Arkansas Publisher Weekly: September 22, 2022

McCrary wins prestigious Operations All-Star award

Teresa McCrary, production manager at the Times-Herald in Forrest City, has been named an Operations All-Star by the International Newspaper Group (ING) and Editor & Publisher magazine. McCrary, surrounded by co-workers, was surprised when she received the good news via videoconference.

“I didn’t know what was happening,” McCrary said. “People were congratulating me on FaceTime, and I had no idea. I was honored and I appreciate it. It’s always nice when you do hard work to be recognized in some kind of way. Obviously, I didn’t expect this kind of recognition. I did appreciate all my co-workers being there because we’re all one big family here. We all help each other out, even on a personal level.”

“You are being recognized internationally as an amazing person of the operations sector in small markets,” Mike Blinder, publisher of Editor & Publisher, told McCrary via videoconference. “Congratulations on behalf of ING and Editor & Publisher magazine.”

The award came with more benefits than just recognition. McCrary will also receive a monetary prize as well as airfare to Newport, R.I. to attend the 2022 ING Fall Conference to accept her award in person. McCrary was nominated for the award by Times-Herald Publisher Tamara Johnson. In the nomination, Johnson wrote, “Teresa has been with our company for more than 15 years. She is a jack-of-

Continued on Page 2

National Newspaper Week set for October 2 - 8

“Why Newspapers Remain Relevant” is the theme for this year’s National Newspaper Week set for

It’s not a question, as stated clearly by this year’s hashtag–#newspaperpower.

“Newspapers are powerful forums,” said APA Executive Director Ashley Kemp Wimberley “They inform and enlighten, they hold our leaders accountable and they provide accurate information about the happenings of the community and the world. APA and its members celebrate newspapers By Kevin

Teresa McCrary

McCrary wins prestigious Operations All-Star award

Continued from Page 1

all-trades and can repair just about anything. She has trained several people over the years to work on the press. She is willing to go above and beyond her assignments in the press room and in circulation to help out whenever and wherever needed. She is truly a team player.”

McCrary leads an all-female pressroom team, which is rare in the industry.

“There definitely are not too many all-female teams,” she said. “It’s a tough job. It’s not for everyone, but we enjoy it.”

McCrary fell into the job after going to school for appliance repair and working in apartment maintenance. “A teacher knew somebody here and the newspaper was looking for somebody for maintenance in general,” she said. “I had never run a press or anything like that so I was nervous. I took a chance, they hired me and I had to learn a lot by trial and error and also from co-workers.”

McCrary credits her mentors and co-workers over the years with being supportive, helping her learn press operations and repair and being good friends.

“Alice McCollum and Dusty McCollum have been great to work with,” she said. “If we have to come up here on the weekend or any time of day to fix something, we do what we need to do. The newsroom also helps out when they get done with their work if it’s needed. We all work together and get it done.”

Brian Karnick, senior vice president of manufacturing for Tribune Publishing and a member of the ING Board of Directors, told McCrary on the videoconference that the decision by the board to honor her with the award was unanimous.

“We read the writeup of what you do day-in and day-out, running, first of all, an all-female team. You maintain the press, maintain the staff and organize a succession plan for when you’re out. Your work is just amazing,” Karnick said. “And, in your spare time, you write a history article for the Times-Herald.”

Blinder told McCrary that people in the industry often don’t realize how hard operations is. “In your position, you’re not just responsible for making sure the newspaper gets published, but you must also do it economically. Any advice in the operations sector?” he asked.

“You just keep at it and keep doing the stuff that works for you,” answered McCrary.

“Thank you, and I appreciate the honor. I work with an amazing team of people which makes my job easier, and I enjoy what I do,”added McCrary.

ARKANSAS NEWSPAPER CONNECTION

Are you hiring? Let us know!

The Arkansas Newspaper Connection is a weekly newsletter published by APA connecting freelance and independent writers, editors, photographers and designers with Arkansas newspapers in need.

The publication also lists available job openings and other opportunities at Arkansas newspapers and associate member organizations.

Alice McCollum, Dusty McCollum and McCrary

Hotel room reservations now available at discounted rate for attendees of Arkansas Press Freedom Gala

Room block reservations are now available at the DoubleTree Hotel for those attending the Arkansas Press Freedom Gala on Thursday, Oct. 20 at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock.

