Arkansas Publisher Weekly: October 13, 2023

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2023 ArkLaMiss Conference open for registration Guest Column: Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated

By Eric Meyer

Arkansas Press Association

Publisher Weekly Vol.18 | No. 39 | Friday, October 13, 2023 | Serving Press and State Since 1873

APA celebrates 150th anniversary at Press Freedom Gala The second annual APA Press Freedom Gala was held last night in celebration of the association’s 150th anniversary.

Honored at the event at Chenal Country Club in Little Rock were Mike Masterson, Golden 50 Service Award; Rusty Turner,

Arkansas Publisher Weekly

Distinguished Service Award; Rex Nelson, Distinguished Service Award; the late Gov. Winthrop Rockefeller, Arkansas Freedom of Information Award; and Justin Moore, Headliner of the Year. David Bazzel was emcee for the evening. Guests were treated

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to special music from Marybeth Byrd and left with a commemorative anniversary magazine outlining the history of APA and its member newspapers. More photos and complete coverage will be in next week’s Arkansas Publisher Weekly.

October 13, 2023

ARKANSAS PRESS ASSOCIATION

Press Freedom Gala CELEBRATING SUPPORTERS OF DEMOCRACY

PRESS FREEDOM GALA CELEBRATING SUPPORTERS OF DEMOCRACY

Thank you to our sponsors HEADLINER SPONSOR

FRONT PAGE SPONSORS

THE ROCKEFELLER FAMILY FOURTH ESTATE SPONSORS

R

FIRST AMENDMENT SPONSORS

FRIENDS OF PRESS FREEDOM SPONSORS

MEDIA SPONSORS

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September 28, 2023

Journalists collect at annual Green It was announced on Monday that the Caldwell stepped up and offered to buy the Eyeshade Awards Wynne Progress, East Arkansas News Leader, now under new ownership 119-year-old Wynne Progress is now under new ownership.

Progress, so that Wynne and Cross County will continue to have a quality newspaper.”

Bobby Caldwell, owner and CEO of East Arkansas Broadcasters/KWYN AM 1400/ FM 102.9/FM 106.9, has purchased the newspaper and its sister total market coverage publication, the East Arkansas News-Leader, from long-time owners David Boger and Sandra Boger.

Former editor David Owens, who had been with the newspaper since 2011, joined KWYN in June of this year but will again serve as editor of the relaunched Progress. The Progress will publish first in digital format, with a print edition to be considered later, if it is economically viable.

The Progress is one of the oldest businesses in Wynne, dating back to 1904. Boger started the News-Leader in 1973, and purchased the Progress and all of its assets in the early 1980s. The newspapers suspended publication after its offices were damaged in the EF-3 tornado that ripped through Wynne, killing 4 people and injuring 26 others, on March 31 of this year.

“During our rebuilding from the devastating damage from the tornado, it is vitally important to support the new owner of the Progress,” said Boger.

“My family and I have been proud to be in the newspaper business in Wynne and Cross County for over 50 years,” said Boger in a statement on the sale. “The local readers and businesspeople have been great to us over these many years, and for that, we are forever grateful. The bad news is the tornado helped us make the decision to retire before plans were made for that event. The good news is that Bobby

In the aftermath of the tornado, the Times-Herald in Forrest City expanded its distribution area into Wynne and started reporting Cross County news to fill the gap in coverage.

Caldwell owns and operates 52 radio signals in Arkansas, plus the Red Wolves/ EAB Radio Network, EAB AG Network and flagship radio stations. After spending time in various radio roles and graduating with a Radio-TV degree from Arkansas State University in 1970, Caldwell became VP and GM/East Arkansas Broadcasters in 1973.

He is a previous president of the Arkansas Broadcasters Association.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette took several wins at the recent 73rd Annual Green Eyeshade Awards, with a complete sweep in one category.

Columnist Philip Martin won first place in the Serious Commentary/All Dailies category with his portfolio of columns.

Editorial Page Editor David Barham won third place in the Editorial Writing/ All Dailies category with his portfolio of editorials.

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette staff photographers swept the Newspaper Feature Photography category, with Thomas Metthe taking first place, Stephen Swofford winning second place and Staci Vandagriff taking third.

Additionally, Katherine Taylor of the Arkansas Traveler at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, took first place in the Best Columnist category of the college journalism contest.

The contest’s overall award was presented to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Since 1950, the Green Eyeshade Awards have recognized the very best journalism in the southeastern United States, which now includes print, television, radio and digital. Hosted by southerners in the Society for Professional Journalists, journalists in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia are eligible to compete in either pro or college categories. For more information visit greeneyeshade.org.

LET US KNOW

Roofing debris was blown next to a damaged newspaper delivery vehicle outside the Wynne Progress office during the March 31 tornado.

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

October 13, 2023

Congratulations on 150 years.

Simmons Bank congratulates the Arkansas Press Association (APA) on 150 years in business and all it has achieved for our state. As Arkansas’s first trade association and the oldest professional association in the state, APA has paved the way for the freedom of press.

