20 Under 40 - 2005

PRESSTIME

By Presstime Magazine

First Published: December 2005

Honoring Excellence

From the front office to the pressroom to the newsroom to the Web, the 20 people selected for the 13th edition of PRESSTIME's 20 Under 40 awards demonstrate the zeal, innovation and sharp thinking that's at work in today's newspaper industry.

It's never easy to pick just 20 from the wealth of talent that's nominated. So, for the second year PRESSTIME recruited a guest editor to help. Marty Petty, publisher and executive vice president of the St. Petersburg Times, vetted some of the candidates and participated in the final selection meeting in Washington in September.

Managing Change

"The most challenging part of my job has been trying to stay ahead of, or even just keep up with, technology," says Chris Kanemura, online content manager for The Honolulu Advertiser.

In Orange County, Calif., Lelani L. Bluner, vice president of marketing for Freedom Orange County Information Inc., reports, "The information consumption patterns for consumers will continue to change. I'm practically glued to my BlackBerry now. I imagine in five years, I will have a 'live streaming' video device where I can talk real time and verbally answer my e-mails."

Dennis Stonebraker, regional circulation director of the Bristol (Va.) Herald Courier, says circulation directors' jobs are changing daily. "No longer will participation in news budget meetings be considered a 'good step' toward interacting with the newsroom. It will be required."

Building Relationships

"Helping a person in any department understand how he or she can directly impact readership, and our relationships with readers, is my biggest challenge," says Jim Rainey, publisher of the Opelika-Auburn News in Opelika, Ala.

Wendi C. Thomas, metro columnist for The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, says, "Finding a balance, varying the topic and the approach, all while maintaining my distinct voice, helps readers develop that relationship with me in the paper."

New Times, New Thinking

Tony Smithson, production director of The Courier-Journal in Louisville, worries we aren't facing the "tough questions" about the industry's future. "If we keep trying the same old strategies, we're destined to fail."

Internet innovator Dan Pacheco, senior product manager for The Bakersfield Californian, says young people "info-graze" across multiple media platforms. "Newspapers and [their] Web sites aren't that 'grazeable.' Perhaps this explains why these kids aren't graduating to newspapers when they get into college and the workforce."

Investing in Talent

"Don't be afraid to pay people what they're worth," says Clinton J. Schroeder, advertising director of the Northwest Herald in Crystal Lake, Ill. "Keeping good people, the kind who foster profitable relationships, takes investment."

Rob Clark, editor in chief of Quick, a weekday tabloid published by The Dallas Morning News, bluntly states, "Newspapers in search of the elusive young readers should examine just how many young people are in the newsroom. There's a connection there."

For Jeff Zeleny, the Chicago Tribune's national political correspondent, the long hours and pressure of deadlines are worth it. "The opportunity to tell the stories of real people, through interviews and observations, while being treated to a front-row seat of history in the making is a great reward."

We thank all of the people who took time to nominate candidates for this year's 20 Under 40 awards. Now, meet our selections—and start thinking about who on your staff should be pictured here next year.

Presstime's 2005 "20 Under 40"

• Barbara Anderson
  
• Nathan Bekke
  
• Lisa S. Berrian
  
• Lelani L. Bluner
  
• Rob Clark
  
• Kim Dalglish
  
• Crystal Dupré
  
• Marti Galloway
  
• Chris Kanemura
  
• Bill May
  
• Dan Pacheco
  
• Ann R. Poe
  
• Scott G. Pompe
  
• Jim Rainey
  
• Clinton J. Schroeder
  
• Tony Smithson
  
• Dennis Stonebraker
  
• Wendi C. Thomas
  
• Gina C. Wilcox
  
• Jeff Zeleny