Love joins Reaves & Williams Publishing Group as corporate circulation director
Guest Column:
Our stories shape the stories that matter most
By Jeff Cott
Arkansas Press Association PUBLISHER WEEKLY
Columnist Jeri Shire shines brightly at South Arkansas Sun
“I’ve still got it!” was Jeri Shire’s excited reaction when informed she won first place in the Humorous Column category in the Arkansas Press Association Better Newspaper Editorial Contest.
That was seven years ago, and she remarkably has captured the top prize every subsequent year in the same category in her circulation division.
The initial reaction from Shire centered around the fact that it had been several decades since she had written for a newspaper after her early working days had shifted from journalism into a long-term career as an English and speech teacher in Pulaski County.
“That first year that I won I was especially excited,” Shire acknowledged, while not implying that continuing her amazing streak should be considered “old hat” for this talented writer.
The foray into column writing developed because of her nephew Larry Killian’s 2015 decision to acquire the weekly South Arkansas Sun in Hampton (Calhoun County.) She regularly communicated with him in the early days of publication and began writing the column, “Tales from the Shire,” while also contributing feature stories. Concerning the title of the column, which was named by
her niece, Shire thinks “it has some Lord of the Rings vibe to it.”
‘I’ve won awards every year since Larry took over the paper, except last year when I missed the entry deadline,” she said.
Shire regularly makes the two-hour drive to Hampton from her home near Ferndale to cover the opening of any new business in the coverage area and writes features such as the annual Calhoun County Farm Family of the Year.
“I tell people that I am working in the family business because I don’t get paid,” Shire said, “except for Mexican food.”
A 1975 graduate of Joe T. Robinson High School in Little Rock, Shire gained her first newspaper experience after earning a bachelor’s degree in English and journalism from Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Oklahoma.
She worked several years as a reporter for the Vinita (Oklahoma) Daily Journal and then the Hereford (Texas) Brand before becoming the latter’s first female editor. While there, she wrote a column called “Boots and Cattles” that earned a fourth-place award from
Jeri Shire
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the Texas Press Association.
Shire then enlisted in the U.S. Army and served more than three years, spending some of her time doing public affairs writing. That background contributed to her love of writing feature stories on veterans for her nephew’s newspaper. She has found special satisfaction in several articles on World War II veterans, whom she praised for their “resiliency, bravery and toughness.”
Then it was on to her lengthy career in teaching, first logging 27 years with the Pulaski County Special School District. She is currently serving in her seventh year at The Baptist Preparatory School in Little Rock.
Shire realized at an early age that she had a gift and love for writing when a teacher showed the class a picture and then asked the students to write an article about it. “By the sixth grade, I knew that I wanted to write. And I was amazed to learn that people who write books get paid.”
She has been encouraged to publish a book of her columns and has some additional ideas on other potential publishing efforts, centering on historical novels. “I may just serialize a book in the Hampton newspaper, like they did in the old days of publishing,” she said with a laugh.
Shire has some thoughts on what makes a column funny: “I’m not sure!”
“Maybe perspective. There’s just often a juxtaposition of expectations and reality that is often amusing in day-to-day life, because as my daddy said, sometimes you got to laugh to keep from crying. I think some of it is just good ol’ Southern storytelling that mingles commentary into the plot.
“What’s not funny about the rescue of a debit card from the toilet and its subsequent malfunction at the grocery store?”
As to her thinking when she begins to write a column:
“I think about what has recently happened to make me laugh, or roll my eyes, or bite my tongue or throw my hands up AND I consider if others will relate to that. Then I focus on the humor or ridiculous stupidity of a situation and shape it in that good ol’ Southern storytelling. I throw in the crazy and irrational thoughts that go through my mind in a situation. I think the fact that I am brave enough to admit the crazy thoughts that the reader would have had TOO makes it funny. I also like a little philosophical twist.”
Over the years, she has tried to encourage her students to write (and read) but admits encountering some obstacles along the way.
