Steve Buttry of Gazette Communications in Cedar Rapids, Iowa has written a series of articles on his vision for the future development of newspapers and news organizations. Using his own Cedar Rapids Gazette to serve as a blueprint, Buttry outlines a number of ideas for what he calls the “Complete Community Connection” which could potentially be implemented by any newspaper attempting to engage a wider audience and generate more revenue.

Metro Creative Graphics has launched a new service, Metro e-Editions, with the July issues of Metro Newspaper Service, Metro Editorial Services, Sales Spectaculars, and Classified Dynamics. The e-Editions will allow users to virtually flip through the issues, and zoom in on images, in addition to a number of other interactive features.

Metro’s e-Editions will be available to anyone with access to MetroCreativeConnection. The e-Editions will replace and expand upon the monthly Highlights Gallery provided by the Metro Newspaper Service.

While the media has been riddled with bad news about debt-ridden newspapers in the U.S, Canadian newspapers continue to thrive. To acknowledge the many papers that consistently deliver to significant audiences across the country, the Canadian Community Newspapers Association in partnership with the Canadian Newspaper Association will be providing members with a pro-newspaper ad campaign.

After a vote on Saturday, July 4, unionized employees at the Globe and Mail have ratified a proposal on a new five-year labour contract. Eighty-five per cent of the editorial, advertising, circulation, and maintenance workers voted in favour of the new contract, averting a possible strike at the 165 year old newspaper.

If you are looking for the opportunity to meet with experienced professionals seeking full or part-time work, internships, or co-op positions in journalism, IT, accounting, or marketing industries, look no further. Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning is extending an invitation to all organizations to participate in a Job Fair for Internationally Trained Individuals. The fair will take place at the Davis Campus in Brampton on Wednesday, September 30, from 10am to 3pm.

A new law that allows newspaper printers and publishers a 40 per cent cut in business tax will provide some needed relief to the industry that is slowly declining in Washington state. The tax cut, which will cost the state approximately $1.3 million per year, was approved despite concerns that newspapers would now need to rely on the government they hold accountable for financial aid.

According to a report by the Canadian Press, management at the Globe and Mail and 480 unionized employees have reached a tentative agreement, averting a strike. The deal was reached just before midnight last night after 15 hours of negotiations with a mediator.

On Tuesday this week, Newsweek reporter Maziar Bahari allegedly confessed to filing false reports for the magazine while covering the presidential election in Tehran, Iran. Bahari was arrested on June 21, and has not been permitted to contact his family or a lawyer since.

According to a poll commissioned by the Communication Workers of America (CWA) Canada, newspaper chains such as Quebecor could stop the decline in readership if more local content was published in its newspapers in mid-sized Canadian cities. The poll was conducted in six cities in Ontario where Quebecor publishes its daily newspapers.