Arkansas Publisher Weekly: April 7, 2023

Guest Column:

Arkansas Press Association Publisher

By Kevin Slimp

| Serving Press and State Since 1873

FOIA bill, passed by House last week, fails twice in Senate

House Bill 1610 by Rep. Mary Bentley, (R, Perryville, which passed out of the House State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee last Thursday after failing once before, failed again twice this week in the Senate Committee on State Agencies and Governmental Affairs – once on Tuesday, then a second time Thursday morning.

Bentley’s bill would have amended the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act to allow elected officials to meet informally

if less than a third of the entire body are present.

The original version of the bill would have defined a public meeting as a quorum, the minimum amount of lawmakers who need to be present to take action. That version of the bill was voted down in committee in March, but Bentley amended it to change the definition of a public meeting to one at which one third or more of a public body is in attendance

“APA, along with other transparency advocates, was strongly opposed to this bill,” said APA Executive Director Ashley Kemp Wimberley. “We applaud the Senate for recognizing that the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act and public meetings do not need to be made more opaque, and for upholding the people’s right to know what decisions are being made by members of public bodies.”

The Legislature will recess on April 7.

APA Better Newspaper Editorial Contest now open for submissions

The 2023 APA Better Newspaper Editorial Contest is now open for submissions to showcase the work of the editors, reporters, designers and photographers who worked so hard during 2022.

This year’s submission categories include News Story, Feature Story, Series Reporting, Investigative Reporting, Beat Reporting, Sports News Story, Sports Feature Story, Sports Column, Editorial, News/ Political Column, General Interest Column, Humorous Column, Freelancer Recognition and Headline

Writing as well as a variety of photography, community coverage, layout and design and digital, including social media and podcasts, categories.

All work must have been published in the 2022 calendar year. The deadline for submissions is Friday, April 28.

The 2022 APA Better Newspaper Editorial Awards winners presentation will be made at the conclusion of the 2023 APA Convention at the DoubleTree Hotel in Little Rock on July 22.

For complete contest category information, rules and to enter, visit newspapercontest.com/Contests/ ArkansasPressAssociation.aspx. The login name and password remains the same as previous years, but if you need assistance please email terri@ arkansaspress.org.

Marion County newspaper returns to local ownership, historic name April 1

Editor Robert Lyons, Jr. and Office Manager Peggy Mason have purchased The Mountaineer Echo in Flippin from CherryRoad Media, Inc., effective April 1. The announcement of the sale comes with news of a name change and the move of the offices to Yellville.

The Mountaineer Echo dates from the October 2001 purchase of The Mountain Echo, then owned by Rupert and Sandra Phillips of Yellville, by Dale and Jane Estes, owners of The Mountaineer in Flippin. The Esteses merged the two newspapers into a single edition under the new name and published out of Flippin, as the offices in Yellville were not included in that sale. CherryRoad Media purchased the newspaper from the Esteses in June 2021.

The Mountain Echo was founded in 1886, and is one of Marion County’s oldest continuously operated businesses. Lyons and Mason plan to revert to the newspaper’s original name and location.

“In addition to changing the name back to The Mountain Echo, the location of the paper will be moved back to the original The Mountain Echo building in Yellville, just off the square,” said Lyons in the announcement.

“Moving back to Yellville will not change coverage of any city in Marion County or events. This location is both historic and central, and will allow for better coverage of Flippin, Bull Shoals, Rea Valley, Summit, Bruno, Pyatt, Peel and outlying areas of the county and surrounding areas.”

“Thank you to Robert Lyons and Peggy Mason for stepping up to acquire The Mountaineer Echo. The newspaper industry needs people in the community to take on the risk of running their local newspaper,” said Jeremy Gulban, CEO, CherryRoad Media in the announcement. “We will be here to help Robert and Peggy succeed and I hope the community in Marion County will support them with subscriptions and advertising.”

The original Mountain Echo building in Yellville

APA Advertising Conference registration now open

Register today for the 2023 APA Advertising Conference to be held on April 28, at the Red & Blue Events Venue in Little Rock. Marianne Grogan, president of Coda Ventures in Nashville, Tennessee will be the primary speaker at this year’s ad conference.

“We’re so excited that we can finally have the advertising conference live and in person again,” said APA Executive Director Ashley Kemp Wimberley. “Marianne is a dynamic speaker, and we are all looking forward to her presentation.”

