Nelson reflects on career in Arkansas newspaper industry, will receive Distinguished Service Award at upcoming APA Gala
Arkansans who love newspapers know they always have a champion in Rex Nelson.
He is a talented and dedicated reporter, columnist and traveling ambassador, eloquently and forcefully telling the story of our state and expressing the critical importance of a free press in our society.
Nelson also has consistently answered the call in his years of support of the Arkansas Press Association and appropriately will receive the Distinguished Service Award at the APA’s second annual Press Freedom Gala set for Oct. 12 at Chenal Country
Club in Little Rock.
From the start, Nelson was “hooked” on newspapers while growing up in Arkadelphia.
“I obviously was a weird child because I collected newspapers from a very young age,” Nelson said with a laugh.
“My dad asked me ‘why can’t you be like other kids and collect coins or stamps?’ We had newspapers everywhere. I think our house was the biggest fire trap in Arkadelphia.”
See Nelson page 3
National Newspaper Week to kick off this Sunday, October 1
National Newspaper Week, which promotes the newspaper industry in the United States and Canada, will be celebrated this coming week, October 1-7. Since 1940, Newspaper Association Managers has sponsored and supported National Newspaper Week 2023’s NNW theme of “In Print. Online. For You. #NewspapersYourWay,” is built around the evolution of newspapers and the fact that newspaper readers are from all generations, community leaders and voters. The theme, logo and ad materials for this year’s observance were created by APA for use nationwide.
“It’s important to emphasize that newspapers serve their communities not just in print, but by digital editions, through social media feeds and in daily emails,” said 2023 National Newspaper Week Chair Ashley Kemp Wimberley “Newspapers are delivering content in various formats to reach all generations, for generations to come.”
Visit nationalnewspaperweek. com to download advertising and social media materials, plus relevant editorial columns and cartoons. Many of the materials are undated so can be used at any time of the year.
Rooted in the past. Dedicated to the future.
Newspapers are an important part of our society. They preserve and promote civic health, especially in local communities. We believe in keeping the public informed and educated, while also providing a platform to express opinions.
That’s why we are dedicated to future generations of newspaper readers.
WEHCO NEWSPAPERS, INC.
Nelson
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His mother framed a crayon drawing he made in the first grade which noted “I want to be a reporter,” when students were asked by the teacher what they wanted to be when they grew up. No doctor, fireman or policeman for him.
“I can remember going out into the front yard in my bare feet to get the Arkansas Gazette early each morning,” he said.
That obsession continued as he advanced in school, leading him to purchase newspapers from an “old-fashioned newsstand” near his father’s sporting goods store in downtown Arkadelphia. He bought copies of the Hot Springs and Texarkana newspapers, as well as the Dallas Morning News and the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
Nelson would save his money and occasionally “splurge” with a purchase of the New York Times
Not many people will remember an afternoon newspaper in Hot Springs called the New Era, but Nelson recalls they would often “hold the press” to get the Daily Double winners from Oaklawn Park on the front page. My, how times have changed.
Nelson’s first newspaper job was at the weekly Southern Standard in Arkadelphia. As a high school student, he sent a letter to publisher Bob Fisher asking if the newspaper needed a sportswriter.
Fisher invited the nervous would-be journalist to his office and surprisingly called him “an answer to a prayer” during the visit. Nelson began covering every sport for the newspaper except high school football, since he was a member of the Arkadelphia Badgers team.
Nelson covered sports at the weekly until the summer before his freshman year at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia. At that point he became the sports editor of the Daily Siftings Herald in his hometown.
Always a person with a full plate, he also served as the sports director for the two radio stations in Arkadelphia. “I would do the play-by-play for Badgers football and then turn around and write the article for the newspaper,” Nelson said. “It was a great experience.”
Nelson’s legendary role as play-by-play announcer for Ouachita football began with an interesting twist. As a freshman at the
university, he was scheduled to be the “color man” for the Tiger broadcasts. One day while at his dorm he received a call from announcer Glen Hoggard, informing him he was in Saudi Arabia working on a deal with the government to provide Ward Bus Company units to transport Muslims to the pilgrimage in Mecca and would not be available for the upcoming game.
Nelson filled in as play-by-play announcer for that game and several others that year and then took over the role in his sophomore year at OBU.
That was 45 years ago and, amazingly, Nelson remains today the “Voice of the Tigers.” There were a couple of periods, totaling five years, in which he was unavailable while working in Washington, D.C., so technically he now is in his 40th year in the broadcast booth.
Nelson earned his bachelor’s degree in communications at Ouachita. His businessman father was a bit perplexed with that major, considering it something of an “amorphous blob” (his son’s words) of study.