Simmons recently celebrated 120 years in business, so we feel a special connection with organizations that share a long history of serving our local communities. We’re proud to be in great company with the APA and look forward to the next 150 years!

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October 13, 2023

"Let’s give Grandma’s scratchy Christmas records a rest this year."

- Vacation

Your Vacation needs more than a few boughs of holly this Christmas. Branson is a winter wonderland of excitement, filled with jolly festivals, show-stopping holiday performances, and even an express train ride to the North Pole!

This year, give your Vacation the gift of an Ozark Mountain Christmas.

Discover more at ExploreBranson.com.

2023 ArkLaMiss Conference registration Advertising open, to be held November 9 - 10 contest Registration for next month’s 2023 judges ArkLaMiss Circulation, Marketing & Audience Development Conference, which sought focuses audience and postal issues, is now open.

The conference will return to the Ameristar Hotel and Casino on the banks of the Mississippi River in Vicksburg on November 9-10. Register online at mspress.org/ events/EventDetails.aspx?id=1773700 Accommodations at the Ameristar are available for a discounted rate of $79 nightly. To make your room reservation call 601-638-1000 and reference the code ARKLAMS1123.

APA is the coordinating state for this year’s conference. ArkLaMiss is sponsored annually by APA and the Mississippi Press Association.

Volunteer judges are needed to critique the best advertising ideas from Mississippi newspapers in the Mississippi Press Association Better Newspaper Advertising Contest.

Categories available to judge include Single Ads, Series Ads, Theme Pages, Special Sections, Classifieds, Digital Ads, Niche Marketing, Magazines, Silver Dollar Ideas and more.

To volunteer, please email Terri Cobb at terri@arkansaspress.org by October 13.

Longtime KATV news director James Dean “Jim” Pitcock dies Longtime KATV news director James Dean “Jim” Pitcock died on October 8 after a brief illness. He was 83.

the National Academy of Arts and Sciences.

In addition to his parents, Pitcock was predeceased by his siblings Emma Jean Sagely, Bill Pitcock, Bob Pitcock, Betsy Westphal, Donna Schroeder and Jerry Pitcock. He is survived by his four children: Jeff (Lori) Pitcock of Little Rock, Chris (Andreae) Pitcock of Little Rock, Len (Kathleen) Pitcock of Hot Springs and Sandy (Rob) McAuley of Little Rock, seven grandchildren and five greatgrandchildren.

Born in 1940 in Fort Smith to Reeves and Leona Pitcock, he spent most of his professional career in the Arkansas television news industry, included working at KFSA radio and KFSA-TV in Fort Smith, KCCL radio in Paris, KAAY radio in Little Rock and over 32 years in the newsroom at KATV, Channel 7 in Little Rock. During that time, he brought the world to Arkansas reporting from numerous political conventions, the Soviet Union, Romania, Vietnam and 42 states.

Services were held in Little Rock on October 12. A private graveside service will take place in Fort Smith.

Memorials may be made to The David and Barbara Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History at the University of Arkansas or to the Jim Pitcock Scholarship Fund c/o The University of Arkansas School of Journalism and Strategic Media, 205 Kimpel Hall, Fayetteville, Ark. 72701.

He traveled to every Arkansas county “at least three times” during his career reporting on the state’s news, politics and people. Pitcock also worked with former Arkansas Attorney General Sen. Mark Pryor.

Pitcock was honored in 2017 for lifetime achievement with an Emmy Award from the Mid-America Chapter of Arkansas Publisher Weekly

Jim Pitcock

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October 13, 2023

AY Media Group is a multimedia company that specializes in niche-market publishing. Our magazines and custom publications include AY About You, a lifestyle publication, and Arkansas Money & Politics, the state’s premier business and political magazine.

At AY Media, we believe in celebrating the essence of Arkansas, from its breathtaking landscapes to its vibrant communities.

Our two flagship publications, About You magazine and Arkansas Money & Politics, are your guides to uncovering the history and the mystery of this incredible state.

AY About You magazine is your passport to a lifestyle like no other. Immerse yourself in the flavors of Arkansas with tantalizing recipes from local chefs, discover hidden gems tucked away in charming towns, and meet the extraordinary people who call this state home.

aymag.com

For those who crave the pulse of the business world, Arkansas Money & Politics provides an unrivaled perspective. Uncover the economic heartbeat of the state, delve into insightful interviews with industry leaders, and stay informed about the latest developments in Arkansas politics with AMP. Together, these publications showcase the very best that Arkansas has to offer. They embody the spirit of community, resilience and innovation that defines the Natural State.

armoneyandpolitics.com

To advertise, email hbaker@aymag.com.

THANK YOU. Behind every business and bold move were those who made things happen.

We appreciate our communities and customers for letting us serve them.

We thank Arkansas newspapers for sharing our safety education, energy assistance and efficiency resources with readers.

