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UA Athletic Director Hunter Yuracheck announced Arkansas Press Association “Headline of the Year”
Guest Column: A tale of two publishers By Kevin Slimp
Arkansas Press Association
Publisher Weekly Vol.17 | No. 23 | Thursday, June 9, 2022 | Serving Press and State Since 1873
“Journalists understand public records are our life-blood” Democrat-Gazette’s Hammersly to receive APA’s Freedom of Information Act award at convention “Early on in the pandemic you would often hear, ‘I don’t know anyone who’s had it. Do you know anyone who’s had it?’” Lisa Hammersly, veteran Arkansas DemocratGazette reporter and editor, said. “It was a different kind of denial than what you see in some quarters today. We saw at that time that this had the potential to be a national and international life-altering event. And we wanted to put faces to the virus.” Over the course of 11 installments and approximately 150 stories, Hammersly and her team painted a picture of the pandemic’s devastation. Stories of the lives of Arkansans taken by COVID-19 were featured in the series “Lives Remembered,” which ran from May 2020 to April 2021. The series included a mix of people of all ages and from all corners of the state. Hammersly is now receiving the Arkansas Press Association’s Freedom of Information Act award at the Tri-State Press Convention in Memphis because of her and her team’s work digging into public records in all 75 Arkansas counties to tell the stories of those we lost. “We can put out lots of numbers, and we did,” Hammersly said. “I’m proud of that. It’s important so people can be informed about what they should be doing to protect themselves and each other.” But putting faces to the numbers, according to Hammersly, was not an easy feat. People were dying. The numbers told us that. But who were they? “We approached the state and they would
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“Journalists understand public records are our life-blood” Continued from Page1
say “No, these are medical records and you can’t have them,” Hammersly said. It became clear to the team that they would have a lengthy court battle with the state, so the Hammersly knew she had to take a different approach. The team included reporters Eric Besson, Kat Stromquist, Ginny Monk and Jeannie Roberts. Together they scoured all 75 of our counties for coroner’s reports, which are public record. “If you’re trying to tell a story using county coroners, you’re looking at a tremendous amount of work just to begin with” Hammersly said. “And you’ve got to have these records to tell these stories.” “In many cases, the coroners were deleting names or medical information or certain circumstances or next of kin or names and numbers of relatives. And there were some that refused to hand them over. Though there were some who were very helpful, too. Once the team was able to identify a victim of the pandemic, they were careful about how they proceeded. “We didn’t want to infringe or run roughshod over people who were grieving,” Hammersly said. “It was a hard decision, but we decided not to write about anyone without the support of a family member.” Family members who agreed to participate in the series walked the team through the moment they got the diagnosis and through each step of the disease up to the unfortunate end. “You get deeply involved with the person you’re interviewing,” Hammersly said. “The grief. The trauma. As a reporter, you grieve. You cry with them. You can’t help but feel it.” Right out of college, where she was editor of her student newspaper, Hammersly took a job as a teacher at El Dorado High School. Journalism soon pulled her away from teaching. She attended Columbia University and received her master’s degree in journalism in 1977. She then
Arkansas Publisher Weekly
joined the Democrat’s staff for a few years, but then moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, where she would spend the majority of her career as a reporter and editor. At the Charlotte Observer, Hammersly was assigned to reporting on long-term projects. Several projects received accolades, including one being named a Pulitzer finalist. When she returned to Arkansas and the Democrat-Gazette, Hamersley brought her love for special projects with her. She has worked alone and with teams on investigations into campaign finance contributions, obsolete public records systems, a university spending scandal and mortgage fraud. She was previously awarded the APA FOIA Award for her reporting on campaign finance. In 2020, Hammersly was tasked with being the projects editor, and the “Lives Remembered” series was created. Even though she was project lead, she still reported for the series. One of the most meaningful moments of the series for Hammersly was when she reported on an elderly couple who died of COVID within weeks of each other. When the story was published, Hammersly discovered the couple’s son-in-law was one of her former students at El Dorado. “He called me to tell me what a wonderful, accurate, sensitive job we had done on the story.” Hammersly said. “When something like that happens, when your student from 50 years ago comes back to tell you that the story of the loss of their beloved mother-in-law and father-in-law was well told – it has a lot of meaning.
