August 2014 - Texas Press Association

Texas Press Association
e-Newsletter
Augus
2014
UNT Libraries to preserve
Texas newspapers
BY ANA KRAHMER
University of North Texas Libraries
The Texas Digital Newspaper
Program is seeking to preserve Texas
newspapers.
Founded by the University of North
Texas Libraries in Denton in 2007,
TDNP was selected to be the Texas
institution for the National Endowment
for the Humanities’ National Digital
Newspaper program. Since then, to
expand digital preservation of the rich
newspaper content created in Texas,
UNT Libraries has worked with institutions such as the Dolph Briscoe Center
for American History at the University of
Texas at Austin, the Texas State Library
and Archives Commission, the Abilene
Library Consortium and numerous local
and regional cultural heritage institutions and publishers.
Over the past few years, TDNP
has learned from newspaper publishers and libraries that high cost and a
lack of availability of microfilm-reading
machines have resulted in a departure
from microfilm as the medium for preservation of newspaper pages. TDNP
also has learned that some publishers
provide their local libraries with newspaper files on digital video disks. While
a DVD is a good way to pass information from one computer to another, it
is not a viable preservation medium.
Rather, digitally stored PDFs are a
➤ CONTINUED ON PAGE 2
Texas Press Association
moves to new location
Please update your records.
Old address:
Texas Press Association
718 W. 5th Street
Austin, TX 78701
t
New address:
Texas Press Association
305 S. Congress Ave.
Austin, TX 78704
➤ FROM ON PAGE 1
high-quality, full-color file format that
University of North Texas Libraries can
easily preserve.
PDF files can be processed, placed
into the preservation infrastructure and
made accessible as allowed by the publisher. For example, Terrie Gonzalez,
co-publisher of the Cherokeean-Herald
in Rusk, has established with UNT
Libraries a three-year limitation for her
newspaper. When she annually deposits
her newspapers with TDNP, the newspapers are preserved and filed away until
the end of the established three-year
limitation, and only then is the content
made available for public access.
TDNP is working with Texas Press
Association to preserve the associa-
tion’s existing PDF archive and that
archive will work in a similar fashion.
UNT Libraries will contact publishers
to find out the length of time they’d
like to limit their content. PDFs will be
preserved in perpetuity, but they will
not be made accessible by default. No
public access to the PDFs will be provided without the express permission
of the publishers. Additionally, neither
UNT Libraries nor the Texas Digital
Newspaper Program will own copyright
to the content. Copyright ownership
remains with the publisher.
To visit the Texas Digital Newspaper
Program collection, go to: http://texashistory.unt.edu/explore/collections/
TDNP/. For questions, please write to
Ana Krahmer, at [email protected].
Early bird registration ends Aug. 16
The National Newspaper Association will hold its 128th Annual Convention & Trade Show in San Antonio, Oct. 2-5.
NNA would like to invite all Texas
Press Association members, regardless of NNA member status to
join them in San Antonio at the NNA
member registration price.
Registering before the early bird
date, Aug. 16, saves you $50 per
registration. When registering select
NNA member.
Your convention committee has put
together a great educational program
with excellent speakers and panel
discussions. View the full program at
http://nnaweb.org/convention.
Headquarters will be the Grand Hy-
att San Antonio which offers warm
hospitality, bold colors and exceptional touches creating a luxury San
Antonio Riverwalk hotel that is perfect for every guest.
Discover an array of attractions and
things to do convenient to the hotel;
in fact almost everything in the area
is accessible by foot, river taxi or trolley.
While registering make your hotel
reservations at the special rate of
$159 which is exceptional for a River Walk hotel, but don’t delay as the
block is filling up quickly.
If you have any questions about
reservations feel free to contact Cindy Joy-Rodgers 540-891-5171 or
[email protected].
