Arizona Capitol Times
Encyclopedia
The Arizona Capitol Times is a non-partisan, weekly newspaper covering state politics and government published every Friday in Phoenix, Arizona
. The paper focuses on the Arizona Legislature
, the state's politicians, government agencies and elected leadership.
. The operation was run and expanded by his son Robert until 1970, when Robert's son, also Ned, assumed control of the business.
During the first four decades, the elder Ned Creighton ran Arizona News Service out of various buildings in downtown Phoenix, Ariz. In 1946, Robert Creighton convinced his father, who he had worked with during World War II, to jointly purchase a newspaper then called The Messenger, which was founded in 1900. They each chipped in $750 so they could buy the paper for $1,500.
In 1959, the name of the paper was changed from The Messenger to The Arizona Legislative Review to better reflect its content. During that time, the newspaper was largely a recital of bills in the Arizona Legislature
and occasional news stories about Arizona politics. With the hiring of a reporter, the publication began to evolve in the late 1950s and 1960s. It started including more news stories and going beyond just functioning as a paper of record.
In 1982, The Arizona Legislative Review was renamed Arizona Capitol Times. During the early 1980s, Creighton's wife Diana joined the newspaper. She read and rewrote short versions of Arizona Attorney General opinions and developed an old-photograph feature - Times Past - that continues today. It is one of the paper's most popular features.
In 2005, Arizona News Service, which includes the Arizona Capitol Times, was purchased by Minneapolis-based Dolan Media Company, Inc. (Now known as The Dolan Company) (NYSE:DM).
, Arizona House of Representatives
and the state's top elected officials, including the Governor's Office. The paper also publishes stories on elections, court rulings and the actions of local governments. The paper regularly features commentaries, letters to the editor, an event calendar, a people in the news page, a listing of state contracts, an Arizona news roundup page and political news from other states.
or Secretary of State's Office
.
LOLA offers a comprehensive bill tracking system that allows its clients to comment on bills, create reports and receive e-mail notifications of bill activity. In addition, the system provides summaries of every bill filed during a legislative session, along with complete floor action, votes, amendments and versions of all bills. It also offers committee hearing agendas; debate, voting and caucus calendars; legislators’ biographies and contact information; and news notes on daily legislative happenings. This information is updated continuously during legislative sessions and has been archived on-line since 1999.
Other LOLA features include Friends & Foes – a vote analysis tool that compares clients’ positions on bills to legislators’ voting records; WebReports – a Web-based, dynamic report of tracked bills clients can access from a custom-generated URL; and Enterprise Forums – a premium account that consists of a message board for multiple clients to discuss legislation.
The Yellow Sheet Report is the “News Notes & Gossip” section – a compilation of short news pieces that cover the gamut of Arizona politics, including news about the Legislature, state agencies, the executive offices, the state’s congressional delegation and elections. Much of the news centers on commentary and gossip from political consultants, lobbyists and other political insiders, often known in Arizona’s political community as “railbirds.”
In addition, the Yellow Sheet Report provides clips from and links to local and national newspapers, postings from political blogs, news releases, documents, charts, photos and agendas for legislative interim meetings. And, every Friday a special report is published of statewide and regulatory meetings and summaries of any current attorney general opinions.
.
The Legislative Report contains copies and summaries of all bills filed during the legislative session, all adopted amendments compiled into a continuous daily amendment record, a daily record of bill activity from committees and the House and Senate floors, weekly bill status indexes, upcoming committee hearing agendas, and a post-session report of enactments.
The Legislative Report also includes a section called “News Notes” – a compilation of political news briefs, summaries of House and Senate floor debates, political research and analysis, and newsclips from local and national newspapers. In addition, the service supplies copies of important documents and reports on the state budget, state agency presentations and speeches from elected officials, legislators and political figures.
, many state lobbyists and licensing and certification boards. The publication also includes a complete list of state legislators and Arizona's congressional delegation.
and courts. The publication represents years of work done by Arizona Capitol Times reporters and staff.
.
