The Arkansas Publisher: Third Quarter - 2018 by Arkansas Press Association

The Arkansas

Publisher Arkansas Press Association | Volume 92 | 3rd Quarter | 2018

Published Since 1927

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In This

Issue

4 | The President’s Column, Tom White 6 | The Publisher’s Column, Ashley Wimberley

8 | Feature: Advance Monticellonian, Monticello 10 | Profile: Tom White

14 | 2018 SuperConvention Coverage

Upcoming

Events

November 8 - 9 2018 ArkLaMiss Circulation & Marketing Conference, Ameristar Casino & Hotel, Vicksburg, MS

November 22 - 23 Thanksgiving Holiday - APA Office Closed

On the

Cover

Neil Compton’s Double Falls, by Bobby Burton of The Daily Record in Little Rock. 3 | The Arkansas Publisher

The Arkansas

Publisher Published Since 1927

Published quarterly as the official publication of the Arkansas Press Association. Ashley Wimberley, Publisher Ashley Wallace, Graphic Designer 411 South Victory | Little Rock, Arkansas 72201-2932 (501) 374-1500 | www.ArkansasPress.org

2017 - 2018 Officers Tom White, President Advance Monticellonian, Monticello John Bland, Vice President Times-Dispatch, Walnut Ridge

Rusty Turner, Second Vice President Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Fayetteville Byron Tate, Immediate Past President Sheridan Headlight

2017 - 2018 Board Members Ellen Kreth Madison County Record, Huntsville Sue Silliman Camden News

Lori Freeze Stone County Leader, Mountain View

Eliza Gaines Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock Crystal Costa Times Record, Fort Smith

Kelly Freudensprung The Saline Courier, Benton John Robert Schirmer Nashville-News Leader

Past President’s Advisory Council (Living Past Presidents)

Nat Lea, 2017; Rusty Fraser, 2016; Mary Fisher, 2015; Bob Moore, 2014; Frank Fellone, 2013; Don Bona, 2012; Britt Talent, 2011; Barney White, 2010; Roy Ockert, Jr., 2009; Bill Hager, 2007; David Cox, 2006; Jeff Christenson, 2005; Mike Brown, 2004; Charles Berry, 2001; Buddy King, 2000; Mark Magie, 1999; Ron Wylie, 1996; Pat Jones, 1995; Steve Trolinger, 1994; Ron Kemp, 1993; Jane Christenson, 1991; Eddie Telford, 1990; Derwood Brett, 1989; David Fisher, 1987; Louie Graves, 1986; Bill Whitehead Jr., 1982; Charlotte Schexnayder, 1981; Jay Jackson, 1968.

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President L

ike almost all of you, I too was disappointed and surprised when I learned that GateHouse was closing five of its Arkansas newspapers: the North Little Rock Times, Lonoke County Democrat, Hope Star, Arkadelphia Siftings-Herald and Nevada County Picayune.

Those newspapers and many of the member publications of the Arkansas Press Association have long, storied histories. The Democrat, for instance, Tom White was one of the first businesses in APA Board President Lonoke County and according to reports, it was a newspaper typo that eventually led to the spelling of “Lonoke” rather than the original “Lone Oak.” They also produced some great journalists and advocates for our state. Rex Nelson, the political editor for the Arkansas DemocratGazette, and Mitch Bettis, publisher of Arkansas Business, both got their start in Arkadelphia. Most importantly, these newspapers were the conscience of their communities. Without them, citizens lose a watchdog, a historian and a loyal friend. Though one publisher has shuttered these publications, I’m heartened by learning that many other potential buyers are interested in reviving the papers, and I’m glad that fellow APA member The Leader and publisher Garrick Feldman have moved to expand North Little Rock coverage. The apparent interest of other buyers for these papers demonstrates to me that their closings are an anomaly and one company’s decisions based on internal factors that aren’t necessarily related to the state of the newspaper industry as a whole, especially in Arkansas. Foes of good journalism have heralded the death of newspapers for decades now. Certainly our papers have undergone changes to improve efficiency and respond to the digital revolution, but it’s clear we’re not going away. Our industry in Arkansas remains relevant and vital, and many of this state’s newspapers could be great case studies in how to weather adversity and adapt to a changing media climate. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette publisher Walter Hussman has long been a leader in moving his newspapers to embrace the digital environment. Just recently the paper announced that it would be moving its newspaper delivery to Monticello to a digital only platform. I picked up my iPad from the Democrat-Gazette at a hotel meeting room in Monticello Wednesday. At 5 a.m. this morning (Thursday) I read my first digital edition. As I flipped through the PDF replica of the print edition, it didn’t hurt nearly as bad I had expected. Newspapers have been adjusting to changes since the first one was printed. We have all seen tremendous change in our industry over our lifetimes. I expect newspapers will continue to change as

