Arkansas Publisher Weekly: February 11, 2021

3 7

Ad Conference set for March 12 APA Legislative Report

Arkansas Press Association

Publisher Weekly Vol. 16 | No. 06 | Thursday, February 11, 2021 | Serving Press and State Since 1873

Student Press Freedom Day observed Feb. 26 Across the country as journalists faced challenges of covering a public health crisis, protests and the 2020 elections, student journalists have also overcome obstacles to provide news for their schools and communities. This month marks the third annual observance of Student Press Freedom Day, and leaders of the event are asking traditional media outlets to help celebrate the accomplishments of student reporters.

In 2021, Student Press Freedom Day is Friday, Feb. 26. The Student Press Law Center created the annual observance three years ago “as a way to draw attention to the critically important work that student journalists do despite the challenges they confront every day,” said Hadar Harris, executive director of the Student Press Law Center.

The theme this year for Student Press Freedom Day is “Journalism Against the Odds.” Hadar said the group is encouraging newspapers to reach out to student journalists within their communities and talk to them about how they are “reporting the stories of our time – against all odds.”

A variety of free resources available for Arkansas Press Association member

Continued on Page 2

Legislative update: APA actively opposing bills Just a few weeks into the 2021 Arkansas General Assembly, the Arkansas Press Association and its allies are already working to fight bills that would reduce transparency and impact the role of newspapers.

On Monday, a coalition of right-to-know advocates helped block — at least temporarily — an attack on the Freedom of Information Act. House Bill 1280 by Rep. Delia Haak, R-Centerton, would give governing bodies broad authority to enter

into closed, executive sessions to discuss economic development issues. Another bill, HB 1027, has passed the House and is being considered in the Senate. That bill, by Rep. Fran Cavenaugh, R-Walnut Ridge, would take away the public notice

Continued on Page 2

Student Press Freedom Day observed Feb. 26 Continued from Page 1

newspapers and others to use for Student Press Freedom Day is on the observance’s website, studentpressfreedom.org.

On that website, APA members will find prepared social media content, with posts that can be used on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, including information on how, in the past year, student journalists in the United States have tackled issues related to the targeting and censorship of student journalists; the COVID-19 pandemic; reckoning with racial justice; and elevating civic engagement. The site also features 21 articles about student journalism “against the odds.”

Members of the media are invited to sign up for a special media call on Wednesday, Feb. 17, at 10 a.m. for representatives from the Student Press Law Center to provide a briefing to media organizations about the types of censorship and intimidation that student journalists face. To register for the

media event, visit studentpressfreedom. org/for-media/ Student Press Freedom Day coincides with Scholastic Journalism Week, which will be observed this year from Feb. 2127.

“Student journalists are the future of newspapers in Arkansas, and we encourage APA members to focus on the great work of student journalists in their communities,” said Ashley Wimberley, APA executive director. “Over the last few years, students in Arkansas have fought censorship and intimidation in order to exercise their First Amendment rights and keep their communities informed. We’re proud of all our future editors, reporters, photographers, designers and leaders.”

The APA has a long history of working to help advance the cause of student journalists in Arkansas. Each year, APA recognizes an outstanding educator

with its Journalism Educator of the Year award. The APA also coordinates with student journalism advisors from across the state to push for changes at the state Legislature.

In 2019, lawmakers enacted renewed freespeech protections for student journalists.

Act 395 of 2019 extends to student journalists at higher-education institutions the protections of the Arkansas Student Publications Act. It permits student journalists to select the news, editorial and advertising content of publications without fear of interference from administrators, and protects advisors from retaliation based on student speech.

Another law improved upon the Student Publications Act to ensure the rights of student journalists at high schools are guaranteed by the First Amendment, and it updated the act to pertain to all forms of student media, not just publications.

Legislative update: APA actively opposing bills

Continued from Page 1

requirement for self-storage unit property sales.

APA is monitoring more than a dozen additional bills, too, and expects more legislation in coming days that could adversely affect transparency and the newspaper industry.

