Parkins, Milan editor, becomes TPA president

Transcription

1 Vol. 73 AUGUST 2009 No. 1 Parkins, Milan editor, becomes TPA president 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, editor and publisher of the Chattanooga Times Free Press. Parkins said that 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 and 19 in Chattanooga were 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. Griscom will continue on the board 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 elected trustees to serve on the Tennessee Press Association Foundation (TPAF) Board of Trustees for three-year terms. Re-elected trustees were Joe Albrecht, Bob Atkins, David Critchlow Jr., R. Jack Fishman, W.R. (Ron) Fryar, Dale Parkins Gentry, Tom Hill, Gregg K. Jones, John M. Jones Jr., Sam D. Kennedy, Steve Lake, Mike Pirtle, Pauline D. Sherrer, Joel Washburn and Bill Williams. Trustees elected to their first terms were Jay Albrecht, Eric Barnes, Tom Griscom, Art Powers and Keith Wilson. Officers and directors of the 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 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 in 1964 by his father, the late Bob Parkins, and mother, Dorris Parkins, who now serves as publisher. Bob Parkins was president of TPA in Victor Parkins was previously the sports editor of The Milan Mirror- Exchange for 10 years. He became editor in He currently serves on the TPA, TPS and TPAF boards. He has chaired TPA s Press Institute and Contests committees and served on other numerous other 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. Like father, like son for new TPA president His hobbies include hunting, fishing, real estate, family and grilling. He currently holds the title for Milan s best burger in town, which was won at the 2008 Milan Burger Bash. Parkins is one of eight children. 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, Melanie Parkins Day, Scarlet Elliott and Paris Parkins. The newspaper, with paid circulation of 4,755, publishes weekly on Tuesdays. The TPA was founded in for the purpose of creating a unified voice for the newspaper industry in Tennessee. Today, TPA continues to provide assistance to its 127 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 nondaily 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. BY STEVE SHORT The Milan Mirror-Exchange When Victor Parkins accepted the gavel as the new president of the Tennessee Press Association June 19 in Chattanooga, he followed in the footsteps of his old boss. Victor s dad, the late Bob Parkins, was TPA president in 1991 and in leadership roles for decades. He was also founder and editor-reporter for 43 years of The Milan Mirror-Exchange. When Bob passed away suddenly at age 78 last year, Victor moved from his sports editor s desk at the Mirror to his father s office, becoming editor of the family-owned weekly. Now, Victor takes the reins at TPA, succeeding Tom Griscom of the Chattanooga Times Free Press. I m proud to follow in Dad s footsteps, even though they are huge shoes to fill, said Parkins. I know he would be proud, and I hope I can contribute as much to TPA as he did. Dad was a huge proponent of TPA and realized it was a great resource for a small town newspaper. Parkins has served on the TPA Board of Directors since TPA is very family oriented and has a vacation style summer convention, he said. As a child, I often attended convention events. I became more involved when Dad s best friend, George Whitley of Covington, nominated me for the TPA board. Since then I ve learned a lot about the association. Parkins believes TPA offers many benefits to newspapers across the state. TPA services every aspect of Tennessee newspapers, he said. We have technical support, advertising experts, and online training that keeps you on the cutting edge. Our rights of freedom of the press are constantly under attack, and TPA has a strong voice in Nashville. At the installation luncheon June 19, Victor and Carol Parkins get their first look at a special section about his election to TPA president. Then he gets a hug from sister Stressing the importance of public notice, along with the ever-changing role of newspapers in a wireless world, will be top priority for Parkins ELENORA E. EDWARDS TPS Melanie Parkins Day, who oversaw production of the section on a day when Parkins was away from The Milan Mirror-Exchange. this year. SEE PARKINS, PAGE 3 PARKINS 2 FORESIGHT 3 RESOLUTION 3 TPA COMMITTEES 4 BLUM 8 AD-LIBS 8 GIBSON 9 SLIMP 11 INSIDE IN CONTACT Phone: (865) Fax: (865) Online:

2 2 The Tennessee Press AUGUST 2009 (USPS ) Published quarterly by the TENNESSEE PRESS SERVICE, INC. for the TENNESSEE PRESS ASSOCIATION, INC. 435 Montbrook Lane Knoxville, Tennessee Telephone (865) /Fax (865) / Subscriptions: $6 annually Periodicals Postage Paid At Knoxville,TN POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Tennessee Press, 435 Montbrook Lane, Knoxville,TN The Tennessee Press is printed by The Standard Banner, Jefferson City. Greg M. Sherrill...Editor Elenora E. Edwards...Managing Editor Robyn Gentile...Production Coordinator Angelique Dunn...Assistant The Tennessee Press can be read on The Tennessee Press is printed on recycled paper and is recyclable. OFFICIAL WEB SITE OF THE TENNESSEE PRESS ASSOCIATION TENNESSEE PRESS ASSOCIATION Victor Parkins, The Milan Mirror-Exchange...President Art Powers, Johnson City Press...Vice President Jeff Fishman, The Tullahoma News...Vice President Kevin Burcham, The News-Herald, Lenoir City...Treasurer Greg M. Sherrill, Knoxville...Executive Director DIRECTORS Lynn Richardson, Herald And Tribune, Jonesborough...District 1 Jack McElroy, News Sentinel, Knoxville...District 2 Chris Vass, Chattanooga Times Free Press...District 3 Mike DeLapp, Herald-Citizen, Cookeville...District 4 Hugh Jones, Shelbyville Times-Gazette...District 5 Ellen Leifeld, The Tennessean, Nashville...District 6 John Finney, Buffalo River Review, Linden...District 7 Brad Franklin, The Lexington Progress...District 8 Joel Washburn, Dresden Enterprise...District 9 Eric Barnes, The Daily News, Memphis...District 10 Tom Griscom, Chattanooga Times Free Press...At large TENNESSEE PRESS SERVICE Pauline D. Sherrer, Crossville Chronicle...President Michael Williams, The Paris Post-Intelligencer...Vice President W. R. (Ron) Fryar, Cannon Courier, Woodbury...Director Jeff Fishman, The Tullahoma News...Director Victor Parkins, The Milan Mirror-Exchange...Director Art Powers, Johnson City Press...Director Greg M. Sherrill...Executive Vice President TENNESSEE PRESS ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION W.R. (Ron) Fryar, Cannon Courier, Woodbury...President Gregg K. Jones, The Greeneville Sun...Vice President Richard L. Hollow, Knoxville...General Counsel Greg M. Sherrill...Secretary-Treasurer CONTACT THE MANAGING EDITOR TPAers with suggestions, questions or comments about items in The Tennessee Press are welcome to contact the managing editor. Call Elenora E. Edwards, (865) ; send a note to P.O. Box 502, Clinton, TN ; or ElenoraEdwards@Comcast.net. The