General Interest

Convention deadlines only weeks away — June 4 The 129th Summer Convention is June 19-21 at the Sheraton Arlington Hotel and deadlines for the meeting are fast approaching.

The deadline to reserve rooms and to register for the convention is Wednesday, June 4. Hotel reservations can be made online. Room rate is $108 per night. Registration for the convention also is available online.

The convention program is packed with informative sessions and ample entertainment options, including the Friday night dinner and show at Six Flags Over Texas. Don't miss this exciting event! Sign up today.

Deadline for Golden 50 nominations May 1

Know someone with 50 or more years in journalism? Nominate them for TPA's Golden 50 Award. But hurry! The deadline is May 1. The award recognizes men and women who have dedicated 50 years service to journalism.

'Covering Latino Communities' online course May 5-30

Only a few spots remain for the TPA Online Academy course “Covering the Latino Community.” The free May 5-30 writing course is offered through the University of Texas at Austin School of Journalism. Download a registration form (PDF).

Headline Writing free online course June 9-July 8

The TPA Online Academy will offer Headline Writing with Griff Singer June 9-July 8. The course is in partnership with the University of Texas School of Journalism. Class size limited to 20 students. Download a registration form (PDF).

Special offer for TPA newspapers: $50 fee for the SNPA Leadership Forum

Southern Newspaper Publishers Association is hosting its annual Carmage Walls Leadership Forum in San Antonio, May 18-20, and is extending a special $50 registration offer for Texas newspapers.

“This is a reprise and update of the program we held last year in Georgia,” said SNPA executive director Edward VanHorn, “and one of the best programs for newspapers managers SNPA has ever held. It is an extraordinary opportunity for managers of newspapers to talk about strategy, organization and leadership and to acquire tools to improve their companies’ performance.”

The program is presented by former publisher John Greenman, a well-known expert and speaker on newspaper management, and a distinguished journalism professor at the University of Georgia. The two-day program will be held at the Emily Morgan Hotel, adjacent to the Alamo. The room rate is $139.

Please call SNPA at 404-256-0444 by May 2 to register for the conference and secure a room.

Complete program details can be found at: www.snpa.org/cwalls2008.

Postal

New postal forms, rate changes take effect May 12

Newspapers should prepare for new periodical rates and changes in postage statements that take effect May 12. The good news is that smaller newspapers may experience a rate discount for out of county mail under the changes.

The price of a first-class mail stamp will rise to 42 cents, up a penny from the current 41 cents. The USPS said Forever Stamps purchased prior to May 12 at 41 cents still will be honored, even after the price change.

The rate changes also include lower additional-ounce price for presorted first-class mail letters and lower pound price for standard mail saturation and high-density flats.

But one of the biggest gains for smaller newspapers is the preferred rate discount — 5 percent discount on out-of-county periodical mail for publications with less than 5000 circulation. This is a big win for community newspapers, and the result of many years of effort spearheaded by the National Newspaper Association.

Another change for periodical mail affects tub/tray rules. When placing unbundled mail in flat trays, those pieces within the tray are claimed at the rate level for the tray and eliminate the bundle charge. Read more from USPS ...

Editorial

Celebrate World Press Freedom Day May 3

The World Association of Newspapers is marking this year's World Press Freedom Day May 3 by drawing attention to the treatment of journalists in China. The WAN set the theme of "The Olympic Challenge: Free the Press in China!" for this year's event, in anticipation of the Summer Olympics to be held this summer in Beijing.

Newspapers can help promote press freedom with free photographs, cartoons, editorials, public service ads and infographics all available on the WAN World Press Freedom Day site. The materials cannot be published before May 3.

Federal subpoenas of journalists increase, study shows

Federal subpoenas demanding confidential information from journalists are more widespread than they were five years ago and aren't limited to cases involving national security, according to the author of a soon-to-be-released survey of major television stations and daily newspapers, American Journalism Review reported.