“This is shaping to be an extremely active legislative session for our association, as those who would erode transparency and accountability in government are backing a number of bad bills,” said Ashley Wimberley, APA executive director. “I encourage APA members and supporters to get involved, to contact their legislators, and help us as we try to stop legislation that is harmful to the public.”

Wimberley said she was thankful to the APA members who mobilized last weekend to call or email members of the House City, County and Local Affairs Committee. That committee heard from dozens of APA members opposed to Haak’s bill, HB 1280.

The bill, backed by the Arkansas Municipal League and Arkansas Association of Counties, makes drastic changes to the open-meetings requirement of FOIA. The measure would allow city councils and

Arkansas Publisher Weekly

quorum courts to meet in secret to discuss any economic development project or investment opportunity. In addition, attorneys could attend those executive sessions.

Transparency advocates from APA, the FOI Task Force, the FOIA Coalition, the Arkansas Broadcasters Association and the Society of Professional Journalists all testified against the bill at Monday’s committee meeting. Following testimony, Haak withdrew the bill from consideration, but is likely to reappear before the committee again soon.

Cavenaugh’s bill, HB 1027, would remove the requirement for self-storage owners to place notice of public auctions in a local newspaper. The public notice requirement was first enacted in 1987 to alert the local community to pending sales of contents of abandoned storage units. Now, a group of self-storage unit owners wants to give its group the option of choosing whether to run a public notice in a newspaper or advertise the sale on a website.

The APA maintains that self-storage unit owners already have the ability to advertise on a website, and a change to law is unnecessary. In effect, all the 2

law would do is give those self-storage owners a mechanism within the law to advertise a sale to industry insiders rather than publicly announce a sale to their communities.

HB 1027 passed the House Insurance and Commerce Committee and the full House, and is currently awaiting a hearing in the Senate Insurance and Commerce Committee. The APA is actively working against the measure and members will testify against it at the Senate committee.

The entire list of bills being monitored

by APA is updated in each Arkansas Publisher Weekly. Find the list on page seven.

February 11, 2021

Banner-News Ad Conference set for March 12 staffer retires after 42 years The annual Arkansas Press Association Advertising Conference is scheduled for Friday, March 12. This year’s event will be presented online because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Participants in this year’s conference will hear from Shannon Kinney, the founder and CEO of Dream Local Digital. Kinney has decades of experience in newspaper and digital advertising, and will be providing conferencegoers with practical advice on expanding digital options and incorporating digital advertising in their

After more than four decades at the BannerNews in Magnolia, longtime advertising sales representative Catherine Martin retired last month.

sales portfolios. Her sessions will kick off the advertising conference that morning.

Friday afternoon, APA will present its 2021 Better Newspaper Advertising Contest awards. The awards highlight the best in advertising from the 2020 calendar year among the APA’s member newspapers.

Cost for the online conference and awards ceremony is $25. To register visit arkansaspress.org/ event/2021AdConference.

For more information please email info@ arkansaspress.org

Support the future of Arkansas journalism by giving to the Arkansas Newspaper Foundation.

Martin worked at the Columbia County newspaper for 42 years, according to General Manager Robyn Yarbro. Over the years, she was the recipient of numerous Arkansas Press Association awards.

Ways to give: Estate planning, memorial and honor gifts and charitable donations. The Arkansas Newspaper Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization.

“She was adored by her advertisers,” Yarbro said. “The Banner-News will miss her. We wish her many years of happiness and motorcycle riding with her husband, Ricky.”

For more information call APA at 501-374-1500 or email info@arkansaspress.org.

Congratulations retirement.

to

Martin

on

her

INDUSTRY QUOTE “The only courage that matters is the kind that gets you from one minute to the next. ”

—Mignon McLaughlin Arkansas Publisher Weekly

3

February 11, 2021

Customer Service: 1-888-216-3523 Outage Reporting: 1-888-218-3919 or at SWEPCO.com 24-hour News Media Info Line: 318-673-3060 Information on power outages: www.swepco.com/outages