4 | The Arkansas Publisher

necessary to remain relevant to the readers and communities we serve.

Our members have embraced digital media where it’s appropriate and where it makes the most sense. We also know digital products and social media like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter will never be able to replicate what can be provided through the printed product. As Vickey Wiggins, former publisher at the Paris Express, said, “… Where else are you going to see little Billy’s picture in the paper when he makes a touchdown so that it can go in Grandma’s scrapbook? That still happens! That picture could be pasted all over Facebook and maybe reach people more quickly, but it can’t be cut out and put in a scrapbook and gifted at graduation.” Those tangible benefits of newspapers aren’t lost on readers. According to the National Newspaper Association’s 2018 readership survey, more than 90 percent of Americans say they are informed by their community newspapers. Nearly three-fourths of all Americans say their hometown paper is a valuable source for local shopping and advertising information. That same survey found that 64 percent of people read a community newspaper either in print or online, and local newspapers are by and far the most popular medium for local merchants to advertise. The survey notes that, as the Nov. 6 general election draws even closer, readers cited newspapers as their most common source for information about candidates who are running for local office. It’s also the most trusted resource for voters, faring better than any other type of news outlet. I begin my term as APA president as optimistic about the state of our industry as I was in 1975 when I started at the McGehee Times. I’ve been publisher of the Advance Monticellonian since 1996 and during my time at the paper we have been profitable every single year. Has the business changed in the last 22 years? You bet it has, but like the majority of Arkansas’s newspapers we have found ways to remain relevant and profitable simultaneously. My unintentional slogan has become “it is not as easy as it used to be.” But I believe in most communities the business is still there for the newspaper leaders who are willing be creative and to put in the hard work and dedication to the job at hand. To be clear, our industry continues to face challenges. The growth of online news, digital advertising and social media cannot be ignored. But we’ve persevered through these challenges so far. The strategic business decisions of one company don’t spell doom for newspapers as much as they create opportunities for others who see the value in the product and plan to invest in the communities they serve. Arkansas’s newspapers have delivered quality community journalism to readers and advertisers for nearly 200 years now. I am confident we’ll still be doing so for many more.

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Publisher M

y family and I are avid University of Arkansas fans who love to cheer on our Razorbacks on fall Saturdays. Lately, we haven’t had a lot to cheer about, as many of you know. It’s easy to be discouraged when the Hogs lose, but a little adversity does make future victories seem even sweeter. The mood of the state seems to Ashley Wimberley ebb and flow depending on the outcomes at Donald W. Reynolds APA Executive Director Razorback Stadium, and we can all agree that a win every once in a while is good for morale and it’s worth celebrating.

