Guest Column:
Scrutinize letters during election season
By Jim Pumarlo
Arkansas Press Association Publisher Weekly
Vol.19 | No. 30 | Thursday, August 1, 2024 | Serving Press and State Since 1873
For Gerren Smith, community sports reporting is labor of love
When it comes to high school sports in Hot Spring County, Gerren Smith more than has it covered.
It’s a daunting task to report on six public schools and numerous separate youth athletic activities, especially for a one-person sports department. But it really is a labor of love for Smith, making it easier for him to meet the challenge.
Smith’s work recently was recognized in the Better Newspaper Contest sponsored by the Arkansas Press Association. He captured first, second and third place honors in the sports feature category within his circulation division.
His winning entry was a story about a football head coaching change for one of the teams he covers – the Glen Rose Beavers. It had a unique twist in that long-time head coach Mark
Kehner turned the reins over to his son, Steven Kehner.
“It was kind of a ‘like father, like son’ story, I guess you would say,” Smith noted. The elder Kehner had a 30year career that included a state title at Glen Rose as an assistant coach, two other state championship game appearances and an overall record of 142-46.
His son Steven was a star running back for the Beavers and is listed as one of the top career rushing leaders in Arkansas football history. He also played college football at Ouachita Baptist University. The younger Kehner has been serving as offensive coordinator for his father, who will remain at the school as athletic director.
“It’s all about keeping the tradition in the family,” Smith said.
Save the date: ArkLaMiss conference slated for November 7-8
Mark your calendar and make plans now to attend the ArkLaMiss Circulation and Audience Development Conference, returning November 7-8 to the Ameristar Casino and Hotel in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
The featured speaker will be popular sales and marketing trainer Ryan Dorhn, founder of media sales strategy firm Brain Swell Media and the creator of the 360 Ad Sales System taught to over 30,000 media sales professionals in seven countries. With a deep passion for the community newspaper business, Dorhn has been a part of half a
billion dollars in advertising revenue and works with over 200 newspapers each year. His 30-year media sales and marketing career includes leadership roles at PennWell Publishing, Morris Publishing, Disney/ABC and The New York Times. In addition, he is an Emmy Award winner, business book author and has been featured in USA Today and on Forbes.com
The event is presented jointly by the Arkansas Press Association and the Mississippi Press Association. Registration and the hotel room block will open in September.
Gerren Smith
Smith
Continued from page 1
The latest honors can be added to the list for Smith, who has been sports editor at the Malvern Daily Record since 2018. He won an earlier first place in the sports feature category for “First Ladies of the Gridiron,” a vignette on the wives of the head football coaches of the teams he covers.
“It was a look at what is involved in supporting their husbands in their coaching and some of the sacrifices a wife has to make,” Smith said. “Amazingly, all five teams covered in the article made the state playoffs that year.”
The five football schools Smith covers are Malvern, Glen Rose, Magnet Cove, Bismarck and Poyen. Additionally, he reports on sports at Ouachita High School, which does not have a football program.
Of course, Smith is involved in all the myriad sports sponsored by the schools in year-round competition. “I think I cover everything except boxing and lacrosse,” he said with a laugh.
“For some reason, I’ve just always had a passion for sports,” Smith said. “Everything has just fallen into a situation in which it has worked out for me.”
Smith began his career covering sports at the Hope Star in Hempstead County. That newspaper closed and he was out of work for a brief time before landing the position at Malvern.
“It felt so strange not being at a newspaper covering sports,” he said. “It was at that point that I knew for sure this is what I want to
be doing. I love telling other people’s stories, especially when they are good and positive.”
Smith has developed some great relationships and friendships in his sports coverage. “Youth sports are very important in our area,” he said. “We’ve got some very supportive parents here. They follow their kids in all that they do. They are very involved, and they want them to have success.
“We also have some excellent athletes here, kids who have the potential of playing Division I or Division II sports in college.”
Smith does all the sports reporting at the Malvern Daily Record, which publishes Tuesday through Saturday. He also paginates the sports section. He has had some stringer help in the past and appreciates several parents who provide photographs of games he can’t attend.
He covers all Malvern High School home football games and attends other county school football games when the Leopards are on the road. A big game is always Malvern vs. Glen Rose in the second week of the season.
