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Guest Column:
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Arkansas Press Association
Publisher Weekly
By Jim Pumarlo
Vol.17 | No. 18 | Thursday, May 5, 2022 | Serving Press and State Since 1873
Saline Courier historical exhibit on display at Benton museum In four years, the Saline Courier will celebrate its sesquicentennial, but one local museum has already begun telling the newspaper’s story. The Gann Museum of Saline County, housed in a 126-year-old residence, is mounting a temporary exhibit showcasing the Courier’s history. The new exhibit, which opened in early March, resides among the Gann’s extensive collections of Benton’s signature and highly collectible Niloak pottery, Indian artifacts and memorabilia from the Saline County of yesteryear. Lindsey Jordan, the museum’s director, put the Courier exhibit together. “I worked closely with Courier Publisher Kelly Freudensprung, who was generous enough to open the newspaper’s doors and allow me to take whatever caught my eye for the exhibit,” she explains. “The Gann Museum also has an extensive collection of cameras, typewriters, and photographs, all pertaining to this exhibit. It’s nice being able to share the many local artifacts we have at the museum!” It’s the first exhibit dedicated to the Saline Courier, formerly the Benton Courier, which Jordan says is the county’s oldest business. “The Saline Courier has been operating since 1876,” she says. “The Courier has noted the births, deaths, failures and triumphs of Saline County for a very long time. We are always looking for interesting exhibits to rotate in our Williams Gallery, and since we are only four years away from the Courier’s sesquicentennial, we figured it was time to tell its story.” The exhibit tells the story of a small-town, community newspaper from its Continued on Page 2
Registration now open for this summer’s Tri-State Convention Registration is now open for next month’s Tri-State Press Convention in Memphis. The event will be held June 23-25 and brings together members of the Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee press associations for three days of networking and industry discussion. “We are excited for our first Tri-State gathering since 2010, and our first in-person event since the 2019 APA convention,” said APA Executive Director
Ashley Kemp Wimberley. “It will be a terrific event, and a great opportunity for our members to meet publishers and editiors from other states and get caught up on what’s happening in our industry.”
Ostendorf, Russell Viers and others, as well as a trade show. A Friday night Bylines, Blues & BBQ party will include a silent auction, blues entertainment and a barbecue feast.
Events will start on Thursday afternoon with business meetings and a golf outing or tour of Graceland, followed by a welcome reception at 6 pm. Friday programming will include sessions presented by leading industry speakers Kelly Wirges, Bill
Saturday events include continental breakfast and a roundtable session. A cocktail reception and luncheon, along with the presentation of the APA Better Newspaper Editorial Awards, will close the convention. Continued on Page 4