AEP Southwestern Electric Power Co. (SWEPCO) serves 538,000 customers in three states, including 121,000 in western Arkansas, 231,000 in northwest and central Louisiana, and 186,000 in East Texas and the Texas Panhandle. SWEPCO’s headquarters are in Shreveport, La. SWEPCO also serves wholesale customers, including the cities of Bentonville, Hope and Prescott, Ark. SWEPCO is a unit of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, delivering electricity to nearly 5.4 million customers in 11 states.

facebook.com/swepco

twitter.com/swepconews

instagram.com/swepco

youtube.com/swepcotv

SWEPCO.com

APW to host webinar Slimp to present March design webinars on field reporting Newspaper Academy CEO Kevin Slimp is intended for those who are brand new will host two webinars in March, one addressing new design software being used by newspapers and the other related to advanced Adobe Photoshop techniques.

Newspaper managers and designers interested in Affinity products may have interest in a webinar scheduled Thursday, March 4. The two-hour training session will cover how to use Affinity Publisher, Affinity Photo and Affinity Design, and how to edit photos and create pages from Affinity Suite.

According to Slimp, many newspapers are moving to Affinity from Adobe products because of the price difference. Affinity software is currently available for about $75, with no monthly user fees.

Bill Allen

Arkansas Press Women is offering a webinar to its members and guests of members on Feb. 19. Bill Allen, Assistant Professor Emeritus of Science Journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia, will discuss field reporting. The webinar starts at noon that day.

Allen teaches domestic and international field reporting on the environment, food systems and natural resources. He also teaches drone journalism and science communication. Before becoming a professor, he spent 25 years as a reporter, first on the police beat for the City News Bureau of Chicago and later at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Arkansas Press Women is an association of professional communicators in journalism, public information, business, education and government. Membership is not restricted to women. For more information, visit arkansaspresswomen. org.

LET’S GET SOCIAL Follow us on Facebook & Twitter

@ArkansasPressAssociation

Arkansas Publisher Weekly

@ARPressAssoc

Affinity Publisher is similar to Adobe InDesign, Photo is similar to Adobe Photoshop and Designer is similar to Adobe Illustrator, Slimp said. The webinar

to the applications as well as to those who are already using Affinity Suite. Slimp will spend the 120-minute workshop covering the basics of the software.

The March 4 webinar will be at 1 p.m.

Registration is $69.

The second webinar will be March 19. In this webinar, Slimp will teach a 100-minute webinar on advanced techniques to use when working with Adobe Photoshop. He will tackle both basic and advanced skills in photo editing, demonstrating techniques he’s used for more than three decades.

In the photo editing training, he will teach participants how to create vivid images, speed up productivity and improve resolution of images.

The March 19 webinar is $69 and it begins at 10 a.m.

To register for either webinar, visit newspaperacademy.com

APW seeking district representatives Arkansas Press Women is seeking members of that group who are willing to serve as district representatives for the APW board in southwest, northwest and northeast Arkansas.

Anyone interested in a district representative role is encouraged to email arkpresswomen@yahoo.com for more information.

According to APW leaders, district representatives are asked to “engage APW members near them, and in nonpandemic times, host local get-togethers. They also provide valuable feedback on board matters and help recognize achievements of communicators living in their area.”

The district representatives are sought ahead of APW’s election of a new slate of officers in the fall.

5

February 11, 2021

Guest Column: 12 ad copy tips

By John Foust Once an ad’s graphic design attracts readers’ eyes, it has to say something of value. Otherwise, readers will skip the ad and miss the message completely. Here are a dozen copywriting tips to gain and hold attention: 1. Don’t try to appeal to everyone.

Every large group (newspaper readers, for example) is composed of smaller groups (homeowners, parents, accountants, etc.). When you clearly define a specific target audience, you’ll be able to tailor the advertising to fit their needs.

2. Make the headline sell. According to research, four out of five people don’t read beyond an ad’s headline. This means the headline has to do a lot of the heavy lifting.

Its primary purpose is to convince readers to keep reading to learn more about the product being advertised.

3. Give relevant information. Before they make buying decisions, consumers need to know the answers to several key questions: who, what, when, where, why and how much does it cost?

4. Use simple language. Readers lose interest when they encounter complicated terminology or long explanations. When that happens, they turn the page or click the button – and the advertiser loses. It’s best to keep things simple.