deadline for the October issue is Sept. 14. Help us all grow and prosper As your incoming president of the Tennessee Press Association, let me say that I am deeply humbled and honored to accept this position, and I look forward to leading the most powerful news association in our state this coming year. The newspaper industry in our country is facing very serious challenges, and we all need to do our part to overcome these hurdles. We ve come a long way over the past 10 years, from analog to digital to e-editions. We ve seen some of the oldest and largest newspapers in the country close their doors and claim bankruptcy, and many newspapers have stopped publishing on paper and have Internetonly editions. Some analysts believe that printed newspapers as we know them will be gone in 10 years. Many of those same experts said the same thing 10 years ago, but most of us are still here, and the ones of us that survive this economic downturn will be the strongest when we come out on the other side. It s no secret that some of us have faced layoffs as revenues and readership decline. We ve all struggled to find ways to make ends meet, using electronic media to deliver instant news, most of which we provide free. We hear just about every day that we re a dying industry, but that is very far from the truth. Some of us are doing just fine. In fact, most of us are reaching more readers than ever before with our print and online editions combined. With Derryberry Public Relations was accepted as TPA s newest associate member by the Board of Directors on June 19. The company is located in Chattanooga. Derryberry Public Relations LLC (DPR) began when Robin and Andy Derryberry acquired the Chattanooga Office of the original Ingram Group, which was based in Nashville. Robin originally opened the office for the Ingram Group in When the partners separated and diversified in 2006, the Derryberrys acquired the YOUR PRESIDING REPORTER Victor Parkins that increased readership come new opportunities for our customers. Through the Tennessee Press Association, I urge you to help us find new opportunities to grow and prosper. TPA has a number of challenging issues ahead this year. We re continuing to fight the battle to keep public notices in our papers. We ll surge forward with our stance that all government bodies operate in a transparent manner, and our voice in Nashville, as well as with the U.S. Postal Service, remains strong. As your president, I challenge every one of our members to help us reach our goals. In some cases, you might be asked simply to pick up the phone and call your state representative or senator. Others will be called on to serve on committees and help organize events. We do all this so we can continue to serve our readers as the state s foremost advocate of free press, open government and the people s right to know. It is my pleasure to preside as your president over the next year, and I ask for help in making this association and industry more powerful than ever before. My door is always open, and I welcome your suggestions and comments. My address is victor@milanmirrorexchange. com. You can reach me by phone at (731) Derryberry P.R. is newest associate member Brysons sell Courier in Woodbury to Fryars Andy Bryson, a mainstay at the Cannon Courier, Woodbury, since 1959 and the owner for the last 15 years, announced July 28 that he has sold the newspaper to McMinnville businessman W. R. (Ron) Fryar, a veteran of the Tennessee newspaper business, and his wife, Becky. Although Bryson is leaving as publisher and editor of the Courier, the rest of the staff will retain their positions and even assume additional roles, Fryar said. Patricia Bryson, Andy s wife, will stay on as community liaison. Bob Stoetzel will continue as general assignment reporter. Teresa Stoetzel remains in her positions of bookkeeper, advertising representative, office secretary and paginator. Kevin Halpern has joined the staff as print and electronic media editor. Sean Parker will serve as community features correspondent. Fryar is president of the Tennessee Press Association Foundation, a director and former president of Tennessee Press Service and a former president of TPA. Chattanooga office. DPR is a full service public, government and media relations firm offering services to a diverse client list. Among its services are branding, public relations, fundraising, media relations, legislative advocacy, government relations, marketing, special event planning, strategic planning, Web site design/development and crisis communication strategies. Robin Four years and two months after its completion, the building owned by Tennessee Press Association Foundation (TPAF) and leased to Tennessee Press Association (TPA) and Tennessee Press Service (TPS) has been paid off. I can t think of any item addressed by the TPAF trustees during the planning retreat three years ago more important, besides the actual construction of TPA s headquarters, nor more ambitious, than paying off the mortgage on the building, said W. R. (Ron) Fryar, TPAF president. Having achieved that goal, on a much faster time table, the Foundation now will be able to more rapidly grow our endowment monies and fund more newspaper requests needing our support through the grant application process. The trustees have wisely shown their stewardship of the Foundation s vision and mission statements. Greg Sherrill, TPAF secretarytreasurer and TPA executive director, said, This wonderful facility will continue to serve the needs of TPA, TPS and TPAF for many years to come. Now that the debt is retired, the Foundation Derryberry is president of the company and the business is recognized as a female-owned small business by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Derryberry Public Relations is located in the Jack s Alley area in downtown Chattanooga. Contacts Robin Derryberry, President, and Andy Derryberry can be reached at Derryberry Public Relations, by phone at (423) or by fax at (423) Their Web site is Debt retired on TPA building is poised to rapidly grow its endowment in order to provide assistance and educational opportunities to newspaperrelated causes throughout our state, in keeping with the key values of the mission statement. The 8,000-square-foot building located at 435 Montbrook Lane in Knoxville was completed in April 2005 after two years of planning and construction. The cost was $987,500. In October 2007 the appraised market value was $1,350,000. TPAF invested the money from the sale of its first building, built in 1990, into the new facility. The loan for the difference was not scheduled to be paid off until September Being able to retire the note for the new TPA headquarters will allow more funds to be directed toward programs that provide valuable information to our members, said Tom Griscom, who was president of TPA when the debt retirement announcement was made. Prior to the Foundation-owned buildings, TPA, TPAF and TPS were housed in the University of Tennessee Communications Building in Knoxville.

