Arkansas Publisher Weekly: August 13, 2020

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Helena publisher heralds PPP loan Guest Column:

Bipartisan bill to help newspapers needs support

Arkansas Press Association

Publisher Weekly

By Dennis Hetzel

Vol. 15 | No. 33 | Thursday, August 13, 2020 | Serving Press and State Since

Educator of the Year Rhodes is committed to his students If not for some frequent shuffling at the height of Little Rock’s legendary newspaper war, the teaching bug may never have bitten Sonny Rhodes. As it were, it took a bit for it to take hold.

Rhodes, a veteran newspaper reporter and editor, parlayed a fortuitous and temporary stint as an instructor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock into a 20-year teaching career, albeit about a decade after he got that first opportunity to teach.

Rhodes is currently an associate professor at the UA Little Rock School of Mass Communication.

Beloved by his students and committed to providing them with an outstanding educational foundation for professional excellence, Rhodes is the 2020 recipient of the Arkansas Press Association Journalism Educator of the Year award.

Though Rhodes earned a bachelor’s degree in education, teaching wasn’t really on his mind until 1990 when Jay Friedlander, then-chairman of UA Little Rock’s journalism department, asked Rhodes to consider taking a Sonny Rhodes (second from right) visits with Gov. Asa Hutchinson after a bill signing ceremony in 2019. Pictured with Rhodes are two of his former students: Sarah DeClerk, current president of the Arkansas Professional nine-month leave of absence from Chapter, Society of Professional Journalists, and Kolton Rutherford, who recently completed an Arkansas Continued on Page 2

Newspaper Foundation internship at the Log Cabin Democrat.

2020 APA Virtual Convention registration now open As Arkansas newspapers continue to perform a vital community service and persevere through a health and economic crisis, the Arkansas Press Association will host its annual convention on an online platform this year. The virtual convention, set for Thursday, Sept. 24,

and Friday, Sept. 25, allows for easier access for APA members to quality professional development content while keeping costs lower for members by not requiring travel or lodging expenses.

Convention registration is now open. The registration fee is $50 for members and

$75 for nonmembers. To register or view the full schedule, visit arkansaspress.org/ events.

The theme for this year’s convention is “Arkansas Newspapers: We’ve Got You Covered.” Face masks with the theme and convention logo are available for Continued on Page 3

Educator of the Year Rhodes is committed to his students Continued from Page 1

those set the stage for a successful education career that began when a full-time teaching position finally came open at UALR in 2000.

his job as a reporter at the Arkansas Democrat to fill a 9-month teaching spot.

Rhodes had recently moved to the Democrat from the Arkansas Gazette following the departure of Bill Rutherford, who was planning to teach at UA Little Rock. When Rutherford was lured back to the Gazette to take the managing editor role, Friedlander reached out to Rhodes, who had only been with the Democrat for a few months at that time.

He encouraged Rhodes to request a leave of absence from John Robert Starr, the irascible Democrat editor. To his surprise, Starr let Rhodes take a 9-month break from reporting.

“I had 25 years of first-hand experience as a reporter and then as an editor. I think it gives me ‘street cred’ with students and also gives me empathy for the challenges they might face in dealing with sources and putting words together,” Rhodes said. “As a working journalist, I did my best to inform readers in hopes that it would make them make better-informed decisions about their lives; and it’s important to help make these students skilled, responsible journalists, to believe in themselves and their talents and to accomplish maybe more than they thought they could accomplish.”

“I got my taste of it that nine months and just absolutely loved teaching,” Rhodes said in a telephone interview. “It’s just really exciting to work with young people. I can be feeling bad, like I’ve woken up on the wrong side of the bed, but when I step in front of a classroom everything changes. There’s just an energy there that brings out my best.”

