Newspapers are treasure troves for family research
Newspapers are a great resource for genealogy research. Although they are not primary resources, they provide clues for further research. From newspapers, researchers can learn about weddings, engagements, birthdays, estate sales, probate announcements, the names of people who moved from an area but had old letters waiting for them at the post office, residents who owed back taxes and locations where settlers lived.
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COLUMN: Newspapers still have story to tell
Local stories need to be told. Perhaps your story needs to be told. May I suggest a handful of ideas that will prevent the newspaper's obituary from hitting the press, because on the day that it is printed, it will be one day too late.
MOREPost's Arc unveils subscriptions platform, video app
Publishers in search of a new subscriptions platform or video app have new options from The Washington Post.
The Post's Arc Publishing is now offering Arc Subscriptions, a commerce platform that "equips publishers, broadcasters, and brands with real-time capabilities designed to accelerate digital monetization and grow revenue," according to the Post.
MOREOgden Newspapers purchases certain assets of The Vindicator
An agreement has been reached for the Tribune Chronicle to acquire The Vindicator's subscription list, The Vindicator masthead and the Vindy.com domain, according to Mark Brown, general manager of The Vindicator. John Cribb, Cribb, Greene & Cope, represented the Mark Brown Family and The Vindicator in the transaction.
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The Virginian-Pilot removes comments from website
The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Va.) has shut down its comments section.
The Pilot has been undergoing several changes after its sale to Tribune Publishing last year. One of the changes is an overhaul of PilotOnline.com, which will debut later this month. As part of that overhaul, which will change the look and feel of the website, the comments section is being removed.
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The Sun Herald has added back pages to the newspaper. Here's what else is planned.
In response to feedback from readers, the Sun Herald of Gulfport, Miss., is adding back pages to the newspaper.
In a recent column to readers, Executive Editor and General Manager Blake Kaplan said that a task force of newsroom personnel, marketing executives and circulation leaders surveyed and interviewed readers. Then the group talked about what they learned.
"Rarely was the feedback about the quality of journalism the Sun Herald produces," Kaplan wrote. "The biggest issue we heard was that readers wanted back things we had taken away over the years as we moved news and information from the paper to our website."
MORE7 facts about black Americans and the news media
Last week, the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) held its annual meeting in Miami. The meeting was held amid increased attention to the role of black journalists in the United States and recent changes to black-oriented news media organizations, such as a decision by the Chicago Defender, a black newspaper founded in 1905, to cease printing (though it will remain available online).
Pew Research Center has studied black Americans' attitudes toward the news media – as well as their news consumption habits – for years. It also has examined minority representation within U.S. newsrooms. To coincide with the NABJ conference, here are seven key facts about black Americans and the news media:
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Packet and Gazette replacing Saturday print edition with expanded Friday, Sunday papers
With reader habits changing, The Island Packet (Hilton Head Island, S.C.) and Beaufort (S.C.) Gazette have announced that, starting Nov. 9, they will no longer produce a printed newspaper on Saturdays. Instead, they will launch a Weekend Edition that includes expanded newspapers on Fridays and Sundays.
MOREEO Media Group to acquire two newspapers in Oregon
A federal bankruptcy judge in Oregon has approved the sale of the Bend (Ore.) Bulletin and Redmond (Ore.) Spokesman to EO Media Group. EO Media also recently acquired two other newspapers from Western Communications: the La Grande (Ore.) Observer and the Baker City (Ore.) Herald.
Dirks, Van Essen, Murray & April, a media merger and acquisition firm based in Santa Fe, N.M., represented Western Communications in the transaction.
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Newspaper success on the other side of the world
The Guam Daily Post is not only the most distant independent newspaper among SNPA members, it boasts circulation and digital gains that mainland peers would envy.
Mindy Aguon, CEO and editor-in-chief of the 17,000 circulation newspaper, calls its growth in the last two or three years "massive."
"In December 2016, The Guam Daily Post was available for purchase at 70 locations," she said. "As of July, the newspaper is now available at 260-plus locations around the island. We are adding more subscribers each week and many of the subscribers tell us they switched from our competitor because of our local news content."
"In July 2016, the Post website had 151,925 page views," Aguon added. "In June 2019, the Post website had over 1.4 million page views. Our Facebook followers have grown from 9,257 in 2016 to over 32,706. Staff has grown from 30 to 52."
All this is on an island about 7,800 miles from SNPA's traditional headquarters in Atlanta. By comparison, it's about 4,407 miles from Atlanta to Hawaii.
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We have a new website:
www.newspapers.org
America's Newspapers – the association formed from the merger of the Inland Press Association and Southern Newspaper Publishers Association – was ceremonially launched October 6 at its inaugural annual meeting in Chicago.
Dean Ridings will be its chief executive officer, effective Nov. 11.
America's Newspapers unites two of the oldest press associations to form one of the industry's largest advocates for newspapers and the many benefits to their communities, civil life, freedom of expression and democracy.
"Newspaper journalism provides a voice for the voiceless, challenges elected officials, shines a light on government, calls for change when change is needed, and exposes corruption and injustice," said Chris Reen, the president and publisher of The Gazette in Colorado Springs who will serve as the first president of America's Newspapers.
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New association launches today;
SNPA-Inland merger is complete
A new association formed by the consolidation of SNPA and the Inland Press Association was officially launched today. The name of the new association will be announced on Oct. 6 at the association's first annual meeting in Chicago.
Edward VanHorn, SNPA's executive director, said that the merger unites two of the country's oldest press associations into a progressive new organization that will use its bigger and more powerful voice to be an unapologetic advocate for newspapers.
MoreSNPA's staunchest advocate honored for 43 years of service
Edward VanHorn, who went to work for SNPA 43 years ago straight out of the University of North Carolina, will be honored at next week's SNPA-Inland Annual Meeting as this year's recipient of the Frank W. Mayborn Leadership Award. The award is named for the Texas newspaperman who helped shape SNPA in the early 1950s and served as president from 1961 to 1962.
"He's been that silent leader behind the newspaper industry and SNPA," said SNPA President PJ Browning, president and publisher of The Post and Courier in Charleston, S.C. "We're honored to have the opportunity to give him this award as he's retiring. We thought it was very fitting."
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