3 . AUGUST 2009 The Tennessee Press 3 FROM PAGE ONE There is so much speculation about the future of newspapers across America, he said. Newspapers are in a transition stage of how we deliver news to our customers. We ve changed a lot in the last 10 years or so, and we ll continue to change. As TPA president, I feel a responsibility to help Members of the Parkins family gather at the summer convention. (From left) Front row: Austyn Dunnebacke, Deborah Lee Day, Holly Parkins, Dorris Parkins, Demi Elliott, Bob Alan Elliott, Clay Elliott. Back row: Dewitt Day, Melanie Parkins Day, Paris Parkins, Carol Resolution PARKINS: Like father, like son our members stay informed of those changes and realize how we can use them to our advantage. Newspaper life Parkins, his six sisters and brother all worked at the family-owned Mirror- Exchange. I started on-the-job training in RESOLUTION OF THE TPA BOARD OF DIRECTORS IN SUPPORT OF HR 2727,the FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY RESTORATION ACT WHEREAS, The Tennessee Press Association advocates for its member newspapers ability to publish information that citizens need to make informed decisions about their lives; and WHEREAS, HR 2727 better known as the Financial Transparency Restoration Act has gained the necessary support to be introduced to The United States Congress to be passed into law; and WHEREAS, For approximately 70 years, national banks were required by an Act of Congress to publish statements of condition in newspapers where they did business and this act will restore the responsibilities to publicly disclose financial position of banks; and WHEREAS, in 1994, this requirement was repealed by an Act of Congress with no public hearing or explanation; and WHEREAS, the Public ought to have access to the statements of financial condition of all financial institutions; and WHEREAS, this act will require publication of a Statement of Condition within 30 days after the end of each fiscal quarter of any financial institution, in a newspaper of general circulation published in a city or county within each market area in which the financial institution is located, or if no newspaper of general circulation is publishing in such city or county, then the newspaper of general circulation published nearest such city or county; and WHEREAS, publication of Statements will result in the public having access to financial condition of banks which would have helped to disclose insolvency; and therefore be it RESOLVED, that the Tennessee Press Association encourages passage of HR 2727 thus requiring publication of a Bank s Statement of Condition and further that TPA specifically requests the Tennessee Congressional Delegation become engaged in helping to pass HR June 19, 2009 elementary school, he recalled. I walked from school to the newspaper office to stuff inserts for the paper. I worked on and off through high school and college, mostly helping distribute the paper on press day. A 1987 graduate of Milan High School where he was a player on the tradition- Parkins, Tamara Parkins Dunnebacke, Jordan Parkins, Victor Parkins, Deborah Parkins Ayers, Scarlet Parkins Elliott, Kendall Parkins, Crystal Parkins, Donna Parkins, Denton Parkins and Walker Parkins Board supports act The TPA Board of Directors at its June 19 meeting adopted the resolution at left in support of the Banking in Transparency Act. Sadie Fowler, a newsroom staff member at the Shelbyvile Times- Gazette, has been promoted to lifestyles editor. She is a graduate of Syracuse University and formerly was editorial director for The Walking Horse Report. Jacquta Burke has been named advertising manager of The Paris Post-Intelligencer. She succeeds Laura Dougherty, who left the paper in April. Lillian Abernathy, creative services/pre-press manager of The News Examiner, Gallatin, has resigned from the newspaper. She had been with The News Examiner for 11 years. She plans to open her own creative design company, L.A. Creative09, and to provide care for her grandson. rich Bulldog football team, Parkins earned a marketing degree from the University of Tennessee-Martin in 1991 and started working for a local radio station selling ads. It didn t take long to realize that I couldn t compete with the local newspaper, which my family owned and operated, he said. He joined the Mirror in 1993 and became sports editor in Today he is editor; his mother, Dorris, is ownerpublisher; and the staff includes three sisters, Melanie, Scarlet and Paris. I love working at the paper and promoting the people of Milan, he said. I owe everything I am and have to the greatest parents a person could ever wish for. They were and are the hardest working people on earth, and they taught us the importance of hard work. Mom and Dad founded the paper in 1964 and built it into what it is today. Civic, professional involvement Parkins has served on the TPA Board of Directors, as a Tennessee Press Service director, TPA Foundation trustee and Tennessee state chairman for the National Newspaper Association. He is past chairman of the winter Press Institute, a member of the TPA Postal Committee, past chairman of TPA Contests Committee and graduate of the TPS Institute of Newspaper Technology. He is chairman of the board of directors for the Associated Publishers Inc. newspaper group and is a member of the Tennessee Sports Writers Association. Active in his hometown of Milan, Parkins is president of the Milan Chamber of Commerce and previously chaired the Education Committee and Industrial and Infrastructure Committee. He is past president of the Milan Lions Club and club reporter for 14 years and served as chairman of Gibson County Ducks Unlimited. He served as president and director for Milan Girls Softball and vice president and treasurer of the Milan Lady Bulldog Softball Club. He is a Sunday school teacher at the Sitka Church of Christ and a member of the West Tennessee Agricultural Museum Advisory Board. An avid outdoorsman, Parkins enjoys hunting, fishing, real estate interests, family activities and grilling. He holds the current title of Best Burger in Town at the Milan Burger Bash. Victor and wife, Carol, have been married 11 years and have two daughters, Jordan, 20, and Holly, 9. Chuck Morley, a 35-year newspaper veteran, has been named general manager of the Thomaston (Ga.) Times. He is a journalism graduate of East Tennessee State University and began his newspaper career at the Johnson City Press. FORESIGHT 2009 SEPTEMBER 10-12: SNPA Workshop for Smaller Newspapers, Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza Ravinia, Atlanta, Ga. 14: Newspaper Carrier Day 14-18: Imagination Library Week 16-18: SNPA Traveling Campus, Knoxville 17: Constitution Day 18-20: 106th Annual SNPA Convention, Ritz Carlton, Naples, Fla : SNPA Workshop for Smaller Newspapers, Marriott City Center, Charlotte, N.C : National Conference of Editorial Writers, Hilton Hotel,Salt Lake City, Utah 24-27: NNA 123rd Convention and Trade Show, Renaissance Riverview Plaza Hotel, Mobile, Ala. OCTOBER 1: SNPA Publishers Forum, host Art Powers, Johnson City Press, Johnson City 4-10: National Newspaper Week 10: International Newspaper Carrier Day version X.II 15-17: Institute of Newspaper Technology, Knoxville 18-20: SNPA News Industry Summit (Annual Convention), Naples, Fla : Newspaper Association of America Conference, Hyatt Regency St. Louis Riverfront, St. Louis, Mo : The Associated Press Annual Conference, St. Louis, Mo. NOVEMBER 6: Tennessee Newspaper Hall of Fame induction, Knoxville 12: TPAers judge Kentucky Press Association newspaper contest, Nashville 13: TPAers judge Kentucky Press Association newspaper contest, Knoxville DECEMBER 15: Bill of Rights Day Larry Bowers, former executive editor of the Cleveland Daily Banner, has returned as associate editor-news. He succeeds Beth Foster, who left the newspaper to pursue other interests. Bob Benz, after 12 years in Tennessee, and wife, Lara Edge, have moved to Las Vegas. He has taken a job with Greenspun Corp. as executive vice president of Greenspun Media Group, which includes their interactive division and their local media assets. Edge was laid off from her job at Scripps Networks Interactive and earlier was managing editor of the News Sentinel, Knoxville.

4 4 The Tennessee Press AUGUST 2009 Parkins names chairmen of 14 TPA committees Victor Parkins, TPA president, has appointed committee chairmen to lead in association efforts for The chairmen will be working over the next few weeks to fill their committee rosters. One should contact these chairmen if he or she is interested in serving on a committee or committees. They are as follows: Advertising Committee: Kerri Meeks, The Tullahoma News, tnadvmgr@lcs.net Circulation Committee: Don Lovelace, Citizen Tribune, Morristown, ctcirdir@lcs.net Constitution and Bylaws Committee: Steve Lake, Pulaski Citizen, steve.lake@pulaskicitizen. com Contests Committee: Mark Stevens, The Erwin Record, mstevens@ erwinrecord.net Government Affairs Committee: Elizabeth K. Blackstone, Kennedy Newspapers, Columbia, erfkb@ bellsouth.net Hall of Fame Committee: UT School of Journalism director or designee: Dr. Paul Ashdown, UT Journalism Education Committee: Michael Williams, The Paris Post- Intelligencer, michael_williams@ parispi.net NIE/Literacy Committee: Lu Shep Baldwin, Jones Media, Athens, lushep. baldwin@jonesmedia.biz Nominating Committee: Tom Griscom, Chattanooga Times Free Press, tgriscom@timesfreepress.com Personnel Committee: Kevin Burcham, News-Herald, Lenoir City, kevin.burcham@news-herald.net Postal Committee: Mike Fishman, Citizen Tribune, Morristown, ctpub@ lcs.net Press Institute Committee: Joel Washburn, Dresden Enterprise, washburn@mckenziebanner.com Public Notice Committee: Jeff Fishman, The Tullahoma News, tnpub@lcs.net Technology Committee: Alan Broyles, Johnson City Press, abroy@ johnsoncitypress.com Normally, a Summer Convention chairman would be named. However, for 2010, TPA will be joining the Arkansas and Mississippi press associations for a Tri-State Press Convention in Tunica, Miss. TPA will have two members serve on a committee with Arkansas and Mississippi representatives to develop the convention s programming. Committee rosters will be listed in the October issue of The Tennessee Press. Washburn leads Winter Convention Committee Joel Washburn, editor of The McKenzie Banner, has been appointed chairman of the Press Institute Committee, which plans the annual TPA winter Washburn convention. TPA President Victor Parkins made the appointment. I've worked with Joel for several years in the newspaper business, and I've grown to respect him as a journalist and publisher, said Parkins. His work ethic stands tall above others, and he is a creative thinker. Joel took on this big job without hesitation and has hit the ground running. We're looking forward Mia Rhodarmer has been named publisher of t h e M o n r o e County Advocate & Democrat, Sweetwater, announced Tommy Wilson, vice president of the Rhodarmer Jones Media Inc. s Valley Division and publisher of The Daily Post-Athenian, Athens. Rhodarmer will retain the title and responsibilities of editor. Mia came to us in 2000 as a reporter and has displayed exceptional skills as an editor and the leader of our newsroom. In October 2008, Mia was named general manager, Wilson said. Since that time, Mia has shown her leadership strengths go far beyond the newsroom and has done an exceptional job of managing the business side of the newspaper. to a great Winter Convention. Washburn started working at his family-owned newspaper at the age of 9 by sweeping floors and running letter presses. He began work full time in 1979 in advertising sales and reporting. He was named managing editor in He manages the corporation of two weekly newspapers, The McKenzie Banner and the Dresden Enterprise, and a separate online newspaper, www. tricountystar.com. Washburn represents District 9 on the TPA Board of Directors. He previously served as a member of the Press Institute Committee and currently serves on the Constitution & Bylaws Committee. If one has ideas to share for the 2010 Press Institute and Winter Convention or would like to be part of the committee, please contact Washburn at (731) or washburn@mckenziebanner. com. The Press Institute Committee will survey members to determine what types of sessions to offer for the Drive-In Training, which focuses on newspaper staffers. The survey also will ask for success stories in the areas of advertising, circulation, editorial and promotion for a session featuring these successes that other newspapers can adapt and use. The link to the survey, on the home page of will be available through Aug. 31. Tentative convention dates are Feb. 10 through 12. Rhodarmer named publisher of the Advocate & Democrat I appreciate this opportunity Jones Media has given me and the support of the people I work with, Rhodarmer said. I have enjoyed learning more about the business side of the newspaper and look forward to leading our newspaper during this changing time in our industry. I am dedicated to producing a