ANA/APME 2009 Better Newspaper Contest
Overall Newspaper
Individual
ANA Better Newspaper Contest
2008
ANA Better Newspaper Contest
2007
2009 Better Newspapers Contest
Overall Awards
Individual Awards
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
. The paper focuses on the Arizona Legislature
Arizona Legislature
The Arizona Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arizona. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Senate. There are 60 Representatives and 30 Senators...
, the state's politicians, government agencies and elected leadership.
History
Arizona News Service, which publishes the Arizona Capitol Times, was founded by Ned Creighton in 1906 before Arizona became a stateArizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. The operation was run and expanded by his son Robert until 1970, when Robert's son, also Ned, assumed control of the business.
During the first four decades, the elder Ned Creighton ran Arizona News Service out of various buildings in downtown Phoenix, Ariz. In 1946, Robert Creighton convinced his father, who he had worked with during World War II, to jointly purchase a newspaper then called The Messenger, which was founded in 1900. They each chipped in $750 so they could buy the paper for $1,500.
In 1959, the name of the paper was changed from The Messenger to The Arizona Legislative Review to better reflect its content. During that time, the newspaper was largely a recital of bills in the Arizona Legislature
Arizona Legislature
The Arizona Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arizona. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Senate. There are 60 Representatives and 30 Senators...
and occasional news stories about Arizona politics. With the hiring of a reporter, the publication began to evolve in the late 1950s and 1960s. It started including more news stories and going beyond just functioning as a paper of record.
In 1982, The Arizona Legislative Review was renamed Arizona Capitol Times. During the early 1980s, Creighton's wife Diana joined the newspaper. She read and rewrote short versions of Arizona Attorney General opinions and developed an old-photograph feature - Times Past - that continues today. It is one of the paper's most popular features.
In 2005, Arizona News Service, which includes the Arizona Capitol Times, was purchased by Minneapolis-based Dolan Media Company, Inc. (Now known as The Dolan Company) (NYSE:DM).
Daily Content
The Arizona Capitol Times covers state politics and policy with a focus on the daily activities of the Arizona SenateArizona Senate
The Arizona Senate is part of the Arizona Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arizona. The Senate consists of 30 members representing an equal amount of constituencies across the state, with each district having average populations of 219,859 . Members serve two-year terms with...
, Arizona House of Representatives
Arizona House of Representatives
The Arizona House of Representatives is the lower house of the Arizona Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arizona. Its members are elected to two-year terms with a term limit of four consecutive terms...
and the state's top elected officials, including the Governor's Office. The paper also publishes stories on elections, court rulings and the actions of local governments. The paper regularly features commentaries, letters to the editor, an event calendar, a people in the news page, a listing of state contracts, an Arizona news roundup page and political news from other states.
Weekly Features
- UpClose: Q&A-style interview with a political or business figure who has recently made the news.
- Times Past: Stories from the state's - and sometimes the territory's - past. Entries typically include an old photograph of the subject and are written by state historians and other freelance writers.
- Focus: A section piece typically eight to 16 pages dedicated to a specific subject such as economic development, environment or healthcare. Stories are written in "enterprise" style - including in-depth analyses and an array of photos.
Public Notices
The Arizona Capitol Times Public Notices section contains notices that are required by law to be published in a newspaper of general circulation that is adjudicated. Public notices describe activity of public interest and concern and report activity or planned activity by government, including the courts. There are three general types of public notices as classified by the Public Notice Resource Center in Washington, D.C.: citizen participation notices, business and commerce notices and court notice. Public notices that are published in the Arizona Capitol Times include: property sales and auctions, corporations and partnerships, civil cases, conservators and adoptions, and wills. In addition to publishing public notices, the Arizona Capitol Times also offers affidavit filing services, statewide publication services and full-service corporate filing with the Corporation CommissionArizona Corporation Commission
The Arizona Corporation Commission is the Public Utilities Commission of the State of Arizona, established by Article 15 of the Arizona Constitution. There are currently five members of the commission . Arizona is one of only a handful of states with elected commissioners...
or Secretary of State's Office
Secretary of State of Arizona
The Secretary of State of Arizona is an elected position in the U.S. state of Arizona. Since Arizona has no lieutenant governor, the Secretary stands first in the line of succession to the governorship. The Secretary also serves as acting governor whenever the governor is incapacitated or out of...
