4 8
The Lincoln Ledger launches e-edition
Guest Column:
Seize opportunity to steer, moderate election noise
Arkansas Press Association
Publisher Weekly
By Jim Pumarlo
Vol.17 | No. 13 | Thursday, March 31, 2022 | Serving Press and State Since 1873
New NEA Town Courier editor Brand looks to the future Sandra Brand, editor of the Osceola Times and Delta Crossroads magazine, has added another newspaper to her roster. Earlier in March, Brand became editor of the NEA Town Courier in Blytheville. Brand says she’s looking forward to helming the Town Courier’s editorial staff. “I am excited about being editor of the Blytheville paper because it will give me the opportunity to help unite the county,” she says. Although Brand doesn’t plan on a major shake up, she is bringing fresh energy and some new talent to the paper. “There will be some changes, she says. “Although we will cover hard news, we also want to tell local stories people can relate to.” Brand is strengthening what she says is an already strong editorial team. “My writing staff is strong and will remain in place,” she says. “But we have hired one new reporter, Mark Baratelli from Orlando, Florida. I’m hoping he will bring new eyes to the community and help us all look at things with a fresh perspective.” The Town Courier also got a new publisher, Chris Pruett from Poplar Bluff, earlier this year. Brand is a native of northeast Arkansas — a sixth-generation Arkansan, in fact — and the youngest of 10 children. She graduated from Walnut Ridge High School in 1981 and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in communications from Arkansas State University less than four years later. Since her first byline, she’s worked in journalism for 45 years. “I had my first story printed in the Walnut Ridge Times Dispatch when I was 15. That was 1977. Since my first full-time newspaper job after college, I’ve done nothing else,” she says.
Continued on Page 2
Mark your calendar! APA to host “Day of Debates” The Arkansas Press Association will host a Day of Debates, featuring Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General and Gubernatorial candidates debating, on Thursday, April 21. The event will be held at Little Rock Union Station, lower level. A luncheon will also be part of the day’s schedule. APA Executive Director Ashley Kemp Wimberley said, “Many in the press are familiar with the political debates the
Arkansas Press Association and its 100 member newspapers generally host at its annual convention in election years. This year, to bring more attention to these important races, we are dedicating an entire day for four key debates.”
The day will kick off with a debate among Lieutenant Governor candidates at 9:00 a.m, followed by the Secretary of State candidates debating at 10:45 a.m. The luncheon will be held at noon, and the
afternoon’s debates resume at 1:30 p.m. between Attorney General candidates. The day will wrap up with a Gubernatorial Debate at 2:45 p.m. “Newspaper readers are among the most politically engaged, and are the demographic most likely to show up to vote,” said Wimberley. “This event will be an ideal forum and opportunity to shine a statewide spotlight on the candidates Continued on Page 2
New NEA Town Courier editor Brand Mark your calendar! APA looks to the future to host “Day of Debates” Continued from Page 1
Continued from Page 1
and to introduce or clarify before the media what skills, values, priorities and experience they have to offer our great state.” Tickets are $100 each and include all four debates and luncheon. Two eight-seat VIP reserved stage-front tables are available for $1250 each. Tickets for the event are limited, and can be ordered online at arkansaspress.org/event/APADebate. Working media should email ashley@ arkansaspress.org for credentialing for the event.
INDUSTRY QUOTE “Journalists do not live by words alone, although sometimes they have to eat them.”
—Adali Stevenson
In Osceola, Brand is a famously active community leader even without taking her editorship of the into consideration. She has dedicated 37 years of her life to the Mississippi County town, ranging from being active on the boards of Main Street Osceola, the United Way and Osceola Shalom Community to serving on the City Council for 10 years and coordinating numerous festivals and fundraisers in the area. Brand is married to Steve Knox and has two stepsons, Nathan and Harrison. Needless to say, she stays busy. But she’s comfortable with that. And Brand still has a deep commitment to her other two publications.
