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Reminder: Special APA election underway Guest Column: Get prospects involved in your presentations
Arkansas Press Association
Publisher Weekly
By John Foust
Vol. 15 | No. 7 | Thursday, February 13, 2020 | Serving Press and State Since 1873
Lincoln County’s ‘one-man band’ newspaper hits 25-year mark The Lincoln American in Star City celebrates its 25th anniversary next month with a founder and publisher who’d never intended to be in the newspaper business in the first place.
Just months before he started the Lincoln American, publisher John Whipple stopped by the Lincoln Ledger – then the only publication in Star City – to see whether the newspaper had an opening for a proofreader. Just a few minutes later, Whipple was taken to City Hall where he was told to sit in on a municipal meeting and “see what you can do.” “I had just moved here and I didn’t know anybody or anything,” Whipple recalled in a recent telephone interview. “I didn’t even know who the mayor was. That’s how I started. I wasn’t asking to be a reporter, but they said, ‘We need a reporter and that’s what we’re looking for.’”
John Whipple in the newsroom several years ago.
Whipple spent a couple years at the Lincoln Ledger before venturing out on his own to establish the Lincoln American. The weekly tabloid newspaper was first
published in March 1995, and Whipple, mostly working on his own, has published 1,294 consecutive weekly issues. Whipple’s wife, Pam, will help him get the newspaper ready for distribution on Wednesdays, he said, and sons Isaac and Jacob sometimes assist with distribution. Mainly though, it’s Whipple himself who operates the American. “As far as covering events, writing stories, pagination and design, it’s all me,” he said. Lincoln County is one of a rapidly dwindling number of regions anywhere with competing newspapers. Whipple said he has a friendly relationship with his competitor, despite the competition for advertising. The two publications sometimes exchange information and photographs, and he noted that his former
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Two grants available for 2020 APA Advertising Conference The Arkansas Newspaper Foundation will fund grants of $200 for two Arkansas Press Association members to attend this year’s annual APA Advertising Conference. The 2020 conference will be held March 1213 at the Winthrop Rockefeller Center on Petit Jean Mountain near Morrilton. The conference features Bill Ostendorf, who describes himself as a “highly-critical optimist” and intends to bring a blunt approach to helping newspapers earn more revenue through better approaches to ad design and classified ad sales. Ostendorf is an expert in newspaper redesign who has led redesign of more than 650 newspapers and 300 websites.
Ostendorf’s presentations are scheduled for Thursday, March 12. On Friday, March 13, publishers, ad managers and other APA members will gather for roundtable discussions about industry trends and effective ad sales techniques. The event concludes with a luncheon honoring the winners of the 2020 Better Newspaper Advertising Contest. “The annual ad conference is always a way to learn how to grow revenue and improve ad sales, and this year’s agenda is designed to help our members do both,” said Ashley Wimberley, APA executive director. “I’m excited for the opportunity to
meet with APA members from across the state to network, brainstorm and go back home with new ways to engage readers and get results for our clients.” Registration is $125, which includes all conference materials, meals, breaks and a Thursday evening reception. Participants may reserve a hotel room at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute for $115 per night. Room reservations are available on the conference registration form. To register for the conference, visit www. arkansaspress.org. To apply for an ANF grant, email Terri Cobb at the APA office at terri@arkansaspress.org.