high-quality community newspaper that meets the needs of our readers and advertisers. Rhodarmer s past newspaper experience includes working at The Macon News in her hometown of Franklin, N.C. and The McDowell News in Marion, N.C. She graduated from the University of North Carolina- Asheville in 1999 with a degree in mass communication and attended graduate school at Murray State University, Murray, Ky. Rhodarmer is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and serves as president of the East Tennessee chapter. She is a member of the Sweetwater Kiwanis Club and serves on the board of the United Way of Monroe County. She and her husband, Charlie, live in the Ball Play community. He is director of the Sequoyah Birthplace Museum in Vonore. (Monroe County Advocate and Democrat, July 5, 2009) Advocate & Democrat changes press days Effective with the July 5 edition, the Monroe County Advocate & Democrat, Sweetwater, changed its publication days. Formerly published on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday, the newspaper now publishes Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Mia Rhodarmer is editor and publisher of the newspaper, owned by Jones Media Inc., which is based in Greeneville. How Network ads benefit TPA members, associates BY BETH ELLIOTT Network advertising manager Are you taking full advantage of the revenue-generating programs provided by Tennessee Press Service: TnSCAN (classified), TnDAN (display) and TnNET (online)? Elliott M e m b e r newspapers: Imagine that your TPA dues have been paid for you. This is no dream. In most cases, the annual rebates from TnSCAN and TnDAN programs alone equal more than your paper pays in TPA dues! Last year, each participating newspaper received an average of $1,940 just for publishing the ads each week. There s more, so keep reading. Tennessee s Network ads can fill remnant space and can help build your classified section. TnDAN ads are small display ads that can be placed in your ROP section wherever you wish. TnSCAN ads are classified line ads that can be incorporated with your regular classifieds to help build your classified section. You choose the day of publication and the section for these ads to best meet your space needs. The newest network is TnNET for medium rectangle online ads. The code for TnNET ads can be placed anywhere on your Web site. TnNET can help fill underutilized space on your newspaper s Web site. Nell Scott, with more than 40 years of service to the Weakley County Press, Martin, has been named office manager. Five-year newsroom veteran Sabrina Bates assumes her new role as news editor. Nell has fulfilled a variety of roles for the Press for many years and has done an excellent job for us, said Publisher David Critchlow Sr. She and Linda Stockton, manager of the circulation and classified ad departments, have long been the faces of the Weakley County Press. Scott has worked at the Press since January 1963, except for a couple years on two different occasions, once when she moved and another time for family. She has been a typist, in page Remember to publish Statement of Ownership Every newspaper soon will need to file the annual periodical Statement of Ownership with the local post office. It is called PS Form 3526 Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation and should be filed in October. One can download a PDF from com/forms/_pdf/ps3526.pdf. Not only can Network ads be used to fill space, but your staff can sell the ads and your newspaper keeps 40 percent commission. These days, 40 percent commission is unheard of! Is your newspaper taking FULL advantage? Sales materials are available 24/7 on Contact TPS for the username and password. Tennessee s Advertising Networks benefit TPA member newspapers by giving rebates, filling space and by providing an unbelievable commission. How do the Networks benefit TPA associate members? TPA associate members: You can have one point of contact to get your message out across a region of Tennessee, the entire state or even nationwide. Plus, Network advertising rates fit any budget, large and small. Tennessee s Advertising Networks have simplified multiple-newspaper advertising. Whether you need a classified line ad, small display ad or medium-rectangle online ad, your local participating newspaper or TPS can help. Rates are heavily discounted because the Advertising Networks are a cooperative operated by TPS on behalf of the TPA members. Network buys are an excellent value if you are looking for extensive circulation at a bareminimum cost per thousand. Service is in our name, so contact Tennessee Press Service at (865) x117 or belliott@tnpress.com if you have any questions or need assistance. composition and as society editor, as well as other duties when needed. Bates started at the Press in August 2004 as a reporter, later becoming chief staff writer. Tom R. Duggin, sports editor since 2005, has been promoted to editor of the Smithville Review. He succeeds longtime editor and publisher Dennis Stanley. Duggin is a native and lifelong resident of DeKalb County and is a member of the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and of the Dowelltown City Council. Angie Meadows will continue as advertising director, and Melissa Yarbrough will serve as graphics designer and assist with customer service and relations. News give and take

5 AUGUST 2009 The Tennessee Press 5 OBITUARIES Tim Chavez Former columnist Tim Chavez, a passionate journalist who formerly wrote a column for The Tennessean, Nashville, died June 18 of leukemia. He was 50. As a columnist, Tim was unpredictable, said Sandra Roberts, The Tennessean s retired managing editor of opinion. On some days, he was infuriating. On other days, he was endearing. But he was always fearless and he was always thoughtprovoking. A resident of Williamson County, Chavez was an Oklahoma native and graduated from the University of Central Oklahoma. He moved to Nashville after working as an opinion editor for the Observer-Dispatch in Utica, N.Y. Before that, he worked as a reporter and sports editor. In 1996, Chavez began writing an issues column for The Tennessean that addressed topics including English as a second language, health care and immigration. He wanted his column to be the voice of those he felt had no voice, often taking on authority figures. He was especially heated when it came to defending those who were removed from the state s TennCare rolls. Chavez was a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. He won state and national awards, including