Community journalism matters: Register today for annual convention

Texas Press Association members can learn about options for digitally archiving their newspapers at TPA’s 2019 Convention and Trade Show Jan. 24-26 at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Denton Convention Center.
Digital archiving is just one topic on the agenda for the convention, the first since TPA members voted to have one annual meeting.
Dr. Ana Kramer with the University of North Texas Library’s Digital Newspaper Program will discuss help available for having newspaper back issues digitally archived. The UNT library maintains the Texas Digital Newspaper Program as part of its Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu/, where more than 1.2 million pages of 400 newspapers are archived. 
In addition, Tai Kreidel of the Texas Tech University library’s Southwest Collection will be available at a booth in the annual trade show.
Guest speakers include a former president of the Newseum’s First Amendment Center, a digital pioneer in the development of newspaper websites and a legendary television news anchor and correspondent who started his career as a newspaper reporter in his native Texas. 
In addition, there will be topical sessions led by TPA members.
Activities begin Thursday, Jan. 24, with committee and regional press association meetings in the afternoon and the trade show opening reception that evening. The trade show featuring dozens of vendors continues Friday morning, Jan. 25, along with the silent auction benefiting the Texas Newspaper Foundation.
The Friday luncheon following the trade show and auction will feature “Revolution, Rights & Rock’n’Roll,” a program by Ken Paulson, former president of the Newseum Institute’s First Amendment Center. Also at Friday’s luncheon, TPA honors will be presented, including the Frank W. Mayborn Award for Community Leadership and the Fred Hartman Award for Excellence in Sports Writing. 
Afternoon conference sessions will include a legislative update with Legislative Advisory Committee Chairman Bill Patterson of the Denton Record-Chronicle and topical discussion sessions on “Going Viral” with Michelle Banse Stokes, Colorado County Citizen, and Jennifer Gray Richardson and Casey Stinnett, Liberty Vindicator; “Partnering and Sharing Content” with Lou Antonelli, The Clarksville Times; “Using Facebook” with Priscilla Lobenberg, TPS marketing executive; and “Redesigning Rate Cards” with Thad Swiderski, eType Services.
At the Friday night banquet honoring the 2019 Texas Newspaper Hall of Fame inductees, Hearst senior vice president Lincoln Millstein will present his “Paper Cuts” program relating his experience as “a digital terrorist inside the turbulent world of newspapers.” 
Friday’s events conclude with a hospitality event after the banquet.
More topical discussion sessions are planned Saturday morning, Jan. 26, including “Paths to New Revenue” with Jake Mienk, Palestine Herald Press, and Lange Svehlak, Athens Review; “Data to Drive Dollars: Key Findings From the Latest Pulse Research Survey” by Sammy Papert, president of Wormhole, LLC; and the UNT library program on digital archiving of newspapers.
The closing brunch program Saturday will feature two old friends who shared college experiences and began their long journalism careers together: retired former CBS News anchor and chief Washington correspondent Bob Schieffer and Wise County Messenger publisher Roy Eaton. Their program will feature “Projections and Reflections” from their decades of news experience.
Registration forms are available online at http://texaspress.com/midwinter-conference. Newspapers that have subscribed to and run two of the three TPS advertising networks – TexSCAN, Texas Display Network and Texas Online Network – for the past calendar year will receive one complimentary registration, including meals and hotel accommodations covering the nights of Jan. 24-25. Ad Network participants should use the Ad Network/TexSCAN registration form, and hotel reservations are made for them by TPA. 
For non-Ad Network participating members, the TPA sleeping room rate is $129 per night. Hotel reservations for the conference must be made by Jan. 9. To reserve a room, call (940) 243-3799 and mention the Texas Press Association room rate.