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Build trust for your readers with Trust.txt

By THAD SWIDERSKI, President, eType Services

Trust in the online environment is critical in a world flooded with multiple sources of digital information. Users need news to help them make important choices and having trustworthy sources is essential to solid decision-making. Local newspapers offer a unique source of trust, both in print and online, but in the face of competing media streams they can struggle to find ways to authenticate themselves in this wild west of the web.

Don’t lie down on your newspaper

By AUSTIN LEWTER, director Texas Center for Community Journalism

I have a friend in Muenster who is 96 years old.

Alvin Hartman has worked at the Muenster Enterprise since he graduated high school in 1948.

He has done just about every job in the building at one point or another.

He’s been a sportswriter, a composition man, a pressman, the editor and even sold ads quite successfully back in the 70s.

He still clocks in a few hours a month to sweep the floor and run a few print jobs on an old Heidelberg press.

Establishing trust in an AI world

By KEN ESTEN COOKE, TPA President, 2023-24

The world seems to be moving at light speed. The somewhat slower pace we used to have at a weekly publication has ramped up exponentially since the dawn of the internet. In addition to our print products, we now publish websites, email newsletters, social media posts, videos, podcasts and more.

Breakfasts with Terry are good for the soul

By KEN ESTEN COOKE, TPA President 2023-24

We crawl into a booth or sit ourselves at a table. It can be during cold times of the year, where we can’t wait for the hot coffee to be poured, or a sweltering summer day, when we reflexively chug the complimentary water. But no matter the time of year, I value these breakfasts or lunches with Terry Collier, the retired publisher of the Fredericksburg Standard.

TCCJ is committed to you in 2024

By AUSTIN LEWTER, TCCJ Director

As we bid farewell to another incredible year, we find ourselves reflecting on the cherished partnerships that have made 2023 truly extraordinary.

It is with immense gratitude and joy that we extend our heartfelt thanks to you — the hard-working news folk throughout the Lone Star State. The Texas Center for Community Journalism exists to serve you and we sincerely hope we have fulfilled that mission in 2023.

We covered a lot of ground over the past year.

Celebrate careers in Texas journalism: Nominations sought for TPA awards

Texas Press Association is seeking nominations for awards to be presented at the 2024 TPA Convention & Trade Show June 20-22 in College Station.

The honors include:

• Golden 50 Award

TPA’s Golden 50 Award honors men and women who have displayed exemplary service and selfless contributions to journalism for 50 or more years.

To nominate an industry veteran, download a nomination form from the TPA website and return the completed form to TPA Executive Director Mike Hodges, mhodges@texaspress.com, by March 1.

Ask an Attorney: The GDPR’s ‘right to be forgotten’ and its applicability to Texas newspapers

The European Union’s (EU) General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a comprehensive data privacy and security law that imposes an array of obligations onto organizations that target the European market and collect personal data related to people residing in the EU. Article 17 of the GDPR, also known as the “right to be forgotten,” is one of its key provisions, allowing EU individuals to request that organizations delete their personal data if they no longer want it to be held and processed.

By MALLIKA DARGAN and GAVIN GEORGE, Haynes and Boone, LLP

Feb. 29 symposium celebrates innovation in rural journalism

Rural journalists in Texas and other states are invited to attend “Courage, Tenacity, Integrity and Innovation in Rural Journalism,” a free, one-day conference at the University of Texas on Feb. 29. The symposium will feature six Texas community journalists, including two winners of the Tom and Pat Gish Award for courage, integrity and tenacity in rural journalism.

Remaining optimistic in challenging times

By KEN ESTEN COOKE, TPA President 2023-24

As this is written, the holiday period brings both gratitude and gifts. As we turn the calendar page on another year, it’s time to add a third “G” — grit — to face a still-challenging publishing environment.

A new year brings a chance to hit the refresh button. We’ve all done our 2024 budgets and we now set out with energy and optimism for a fresh start. We do so knowing our industry will continue to be challenged, but with a determination to do our best and serve our communities.

Murdaugh trial can be a model for how judges balance free press and fair trial issues

By BENJY HAMM

Director, Institute for Rural Journalism University of Kentucky

The Alex Murdaugh murder trial in South Carolina is a good example of how a judge can balance the free press needs of the media with the defendant’s fundamental right to a fair trial, according to Jay Bender, a veteran First Amendment attorney.

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