.
Legislation On Line Arizona (LOLA)
LOLA is a subscription-based, Internet legislative information service used by lobbyists and government affairs professionals to search for, track and report on Arizona legislation. The service began in 1986 as one of the country's first on-line legislative bill tracking systems. It also is a founding member of (NOLA) – a national association of legislative information sources.LOLA offers a comprehensive bill tracking system that allows its clients to comment on bills, create reports and receive e-mail notifications of bill activity. In addition, the system provides summaries of every bill filed during a legislative session, along with complete floor action, votes, amendments and versions of all bills. It also offers committee hearing agendas; debate, voting and caucus calendars; legislators’ biographies and contact information; and news notes on daily legislative happenings. This information is updated continuously during legislative sessions and has been archived on-line since 1999.
Other LOLA features include Friends & Foes – a vote analysis tool that compares clients’ positions on bills to legislators’ voting records; WebReports – a Web-based, dynamic report of tracked bills clients can access from a custom-generated URL; and Enterprise Forums – a premium account that consists of a message board for multiple clients to discuss legislation.
Yellow Sheet Report
The Yellow Sheet Report is a subscription-based, on-line newsletter for Arizona political gossip and news. It originated in 1906 as part of the Arizona News Service and provided clients with political and governmental news when the Legislature was not in session. The newsletter got its name from the onionskin paper on which it originally was printed. In recent years, the Yellow Sheet Report was published and mailed three times a week. In 2007, it moved to the World Wide Web and is now available year round.The Yellow Sheet Report is the “News Notes & Gossip” section – a compilation of short news pieces that cover the gamut of Arizona politics, including news about the Legislature, state agencies, the executive offices, the state’s congressional delegation and elections. Much of the news centers on commentary and gossip from political consultants, lobbyists and other political insiders, often known in Arizona’s political community as “railbirds.”
In addition, the Yellow Sheet Report provides clips from and links to local and national newspapers, postings from political blogs, news releases, documents, charts, photos and agendas for legislative interim meetings. And, every Friday a special report is published of statewide and regulatory meetings and summaries of any current attorney general opinions.
Arizona Legislative Report
The Arizona Legislative Report is a subscription-based, hard-copy news service providing legislative documents, indexes and news to lobbyists, lawyers and government affairs professionals in Arizona. It is hand-delivered or mailed to clients every weekday by 5 p.m. during Arizona’s annual legislative session (approximately January through May). The Legislative Report, along with the Yellow Sheet Report, originated in 1906 as part of the Arizona News Service. It was the main source of legislative news and records for miners, ranchers and businessmen needing to know what was happening at the CapitolArizona State Capitol
The Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix, Arizona, United States, formerly housed the Territorial and State Legislatures, as well as various executive offices...
.
The Legislative Report contains copies and summaries of all bills filed during the legislative session, all adopted amendments compiled into a continuous daily amendment record, a daily record of bill activity from committees and the House and Senate floors, weekly bill status indexes, upcoming committee hearing agendas, and a post-session report of enactments.
The Legislative Report also includes a section called “News Notes” – a compilation of political news briefs, summaries of House and Senate floor debates, political research and analysis, and newsclips from local and national newspapers. In addition, the service supplies copies of important documents and reports on the state budget, state agency presentations and speeches from elected officials, legislators and political figures.
Additional Publications
Arizona News Service produces a number of targeted publications focused on particular aspects of Arizona politics, including:Government Resource Directory
A magazine-style guide published annually in December. It includes comprehensive contact information for all of the state's elected and appointed officials, state agencies, the state's courtsArizona Supreme Court
The Arizona Supreme Court is the state supreme court of the U.S. state of Arizona. It consists of a Chief Justice, a Vice Chief Justice, and three associate justices. Each justice is appointed by the governor of Arizona from a list recommended by a bipartisan commission. Justices stand for...