CLICK HERE TO
REGISTER ONLINE
CLICK HERE TO
DOWNLOAD THE
PRINTABLE FORM
TEXAS PRESS
E-NEWSLETTER
Texas Press Association
305 S. Congress Ave.
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 477-6755 phone
(512) 477-6759 fax
www.texaspress.com
2014-2015
TPA Board of Directors
Officers
President Randy Mankin, The Eldorado
Success; First Vice President Glenn Rea, The
Cuero Record; Second Vice President Randy
Keck, The Community News; Treasurer Pat
Canty, Odessa American; Chairman Greg
Shrader, The Lufkin News
Board Members
Elected: Jeff Berger, Hondo Anvil Herald; Neice
Bell, New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung; Sue Brown,
Pleasanton Express; Bill Crist, Snyder Daily
News; Mike Winter, The Bowie News
Appointed: Laurie Ezzell Brown, The Canadian
Record; J.D. Davidson, Paris News; Brenda
Miller-Fergerson, The Pasadena Citizen;
Hank Hargrave, The Normangee Star; Bret
McCormick, The Vernon Daily Record; Jim
Moser, Jackson County Herald-Tribune; Melissa
Perner, Ozona Stockman; Danny Reneau,
Silsbee Bee
Regional Presidents: Don Treul, Tri County
Leader, NETPA; Jeff Blackmon, County StarNews, PPA; Tania French, Port Lavaca Wave,
TGCPA; Mindi Kimbro, Olney Enterprise, WTPA
Regional Vice Presidents: Jessica Woodall,
Kilgore News Herald, NETPA; Ashlee Estlack,
Clarendon Enterprise, PPA; Kathy Cooke,
Rockdale Reporter, STPA; Sue Brown,
Pleasanton Express, TGCPA; Carlina Villalpando,
Kerrville Daily Times, WTPA
TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION
Joel Allis, Periodicals Consultant
Fred Anders, Information Technology Director
Donnis Baggett, Executive Vice President
Diane Byram, Advertising Manager
Stephanie Hearne, Controller / Office Manager
Shawn Jones, Network Advertising Coordinator
Micheal Hodges, Executive Director
Ashley Kontnier, Advertising Consultant
Allison Rentfro, Publications Editor
Donna Shaw, Administrative Assistant
Ed Sterling, Member Services Director
TNF Hall of Fame nominations due by Oct. 15
BY PHIL MAJOR
TPA Past President 2007-08
to learn a little more about them.
The Texas Newspaper Hall of Fame
induction ceremony will be held during the annual midwinter conference,
but before that, the Texas Newspaper
Foundation needs your help.
All of you know someone (or perhaps
more) who are deserving of the honor
of induction into the Hall of Fame.
But they can’t get there without your
help. Nominations for the hall are being
accepted until Oct. 15. It is the most
important step toward getting into the
hall. The quality, and perhaps even
quantity, of information provided to
the selection committee can go a long
way toward making sure that deserving
persons join the outstanding group that
already makes up the hall.
It’s been said that if you ever see a
turtle sitting on a fence post, you know
it had to have some help getting there.
And thus it is with the newspaper men
and women who make up the fellowship of this profession in Texas.
Each year since 2007 the Texas
Press Association has gathered in
January to honor a select few of them,
those who raised the standards, set the
bar high for others — helped the rest
make it up that fence post.
And so it will be again in January
2015 in Galveston. A handful of deserving men and women will be honored,
and the rest will have a unique chance
NOMINATION FORM
FOR 2015 INDUCTION
TEXAS NEWSPAPER FOUNDATION
HALL OF FAME
To the TNF Hall of Fame Selection Committee:
I am pleased to nominate:
________________________________________
Name
____________________________________________
Newspaper or Organization
Newspaper(s) with which Nominee Has Been Affiliated: ____________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Eligibility Criteria
The purpose of the Texas Newspaper Hall of Fame is to honor those who:
• Have made an outstanding contribution to Texas newspaper journalism or, through Texas
journalism, to newspaper journalism generally, or
• Have made an extraordinary contribution to their communities, regions, the state of Texas
or the nation through newspaper journalism, or
• Have advanced the legacy of a free and responsible press, and
• Have inspired others to improve the quality of the profession of journalism.
Honorees must be natives of the state of Texas or have established a significant portion of their professional reputations in Texas. They must have shown exemplary contributions to the newspaper industry
during a period of at least 20 years prior to being nominated and may be living, retired or deceased. Nominees may come from any facet of the newspaper business, including editorial, photojournalism, advertising, business, production, circulation, management or any combination of backgrounds.
Attach documents supporting consideration of your nominee, i.e., professional background, employment
record, career highlights, civic activities, awards and honors, and statement of why nominee should be recognized by the Texas Newspaper Foundation Hall of Fame.
Nominated By:
______________________________________________
Name
Inductees will be honored at the Texas
Press 2015 Midwinter Conference and
Trade Show Friday, Jan 23, 2015 in
Galveston, .TX.