Rhodes, who is active in the Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, starts each Although he did not have the honor of teaching his daughter-in-law, Bernadette Gunn course with an ethics Rhodes, one of Sonny Rhodes’ proudest moments as an educator was being asked to section based on the SPJ bestow her hood at a special “hooding” ceremony to commemorate the master’s degree in Code of Ethics. Training public administration she was awarded last December at UALR. in ethics is more important now than ever, since with the proliferation His students recognize and thrive off that epidemic creates uncertainty for the fall of social media and online self-publishing energy. According to Tim Edwards, interim semester, Rhodes has been spending platforms, “everybody now is a journalist, director of UA Little Rock’s School of Mass his summer getting ready for online class or thinks they are,” he said.

Communication, Rhodes connects with delivery. students in a way few others can.

A Pine Bluff native, Rhodes is a graduate “I think, just like with being a journalist, it’s of Watson Chapel High School and he has “Now beginning his third decade as a important to be nimble,” said Rhodes, who a master’s degree from the University of teacher, Sonny Rhodes has not slowed at 67 hopes to teach for at least two more Mississippi. He lives in North Little Rock down,” Edwards said. “His skills and years before retiring. with his wife, Julie. He has three grown teaching methods have changed to meet the demands of the changing journalistic He earned a bachelor’s degree in education children and two grandchildren. landscape and the ever-evolving ways from what is now the University of Central Rhodes will be honored with other award that students learn. He works hard. Yet, Arkansas, but pursued a reporting career winners in a special awards presentation he starts every class with a smile and a and always thought teaching would be during the APA’s convention this year. friendly ‘Hello!’ His students love him.” “something I could do one day.” Rhodes The convention will be hosted virtually Rhodes said his versatility can be traced held multiple reporter and editor jobs on Sept. 24 and Sept. 25. The awards back to his experience as a journalist. As at Arkansas newspapers, including the presentation is at 3 p.m. on Thursday, reporting techniques have transformed Pine Bluff Commercial and Log Cabin Sept. 24, and can be viewed live online over his career, so have teaching styles Democrat in addition to the Democrat, by convention registrants. To register, visit and technology. Now, as the COVID-19 Gazette and the Democrat-Gazette. All arkansaspress.org/events.

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August 13, 2020

2020 APA Virtual Convention registration now open Continued from Page 1

purchase.

“Our newspapers have been extremely busy all year keeping readers informed and ensuring our government officials are accountable, and they are doing all they can to make sure the people of Arkansas stay ‘covered,’” said Ashley Wimberley, APA executive director.

“During this consequential time for our nation and our industry, we at APA want to keep our members ‘covered’ too by providing a convention that’s accessible, affordable and educational. We look forward to presenting our first-ever virtual convention and hope that it will be a benefit to everyone who attends.”

The convention begins on Kevin Slimp Sept. 24 at 10 a.m. with two sessions from renowned design expert Kevin Slimp. His first presentation will be about how newspaper designers can use specific InDesign tools to speed up their work and increase productivity. Slimp’s 11:15 a.m. session offers strategies for newspapers on how to increase readership.

Thursday’s afternoon seminars will include a panel discussion on maintaining trust with readers, moderated by Gwen Moritz, editor of Arkansas Business. Panelists

At 3:00 on Thursday afternoon is the APA past presidents’ gavel passing, the installation of Turner as president and presentation of the Educator of the Year and Freedom of Information awards.

On Friday, Bill Ostendorf of Creative Circle Media will discuss readership growth in two different sessions.

At 10. Ostendorf will lead a presentation on creative and alternative story ideas to attract readers, while at 11 he’ll talk about how to write better headlines to draw more readers. Friday’s schedule starts with a 9:45 a.m. business meeting.

include Incoming APA President Rusty Turner, of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette, Paxton Media Group’s Frank Leto, Lori Freeze of the Stone County Leader in Mountain View and Britt Talent of the Cleveland County Herald in Rison. The panel discussion starts at 2 p.m.

At noon, APA will host a virtual luncheon to allow online participants to network and share ideas, followed by the annual APA Better Newspaper Editorial Awards at 12:30 p.m.

