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Newspaper public notices survive in challenging year across the country Guest Column:
Christmas catalogs prove value in printed advertising By Peter Wagner
Ar k ansas
ARKANSAS
Publisher Weekly
PRESS ASSOCIATION
Vol. 14 | No. 51 | Thursday, December 19, 2019
Serving Press and State Since 1873
NIE program keeps educational community engaged A program launched by American newspapers nearly a century ago continues to thrive across the country and even in Arkansas, where the “living textbooks” provided by Arkansas publications are hopefully setting the stage for future newspaper subscribers. Newspapers in Education (NIE) programs flourish in the Natural State, including in
north Arkansas, where the Harrison Daily Times and Newton County Times are delivered to classrooms in Boone and Newton counties. At its peak, close to 70 classrooms participated in the Harrison Daily Times’s NIE program. Fewer classrooms participate now, said Dane Milner, program coordinator and the Harrison newspaper’s circulation manager. That said, the educational benefits make it more than worthwhile to continue an effort that began at the newspaper more than a decade ago. For Milner and the Harrison Daily Times staff, it’s the learning opportunities that are the most important aspects of the program. Any residual benefit to the newspaper itself is just a bonus.
Dane Milner of the Harrison Daily Times
APA sign restored
“I think it’s making people aware of the newspaper and not to forget about the paper, because there’s a lot of really cool stuff in here,” Milner said. “I’m sure some
of the teachers send (the newspapers) home with the kids, and there’s the hope that they maybe will see a story or an ad in there and consider subscribing, but we would still do this anyway. “It’s keeping us on people’s minds, yes, but it’s more of a benefit to the teachers and the students,” he added. “It’s a good way to give back, really.” The Harrison newspaper funds its program through a mix of revenue sources and through appeals to subscribers to donate in support of NIE. The subscriber support largely comes from readers who may be moving or going on extended vacations and who, on request, donate the balance of their subscriptions for NIE. In Harrison and Newton counties, the 20 participating classrooms receive their NIE newspapers each Wednesday. Milner estimates his company donates between 600 and 700 newspapers to the classrooms each week. The newspaper Continued on Page 2
A large hand-painted redwood sign, arguably the most visible public identifier of the Arkansas Press Association, has been restored and rehung in the APA front office. The sign, which was custom made in late 1991 by Allwood Signs of Little Rock, hung in front of the old APA building at 17th and Broadway Streets for nine years. It was moved to APA’s new Victory Street location in 2000, where it hung until 2004, when it was removed from the building during remodeling and placed in the Arkansas Newspaper Museum.
Left: The original sign made by Allwood Signs of Little Rock. Right: The sign, newly restored by Northeast Arkansas artist Jared Vaughn, now hangs in the lobby at the APA Headquarters.