_________________________________________
Address
Please Return This Form to:
Texas Newspaper Foundation
Hall of Fame Selection Committee
718 West Fifth Street, Suite 100
Austin, Texas 78701-2799
Nomination Deadline October 15, 2014 — Nominations Received After the Deadline Cannot Be Considered
Take a few minutes. Scan through
the prior honorees at newspaperhalloffame.org, and think about those who
helped you along the way, who made
their communities, their profession and
their state better.
Or perhaps they are historical figures
you did not know, but whose inclusion
will assure that the hall is truly reflective
of Texas newspaper history.
And then take a few minutes (after
deadline of course), and make sure
that those who have earned the right
to be in the hall are so justly enshrined.
You can learn more about the Hall of
Fame selection process. Please send
those nominations. The committee will
be gathering in early November to
name the Class of 2015.
CALENDAR
Aug. 14 - 15, 2014: TCCJ
Smartphone Journalism Training Android, TCU
Sept. 12, 2014: The Freedom of
Information Foundation of Texas
Annual State Conference: FOI Foundation of Texas will host its annual
conference at Hilton Austin
Sept. 14-16, 2014: Carmage Walls
Leadership Forum - The Tremont
House, Galveston, Texas
Oct. 2-5, 2014: National Newspaper
Association 128th Annual
Convention, Grand Hyatt Hotel - San
Antonio
Oct. 5-11, 2014: National
Newspaper Week
www.nationalnewspaperweek.com
Oct. 15, 2014: Texas Newspaper
Foundation Hall of Fame Nomination
deadline | www.tnf.net
Oct. 17, 2014: Directory Cover
Contest Deadline
Jan. 22-24, 2015: Texas Press
Midwinter Conference & Trade
Show, Moody Gardens Hotel, Spa &
Convention Center, Galveston
11 Texas newspapers win
awards in 2014 NNA BNC
Winners of the National Newspaper
Association’s 2014 Better Newspaper
contest and Better Newspaper Advertising Contest have been announced
and 11 Texas newspapers earned accolades. See the list below, or click here
for a complete list of winners and comments from judges.
The winners will be recognized at the
award reception held Saturday during NNA’s 128th Annual Convention &
Azle News
Honorable Mention, Best Serious Column, A new Mom’s Day
The Clarendon Enterprise
Third Place, Best Editorial Page(s),
Clarendon Enterprise Opinion Page - April
18 and 25
Honorable Mention, Best Editorial, HISD
should keep focus on town’s future
Honorable Mention, Freedom of Information, Clarendon Enterprise FOI Contest
Entry
The Fayette County Record
Trade Show in San Antonio, Oct. 2-5.
There were 1,862 entries in the Better
Newspaper Contest and 383 entries in
the Better Newspaper Advertising Contest for a total of 2,245 entries. A total of
530 awards were won by 193 member
newspapers in 40 states.
Entries were judged by active and retired community newspaper editors and
publishers and retired university journalism professors.
Honorable Mention, Best Special News,
Sports or Feature Section or Edition, Hunting Guide
Honorable Mention, Best Advertising
Idea, An Evening on the Town
General Excellence
Port Aransas South Jetty
Second Place, Best Business Feature
Story, Schlitterbahn: Inside look at effort to
build new water park
Second Place, Best Localized National
Story, Life or death: Native Port Aransan
describes terror attack in Algeria
First Place, Best Breaking News, Photo,
High Wire Act
First Place, Best Sports Photo, Purple
Reign, Gold Rush
Third Place, Best Localized National
Story, Local Doctor Recalls Seeing JFK
The Day Before He Died
Springtown Epigraph
First Place, Best Breaking News Story, I
saw the tornado coming for us
First Place, Best Photo Essay, Miracles
and mayhem
Second Place, Best Sports Feature
Story or Series, Pirate football royalty
Third Place, Best Small-Page Ad, Cari’s
Restaurant
Honorable Mention, Best Serious Column, Imperial carp and flying monkeys
Honorable Mention, Best Multiple Advertiser Section, Great Christmas Giveaway
First Place, Best Feature Story, What
might be in there....
