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Don’t forget!
APA Convention hotel deadline is June 7.
June webinars scheduled for newspaper pros
ARKANSAS
Ar kansas
PRESS
Publisher Weekly
Vol. 14 | No. 22 | Thursday, May 30, 2019
ASSOCIATION
Serving Press and State Since 1873
Har-Ber newspaper adviser is the Arkansas Press Association’s Journalism Educator of the Year For seven months, Karla Sprague has been that teacher. She’s that teacher who taught those student journalists in Springdale; that teacher reprimanded by her school administration and still criticized by some for supporting her students over articles that made national headlines. Sprague can now say she’s that teacher named the Arkansas Press Association’s Journalism Educator of the Year. Sprague, who teaches journalism at Karla Sprague Har-Ber High School, is the advisor for the student newspaper, The Har-Ber Herald. Springdale school officials in November censored Herald articles about student athletes who had transferred to rival Springdale High. The censorship gained national attention. School administrators eventually reversed course to allow the newspaper to publish
its articles, but not before accusing Sprague of insubordination.
Sprague earned the APA award for her willingness to stand behind her student journalists’ right to free expression in spite of the risk to her job. She said in a phone interview this week that she still receives criticism from some in the Springdale community about her role, but is grateful for the recognition she received from APA and even other Har-Ber teachers who honored her with this year’s local Teacher of the Year award. “There will always be people that refer to me as ‘Oh, you’re that teacher,’” Sprague said, calling the 2018-19 “the most difficult year in my entire career.” Sprague has spent 21 years as a teacher, and she said she’s always advised student journalists to weigh the potential harm of publishing an article vs. the good that could come out of bringing an issue to light. She disagreed with the school
administration’s position that the subject matter was too divisive. Administrators ordered articles removed from The Herald website, temporarily suspended the publication and threatened Sprague with disciplinary action. Partly driven by The Har-Ber Herald matter, the Arkansas Legislature earlier this year amended the state’s Student Publications Act to affirm that all student journalists have a constitutional right to free expression. Sprague testified at a House Education Committee hearing prior to the General Assembly’s adoption of the new law. “As journalism educators, we must teach our kids how to ask questions,” Sprague said. “We want them to think critically and to ask thoughtful questions about the issues they are more concerned. … And even in a public school, the people in positions of power should answer those questions, should help student journalists navigate the world around them and not Continued on Page 2
Ballots to be re-issued in critical bylaws, board vote Ballots to be re-issued in critical bylaws, board vote
week’s deadline to attain the two-thirds majority.
Arkansas Press Association members will receive new ballots for this year’s board of directors and bylaws votes next week. APA Executive Director Ashley Wimberley said the association’s current bylaws require a two-thirds majority to approve both the board slate and any bylaws changes, and, unfortunately, not enough ballots had been received by last
Ballots will be reissued on Friday, May 31, and must be returned in the envelope provided by Friday, June 14. All members must return the new ballot even if they returned the first ballot received. “It’s a busy time of year for many member newspapers with the summer
approaching and with the recent holiday, so we are reissuing all ballots to give all our members a chance to participate in this very important process and meet the bylaws requirement,” Wimberley said. “We ask the designated voter at each member newspaper to mark their new ballots and send them back as soon as possible.” This year’s election features a slate of candidates that will return to the board of directors and one addition to the board, Continued on Page 2