“He asked me if I had a minor and I told him a double minor in political science and history,” Nelson said. “’So, you are going to be qualified to do nothing,’ my dad responded. And I went on to prove him right,” Nelson said with a laugh.
After graduation, Nelson went to work as a sportswriter at the Arkansas Democrat for a couple of years before returning to his hometown as editor of the Daily Siftings Herald in late 1982.
“I loved sports, but I was afraid of getting typecast as just a sportswriter,” he said.
Nelson made a shift to radio while at Arkadelphia when offered a position as manager at the local station. “I did it all…news director, sports director, morning show, while also teaching as an adjunct instructor at Ouachita.”
In 1985, Nelson was contacted by Arkansas Democrat sports editor Wally Hall, offering a position as assistant sports editor, an opportunity he couldn’t resist.
“The assistant sports editor essentially runs the day-to-day operation of the department,” Nelson said. “The newspaper war in Little Rock was heating See Nelson page 5
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up and it was an exciting time.”
Nelson was only 25 years old and enjoying his important position at the newspaper when he received a fateful message to report to the office of editor John Robert Starr. “Nobody wanted to get called into his office,” he laughed.
“I never will forget that meeting,” Nelson said. “He asked me why I hadn’t applied for the position of correspondent for the newspaper in Washington, D.C. I told him because I didn’t want to live in Washington.”
Starr then said, “You need to apply because I’ve already decided you are the person I am going to hire.”
“That turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to my career,” Nelson said, adding it was also in Washington that he met his wife, Melissa, a Texas native. They were married in 1989 and have two sons, Austin and Evan, both of whom have earned law degrees.
Nelson served in that position four years and then left the newspaper industry to become a political consultant for Jackson Stephens and later worked with the campaign of gubernatorial candidate Tommy Robinson.
In 1991, he became editor of Arkansas Business. While there, the publication earned an award as the best business publication in the nation in markets of less than a million people.
Shortly after receiving that prestigious award, Griffin Smith Jr. contacted him with an offer to become political editor of the Arkansas DemocratGazette. It was a momentous time in Arkansas politics, covering the campaign and administration of President Bill Clinton. Nelson supervised three political reporters at the newspaper and split his time between Little Rock and Washington, D.C.
After four years in that position, he began a “21-year detour” from the newspaper industry. During that time, he worked in a variety of positions, including serving in the administration of Gov. Mike Huckabee, and working in management positions with the Delta Regional Authority, the Communications Group, Arkansas’ Independent Colleges and Universities and Simmons First National Corp.
In 2017, it was back to the newspaper world in what he now calls his “dream job” at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. In his position as senior editor, he produces columns and feature articles for the newspaper’s Perspective section.
“Basically, (newspaper owner) Walter Hussman gave me the freedom to travel the state and write about anything I want to write about,” Nelson said. “How could you have a better job than that?
“I made the decision early-on that it would be all about Arkansas,” Nelson said, essentially eschewing national issues and politics. “I would much rather go speak at a smalltown chamber of commerce banquet than to get on a plane to Washington.”
Nelson is very proud of the role the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette plays in the day-to-day life of Arkansas. “I honestly believe we are the only true statewide newspaper left in the country,” he said.
As an example, he notes that, in the fall, the newspaper runs four of five full pages of high school football news, with perhaps 15 bylined stories of specific games. An additional example is the Perspective section, in which eight Arkansas-based columnists regularly appear.
While other newspapers in similar markets have drastically reduced the news staff, Nelson notes Hussman has remained committed to providing an expansive editorial product. “There are just not many newspaper families left like the Hussman family,” Nelson said. “I wish more Arkansans understood that. It’s just an unreal commitment to be a statewide paper.”
The unique plan in which readers are loaned an iPad to access the newspaper digitally each day has been a key to the continued statewide circulation and presence, Nelson said. Some $20 million has been invested in providing the devices and related training to subscribers, he noted.
The Democrat-Gazette still prints a Sunday edition distributed throughout large areas of the state. Subscribers have an option of receiving that edition, and many appreciate such features as a television guide, color comics and crossword puzzles.
Nelson acknowledges the challenges faced by the industry but does offer some fundamental solutions.
“I think we have to convince a younger generation that they are going to get real news,” he said. “If we can do that, I think there will always be a market.”
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A Greater Voic e
AMPLIFYING THE POWER OF THE PRESS.
Bank OZK proudly supports the Arkansas Press Association (APA) and its vital mission to nurture Arkansas newspapers with the knowledge and resources they need to grow and thrive. As one of the state's most esteemed professional associations for 150 years, the APA has been a powerful voice for freedom of the press. By connecting our communities through authentic and impactful content, we can unlock even greater possibilities.