First Place, Best Localized National
Story, Chase Ends Here
First Place, Best Newspaper Promotion,
Keeping You Informed
Second Place, Best Breaking News
Photo, Long Walk
Second Place, Best Editorial, No enemies behind these lines
Second Place - Tie, Best Feature Photo,
Good Book
Second Place, Best Humorous Column,
Words that are starting to bug me
Second Place, Best Special News,
Sports or Feature Section or Edition, Welcome to Wise 2013
Second Place, Best Sports Photo, Slipping Away
Second Place, Excellence in Typography, April 27 and October 16
Third Place, Best Feature Series, Cross
Roads
Third Place, Best Feature Story, Ashlie
lives on
Third Place, Best Newspaper Promotion,
Hood County News
Lake Country Sun
Third Place, Best Feature Photo, Fire
School offers training
Honorable Mention, Best Serious Column, Working tirelessly
Lamesa Press-Reporter
First Place, Best Humorous Column, Six
on a plane certainly bests three in a row
The Ozona Stockman
Second Place, Best Local News Coverage, The Ozona Stockman local news
coverage
Third Place, Best Sports Photo, Hey
umpire, I’m safe
Second Place, Best Sports Photo, Football pass breakup
Groups recognize
Texas journalists
2014 TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF
SCHOOL BOARDS’ MEDIA HONOR
ROLL WINNERS: Paul Scifres, Winkler
County News; Lew Vail, Polk County
Enterprise; Kim Popham, Corrigan Times;
Tye Chandler, Glen Rose Reporter; Mary
Ann Johnson and Art Mann, Hillsboro Reporter; Goliad Advance-Guard; Rosemary
Donham, Rotan Advance/Roby Star Record; Melissa Perner, Ozona Stockman;
Charles D. Hatfield, Jr.; James Walker,
Burnet Bulletin; Lindsay Weaver, Odessa
American; Ken Richardson and James
Villanueva, Slaton Slatonite; Jon Lance,
Faith Huffman and Scott Keys, Sulphur
Springs News-Telegram; and Stephanie
Corley, Sabine County Reporter. TO VIEW
MORE MEDIA HONOR ROLL WINNERS,
CLICK HERE.
PRESS WOMEN OF TEXAS 2014
COMMUNICATIONS CONTEST: Larry
and Bonnie Arnold, Hill Country Community Journal; Nate Strauch, Donna Hunt
and Joyce Godwin, Herald Democrat,
Sherman; Carol Ferguson, Greenville
Herald-Banner
Wilson County News
DELTA KAPPA GAMMA MEDIA
RECOGNITION AWARD: Matthew
Prosser, Henderson Daily News
Wise County Messenger
HAROLD HUDSON MEMORIAL
AWARD: Mac McKinnon, Dublin Citizen
Second Place, Best Business Feature
Story, Best Business Feature Story
General Excellence
Missing
Third Place, Best Single Ad Idea, Color,
Happy Thanksgiving
Honorable Mention, Best Breaking
News Photo, Fiery Finish
Honorable Mention, Best Breaking
News Story, Chase Ends Here
Honorable Mention, Best Headline Writing, July 10 and September 11 Headlines
Honorable Mention, Best Local News
Coverage, March 23 and September 7
Local News Coverage
Honorable Mention, Best Weekend Edition, March 23 and October 19
Honorable Mention, Best Public Notice
Section, Where sex offenders reside
Honorable Mention, Best Series Ad
Idea, Color, JRobs Sports and Fitness
Honorable Mention, Best Single Ad
Idea, Black & White, New Phones to
Impress All the Chicks
General Excellence
MARK YOUR
CALENDARS
2015 TEXAS PRESS
MIDWINTER
CONFERENCE
AND TRADE SHOW
Moody Gardens,
Galveston
CONTEST SPECS
Deadline: Friday, Oct. 17 at of the publication: “Texas News-
5 p.m.
File size: Trim is 8.5 inches
wide x 11 inches tall. 350 dpi.
TIFF or PDF (preferably PDF).
Full color. All important text and/
or images that you want to show
on your page need to be inside a
margin of 0.125 inches from the
trim, so they do not get cut off.
Any images or colors that extend to the edge of the page
need to bleed past the trim 0.125
inches so that there is not a stripe
of white along the trim.
Covers must include the title
paper Directory,” the name of the
!
association (Texas Press
Association) and the year 2015.
How to submit: Email entries to TPA Publications Editor
Allison Rentfro at [email protected]. Be sure to include
the designer(s) name, job title(s),
newspaper name and preferred
email address. All submissions
will be acknowledged.
