing for online audiences. Live-streaming video online provides opportunities like the early days of TV, he said.

At News 10, his title is now multimedia journalist. For people like him who started at smaller stations, it's a return to a time when journalists wore many hats – reporting, shooting, editing and sometimes anchoring. Aspiring journalists shouldn't be discouraged from pursuing a career in the industry, he said.

"To me, the opportunities are there. But you have to be skilled at more things," he said. "If that's what you want to do, it's something you will succeed at."

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter at The Sacramento Press. Follow her on Twitter @SuzanneHurt.

The Sacramento Press is hiring

2011-05-11T23:53:42Z

Who says Sacramento’s job market is lousy? Well, it is, as we’ve reported. But within The Sacramento Press, we’re experiencing just the opposite: We’ve got good jobs available in nearly every department.

Jobs are open or opening in our Sales, Tech and Community Outreach departments. And yes, we’ve even got an opening in Editorial!

We’re advertising the positions on craigslist but wanted to make sure that you, our faithful readers, knew about them right away. Since we are a community resource, we want our community involved in making The Sacramento Press the best local coverage available. If your skills, or your friends’ skills, match up with our needs, we’d love to talk to you about joining our team.

Our Sales department is looking for a Digital Sales Media Representative, who will be selling all the products The Sacramento Press offers, including advertising on our site, social media management services and advertising on our ad networks SLOAN (Sacramento Local Online Ad Network) and BAPP (Bay Area Publishers Partnership). There will be opportunities to develop sales presentations, create marketing campaigns and otherwise explore the growing world of online advertising.

For more information, visit craigslist.

Our tech team built The Sacramento Press from scratch, and continues to add new features and refine our existing platform, just recently taking us out of “beta” mode. The job is for a back-end web developer to help us continue to build the site and the other tools and products our four-person team makes.

Visit craigslist for more information on this job.

Our Community Outreach department is looking for someone with good organizational skills to work with our large pool of community contributors, assisting them in setting up and writing stories on all kinds of subjects. The position will involve everything from managing our email alerts and contributor database to organizing workshops and recruiting new writers.

The position is temporary but offers very good opportunities to become a permanent member of our growing staff.

For more details on this job.

Finally, as Editor in Chief, I’m sad to announce that my first hire, City Hall reporter Kathleen Haley, will be leaving us after two years of exemplary reporting that was instrumental in putting our little site on the radar of local government. Some were dubious about this little upstart, but Kathleen’s relentless reporting and detailed stories raised our game and made Sacramento Press a daily must-read for followers of local government.

So whoever takes on the job will have some big shoes to fill. However, with all the work Kathleen did to establish herself in the political community, you will have the advantage of assuming a well-established role, with good contacts at all levels of government.

For more details on this job, click here.

Take a look at any and all of the positions on craigslist, and contact the person listed in the ad. Working at the The Sacramento Press offers not just a job, but a unique opportunity to grow with a young, aggressive, forward-thinking company, with tremendous chances of advancement.

All of us here at The Sacramento Press look forward to seeing some bright new faces around the office. Yours, perhaps?

Kevin Riggs Joins Randle Communications As Senior Vice President

2011-05-03T20:19:03Z

Randle Communications (Randle), Sacramento’s second ranked public relations firm, today announced that Kevin Riggs is joining the firm as Senior Vice President. Riggs is an award-winning reporter and stands among California’s top political journalists during a career that spans four decades. He will play a leadership role in the firm’s strategic communications, media relations and business development initiatives. Riggs will also oversee the firm’s proprietary media training program, which is designed and customized to meet the needs of spokespersons and leaders in government, politics, business, trade association and nonprofit sectors.

“Randle Communications strives to be the best, and Kevin Riggs is the gold standard of broadcast journalism, public policy and communications expertise,” Randle President & CEO Jeff Randle said. “As the firm celebrates its 10th Anniversary, Kevin’s addition reflects our commitment to being a company that delivers quality, creativity and success to business, non-profit, government and political clients.”

Since 1994, Riggs has worked for Sacramento’s NBC affiliate KCRA-TV, serving as a general assignment reporter, anchor and the lead for politics and the State Capitol. He has covered many historic national events including the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, 1999 Columbine shootings, and 2000 Florida presidential ballot standoff. Riggs has led election and campaign coverage of the New Hampshire primary as well as the GOP and Democratic national political conventions. From 1984 to 1994 he worked for Fresno’s ABC affiliate KFSN-TV, and from 1981 to 1984 he was the bureau chief for Santa Barbara’s CBS affiliate KCOY-TV. In Santa Barbara, Riggs covered former President Ronald Reagan. From 1979 to 1981 he was news director with Santa Barbara’s KTMS Radio and from 1977 to 1979 he served as a reporter for San Luis Obispo’s KATY Radio.

Riggs has been recognized with numerous awards for broadcast excellence including being part of the KCRA team that was just awarded the 2011 Edward R. Murrow Award by the Radio Television Digital News Association for breaking news coverage of the Galleria fire. He also earned top honors for political coverage in 1996, 2000 and 2006 from the Center for California Studies at CSU Sacramento. In 1992, Riggs earned an Associated Press award for best documentary in a statewide competition. He also serves on the Alumni Advisory Board for the journalism department at his alma mater, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

“I never imagined that I would leave the news business, but the opportunity to use my skills in a new way with a dynamic communications team is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Riggs said. “Randle Communications is one of California’s most respected firms. My goal is to join a great team and make it even better.”

Randle Communications was founded in 2001 by Jeff Randle and Mitch Zak and offers an array of services including strategic planning, media and public relations, public affairs/government relations, marketing, research, grassroots coalition building, crisis management and campaign management. Recognized as an A+ Employer by the Sacramento Business Journal at its 2010 Employees Choice Awards, Randle clients include University of Phoenix, Kern County Water Agency, California Association of REALTORS®, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Golden State Water Company, California Family Fitness, Placer County Transportation Planning Agency, SolarGard® and the Building Industry Association of Riverside County.

Justin Dyke is an Account Coordinator at Randle Communications. For more information call Jeff Randle or Mitch Zak at (916) 448-5802.

Bee announces 32 job cuts

2011-02-01T01:24:20Z

The Sacramento Bee announced Monday it will be cutting back 32 positions, nine of which are in the newsroom.

“It is the price of doing business in this region at this time,” said Pam Dinsmore, community affairs director for the Bee.

“The hope is that this is a voluntary separation agreement,” she added. “There are two reporter jobs that are being eliminated. Outside of two reporters, there are seven others in the newsroom that can opt to take a severance package. Most of those are in the production of the newspaper.”

Monday’s announcement marks the fourth job reduction at the Bee since March 9, 2009, amounting to a total of 214 jobs. Not taking into account this week’s cutback announcement, the Bee currently employs 786 people.

According to the Bee, in addition to the cuts, two full-time positions will be scaled back to part-time.

“We’re still the largest newsroom in Northern California outside of San Francisco,” Dinsmore said. “You cut back on outer areas and try to keep local news and Capitol news thriving.

“As in all media, we are looking forward to brighter times ahead,” she said.

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press.

Spending and being spent for Sacramento

2011-01-04T05:39:55Z

In a tiny, 12-by-10 room cluttered with microphones, headphones, soundboards and telephones, a message will soon escape from the confines of the small studio suite and spread throughout Sacramento and its surrounding regions.

A message that, according to its messenger, transcends its own transmission.

Robert Briggs, 43, a pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church in midtown Sacramento, burns the candle at both ends with one end in mind: that the kingdom of God be furthered in the souls of men and women unfettered.

On this particular December, Wednesday morning, Briggs prepares to record a pair of 24-minute messages from the book of Romans that will subsequently air two consecutive Friday afternoons later this month on KFIA-AM 710.

“I’m use to it now,” says Briggs, reflecting on the radio routine he’s followed every other week for the past three years. “I really don’t get too nervous with it anymore. I did when I first started - I was all over the place!”

As he enters the station, Briggs is warmly greeted by its operations manager, Steve Gasser, and its general manager, Dale Hendry. They both gush about how much they enjoy hearing his thick Scottish accent. Yet they’re also quick to acknowledge there’s far more to admire about Briggs and the weekly broadcast he’s appropriately titled “Declaring the Word.”

“He’s got the history and experience to back up what he says,” says Hendry, calling to mind how faithful and committed Briggs has been during his tenure at the station, not to mention his 19-plus years of pastoral ministry.

“Robert Briggs is a man of God,” Gasser adds. “He’s a man whose given his life to it.”

Briggs was born in Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city, but spent most his adolescence and early adult life near the nation’s capital, Edinburgh. At the age of 9, Briggs believes Christ saved him, but says it wasn’t until he was 17 that God really took hold of his life.

A distinct call to formal ministry came two years later when, at the age of 19, he went to hear a preacher named Stephen Olford speak. The preacher’s text was Ephesians 5:16: “Making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”

From that day on, Briggs says he realized there was nothing else he could do with his life but serve Jesus Christ.

“That sermon just broke me,” Briggs recalls. “I was weeping profusely at the end of that sermon. God just melted my soul.”

Another time shortly thereafter, while working for a bank and meditating on a particular portion of Scripture, Briggs remembers praying, “You know what Lord, I could make a lot of money working here, but I don’t want to. I only want to serve you.”

And so, by the grace of God, that’s what he did.

Now comfortably reclining in the sound booth, Briggs engages in some friendly discourse with Hendry then sets his Bible before him and shuffles his notes into place in preparation for the first round of recordings. Through a window Gasser gives the sign from an adjoining booth, and Briggs starts to impart the good news.

“Peace with God is available, access to God is possible, hope in God can be yours, but it’s only available by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ,” Briggs avidly declares.