A special group rate of $131.00 per night is available for Standard King and Double Queen rooms.

To register for group room blocks, guests can access the discounted rate by visiting: https://bit.ly/3qWNC6T

Guests can also call 1-800-HILTONS and reference the Arkansas Press Association room block to receive the discount.

The Gala begins at 6 p.m. with a cocktail reception and the dinner and program will begin at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $200 each or $1500 for a table of eight. Sponsorships are also available. To purchase tickets visit https://www.arkansaspress.org/event/FreedomGala

All proceeds benefit the Arkansas Newspaper Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, and its mission of education and support for Arkansas newspapers.

More information can be found starting on page 8 of this edition of Arkansas Publisher Weekly

UCA student newspaper exposes iffy extra credit scheme

The Echo, the student newspaper at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, broke a story last week that raised a few eyebrows.

According to documents obtained through The Echo’s FOIA requests, Adjunct Marketing Prof. Wayne Landers sent an email to students on April 29 offering extra credit in exchange for positive online reviews for a business. Landers admitted offering students bonus points to leave fake reviews for a local Conway remodeling company. The bonus points were substantial, and Landers had previously been a client of the business, according to the reporting.

Bennett Tinnermon, the newspaper’s editor-in-chief, was one of the students in Landers’ class. “You see a professor offering bonus points to students who leave positive reviews with specific wording for a specific business made it seem like he had connections,” Tinnermon said in an interview with KARK-TV.

The student reporters began digging into the story, including submitting FOIA requests for Landers’ e-mails.

“Here is an opportunity for 50 extra credit points!” an email sent to students read. “Give a positive Google review to the local Conway business, Hendricks Remodeling. The review needs to include positive

remarks around integrity, craftsmanship and customer service. Once you have left the review, email me a screenshot of the review and I will give you the extra credit.”

Reporters noted they found reviews around that time from people who were obviously students. Other students brought their concerns about the assignment to The Echo

Dr. David Keith, long-time UCA journalism lecturer and advisor for The Echo, said he has not seen anything quite like this before.

“In editorial writing classes I have my

National Newspaper set

every single day, but National Newspaper Week gives us an opportunity to tell others just how relevant and powerful newspapers are.”

Newspaper Association Managers, the lead sponsors for the event, provides many resources for newspapers to share this message. Newspapers may download editorial cartoons and columns for their use at no charge. Promotional advertising that emphasizes the effectiveness and history of newspapers is also available for newspapers to personalize and publish during National Newspaper Week. A variety of ads in different sizes are available.

Also available are presentation materials newspapers can share with civic groups and others in their communities and a social media messaging campaign.

Content this year also includes additional resources for newspapers from TAS, Metro, CodaVentures and The Relevance Project, a partnership of newspaper associations across the United States and Canada that advocates for local journalism and promotes resources to help newspapers with advertising and revenue.

Organizers of National Newspaper Week encourage newspapers to devote “as many column inches as possible to reinforce the importance of newspapers to your communities.”

For more information about National Newspaper Week, and to download the ads and other collatoral materials, visit https://www.nationalnewspaperweek.

There’s a lot of talk about “the media,” the talking heads on cable TV who pander to political views for profit.

That’s not the news, and it’s certainly not this newspaper. Our goal every day is to fully and fairly report the news about this vibrant community and the people who live here.

That’s at the heart of American newspapering—preparing timely and insightful reports about what matters most, prepared by hometown journalists who love this town and care about its future.

That’s our pledge and our purpose.

Ownership statement filing deadline is next week we’re not “the media.”

Newspapers and other publications that send

Periodicals Class Mail must file an annual Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation (PS Form 3526) with the U.S. Postal Service by Friday, Sept. 30.

Upon filing the ownership statement with the local postmaster, publication owners are required to publish the statement according to the following timetable:

Publications issued more frequently than weekly must publish no later than Oct. 10. This applies to daily, semiweekly, and three-times-per-week publications.

Weekly newspapers and publications issued less frequently than weekly, but not less than monthly, must publish the statement by Oct. 31.

All other publications such as quarterlies must publish in the first issue after Oct. 1.