The state keeps chipping away at our access to documents and records which are required to tell important stories like these.” Eliza Gaines, executive editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, admired Hammersly’s determination and commitment to pursuing the story all the way through. “Like any good journalist, Lisa is a fierce defendant of FOIA,” Gaines said. “She grasps the newspaper’s duty to use openrecords laws to fully inform the public. Lisa also has a talent for helping readers easily understand the complexities of our state’s FOIA. Her skills as a reporter and editor help improve the public’s understanding of information, processes and decisions made by government officials. Using FOIA in this way helps to hold powerful forces accountable, gives a voice to the voiceless and reinforces the newspaper’s commitment to the community.“ Hammersly is honored to be receiving the FOIA award for the second time, but with a caveat. “I don’t know why I’m receiving this award,” she said. “In my mind, it’s for all the reporters that worked on the COVID series. It was a really difficult series. I’ve never worked on anything more difficult. The emotional toll, but also the challenge of obtaining the public records for all of the deceased. This is an acknowledgement of all of our efforts.” The “Lives Deceased” series can be read at arkansasonline.com. Three Lessons from Lisa
These 150 stories took an emotional toll on Hammersly and her team. But the veteran journalist admits that she could not have gotten any of these stories without public records and the FOIA laws that protect them.
1. Some of the biggest stories that have the most important consequences come out of your day to day reporting.
“We are constantly fighting a battle to keep public records public,” Hammersly said. “To improve access to public records.
3. Do everything you can to collect information.
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2. Get the records first. Records can tell us so much more than individual sources.
June 9, 2022
UA Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek announced Arkansas Press Association“Headliner of the Year” University of Arkansas Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek has been announced as the Arkansas Press Association Headliner of the Year. The Headliner of the Year award is presented to the person or entity the APA board and membership feel brought the most positive attention and headlines to our state the previous year. Past recipients of the Headliner of the Year Award include Sam Walton, Frank Broyles, Nolan Richardson, Jerry Jones, Gov. Mike Huckabee, Alice Walton, Jack Stephens and President Bill Clinton. Yurachek has helped guide the Razorback program to record-breaking success since being announced as vice chancellor and director of athletics on Dec. 4, 2017. At the University of Arkansas, Yurachek has implemented a program-wide strategic plan that focuses on fostering student-athlete success and centered on achieving the program’s mission of building Champions and Razorbacks for Life. Last year Razorback Athletics turned in one of the most successful years in school history, including a program-best, eighth-place finish in the 2020-21 Learfield IMG Directors’ Cup. Arkansas’ previous best finish was 14th in the competition that tracks the nation’s most successful intercollegiate athletics programs. In 2020-21, the Razorbacks won another NCAA title (Women’s Indoor Track & Field), earned eight Top-10 NCAA finishes and a remarkable 10 Southeastern Conference regular season and tournament championships, including SEC triple crown sweeps in both men’s
and women’s cross country & track and field, a second-straight soccer regular season crown, the program’s first softball regular season title and a baseball regular season and tournament championship. Arkansas’ championship total led the league and doubled the next closest SEC program. Through the pandemic, with more than 28,500 COVID-19 tests conducted, Razorback Athletics had a positivity rate of less than one percent and was not the cause of an event cancellation in any sport due to COVID-19. Gov. Asa Hutchinson named Yurachek to the Governor’s Economic Recovery Task Force to help guide state reopening in the wake of COVID-19. Yurachek was also named to the NCAA Football Oversight Committee In April 2021, after previously serving on the NCAA Football Competition Committee. The Headliner of the Year award will be presented at a gala in Little Rock on Thursday, Oct. 20. Also to be presented at the gala will be Golden 50 Service Awards to Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Publisher Walter E. Hussman and Arkansas news columnist John Brummett for having served 50 years in the newspaper industry and Distinguished Service Awards to Brent and Craig Renaud, the Peabody Award-winning documentary filmmakers from Arkansas. Brent Renaud was recently killed in Ukraine while filming a documentary about refugees. Craig Renaud will accept the award for his brother as well as himself. There will also be a special award for Gov. Hutchison for his leadership through the pandemic.