Questions: Send questions
to Allison Rentfro at arentfro@
texaspress.com or call 512-477!
!
6755.
!
!
Need inspiration?
Click here to view past Texas Newspaper
Directory covers.
To improve
your
newspaper
it takes
quality
input...
from your
peers and other
professionals.
at Moody
Gardens
Hotel in
Galveston.
Your
opportunity
awaits
Jan. 22-24
!
Click here to view the
Trade Show vendors
Click here for
Member Registration
Click here for TexSCAN
Member Registration
Click here for Past
President Registration
Click here for Non-Member
Conference Registration
TPA HOW TO: Order a Press Card
With the start of the school year and football season
around the corner, a 2014 TPA press card could allow
your photographers to gain better access to sporting and
other school events. All ID cards are mailed to the newspaper’s publisher. The quickest way to get a press card
is to follow these simple steps:
FRONT
1. Provide to us via email ([email protected])
the following information EXACTLY as you wish it to
appear on the card:
Name_____________________
Title_______________________
Newspaper name____________
Newspaper phone # __________
2. Attach your photo with the file name of LastnameFirstnamePhoto.jpg (A photo file .jpg (Mug shot): 0.764
inches (148 pixels) wide by 0.819 inches (159 pixels)
high (300 dpi))
BACK
3. Attach a scan of your signature with the file name
of LastnameFirstnameSig.gif
(A signature file .gif (card holder signature): 1.5 inches
wide by 0.4 inches high (300 dpi))
4. Pay for your cards online or mail a check to Texas Press Association, 305 S. Congress, Austin, TX,
78704. The cards are $5.00 each. Your cards will not
be sent until payment has been received.
Contest Committee
needs volunteers
Volunteers are needed to serve on the
TPA Better Newspaper Contest Committee. The transition to online judging
of the contest has been successful, but
questions and concerns need to be addressed earlier than in the past so that
changes can be coded into the contest
website. Decisions need to be made
well before the midwinter conference in
January 2015.
Contest Committee Chair Sue Brown
of The Pleasanton Express is calling for
TPA members to volunteer to serve on
the committee, and to provide input on
contest-related matters without delay.
Committee members will not need to
travel long distances to meet: the committee will conduct its business via listserver, with an occasional conference
call as necessary.
To volunteer, contact TPA President
Randy Mankin or Contest Committee
Chair Sue Brown for more information.
Texas Press Association’s
By-Laws have been updated
Click here to review
the changes
Inland Webinars
now available
TPA is a co-sponsor
for the Inland Press
Association webinars
All TPA members
may participate in the
webinars for just $15
Click to view
current offerings
DESIGNED FOR YOUR HOMEPAGE
DOWNLOAD THE NEW AD HERE
The TPA Job Bank is updated as positions become available. The Job Bank
is a free service for all TPA members
and job seekers. Listings will remain
on the Job Bank for 30 days or until
notified to remove. E-mail job listings
to: [email protected] or fax to
512-477-6759. Questions? Call 512477-6755.
Reporter, Brenham, TX - The
Brenham Banner-Press, an award winning 6,500-circulation afternoon daily
newspaper, is seeking a general assignments reporter. Beats will include two
school districts, a community college,
daily law enforcement coverage, as
well as other local news as assigned.
Perfect opportunity for a weekly writer
to step up, but will consider a recent
grad with newspaper intern experience.
As a member of Hartman Newspapers,
we offer a competitive salary, major
medical, profit sharing and paid vacation and holidays. To apply send your
resume and writing samples to Michael
Mueck at: mmueck@brenhambanner.
com. 08/14/2014
Reporter/Photographer, Lampasas, TX - The Lampasas Dispatch
Record, a semi-weekly newspaper
70 miles northwest of Austin, is now
accepting applications for this position. Responsibilities include coverage
of school news, general assignments
and putting together our Lifestyles section. Applicants must be able to meet
deadlines, be self-motivated and have
excellent communication and people
skills. Must be able to do night and
weekend assignments, as needed.
Page layout and design abilities with
Adobe InDesign, and experience with
Photoshop are important. Send cover
letter, resume with references, and
samples of stories, photographs and
page design to Jim Lowe, Publisher, at
[email protected]. 08/14/2014
Outside Sales Representative,
Copperas Cove, Killeen, Harker Heights,
TX - Outside Sales Representative
Wanted: Looking for qualified media/
marketing representative to work in the
Copperas Cove, Killeen and Harker
Heights areas. Must be self motivated
and willing to travel between Copperas
Cove and Harker Heights. Please send
JOB BANK
resumes to newspapersalesrep@ to cover a wide range of meetings and
gmail.com. 08/13/2014
events, write stories, and take pictures.
