August 2009 (main section) - Tennessee Press Association

Transcription

The Tennessee Press
AUGUST 2009
CMYK
Newspaper Hall of Fame
to induct five in November
Five people will be inducted
posthumously into the Tennessee
Newspaper Hall of Fame at a banquet
ceremony on Friday, Nov. 6, at the
Crowne Plaza Hotel in Knoxville.
Selected for induction:
Sallie Rebecca (Pattie) Boyd (18671947)
James E. Charlet (1908-1999)
Roy C. Coleson (1901-1965)
J. Neal Ensminger (1908-2001)
William C. Simonton Sr. (1899-1950)
The Tennessee Newspaper Hall of
Fame is a joint project of the Tennessee
Press Association and the University
of Tennessee (UT). Dr. Paul Ashdown
of the UT School of Journalism and
Electronic Media is chairman of the
TPA Hall of Fame Committee.
Sallie Rebecca (Pattie) Boyd [photo
not available at this time] was the
first female editor of a woman’s page
in Tennessee. In 1886, at the age of
18, she convinced the publisher of
The Knoxville Tribune to hire her.
She continued with the Tribune, The
Journal and Tribune and the Knoxville
Journal for 52 years. During her career,
she wrote about an estimated 30,000
weddings, hundreds of parties, dances,
dinners, bridge clubs and women’s
sports. She campaigned vigorously
for women’s right to vote, volunteered
during the Spanish-American War to
provide food and necessities to soldiers
camped in Knoxville, and supported
efforts for the Appalachian Exposition
in Knoxville in 1910 and 1911. She was
influential in getting a building to
honor women’s achievements at the
exposition.
James E. Charlet pioneered the
central printing plant production
of small newspapers in Tennessee
and later web offset printing and
cold type production. He developed
a family-owned newspaper group,
which included the Clarksville LeafChronicle and 16 weekly newspapers
covering nine Middle Tennessee
counties. He led in the creation of
industrial development programs and
vigorously editorialized on imperatives
for community coalitions to diversify
their post-World War II agricultureindustrial economies. He was a leader
in TPA, serving as president in 1960-
Charlet
Coleson
61. He was actively involved in the
association for more than 40 years.
Roy C. Coleson was publisher of
The Fayette Falcon, Somerville. He
was one of a group of publishers
who reactivated the Tennessee Press
Association in the 1930s. For several
years, TPA was unable to employ a
field manager, and Coleson served
on a volunteer basis as executive
secretary. He traveled extensively
over the state visiting newspapers
and promoting the Association. He
was chairman of the committee that
planned and executed the first MidWinter Press Institute and served as
chairman for several years. He also
served as president in 1942-43.
J. Neal Ensminger became the
respected voice of McMinn County
through his position as editor of
The Daily Post-Athenian. He was
considered the man people could count
on as a citizen and newspaper man of
integrity. He had a 50-year career with
The Daily Post-Athenian, retiring as
executive editor in May 1987. After
retirement, he continued to write a
weekly column until his death at the
age of 92. He tutored numerous staff
members throughout his career and
was well known for his civic, church
and charitable efforts.
William C. Simonton Sr. was coowner and assistant manger of The
Covington Leader from 1918 until his
death in 1950. He was among those
who revitalized the Tennessee Press
Association and one of 14 original
incorporators. He also was one of
three incorporators of the Tennessee
Press Service. He served as the first
president of TPS. He had a vision that
TPA could provide more benefits to
members if efforts were unified to sell
newspaper advertising as a statewide
Kit to aid Newspaper Week observance
National Newspaper Week will be
observed Oct. 4 through 10. The annual
event, sponsored by the Newspaper
Association Managers (NAM), will
have a theme and materials that
newspapers can use or adapt as they
see fit.
The kit is assembled to help
newspapers remind readers and
customers of the services newspapers
and newspaper people provide and the
freedoms they protect. The Newspaper
Week kit has been a project of NAM
since 1940.
International Newspaper Carrier
Day is observed on Saturday during
National Newspaper Week, which is
on Oct. 10 this year.
TPA sponsors the kit for members
each year. Details about the kit and
theme will be available in September,
and members will be notified when the
items are available on TPA’s Web site,
www.tnpress.com.
Ensminger
Simonton
newspaper group.
Fame was established in 1966 to honor
those who have made outstanding
contributions to Tennessee
Newspaper journalism or, through
Tennessee journalism, to newspaper
journalism generally, or who have
made extraordinary contributions
to their communities and regions,
or the state, through newspaper
journalism. The program recognizes
and memorializes “extraordinary and
clearly outstanding” contributions
to newspaper journalism and the
newspaper industry.
T he pro g ram’s criteria and
procedures were established in 1966,
based on policies set jointly by TPA and
the UT Board of Trustees.
Hall of Fame portraits are on the
third floor of the Communications
Building on Circle Park Drive at UT,
Knoxville.
Selection of honorees is made
biennially by a five-member committee
of past presidents of TPA serving on
a staggered-term basis. No more than
four honorees may be selected at any
one time. Nominations are sought
in the fall of even-numbered years;
however, nominations may be made
at any time. Installation ceremonies
are held in the fall of odd-numbered
years. Five people are being honored
this year because Coleson was the only
one selected in a previous year, and an
induction was not held.
Financial underwriting for the
Tennessee Newspaper Hall of Fame is
provided by the TPA Foundation.
For information on the Tennessee
Newspaper Hall of Fame, visit the
Web site: http://www.tnpress.com/
halloffame.html or contact TPA at (865)
584-5761.
Contests judging
set in November
TPA will need members to help judge
the Kentucky Press Association’s
(KPA) contest in November. This is the
reciprocal judging that TPA owes KPA
for judging TPA’s contests for 2009.
There will be two judging sites this
year, one in Nashville on Nov. 12 and
one in Knoxville on Nov. 13. Details will
be available in the October edition of
The Tennessee Press and posted online
at www.tnpress.com.
No. 1
AUGUST 2009
Vol. 73
Parkins, Milan editor, becomes TPA president
Victor Parkins, editor of The Milan
Mirror-Exchange, is the new president
of the Tennessee Press Association
(TPA).
TPA is the trade association of the
state’s daily and non-daily newspapers.
It is composed of 27 daily newspapers
and 100 non-daily newspapers.
Parkins succeeds Tom Griscom,
editor and publisher of the Chattanooga
Times Free Press.
Parkins said that during his
presidency his goal is “to continue the
good work this association has achieved
over the years. We’ve got challenging
times ahead in regard to public notice
and openness in government.
“TPA can help your newspaper grow
and prosper if you use all the resources
we provide,” added Parkins. “We’re
doing lots of things to represent and
protect our member newspapers, from
public notice, to postal issues and open
government. TPA is your voice, and
we encourage all of our members to
become involved and use it as a channel
to better your newspapers.”
Other officers elected at TPA’s 140th
Anniversary Summer Convention June
18 and 19 in Chattanooga were Art
Powers, publisher of the Johnson City
Press, re-elected vice president for daily
newspapers; Jeff Fishman, publisher
of The Tullahoma News, elected vice
president for non-daily newspapers;
and Kevin Burcham, publisher of
ROB HELLER | UT - KNOXVILLE
At the 2008 Institute of Newspaper Technology, Fred Anders thinks about
a function of one of the newspaper programs he is learning.
Registrations arrive
from across U.S.
for 12th Institute
BY KEVIN SLIMP
TPS technology director
Registrations from all over the United
States have arrived for the Oct. 15
through 17 session of the Institute
of Newspaper Technology. With just
three months till designers, publishers,
editors and technology gurus from
newspapers of all sizes descend on
Knoxville, the event is approximately
70 percent filled.
Out-of-state registrations have been
especially encouraging, arriving at a
steady clip since registration began
in May. TPA members representing
all of the grand divisions of the state
have already registered. As a result,
all of the TPAF scholarships have been
used. TPA members can still receive a
$100 discount by registering online at
newspaperinstitute.com/tpa.html.
Classes related to various aspects
of print and online journalism are
available in October:
•Lisa Griffin will lead sessions in
basic InDesign and Illustrator, as well
as a class in editing photos in Camera
Raw.
•Jay Nelson, chief executive officer of
Design Tools Monthly, will be on hand
to lead a session in font management,
as well as an overview of new software
and hardware for ad design and
pagination.
•Rob Heller will teach hands-on
classes in audio slideshows, digital
photography and video for newspaper
Web sites.
•Lisa Snider, author of Photoshop
CS4: The Missing Manual, will teach
version
X II
.
on the topics “Quick Photo Fixes in
Photoshop” and “Graphic Secrets in
Photoshop.”
•Russell Viers will come to Knoxville
from Austria to lead classes in Adobe
Bridge, scripting in InDesign and
Advanced Illustrator.
•Kevin Slimp, Institute director, will
be on hand to teach classes in Adobe
Flash (Web animation), Advanced
InDesign, online journalism and fixing
problems in PDF files.
Shawn Duffy, managing director at
WoodWing USA, will be on hand at the
Thursday lunch to address the group
about WoodWing’s editorial system.
On Friday, Urban Jönér, director
of business development for Roxen
Internet Software, will speak to the
group about content management.
Jönér will come from Sweden.
To conclude the 2009 session of the
Institute of Newspaper Technology,
Tom Chester and Jack Lail, both from
the News Sentinel, Knoxville, and
Slimp will lead a discussion related to
the future of online journalism during
the closing banquet on Oct. 17.
For more information concerning
t h e I n s t i t u t e , v i s i t w w w.
newspaperinstitute.com. To check
availability of TPAF scholarships,
e-mail Kevin Slimp at kslimp@tnpress.
com.
the News-Herald, Lenoir City, elected
treasurer.
Directors elected for two-year terms
are Lynn Richardson, publisher of the
Herald And Tribune, Jonesborough,
director of District 1; Chris Vass,
Sunday editor of the Chattanooga
Times Free Press, director of District 3;
Hugh Jones, publisher of the Shelbyville
Times-Gazette, director of District
5; John Finney, vice president of the
Buffalo River Review, Linden, director
of District 7; and Joel Washburn, editor
of the Dresden Enterprise, director of
District 9. Griscom will continue on
the board for one year as director at
large.
Continuing their terms as directors
are Jack McElroy, editor of the News
Sentinel, Knoxville, director of District
2; Mike DeLapp, publisher of the
Herald-Citizen, Cookeville, director of
District 4; Ellen Leifeld, publisher of
The Tennessean, Nashville, director of
District 6; Brad Franklin, marketing
director of The Lexington Progress,
director of District 8; and Eric Barnes,
publisher of The Daily News, Memphis,
director of District 10.
The TPA Board of Directors elected
trustees to serve on the Tennessee Press
Association Foundation (TPAF) Board
of Trustees for three-year terms.
Re-elected trustees were Joe Albrecht,
Bob Atkins, David Critchlow Jr., R.
Jack Fishman, W.R. (Ron) Fryar, Dale
Parkins
Gentry, Tom Hill, Gregg K. Jones, John
M. Jones Jr., Sam D. Kennedy, Steve
Lake, Mike Pirtle, Pauline D. Sherrer,
Joel Washburn and Bill Williams.
Trustees elected to their first terms
were Jay Albrecht, Eric Barnes,
Tom Griscom, Art Powers and Keith
Wilson.
Of ficers and directors of the
Tennessee Press Service (TPS),
business affiliate of TPA, are Pauline D.
Sherrer, publisher, Crossville Chronicle,
president, and Michael Williams,
publisher, The Paris Post-Intelligencer,
vice president. Art Powers was elected
to serve as a director during the TPS
Stockholders’ Meeting on June 18.
Continuing to serve as directors are
Jeff Fishman, W. R. (Ron) Fryar and
Victor Parkins. Sherrer and Williams
were elected as officers at the May 8
TPS Board of Directors meeting.
Victor Parkins is the editor of
The Milan Mirror-Ex change, an
independently owned newspaper in
Gibson County. The newspaper was
founded in 1964 by his father, the
late Bob Parkins, and mother, Dorris
Parkins, who now serves as publisher.
Bob Parkins was president of TPA in
1991-92.
Victor Parkins was previously the
sports editor of The Milan MirrorExchange for 10 years. He became
editor in 2008.
He currently serves on the TPA,
TPS and TPAF boards. He has chaired
TPA’s Press Institute and Contests
committees and served on other
numerous other committees.
He is also currently the Tennessee
state chair man for the National
Newspaper Association and chairman
of the board of directors of Associated
Publishers Inc.
Parkins is the current president of
the Milan Chamber of Commerce and
a past Milan Lions Club president.
He is a graduate of UT-Martin with a
B.A. in marketing.
His hobbies include hunting, fishing,
real estate, family and grilling. He
currently holds the title for Milan’s best
burger in town, which was won at the
2008 Milan Burger Bash.
Parkins is one of eight children. He is
married to Carol Putman Parkins, who
is a high school guidance counselor.
They have two daughters, Jordan and
Holly.
Three of his siblings also work at
The Milan Mirror-Exchange, Melanie
Parkins Day, Scarlet Elliott and Paris
Parkins. The newspaper, with paid
circulation of 4,755, publishes weekly
on Tuesdays.
The TPA was founded in 1870-71
for the purpose of creating a unified
voice for the newspaper industry in
Tennessee. Today, TPA continues to
provide assistance to its 127 member
newspapers by monitoring legislative
activities, providing training programs,
issuing press credentials, maintaining
a Web site and providing regular
meetings and forums to foster the
exchange of information and ideas.
The TPA presidency rotates among
TPA’s three divisions of Tennessee,
east, middle and west, and alternates
each year between a daily and nondaily publication. It is customary
that, when a person is elected a vice
president, he or she will serve two
terms as vice president before being
elected president.
Like father, like son for new TPA president
BY STEVE SHORT
The Milan Mirror-Exchange
C
M
Y
K
When Victor Parkins accepted the
gavel as the new president of the
Tennessee Press Association June 19
in Chattanooga, he followed in the
footsteps of his old boss.
Victor’s dad, the late Bob Parkins, was
TPA president in 1991 and in leadership
roles for decades. He was also founder
and editor-reporter for 43 years of The
Milan Mirror-Exchange.
When Bob passed away suddenly at
age 78 last year, Victor moved from his
sports editor’s desk at the Mirror to his
father’s office, becoming editor of the
family-owned weekly.
Now, Victor takes the reins at TPA,
succeeding Tom Griscom of the
Chattanooga Times Free Press.
“I’m proud to follow in Dad’s footsteps,
even though they are huge shoes to
fill,” said Parkins. “I know he would
be proud, and I hope I can contribute
INSIDE
PARKINS
FORESIGHT
as much to TPA as he did. Dad was a
huge proponent of TPA and realized it
was a great resource for a small town
newspaper.”
Parkins has served on the TPA Board
of Directors since 2000.
“TPA is very family oriented and has
a ‘vacation’ style summer convention,”
he said. “As a child, I often attended
convention events. I became more
involved when Dad’s best friend, George
Whitley of Covington, nominated me
for the TPA board. Since then I’ve
learned a lot about the association.”
Parkins believes TPA offers many
benefits to newspapers across the
state.
“TPA services every aspect of
Tennessee newspapers,” he said. “We
have technical support, advertising
experts, and online training that keeps
you on the cutting edge. Our rights of
freedom of the press are constantly
under attack, and TPA has a strong
voice in Nashville.”
2
3
RESOLUTION
TPA COMMITTEES
ELENORA E. EDWARDS | TPS
At the installation luncheon June 19, Victor and Carol
Parkins get their first look at a special section about his
election to TPA president. Then he gets a hug from sister
Stressing the importance of public
notice, along with the ever-changing
3
4
BLUM
AD-LIBS
8
8
Melanie Parkins Day, who oversaw production of
the section on a day when Parkins was away from
The Milan Mirror-Exchange.
role of newspapers in a wireless
world, will be top priority for Parkins
GIBSON
SLIMP
9
11
this year.
SEE PARKINS, PAGE 3
IN CONTACT
Phone: (865) 584-5761
Fax: (865) 558-8687
Online: www.tnpress.com
CMYK
12
AUGUST 2009
Help us all grow and prosper
(USPS 616-460)
Published quarterly by the
TENNESSEE PRESS SERVICE, INC.
for the
TENNESSEE PRESS ASSOCIATION, INC.
435 Montbrook Lane
Knoxville, Tennessee 37919
Telephone (865) 584-5761/Fax (865) 558-8687/www.tnpress.com
Subscriptions: $6 annually
Periodicals Postage Paid At Knoxville,TN
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Tennessee Press,
435 Montbrook Lane, Knoxville,TN 37919.
The Tennessee Press is printed by The Standard Banner, Jefferson City.
Greg M. Sherrill.....................................................Editor
Elenora E. Edwards.............................Managing Editor
Robyn Gentile..........................Production Coordinator
Angelique Dunn...............................................Assistant
The Tennessee Press
is printed on recycled paper
and is recyclable.
www.tnpress.com
The Tennessee Press can be read on
CMYK
OFFICIAL WEB SITE OF THE TENNESSEE PRESS ASSOCIATION
TENNESSEE PRESS ASSOCIATION
Victor Parkins, The Milan Mirror-Exchange.........................................President
Art Powers, Johnson City Press...................................................Vice President
Jeff Fishman, The Tullahoma News..............................................Vice President
Kevin Burcham, The News-Herald, Lenoir City...................................Treasurer
Greg M. Sherrill, Knoxville....................................................Executive Director
DIRECTORS
Lynn Richardson, Herald And Tribune, Jonesborough........................District 1
Jack McElroy, News Sentinel, Knoxville..............................................District 2
Chris Vass, Chattanooga Times Free Press...........................................District 3
Mike DeLapp, Herald-Citizen, Cookeville.............................................District 4
Hugh Jones, Shelbyville Times-Gazette...............................................District 5
Ellen Leifeld, The Tennessean, Nashville..............................................District 6
John Finney, Buffalo River Review, Linden.........................................District 7
Brad Franklin, The Lexington Progress.................................................District 8
Joel Washburn, Dresden Enterprise.....................................................District 9
Eric Barnes, The Daily News, Memphis..............................................District 10
Tom Griscom, Chattanooga Times Free Press.......................................At large
TENNESSEE PRESS SERVICE
Pauline D. Sherrer, Crossville Chronicle..............................................President
Michael Williams, The Paris Post-Intelligencer............................Vice President
W. R. (Ron) Fryar, Cannon Courier, Woodbury......................................Director
Jeff Fishman, The Tullahoma News........................................................Director
Victor Parkins, The Milan Mirror-Exchange............................................Director
Art Powers, Johnson City Press............................................................Director
Greg M. Sherrill............................................................Executive Vice President
TENNESSEE PRESS ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION
W.R. (Ron) Fryar, Cannon Courier, Woodbury....................................President
Gregg K. Jones, The Greeneville Sun..........................................Vice President
Richard L. Hollow, Knoxville....................................................General Counsel
Greg M. Sherrill....................................................................Secretary-Treasurer
CONTACT THE MANAGING EDITOR
TPAers with suggestions, questions or comments about items in The Tennessee Press are welcome to contact the managing editor. Call Elenora E.
Edwards, (865) 457-5459; send a note to P.O. Box 502, Clinton, TN 37717-0502;
or e-mail [email protected]. The deadline for the October issue
is Sept. 14.
As your incoming president of the Tennessee
that increased readership come new opportunities
Press Association, let me say that I am deeply
for our customers.
humbled and honored to accept this position, and
Through the Tennessee Press Association, I urge
I look forward to leading the most powerful news
you to help us find new opportunities to grow and
association in our state this coming year.
prosper.
The newspaper industry in our country is facing
TPA has a number of challenging issues ahead
very serious challenges, and we all need to do our
this year. We’re continuing to fight the battle to
part to overcome these hurdles. We’ve come a long
keep public notices in our papers. We’ll surge
way over the past 10 years, from analog to digital
forward with our stance that all government bodies
to e-editions. We’ve seen some of the oldest and YOUR
operate in a transparent manner, and our voice in
largest newspapers in the country close their doors
Nashville, as well as with the U.S. Postal Service,
and claim bankruptcy, and many newspapers have PRESIDING remains strong.
stopped publishing on paper and have InternetAs your president, I challenge every one of our
REPORTER members
only editions.
to help us reach our goals. In some cases,
Some analysts believe that printed newspapers
you might be asked simply to pick up the phone and
as we know them will be gone in 10 years. Many Victor Parkins call your state representative or senator. Others
of those same experts said the same thing 10 years
will be called on to serve on committees and help
ago, but most of us are still here, and the ones of
organize events.
us that survive this economic downturn will be the strongest
We do all this so we can continue to serve our readers as the
when we come out on the other side.
state’s foremost advocate of free press, open government and
It’s no secret that some of us have faced layoffs as revenues the people’s right to know.
and readership decline. We’ve all struggled to find ways to
It is my pleasure to preside as your president over the next
make ends meet, using electronic media to deliver instant year, and I ask for help in making this association and industry
news, most of which we provide free.
more powerful than ever before.
We hear just about every day that we’re a dying industry,
My door is always open, and I welcome your suggestions and
but that is very far from the truth. Some of us are doing just comments. My e-mail address is victor@milanmirrorexchange.
fine. In fact, most of us are reaching more readers than ever com. You can reach me by phone at (731) 686-1632.
before with our print and online editions combined. With
Derryberry P.R. is newest associate member
Derryberry Public Relations was
accepted as TPA’s newest associate
member by the Board of Directors on
June 19. The company is located in
Chattanooga.
Derryberry Public Relations LLC
(DPR) began when Robin and Andy
Derryberry acquired the Chattanooga
Office of the original Ingram Group,
which was based in Nashville. Robin
originally opened the office for the
Ingram Group in 2002. When the
partners separated and diversified in
2006, the Derryberrys acquired the
Brysons sell Courier in
Woodbury to Fryars
Andy Bryson, a mainstay at the
Cannon Courier, Woodbury, since
1959 and the owner for the last 15
years, announced July 28 that he has
sold the newspaper to McMinnville
businessman W. R. (Ron) Fryar, a
veteran of the Tennessee newspaper
business, and his wife, Becky.
Although Bryson is leaving as
publisher and editor of the Courier,
the rest of the staff will retain their
positions and even assume additional
roles, Fryar said. Patricia Bryson,
Andy’s wife, will stay on as community
liaison. Bob Stoetzel will continue as
general assignment reporter. Teresa
Stoetzel remains in her positions of
bookkeeper, advertising representative,
office secretary and paginator.
Kevin Halpern has joined the staff
as print and electronic media editor.
Sean Parker will serve as community
features correspondent.
Fryar is president of the Tennessee
Press Association Foundation, a
director and former president of
Tennessee Press Service and a former
president of TPA.
Chattanooga office.
DPR is a full service public,
government and media relations
firm offering services to a diverse
client list. Among its services
are branding, public relations,
f u n d r a i s i n g , m e d i a re l at i o n s,
legislative advocacy, government
relations, marketing, special event
planning, strategic planning, Web
site design/development and crisis
communication strategies. Robin
Derryberry is president of the company
and the business is recognized as a
female-owned small business by the U.S.
Small Business Administration.
Derryberry Public Relations is located
in the Jack’s Alley area in downtown
Chattanooga.
Contacts Robin Derryberry, President,
and Andy Derryberry can be reached at
Derryberry Public Relations, by phone at
(423) 755-7588 or by fax at (423) 755-7589. Their
Web site is http://derryberrypr.com/.
Debt retired on TPA building
Four years and two months after
its completion, the building owned
by Tennessee Press Association
Foundation (TPAF) and leased to
Tennessee Press Association (TPA)
and Tennessee Press Service (TPS) has
been paid off.