Gasser is one of many who appreciates Briggs’ straightforward approach.

“He’s enriched my faith,” Gasser says. “He gets into the Bible and says it the way it is. No holds barred.”

As the first session draws to a close, Briggs takes a quick breather and in preparation for part two swaps his first set of notes for a second.

“That’s what I do, that’s it,” Briggs says, “while I’m sitting here on my backside.”

But Briggs would have you know that faithful pastors don’t frequent that posture.

“Some people think we don’t work very hard, that we only work one day a week and play golf the rest of the week,” Briggs half-jests.

A typical week for Briggs goes something like this:

He’ll spend 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday studying for the following Sunday’s services, making phone calls and sending emails. In addition to this, he’ll spend time mentoring a younger Christian and will teach two evening seminary classes at the church.

Tuesday brings with it an elders meeting, several additional hours of study, and at least five hours divided between pastoral oversight, more phone calls and some premarital counseling.

After dropping the kids off at school on Wednesday, Briggs will spend the morning preparing for an afternoon counseling session before leaving for the radio station. Later, he’ll spend time reading and praying, finish preparing that evening’s prayer meeting devotional as well as Thursday morning’s lecture for a gathering of local pastors, and probably see 10 p.m. pass before he’s finished meeting with prospective church members.

And that’s just the first three days of the week.

All in all, Briggs can log upwards of 80 hours a week in service to Christ and the community while also laboring to balance a healthy, happy home life with his wife and four kids - a small price to pay according to Briggs.

As his Wednesday of recording come to an end, Briggs sums up his second message with a passionate plea to his listeners. And in doing so, reveals what motivates him to take on such a heavy workload.

“God has given the greatest gift that will ever be given to mankind in the person of his Son,” Briggs says, “It’s no small thing for a simple human being to be pardoned by an eternally holy God. In fact, it required heaven’s best to accomplish this. And God, giving his best for us, calls us then to give everything for him.”

More hyperlocal news coming to area

2010-11-23T02:51:21Z

The Sacramento region is about to see even more hyperlocal news coverage as TV station News10 and AOL's Patch.com roll out new media sites nearly simultaneously.

Sacramento's ABC affiliate, News10, and its website, News10.net, are preparing to launch 30 hyperlocal news sites in early 2011. Patch.com flipped the switch on its first site in suburban Rosemont on Thursday and plans to start 11 more sites in Davis, the suburbs and the foothills within the next year.

The sites add to a recent proliferation of online media offerings in the area.

"News10 is now getting down deep into the hyperlocal news business," said Tim Geraghty, vice president of the News10 Information Center.

The TV station's hyperlocal webpages, which will be known collectively as MyNeighborhood or MYNE, will feature a mix of news produced by staff, bloggers and community contributors, as well as anything relevant provided by News10.net. Two full-time staffers are being hired for that effort, but others working in the Sacramento and Stockton newsrooms will also pitch in.

Five sites will be created for Midtown, East Sacramento, Land Park/Pocket Area, South Sacramento and West Sacramento. Half will be spread out in the greater Sacramento area, from the city to El Dorado Hills and western Placer County. The rest will be in outlying areas from Auburn to Stockton and Modesto. Some communities may have their own pages, but others will share pages.

The pages will offer an outlet for community-oriented content, much of which is already coming into the newsroom but wouldn't appeal to a wider audience, Geraghty said.

"Our content will appear there, along with other content that people have not seen from a local TV station before," Geraghty said. "This gives us a chance to have a very narrow interest on a lot of pages."

Nearly a dozen people will work for the station's digital sites, which include News10.net, MyNeighborhood, sports, MomsLikeMe and mobile news and weather sites. The hyperlocal sites are expected to be launched during the first week of 2011.

"Patch may hire some very good editors," Geraghty said. "But we already have a 50-plus-year relationship with this community."

AOL bought the Patch news and information platform for $7 million in June 2009. This year, the company vowed to spend at least $50 million to expand the network. Patch has grown to 401 sites and is expected to reach 500 by year's end.

Sacramento State 2008 journalism grad Cody Kitaura was hired to work as Rosemont Patch’s editor. He worked as a reporter at the Elk Grove Citizen for a year and a half before joining Patch.

AOL will launch Patch sites in Fair Oaks, Elk Grove and Carmichael by the end of the year. The company is in the process of hiring for sites expected to open next year for Davis, Folsom, Granite Bay, El Dorado Hills, North Highlands, Citrus Heights, Roseville and Rocklin, said Alex Gronke, Patch.com's regional editor.

At Patch.com, a local editor manages each site and produces original stories, along with contributions from freelancers, a sports editor and a calendar editor. Community contributors can post photos, events and announcements. The goal is to have at least three to four original stories each day, Gronke said.

"It's the old version of the newspaper in a small town, where one person would go out and gather all the news across the beats," he said.

Patch equips local editors with laptops, iPhones and cameras. The editors work out of their homes, rather than in newsrooms with other journalists. Editors with a range of backgrounds have been hired, from those with only one year of working at a small community newspaper to experienced journalists who've spent their careers working at large newspapers.

Regional editors like Gronke, who is relocating from Oakland to Davis, try to overcome the absence of newsrooms through phone call meetings and workshops where journalism skills can be shared.

Advertising dollars have shrunk for large metro papers that provide international, national, regional and local coverage. Local online advertising is growing. Media outlets are banking on the expectation that advertisers will be more interested in niche local markets. At Patch.com, stories may range from a high school fundraiser or the hiring of a new principal to animal stories and craft sales.

"It's the kind of thing that doesn't matter a lot to anyone outside the community, but matters a lot to the people that live there," he said.

Patch philosophy is to focus on smaller communities. The Elk Grove and Roseville sites will be two of the largest Patch sites in the country. Patch has no plans to start a site for Sacramento.

"How could one person cover Sacramento?" Gronke said. "It's too vast a geography."

Photo of Cody Kitaura, editor of Rosemont Patch, provided by Patch.com. Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter covering business and development for The Sacramento Press.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA SOCIAL MEDIA SOCIETY LAUNCH PARTY 3-23-2010 AT MIX DOWNTOWN IN SACRAMENTO

2010-03-29T22:47:36Z

The Northern California Social Media Society is a new organization that aims to provide its members “access to a broad ecosystem of support to help you grow your business, enhance your leadership, and expand your impact as a socially responsible business leader.”

Its launch party was held last Tuesday at Mix Downtown’s rooftop location at 16th and L streets. It was a sunny, comfortable setting for the introduction of the media society as well as good conversation among the enthusiastic attendees, who enjoyed light refreshments and raffle prizes donated by the leadership team and fans.

The team includes Nicole France of Buzz Sense Media, Beth Diebels of A Social Media Group, Peri R. Re of Re-Invent Marketing, Joseph Yocca of Capitol Venture LLC, and Bryan Srabian, social media consultant for the San Francisco Giants.

France described the organization as an educational and networking resource that provides practical information to help businesses use social media. The organization plans to serve all of Northern California.

Standard membership is $99.95 per year, with a limited number of discount memberships for those who sign up at http://norcalsocialmediasociety.org and use discount code XBRMKFZJ.

Membership includes unlimited access to the Members Only section of NCSMC’s web site, members-only forum discussions, an online member directory, a members-only edition of the quarterly newsletter, a monthly e-newsletter, a research lab, seminar and conference opportunities, invitations to local gatherings and partner events, educational discounts, teleseminars and webinars. The group also plans an expo and convention.

Monthly meetings will be held at The L Wine Lounge, 1801 L St., sponsor of NCSMC.

Disclosure: The author of this story is a member of the Social Media Society but does not benefit financially from any funds raised.

Sacramento Sustainability Forum Media Panel took place at the Green California Summit March 17.

2010-03-23T16:43:47Z

Sustainable development was defined as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

The panel consisted of Joe Barr, News Director of Capital Public Radio, Michael Sanford, VP of Content Creation at KVIE Public Television, Ron Trujillo, Editor of The Sacramento Business Journal, Ben Ilfeld, Co-founder and Operations Manager of The Sacramento Press, Mary Lynne Vellinga, Business Editor of The Sacramento Bee and Jeff von Kaenel, CEO of The Sacramento News & Review

The panel discussed their coverage of green issues.

Barr said that the Capital Public Radio coverage of green issues has grown in last 3-4 years organically. He also mentioned that in the green job sector they are doing a "Road To Recovery" series with the Sac Bee, covering elements of recovery for the region.

Sanford said that KVIE tries to cover the local community every way they can. Sample segments from two programs were shown at the forum: "California Heat," and "New Valley Series."

Trujillo said the Sacramento Business Journal runs four segments through the year that track green business, with the biggest in August. The segments tracks how green business and cleantech are transforming the whole economy. He added the Business Journal is keeping an eye on public companies and putting what they do through a lens, asking what is taking the business to the next level?

Ilfeld pointed out that the Sacramento Press editorial content is organized by tags instead of by sections. One of the top 50 tags is environment. Sustainability has not trended as a word in their system, he added. Only a handful of articles by editorial staff have been written about green issues and sustainability, Ilfeld said, admitting they haven’t focused enough on things in the Sacramento area related to the green movement and sustainability.

Vellinga said the Sacramento Bee tries to be comprehensive, covering all aspects, having focused a lot lately on job growth potential of green technology. She said that Sacramento aspires to be a center of green jobs and that this is the seat of power of regulators. She also mentioned Sacramento having a great climate for solar power and that there is a concentration of green business here. The Bee is always looking for new companies for stories, she said.

