Laura Elder
GALVESTON – Laura Elder has been named managing editor of The Galveston County Daily News.
In her new role, Elder will directly supervise the newspaper’s reporters and assist the editor in planning and managing special news projects such as investigative and enterprise articles. She will continue editing Coast Monthly magazine, the newspaper’s business pages, its League City and Clear Lake Connection publications and continue to report and write Biz Buzz.
Donald Mace Williams, former owner and publisher of The Miami Chief, announced the publication of his newest book, “The Sparrow and the Hall.”
Williams and his wife, Nell Osborne Williams, owned and published The Miami Chief in Roberts County during the early 1980s. After working on newspapers for 12 years, Williams returned to college to finish his bachelor’s degree and went on to get a Ph.D. from the University of Texas. He is the author of two nonfiction books, another novel, and a single-poem chapbook, “Wolfe,” which is a retelling of the Beowulf story.
Welcome Patty Gardner
Texas Press Advertising Sales Manager
Contact Patty at (512) 477-6755 or pgardner@texaspress.com
Scott Wesner and Scott Wood have purchased the Coleman Chronicle & Democrat-Voice in a transaction which included colemannews.com and Coleman Pack & Ship.
“We’re really excited to be the new owners of the Chronicle & DV,” Wood said. “We’re looking forward to being involved with such a wonderful community.
Publisher Evan Autry, whose great-grandparents started the Chronicle in 1933, announced the change in a Dec. 2 newspaper column.
The deadline for filing your Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation (PS Form 3526) with the U.S. Postal Service is October 1 of each year. The filing and publication of this form is a requirement for maintaining Periodicals mailing privileges. Dailies must publish a completed copy of this form in their newspaper by October 10, and non-dailies by October 31.
USPS has revised PS form 3526. The new form has a July 2014 date at the very bottom of the form. The ability to claim electronic subscribers has been incorporated into the new form. PS Form 3526x (worksheet) is no longer necessary. Completing the form the last two years was confusing, especially having to use the worksheet. The new form is more straight forward and easier to complete.
PS Form 3526 is a three page form with a fourth page of instructions. Page one has not changed, and includes information on ownership and management. Page two will look familiar. The figures on this page relate only to print copies. Page three is for claiming Paid Electronic Copies. The entries there are very straight forward. Claiming electronic paid subscribers is voluntary. If you choose to not claim electronic copies, page three has a box to certify that at least 50% of all distributed copies are paid for above a nominal price, and a signature section.
There are specific requirements as to what defines a paid electronic subscriber. A print subscriber that is given free access to your electronic version is not a paid electronic subscriber. A paid electronic subscriber must pay a separate subscription rate that you have established for electronic subscribers. You are allowed to offer discounts to this rate but there are limitations.
Additionally, reporting less than 60% total paid subscribers on your Statement of Ownership could trigger a USPS circulation audit to verify your Periodicals eligibility. Also, at least 40% of your paid circulation must consist of printed copies.
An interactive template of the PS Form 3526 is available on the Texas Press Association website under Statement of Ownership in the dropdown menu under the tab Other Services. If you are submitting your Statement of Ownership through PostalOne, the new form should be there.
Please fax or mail a completed copy of you Statement of Ownership to the Texas Press Association office. Fax number is 512-477-6759. Mailing address is 305 S. Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78704. If you have any questions please contact TPA Periodicals Consultant Joel Allis at jallis@texaspress.com or at 512-585-6239.
Q: Our school district board of trustees hired a search firm to look for a new superintendent. Our reporter feels like they have a plan mapped out that will keep the public out of the loop as far as naming possible candidates for the job. How can we get the names of the finalists, and what's the definition of finalists? Are they candidates who are interviewed more than once or candidates who interview in person? Can the district put us off and name only one finalist, the person who gets the job?
A: School districts may pay a search firm to find a sole finalist. Many choose the Texas Association of School Boards to conduct the search through its Executive Search Services. The interview and selection process needs to be completed and the name of a finalist or finalists must be made public — "at least 21 days before the date of the meeting at which a final action or vote is to be taken on the employment of the person" — as required by the Texas Public Information Act, Government Code Section 552.126: Confidentiality of Name of Applicant for Superintendent of Public School District.
There is no definition of "finalist" in the law. Arguably, 552.126 is more about protecting applicants' identifying information than informing the public.
Give us some details about yourself. Where are you from? How long have you worked in the newspaper industry? Where did you get your start?
