| July 2007 | |
'With TPA, you never have to go it alone'
It is a privilege to be representing this great organization and something a country news editor never dreamed. I ’m sure the folks on my Denton Record-Chronicle daily newspaper route in the University Park subdivision had no clue my newspaper career could lead to this almost 40 years later. Outlining the many fabulous benefits of this association is somewhat akin to preaching to the choir. Still it doesn ’t hurt to be reminded. With TPA, you never have to go it alone. Of all the many benefits to this wonderful organization, I would have to rank that right at the top of the list. Regardless of what challenge you may be facing with your newspaper, you are not alone. Whether you have a specific question about computer hardware, software, legal issues or postal problems, there is someone on the TPA staff or some member who is ready, willing and able to help you. They may have the answer you need or be able to point you to a helpful resource. Even if all you need is a friend to commiserate with, you will find one in TPA. Someone, somewhere in this organization has gone through what you are going through and is willing to share their experiences. We in the communications business sometimes do not communicate with each other as well as we could or should, but there ’s really no need to reinvent the wheel every time you face a problem. One of the numerous benefits of technology has been the creation of the e-mail list server. Countless times Texas newspaper men and women have tracked down answers to problems, sometimes within minutes – a process that could have taken days or weeks in the past. No longer do you need to wait on the right seminar, convention program or late-night bull session (we call that networking now). Just throw your problem out there, and you will be amazed at the range of knowledge and opinions you will find. And even a little humor, which seems to emanate mostly from the south end of the state, but that ’s another story. Some of the answers you receive may not directly benefit you today, but they can give you a fresh perspective on something that might crop up in the future, and give you the ability to face a challenge in a much more informed and knowledgeable way. And just as important as what you might find is what you might give. You may indeed be the one with the expertise someone else is looking for. Don ’t hide it under a rock. It’s a free resource, and it’s right at your fingertips. Thanks to TPA. If you’re not signed up for one or more list servers, I would encourage you to do so. If you ’re one of those you got off the list early on because you weren’t quite sure what it was, I would recommend giving it a second try. A quick note about the name of this column. A college friend liked to call my particular outlook on life Phil-osophy or Phil-ology as we debated the great topics of the day. So when I joined the Bowie News in 1978 and was told I would be writing a weekly column, I wanted to come up with a name in the same vein as the publisher Jim Winter, who wrote “Jim’s Gems” every Thursday, and the general manager, Finis Bratcher, who wrote “Bits and Barbs by Bratcher” every Sunday. After several variations we settled on this name. When we bought the Clay County Leader in 1995, I revived the title. Jim and Finis taught me a lot about this business, and unfortunately neither is alive to celebrate the TPA presidency with me, so it is in their honor that I will share my perspective with you over the next year. If you have any concerns about TPA or the news business, I hope you will contact me. |
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