“I became editor of the Delta Crossroads magazine three years ago, and it quickly captured my heart,” she says. “I love traveling the Delta region, sitting on front porches and sharing stories. The Delta is packed with hard-working, beautiful people who make an honest living, love their families and put God first. My kind of people.” Brand says she has not had one moment of regret in her tenure at the Osceola Times. “I’m just a country girl who believes we all have a responsibility to grow where
Slimp to present webinar on ad design
God planted us. My father was a smalltime, hard-working, no-nonsense man. He taught me, by example, that the only way to get by in the world is to roll up your sleeves and get to work,” she says. “And that’s what I try to do. That’s why I volunteer my time and why I ran for Osceola City Council. I have loved every moment of my career as editor of the Osceola Times. It has given me the opportunity to make friends and tell their stories.” Arkansas Press Association ran a feature in this publication’s July 30, 2020 issue about Brand’s recovery from a severe case of COVID-19. After developing viral pneumonia in both lungs, Brand spent nearly three weeks in NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital’s ICU and Covid unit, isolated in a small, sterile room. She considers herself one of the lucky ones. “There were a whole lot more people in that unit with me that died than went home,” she said at the time. Asked about her recovery, Brand says she still suffers from the lasting side effects of her 2020 illness from the virus. “They call me a long-hauler,” she says. “But with God’s help, I am a survivor. And I’m going stronger than ever.”
S AV E T H E D AT E F O R T H I S S U M M E R ’ S
Well-known “newspaper guru” Kevin Slimp will present a live webinar on April 7 at 2:00 p.m. Titled “Increase Revenue by Designing More Effective Advertising”, the webinar promises to cover the things you need to know to create more effective ads and happier customers, including what sales reps should discuss with customers about their ads and the technical and design skills design staff need to know.
Tri-State Press Convention June 23 - 25, 2022 • Sheraton Downtown Memphis
Said Slimp, “This session is for both ad reps and designers, and there’s plenty of information to keep everyone writing notes non-stop.” The cost for the webinar is $69. To register visit newspaperacademy.com/webinar/adrevenuedesign.
Arkansas Publisher Weekly
2
March 31, 2022
A DAY OF DEBATES AND LUNCHEON Hosted by the Arkansas Press Association
Little Rock Union Station 1400 W Markham Street, Little Rock Thursday, April 21, 2022 Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General and Gubernatorial Debates and Luncheon Debates begin at 9:00 a.m. Luncheon at noon
TICKETS $100 each for all four debates and luncheon VIP Reserved Stage-Front Table For Eight - $1250 (two available) Order online at arkansaspress.org/event/APADebate or by phone at (501) 374-1500
The Lincoln Ledger Historian Dougan has article published historian Michael B. Dougan has charismatic “Boy Evangelist” Joe Jeffers launches e-edition APA an article featured in the April issue of the over the leadership of the church. Brawls The Lincoln Ledger in Star City has added an e-edition, according to an announcement in the March 23 newspaper. Editor Latonia Blakeslee wrote that the e-edition was added because of interest expressed from readers as a means to get community announcements sooner. The print edition of The Lincoln Ledger is delivered by mail, which may occasionally be delayed. The e-edition will be available to read on thelincolnledger.com at 8 a.m. each Wednesday.
Craighead County Historical Quarterly. Entitled “Jonesboro Newspaper Wars”, the article reviews the early history of newspapers in Jonesboro and then studies two key events in Jonesboro’s history.
The first of these was the extended attempt by Arkansas Power and Light to acquire the city’s municipally owned utility, City Power and Light. At the end, Jonesboro Sun owner W.O. Troutt refused a bribe and went public with the story. The second event, known as the Church Wars of Jonesboro, started in the First Baptist Church and spread into the newspapers. The feud was initiated by the
broke out and ultimately one man was killed. Jeffers renounced the Baptist church and became leader of the Pyramid Power Yahweh cult and a self-proclaimed prophet until his death in 1988. The town was left deeply divided by the ruckus, which was covered extensively by the local press. By 1942 the Sun’s competing newspaper, the Jonesboro Tribune, closed, leaving Jonesboro a one-newspaper town.
Dougan is Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus at Arkansas State University and the author of “Community Diaries: Arkansas Newspapering, 18192002.”
The e-edition is not intended to replace the printed newspaper. Said Blakeslee in the announcement, “We will always offer a paper subscription. The online subscription is just an added service to our readers who wish to view the paper digitally. You will never be required to purchase an online subscription; it is your choice whether to view the paper digitally or have a paper mailed to you each week.” Digital subscribers will be able to access the current issue as well as several weeks of back issues.
