The 20th anniversary Sunshine Week observance March 16-22 features an open government conference in Washington, D.C.

Activities are coordinated by the Joseph L. Brechner Freedom of Information Project at the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications, with support from the John S. And James L. Knight Foundation.

Sunshine Week is a nonpartisan collaboration among groups in the journalism, civic, education, government and private sectors that shines a light on the importance of public records and open government.

In a purchase effective Jan. 1, Moser Community Media, LLC has acquired the Fort Bend Herald, Alvin Sun, Alvin Advertiser and Wharton County Leader-Journal from Hartman Newspapers.

Murray and Mary Judson were honored at an impromptu retirement party on New Year’s Eve, hosted by their daughter and son-in-law Libby and Tom Ryan.

PORT ARANSAS – With the sale of the Port Aransas South Jetty effective Jan. 1, Murray and Mary Judson celebrated their first New Year’s in retirement.

The sale was announced in September with an agreement to sell the newspaper to Kelli Hartig, the newspaper’s general manager, and Dan Parker, editor. Transfer of ownership was effective Jan. 1.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Arkansas Society of Professional Journalists has announced the opening of the 2025 Diamond Journalism Awards. The annual contest is open to professional and student journalists, freelancers and communications professionals from  Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.

New hires, promotions and other personnel news reported at Texas newspapers and published in the February 2025 edition of the Texas Press Messenger.

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EMILY BANKS WOOTEN & MADISON BLAND

Polk County Enterprise

LIVINGSTON – Two promotions within the ranks of Polk County Publishing Company Inc. were recently announced by Publisher Kelli Barnes.

Obituaries published in the February 2025 edition of the Texas Press Messenger.

APRIL SUZANNE KELLEY

TAYLOR - April Suzanne Kelley, who had served since August as Granite Media Partner’s Central Texas area editor, including the Taylor Press and Elgin Courier, died Christmas Eve. She was 36.

A native of Monroe, Louisiana, Kelley was the first of her siblings to earn a college degree and worked nights to put herself through school before earning a Bachelor of Arts from Louisiana Tech University, with a focus on journalism.

The 2024 Texas Better Newspaper Contest opens Jan. 20 on the Advanced Contest Entry System (ACES) platform.

Participants have until Feb. 18 to upload entries on the platform, www.newspapercontest.com/Texas. 

Contest rules and eligibility guidelines are available now on the Texas Press Association website, www.texaspress.com/better-newspaper-contest-0.

WASHINGTON — Disclaimer: This is not a newspaper story. Let’s call it an analysis of an analysis.

Analysis by Donnis Baggett, Texas Press Association

The Poynter Institute’s latest “OnPoynt” report on the state of journalism has good news and bad news for hometown newspapers.

The good news: Your readers still consider you credible. They differentiate between the believability of their hometown paper and the national media, thank goodness. 

Every year, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) collects data on recycled newsprint. Texas law requires that newspaper publishers submit their report for 2024 to the TCEQ by Jan. 31. More information about the reporting requirement is available in the Texas Health and Safety Code, Section 361.430.

The current survey form is available online for publishers to fill out and return to the TCEQ. To access the 2024 survey form and for more information about the program, visit the TCEQ Recycled Newsprint website at https://www.tceq.texas.gov/p2/recycle/newsprint.html.

Nominations are sought for annual awards and recognitions to be presented at the 2025 TPA Convention and Trade Show in June.

Nominations are sought for the Texas Newspaper Hall of Fame, which recognizes newspaper veterans who have made outstanding contributions to the industry and to the communities they serve while mentoring and inspiring others to improve the quality of journalism. Nomination forms are available on the Texas Newspaper Foundation website, www.tnf.net.