Two bad public notice bills mark beginning of session

ANALYSIS By MIKE HODGES and DONNIS BAGGETT
Texas Press Association

As 2022 draws to a close, staffers of TPA member newspapers should start thinking about coverage, photos, special sections and other work they will enter in the next Texas Better Newspaper Contest.
The schedule for the next contest starts earlier than past years, so it’s already time to start narrowing down choices and gathering page PDFs for entries. There’s also a new contest platform for the statewide contest.

The Texas Press Association government affairs team will work alongside the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas and the Texas Sunshine Coalition in the fight for transparency and accountability reforms during the upcoming legislative session.
Among the issues:
• Restoring access to dates of birth in public records – access that was eliminated by an appeals court ruling.
• Plugging the “dead suspects” loophole used by officials to deny access to crime reports in investigations classified as “open” cases even though the suspect is deceased.

Why public notices belong in newspapers
1 The purpose of public notices is to make citizens aware of governmental actions and intent.  That’s why the Texas Constitution and numerous Texas statutes require them. There’s no more effective way to notify large numbers of people than with newspapers, which publish the notices both in print AND online.
2 Newspapers’ readership far exceeds that of any other medium. The number of print readers, combined with our online readers, makes total newspaper penetration most attractive to anyone who must reach a mass audience.

New hires, promotions and other recent staff changes at Texas newspapers.

Promotions, staff additions and other change reported at Texas newspapers.

Obituaries published in the November 2022 edition of the Texas Press Messenger.

Membership in an exclusive organization has its privileges. Texas Press Association membership now offers a new privilege — free, self-paced online training for journalists at member newspapers. Today’s publishers have a tough time hiring experienced journalists for their newsrooms — particularly those in smaller markets.  

Restoring law enforcement transparency and access to dates of birth in public records are major priorities of two open-government legislators who spoke at the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas annual conference.
State Rep. Todd Hunter (R-Corpus Christi) and Sen. Nathan Johnson (D-Dallas) shared their views of the upcoming legislative session in a panel discussion moderated by Josh Hinkle of KXAN TV in Austin.

The Denton Record-Chronicle, Denton County’s primary local newspaper, and KERA, North Texas’ source for PBS and NPR programming, announced they are moving toward KERA’s acquisition of the newspaper.
According to a Record-Chronicle announcement published Sept. 28, the two organizations are currently in a discovery phase, with plans to close the acquisition in 2023.