the Will Rodgers Humanitarian Award from the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. He leaves his wife, Kathi Chavez; a stepson, Japhet Thacker of Brentwood; a stepdaughter, Una Winterman of Bloomington, Ind.; and two granddaughters. (The Tennessean, Nashville, June 20, 2009) Jamie Lynne Cox Former reporter Jamie Lynne Cox, a former Independent Appeal, Selmer, reporter, died as the result of a fire that broke out June 8 at the Stantonville Pallet Factory on Dennie Barber Rd. in Stantonville. He was 36. He grew up in Covington and graduated from Covington High School. It wasn t long after graduation in 1993 that he competed with more than 300 mid-south contestants in the Big City Girl Meets Small Town Boy contest sponsored by the Oprah Winfrey Show. Cox s winning video guaranteed him time in the spotlight. San Franciscobound, he appeared not once, but twice, on Oprah s show before and after the contest. Cox joined the staff at the Independent Appeal from 1997 to 1998 as a reporter covering many community events and sports. Stories were easy to write for him, as he felt at ease with the public, was very polite and worked hard. The son of Gary and Cathy Owen, he also worked at the family business, Up in Smoke, a local store that closed in Selmer in 2001 while he was attending the University of Tennessee, Selmer campus, to continue his education. He worked various jobs in the community when he landed a position at the Pallet Factory in Stantonville more than a year ago, according to his mother. Over the years he became a die-hard fan of UT sports, especially football. He was a dedicated father to his 4-year-old daughter, Shelby Cox. He married Betsy Hurd Cox of Adamsville just two weeks before his death. (Independent Appeal, Selmer) McNeil Don R. McNeil Former executive director Don R. McNeil of Madisonville died July 9 at St. Mary s Hospice. He was a former executive director of the Tennessee Press Association (TPA). He was a graduate of the UT School of Journalism and worked for 28 years for TPA and its business affiliate, Tennessee Press Service (TPS). McNeil worked for five years at The Knoxville News-Sentinel before joining the TPS staff as sales manager on Feb. 10, 1962 at the age of 23. Later, he became the TPA associate manager. McNeil was named secretarytreasurer-manager of TPS in 1976, succeeding his father, Glenn E. McNeil. Glenn McNeil continued as TPA s secretary-manager. Upon his father s retirement, Don McNeil became TPA s secretarymanager on Dec. 1, He continued in the role of TPS secretary-treasurermanager. Glenn McNeil had held the TPA secretary-manager s position for 32 years. The secretary-manager is the same position that is currently titled executive director. Don McNeil resigned as TPA executive director in July He was predeceased by his father. He leaves wife, Heidi; son, Charles McNeil; daughters, Jan Newman, Kimberly Huffman and Terri McNeil; mother, Ercie McNeil; sisters, Glenda McMillan and Joy McNeil; grandchildren, Courtney, Meghan, Katie, Will, Hunter, Hannah, Zach, Josh and Jenna; and three great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society; Monroe County Animal Shelter, 170 Kefauver Lane, Madisonville, Tenn ; or Young Williams Animal Center, 3201 Division St., Knoxville, Tenn Africa Price, who was managing editor of the Tallahassee (Fla.) Democrat, has been named executive editor of the Shreveport (La.) Times. Earlier, she was with The Jackson Sun. Associated Press Nashville Bureau Chief Adam Yeomans, who handles AP news and marketing operations in Tennessee and Kentucky, has been assigned Mississippi as well. Woody Baird, who has covered the Memphis region for more than 27 years, was honored by editors at The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, and friends and colleagues at a June 18 retirement sendoff at the newspaper. Baird joined the AP as a newsman in New Orleans in 1977 and worked there till He rejoined AP in Memphis in He worked as AP s Memphis correspondent since 1986 and is remembered as a throwback, a no-holds-barred reporter who doesn t hesitate to ask the tough questions to get to the heart of the matter. The major stories he s handled are too numerous to list here: the custody battle over a Chinese girl, Mary Winkler s shotgun slaying of her preacher husband and the neverending stream of public corruption cases from Memphis are among the RENAISSANCE RIVERVIEW PLAZA HOTEL Educational Sessions Three Preconvention Workshops Great Idea Exchange Six Roundtables-repeated Opening Breakfast/Keynote Speaker Eight Educational Sessions Twelve Community Building Symposium papers most recent. He also kept AP ahead on the Elvis and FedEx beats. His AP colleagues presented him a plaque and a photo collage of him reporting from the scene on numerous stories over the years. They also presented an audio tribute with Tennessee staffers each doing their imitation of Baird barking his signature line when he called from the scene: Give me the desk! (Associated Press) May it fly Action is needed to protect the promise of confidentiality between reporters and their sources...the public s right to know hangs in the balance. Rick Boucher U.S. representative, 2005 Networking and Social Events Opening Reception in Exhibit Hall USS Alabama Tours and Seafood Feast Trade Show with the latest and greatest NNAF Silent Auction Awards Luncheon Toast to the Winners For more information or program updates visit or call (800)

6 6 The Tennessee Press AUGUST 2009 ENGRAVINGS Amy and Mark Stevens BY ERWIN RECORD STAFF Mark Stevens, publisher of The Erwin Record, and his wife, Amy, system director of marketing communications for Wellmont Health System in Kingsport, were inducted into the East Tennessee State University Hall of Fame. The Department of Communication held its annual awards ceremony in the Grand Soldiers Ballroom at Johnson City s Carnegie Hotel. Stevens, a member of the Class of 1991, received his Hall of Fame induction in the division of journalism. Before joining the Record in 1997, Stevens served as a writer and editor at the Johnson City Press, where he interned in 1989 while a student at ETSU. He has held leadership roles with the Society of Professional Journalists and the Tennessee Press Association, as well as leading The Erwin Record to seven consecutive years as the General Excellence Award winner in its circulation division. He has won multiple awards for news, feature and editorial writing. In 2004, he was named to Washington, D.C.