In our industry, victories are worth a celebration, too. In a time where it seems the assault on journalism is relentless and financial pressures on newspapers keep growing, it’s all the more reason to savor the wins when we get them. The newspaper industry won what could be its most important victory this year on August 29 when the International Trade Commission unanimously voted to get rid of the unfair and costly newsprint tariffs that had caused many newspapers, including some Arkansas Press Association member papers, to scale back pages and even lay off employees. The U.S. Department of Commerce earlier this year had hiked tariffs on imported Canadian newsprint by as much as 32 percent. The tariffs resulted from a lawsuit filed by a New York investment firm that owns one mill in the United States. The investment firm’s argument was that competition from Canadian mills was unfairly driving down the cost of newsprint. The lawsuit also alleged that subsidies from the Canadian government gave Canadian mills another illegal advantage. Actually, the lower demand for U.S.-produced newsprint is the market-driven result of newspapers producing fewer pages. American newspapers have always purchased newsprint from Canadian mills, since the five U.S. mills have never been able to produce enough newsprint to meet domestic demand. American companies spend more than $1 billion every year on Canadian newsprint. Thus, our industry was able to make a compelling argument to the ITC and these costly tariffs were reversed. The commission said U.S. mills are “not materially injured or threatened” by their Canadian competitors. There remains a possibility that the U.S. mill’s investment firm

6 | The Arkansas Publisher

owner will appeal the decision, but, as of now, the federal government is in the process of reversing the tariffs and providing credits to companies that paid these unnecessary taxes.

These tariffs left newspaper publishers with even more economic uncertainty that they were typically accustomed to and the tariffs left a significant mark on the budgets of newspapers from across the country. With the ITC decision, the industry rightly took a victory lap. David Chavern, president of the News Media Alliance, said the decision would “preserve the vitality of local newspapers and prevent additional job losses in the printing and publishing sectors.” The head of the National Newspaper Association said “the paper markets serving community newspapers can soon begin to move back to market pricing without the heavy hand of government imposing taxes on the primary suppliers of newsprint.” NNA also praised the coalition of companies and associations that pushed back against the tariffs, led by the News Media Alliance. This win illustrates how a broad coalition, working together, can affect change. At this association, we are advocates for Arkansas newspapers every day, working closely with our government officials at the state and federal level to protect the rights of our industry and to advance our interests. In the tariff fight, we joined together with our colleagues from across the country, the APA board and publishers throughout Arkansas to provide important feedback to our members of Congress and other federal leaders. We got results. Sen. John Boozman, always an advocate of Arkansas newspapers, wrote a letter to the ITC asking that the commission reverse the tariffs. Sen. Boozman, the cochairman of the Senate Paper and Packaging Caucus, noted that more than 9,000 people work in Arkansas’s printing and publishing industry. The majority of those workers are employees of small businesses. When we work together as an industry, our voices are strong and our message is clear. Because of our efforts, the ITC responded and eliminated the newsprint tariffs. Like any good Razorback win, it took the entire team to get the victory. It wasn’t just state associations, community publishers, or members of Congress. It was all of us. And, just like every good Razorback win, we all should take the time to enjoy it.

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Annette Buzzell, of the sales staff, shows off the flag that flown every Wednesday when the Advance-Monticellonian comes off the press. Folks who come in to buy a newspaper also get a free bag of popcorn.

By Frank Fellone Every Wednesday, some time between 11 a.m. and noon, a white flag flies just off this town’s neatly traditional courthouse square. It’s a flag of renewal. Another issue of the Advance-Monticellonian is ready, fresh from the press and served with hot popcorn. It’s a practice that goes back years, as does the newspaper, whose roots can be traced to 1870. According to research by late historian Sheilla Lampkin and published in a 2009 special edition of the newspaper, the Advance-Monticellonian is the 15th oldest business in Arkansas. The tradition of raising the flag predates publisher Tom White, who’s been at the newspaper since 1996. The popcorn is a lagniappe — folks come in, buy a newspaper and have some popcorn. The irresistible smell fills the building at 314 N. Main St. Circulation is 2,767, White said. That’s somewhat

