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Guest Column:
Kevin Slimp Newspapers Turn Attention to Growth: Many newspapers have shifted from worrying to planning growth
By
Arkansas Press Association PUBLISHER WEEKLY
Arkansas State Archives preserves historic and current newspapers
for future generations to study in-depth record of the state’s past
Newspapers are an excellent source of information for students of all ages in Arkansas. Of particular value is the fact that newspapers contain local, community-based information that students will be familiar with and understand.
An exciting example of an educational tool available to teachers interested in using newspapers in the classroom is the Arkansas Digital Newspaper Project, a service provided through the Arkansas State Archives. Now operating under the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, the Arkansas State Archives has maintained a newspaper microfilming program since 1957. Through the years, it has curated some 22 million pages of Arkansas newspapers and currently acquires and films 92 publications from 69 of the state’s 75 counties.
first director Dallas T. Herndon, the state archives were located in the present State Capitol. Following the restoration of the Old State House in 1951, the Arkansas Historic Commission was moved into a part of the west wing of that building. After becoming a part of the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism in 1971, the Arkansas History Commission moved to its current location at One Capitol Mall in 1979.
Arkansas Publisher Weekly presented questions about the Arkansas Digital Newspaper Project to Katie Atkins, project director. Here she explains how newspapers and teachers can team up to provide creative educational opportunities for today’s students.
Q: Please provide an overview of the purpose and goals of the Arkansas State Archives, including some of its history as a governmental entity.
A: The Arkansas State Archives was created as the Arkansas History Commission by the Arkansas General Assembly in 1905 to serve as the official archives of the state. Since then, the ASA has been responsible for collecting and preserving the official records and historical materials for the State of Arkansas.
During the first few decades of the 20th century, under the agency’s
In 2016, the Arkansas Historic Commission’s name was officially changed to the Arkansas State Archives, and the agency was transferred to Arkansas Heritage, a division of the Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism. Today, the Arkansas State Archives continues its tradition of organizing and maintaining the history of Arkansas by collecting and preserving state, county and federal records, manuscript materials, newspapers, military records, family histories, an extensive Arkansas history and genealogy library and a collection of Arkansas art and artifacts.
Q: Specifically, how did the Arkansas Digital Newspaper Project develop?
A: The Arkansas Digital Newspaper Project was formed when the ASA joined the National Digital Newspaper Program as a state partner in 2017. The ADNP team is made up of archivists, historians and microfilm technicians at the ASA. This group works with the Library of Congress to digitize historic Arkansas newspapers and make them available, for free, on the Library of Congress’s website at www.loc.gov/collections/chronicling-america/. Since 2017, the ADNP team has digitized over 300,000 newspaper pages with an
Workers at the Arkansas State Archives look over the bound volume collection.
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additional 100,000 currently in production. The project is funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities and managed by the Library of Congress.
The National Digital Newspaper Program is a long-term effort to provide permanent access to a national digital resource of newspaper bibliographic information and historic newspapers, selected and digitized by NEH-funded institutions (awardees) from all U.S. states and territories. This program builds on the legacy of the strategically successful United States Newspaper Program, a project sponsored by the NEH from 1982-2011 with technical support from the Library of Congress which organized the inventory, cataloging and selective preservation on microfilm of a corpus of at-risk newspaper materials. The NDNP extends the usefulness of the USNP bibliographic and microfilm assets by increasing access to this valuable information and provides an opportunity for institutions to select and contribute digitized newspaper content, to a freely accessible, national newspaper resource.
In 2003, the Library of Congress and NEH established a formal agreement that identified goals for the program, institutional responsibilities and overall support. In 2004, the NEH announced guidelines for annual cycles of two-year NDNP awards to enhance the study of American history. These awards enable cultural heritage institutions to join the NDNP for the purpose of selecting, digitizing and delivering to the Library of Congress approximately 100,000 newspaper pages per award. Since 2005, the NEH has awarded grants to state libraries, historical societies and universities representing states in the national program, with many more states and territories to be included in the coming years.
Q. How does Chronicling America fit into the overall project?
A: Chronicling America, chroniclingamerica.loc.gov, houses historic newspapers up to 1963 digitized as part of the NDNP. Chronicling America allows users to freely search historic newspapers from across the United States using keyword, date, newspaper, location, language and ethnicity searches. All 50 states as well as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin islands are currently or have previously participated in the project. Currently there are more than 22,400,000 pages with new content being added weekly.