The scenic route
By Jeri Shire
Originally published in the South Arkansas Sun. Reprinted with permission.
GPS apps are fascinating because they know where we are, even down to what direction we need to turn in a parking lot and how long it will take us to get somewhere by car, bike, or walking.
I have in my mind this conspiracy that someday in a dystopian society our government will ration fuel by mandating how far you can drive each month and literally stop our vehicles at the limit no matter where you are, or send a bill for excess mileage.
But last Saturday, I was glad there was something tracking me in a remote area, but irritated that the same GPS sent me into that remote area.
I was in Forrest City, which is not in my neck of the woods. It was a nice stop at my niece’s on Friday night on the way to the Arkansas Press Association event on Saturday. When I am in Forrest City, my niece does all the driving and I seldom pay attention to where we are.
From Forrest City, I knew that home was westish, Marianna was to the south, Memphis was to the east, and Wynne was to the north. My destination of the day, Jonesboro, was farther north than Wynne.
I could have gone back into town to get on Highway 1 straight to Jonesboro, but I opted to save a few miles and take scenic Highway 284 through Village Creek State Park and planned to connect with Highway 1 via U.S. 64 near Wynne. It looked good on paper. And I often take backroads.
Plugging in the Jonesboro address, I went my merry way. But before I got to U.S. 64, and before I even got to Village Creek, I was told to turn right on a county road. In obedience to GPS, I did so. I recognized the road as where a cute little antique store is. Having never been past the store, little did I know the pavement would end in a mile or so. But I told myself that a couple of miles on dirt road was probably a detour saving me from a traffic jam on the main route, or was some shortcut, and I anticipated the turn the GPS had planned for me.
Again, I obeyed GPS, for I was not in my neck of the woods and knew not where I was.
Jeri Shire (center) enjoying a girls’ weekend with nieces Shanna Killian and Lisa Sandberg.
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“There is so much emphasis on the test in education today that creativity often gets squelched,” she said.
“Writing and reading are no longer a pleasure, even for some of the top students. Social media is a factor, but I don’t think it is the main one. I just think they are so busy with so much stuff. They just don’t seem to have time to sit down and contemplate things that are not on their schedule. I guess you could say a lot of them are minimalists, but there still are some that are deeper thinkers.”
Having said that, she recounts some success stories, such as one of her students at Robinson who currently is writing for television productions.
“I tell the students to write, and just keep writing,” she said. “I tell them to read it aloud and read it ‘cold,’ a few hours or a few days later, to see if it is saying what they are thinking and if anybody who reads it will understand it. Have someone else read it and help you improve it. A person, not AI.
“At an Arkansas Scholastic Press Association convention when I was in high school, I got great advice from Arkansas Gazette columnist Charles Albright: ‘Read a lot and read the Bible.’ I would say the same to students now.”
Apart from writing and teaching, Shire enjoys shopping at thrift stores with her niece. She also enjoys reading, especially “true crime” books and historical novels.
She has a daughter, Stephanie Shire, who is a librarian in West Little Rock. Her daughter regularly appears in her column under the moniker “Grown Child.”
Shire also is active in the Calvary Church of the Nazarene in Little Rock, where she writes and appears in skits.
Shire obviously is gratified to be back contributing to newspapers after her early career in the industry. And she certainly believes newspapers are important.
“Community newspapers literally foster a sense of community through writing about what’s happening in businesses and schools,” she said. “There is just something warm and fuzzy – and scrapbook worthy – about a student’s picture in the paper that gets put up on the refrigerator.
“Newspapers are the little daily or weekly histories that are published and archived forever for the public – on paper in ink so that we don’t have to upload the latest format to read it in 20 years.
“Newspapers that publish truth, and truth is the keyword, are the core of our First Amendment rights. Good reporting helps hold politicians in check through covering public meetings and budget reports.
“’Big stories don’t just happen in big towns.”
Scenic
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It was another freshly graveled road that drove much like snow — too fast and you spin out.