Arkansas Publisher Weekly

5. Say or imply “you.” Readers care more about themselves than about anyone else.

That’s human nature. And that’s why the focus should always be on the consumer, not the advertiser. “How you can save on your heating bill” is a better message than “How we cut heating bills.”

6. Use product benefits to appeal to readers’ self-interest. This is a sensible way to keep the focus on “you.” People don’t buy features, they buy benefits.

They don’t buy products, they buy what those products can do for them.

7. Don’t exaggerate. Advertisers lose credibility with words like “unbelievable,” “fantastic” and “incredible.” Consumers simply don’t believe that kind of puffery.

And they are likely to disbelieve everything else those advertisers say, even if some of those things are true.

8. Don’t make unsubstantiated claims.

When advertisers say their products have certain attributes or accomplish certain results, they should support those statements with evidence. That could be in the form of data, examples, or testimonials.

9. Limit exclamation marks. One sign of weak writing is the overuse of exclamation marks. If numerous sentences require special punctuation to sound important, it would have been better to use more

6

important words instead. Take a look at national advertising, and you may not see any exclamation marks at all.

10. Don’t criticize the competition.

When an advertiser blasts competitors, it looks like sour grapes. Comparisons are much more believable. Some ads even feature charts with point-by-point comparisons of specific features.

11. Create urgency. If you’re running a response ad (as opposed to an image ad), give people a reason to buy immediately.

Is inventory limited? Will the offer expire soon?

12. Ask readers to take specific action.

What do you want people to do when they finish reading an ad? Stop by the store today? Call for information? Place their orders now? Don’t make them guess. Tell them. © Copyright 2021 by John Foust. All Rights Reserved.

John Foust has conducted training programs for thousands of newspaper advertising professionals. Many ad departments are using his training videos to save time and get quick results from in-house training. E-mail for information: john@johnfoust.com.

February 11, 2021

93rd Arkansas General Assembly

Legislative Report APA is monitoring the following filed bills of interest to our industry and the public: Bill No. / Author

Short Description

APA Position

Current Status

HB 1007 Rep. Love

Creates a hotline and database for reported allegations of police civil rights abuses, but shields that database from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. https://bit.ly/35EM3A4

Pending

Awaits initial hearing in House Judiciary Committee

HB 1027 Rep. Cavenaugh

Eliminates the publication requirement for sale or removal of personal property in self-storage units. https://bit.ly/2XIfWeK

Opposes

Awaits initial hearing in Senate Insurance and Commerce Committee

HB 1051 Rep. Eubanks

Requires private investigators to display a license number, company name or statement referring to a website or tollfree number on any advertisements. https://bit.ly/2LoYGIV

Neutral

Signed by governor (Act 61)

HB 1140 Rep. Vaught

Amends publication requirements for notice of construction of a crematorium to allow for publication in the digital edition of a legal newspaper. https://bit.ly/3qyJt75

Neutral

Passed the House; awaits hearing by Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee

HB 1195 Rep. Dotson

Authorizes the Department of Health to conduct audits and obtain information about abortion providers, and establishes a FOIA exemption for all information collected by the agency. https://bit.ly/392ykFA

Neutral

Signed by governor (Act 90)

HB 1249 Rep. Bentley

Allows for the dissolution or abolition of a levee district and establishes a newspaper public notice requirement for a hearing regarding such an action. https://bit.ly/3auKJS6

Supports

Passed the House

HB 1280 Rep. Haak

Amends the FOI Act to permit governing bodies to meet in executive session, with their attorney, to discuss certain economic development projects. https://bit.ly/36FMUkQ

Opposes

Temporarily withdrawn by sponsor from consideration by House City, County and Local Affairs Committee but will be reconsidered at a later date

HB 1441 Rep. Crawford

Sets out certain advertising requirements for clinics offering human egg harvesting. https://bit.ly/3paAKqn

Neutral

Awaits initial hearing before House Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee

HB1442 Rep. Bentley

Changes the definition of newspaper as it relates to notice requirements for timber sales on state-owned lands to a newspaper published in print, electronically or both in print and electronically. https://bit.ly/3a9eYPC

