Editorial & Business Meeting

Saturday, February 4, 4 pm
studio #2, the Annex, 2922 Parks Highway
(Ester Republic office)

Agenda:

Introduction: background on current situation & needs

Business plan: status & ideas

Nonprofit structure: foundation, status, & ideas

Editorial plan

• publication frequency, length, online vs. print
• investigative series/articles/topics
• subject editors, publisher interaction & role

The aim of this get-together is to plan the steps transforming the Republic Press from a seat-of-the-pants personal endeavor to a professional nonprofit media organization. The focus on this meeting is primarily editorial, rather than business planning in a managerial sense and nonprofit organizing. We will be working on the editorial direction of the paper and assigning tasks and roles for the year. Writers and editors who may be interested in dealing with particular topics or sections, please attend. One question to consider, aside from topic areas for investigation, is how should the editorial/writing staff interact with the new nonprofit officers and/or board?

If you can't come but are still interested, let me know and in what capacity. Also, please pass on the invitation to others you think might be intrigued. You can reach me via e-mail at editor@esterrepublic.com or 907.451.0636. Thanks!

Notes:

Meeting started at about 4:15ish, ended 7ish

Present: Steven Hall, Deirdre Helfferich, Halla Merriman, Ellen Mitchell, Sue Mitchell, Hans Mölders, Jeremia Schrock

The meeting began with Deirdre providing an overview of the tone, history, and development of the Republic, along with a quickie look at the Press’s other publications and its educational/not-for-profit bent.

Business plan: in progress, working at the moment with Robert Shields on current situation description.

Content licensing: being explored (company is NewsBank)

Nonprofit structure: numerous possibilities, now focusing on creation of a foundation to support the paper. Structure of actual paper on the lines of nonprofit or employee-owned media, perhaps partnership model (still in flux). Deirdre working with Alaska Federation for Community Self-Reliance.

Fundraiser: major purpose to get out of debt, hopefully will generate enough to start paying staff or provide base for foundation/endowment. Endowment to support paper in perpetuity, as per examples of The Guardian, Mother Jones, Yes! Magazine, The Sun.

Editorial plan:

1. Editorial tone is quirky; sometimes obscure (paper sections read like article titles, titles like subtitles; not clear what section titles mean). Very personal, full of in jokes relating to Ester but not clear to outsiders. Questions: what is the mission of The Ester Republic? What is its niche? Who does it serve? Essential point: the Republic has lots of commentary, but almost zero news.

2. Online presence: the website should be redesigned, with online content such as opinion and commentary being placed there and more news in the print edition. Blogs for different authors, sections with full archives and easy-to-find content using drop-down menus, sections, search boxes, etc. Ester community pages as one section.

3. Publication frequency: go to every other month, beginning in mid to late March. Increasing print subscriptions to 1,000 would bring income of $24,000—a considerable sum. So, increase subscriptions. Would make it more attractive to advertisers, too. Note: price tiers can be diversified to include local, state, national rates, for example, rather than only nonprofit and for-profit rates, as currently the case. Length of paper: double size would be 48 pages; best to determine by funding, basic content requirements. Set this aside for now.

4. Investigatory possibilities (several topics already broached)

5. Staff organization: Jeremia will outline over next couple of weeks. Sketch: section/subject editors, production crew, web crew, reporters, photographers, commentators/analysts, etc. Community journalism, workshops, sudents/interns, etc. Reporters and others will need titles to clarify their roles and give them something for their CVs.

6. Publisher as overall editorial guidance, part of an editorial board of section editors? To be determined, depending on other staff, nonprofit organization. Will become less Jack-of-all-Trades position over time.

7. Finances: increase subscriptions and visibility. Ownership model will play into this, fundraiser success also.

8. Books & Local Et Cetera: mothballing this publishing after two titles currently committed to; will need to determine appropriate role and how to balance Press & Design arms with paper.

9. 2012 Draft Schedule: next print run in middle or end of March; every two months after that at a regular time through December. Deadlines to be arranged around that.

Jeremia to work on staff/job descriptions; Deirdre to work on web design with Ellen & Halla; Steven to work on Goldstream General Store story.

NEXT MEETING: in a month! to be arranged specifically via e-mail.

Sunday, February 5: web meeting between Halla, Ellen, & Deirdre at ER office, 1 pm.

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