“I can’t think of any item addressed by
the TPAF trustees during the planning
retreat three years ago more important,
besides the actual construction of TPA’s
headquarters, nor more ambitious,
than paying off the mortgage on the
building,” said W. R. (Ron) Fryar,
TPAF president. “Having achieved that
goal, on a much faster time table, the
Foundation now will be able to more
rapidly grow our endowment monies
and fund more newspaper requests
needing our support through the grant
application process. The trustees have
wisely shown their stewardship of
the Foundation’s vision and mission
statements.”
Greg Sherrill, TPAF secretarytreasurer and TPA executive director,
said, “This wonderful facility will
continue to serve the needs of TPA, TPS
and TPAF for many years to come. Now
that the debt is retired, the Foundation
is poised to rapidly grow its endowment
in order to provide assistance and
educational opportunities to newspaperrelated causes throughout our state,
in keeping with the key values of the
mission statement.”
The 8,000-square-foot building located
at 435 Montbrook Lane in Knoxville
was completed in April 2005 after two
years of planning and construction. The
cost was $987,500. In October 2007 the
appraised market value was $1,350,000.
TPAF invested the money from the sale
of its first building, built in 1990, into the
new facility. The loan for the difference
was not scheduled to be paid off until
September 2010.
“Being able to retire the note for the
new TPA headquarters will allow more
funds to be directed toward programs
that provide valuable information to
our members,” said Tom Griscom, who
was president of TPA when the debt
retirement announcement was made.
Prior to the Foundation-owned
buildings, TPA, TPAF and TPS were
housed in the University of Tennessee
Communications Building in
Knoxville.
The Tennessee Press
AUGUST 2009
11
Recommended hardware and software
BY KEVIN SLIMP
It was about two
years ago when Rob
Heller, instructor
at UT, mentioned
t h at we s h o u l d
start offering
Soundslides classes
at the Institute
of Newspaper
Slimp
Te ch n o l o g y. H e
explained that it
was the easiest way to get a high-quality
audio slideshow online with minimal
effort. Not long afterward, I was having
lunch with Jack Lail and Tom Chester
from the News Sentinel, Knoxville,
when the topic of Soundslides came up
again. Sure enough, they said it was the
only way they created audio slideshows
for their Web sites.
Soon afterwards, we started offering
Soundslides classes at the Institute, and
they were a big hit. Everyone seemed
surprised at how easy it was to create
an audio slideshow for a newspaper
Web site. So now, almost two years
later, it seems like a good time to kick
the tires and take the latest version
of Soundslides for a ride around the
block.
First, some background information.
Joe Weiss, whose resume includes
stints as interactive producer at The
News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C.,
director of photography at The HeraldSun in Durham, N.C. and multimedia
producer at MSNBC.com, first began
creating audio slideshows in 1992.
Working in Flash, Weiss would go
through the painstaking process of
creating audio slideshows. Over time,
he created a utility that automated
much of the Flash programming.
It took more than two years, but
Soundslides was born in 1995. At first,
Soundslides was Mac compatible only,
but recent versions are available on
both the Mac and PC platforms.
In a nutshell, Soundslides is a
simple application that allows you to
take photos and audio and put them
together into a Flash slideshow that
can be placed on your newspaper Web
site. Soundslides doesn’t edit photos
or create audio. It simply takes folders
of photos and mp3 (audio) files and
merges them with excellent results.
After opening Soundslides for the
first time, I created my first audio
slideshow in less than 20 minutes. And
that included creating the audio for the
slideshow.
As mentioned, Soundslides doesn’t
edit photos or audio, so that’s done
in advance. Audio can come from
any source that can be converted to
mp3, a popular digital audio format.
This includes most audio that would
be recorded from a digital audio
recorder or recorded on a computer. It’s
important to remember that the length
of the audio slideshow is determined
by the length of audio.
Using the software couldn’t be much
simpler. Upon starting the application,
HOW TO CONTACT US
Tennessee Press Association
Mail: 435 Montbrook Lane,
Knoxville, TN 37919
Phone: (865) 584-5761
Fax: (865) 558-8687
Web: www.tnpress.com
E-mail: (name)@tnpress.com
Those with boxes, listed
alphabetically:
Laurie Alford (lalford)
Pam Corley (pcorley)
The Soundslides desktop appears immediately after
the user selects a folder of jpg files and an audio
file. Afterwards, audio slideshows can be exported
the user is instructed to select a folder.
Jpeg (photo) files in the designated
folder are distributed throughout the
slideshow. Next the user is prompted to
select a sound (mp3) file. In a matter of
seconds, Soundslides imports the audio
and opens the slideshow.
At this point, the user could simply
export the audio slideshow and upload
the resulting folder of files to a Web
site. However, there’s a lot more that
can be done in Soundslides. Timing
can be altered to allow more time
for some photos and less for others.
Templates can be selected with
different background colors, fonts and
layout options. Photos can be moved,
added and deleted. After all changes
have been made, the audio slideshow
never changes.Once you’re happy
with your results, click on the Export
button, and a folder of files is created
that can be uploaded “as is” to a Web
site. After creating a link on a Web
page, the resulting audio slideshow
will appear on its own page in your
Internet browser.
For users wishing to build a slideshow
directly onto a Web page, Soundslides
provides a method for creating a
custom code that can be used on most
Web sites. Mine worked perfectly. To
see the results, visit www.kevinslimp.
com and watch the slideshow on the
right sidebar.
Soundslides comes in two flavors.
The $39 version does everything I’ve
described. Soundslides Plus ($69) adds
the following: pan and zoom (aka “ken
burns” effect); the ability to use lower
thirds; full-screen playback mode;
and the ability to create slide shows
without audio.
Sure, you could create audio
slideshows in iMovie, Vegas or another
video editing application. But it’s so
much easier in Soundslides. For more
information, visit www.soundslides.
com.
The Photoshop manual
you’ve been looking for
I was perusing the graphic design
section at a bookstore a few weeks ago,
looking in particular for a book related
to iMovie ’09. I found a great book by
David Pogue and Aaron Miller titled
immediately, or changes can be made before creating
the slideshow.
Holly Craft
[[email protected]]
Angelique Dunn (adunn)
Beth Elliott (belliott)
Robyn Gentile (rgentile)
Earl Goodman (egoodman)
Rhonda Graham (rgraham)
Kathy Hensley (khensley)
Barry Jarrell (bjarrell)
Greg Sherrill (gsherrill)
Kevin Slimp (kslimp)
Captions can be added that will appear below photos in Soundslides. In
addition, photos can be set to display for longer or shorter periods.
DEADLINE
for the October issue
of The Tennessee Press
is Sept. 14.
Send your news
to Elenora E. Edwards,
[email protected],
or call (865) 457-5459.
Advertising e-mail:
Knoxville office:
[email protected]
Tennessee Press Service
Knoxville area—
Knoxville, TN 37919
Phone: (865) 584-5761
Fax: (865) 558-8687
Nashville area—
Toward a new model
iMovie ’09 & iDVD: The Missing Manual
(Pogue Press/O’Reilly, 2009). This led
me down the shelf to several “Missing
Manuals” from O’Reilly.
The one that grabbed my attention
was Photoshop CS4: The Missing
Manual (Pogue Press/O’Reilly, 2009)
by Lesa Snider King. This might be
the best Photoshop book I’ve read. And
I’ve read a lot of them. What impressed
me most is the attention to detail and
colorful illustrations.
The book, which lists for $50, is
available from most major bookstores
and online at missingmanuals.com.
“The only way to save journalism
is to develop a new model that finds
profit in truth, vigilance and social
responsibility.”
Philip Meyer, journalism professor
University of North Carolina, 2004
Phone: (615) 472-8259
Fax: (615) 472-8260
Tennessee Press
Association Foundation
Knoxville, TN 37919
Phone: (865) 584-5761
The Courier,
Savannah,
has made its
annual contribution
to the
Tennessee Press
Fax: (865) 558-8687
Read The Tennessee Press
—then pass it on!
CMYK
The Tennessee Press
2
AUGUST 2009
The Tennessee Press
AUGUST 2009
3
PARKINS: Like father, like son
FORESIGHT
2009
FROM PAGE ONE
“There is so much speculation about
the future of newspapers across
America,” he said. “Newspapers are
in a transition stage of how we deliver
news to our customers. We’ve changed
a lot in the last 10 years or so, and
we’ll continue to change. As TPA
president, I feel a responsibility to help
our members stay informed of those
changes and realize how we can use
them to our advantage.”
Newspaper life
Parkins, his six sisters and brother
all worked at the family-owned MirrorExchange.
“I started on-the-job training in
elementary school,” he recalled. “I
walked from school to the newspaper
office to stuff inserts for the paper. I
worked on and off through high school
and college, mostly helping distribute
the paper on press day.”
A 1987 graduate of Milan High School
where he was a player on the tradition-
DAVID GRACE | KINGSPORT TIMES-NEWS
David Grace of the Kingsport Times-News is the winner of the Tennessee
AP member photo contribution of the month for May 2009 for his picture
of beekeeper Isaiah Hess trying to coax a swarm off a signpost May 20
in Kingsport.
CMYK
No Ad/Circ Retreat this fall
T h e A dve r t i s i n g / C i rc u l at i o n
Managers’ Retreat will not occur this
year. Instead, members of the TPA
Advertising and Circulation committees
will meet by teleconferences to plan the
spring 2010 Advertising/Circulation
Conference. Reasons for not holding
a retreat are largely economic. Many
newspaper staff members are not
allowed to travel or cannot afford the
time away from the office; the 2008
retreat was poorly attended; and the
2009 conference suffered a financial
loss because of a 40 percent lower than
usual attendance.
Several other TPA committees
routinely handle planning work by
teleconference. If one is interested
in serving on the Advertising or
Circulation committee, please
contact its chairman: Advertising
Committee chairman, Kerri Meeks,
The Tullahoma News, (931) 455-4545, or
Circulation Committee chairman, Don
Lovelace, Citizen Tribune, Morristown,
(423) 581-5630.
Advertising Placement Snapshot
ROP:
Network:
May 2009: $ 449,648
$ 55,121
June 2009: $ 365,350
$ 71,505
Year* as of June 30:
$2,812,010
423,151
*The Tennessee Press Service Inc. fiscal year runs Dec. 1 through Nov. 30.
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DAVE BOYD | JOHNSON CITY PRESS
Dave Boyd of the Johnson City Press was the winner of theTennessee member AP photo contribution of the month
for April 2009 for his picture of firefighters trying to control a fire April 13 in downtown Johnson City.
Community newspaper companies doing OK ENGRAVINGS
Community newspaper companies
participating in a Suburban
Newspapers of America (SNA)/
National Newspaper Association
(NNA) survey are doing a better job
of weathering the nation’s economy,
with a majority reporting no staff
reductions and the launch of new
products in the past year.
T h e r e p o r t i n g g r o u p ’s t o t a l
advertising revenue declined 18.7
percent in the first quarter of 2009.
While greater than in past quarters, the
numbers are considerably better than
the industry-wide drop of 28.28 percent
in total advertising expenditures for
first quarter 2009 as reported by the
Newspaper Association of America
(NAA).
Further, the SNA/NNA first quarter
results come on top of a small decline
for first quarter 2008 (2.7 percent).
Comparatively, the overall industry
decline of 28 percent for the quarter is
on top of a nearly 13 percent industry-
wide decline for first quarter 2008
(Source: NAA). Community papers
continue to outperform the industry
as a whole.
The first quarter 2009 SNA/NNA
reporting group, representing 46
newspaper companies with a total
circulation of 17.6 million, cited the bad
economy and specifically the impact on
real estate and automotive advertising
as reasons for the decline.
“T he industry as a whole is
challenged by debt servicing expense,
multiple media competition, and a
recession that has spurred climbing
unemployment that has resulted in
reduced retail sales and advertising
expenditures,” notes NNA President
John W. Stevenson, publisher of the
Randolph Leader in Roanoke, Ala. “It’s
that last item, the economy, that most
impacts community newspapers, and
community newspapers are typically
positioned to grow as the economy
turns around.”
(NNA)
TWO NEW WAYS TO
MAKE MONEY WITH METRO ONLINE
CATHY AGEE AT 800.223.1600 FOR FURTHER INFO
WWW.METROCREATIVECONNECTION.COM
CALL
For their work to help rural journalists
tackle tough stories and keep rural
communities informed, the Institute
for Rural Journalism and Community
Issues and its director, Al Cross,
received this year’s Media Award
from the East Kentucky Leadership
Foundation.
The foundation sponsors a two-day
conference every April to discuss issues
important to Eastern Kentucky and
makes a variety of awards to people
and institutions whose work has helped
the region.
“We accept this award as both a
compliment and a challenge,” said
Cross. “Our work began in Central
Appalachia and will always continue
there. But we also have a national
mission, and the challenge is to remain
rooted in the region while spreading
our branches to rural areas all over
the nation.”
The Institute has academic partners
at 25 universities in 16 states, including
Tennessee and every other adjoining
state, plus Alaska, Alabama, Georgia,
Iowa, Maine, Mississippi, North
Carolina and Pennsylvania. It is based in
the University of Kentucky’s School of
Journalism and Telecommunications,
where Cross is an assistant professor.
The Institute was created in 2001.
(The Rural Blog)
TRACKS
T I M E LY
F E AT U R E S
MICROSITES
READY-TODEPLOY-ANDSELL THEMED
SITES
ONLINE AD
DESIGN TOOL
METRO
INTERACTIVE
AD DESIGNER
(Mi AD)
Claudia Johnson, former writer for
the Pulaski Citizen and The Giles Free
Press, Pulaski, and most recently editor
of the Cumberland Business Journal,
Cookeville, has left the publication to
become executive director of the Sgt.
Alvin C. York Patriotic Foundation.
Members of the Parkins family gather at the summer
convention. (From left) Front row: Austyn Dunnebacke,
Deborah Lee Day, Holly Parkins, Dorris Parkins,
Demi Elliott, Bob Alan Elliott, Clay Elliott. Back row:
Dewitt Day, Melanie Parkins Day, Paris Parkins, Carol
Parkins, Tamara Parkins Dunnebacke, Jordan Parkins,
Victor Parkins, Deborah Parkins Ayers, Scarlet Parkins
Elliott, Kendall Parkins, Crystal Parkins, Donna Parkins,
Denton Parkins and Walker Parkins
Resolution
RESOLUTION OF THE TPA BOARD OF DIRECTORS IN SUPPORT OF HR
2727,the ‘FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY RESTORATION ACT’
WHEREAS, The Tennessee Press Association advocates for its member
newspapers’ ability to publish information that citizens need to make informed
decisions about their lives; and
WHEREAS, HR 2727 better known as the ‘Financial Transparency Restoration
Act’ has gained the necessary support to be introduced to The United States
Congress to be passed into law; and
WHEREAS, For approximately 70 years, national banks were required by an
Act of Congress to publish statements of condition in newspapers where they
‘did business’ and this act will restore the responsibilities to publicly disclose
financial position of banks; and
WHEREAS, in 1994, this requirement was repealed by an Act of Congress with
no public hearing or explanation; and
WHEREAS, the Public ought to have access to the statements of financial
condition of all financial institutions; and
WHEREAS, this act will require publication of a Statement of Condition
within 30 days after the end of each fiscal quarter of any financial institution,
in a newspaper of general circulation published in a city or county within each
market area in which the financial institution is located, or if no newspaper of
general circulation is publishing in such city or county, then the newspaper of
general circulation published nearest such city or county; and
WHEREAS, publication of Statements will result in the public having access
to financial condition of banks which would have helped to disclose insolvency;
and therefore be it RESOLVED, that the Tennessee Press Association encourages
passage of HR 2727 thus requiring publication of a Bank’s Statement of Condition
and further that TPA specifically requests the Tennessee Congressional
Delegation become engaged in helping to pass HR 2727.
June 19, 2009
Board supports act
The TPA Board of Directors at its
June 19 meeting adopted the resolution
at left in support of the Banking in
Transparency Act.
TRACKS
Sadie Fowler, a newsroom staff
member at the Shelbyvile TimesGazette, has been promoted to lifestyles
editor. She is a graduate of Syracuse
University and formerly was editorial
director for The Walking Horse
Report.
|
Jacquta Burke has been named
advertising manager of The Paris
Post-Intelligencer. She succeeds Laura
Dougherty, who left the paper in
April.
|
Lillian Aber nathy, creative
services/pre-press manager of The
News Examiner, Gallatin, has resigned
from the newspaper. She had been
with The News Examiner for 11 years.
She plans to open her own creative
design company, L.A. Creative09, and
to provide care for her grandson.
rich Bulldog football team, Parkins
earned a marketing degree from the
University of Tennessee-Martin in 1991
and started working for a local radio
station selling ads. “It didn’t take long
to realize that I couldn’t compete with
the local newspaper, which my family
owned and operated,” he said.
He joined the Mirror in 1993 and
became sports editor in 1996. Today he
is editor; his mother, Dorris, is ownerpublisher; and the staff includes three
sisters, Melanie, Scarlet and Paris.
“I love working at the paper and
promoting the people of Milan,” he
said. “I owe everything I am and have
to the greatest parents a person could
ever wish for. They were and are the
hardest working people on earth,
and they taught us the importance of
hard work. Mom and Dad founded the
paper in 1964 and built it into what it
is today.”
Civic, professional involvement
of Directors, as a Tennessee Press
Service director, TPA Foundation
trustee and Tennessee state chairman
for the National Newspaper
Association. He is past chairman of
the winter Press Institute, a member
of the TPA Postal Committee, past
chairman of TPA Contests Committee
and graduate of the TPS Institute of
Newspaper Technology.
He is chairman of the board of
directors for the Associated Publishers
Inc. newspaper group and is a member
of the Tennessee Sports Writers
Association.
Active in his hometown of Milan,
Parkins is president of the Milan
Chamber of Commerce and previously
chaired the Education Committee
and Industrial and Infrastructure
Committee.
He is past president of the Milan
Lions Club and club reporter for 14
years and served as chairman of
Gibson County Ducks Unlimited. He
served as president and director for
Milan Girls Softball and vice president
and treasurer of the Milan Lady
Bulldog Softball Club.
He is a Sunday school teacher at the
Sitka Church of Christ and a member
of the West Tennessee Agricultural
Museum Advisory Board.
An avid outdoorsman, Parkins enjoys
hunting, fishing, real estate interests,
family activities and grilling. He holds
the current title of “Best Burger in
Town” at the Milan Burger Bash.
Victor and wife, Carol, have been
married 11 years and have two
daughters, Jordan, 20, and Holly, 9.
TRACKS
Chuck Morley, a 35-year newspaper
veteran, has been named general
manager of the Thomaston (Ga.)
Times. He is a journalism graduate of
East Tennessee State University and
began his newspaper career at the
Johnson City Press.
SEPTEMBER
10-12: SNPA Workshop for
Smaller Newspapers, Holiday
Inn Crowne Plaza Ravinia,
Atlanta, Ga.
14: Newspaper Carrier Day
14-18: Imagination Library
Week
16-18: SNPA Traveling Campus, Knoxville
17: Constitution Day
18-20: 106th Annual SNPA
Convention, Ritz Carlton,
Naples, Fla.
Smaller Newspapers, Marriott City Center, Charlotte,
N.C.
23-26: National Conference of
Editorial Writers, Hilton
Hotel,Salt Lake City, Utah
24-27: NNA 123rd Convention
and Trade Show, Renaissance
Riverview Plaza Hotel, Mobile, Ala.
OCTOBER
1: SNPA Publishers Forum,
host Art Powers, Johnson
City Press, Johnson City
4-10: National Newspaper Week
10: International Newspaper
Carrier Day
version
X II
.
15-17: Institute of Newspaper
Technology, Knoxville
18-20: SNPA News Industry
Summit (Annual Convention),
Naples, Fla.
28-30: Newspaper Association
of America Conference, Hyatt
Regency St. Louis Riverfront,
St. Louis, Mo.
28-30: The Associated Press Annual Conference, St. Louis,
Mo.
NOVEMBER
6: Tennessee Newspaper Hall
of Fame induction, Knoxville
12: TPAers judge Kentucky
Press Association newspaper
contest, Nashville
contest, Knoxville
DECEMBER
15: Bill of Rights Day
TRACKS
Larry Bowers, former executive
editor of the Cleveland Daily Banner,
has returned as associate editor-news.
He succeeds Beth Foster, who left the
newspaper to pursue other interests.
|
Bob Benz, after 12 years in Tennessee,
and wife, Lara Edge, have moved
to Las Vegas. He has taken a job
with Greenspun Corp. as executive
vice president of Greenspun Media
Group, which includes their interactive
division and their local media assets.
Edge was laid off from her job at
Scripps Networks Interactive and
earlier was managing editor of the
News Sentinel, Knoxville.
.
CMYK
The Tennessee Press
10
Parkins names chairmen of 14 TPA committees
Victor Parkins, TPA president, has
appointed committee chairmen to lead
in association efforts for 2009-10. The
chairmen will be working over the
next few weeks to fill their committee
rosters.
One should contact these chairmen
if he or she is interested in serving on
a committee or committees.
They are as follows:
Advertising Committee: Kerri
M e e k s, T h e Tu l l a h o m a N e w s ,
[email protected]
Circulation Committee: Don
[email protected]
Constitution and Bylaws
Committee: Steve Lake, Pulaski
Citizen, steve.lake@pulaskicitizen.
com
C o n t e s t s C o m m i t t e e : Mark
Stevens, The Erwin Record, mstevens@
erwinrecord.net
Government Affairs Committee:
Elizabeth K. Blackstone, Kennedy
Newspapers, Columbia, erfkb@
bellsouth.net
Hall of Fame Committee: UT
School of Journalism director or
designee: Dr. Paul Ashdown, UT
Journalism Education Committee:
Michael Williams, The Paris PostIntelligencer, michael_williams@
parispi.net
NIE/Literacy Committee: Lu Shep
Baldwin, Jones Media, Athens, lushep.
[email protected]
Nominating Committee: Tom
Griscom, Chattanooga Times Free
Press, [email protected]
Personnel Committee: Kevin
Burcham, News-Herald, Lenoir City,
[email protected]
Postal Committee: Mike Fishman,
Citizen Tribune, Morristown, ctpub@
lcs.net
Press Institute Committee:
Joel Washburn, Dresden Enterprise,
[email protected]
Public Notice Committee: Jeff
Fishman, The Tullahoma News,
[email protected]
Technology Committee: Alan
Broyles, Johnson City Press, abroy@
johnsoncitypress.com
Normally, a Summer Convention
chairman would be named. However, for
2010, TPA will be joining the Arkansas
and Mississippi press associations for
a Tri-State Press Convention in Tunica,
Miss. TPA will have two members
serve on a committee with Arkansas
and Mississippi representatives
t o d e v e l o p t h e c o nv e n t i o n ’ s
programming. Committee rosters
will be listed in the October issue of
The Tennessee Press.
CMYK
Washburn leads Winter Convention Committee
Joel Washburn,
editor of The
McKenzie Banner,
has been appointed
chair man of the
Press Institute
Committee, which
plans the annual
T PA w i n t e r
Washburn
convention. TPA
President Victor Parkins made the
appointment.
“I've worked with Joel for several
years in the newspaper business, and
I've grown to respect him as a journalist
and publisher,” said Parkins. “His work
ethic stands tall above others, and he is
a creative thinker. Joel took on this big
job without hesitation and has hit the
ground running. We're looking forward
to a great Winter Convention.”
