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Milan editor, Parkins, becomes TPA president

Photo credit: Elenora E. Edwards, The Tennessee Press
(left) Tom Griscom, publisher of the Chattanooga Times Free Press, passes the TPA presidential gavel to incoming TPA President Victor Parkins, editor of The Milan Mirror-Exchange, during the installation ceremony on June 19 in Chattanooga

Download the high-res photo of Victor Parkins for publication

Victor Parkins, editor of The Milan Mirror-Exchange, is the new president of the Tennessee Press Association (TPA).

TPA is the trade association of the state’s daily and non-daily newspapers. It is composed of 27 daily newspapers and 100 non-daily newspapers.

Parkins succeeds Tom Griscom, publisher of the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

Parkins said during his presidency his goal is “to continue the good work this association has achieved over the years. We've got challenging times ahead in regard to public notice and openness in government.”

"TPA can help your newspaper grow and prosper if you use all the resources we provide,” added Parkins. “We're doing lots of things to represent and protect our member newspapers, from public notice, to postal issues and open government. TPA is your voice and we encourage all of our members to become involved and use it as a channel to better your newspapers.”

Other officers elected at TPA’s 140th Anniversary Summer Convention June 18-19 in Chattanooga are Art Powers, publisher of the Johnson City Press, re-elected vice president for daily newspapers; Jeff Fishman, publisher of The Tullahoma News, elected vice president for non-daily newspapers; and Kevin Burcham, publisher of the News-Herald, Lenoir City, elected treasurer.

Directors elected for two-year terms are Lynn Richardson, publisher of the Herald and Tribune, Jonesborough, director of District 1; Chris Vass, Sunday editor of the Chattanooga Times Free Press, director of District 3; Hugh Jones, publisher of the Shelbyville Times-Gazette, director of District 5; John Finney, vice president of the Buffalo River Review, Linden, director of District 7; and Joel Washburn, editor of the Dresden Enterprise, director of District 9. Tom Griscom will serve for one year as director at large.

Continuing their terms as directors are Jack McElroy, editor of the News Sentinel, Knoxville, director of District 2; Mike DeLapp, publisher of the Herald-Citizen, Cookeville, director of District 4; Ellen Leifeld, publisher of The Tennessean, Nashville, director of District 6; Brad Franklin, marketing director of The Lexington Progress, director of District 8; and Eric Barnes, publisher of The Daily News, Memphis, director of District 10.

The TPA Board of Directors appointed trustees to serve on the Tennessee Press Association Foundation (TPAF) Board of Trustees for three-year terms.

Re-appointed trustees are: Joe Albrecht, Bob Atkins, David Critchlow Jr., R. Jack Fishman, W.R. (Ron) Fryar, Dale Gentry, Tom Hill, Gregg K. Jones, John M. Jones Jr., Sam Kennedy, Steve Lake, Mike Pirtle, Pauline Sherrer, Joel Washburn and Bill Williams.

Trustees appointed to their first term are: Jay Albrecht, Eric Barnes, Tom Griscom, Art Powers and Keith Wilson.

Officers and directors of Tennessee Press Service (TPS), business affiliate of TPA, are Pauline D. Sherrer, publisher, Crossville Chronicle, president; and Michael Williams, publisher, The Paris Post-Intelligencer, vice president.

Art Powers was elected to serve as a director during the TPS Stockholders’ Meeting on Thursday, June 18. Continuing to serve as directors are Jeff Fishman, W. R. (Ron) Fryar and Victor Parkins. Sherrer and Williams were elected as officers at the May 8, TPS Board of Directors meeting.

Victor Parkins is the editor of The Milan Mirror-Exchange, an independently owned newspaper in Gibson County. The newspaper was founded by Parkins’ parents, the late Bob Parkins and Dorris Parkins, in 1964. Bob Parkins was president of TPA in 1991.

Victor Parkins was previously the sports editor of The Milan Mirror-Exchange for 10 years. He became editor in 2008.

He currently serves on the TPA, TPS and TPAF boards. He has chaired TPA’s Press Institute and Contests Committees and served on numerous committees.