I did not spin out; I only stressed out. Do I have time to turn around and start over? Why has this put me on a gravel road? Would I make it to Jonesboro on time going 25 mph max? Will a sharp rock puncture a tire?
Where are any houses?
For a long stretch, I was between two embankments taller than my car that were overgrown in kudzu. It was almost like a green tunnel. I could only imagine how many snakes and other varmints were lurking in that mess. Kudzu grows about a foot a day, and some tendrils were already reaching across the road. If I had had a flat, I would have stayed in the car and hoped my 800-rescue service could find among the leaves.
I was both amused and creeped out a bit because right about then I was listening to a podcast about a serial killer on whose farm they found remains of about 30 missing women, and there I was, alone, on a dirt road in prime farmland.
What wasn’t farmland was wildlife reserve. I was glad it was daylight and I wasn’t living a high risk lifestyle like the serial killer victims. Maybe I was, though, for following GPS directions.
After several minutes, I checked my phone to see how much farther I had to go before my next turn. Ten miles! Surely the whole 10 miles would not be gravel.
But it was! Ten miles!
I checked a few minutes later, thinking I was nearly to the end. I still had 6.1 miles of gravel to go.
I finally got on pavement, although it was on a highway I had never heard of, much less driven. Surprisingly, after another turn or two, I arrived on time to Jonesboro, maybe even a little early.
Good. But heading back, I avoided the “scenic” route. That day GPS meant “Gets Pretty Spooky”.
Shire goofs with daughter Stephanie, AKA “Grown Child.”
APA signs on to letters in support of PRESS Act
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press on Tuesday sent letters to congress expressing support of the Protect Reporters from Exploitative State Spying Act.
The PRESS Act, which passed in the House of Representatives earlier this year, would shield reporters from having to disclose information identifying confidential sources as well as records, communications content, documents, or information that the journalist obtained or created as part of their journalism. The bill also bars government demands for that data to third parties like phone or email providers unless a court finds a reasonable threat of imminent violence absent disclosure.
More than 100 groups, including APA, signed the letters in support. The letters and more information on the PRESS Act can be found at https://www.rcfp.org/ press-act-letters-house-senate.
Love joins Reaves & Williams Publishing Group as corporate circulation director
Rosalyn Love has been named corporate circulation director for Reaves & Williams Publishing Group, owners of the DeWitt Era-Enterprise. She will be working out of the company’s Stuttgart office as the newspaper expands its footprint across Arkansas County.
A native of Stuttgart, Love studied computer science at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and has previously served as Circulation Manager both at the Pine Bluff Commercial and the Stuttgart Daily Leader Era-Enterprise Publisher Natasha Jackson will share the Stuttgart office with Love. “Rosalyn, our editor Dawn Teer and I have all worked together before, and we’re excited about the path forward,” said Jackson.
In addition to subscriber services, Love will oversee the management of single-copy operations across the company’s footprint in Arkansas,Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, Missouri and Oklahoma while developing strategies for new acquisitions and newly
developed markets.
“Combining Rosalyn’s knowledge, experience, and over-the-top customer service with the team, our readers certainly will benefit,” said Clarissa Reaves-Williams, CEO and owner of Reaves & Williams Publishing Group.
COO, CRO, and Owner Herbert Williams added, “Her circulation expertise will greatly enhance the marketing and distribution of all of the Reaves & Williams Publishing Group products.”
“I’m excited to return to the newspaper industry and work with such a talented and dedicated team,” said Love. “Circulation is about more than just delivering papers— it’s about connecting communities and making sure our readers have access to the news and information they depend on. I look forward to building on the strong foundation already in place and helping to expand our reach in new and existing markets.”
Rosalyn Love
Sweeney joins staff at South Arkansas Sun
Hampton High School senior Ava Sweeney has joined the staff at the South Arkansas Sun.
Sweeney is a daughter of Bronson and Magan Sweeney of Hampton. She is on the yearbook staff at Hampton High School, and is also involved in FFA, Beta Club, Student Council and the First Assembly of God youth group.
