Congress Must Pass Journalism Bill to Save Local News, Stop Dangerous Misinformation
By the News/Media Alliance
Arkansas Press Association PUBLISHER WEEKLY
End of a run: Press Foreman Ricky Walters retires after 45 years
By Randal Seyler
This article was originally published in The Saline Courier and is reprinted with permission.
When Ricky Walters wandered into the Malvern Daily Record office looking for a job, he only thought he’d be there until he found the right thing for him.
Just a few years out of Magnet Cove High School, he’d already tried his hand at a few different trades but none of them really stuck –until he got a chance to be an apprentice pressman.
That was 45 years ago.
“I was working in circulation, and I was curious about what they did in the pressroom,” said Walters, press foreman of The Saline Courier, who wound up his ink-stained career on August 27.
“We’re grateful for the tenacity and 45 years of devotion to
newspaper printing and production that Ricky has given to our industry,” said Rhonda Overbey, publisher of The Saline Courier
“Ricky is grounded in a strong faith and a wonderful family; we know he’ll enjoy this retirement.”
Walters’ career as a pressman began innocently enough. Even though he was working in circulation for the newspaper, he was curious about how the press operated and what it took to print a daily newspaper.
“I asked the pressman, how long it would take to learn how to run it, and he said, ‘about six months.’”
Six months later, Walters was not only running the press, he was left on his own to print the newspaper. That first solo experience went fine. However, the second time he was left to do the job, the press wouldn’t start.
“I ran out and caught them before they left,” Walters remembered.
Press Foreman Ricky Walters adjusts a unit of The Saline Courier’s Goss Community press in early August. Photo by Randal Seyler/The Saline Courier.
Walters
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“The pressman came back in and he couldn’t get it to start either.” As it turned out, there was an electrical problem with the press and outside help was summoned. “It was above our heads,” he added with a chuckle.
After graduating in 1976, Walters’ first job was at a gas station in his hometown of Magnet Cove, and then he tried working at a Fred’s discount store. “I did that for one week, and decided that was not going to work,” he recalls with a laugh.
He also worked installing HVAC ducts with family members, and tried his hand as a bricklayer. None of those jobs really stuck.
Then on Aug. 27, 1979, he got hired at the Malvern Daily Record working in circulation. “It wasn’t intended to be a final stopping place.”
A couple of years later, Walters met his future bride, Morgenson, while out with friends.
The couple were married in December 1981, and they will celebrate 43 years together this winter. They have three daughters, Debra, of Jacksonville, and Tabitha and Tamara of Malvern.
After more than a decade running the press in Malvern, Walters changed jobs, coming to Benton to run the pressroom for the then-named Benton Courier in September of 1993.
While the job of running a press has remained stable over the years, the same cannot be said of the newspaper industry. Walters can’t recall all the changes in company ownership or how many publishers he worked with over the years. The biggest changes he has seen have been technological, especially with the computerization of newspaper production.
“I have seen it go from pasting up the pages on paper, shooting a negative on a camera then burning that to a plate to the process
moving from the computer to the plate,” Walters said. “There’s still parts of that computer that I don’t understand.”
Although Walters changed his jobs (although the Malvern Daily Record and The Saline Courier would eventually be owned by the same company), he has lived in Malvern throughout his career, making the drive from Hot Spring County to Benton daily for more than 30 years.
Over his four-and-a-half decade, Walters said he only didn’t make it in to work one time, and that was due to snow and ice. “That was in February of either 2021 or 2022,” he said, “and there was 20 inches of snow on the ground.”
Walters said one of the most memorable days in his career was December 23, 1982, when an EF-2 tornado hit downtown Malvern.
“I was at the newspaper when it went through there,” he said. “It missed the newspaper building but went through the other side of town. When it hit, it really did a number.”
However, the printing press never lost power and the newspaper came out the next day with coverage of the disaster.
“What would you tell your young self if you could go back in time?” Walters is asked, and he grins. “Take better care of yourself,” he answers. “Several of the things I’ve done I don’t think I’d do it quite the way I did it the second time around.”
“I’ve been here enough years to see so many things come and go, and to see things keep changing so much,” Walters said. “I’ve seen a world of changes that I never thought I would see.”