One of the highlights for Smith was Malvern’s state Class 5A championship in football in 2022. He also covered numerous state championship games in his 11 years at Hope. They included Prescott football and basketball, Nevada basketball, Hope softball and soccer and Spring Hill baseball and softball.
One of Smith’s most exciting experiences was covering the college
See SMITH Page 3
Smith with then-Arkansas Razorback McTelvin Agim at the Razorback Football 2017 Media Day event at the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville.
Smith keeps an eye on the action while covering the Malvern Leopards playing against the Hope Bobcats in basketball at the Leopard Center.
Smith
Continued from page 2
football career of McTelvin Agim, a Hope player who was ranked as the ninth best recruit in the nation. He chose the Arkansas Razorbacks and Smith traveled to Fayetteville to share details with his readers at the Star.
“I attended media day, visited the press box and interviewed McTelvin in the locker room,” Smith said. “It was really neat and a big opportunity for me.”
Agim was drafted in the third round by the Denver Broncos and currently is on the roster of the Houston Texans.
Smith is gearing up for the upcoming football season and then all the other sports in the 2024-25 school year. He anticipates one of his teams, the Bismarck Lions, having a strong season in Class 3A. “They reached the state quarterfinals for the first time last year and they have just about everybody back,” he said. “They have a really good chance to go far this year.”
Smith grew up in Arkadelphia and graduated from high school there in 2001, playing basketball for the Badgers. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in mass communications with a minor in coaching from Ouachita Baptist University.
While in college, Smith was involved in radio work, both as an engineer and on-air. He did play-by-play, color commentary and sideline reporting at Arkadelphia and Ouachita sporting events. He also wrote for the Signal, the student newspaper.
Asked about his interests away from his busy work schedule, Smith joked that he likes to “sleep and rest.” He does enjoy watching sports and movies on television.
But an important part of his life is playing piano for the Sunday morning service each week at Gennesaret Missionary Baptist Church in Arkadelphia, where he lives. His mother, Myrtle Smith, is one of the ministers at the church.
Smith began playing piano while in the second grade in Arkadelphia. He switched to the school band for a couple of years in junior high and then back to the piano, where his focus remains today.
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Smith is one of the many hard-working and dedicated journalists telling their fellow Arkansans’ stories each week, sports being his passionate venue. “I really enjoy what I do,” Smith said. “I want to continue in this career and hope to go as far in it as I can.”
He appreciates the positive feedback he receives from parents and students concerning his work. “They tell me or text me that they appreciate it. They see the hard work that I put in and have congratulated me on the awards. But it’s not about me, it’s about them. The hard work I put in is from my heart. What I am doing is a gift from God and a blessing.”
Smith has won several APA Better Newspaper Editorial Awards over his career.
CALL 811 BEFORE YOU DIG
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Have your buried utilities marked before you dig.
NAM 101st Annual Summer Conference
Representatives from 26 press associations are gathering this week in Oklahoma City for the Newspaper Association Managers Annual Summer Conference.
NAM is a professional organization of executives of state, regional, national and international newspaper associations headquartered in the United States and Canada. NAM fosters communication and the sharing of ideas and information
among its members for the benefit of the associations managed by NAM members. APA Executive Director Ashley Kemp Wimberley is a NAM board member.
Pictured with some of the conference attendees is Danielle Coffey, President & CEO of News Media Alliance, who was a guest speaker Wednesday afternoon.
The conference runs through Friday, August 2.
ARE YOU HIRING?
APA member newspapers, media members and associate members can list job openings and other opportunities for reporters, editors, photographers and designers in the Arkansas Newspaper Connection, a weekly newsletter published by APA, at no charge.
Send your listings to info@arkansaspress.org
Media sales exec Rose Gladner dies at 60 after lengthy illness
Rose Clemmons Gladner, wife of Arkansas Broadcasters Association Executive Director Neal Gladner, died on July 30 at her home in Hot Springs, following a long illness. She was 60.
