APW plans spring luncheon, awards

Reservations are now open for the Arkansas Press Women Spring Awards Luncheon on May 20.

The luncheon will be held at 11:30 a.m., Saturday, May 20 at Peterson Auditorium, Shoemaker Center for Global Business Development on the campus of NorthWest Arkansas Community College in Bentonville.

In addition to the awards ceremony, APW will also recognize Mia Waddell, a senior at the University of Central Arkansas, who is the recipient of its 2023 scholarship.

“We are excited for this opportunity to share a meal with our friends and celebrate the past year’s accomplishments,” said APW President Kristin Netterstrom Higgins

APW members and their friends and family are invited to attend. Registration is required and can be done online at bit.ly/3nORbhC

People Want Public Notices To Stay In Print, Digital Newspapers: Study

The 2023 Local Newspaper Study, a recent survey by America’s Newspapers conducted by Coda Ventures found that people prefer public notices stay in newspapers, according to an article by Ray Schultz on mediapost.com.

The study reported that of the consumers polled, 66% believe that publishing public notices in newspapers should be required. Additionally, 57% say newspapers and their websites are more reliable than city, county or state websites for accessing public notices.

Local newspapers and their websites are relied on more than any other source for information about public notices and government:

• Local newspapers/ newspaper websites—55%

• Local TV—36%

• Social media—32%

• Government websites—24%

• Word-of-mouth/friends/ relatives—21%

• Local radio—19%

• City newsletters—18%

• Public bulletin boards—14%

• Non-government website—8%

Consumers list local newspapers/newspaper websites as the most accurate source of original news reporting, ranking well ahead of local TV/TV websites, social media and local radio/radio websites.

In general, 74% believe it is important to have a local newspaper provide community news and information, the study notes.

Local publishers are advised to do one main thing to remain competitive: Ensure their content is mobile-friendly. Of U.S. readers, 66% consume news on their smartphones. In contrast, 43% access it from a desktop or laptop, although some do both.

An overview of the study can be found here: bit.ly/3nqlwTh

Cost is $20 per person at the door, or payment can be made in advance via Venmo at @Kristin-Higgins-8.

Arkansas Press Women is an organization serving Arkansas communicators and media professionals, including freelancers and independent contractors, of any gender. For more information email ArkPressWomen@yahoo.com.

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

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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.

Lets Get Social

Sunday is Mother’s Day. For some of you readers, it will be a day to celebrate and honor your mothers by spending some time with them. There will be flowers, special meals and time spent together. For others, and for me, it will be a day to remember the mothers that we can’t spend the day with — we’ll celebrate and honor our moms, too, but we’ll have to do it more quietly, in our hearts.

My mother has been gone more than 12 years now, and still I think of her each day. I’m nearly 50 years old now, a grandfather, and still there are times when I wish I could ask her for guidance.

My mother was the smartest person I have ever known. She was book-smart, despite having just an eighth-grade education. She loved to learn new things and she learned them quickly. But Mom was also smart in ways that were often more practical. She understood people and had a keen sense of which ones shouldn’t be trusted.

Mom also had a razor-sharp wit, which ironically she displayed most often when she was angry. I can remember many times when my brothers or I would be in trouble for some sort of mischief and Mom would say something so sarcastic