According to von Kaenel, sustainability is part of Sacramento News & Review’s core mission. They want to create info sources for their three publications and determine what makes the most sense for sustainability. He said they want to take and supply core info for better decisions. SN&R has done this for a few years and are excited about growth potential. He stated the importance of providing more concrete and better information, making the assumption that people are willing to do sustainable things but don’t know what to do.

The moderator introduced that media as a business is changing. Looking at these factors, panelists were asked how have their organizations taken on sustainability internally, and ways in which their business model is changing.

Ilfeld said that the Sacramento Press chose their building as a place to work because it is at a light rail station. They made it easy to be bike-friendly by putting bike racks in the office. He added, a lot of people walk to work. Inside the walls of their office is an open workspace; there are waffleboard walls that fit together and are infinitely reusable. Ilfeld also said the Sacramento Press will never print their product so there are no costs associated with that. The Sacramento Press could not do what they are doing at a quality level if they needed to print. Their office buys a lot of used stuff and have saved money with incentivizing the right kind of behavior by their employees.

Capital Public Radio has done a number of things regarding sustainability, Barr said. They built a new bureau in downtown Sacramento with LED lights, which last a lot longer and don’t put out as much heat, which reduces energy bills. They obtained used furniture, did a plant a tree per donation program. Their publication, CPR Quarterly, is now transitioning to email from print. Barr added that CPR is looking to do things that are more sustainable and want to give sustainability more coverage.

KVIE has new high definition field cameras using memory chips instead of tape, Sanford said. Their monthly newsletter is now online, and they have reduced the number of pages. KVIE provides cash incentives for employees that take pubic transit. Sanford added that KVIE wants to solicit and distribute to viewers online and on TV. They have a building built in 1991 that is not energy efficient, Sanford said, but they are trying to budget to fix that.

Sacramento Business Journal’s building is not that energy efficient, Trujillo admitted. He said that you can get the whole paper online, but that's not a good way to get the paper. They have a new digital edition, and about 20 percent of subscribers get it that way, since it’s cheaper than actual paper. Trujillo said the Business Journal uses environmentally-friendly paper and ink. He sees the future as being online and digital.

Vellinga said that The Bee's bike rack is inside due to theft problems in Midtown. She said she agrees that newspapers are migrating online. She added that 15 percent of their revenue is coming from online, but that she doesn’t think the printed paper will be going away any time soon. There are still many people attached to the print edition, however, the SacBee will be on all the e-readers and the online edition is free,.

Von Kaenal said that Sacramento News & Review took all their employee addresses and used Mapquest in order to determine where the best location would be for employees to get to work. This is why they chose the Del Paso location.

The panel wrapped up with questions from the audience.

Andy Ihnatko coming to Sacramento

2010-02-15T22:28:27Z

Andy Ihnatko is an amusing, sometimes irreverant, technology journalist for the Chicago Sun-Times. Andy's style is both self-effacing yet knowledgeable with a little theatre like presence in his style of delivering what can be sometimes abstract concepts about new media. He is a contributor to Macworld Magazine as well as a technology commentator on CBS’ Early Show. He also has written some books with his latest offering, Iphone: Full Loaded, available through Amazon. He was a featured speaker at this year's Macworld held in San Francisco. This is the year that Apple previously had decided not to attend leading many to muse as to what impact this would have to this long time event. It is an industry showcase where Apple would feature many new products, normally opening with a keynote address by Steve Jobs revealing some awesome new gotta have it item. It was a carnivalesque environment in the past but with Apple MIA, many wondered how it would survive. Other Macworlds held in other parts of the country have since folded. The numbers are down this year as expected, but still many Apple aficionados made the pilgrimage as tradition called them to continue. Maybe with Apple still based in Cupertino, the mothership, the San Francisco Macworld Expo will still go on. Dates for next year have already been scheduled.

Andy was asked by the local Apple user's group, MacNexus, to stay over after his stint at Macworld to come speak to its general membership meeting in February. He worked it out to will take a little side trip out to Sacramento to hopefully give us a little of the Macworld experience before going home to Massachusetts. The MacNexus User Group’s roots go back as far as the Apple Corporation and its early Macintosh computers starting in 1984. Andy himself claims that he has been a commentator about technology since his teens. The MacNexus general meeting is held at the Sacramento Association of Realtors building on Howe Ave. This meeting has been opened to the general public for this special event.

Mr Ihnatko is expected to share his ideas of the iPad experience (he got to play with one for 45 minutes), the future of Apple and the smart phone wars (Android vs iPhone). He recently completed his year of Living With No Media; no physical items such as newspapers, magazines, books, DVDs, CDs, or comic books which apparently was one of the most difficult items for him to be without. If information or entertainment could not be accessed through streaming, web surfing or other electronic delivery, he did not have access to it. He did this for personal reasons that he will likely write about. After 12 months of adapting to this change in lifestyle of self-imposed downsizing, he has some very interesting insights on how far we have come in accessing information, entertainment and communications in virtual form. He shared some of this with his audience at this year’s Macworld Expo which ended on saturday.

He also has insights on what he sees as the future of book publishing, large publishing houses versus self-publishing, the potential impact of the iPad on the newspaper industry and the difficulties for new authors trying to break into the market. He discussed this with Chris Breen at Macworld during a 15 minute interview that is downloadable as a podcast, YouTube HD video or as an RSS feed. If you want a little preview of his thoughts you may want to check out the video. You may also want to read Andy's Celestial Waste of Bandwith blog where he has recent posts about his experiences in San Francisco outside of Macworld. No doubt his speaking engagement before an eager crowd of Apple fans here in Sacramento should be a positive note on his observations during his trip out west.

When: February 16, 2010
Time: 7:00PM
Where: Sacramento Association of Realtors Building
2003 Howe Ave, Sacramento CA 95825

Cost: Free

Editor's Note: Zulay Moncada-Frost is the Secretary of the Board for MacNexus.

Jan. 25 workshop: Media discussion with co-founders of Sacramento Press

2010-01-20T20:15:30Z

The second workshop we have scheduled for January is a media discussion with the co-founders of Sacramento Press, Ben Ilfeld and Geoff Samek.

This workshop will give you the opportunity to meet the co-founders of Sacramento Press, hear them discuss the future of media in their eyes, and ask them any questions you may have about the site, online news, etc.

The workshop will be at the Sacramento Press office on Monday, Jan. 25 from 6:30 - 8 p.m.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107 in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks. If you are facing Starbucks, go around the building to the left and you'll see our Sac Press sign out front.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $1.50 per half hour and we cannot cover the cost of parking. If you take light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here - one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.

Please RSVP by emailing workshops@sacramentopress.com.

If you have any trouble finding our office, please call 916-443-5403.

Thanks, and we hope to see you there!

Bee to cut 25 jobs

2010-01-13T03:58:42Z

The Sacramento Bee and other McClatchy newspapers are making another round of job cuts.

The Bee announced Monday it will cut 25 people by month's end, while McClatchy newspapers including North Carolina's News & Observer and The State in South Carolina announced additional layoffs. The total number of layoffs at the country's third largest newspaper company was not available.

Reporters will not be among those cut at The Bee, although the paper will lose a photojournalist, two copy editors, two designers and two others in the newsroom, said Pam Dinsmore, the paper's community affairs director.

"We've made the decision that the reporting staff — that's not a place that can go down in any numbers," Dinsmore said.

Currently, 71 reporters work in The Bee's newsroom and Capitol Bureau, and total newsroom staff numbers 197, she said.

Bee management will offer buyouts to trim positions in four departments: 16 in audience development and membership services, one in human resources and one in advertising, in addition to the seven newsroom cuts. Employees will be offered a maximum of 40 weeks' pay, depending on how long they worked at The Bee, Dinsmore said.

"It's a pretty generous severance package," she said.

The Bee will lay people off to meet the goal of cutting 25 by Jan. 29 if enough buyouts are not taken. These are the fourth round of cuts in about 18 months. McClatchy cut 15 percent of its workforce last spring. Before that, the company had already cut more than 4,000 positions, or a third of its employees, in about a year.

On Monday, The Bee also jointly announced it will team up with Capital Public Radio over the next year to offer a series of stories exploring Sacramento's attempts to pull out of the recession. The two news agencies will coordinate the project, which they described as the first of its kind for Northern California. Reporters will work on stories for their own agencies rather than collaborate to produce joint stories.

“We’re looking forward to this ongoing collaboration with Capital Public Radio," said Joyce Terhaar, The Bee's managing editor for content, in a prepared statement. "We each bring different expertise to the partnership that augments what we offer readers online."

The Bee lifted a wage freeze last month and has hired three people since November. Two journalists, one from the Los Angeles Times and the other from the Boston Globe, joined the editorial board this month.

McClatchy owns 30 daily papers and dozens of non-dailies, among other interests.

A representative of the Bee's Newspaper Guild unit could not be reached for comment.

Media Panel video at Urban Hive

2009-12-11T22:00:42Z

Wednesday night, the Urban Hive was packed with people eager to hear what local media outlets had to say about the changes they've made recently in response to the economy, technology and social media.

Jim Jakobs, Assignment Manager of KCRA, Jon Schuller and Anne Shulock, Office Manager and Reporter of Sactown Magazine, Jen Picard, Senior Producer of Insight, David Watts Barton, Editor in Chief of Sacramento Press, and Nick Miller, Arts Editor of Sacramento News and Review, had a lively discussion moderated by Janna Santoro.

Here is the first part of the video from that night. Nick Miller joined the panel a little late. This first segment is before he arrived.

Media Panel video part 1 from Colleen Belcher on Vimeo.

Sacramento Small Business Celebrate the Holidays in a BIG Way!