Grogan will discuss the results of the statewide study commissioned by APA in 2022 and demonstrate how the data can be used by newspapers for successful sales conversations.

online

Following Grogan’s session will be a panel discussion, “Best Revenue Products,” featuring Jennifer Allen, owner and publisher of the Hot Springs Village Voice, Andrew Bagley, owner and copublisher of The Helena World and Monroe County Argus, and Rhonda Overbey, regional publisher and advertising director of the Malvern Daily Record and the Saline Courier in Benton.

The APA Better Newspaper Advertising Contest awards ceremony, emceed by Roby Brock of Talk Business & Politics, will close out the day.

Tickets for the day are $50 and include a luncheon. Visit arkansaspress.org/advertising-conference to purchase. If you have any questions, email info@arkansaspress.org.

And it’s a big one. That’s why you need relevant data, persuasively presented, to capture that advertiser’s attention.

At Coda, we not only create research solutions tailored to your unique needs, we package the results for you into a variety of compelling and turn-key sales tools. Let’s talk... Your call.

Red & Blue Events venue

includes lunch

Wynne newspapers impacted by tornado

We want to know about your new hires, retires and promotions!

Send your staffing changes to info@arkansaspress.org to be updated online and included in the Arkansas Publisher Weekly.

LET US KNOW LIST YOUR JOBS

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. Lists available job openings and other opportunities at Arkansas newspapers and associate member organizations.

Send your listings to info@arkansaspress.org

The offices of the Wynne Progress and the East Arkansas News Leader were damaged by an F3 tornado which bisected the Cross County community at 4:30 p.m. on March 31, just a few hours after another EF3 tornado ripped through Pulaski County.

The Progress building, while still standing, was on the edge of the path of the tornado. Multiple nearby structures, including those of the First United Methodist Church and Wynne High School, suffered catastrophic damage in the storm, which killed four people and injured dozens more.

On Saturday, Editor David Owens posted to the Progress’s Facebook page, “Like many of you, the Wynne Progress office was impacted by yesterday's tornado. We don't know when we will be able to get up and running again, but we will continue to share ways to give and any help needed as we work through this together.”

A later post stated that the newspapers do not expect to publish this week, as the safety of the building could not be confirmed.

Your donation will help:

• Promote the welfare of the community newspaper industry.

• Fund legislative efforts to protect transparency in state government.

• Cultivate educational opportunities for future journalists.

• Ensure the viability of the newspaper industry for years to come.

To donate, mail a check to: Arkansas Newspaper Foundation 411 South Victory Street Little Rock, AR 72201

The Arkansas Newspaper Foundation is a 501c(3) organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowable under law.

A donation collection center to assist those impacted by the Wynne tornado has been set up at 187 Murray Avenue, according to Wynne Mayor Jennifer Hobbs. Hobbs also said that volunteers able to assist in cleanup with physical labor or heavy equipment can report to the East Arkansas Community College technology center at 1790 Falls Boulevard in Wynne.

ATU’s Arka Tech to celebrate centennial

The Arka Tech, the student newspaper of Arkansas Tech University (ATU) in Russellville, will mark its 100th anniversary with a come-andgo reception from 2-4 p.m. on April 10 in Chambers Cafeteria West Dining Room on campus.

The newspaper was established at what was then called the Second District Agricultural School in 1923, under the leadership of Dean Turrentine, according to an article announcing the anniversary celebration. Originally the Tuba Agricolae, the newspaper’s name was changed to The Arka Tech in 1934.

The college took the name Arkansas Polytechnic College in 1925, and Arkansas

Tech University in 1976.

The publication’s modern era has been shaped by the mentorship of two faculty advisors: Gerald Edgar, a journalism professional who served on the Arkansas Tech faculty from 1957-86, and Tommy Mumert, assistant professor of journalism, who has been with the university since 1989. Refreshments will be served at the reception. Remarks will be made at approximately 2:30 p.m. ATU students, faculty, staff and alumni as well as members of the community are invited.

To RSVP, email to Megan Toland of the ATU journalism faculty at mtoland1@atu.edu.

Aerial photo shows the track of the tornado as it crossed Falls Boulevard (Arkansas Highway 1) on March 31. The Wynne Progress building is in the center of the photograph.

P R E S S P A

What is Earn Your Press Pass?

Earn Your Press Pass is a simple course, covering the basics of community journalism

It is designed to train those with limited or no news experience to work for their local newspaper,helping to create valuable coverage It is taught by Lindsey Young, a community journalist and publisher with 10 years of high school teaching experience.

What does the course include?

V.

