Considering joining WNPA? These highlights of what the WNPA staff does for its members will help you decide to definitely apply.
Represent Your Interests in Olympia
WNPA works with Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington to take appropriate action on any new bills that could affect your newspaper and our industry. WNPA staff attend committee hearings and testify on your behalf. When your actions are needed, we issue Legislative Alerts to members via e-mail or by calling you. Each February in The Washington Newspaper, we publish a list of bills we are watching and what their status is. We count on your participation when we need it.
Add Revenue to Your Advertising Income
The Washington Newspaper Networks direct advertising into your newspaper through three programs, the Statewide Classified Advertising Network (SCAN), the 2x2 Impact Ad Network, and the Web-based and display advertising network. Under a contract arrangement with Oregon Newspaper Advertising Company, our sister organization in Portland, Ore., our members receive display advertising from a range of regional and national clients. The ONAC sales and marketing team works on behalf of all WNPA member newspapers, and the reliability of their planning and placement services is an important service to ad agencies throughout the state.
The pioneer of the Statewide Classified Advertising Network (SCAN), WNPA places classified advertisements for advertisers in and out of state every week. Currently more than 100 Washington newspapers with a total circulation of over 801, 000 participate in SCAN.
WNPA initiated the 2x2 Impact Ad program in 2001. Members earn a 50 percent commission on ads they sell, often to promote events in their communities to a broader readership across a region or the whole state. In the 2x2 program, current member participation provides more than 900,000 circulation among 82 newspapers.
Our online Membership Directory is an easily searchable tool for advertisers to locate any community newspaper in the state.
Motivate and Reward Your Staff
We provide a community where newspaper people across the state can gather to see and learn from each others' work while sharing success stories. We offer training seminars for a range of departments at our annual convention and at other times during the year. By coming together, newspaper people can exchange ideas, broaden their skills and get fresh ideas and information.
A convention highlight is the Better Newspaper Contest Awards Dinner, where the audience sees the best in Advertising, Editorial, Photography and Web-based work and applauds the creativity and skill of their peers. In 2008, WNPA received over 2,800 contest entries. For many of our newspaper members, winning prizes in our state contest is the highest recognition they and their staffers can receive.
Members who serve on our Advertising, Convention, and Better Newspaper Contest committees plan the training and awards presentation events in collaboration with the WNPA staff.
Keep You Up to Date
The Washington Newspaper, WNPA's monthly newsletter, is produced in conjunction with Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington and mailed to members. The Publishers eBulletin is our weekly e-update for regular members. Together, they keep you informed about events, legislative issues, changes in newspaper leadership and products, and awards and honors in the industry. We do our best to keep you informed of relevant industry developments on both the state and national scenes.
We provide an Employment Center on our Web site where you can get the word out about job opportunities at your newspaper and review resumes of potential candidates.
Recognize Outstanding Contributions
We draw statewide attention to those outside our industry whose careers support the First Amendment. Members editorialize on open government and access to records, but to keep readers informed on what their governments are doing newspapers need the support and proactive stance of attorneys, legislators and others in a position to further the intent of the First Amendment. The Walt Woodward Freedom's Light award, founded by WNPA in 1995, is presented during the WNPA convention. We recognize those within the industry for their lifetime acheivements, also at the convention.
Support Your Advertising Sales Efforts
In late 2008, WNPA commissioned a statewide survey of the buying habits of Washington residents, the Statewide Market Survey, and offered members the option to gather additional data about their own markets. The statewide results will be valuable aid to both newspaper members and ONPA in their ad sales efforts. The information and related training will be available in early summer.
Provide a Libel Hotline
As a regular member, you have access to WNPA's legal hotline, staffed by the state's leading media attorneys. Access to the hotline gives you a significant reduction in your libel insurance rates, savings that are often more than your annual WNPA dues.
Provide a Legal Hotline
Regular members have access to a reliable source of expert advice on questions about legal issues in most areas of law affecting newspapers. Our attorneys administer the plan at no charge to members. While we ask members to use our staff as their first line of inquiry, the hotline is readily available. Another legal resource WNPA provides its members is access to The Seattle Times' Newsroom Legal Guide, which The Times generously allows us to link on the WNPA Web site.
Serve as Your Information Resource
We at WNPA take pride in our ability to serve our members by answering their questions. Our member are free to call, fax or e-mail our office with a variety of questions, and they do. We do our best to answer immediately. If we don't have the information you need, we research your question with a qualified expert and return the call as soon as we have the answers.
Provide Press Credentials
WNPA provides Press Credentials to qualified recipients on request from member newspapers.
Develop Future Employees
WNPA collaborates with the WNPA Foundation to attract and train interested, motivated individuals to become your newspaper's new staff members. The WNPA Foundation awards internship scholarships to college students and journalism teachers, as well as to individuals nominated by our members.
To join us or for more information, contact Mae Waldron, Member Services Manager, (206) 634-3838.