Washburn started working at his
family-owned newspaper at the age of
9 by sweeping floors and running letter
presses. He began work full time in 1979
in advertising sales and reporting. He
was named managing editor in 1985.
He manages the corporation of two
weekly newspapers, The McKenzie
Banner and the Dresden Enterprise,
and a separate online newspaper, www.
tricountystar.com.
Washburn represents District 9
on the TPA Board of Directors. He
previously served as a member of
the Press Institute Committee and
currently serves on the Constitution
& Bylaws Committee.
If one has ideas to share for the 2010
Press Institute and Winter Convention
or would like to be part of the committee,
please contact Washburn at (731) 3523323 or washburn@mckenziebanner.
com.
The Press Institute Committee
will survey members to determine
what types of sessions to offer for
the Drive-In Training, which focuses
on newspaper staffers. The survey
also will ask for success stories in
the areas of advertising, circulation,
editorial and promotion for a session
featuring these successes that other
newspapers can adapt and use. The
link to the survey, on the home page
of www.tnpress.com, will be available
through Aug. 31.
Tentative convention dates are Feb.
10 through 12.
TRACKS
Rhodarmer named publisher of the Advocate & Democrat
Mia Rhodarmer
has been named
publisher of
t h e M o n r o e
County Advocate
& Democrat,
S w e e t w a t e r,
announced Tommy
Wilson, vice
Rhodarmer
president of the
Jones Media Inc.’s Valley Division and
publisher of The Daily Post-Athenian,
Athens. Rhodarmer will retain the title
and responsibilities of editor.
“Mia came to us in 2000 as a reporter
and has displayed exceptional skills
as an editor and the leader of our
newsroom. In October 2008, Mia was
named general manager,” Wilson
said.
“Since that time, Mia has shown her
leadership strengths go far beyond the
newsroom and has done an exceptional
job of managing the business side of
the newspaper.”
“I appreciate this opportunity Jones
Media has given me and the support
of the people I work with,” Rhodarmer
said. “I have enjoyed learning more
about the business side of the
newspaper and look forward to leading
our newspaper during this changing
time in our industry. I am dedicated to
producing a high-quality community
newspaper that meets the needs of our
readers and advertisers.”
Rhodar mer’s past newspaper
experience includes working at The
Macon News in her hometown of
Franklin, N.C. and The McDowell
News in Marion, N.C. She graduated
from the University of North CarolinaAsheville in 1999 with a degree in mass
communication and attended graduate
school at Murray State University,
Murray, Ky.
Rhodarmer is a member of the
Society of Professional Journalists
and serves as president of the East
Tennessee chapter. She is a member
of the Sweetwater Kiwanis Club and
serves on the board of the United
Way of Monroe County. She and her
husband, Charlie, live in the Ball
Play community. He is director of
the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum in
Vonore.
(Monroe County Advocate and
Democrat, July 5, 2009)
Advocate & Democrat
changes press days
Effective with the July 5 edition, the
Monroe County Advocate & Democrat,
Sweetwater, changed its publication
days. Formerly published on Sunday,
Wednesday and Friday, the newspaper
now publishes Sunday, Tuesday and
Thursday.
Mia Rhodar mer is editor and
publisher of the newspaper, owned
by Jones Media Inc., which is based in
Greeneville.
AUGUST 2009
How Network ads benefit
TPA members, associates
BY BETH ELLIOTT
Network advertising manager
Are you taking full
advantage of the
revenue-generating
programs provided
by Tennessee Press
Service: TnSCAN
(classified), TnDAN
(display) and
Elliott
TnNET (online)?
M e m b e r
newspapers:
Imagine that your TPA dues have been
paid for you. This is no dream. In most
cases, the annual rebates from TnSCAN
and TnDAN programs alone equal more
than your paper pays in TPA dues! Last
year, each participating newspaper
received an average of $1,940 just for
publishing the ads each week. There’s
more, so keep reading.
Tennessee’s Network ads can fill
remnant space and can help build
your classified section. TnDAN ads
are small display ads that can be
placed in your ROP section wherever
you wish. TnSCAN ads are classified
line ads that can be incorporated with
your regular classifieds to help build
your classified section. You choose
the day of publication and the section
for these ads to best meet your space
needs. The newest network is TnNET
for medium rectangle online ads. The
code for TnNET ads can be placed
anywhere on your Web site. TnNET can
help fill underutilized space on your
newspaper’s Web site.
Not only can Network ads be used to
fill space, but your staff can sell the ads
and your newspaper keeps 40 percent
commission. These days, 40 percent
commission is unheard of ! Is your
newspaper taking FULL advantage?
Sales materials are available 24/7 on
www.tnpress.com/statewides/. Contact
TPS for the username and password.
Tennessee’s Advertising Networks
benefit TPA member newspapers by
giving rebates, filling space and by
providing an unbelievable commission.
How do the Networks benefit TPA
associate members?
TPA associate members:
You can have one point of contact to
get your message out across a region
of Tennessee, the entire state or even
nationwide. Plus, Network advertising
rates fit any budget, large and small.
have simplified multiple-newspaper
advertising. Whether you need a
classified line ad, small display ad
or medium-rectangle online ad, your
local participating newspaper or TPS
can help.
Rates are heavily discounted because
the Advertising Networks are a
cooperative operated by TPS on behalf
of the TPA members. Network buys are
an excellent value if you are looking
for extensive circulation at a bareminimum cost per thousand.
Service is in our name, so contact
Tennessee Press Service at (865) 5845761 x117 or [email protected]
if you have any questions or need
assistance.
TRACKS
Nell Scott, with more than 40 years
of service to the Weakley County
Press, Martin, has been named office
manager. Five-year newsroom veteran
Sabrina Bates assumes her new role
as news editor.
“Nell has fulfilled a variety of roles
for the Press for many years and
has done an excellent job for us,”
said Publisher David Critchlow Sr.
“She and Linda Stockton, manager
of the circulation and classified ad
departments, have long been the faces
of the Weakley County Press.”
Scott has worked at the Press since
January 1963, except for a couple
years on two different occasions, once
when she moved and another time for
family. She has been a typist, in page
composition and as society editor, as
well as other duties when needed.
Bates started at the Press in August
2004 as a reporter, later becoming chief
staff writer.
|
Tom R. Duggin, sports editor since
2005, has been promoted to editor of the
Smithville Review. He succeeds longtime
editor and publisher Dennis Stanley.
Duggin is a native and lifelong resident
of DeKalb County and is a member of
the Chamber of Commerce Board of
Directors and of the Dowelltown City
Council. Angie Meadows will continue
as advertising director, and Melissa
Yarbrough will serve as graphics designer and assist with customer service
and relations.
Remember to publish
Statement of Ownership
Every newspaper soon will need to
file the annual periodical Statement
of Ownership with the local post office.
It is called PS Form 3526 Statement of
Ownership, Management and Circulation and should be filed in October. One
can download a PDF from www.usps.
com/forms/_pdf/ps3526.pdf.
News give and take
www.tnpress.com
The Tennessee Press
AUGUST 2009
9
It’s too easy to close records and meetings
The two biggest surprises from the just-ended
legislative session were the unprecedented
high number of bills affecting open records and
meetings, public notices and an assortment of
other First Amendment issues and the failure in
the Senate to close gun carry permit files.
The 30 bills represented three times the norm for
a single year in a two-year session. We dealt with
several of them, but unfortunately more than 20
are likely to return in January. Even though 2010 is
an election year, we expect more to be filed.
Some of the deferred legislation is very bad,
which means we have a lot of homework to do this
summer and fall on such issues as closing police
records, changes in public notice laws and possible
changes to established libel law.
The high number of bills—many of them broader
than they need to be and some that are not needed
at all—underscores a serious need to provide more
comprehensive scrutiny of this legislation. That’s
the only chance we have to slow down the number
of exemptions added each year.
Passage of legislation to seal gun permit records
seemed pre-ordained after a decade of trying,
after guns were permitted in public parks and
restaurants that serve alcohol. The obsession of
lawmakers to extend gun rights for the 4 percent
of Tennesseans with carry permits made the
situation worse.
Of the more than 60 gun bills filed this year, 12
proposed to close permit records, even records
of convicted felons whose permits are revoked.
Ten bills would have made it a crime to publish
anything from a permit file, but we were able to
get those provisions rolled back.
On the day before the Senate adjourned for the
year, the bill closing the records received 14 votes,
three short of the constitutional majority needed
to pass. Five Republicans and one Democrat did
not vote, prompting the Senate sponsor, Majority
Leader Mark Norris, to bemoan published reports
that said some supporters had a last-minute change
of heart and decided these public records should
remain open.
Norris told reporters he was “bothered by the fact
that there are apparently political campaigns and
candidates that want to use the database for their
purposes. The senators in the chamber tonight
were split on what they thought was reasonable,
and a number of them obviously took a walk. I
presented it as the Senate sponsor and did the
best I could.”
Norris did not mention that among the groups
that had obtained the database with names and
addresses of 220,000 permit holders was the
Tennessee Republican Party, but a vote minutes
before confirmed his assessment. An amendment
that would restrict access to the “entire” database
but leave individual records open failed.
That compromise would have prevented the list
from being posted on a Web site and was the same
solution Virginia approved earlier this year.
It would take an intermediate level political
science course to analyze what transpired before
the vote, but the winning arguments by Sens. Joe
Haynes, Minority Leader Jim Kyle and Democrat
Caucus Chairman Roy Herron was that the issue
had nothing to do with gun rights and everything to
do with government transparency. Haynes received
TPA’s Open Government Award in February.
Some lawmakers grappled for weeks to find a way
to deny access to the press but leave the records
open for everyone else. That would have been as
constitutionally futile as attempting to punish a
newspaper for publishing gun permit information.
The state attorney general, citing the 1971 U.S.
Supreme Court decision in the Pentagon Papers
case, had noted in an opinion last year that any
penalty for publication could be
government buildings, including all
successfully challenged as a prior
surveillance audio and videotapes
restraint.
and information about the location
Never mentioned in the public
of hazardous materials such as
debate was the fact that the
controlled substances (drugs), toxic
legislation would have closed
or reactive materials, ingredients for
information on future permits
toxic or reactive materials (nuclear),
issued because the database with
weapons, explosives and hazardous
220,000 permit holders was already
biological materials.
in the public domain.
Under language we negotiated,
TENNESSEE
Bills that passed
segments of the surveillance tape
Of the seven bills that passed COALITION
“may be made public when they
this year, three involved the
include an act or incident involving
Sunshine Law. That was a record FOR OPEN
public safety or security or possible
in itself, because we have gone GOVERNMENT criminal activity.” The hazardous
years without anyone tampering
materials language was removed.
with the open meetings law. We
Corrections: If someone asks to be
Frank Gibson
were able to mitigate some of the
notified when an inmate is released
damage in four of the seven bills,
from prison or parole, information
and three passed in their original form.
that would identify or help locate the citizen
Sunshine Law changes
making the request would be confidential under
Labor negotiations: Under Senate Bill 540, SB894.
governing bodies will be able to close their
Public employee files: Information about
meetings to discuss strategy in upcoming public employee health savings accounts or
negotiations with employee unions. Previously, private retirement savings and pension accounts
the law allowed public negotiating committees will be confidential just as is information in their
to meet privately, but the legislation by Sen. Bill personnel files about bank accounts and other
Ketron of Murfreesboro extended that to the personal information, including home addresses
full legislative body. Face-to-face negotiations and personal telephone numbers.
remain public under the Sunshine Law at TCA
Issues pending
8-44-201.
We were able to get several issues deferred until
Internet chat: Under Senate Bill 832, next year, but unless they can be worked out in
governing bodies can set up Internet chat the interim, we would expect to see them again
rooms for members to communicate outside next year. They include:
public meetings, if the body provides notice it
Public notices on government Web sites: The
is using such technology and makes computer association that represents county mayors and
access available to the public. Members county executives wants to amend state law to say
cannot use the chat rooms to deliberate, posting public notices on county-operated Web
and no body is allowed to implement such a sites satisfies statutory publication requirements.
system without first getting approval from the If other groups of county and city officials join
Office of Open Records Counsel (OORC) in the that effort, we could face a challenge keeping
state comptroller’s office. The OORC has to public notices independent and verifiable.
certify that accommodations are being made
Police records: The City of Murfreesboro wants
for the public. The project is an extension of
a pilot”program that operated for a year in
Knox County.
Internal audits: Senate Bill 2042. Certain
meetings and work product records of special,
local audit committees and internal auditors
Art Powers, publisher of the Johnson City
would be closed. The audit committees must Press, will serve as host to a Southern Newspaper
meet the requirements of state law and the Publishers Association Publishers Forum Oct. 1
state comptroller’s office before they can be in Johnson City.
created. The committees must be independent,
Publishers from newspapers from several
which means an audit committee with multiple nearby states that are members of SNPA will be
members of the legislative body does not fall invited.
under the definition. The legislation, which
we negotiated, requires public notice of
plans to close the meeting, lists the reasons
meetings can be closed, including to protect the
identify of an anonymous whistle-blower, and
establishes procedures for closing the meeting.
The Leader, Covington, returned to a weekly
The body must meet first in public, explain
that it plans to go into executive session under publishing schedule on July 9 after publishing
one of the four listed exemptions and vote by a twice weekly since 2004. A story in the June
30 edition said economic factors were largely
simple majority to close the meeting.
Autopsy photos: HB1527 originally proposed responsible for the decision.
The new publication day is Thursday, and the
to close all information in an autopsy report.
advertising
deadline is Tuesday at 10 a.m.
It stemmed from a complaint a Knoxville state
Brian Blackley is publisher of The Leader,
senator reported getting from a constituent
who said photos of a relative’s autopsy had which is owned by American Hometown
been posted on the Internet. The bill was Publishing of Franklin.
amended to close only photographs, but the
Yuck
legislation illustrates the problem that many
proposed exemptions are much broader than
“News providers should regard anonymous
they need to be or should be.
sources simply as tipsters. Unless hard digging
Government building security: Senate provides real verified facts, the anonymous stuff
Bill 202 originally proposed to close all should be flushed down the toilet.”
information dealing with the security of
Allen H. Neuharth, Freedom Forum founder, 2005
Publishers Forum
set Oct. 1 in Johnson City
Leader resumes
weekly publication
legislation that would allow law enforcement
officers to withhold any and all records by
classifying them as part of the investigating
officer’s files. Under the proposed bill, the only
information that clearly would be public would be
traffic accident reports. The major threat is that
the Senate sponsor is Bill Ketron of Murfreesboro,
the powerful Republican chairman of the State
and Local Government Committee. The House
sponsor is GOP Caucus Chairman Glen Casada
of Williamson County.
Public employees: Two separate bills, a
Sunshine Law amendment from Shelby County
and a proposed public records exemption from
the City of Memphis, would close records and
meetings dealing with the conduct of public
employees statewide. One would close complaints
filed against employees and all materials generated
by an investigation. The second would allow local
Civil Service Merit Boards to close their meetings
to deal with disciplinary or other grievance
appeals.
Political advertising: The “Fair Campaign
Practices Act” would set up new libel standards
for information contained in political campaign
ads and allow just 48 hours to publish retractions
and corrections. Current law allows 10 days.
The Senate sponsor, a Democrat, accepted an
amendment removing newspapers and other
media from the law by placing liability on the
person or group that pays to have the ad or
mail piece published or otherwise distributed.
The bill received only 12 votes, five short of the
constitutional majority needed for passage, and
it is unclear whether the sponsors will try again
next year.
FRANK GIBSON is FOI coordinator of the TPA
Government Affairs Committee and executive
director of the Tennessee Coalition for Open
Government. One can reach him at (615) 202-2685,
[email protected] or at P.O. Box 22248, Nashville,
Tenn. 37202.
MARKETPLACE
MANAGING EDITOR—The Herald-Citizen, a
six-day daily newspaper in Cookeville, Tenn., has
an immediate opening for a qualified managing
editor. The right person must possess all the
skills necessary to manage a 14-person newsroom
while maintaining the quality and credibility of
this award-winning newspaper. ME experience
is preferred but not a deal-breaker. Experienced
editor and writer with solid layout and design
skills required to produce this newspaper.
Must be personable and willing to fit into the
community. The H-C offers a competitive benefits
package including paid health insurance, 401K,
paid vacation, holidays and sick leave. Contact
Mike DeLapp, publisher, [email protected], 1300 Neal St., Cookeville, TN 38501.
MANAGING EDITOR for The Herald-News, an
award-winning community newspaper located in
Dayton, Tenn. The person we seek is a dynamic,
inspiring and experienced journalist capable
of leading a team of reporters in producing an
engaging community newspaper and Web site.
The Herald-News is a twice-weekly newspaper in
a growing community. The managing editor must
be committed to producing the quality newspaper
our readers have come to expect. Candidate
must also embrace current technology and new
opportunities of online journalism. Apply with
resume and samples of work to Sara Jane Locke,
Publisher, P.O. Box 286, Dayton, TN 37321, or
[email protected].
CMYK
The Tennessee Press
4
AUGUST 2009
CMYK
101 ways to improve your newspaper’s bottom line
EDITOR’S NOTE: This month, Blum continues his list of ideas for ways to make
it through the current difficult economic
times. The list was begun in the May issue
of The Tennessee Press.This is the final
installment.
Advertising, continued
56. Take advantage of your state press association’s classified network. Each ad yields $100 or
more for the paper that sells the ad. Statewide
classifieds are a great deal for the advertiser, and
every market has plenty of accounts that do business on a statewide basis. If you sell an average
of only five statewide ads every week, that’s an
additional $21,000 to $26,000 extra revenue per year.
An idea: assign statewide classifieds to one of your
front office employees. And don’t forget to promote
statewide classifieds in your rate card.
57. Do everything you can to gain the lead in
classified liner advertising in your market. Invariably, the publication that dominates classifieds
dominates the market.
58. Do you sell signature pages? If so, consider
selling them in a single package. For instance,
plan 13 sig pages per year and sell a package to
each advertiser to appear on all 13 pages during
the year for, say, $240. (Bill $20 per month if that’s
more convenient to the advertiser.) This single
sale will save hundreds of hours of sales time
over the course of the year.
59. If your newspaper is the dominant medium
in your market, DON’T cut your advertising
rates when faced with more competition. It will
only free up more advertising dollars for your
competitor.
60. Did an advertiser miss the deadline? If you
can still get the ad in the paper, go ahead, but tack
on a “speed set” charge for the convenience. Target
one or two loose pages per week for availability to
“speed set” ads. Suggested charge: a 25 percent
surcharge above open or contract rates.
61. Consider “stand-by”/”remnant” ads, quarter-, half- and full-page institutional ads, that are
standing by for insertion when it’s necessary for
the paper to increase the number of pages at the
last minute. Suggested price: at least 50 percent
off open or contract rates.
62. Stop in-person delivery of ad proofs to
clients. Deliver and obtain approval for proofs
entirely by e-mail or, if the client is not computer
savvy, by fax.
63. Consider a “preferred position rate” for placement requests. Charge up to 25 percent more for
this guaranteed position in the newspaper.
64. Don’t let an advertising bill go out by itself.
Include a flier promoting your newspaper, an
upcoming special section, job printing, etc.
65. Many newspapers are lax when it comes to
retaining advertising salespersons who are not
producing. Although Joe may be a nice fellow who
is well liked by clients and fellow employees, his
job is to sell a reasonable quota of advertising. If
he’s not, the newspaper and every other employee
will suffer. Advertising is the lifeblood of any
community newspaper.
66. Before any special promotion, the ad staff
should brainstorm and pinpoint the three best
reasons for a client to participate. Then, those
reasons should become an integral part of their
sales presentation.
67. Schedule practice presentations at ad staff
meetings—ad reps giving trial presentations. Offer compliments and constructive criticism.
68. Establish frequency rates for color. Let’s say
the normal rate for process color is $150. Lower
that to $100 for five or more process color ads
per month.
69. Create a directory of local Web sites in your
workday that starts at 7-7:30 a.m.
newspaper.
80. Consider including a simple,
70. Establish a goal for spec ad presentastraightforward advertising contract as
tions. For example, each ad rep teams with
part of your rate card.
a creative employee to present sets of spec
81. Sell a schedule, not an individual
ads to two clients per week. If the ads don’t
ad. It takes about the same amount of
appeal to one client, change the logo, etc.,
work to sell a campaign as it does to sell
and present it to another client in a similar
an individual ad.
business. If the ads do sell, also reward a
82. Always sell the back page of a tabloid
commission, say, 10 cents per column inch,
at a premium rate. It’s a prime position
to the creative person.
BLACK
that should command at least 25 percent
71. Start a directory of churches. Don’t
INK
more.
use sponsors, but sell the ads directly to the
Circulation
churches to create definite plus income.
Ken Blum
83. Twice a year, scout your market for
72. Be on the lookout for new commercial
new single copy outlets.
construction in your community. When a
84. Weeklies shouldn’t hesitate to charge
new building goes up, arrange for a one- or
75 cents to one dollar per copy at newsstands.
two- page promotion ad about the building sponNinety-five percent of weeklies that have done so
sored by the contractor and subcontractors.
see no effect on total sales. Single copy prices are
73. Run the Chamber of Commerce newsletter
a much more sensitive area for dailies.
in the pages of your newspaper. This can be done
85. Don’t let a subscription expire without callas a public service to create good will or as a page
ing the subscriber first. There’s a good chance
with sponsors. If the page uses sponsors, I strongly
that you’ll be able to keep the subscriber on board
suggest using non-profit rates.
with a courteous call.
74. Periodically, ask your ad reps to keep a
86. For weeklies: consider offering semi-annual
time log for an entire week. This isn’t designed
or quarterly subscription rates. This will help
to intimidate, but to analyze whether changes
retain subscribers who may only be able to pay
in routes and routines can help them make the
$8 or $12 at a time. Generally, any newspaper that
most of every day.
charges more than $30 per year for a subscription
75. Did a client get excellent results from an ad?
should offer three- and six-month rates.
Ask to quote him or her in a testimonial ad. It’s a
87. Run an ad promoting subscriptions in every
great promotion for the newspaper and gives the
issue of your newspaper. Include a coupon that’s
client extra exposure as well.
easy to fill out and return. It’s surprising how
76. Prepare a promotion schedule for the entire
many papers fail to promote subscriptions in
year. But be flexible.
their own products.
77. Get a report of advertising inches sold in
88. For weeklies, check for empty news racks
every special section. Compare income with extwo days after the racks are stocked. Semiweeklies
penses for the section. If it’s an annual section,
should check the day after racks are stocked.
compare this year’s lineage with previous years.
89. If subscription invoices are sent in envelopes,
If there’s a marginal profit for the effort and cost
include a simple reader survey with subscription
involved in the section, cut it and replace with a
bills. Assign someone to tabulate and summarize
better idea.
the results every month, and then distribute copies
78. When a new merchant opens for business
of the report to all your managers.
in the community, the publisher should send a
90. Once a year, offer a $3-$5 subscription discount
personal letter followed by a personal visit.
for existing subscribers. The timing should be
79. A change in the sales department’s hours
during a down month such as January or Februcan give advertising representatives time to plan
ary. Run a one-half to full-page ad promoting the
and prepare before going out on calls. Consider a
discount for four consecutive weeks.
91. Keep a close watch on your returns. If they’re
running high, adjust the press run.
92. Go over your list of complimentary subscriptions every six months. Cut any comp that isn’t
justified.
93. Insert fliers promoting new subscriptions in
your newsstand copies.
94. Don’t forget to promote college subscriptions
in July and August.