8 | The Arkansas Publisher

steady. Drew County has been growing, he said, and is traditionally one of the few in Southeast Arkansas that is. Attribute that to the University of Arkansas at Monticello. The city even still has a movie theater, he said. The city’s population in 2017 was 9,627. In 2010, it was 9,467. The county’s 2017 population of 18,547 is the tiniest bit over the 2010 figure of 18,509. Those are U.S. Census figures. Lampkin’s research showed the first publication in the county dates to 1857, a newspaper called the Sage of Monticello. One of the current newspaper’s two predecessors, The Monticellonian, goes back to 1870 and was published by Dr. W.H. Berry. The other parent newspaper, The Drew County Advance, began publication in 1892. In 1920, C.C. Whittington merged The Monticellonian and The Drew County Advance into the newspaper that today continues under that

name, now nearly 100 years old. The newspaper’s modern history includes its purchase in 1964 by Times Publishing Co. of McGehee and owners Frank and Mary Emily Jackson. They modernized in 1969, replacing the hot metal type with new offset presses. The Jacksons sold the newspaper in 1996 to Smith Newspapers Inc. of Fort Payne, Ala. White, who was the publisher of the McGehee Times, came aboard. He’s now listed as president, publisher and circulation manager. “I’ve spent my whole life on one side of Monticello or the other,” White said. A notable feature of the Advance-Monticellonian is the Country page, with the comings, goings and passings in Barkada, Green Hill, GuestHouse, Jordan Park, Wilmar, Lacey and Possum Valley. For those who need to know, Possum Valley is southwest of Monticello on Arkansas 172. Back here in the city, Harold Coggins is editor, and sports editor, of the Advance-Monticellonian. He’s been at the newspaper since 2013, having arrived as sports editor and assuming both jobs in 2016. Coggins is a long-time journalist,

with tenure at the Pine Bluff Commercial and The Kansas City Star. He was out of the newspaper business for some years when his wife, Cindy, told him to get back into journalism. The other editorial staffer is Ashley Foreman. Coggins’ approach to covering the news is identical to his approach to covering sports. “When I was the sports editor, I told all the coaches I would do equal coverage. I’ve expanded that to all the organizations in town, to not favor one over the other,” he said. News coverage concentrates on Monticello and Drew County, Coggins said. The July 4 edition led with a story and photos by Coggins about the state’s first commercial bamboo farm, a planting of six acres. Drew County’s 2018 Farm Family of the year was featured inside the newspaper, which also has a community calendar, obituaries, religion news, plenty of display advertising, classifieds, and more. All that news, of and about Drew County and Monticello, costs a mere 75 cents. Popcorn’s free.

1) Harold Coggins, five year employee of the AdvanceMonticellonian, covers both sports and news. 2) Pressman Steven Eppinnette works on an edition of the Cleveland County Herald, which the Advance-Monticellonian prints every week for the Rison-based newspaper published by former APA Board President Britt Talent. 3) Kristie Nall’s primary job at the Advance-Monticellonian is page composition.

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10 | The Arkansas Publisher

New Arkansas Press Association President

Tom White By Frank Fellone

Family is family. But business is business. And so Tom White, age 6, bought copies of the Warren Eagle Democrat from his grandfather, publisher W.L. Love, for a nickel and sold them for a dime. Just like the other 15 or 20 kids who did the same every week in a competition to get to the hot spots around town. “It was a race to get to the best street corners,” White said in an interview in his office at the Advance-Monticellonian, where he’s president, publisher and circulation director.

P. White Sr., as a printer’s devil, a term seldom heard in the computer era. A printer’s devil, White explained, handset type, swept floors and generally worked as a pressman’s apprentice. When White Senior bought the Dermott newspaper, he gave young Tom a yellow legal pad and said go to Dermott and sell ads. “If you’ve ever been to Dermott you know that didn’t take long,” he quipped.

“We lined up at the front door. If you sold out of papers you raced back before someone could get your corner.”

Many things have changed over his career — White is 59 — and three immediately came to mind.

He also had a route to the three mills in town, riding his bicycle to both sides of town, hawking the Eagle Democrat on the production lines. Later, when the first convenience stores came to Warren, “two of them, one on each side of town, I put my papers with a coffee can, on the honor system.”

Technology, especially the computer. “I don’t know how we could get out a newspaper without them.”

