The Postal Service’s updated five-year plan predicts mail volume will fall 18% during that period, while delivery points will grow by 5%, or 6.9 million. That, in turn, means revenue per delivery point (household or business) will decline 4%.
Those two projections, combined with ad dollars shifting to electronic channels, means trouble ahead for the Postal Service and its customers, including community newspapers. While privatization is not mentioned, that doesn’t mean forces in other parts of the government won’t be pushing in that direction.
Q: One of our local governmental entities, during a properly called open meeting, deleted comments posted on the livestream of that meeting as it was occurring. Is that allowed?
First off, let me congratulate Mike Probst, publisher of the Rockport Pilot, for being honored with the 2020 Frank W. Mayborn Award for Community Leadership. Kudos also to this year’s Texas Newspaper Foundation Hall of Fame inductees and winners in the Texas Better Newspaper Contest. It’s great to be recognized for your newspaper’s hard work and for providing strong journalism for your community.
MOUNT PLEASANT – Toni Rowan is the new editor and publisher of the Mount Pleasant Tribune, Pittsburg Gazette and Steel Country Bee.
The announcement was made by Mark Henry of Northeast Texas Publishing, LP. “We are happy to have Toni join us as the new leader for these newspapers,” he said. “We are confident she will help the newspapers better serve the readers, advertisers and communities throughout the counties.”
Obituaries published in the February edition of the Texas Press Messenger.
Rockport Pilot Publisher Mike Probst received the Frank W. Mayborn Award for outstanding community leadership in a presentation that came as a complete surprise, at least to him.
The presentation was part of the closing brunch of the 140th TPA Convention and Trade Show in Galveston.
The award recognizes a publisher or newspaper executive who has made significant contributions over the past year to the industry and the community. It is presented annually, and keeping the secret is challenging for TPA officials and for family members of the honoree.
Ramona Ferguson, publisher of the Banner Press Newspaper in Columbus, was elected president of the Texas Press Association at the 140th TPA Convention and Trade Show in Galveston.
She succeeds Laurie Ezzell Brown, who is now chairman of the TPA board of directors. TPA’s transition to officer installation in January is now complete after officers installed in June 2018 served terms spanning 18 months.
Q: The filing deadline for candidates in the March 3, 2020 primary election was Dec. 9. When were getting close to the deadline I was working on an article that included information on all candidates who filed to run.
I received word from a credible person that a sheriff’s office employee was going to file to run against the incumbent sheriff, but the candidate wanted to talk to me before I identified him in my news story, which could have been a delay tactic. Candidate filings are public records, correct?
When I assumed the role of Texas Press Association president nearly 18 months ago, I wondered what I could possibly bring to the table. Age and wisdom? Maybe. Age and experience? I suppose. Age? Got it.
More than anything, though, I was determined to honor the rich legacy of my predecessors.
A day or two later it dawned on me: not only would I have 18 columns to write, but I would be writing them for a fairly exclusive audience of my fellow writers and journalists.
My grandfather was both a farmer and a pilot, and understanding the weather was important for both of those occupations. As a kid, I was fascinated by his explanations of the various cloud formations and winds, as well as what each meant for the weather that was headed our way.
By Tony Smithson regional director, printing operations for APG Printing Solutions
From NNA
The newsprint market isn’t quite as complex as weather systems, but there are still signs we can look at to see what they say about the future.