A reminder the deadline to enter the 2007 Better Newspaper Contest-Editorial Division is Tuesday, Feb. 5 at 5pm.
Copies of the criteria and entry forms can be downloaded here. Awards will be presented during the BNC luncheon at the 142nd Annual Convention Saturday, June 28, 2008 at the Beau Rivage Resort in Biloxi.
A multi-part, in-depth editorial series looking at a pervasive culture of secrecy in Mississippi government will launch next month, a joint effort between The Associated Press, Mississippi Center for Freedom of Information and MPA.
“Secrecy in Mississippi,” appearing over eight days in daily members and in consecutive issues of non-daily publications, will shine a light on Mississippi’s FOI laws and exemptions that have, over the years, watered down the access rights of state citizens to public documents and open meetings. The package, including copy, sidebars, columns and art, will move in advance this week for daily AP subscribers. All other members will have access to the copy via mspress.org beginning Feb. 4.
Non-daily members are strongly encouraged to take part in the series, and all MPA member publications are urged to supplement the project with local reports and editorials.
For more information, contact executive director Layne Bruce, 601-981-3060, or by email, lbruce@mspress.org.
Despite earlier reports and listings to the contrary, MPA’s 142nd Annual Convention will be held June 26-28 at the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi. Members are encouraged to update their calendars for the event.
Convention is traditionally held the third week of June, but is pushed back one week this year because of other bookings at the venue. More details are forthcoming for this year’s event, chaired by Vice-President for Weeklies Randy Ponder, publisher of The Sea Coast Echo.
A limited number of fleece pullovers are now available from MPA. These garments were worn by staff and some members of the board during the recent mid-winter conference in Jackson.
Sizes are unisex: S-3X. Each garment is $30 ($32 for 2X or $34 for 3X) and orders will ship in late February. A limited number of these sharp pullovers is available, so order by Feb. 15.
Click here to download the order form, or contact khaydu@mspress.org for more information.
The evaluation form for the 2008 Mid-Winter Conference held last week in Jackson is now online. If you attended Mid-Winter, please take a minute or two to complete the survey. The responses will help us plan future events, including this year’s convention at the Beau Rivage and next year’s Mid-Winter.
Meanwhile, photos from the event, held at the Jackson Hilton, have been uploaded to the Web. Included are individual winner’s photos from the BNC Awards Luncheon and the annual Celebrity Roast.
Also, a full text listing of winners from the Better Newspaper Contest-Advertising Division has been posted on the BNC page.
The University of Mississippi Department of Journalism and the S. Gale Denley Student Media Center host the annual Southeastern Journalism Conference in the city of Oxford and on the campus of the University. The three-day event will include competitions in various areas, keynote speakers, learning sessions and interaction between schools located in the Southeastern region. Up to 400 participants are expected to descend on Oxford and Ole Miss for the conference.
Emily Jones wrote a weekly features column for several years while she served as lifestyles editor for the Starkville Daily News. Jones retired late last year, but continues to publish her work in Starkville and West Point, as well as other publications.
In November, Jones joined the MPA family as an associate member and she is syndicating her column to members interested in a features and general interest column. A sample of her work can be read here.
For more information on the column, contact her by emailing e_bjones@yahoo.com or call 662-324-6128.
From Silicon Alley Insider: Next month, New Yorkers will be able to download music, for free, with the blessing of a major music label. EMI is giving away up 3 songs in a promotional stunt with NY Daily News. In order to get the songs, you’ll have to grab a code from an insert in the Feb. 3 or Feb. 10 copies of the News, then redeem the code at paper’s Web site.
From the AP: A pair of investors disclosed plans Monday to name their own slate of four directors at The New York Times Co., saying the current board hasn’t acted aggressively enough to meet the demands of the rapidly changing media industry.
Average monthly unique audience figures for newspaper Web sites grew by more than 3.6 million in 2007, a record year for the industry and an increase of more than six percent over 2006 numbers. Monthly unique visitors to newspaper Web sites averaged 62.8 million in last year’s fourth quarter, a record number in itself and the largest in any quarter since the Newspaper Association of America began tracking online usage in January 2004.