2009-11-29T07:29:42Z

There is no doubt that businesses in general have suffered through our ever-changing economy. Businesses on multiple levels have had to make sacrifices; downsizing, cutting salaries, furloughing, laying off, and certainly cutting expenses.Small business, especially in Sacramento, is no exception. One expense that seems to be a commonality, is the Company Holiday Party.

Historically, no matter how large or small an office or business is, company's have celebrated the holidays and their accomplishments with their partners, employees, and sometimes, vendors and customers. It is a time when people put work aside, and come together over food, drinks, entertainment and memories that often survive the company itself.

This year, small and medium sized businesses, consultants, solopreneurs, coaches, recruiters, relators and attorney's are all invited to participate in Get Networking Now's inaugural "Sacramento Region Company Holiday Party"! On Thursday, December 17, business owners, their employees, their vendors and key clients will enjoy a "BIG" celebration on a small business budget! Part of the proceeds will also benefit a local childrens' arts organization, Chalk It Up!

Chef Simon Mandell, co-owner of Courtyard D'Oro a new restaurant and banquet faciliaty in Old Sacramento, is preparing a "feast" for these hardworking entrepreneurs consisting of four cuisines, followed by dessert, dancing, music, entertainment. and "swag bags" with special offers, samples and promotions from local businesses. The event is scheduled from 6-10 pm at Courtyard D'Oro, which is located at 1700 Front Street under G Williker's Toy Emporium.

Ticket prices are $40 at the door, $35 presale. Special Pricing is available for small businesses with profiles on www.sacgnn.com and is FREE with paid monthly membership to Get Networking Now. Tickets may be purchased at: http://sacareacompanyparty.eventbrite.com/

Get Networking Now (SacGNN) is a local networking resource assisting small and medium sized businesses to grow "small talk" into "BIG Business" through education, training and networking events. SacGNN offers a free online community for local business owners to exchange leads, information, and resources and assist one another in growing their businesses in Sacramento.

For more information on this event, or Get Networking Now, please contact Rebecca Johnson 916-868-7562 or rebecca@sacgnn.com

Dumbworld takes over

2009-10-11T05:36:35Z

"There's the normal world and then there's Dumbworld," according to filmmaker Jayson Woodward.

Hundreds of people came out to see unique art at the first Dumbworld Expo at the newly renovated Capitol Towers apartments.

All of the art, showing space, lighting, food, drinks, music, and entertainment were donated and dozens of people volunteered to work the expo.

"Sometimes I buy spray paint before I pay the bills," coordinator Mary Louise Picerno said.

The whole complex, which includes various restaurants that opened especially for the expo, participated. The restaurants, vacant stores, and top floor penthouse acted as galleries that held unique mixed media pieces as well as graffiti while original videos produced by Dumbworld Entertainment were projected in every room.

"Lumens lent us $5000 worth of lighting and the Art Institute decorated everthing," Picerno said

The show is an effort to bring awareness to all types of art in Sacramento

"Art is not for the elite," Picerno said. "We need to reach out to the community and unify our culture and say, 'Hey, we're here.'"

Among the oddities were people dressed as a big rabbit and robot walking around taking pictures with people.

"I saw it in the paper and my grandsons wanted to come and see the graffiti," attendee Sue Edelmayer said.

At 7:30 p.m. there was a fashion show and dance performance showcasing local dancers and break dancers.

According to CEO of Dumbworld Drew Hall, they will be having a new T.V. show on Cable Access channel 17 and 18 entitled "Chinese Math."

"We learn by doing," Hall said. "Anybody can be a part of the Dumbworld."

Whole lot of love

2009-09-28T22:02:32Z

The fifth annual Mustard Seed Spin was held yesterday on the American River Trail with guest speaker Mayor Kevin Johnson showing his support for the need to take care of our children and keep what safety nets we do have in place from disappearing.

The fundraiser benefited Mustard Seed School for homeless children of all ages. The ride featured area kids riding for their less fortunate counter parts and showing grit riding in temperatures well into the nineties.

The goodwill and the social responsibility on display was breathtaking not to mention the smiles on the young riders determined faces.

Mayor Johnson reminded us we all needed to step up and pitch in the best we can during the hard economic times ahead.The Sacramento Bike Hikers a local recreational cycling club was well represented with heavy support on all ends.

Velo Cab a pedal powered cab company owned by Marc Christianson was giving free rides while Cycling for Hope repaired bikes nonstop.

All in all an awsome display of caring for ones fellow man on display. No controversy just a whole lot of love. This fact makes me shudder to think why there were no other media outlets covering such good news.

John Boyer

"The End" Isn't Ending, They're Just Dropping Commercials

2009-09-04T23:15:33Z

Fans of a popular Top 40 music station have nothing to worry about -- KDND 107.9 FM "The End" isn't dropping their popular music format, they're just dropping the commercials.

On Tuesday, KDND announced on their Twitter.com page that the station was going to "say goodbye" to something on the station. Fans speculated "The End" was going to change music formats or go off the air altogether.

However, a FOX40 News viewer named Andrew discovered a hidden webpage on KDND's website that spelled out the station's intentions: The End was planning to announce a commercial-free format every Tuesday between 9:30am and midnight.

Shortly after FOX40.com broke the news of "The End's" Tuesday announcement, the station updated their website to reflect the news.

Thursday, a source with the radio station confirmed a "change" would be coming to the station on Tuesday, September 9th. The new commercial-free format will launch the same day Entercom enters a civil lawsuit as a defendant following the death of Jennifer Strange by way of water intoxication during a station contest in 2007.

Earlier this year, Entercom changed formats on alternative station KWOD 106.5 FM. The station, now known as KBZC "The Buzz," now plays music from the 1990s and is fully automated.

---

Matthew Keys is an online news writer for FOX40.com and community contributor to The Sacramento Press.

Metro Fire saves apartment complex while manager gets uppity with media

2009-08-03T08:54:13Z

This photographer/writer has been accused of being "snarky" in the past, but I'll put it right out there and warn you on this one…I'm going to be Snarky!

Sacramento, CA- Metro fire executes a rapid "knockdown" on apartment fire, containing the blaze to one unit and saving the complex.

Early Sunday afternoon, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Department, assisted by Sacramento City Fire Department, was called to the apartments at 7326 Stockton Boulevard, for a report of smoke. When crews arrived they found heavy smoke coming from the windows and front door of a top floor apartment. A second alarm was immediately struck out for additional resources due to the "high density residential housing," per Battalion Chief Walter White.

The fire was a "well involved contents fire" that started in a bedroom", said White, "and extended into other portions of the residence".

Two fire investigators were called to the scene for a "routine investigation" per White. Approximately 15 firefighters helped to control blaze and no injuries were reported.

(Here's the snarky part) Part way through the incident, the complex manager became very insistent that all media, including TV networks, leave the premises. When asked why, she refused to answer and became quite animated and demanding. Myself and other on scene media asked her what she was afraid we would discover. We then asked her if she was sure she wanted us to leave and let her know that now we were curious as to what was being hidden. So now instead of leaving this story at just the awesome job the firefighters did in saving this apartment complex, everyone's belongings and keeping from more than one family being displaced; we now start asking the questions: were the required smoke detectors working? …were there proper fire extinguishers available? …were there unattended electrical issues, etc.? So, property managers and owners, know that media personnel are there to cover the story at hand; when you adamantly demand that we leave, it makes us start asking questions that you may not want asked. (Please note that I am an independent photographer/writer and not on staff with SacPress)

McClatchy profits grow

2009-07-22T05:43:33Z

Sacramento-based McClatchy Co. on Tuesday announced a surge in second-quarter earnings following the latest round of company-wide downsizing.

More cutbacks are still in the works to staunch a continued loss in revenue. Next week, members of the editorial employee union at The Sacramento Bee, the company's flagship, will vote on a proposal to use accrued vacation days rather than face unpaid furloughs this year.

However, a small amount of hiring is still taking place.

Net quarterly profit rose to $42.2 million, up from $19.7 million in the second quarter of 2008. Per-share earnings grew to 50 cents, up from 24 cents for the same period last year, according to the report released Tuesday by McClatchy.

The news was met with a spike in the value of McClatchy stock, which leveled off at 74 cents a share — up 20 cents — by the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange Tuesday.

The "hard work" of restructuring and cutting expenses has led to the earnings growth in the midst of the recession and turbulence in the newspaper industry, according to Gary Pruitt, McClatchy's chairman and chief executive officer.

"Our challenge in this extremely tough environment is to stabilize cash flow, reduce debt and continue a transition to an integrated multimedia company," he said.

"Looking ahead, we know that economic slowdowns do not last forever, and our 152-year-old company has been successful by taking a long-term view and staying true to our strategic plan," he said. "We are working to put ourselves in a good position to weather this downturn and to create value for all of our stakeholders."

Second-quarter revenues dropped to $365.3 million, a 25.4 percent decrease from 2008's $489.7 million. Although ad revenue of $283.7 million marked a 30 percent decrease since this time last year, the loss of ad revenue this year has been slowing slightly since at least April.

The growth in earnings followed a 15 percent workforce reduction in the spring. McClatchy had already cut more than 4,000 positions, or a third of its employees, in about a year.

McClatchy currently owns 30 daily papers and dozens of non-dailies, among other interests. In May, the Bee lost 128 positions, including 29 in the newsroom, or 11 percent of its workforce, said Pam Dinsmore, the paper's community affairs director.

The paper has been able to make a few hires, including eight people in advertising and a new business editor, she said. The ad positions had been cut, and those who left were contacted about the jobs.

Someone also has been hired to fill a capitol bureau opening, and the paper's attempting to replace an opinion editor, said reporter Ed Fletcher, who chairs the Bee's Newspaper Guild unit.