MEDIA INQUIRIES
Michelle Rossow
Chief
CommunicationsO cer
michelle.rossow@ozk.com | (501) 471-8475
Nelson
Continued from page 5
Newspapers will remain reliable sources of information in contrast to “internet rumors” that are far too pervasive, he noted. He points out that modern newspapers now are 24/7 digital information operations and also offer expanded services such as podcasts and videos.
An important mission for publishers and editors is to get out in the community and tell the story of their newspapers, Nelson said. Such education and public relations efforts must convince citizens that “you can’t really have a cohesive community without a local news source.”
Nelson said Hussman understands that and has, from the start, encouraged him to continue speaking at chamber banquets, civic club meetings and educational settings.
“This is really as important to my job as my columns and articles,” he said.
Focusing on the business side of newspapers, Nelson notes that advertising obviously can no longer carry the financial weight. “Google and Facebook have killed that,” he said, “and the subscriber now has to essentially cover the cost.”
A monthly subscription to the Democrat-Gazette now costs $39, or slightly more than a dollar a day. Nelson emphasizes that a cup of coffee at Starbucks costs $5. “And a lot more work went into producing that newspaper than went into making a cup of coffee.”
In his travels across the state, Nelson encourages Arkansans to subscribe both to their local and statewide newspapers.
He has developed close relationships over the years with publishers and editors throughout Arkansas. “They are family to me and that is what makes this award at the Gala so special,” he said.
“These were people that were giants in my eyes,” he said of local newspaper publishers he met as a young man at APA conventions and meetings. “They treated me as a colleague, and we did become family.
“I remember hanging out around the pool at the Inn of the Ozarks in Eureka Springs at the APA summer conventions,” he said. “These were often the only vacations for newspaper people, and they would maybe add a day or two around the conventions.”
Nelson has for years been the go-to person when the APA needs a moderator for a panel discussion or a presenter at an awards program.
“I enjoy speaking and just enjoy being around people,” he said. “And it’s now really an important part of my job.”
Nelson has always been a strong supporter of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act and is concerned about current threats to transparency in government.
“I never thought I would see the day when so many of our public officials see those of us who are journalists as the enemy,” he said. “But regardless of how they see us, we will continue to cover them fairly.
“Transparency is just vital to democracy,” he said.
“I certainly am one of those in favor of getting the FOI into the constitution, so we don’t have to fight this battle in every session,” Nelson said.
Nelson believes that, if a proposed constitutional amendment is crafted properly and gets on the ballot, it will receive a positive response from the people of Arkansas. Through all his travels across the state, his extremely varied career and his open and gregarious way of meeting and interacting with people, Nelson has indeed become a walking encyclopedia of Arkansas history and culture.
“We are indeed a unique state,” Nelson said. “We are mostly Southern, but we have a bit of Midwest and a bit of Southwest. “We are a state that’s hard to explain to outsiders. We have a unique culture and for me to be able to delve into that is an opportunity I find fascinating.
“We have, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful states in America. We also have the friendliest people in America. That’s a hard combination to beat.”
Arkansas is fortunate to have Rex Nelson observing, interacting and then recording both the age-old traditions that remain and the dynamic changes now occurring in this place we call home. The state’s newspapers and the Arkansas Press Association could not have a more consistent and valuable friend, and an especially deserving Distinguished Service Award recipient.
ARKANSAS PRESS ASSOCIATION
Press Freedom Gala
CELEBRATING SUPPORTERS OF DEMOCRACY
PRESS FREEDOM GALA
CELEBRATING SUPPORTERS OF DEMOCRACY
Honoring
Justin Moore, Headliner of the Year
Rex Nelson, Distinguished Service Award
Rusty Turner, Distinguished Service Award
Late Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller, Arkansas Freedom of Information Award Mike Masterson, Golden 50 Service Award
Thank you to our sponsors
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International Newspaper Carrier Day is October 7
Each year at the end of National Newspaper Week, we recognize the accomplishments of newspaper carriers who are working hard to get the newspaper into the hands of readers.
This year Saturday, October 7, 2023, has been designated as International Newspaper Carrier Day, a salute to the many newspaper carriers who deliver the news to Americans every week.
House ads have been produced by the News/Media Alliance for newspapers to run as close to Oct. 7 as possible, to thank our hardworking newspaper carriers, without whom many people would not receive the news.
Also included is a version of the ad showing support for postal workers who deliver the newspaper.
Visit www.newsmediaalliance.org/ international-newspaper-carrier-day-ad/ to download the materials for this year’s Newspaper Carrier Day.