The majority of Arkansas newspapers digitized as part of this project come from the microfilm holdings here at the Arkansas State Archives. The ASA has continuously operated its newspaper microfilming program since 1957. Its archives contain the largest collection of Arkansas journalism, curating approximately 22,000 rolls of microfilm containing nearly 1800 titles, representing all 75 of the state’s counties, with an estimated page count exceeding 22 million. The ASA is the only institution in Arkansas that currently microfilms Arkansas newspapers, and actively acquires and films 92 publications representing 69 of Arkansas’s 75 counties. Libraries, county officials and local historical societies throughout the state rely on the ASA as the source of microfilm copies for their users and communities.
Our participation in the NDNP is an extension of the preservation goals of ASA. Now, in addition to collecting newspapers from across
the state, we are making our historic newspaper content accessible by digitizing select titles and making them easily searchable online, for free. The ADNP team works with a committee of historians and educators to prioritize newspaper titles. This curated list creates a balance of coverage across geographic, temporal and subjectspecific content with a focus on underrepresented communities in Arkansas. Unlike other newspaper repositories, Chronicling America newspapers are specifically selected because of the significance they provide in the history of each state or territory.
Q: Why do you think students at all levels of Arkansas education can benefit from the project?
A: Working on this project has given me an even deeper appreciation for the work being done on NDNP and the efforts to make historic newspapers accessible to all. Some students don’t have even the basic understanding of newspapers – how they work, why they are important, how to access them and why they are a valuable primary source material.
Our team has worked to create newspaper guides in order to get students familiar with newspapers, from understanding the basic terminology to the relevancy of the information provided in newspapers. As students enter middle and high school they are being asked to write research papers and, as part of that research, to evaluate resources and think critically about the sources they are using to obtain information. Newspapers provide a rich, first-person perspective of the people and events as they were happening, providing the closest thing we have to a front-row seat to history.
Learning to read articles that can be dense or cover complicated issues and thinking critically about them is a key skill that can be used in all aspects of one’s life and future career. Newspapers See ARCHIVES Page 3
Shown are just a few of the newspapers stored at the Arkansas State Archives.
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have something for everyone – for middle schoolers just learning about what newspapers and how to do research using them, to those who are writing in-depth historical comparisons in a college history class. Newspapers are versatile and can be used in a variety of ways.
Q: Can you give some specific examples of how teachers can use digital newspapers in their classroom planning?
A: We have created a lesson plan for students to go through the process of creating their own newspaper, giving them an appreciation for the work that goes into each issue and helping them understand how papers are organized, the prioritization of content, etc.
Coverage of events can provide an excellent starter for class discussions. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic one of the most researched topics in Chronicling America was the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918. Discussions of the similarity and differences in the reporting of the event and looking at how information about wearing masks and washing hands was disseminated to readers can be valuable to students not only in learning about historic events but also in understanding how history repeats.
Q: In your experience, does it appear that present-day students have a poor understanding of the importance of newspapers?
A: In our experience, today’s students have almost no understanding of newspapers, from what they are to why they are important. We have tried to remedy this by creating “What is a newspaper” and “Parts of a newspaper” guides and lesson plans for teachers. We regularly visit schools to discuss the importance of using newspapers in their research including History Day projects.
Q: Why do you think newspapers play an important role in our society?
A: Newspapers have always served as a means to disseminate information to a particular community. Most people relied on newspapers to learn what was happening within their community and later, the larger world. Newspapers brought people together, much like social media today.
By giving students and researchers access to historic Arkansas newspapers, especially at the middle and high school level, we can teach them to analyze what they are reading and hopefully, apply these same skills to the information they are watching/ hearing on social media and from their circle of friends and family so that they can use these critical thinking skills to come to their own conclusions about what is fact and what is not. what is fluff and what information should be researched more deeply.
Q: What is your personal biography and how did you develop an interest in becoming an archivist?
A: I am not an archivist by trade; in fact, I am an artist. My master’s degree is in photography, which comes in handy when working with microfilm (the source for the newspapers we digitize) and understanding journalism. As an undergraduate at the University of Georgia I worked at the political library on campus, processing collections, creating transcriptions of interviews and researching rural electrification on microfilm. I never expected that experience to come in handy until I learned about this position. The type of work we do is very specialized and not many people would actually have the qualifications and experience to do this work. When I came onto the project in 2020 there was a steep learning curve but the talent of my team and dedication to the preservation of Arkansas history has made us very successful, in particular our outreach efforts. In addition to digitizing newspapers we actively engage with new ways to let people know about Chronicling America.