95. Train your front office people to ask customers
if they subscribe to the paper. If they don’t, make
a special offer. Offer an incentive to the employee
for every subscription sold.
96. Offer a book of historic front pages from your
paper as a circulation premium.
97. If you print and distribute a shopper, make
sure to aggressively promote subscriptions to your
newspaper in every issue.
98. Work with your utility company to obtain the
names and addresses of residents moving into your
market area. Send out a welcome letter announcing
a free three-month subscription.
News
99. Consider freelance help for your newsroom.
Most communities have a number of capable
writers who will work for reasonable fees. Ditto
for photographers. They can supplement your
news staff for a fraction of the cost of adding
full-time employees. They’re also a very viable
source of help for advertorial features and special
section content.
100. Run a front page listing of obituaries including name, age and town where the deceased lived.
Obits are the best-read section of your newspaper,
and readers will refer to the front page summary
as soon as they pick up the newspaper.
101. Print forms for the public to use to provide
information for obituaries, engagements, weddings, anniversaries, birth announcements, club
news, Little League results, etc. Also, post them
on your Web site.
KEN BLUM is publisher of Butterfly Publications,
909 N. Crown Hill Rd., Orrville, Ohio 44667, (330)
682-3416, fax (330) 682-3415, [email protected].
Watch that clock
I was talking to James about his role as advertising manager.
minutes late, and the manager made a sarcastic remark about
“There’s a lot of truth in the old saying, ‘Time is of the essence,’”
wasting time waiting for them. Every day was like that. His message
he said. “I’ve read a lot about time management, but I learned more
was, ‘Do as I say, not as I do.’”
from the ad manager in my first sales job than I’ve learned from
James explained that he learned two lessons from his old
books and articles. To be honest, I learned what not to do.”
manager:
James explained that his old manager had little regard for time.
1. Being late shows a selfish lack of respect for the other person.
“He routinely accompanied new sales people on their appointments,
“Time is a precious commodity,” James said. “What’s more
at least for their first few weeks on the job. I remember once when
important in the long run: Taking one more phone call before
we had a morning appointment at a prospective advertiser’s office,
leaving for an appointment, or showing other people that you value
which was a 30-minute drive from our office. I was ready to go 40
their time?”
minutes before the appointment, figuring that would allow time to
2. Time management is about managing other people’s time,
talk strategy on the way, plus get there a little early. The manager
as well as your own. “When we were late for that appointment, it
said he would be ready ‘in a minute,’ but we ended up leaving just
threw our prospect’s day out of whack. About halfway through the
John Foust meeting, our prospect had to step out of the room to tell her next
10 minutes before the appointment.
He drove like a maniac all the way, and, halfway there, told me
appointment that she was delayed. There’s no telling what kind of
to call the prospect’s receptionist on my cell phone to say we were
domino effect that had on that other person’s schedule. And all that
going to be a little late. He was too focused on weaving in and out of traffic could have been prevented if we had been on time.”
to have any kind of pre-meeting strategy. We walked in cold.
Woody Allen once said, “Seventy percent of success in life is showing up.”
“When we sat down with the prospect, I thought the manager would James might add a couple of words: “Seventy percent of success in life is
apologize for being late. But he launched right into a sales pitch without a showing up on time.”
word about our late arrival. Even though I was new in the business, it was
© Copyright 2009 by John Foust. All rights reserved.
no surprise to me that the meeting didn’t result in a sale.
“It was ironic that later that day, we had a staff meeting which the manager
E-mail JOHN FOUST for information about his training videos for ad departments:
had put on the calendar a few days earlier. A couple of people were a few [email protected].
The Tennessee Press
AUGUST 2009
TRACKS
OBITUARIES
Tim Chavez
Former columnist
Tim Chavez, a passionate journalist
who formerly wrote a column for The
Tennessean, Nashville, died June 18 of
leukemia. He was 50.
“A s a c o l u m n i s t , T i m w a s
unpredictable,” said Sandra Roberts,
The Tennessean’s retired managing
editor of opinion. “On some days, he
was infuriating. On other days, he
was endearing. But he was always
fearless and he was always thoughtprovoking.”
A resident of Williamson County,
Chavez was an Oklahoma native
and graduated from the University
of Central Oklahoma. He moved to
Nashville after working as an opinion
editor for the Observer-Dispatch in
Utica, N.Y. Before that, he worked as a
reporter and sports editor.
In 1996, Chavez began writing an
issues column for The Tennessean that
addressed topics including English
as a second language, health care and
immigration. He wanted his column
to be the voice of those he felt had no
voice, often taking on authority figures.
He was especially heated when it came
to defending those who were removed
from the state’s TennCare rolls.
Chave z was a member of the
National Association of Hispanic
Journalists. He won state and national
awards, including the Will Rodgers
Humanitarian Award from the National
Society of Newspaper Columnists.
He leaves his wife, Kathi Chavez; a
stepson, Japhet Thacker of Brentwood;
a stepdaughter, Una Winter man
of Bloomington, Ind.; and two
granddaughters.
(The Tennessean, Nashville,
June 20, 2009)
Jamie Lynne Cox
Former reporter
J a m i e Ly n n e C o x , a f o r m e r
Independent Appeal, Selmer, reporter,
died as the result of a fire that broke out
June 8 at the Stantonville Pallet Factory
on Dennie Barber Rd. in Stantonville.
He was 36.
He g rew up in Covington and
graduated from Covington High School.
It wasn’t long after graduation in 1993
that he competed with more than 300
mid-South contestants in the Big City
Girl Meets Small Town Boy contest
sponsored by the Oprah Winfrey
Show.
Cox’s winning video guaranteed him
time in the spotlight. San Franciscobound, he appeared not once, but twice,
on Oprah’s show before and after the
contest.
Cox joined the staff at the Independent
Appeal from 1997 to 1998 as a reporter
covering many community events and
sports. Stories were easy to write for
him, as he felt at ease with the public,
was very polite and worked hard. The
son of Gary and Cathy Owen, he also
worked at the family business, Up in
5
Smoke, a local store that closed in
Selmer in 2001 while he was attending
the University of Tennessee, Selmer
campus, to continue his education.
He worked various jobs in the
community when he landed a position
at the Pallet Factory in Stantonville
more than a year ago, according to his
mother. Over the years he became a
die-hard fan of UT sports, especially
football.
He was a dedicated father to his
4-year-old daughter, Shelby Cox. He
married Betsy Hurd Cox of Adamsville
just two weeks before his death.
(Independent Appeal, Selmer)
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be
made to the American Cancer Society;
Monroe County Animal Shelter, 170
Kefauver Lane, Madisonville, Tenn.
37354; or Young Williams Animal
Center, 3201 Division St., Knoxville,
Tenn. 37919.
TRACKS
Africa Price, who was managing
editor of the Tallahassee (Fla.)
Democrat, has been named executive
editor of the Shreveport (La.) Times.
Earlier, she was with The Jackson
Sun.
|
Associated Press Nashville Bureau
Chief Adam Yeomans, who handles AP
news and marketing operations in
Tennessee and Kentucky, has been
assigned Mississippi as well.
Woody Baird, who has covered
the Memphis region for more than 27
years, was honored by editors at The
Commercial Appeal, Memphis, and
friends and colleagues at a June 18
retirement sendoff at the newspaper.
Baird joined the AP as a newsman
in New Orleans in 1977 and worked
there till 1981. He rejoined AP in
Memphis in 1982. He worked as AP’s
Memphis correspondent since 1986
and is remembered as a throwback, a
no-holds-barred reporter who doesn’t
hesitate to ask the tough questions to
get to the heart of the matter.
The major stories he’s handled
are too numerous to list here: the
custody battle over a Chinese girl,
Mary Winkler’s shotgun slaying of
her preacher husband and the neverending stream of public corruption
cases from Memphis are among the
most recent. He also kept AP ahead on
the Elvis and FedEx beats.
His AP colleagues presented him
a plaque and a photo collage of
him reporting from the scene on
numerous stories over the years.
They also presented an audio tribute
with Tennessee staffers each doing
their imitation of Baird barking his
signature line when he called from the
scene: “Give me the desk!”
(Associated Press)
May it fly
“Action is needed to protect the
promise of confidentiality between
reporters and their sources....The
public’s right to know hangs in the
balance.”
Rick Boucher
U.S. representative, 2005
McNeil
CMYK
The Tennessee Press
8
Don R. McNeil
Former executive director
Don R. McNeil of Madisonville died
July 9 at St. Mary’s Hospice. He was
a former executive director of the
Tennessee Press Association (TPA).
He was a graduate of the UT School of
Journalism and worked for 28 years
for TPA and its business affiliate,
Tennessee Press Service (TPS).
McNeil worked for five years at The
Knoxville News-Sentinel before joining
the TPS staff as sales manager on
Feb. 10, 1962 at the age of 23. Later, he
became the TPA associate manager.
McNeil was named secretarytreasurer-manager of TPS in 1976,
succeeding his father, Glenn E. McNeil.
Glenn McNeil continued as TPA’s
secretary-manager.
Upon his father’s retirement, Don
McNeil became TPA’s secretarymanager on Dec. 1, 1979. He continued
in the role of TPS secretary-treasurermanager. Glenn McNeil had held the
TPA secretary-manager’s position for
32 years. The secretary-manager is the
same position that is currently titled
executive director.
Don McNeil resigned as TPA executive
director in July 1990.
He was predeceased by his father. He
leaves wife, Heidi; son, Charles McNeil;
daughters, Jan Newman, Kimberly
Huffman and Terri McNeil; mother,
Ercie McNeil; sisters, Glenda McMillan
and Joy McNeil; grandchildren,
Courtney, Meghan, Katie, Will, Hunter,
Hannah, Zach, Josh and Jenna; and
three great-grandchildren.
RENAISSANCE RIVERVIEW PLAZA HOTEL
Educational Sessions
Three Preconvention Workshops
Great Idea Exchange
Six Roundtables-repeated
Opening Breakfast/Keynote Speaker
Eight Educational Sessions
Twelve Community Building Symposium papers
Networking and Social Events
Opening Reception in Exhibit Hall
USS Alabama Tours and Seafood Feast
Trade Show with the latest and greatest
NNAF Silent Auction
Awards Luncheon
Toast to the Winners
For more information or program updates
visit www.nna.org or call (800) 829-4662
Pub Aux 1-4 Ad 1.indd 1
4/10/09 10:12:23 AM
The Tennessee Press
6
AUGUST 2009
The Tennessee Press
AUGUST 2009
Recreating Hat Day was a special event at paper
ENGRAVINGS
By J. TODD FOSTER
Editor, Bristol Herald Courier
THE ERWIN RECORD
Stevenses honored at ETSU,
inducted into Hall of Fame
CMYK
BY ERWIN RECORD STAFF
Mark Stevens, publisher of The
Erwin Record, and his wife, Amy, system
director of marketing communications
for Wellmont Health System in
Kingsport, were inducted into the
East Tennessee State University Hall
of Fame.
The Department of Communication
held its annual awards ceremony in the
Grand Soldiers Ballroom at Johnson
City’s Carnegie Hotel.
Stevens, a member of the Class
of 1991, received his Hall of Fame
induction in the division of journalism.
Before joining the Record in 1997,
Stevens served as a writer and editor
at the Johnson City Press, where he
interned in 1989 while a student at
ETSU.
He has held leadership roles with the
and the Tennessee Press Association,
as well as leading The Erwin Record
to seven consecutive years as the
General Excellence Award winner in
its circulation division. He has won
multiple awards for news, feature and
editorial writing. In 2004, he was named
to Washington, D.C.-based Presstime
magazine’s “Twenty Under Forty” and
named one of the rising stars of the
newspaper industry.
Amy Stevens, a member of the Class
of 1993, received her Hall of Fame
induction in the division of public
relations. Wellmont is a 7,000-employee,
not-for-profit health system.
Before joining Wellmont a decade
ago, she worked for the Johnson City
Press and the Kingsport Times-News.
She was the winner of several state and
national awards, including prestigious
William Randolph Hearst awards
for spot news writing and in-depth
reporting.
She has won multiple ADDY and
Public Relations Society of America
awards and was nominated for a
MidSouth EMMY Award for her work
with “The Wellmont Connection”
television show.
She has been a guest speaker at
national conferences in Washington,
D.C. and San Francisco.
Mark and Amy Stevens met while
studying journalism at ETSU. They
both served as executive editors of the
student-operated newspaper, the East
Tennessean, and eventually worked
together at the Johnson City Press.
They were married in 1995. Both have
served as adjunct professors at ETSU.
Kiwanis honors Bradford for literacy work
BY LANCE COLEMAN
Fighting illiteracy just seemed like
a natural cause for a newspaper man.
Tutt Bradford, former owner of The
Daily Times, Maryville, put heart, soul
and money behind the cause and was
honored this month by the Maryville
Kiwanis Club.
Rev. Anne McKee, chaplain at
Maryville College, said that in 1980,
Bradford read census figures showing
an illiteracy rate of 20 percent. Bradford,
then owner of The Daily Times, wanted
to help solve the problem. “Tutt swore
his first thought was, ‘If they can’t read,
they won’t read my paper,’” she said as
the audience laughed.
Once Bradford learned the problem
could be solved with more volunteers,
he and his wife set up the scholarships
through Maryville College. McKee
shared how Bradford developed 15
scholarships of $4,000 per year. The
scholarships required students to
spend six hours a week tutoring people
on how to read.
“Almost all the scholarships at
Maryville College have some service
component,” she said. “We believe
that to whom much is given, much is
expected.”
Bradford said he was humbled by the
honor. “Thank you so much for what
you’ve done,” he said.
Bradford said afterward he knew
about a Maryville College presentation
but didn’t know the Kiwanians were
going to honor him. “I was very
surprised by all this,” he said.
(www.blounttoday.com)
At the July 18 Front Page Follies, Dr. Dorothy Bowles
presents all, from left, John M. Jones Jr., Alex S.
Jones and Gregg K. Jones, copies of the Charlie Daniel
“Jones Boys” cartoon prepared for the occasion.
Bowles served as co-chairman of the 31st Annual
Follies, a program of the East Tennessee Society of
Professional Journalists. Adina Chumley was cochairman.
An old friend of mine sent me a weird
black-and-white photo the other day. It
was Hat Day 1987 at the Chattanooga
News-Free Press—the only newspaper
in America that would place a hyphen
between News and Free to form a
compound modifier that denotes a
newsless newspaper.
The Chattanooga News and the Free
Press had merged many years before,
but sometimes a hyphen is overkill.
(By the way, the Hat Day 1987 photo
is shown at right. The first reader who
e-mails me my position in the photo and
describes my hat without insulting me
as “special” wins a comics umbrella.)
The picture is so funny that I sent
out a semi-mandatory request that
this newsroom recreate Hat Day. Some
of the women in this newsroom—OK,
only one woman actually (the first
reader who guesses her identity wins
a comics umbrella)—complained that a
hat would mess up her hair. I reminded
her that my own concerns about “hat
hair” transcended her own. This
newsroom was instructed to bring a
funny hat. Period.
I wanted this to be fun—and “special.”
I invited Publisher Carl Esposito to
participate. If you check the color
photo at right, he’s the dude under
my left arm....Carl had to be there for
Hat Day.
. . . ( T h e N ew s - F re e P re s s ) h a d
something going for it that few did: It
was a fun place to work.
And then there’s this: Many of the
people in this photo are dead. And they
were incredibly interesting.
The city editor, Julius Parker, died
several years ago. He was a former
professional wrestler turned beer
distributor who became a journalist
on a lark. (The first local who guesses
which one is Julius wins a comics
umbrella.)
Julius covered the six-week-long
trial of gangster Jimmy Hoffa in
Chattanooga’s federal court in 1964.
True story: While the jury was out,
Julius had to go No. 2 in the restroom.
He was there so long that the verdict
came in and he missed it. A cub
reporter by the name of Irby Park
(also deceased) was shadowing Julius
that day and got the byline. Irby would
become Julius’—and my—assistant
city editor.
Both Julius and Irby are in this
photo.
So is Van Henderson, one of my best
friends and the reporter who sat next to
me on the front row of reporter desks
in the newsroom. Neither Van nor I
should have been placed in the front of
the room. We were the guys who should
have been buried in the back.
Van died in the 1990s in a Tennessee
lake while trying to teach his new,
terrified-of-drowning bride how great
the water is. He died of cardiac arrest
right there in the water in front of
her.
The picture also includes the funniest
man I’ve ever known, Buddy Houts,
who was the automotive editor....
The Free Press was an afternoon
paper back then. We reported to work at
6 a.m. every Monday through Saturday.
Most afternoons, I played golf with two
people pictured in the Hat Day photo—
Tom Turner and Mike Finn. Turner
was the guy in the airplane with me
when I went on my solo skydiving
adventure (http://www.tricities.
com/tri/news/opinion/editorials/
article/my_brush_with_a_pothead_
parachutist_his_coonskin_hat/25083/).
Mikey remains a dear friend, although
I went 20 years without seeing him
until recently. Most of the stories of me
and Mikey can’t be printed in a family
newspaper.
The Free Press was a white man’s
world, but we had four female
photographers back then. Two of
them—Deborah Shaw and Angela
Lewis—are pictured.
It was an eclectic group of men and
women who didn’t so much toil in the
vineyards of journalism, but had fun
being journalists. And we had fun after
work. It was a photo worth recreating.
I hope you enjoy it.
(July 19, 2009)
Jones, Tifft awarded degrees by Washington & Lee
Nationally-known journalists and
authors Alex S. Jones and Susan E.
Tifft were honored by Washington and
Lee University with doctor of humane
letters degrees. The university is in
Lexington, Va.
Jones and Tifft, who are married,
received the individual honorary
degrees June 4 as part of the university
commencement exercises.
Jones, a 1968 graduate of Washington
and Lee, is director of the Joan
Shorenstein Center on the Press,
Politics and Public Policy at Harvard
University’s John F. Kennedy School
of Government.
Tifft is Eugene C. Patterson Professor
of the Practice of Journalism and
Public Policy Studies at Duke
University, of which she is a graduate
and former trustee.
Alex Jones, a native of Greeneville
and a co-owner, director and former
editor of The Greeneville Sun, and
Tifft, a frequent visitor to Greeneville
over the years who also has many
friends in Greeneville, are residents
of Cambridge, Mass.
Among those attending the ceremony
at Washington and Lee were Jones’s
brothers, Gregg K. Jones and John M.
Jones Jr., and Helena Z. Jones, wife of
John Jones Jr.
Gregg Jones is co-publisher of the
Sun, and John Jones Jr. is editor
of the Sun. Like Alex Jones, both
are directors and co-owners of the
newspaper.
Citation to Jones
In presenting the honorary degree to
Jones, Washington and Lee President
Kenneth P. Ruscio noted that Jones,
a member of a Tennessee newspaper
family, moved from a newspaper in his
home state to The New York Times.
There, he covered the press from 1983
to 1992 and won a Pulitzer Prize in 1987
for his coverage of the collapse of the
Barry Bingham Sr. family’s newpaper
dynasty in Louisville, Ky., where
the family owned and published the
Louisville Courier-Journal.
With Tifft, the citation stated, Jones
co-authored two highly-acclaimed
biographical books: The Patriarch: The
Rise and Fall of the Bingham Dynasty,
published in 1991, and The Trust: The
Private and Powerful Family Behind
The New York Times, published in
1999.
From 1992 to 1997, the citation noted,
Jones hosted National Public Radio’s
“On the Media,” which examined all
aspects of news coverage and media
issues. He also served for several years
as executive editor and host of the
Public Broadcasting System’s news
issue-focused series, “Media Matters.”
In 1998, he and Tifft were jointly
named the Eugene C. Patterson
Professor of the Practice of Journalism
at Duke University. In 2000, Jones joined
Harvard University in his current
capacity as director of the Shorenstein
Center. He was one of three Washington
and Lee alumni honored in May 2008 as
Distinguished Alumni.
The citation for his honorary degree
stated that Washington and Lee was
recognizing Jones for “his sterling
career as an award-winning journalist
and author.”
Citation for Tifft
The citation accompanying Tifft’s
honorary degree stated that she began
a prolific career in journalism at Time
magazine, where she was a national
writer and associate editor from
1982 to 1991. She published hundreds
of articles, the citation stated, in
such widely-ranging and widely-read
publications as Time, The New Yorker,
The New York Times, The Wall Street
Journal, Smithsonian Magazine, the
Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles
Times, Glamour and Working Woman.
The citation noted that she had coauthored with Jones both The Trust:
The Private and Powerful Family
Behind the New York Times, which was
a finalist for the National Book Critics
Circle Award, and The Patriarch: The
Rise and Fall of the Bingham Dynasty.
The citation also pointed out that Tifft
is currently the Eugene C. Patterson
and Public Policy Studies at Duke,
where she was recently honored
with the creation of the Susan Tifft
Undergraduate Teaching/Mentoring
Award.
In the citation, Washington and Lee
praised Tifft for bringing to her readers
“remarkable insight into print and
broadcast journalism, and a profound
understanding of the media, its owners,
and the influences that shape it.”
(The Greeneville Sun,
June 23, 2009)
CMYK
Amy and Mark Stevens
7
Bristol Herald Courier Hat Day 2009
DEVIN WAGNER | THE JACKSON SUN
Devin Wagner of The Jackson Sun is the AP March photo contribution of
the month winner for his picture of Ian Baldwin, 11, bracing for impact
after hitting a jump while sledding March 3 in Jackson.
SPJ to honor news pioneer Churchwell
BY HARRIET VAUGHAN
The Tennessean, Nashville
The Society of Professional Journalists
announced it will posthumously award
the late Robert Churchwell, the first
African-American reporter at a major
Southern newspaper, the Helen Thomas
Award for Lifetime Achievement.
The honor will take place Aug. 29 in
Indianapolis.
The award is given to reporters
and editors who make a lifetime
contribution to the field of journalism.
Churchwell is known in Nashville
for breaking racial barriers to work
in news. He joined the Nashville
Banner in February 1950 covering
the African-American community. It
was an attempt on the paper’s part to
expand its readership among blacks.
He later became the Banner’s education
reporter. He worked there for 31 years
before retiring in 1981.
Tennessean Chairman Emeritus
John Seigenthaler, a reporter in the
1950s, recalled Churchwell enduring
racism and harsh criticism from white
co-workers and those in the AfricanAmerican community upset that he
was working for the Banner.
(July 21, 2009)
Chattanooga News-Free Press Hat Day 1987
Thankfully, I’m the other Jack Mac, journalist
BY JACK McELROY
The Upfront Page
News Sentinel, Knoxville
I was at the Rocky Mountain News
[Denver, Colo.] in 1996 when people
started asking me if I knew Michael
Connelly.
“Who’s Michael Connelly?” I
responded. “He wrote The Poet,” I
was told, “and you’re in it.” Well, I
wasn’t really in the novel. But the
main character, it turned out, was
Jack McEvoy, a journalist at the Rocky
Mountain News.
Naturally, I soon read The Poet, a
gripping thriller about the hunt for a
serial killer, and I became a big fan of
Connelly, a former crime reporter for
the Los Angeles Times. In later years
if anyone asked me about The Poet, I
told them that, yes, it was about me
—except for the little stuff about a
serial killer.
McEvoy has only been a bit character
in Connelly’s novels since then.
Hard-boiled detective Harry Bosch is
usually the protagonist. But now, in
The Scarecrow, coming out next week,
Jack Mac is back. He’s working at the
LA Times (good thing, since the Rocky
has shut down). But the job doesn’t
last long. McEvoy, like many of his
ink-stained colleagues, is soon laid off.