Online medical fundraiser continues for editor
Advertising contest judges sought
Volunteer judges are needed to critique the best advertising ideas from Mississippi newspapers in
the Mississippi Press Association Better Newspaper Advertising Contest. Categories available to judge include Single Ads, Series Ads, Theme Pages, Special Sections, Classifieds, Digital Ads, Niche Marketing, Magazines, Silver Dollar Ideas and more.
A GoFundMe has been established in order to assist Helena World and Monroe County Argus Editor Rick Kennedy as he faces mounting medical bills.
Kennedy suffered a major heart attack in late May and was airlifted from Helena to Methodist Hospital in Germantown, Tennessee, where he was stabilized and treated. Doctors found multiple arterial blockages, but due to other health complications, Kennedy needs a specialized surgical procedure that few surgeons in the area can perform.
Kennedy was released from the hospital after two weeks and continues to work from home when he is able, but faces medical bills of more than $84,000 including the surgery, according to Helena World publisher Andrew Bagley.
“Rick puts his heart and soul into the World and Argus every week,” said Bagley. “We just want him to be able to have the surgery and be healthy.”
A 1988 graduate of the University of Louisiana, Kennedy has worked in the newspaper industry for nearly four decades, and has won numerous awards for his reporting. In addition to the Daily World and Monroe County Argus, Kennedy has worked at the Pine Bluff Commercial, the Hope Star and at newspapers in California, Idaho, Louisiana, Oregon and Mississippi. The fundraiser can be found at gofund.me/ c65c7f10.
To volunteer, please email Terri Cobb at terri@arkansaspress.org by October 13.
The Thomas B. Fitzhugh Generating Station in Ozark is one of our natural gas power plants with the ability to switch to diesel under emergency circumstances. This plant is capable of generating 170 megawatts of power for the 17 member cooperatives to supply the needs of the 1.2 million Arkansas electric cooperative members. Proven plants like these are reliable baseload resources—balanced with our coal, wind, hydro, solar and biomass energy sources—that allow us to responsibly deliver affordable power.
There’s been a lot of hand-wringing in recent years about the death of local newspapers, those bastions of democracy and chroniclers of community.
While the loss of any newspaper hurts the people they serve, residents of rural areas and small towns are hit especially hard when a newspaper shuts down. When a local newspaper closes, citizens lose impartial news and information about town and county government, school boards, local athletic teams, academic awards, county fairs and the mundane and special occurrences of a community’s life.
Despite the very real consequences of the shrinking traditional sources of community news, Americans remain hungry for reliable, accurate local news and information, a 2023 study conducted for America’s Newspapers shows.
The study by Coda Ventures found that 8 out of 10 Americans still get news and information from local print or digital sources every month. The survey included a nationally representative sample of 5,000 respondents.
Nearly three-quarters of respondents said a local newspaper is important, and 43% said local newspapers or their websites
Guest Column:
Local news is not dead.
By Sonny Albarado Editor-in-Chief, Arkansas Advocate arkansasadvocate.comare the most accurate source of news and information.
“Local news is critical to the well-being of a community,” the study’s authors wrote.
As a 50-year veteran of small and mediumsized newspapers and now editor of a statewide digital news site covering government and public policy, I know how true that statement is. Local newspapers give readers more than just the news; they help define and keep a community’s culture strong.
My 93-year-old mother has been a subscriber to our hometown newspaper since I was a child, and she’s continued subscribing through changes in ownership and the switch from steady delivery by carrier to the sometimes spotty delivery by the mailman. From obituaries to wedding announcements to front-page news, she relies on that newspaper to keep her connected to her community.
I learned about local politics and government by reading that newspaper. It’s a major source of my own passion for journalism and news.
The survey notes that when people say they “read the local newspaper,” they’re referring to any number of print and
digital platforms where they can easily obtain news and information about their communities.
Not surprisingly, those ages 18-39 cite social media as their preferred means of accessing local newspaper content while those 40-74 prefer getting local news via a news website. Those 75 and older are almost evenly divided between preferring to read a home-delivered paper and reading a news website.
The study findings support the importance of local newspapers to citizens’ sense of community and engagement in public life, not just through news reporting but from public notices from local government and advertising from local businesses.
Local newspapers and their websites are relied upon more than any other source of information about public notices and government, the study says: 55% vs 24% for government websites.
As National Newspaper Week gets underway, we should take hope that our fellow Americans remain supportive of local newspapers even as their means of accessing news and information has changed. Local news is not dead.
#newpapersyourway
on 150 years.
Simmons Bank congratulates the Arkansas Press Association (APA) on 150 years in business and all it has achieved for our state. As Arkansas’s first trade association and the oldest professional association in the state, APA has paved the way for the freedom of press.
Simmons recently celebrated 120 years in business, so we feel a special connection with organizations that share a long history of serving our local communities. We’re proud to be in great company with the APA and look forward to the next 150 years!