LET’S GET SOCIAL Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
@ArkansasPressAssociation
Arkansas Publisher Weekly
@ARPressAssoc
Arkansas Press Women
Encouraging communicators since 1949 J O I N
T O D A Y
A T
arkpresswomen.wordpress.com
Contests, Networking & Professional Development Follow us 4
@ArkansasPressWomen March 31, 2022
Successful newspapers employ many hands. Partner with us to optimize business annoucements, classifieds,obituraries and more.
Publish’s Life Stories
Set up a demo. devlyn@modulist.news 701-241-5545
-30Norma Blanton
President Biden warns of Russian cyberattacks. Here are some safeguards you can put in place. The White House recently issued a warning about the probability of a Russian cyberattack on American infrastructure. Said President Joe Biden on March 21:
Norma Lou Knight Blanton of Hot Springs died Saturday, March 12, 2022, at the age of 92. Her column, “Point Cedar News”, ran in the Southern Standard in Amity and the Malvern Daily Record. In his publisher’s column on March 24, Joe May of the Southern Standard remembered Blanton as “the last of a dying breed” of community columnist, a “classy lady to the end with a sharp mind.” Blanton submitted her column of community news, local history and interesting facts to the Standard for 25 years. Blanton was born in Point Cedar to Charlie Wesley Knight, who wrote “Point Cedar News” before her, and Hattie Burton Knight in 1930. She was a graduate of Bismarck High School and Brian’s Business College in Hot Springs. In 1964 she married Lt. Colonel Clarence Finley “Bill” Blanton. Four years later Bill Blanton was killed in action in Laos. Over her career Blanton did secretarial work at Barksdale Air Force Base, the USAF Hospital in Wiesbaden, Germany, the VA Hospital in Little Rock, the Public Health Service Medical Center and the Law Firm of Wootton, Land and Matthews in Hot Springs. She served as State Coordinator for the National League of Families for Prisoners of War and Missing in Action, Southeast Asia, and belonged to historical societies in Hot Spring, Garland and Clark Counties.
“Most of America’s critical infrastructure is owned and operated by the private sector and critical infrastructure owners and operators must accelerate efforts to lock their digital doors. The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has been actively working with organizations across critical infrastructure to rapidly share information and mitigation guidance to help protect their systems and networks. If you have not already done so, I urge our private sector partners to harden your cyber defenses immediately by implementing the best practices we have developed together over the last year. You have the power, the capacity, and the responsibility to strengthen the cybersecurity and resilience of the critical services and technologies on which Americans rely. We need everyone to do their part to meet one of the defining threats of our time — your vigilance and urgency today can prevent or mitigate attacks tomorrow.” The U.S. got an idea of what such an attack could do in 2021 when Russiabased cybercriminals hacked into the IT network of Colonial Pipeline. Colonial ultimately paid a $5 million ransom to get the system back under its control. Russia was also involved in cyberattacks on Ukraine’s power grid in 2015 and 2016.
Cyber experts offer these guidelines for everyone, including newsrooms, to adopt: Update software: Update antivirus and malware software, operating systems, applications and web browsers on all devices including mobile phones, tablets, desktop computers and laptops. Use strong, unique passwords: Use strong passwords and don’t reuse them across different sites. Back up important files: Back up important files such as bank accounts and statements on external drives. Think before you click: Most cyberattacks start with a phishing email, which looks legitimate but isn’t, and can be used to steal your sensitive information or to run malicious software (“malware”). Use a VPN when on public internet: Using a VPN, or virtual private network, provides an additional layer of protection between your devices and the internet by hiding your IP address and your location and encrypting your data. Make sure your Wi-Fi is password protected, and update and secure your router: To launch a large-scale cyberattack, attackers need a botnet, which is a loose network of connected devices. Any internet-connected device can be infected to act in carrying out attacks against companies, power grids, or other targets. Securing your router is your best line of defense.
She is survived by her sister, Charline Knight of Point Cedar, and a niece. A memorial service will be held at a later date.
Arkansas Publisher Weekly
6
March 31, 2022
Southwestern Electric Power Co.
Serving customers and communities in 13 Western Arkansas counties (SWEPCO) serves 543,000 customers in three states, including 123,000 in Western Arkansas, 233,000 in Northwest and Central Louisiana, and 188,000 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 (Nasdaq: AEP), one of the largest electric utilities in the United States, delivering electricity to 5.5 million customers in 11 states.