Owners may include paid digital subscriptions as circulation in postal statements. A paid subscriber, whether digital or print, may only be counted once. Form 3526 serves as the method for the U.S. Postal Service to establish whether a publication meets standards for the periodicals mailing rates. The form is available at about.usps.com/forms/ps3526.pdf

UCA student newspaper exposes iffy extra credit scheme

students write letters to the editor often,” Keith said. “I tell them to send it off and that’s basically the end of my requirements. The topic is theirs to choose, and what they want to say about the topic is theirs. That’s different from saying write ‘a review for this company using only these positive terms and post it online.’”

According to Keith, the story goes back a few months. Student reporters discussed the extra credit assignment late in the spring semester. The reporting staff didn’t feel they could do it justice in the short time they had left before summer break, so they held onto it and spent the summer digging.

“We maintain The Echo’s website in the summer, but we don’t have a print edition and only a very small staff during break,” Keith said. “The students wanted to do the story right and save it for the newspaper in the fall. And in the meantime, they learned

a lot more.”

Tinnermon and Assistant Sports Editor Emilee Hagewood were the lead reporters on the story, and Keith expects them to continue reporting on the issue.

“They have some other avenues that they want to pursue that relate to this story,” Keith said. “For one thing, Landers was told to try to get these reviews taken down and never do this again. I haven’t personally seen anything to indicate that the reviews are down. Also they’re trying to look further back in time. They are looking into other classes and also other businesses, and they believe they have found other businesses that, shall we say, are the beneficiary of these online reviews. It’s a big puzzle and they are doing a great job piecing it all together.”

The student journalists have said this is the biggest story they have worked on

thus far, but for Keith there is also a bigger picture.

“One thing I think this story shows is the importance of student media and the role that they play on campuses,” he said. “The university administration, the College of Business Administration, none of them knew this was happening until The Echo started asking questions. Our watchdog role in the media is to pay attention. And then when we see things that need to be reported, we report it. Having an independent student media that is able to look into things on campus and report whether it’s good or bad matters. Student newspapers, just like newspapers, are another set of watchful eyes to make sure things are running as they’re supposed to.”

Landers is still employed at UCA.

THROWBACK THURSDAY

Although APA was founded in 1873, in 1981 the association finally purchased its first headquarters at 1701 Broadway in Little Rock. An architectural rendering shows details of renovations made at the location.

The double-sided wood sign that stood outside 1701 Broadway now hangs in the front office at APA’s current location on Victory Street.

A R K A N S A S P R E S S A S S O C I A T I O N

A year on the job

By Lance Turner at editor of Arkansas Business Publishing Group Originally published in the Arkansas Business. Republished with permission.

It’s been a year since I took over as editor of Arkansas Business, and I’ve probably learned something new every week. And that’s great—it’s one of things I love about this job.

Given the pace of life lessons around here —and there have been some big ones, let me tell you—I remember thinking that, a year in, I might have most of this job figured out. I’m sorry to say that I have not.

But I have learned a few things along the way, and Arkansas Business Managing Editor Jan Cottingham—who has been indispensable to me this past year— suggested I share them. So here we go, in no particular order:

Manage your time. I’ve not always been the best time manager but this job, with its neverending deadlines and weekly, stepby-step processes, has made me much better at it. That’s mainly because if I’m late to do something, it puts everyone else involved in their project behind schedule. Two things have been important to my time management in the last year:

Doing something, anything. If I’ve hit

on others.

Using a calendar to block off time for myself. Hot Springs radio pro Neal Gladner shared this tip with me and it’s paid dividends. With shared company calendars becoming more common, it’s easy for our schedules to get hijacked by meeting invitations and other events that eat into our time. More and more, I reserve recurring blocks of time on my calendar to do important things and guard that time with my life.

Be willing to accept—and ask for—help.

Former Editor Gwen Moritz still works in our newsroom and I wouldn’t have it any other way. She’s been invaluable to me this past year, helping me with all manner of things great and small.

On one level, this is the informal continuation of a newsroom transition plan we charted a year ago. On another level, it’s the result of a company culture that empowers each of us to seek help from one another without embarrassment or fear that doing so is a sign that we’ve failed. But you still have to proactively

the product would be as good as it is when our reporters—working their own beats, cultivating their own expertise— bring their own ideas to the table, and we collaborate on the final product. My job is not to do their job for them—or to even be able to do their job. I’m here to give them the space and resources they need to get the job done. Trust your people to do what they’re good at.