He is also currently the Tennessee state chairman for the National Newspaper Association and chairman of the board of directors of Associated Publishers Inc.

Parkins is the current president of the Milan Chamber of Commerce and a past Milan Lions Club president.

He is a graduate of UT-Martin with a B.A. in Marketing.

His hobbies include hunting, fishing, real estate, family and grilling. He currently holds the title of Milan’s best burger in town, which was won at the 2008 Milan Burger Bash.

Parkins is one of eight children of Dorris Parkins and the late Bob Parkins. He is married to Carol Putman Parkins, who is a high school guidance counselor. They have two daughters, Jordan and Holly.

Three of his siblings also work at The Milan Mirror-Exchange; they are Melanie Day, Scarlet Elliott and Paris Parkins. The newspaper has a paid circulation of 4,755 and publishes weekly on Tuesdays.

The TPA was founded in 1870-71 for the purpose of creating a unified voice for the newspaper industry in Tennessee. Today, TPA continues to provide assistance to its 128 member newspapers by monitoring legislative activities, providing training programs, issuing press credentials, maintaining a Web site and providing regular meetings and forums to foster the exchange of information and ideas.

The TPA presidency rotates among TPA's three divisions of Tennessee, east, middle and west, and alternates each year between a daily and non-daily publication. It is customary that, when a person is elected a vice president, he or she will serve two terms as vice president before being elected president.

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State Press Contests winners announced

Photo credit: Elenora E. Edwards, The Tennessee Press
Representatives of newspapers winning first place awards in the 2009 UT-TPA State Press Contests pose for the group photo on June 19

List of winners press release winners' logo

Newspapers from across the state won top awards in the University of Tennessee -Tennessee Press Association 2009 State Press Contests.

The Commercial Appeal (Memphis), The Daily Herald (Columbia), the Southern Standard (McMinnville), The Standard Banner (Jefferson City) and The Erwin Record won the top general excellence awards at the association's summer convention and awards luncheon held June 19 in Chattanooga.

General excellence honors are based on total points accumulated for all award categories. This marks the seventh consecutive year the Erwin Record has won the top award for its category.

Contest awards are given in five categories based on average weekly circulation, including small and large daily and non-daily papers. The Kentucky Press Association judged a total of 1,477 contest entries from 84 association newspapers.

UT has co-sponsored the annual contest since 1940. full release

Winners lists from previous years
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Freedom Forum offers multimedia boot camp Aug. 9-14 in Nashville
Journalism educators, professionals and students can develop and hone their skills in audio, photo and video storytelling at a Multimedia Boot Camp taught by the Freedom Forum Diversity Institute, Aug. 9-14, in Nashville, Tenn.

The hands-on training program is modeled after the Freedom Forum’s acclaimed multimedia curriculum and is equivalent to a 2-credit-hour college course. It is designed for those with limited or no multimedia experience. The schedule is intense. The boot camp opens at 4 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 9, and adjourns at 2 p.m., Friday, Aug. 14. Most days, instruction will begin at 8:30 a.m., continue throughout the morning, afternoon and evening.

The training will occur at the Diversity Institute’s state-of-the-art school facilities in the Freedom Forum’s John Seigenthaler Center, 1207 18th Ave. South, Nashville, Tenn. Tuition covers all supplies, use of multimedia equipment and software during training, and a take-away binder filled with step-by-step guides to producing audio, video, Soundslides and other multimedia projects.
Participants will learn how to:
* Produce multimedia on a budget, buy the right gear and find cheap ways to record and edit audio.
* Use basic tools in Adobe Photoshop: toning, cropping and text.
* Produce a Soundslides project.
* Produce two video projects, using Final Cut for storytelling and editing.
* Apply and sharpen newly-acquired multimedia skills and instruct and coach others.

Tuition is $850, payable in advance. Low-cost housing at Extended Stay/Vanderbilt is available for an additional $71.40 per night. Registrations will be accepted until July 19, but will be cut off as soon as classroom capacity is reached. Applications and additional information are available at www.freedomforumdiversity.org. Registration Form Questions may be directed to lead instructor Val Hoeppner at 615/426-7160.

