SPC awards to be presented at lunch July 13 in Nashville

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1 Your life. Delivered daily. May 18, st year 75 cents A Media General newspaper Bristol Herald Courier WJHL-TV, Channel 11 ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE A subsidiary of Warren Buffett s Berkshire Hathaway agreed to buy 63 papers from Media General Inc. The $142 million deal includes the Bristol Herald Courier, the Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch and the Winston-Salem Journal.The company is selling all of its papers except those in Florida, most notably the Tampa Tribune. 20 percent chance of scattered showers or thunderstorms. Highs will be near 84 degrees and lows near 50 degrees. Details on Page A16 Past Rotary International leader visits Tri-Cities: D.K. Lee speaks to Rotarians at Bristol Motor Speedway. Page A5 The 7: The best treats for your tresses could be found right in your kitchen. We reveal tips for beauty on a budget. Tonight at 7» Representatives of Berkshire Hathaway, including Terry Kroeger, president of BH Media Group, are scheduled to meet with employees of the Bristol Herald Courier at 8 a.m. today.to watch it live, go to TriCities.com.» For more on the purchase and Warren Buffett, go to TriCities.com, keyword: Buffett.» A list of Berkshire Hathaway holdings. A10» A look at the sales side of the deal. A10 BRISTOL HERALD COURIER BUSINESS & MARKETS...A6 CLASSIFIED ADS...B8 COMICS...B6 DEATHS...A2 LOTTERY...A4 OPINION... A14 REGION...A5 SPORTS... B1 TELEVISION...B7 Vol. 75 JUNE 2012 No. 12 Investor Buffett buys 63 papers, including BHC BY DAVID McGEE Reporter, Bristol Herald Courier Billionaire investor Warren Buffett plans to add to his newspaper holdings by buying 63 daily and weekly newspapers from Media General Inc., including the Bristol Herald Courier, a member of the Tennessee Press Association. BH Media Group, a division of Buffett s Berkshire Hathaway investment firm, agreed May17 to buy all of Media General s newspaper holdings, except its Tampa, Fla. group, for $142 million. The deal was jointly announced May 17. The purchase price includes all of the newspaper websites, printing and related business operations, but Media General will retain control of its TV stations. Pending regulatory approval, the deal is expected to close June 25. These newspapers are great institutions and powerful brands in their respective markets, said Terry Kroeger, president of BH Media Group. We are honored to have the opportunity to work with our new colleagues as we continue to produce top-notch news and advertising products in both print and digital platforms. The sale will include newspapers in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Alabama, including the Richmond Times-Dispatch and Winston-Salem Journal. It also includes Media General s regional non-daily papers, the Bland County Messenger, Clinch Valley News, Floyd Press, Richlands News-Press, Smyth County News & Messenger, Washington County News and Wytheville Enterprise. Buffett also owns the Omaha World- Herald in his Nebraska hometown, six daily and 16 weekly papers in Nebraska and Iowa, the Buffalo News in New York and stock in The Washington Post. The latter two entities are separate of BH Media Group. BH Media Group will establish a new division, World Media Enterprises, to manage the Media General acquisitions. Douglas Hiemstra, vice president of operations of the Omaha World-Herald, is the newly named president of World Media Enterprises. In addition to its media holdings, Berkshire Hathaway owns Benjamin Moore & Co., Clayton Homes, Fruit of the Loom, GEICO Insurance, Helzberg Diamonds, Dairy Queen, Johns Manville, NetJets and The Pampered Chef. In towns and cities where there is a strong sense of community, there is no more important institution than the INFORMING MORE THAN 260,000 READERS IN PRINT AND ONLINE Pappy Thompson FRIDAY BRISTOL Award finalist shattered Patrick Henry records SPORTS» B1 Winner of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize Queen of Disco for Public Service Donna Summer TriCities.com WJHL-TV dies at age 63 PAGE A3 BUFFETT BETTING ON COMMUNITY NEWS BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY SUBSIDIARY TO BUY 63 NEWSPAPERS FROM VIRGINIA-BASED MEDIA GENERAL, INCLUDING THIS ONE BY DAVID McGEE BRISTOL HERALD COURIER BRISTOL, Va. Billionaire investor Warren Buffett plans to increase his newspaper holdings by buying 63 daily and weekly newspapers from Media General Inc., including the Bristol Herald Courier. BH Media Group, a division of Buffett s Berkshire Hathaway investment firm, agreed Thursday to buy all of Media General s newspaper holdings, except its Tampa, Fla., group, for $142 million. The deal was jointly announced Thursday. The purchase price includes all of the newspaper websites, printing and related business operations but Media General will retain control of its TV stations. Pending regulatory approval, the deal is expected to close June 25. These newspapers are great institutions and powerful brands in their respective markets, said Terry Kroeger, president of the BH Media Group. We are honored to have the opportunity to work with our new colleagues as we continue to produce top-notch news and advertising products in both print and digital platforms. The sale will include newspapers in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Alabama, including the Richmond Times-Dispatch