SPJ national update V: Web-first story posting said to boost print sales; patting down the Pat Act; and Illinois governor approves college press protections. New evidence from regional and national newspapers suggests that a "web-first" strategy may boost print circulation. Newsquest group editorial manager Margaret Strayton said putting stories online before they appear in the newspaper has created new readers. More here. ... A federal judge Sept. 7 struck down parts of the revised USA Patriot Act as unconstitutional, saying courts must be allowed to supervise cases where the government orders internet providers to turn over records without telling customers. U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero said the government orders must be subject to meaningful judicial review and that the recently rewritten Patriot Act "offends the fundamental constitutional principles of checks and balances and separation of powers." The American Civil Liberties Union complained that the revised law allowed the FBI to demand records without the kind of court order required for other government searches. More here. ... A fresh set of protections for student media at Illinois state colleges will take effect in January after gaining final approval from Gov. Rod Blagojevich. The College Campus Press Act declares any student media outlet at a public college to be "a public forum for expression by the student journalists and editors." The law also prohibits school officials from exercising prior review, regardless of whether the publication is sponsored by the school. More here.
SPJ national update VI: Spies prep reporters on protecting secrets; and so what if circulation's down? Frustrated by press leaks about its most sensitive electronic surveillance work, the secretive National Security Agency convened an unprecedented series of off-the-record "seminars" in recent years for reporters on the damage it says such leaks cause and to discourage reporting that could interfere with the agency's mission to spy on those it considers America's enemies. More here. ... As the newspaper industry bemoans falling circulation, some major papers around the country have a surprising attitude toward a lot of potential readers: Don't bother. The big American newspapers sell about 10 percent fewer copies than they did in 2000, and while the migration of readers to the web is usually blamed for that decline, much of it has been intentional. Driven by marketing and delivery costs and pressure from advertisers, many papers have decided certain readers are not worth the expense involved in finding, serving and keeping them. More here.
-----
He'll Tell You What He Thinks, This Clayton Williams
by Susan Tallant
Former House Speaker Jim Wright speculated in print recently that the world would be a better place if Clayton Williams had won the Texas governor's race in 1990 -- because George W. Bush wouldn't be president.
Bush wouldn't have run against a sitting Republican governor in 1994 and thus could not have used the office as a springboard to the White House.
It makes a good story, and good stories cling to Williams like that sulphur smell around an oil well. He and his trusty scribe, Mike Cochran, spun a few tales at the September SPJ meeting and then autographed copies of Cochran's book on the Aggie wildcatter, "Claytie."
Williams, a straight-talker with a disarming smile, and Cochran, the longtime Associated Press and Star-Telegram writer, served up conversation spicier than the food at the packed Joe T Garcia's, including stories about everything Texas: big-business oil deals, hell-raising, Aggie jokes and, of course, politics.
"I have proved I don't know anything about politics," Williams said, referring to the 1990 governor's race against Ann Richards. "I'm not running for anything," he added, "so if I want to tell a joke, I'm damn well gonna do it."
Williams has been outrageously rich and dead broke. Cochran spent hours getting to know the Midland boom-or-bust oilman while writing his fourth book. Of the veteran reporter, Williams said: "He gets you to tell things you wouldn't tell your best friend, and then it's splattered on the first page."
Things sometimes got heated between the two, but a disagreement was never so big that a couple of shots of tequila couldn't fix it.
Williams said he and Richards were friendly if not exactly friends after the election, and he sent her a note when he heard that she was ill. He reminisced about the fateful non-handshake that some say cost him the race (or was it the rape joke?).
"My campaign decided I should not shake Richards' hand, but I said, 'I just don't feel good about that.' Somewhere between me saying that and seeing her, I lost my temper and decided not to shake her hand."
He admits it was a mistake. He said he learned that in politics the real threat may not be the opponent so much as oneself. "I look in the mirror; that's where the mistakes are."
Getting up at 5:30, traveling all day and requesting campaign contributions was one of the most difficult jobs he ever worked. "It was hard to beg for money until I put in $3 million of my own," he said with a laugh.
Another bad thing about politics is the negativism. People tend to believe the worst in each other, he told the audience. "And once it's in print, it becomes real." Unless the media adopt a different approach to covering campaigns -- more issues emphasis, less mudslinging -- he said he doesn't think an amateur can win a big-league office.
As for the infamous rape joke, he said the word rape was never spoken. Reporters were at his ranch when bad weather blew in. Everyone gathered around the campfire. "I said, 'Relax and enjoy the fire.' "
When he was misquoted the next day, he said, he saw no reason to fight it. Besides, maybe a greater plan was in play. Here comes that big grin.
"If God had wanted me to be governor," Williams said, "He wouldn't have sent that storm."
===================================================
PEOPLE & PLACES
Donna Darovich has been named acting director of the Tarrant County College District's PR and marketing department. Director Chris Smith left Aug. 24 to join the staff of Environmental Defense in Austin. ...
UTA Shorthorn writer Alexa Garcia-Ditta is a finalist in the Associated Collegiate Press' Story of the Year contest for her feature on a professor battling Lou Gehrig's disease. She was one of five finalists; the contest is open to all college newspapers in America. The winner will be named at the ACP convention in Washington, D.C., this month.
===================================================
GET A JOB
The Boy Scouts of America is seeking a freelance graphic production specialist strong in Photoshop and InDesign on a Macintosh to work at the BSA national office in Irving. "An ability to multitask and think on your feet is going to help a lot," says the BSA's Melinda VanLone. "This is not a design position, this is a 'make it work' position." More from mvanlone@netbsa.org. ...
UT Dallas seeks a director of student media and marketing to oversee, among other things, the student newspaper, the student radio station and the Student Life Marketing plan. Requirements include a B.A. in mass communication or marketing; 3-5 years in media/marketing; and computer literacy, including experience with desktop publishing and digital imaging. Preferred: a master's degree or higher and a minimum of one year as a writer, editor or teacher of journalism; experience with student publications in a university setting; and knowledge of journalism ethics, print, broadcast media, and electronic media. More here. ...
A 100-year old Dallas nonprofit seeks to add a communications pro in its marketing department. Should have a B.A. in marketing, communications or related field, at least two years of marketing experience, project management abilities and HTML skills. Traffic coordination and a PR background are a plus, as is experience with Macromedia Dreamweaver and knowledge of the print process. E-mail cover letter, résumé and two writing samples to nonprofitmktg@hotmail.com.