-based Presstime magazine s Twenty Under Forty and THE ERWIN RECORD Stevenses honored at ETSU, inducted into Hall of Fame named one of the rising stars of the newspaper industry. Amy Stevens, a member of the Class of 1993, received her Hall of Fame induction in the division of public relations. Wellmont is a 7,000-employee, not-for-profit health system. Before joining Wellmont a decade ago, she worked for the Johnson City Press and the Kingsport Times-News. She was the winner of several state and national awards, including prestigious William Randolph Hearst awards for spot news writing and in-depth reporting. She has won multiple ADDY and Public Relations Society of America awards and was nominated for a MidSouth EMMY Award for her work with The Wellmont Connection television show. She has been a guest speaker at national conferences in Washington, D.C. and San Francisco. Mark and Amy Stevens met while studying journalism at ETSU. They both served as executive editors of the student-operated newspaper, the East Tennessean, and eventually worked together at the Johnson City Press. They were married in Both have served as adjunct professors at ETSU. Kiwanis honors Bradford for literacy work BY LANCE COLEMAN Fighting illiteracy just seemed like a natural cause for a newspaper man. Tutt Bradford, former owner of The Daily Times, Maryville, put heart, soul and money behind the cause and was honored this month by the Maryville Kiwanis Club. Rev. Anne McKee, chaplain at Maryville College, said that in 1980, Bradford read census figures showing an illiteracy rate of 20 percent. Bradford, then owner of The Daily Times, wanted to help solve the problem. Tutt swore his first thought was, If they can t read, they won t read my paper, she said as the audience laughed. Once Bradford learned the problem could be solved with more volunteers, he and his wife set up the scholarships through Maryville College. McKee shared how Bradford developed 15 scholarships of $4,000 per year. The scholarships required students to spend six hours a week tutoring people on how to read. Almost all the scholarships at Maryville College have some service component, she said. We believe that to whom much is given, much is expected. Bradford said he was humbled by the honor. Thank you so much for what you ve done, he said. Bradford said afterward he knew about a Maryville College presentation but didn t know the Kiwanians were going to honor him. I was very surprised by all this, he said. ( At the July 18 Front Page Follies, Dr. Dorothy Bowles presents all, from left, John M. Jones Jr., Alex S. Jones and Gregg K. Jones, copies of the Charlie Daniel Jones Boys cartoon prepared for the occasion. Nationally-known journalists and authors Alex S. Jones and Susan E. Tifft were honored by Washington and Lee University with doctor of humane letters degrees. The university is in Lexington, Va. Jones and Tifft, who are married, received the individual honorary degrees June 4 as part of the university commencement exercises. Jones, a 1968 graduate of Washington and Lee, is director of the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard University s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Tifft is Eugene C. Patterson Professor of the Practice of Journalism and Public Policy Studies at Duke University, of which she is a graduate and former trustee. Alex Jones, a native of Greeneville and a co-owner, director and former editor of The Greeneville Sun, and Tifft, a frequent visitor to Greeneville over the years who also has many friends in Greeneville, are residents of Cambridge, Mass. Among those attending the ceremony at Washington and Lee were Jones s brothers, Gregg K. Jones and John M. Jones Jr., and Helena Z. Jones, wife of John Jones Jr. Gregg Jones is co-publisher of the Sun, and John Jones Jr. is editor of the Sun. Like Alex Jones, both are directors and co-owners of the newspaper. Citation to Jones In presenting the honorary degree to ELENORA E. EDWARDS TPS Bowles served as co-chairman of the 31st Annual Follies, a program of the East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists. Adina Chumley was cochairman. Jones, Tifft awarded degrees by Washington & Lee Jones, Washington and Lee President Kenneth P. Ruscio noted that Jones, a member of a Tennessee newspaper family, moved from a newspaper in his home state to The New York Times. There, he covered the press from 1983 to 1992 and won a Pulitzer Prize in 1987 for his coverage of the collapse of the Barry Bingham Sr. family s newpaper dynasty in Louisville, Ky., where the family owned and published the Louisville Courier-Journal. With Tifft, the citation stated, Jones co-authored two highly-acclaimed biographical books: The Patriarch: The Rise and Fall of the Bingham Dynasty, published in 1991, and The Trust: The Private and Powerful Family Behind The New York Times, published in From 1992 to 1997, the citation noted, Jones hosted National Public Radio s On the Media, which examined all aspects of news coverage and media issues. He also served for several years as executive editor and host of the Public Broadcasting System s news issue-focused series, Media Matters. In 1998, he and Tifft were jointly named the Eugene C. Patterson Professor of the Practice of Journalism at Duke University. In 2000, Jones joined Harvard University in his current capacity as director of the Shorenstein Center. He was one of three Washington and Lee alumni honored in May 2008 as Distinguished Alumni. The citation for his honorary degree stated that Washington and Lee was recognizing Jones for his sterling career as an award-winning journalist and author. Citation for Tifft The citation accompanying Tifft s honorary degree stated that she began a prolific career in journalism at Time magazine, where she was a national writer and associate editor from 1982 to She published hundreds of articles, the citation stated, in such widely-ranging and widely-read publications as Time, The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Smithsonian Magazine, the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, Glamour and Working Woman. The citation noted that she had coauthored with Jones both The Trust: The Private and Powerful Family Behind the New York Times, which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, and The Patriarch: The Rise and Fall of the Bingham Dynasty. The citation also pointed out that Tifft is currently the Eugene C. Patterson Professor of the Practice of Journalism and Public Policy Studies at Duke, where she was recently honored with the creation of the Susan Tifft Undergraduate Teaching/Mentoring Award. In the citation, Washington and Lee praised Tifft for bringing to her readers remarkable insight into print and broadcast journalism, and a profound understanding of the media, its owners, and the influences that shape it. (The Greeneville Sun, June 23, 2009)