Clearly, the man knows work. As a teen he picked and packed tomatoes in Warren and Hermitage. White has now come full circle. Grandfather Love was president of the Arkansas Press Association (APA) in 1948. White is president of the APA this year, installed at the convention in June in Eureka Springs. The rest of his resume is equally colorful. At the McGehee Times and Dermott News, he worked for his father, James

Reduction in staff. Related in part, White said, to the technology. And social media, the challenge of which is “to reach the younger demographic with the newspaper, by providing the content they want.” Does he know what that content should be? “No. Sad to say I haven’t figured it out.” The Advance-Monticellonian has a Facebook page, but White finds himself “shocked that younger people aren’t on Facebook. Their parents are.” White’s office features what he loves to do off work — hunt. Several turkey capes line the walls, one from Kansas and the (continued on pg. 13)

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1) Hung around the room where Tom White and page designer Kristie Nall visit are many of the APA Better Newspaper Awards won by the AdvanceMonticellonian 2) One of the great changes in newspapers, Tom White says, is the development of technology. He wonders how newspapers were ever published before computers. 3) Outgoing APA President Byron Tate passes the gavel to incoming APA President Tom White at the annual SuperConvention held in Eureka Springs 4) The 2017-2018 APA Board of Directors 5) White is an avid hunter of both turkey and deer, as his office indicates.

12 | The Arkansas Publisher

6) One of the features of the APA office is the hallway where photos of past president are displayed. The APA dates to 1873. 7) W.L. Love, publisher of the Warren Eagle Democrat, was APA president in 1948. His grandson, Tom White of the Adance-Monticellonian, is president today.

others from Arkansas. He’s hunted elk in Colorado, feral hogs in Southeast Arkansas and — most avidly — deer. He deer hunts on land he leases and on public land whose location he declines to reveal. He works the land in the off season to attract deer when it counts. “I enjoy the process,” White said. “Most summers that’s my exercise program.” Outside of work and hunting, White’s engaged in service to Monticello and Drew County. He’s served multiple terms on the board of the Monticello-Drew County Chamber of Commerce. And in 2013 he was named Monticello’s Man of the Year by the Monticello Industrial Development Commission and the Chamber of Commerce. White has been married to Susan Lucky White for 38 years. She’s principal of Monticello High School — White said they can hardly go out to eat without her students coming up for a hug. Tom and Susan have two adult children. Grandchildren on the immediate horizon. Three matters concern White as he begins his tenure as

APA president. First, he wants to ensure that staffing at the APA is adequate to serve the state’s newspapers. Second, newsprint tariffs. Those tariffs, imposed on Canadian products by the Trump Administration, have resulted in newsprint increases of up to 30 percent. Congressmen of both parties have been pushing back against the tariffs. The APA, in fact, is a member of Stop Tariffs on Printers & Publishers (STOPP) a coalition of associations and companies fighting the tariffs, which in August were voted down the International Trade Commision. Third, the current climate at the state Legislature regarding the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). “We have to make sure we protect that at all costs,” White said of the FOIA. One other change is worth noting: No more newsboys on street corners. The McGehee newspaper had newsboys up until White left for Monticello in 1996. No more.

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n o i t n e v n o C r e Sup Arkansas Press Association 2018

Better Newspaper Editorial Awards Winners

General Excellence - (From left) Angelia Roberts, Batesville Daily Guard; Rusty Turner, Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Fayetteville; Jeremy Peppas, The Times, North Little Rock; Jonathan Feldman, The Leader, Jacksonville and Scott Loftis, Carroll County News Midweek, Berryville

Daily Winners - (Front row, from left) Doug Thompson, Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Angelia Roberts, Batesville Daily Guard; Lisa Hammersley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock; Tracy Whitaker, The Daily Citizen, Searcy; Sonny Albarado, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock; (Back row, from left) Jeff Brasel, Harrison Daily Times; Steve Watts, The Daily Citizen, Searcy; Josh Briggs, The Saline Courier, Benton; Frank Fellone, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock and Rusty Turner, Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Fayetteville.