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Follies to honor Jones brothers
For the 31st consecutive year, the East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists will stage Front Page Follies, a spoof of politicians and other area newsmakers. A silent auction and reception, set to begin at 6 p.m., will be followed by dinner and the show on Saturday, July 18, at the Knoxville Marriott.

Proceeds from the event provide journalism scholarships at the University of Tennessee and Pellissippi State Technical Community College, with the scholarships this year to honor John M. Jr., Gregg K. and Alex S. Jones of Jones Media Inc.

The brothers are members of a multi-generation East Tennessee newspaper family, and each has gained prominence as a leader in state, regional and national media and civic organizations. Jones Media Inc. operates print and online newspapers and magazines in East Tennessee and Western North Carolina.

“Anyone who has any familiarity with Tennessee journalism knows of the contribution of the Jones brothers. They set the standard, not only for excellence in the profession, but for unflagging support of the newspaper business throughout the region,” said Jack McElroy, editor of the News Sentinel, Knoxville, and a Follies honoree in 2008. “They also stand as a model of how media organizations must commit themselves to service to their communities. No finer honorees could be found in East Tennessee—or far beyond.”

Tax-deductible tickets are $100 each or $1,000 for a table of 10. Tables reserved and paid for by June 26 will receive a 10 percent discount. For information about ticket purchases, see http://frontpagefollies.com.

“The East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists is proud to join groups like the Pulitzer Prize Board, Tennessee Press Association, Associated Press Managing Editors and Harvard University in recognizing the Jones brothers’ contributions to journalism,” Dorothy Bowles, former ETSPJ president and co-chairman of this year’s Follies, said.

John M. Jones Jr.
John M. Jones Jr. is the editor of The Greeneville Sun, where he has worked full time since 1968 except for an extended leave of absence as director of communications with Campus Crusade for Christ International. He has held a variety of leadership roles in the Tennessee Press Association, serving as president in 1998-99 and continues to be an active member of the TPA Freedom of Information and Press Institute committees.

Jones is a member and former chairman of the Editorial Committee of the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association and a past president of the East Tennessee Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. John has received recognition for investigative reporting and public service journalism, including the prestigious Malcolm Law Award from the Tennessee Associated Press Managing Editors. Jones has served in leadership roles in his church, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Junior Achievement, YMCA, Boy Scouts and United Way. He is a graduate of Princeton University and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Gregg K. Jones
Gregg K. Jones is co-publisher of The Greeneville Sun and president and chief executive officer of Jones Media Inc. In addition to supervising the operations of his family’s media interests, he is very active in state, regional and national media organizations. Jones is a past president of the Tennessee Press Association and is also a past president, director and committee chairman of the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association. Jones is past chairman of the Newspaper Association of America, the largest newspaper association in the United States. He served nine years on the board of the Associated Press.

Jones has served as past president of the East Tennessee Foundation, a director of the Greene County Partnership, a director of the Open Spaces Conservancy in Northeast Tennessee, a member of the executive board of the Sequoyah Council, Boy Scouts of America, and president of Morgan Square Inc. Jones currently serves as a board member of The Regional Alliance for Economic Development. He is a graduate of Hampden-Sydney College.

Alex S. Jones
After a lengthy career in journalism, Alex S. Jones is now the director of the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard University. He covered the press for The New York Times from 1983 to 1992 and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1987. In 1991, he co-authored, with his wife, journalist Susan E. Tifft, The Patriarch: The Rise and Fall of the Bingham Dynasty. In 1992, he left the Times to work on The Trust: The Private and Powerful Family Behind the New York Times (also co-authored with Tifft), which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle award.

Jones has been a Nieman Fellow at Harvard, a host of National Public Radio’s On the Media, and host and executive editor of PBS’s Media Matters. He is on the boards of the Committee of Concerned Journalists, International Center for Journalists, Foundation of the Society of Professional Journalists, Harvard Magazine, Nieman Foundation, Black Mountain Institute, the Institute for Politics, Democracy & the Internet and other professional organizations. He is a graduate of Washington and Lee University.