“We’ll miss Ricky,” Overbey said. “All of us at The Saline Courier and Malvern Daily Record are thankful for Ricky and wish him the very best.
Walters (right) watches as plates are installed onto the press prior to an edition of the Malvern Daily Record being printed in the pressroom at Benton. Photo by Randal Seyler/The Saline Courier.
Walters poses with the historic marker in front of The Saline Courier’s offices in Benton. Photo by Randal Seyler/The Saline Courier.
Russellville’s Courier celebrates 100 years of daily publication
The Courier in Russellville celebrated its 100th anniversary as a daily newspaper with a ribbon cutting and open house on Tuesday, Sept. 10.
The Russellville Area Chamber of Commerce conducted the ribbon cutting. Among those attending were Russellville Mayor Fred Teague, Pope County Judge Ben Cross and State Representative Matt Duffield.
The Courier traces its roots back to 1875, when it was founded as the Russellville Democrat. A competing weekly, the Russellville Courier, was founded in 1897 and the two newspapers merged in 1898 to publish as The Courier-Democrat. Daily publication of The Courier-Democrat began in 1924, with the publication’s name changing to The Courier in 1994.
On staff at The Courier are David Holgate,
Travis Simpson, Sean Ingram, Andrew McMahan, Olivia Snelson, Judy Manning, Danielle Fitch, Sheila Porter, Jackie Jones, Patricia Spears, Steve Douthit, Jody Johnson, Jason Fielder, James Bowen, Danny Poole, Thomas Willis, Brad Johnson, Paul Mooney, Aaron Johnson, Zenas (Doc) Smith Jr. and Danny Acosta.
Historic newspapers to be preserved by Arkansas State Archives
Representatives from the Arkansas State Archives recently traveled to Manila to retrieve bound volumes of historic area newspapers for preserving on microfilm.
Terra Titsworth, archival manager for imaging and preservation Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, Arkansas State Archives, and Matt Myers, an archival assistant, collected issues of the Manila Sentinel spanning 1951-1959 and 1960 to 1966, along with a few miscellaneous issues of the Town & Country and The Town Crier, for preservation.
Titsworth said the task includes ironing newspapers for a clean transfer. She works with publishers, genealogical societies and county officials on special projects such as this. Myers maintains the dark room, duplicates and processes the film, maintains the inventory and films 75 current Arkansas publications for archiving.
“In the last year, we have completely upgraded all of our equipment, which has been challenging but very beneficial,” Titsworth said.
Local historian Donna Jackson expressed her appreciation of the work the Arkansas State Archives does to preserve newspapers which contain so much local history. “It is an important job putting the pages on microfilm for future preservation,” Jackson said.
When archiving is complete, the original books and newspapers will be returned. Copies of the microfilm will be kept in the Arkansas State Archives and also stored at the Main Street Historical Museum in Manila.
Annual National Newspaper Week theme, dates are announced
Since 1940, Newspaper Association Managers has sponsored and supported National Newspaper Week, a promotion of the newspaper industry in the United States and Canada. This year, the 84th celebration of National Newspaper Week is set for October 6-12.
This year’s theme, “#TellingOurStories2024,” was created by the Kansas Press
Association and is built around the unique role newspapers play in communities. Publishers, editors and journalists who make up the heart of our industry are invited to share their stories about why they are in the newspaper business by running house ads, editorials and editorial cartoons during the week.
“Every one of us has a story about what
led us to this profession. Maybe it was the thrill of chasing a breaking news story, the joy of telling the untold tales of our community, or the drive to hold the powerful accountable,” said 2024 National Newspaper Week Chair and KPA Executive Director Emily Bradbury. “These are the stories that define us, inspire us, and keep us committed to the work we do every day. Our voices are powerful, and our stories are worth telling.
Visit nationalnewspaperweek.com to download advertising and social media materials, plus relevant editorial columns and cartoons. All are available for use at no charge. Many of the materials are undated and can be used at any time of the year as a reminder of the importance of community journalism.
Terra Titsworth and Matt Myers pick up bound copies of newspapers to be preserved on microfilm. Photo by Donna Jackson. Courtesy NEA Town Courier.
International Newspaper Carrier Day set for Oct. 7
Each year, at the end of National Newspaper Week, the newspaper carriers who are working hard to get the newspaper into the hands of readers are recognized.
