Arkansas Publisher Weekly: July 11, 2019

Page 1

4 5

Tear gas discovered in safe in Fayetteville newspaper office

Guest Column:

A little more, a little less for sales meetings By John Foust

Ar k ansas

ARKANSAS

PRESS

Publisher Weekly

ASSOCIATION

Vol. 14 | No. 28 | Thursday, July 11, 2019

Serving Press and State Since 1873

New APA president seeks a more engaged membership The Bland family has been in the newspaper business in Lawrence County for nearly a century, and for just as long the family has contributed to the success of the Arkansas Press Association. Now, as John Bland assumes his role as president of the APA, the publisher of The Times Dispatch in Walnut Ridge wants to improve engagement and accessibility for

John Bland

the organization. Bland was installed as the 2019-2020 APA president at the association’s annual convention last month in Hot Springs. The third-generation newspaper publisher follows in the footsteps of his grandfather, James L. Bland Sr., who was APA president in 1938. In an interview this week, the new association president said it’s important for the APA to offer alternative ways for members to remain involved, especially as the newspaper industry is undergoing a period of rapid change. “I think my goals are a reflection of the APA board,” he said. “We’ve talked about how we have to get a higher percentage of our member newspapers involved in APA. We do realize a lot of newspapers either cannot afford to come to the convention, much less send their staff, and we’ve talked about hosting one-day seminars or video conferences. They’re something

that would fit in with the reality of our newspaper staffs, which are strained and strapped for time.” Bland and APA Executive Director Ashley Wimberley said the association is planning to offer several workshops on pertinent reporting, advertising and circulation issues in the coming weeks. The events will be held at the newly renovated APA headquarters in Little Rock, but may also be live-streamed for participating members. More details are to come later this summer on these events, Wimberley said. Bland noted that one of the essential benefits of APA membership – one that’s often unsaid – is the opportunity for newspaper leaders to network with others from around the state. “I think we have an opportunity to grow if we band together and share our ideas, and together we can figure out ways to adapt to this digital age,” he said, emphasizing Continued on Page 2

West Memphis newspaper launches podcast

Readers of The Evening Times in West Memphis now have a supplemental way to learn about local news and goingson, all from their smartphones. The newspaper has launched a new podcast which highlights items of local interest and other topics.

said Ralph Hardin, editor of The Evening Times and one of the hosts of the podcast. “Newspapers are trying to adapt to the internet/smart phone/social media world and this was a low-cost, easy-to-produce product that we will hopefully use to grow interest in what we are doing.”

“It’s just something we felt like we could do to create another avenue for getting information to the local community, especially those who might not be interested in reading a regular newspaper,”

The podcast, called “Circling the Drain,” is named based on the fact that everyone, despite their age, race, political views or differences is “in this together, circling the drain on our way to the end,” Hardin said.

The hosts discuss current events, local community activities and some topics with a wider appeal. So far on the podcast, which started in the spring, guests have included the West Memphis Police Department spokesman and a local school district superintendent. The podcast is available online at theeveningtimes.com/podcasts and can also be accessed through Facebook, Google Play, and Apple Podcasts.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
Arkansas Publisher Weekly: July 11, 2019 by Arkansas Press Association - Issuu