In another move that could offset expenses, the paper has entertained an offer to buy its two-level parking garage after someone approached the Bee. No deal was made on the structure, which was built to allow additions for office space or other uses. But management would consider other offers, she said, adding that selling the garage isn't part of any cost-cutting plans.

"It's not like there's a for-sale sign out there," Dinsmore said.

Employees, including the entire features staff, have been moved from the newspaper headquarter's third floor to the second floor. Management has talked about using the third floor as a conference center for staff. Dinsmore said she hasn't heard anything about the possibility of leasing the third floor out to someone.

The Bee is now opening up its Eleanor McClatchy Center — known to employees as "the Bee Hive" — to neighborhood and community groups free of charge. The center holds an 80-seat theater and a conference room.

The Bee is considering additional cost savings. Guild members have agreed to vote next week on "vacation burn down," or using all vacation they earn in the next six months, as well as five more days of vacation accrued previously — and all by the end of the year. Bee management said such an agreement would prevent a week of unpaid furlough days, Fletcher said.

If the union agrees, everyone else at the paper will get the same deal, including management, he said. The Guild contract expires at the end of the year. In the last few months, all employees also have taken 6 percent pay cuts, and the Bee has capped pension plans at current levels and frozen 401K matching.

"I would say higher profits are good. But it would feel a lot better if it didn't come on the backs of workers who didn't have to take paycuts or see their 401K plans obliterated," said Fletcher.

Staff cuts have impacted the newsroom's climate as well as coverage. Editorial staff were cut from features, sports and the metro section, and regional coverage was the biggest loser, Fletcher said.

Reporters don't have as much time for investigative stories, Fletcher said. Many reporters and editors' assignments have changed in recent months. The movie critic is now covering general features and entertainment, including music reviews. The TV critic writes a new wine column.

Layoffs have stopped. But people are still leaving the paper on their own.

"People aren't real sure about whether the jobs will be there a year from now, or two years from now, or three years from now," he said. "Morale has bounced back slightly. But there are a lot of people looking over their shoulder or looking for work."

Suzanne Hurt is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. She can be reached at 916-804-2856 or suzanne@sacramentopress.com.

Sac to get "3rd Saturdays"

2009-07-13T03:05:59Z

So -- you like Second Saturdays?

Do you like the way this local arts night has morphed into a street fair? Have you watched the event grow so big that you've hoped it could take over the central city more than once a month?

Your prayers may be answered this month when a new Saturday street fair debuts in Sacramento. Sponsored by Sacramento News & Review (SN&R), "Design Downtown" will bring mostly locally made or "do it yourself" (DIY) fashion and art to the K Street Mall from 3 to 9 p.m. every third Saturday starting July 18.

"We looked at the success of Second Saturday and said, 'Maybe that's something we can build on,' " said Clay Nutting, the sales and marketing manager for the paper. "We hope that it becomes a local, DIY kind of experience."

The weekly alternative paper is putting together "a creative block party" to bring more energy and business to the pedestrian mall, which is often nearly empty on weekends.

"No one's going to show up to see Sacramento News & Review," he said. "It's the vendors, it's the musicians, it's the businesses, it's the excitement of going out on a Saturday and doing something new."

SN&R has been working closely with the city and event partners -- the Hard Rock Cafe, as well as Cosmo Cafe and Social Nightclub, the former operated by Paragary Restaurant Group and the latter operated by Randy Paragary and Bob Simpson at The Cosmopolitan, 10th and K streets -- to get the event up and running in a short time. Beer makers Budweiser and Corona are event sponsors.

On Friday, SN&R staffers were still reaching out to other mall businesses to let them know about the event and how they can participate. Paragary Restaurant Group quickly became interested after canceling the Bloc Concert Series planned for last Saturdays at Marshall Park due to lack of profit. Few people went, especially to the June 27 concert that competed with other events that day, including SN&R's Music Fest and SAMMIES (Sacramento Area Music Awards) Ceremony.

In May, the concert series, Midfest Summer Celebration and Paragary Restaurant Group owner Randy Paragary came under fire from some Marshall Park residents and neighborhood groups. Residents expressed concern over impacts the events might have on the primarily residential neighborhood a few weeks after a Cinco de Mayo street party got out of hand outside Paragary's Centro Cocina Mexicana. Residents requested that the events be held downtown in a business district.

SN&R, a media sponsor for the concerts, was aware of the situation. But SN&R staff had already been planning the Third Saturday event, so its hasty launching isn't Paragary's attempt to meet residents' requests by moving the Bloc Concert to the mall, Nutting said.

"We looked at some of the concerns with events happening throughout town and thought that (K Street Mall) area might be more accepting of what we're looking to accomplish," Nutting said.

At the Seventh Street entrance to Westfield Downtown Plaza, the Hard Rock Cafe will hold a free, all-ages show featuring local teen bands on an inside stage from 3 to 6 p.m. Social will feature an after-party event with DJs. The main stage will be set up on 10th Street near the alley between K and J streets. Bands including The Kinetics, ZuhG and Musical Charis will play that stage after 5 p.m. Cosmo Cafe is extending its catering license to have a barbecue and beer garden.

Hard Rock Cafe staff think the event is "great," said Sales and Marketing Manager Kim Templeton.

"I think Sacramento has a lot of creative people, a lot of great artists, a lot of great musicians," she said. "I think K Street is a great area to bring some activity here."

The event will feature eclectic vendors selling fashion, jewelry, arts and crafts, while highlighting businesses on and around the mall. Some vacant storefronts plaguing the mall would ideally be used for art workshops, he said.

"Everybody knows K Street has had its ups and downs. (But) there are these really great high spots we want to accentuate," said Nutting.

At least 40 vendors are already on board to set up tables, booths and tents on the mall from Ninth to 11th streets and on 10th Street, which will be closed to vehicle traffic. Vendors range from local fashion designers and comic book artists to photographer Kenna Foster.

Nutting said he hopes street performers will get involved and he's encouraging other businesses to get musicians to play outside their storefronts. A jazz group is expected to play on a street corner.

By early Friday afternoon, the city's Parks and Recreation Department had awarded a conditional permit for the Design Downtown series. The official permit will be awarded as soon as SN&R gets insurance coverage for the event, said Recreation Superintendent Teresa Jackson, who oversees the department's special events office. A conditional permit allows an organizer to plan and advertise an event, she added.

A permit for the entire series will be awarded, rather than one for each date, because parks staff believe the mall will be a "good fit" for the event and crowd. Paragary Restaurant Group had to apply for a permit for each concert in the Bloc Concert Series so the city could evaluate whether Marshall Park could accommodate the crowd, Jackson said.

"With (K Street Mall) it's a much larger venue, so we don't have the same concerns with attendance," she said.

Off-duty Sacramento police officers have been hired to work the event. A sergeant will monitor the sound level, which will be established on the permit. The permit requires the beer garden to serve its last drink at 8:30 p.m. and the event to end at 9 p.m. No parking enforcement problems are anticipated.

SN&R also has worked with Sacramento Regional Transit (RT) District engineers to safely lay out the street fair without impeding light rail trains, which will be running every 15 minutes in both directions. Vendors will back up to storefronts and must be at least 10 feet from the tracks. Pedestrians must stay behind yellow warning tiles running on both sides of the track.

"We want to make sure the trains operate as they should and we want to make sure everybody is safe. The trains regularly operate in a pedestrian environment," said Alane Masui, RT's assistant general manager of marketing and communications. She encouraged people attending Design Downtown to use light rail.

"Light rail is the perfect way to travel to the event. It'll take you right to the event," she added.

Paragary Restaurant Group did not return phone calls.

As the event grows, SN&R will work with more businesses to find "creative ways" to tie them into Design Downtown, Nutting said. The paper wants to help businesses that are "sticking it out" on the mall despite the blight and the recession, he said.

"It's very organic. What it evolves into -- I'm just as excited as anybody to find out," he said.

250 Join forces to "Make a Movie This Summer" - 10th Year of "A Place Called Sacramento" Intros 12 Movie Projects"

2009-05-21T19:16:03Z

Access Sacramento welcomed more than 250 eager filmmakers to the Coloma Community Center last night for the Tenth Annual "Cast & Crew Call" event. Twelve short films were "pitched" to the large group, short video auditions of each participant were recorded by Access Sacramento staff, and sign-up sheets for each film invited all to "make a movie this summer".

The festive evening was kicked off by welcoming comments from Executive Director Ron Cooper and Lucy Steffens, Sacramento Film Commissioner. Youth and adult mentors visiting Sacramento from their community media center in Honolulu, Hawaii offered a welcoming chant and presented Cooper with gifts from their home state.

Each of the 12 filmmakers then presented their film ideas to the crowd and asked for their help. When completed and shown on the big Crest theater screen October 4, 2009, the 12 films will round out 100 completed films in the ten years of "PCS" filmmaking. Most of the past films are available for viewing at any time at www.AccessSacramento.org or on You Tube's Access Sacramento channel.

There is still time to get involved. Go to the Access Sacramento web site, read the log lines for the 12 films, and contact the films you find most interesting via the e-mail addresses provided. Cast and crews are still being formed. "We build our community by working together, asking others for help, and sharing our stories with all our neighbors", said Cooper. "We had a great time and the real fun has just begun."

Photos by Kati Larson Garner

News on paper?

2009-04-27T09:49:17Z

The future of news is not paper. At the same time the future is not necessarily just computers or mobile phones either. These days a new player, in the form of a new medium has entered the fray. That new technology is eInk.

eInk is, much as its name implies, electronic ink. From the eInk website, eInk is described as offering, “...the viewer the experience of reading from paper, while having the power of updatable information.” The key difference between eInk and a computer screen is that it is not backlit like a screen, so it can be viewed in bright sunlight but not in the dark. To retain the image on the screen no power is required.

