MPA/MPS e-Bulletin

Dozens of photos, audio clips from the political sessions, and copies of the Mississippi Newspapers Online Survey have been uploaded at the MPA Summer Covention page.

USPS periodical rates are set to increase July 15. Dowload information on the increase, including a Postal Bulletin, rate table and copies of the new Form 3541.

• New 3541 Instructions
• New 3541 Statement
• Periodical Rates
• Postal Bulletin
• USPS Policies & Forms

Or, download them all: postalratehike.zip

From NNA: For the first time in recent memory, the National Newspaper Association’s National Convention will be held in the Mid-Atlantic region of the country. NNA will be in Norfolk, Va. this coming September 26-29 at the Waterside Marriott Hotel.The convention is a terrific opportunity to network with peers, to see what’s new in software, hardware and services available to our industry at the Trade Show, to attend informative seminars and roundtable discussions and to enjoy the hospitality of the Norfolk area. Among other events planned are an evening at Nauticus, including a tour of the battleship USS Wisconsin, and a special ticketed day trip to Jamestown and Williamsburg on Saturday.

Your newspaper does not have to be an NNA member to take advantage of all the convention has to offer. Of course, NNA members do get a preferential registration rate, so if you have plans to attend, consider joining NNA to get the best rate. NNA also will offer a daily registration if you can only come for one day.

The Overby Journalism Boot Camp will return to the campus of Ole Miss the week of July 9-13 and volunteers from MPA member newspapers are being sought to lead sessions with high school advisers on topics ranging from basic reporting to photography to column writing.

The Boot Camp is again this year coordinated by Beth Fitts, new director of the Mississippi Scholastic Press Association. The MPA Adviser Boot Camp will offer nine advisers six days of hands-on training in writing, photography, computer design, advertising, staff management and more. Advisers are from the following high schools: George County, Pearl River Central, Pearl River, Ocean Springs, Murrah, Tupelo, Oxford and Terry.

Other programs held during the week include:

• The Dow Jones/University of Mississippi Workshop (July 8 –16) has eleven students for the nine-day workshop. Students are from Tupelo; Pearl; Murrah; Germantown, TN; Lucedule; Madison Central and Grady High School in Atlanta, GA. These students will learn all the basic skills of journalism and will publish their own newspaper.
• The MPA/Overby/University of Mississippi Workshop (July 8-13) is six days plus a two-week internship with the students’ local sponsoring newspapers. Nineteen students are registered. They are from Pearl River Central, Lafayette, Ocean Springs, Pearl High School, Madison Central, Tupelo, Water Valley, George County and Oxford.
• The University of Mississippi Computer Workshop (July 13-16) will offer beginning through advanced skills in design and well as hands-on experience in desktop publishing and photo editing. Five students and one adviser have registered for the course.
• The University of Mississippi Broadcast TV Workshop (July 29-31) will give the six students and one adviser hands-on experience in television production. In addition, the group will produce their own show while on campus.

To volunteer to lead an adviser session or for more information, contact the MPA office or Beth Fitts by emailing mefitts@olemiss.edu.

From Editor and Publisher: “If Rupert Murdoch succeeds in buying Dow Jones & Co., will the unusual editorial-independence provision in the deal — which would apparently limit his involvement in The Wall Street Journal newsroom — really work? And should it? Veteran editors and newspaper executives who spoke with E&P today offered mostly criticism of the arrangement, from both the newsroom and ownership sides, saying the awkward limitations may well be unfair to the owner while likely doing little to truly protect the editorial department.”

Chief executive officers from Freedom Communications Inc., Gannett and The McClatchy Company participated in a panel discussion during the 2007 NAA Mid-Year Media Review, held June 19-20 in New York. NAA President and CEO John F. Sturm moderated the discussion. Click here for the archived Webcast.

From Media Life Magazine: “For the longest time, newspapers were confused by the web, and frankly annoyed, irked that they were having to post stories for free that print subscribers were having to pay for. But most publishers have moved a long way in understanding the longer-term strategic value of their web sites.”

SNPA’s 2007 Salary Survey has been published and is available to publishers and human resources departments. If your newspaper participated, the survey results have been e-mailed to the publisher. Other newspapers can purchase the study from SNPA. For details:

• Order form
• Table of Contents
• Survey Participants (SNPA does not identify participants, but view profile of participants.)
• Contact Cindy Durham in the SNPA office