and the Winston-Salem Journal. It also includes Media General s regionalnon-dailypapersinsouthwest Virginia, The Bland County Messenger, Clinch Valley News, Floyd Press, Richlands News-Press, Smyth County News & Messenger, Washington County News and Wytheville Enterprise. See PAPERS,PageA10 Judge considers employment question during fraud case Mulling whether Eddie Wayne Louthian Sr. President Eddie Wayne Louthian Sr., of Chilhowie, from deal A two-week trial is set to tors voted to keep him as an em- December 2010 until September ing, the squad s board of direc- can keep working for Saltville Rescue Squad ing with the volunteer group s begin Sept. 10. ployee and switch his title from money matters. During Louthian s February president to coordinator, court BY MICHAEL L. OWENS Squad can work there while a The squad, Louthian and arraignment, U.S. District Court records show. BRISTOL HERALD COURIER health-care fraud case continues. Hicks, of Meadowview, are ac- commented that he might not would issue an opinion on his squad member Monica Jane Judge Pamela Meade Sargent On Thursday, Sargent said she ABINGDON, Va. Afederal A protective order enacted cused of sending $2.6 million be able to collect a squad paycheck anymore. employment status soon. judge is mulling whether the when the case began banned worth of fraudulent billing slips head of the Saltville Rescue squad Business Manager and to insurance companies from Immediately after that hear- See SQUAD,PageA11 OUTSIDE REGION NEWS PARTNER INDEX Partly cloudy local paper, Buffett said in a written statement. The many locales served by the newspapers we are acquiring fall firmly in this mold and we are delighted they have found a permanent home with Berkshire Hathaway. Bristol Herald Courier Regional Publisher James Maxwell said, We are very excited about BH Media s pending acquisition of our publications, Maxwell said. In terms of media companies and owners of media companies, this is a perfect 10 in my opinion. This will be very, very positive for the newspaper, the communities and the employees of the newspaper. We have a legacy of quality community news in Bristol, Southwest Virginia and Northeast Tennessee and we anticipate that will continue. Word of the expected sale was also welcomed by Twin City leaders. It is very exciting that someone of that caliber [Buffett] would be interested in our newspaper, said Paula Hurt, interim president and chief executive officer of the Bristol Chamber of Commerce. It s a Pulitzer Prizewinning newspaper and a hometown paper, so hopefully this means it will be able to expand and become better than it already is. Bristol, Tenn. Mayor David Shumaker endorsed Buffett s latest move. I m delighted. I couldn t be happier, Shumaker said. I m glad somebody with the resources of Warren SEE INVESTOR, PAGE 12 ONLINE INSIDE Buffett had early interest in newspapers Businessman and investor Warren Buffett, the chief executive officer of the company buying 63 Media General newspapers including the Bristol Herald Courier, had an early interest in the newspaper business. At age 13, he ran his own business as a paperboy for the Washington Post, of which he now owns a stake. He recalls those days fondly and in April, for an appearance at the Omaha Press Club Show, dressed up as a World War II-era newspaper boy and sang I m Only a Paperboy to the tune of It s Only a Paper Moon. See BUFFETT,PageA10 SPC awards to be presented at lunch July 13 in Nashville BY JACK McELROY Editor, News Sentinel, Knoxville Secrecy was an open-and-shut case during most of the legislative session. It began with redistricting, a process that the State Integrity Project rated F for lack of transparency. Four months later, it drew to a close with a secret Sunday confab in a Nashville restaurant to carve up the pork in the budget bill. House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick defended the rendezvous, saying, There s been a lot of secrecy for 200 years. I don t think it s any worse than it s always been. Sadly, that may be true. As they often have done in the past, lawmakers again added exemptions to the Public Records Act, meaning that more public business can be kept private. For instance, the University of Tennessee and the Tennessee Board of Regents no longer have to make public all the candidates in a presidential search. Instead, the names of just three finalists must be revealed. Tennessee newspaper excellence will be recognized with awards in the 2012 University of Tennessee (UT)- Tennessee Press Association (TPA) State Press Contests that will be Williams Likens Dye presented at a luncheon at noon Friday, July 13, at the Embassy Suites Nashville Airport Hotel, 10 Century Blvd. Sixty-nine TPA member newspapers have won at least one award. Winning newspapers were notified by letter on May 18 of the categories in which they will receive awards, and a list of newspapers to receive awards is posted at The luncheon cost is $35 per person if one registers on or before June 29. Welcoming people to the luncheon will be one of the first duties for the new TPA president, Michael Williams, The Paris Post-Intelligencer. Terri Likens, Roane County News, Kingston, Contests Committee chairman, will emcee. Hank Dye, UT, will present the awards. UT has co-sponsored the State Press Contests since 1940 by providing the plaques, certificates and coordination of the awards presentation. Details and registration information are