Gladner worked for nearly 30 years in
sales, mainly in print and broadcast media. A daughter of Earl Jr. and Bennye Clemmons, she was a 1982 graduate of Pine Bluff High School, attended Loyola University in New Orleans and obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in English from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Gladner began her media sales career in the 1990s at Arkansas Business Publishing Group in Little Rock. She joined the staff of the Arkansas Times as a social media account executive in 2012. In 2015, she went to work as a media manager for Brand Energy & Infrastructure (BIC) Alliance, and moved to the marketing team at Magic Springs Theme and Water Park in 2017. She joined Vowell Inc./AY Magazine in 2018 as an account executive, staying in the role for about a year.
She and Neal married in October 2001. She enjoyed travel, fashion, cooking and fine dining and had a passion for rescue dogs. She also delighted in volunteer work and fundraising, focusing on the Red Cross disaster relief services and the Alzheimer’s
Association, in honor of her father, who died of the disease. She previously served as cochair of the Candlelight Dinner honoring Coach Frank Broyles for his guidance to caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients. A lifelong Catholic, she considered being touched on the hand by Pope Benedict XVI during a visit to the Vatican a highlight of a trip to Italy.
In addition to her parents and grandparents, Gladner was predeceased by her nephew, Patrick Andrew Clemmons. She is survived by her husband, stepdaughters Janet Gladner and Megan Gladner (Don Sutton), brothers Skip Clemmons (Susan Day) and Neil Clemmons, sister Jane Clemmons, brothers-in-law Bruce Gladner (Peggy) and Hugh Gladner (Cindy) and numerous nieces and nephews.
Visitation and funeral mass will be on August 5 at St. Mary of the Springs Catholic Church in Hot Springs. Interment will follow at Graceland Cemetery in Pine Bluff.
Rose Gladner
Winners of Arkansas SPJ 2024 Diamond Awards announced
The Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists recognized the best of journalism at the Ron Robinson Theater on Wednesday July 24, during the 2024 Diamond Journalism Awards.
Several APA members and media members brought home top awards, including David Barham, Neal Earley, Dale Ellis, Jennifer Ellis, Joseph Flaherty, Grant Lancaster, Brenda Looper, Stephen Swofford, Staci Vandagriff and Michael Wickline of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Hunter Field, Antoinette Grajeda and Tess Vrbin of the Arkansas Advocate and Dwain Hebda of Ya!Mule Wordsmiths writing for AY Magazine, who was also named Diamond Journalist of the Year.
Field also received the Robert S. McCord FOI Award for coverage that focuses on the public’s right to know. Frank Lockwood of the Arkansas DemocratGazette was presented with the Charlotte Tillar Schexnayder Public Service Award, named in honor of the late Dumas Clarion publisher, for journalism that seeks
to benefit society through extensive coverage of an issue facing a community, state or region.
Arkansas Citizens for Transparency and APA Executive Director Ashley Kemp Wimberley received a special award from Arkansas SPJ in recognition of their valiant effort for transparency in the attempt to get the Arkansas Government Disclosure Act and Amendment on the November ballot.
In addition to recognizing finalists and winners across seven divisions, the event, which was presented by AY Magazine and emceed by AY Media Group President and Publisher Heather Baker, featured a special Q&A segment with Kevin Kelly and Donna Terrell of Fox 16, Arkansas’ longestrunning television news anchor team.
As a regional competition, the Diamond Awards drew 538 entries in 82 categories, including divisions that recognize professional journalism, student journalism, and communications from
Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas and Tennessee. SPJ members from Pennsylvania and Florida judged the competitions.
A complete list of winners and finalists in each category can be found at https:// arkansasspj.org/2024/07/29/arkansasspj-announces-2024-diamond-awardswinners-with-receptio
Al Cross retires from Institute for Rural Journalism on July 31
Al Cross, longtime director of the Institute for Rural Journalism at the University of Kentucky, officially retired this week.
Cross co-founded the Institute in 2004 with Publisher Al Smith Benjy Hamm, who succeeded Cross as director, joined
the University of Kentucky in 2023.
A graduate of Western Kentucky University, Cross has been involved in journalism for 45 years. Right out of college he became editor and manager of a weekly newspaper group and has covered every Kentucky legislative session since 1980.
He reported for the Louisville CourierJournal for 26 years, including more than 15 years as a political writer. In 1989, he shared a Pulitzer Prize with the CourierJournal staff, and in 2001-02 he was national president of SPJ. He was inducted into the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame in 2010.