The annual APA Golf Tournament to support the Arkansas Newspaper Foundation is postponed to a later date.

In addition, an in-person banquet in recognition of this year’s Headliner of the Year and Golden 50 Service Award winners is tentatively set for the spring of

APA annual election ballots due by August 18 Arkansas Press Association members are reminded to mail in their ballots for the 2020 APA election. Ballots were mailed to the designated voter for each member newspaper last week. Ballots must be postmarked and mailed by the Tuesday, August 18, deadline.

For the ballot to be counted, designated voters must sign the outside of his or her return envelope. A spot for that signature is clearly visible on the outside of the return envelope.

Seven candidates for the APA Board of Directors are on this year’s ballot, including three new nominees: Frank Leto of the Log Cabin Democrat in Conway, Jim Perry of the Harrison Daily Times and Britt Talent of the Cleveland Arkansas Publisher Weekly

ARKANSAS

press ASSOCIATION

County Herald in Rison.

Also on the ballot will be APA board members continuing in their roles: Kelly Freudensprung of The Saline Courier in Benton John Robert Schirmer of the Nashville News-Leader Jennifer Allen Commercial

of

the 3

Pine

Bluff

Eliza Gaines of the Arkansas DemocratGazette in Little Rock The APA executive board does not appear on the ballot. It is: President: Rusty Turner of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Vice-President: Ellen Kreth of the Madison County Record in Huntsville Second Vice-President: Lori Freeze of the Stone County Leader in Mountain View The newly elected APA board members will assume their seats on the board at the conclusion of the annual APA Convention to be held virtually on Sept.

24 and Sept. 25.

August 13, 2020

—30— Pamela Jean Gazaway Killinsworth

Helena publisher heralds PPP loan

Savethenews.org interviewed Andrew Bagley, publisher of the World for a recent article. Bagley told a reporter for the website that a federal Paycheck Protection Program loan had been a “godsend” for the newspaper in HelenaWest Helena.

“The money helped get us through the worse of the pandemic,” Bagley told the reporter. “I think we’re going to be OK. … We are the only source of local information.”

The report said the World has covered COVID-19, Phillips County municipal governments and schools in print and on the newspaper’s website.

Andrew Bagley

Pamela Jean Gazaway Killinsworth, an Arkansas native and longtime designer for newspapers in Las Vegas, died June 12.

She was 55.

A national publication that highlights the importance of local news recently used the Helena World as an example for why stimulus programs are essential to keeping newspapers afloat during the COVID-19 epidemic.

Hope-Prescott News joins APA

formed after the Hope Star and Nevada County Picayune in Prescott were shuttered in 2018.

A 1983 graduate of Pocahontas High School, Killinsworth attended Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, where she majored in print journalism. She relocated to Las Vegas in 1988 and rose through the ranks of the Las Vegas Sun design team to become head of the graphics department at that newspaper. She left the Sun in 2005 and worked as a designer for the Las Vegas Review-Journal from 2005 to 2018.

She won numerous newspaper awards for page design and graphic design.

The newspaper submitted its application for APA membership earlier this year.

The News is owned by Mark Keith and Wendell Hoover. Keith is the editor of the newspaper and Hoover is the business manager. It was first printed in October 2018.

Having been in print for more than one calendar year, it was eligible under the APA Constitution and Bylaws for full APA membership.

Killinsworth is survived by her husband, Dean; and three brothers. A private graveside service was held Saturday, July 25, at Hite Cemetery in Biggers.

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Bagley and business partner Chuck Davis acquired the nearly 150-year-old newspaper in 2018. It received between $10,000 and $20,000 in PPP loans, according to the report. The World’s staff includes Bagley, a bookkeeper and a pair of freelance writers.