So does eInk satisfy those that want the feel of newspaper in their hands? No, not yet. Currently it is only available in electronic readers such as Amazon’s Kindle, and the Sony e-Reader. These are rigid products that resemble computers more than newsprint. They are also in a size that is more comparable to a paperback novel than a newspaper. However that may soon be changing, with papers like the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News announcing that they will partner with a company called Plastic Logic on a device that is letter-sized (8.5” x 11”).

Competing technologies will soon bring eInk like materials that are flexible and color, as the currently commercially available devices are all black and white.

Aside from the format itself, the cost saving potential of the medium is evident. Some have estimated that the cost of printing and distributing the New York Times is twice as much as the cost of the Amazon Kindle. With the cost of print rising as well as the price of gas, printing and distribution often accounts for up to 40% of overall newspaper operating costs.

The other difficulty in printing and distributing news via paper is the obvious environmental implication.

In the end, the brows-ability, flexibility and clarity of the printed word still has a large appeal, but new alternatives will find their devotees as well.

While the Sacramento Bee is not currently available on the Amazon Kindle, many papers are moving in that direction. The Sacramento Press is also moving in that direction, as we feel that it is a good contender for being a large part of the future media landscape.

Film Reviews/Discussion: State of Play & Sin Nombre

2009-04-24T23:27:36Z

State of Play
Directed by Kevin Macdonald

and

Sin Nombre
Written and Directed by Cary Fukunaga

By Tony Sheppard
Capitol Weekly

The news media get a bad rap for assorted reasons. Every major outlet is either too liberal or too conservative, depending on whose eyes are doing the beholding – and regardless of how much one goldilocks (see urbandictionary.com) one’s way around the news channels, the commentators never seem to find one that’s just right. If it’s not perceived bias, then it’s the perception that stories are avoided in order to appease corporate overlords with corporately overlordish ties to the subjects of scandal.

This topic of avoidance surfaces briefly in “State of Play,” in which the Washington Globe’s crack reporter, Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe) is chasing down a story that is suitably full of suspicion, politicians, infidelity, and murder. The lead researcher for Congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck) falls (or was she pushed!?) under a train while prepping for hearings that Collins’ committee is holding. McAffrey and Collins just happen to have been college roommates, and they lead us on classic whodunit with plenty of interest and a side helping of conflict.

The action also includes Helen Mirren as McAffrey’s long-suffering editor (“long suffering” being a job requirement for movie newspaper editors), Rachel McAdams as the newspaper’s online blogger, Robin Wright Penn as Collins’ wife, Jeff Daniels as Collins’ party whip, and Jason Bateman as a rather colorful co-conspirator. The cast is as solid as one might expect and if the story suffers, it does so as a result of an apparently obligatory but rather unsuccessful attempt to trick the audience.

“Sin Nombre” is written and directed by Student Academy Award winner Cary Fukunaga, who also won directing honors at Sundance for this film. It tells the powerful story of two young people who are brought together by the worst of circumstances. Sayra (Paulina Gaitan) is traveling from Honduras to the U.S. with her father and uncle. It’s the first time she has seen her father in years. He is leading the family towards an illegal border crossing after his own prior deportation. Willy (Edgar Flores) is a member of a violent Mexican street gang who is targeted by his former gang-mates after a deadly fall from grace. They meet on the roof of a freight train, amidst countless other aspiring undocumented workers.

But both “State of Play” and “Sin Nombre” are intriguing for other news-oriented reasons. Each tells timely stories in a manner that seems to beat the CNN’s and Fox’s at their own game – and they aren’t alone in doing so. Some of the best coverage of immigration issues in the last year has been in movie theaters (and covered extensively in this column: “The Visitor” and “Under the Same Moon” for example). Topics related to war and resources in the Middle East have also had ample recent screen time from 2007’s documentary of incompetent occupation “No End in Sight” to the surprisingly meaningful “Stop Loss” (2008) from MTV Films.

The critical force behind the circumstances in “State of Play” is the Blackwater-esque private military contracting firm PointCorp. The parallels are profound, from no-bid/yes-shoot government contracts in warzones, to a massive U.S. training facility, and post-Katrina “security” involvement. This is a story from a powerhouse writing team with all the right subject matter experience: Matthew Michael Carnahan (writer of “Lions for Lambs” and “Kingdom”), Tony Gilroy (writer/director of “Duplicity” and “Michael Clayton” and writer of the Bourne screenplays), and Billy Ray (writer of “Breach” and “Shattered Glass”). The extent of the power, reach and financial stakes in the contracting world are, not surprisingly, very well articulated.

“Sin Nombre” illustrates at least two current affairs topics remarkably well: The hardships and danger that people are willing to undertake for their chance at an illegal American dream, and the extent and nature of gang culture in Mexico. This is not a neighborhood group of thugs that Willy (or El Casper as he is known on the streets) can escape by running away. This is networked organization that can call ahead hits across vast distances and international borders. It’s as if two great American traditions have been studied, adopted, and combined – gun violence and corporate franchising.

I’ve watched and read many stories about government security contractors and, especially recently, the rise in Mexican gang violence. But we’re a nation in which many people get their news from comedy monologs, movie scripts, and crime shows that play out like last week’s headlines. That may seem like a sad state of affairs. It is reassuring at times to find stories that carry such interesting and powerful messages, whether it be the (very) thinly veiled corporate interests of “State of Play” or the blunt brutality of “Sin Nombre.”

They will, of course, still be filtered through our own political biases, but either way, it’s an interesting week at the movies.

Fire Alarm Empties Theater

2009-04-15T06:22:23Z

Audiences at the Century Downtown Plaza 7 theater were required to leave the building tonight when a fire alarm went off at approximately 9pm. Among the affected were the lucky (until that moment) viewers of a word of mouth screening of the upcoming release “State of Play” – including many members of the local media for whom it doubled as a press screening (myself included).

After audiences vacated the theater, the alarm was silenced and the (now diminished) crowd returned. However, there appeared to be a problem with the system as the strobe lights remained on and the alarm sounded again (with little to no response from the now jaded audience). Despite the presence of the fire department, it was announced that the alarm could not be reset and the screenings were ultimately canceled.

Watch the local press for “State of Play” reviews this week and don’t be surprised by comments about incendiary plot developments, mass audience walk-outs, or the alarming ending. In fairness, the movie was pretty good up until that point - but the highlight was the observation, by a popular onscreen local reporter, that it’s illegal to scream “theater” in a crowded fireplace.

Community discusses role of local media

2009-04-03T05:50:30Z

Representatives of local media outlets and community members came together Thursday night to discuss how to make local media better and more reflective of the community. The meeting was organized by the Sacramento Media Group, California Common Cause and Access Sacramento.

There was discussion and debate about the role and responsibility of our local media. Ron Cooper, executive director of Access Sacramento, summed it up when he said, “Media and your influence over media is really a local issue.”

The event was well attended by a diverse mix of community activists, students, and stakeholders. There were representatives of local broadcast stations, newspapers and online ventures.

The debate was lively, civil and structured. The most contentious issues surrounded bias, balance and facts presented by local media.

Another major topic of discussion was the lack of breadth or depth of local coverage.

Surprisingly, there was a lot of debate about the formation of community advisory boards to help media organizations be more responsive to the needs of the local community. Many thought the boards might have too much influence over coverage, and that their roles would have to be narrowly defined.

There was very little talk of the changes in our local media landscape brought on by technological innovation and the recession. But the structure and form of the discussions kept the focus on constructive criticism of the current state of local media.

The event was held at the Coloma Community Center.

All participants were asked to sit at tables based on their interest or primary media of choice. There were tables for TV, radio, newspapers, internet and general media. Each table had seats for 12, and all were filled.

The format was simple. Each group held structured discussions on public affairs, diversity, political coverage, community input and broadband internet access. Then, after the discussion, moderators from each group presented to all participants. Finally, there was time for individuals to speak to the whole group.

There will be a full report detailing the conversations of each media group, and when it is available, I will link to it.

The night was a great jumping-off point for discussions about local media, particularly the challenges that lie ahead.

More importantly, what do you think? Please continue the conversation below.

Bee survey

2009-03-30T15:10:10Z

This survey was conducted of The Sacramento Bee, from Monday, March 23rd to Sunday, March 29th. The aim of the survey was to pinpoint how much of the written content of The Bee was written by The Bee and of that content how much was local and how much was not.

Each day was divided into the sections of the paper. Sections of the paper that had no attributable articles were simply not included. Within each section, all the different publications were separated out on to their own lines, with special lines for local Bee content and McClatchy content (from the Washngton bureau, or a foreign bureau).

Each mark per line denotes an attribution for a piece of text.