Saturday, October 12, 2024 has been designated as International Newspaper Carrier Day, as a salute to the many newspaper carriers and postal workers who deliver the news to subscribers.
House ads have been produced by the News/Media Alliance for newspapers to run in their print publications as close to Oct. 12 as possible, to thank our hardworking newspaper carriers and postal workers, without whom many people would not receive the news.
Newspaper Carriers
To download the materials for this year’s Newspaper Carrier Day, visit www. newsmediaalliance.org/internationalnewspaper-carrier-day-ad/
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SPJ to present “Breaking [Bad] News” panel discussion
The Arkansas Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists will host a panel discussion on the best practices of breaking news in a digital age at 6 p.m on Wednesday, September 25, at Stickyz Rock n’ Roll Chicken Shack in Little Rock.
In the world of journalism, sometimes ‘Breaking News’ can feel as intense and unpredictable as a ‘Breaking Bad’ episode,” said SPJ in the event announcement. “Both reveal the raw and often unsettling truths of our times, and can push reporters to the limits of deciding between being the first to the story or doing their due diligence.”
Included in the event is a contest with cash prizes. For more information or to RSVP visit https://www.facebook.com/ share/15AyWvdtPN/
America’s free press is in crisis. Today, local journalism, which is necessary to maintaining an informed and active citizenry, is struggling to survive as Big Tech companies – namely Meta and Google –have used their power to manipulate news and magazine publishers for their own financial gain. They set the rules for how, where and when we see news content online and how much revenue is made, and the government has failed to step in. By not negotiating with local news publishers on usage terms and refusing to pay them fairly – or at all – for their work, Big Tech has driven many local outlets out of business. And as newsrooms have downsized or shuttered, Big Tech has filled the void with untrustworthy sources.
These platforms are built to elevate content that drive clicks – favoring extreme and outrageous misinformation. Their revenue models are built to distribute divisive content, which could not be more alarming in our highly fractured and partisan environment. They undervalue quality news content and, as a result, the information ecosystem has grown increasingly confusing and unhealthy. For a functioning democracy, the government has a duty to ensure that every industry is operating fairly, and that major economic players are conducting business responsibly. As the spread of dangerous misinformation online has permeated our culture, we have all seen just how
Guest Column: Congress Must Pass Journalism Bill to Save Local News, Stop Dangerous Misinformation
By the News/Media Alliance
critical quality journalism is to sustaining a civic society. Elected officials now have a responsibility to reign in Big Tech – to restore fairness to the media industry and safeguard a pillar of our democracy.
We are asking members of Congress to support the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (JCPA), a bipartisan bill specifically aimed at addressing Google and Meta’s threat to the free press. The JCPA would provide a temporary, limited antitrust safe harbor for publishers of small, local news publications such as ours to collectively negotiate with Meta and Google for fair compensation for the use of our content. The bill is narrowly tailored to ensure that coordination by news publishers is only in the interest of protecting trustworthy, quality journalism, and is designed to incentivize and reward publishers who are investing in journalists and newsroom personnel. In fact, publishers that demonstrate an investment in their journalists will receive a higher portion of the funds that result from the negotiations each year.
In today’s partisan political climate, it is rare for Democrats and Republicans to agree on anything – but the JCPA is one important exception. The JCPA has bipartisan support, and elected officials from both parties agree that passing the JCPA will bring about much-needed change by making the news and publishing industries fairer for smaller media entities and local
operators.
We applaud those members of Congress across the country and on both sides of the aisle who have already shown their commitment to local journalism by cosponsoring the JCPA. But we need support from every member of Congress to ensure small and local newspapers are finally able to ask the tech platforms for the compensation they need and deserve.
We hope the Arkansas congressional delegation will agree that the honest, quality reporting we provide for our community – and the future of all local journalism – is worth fighting for. We urge them to join their colleagues in cosponsoring the JCPA today.
The News/Media Alliance is a nonprofit organization headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area. For the last 100 years, the organization has grown through the combining of a range of news and media publishing associations, most recently including a merger with MPA-The Association of Magazine Media in 2022. Its work focuses on the key challenges and opportunities of today’s media environment: Freedom of the press, public policy and legal matters, advertising growth, new revenue streams and audience development across all platforms. Learn more at www. newsmediaalliance.org.