Adventure follows.
I guess I’d just as soon not have life
imitate art after all, and I wish McEvoy,
and Connelly, the best of luck in their
future endeavors.
(May 22, 2009)
The Tennessee Press
6
AUGUST 2009
The Tennessee Press
AUGUST 2009
Recreating Hat Day was a special event at paper
ENGRAVINGS
By J. TODD FOSTER
Editor, Bristol Herald Courier
THE ERWIN RECORD
Stevenses honored at ETSU,
inducted into Hall of Fame
CMYK
BY ERWIN RECORD STAFF
Mark Stevens, publisher of The
Erwin Record, and his wife, Amy, system
director of marketing communications
for Wellmont Health System in
Kingsport, were inducted into the
East Tennessee State University Hall
of Fame.
The Department of Communication
held its annual awards ceremony in the
Grand Soldiers Ballroom at Johnson
City’s Carnegie Hotel.
Stevens, a member of the Class
of 1991, received his Hall of Fame
induction in the division of journalism.
Before joining the Record in 1997,
Stevens served as a writer and editor
at the Johnson City Press, where he
interned in 1989 while a student at
ETSU.
He has held leadership roles with the
and the Tennessee Press Association,
as well as leading The Erwin Record
to seven consecutive years as the
General Excellence Award winner in
its circulation division. He has won
multiple awards for news, feature and
editorial writing. In 2004, he was named
to Washington, D.C.-based Presstime
magazine’s “Twenty Under Forty” and
named one of the rising stars of the
newspaper industry.
Amy Stevens, a member of the Class
of 1993, received her Hall of Fame
induction in the division of public
relations. Wellmont is a 7,000-employee,
not-for-profit health system.
Before joining Wellmont a decade
ago, she worked for the Johnson City
Press and the Kingsport Times-News.
She was the winner of several state and
national awards, including prestigious
William Randolph Hearst awards
for spot news writing and in-depth
reporting.
She has won multiple ADDY and
Public Relations Society of America
awards and was nominated for a
MidSouth EMMY Award for her work
with “The Wellmont Connection”
television show.
She has been a guest speaker at
national conferences in Washington,
D.C. and San Francisco.
Mark and Amy Stevens met while
studying journalism at ETSU. They
both served as executive editors of the
student-operated newspaper, the East
Tennessean, and eventually worked
together at the Johnson City Press.
They were married in 1995. Both have
served as adjunct professors at ETSU.
Kiwanis honors Bradford for literacy work
BY LANCE COLEMAN
Fighting illiteracy just seemed like
a natural cause for a newspaper man.
Tutt Bradford, former owner of The
Daily Times, Maryville, put heart, soul
and money behind the cause and was
honored this month by the Maryville
Kiwanis Club.
Rev. Anne McKee, chaplain at
Maryville College, said that in 1980,
Bradford read census figures showing
an illiteracy rate of 20 percent. Bradford,
then owner of The Daily Times, wanted
to help solve the problem. “Tutt swore
his first thought was, ‘If they can’t read,
they won’t read my paper,’” she said as
the audience laughed.
Once Bradford learned the problem
could be solved with more volunteers,
he and his wife set up the scholarships
through Maryville College. McKee
shared how Bradford developed 15
scholarships of $4,000 per year. The
scholarships required students to
spend six hours a week tutoring people
on how to read.
“Almost all the scholarships at
Maryville College have some service
component,” she said. “We believe
that to whom much is given, much is
expected.”
Bradford said he was humbled by the
honor. “Thank you so much for what
you’ve done,” he said.
Bradford said afterward he knew
about a Maryville College presentation
but didn’t know the Kiwanians were
going to honor him. “I was very
surprised by all this,” he said.
(www.blounttoday.com)
At the July 18 Front Page Follies, Dr. Dorothy Bowles
presents all, from left, John M. Jones Jr., Alex S.
Jones and Gregg K. Jones, copies of the Charlie Daniel
“Jones Boys” cartoon prepared for the occasion.
Bowles served as co-chairman of the 31st Annual
Follies, a program of the East Tennessee Society of
Professional Journalists. Adina Chumley was cochairman.
An old friend of mine sent me a weird
black-and-white photo the other day. It
was Hat Day 1987 at the Chattanooga
News-Free Press—the only newspaper
in America that would place a hyphen
between News and Free to form a
compound modifier that denotes a
newsless newspaper.
The Chattanooga News and the Free
Press had merged many years before,
but sometimes a hyphen is overkill.
(By the way, the Hat Day 1987 photo
is shown at right. The first reader who
e-mails me my position in the photo and
describes my hat without insulting me
as “special” wins a comics umbrella.)
The picture is so funny that I sent
out a semi-mandatory request that
this newsroom recreate Hat Day. Some
of the women in this newsroom—OK,
only one woman actually (the first
reader who guesses her identity wins
a comics umbrella)—complained that a
hat would mess up her hair. I reminded
her that my own concerns about “hat
hair” transcended her own. This
newsroom was instructed to bring a
funny hat. Period.
I wanted this to be fun—and “special.”
I invited Publisher Carl Esposito to
participate. If you check the color
photo at right, he’s the dude under
my left arm....Carl had to be there for
Hat Day.
. . . ( T h e N ew s - F re e P re s s ) h a d
something going for it that few did: It
was a fun place to work.
And then there’s this: Many of the
people in this photo are dead. And they
were incredibly interesting.
The city editor, Julius Parker, died
several years ago. He was a former
professional wrestler turned beer
distributor who became a journalist
on a lark. (The first local who guesses
which one is Julius wins a comics
umbrella.)
Julius covered the six-week-long
trial of gangster Jimmy Hoffa in
Chattanooga’s federal court in 1964.
True story: While the jury was out,
Julius had to go No. 2 in the restroom.
He was there so long that the verdict
came in and he missed it. A cub
reporter by the name of Irby Park
(also deceased) was shadowing Julius
that day and got the byline. Irby would
become Julius’—and my—assistant
city editor.
Both Julius and Irby are in this
photo.
So is Van Henderson, one of my best
friends and the reporter who sat next to
me on the front row of reporter desks
in the newsroom. Neither Van nor I
should have been placed in the front of
the room. We were the guys who should
have been buried in the back.
Van died in the 1990s in a Tennessee
lake while trying to teach his new,
terrified-of-drowning bride how great
the water is. He died of cardiac arrest
right there in the water in front of
her.
The picture also includes the funniest
man I’ve ever known, Buddy Houts,
who was the automotive editor....
The Free Press was an afternoon
paper back then. We reported to work at
6 a.m. every Monday through Saturday.
Most afternoons, I played golf with two
people pictured in the Hat Day photo—
Tom Turner and Mike Finn. Turner
was the guy in the airplane with me
when I went on my solo skydiving
adventure (http://www.tricities.
com/tri/news/opinion/editorials/
article/my_brush_with_a_pothead_
parachutist_his_coonskin_hat/25083/).
Mikey remains a dear friend, although
I went 20 years without seeing him
until recently. Most of the stories of me
and Mikey can’t be printed in a family
newspaper.
The Free Press was a white man’s
world, but we had four female
photographers back then. Two of
them—Deborah Shaw and Angela
Lewis—are pictured.
It was an eclectic group of men and
women who didn’t so much toil in the
vineyards of journalism, but had fun
being journalists. And we had fun after
work. It was a photo worth recreating.
I hope you enjoy it.
(July 19, 2009)
Jones, Tifft awarded degrees by Washington & Lee
Nationally-known journalists and
authors Alex S. Jones and Susan E.
Tifft were honored by Washington and
Lee University with doctor of humane
letters degrees. The university is in
Lexington, Va.
Jones and Tifft, who are married,
received the individual honorary
degrees June 4 as part of the university
commencement exercises.
Jones, a 1968 graduate of Washington
and Lee, is director of the Joan
Shorenstein Center on the Press,
Politics and Public Policy at Harvard
University’s John F. Kennedy School
of Government.
Tifft is Eugene C. Patterson Professor
of the Practice of Journalism and
Public Policy Studies at Duke
University, of which she is a graduate
and former trustee.
Alex Jones, a native of Greeneville
and a co-owner, director and former
editor of The Greeneville Sun, and
Tifft, a frequent visitor to Greeneville
over the years who also has many
friends in Greeneville, are residents
of Cambridge, Mass.
Among those attending the ceremony
at Washington and Lee were Jones’s
brothers, Gregg K. Jones and John M.
Jones Jr., and Helena Z. Jones, wife of
John Jones Jr.
Gregg Jones is co-publisher of the
Sun, and John Jones Jr. is editor
of the Sun. Like Alex Jones, both
are directors and co-owners of the
newspaper.
Citation to Jones
In presenting the honorary degree to
Jones, Washington and Lee President
Kenneth P. Ruscio noted that Jones,
a member of a Tennessee newspaper
family, moved from a newspaper in his
home state to The New York Times.
There, he covered the press from 1983
to 1992 and won a Pulitzer Prize in 1987
for his coverage of the collapse of the
Barry Bingham Sr. family’s newpaper
dynasty in Louisville, Ky., where
the family owned and published the
Louisville Courier-Journal.
With Tifft, the citation stated, Jones
co-authored two highly-acclaimed
biographical books: The Patriarch: The
Rise and Fall of the Bingham Dynasty,
published in 1991, and The Trust: The
Private and Powerful Family Behind
The New York Times, published in
1999.
From 1992 to 1997, the citation noted,
Jones hosted National Public Radio’s
“On the Media,” which examined all
aspects of news coverage and media
issues. He also served for several years
as executive editor and host of the
Public Broadcasting System’s news
issue-focused series, “Media Matters.”
In 1998, he and Tifft were jointly
named the Eugene C. Patterson
at Duke University. In 2000, Jones joined
Harvard University in his current
capacity as director of the Shorenstein
Center. He was one of three Washington
and Lee alumni honored in May 2008 as
Distinguished Alumni.
The citation for his honorary degree
stated that Washington and Lee was
recognizing Jones for “his sterling
career as an award-winning journalist
and author.”
Citation for Tifft
The citation accompanying Tifft’s
honorary degree stated that she began
a prolific career in journalism at Time
magazine, where she was a national
writer and associate editor from
1982 to 1991. She published hundreds
of articles, the citation stated, in
such widely-ranging and widely-read
publications as Time, The New Yorker,
The New York Times, The Wall Street
Journal, Smithsonian Magazine, the
Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles
Times, Glamour and Working Woman.
The citation noted that she had coauthored with Jones both The Trust:
The Private and Powerful Family
Behind the New York Times, which was
a finalist for the National Book Critics
Circle Award, and The Patriarch: The
Rise and Fall of the Bingham Dynasty.
The citation also pointed out that Tifft
is currently the Eugene C. Patterson
and Public Policy Studies at Duke,
where she was recently honored
with the creation of the Susan Tifft
Undergraduate Teaching/Mentoring
Award.
In the citation, Washington and Lee
praised Tifft for bringing to her readers
“remarkable insight into print and
broadcast journalism, and a profound
understanding of the media, its owners,
and the influences that shape it.”
(The Greeneville Sun,
June 23, 2009)
CMYK
Amy and Mark Stevens
7
Bristol Herald Courier Hat Day 2009
DEVIN WAGNER | THE JACKSON SUN
Devin Wagner of The Jackson Sun is the AP March photo contribution of
the month winner for his picture of Ian Baldwin, 11, bracing for impact
after hitting a jump while sledding March 3 in Jackson.
SPJ to honor news pioneer Churchwell
BY HARRIET VAUGHAN
The Tennessean, Nashville
The Society of Professional Journalists
announced it will posthumously award
the late Robert Churchwell, the first
African-American reporter at a major
Southern newspaper, the Helen Thomas
Award for Lifetime Achievement.
The honor will take place Aug. 29 in
Indianapolis.
The award is given to reporters
and editors who make a lifetime
contribution to the field of journalism.
Churchwell is known in Nashville
for breaking racial barriers to work
in news. He joined the Nashville
Banner in February 1950 covering
the African-American community. It
was an attempt on the paper’s part to
expand its readership among blacks.
He later became the Banner’s education
reporter. He worked there for 31 years
before retiring in 1981.
Tennessean Chairman Emeritus
John Seigenthaler, a reporter in the
1950s, recalled Churchwell enduring
racism and harsh criticism from white
co-workers and those in the AfricanAmerican community upset that he
was working for the Banner.
(July 21, 2009)
Chattanooga News-Free Press Hat Day 1987
Thankfully, I’m the other Jack Mac, journalist
BY JACK McELROY
The Upfront Page
News Sentinel, Knoxville
I was at the Rocky Mountain News
[Denver, Colo.] in 1996 when people
started asking me if I knew Michael
Connelly.
“Who’s Michael Connelly?” I
responded. “He wrote The Poet,” I
was told, “and you’re in it.” Well, I
wasn’t really in the novel. But the
main character, it turned out, was
Jack McEvoy, a journalist at the Rocky
Mountain News.
Naturally, I soon read The Poet, a
gripping thriller about the hunt for a
serial killer, and I became a big fan of
Connelly, a former crime reporter for
the Los Angeles Times. In later years
if anyone asked me about The Poet, I
told them that, yes, it was about me
—except for the little stuff about a
serial killer.
McEvoy has only been a bit character
in Connelly’s novels since then.
Hard-boiled detective Harry Bosch is
usually the protagonist. But now, in
The Scarecrow, coming out next week,
Jack Mac is back. He’s working at the
LA Times (good thing, since the Rocky
has shut down). But the job doesn’t
last long. McEvoy, like many of his
ink-stained colleagues, is soon laid off.
Adventure follows.
I guess I’d just as soon not have life
imitate art after all, and I wish McEvoy,
and Connelly, the best of luck in their
future endeavors.
(May 22, 2009)
AUGUST 2009
CMYK
101 ways to improve your newspaper’s bottom line
EDITOR’S NOTE: This month, Blum continues his list of ideas for ways to make
it through the current difficult economic
times. The list was begun in the May issue
of The Tennessee Press.This is the final
installment.
Advertising, continued
56. Take advantage of your state press association’s classified network. Each ad yields $100 or
more for the paper that sells the ad. Statewide
classifieds are a great deal for the advertiser, and
every market has plenty of accounts that do business on a statewide basis. If you sell an average
of only five statewide ads every week, that’s an
additional $21,000 to $26,000 extra revenue per year.
An idea: assign statewide classifieds to one of your
front office employees. And don’t forget to promote
statewide classifieds in your rate card.
57. Do everything you can to gain the lead in
classified liner advertising in your market. Invariably, the publication that dominates classifieds
dominates the market.
58. Do you sell signature pages? If so, consider
selling them in a single package. For instance,
plan 13 sig pages per year and sell a package to
each advertiser to appear on all 13 pages during
the year for, say, $240. (Bill $20 per month if that’s
more convenient to the advertiser.) This single
sale will save hundreds of hours of sales time
over the course of the year.
59. If your newspaper is the dominant medium
in your market, DON’T cut your advertising
rates when faced with more competition. It will
only free up more advertising dollars for your
competitor.
60. Did an advertiser miss the deadline? If you
can still get the ad in the paper, go ahead, but tack
on a “speed set” charge for the convenience. Target
one or two loose pages per week for availability to
“speed set” ads. Suggested charge: a 25 percent
surcharge above open or contract rates.
61. Consider “stand-by”/”remnant” ads, quarter-, half- and full-page institutional ads, that are
standing by for insertion when it’s necessary for
the paper to increase the number of pages at the
last minute. Suggested price: at least 50 percent
off open or contract rates.
62. Stop in-person delivery of ad proofs to
clients. Deliver and obtain approval for proofs
entirely by e-mail or, if the client is not computer
savvy, by fax.
63. Consider a “preferred position rate” for placement requests. Charge up to 25 percent more for
this guaranteed position in the newspaper.
64. Don’t let an advertising bill go out by itself.
Include a flier promoting your newspaper, an
upcoming special section, job printing, etc.
65. Many newspapers are lax when it comes to
retaining advertising salespersons who are not
producing. Although Joe may be a nice fellow who
is well liked by clients and fellow employees, his
job is to sell a reasonable quota of advertising. If
he’s not, the newspaper and every other employee
will suffer. Advertising is the lifeblood of any
community newspaper.
66. Before any special promotion, the ad staff
should brainstorm and pinpoint the three best
reasons for a client to participate. Then, those
reasons should become an integral part of their
sales presentation.
67. Schedule practice presentations at ad staff
meetings—ad reps giving trial presentations. Offer compliments and constructive criticism.
68. Establish frequency rates for color. Let’s say
the normal rate for process color is $150. Lower
that to $100 for five or more process color ads
per month.
69. Create a directory of local Web sites in your
workday that starts at 7-7:30 a.m.
newspaper.
80. Consider including a simple,
70. Establish a goal for spec ad presentastraightforward advertising contract as
tions. For example, each ad rep teams with
part of your rate card.
a creative employee to present sets of spec
81. Sell a schedule, not an individual
ads to two clients per week. If the ads don’t
ad. It takes about the same amount of
appeal to one client, change the logo, etc.,
work to sell a campaign as it does to sell
and present it to another client in a similar
an individual ad.
business. If the ads do sell, also reward a
82. Always sell the back page of a tabloid
commission, say, 10 cents per column inch,
at a premium rate. It’s a prime position
to the creative person.
BLACK
that should command at least 25 percent
71. Start a directory of churches. Don’t
INK
more.
use sponsors, but sell the ads directly to the
Circulation
churches to create definite plus income.
Ken Blum
83. Twice a year, scout your market for
72. Be on the lookout for new commercial
new single copy outlets.
construction in your community. When a
84. Weeklies shouldn’t hesitate to charge
new building goes up, arrange for a one- or
75 cents to one dollar per copy at newsstands.
two- page promotion ad about the building sponNinety-five percent of weeklies that have done so
sored by the contractor and subcontractors.
see no effect on total sales. Single copy prices are
73. Run the Chamber of Commerce newsletter
a much more sensitive area for dailies.
in the pages of your newspaper. This can be done
85. Don’t let a subscription expire without callas a public service to create good will or as a page
ing the subscriber first. There’s a good chance
with sponsors. If the page uses sponsors, I strongly
that you’ll be able to keep the subscriber on board
suggest using non-profit rates.
with a courteous call.
74. Periodically, ask your ad reps to keep a
86. For weeklies: consider offering semi-annual
time log for an entire week. This isn’t designed
or quarterly subscription rates. This will help
to intimidate, but to analyze whether changes
retain subscribers who may only be able to pay
in routes and routines can help them make the
$8 or $12 at a time. Generally, any newspaper that
most of every day.
charges more than $30 per year for a subscription
75. Did a client get excellent results from an ad?
should offer three- and six-month rates.
Ask to quote him or her in a testimonial ad. It’s a
87. Run an ad promoting subscriptions in every
great promotion for the newspaper and gives the
issue of your newspaper. Include a coupon that’s
client extra exposure as well.
easy to fill out and return. It’s surprising how
76. Prepare a promotion schedule for the entire
many papers fail to promote subscriptions in
year. But be flexible.
their own products.
77. Get a report of advertising inches sold in
88. For weeklies, check for empty news racks
every special section. Compare income with extwo days after the racks are stocked. Semiweeklies
penses for the section. If it’s an annual section,
should check the day after racks are stocked.
compare this year’s lineage with previous years.
89. If subscription invoices are sent in envelopes,
If there’s a marginal profit for the effort and cost
include a simple reader survey with subscription
involved in the section, cut it and replace with a
bills. Assign someone to tabulate and summarize
better idea.
the results every month, and then distribute copies
78. When a new merchant opens for business
of the report to all your managers.
in the community, the publisher should send a
90. Once a year, offer a $3-$5 subscription discount
personal letter followed by a personal visit.
for existing subscribers. The timing should be
79. A change in the sales department’s hours
during a down month such as January or Februcan give advertising representatives time to plan
ary. Run a one-half to full-page ad promoting the
and prepare before going out on calls. Consider a
discount for four consecutive weeks.
91. Keep a close watch on your returns. If they’re
running high, adjust the press run.
92. Go over your list of complimentary subscriptions every six months. Cut any comp that isn’t
justified.
93. Insert fliers promoting new subscriptions in
your newsstand copies.
94. Don’t forget to promote college subscriptions
in July and August.
95. Train your front office people to ask customers
if they subscribe to the paper. If they don’t, make
a special offer. Offer an incentive to the employee
for every subscription sold.
96. Offer a book of historic front pages from your
paper as a circulation premium.
97. If you print and distribute a shopper, make
sure to aggressively promote subscriptions to your
newspaper in every issue.
98. Work with your utility company to obtain the
names and addresses of residents moving into your
market area. Send out a welcome letter announcing
a free three-month subscription.
News
99. Consider freelance help for your newsroom.
Most communities have a number of capable
writers who will work for reasonable fees. Ditto
for photographers. They can supplement your
news staff for a fraction of the cost of adding
full-time employees. They’re also a very viable
source of help for advertorial features and special
section content.
100. Run a front page listing of obituaries including name, age and town where the deceased lived.
Obits are the best-read section of your newspaper,
and readers will refer to the front page summary
as soon as they pick up the newspaper.
101. Print forms for the public to use to provide
information for obituaries, engagements, weddings, anniversaries, birth announcements, club
news, Little League results, etc. Also, post them
on your Web site.
KEN BLUM is publisher of Butterfly Publications,
909 N. Crown Hill Rd., Orrville, Ohio 44667, (330)
682-3416, fax (330) 682-3415, [email protected].
Watch that clock
I was talking to James about his role as advertising manager.
minutes late, and the manager made a sarcastic remark about
“There’s a lot of truth in the old saying, ‘Time is of the essence,’”
wasting time waiting for them. Every day was like that. His message
he said. “I’ve read a lot about time management, but I learned more
was, ‘Do as I say, not as I do.’”
from the ad manager in my first sales job than I’ve learned from
James explained that he learned two lessons from his old
books and articles. To be honest, I learned what not to do.”
manager:
James explained that his old manager had little regard for time.
1. Being late shows a selfish lack of respect for the other person.
“He routinely accompanied new sales people on their appointments,
“Time is a precious commodity,” James said. “What’s more
at least for their first few weeks on the job. I remember once when
important in the long run: Taking one more phone call before
we had a morning appointment at a prospective advertiser’s office,
leaving for an appointment, or showing other people that you value
which was a 30-minute drive from our office. I was ready to go 40
their time?”
minutes before the appointment, figuring that would allow time to
2. Time management is about managing other people’s time,
talk strategy on the way, plus get there a little early. The manager
as well as your own. “When we were late for that appointment, it
said he would be ready ‘in a minute,’ but we ended up leaving just
threw our prospect’s day out of whack. About halfway through the
John Foust meeting, our prospect had to step out of the room to tell her next
10 minutes before the appointment.
He drove like a maniac all the way, and, halfway there, told me
appointment that she was delayed. There’s no telling what kind of
to call the prospect’s receptionist on my cell phone to say we were
domino effect that had on that other person’s schedule. And all that
going to be a little late. He was too focused on weaving in and out of traffic could have been prevented if we had been on time.”
to have any kind of pre-meeting strategy. We walked in cold.
Woody Allen once said, “Seventy percent of success in life is showing up.”
“When we sat down with the prospect, I thought the manager would James might add a couple of words: “Seventy percent of success in life is
apologize for being late. But he launched right into a sales pitch without a showing up on time.”
word about our late arrival. Even though I was new in the business, it was
© Copyright 2009 by John Foust. All rights reserved.
no surprise to me that the meeting didn’t result in a sale.