INDUSTRY QUOTE “Journalism without a moral position is impossible. Every journalist is a moralist. It’s absolutely unavoidable. A journalist is someone who looks at the world and the way it works, someone who takes a close look at things every day and reports what she sees, someone who represents the world, the event, for others. She cannot do her work without judging what she sees.” -Marguerite Duras
Several CherryRoad Media publications launch new websites The Clay County Times-Democrat in Rector, the Salem News and the Villager Journal in Cherokee Village launched new websites on June 1, as they transition away from the platforms of former owners Rust Communications. Announcements in the newspapers stated that the paywalls were currently down, but once they are re-established subscribers will need to sign in again and reset their passwords. Subscribers also will receive an email whenever a new e-edition is ready. In addition, earlier deadlines of noon Friday have been announced for submitting news copy and display advertising to the Salem News and the Villager Journal. Classified advertising will be accepted until 8:30 Monday morning.
Arkansas Publisher Weekly
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June 9, 2022
—30— Twanette Clark
Bailey new reporter at the Herald-Leader recent graduate of John Brown University, where he studied communication and journalism and was local editor and news editor for the student newspaper, The Threefold Advocate.
Spencer Bailey has joined the HeraldLeader in Siloam Springs as a general assignment reporter. Bailey, a native of Oklahoma City, is a
“We are excited to have Spencer join our staff at the Herald-Leader,” said managing editor Graham Thomas in a newspaper article announcing the hire. “Spencer has helped us out at the paper during his last few months as a student and showed he is quite capable of producing quality, informative stories for our readers. We are excited to see what he will bring to our staff. Bailey’s primary coverage beat at the Herald-Leader will be education.
Patel joins NPR affiliate station KUAR Twanette Sinele Clark of Cabot died Monday, May 26, 2022. She was 70. She was born in Batesville to G.H. Sinele and Mabel Ford Sinele. A graduate of Oil Trough High School, she studied at Harding University in Searcy and Arkansas College (now Lyon College) in Batesville. Over her career she was Assistant Editor at the Newport Daily Independent, a typographer at Diversitype in Little Rock, and a Copy Editor/Proofing Specialist and Publications Editor at CJRW in Little Rock. Survivors include her son Walter Clark and wife Emily of Cabot, daughter Dusan Clark and partner Jeff of Dallas, brothers Ford Sinele and wife Judy of Little Rock and Raymond Sinele and wife Beverly of Flora, Mississippi, sisters Belinda VanDenburg of Mansfield, Texas, Lucinda Hankins and husband Parmer of Oil Trough and Teresa Long and husband Johnny of Newport, six grandchildren and many nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. A memorial service was held on June 4 at the Oil Trough Church of Christ followed by interment at Oaklawn Cemetery in Batesville.