Own your mistakes—and your wins. It’s easy for me to focus on the things I did wrong. And we run corrections in Whispers —the best-read section of the paper—to own those mistakes, make sure readers know that we erred and correct the record. But success deserves to be celebrated too, and it’s important to let your team know when they’ve excelled and commemorate big wins. That helps set a standard for success, and it makes it easier to confront the moments when we fall short.

Arkansas Business readers are the best. Gwen says this all the time and I

Fix your Type 1 problems before January

By Kevin Slimp

I woke up with a perfectly good plan this morning: to write about the huge crowds that are showing up for training these days, along with my theory on why that is the case. However, I’ve been getting a lot of questions about the conundrum related to Adobe’s looming end of support for Type 1 fonts. Some have asked if I will be leading webinars on the topic. Others wanted to know if I could meet with their staff to discuss the issue.

The good news is that it doesn’t take a webinar or a one-on-one meeting to understand what is about to happen with Type 1 fonts. It’s simple. Beginning in January, Adobe users will not be able to create documents using Type 1 fonts. Even more alarming, files created with Type 1 fonts before January will not be editable without replacing the fonts.

Go ahead and take a moment to think about that.

Excuse me while I move away from my monitor. I can feel the deep exhale coming at me from thousands of readers.

Now that you’ve had a moment to let that reality settle let’s discuss what this means to your newspaper. I’ll wait another moment while you grab a pen. You’re going to want to take notes.

Just know that I’m in the same predicament. My company has been replacing fonts and making changes to documents for the past three years, preparing for the eventual reality that most of our old files contain fonts that won’t work beginning in 2023. Hopefully, you’ve been doing the same. If not, I’d advise you to start right now because there won’t be a magic fix come January.

The good news is: You’re probably not using many Type 1 fonts. Type 1 fonts have been around since 1984. If that year

sounds familiar to some of you that have been around the block a few times, it’s because 1984 was the year that Apple released the first Macintosh computer. Shortly after, Aldus (eventually purchased by Adobe) released PageMaker, followed a year later by a pagination application called QuarkXpress. The Type 1 font was a significant technological advance because it rendered the same on the computer screen and the printer. (I imagine younger readers are quivering just about now as they realize that WYSIWYG hasn’t always been with us).

Here’s a list of things to know before you wake up to (not from) a terrible nightmare one day in January:

•Type 1 (also called Postscript fonts) will not work after January 2023, meaning you can’t create documents using those fonts after January 2023.

•Files created before January with Type 1 fonts won’t open correctly. Fonts will be replaced, probably not the way you want them replaced. If you’ve not prepared, it could be a disaster.

•PDF files created before January with Type 1 fonts embedded should work fine. Most newspapers know to embed their fonts, so most of your old PDFs should work as expected. There will be issues with some PDFs you’ve received from others.

What can you do to prepare? Let me share a second bullet list of ways to make sure you’re not surprised in January:

•Immediately meet with your design and editorial staffs and begin making plans.

•Make a list of fonts used frequently. Be sure to include all of the fonts used in your InDesign paragraph styles.

•Either choose alternate fonts that are not

Type 1 or purchase Open Type versions of the same fonts immediately. I purchased Nimrod because it’s the primary body typeface in most of my documents.

•Save a new version of your newspaper template free of any Type 1 fonts. Otherwise, you’ll be greeted with nasty warnings and messages each time you open one of these files. Someone will need to spend a few hours reviewing the template and searching for/replacing all Type 1 fonts.

•Go through your InDesign ad files (hopefully, your PDF files will be okay) and replace any Type 1 fonts.

•Look for text elements saved in InDesign libraries. If any contain Type 1 fonts, someone will be in for a surprise when moving these elements from the library to a page.

Yes, it’s going to be a headache. Everyone is bound to miss some Type 1 fonts that will result in extra work at deadline. It will be manageable, however, if you start working on potential issues immediately rather than waiting until the deadline.

I’m working on several newspaper redesigns right now. I meticulously review every font to be sure there are no Type 1 fonts in paragraph styles, libraries, or anyplace else that might cause problems beginning in January.

Now, are you ready for my webinar? Just kidding. Trust me. You can handle this. Don’t wait any longer. I guarantee that Type 1 fonts are roaming your documents as we speak. You can thank me later.