The Arkansas Press Association this month unanimously approved the application for full APA membership submitted by the Hope-Prescott News, a weekly newspaper that covers Hempstead and Nevada counties in southwest Arkansas. The newspaper was 4

“We welcome the HopePrescott News to the APA and are grateful to Mark and Wendell for their dedication to the community and their willingness to ensure the people of Hempstead and Nevada counties will continue to be served by a quality local newspaper,” said APA Executive Director Ashley Wimberley.

August 13, 2020

Guest Column: Bipartisan bill to help newspapers needs support

By Dennis Hetzel True confession. I’m a former swampdweller.

Not only did I work as a lobbyist, I represented the news media during my eight years as executive director of the Ohio News Media Association before we moved full-time to Holden Beach, North Carolina, in 2019.

Now I’m here to urge you to at least tiptoe into that confusing and oftenannoying political swamp by urging your local member of Congress to support a bipartisan bill, the Local Journalism Sustainability Act, that throws a muchneeded lifeline to community journalism and local businesses.

As a lobbyist, a major part of my job was to help politicians understand that whatever gripes they had with the national media — many of which I share — that was noise and not what we were about.

Unlike Don Lemon or Tucker Carlson, local journalists aren’t driven by who’s up or down in the polls or purposely framing stories to satisfy an agenda. They’re just trying to report the news.

Local journalism is in a crisis. Its traditional business model has collapsed, turbocharged in recent months by the pandemic, and communities suffer as a result. The reasons are complicated, ranging from hedge-fund ghouls to the overwhelming influence Facebook and Google exercise over digital ad rates.

The impact isn’t complicated, though.

When you have fewer journalists, less stuff gets covered.

Several

thousand American

Arkansas Publisher Weekly

counties

already have fallen into a previously unimaginable hole called a “news desert.”

That means there’s no local media outlet providing a meaningful, credible quantity and quality of local news. There’s research that shows the cost of government goes up in communities that lose newspapers and their watchdog roles.

As a lobbyist, I found it didn’t matter whether I was visiting the most liberal Democrat or even an outspoken media critic and Tea Party firebrand like Jim Jordan of Ohio. Jordan recognized that his hometown paper, the Marysville Tribune, was important to his community. He knew that the New York Times, Fox News or CNN won’t keep an eye on the school board and city council. He knew they won’t cover all the triumphs, achievements and events in his district. Occasionally they’ll parachute in — as the national media just did when Hurricane Isaias made landfall seven miles from my house — and then they’re gone.

The Act, co-sponsored by Ann Kirkpatrick, a Democrat from Arizona, and Dan Newhouse, a Republican from Washington State, offers tax relief to small businesses, subscribers and the local papers over a five-year period as follows: • If you subscribe to a qualifying local paper (including its website), you can get a tax credit of up to $250 per year.

• Businesses with less than 1,000 employees can get a credit of up to $5,000 in advertising costs the first year and up to $2,500 in the next four years. This matters a lot for many small businesses as they reopen. I know from my years as a media

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executive that many local businesses woefully underbudget what they need to spend on marketing and promotion. Every Chamber of Commerce should back this bill.

• For local news organizations, the act offers payroll tax credits to employ and adequately compensate local journalists.

Leonard Woolsey, president of the Galveston (Texas) Daily News, and Southern Newspapers, put it this way in a recent column: “We are a small business and privately held. No fancy towers in New York City.

No, our modest world headquarters sits right off Interstate 45 as you cross onto the island. And our employees are as local as they get. You see us at the local grocery stores, farmers markets and places of worship.

“Our hope is that your support — reaching out to your congressional representatives — will allow us to continue and serve and play a role in our community for years to come.”

According to America’s Newspapers, there are now 37 cosponsors of HR 7640.

I urge you to tell your local member of Congress to join this bipartisan effort.

Dennis Hetzel is a consultant, freelance journalist and author of two political thrillers. In earlier lives, he was a reporter, editor, publisher, journalism professor and executive director of the Ohio News Media Association. You can reach him through his website, DennisHetzel.com.

August 13, 2020