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Arkansas Publisher Weekly
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Reporter Ronak Patel joined UA Little Rock Public Radio as the new political and governmental affairs reporter for KUAR-FM 89.1, a National Public Radio (NPR) affiliate, earlier this year. A graduate of Little Rock Central High School, Patel holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Arkansas, where he majored in English and minored in journalism. Patel developed an interest in politics when he had the opportunity to interview candidates for the District 32 Senate seat, which covers parts of Little Rock and Cammack Village, as part of a political reporting class. In his junior year he joined the staff of The Echo, the UCA student newspaper, eventually serving as sports editor and editor in chief. As a student Patel reported on a state legislator requesting syllabi from UCA, a story that won a second place award for in-depth reporting from the Arkansas College Media Association. After college Patel first worked as a general assignment reporter for the Times Record in Fort Smith. After six months there, he was hired at the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, where he wrote feature pieces, season previews for the local high school sports and helped write the Downtown Little Rock guide. Patel also sits on the board of the Society of Professional Journalists Arkansas Pro Chapter. His duties at KUAR will include covering Gov. Asa Hutchinson as well as the Arkansas General Assembly, the state’s U.S. congressional delegation, local politics and elections. 5
June 2, 2022
New AP Stylebook includes 300 new, revised entries
The Associated Press
The Associated Press has released the 56th edition of The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law, which includes more than 300 new or revised entries and a new chapter on inclusive storytelling. The AP Stylebook, 56th Edition, includes guidance that is new plus additions and changes made throughout the year on AP Stylebook Online, such as a new chapter on inclusive storytelling and relevant expanded guidance announced earlier this year. The new inclusive storytelling chapter emphasizes the importance of inclusive reporting and editing in ensuring accuracy and fairness, and offers guidance to recognize and overcome unconscious biases; use thoughtful and precise language; reach beyond usual sources and story ideas; include necessary context and background; avoid tokenism; and make content accessible. Many new and revised Stylebook entries contain guidance relevant to inclusive storytelling, including 35 new or revised disabilities-related entries, and expanded pronoun guidance advising writers to use they/them/their as much as possible as a way of accurately describing a person who uses those pronouns for themself. Among the changes in the spiral-bound 2022 Stylebook: ● Greatly expanded and revised guidance on migration, immigration, including an explanation of the terms migrant versus immigrant, a detailed rundown on agencies dealing with immigration and migration,
and 20 new or revised individual entries.
and online in several digital formats.
● Renamed entry on marijuana, cannabis that now says those terms can be used interchangeably and offers additional updates to related terms, including decriminalization and delta, such as delta-8.
AP Stylebook Online has become the primary way professional writers and editors access this definitive resource. It is regularly updated to reflect changes to news writing in real-time.
● A new entry on child-free, childless, advising to avoid using these terms other than in direct quotes essential to the story. ● New guidance that says supervised injection sites, safe injection sites and overdose prevention are acceptable terminology. ● New guidance on terrorism that says to describe specific actions that are being perpetrated, and attribute the use of the word terrorism or terrorist to authorities except when talking about historical events widely acknowledged as terrorist actions. ● Updated chapters on social media and web-based reporting, and polls and surveys. At more than 600 pages, the AP Stylebook is widely used as a writing and editing reference in newsrooms, classrooms and corporate offices worldwide. Updated regularly since its initial publication in 1953, the AP Stylebook is a must-have reference for writers, editors, students and professionals. It provides fundamental guidelines for spelling, language, punctuation, usage and journalistic style. It is the definitive resource for journalists. The AP Stylebook is available in spiralbound print — now published biennially —
AP Stylebook Online includes all Stylebook listings, plus an Ask the Editor feature with extensive archives, and Topical Guides about news events. Users can add their own entries, make notes and receive notifications throughout the year when AP’s editors add or update listings. The new Stylebook print edition costs $27.95 for AP member news organizations and college bookstores and $34.95 retail. AP Stylebook Online prices are $29 for individual subscribers for one year, $23 for a single user at news organizations that are AP members. Prices for Stylebook Online site licenses are based on the number of users, starting at $230 for 10 users for a year. The new print edition and digital subscriptions can be ordered online at apstylebook.com. The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day. Online at ap.org.