Must be able to work flexible hours
PUBLISHER, Alpine, TX - The Alpine that may include nights, weekends
Avalanche is seeking an editor and and holidays. We are part of Granite
publisher. We cover it all – the oil Publications, a group that prefers to
and gas industry, county and city gov- recruit from within and that means
ernment, schools, cops and courts, your job with us could be the first
civic events and community happen- step toward the future you’ve always
ings. We want someone with strong wanted. Please e-mail a resume, cover
news judgment; an ability to work with letter, and salary requirements to ediemployees of various degrees of expe- [email protected]. 08/12/2014
rience; someone who is well versed in
AP style; someone comfortable with Advertising Consultant, Austin,
interviewing everyone; and someone TX Multi-task position requires
handy with a camera or not afraid to excellent computer skills, data entry,
learn. The person we hire will also be research, ad placement and client
responsible for managing the ad sales development. Our representatives
staff with planning special sections, work directly with other press assomonitoring sales efforts and developing ciations, newspapers and ad agenideas turn to non-advertisers into regu- cies. Excellent benefits, competitive
lar ones. The successful applicant will salary. Send resume to Diane Byram,
directly be responsible for the editorial Advertising Manager, 305 S Congress,
product and managing ad sales, book- Austin, TX 78704 or email: dbyram@
keeping, distribution, analyzing monthly texaspress.com. 08/12/2014
financials and planning for the future.
We are part of Granite Publications, Reporter/Page Designer, Browa group that prefers to recruit from nwood, TX - The Brownwood Bulletin,
within and that means your job with in the heart of central Texas, has a
us could be the first step toward the job for you. The Bulletin is seeking a
future you’ve always wanted. Please self-motivated reporter/paginator, who
e-mail a resume, cover letter, and sala- can also fulfill clerk duties and pagiry requirements to brandi@granitepub. nation-- handling of obituaries, wedcom. 08/12/2014
dings, anniversaries, engagements and
Letters to the Editor -- in Editorial. The
Assistant Editor, Sinton, TX - The right candidate will be equally comfortSan Patricio County News, a weekly able writing hard news as features
community newspaper in Sinton, has and have clips to prove it. We want to
an opening for an assistant editor. make newspapers with a purpose in
Duties would include covering local mind, so being organized while juggovernment, law enforcement, other gling different stories and assignments
news stories and features. Photography on daily deadlines is a must for the
and page design in inDesign are part of right candidate. Experience with pagithe duties too. The San Patricio County nation is a required. We are willing to
News is part of the Beeville Publishing train the right person for the job. This
family of newspapers serving seven is a 40 hours per week position, with
surrounding counties and providing paid holidays, and the option for a
support nearby and online at www. 401 (k) and health insurance benefits.
mysoutex.com. The full-time position Minimum Requirements: The successcomes with competitive benefits and ful candidate will have a college degree
pay commensurate with abilities and in journalism, English or design preexperience. Please submit resume and ferred. Technology skills: Proficiency
work samples to [email protected]. in InDesign, Microsoft Office, Word,
08/12/2014
Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook is
required. Education: Bachelor’s degree
Reporter/Page Designer, Fort or equivalent work experienced preStockton, TX - The Fort Stockton ferred. Email resume and cover letter
Pioneer, a weekly newspaper in West to: david.compton@brownwoodbulleTexas, is seeking a full-time reporter tin.com. 08/08/2014
Flats tray use more important as drastic plant closings threaten
Postal Tips
By Max Heath
NNA Postal Chair
[email protected]
through multiple plants and postal truck
trips should continue to be lidded to
keep the contents intact until they reach
their destination.
• Watch for multiple labels, stickers on tubs
The U.S. Postal Service, after giving
up on any chance of a postal reform
bill to provide financial relief from Congress, announced its long-delayed “final” round of plant consolidations and
closings in July, starting in January and
finishing by fall 2015.
Although previous rounds caused
plenty of pain for newspapers and other
mailers, this next round, if carried out,
will bring delays of mail processing and
delivery to even lower levels. USPS
has been violating its own service standards for months now, and that stands
to worsen in the future, even with volume dropping, as many states will be
reduced to one plant only.
