Archive for the 'General' Category

BNC Editorial Division winners announced

Sunday, June 21st, 2009

The winners of the 2008 Better Newspaper Contest were announced Saturday, June 20 as the grand finale of the 143rd Annual MPA Convention. Click here to download a complete list of the winners in Word format.

API hosts discussion on digital ethics

Thursday, June 11th, 2009

buttry2.jpgBlogs. Facebook. Twitter. To writers and reporters, these are new platforms to extend the reach of opinion and discourse with readers, not just friends and family. But to editors and publishers, blogs and social networks can be a source of frequent heartburn.

What are the ground rules for blogging and participation in online communities? How do we define ethics and objectivity in this digital age?

Steve Buttry, editor of The Gazette in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and an instructor for American Press Institute will lead the discussion next week at MPA’s 143rd Annual Convention in Biloxi. Buttry has spent over three decades as a reporter, editor and writing coach.

He was named director of Tailored Programs for the American Press Institute in 2005, devoting much of his time in the research and training of API’s Newspaper Next innovation project.

Buttry has trained journalists and newspaper executives at more than 200 newspapers, seminars and conferences in more than 40 states and Canadian provinces as well as Mexico, Japan and Germany. He is content coordinator for the No Train, No Gain Web site and a columnist for API’s Web site. Additionally, he is a member of Facebook and issues frequent Tweets with his take on the state of modern newspapers and journalism.

Take part in the important discussion Saturday morning, June 20, beginning at 8:45 am.

Who’s attending? Find out here…

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

The latest, up-to-date list of registered attendees for the 2009 MPA Summer Convention. Planning to attend? Register today!

Updated list of donated auction items

Thursday, June 4th, 2009

MSU football tickets! Dinner for two at Miko’s! Gail Pittman pottery! See all of the great items up for bids in this year’s MPA Education Foundation Silent Auction. If your newspaper or firm has not yet signed up to donate an item, please do so today!

Barbour will again address MPA delegates

Tuesday, May 19th, 2009

barbour.jpgGov. Haley Barbour will meet the press and take questions from delegates at the 143rd annual convention of the Mississippi Press Association June 19 in Biloxi at the Beau Rivage Resort.

In his second term as Mississippi’s chief executive, Barbour has become a regular guest at the convention, appearing before publishers, editors and reporters to discuss issues on his agenda and the correspondents’ minds. His general session address will begin at 9:45 a.m. in Magnolia A on the convention floor of the Beau Rivage.

The governor will be introduced by Ricky Mathews, president and publisher of Sun Herald Multimedia. Mathews developed strong ties with the governor and First Lady Marsha Barbour, serving on the coast recovery panel formed by the governor in 2005, following Hurricane Katrina. Both Mathews and Mrs. Barbour appeared on a panel together at the 2006 convention and again for a 2008 MPA Foundation roast of Mississippi Power Co. CEO Anthony Topazi.

Design guru wants to see your work

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

henninger.gifDesign expert Ed Henninger is encouraging members who will attend his workshop next month at the MPA Convention in Biloxi to send him samples of their work. Specifically, Henninger is encouraging attendees to email two PDF page samples: One of design you liked; the other of a design you didn’t. Send the PDFs to edh@henningerconsulting.com. Please include in the subject line: “PDFs for MPA Workshop.”

Follow the convention on Facebook

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

fb.gifIf you’re on Facebook, keep track of what’s going on with MPA and the 143rd Annual Convention by becoming a fan of the Association. Find MPA’s page by clicking here and then RSVP for the convention, June 18-20 in Biloxi.

Register for convention online

Wednesday, May 13th, 2009

If you’re a full registrant for convention, save yourself some time by signing up online. Transactions by credit or debit are secure and fast through PayPal. You’ll receive confirmation of your registraiton via email. If you’re not attending the full convention or prefer to sign up the old-fashioned way, simply download the registration form. For more information, contact Kimberly Haydu. See you on the coast!

State auditor to address convention

Wednesday, May 6th, 2009

pickering.jpgState Auditor Stacey Pickering will address delegates during a general session the morning of June 19 at the 143rd Annual Convention of the Mississippi Press Association.

A native of Jones County and a seventh-generation Mississippian, Pickering was elected as auditor in 2007 after serving a term in the State Senate representing District 42.

He earned his BA from Samford University and his Master’s from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in 1993.

Prior to serving in the Senate, Pickering was director of government affairs and inside sales manager for Howard Technology Solutions in Laurel.

He is a member of the National State Auditors Association, National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and Treasurers and the Association of Governmental Accountants.

Stacey and his wife, Whitney, live in Laurel with their four children.

The State Auditor is responsible for auditing all state agencies, county governments, school districts, junior colleges and universities; conducting investigations into abuse of public funds and violations of law; providing best practices for all public offices of regional and local subdivisions of the state, systems of accounting, budgeting and reporting financial facts relating to said offices in conformity with legal requirements and with generally accepted accounting principles; conducting inventory audits of all state property; and validating average daily attendance (ADA) counts in the state’s public schools.

Annual Convention is June 18-20

Monday, March 9th, 2009
logo09.jpg

The 143rd Annual Convention of the Mississippi Press Association will convene on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast June 18-20 at the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi.

The room block at the Beau Rivage is open and now accepting reservations for the MPA group rate of $139 nightly for June 17-18 and $179 for June 19-20. For more information, click here.

Confirmed speakers for the 2009 convention include Gov. Haley Barbour, State Auditor Stacey Pickering, design and content consultant Ed Henninger, University of Nebraska Dean of Journalism Dr. Will Norton Jr., and Ole Miss Department of Journalism Chair Dr. Samir Husni. Topics for sessions include preservation of public notices in our newspapers, design principals for today’s newspapers and ethics in the digital age.

Click here for registration information. Find more information about hotel rservations here. The cutoff date for registrations at the Beau Rivage is June 1.