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2022 Silent Auction Donation Form
Item/Service Donated: _____________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Retail Value ($25 suggested minimum): ________________________ Description of item or service (please include size, color, available dates, restrictions, expiration dates and any other important information): _______________________________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Name of company or individual to be recognized for donation: _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Address/City/State/Zip ____________________________________________________________________________ Phone: ____________________________ Email: _______________________________________________________ Contact (if different from above): ____________________________________________________________________ Phone: ____________________________ Email: _______________________________________________________ The silent auction will be open during Tri-State Press Convention June 23-25 in Memphis. Please mail or email this form to APA. All items should be delivered to the association office by June 16. UPS and other deliveries can be made from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday. Or you may bring your item with you to the convention registration desk when you check in. For more information, contact Terri Cobb at 501-374-1500, or e-mail terri@arkansaspress.org. Arkansas Newspaper Foundation 411 South Victory Street, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 Phone: 501-374-1500 ANF Tax ID# 71-0559251
Guest Column: A tale of two publishers
Harry Chapin was right. Even in the publishing world, life is one big circle. By Kevin Slimp
I’m not that old. Seriously, I’m not. But in my work with newspapers, I’ve worked with so many younger people that I sometimes feel like Yoda (for you Star Wars fans) to a sizeable group of upand-coming publishers in our business. In addition to all these young publishers I hear from regularly, I also hear from a lot of publishers who are retiring and moving on to enjoy the fruits of their labors and – as happens in many science fiction movies – and there are times when these two worlds collide. Joey Young, the young publisher who has made a name for himself in Kansas and beyond, stopped me at a convention three years ago and asked, “Why are you working so hard to make me famous?” Joe didn’t realize it at the time, but I wasn’t the one making him famous. He was becoming famous on his own, starting newspapers in his home state. I was simply spreading the word. Hardly a week (or is it a day?) goes by that I don’t hear from a former student (I spent 21 years directing The University of Tennessee Newspaper Institute) or a young journalist thinking about buying or starting a newspaper. At the same time, it’s rare when a week passes that I don’t hear from a longtime publisher searching for the right person to take over their newspaper. Now and then, I introduce them to each other. This has been an exciting month as I watched one of my favorite students, Jessica Prevatt, buy the newspaper she worked at for more than 20 years. Jessica attended my Institute every year, and we’d often have conversations about
Arkansas Publisher Weekly
her purchasing her own newspaper. The Baker County (Florida) Press has been very successful – with significant market penetration – and Jessica always believed there was a bright future for the paper. So, I wasn’t surprised when she swore me to secrecy – I’m an excellent secret-keeper – a few months ago and told me she was going to buy The Baker County Press. I was a proud mentor.
years when speaking at conventions and training events. She came searching for solid advice about buying a newspaper. At that moment, it felt like all my experience and connections came into play, and I connected her with Joey, Jessica and another friend who had traveled similar paths. After a few minutes of group conversation, I hung up the phone and allowed them to carry on without me.
While I was having conversations with Jessica about her budding future as a rising star in the newspaper business, I also had conversations with my friend Lesa Van Camp, publisher of the newspaper in Drayton, North Dakota. I met Lesa when she first purchased the paper and, by her admission, didn’t know a lot about running a newspaper. She heard I was in the area, working with a larger paper, and asked if I could come by for a few hours to help learn how to produce a newspaper. The few hours turned into a day, then I asked if she’d like me to stay into the evening and redesign her newspaper, and the rest is history. Due to some health issues, Lesa knew it was time to find a new owner for her beloved newspaper. But she didn’t want just any owner. She wanted someone local who would care for her paper in the way only a local owner can. For a while, it looked like Lesa would be forced to close the paper without selling it, but I received word a few weeks ago – again, I was sworn to secrecy – Lesa had found a local buyer. Last week, Lesa published her final edition of Valley News & Views, and the new owner will publish next week’s issue.
When working with newspapers these days, I spend most of my time helping papers create better publications. In 30 years of consulting, the one constant I point to most often is that growing, thriving newspapers continuously work to improve their products. I’ve seen hundreds – probably thousands – of the latest gimmicks to make newspapers rich. I’ve heard speakers and seen vendors pushing ideas and products that promise to line the pockets of newspaper owners, only to see these same speakers and vendors quickly fade away (or come back with new “incredible” ideas a year or two later).
A couple of months ago, I heard from a young (it’s a relative term, I know) journalist who I’ve met many times through the
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I’m convinced Jessica will continue to grow her paper in Florida as a publisher. I’m confident Joey will do the same, as will the young journalist mentioned previously who is considering purchasing her first paper. It’s all about improving the product. I’m a proud Yoda. Kevin Slimp is former director of The University of Tennessee Newspaper Institute and founder of NewspaperAcademy.com.
June 9, 2022