, many state lobbyists and licensing and certification boards. The publication also includes a complete list of state legislators and Arizona's congressional delegation.
Book of Lobbyists
A magazine-style publication typically produced in February. It features articles about the profession and lists the vast majority of the state's lobbyists and their contact information. Some entries include client listing and specialties. This publication is linked to a free Web site, Arizona Lobbyists, where lobbyists can enter their information themselves and become part of a future edition.Arizona Political Almanac
First published in 2008, the Political Almanac features charts and graphs covering Arizona elections, the Legislature, elected officials, state finances and money, U.S. CongressUnited States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
and courts. The publication represents years of work done by Arizona Capitol Times reporters and staff.
Citizen Government
Published annually in July, the guide features short descriptions and members of Arizona's governor-appointed boards and commissions. It takes its name from the fact that the boards and commissions are filled mostly by average citizens with particular knowledge and expertise in particular areas of government.Guide to the Legislature (The Green Book)
Published annually to coincide with the beginning of the legislative session, Arizona Capitol Report's Guide to the Legislature features the name, district, office location, assistant's name, contact information, committees, interests, political experience and personal information of each of the state's 90 lawmakers. It is referred to as "The Green Book" because the pocket-sized publication's cover is always green.Trade & Professional Associations Directory
First published in April 2008, the magazine-style publication features contact and leadership information for many of the state's trade and professional associations, such as chambers of commerceGreater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce
The Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce is the largest association of businesses in the state of Arizona, and one of the largest in the Southwestern United States, with more than 2,900 business members...
.
Events
The Arizona Capitol Times hosts a number of annual events honoring members of the state's Capitol community. These include Leaders of the Year in Public Policy and Best of the Capitol.Awards
The Arizona Capitol Times has received numerous state and national awards in recent years for layout and design, news writing, feature writing, photography and overall general excellence. Past honors include:Arizona Newspaper Awards
AZ Press Club's 2009 Best Journalism in Arizona Contest- First place, Matt Bunk, column writing
- Third place, Matt Bunk, best blog
- First place, Jim Small, immigration reporting
- Second place, Jim Small, short-form writing
- Second place, Jeremy Duda, government/politics reporting
- Third place, Jeremy Duda, business reporting
- First place, Christian Palmer, government/politics reporting
- First place, Gabe Turner, non-deadline layout
- Second place, Gabe Turner, page 1 layout
- Third place, Gabe Turner, page 1 layout
- First place, Bill Coates, business writing, health reporting, environmental reporting and social issues reporting
- Second place, Bill Coates, health reporting and social issues reporting
ANA/APME 2009 Better Newspaper Contest
Overall Newspaper
- First Place, General Excellence
- First Place, Reporting & Newswriting Excellence
- Second place, Departmental News & Copywriting Excellence
- Third place, Editorial Page Excellence
- First Place, Community Service/Journalistic Achievement
- Third place, Newspaper web site
Individual
- First Place, Best Headline, Don Harris, Land-locked out: Dispute with state strands homeowners
- Second place, Best Headline, Matt Bunk, Dirty bond money: AZ judge cleared to probe suspicious payments
- Third place, Best Headline, Don Harris, The biggest elections nobody watches
- First Place, Best News Story, Luige del Puerto, Amid fiscal crisis, lawmakers buy new computers
- Third place, Best News Story, Jeremy Duda, Arizona 0-for-4: Echoes of Goldwater as McCain falls to Obama
- First Place, Best Sustained Coverage or Series, Luige del Puerto, Religion and Politics
- First Place, Investigative Reporting, Jim Small, SCA contributions
- First Place, Enterprise Reporting, Jeremy Duda, Jan Brewer transitions to governor
- Second place, Enterprise Reporting, Christian Palmer, Locking ‘em up, but at what cost?