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Guess what: Newspapers aren’t dead
By Art Powers, Johnson City Press

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Newspaper design book released
Ed Henninger, newspaper design consultant, has released a new book, "101 Henninger Helpful Hints.” It is available in PDF format and on CD at a low introductory price. For details visit www.henningerconsulting.com.

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Teens Know What They Want From Online News:
Do You?
The Newspaper Association of America Foundation and the Media Management Center at Northwestern University have teamed up to explore and put to the test better ways to match the online news preferences of teens.

Prototypes of home pages and story-level pages were developed and then presented to focus groups across the United States. Teens’ responses were remarkably and overwhelmingly consistent, regardless of market size or location.

The answer isn’t to dilute the news, but to be bolder. Teen responses were very similar to those of adults who are light readers. The report, summary and presentation are available for download at http://www.naafoundation.org/ScholasticPress/Teens-Know.aspx.

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Industry promotion ads
The Newspaper Project has released a new set of industry promotion ads ads

The ads read:
"In these complicated times, life seems to come at us like a game of hardball full of fast pitches and plenty of curveballs. That's why more than 100 million Americans rely on their local newspapers and newspaper websites to stay on top of their game. So take advantage of everything newspapers have to offer, like top-quality journalism you can trust. For readers and advertisers, newspapers are a guaranteed home run."

'Newspapers: We're still the one' house ads available
Minnesota Press Association is sharing house ads designed by its members. All of the ads are based on the theme of "Newspapers: We're still the one." The ads were submitted for competition and the winners selected by a vote of the members. TPA members are welcome to download and personalize these ads.
The link is:
http://www.mna.org/mna-resources/house-ads.html

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Institute of Newspaper Technology—a few scholarships available
BY KEVIN SLIMP
TPS technology director
Since 1997, the Institute of Newspaper Technology has gained recognition as the industry’s leading training program related to newspaper design. Begun as a joint program of the University of Tennessee College of Communication and Tennessee Press Association Foundation, the Institute continues to train newspaper designers, I.T. staff, publishers and others in newspaper production. The 2009 session will take place October 15-17.

The Tennessee Press Association Foundation will provide $400 scholarships to the first 20 registrants from TPA member newspapers. A few of these scholarships are still available. While most attendees from other states and countries pay $595 to register for the Institute, TPA members can register for as little as $195 with the TPAF scholarship.

For more information about the Institute, visit www.newspaperinstitute.com. A schedule, as well as registration material, can be found online. To receive the scholarship, register early using this link for TPA members only.

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News exchange site could be valuable to members
TPA's NewsSwap, a content-sharing resource for TPA members by TPA members, has been running since the fall of 2007. It has received little use, but we want to show you what NewsSwap could be like. South Carolina Press Association's News Exchange, scnewsexchange.com, is an example. Take a minute to check it out and then consider what your newspaper could post to NewsSwap. If every TPA member posted one story or photo, there would be 126 new files on the site.

NewsSwap was created with the intention of giving members an extra resource for free, quality content. Items simply need to appeal to an audience broader than just your local coverage area.

Editors are encouraged to give NewsSwap a try. Newspapers using the site will need to agree to the terms of use, which include proper attribution to the writer/photographer and contributing newspaper. Items can be news stories, features, photos or items of general interest.

Do you have an interesting story that would appeal to more than your local readership? Why not share it? Contact TPA today for the username and password. The information will be shared only with editors and publishers. Contact TPA at (865) 584-5761.

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Have a job opening?
Post your open positions and search for resumes in TPA's employment area at
http://www.tnpress.com/employment.html.
Only authorized personnel from member newspapers can post jobs or review résumés. First time users will need to register with a user name and password. Once you complete your online registration, please contact Robyn Gentile, member services manager, for access—(865) 584-5761, ext. 105 or via e-mail to .

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Kid Scoop offers free 'Germ Patrol' page to newspapers
Current news reports on the flu have sparked Kid Scoop to create a Kid Scoop Special Edition dedicated to helping kids take simple steps to reduce their risk of infection.