The study offers the first independent tally of media subpoenas, a figure that proponents and opponents of a federal shield law for journalists have argued about for years. Although a peer-reviewed academic summary of the study probably won't be released until next fall, its author, University of Arizona law professor RonNell Andersen Jones, says now is the time to talk about it. ... read the full story at AJR

Free Texas-themed cartoon available for newspapers

Click for sample cartoons.

Cartoonist Roger Moore is making his comic "MOORE TEXAS" available free to Texas newspapers. The comic is available weekly and is usually historical and date specific to the week of publication. Subjects might include an unusual event, weather fact, etc.

The cartoons are sent weekly by e-mail on Sunday or Monday. Over a dozen publications currently run the feature. To subscribe contact Roger Moore by e-mail or phone 512-263-6943.

U.S. Census Bureau gears up for 2010

In 2010, the U.S. Census will conduct the next census. Taken every 10 years, the census affects political representation and directs the allocation of billions of dollars in government funding.

The U.S. Census Bureau is reaching out to members of the media to help them reach people in their community and encourage them to become a 2010 Census partner. For more details see this media fact sheet.

The regional contact for Texas newspapers with questions about the 2010 Census is Jenna Steormann, Dallas Regional Census Center media specialist, at 972-755-3657, cell: 817-808-6073 or by e-mail.

Training

Don't just report the story. Tell it like it is.

The Society of Professional Journalists invites early career reporters and front-line editors to step out of the inverted pyramid and into the art of storytelling! Through SPJ’s Narrative Writing Workshops, participants will learn options for reinvigorating the writing craft.

Join Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and reporter Tom Hallman, Jr., from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, June 21, at the University of Houston. Register Online: $60 non-SPJ members $40 SPJ members.

Advertising

Restaurant guide offers food for thought

In designing its area restaurant guide nine years ago, the retail advertising staff at The Courier of Conroe, understood that, sometimes, smaller is definitely better. That’s why the staff packed an enormous amount of information about area eateries into a handy 10” x 6” guide, called “The ‘I don’t know … What do you want?’ Guide to Dining in Montgomery County.” read more ....

Internet

Federal safe harbor for Web forums grows smaller after Ninth Circuit ruling

By Paul Watler, Jackson Walker

Internet service providers who shape or direct the contribution of content onto their Web sites may not enjoy the safe harbor protections Congress provided more than 10 years ago, according to a closely watched opinion from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. ... read more at jw.com

The Online Credibility Gap: First survey to poll readers and the newsroom

Nearly 75 percent of the public users of online local news and 74 percent of editors trust a news organization's news report online the same as in print or broadcast.

More than 60 percent of editors said it would be harmful to good journalism online to invite users to participate without using their real identities, compared to 45 percent of the users saying so.

These are the findings in a new survey by the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute, in partnership with the Associated Press Managing Editors, of credibility of online local journalism. The survey examines opinions of the general public as well as newsroom editors regarding the credibility of online local news content, interaction between newsroom and readers, and the attributes that comprise good journalism practice online. read the full report...

NIE

Contest helps high schools start newspaper

Do you know a teen who wants to start a high school paper? HSJ.org can help!

The American Society of Newspaper Editors is co-sponsoring a national contest in conjunction with MTV's The Paper, a series about the fiercely competitive students on The Circuit at
Cypress Bay High School in Weston, Fla.

Newspapers can share this contest info with high school teachers in their community who may be thinking about starting a school newspaper.

Study shows link between journalism programs, academic performance

High school students who participate in school journalism programs earn significantly higher grade point averages, score better on college entrance exams and demonstrate better writing and grammar skills in college compared with students who had no involvement with their school’s newspaper or yearbook, according to a study of more than 31,000 students by the Newspaper Association of America Foundation.

The research, “High School Journalism Matters,” confirms findings from a study conducted by the Journalism Education Association and ACT in 1987, which also showed positive academic performance among students involved in journalism programs.

In both the 1987 and 2008 studies, students with journalism experience had higher scores than non-journalism students in these areas: High school overall grade point average, ACT composite score, ACT English, college freshman GPA and college freshman first English course grade.... read more in the study executive summary (PDF)