Shortcomings of this survey:

While thorough, I am not a professional statistician
Images were NOT included as a part of this survey
There was lots of content that had no attribution and was likely organized by editorial staff
Weather was excluded from this survey
There is some degree of subjectivity as to what is local or not, I tended to err on the side of counting more as local

Monday, March 23, 2009
Total: 70
Bee: 27
Bee/Local: 16

A) Front (Total: 25 Bee: 7 Bee/Local: 1)

The Sacramento Bee: ||||| |
The Sacramento Bee Local: |

Associated Press: ||||| ||||| |||
New York Times: ||
Miami Herald: |
Washington Post: |
Oakland Tribune: |
Special to the Bee: |

B) Our Region (Total: 9 Bee: 9 Bee/Local: 9)

The Sacramento Bee:
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||||| ||||

C) Sports (Total: 25 Bee: 5 Bee/Local: 4)

The Sacramento Bee: |
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||||

Orange County Register: ||
Associated Press: ||||| ||||| ||||
Newsday: ||
New York Times: |
San Jose Mercury News: |

D) Books & Media (Living Here) (Total: 11 Bee: 6 Bee/Local: 2)

The Sacramento Bee: ||||
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||

Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Total: 84
Bee: 46
Bee/Local: 30
McClatchy: 4

A) Front (Total: 28 Bee: 11 Bee/Local: 2 McClatchy: 3)

The Sacramento Bee: ||||| |
The sacramento Bee Local: ||
McClatchy: |||

New York Times: ||
Washington Post: ||
Associated Press: ||||| |||||
Los Angeles Times: ||
National Review: |
Special to the Bee: |

B) Our Region (Total: 27 Bee: 24 Bee/Local: 21 McClatchy: 1)

The Sacramento Bee: |||
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| |
McClatchy: |

Associated Press: |||

C) Sports (Total: 18 Bee: 7 Bee/Local: 5)

The Sacramento Bee: ||
The sacramento Bee Local: |||||

Associated Press: ||||| ||||| |

D) Living Here (Family) (Total: 11 Bee: 4 Bee/Local: 2)

The Sacramento Bee: ||
The sacramento Bee Local: ||

Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Total: 118
Bee: 49
Bee/Local: 34
McClatchy: 3

A) Front (Total: 45 Bee: 11 Bee/Local: 3 McClatchy: 3)

The Sacramento Bee: |||||
The sacramento Bee Local: |||
McClatchy: |||

New York Times: |||||
Associate Press: ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| |
Los Angeles Times: |||||
Washington Post: |
Kathleen Parker (Washington Post?): |
San Diego Union Tribune: |

B) Our Region (Total: 32 Bee: 24 Bee/Local: 21)

The Sacramento Bee: |||
The sacramento Bee Local: ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| |

Associated Press: ||||
Fresno Bee: |
New York Times: |

C) Sports (Total: 19 Bee: 9 Bee/Local: 7)

The Sacramento Bee: ||
The sacramento Bee Local: ||||| ||

Associated Press: ||||| ||
Newsday: |
Ventura County Star: |
San Jose Mercury News: |

D) Food & Wine (Living Here) (Total: 8 Bee: 5 Bee/Local: 3)

The Sacramento Bee: ||
The Sacramento Bee Local: |||

New York Times: |
Washington Post: |
Chicago Tribune: |

E) Fun & Games (Total: 4 Bee: 0 Bee/Local: 0)

Universal Press Syndicate: |
Horoscopes: |
MarketWatch: |
Gloria Glyer: |

Thursday, March 26, 2009
Total: 89
Bee: 53
Bee/Local: 34
McClatchy: 5

A) Front (Total: 27 Bee: 14 Bee/Local: 4 McClatchy: 4)

The Sacramento Bee: ||||| |
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||||
McClatchy: ||||

Los Angeles Times: |
Associated Press: ||||| ||||| ||||| ||
New York Times: |||||
Washington Post: ||
Denver Post: |
Public Policy Institute: |

B) Our Region (Total: 32 Bee: 26 Bee/Local: 20 McClatchy: 1)

The Sacramento Bee: ||||| |
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||||| ||||| ||||| |||||
McClatchy: |

Associated Press: |||
Fresno Bee: |
Washington Post: |
San Jose Mercury News: |

C) Sports (Total: 21 Bee: 11 Bee/Local: 8)

The Sacramento Bee: |||
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||||| |||

Washington Post: |
San Jose Mercury News: |
Associated Press: ||||| |||

D) Outbound (Living Here) (Total: 9 Bee: 2 Bee/Local: 2)

The Sacramento Bee:
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||

Friday, March 27, 2009
Total: 124
Bee: 68
Bee/Local: 49
McClatchy: 1

A) Front (Total: 34 Bee: 13 Bee/Local: 5 McClatchy: 1)

The Sacramento Bee: ||||| |||
The Sacramento Bee Local: |||||
McClatchy: |

New York Times: ||||
Associated Press: ||||| ||||| |||
Los Angeles Times: |
Anna Tuttle Villegas (individual): |
Washington Post: |
Tribune Media: |

B) Our Region (Total: 31 Bee: 27 Bee/Local: 26)

The Sacramento Bee: |
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| ||||| |

Associated Press: ||||

C) Sports (Total: 26 Bee: 8 Bee/Local: 6)

The Sacramento Bee: ||
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||||| |

Associated Press: ||||| ||||| |||||
Washington Examiner: |
San Jose Mercury News: |
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: |

D) Drive (Total: 3 Bee: 0 Bee/Local: 0)

Wheelbase Communications: ||
Click and Clack: |

Ticket (Total: 6 Bee: 4 Bee/Local: 4)

The Sacramento Bee:
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||||

Tribune News: ||

Movie Guide (Total: 9 Bee: 4 Bee/Local: 1)

The Sacramento Bee: |||
The Sacramento Bee Local: |

Associated Press: |
Orlando Sentinel: ||
Miami Herald: |
St. Petersburg Times: |

J) Style (Total: 15, Bee: 12, Bee/Local: 7)

The Sacramento Bee: |||||
The sacramento Bee Local: ||||| ||

Washington Post: |
Horoscopes: |
United Media: |

Saturday, March 28, 2009
Total: 100
Bee: 48
Bee/Local: 32
McClatchy: 2

A) Front (Total: 30 Bee: 10 Bee/Local: 2 McClatchy: 2)

The Sacramento Bee: ||||| |
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||
McClatchy: ||

New York Times: |||
Associated Press: ||||| ||||| ||||
Los Angeles Times: |
Special to the Bee: |
National Review: |

B) Our Region (Total: 25 Bee: 21 Bee/Local: 16)

The Sacramento Bee: |||||
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||||| ||||| ||||| |

Associated Press: |||
New York Times: |

C) Sports (Total: 26 Bee: 11 Bee/Local: 9)

The Sacramento Bee: ||
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||||| ||||

San Jose Mercury News: |
Associated Press: ||||| ||||| |||
Special to the Bee: |

D) Home & Garden (Living Here) (Total: 14 Bee: 6 Bee/Local: 5)

The Sacramento Bee: |
The Sacramento Bee Local: |||||

Heloise.com: |
UC Cooperative Extension: |
Baltimore Sun: |
King Features Syndicate: ||
Creators Syndicate: |
Orlando Sentinel: |
McClatchy Tribune: |

E) Fun & Games (Total: 5 Bee: 0 Bee/Local: 0)

Sunday, March 29, 2009
Total: 134
Bee: 57
Bee/Local: 35
McClatchy: 3

A) Front (Total: 28 Bee: 5 Bee/Local: 0 McClatchy: 3)

The Sacramento Bee: ||
The Sacramento Bee Local:
McClatchy: |||

Associated Press: ||||| ||||| ||||
Bee news service: |
Los Angeles Times: |
Fresno Bee: |
Washington Post: ||||
New York Times: ||

B) Our Region (Total: 13 Bee: 12 Bee/Local: 11)

The Sacramento Bee: |
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||||| ||||| |

Oroville Mercury-Register: |

C) Sports (Total: 29 Bee: 8 Bee/Local: 7)

The Sacramento Bee: |
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||||| ||

New York Times: |
Newsday: |
Dayton Daily News: |
Associated Press: ||||| ||||| |||
News & Observer: |
Denver Post: |
Dallas Morning News: |
Los Angeles Times: |
Charlotte Observer: |

D) Business (Total: 13 Bee: 0 Bee/Local: 0)

Associated Press: |||
Los Angeles Times: ||
The Motley Fool: |
Wall Street Journal: ||||| ||

E) Forum (Total: 12 Bee: 6 Bee/Local: 1)

The Sacramento Bee: |||||
The Sacramento Bee Local: |

Special to the Bee: ||
New York Times: |
Washington Post: ||
Miami Herald: |

L) Health & Fitness (Living Here) (Total: 18 Bee: 11 Bee/Local: 5)

The Sacramento Bee: ||||| |
The Sacramento Bee Local: |||||

New York Times: |
McClatchy Newspapers: |
United Feature Syndicate: |
Universal Press Syndicate: |
Washington Post: ||
Horoscopes: |

Explore (Arts & Travel) (Total: 21 Bee: 15 Bee/Local: 11)

The Sacramento Bee: ||||
The Sacramento Bee Local: ||||| ||||| |

More Stuff to do in Sacramento

2009-03-24T20:36:10Z

Ongoing:

African American Currents: Contemporary Art from the Bank of America Corporate Collection
Art Exhibit
Tuesday - Friday 12 Noon to 6 PM; Saturday 10 AM to 5 PM through March 28, 2009.
40 Acres Art Gallery
3428 3rd Ave
Sacramento, CA
(916) 456-5080
http://www.40acresartgallery.org

Featuring 75 works of art from the world-renowned Bank of America corporate collection. The exhibit includes work by artists Jean Michel Basquiat, Lorna Simpson, Martin Puryear, Sam Gilliam, Faith Ringgold and Beverly Buchanan.

Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition: The Way We Worked
Through May 17, 2009
10 AM - 5 PM
Admission: Adults: $8.00; Ages 6-17: $3.00; 5 and under: Free
California State Railroad Museum
111 I St
Sacramento, CA
(916) 323-9280
http://www.californiastaterailroadmuseum.org

The Way We Worked demonstrates the enormous changes the workplace went through between the mid-19th century, when 60 percent of Americans made their living as farmers, and the late 20th century. The traveling exhibition features 86 photographs from the National Archives focusing on the history of work in America and documenting work clothing, locales, conditions and conflicts. The exhibition is part of a 14-city national tour.