Cross said the Institute operates under the proposition that rural Americans deserve good journalism as much as anybody else.
“He was able to take this Institute and make it into something that has helped countless journalists and news organizations across the country,” said Hamm.
Al Cross, left, stands with Ben Gish as Publisher Ellen Kreth and General Manager Shannon Hahn of the Madison County Record in Huntsville receive the Tom and Pat Gish Award for Courage, Integrity and Tenacity in Rural Journalism, Nov. 3, 2022.
Campaigns are in full swing as Election Day nears. Editors should pay extra attention to letters that give a thumbs up or thumbs down to candidates and other ballot initiatives.
Letter-writing campaigns have become as sophisticated and strategic as advertising campaigns. An unfortunate result is that many newspapers now charge for election-related letters. I appreciate the arguments for enacting the policy. It’s still disappointing, and I respectfully disagree.
The policy is perplexing as editors often bemoan the lack of reader interaction on opinion pages. Then, when election season swings around and letters naturally ramp up, newspapers limit debate to “paid opinions” only.
The pros and cons of paid letters could consume an entire discussion, but I pose one question as newspapers contemplate implementing the policy: Where do you draw the line? Orchestrated letter-writing campaigns occur year-round on a variety of issues before local policy-making bodies. Are you accepting only “paid opinions” in these instances as well? It’s a sure-fire way to squelch the lively exchange of opinions and vibrant community conversation.
That debate aside, editors can and should diligently enforce letters policies – and even take extra steps – during election season. Here are a few guidelines to consider. Newsrooms should brainstorm to tailor policies to their circumstances:
Edit in ample proportions. For starters, it’s a good bet that the introductory and concluding paragraphs can be eliminated from most election letters. From there, feel free to edit aggressively for redundancy. The delete button on your keyboard
Guest Column: Scrutinize letters during election season
By Jim Pumarlo
should receive extra workout as election day nears.
Limit the frequency and length of letters. Consider restrictions beyond normal letters policies. For example, limit individuals to one letter for the primary election campaign and one for the general election, or one letter per race for individuals weighing in on several contests. Set a word limit and make few exceptions without strong justification. A lot can be conveyed in, say, 300 words.
Verify. Confirm all letters, preferably with a phone call. Be wary of letters coming from the same email address, FAX number or other social media account.
Set parameters for responses. The letters column is typically used to respond to issues raised in stories, editorials and other letters. Letters usually should not be a forum for candidates to react to paid ads. The best guideline is that candidates respond to the message in the same avenue as the original message. There may be exceptions; an ad that contains misinformation or is terribly misleading may warrant a response in the letters column.
Establish deadlines. Deadlines are necessary to allow ample opportunity to debate issues. Set a separate deadline for letters that raise new issues. Publicize deadlines early and often.
Identify authors where appropriate. Some circumstances dictate that newspapers identify authors by position or relationship to a candidate. For example, school district business managers may write why it’s in the best interest to support a school levy referendum, or campaign managers might respond to criticism leveled against their candidates.
Set ground rules for rebuttals. Election season invariably produces letter-writing volleys. Don’t be afraid of implementing reasonable ground rules; it’s in the best interests of readers. A good rule of thumb – even in standing letters policies – is to limit each individual to an original letter and one rebuttal. Then kindly direct them to a private conversation. Dismiss any complaints that the other person had the last word; that will always be the case.
As an Eagle scout, I always reacquaint myself with the Boy Scout Law during election season. I have memorized the credo: “A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.”
I may be a bit facetious, but show me a candidate for elective office, and I can likely produce letters from supporters that extol values befitting of an upstanding scout. Editors are increasingly challenged to separate the wheat from the chaff in today’s orchestrated letter-writing campaigns. Election season demands special guidelines to let writers have their say and still maintain some control over the letters column. It’s opportune time to sound the alarm to candidates and readers alike.
Jim Pumarlo writes, speaks and provides training on Community Newsroom Success Strategies. He is author of “Votes and Quotes: A Guide to Outstanding Election Coverage” and “Bad News and Good Judgment: A Guide to Reporting on Sensitive Issues in a SmallTown Newspaper.” He can be contacted at www.pumarlo.com.