National Newspaper Association
Protecting, Promoting and Enhancing Community Newspapers Since 1885
News Guru by Kevin Slimp
Kevin Slimp has been a popular speaker and consultant in the newspaper industry since developing the PDF remote printing method in the mid 1990s. He can be reached at kevin@kevinslimp.com
Five things to grow and 5 to trim down
I’d like to share 10 findings related to size that often appear during newspaper focus groups.
The front page: cleaning it up will draw readers
My most recent stop was at the North Dakota Newspaper Association Convention. Having spoken for this group many times in the past, I dutifully planned my trip to Bismarck, only to learn I was heading to ...
Newspaper growth impossible? Don’t even get me started
Over the years, many of the biggest names in the business world called for my assistance after reading about my work with PDFs.
Check those settings! Getting software settings right can make all the difference in print quality
As I visit newspapers, I do a lot of things. I’m generally involved in staff training, visiting with local business and community leaders, leading focus groups and more. While with them, I’m ...
Readers love their newspaper — What I learned once again while visiting Colorado
For two days, I met with everyone on the Plaindealer staff to discuss various elements of running a newspaper. We covered design, photo editing, sales and other aspects of newspaper production.
The secret to healthy, growing newspapers is making changes now, instead of later
People are especially interested in information about redesigning — which includes more than just the design — their newspapers and working with advertisers to create marketing campaigns.
A few words about AI
After over 30 years of writing columns for journalists, I’m flabbergasted that anyone is interested in what I have to say. But it seems there are few of you left, so I’ll spend a little time ...
Papers turn attention to growth
Many newspapers have shifted from worrying to planning growth Upon returning to my office following a 2,700-mile journey (Bellingham, Washington, happens to be the furthest city in the contiguous 48 U.S. ...
Is it finally time to make the switch from Adobe InDesign to Affinity Publisher?
I’m not suggesting that everyone go out and replace InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop, but Affinity Publisher might be the right tool for some of my readers.
How to use (and not use) AI
Newspaper publishers share their feelings about artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence: It's crucial to make a plan before you jump in too deep
Recently, I’ve heard from a lot of folks asking for advice related to artificial intelligence.
Pick it up or put it down?
The area above the fold determines which choice potential readers will make
Where did my email go? Kevin lists effective ways to help make sure people get your messages
I've gotten a lot of positive feedback about lists in my recent columns, so I will strike while the iron's hot. This month's list is Kevin's Five Ways to Keep Your Emails From Ending Up in Someone's Spam ...
Know when to use more of something and when to use less
After completing my work with the staff in Florida, it dawned on me that much of what I recommended in Wyoming and Florida came down to knowing when to use less of some things and more of others.
Headlines from the past remind me that 2024 could be a great year
I’ve made a career out of making good bets on the newspaper business. More times than not, my bets were not popular among “experts,” but I somehow kept picking the right team.
New tools in Photoshop elicit warning
I would never suggest it’s OK to use AI to generate or change images used in stories or other types of news content. But there are times when Photoshop’s generative AI will be useful when designing ...
MAKING MORE SPACE — Simple changes invite readers to pick up your paper
I’m thrilled to show the publisher, editors and others on staff the issue with bigger headlines, bigger photos and easier-to-read text. For a moment, I feel like a magician. Unlike any magician ...