- Third place, Enterprise Reporting, Jim Small, Big-money donors sidestepped state GOP in 2008
- First Place, Best News Photograph, Bill Coates, State prison hotshot crew fights fires in Arizona
- Second place, Best News Photograph, Bill Coates, Education advocates and a state senator protest
- First Place, Best Feature Photo Layout or Story, Bill Coates, State prison hotshot crew fights fires in Arizona
ANA Better Newspaper Contest
2008
- First place, best headline, Matt Bunk, "Turning a Blind Eye"
- First place, best news feature story, Jim Small, "Crunch time looms for English learner program"
- First place, best lifestyle feature story, Bill Coates, "Phoenix streets in black and white"
- First place, best feature photo layout, Bill Coates, "Phoenix streets in black and white"
- Second place, reporting and news writing excellence, ACT staff
- Second place, page design excellence, ACT staff
- Second place, newspaper online site/Web page, ACT staff
- Third place, general excellence, non-daily circulation under 3,500, ACT staff
- Third place, best news story, Jim Small, "With economy, perception becomes reality"
- Third place, best sustained coverage or series, Luige del Puerto, "Senate President Tim BeeTim BeeTimothy S. Bee is a Republican politician and business owner who served in the Arizona State Senate from 2003 to 2007. He was first elected to the Arizona Senate in 2001, and left in 2009 due to term limits. In 2008, he was the Republican candidate for Arizona's 8th congressional district seat in...
" - Third place, best lifestyle feature story, Bill Coates, "Jaguar"
- Third place, best photograph, Bill Coates, "Disorder in the House."
ANA Better Newspaper Contest
2007
- Best news story, Christian Palmer, "Dirty campaign muddles hog farm issue"
- Best sustained coverage, Jim Small, "Illegal immigration"
- Best feature story, Bill Coates, "Collared urban creatures"
- Best news feature story, Bill Coates, "Senator Marilyn Jarrett"
- Best feature photograph, Bill Coates, "Night Court"
- Second place, general excellence, ACT staff
- Reporting and news writing excellence, ACT staff
- Departmental news/copyediting excellence, ACT staff
- Community service/journalistic achievement, ACT staff
- Special section/newspaper supplement, ACT staff
- First place, best pro bono public service ad, Julie Lanley
- First place, best newspaper promotion/ad series, Vince Carbajal and Tracy Keller
- Second place, best Web site banner ad, Julie Lanley
National Newspaper Association
2010 Better Newspaper Contest- First place, Best Feature Series, Luige del Puerto, Non-daily Division, circulation less than 4,500
- First place, Best Business Feature Story, Salvador Rodriguez, Non-daily Division, circulation less than 8,000
- First place, Best Environmental Story, Jim Small, Non-daily Division, circulation less than 6,000
- Third place, Excellence in Typography, Non-daily Division, circulation less than 6,000
- Third place, Best Investigative or In-Depth Story or Series, Jim Small, Jeremy Duda, Luige del Puerto, Jeremy Duda and Anjanette Riley, Non-daily Division, circulation less than 3,000
- Honorable Mention, Best Use of Photographs, Non-daily Division, circulation less than 6,000
- Honorable Mention, Best Local News Coverage, Non-daily Division, circulation less than 3,000
2009 Better Newspapers Contest
Overall Awards
- 1st place, Best Local News Coverage, circulation less than 3,000
- 2nd place, Best Special News, Sports or Feature Section or Edition, Focus on Courts and Corrections
Individual Awards
- Honorable mention, Best Feature Story, “Land-locked out,” Jim Small
- 2nd place, Best Feature Story, “Prison inmates feel heat,” Bill Coates
- 2nd place, Best Business Feature Story, “Losing sight,” Bill Coates
- 3rd place, Best Health Story, “Held Blameless,” Anjanette Riley
- 1st place, Best Health Story, “Still fighting Valley Fever,” Bill Coates
- Honorable mention, Best Health Story, “McCain plan adds to uninsured,” Anjanette Riley
- 2nd place, Best Education/Literacy Story, “Crunch time looms for English learner program,” Jim Small
- 1st place, Best Breaking News Story, “Sheriff’s captain fined $315K,” Jim Small