Kevin Slimp is former director of The University of Tennessee Newspaper Institute and founder of NewspaperAcademy.com

Event Details

Event Details

Event Details

Statehouse Convention Center in the Wally Allen Ballroom

Statehouse Convention Center in the Wally Allen Ballroom

Statehouse Convention Center in the Wally Allen Ballroom

101 East Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72201

101 East Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72201

101 East Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72201

Thursday, October 20

Thursday, October 20

Thursday, October 20

Cocktail Reception at 6 p.m. | Program at 7 p.m.

Cocktail Reception at 6 p.m. | Dinner & Program at 7 p.m.

Cocktail Reception at 6 p.m. | Program at 7 p.m.

Cocktail/Formal (black tie optional)

$200 each or Table of 8 for $1,500

Cocktail/Formal (black tie optional) $200 each or Table of 8 for $1,500

Cocktail/Formal (black tie optional) $200 each or Table of 8 for $1,500

To purchase tickets or a table, visit: arkansaspress.org/events.

To purchase tickets or a table, visit: arkansaspress.org/events.

To purchase tickets or a table, visit: arkansaspress.org/events.

Headliner of the Year About the Honorees

2020 Headliner of the Year

Asa Hutchinson, Governor of Arkansas

Asa Hutchinson is the 46th governor of the State of Arkansas. In 2018, he was re-elected with 65% of the vote, having received more votes than any other candidate for governor in the state’s history.

He has won recognition for the state as a leader in computer science education, cut taxes by over $250 million, and signed a law that exempts the retirement pay of veterans from state income tax.

President Ronald Reagan appointed Governor Hutchinson as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Arkansas. In 1996, he won the first of three successive terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. During his third term in Congress, President George W. Bush appointed him director of the Drug Enforcement Administration and later as an undersecretary in the newly created Department of Homeland Security.

His experience has established him as a national resource for his expertise on trade, energy, national security and education. The governor has been invited to the White House several times to join discussions about health care, Medicaid and education issues.

The Governor is the former Chairman of the National Governors Association. He is also the former co-chair of the Council of Governors and the former chairman of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC), Southern States Energy Board (SSEB) and the Southern Regional Education Board.

Governor Hutchinson grew up on a small farm in Gravette. He is a graduate of the University of Arkansas law school. He and his wife, Susan, have been married 49 years. They have four children and seven grandchildren.

2021 Headliner of the Year

Hunter Yurachek, Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics University of Arkansas

In his fifth full year as vice chancellor and director of athletics at the University of Arkansas, Hunter Yurachek has solidified the Razorbacks as one of the nation’s elite intercollegiate athletics programs.

Since December 2017 Yurachek has worked tirelessly to foster athletics success in 19 sports, restore the tradition of a storied program and enhance the student-athlete experience for 465 student-athletes.

In the 2021-22 academic year, Arkansas recorded the most successful collective year in the program’s history, winning eight Southeastern Conference championships and finishing seventh in the Learfield IMG Directors’ Cup, the competition that tracks the nation’s most successful intercollegiate athletics programs. This bested the eighth place finish Razorback Athletics posted in 2020-21. Arkansas’s previous best finish prior to 2020-21 was 14th in the competition.

The Razorbacks finished first among programs with 19 or fewer sports, second among SEC schools and earned only its second top-10 Directors’ Cup finish, following a then-record eighth place finish in 2020-21. Despite sponsoring only 19 sport programs, Arkansas

Hunter Yurachek, Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics of Arkansas

earned a total of nine top-10 NCAA finishes and 12 top-20 NCAA finishes.

In the classroom, Razorback student-athletes earned a program-record 3.27 GPA and a total of 97 Razorback student-athletes earned their degrees in the 2021-22 academic year.

The University of Arkansas and Yurachek are being nationally recognized for those accomplishments. Yurachek was selected as a 202122 Football Bowl Subdivision Cushman & Wakefield Athletics Director of the Year by his peers, and was also a finalist for the Sports Business Journal 2022 Athletics Director of the Year.

Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson named Yurachek to the Governor’s Economic Recovery Task Force to help guide state reopening in the wake of COVID-19. In April 2021, Yurachek was named to the NCAA Football Oversight Committee, after previously serving on the NCAA Football Competition Committee

Distinguished Service Award

Craig and Brent Renaud, Documentary Filmmakers, Television Producers and Film Programmers

Renaud Brothers

The Renaud Brothers are best known for their character driven, cinema verité documentaries like Dope Sick Love, Last Chance High, Off to War and Meth Storm. The Renauds also co-founded the Little Rock Film Festival, which was named one of the top film festivals in the country by Filmmaker Magazine.

Brent Renaud was the first American journalist killed in Ukraine in 2022, while documenting the refugee crisis. The Renaud Brothers’ work has won a Peabody Award, two Columbia DuPont Awards, two Overseas Press Club Awards, an IDA award, a Webby and an Edward R. Murrow Award. Craig Renaud is currently in production on a number of film projects, including a documentary about his late brother Brent and a national PBS series called Southern Storytellers.

Brent Renaud pictured in a Libyan Desert. Photo courtesy of Jeff Newton.

Golden 50 Service Award

Golden 50 Service Award

John Brummett, Columnist

John Brummett, Columnist

In December 1969, a few days after his 16th birthday, John Brummett , a junior at McClellan High School in Little Rock and sports editor of his school newspaper, went to work part-time for the then-afternoon Arkansas Democrat in the sports department.

In December 1969, a few days after his 16th birthday, John Brummett , a junior at McClellan High School in Little Rock and sports editor of his school newspaper, went to work part-time for the then-afternoon Arkansas Democrat in the sports department.

He worked before school, from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., helping produce the afternoon sports pages. He covered local high school sports events in the evenings and local golf, tennis and swimming events in summer.

He has worked continuously since—more than 52 years—for newspapers or news services in Arkansas.

He worked before school, from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m., helping produce the afternoon sports pages. He covered local high school sports events in the evenings and local golf, tennis and swimming events in summer.

While attending the University of Central Arkansas, he was sports editor of the Log Cabin Democrat in Conway and later a news reporter for the paper. He joined the Arkansas Gazette in July 1977 as a statedesk general assignment reporter. He became a state Capitol reporter for the paper in 1980, and, as the newspaper war between the Gazette and Democrat heated up, a columnist beginning in 1986.

He has worked continuously since—more than 52 years—for newspapers or news services in Arkansas.

While attending the University of Central Arkansas, he was sports editor of the Log Cabin Democrat in Conway and later a news reporter for the paper. He joined the Arkansas Gazette in July 1977 as a statedesk general assignment reporter. He became a state Capitol reporter for the paper in 1980, and, as the newspaper war between the Gazette and Democrat heated up, a columnist beginning in 1986.

He became a senior editor of the Arkansas Times and Arkansas Business in 1990 while also a contract columnist for the Democrat. Then, in 1993, he wrote columns both for the Democrat and Times while in Washington writing a book, called “Highwire,” about Bill Clinton’s first year as president.

He became a senior editor of the Arkansas Times and Arkansas Business in 1990 while also a contract columnist for the Democrat. Then, in 1993, he wrote columns both for the Democrat and Times while in Washington writing a book, called “Highwire,” about Bill Clinton’s first year as president.

Back in Little Rock in 1994, he became exclusively a columnist for the surviving Arkansas-Democrat-Gazette, leaving in 2000 to become a columnist for the Arkansas New Bureau of Stephens Media. He returned in 2011 to the Democrat-Gazette as a contract columnist, and he continues in that role today.

Back in Little Rock in 1994, he became exclusively a columnist for the surviving Arkansas-Democrat-Gazette, leaving in 2000 to become a columnist for the Arkansas New Bureau of Stephens Media. He returned in 2011 to the Democrat-Gazette as a contract columnist, and he continues in that role today.

He has won many state column-writing awards, a few regional ones and two national ones from the association of state Capitol reporters.

In 2017, he was inducted into the Arkansas Writers Hall of Fame.

He has won many state column-writing awards, a few regional ones and two national ones from the association of state Capitol reporters.

In 2017, he was inducted into the Arkansas Writers Hall of Fame.

Walter E. Hussman, Jr., Chairman of WEHCO Media, Inc.