The page focuses on the importance of regular hand washing, explains how germs and bacteria are spread and how infections attack healthy cells in the body. This information is presented with engaging, standards-based educational activities and enhanced with follow-up material and related links.

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Free NASA Column for newspapers
Most elementary age children are interested in space exploration. But how often do they find information about the very latest space discoveries and space technologies written especially for them?

The short monthly columns provided by NASA's award-winning Space Place outreach program give newspaper editors a no-cost source of accurate, up-to-date, and highly readable information for their youngest readers.

The columns are offered free of charge. But editors are asked to send in a tear sheet each time an article is used. If you would like to receive this monthly column for use in your publication, please contact Nancy Leon at or 818.354.1067.

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New postal labeling requirements now in effect
There has been some confusion in parts of the country regarding new USPS labeling requirements that took effect March 29. Some local post offices were apparently under the impression that newspapers would have to be quarter-folded, which is not the case.
PDF of Labeling requirements information Examples for proper labeling

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2009 State of the News Media report is now available
The sixth edition of the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism’s annual report on the health of American journalism is now available. It covers eight major sectors of media—newspapers, online, network; cable, local and network TV; magazines; radio and ethnic. This year’s study also includes special reports on the Year in the News, lessons from the 2008 election, an analysis of citizen media sites and more. Read the complete 2009 State of the News Media report.
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Open enrollment for online advertising network begins
Open enrollment for Tennessee’s online advertising network, TnNET, has begun and 40 TPA members have already signed up to participate in the program.

Newspapers that enroll in TnNET will have an opportunity to make money through this new revenue stream, which works like the TnDAN and TnScan ad network programs.

The online advertising network requires no sales efforts by the participants. The only thing required is to place a short string of code provided by Tennessee Press Service (TPS) onto the newspaper's Web site. TPS will work with each participating newspaper to help walk them through placement of the code.

TnNET ads will be sold as an add-on for current ROP and network clients, giving them a cost-effective way to have a statewide online presence through one point of contact, TPS or newspapers that enroll in the network. Newspapers have the option of accepting one of the two network ad sizes, IAB medium rectangle 300 x 250 pixel (recommended) or 180 x 300 pixel.

Please contact Beth Elliott with any questions about TnNET or the enrollment form, 865-584-5761 ext. 117 or . Newspapers can enroll online.

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Training videos online for members
TPS offers free training videos online for TPA members. New videos include five segments on Adobe Flash and a segment on new features in Adobe Creative Suite (CS4). Other topics include: InDesign, Photoshop, Adobe Acrobat, QuarkXpress and OS X. The videos can be accessed through the training page at www.tnpress.com/training.html. A username and password are required. Contact TPA at (865) 584-5761 if you need the access information.

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First Amendment ads available
TPA President Tom Griscom has made house ads promoting the First Amendment available to TPA member newspapers. Click here to access the files.

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Find older TPA News
TPA news items moved from this home page may be found at TPA News

Save these dates

June 18-19, Summer Convention, Chattanooga

details on these events and other calendar items

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2009
Press credentials
  TPA now offers members a more
   professional press card.
   View details and order form

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Guess what: Newspapers aren’t dead
By Art Powers, Johnson City Press

I write infrequently as I much prefer to leave that to the real pros we employ, but sometimes I just get the urge to clear things up a little. As I move around the Tri-Cities and talk to friends and acquaintances I’m often asked, “How’s the newspaper doing?” My response is, “Just fine, thank you.”

Given several metropolitan newspapers have either closed their doors or changed their methods of delivery, many people feel the entire industry is going kaput. Not so. Yes, these are difficult economic times and newspapers across the nation are having problems just like every other business up and down Main Street. Everyone knows there are fewer housing starts, fewer building permits and fewer auto sales, all causing strain on our economy. These factors and others do have an effect on our advertising, but in spite of this we are not going anywhere.

