March 2002, News Briefs |
TNF Seminars at TCU
FORT WORTH — Registration is under way for the May edition of the Texas Christian University/Texas Newspaper Foundation journalism workshops.
The two concurrent workshops, “A Community Journalism Shortcourse in Pagination” and “Writing for Your Readers: Reporting and Writing in Community Newspapers,” will be held on the TCU campus in Fort Worth May 29-31.
The pagination workshop is being held for the fourth time. Led by Dr. Jerry Grotta and Broc Sears, both of the TCU journalism faculty, the workshop offers a special “take-it-home” feature. The entire workshop, including all of the PowerPoint displays and all class notes, is given to every participant on a CD-Rom so they can conduct newsroom pagination workshops at their own newspapers.
The writing workshop is designed for anyone new to the world of journalism, workshop director and TCU Department of Journalism chairman Dr. Tommy Thomason said.
“This workshop is a day-and-a-half crash course in writing and editing,” Thomason said. “It’s a great overview of newspaper reporting and writing for anyone who’s new to the profession or even anyone who has needs his or her batteries re-charged.”
All TNF workshops begin on Wednesday evening and continue until Friday noon. The workshops are presented without cost to participants, and hotel and meals are free to those chosen to attend.
Anyone wanting more information can contact Thomason at tpaseminars@tcu.edu or 817-257-6551.
Zapata weekly changes hands
ZAPATA — The Zapata County News changed owners March 7 after nearly two decades in the same family.
Mark Henry, former president of Granite Publications, and partner and former publisher Sean French formed Falcon Publications and purchased the weekly from Bob and Kate McVey, who had owned and published it for the last 17 years.
“Sean and I have been scouring Texas since July, looking for the right situation and became very excited when we found McVey had built a great team in Zapata,” Henry told the Laredo Morning Times.
Henry did not plan any major changes to the 2,072-circulation weekly that sits on the Texas-Mexico border. The News was founded in 1982.
Henry brings more than 20 years experience in community newspapers. He also is a director of Texas Gulf Coast Press and South Texas Press associations.
French was publisher of The Highlander in Marble Falls, Bandera Bulletin and Burnet Bulletin, which also are owned by Granite.
McVey also owns W.B. Liberty Software, which was a vendor at the TPA Trade Show in January. McVey was known for feisty reporting and exposing corruption in local government.
Lubbock daily redesigns
LUBBOCK — The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal last month unveiled its first redesign in 10 years.
The makeover coincided with the daily’s switch to the narrower 50-inch web width. The new design was the result of more than a year working with consultant Ed Henninger and staff members throughout the newspaper.
The design includes a new “power head” that tells the reader what the story is about and new fonts for body copy and headlines.
Press group issues report on post 9/11 coverage
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press released a special “RCFP White Paper” chronicling the effects the war on terrorism has had on media coverage.
The 34-page report, called “Homefront Confidential: How the War on Terrorism Affects Access to Information and the Public’s Right to Know,” outlines actions taken over the last six months by state and federal government agencies that limit the ability of journalists to do their jobs.
The report was released at a national Freedom of Information Day conference at the Freedom Forum.
It summarizes problems journalists will have collecting information because of the USA PATRIOT Act, President Bush’s order for military tribunals and secret detention hearings in immigration courts.
The report also analyzes Attorney General John Ashcroft’s Oct. 12 directive on interpretation of the federal Freedom of Information Act.
The Homefront Confidential report was funded by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
To read the report log onto www.rcfp.org.