“It was ironic that later that day, we had a staff meeting which the manager
E-mail JOHN FOUST for information about his training videos for ad departments:
had put on the calendar a few days earlier. A couple of people were a few [email protected].
The Tennessee Press
AUGUST 2009
TRACKS
OBITUARIES
Tim Chavez
Former columnist
Tim Chavez, a passionate journalist
who formerly wrote a column for The
Tennessean, Nashville, died June 18 of
leukemia. He was 50.
“A s a c o l u m n i s t , T i m w a s
unpredictable,” said Sandra Roberts,
The Tennessean’s retired managing
editor of opinion. “On some days, he
was infuriating. On other days, he
was endearing. But he was always
fearless and he was always thoughtprovoking.”
A resident of Williamson County,
Chavez was an Oklahoma native
and graduated from the University
of Central Oklahoma. He moved to
Nashville after working as an opinion
editor for the Observer-Dispatch in
Utica, N.Y. Before that, he worked as a
reporter and sports editor.
In 1996, Chavez began writing an
issues column for The Tennessean that
addressed topics including English
as a second language, health care and
immigration. He wanted his column
to be the voice of those he felt had no
voice, often taking on authority figures.
He was especially heated when it came
to defending those who were removed
from the state’s TennCare rolls.
Chave z was a member of the
National Association of Hispanic
Journalists. He won state and national
awards, including the Will Rodgers
Humanitarian Award from the National
Society of Newspaper Columnists.
He leaves his wife, Kathi Chavez; a
stepson, Japhet Thacker of Brentwood;
a stepdaughter, Una Winter man
of Bloomington, Ind.; and two
granddaughters.
(The Tennessean, Nashville,
June 20, 2009)
Jamie Lynne Cox
Former reporter
J a m i e Ly n n e C o x , a f o r m e r
Independent Appeal, Selmer, reporter,
died as the result of a fire that broke out
June 8 at the Stantonville Pallet Factory
on Dennie Barber Rd. in Stantonville.
He was 36.
He g rew up in Covington and
graduated from Covington High School.
It wasn’t long after graduation in 1993
that he competed with more than 300
mid-South contestants in the Big City
Girl Meets Small Town Boy contest
sponsored by the Oprah Winfrey
Show.
Cox’s winning video guaranteed him
time in the spotlight. San Franciscobound, he appeared not once, but twice,
on Oprah’s show before and after the
contest.
Cox joined the staff at the Independent
Appeal from 1997 to 1998 as a reporter
covering many community events and
sports. Stories were easy to write for
him, as he felt at ease with the public,
was very polite and worked hard. The
son of Gary and Cathy Owen, he also
worked at the family business, Up in
5
Smoke, a local store that closed in
Selmer in 2001 while he was attending
the University of Tennessee, Selmer
campus, to continue his education.
He worked various jobs in the
community when he landed a position
at the Pallet Factory in Stantonville
more than a year ago, according to his
mother. Over the years he became a
die-hard fan of UT sports, especially
football.
He was a dedicated father to his
4-year-old daughter, Shelby Cox. He
married Betsy Hurd Cox of Adamsville
just two weeks before his death.
(Independent Appeal, Selmer)
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be
made to the American Cancer Society;
Monroe County Animal Shelter, 170
Kefauver Lane, Madisonville, Tenn.
37354; or Young Williams Animal
Center, 3201 Division St., Knoxville,
Tenn. 37919.
TRACKS
Africa Price, who was managing
editor of the Tallahassee (Fla.)
Democrat, has been named executive
editor of the Shreveport (La.) Times.
Earlier, she was with The Jackson
Sun.
|
Associated Press Nashville Bureau
Chief Adam Yeomans, who handles AP
news and marketing operations in
Tennessee and Kentucky, has been
assigned Mississippi as well.
Woody Baird, who has covered
the Memphis region for more than 27
years, was honored by editors at The
Commercial Appeal, Memphis, and
friends and colleagues at a June 18
retirement sendoff at the newspaper.
Baird joined the AP as a newsman
in New Orleans in 1977 and worked
there till 1981. He rejoined AP in
Memphis in 1982. He worked as AP’s
Memphis correspondent since 1986
and is remembered as a throwback, a
no-holds-barred reporter who doesn’t
hesitate to ask the tough questions to
get to the heart of the matter.
The major stories he’s handled
are too numerous to list here: the
custody battle over a Chinese girl,
Mary Winkler’s shotgun slaying of
her preacher husband and the neverending stream of public corruption
cases from Memphis are among the
most recent. He also kept AP ahead on
the Elvis and FedEx beats.
His AP colleagues presented him
a plaque and a photo collage of
him reporting from the scene on
numerous stories over the years.
They also presented an audio tribute
with Tennessee staffers each doing
their imitation of Baird barking his
signature line when he called from the
scene: “Give me the desk!”
(Associated Press)
May it fly
“Action is needed to protect the
promise of confidentiality between
reporters and their sources....The
public’s right to know hangs in the
balance.”
Rick Boucher
U.S. representative, 2005
McNeil
CMYK
The Tennessee Press
8
Don R. McNeil
Former executive director
Don R. McNeil of Madisonville died
July 9 at St. Mary’s Hospice. He was
a former executive director of the
Tennessee Press Association (TPA).
He was a graduate of the UT School of
Journalism and worked for 28 years
for TPA and its business affiliate,
Tennessee Press Service (TPS).
McNeil worked for five years at The
Knoxville News-Sentinel before joining
the TPS staff as sales manager on
Feb. 10, 1962 at the age of 23. Later, he
became the TPA associate manager.
McNeil was named secretarytreasurer-manager of TPS in 1976,
succeeding his father, Glenn E. McNeil.
Glenn McNeil continued as TPA’s
secretary-manager.
Upon his father’s retirement, Don
McNeil became TPA’s secretarymanager on Dec. 1, 1979. He continued
in the role of TPS secretary-treasurermanager. Glenn McNeil had held the
TPA secretary-manager’s position for
32 years. The secretary-manager is the
same position that is currently titled
executive director.
Don McNeil resigned as TPA executive
director in July 1990.
He was predeceased by his father. He
leaves wife, Heidi; son, Charles McNeil;
daughters, Jan Newman, Kimberly
Huffman and Terri McNeil; mother,
Ercie McNeil; sisters, Glenda McMillan
and Joy McNeil; grandchildren,
Courtney, Meghan, Katie, Will, Hunter,
Hannah, Zach, Josh and Jenna; and
three great-grandchildren.
RENAISSANCE RIVERVIEW PLAZA HOTEL
Educational Sessions
Three Preconvention Workshops
Great Idea Exchange
Six Roundtables-repeated
Opening Breakfast/Keynote Speaker
Eight Educational Sessions
Twelve Community Building Symposium papers
Networking and Social Events
Opening Reception in Exhibit Hall
USS Alabama Tours and Seafood Feast
Trade Show with the latest and greatest
NNAF Silent Auction
Awards Luncheon
Toast to the Winners
For more information or program updates
visit www.nna.org or call (800) 829-4662
Pub Aux 1-4 Ad 1.indd 1
4/10/09 10:12:23 AM
Parkins names chairmen of 14 TPA committees
Victor Parkins, TPA president, has
appointed committee chairmen to lead
in association efforts for 2009-10. The
chairmen will be working over the
next few weeks to fill their committee
rosters.
One should contact these chairmen
if he or she is interested in serving on
a committee or committees.
They are as follows:
Advertising Committee: Kerri
M e e k s, T h e Tu l l a h o m a N e w s ,
[email protected]
Circulation Committee: Don
[email protected]
Constitution and Bylaws
Committee: Steve Lake, Pulaski
Citizen, steve.lake@pulaskicitizen.
com
C o n t e s t s C o m m i t t e e : Mark
Stevens, The Erwin Record, mstevens@
erwinrecord.net
Government Affairs Committee:
Elizabeth K. Blackstone, Kennedy
Newspapers, Columbia, erfkb@
bellsouth.net
Hall of Fame Committee: UT
School of Journalism director or
designee: Dr. Paul Ashdown, UT
Journalism Education Committee:
Michael Williams, The Paris PostIntelligencer, michael_williams@
parispi.net
NIE/Literacy Committee: Lu Shep
Baldwin, Jones Media, Athens, lushep.
[email protected]
Nominating Committee: Tom
Griscom, Chattanooga Times Free
Press, [email protected]
Personnel Committee: Kevin
Burcham, News-Herald, Lenoir City,
[email protected]
Postal Committee: Mike Fishman,
Citizen Tribune, Morristown, ctpub@
lcs.net
Press Institute Committee:
Joel Washburn, Dresden Enterprise,
[email protected]
Public Notice Committee: Jeff
Fishman, The Tullahoma News,
[email protected]
Technology Committee: Alan
Broyles, Johnson City Press, abroy@
johnsoncitypress.com
Normally, a Summer Convention
chairman would be named. However, for
2010, TPA will be joining the Arkansas
and Mississippi press associations for
a Tri-State Press Convention in Tunica,
Miss. TPA will have two members
serve on a committee with Arkansas
and Mississippi representatives
t o d e v e l o p t h e c o nv e n t i o n ’ s
programming. Committee rosters
will be listed in the October issue of
The Tennessee Press.
CMYK
Washburn leads Winter Convention Committee
Joel Washburn,
editor of The
McKenzie Banner,
has been appointed
chair man of the
Press Institute
Committee, which
plans the annual
T PA w i n t e r
Washburn
convention. TPA
President Victor Parkins made the
appointment.
“I've worked with Joel for several
years in the newspaper business, and
I've grown to respect him as a journalist
and publisher,” said Parkins. “His work
ethic stands tall above others, and he is
a creative thinker. Joel took on this big
job without hesitation and has hit the
ground running. We're looking forward
to a great Winter Convention.”
Washburn started working at his
family-owned newspaper at the age of
9 by sweeping floors and running letter
presses. He began work full time in 1979
in advertising sales and reporting. He
was named managing editor in 1985.
He manages the corporation of two
weekly newspapers, The McKenzie
Banner and the Dresden Enterprise,
and a separate online newspaper, www.
tricountystar.com.
Washburn represents District 9
on the TPA Board of Directors. He
previously served as a member of
the Press Institute Committee and
currently serves on the Constitution
& Bylaws Committee.
If one has ideas to share for the 2010
Press Institute and Winter Convention
or would like to be part of the committee,
please contact Washburn at (731) 3523323 or washburn@mckenziebanner.
com.
The Press Institute Committee
will survey members to determine
what types of sessions to offer for
the Drive-In Training, which focuses
on newspaper staffers. The survey
also will ask for success stories in
the areas of advertising, circulation,
editorial and promotion for a session
featuring these successes that other
newspapers can adapt and use. The
link to the survey, on the home page
of www.tnpress.com, will be available
through Aug. 31.
Tentative convention dates are Feb.
10 through 12.
TRACKS
Rhodarmer named publisher of the Advocate & Democrat
Mia Rhodarmer
has been named
publisher of
t h e M o n r o e
County Advocate
& Democrat,
S w e e t w a t e r,
announced Tommy
Wilson, vice
Rhodarmer
president of the
Jones Media Inc.’s Valley Division and
publisher of The Daily Post-Athenian,
Athens. Rhodarmer will retain the title
and responsibilities of editor.
“Mia came to us in 2000 as a reporter
and has displayed exceptional skills
as an editor and the leader of our
newsroom. In October 2008, Mia was
named general manager,” Wilson
said.
“Since that time, Mia has shown her
leadership strengths go far beyond the
newsroom and has done an exceptional
job of managing the business side of
the newspaper.”
“I appreciate this opportunity Jones
Media has given me and the support
of the people I work with,” Rhodarmer
said. “I have enjoyed learning more
about the business side of the
newspaper and look forward to leading
our newspaper during this changing
time in our industry. I am dedicated to
producing a high-quality community
newspaper that meets the needs of our
readers and advertisers.”
Rhodar mer’s past newspaper
experience includes working at The
Macon News in her hometown of
Franklin, N.C. and The McDowell
News in Marion, N.C. She graduated
from the University of North CarolinaAsheville in 1999 with a degree in mass
communication and attended graduate
school at Murray State University,
Murray, Ky.
Rhodarmer is a member of the
and serves as president of the East
Tennessee chapter. She is a member
of the Sweetwater Kiwanis Club and
serves on the board of the United
Way of Monroe County. She and her
husband, Charlie, live in the Ball
Play community. He is director of
the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum in
Vonore.
(Monroe County Advocate and
Democrat, July 5, 2009)
Advocate & Democrat
changes press days
Effective with the July 5 edition, the
Monroe County Advocate & Democrat,
Sweetwater, changed its publication
days. Formerly published on Sunday,
Wednesday and Friday, the newspaper
now publishes Sunday, Tuesday and
Thursday.
Mia Rhodar mer is editor and
publisher of the newspaper, owned
by Jones Media Inc., which is based in
Greeneville.
AUGUST 2009
How Network ads benefit
TPA members, associates
BY BETH ELLIOTT
Network advertising manager
Are you taking full
advantage of the
revenue-generating
programs provided
by Tennessee Press
Service: TnSCAN
(classified), TnDAN
(display) and
Elliott
TnNET (online)?
M e m b e r
newspapers:
Imagine that your TPA dues have been
paid for you. This is no dream. In most
cases, the annual rebates from TnSCAN
and TnDAN programs alone equal more
than your paper pays in TPA dues! Last
year, each participating newspaper
received an average of $1,940 just for
publishing the ads each week. There’s
more, so keep reading.
Tennessee’s Network ads can fill
remnant space and can help build
your classified section. TnDAN ads
are small display ads that can be
placed in your ROP section wherever
you wish. TnSCAN ads are classified
line ads that can be incorporated with
your regular classifieds to help build
your classified section. You choose
the day of publication and the section
for these ads to best meet your space
needs. The newest network is TnNET
for medium rectangle online ads. The
code for TnNET ads can be placed
anywhere on your Web site. TnNET can
help fill underutilized space on your
newspaper’s Web site.
Not only can Network ads be used to
fill space, but your staff can sell the ads
and your newspaper keeps 40 percent
commission. These days, 40 percent
commission is unheard of ! Is your
newspaper taking FULL advantage?
Sales materials are available 24/7 on
www.tnpress.com/statewides/. Contact
TPS for the username and password.
benefit TPA member newspapers by
giving rebates, filling space and by
providing an unbelievable commission.
How do the Networks benefit TPA
associate members?
TPA associate members:
You can have one point of contact to
get your message out across a region
of Tennessee, the entire state or even
nationwide. Plus, Network advertising
rates fit any budget, large and small.
have simplified multiple-newspaper
advertising. Whether you need a
classified line ad, small display ad
or medium-rectangle online ad, your
local participating newspaper or TPS
can help.
Rates are heavily discounted because
the Advertising Networks are a
cooperative operated by TPS on behalf
of the TPA members. Network buys are
an excellent value if you are looking
for extensive circulation at a bareminimum cost per thousand.
Service is in our name, so contact
Tennessee Press Service at (865) 5845761 x117 or [email protected]
if you have any questions or need
assistance.
TRACKS
Nell Scott, with more than 40 years
of service to the Weakley County
Press, Martin, has been named office
manager. Five-year newsroom veteran
Sabrina Bates assumes her new role
as news editor.
“Nell has fulfilled a variety of roles
for the Press for many years and
has done an excellent job for us,”
said Publisher David Critchlow Sr.
“She and Linda Stockton, manager
of the circulation and classified ad
departments, have long been the faces
of the Weakley County Press.”
Scott has worked at the Press since
January 1963, except for a couple
years on two different occasions, once
when she moved and another time for
family. She has been a typist, in page
composition and as society editor, as
well as other duties when needed.
Bates started at the Press in August
2004 as a reporter, later becoming chief
staff writer.
|
Tom R. Duggin, sports editor since
2005, has been promoted to editor of the
Smithville Review. He succeeds longtime
editor and publisher Dennis Stanley.
Duggin is a native and lifelong resident
of DeKalb County and is a member of
the Chamber of Commerce Board of
Directors and of the Dowelltown City
Council. Angie Meadows will continue
as advertising director, and Melissa
Yarbrough will serve as graphics designer and assist with customer service
and relations.
Remember to publish
Statement of Ownership
Every newspaper soon will need to
file the annual periodical Statement
of Ownership with the local post office.
It is called PS Form 3526 Statement of
Ownership, Management and Circulation and should be filed in October. One
can download a PDF from www.usps.
com/forms/_pdf/ps3526.pdf.
News give and take
www.tnpress.com
The Tennessee Press
AUGUST 2009
9
It’s too easy to close records and meetings
The two biggest surprises from the just-ended
legislative session were the unprecedented
high number of bills affecting open records and
meetings, public notices and an assortment of
other First Amendment issues and the failure in
the Senate to close gun carry permit files.
The 30 bills represented three times the norm for
a single year in a two-year session. We dealt with
several of them, but unfortunately more than 20
are likely to return in January. Even though 2010 is
an election year, we expect more to be filed.
Some of the deferred legislation is very bad,
which means we have a lot of homework to do this
summer and fall on such issues as closing police
records, changes in public notice laws and possible
changes to established libel law.
The high number of bills—many of them broader
than they need to be and some that are not needed
at all—underscores a serious need to provide more
comprehensive scrutiny of this legislation. That’s
the only chance we have to slow down the number
of exemptions added each year.
Passage of legislation to seal gun permit records
seemed pre-ordained after a decade of trying,
after guns were permitted in public parks and
restaurants that serve alcohol. The obsession of
lawmakers to extend gun rights for the 4 percent
of Tennesseans with carry permits made the
situation worse.
Of the more than 60 gun bills filed this year, 12
proposed to close permit records, even records
of convicted felons whose permits are revoked.
Ten bills would have made it a crime to publish
anything from a permit file, but we were able to
get those provisions rolled back.
On the day before the Senate adjourned for the
year, the bill closing the records received 14 votes,
three short of the constitutional majority needed
to pass. Five Republicans and one Democrat did
not vote, prompting the Senate sponsor, Majority
Leader Mark Norris, to bemoan published reports
that said some supporters had a last-minute change
of heart and decided these public records should
remain open.
Norris told reporters he was “bothered by the fact
that there are apparently political campaigns and
candidates that want to use the database for their
purposes. The senators in the chamber tonight
were split on what they thought was reasonable,
and a number of them obviously took a walk. I
presented it as the Senate sponsor and did the
best I could.”
Norris did not mention that among the groups
that had obtained the database with names and
addresses of 220,000 permit holders was the
Tennessee Republican Party, but a vote minutes
before confirmed his assessment. An amendment
that would restrict access to the “entire” database
but leave individual records open failed.
That compromise would have prevented the list
from being posted on a Web site and was the same
solution Virginia approved earlier this year.
It would take an intermediate level political
science course to analyze what transpired before
the vote, but the winning arguments by Sens. Joe
Haynes, Minority Leader Jim Kyle and Democrat
Caucus Chairman Roy Herron was that the issue
had nothing to do with gun rights and everything to
do with government transparency. Haynes received
TPA’s Open Government Award in February.
Some lawmakers grappled for weeks to find a way
to deny access to the press but leave the records
open for everyone else. That would have been as
constitutionally futile as attempting to punish a
newspaper for publishing gun permit information.
The state attorney general, citing the 1971 U.S.
Supreme Court decision in the Pentagon Papers
case, had noted in an opinion last year that any
penalty for publication could be
government buildings, including all
successfully challenged as a prior
surveillance audio and videotapes
restraint.
and information about the location
Never mentioned in the public
of hazardous materials such as
debate was the fact that the
controlled substances (drugs), toxic
legislation would have closed
or reactive materials, ingredients for
information on future permits
toxic or reactive materials (nuclear),
issued because the database with
weapons, explosives and hazardous
220,000 permit holders was already
biological materials.
in the public domain.
Under language we negotiated,
TENNESSEE
Bills that passed
segments of the surveillance tape
Of the seven bills that passed COALITION
“may be made public when they
this year, three involved the
include an act or incident involving
Sunshine Law. That was a record FOR OPEN
public safety or security or possible
in itself, because we have gone GOVERNMENT criminal activity.” The hazardous
years without anyone tampering
materials language was removed.
with the open meetings law. We
Corrections: If someone asks to be
Frank Gibson
were able to mitigate some of the
notified when an inmate is released
damage in four of the seven bills,
from prison or parole, information
and three passed in their original form.
that would identify or help locate the citizen
Sunshine Law changes
making the request would be confidential under
Labor negotiations: Under Senate Bill 540, SB894.
governing bodies will be able to close their
Public employee files: Information about
meetings to discuss strategy in upcoming public employee health savings accounts or
negotiations with employee unions. Previously, private retirement savings and pension accounts
the law allowed public negotiating committees will be confidential just as is information in their
to meet privately, but the legislation by Sen. Bill personnel files about bank accounts and other
Ketron of Murfreesboro extended that to the personal information, including home addresses
full legislative body. Face-to-face negotiations and personal telephone numbers.
remain public under the Sunshine Law at TCA
Issues pending
8-44-201.
We were able to get several issues deferred until
Internet chat: Under Senate Bill 832, next year, but unless they can be worked out in
governing bodies can set up Internet chat the interim, we would expect to see them again
rooms for members to communicate outside next year. They include:
public meetings, if the body provides notice it
Public notices on government Web sites: The
is using such technology and makes computer association that represents county mayors and
access available to the public. Members county executives wants to amend state law to say
cannot use the chat rooms to deliberate, posting public notices on county-operated Web
and no body is allowed to implement such a sites satisfies statutory publication requirements.
system without first getting approval from the If other groups of county and city officials join
Office of Open Records Counsel (OORC) in the that effort, we could face a challenge keeping
state comptroller’s office. The OORC has to public notices independent and verifiable.
certify that accommodations are being made
Police records: The City of Murfreesboro wants
for the public. The project is an extension of
a pilot”program that operated for a year in
Knox County.
Internal audits: Senate Bill 2042. Certain
meetings and work product records of special,
local audit committees and internal auditors
Art Powers, publisher of the Johnson City
would be closed. The audit committees must Press, will serve as host to a Southern Newspaper
meet the requirements of state law and the Publishers Association Publishers Forum Oct. 1
state comptroller’s office before they can be in Johnson City.
created. The committees must be independent,
Publishers from newspapers from several
which means an audit committee with multiple nearby states that are members of SNPA will be
members of the legislative body does not fall invited.
under the definition. The legislation, which
we negotiated, requires public notice of
plans to close the meeting, lists the reasons
meetings can be closed, including to protect the
identify of an anonymous whistle-blower, and
establishes procedures for closing the meeting.
The Leader, Covington, returned to a weekly
The body must meet first in public, explain
that it plans to go into executive session under publishing schedule on July 9 after publishing
one of the four listed exemptions and vote by a twice weekly since 2004. A story in the June
30 edition said economic factors were largely
simple majority to close the meeting.
Autopsy photos: HB1527 originally proposed responsible for the decision.
The new publication day is Thursday, and the
to close all information in an autopsy report.
advertising
deadline is Tuesday at 10 a.m.