Since late 2006, the National Newspaper Association has promoted the use
of Flats Trays, commonly calls tubs,
instead of sacks. Many newspapers
have successfully made the shift. Sadly,
others have not, often because central
plants lack proper storage or complain
that they don’t “cube out” well in delivery trucks. (Sacks collapse and air escapes, whereas the plastic tubs, usually
with green lids strapped around the top,
can have “dead air space.”)
However, now is the time for all newspapers and their printers to revisit this
decision. Here’s why:
• UNLIDDED TUBS MAY BE
POSSIBLE
USPS mail preparation personnel in
headquarters are considering whether to allow trays to travel without lids,
which should solve trucking problems
by allowing less-than-full tubs to be
nested one inside the other. Although
no final rule has been issued, some districts and plants already allow unlidded
trays for mail within their jurisdiction.
I’d suggest that tubs being delivered
within the SCF of origin, often comprising the bulk of the tubs, be unlidded
with local permission. That territory is
growing as consolidations reduce the
number of Sectional Center Facilities.
Tubs travelling longer distances and
• FLATS TRAYS HANDLED AS
FIRST CLASS
Remember that one great advantage
of using flats trays is that they are essentially a First-Class “flats” container.
Periodicals in OMX (Origin Mixed ADC)
trays travel on First-Class trucks to destinations up to 1,500-2,000 miles from
the SCF of origin, helping newspapers
get improved delivery in a multi-state
area.
Trays (tubs) are easier to identify in
a mailstream of sacks that are now all
alike—white plastic for Periodicals and
Standard Mail, etc. No more brown
sacks as in the old days for Periodicals.
Just place a pink two-inch tray tag in the
plastic holder. Avoid taping to the tray if
possible. Only First-Class mail and Periodicals can use flats trays, the latter
under DMM 707.20.4.
You will need to work with your software vendor to set the number of copies per tray based on thickness or average size of your paper to tell how many
copies will fit per tray.
The Postal Service has wanted to rid
itself of sacks for years now. They are
expensive to handle and help drive up
costs of Periodicals mail. NNA hopes
to obtain a discount for tubs when the
industry makes substantial conversion.
• PROBLEMS OF ‘DIRTY
TRAYS’ EXIST
One problem that exists with trays,
and may be worsening with lower staffing levels in processing plants, is the
failure to remove old tags and stickers
before they are re-sent to mailers for
their use. More than one newspaper
in my former company, for which I still
consult, has had complaints from acceptance post offices about a multiplicity of stickers or tags on trays from prior
handlings. (See accompanying photo of
examples.)
NNA has previously been assured
by USPS headquarters Mail Transport
Equipment managers that mailers are
to be sent clean trays. But after pressing the issue again recently, we learned
that they depend on individual processing plants to clean trays of already used
stickers and tray tags rather than the
MTE centers, which prepare pallets of
shrink-wrapped trays with lids for shipment to mailers. That is always happening.
Often tag holders have been torn
off by machinery and some mailers
place adhesive stickers in their place.
Worse yet, they place adhesive stickers
right over the tag holder. Newspapers
shouldn’t be bashful about returning
worst-case trays to the source plant.
But they also need to rip off conflicting indicators of where the tray is to be
sorted in order to see that their readers’
mail gets where intended.
• NO CONTAINERS NEEDED AT
DDU
Remember, Periodicals and Standard
mail flats like newspapers and shoppers may be dropped at delivery offices
using your transportation in un-sacked
bundles of up to 40 pounds—no container is necessary. Neither sacks nor
flats trays should be used in these instances.
In-county or trade-area mail of significant quantity (roughly 50 copies and
above per ZIP) should be DDU-dropped
in order to maximize delivery times and
gain lower DDU prices, which apply to
carrier-route sorted copies. Exceptional
Dispatch rules in DMM 707.28.3 allow
entry at multiple DDUs.
NNA got the DDU bundle-only rules
changed in 2004 and 2005. It is complied with for the most part. But some
local post offices still tell mailers that
sacks are required. Refer them to DMM
707.23.4.2, second sentence, for Periodicals, and DMM 707.243.6.3.3.d.
for Standard Mail Carrier Route sorted
flats. This ends the need for sacks to
any destination. Sack the sacks!