Neutral

Awaits initial hearing before House Agriculture, Forestry and Economic Development Committee

HB1443 Rep. Bentley

Changes the definition of newspaper as it relates to notice requirements for land commissioner sales to a newspaper published in print, electronically or both in print and electronically. https://bit.ly/2NlbjVH

Neutral

Awaits initial hearing in House Revenue and Taxation Committee

HB 1468 Rep. Jett

Establishes an independent Tax Appeals Commission to settle disputes between DFA and taxpayers and creates an exemption to the FOIA for commission meetings and records. https://bit.ly/3qiZ4ba Short Description

Pending

Awaits initial hearing in House Revenue and Taxation Committee

APA Position

Current Status

Makes technical corrections to statutes to state that school districts may publish annual student progress reports in a newspaper. https://bit.ly/35GcSEg

Neutral

Awaits initial hearing in Senate Education Committee

Makes minor changes to style and contents of a notice of abandoned property. https://bit.ly/35CchU3

Neutral

Signed by governor (Act 77)

Allows the public to have access in certain circumstances to court hearings involving child support and paternity matters. https://bit.ly/3pQQq3l

Supports

Awaits initial hearing in Senate Judiciary Committee

Bill No. / Author HB SB # SB 64 Name Sen. Irvin HB SB # Name HB SB # SB 84 Name Sen. B. Davis HB SB # Name SB 166 Sen.SB Clark HB # Name

SB 170 Publisher Weekly Makes Arkansas it a crime to publish personally identifiable Sen. Garner

information about a minor on a social media platform if that information is intended to intimidate, abuse, threaten,

7 Opposes

Temporarily pulled from consideration Februaryby11, 2021 sponsor in Senate Judiciary Committee, but will be reconsidered

matters. https://bit.ly/3pQQq3l SB 170 Sen. Garner

Makes it a crime to publish personally identifiable information about a minor on a social media platform if that information is intended to intimidate, abuse, threaten, harass or frighten the minor and the minor is in reasonable fear of physical injury. https://bit.ly/3rlMB6v

Opposes

Temporarily pulled from consideration by sponsor in Senate Judiciary Committee, but will be reconsidered

SB 194 Sen. Sullivan

Amends the FOI Act to specifically allow an individual to take photographs of public records. https://bit.ly/2MznMFs

Supports

Awaits initial hearing in Senate State Agencies Committee

SB 195 Sen. Sullivan

Redefines “public records” in the FOI Act to include some records from private entities such as nonprofit foundations that directly support public entities. https://bit.ly/3rnDOkx

Neutral

Awaits initial hearing in Senate State Agencies Committee

SB 196 Sen. Sullivan

Permits a judge to grant attorneys’ fees to a plaintiff in a FOIA lawsuit even if the defendant receives information based on the request following the filing of a lawsuit. https://bit.ly/3aFEET8

Supports

Awaits initial hearing in Senate State Agencies Committee

SB 203 Sen. Rapert

Includes a newspaper notice requirement for the transfer or novation of insurance policies made under court order while establishing other guidelines for notice. https://bit.ly/3axspI0

Supports

Awaits initial hearing in Senate Insurance and Commerce Committee

SB 208 Sen. Sullivan

Defines “meeting” under the FOIA as a gathering of two or more members of a governing body to discuss any matter on which action may be taken by the governing body. https://bit.ly/3rnDRNf

Supports

Awaits initial hearing in Senate State Agencies Committee

SB 299 Sen. English

Exempts personal information obtained by the Division of Workforce Services from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. https://bit.ly/2NgcwOb

Pending

Awaits initial hearing before Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee

SB 305 Sen. Caldwell

Description: Increases the competitive bidding threshold for public improvements from $35,000 to $50,000 and reduces public notice frequency for bid solicitations from two to one.

Opposes

Awaits initial hearing before Senate State Agencies Committee

HB SB # Name HB SB # Name HB SB # Name HB SB # Name HB SB # Name HB SB # Name HB SB # Name HB SB # Name

Arkansas Publisher Weekly

8

February 11, 2021