Columnists

Bart Pfankuch

Reporting on problems while seeking solutions

Solutions journalism seeks to look for and cover topics of great importance by examining responses to problems, seeking out and defining solutions and sharing with readers what is working in our society and why.

In Bart Pfankuch‘s most recent installment of “Better Writing with Bart,” he discusses how to implement this new form of journalism, which can lead to positive changes in our communities and the lives of residents.

John Foust, advertising, ad-libs

7 lessons from other advertising sources

From billboards to television to direct mail, there is a lot that newspapers can learn from other advertising sources.

Veteran sales trainer John Foust takes a look at seven different advertising platforms — and what can be learned from them.

John Foust, advertising, ad-libs

How to handle superlatives in advertising

If an advertiser insists on using a superlative, there are four simple ways to make it more acceptable. Just remember the acronym TOTE, veteran sales trainer John Foust writes.

First step: Tone it down.

John Foust, advertising, ad-libs

10 mistakes to avoid in online ad presentations

These days, advertising professionals are conducting more online ad presentations than ever before. While there are some similarities with in-person meetings, there are some significant differences.

Veteran sales trainer John Foust takes a quick look at 10 of the biggest mistakes in online ad presentations.

Bart Pfankuch

Sharpen your writing by reading stories aloud

Reading text aloud performs two basic yet critical analytical and diagnostic functions — it quickly shows if the prose is smooth, flows well and is pleasing to the eye and ear and where the clunks in copy are located; also, it reveals whether information is being presented in a logical, clear and meaningful progression, writes veteran journalist Bart Pfankuch.

It’s perhaps the best way for a writer or editor to check their work for flow, accuracy, clarity and meaning.

John Foust, advertising, ad-libs

Read any good catalogs lately?

There are other approaches to advertising creativity, but catalogs excel when it comes to descriptions of product features and benefits, writes veteran sales trainer John Foust.

In his latest installment of “Ad-Libs,” Foust points to some standout examples from L.L. Bean catalogs.

A community with no local newspaper? That’s bad news

In a recent column, America’s Newspapers CEO Dean Ridings asks readers to consider what their town would be without a newspaper.

In an effort to get the country involved in the passage of the Local Journalism Sustainability Act, WNA members are encouraged to publish this opinion piece and the accompanying editorial cartoon — or write their own editorial — to educate the public about this important issue.

John Foust, advertising, ad-libs

In search of the perfect headline

A headline can make or break an ad. It’s important to look for connections between what the audience needs and how the advertiser can meet those needs.

Veteran sales trainer John Foust gives suggestions for doing just that in his latest installment of “Ad Libs.”

newspapers, local journalism

Local journalism needs a new ‘Sustainability Act’

An editorial by the Vilas County News Review (which is available for republication by WNA members) asks the entire Wisconsin delegation to co-sponsor the Local Journalism Sustainability Act.

“Never has America’s free press been more threatened by economic insolvency, a development that could eliminate the work of local journalists who provide in-depth perspectives that inform their readership regarding important current events,” the editorial board writes.

Wisconsin Newspaper Association