Weekly Winners - (Front row, from left) John R. Schirmer, Nashville News-Leader; Harold Coggins, Advance Monticellonian, Monticello; Ashley Foreman, Advance Monticellonian, Monticello; Lynn Kutter, Washington County Enterprise Leader, Lincoln; Lori Freeze, Stone County Leader, Mountain View; Tammy Curtis, Spring River Chronicle, Hardy; Graham Thomas, Herald-Leader, Siloam Springs; Scott Loftis, Carroll County News Midweek, Berryville; John Bland, The Times Dispatch, Walnut Ridge; (Back row, from left) Christy Hendricks, The Leader, Jacksonville; Millie McClain, Sheridan Headlight; Rachel Freeze, McGeheeDermott Times-News; Janelle Jessen, Herald-Leader, Siloam Springs; Jeremy Peppas, The Times, North Little Rock; Preston Tolliver, Madison County Record, Huntsville; Dale Ellis, The Times, North Little Rock; David Bell, Carroll County News Midweek, Berryville; Tavi Ellis, Carroll County News Midweek, Berryville; Samantha Jones, Lovely County Citizen, Eureka Springs; Kelby Newcomb, Carroll County News Midweek, Berryville; Ty Loftis, Carroll County News Midweek, Berryville; Tanner Newton, Sheridan Headlight and David Owens, Wynne Progress.

14 | The Arkansas Publisher

I.F. Stone Award

Photo of the Year

Rex Nelson, senior editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and emcee of the awards luncheon, with I.F. Stone Award recipient Tammy Curtis, Spring River Chronicle, Hardy, and APA Executive Director Ashley Wimberley.

David Bell, Carroll County News Midweek, accepts the Photo of the Year Award for his photo of Berryville school children viewing the eclipse.

APA Annual Golf Tournament

(Above) Liz Caldwell, UAMS, Melinda Faubel, AT&T, Arkansas Newspaper Foundation (ANF) Executive Director Karen Brown, Andrea Peel and Leslie Taylor, both with UAMS, present the annual APA golf tournament trophies to Neal Wimberley with Rabo AgriFinance. Wimberley also accepted awards on behalf of teammates Connor Poteet and Matt Addison. AT&T representative Melinda Faubel (left photo) and UAMS representative Leslie Taylor (right photo) present ANF Executive Director Karen Brown with $1,000 checks to support the Arkansas Newspaper Foundation. (Right) Golfers enjoy breathtaking views of the Ozarks Mountains while playing at Holiday Island Country Club.

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Early Bird Event

(Above left) Little Rock entertainer Buh Jones brings energy to the convention, entertaining attendees with a wide variety of songs from Van Morrison’s Brown Eyed Girl to Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean. (Above right) APA President Byron Tate tries his hand at baggo with Graham Thomas of The Herald-Leader in Siloam Springs. (Bottom right) In addition to enjoying live music and baggo, Wednesday’s early bird event turned into a Hogs watch party as the Arkansas Razorback college baseball team competed in the finals of the College World Series.

Opening Round Table Lunch

(Left) Lori Freeze, editor of the Stone County Leader, Mountain View, leads the opening roundtable discussion on Thursday covering several hot topics and issues Arkansas newspapers are facing. (Right) Shannon Hahn and Preston Tolliver of the Madison County Record in Huntsville and Janelle Riddle with St. Paul School in Huntsville enjoy the roundtable discussion.

16 | The Arkansas Publisher

Gubernatorial Debate

Rusty Turner, editor of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, moderated the Gubernatorial Debate at the Friday luncheon. All three parties with candidates running for the office were represented. Participating were Republican candidate Gov. Asa Hutchinson (left), Democratic candidate Jared Henderson (center) and Libertarian candidate Mark West (right). In addition to newspapers from across the state covering the event, numerous television stations also attended.

APA Past Presidents Gavel Passing & New President Installation

APA past presidents participate in the annual passing of the gavel (from left) Louie Graves, 1986; David Fisher,1987; Derwood Brett,1989; Jane Christenson, 1991; Mike Brown, 2004; Britt Talent, 2010; Frank Fellone, 2012; Bob Moore, 2013; Mary Fisher, 2014; and Rusty Fraser, 2015. The gavel was passed from outgoing president Byron Tate of the Sheridan Headlight to incoming president Tom White of the Advance Monticellonian in Monticello.