It stemmed from a complaint a Knoxville state
Brian Blackley is publisher of The Leader,
senator reported getting from a constituent
who said photos of a relative’s autopsy had which is owned by American Hometown
been posted on the Internet. The bill was Publishing of Franklin.
amended to close only photographs, but the
Yuck
legislation illustrates the problem that many
proposed exemptions are much broader than
“News providers should regard anonymous
they need to be or should be.
sources simply as tipsters. Unless hard digging
Government building security: Senate provides real verified facts, the anonymous stuff
Bill 202 originally proposed to close all should be flushed down the toilet.”
information dealing with the security of
Allen H. Neuharth, Freedom Forum founder, 2005
Publishers Forum
set Oct. 1 in Johnson City
Leader resumes
weekly publication
legislation that would allow law enforcement
officers to withhold any and all records by
classifying them as part of the investigating
officer’s files. Under the proposed bill, the only
information that clearly would be public would be
traffic accident reports. The major threat is that
the Senate sponsor is Bill Ketron of Murfreesboro,
the powerful Republican chairman of the State
and Local Government Committee. The House
sponsor is GOP Caucus Chairman Glen Casada
of Williamson County.
Public employees: Two separate bills, a
Sunshine Law amendment from Shelby County
and a proposed public records exemption from
the City of Memphis, would close records and
meetings dealing with the conduct of public
employees statewide. One would close complaints
filed against employees and all materials generated
by an investigation. The second would allow local
Civil Service Merit Boards to close their meetings
to deal with disciplinary or other grievance
appeals.
Political advertising: The “Fair Campaign
Practices Act” would set up new libel standards
for information contained in political campaign
ads and allow just 48 hours to publish retractions
and corrections. Current law allows 10 days.
The Senate sponsor, a Democrat, accepted an
amendment removing newspapers and other
media from the law by placing liability on the
person or group that pays to have the ad or
mail piece published or otherwise distributed.
The bill received only 12 votes, five short of the
constitutional majority needed for passage, and
it is unclear whether the sponsors will try again
next year.
FRANK GIBSON is FOI coordinator of the TPA
Government Affairs Committee and executive
director of the Tennessee Coalition for Open
Government. One can reach him at (615) 202-2685,
[email protected] or at P.O. Box 22248, Nashville,
Tenn. 37202.
MARKETPLACE
MANAGING EDITOR—The Herald-Citizen, a
six-day daily newspaper in Cookeville, Tenn., has
an immediate opening for a qualified managing
editor. The right person must possess all the
skills necessary to manage a 14-person newsroom
while maintaining the quality and credibility of
this award-winning newspaper. ME experience
is preferred but not a deal-breaker. Experienced
editor and writer with solid layout and design
skills required to produce this newspaper.
Must be personable and willing to fit into the
community. The H-C offers a competitive benefits
package including paid health insurance, 401K,
paid vacation, holidays and sick leave. Contact
Mike DeLapp, publisher, [email protected], 1300 Neal St., Cookeville, TN 38501.
MANAGING EDITOR for The Herald-News, an
award-winning community newspaper located in
Dayton, Tenn. The person we seek is a dynamic,
inspiring and experienced journalist capable
of leading a team of reporters in producing an
engaging community newspaper and Web site.
The Herald-News is a twice-weekly newspaper in
a growing community. The managing editor must
be committed to producing the quality newspaper
our readers have come to expect. Candidate
must also embrace current technology and new
opportunities of online journalism. Apply with
resume and samples of work to Sara Jane Locke,
Publisher, P.O. Box 286, Dayton, TN 37321, or
[email protected].
CMYK
The Tennessee Press
4
AUGUST 2009
The Tennessee Press
AUGUST 2009
3
PARKINS: Like father, like son
FORESIGHT
2009
FROM PAGE ONE
“There is so much speculation about
the future of newspapers across
America,” he said. “Newspapers are
in a transition stage of how we deliver
news to our customers. We’ve changed
a lot in the last 10 years or so, and
we’ll continue to change. As TPA
president, I feel a responsibility to help
our members stay informed of those
changes and realize how we can use
them to our advantage.”
Newspaper life
Parkins, his six sisters and brother
all worked at the family-owned MirrorExchange.
“I started on-the-job training in
elementary school,” he recalled. “I
walked from school to the newspaper
office to stuff inserts for the paper. I
worked on and off through high school
and college, mostly helping distribute
the paper on press day.”
A 1987 graduate of Milan High School
where he was a player on the tradition-
DAVID GRACE | KINGSPORT TIMES-NEWS
David Grace of the Kingsport Times-News is the winner of the Tennessee
AP member photo contribution of the month for May 2009 for his picture
of beekeeper Isaiah Hess trying to coax a swarm off a signpost May 20
in Kingsport.
CMYK
No Ad/Circ Retreat this fall
T h e A dve r t i s i n g / C i rc u l at i o n
Managers’ Retreat will not occur this
year. Instead, members of the TPA
Advertising and Circulation committees
will meet by teleconferences to plan the
spring 2010 Advertising/Circulation
Conference. Reasons for not holding
a retreat are largely economic. Many
newspaper staff members are not
allowed to travel or cannot afford the
time away from the office; the 2008
retreat was poorly attended; and the
2009 conference suffered a financial
loss because of a 40 percent lower than
usual attendance.
Several other TPA committees
routinely handle planning work by
teleconference. If one is interested
in serving on the Advertising or
Circulation committee, please
contact its chairman: Advertising
Committee chairman, Kerri Meeks,
The Tullahoma News, (931) 455-4545, or
Circulation Committee chairman, Don
(423) 581-5630.
Advertising Placement Snapshot
ROP:
Network:
May 2009: $ 449,648
$ 55,121
June 2009: $ 365,350
$ 71,505
Year* as of June 30:
$2,812,010
423,151
*The Tennessee Press Service Inc. fiscal year runs Dec. 1 through Nov. 30.
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DAVE BOYD | JOHNSON CITY PRESS
Dave Boyd of the Johnson City Press was the winner of theTennessee member AP photo contribution of the month
for April 2009 for his picture of firefighters trying to control a fire April 13 in downtown Johnson City.
Community newspaper companies doing OK ENGRAVINGS
Community newspaper companies
participating in a Suburban
Newspapers of America (SNA)/
National Newspaper Association
(NNA) survey are doing a better job
of weathering the nation’s economy,
with a majority reporting no staff
reductions and the launch of new
products in the past year.
T h e r e p o r t i n g g r o u p ’s t o t a l
advertising revenue declined 18.7
percent in the first quarter of 2009.
While greater than in past quarters, the
numbers are considerably better than
the industry-wide drop of 28.28 percent
in total advertising expenditures for
first quarter 2009 as reported by the
Newspaper Association of America
(NAA).
Further, the SNA/NNA first quarter
results come on top of a small decline
for first quarter 2008 (2.7 percent).
Comparatively, the overall industry
decline of 28 percent for the quarter is
on top of a nearly 13 percent industry-
wide decline for first quarter 2008
(Source: NAA). Community papers
continue to outperform the industry
as a whole.
The first quarter 2009 SNA/NNA
reporting group, representing 46
newspaper companies with a total
circulation of 17.6 million, cited the bad
economy and specifically the impact on
real estate and automotive advertising
as reasons for the decline.
“T he industry as a whole is
challenged by debt servicing expense,
multiple media competition, and a
recession that has spurred climbing
unemployment that has resulted in
reduced retail sales and advertising
expenditures,” notes NNA President
John W. Stevenson, publisher of the
Randolph Leader in Roanoke, Ala. “It’s
that last item, the economy, that most
impacts community newspapers, and
community newspapers are typically
positioned to grow as the economy
turns around.”
(NNA)
TWO NEW WAYS TO
MAKE MONEY WITH METRO ONLINE
CATHY AGEE AT 800.223.1600 FOR FURTHER INFO
WWW.METROCREATIVECONNECTION.COM
CALL
For their work to help rural journalists
tackle tough stories and keep rural
communities informed, the Institute
for Rural Journalism and Community
Issues and its director, Al Cross,
received this year’s Media Award
from the East Kentucky Leadership
Foundation.
The foundation sponsors a two-day
conference every April to discuss issues
important to Eastern Kentucky and
makes a variety of awards to people
and institutions whose work has helped
the region.
“We accept this award as both a
compliment and a challenge,” said
Cross. “Our work began in Central
Appalachia and will always continue
there. But we also have a national
mission, and the challenge is to remain
rooted in the region while spreading
our branches to rural areas all over
the nation.”
The Institute has academic partners
at 25 universities in 16 states, including
Tennessee and every other adjoining
state, plus Alaska, Alabama, Georgia,
Iowa, Maine, Mississippi, North
Carolina and Pennsylvania. It is based in
the University of Kentucky’s School of
Journalism and Telecommunications,
where Cross is an assistant professor.
The Institute was created in 2001.
(The Rural Blog)
TRACKS
T I M E LY
F E AT U R E S
MICROSITES
READY-TODEPLOY-ANDSELL THEMED
SITES
ONLINE AD
DESIGN TOOL
METRO
INTERACTIVE
AD DESIGNER
(Mi AD)
Claudia Johnson, former writer for
the Pulaski Citizen and The Giles Free
Press, Pulaski, and most recently editor
of the Cumberland Business Journal,
Cookeville, has left the publication to
become executive director of the Sgt.
Alvin C. York Patriotic Foundation.
Members of the Parkins family gather at the summer
convention. (From left) Front row: Austyn Dunnebacke,
Deborah Lee Day, Holly Parkins, Dorris Parkins,
Demi Elliott, Bob Alan Elliott, Clay Elliott. Back row:
Dewitt Day, Melanie Parkins Day, Paris Parkins, Carol
Parkins, Tamara Parkins Dunnebacke, Jordan Parkins,
Victor Parkins, Deborah Parkins Ayers, Scarlet Parkins
Elliott, Kendall Parkins, Crystal Parkins, Donna Parkins,
Denton Parkins and Walker Parkins
Resolution
RESOLUTION OF THE TPA BOARD OF DIRECTORS IN SUPPORT OF HR
2727,the ‘FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY RESTORATION ACT’
WHEREAS, The Tennessee Press Association advocates for its member
newspapers’ ability to publish information that citizens need to make informed
decisions about their lives; and
WHEREAS, HR 2727 better known as the ‘Financial Transparency Restoration
Act’ has gained the necessary support to be introduced to The United States
Congress to be passed into law; and
WHEREAS, For approximately 70 years, national banks were required by an
Act of Congress to publish statements of condition in newspapers where they
‘did business’ and this act will restore the responsibilities to publicly disclose
financial position of banks; and
WHEREAS, in 1994, this requirement was repealed by an Act of Congress with
no public hearing or explanation; and
WHEREAS, the Public ought to have access to the statements of financial
condition of all financial institutions; and
WHEREAS, this act will require publication of a Statement of Condition
within 30 days after the end of each fiscal quarter of any financial institution,
in a newspaper of general circulation published in a city or county within each
market area in which the financial institution is located, or if no newspaper of
general circulation is publishing in such city or county, then the newspaper of
general circulation published nearest such city or county; and
WHEREAS, publication of Statements will result in the public having access
to financial condition of banks which would have helped to disclose insolvency;
and therefore be it RESOLVED, that the Tennessee Press Association encourages
passage of HR 2727 thus requiring publication of a Bank’s Statement of Condition
and further that TPA specifically requests the Tennessee Congressional
Delegation become engaged in helping to pass HR 2727.
June 19, 2009
Board supports act
The TPA Board of Directors at its
June 19 meeting adopted the resolution
at left in support of the Banking in
Transparency Act.
TRACKS
Sadie Fowler, a newsroom staff
member at the Shelbyvile TimesGazette, has been promoted to lifestyles
editor. She is a graduate of Syracuse
University and formerly was editorial
director for The Walking Horse
Report.
|
Jacquta Burke has been named
advertising manager of The Paris
Post-Intelligencer. She succeeds Laura
Dougherty, who left the paper in
April.
|
Lillian Aber nathy, creative
services/pre-press manager of The
News Examiner, Gallatin, has resigned
from the newspaper. She had been
with The News Examiner for 11 years.
She plans to open her own creative
design company, L.A. Creative09, and
to provide care for her grandson.
rich Bulldog football team, Parkins
earned a marketing degree from the
University of Tennessee-Martin in 1991
and started working for a local radio
station selling ads. “It didn’t take long
to realize that I couldn’t compete with
the local newspaper, which my family
owned and operated,” he said.
He joined the Mirror in 1993 and
became sports editor in 1996. Today he
is editor; his mother, Dorris, is ownerpublisher; and the staff includes three
sisters, Melanie, Scarlet and Paris.
“I love working at the paper and
promoting the people of Milan,” he
said. “I owe everything I am and have
to the greatest parents a person could
ever wish for. They were and are the
hardest working people on earth,
and they taught us the importance of
hard work. Mom and Dad founded the
paper in 1964 and built it into what it
is today.”
Civic, professional involvement
of Directors, as a Tennessee Press
Service director, TPA Foundation
trustee and Tennessee state chairman
for the National Newspaper
Association. He is past chairman of
the winter Press Institute, a member
of the TPA Postal Committee, past
chairman of TPA Contests Committee
and graduate of the TPS Institute of
Newspaper Technology.
He is chairman of the board of
directors for the Associated Publishers
Inc. newspaper group and is a member
of the Tennessee Sports Writers
Association.
Active in his hometown of Milan,
Parkins is president of the Milan
Chamber of Commerce and previously
chaired the Education Committee
and Industrial and Infrastructure
Committee.
He is past president of the Milan
Lions Club and club reporter for 14
years and served as chairman of
Gibson County Ducks Unlimited. He
served as president and director for
Milan Girls Softball and vice president
and treasurer of the Milan Lady
Bulldog Softball Club.
He is a Sunday school teacher at the
Sitka Church of Christ and a member
of the West Tennessee Agricultural
Museum Advisory Board.
An avid outdoorsman, Parkins enjoys
hunting, fishing, real estate interests,
family activities and grilling. He holds
the current title of “Best Burger in
Town” at the Milan Burger Bash.
Victor and wife, Carol, have been
married 11 years and have two
daughters, Jordan, 20, and Holly, 9.
TRACKS
Chuck Morley, a 35-year newspaper
veteran, has been named general
manager of the Thomaston (Ga.)
Times. He is a journalism graduate of
East Tennessee State University and
began his newspaper career at the
Johnson City Press.
SEPTEMBER
Smaller Newspapers, Holiday
Inn Crowne Plaza Ravinia,
Atlanta, Ga.
14: Newspaper Carrier Day
14-18: Imagination Library
Week
16-18: SNPA Traveling Campus, Knoxville
17: Constitution Day
18-20: 106th Annual SNPA
Convention, Ritz Carlton,
Naples, Fla.
Smaller Newspapers, Marriott City Center, Charlotte,
N.C.
23-26: National Conference of
Editorial Writers, Hilton
Hotel,Salt Lake City, Utah
24-27: NNA 123rd Convention
and Trade Show, Renaissance
Riverview Plaza Hotel, Mobile, Ala.
OCTOBER
1: SNPA Publishers Forum,
host Art Powers, Johnson
City Press, Johnson City
4-10: National Newspaper Week
10: International Newspaper
Carrier Day
version
X II
.
15-17: Institute of Newspaper
Technology, Knoxville
18-20: SNPA News Industry
Summit (Annual Convention),
Naples, Fla.
28-30: Newspaper Association
of America Conference, Hyatt
Regency St. Louis Riverfront,
St. Louis, Mo.
28-30: The Associated Press Annual Conference, St. Louis,
Mo.
NOVEMBER
6: Tennessee Newspaper Hall
of Fame induction, Knoxville
contest, Nashville
contest, Knoxville
DECEMBER
15: Bill of Rights Day
TRACKS
Larry Bowers, former executive
editor of the Cleveland Daily Banner,
has returned as associate editor-news.
He succeeds Beth Foster, who left the
newspaper to pursue other interests.
|
Bob Benz, after 12 years in Tennessee,
and wife, Lara Edge, have moved
to Las Vegas. He has taken a job
with Greenspun Corp. as executive
vice president of Greenspun Media
Group, which includes their interactive
division and their local media assets.
Edge was laid off from her job at
Scripps Networks Interactive and
earlier was managing editor of the
News Sentinel, Knoxville.
.
CMYK
The Tennessee Press
10
AUGUST 2009
Help us all grow and prosper
(USPS 616-460)
Published quarterly by the
TENNESSEE PRESS SERVICE, INC.
for the
TENNESSEE PRESS ASSOCIATION, INC.
435 Montbrook Lane
Knoxville, Tennessee 37919
Telephone (865) 584-5761/Fax (865) 558-8687/www.tnpress.com
Subscriptions: $6 annually
Periodicals Postage Paid At Knoxville,TN
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Tennessee Press,
435 Montbrook Lane, Knoxville,TN 37919.
The Tennessee Press is printed by The Standard Banner, Jefferson City.
Greg M. Sherrill.....................................................Editor
Elenora E. Edwards.............................Managing Editor
Robyn Gentile..........................Production Coordinator
Angelique Dunn...............................................Assistant
The Tennessee Press
is printed on recycled paper
and is recyclable.
www.tnpress.com
The Tennessee Press can be read on
CMYK
OFFICIAL WEB SITE OF THE TENNESSEE PRESS ASSOCIATION
TENNESSEE PRESS ASSOCIATION
Victor Parkins, The Milan Mirror-Exchange.........................................President
Art Powers, Johnson City Press...................................................Vice President
Jeff Fishman, The Tullahoma News..............................................Vice President
Kevin Burcham, The News-Herald, Lenoir City...................................Treasurer
Greg M. Sherrill, Knoxville....................................................Executive Director
DIRECTORS
Lynn Richardson, Herald And Tribune, Jonesborough........................District 1
Jack McElroy, News Sentinel, Knoxville..............................................District 2
Chris Vass, Chattanooga Times Free Press...........................................District 3
Mike DeLapp, Herald-Citizen, Cookeville.............................................District 4
Hugh Jones, Shelbyville Times-Gazette...............................................District 5
Ellen Leifeld, The Tennessean, Nashville..............................................District 6
John Finney, Buffalo River Review, Linden.........................................District 7
Brad Franklin, The Lexington Progress.................................................District 8
Joel Washburn, Dresden Enterprise.....................................................District 9
Eric Barnes, The Daily News, Memphis..............................................District 10
Tom Griscom, Chattanooga Times Free Press.......................................At large
TENNESSEE PRESS SERVICE
Pauline D. Sherrer, Crossville Chronicle..............................................President
Michael Williams, The Paris Post-Intelligencer............................Vice President
W. R. (Ron) Fryar, Cannon Courier, Woodbury......................................Director
Jeff Fishman, The Tullahoma News........................................................Director
Victor Parkins, The Milan Mirror-Exchange............................................Director
Art Powers, Johnson City Press............................................................Director
Greg M. Sherrill............................................................Executive Vice President
TENNESSEE PRESS ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION
W.R. (Ron) Fryar, Cannon Courier, Woodbury....................................President
Gregg K. Jones, The Greeneville Sun..........................................Vice President
Richard L. Hollow, Knoxville....................................................General Counsel
Greg M. Sherrill....................................................................Secretary-Treasurer
CONTACT THE MANAGING EDITOR
TPAers with suggestions, questions or comments about items in The Tennessee Press are welcome to contact the managing editor. Call Elenora E.
Edwards, (865) 457-5459; send a note to P.O. Box 502, Clinton, TN 37717-0502;
or e-mail [email protected]. The deadline for the October issue
is Sept. 14.
As your incoming president of the Tennessee
that increased readership come new opportunities
Press Association, let me say that I am deeply
for our customers.
humbled and honored to accept this position, and
Through the Tennessee Press Association, I urge
I look forward to leading the most powerful news
you to help us find new opportunities to grow and
association in our state this coming year.
prosper.
The newspaper industry in our country is facing
TPA has a number of challenging issues ahead
very serious challenges, and we all need to do our
this year. We’re continuing to fight the battle to
part to overcome these hurdles. We’ve come a long
keep public notices in our papers. We’ll surge
way over the past 10 years, from analog to digital
forward with our stance that all government bodies
to e-editions. We’ve seen some of the oldest and YOUR
operate in a transparent manner, and our voice in
largest newspapers in the country close their doors
Nashville, as well as with the U.S. Postal Service,
and claim bankruptcy, and many newspapers have PRESIDING remains strong.
stopped publishing on paper and have InternetAs your president, I challenge every one of our
REPORTER members
only editions.
to help us reach our goals. In some cases,
Some analysts believe that printed newspapers
you might be asked simply to pick up the phone and
as we know them will be gone in 10 years. Many Victor Parkins call your state representative or senator. Others
of those same experts said the same thing 10 years
will be called on to serve on committees and help
ago, but most of us are still here, and the ones of
organize events.
us that survive this economic downturn will be the strongest
We do all this so we can continue to serve our readers as the
when we come out on the other side.
state’s foremost advocate of free press, open government and
It’s no secret that some of us have faced layoffs as revenues the people’s right to know.
and readership decline. We’ve all struggled to find ways to
It is my pleasure to preside as your president over the next
make ends meet, using electronic media to deliver instant year, and I ask for help in making this association and industry
news, most of which we provide free.
more powerful than ever before.
We hear just about every day that we’re a dying industry,
My door is always open, and I welcome your suggestions and
but that is very far from the truth. Some of us are doing just comments. My e-mail address is victor@milanmirrorexchange.
fine. In fact, most of us are reaching more readers than ever com. You can reach me by phone at (731) 686-1632.
before with our print and online editions combined. With
Derryberry P.R. is newest associate member
Derryberry Public Relations was
accepted as TPA’s newest associate
member by the Board of Directors on
June 19. The company is located in
Chattanooga.
Derryberry Public Relations LLC
(DPR) began when Robin and Andy
Derryberry acquired the Chattanooga
Office of the original Ingram Group,
which was based in Nashville. Robin
originally opened the office for the
Ingram Group in 2002. When the
partners separated and diversified in
2006, the Derryberrys acquired the
Brysons sell Courier in
Woodbury to Fryars
Andy Bryson, a mainstay at the
Cannon Courier, Woodbury, since
1959 and the owner for the last 15
years, announced July 28 that he has
sold the newspaper to McMinnville
businessman W. R. (Ron) Fryar, a
veteran of the Tennessee newspaper
business, and his wife, Becky.
Although Bryson is leaving as
publisher and editor of the Courier,
the rest of the staff will retain their
positions and even assume additional
roles, Fryar said. Patricia Bryson,
Andy’s wife, will stay on as community
liaison. Bob Stoetzel will continue as
general assignment reporter. Teresa
Stoetzel remains in her positions of
bookkeeper, advertising representative,
office secretary and paginator.
Kevin Halpern has joined the staff
as print and electronic media editor.
Sean Parker will serve as community
features correspondent.
Fryar is president of the Tennessee
Press Association Foundation, a
director and former president of
Tennessee Press Service and a former
president of TPA.
Chattanooga office.
DPR is a full service public,
government and media relations
firm offering services to a diverse
client list. Among its services
are branding, public relations,
f u n d r a i s i n g , m e d i a re l at i o n s,
legislative advocacy, government
relations, marketing, special event
planning, strategic planning, Web
site design/development and crisis
communication strategies. Robin
Derryberry is president of the company
and the business is recognized as a
female-owned small business by the U.S.
Small Business Administration.
Derryberry Public Relations is located
in the Jack’s Alley area in downtown
Chattanooga.
Contacts Robin Derryberry, President,
and Andy Derryberry can be reached at
Derryberry Public Relations, by phone at
(423) 755-7588 or by fax at (423) 755-7589. Their
Web site is http://derryberrypr.com/.
Debt retired on TPA building
Four years and two months after
its completion, the building owned
by Tennessee Press Association
Foundation (TPAF) and leased to
Tennessee Press Association (TPA)
and Tennessee Press Service (TPS) has
been paid off.
