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Member Services Guide

Publications

  • Texas Press Messenger — a monthly newspaper featuring the latest news in the Texas newspaper industry and beyond; the official voice of the Texas Press Association since 1926
  • TPA e-Newsletter — helpful information publishers need to know, the latest TPA membership news and event information, sent directly to your inbox once each month
  • Texas Newspaper Directory — the annual directory of all paid-circulation newspapers in Texas; identifies key managers, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, Web addresses and circulation; lists newspapers by county and group ownership; includes Associate Members, Board Members, TPA Staff and a list of all press associations
  • Winners' Circle — a publication of the annual Texas Better Newspaper Contest results
  • State Capital Highlights — a weekly aggregation of news about state government; available by subscription for member newspapers to publish
  • Law and the Media in Texas — online handbook for journalists on newsgathering, public access and ethical and legal issues, written by David McHam; co-sponsored by TPA and the Texas Association of Broadcasters

Advertising

  • Media Buying — a complete "One Order-One Bill-One Check" advertising service that covers every aspect of ad placement from space reservation and issuing insertion orders to trouble-shooting problems as they arise, gathering tearsheets and paying all newspapers in the ad schedule
  • Political Advertising — the Campaign Advertising Plan (CAP) simplifies newspaper advertising for candidates seeking political offices and provides volume discounts for qualifying orders
  • Texas Statewide Classified Advertising Network (TexSCAN) — a network of participating newspapers offering statewide and regional classified advertising at a deep discount
  • Texas Display Network — a network of participating newspapers offering 2x2 and 2x4 display ads at deeply discounted rates both statewide and regionally
  • Public Noticestexaslegalnotices.com is a statewide online database of public notices that have appeared in Texas newspapers
  • PR Media Release — TPA and partner state press associations provide a nationwide news release service for agencies and public relations firms to quickly and easily distribute information to all newspapers, broadcast and social media.

Education

  • Calendar
  • Convention
  • eNewsletter
  • Mobile Lab — on-demand mobile training provides hands-on training free to member newspapers through various software programs covering Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Acrobat and other topics
  • Tools & Resources
  • TPA Online Academy — free online continuing education modules for Texas journalists; classes offered through TPA; topics include News Writing, Headline Writing, Sports Writing and Feature Writing
  • Webinars 

Government Affairs

  • Public Information Act Handbook 2020
  • Open Meetings Act Handbook 2020
  • Legislative Support — the Texas Press Association Legislative Advisory Committee meets frequently during sessions of the Texas Legislature to discuss and plan action primarily on open government legislation
  • Bill Watch — an online database of legislation showing current positions the TPA Legislative Advisory Committee has taken on individual bills, including bill status and brief analyses
  • Legislative Actions Committee — publishers who are prepared to contact their state representatives and state senators quickly when notified of pending legislation that may impact freedom of the press and the public's right to know
  • FOI Hotline — Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas hotline for open government and public access issues
  • Libel Hotline — hotline for members with questions concerning libel issues
  • Legal Notice Laws of Texas — an online database of Texas legal notice laws; governmental bodies are required to publish public notices, pursuant to state statutes, administrative rules and rules of court

Contests & Awards

  • Texas Better Newspaper Contest — annual contest for member newspapers honoring the best content published in the previous year; winners are announced at the annual convention and trade show each summer and printed in the Winner's Circle
  • Lone Star Journalism Writing Contest — contest sponsored by Interscholastic League Press Conference, pairing high school journalism students and local newspapers
  • Golden 50 Award — an honor TPA bestows to men and women who have logged at least 50 years of service in the newspaper industry in Texas; awarded at each summer TPA Leadership Retreat along with a special pamphlet describing recipients’ accomplishments and listing past recipients
  • Fred Hartman Excellence in Sports Writing Award — co-sponsored by Hartman Newspapers L.P., this award provides a $1,000 prize and is given to a talented sportswriter each year
  • Frank Mayborn Award for Community Leadership — annual award for a newspaper executive who contributed most significantly to society during the past year

Other Services

  • TPA Newspaper Exchange — statewide peer publication swap that provides a great way to get new ideas and see what others are publishing
  • Listserver — email member-exchange network to share questions and concerns about newspaper issues
  • Job Bank — the most comprehensive newspaper-specific job bank in Texas for newspapers seeking employees and journalists looking for newspaper jobs
  • Buy, Sell or Trade Marketplace — a classifieds exchange for members to buy, sell or trade equipment or newspaper properties
  • Annual Convention and Trade Show — TPA members have the opportunity to attend an annual meeting that rotates through major cities in Texas; the Texas Press Conference and Trade Show is a business-oriented meeting with outstanding speakers, a trade show and silent auction. Publishers, ad managers and editors discuss forward thinking ideas and plans. Board members are elected and winners in the Texas Better Newspaper Contest are announced.