A. Parts of a newspaper

B Other terms to know

A. Who should I interview?

B Preparing for an interview

C. Conducting an interview

D Interview follow-up

E. Source problems and issues

F. Let’s practice.

A Newsworthiness

B. News-writing basics

C Breaking and hard news stories

D. Covering a meeting

E. Working a press release

F Writing a feature story

G Covering sports

H. Opinion writing

A. Writing on deadline

B. Fun with leads

C Using quotes

D Headline writing

E. Cutline writing

F Thinking outside the pyramid

Writing Techniques Associated Press Style Editing

VI. VII. VIII. Journalist Rights and Ethics

A. Tips for effective editing

B. Revising and rewriting

C Let’s practice

A Your right to know

B. Avoiding libel

C Journalism ethics

D Contradictions of community journalism

IX. Photography Final Bits of

A. Taking good photos

B. Editing photos

C Dealing with submitted photos

X.

Advice

A. Keeping yourself organized

B Preparing files for layout

C I have nothing to write about. Help!

•

Sections are feature videos and printable cheat sheets

• Lessons will continue to be added/updated.

“I was extremely impressed Lindsey even taught this old dog some new tricks The content is solid, it’s easy to use, and you can sign into and out of the program as your time allows. Lindsey’s engaging nature makes the lessons enjoyable, which makes you look forward to the next segment.”

For more information, contact Ashley Kemp Wimberley at ashley@arkansaspress

It has been one of those days. You’ve had them. It began with a website that wasn’t working like it was supposed to. When you have a website that lists items for sale on the homepage, and the homepage is blank, you have a problem. That’s how my day began.

It seems like it’s always on your busiest days when things go wrong. Thankfully, with the help of a friend in Dallas, we were able to find our problem and get the site up and running in about an hour. So, the day could have been a lot worse.

I redesign a lot of newspapers these days. It reminds me of the work a lot of my readers do. It’s deadline-driven. A newspaper will come out with a new design in two weeks, whether it’s ready or not. So, it had better be ready.

This morning, I wondered why I hadn’t heard back from the co-publishers to tell me how they liked the designs I sent them two days ago. Then, late this morning, I got an email from a mail server letting me know the emails to my client never made it to their inbox due to an error in my email system. That took about three hours to fix, but everything is fine now.

Both of those issues were caused by servers in other places that control things like how my websites work and where my email goes. I couldn’t have seen those problems coming. Problems arise all the time in the high-tech world in which we operate. Still, it’s tough when the problems come in pairs.

Time is my most important commodity. I make a great effort to get the most out of my time. Maybe I can’t control a website host in Eastern Europe or an email server across the country, but there are things I can control to get the most out of my time. One of the most important things I can do is use the right tools to do my work.

Guest Column: Taking Control of Your Time

By Kevin Slimp

Some of you have been following my work long enough to remember when I used to receive shipments from software and hardware companies almost daily, hoping I would mention their products in a column. Those days were fun, but they’re past. Like everyone else, I buy my own hardware and software these days. I’m not looking for the least expensive tools to complete my work. I’m looking for tools that allow me to get the most work done in the shortest amount of time. Hardly a week goes by that I don’t invest in a new piece of hardware. Here are a few of my favorites that save me a lot of time:

KEYBOARDS:

Logitech MX Keys for Mac ($119 US). It allows me to control up to three computers at once. Typing is smooth, requiring much less effort than most keyboards.

Chesona Wireless Keyboard for Mac ($40). I decided to purchase a second keyboard this week and researched if there were any new keyboards with the same features as the MX Keys from Logitech. I found it in the Chesona, available in both PC and MAC versions. It controls up to three computers simultaneously and feels almost identical to the Logitech while entering text.

MICE:

Logitech MX Master 3 ($99). Like the Logitech keyboard, this mouse fits firmly in my hand while allowing me to control up to three computers simultaneously. Other mice pale in comparison, except…

Logitech M720 Triathlon ($36). Again, I researched to see if another mouse worked as well as the MX Master 3 without the price tag. I found it in the M720. It’s almost identical to the $99 mouse. It’s built with less metal and more plastic. Thus, the lower price.

MONITORS:

I use three monitors. Believe this: If you design pages for a living, the difference between two and three monitors is significant. I’ve tried many monitors and found three 4k monitors (QHD) I love without breaking the bank (4k monitors can run $1,000 or more). I get great results with each of these.