Q: Please explain the importance of archives in our state government and their potential interest to all Arkansans.
The mission of any archive is preservation. By preserving the history of a particular community, in our case, the state of Arkansas, we are creating a record for current and future generations. Not being from Arkansas myself, I have noticed that Arkansans, in particular, are proud of their heritage and their state. By preserving the newspapers, documents, art, etc. of Arkansans, we are substantiating the significance of those generations who built the industry and infrastructure and paved the way for Arkansas to be what it is today. History is non-biased in and of itself, our job at ASA is to preserve it all ––the good, bad and ugly –– so that it can be used by researchers to tell the stories of Arkansas.
Members of newspaper industry display attitude of gratitude
Thanksgiving is a time to express gratitude for the blessings of the past year –– and no matter how the year has gone, we still have plenty to be thankful for. This year, three newspaper industry professionals have shared with APA what they are thankful for in 2024.
Co-owner and publisher, HopePrescott News and Little River Journal, Ashdown
I’m thankful for my health, I’m thankful my wife and I get to work together, I’m thankful to serve small-town Arkansas and to live in Hempstead County. I’m thankful to see wonderful, interesting people everyday. I’m thankful for my new business partner Amy Sweat, and I’m thankful I’ve been lucky lately in my record collecting hobby!
ASHLEY HOGG
Publisher, AdvanceMonicellonian, Monticello and The Eagle-Democrat, Warren
I am thankful for the opportunity my job allows me to be hands on in the community year-round. Seeing what people can do when they work together is always amazing.
I am also thankful for my healthy family. We take healthy loved ones for granted. Tell people you love them while you have the chance.
BOBBY BURTON
Chief Executive Officer, The Daily Record, Little Rock
As each year passes, I learn to be more thankful for the little things one takes for granted when they are younger. First and foremost, I’m thankful for my health. It allows my wife and I to enjoy some new adventures outdoors each weekend. I’m thankful for my wife, who has helped me grow more than she’ll ever know. I couldn’t ask for a better partner to go through life with. I’m thankful for the staff that I’m surrounded by each day.
I’m thankful to live in America, even with our craziness. We’re still much better off than most of the world. It’s not perfect, but it’s still in a great spot. It’s easy to lose sight of that because of all the conveniences we have. We tend to expect that stuff when the reality is we are abundantly fortunate.
I’m thankful for my job and all of the people I’ve been able to learn from in my 22+ years of working for The Daily Record. I’ve been blessed to be around many different talented people who all have their gifts from which I’ve been able to learn. I’ve had very talented staff that have come and gone over the years.
Lastly, I’m thankful for the holidays, so I don’t have to avoid the foods I run from the rest of the year!
MARK KEITH
Mark Keith Ashley Hogg
Bobby Burton
Zach Holt joins newsroom at Harrison Daily Times
Jasper native Zach Holt has joined the newsroom at the Harrison Daily Times as a general assignment reporter. He will be responsible for covering community events, writing obituaries and conducting interviews.
Prior to joining the Daily Times, Holt has served as deputy clerk in the Newton County Clerk’s Office, as an indexer for First National Title in Harrison and as a sterile processing technician at North Arkansas Regional Medical Center. “I am a general doer of things,” said Holt in the announcement of his hiring.
Holt lives in Harrison with his wife, Kaylan Mulford Holt, their daughter, Matilda, and four dogs.
Higher Ed Media Fellowship now accepting applications
The Institute for Citizens & Scholars is now accepting applications for the spring 2025 class of the Higher Education Media Fellowship.
This prestigious fellowship supports journalists interested in underreported issues in higher education, particularly Career and Technical Education. Fellows receive $10,000 in funding as well as training to build their knowledge and further develop their craft.
This Fellowship is open to all U.S. journalists whose work experience includes reporting on education and associated workforce development, social or public policy issues. Potential Fellows will be early- and mid-career journalists working in any type of media.