I am a San Antonio native, who obtained my bachelor's degree from what was at the time East Texas State University. I have worked in the newspaper business for more than 32 years. I started my career fresh out of college at the San Antonio Light, in my hometown. I started out as a night police reporter and worked my way up through the ranks, covering beats at the county courthouse and City Hall. I even did a stint as a "rewrite man" before going on to serve as an assistant city editor and ultimately the newspaper's Sunday/special projects editor. The paper closed in 1993 and I was appointed editor of the Valley Morning Star in Harlingen. I went on to take on my first publisher's job in 1997 at the Porterville Recorder, a small, six days-a-week paper in California's San Joaquin Valley. After four years there I was promoted to a position at the corporate headquarters in Orange County, California, where I served as director of training and special projects for the community newspaper division. When the publisher's job opened up in Odessa back in 2003 I finally got to come "back home" to Texas. Never felt so lonesome as the time I had to surrender my Texas drivers license and obtain a California license when I moved out to the West Coast. I currently serve as publisher for the Odessa American and a regional vice president for AIM Media Texas LLC, which purchased the paper a few years back. I absolutely love it.
Tell us about your community and the life of a publisher. What's it like to work at the Odessa American?
Living and helping run a community paper in Odessa is about as fun and challenging as it gets. The region is going through its biggest oil boom ever and the hyper-growth experienced here presents incredible challenges and opportunities. It's hard to hire staff since our area has a labor deficit, but all of this growth means nothing but upside potential for us to grow this newspaper's audience and revenues. I see my role as publisher as more than just the "head bean counter." I consider myself the face of my newspaper in the community we serve and am very involved in many aspects of Odessa, ranging from serving on various boards to serving as current president of one of the local Rotary Clubs. I think it helps me in my job as publisher and helps the community see that this newspaper is engaged in Odessa life.
BRENT ADDLEMAN
Glen Rose Reporter
Brent Addleman has been named managing editor of the Glen Rose Reporter. He comes to the newspaper with 18 years of experience in community, service-minded journalism. "With the better part of two decades in the industry, Brent brings his passion for community journalism and leadership to the community of Glen Rose. We are proud to introduce him as the new managing editor," Publisher David Compton said.
Addleman began his career as a sports reporter in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and New York. He served as group editor of three daily newspapers based in St. Mary's, Pennsylvania, before becoming group editor for Tioga Publishing Company's four newspapers in north central Pennsylvania. He most recently served as page designer in Paxton Media Group's creative division in Owensboro, Kentucky.
SELMA GONZALEZ
Laredo Morning Times
Selma Gonzalez has been promoted to city editor of the Laredo Morning Times.
"Gonzalez has been an asset to this newspaper ever since she joined us as an editorial assistant," LMT Managing Editor Nick Georgiou said.
Gonzalez has been with LMT since 2012. As city editor, Gonzalez will oversee news reporters, coordinate local day-to-day coverage and assist with special projects. Gonzalez graduated from Texas A&M International University in May 2012 with a bachelor's degree in English and a minor in dance.
BY CAROLINE LITTLE
PRESIDENT & CEO, NNA
The sky is always falling and newspapers are always dying.
For more than a decade, that has been a common and constant refrain. While working at washingtonpost.com, the Guardian US, and now, the Newspaper Association of America, I have been asked frequently about the state of the industry as people search for the worst.
Though newspaper media is enjoying the largest audiences ever as well as continuing to play a unique and critical role in our communities, there is one fact that always tends to be obscured or outright ignored – newspapers are still making money and newspapers remain a good investment.
A year ago at this time, John Henry and Jeff Bezos made high-profile acquisitions of The Boston Globe and The Washington Post, respectively, which confirmed that newspapers are viable investment options with the ability to grow. Earlier this month, The Washington Post announced record web traffic for July as well as hiring more than 60 people in the first seven months of the year.
A company hiring 60 people in seven months sounds like a healthy one to me.
This summer, the newspaper industry has seen a wave of spin-offs, with Tribune and Gannett both forming publishing-only companies. E.W. Scripps and Journal Communications spun their combined publications off into a new company, Journal Media Group. This is an exciting time for the newspaper industry as these companies will now devote their undivided attention to their publications.
However, as with the investments last year, these spin-offs have been spun into more gloom and doom for the industry. It is simply not accurate.
In fact, buried in the depths of one particular article that signaled the death of newspapers is this gem of a sentence: "Newspapers continue to generate cash and solid earnings."
First Amendment and open government advocates will address court access, social media usage and updates to public records laws when the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas hosts its state conference Sept. 12.
This year's conference, "A Road Map to Open Government," takes place at the Hilton Austin and includes speakers and attendees from throughout Texas.
"It's an opportunity for Texans who are devoted to open government - whether at the state Capitol, city hall or the courts – to come together to learn and exchange ideas," said Kelley Shannon, executive director of the FOI Foundation of Texas. "We adhere to the principle put forth by our nation's founders that the people's participation in democracy is paramount, and citizens need access to participate."