Dell S3222DGM ($349). This 32” monitor is my favorite. I never thought I’d enjoy working on a curved monitor. Go figure. The color is excellent, and the detail makes me think I’m working on a much more expensive machine. Built for gaming, it’s great for what I do.

ThinkVision T32h-20 ($389). Another 32” monitor, the ThinkVision replaces the Lenovo (same manufacturer) C32q-20. I’ve owned several Lenovo monitors, so I decided to trust the ThinkVision. It hasn’t let me down.

Samsung ViewFinity S60A ($349). Again, an excellent monitor. It sits above my desk, along with the other monitors, held up by adjustable gas spring monitor arms.

When purchasing monitors, shop around online for the best price. I found some of these monitors selling for $600 or more online. I always check Amazon, Best Buy, and the manufacturer. Just now, the Thinkvision was listed for $200 less on Lenovo.com than on Amazon.

Okay, I’m going to be working late today. There have been a lot of interruptions, and somebody is waiting for a new newspaper design.

Kevin Slimp is former director of The University of Tennessee Newspaper Institute and founder of NewspaperAcademy.com. Email him at kevin@kevinslimp.com

94th Arkansas General Assembly

Legislative Report

APA is monitoring the following filed bills of interest to our industry and the public:

Bill No. / Author Short Description

HB 1099

Rep. Collins

HB 1584

Rep. Watson

HB 1616

Rep. Cavenaugh

HB 1444

Rep. Ray

HB 1555

Rep. Meeks

SB 353

Sen. Dotson

SB 380

Sen. Clark

SB 381

Sen. Clark

SB 382

Sen. Clark

HB 1610 Rep. Bentley

HB 1726

Rep. Ray

HB #1823

Rep. Flowers

An act to expand the Arkansas FOIA - Expands the time a custodian, requester, or the subject of certain public records can seek an opinion from the Attorney General on whether the decision by a public-records custodian to release those records is consistent with FOIA.

https://bit.ly/3HcRslh

An act to amend the requirements for a tow business to give public notice in certain circumstances; and for other purposes.

http://bit.ly/3JqgtdS

To Amend The Law Concerning Publication Of Notice; To Allow The Publication Of Notice On A Website; To Amend The Law Concerning Counties And Municipalities And Publication; And To Amend The Law Concerning Elections. bit.ly/3n0hW1P

To Amend The Law Concerning The Attorney General's Review Of Consent Decrees Entered Into By Covered Entities. bit.ly/3lqgTHN

To Regulate Meetings, Internal Policies And Guidelines, And Reports To Address A Cybersecurity Incident Involving, Or A Cyberattack On, A Public Entity. bit.ly/3ZSayUt

To Amend Arkansas Law Concerning Drafting Requests And Information Requests To Legislative Employees. bit.ly/3yL07GI

To Require Records Custodians To Respond In Writing In Certain Circumstances Under The Freedom Of Information Act Of 1967.

bit.ly/3LvQOSy

To Amend The Freedom Of Information Act Of 1967; And To Require Certain Regular Training Of Public Governing Bodies. bit.ly/3yJzZMb

To Define "Meeting" Under The Freedom Of Information Act Of 1967; And To Amend The Law Related To Public Meetings Under The Freedom Of Information Act Of 1967. bit.ly/40gPPK7

To Amend The Law Relating To Public Meetings Under The Freedom Of Information Act Of 1967. bit.ly/3ZRwqj9

To Amend The Freedom Of Information Act Of 1967; To Add Definitions; To Add Public Records Exemptions; To Amend Public Meetings Requirements; And To Amend Requirements Related To Custodians Processing Public Records Requests. bit.ly/3mhKt2L

To Amend The Laws Concerning Open Public Meetings Under The Freedom Of Information Act Of 1967; And To Require Notice Of Public Meetings To Be Published Online. bit.ly/3GpfBnP

APA Position

Current Status

Supports Now Act 36

Opposes Failed in Transportation, Technology & Legislative Affairs - Senate

No Position Failed in the Committee on City, County & Local Affairs Committee - House

Neutral Amended in State Agencies & Governmental Affairs - House

Neutral Currently Engrossed - Transmitted to Governor

Neutral Returned to Senate as Passed

Supports House - Returned By Committee as Do Pass

Supports Failed on Senate Floor

Supports Failed in State Agencies & Governmental AffairsSenate

Opposes Failed in Agencies & Governmental Affairs - Senate

Opposes Failed in State Agencies & Governmental AffairsHouse

Supports Failed in State Agencies & Governmental AffairsSenate