4 6
Winners of Better Newspaper Ad Contest recognized Sunshine Week Guest Column:
FOIA protects your right to know By Brenda Blagg
Arkansas Press Association
Publisher Weekly Vol. 16 | No. 11 | Thursday, March 18, 2021 | Serving Press and State Since 1873
Little River County newspaper emphasizes local news Mark Keith has learned a thing or two about start-up newspapers over the last few years, and he’s banking on that knowhow to build a successful newspaper in a southwest Arkansas county where others have tried and failed. Keith launched his Ashdown-based Little River Journal in January. The newspaper fills a void left last year when the Little River Post suspended publication at the onset of the COVID-19 epidemic. Before that, the longstanding Little River News shut its doors, leaving the community without a local newspaper. It’s a similar situation to one Keith stepped into in late 2018, when GateHouse Media closed its newspapers in Nevada and Hempstead counties. Keith and his business partner at that time launched
the Hope-Prescott News, which is now a 3,000-circulation weekly newspaper serving both counties. The new Little River Journal will follow the same business model as Keith’s other newspaper, with free subscriptions and a heavy emphasis on local news content. Keith maintains that a free newspaper is sustainable if the publication demonstrates an unflinching commitment to local news coverage. “If you take care of your community first, ad revenue will follow,” he said. “That’s pretty much what my experience has taught me. If you’ll cover the news and if you’ll be active and go out for anything that needs to be done, people will support you. They’ll put their ad dollars with you.” Keith said his background is in broadcast
advertising, so he’s comfortable with offering free content, too, since that’s how it worked when he sold ads for over-theair radio stations. He said he doesn’t want to put readers into a situation where they have to make spending priorities. “Arkansas is a rural state, and in some cases, we’re stressed economically,” he said. “I think in some places, you could put out a paper and there would be a lot of people in our counties asking if they could afford a paper for a dollar.” Keith said it’s important to offer the newspaper to the entire community because, as part of the business model, the new Little River Journal must be the type of community news source that currently doesn’t exist in Ashdown and the surrounding areas.
Continued on Page 2
COVID-19 vaccinations now available to media Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson this week announced that members of the media are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination in the state. Employees of media companies are considered essential workers under Phase 1-C of the state’s vaccination plan. In addition to media, Phase 1-C is open to Arkansans ages 16-64 who have health
conditions that increase COVID-19 risk. Other essential workers who are now eligible to receive the vaccine include employees in energy, finance, food service, IT, legal, public health, public safety, housing and transportation and logistics sectors. People who live in group homes and congregate settings such as dormitories are also eligible.
The Arkansas Press Association offers press credentials for APA members who are part of the working media. Press credentials may be necessary to present when getting vaccinated. To request a press credential, email the APA at presscards@arkansaspress.org or call (501) 374-1500.