Guest Column: Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated

By Eric Meyer

Editor and publisher, Marion County (Kansas) Record

“Newspapers are dead,” a solemn but dubious audience of students heard. “In 10 years, they’ll be gone altogether.”

We’ve all heard the grim assessment.

But it didn’t come this year, when corporate greed downsized far too many newsrooms.

It didn’t come 15 years ago, when social media began to cocoon us into echo chambers that let us hear only what we believe.

It didn’t come 30 years ago, at the dawn of the Internet letting us browse multiple sources of information.

It didn’t come 45 years ago, when cable news channels began giving us talking heads, mouthing the same points over and over.

The grim assessment came 75 years ago, in a journalism class that my father, a 1948 graduate, attended as a college senior.

Newspapers, he was told, soon would be replaced by a new, high-tech alternative:

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Facsimile.

Now that the dust of seizing seven computers and four cell phones has settled, the truth has become clear.

Yes, fax machines.

As Mark Twain would have noted, reports of our death have been greatly exaggerated.

And it’s not because we’ve been turned into unkillable zombies.

We haven’t died because democracy needs us, and smart people nationwide know it.

If you have any doubts, look at the more than 10,000 messages of support we’ve received at the Marion County Record from all over the nation and world.

Along with those messages have come more than 5,000 orders for new subscriptions — not bad for a newspaper that had a press run of only 4,000 before police attempted to intimidate us and a local politician with coordinated raids later found to have been illegal.

They came at us like a SWAT team going after a jaywalker who actually was in a crosswalk at the time.

Their raid wasn’t to investigate any crime, which never occurred. It was to put us in our place like a bunch of 300-pound defensive linemen smashing into a quarterback after he releases a pass.

Eventually, the legal system threw a flag on the play. But before that, people all over the globe — a quarter of a million of them who read about the raid on our website, plus countless others who read about it elsewhere — gasped in horror and demanded justice.

Speaking truth to power — the goal of every decent news organization — is just too important to our democracy.

Our computers may have been seized, but our newspaper — along with the unvarnished truth it seeks to impart every week — could not be silenced. If it had been, it wouldn’t have been a medium that See Guest page 11

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October 13, 2023

Rooted in the past.

Dedicated to the future.

Newspapers are an important part of our society. They preserve and promote civic health, especially in local communities. We believe in keeping the public informed and educated, while also providing a platform to express opinions.

That’s why we are dedicated to future generations of newspaper readers.

WEHCO NEWSPAPERS, INC.

Guest Continued from page 9

died. It would have been democracy.

By their very nature, newspapers are charged with finding hidden facts, speaking for the voiceless, and arguing for those who cannot easily be heard.

Democracy is, as Winston Churchill said, the worst form of government — except for all the others that have been tried.

To some in the Barney generation, that makes us negative.

Democracy requires truth and facts — and a willingness not just to listen to them but also to give voice to them.

To others, it makes us patriots.

That’s what newspapers do — asking questions when others are afraid to do so and providing truth that others seem reluctant to accept.

Returning to a weekly newspaper he purchased in 1998 with his parents and worked at from fifth grade through college, Eric Meyer, 70, is spending his retirement as majority owner, editor and publisher of the Marion County Record in Marion, Kansas.

An old retort, intended as an insult, was that newspapers afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted.

A veteran of two years at the Bloomington (Illinois) Pantagraph and 18 years at the Milwaukee Journal, where he was news, photo and graphics editor and a Pulitzer Prize nominee for coverage of computer hackers, he spent 26 years as a tenured professor or journalism at the University of Illinois before retiring in 2021.

But what’s wrong with that?

Democracy isn’t about Barney the Dinosaur singing, “I love you; you love me.”

Putting up a false façade of everyone agreeing about everything might work if every politician, every bureaucrat, every person in power was a benevolent dictator, caring only for everyone else’s well-being.

Ask the survivors of Nazi Germany or Putin’s Russia how that worked out.

While a professor, he also worked as a consultant to more than 350 online publishers worldwide, was a visiting professor of social media at the Dallas Morning News and created and eventually sold an Internet startup that was the online home of American Journalism Review magazine.

True democracy isn’t neat and tidy. It’s about disagreement — everyone presenting his or her personal truths in a public arena, then coming together to compromise on something that is at least minimally satisfying to the majority while protecting the minority.

He is the recipient of more than 200 statewide awards for everything from investigative reporting and editorial writing to photography and design and national awards for projects focusing on campus crime, the identity of Deep Throat and student engagement in elections.

Connecting People and Communities At the heart of journalism lies an unwavering drive to improve lives.

Whether chronicling the history of a community and its people, or standing as the watchdog for truth and integrity, journalists are passionate about making a difference for others.

We understand.

For over 140 years, AT&T has been investing in Arkansas, connecting people and communities across the state with each other and the world.

Congratulations to the members of the APA on 150 years of outstanding journalism, helping make Arkansas a great place in which to live and work.

© 2023 AT&T Intellectual Property. AT&T, Globe logo, Mobilizing Your World are registered trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

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October 13, 2023