Large newspapers are changing the way they do business. Fact is, almost all newspapers are changing the way they do business, but large newspapers are the ones getting all the publicity. It is very disturbing that a newspaper closes its doors just two months shy of their 150th anniversary — like the Rocky Mountain News did in Colorado recently. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer followed suit. Other papers like the Detroit Free Press have cut their home delivery down to three days a week and enable subscribers to get the paper online on days it isn’t delivered to their home. These radical changes are due mostly to heavy debt loads and lessening cash flows with which to repay this debt.

Let’s look at some other changes. You may have noticed many newspapers are getting smaller. By that, I mean the printed page is getting smaller. New presses offer the opportunity to reduce the cutoff (page length) as well as the webwidth. Newspapers like the Johnson City Press have not reduced the size of their pages because we are currently printed on a press that is more than 30 years old. Our next generation press will come in a few years and you will see a reduction in our page size as well. Readers generally report that the new size makes the paper easier to hold and read. With the new press comes new color opportunities. Generally, new presses offer full color on every page. That, too, is something readers enjoy as we all live in a color world.

The main reason for size reductions is to save on newsprint costs, our most expensive commodity. Size reductions save not just paper but ink and chemistry, too. All steps to economize.

People are a newspaper’s next highest expense. Like everywhere, staffing is a controllable expense and we are asking our people to do more with fewer. We may have fewer jobs than two or three years ago, but you should know one very important thing — we have not gutted our news operation. The true lifeline of the Johnson City Press is in bringing you detailed local news on a daily basis with which you have grown to rely, and the professionals here do that well and with great pride. All that said, we have the strongest and largest news gathering staff in a four-county region including all broadcast operations.

Newspapers nationwide are now heavily involved in online Web sites. Our johnsoncitypress.com site is growing and is approaching 1 million page views each month, a pretty phenomenal number when you think of the size of this community. Our former traditional print journalists are now filing videos on our Web site as well as voice-overs of their reports.

We continually look for ways to be “lighter on our feet” to bring you the news faster and continually accurate. Not too many months ago there was a bank robbery in town and our staff had the story on our Web site within 30 minutes. With the recent fires in downtown Erwin and Johnson City, our staff did an excellent job bringing you their reports both digitally and in print all within minutes of each occurrence.

With this new technology come all sorts of new opportunities for our advertisers. We run video ads, streamers, leaderboards, cubes, directories, celebrations, ishopthetri.com, ejcpress.com — our totally digital newspaper — contests like paparazzi pets, picking contests for college and NFL and NASCAR, games, student sweepstakes and much more. All of these are reaching a growing audience.

You can see we are changing and changing rather dramatically. As all of this is going on this newspaper continues to be profitable. We continue to serve you with the finest news gathering organization around. In fact, our journalists and photojournalists are producing more local news than at any time in the history of this newspaper. We continue to cover this market better than any of our competition, reaching more than 50 percent everyday and more than 60 percent on Sundays. No other local media can report those numbers.

We continue to deliver your newspaper every day to your door for only $12.25 per month. Think about it. Your carrier gets up in the middle of the night, rain or shine, cold or hot, and rides his/her route of some 200 customers with the window down, burning expensive gasoline, or walks your paper to your front porch. They do this 365 days a year to bring you the finest news, sports, weather, features, comics, editorial opinions, advertising messages, advertising supplements, Her magazine, Thrive, Spaces magazine, PARADE magazine and much more. (You might consider giving them a tip from time to time as you do a restaurant server).

So, change is here. But then, change has always been here. We’re in this recession together and we’ll all make it through. And at a time such as this we have more readers than ever in our history in print and online. Young audiences as well as more mature. And as for this newspaper, we’ll make it through quite well and be stronger on the other side.

So next time someone says newspapers are dying, tell them differently. Newspapers and the freedom of the press as provided in our constitution are here and are here to stay and so is the Johnson City Press.
Johnson City Press, May 31, 2009

Arthur S. Powers is publisher/vice president of the Johnson City Press. He is also TPA's vice president for daily newspapers.

TPA is a primary media sponsor of the Governor's Books from Birth Foundation Imagination Library project.