“I can’t think of any item addressed by
the TPAF trustees during the planning
retreat three years ago more important,
besides the actual construction of TPA’s
headquarters, nor more ambitious,
than paying off the mortgage on the
building,” said W. R. (Ron) Fryar,
TPAF president. “Having achieved that
goal, on a much faster time table, the
Foundation now will be able to more
rapidly grow our endowment monies
and fund more newspaper requests
needing our support through the grant
application process. The trustees have
wisely shown their stewardship of
the Foundation’s vision and mission
statements.”
Greg Sherrill, TPAF secretarytreasurer and TPA executive director,
said, “This wonderful facility will
continue to serve the needs of TPA, TPS
and TPAF for many years to come. Now
that the debt is retired, the Foundation
is poised to rapidly grow its endowment
in order to provide assistance and
educational opportunities to newspaperrelated causes throughout our state,
in keeping with the key values of the
mission statement.”
The 8,000-square-foot building located
at 435 Montbrook Lane in Knoxville
was completed in April 2005 after two
years of planning and construction. The
cost was $987,500. In October 2007 the
appraised market value was $1,350,000.
TPAF invested the money from the sale
of its first building, built in 1990, into the
new facility. The loan for the difference
was not scheduled to be paid off until
September 2010.
“Being able to retire the note for the
new TPA headquarters will allow more
funds to be directed toward programs
that provide valuable information to
our members,” said Tom Griscom, who
was president of TPA when the debt
retirement announcement was made.
Prior to the Foundation-owned
buildings, TPA, TPAF and TPS were
housed in the University of Tennessee
Communications Building in
Knoxville.
The Tennessee Press
AUGUST 2009
11
Recommended hardware and software
BY KEVIN SLIMP
It was about two
years ago when Rob
Heller, instructor
at UT, mentioned
t h at we s h o u l d
start offering
Soundslides classes
at the Institute
of Newspaper
Slimp
Te ch n o l o g y. H e
explained that it
was the easiest way to get a high-quality
audio slideshow online with minimal
effort. Not long afterward, I was having
lunch with Jack Lail and Tom Chester
from the News Sentinel, Knoxville,
when the topic of Soundslides came up
again. Sure enough, they said it was the
only way they created audio slideshows
for their Web sites.
Soon afterwards, we started offering
Soundslides classes at the Institute, and
they were a big hit. Everyone seemed
surprised at how easy it was to create
an audio slideshow for a newspaper
Web site. So now, almost two years
later, it seems like a good time to kick
the tires and take the latest version
of Soundslides for a ride around the
block.
First, some background information.
Joe Weiss, whose resume includes
stints as interactive producer at The
News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C.,
director of photography at The HeraldSun in Durham, N.C. and multimedia
producer at MSNBC.com, first began
creating audio slideshows in 1992.
Working in Flash, Weiss would go
through the painstaking process of
creating audio slideshows. Over time,
he created a utility that automated
much of the Flash programming.
It took more than two years, but
Soundslides was born in 1995. At first,
Soundslides was Mac compatible only,
but recent versions are available on
both the Mac and PC platforms.
In a nutshell, Soundslides is a
simple application that allows you to
take photos and audio and put them
together into a Flash slideshow that
can be placed on your newspaper Web
site. Soundslides doesn’t edit photos
or create audio. It simply takes folders
of photos and mp3 (audio) files and
merges them with excellent results.
After opening Soundslides for the
first time, I created my first audio
slideshow in less than 20 minutes. And
that included creating the audio for the
slideshow.
As mentioned, Soundslides doesn’t
edit photos or audio, so that’s done
in advance. Audio can come from
any source that can be converted to
mp3, a popular digital audio format.
This includes most audio that would
be recorded from a digital audio
recorder or recorded on a computer. It’s
important to remember that the length
of the audio slideshow is determined
by the length of audio.
Using the software couldn’t be much
simpler. Upon starting the application,
HOW TO CONTACT US
Tennessee Press Association
Knoxville, TN 37919
Phone: (865) 584-5761
Fax: (865) 558-8687
E-mail: (name)@tnpress.com
Those with boxes, listed
alphabetically:
Laurie Alford (lalford)
Pam Corley (pcorley)
The Soundslides desktop appears immediately after
the user selects a folder of jpg files and an audio
file. Afterwards, audio slideshows can be exported
the user is instructed to select a folder.
Jpeg (photo) files in the designated
folder are distributed throughout the
slideshow. Next the user is prompted to
select a sound (mp3) file. In a matter of
seconds, Soundslides imports the audio
and opens the slideshow.
At this point, the user could simply
export the audio slideshow and upload
the resulting folder of files to a Web
site. However, there’s a lot more that
can be done in Soundslides. Timing
can be altered to allow more time
for some photos and less for others.
Templates can be selected with
different background colors, fonts and
layout options. Photos can be moved,
added and deleted. After all changes
have been made, the audio slideshow
never changes.Once you’re happy
with your results, click on the Export
button, and a folder of files is created
that can be uploaded “as is” to a Web
site. After creating a link on a Web
page, the resulting audio slideshow
will appear on its own page in your
Internet browser.
For users wishing to build a slideshow
directly onto a Web page, Soundslides
provides a method for creating a
custom code that can be used on most
Web sites. Mine worked perfectly. To
see the results, visit www.kevinslimp.
com and watch the slideshow on the
right sidebar.
Soundslides comes in two flavors.
The $39 version does everything I’ve
described. Soundslides Plus ($69) adds
the following: pan and zoom (aka “ken
burns” effect); the ability to use lower
thirds; full-screen playback mode;
and the ability to create slide shows
without audio.
Sure, you could create audio
slideshows in iMovie, Vegas or another
video editing application. But it’s so
much easier in Soundslides. For more
information, visit www.soundslides.
com.
The Photoshop manual
you’ve been looking for
I was perusing the graphic design
section at a bookstore a few weeks ago,
looking in particular for a book related
to iMovie ’09. I found a great book by
David Pogue and Aaron Miller titled
immediately, or changes can be made before creating
the slideshow.
Holly Craft
[[email protected]]
Angelique Dunn (adunn)
Beth Elliott (belliott)
Robyn Gentile (rgentile)
Earl Goodman (egoodman)
Rhonda Graham (rgraham)
Kathy Hensley (khensley)
Barry Jarrell (bjarrell)
Greg Sherrill (gsherrill)
Kevin Slimp (kslimp)
Captions can be added that will appear below photos in Soundslides. In
addition, photos can be set to display for longer or shorter periods.
DEADLINE
for the October issue
of The Tennessee Press
is Sept. 14.
Send your news
to Elenora E. Edwards,
[email protected],
or call (865) 457-5459.
Advertising e-mail:
Knoxville office:
[email protected]
Knoxville area—
Knoxville, TN 37919
Phone: (865) 584-5761
Fax: (865) 558-8687
Nashville area—
Toward a new model
iMovie ’09 & iDVD: The Missing Manual
(Pogue Press/O’Reilly, 2009). This led
me down the shelf to several “Missing
Manuals” from O’Reilly.
The one that grabbed my attention
was Photoshop CS4: The Missing
Manual (Pogue Press/O’Reilly, 2009)
by Lesa Snider King. This might be
the best Photoshop book I’ve read. And
I’ve read a lot of them. What impressed
me most is the attention to detail and
colorful illustrations.
The book, which lists for $50, is
available from most major bookstores
and online at missingmanuals.com.
“The only way to save journalism
is to develop a new model that finds
profit in truth, vigilance and social
responsibility.”
Philip Meyer, journalism professor
University of North Carolina, 2004
Phone: (615) 472-8259
Fax: (615) 472-8260
Tennessee Press
Knoxville, TN 37919
Phone: (865) 584-5761
The Courier,
Savannah,
has made its
annual contribution
to the
Tennessee Press
Fax: (865) 558-8687
Read The Tennessee Press
—then pass it on!
CMYK
The Tennessee Press
2
The Tennessee Press
AUGUST 2009
CMYK
Newspaper Hall of Fame
to induct five in November
Five people will be inducted
posthumously into the Tennessee
Newspaper Hall of Fame at a banquet
ceremony on Friday, Nov. 6, at the
Crowne Plaza Hotel in Knoxville.
Selected for induction:
Sallie Rebecca (Pattie) Boyd (18671947)
James E. Charlet (1908-1999)
Roy C. Coleson (1901-1965)
J. Neal Ensminger (1908-2001)
William C. Simonton Sr. (1899-1950)
Fame is a joint project of the Tennessee
Press Association and the University
of Tennessee (UT). Dr. Paul Ashdown
of the UT School of Journalism and
Electronic Media is chairman of the
TPA Hall of Fame Committee.
Sallie Rebecca (Pattie) Boyd [photo
not available at this time] was the
first female editor of a woman’s page
in Tennessee. In 1886, at the age of
18, she convinced the publisher of
The Knoxville Tribune to hire her.
She continued with the Tribune, The
Journal and Tribune and the Knoxville
Journal for 52 years. During her career,
she wrote about an estimated 30,000
weddings, hundreds of parties, dances,
dinners, bridge clubs and women’s
sports. She campaigned vigorously
for women’s right to vote, volunteered
during the Spanish-American War to
provide food and necessities to soldiers
camped in Knoxville, and supported
efforts for the Appalachian Exposition
in Knoxville in 1910 and 1911. She was
influential in getting a building to
honor women’s achievements at the
exposition.
James E. Charlet pioneered the
central printing plant production
of small newspapers in Tennessee
and later web offset printing and
cold type production. He developed
a family-owned newspaper group,
which included the Clarksville LeafChronicle and 16 weekly newspapers
covering nine Middle Tennessee
counties. He led in the creation of
industrial development programs and
vigorously editorialized on imperatives
for community coalitions to diversify
their post-World War II agricultureindustrial economies. He was a leader
in TPA, serving as president in 1960-
Charlet
Coleson
61. He was actively involved in the
association for more than 40 years.
Roy C. Coleson was publisher of
The Fayette Falcon, Somerville. He
was one of a group of publishers
who reactivated the Tennessee Press
Association in the 1930s. For several
years, TPA was unable to employ a
field manager, and Coleson served
on a volunteer basis as executive
secretary. He traveled extensively
over the state visiting newspapers
and promoting the Association. He
was chairman of the committee that
planned and executed the first MidWinter Press Institute and served as
chairman for several years. He also
served as president in 1942-43.
J. Neal Ensminger became the
respected voice of McMinn County
through his position as editor of
The Daily Post-Athenian. He was
considered the man people could count
on as a citizen and newspaper man of
integrity. He had a 50-year career with
The Daily Post-Athenian, retiring as
executive editor in May 1987. After
retirement, he continued to write a
weekly column until his death at the
age of 92. He tutored numerous staff
members throughout his career and
was well known for his civic, church
and charitable efforts.
William C. Simonton Sr. was coowner and assistant manger of The
Covington Leader from 1918 until his
death in 1950. He was among those
who revitalized the Tennessee Press
Association and one of 14 original
incorporators. He also was one of
three incorporators of the Tennessee
Press Service. He served as the first
president of TPS. He had a vision that
TPA could provide more benefits to
members if efforts were unified to sell
newspaper advertising as a statewide
Kit to aid Newspaper Week observance
National Newspaper Week will be
observed Oct. 4 through 10. The annual
event, sponsored by the Newspaper
Association Managers (NAM), will
have a theme and materials that
newspapers can use or adapt as they
see fit.
The kit is assembled to help
newspapers remind readers and
customers of the services newspapers
and newspaper people provide and the
freedoms they protect. The Newspaper
Week kit has been a project of NAM
since 1940.
International Newspaper Carrier
Day is observed on Saturday during
National Newspaper Week, which is
on Oct. 10 this year.
TPA sponsors the kit for members
each year. Details about the kit and
theme will be available in September,
and members will be notified when the
items are available on TPA’s Web site,
www.tnpress.com.
Ensminger
Simonton
newspaper group.
Fame was established in 1966 to honor
those who have made outstanding
contributions to Tennessee
Newspaper journalism or, through
Tennessee journalism, to newspaper
journalism generally, or who have
made extraordinary contributions
to their communities and regions,
or the state, through newspaper
journalism. The program recognizes
and memorializes “extraordinary and
clearly outstanding” contributions
to newspaper journalism and the
newspaper industry.
T he pro g ram’s criteria and
procedures were established in 1966,
based on policies set jointly by TPA and
the UT Board of Trustees.
Hall of Fame portraits are on the
third floor of the Communications
Building on Circle Park Drive at UT,
Knoxville.
Selection of honorees is made
biennially by a five-member committee
of past presidents of TPA serving on
a staggered-term basis. No more than
four honorees may be selected at any
one time. Nominations are sought
in the fall of even-numbered years;
however, nominations may be made
at any time. Installation ceremonies
are held in the fall of odd-numbered
years. Five people are being honored
this year because Coleson was the only
one selected in a previous year, and an
induction was not held.
Financial underwriting for the
Tennessee Newspaper Hall of Fame is
provided by the TPA Foundation.
For information on the Tennessee
Newspaper Hall of Fame, visit the
Web site: http://www.tnpress.com/
halloffame.html or contact TPA at (865)
584-5761.
Contests judging
set in November
TPA will need members to help judge
the Kentucky Press Association’s
(KPA) contest in November. This is the
reciprocal judging that TPA owes KPA
for judging TPA’s contests for 2009.
There will be two judging sites this
year, one in Nashville on Nov. 12 and
one in Knoxville on Nov. 13. Details will
be available in the October edition of
The Tennessee Press and posted online
at www.tnpress.com.
No. 1
AUGUST 2009
Vol. 73
Parkins, Milan editor, becomes TPA president
Victor Parkins, editor of The Milan
Mirror-Exchange, is the new president
of the Tennessee Press Association
(TPA).
TPA is the trade association of the
state’s daily and non-daily newspapers.
It is composed of 27 daily newspapers
and 100 non-daily newspapers.
Parkins succeeds Tom Griscom,
editor and publisher of the Chattanooga
Times Free Press.
Parkins said that during his
presidency his goal is “to continue the
good work this association has achieved
over the years. We’ve got challenging
times ahead in regard to public notice
and openness in government.
“TPA can help your newspaper grow
and prosper if you use all the resources
we provide,” added Parkins. “We’re
doing lots of things to represent and
protect our member newspapers, from
public notice, to postal issues and open
government. TPA is your voice, and
we encourage all of our members to
become involved and use it as a channel
to better your newspapers.”
Other officers elected at TPA’s 140th
Anniversary Summer Convention June
18 and 19 in Chattanooga were Art
Powers, publisher of the Johnson City
Press, re-elected vice president for daily
newspapers; Jeff Fishman, publisher
of The Tullahoma News, elected vice
president for non-daily newspapers;
and Kevin Burcham, publisher of
ROB HELLER | UT - KNOXVILLE
At the 2008 Institute of Newspaper Technology, Fred Anders thinks about
a function of one of the newspaper programs he is learning.
Registrations arrive
from across U.S.
for 12th Institute
BY KEVIN SLIMP
Registrations from all over the United
States have arrived for the Oct. 15
through 17 session of the Institute
of Newspaper Technology. With just
three months till designers, publishers,
editors and technology gurus from
newspapers of all sizes descend on
Knoxville, the event is approximately
70 percent filled.
Out-of-state registrations have been
especially encouraging, arriving at a
steady clip since registration began
in May. TPA members representing
all of the grand divisions of the state
have already registered. As a result,
all of the TPAF scholarships have been
used. TPA members can still receive a
$100 discount by registering online at
newspaperinstitute.com/tpa.html.
Classes related to various aspects
of print and online journalism are
available in October:
•Lisa Griffin will lead sessions in
basic InDesign and Illustrator, as well
as a class in editing photos in Camera
Raw.
•Jay Nelson, chief executive officer of
Design Tools Monthly, will be on hand
to lead a session in font management,
as well as an overview of new software
and hardware for ad design and
pagination.
•Rob Heller will teach hands-on
classes in audio slideshows, digital
photography and video for newspaper
Web sites.
•Lisa Snider, author of Photoshop
CS4: The Missing Manual, will teach
version
X II
.
on the topics “Quick Photo Fixes in
Photoshop” and “Graphic Secrets in
Photoshop.”
•Russell Viers will come to Knoxville
from Austria to lead classes in Adobe
Bridge, scripting in InDesign and
Advanced Illustrator.
•Kevin Slimp, Institute director, will
be on hand to teach classes in Adobe
Flash (Web animation), Advanced
InDesign, online journalism and fixing
problems in PDF files.
Shawn Duffy, managing director at
WoodWing USA, will be on hand at the
Thursday lunch to address the group
about WoodWing’s editorial system.
On Friday, Urban Jönér, director
of business development for Roxen
Internet Software, will speak to the
group about content management.
Jönér will come from Sweden.
To conclude the 2009 session of the
Institute of Newspaper Technology,
Tom Chester and Jack Lail, both from
the News Sentinel, Knoxville, and
Slimp will lead a discussion related to
the future of online journalism during
the closing banquet on Oct. 17.
For more information concerning
t h e I n s t i t u t e , v i s i t w w w.
newspaperinstitute.com. To check
availability of TPAF scholarships,
e-mail Kevin Slimp at kslimp@tnpress.
com.
the News-Herald, Lenoir City, elected
treasurer.
Directors elected for two-year terms
are Lynn Richardson, publisher of the
Herald And Tribune, Jonesborough,
director of District 1; Chris Vass,
Sunday editor of the Chattanooga
Times Free Press, director of District 3;
Hugh Jones, publisher of the Shelbyville
Times-Gazette, director of District
5; John Finney, vice president of the
Buffalo River Review, Linden, director
of District 7; and Joel Washburn, editor
of the Dresden Enterprise, director of
District 9. Griscom will continue on
the board for one year as director at
large.
Continuing their terms as directors
are Jack McElroy, editor of the News
Sentinel, Knoxville, director of District
2; Mike DeLapp, publisher of the
Herald-Citizen, Cookeville, director of
District 4; Ellen Leifeld, publisher of
The Tennessean, Nashville, director of
District 6; Brad Franklin, marketing
director of The Lexington Progress,
director of District 8; and Eric Barnes,
publisher of The Daily News, Memphis,
director of District 10.
The TPA Board of Directors elected
trustees to serve on the Tennessee Press
Association Foundation (TPAF) Board
of Trustees for three-year terms.
Re-elected trustees were Joe Albrecht,
Bob Atkins, David Critchlow Jr., R.
Jack Fishman, W.R. (Ron) Fryar, Dale
Parkins
Gentry, Tom Hill, Gregg K. Jones, John
M. Jones Jr., Sam D. Kennedy, Steve
Lake, Mike Pirtle, Pauline D. Sherrer,
Joel Washburn and Bill Williams.
Trustees elected to their first terms
were Jay Albrecht, Eric Barnes,
Tom Griscom, Art Powers and Keith
Wilson.
Of ficers and directors of the
Tennessee Press Service (TPS),
business affiliate of TPA, are Pauline D.
Sherrer, publisher, Crossville Chronicle,
president, and Michael Williams,
publisher, The Paris Post-Intelligencer,
vice president. Art Powers was elected
to serve as a director during the TPS
Stockholders’ Meeting on June 18.
Continuing to serve as directors are
Jeff Fishman, W. R. (Ron) Fryar and
Victor Parkins. Sherrer and Williams
were elected as officers at the May 8
TPS Board of Directors meeting.
Victor Parkins is the editor of
The Milan Mirror-Ex change, an
independently owned newspaper in
Gibson County. The newspaper was
founded in 1964 by his father, the
late Bob Parkins, and mother, Dorris
Parkins, who now serves as publisher.
Bob Parkins was president of TPA in
1991-92.
Victor Parkins was previously the
sports editor of The Milan MirrorExchange for 10 years. He became
editor in 2008.
He currently serves on the TPA,
TPS and TPAF boards. He has chaired
TPA’s Press Institute and Contests
committees and served on other
numerous other committees.
He is also currently the Tennessee
state chair man for the National
Newspaper Association and chairman
of the board of directors of Associated
Publishers Inc.
Parkins is the current president of
the Milan Chamber of Commerce and
a past Milan Lions Club president.
He is a graduate of UT-Martin with a
B.A. in marketing.
His hobbies include hunting, fishing,
real estate, family and grilling. He
currently holds the title for Milan’s best
burger in town, which was won at the
2008 Milan Burger Bash.
Parkins is one of eight children. He is
married to Carol Putman Parkins, who
is a high school guidance counselor.
They have two daughters, Jordan and
Holly.
Three of his siblings also work at
The Milan Mirror-Exchange, Melanie
Parkins Day, Scarlet Elliott and Paris
Parkins. The newspaper, with paid
circulation of 4,755, publishes weekly
on Tuesdays.
The TPA was founded in 1870-71
for the purpose of creating a unified
voice for the newspaper industry in
Tennessee. Today, TPA continues to
provide assistance to its 127 member
newspapers by monitoring legislative
activities, providing training programs,
issuing press credentials, maintaining
a Web site and providing regular
meetings and forums to foster the
exchange of information and ideas.
The TPA presidency rotates among
TPA’s three divisions of Tennessee,
east, middle and west, and alternates
each year between a daily and nondaily publication. It is customary
that, when a person is elected a vice
president, he or she will serve two
terms as vice president before being
elected president.
Like father, like son for new TPA president
BY STEVE SHORT
The Milan Mirror-Exchange
C
M
Y
K
When Victor Parkins accepted the
gavel as the new president of the
Tennessee Press Association June 19
in Chattanooga, he followed in the
footsteps of his old boss.
Victor’s dad, the late Bob Parkins, was
TPA president in 1991 and in leadership
roles for decades. He was also founder
and editor-reporter for 43 years of The
Milan Mirror-Exchange.
When Bob passed away suddenly at
age 78 last year, Victor moved from his
sports editor’s desk at the Mirror to his
father’s office, becoming editor of the
family-owned weekly.
Now, Victor takes the reins at TPA,
succeeding Tom Griscom of the
Chattanooga Times Free Press.
“I’m proud to follow in Dad’s footsteps,
even though they are huge shoes to
fill,” said Parkins. “I know he would
be proud, and I hope I can contribute
INSIDE
PARKINS
FORESIGHT
as much to TPA as he did. Dad was a
huge proponent of TPA and realized it
was a great resource for a small town
newspaper.”
of Directors since 2000.
“TPA is very family oriented and has
a ‘vacation’ style summer convention,”
he said. “As a child, I often attended
convention events. I became more
involved when Dad’s best friend, George
Whitley of Covington, nominated me
for the TPA board. Since then I’ve
learned a lot about the association.”
Parkins believes TPA offers many
benefits to newspapers across the
state.
“TPA services every aspect of
Tennessee newspapers,” he said. “We
have technical support, advertising
experts, and online training that keeps
you on the cutting edge. Our rights of
freedom of the press are constantly
under attack, and TPA has a strong
voice in Nashville.”
2
3
RESOLUTION
TPA COMMITTEES
At the installation luncheon June 19, Victor and Carol
Parkins get their first look at a special section about his
election to TPA president. Then he gets a hug from sister
Stressing the importance of public
notice, along with the ever-changing
3
4
BLUM
AD-LIBS
8
8
Melanie Parkins Day, who oversaw production of
the section on a day when Parkins was away from
The Milan Mirror-Exchange.
role of newspapers in a wireless
world, will be top priority for Parkins
GIBSON
SLIMP
9
11
this year.
SEE PARKINS, PAGE 3
IN CONTACT
Phone: (865) 584-5761
Fax: (865) 558-8687
Online: www.tnpress.com
CMYK
12

August 2009 (main section) - Tennessee Press Association

Transcription

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