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Speakers & Sessions

(1) Paul Boyle of the News Media Alliance in Washington D.C. updates convention attendees on legislation regarding newsprint tariffs. (2) Barry Arthur of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette gives a presentation on how to gain digital subscribers. (3) Lisa Griffin presents on Adobe work-flow and tips using camera raw and Photoshop. (4) John Tull & Vincent Chadick of Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC lead a session on FOI and newspaper legal issues. (5) Rex Nelson of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette addresses the topic of news and fake news and discusses the future of the industry. (6) Brenda Blagg, a member of the Arkansas FOI Coalition, leads an FOI workshop. (7) Rusty Turner of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette moderates the FOI Q&A session with panelists Brenda Blagg, Alex Golden, Times Record, Fort Smith; Lisa Hammersley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and Ellen Kreth, The Madison County Record, Huntsville.

19 | The Arkansas Publisher

APA Board of Directors

(Front from left) John Bland, The Times Dispatch, Walnut Ridge; Byron Tate, The Sheridan Headlight; Rusty Turner, Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Fayetteville (back from left) Tom White, Advance Monticellonian, Monticello; Lori Freeze, Stone County Leader, Mountain View; Sue Silliman, Camden News and Ellen Kreth, The Madison County Record, Huntsville. Not pictured Nat Lea and Eliza Gaines, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Little Rock.

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The Great Passion Play & OmaHogs Watch Party

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APA Honors Banquet

5 (1) Brenda Blagg of Fayetteville is presented a Golden 50 Service Award by longtime friend Rusty Turner. (2) APA past president and Stone County Leader publisher Rusty Fraser is presented a Golden 50 Service Award by the newspaperâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s editor Lori Freeze. (3) John Tull, of Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC, was awarded the annual FOI Award by APA board member Ellen Kreth. Tull serves as general counsel for the APA and, several years ago, instituted its Libel Hotline. (4) Merlin Mann, a retired professor at Arkansas Tech University was presented the Journalism Educator Award by former student Amber Quaid. (5) All the present award recipients gather for a group photo. Those honored but not present were Lynda Hollenbeck of The Saline Courier in Benton, who received a Golden 50 Service Award and Walter E. Hussman Jr. who received APAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2018 Distinguished Service Award.

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Arkansas Press Association 2018 Trade Show

1) Larry Killian of the South Arkansas Sun in Hampton visits with trade show exhibitor. 2) Carol Grubbe of TownNews.com explains her companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s services to an convention attendee. 3) Kelly Freudensprung of The Saline Courier in Benton gets excited about visiting all of the trade show vendors. 4) Byron Tate, publisher of the Sheridan Headlight, tries a one-handed put. 5) Marie Smith with Advantage Newspaper Consultants traveled from North Carolina to visit with Arkansas newspaper representatives. 6) Jim Perry with the Harrison Daily Times visits learns about all the exciting things happening from Eureka Springs CAPC representative Karen Pryor.

22 | The Arkansas Publisher

Arkansas Press Association 2018 Trade Show

1) Lynn Berry with BRANSON tells Harold Coggins of the Advance Monticellonian in Monticello about new attractions. 2) Convention attendees enjoyed live music by Little Rock entertainer Buh Jones. 3) APA past presidents Mike Brown (right) and David Fisher (center) visit with AT&Tâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Melinda Faubel during the Friday trade show. 4) Libby Loyd, representing the Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau, shares with Rusty Turner, of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in Fayetteville, the latest tourism attractions in the capital city. 5) John R. Schirmer, Nashville News-Leader; (left) Ronald Sitton of Arkansas State University visits with Friends of the Arkansas State Archives. 6) Graham Thomas with the Herald-Leader in Siloam Springs takes a break in the trade show area.

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