“Coming from a big family, Ava knows how to communicate well and loves people,”
said Sun Publisher Larry Killian.
The South Arkansas Sun often hires high school seniors as production staff, to give them employment experience before they leave for college. Through this position, Sweeney hopes to learn more about putting together the newspaper and improving her writing skills. After graduation, she plans to attend the University of Central Arkansas in Conway to study Speech Pathology.
Extension Service offers 2024 Arkansas Ballot Issue Voter Guide for election
The 2024 Arkansas Ballot Issue Voter Guide, which offers unbiased, researchbased information about three proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot in the state’s upcoming general election, is now available.
The guide is published by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Public Policy Center, part of the Cooperative Extension Service.
“People need information to make a decision, and it can be difficult to find neutral sources of information about statewide ballot issues,” said Kristen
Higgins, extension program associate for the Public Policy Center. “You’re being asked as a voter to create or change state policy for years to come. The Arkansas Ballot Issue Voter Guide is that source of neutral information, and it also gives people the ability to read the ballot titles when they’re not under a time crunch to make a decision.”
The Voter Guide was released in late September and is available online at uaex.uada.edu/ballot. Printed copies will be available in county extension offices statewide by the start of early voting, which begins October 21.
River Valley Democrat-Gazette applies for APA membership
The River Valley Democrat-Gazette, a Sunday newspaper covering Fort Smith and the Arkansas River Valley area, has applied for full membership to the Arkansas Press Association. The APA Constitution and Bylaws require three notifications of the application to APA membership. This is the first of those three notifications.
The River Valley Democrat-Gazette is owned by WEHCO Media, Inc. and published by Eliza Gaines. Brent A. Powers is president, Dave Perozek is managing editor and Randall Seyer is the editor. It was first published in July 2021, and having now been published weekly for more than two years is eligible for full APA membership.
Any APA member who objects to the River Valley Democrat-Gazette’s membership in APA may provide a written letter of objection to Executive Director Ashley Kemp Wimberley, 411 S. Victory St., Little Rock AR 72201.
Ava Sweeney
WAYS TO
It seems like about every time I am out in the public, no matter what the occasion, once someone realizes I own the local paper they seem anxious to tell me something. And in more cases than not, it is how something someone has read impacts their lives.
For example, the man that caught me in the local grocery store and proceeded to tell me he knows exactly when we deliver our paper there. He picks it up each week as soon as he can to see the public notices. In many cases it is the first notice he gets of something new coming to town or the streets in his neighborhood are up for repair. He told me there’s more in those public notices than people realize.
Or the lady that told me once about a story we did on someone who donated an organ and that it hit her so hard she was compelled to do the same thing for someone else, when the time comes.
Or the father of a boy on our local football
Guest Column: Our stories shape the stories that matter most
By Jeff Cott
team, who I had never met but he seemed to know me, thanked me for the tremendous effort we put into covering local high school sports.
Prior to a recent election cycle a young man told me if we had not produced our local Election Guide, he would have no idea who to vote for. He said now he felt good about his vote and vowed to never make a decision in local races again without the information he got about candidates in his community paper.
And advertisers feel those life-impacting moments as well from what we do. Like the manager of a local senior living facility who told me she couldn’t’ believe the response she got from an ad campaign we did. Not only did it create new prospects, but the current residents were proud and happy they were advertising the way they were. How many stories like these do we never hear or know about?
There is no question that a community newspaper impacts the lives of people in a community, and in ways we may never know. The stories that come from people because of their local paper are clear evidence that newspapers are more than alive and well. They are busy breathing new life every day in communities across our country.
As an industry, we won’t give up on creating the content that can shape the lives of people. Our stories will continue to serve longtime readers or create brand new readers. And in the end, it’s the stories our readers tell us, about what we are doing for them, that matter most.
Jeff Cott Publisher/Owner
Derby Weekly Informer 219 E. Madison, Derby, KS 316-788-4006