The application deadline is February 1, 2025. For more information and to apply, visit
citizensandscholars.org/fellowships/for-business-policy-leaders/ higher-ed-media-fellowship/award-eligibility/
Remember Arkansas Newspaper Foundation on Giving Tuesday
Giving Tuesday, this year on December 3, was created in 2012 with the simple idea of a day to encourage people to do good. It has since grown into a global celebration of generosity. As we move into the holiday season, we ask you to remember the important mission of community newspapers with a gift to the Arkansas Newspaper Foundation.
Founded in 1982 as the philanthropic wing of APA, ANF provides services to APA member newspapers by funding paid internships to journalism students at Arkansas colleges and universities, grants for attending seminars and conferences and by aiding and advancing newspaper journalism education and readership across the state.
Arkansas newspapers provide an essential service to their communities and play a vital role in our democracy. Your gift is an investment in one of the fundamental sectors of our society. Your contribution of any size will make an impact.
Checks may be mailed to the Arkansas Newspaper Foundation, 411 South Victory Street, Little Rock AR 72201. All donations are tax deductible to the extent allowable under law.
Zach Holt
Guest Column: Newspapers Turn Attention to Growth
Many newspapers have shifted from worrying to planning growth
By Kevin Slimp
Upon returning to my office following a 2,700-mile journey (Bellingham, Washington, happens to be the furthest city in the contiguous 48 U.S. states from my home in Knoxville, Tennessee) this morning, I have three things on my mind. And I’m unsure which of the three I should write about in this column. I often tell my clients that people like subheads in stories, so I think I’ll cover all three topics with subheads meant to entice my readers.
Grants for Newspapers
I continue to hear from clients to share good news concerning their grant applications. Many of the newspapers I visit on-site have received grants – most often from their state Small Business Administration office – that allow them to retain training for their staff, among other things. Other grants are available from granting organizations that are not related to the government. I am convinced that if more newspapers knew there were grants for the taking, they would take advantage of these opportunities. Most of my clients who have successfully followed this advice have received grants in the $20-25,000 range. The smallest (I remember) was $5,000, and the largest was $100,000.
You don’t have to hire anyone to apply for a grant. At the risk of violating Nike’s trademark slogan, just do it. I advise contacting your county or state Small Business Administration office and asking about grants for small business staff training. Afterward, contact me if you want assistance completing the grant application process.
Focus Groups
Most of my hours in October and November have been reserved for working with newspaper focus groups. I can’t overemphasize the good that can be accomplished by hosting newspaper focus groups.
One of the first questions I get when talking with publishers about upcoming focus groups is, “How will we get enough people to volunteer to be a part of the group?” In the ten years I’ve worked with focus groups, that’s never been an issue. Last week in Washington, 25 focus group participants were selected out of the larger group that requested to be part of the opportunity. In South Carolina, where I’ll be next week, I understand hundreds have expressed an interest in being part of a focus group.
Whether you host focus groups on your own or get someone to plan them for you, focus groups are the best method I know of to determine where your newspaper should be headed.
Who’s Who in Publishing
See how a subhead can draw your attention? Research indicates readers are much more likely to read a long story if it contains subheads to break up the information. As I’m apt to do, I digress.
The third topic on my mind this morning involves my email inbox. When I opened my email, I immediately noticed the inbox was filled with messages from some of the most respected publishers in the newspaper business. If I had seen these names listed in a column, I would probably think it was the “Who’s Who in American Newspapers.”
The most requested topic of conversation involved discussing methods to increase readership (and revenue) in their papers. It pleases me to no end to hear publishers interested in growing their newspapers. It doesn’t seem that long ago that many publishers were convinced they might not have a product in the future. In 2008, a respected leader in the journalism academic world told me he was convinced there wouldn’t be a single printed newspaper available in the United States by 2018. He asked my opinion. I told him it might have been the “dumbest thing I’d ever heard.”
He seemed a bit dumbfounded and asked why I felt that way.
“Because,” I answered, “if there’s not one, I will start one and make a fortune. So, there will be at least one.”
He disagreed. He thought I was naïve to think there would still be newspapers in ten years. I’m so glad he was wrong. I’m still waiting for someone to create a tee shirt that says “Kevin was right!” on the back.
I’m nearing my 800-word limit. One column, three topics. Like most newspapers, I always try to give readers their money’s worth.
Kevin Slimp is a popular consultant, advisor and trainer in the newspaper industry, and for 21 years directed The Newspaper Institute of The University of Tennessee. His upcoming webinars on design, circulation, and software can be found at newspaperacademy.com
Email him at kevin@kevinslimp.com