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Live Theatre
Thursday, 6:00 PM; Friday and Saturday, 8:00 PM; Sunday, 2:00 PM Through March 29.
Admission: General: $15.00; Students, Seniors, CSUS Employees: $12.00; Children: $10.00
CSUS Theatre
6000 J St.,
Sacramento, CA
(916) 278-4323

A window washer with no business experience becomes CEO of a major corporation. No, it’s not the latest Wall Street scandal, but the plot of Sacramento State’s production of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. The 1962 Pulitzer Prize-winning musical comedy is based on a book by Shepherd Mead.

Thursday, March 26, 2009
Gina Sicila
9:00 PM
The Torch Club
904 15th St
Sacramento, CA
(916) 443-2797
http://www.torchclub.net

Just 23 years old, Gina Sicilia has already made a name for herself in the blues world. Her debut album, Allow Me To Confess, earned her a nomination for best-new artist debut at 2008s national Blues Music Awards. Once again she displays impressive range and depth as both a singer and a writer; she again penned most of the material herself while also leaving the impression that she is going to get even better with age. With her alluringly husky alto, she is tough and assertive with a vintage sound; she covers jazz, R&B, oozes sexiness, and is open-heartedly vulnerable.

Thursday, March 26, 2009
Dance Party with dj Larry Rodriguez
9:00 PM
Admission: Before midnight: $3.00; After midnight: $5.00
Old Ironsides
1901 10th St
Sacramento, CA
(916) 443-9751
http://www.theoldironsides.com

If you like to dance, and you somehow aren’t already familiar with Larry Rodriguez’s dance parties – well, you really should get acquainted with them. Great music spun by a great guy (who’s aka Flower Vato)!

Friday, March 27, 2009
Bobcat Goldthwait
8:00 PM and 10:30 PM
Admission: $20.00
Laughs Unlimited
1207 Front St
Sacramento, CA
(916) 446-5905

Is a synopsis really necessary?

Saturday, March 28, 2009
Jazz Gitan
7:00 PM
Admission: Free
Java City
1800 Capitol Ave
Sacramento, CA

Hot Club Django Guitar Jazz!

Saturday, March 28, 2009
ICUP
8:00 PM
Admission: $8.00
Capitol City Hotel Ballroom
2600 Auburn Blvd
Sacramento, CA
http://www.icupcomedy.com

ICUP combines 100 percent improvisational comedy with audience participation and their own sketches. Special guest comedian Keith Lowell Jensen from the Coexist Comedy Tour.

I usually try to only include the Sacramento area, but this sounds too geek-cool to ignore:
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Atari Party 2009
6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Admission: Free
Yolo County Library - Davis Branch
315 East 14th St
Davis, CA 95616
(530) 757-5593

Fans of classic video games and computers will gather to celebrate three decades of Atari — the brand that brought video games into the mainstream. More than 200 games from the 1970s through the 1990s will be available to be played.

Sunday, March 29, 2009
Luvtaxi at R5
5:00 PM
Admission: Free
R5 Records
2500 16th St
Sacramento, CA
(916) 441-2500

Original Latin beat music featuring Celia Hernandez, Jamie Zuniga and Alex Angel and the Taxi riders.

Monday, March 30, 2009
Sacramento City College !X Ethnic Theatre Performance
7:30 PM
Admission: Free
1719 25th St
Sacramento, CA
(916) 979-9706

The Sacramento City College !X Ethnic Theatre Workshop integrates various forms of art (playwriting, poetry, music, dance, visual art) with race, ethnic and gender studies. The mission of the Ethnic Theatre Workshop is to: develop artistic expressions of diverse experiences; encourage community development through participation in the arts; and promote educational equity at Sacramento City College.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Double Feature - Watch Horror Films Keep America Strong and I Was a TV Horror Host
6:45 PM (I Was A TV Horror Host begins at 8:30 PM)
Admission: $8.00-$10.00
24th St Theater
2991 24th St
Sacramento, CA
(916) 452-3005

For 14 years, from January 1971 through September 1984, Creature Features ranked in the Nielsen ratings as one of the most popular TV shows in San Francisco Bay Area television history. To those who grew up watching with family members and friends, the mixture of host commentary and classic and not-so-classic horror movies remains a nostalgic memory. Bob Wilkins' wit and unusually droll personality and John Stanley's celebrity interviews and satiric minimovies are all part of Watch Horror Films – Keep America Strong, a full-length documentary journeying back through those years.

Plays with I Was a TV Horror Host: a collection of interviews with famous celebrities who at one time or another paraded through the KTVU studio, home of Creature Features. It's a fascinating array of characters from the world of movies, TV and literature: stop-motion animator Ray Harryhausen, Christopher Lee, Ray Bradbury, Leonard Nimoy, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chuck Norris, Whoopi Goldberg, director Joe Dante, Anthony Perkins, Karl Malden, Martin Sheen, producer Roger Corman, comedian Rodney Dangerfield, Max Von Sydow, Rick Baker, Robert Bloch, Mamie Van Doren, and Bob Wilkins.

Thursday, April 2, 2009
Community Discussion on Local Media
6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Admission: Free
Coloma Center Auditorium
46230 T St
Sacramento, CA
http://www.AccessSacramento.org

Sacramento area residents, media professionals and media consumers are invited to attend a community discussion on local media to consider these topic areas:
Public Affairs
Diversity
Political Coverage
Community Input
Broadband Internet Access

Sacramento Media Group and California Common Cause with Access Sacramento invite interested individuals, community organizations, local media outlets and elected officials to participate in a community discussion designed to hear opinions, stories and suggestions about our local media. The new presidential administration wants to create a more democratic media system and promote universal access to communications technologies. The evening offers an opportunity to share ideas that can contribute to these goals. It will also help us better understand how well our local media: print, television, radio and Internet, serve their audiences.

West Coast Premiere of Broadcast Blues at The Crest on Sunday

2009-03-18T19:40:08Z

On Sunday, March 22, 2009, Access Sacramento and the Sacramento Media Group - California Common Cause will present the West Coast premiere of Broadcast Blues at the historic Crest Theatre. Filmmaker Sue Wilson will be in attendance at this screening. Given the tenant of Sacramento Press, this event should of particular interest to the community here.

Broadcast Blues
2:00 PM
Admission: $10.00; Students: $5.00
The Crest
1013 K St
Sacramento, CA
(916) 456-8600
http://www.thecrest.com

About Broadcast Blues:

Clear Channel neglects its emergency system, disaster strikes, and people die. Pentagon pundits profit from the same war they promote. Fox News gets a court ruling that news does not have to be true. And radio talkers rule.

Media Policy is killing people in this country. Literally. And it is harming our democracy, too. Corporate financed policymakers have stacked the media policy deck against We the People.

Until now.
We the People are taking the media back.

Written, Directed & Produced by Emmy Award winner Sue Wilson.

There will also be a pre-screening party at The Crest Cafe (next door to the theatre) from 12 noon to 1:30 PM. Admission for the party is a separate $20.00.

Proceeds from the events will benefit Access Sacramento and the Sacramento Media Group - California Common Cause.

Access Sacramento gives voice to the thoughts, dreams, opinions and community events not otherwise seen or heard on commercial and public radio, television and other popular forms of media.

The Sacramento Media Group states a number of goals which they are working towards:
Oppose media concentration of ownership by fewer and fewer corporations;
Encourage higher standards in locally produced news and public affairs programming;
Preserve funding for community media, public education and government access to airwaves;
Monitor corporate media and regulatory bodies to ensure broadcasters meet public interest obligations;
Increase awareness of public rights-of-way to public airwaves and the world wide web; and
Advocate for re-establishment of a Fairness Doctrine to regulate balance in media coverage.

Link to Full Business Journal article

2008-12-12T18:42:08Z

That didn't take too long. Apparently there is a link to the whole Sacramento Business Journal story about The Sacramento Press.

Earlier this morning I reported that the article was hidden behind a pay wall.

I just got an email from Nicholas Walsh, Marketing Director of The Sacramento Press with this link to the full Business Journal article.

This is a story about all of us: employees, writers, and readers. I want to thank Melanie Turner who wrote the story and Dennis McCoy the photographer.

How do I become a writer?

2008-10-14T08:52:17Z

Its easier than you think. If you want to be a writer, sign up or log in and click the "write!" button on the top of the page. Now you can sign up to become a Community Contributor.

Our journalism support department offers a manual, seminars, and workshops on becoming a better writer and journalist. The more workshops you attend the better your credibility with us and the more likely our editing staff will place your work on the front page. For more information contact journalism@sacramentopress.com.

Please pay close attention to our ethical code and disclose your biases. Our watchword is transparency because it helps us balance the news we report on the front page.

Start by covering one story. Just think of an itch that you need to scratch on a topic you know really well. A lot of you may know about the music scene, and a lot of you can write great reviews of local restaurants. But if you want to get on our front page, you are better off focusing on a story that really isn't being told elsewhere in the local media. The triumphs of your softball team or that mysterious vacant mansion down the street might be great stories. Write what you know and become an expert on your neighborhood in the process.

Pay attention to the conversations going on in your storyline. Use your audience to guide your next article and ask them questions when you don't know the answer. Trust that they are just like you and want to build a better neighborhood.

Finally, we want to support you in every way possible. We will help set up peer editing groups if you want the perspectives of other Community Contributors before publishing a headline. We have a network of resource providers in city government and private institutions who can help you find the answers to some of your tougher questions. In some cases we can even get you a press pass to an event.

Take the plunge. Click the "write!" button, become a Community Contributor, and cover a story with us.