Customer Service: 1.888.216.3523
24-hour News Media Info Line: 318.673.3060
Outage Reporting: 1.888.218.3919
Information on power outages: www.swepco.com/outages
facebook.com/swepco
twitter.com/swepconews
instagram.com/swepco
SWEPCO.com
youtube.com/swepcotv
Guest Column: Seize opportunity to steer, moderate election noise By Jim Pumarlo Election coverage was a priority when I toiled behind the editor’s desk. It was allhands-on-deck in the newsroom as we sought information to help voters make their choices. As a final step, we endorsed in all races from the city council to U.S. president. Many newspapers today, small and large, have regrettably dropped weighing in on the editorial page. I believe it’s a missed opportunity, but that’s a topic for a different column Newspapers do have the opportunity to provide meaningful coverage at a time when substantive debate is often lost in the volumes of campaign rhetoric. Campaigns are increasingly sophisticated in targeting their audiences. The messages, unfortunately, are all too often sound bites that lack meaningful context. Newspapers should step up and fill the void – use your community knowledge to provide an inside look at candidates, to set a framework for constructive debate on issues. It takes work, and now is the time to start planning for the November 2022 elections. Comprehensive election coverage can be exhausting and strain newsrooms already strapped for resources. Focus efforts on those races that matter most to your readers and those contests where you have the greatest insight. Local contests should take priority. Here is one checklist, in no particular order, to consider as you prepare for elections. You can certainly expand during a brainstorming session with staff. Examine the races. Review coverage from the previous election to identify issues that generated the most attention and see if the topics are relevant in this cycle. Go beyond the newspaper family, and solicit perspectives from others in the community. Create a master calendar. Identify key Arkansas Publisher Weekly
internal and external dates that provide benchmarks for substantive coverage. Internal dates include such things as a schedule for candidate profiles and question-answer on hot-button topics. External dates include such items as campaign finance reports and candidate forums. Be uniform in announcing candidacies. Incumbents and challengers alike will scrutinize all aspects of coverage. Consistency is key, especially when announcing their candidacies. It’s likely the first opportunity to introduce many of these individuals to readers, and it sets the tone for fair and responsible coverage of races and issues. Plan play-by-play coverage. Campaigns are a continuum from initial announcements to rallies and debates to the barrage of press releases. Each element prompts a decision. Does the statement or event warrant broad public attention? If so, does each candidate deserve a voice and have an opportunity to be in your report? Stick to issues. Coverage of local races can be especially challenging as candidates are friends, neighbors and co-workers. The best course is to focus on issues and avoid straying into personalities. Acknowledge that some contests simply fall off the radar. Candidates for state and federal offices are certain to seek attention for their campaigns. News organizations have strong arguments to devote resources to local candidates. At the same time, set criteria for reports on regional and/or statewide races. Identify criteria for covering debates. Evaluate the sponsors. Consider the timing of debates with respect to other planned stories. Be alert to races that demand special attention. Plans must be flexible. Staff must be ready to pivot for distinctive 8
developments in races that may not have been on the radar. Enlist a citizens panel. Take the initiative to provide a variety of perspectives on the issues and candidates. Consider enlisting a panel of citizens representative of community demographics. Solicit their observations at critical twists and turns during the campaign. Postings can be online, providing timely and relevant commentary. More and more citizens are turned off by today’s political dynamics, and for good reason. Campaigns increasingly ramp up rhetoric that serves to energize their bases but also further polarizes voters. Hyper-partisan politics unfortunately is becoming commonplace in local politics, too. Newspapers have the opportunity to play a critical role by setting standards for fair and responsible coverage of public affairs. Take the lead in elevating the quality of debate in the months-long election season. As one editor aptly stated, “To sustain democracy, you need people who care about facts and want to read facts. That’s what we’re here for.” Grab the opening. A civilized and meaningful discourse on the issues will benefit the candidates, the voters and your community. Jim Pumarlo is former editor of the Red Wing (Minn.) Republican Eagle. He writes, speaks and provides training on community newsroom success strategies. He is author of “Journalism Primer: A Guide to Community News Coverage,” “Votes and Quotes: A Guide to Outstanding Election Coverage” and “Bad News and Good Judgment: A Guide to Reporting on Sensitive Issues in SmallTown Newspapers.” He can be reached at www.pumarlo.com and welcomes comments and questions at jim@pumarlo. com.
March 31, 2022