7 AUGUST 2009 The Tennessee Press 7 Recreating Hat Day was a special event at paper By J. TODD FOSTER Editor, Bristol Herald Courier An old friend of mine sent me a weird black-and-white photo the other day. It was Hat Day 1987 at the Chattanooga News-Free Press the only newspaper in America that would place a hyphen between News and Free to form a compound modifier that denotes a newsless newspaper. The Chattanooga News and the Free Press had merged many years before, but sometimes a hyphen is overkill. (By the way, the Hat Day 1987 photo is shown at right. The first reader who s me my position in the photo and describes my hat without insulting me as special wins a comics umbrella.) The picture is so funny that I sent out a semi-mandatory request that this newsroom recreate Hat Day. Some of the women in this newsroom OK, only one woman actually (the first reader who guesses her identity wins a comics umbrella) complained that a hat would mess up her hair. I reminded her that my own concerns about hat hair transcended her own. This newsroom was instructed to bring a funny hat. Period. I wanted this to be fun and special. I invited Publisher Carl Esposito to participate. If you check the color photo at right, he s the dude under my left arm...carl had to be there for Hat Day....(The News-FreePress) had something going for it that few did: It was a fun place to work. And then there s this: Many of the people in this photo are dead. And they were incredibly interesting. The city editor, Julius Parker, died several years ago. He was a former professional wrestler turned beer distributor who became a journalist on a lark. (The first local who guesses which one is Julius wins a comics umbrella.) Julius covered the six-week-long trial of gangster Jimmy Hoffa in Chattanooga s federal court in True story: While the jury was out, Julius had to go No. 2 in the restroom. He was there so long that the verdict came in and he missed it. A cub reporter by the name of Irby Park (also deceased) was shadowing Julius that day and got the byline. Irby would become Julius and my assistant city editor. Both Julius and Irby are in this photo. So is Van Henderson, one of my best friends and the reporter who sat next to me on the front row of reporter desks in the newsroom. Neither Van nor I should have been placed in the front of the room. We were the guys who should have been buried in the back. Van died in the 1990s in a Tennessee lake while trying to teach his new, terrified-of-drowning bride how great the water is. He died of cardiac arrest right there in the water in front of her. The picture also includes the funniest man I ve ever known, Buddy Houts, who was the automotive editor... The Free Press was an afternoon paper back then. We reported to work at 6 a.m. every Monday through Saturday. Most afternoons, I played golf with two people pictured in the Hat Day photo Tom Turner and Mike Finn. Turner was the guy in the airplane with me when I went on my solo skydiving adventure ( com/tri/news/opinion/editorials/ article/my_brush_with_a_pothead_ parachutist_his_coonskin_hat/25083/). Mikey remains a dear friend, although I went 20 years without seeing him until recently. Most of the stories of me and Mikey can t be printed in a family newspaper. The Free Press was a white man s world, but we had four female photographers back then. Two of them Deborah Shaw and Angela Lewis are pictured. It was an eclectic group of men and women who didn t so much toil in the vineyards of journalism, but had fun being journalists. And we had fun after work. It was a photo worth recreating. I hope you enjoy it. (July 19, 2009) Bristol Herald Courier Hat Day 2009 DEVIN WAGNER THE JACKSON SUN Devin Wagner of The Jackson Sun is the AP March photo contribution of the month winner for his picture of Ian Baldwin, 11, bracing for impact after hitting a jump while sledding March 3 in Jackson. SPJ to honor news pioneer Churchwell BY HARRIET VAUGHAN The Tennessean, Nashville The Society of Professional Journalists announced it will posthumously award the late Robert Churchwell, the first African-American reporter at a major Southern newspaper, the Helen Thomas Award for Lifetime Achievement. The honor will take place Aug. 29 in Indianapolis. The award is given to reporters and editors who make a lifetime contribution to the field of journalism. Churchwell is known in Nashville for breaking racial barriers to work in news. He joined the Nashville Banner in February 1950 covering the African-American community. It was an attempt on the paper s part to expand its readership among blacks. He later became the Banner s education reporter. He worked there for 31 years before retiring in Tennessean Chairman Emeritus John Seigenthaler, a reporter in the 1950s, recalled Churchwell enduring racism and harsh criticism from white co-workers and those in the African- American community upset that he was working for the Banner. (July 21, 2009) BY JACK McELROY The Upfront Page News Sentinel, Knoxville I was at the Rocky Mountain News [Denver, Colo.] in 1996 when people started asking me if I knew Michael Connelly. Who s Michael Connelly? I responded. He wrote The Poet, I was told, and you re in it. Well, I wasn t really in the novel. But the main character, it turned out, was Jack McEvoy, a journalist at the Rocky Chattanooga News-Free Press Hat Day 1987 Thankfully, I m the other Jack Mac, journalist Mountain News. Naturally, I soon read The Poet, a gripping thriller about the hunt for a serial killer, and I became a big fan of Connelly, a former crime reporter for the Los Angeles Times. In later years if anyone asked me about The Poet, I told them that, yes, it was about me except for the little stuff about a serial killer. McEvoy has only been a bit character in Connelly s novels since then. Hard-boiled detective Harry Bosch is usually the protagonist. But now, in The Scarecrow, coming out next week, Jack Mac is back. He s working at the LA Times (good thing, since the Rocky has shut down). But the job doesn t last long. McEvoy, like many of his ink-stained colleagues, is soon laid off. Adventure follows. I guess I d just as soon not have life imitate art after all, and I wish McEvoy, and Connelly, the best of luck in their future endeavors. (May 22, 2009)