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Walter E. Hussman, Jr., Chairman of WEHCO Media, Inc. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Walter E. Hussman, Jr., a third-generation newspaperman, was born January 5, 1947, in Texarkana and grew up in Camden. His father was publisher of the Camden News, and his grandfather was publisher of the Texarkana Gazette. Hussman earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina and an M.B.A. from Columbia University in New York. He began his carerer as a reporter for Forbes magazine but returned to Arkansas in September, 1970 to work in the family business, and became general manager of the Camden News in 1971.

Walter E. Hussman, Jr., a third-generation newspaperman, was born January 5, 1947, in Texarkana and grew up in Camden. His father was publisher of the Camden News, and his grandfather was publisher of the Texarkana Gazette. Hussman earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina and an M.B.A. from Columbia University in New York. He began his carerer as a reporter for Forbes magazine but returned to Arkansas in September, 1970 to work in the family business, and became general manager of the Camden News in 1971.

In a David-versus-Goliath battle that few predicted he would survive, Hussman went head-to-head with the established, dominant Arkansas Gazette and won. Earlier in 1974, Hussman persuaded his father to buy the Arkansas Democrat, the afternoon daily newspaper in Little Rock. After a protracted and heated newspaper war, legal battles and even with the sale of the Arkansas Gazette to Gannett in 1986, Hussman emerged the winner and bought the assets of the rival newspaper in 1991, creating the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

In a David-versus-Goliath battle that few predicted he would survive, Hussman went head-to-head with the established, dominant Arkansas Gazette and won. Earlier in 1974, Hussman persuaded his father to buy the Arkansas Democrat, the afternoon daily newspaper in Little Rock. After a protracted and heated newspaper war, legal battles and even with the sale of the Arkansas Gazette to Gannett in 1986, Hussman emerged the winner and bought the assets of the rival newspaper in 1991, creating the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Today, WEHCO Media operates 10 daily newspapers, eight weekly newspapers and nine cable television companies in six states.

Today, WEHCO Media operates 10 daily newspapers, eight weekly newspapers and nine cable television companies in six states. Hussman was named Publisher of the Year by Editor & Publisher magazine in 2009. He was a member of the board of directors of The Associated Press from 2000 to 2009 and C-SPAN from 1995 to 2003. Hussman championed education and after-school programs in Little Rock and the state of Arkansas. He also served on the Arkansas Arts Center board of directors, on the board of the Arkansas Repertory Theater and on the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Society board of directors. While on the symphony board, he started Pops on the River, a patriotic symphony and fireworks show on the Arkansas River in Little Rock each 4th of July. In 2017, the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media was named in recognition of four generations of the family committed to journalism.

Hussman was named Publisher of the Year by Editor & Publisher magazine in 2009. He was a member of the board of directors of The Associated Press from 2000 to 2009 and C-SPAN from 1995 to 2003. Hussman championed education and after-school programs in Little Rock and the state of Arkansas. He also served on the Arkansas Arts Center board of directors, on the board of the Arkansas Repertory Theater and on the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra Society board of directors. While on the symphony board, he started Pops on the River, a patriotic symphony and fireworks show on the Arkansas River in Little Rock each 4th of July. In 2017, the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media was named in recognition of four generations of the family committed to journalism.

2022 Partner Levels

HEADLINER

(SOLD)

• One complimentary table for eight at event

• Branding in statewide newspaper advertisement promoting event

• Five complimentary full-page advertisements in association newsletter

• Three complimentary statewide news release distributions to the APA News Network

• Name/logo on event tickets

• Name/logo on event tables, signage and promotional materials

FRONT PAGE SPONSORS

$7,500

• One complimentary table for eight at event

• Branding in statewide newspaper advertisement promoting event

• Three complimentary full-page advertisements in association newsletter

• Two complimentary statewide news release distributions to the APA News Network

• Name/logo on event signage and promotional materials

BREAKING NEWS SPONSORS

$5,000

• Four complimentary tickets to event

• Branding in statewide newspaper advertisement promoting event

• One complimentary full-page advertisement in association newsletter

• Name/logo on event signage and promotional materials

FRIENDS OF PRESS FREEDOM – INDIVIDUAL SPONSORS ONLY

$500

Show your support for freedom of speech and freedom of the press in honor or in memory of a loved one, or in your own name. Email information to ashley@arkansaspress.org

• One complimentary ticket

• Name submitted printed in event program

All donations benefit the Arkansas Newspaper Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, and are tax-deductable.

Auction Donation Form