available in PDF format, or one can register online. Winning entries will be on display after the luncheon. A photographer engaged by UT will take photos as newspaper staff members accept the first place awards, and these will be posted online for newspapers use. After the luncheon, Elenora E. Edwards, managing editor of The Tennessee Press, will take group photos staff members with Meeman, General Excellence, first, second and third place awards. Members of the Texas Press Association judged the State Press Contests this year, and TPA members judged theirs. Seventy-three newspapers entered the contests for 1,401 total entries. The hotel is offering a discounted rate of $115. Reservations should be made no later than Wednesday, June 20, to take advantage of it. One should contact the hotel at (615) Close to Interstate 40, the hotel is on a spur road near the top of the hill on McGavock Pike. To reach it from the west, one should take Briley Parkway exit 215B; turn right onto Elm Hill Pike; right onto McGavock Pike; right onto Century Blvd. From east, take Donelson Pike exit 216; turn left onto Elm Hill Pike; left onto McGavock Pike; right onto Century Blvd. Sadly, secrecy mostly ruled legislative session McElroy This is supposed to address a longstanding complaint that the best candidates don t apply for Tennessee jobs because they can t risk being outed as job-hunters unless they have a really good chance of landing the new gig. Now Tennessee will be able to steal top administrators away from other states, as we did 10 years ago when UT s last secret search snagged John Shumaker from the University of Louisville. Of course, Shumaker resigned a year later in a scandal involving misuse of funds. But I guess even secret searches can t get it right all the time. State employee performance evaluations also are secret now under Gov. Bill Haslam s civil service reform. These evaluations will be used to determine salary increases, pay cuts, promotions, demotions, transfers and firings. But the public can t see them. That nixes stories such as the one we did in February about State Trooper Charles Van Morgan, who was fired for ignoring a crash that killed a 20- year-old Knoxville man. Reporter Matt Lakin delved into Morgan s personnel file and discovered that the trooper s bosses had given him consistently high marks despite earlier disciplinary problems. Lawmakers, in their wisdom, have now prevented such reporting. A sneaky method was used to slip in another secrecy bill. To avoid public debate, lawmakers used a 14-monthold caption bill a blank bill with a vague heading to disguise a proposal to exempt the performance evaluations of teachers from the Public Records Act, too. Maybe the one good thing that can be said about the session is that it could have been worse. Early on, there was a push to amend the Open Meetings Act to allow secret gatherings of members of school boards, county commissions and city councils as long as a full quorum did not attend. Haslam and Sen. Ken Yager wisely put the kibosh on that attempt to drop the shades on the Sunshine Law. Haslam, in turn, was thwarted in his desire to let the state give incentive grants to businesses that did not want to reveal the identity of their owners. If a company wants public money they ought to be honest and public about who they are, said Sen. Roy Herron, in an argument that ultimately carried the day. Amen. (May 13, 2012) FISHMAN 2 FORESIGHT 3 CONVENTION SCHEDULE 3 DANIEL HONORED 4 OBITS 5 JUDGING PHOTOS 6 GIBSON 9 SLIMP 11 INSIDE IN CONTACT Phone: (865) Fax: (865) Online:

2 2 The Tennessee Press JUNE 2012 (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 Jeffrey D. Fishman, The Tullahoma News...President Michael Williams, The Paris Post-Intelligencer...Vice President Lynn Richardson, Herald & Tribune, Jonesborough...Vice President Dale Gentry, The Standard Banner, Jefferson City...Treasurer Greg M. Sherrill, Knoxville...Executive Director DIRECTORS Keith Wilson, Kingsport Times-News...District 1 Jack McElroy, News Sentinel, Knoxville...District 2 Chris Vass, Chattanooga Times Free Press...District 3 Darren Oliver, Overton County News, Livingston...District 4 Hugh Jones, Shelbyville Times-Gazette...District 5 Joe Adams, The Lebanon Democrat...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 Victor Parkins, The Milan Mirror-Exchange...Past President TENNESSEE PRESS SERVICE Michael Williams, The Paris Post-Intelligencer...President Victor Parkins, The Milan Mirror-Exchange...Vice President Jeff Fishman, The Tullahoma News...Director Pauline D. Sherrer, Crossville Chronicle...Director Jason Taylor, Chattanooga Times Free Press...Director Greg M. Sherrill...Executive Vice President TENNESSEE PRESS ASSOCIATION FOUNDATION Gregg K. Jones, The Greeneville Sun...President Victor Parkins, The Milan Mirror-Exchange...Vice President Richard L. Hollow, Knoxville...General Counsel Greg M. Sherrill...Secretary-Treasurer Adiós, Au Revoir, Auf Wiedersehen Until we meet again Adiós, Au Revoir, Auf Wiedersehen. It is time to write my last presidential column for The Tennessee Press, and this effort is bittersweet. Bitter because it is ending and sweet because it is ending! The greatest three words in any volunteer board work are, Immediate past president. It is time for me to take my position beside all those great leaders who preceded me. As Richard Knight might have said, It is time for me to take my seat in the peanut gallery. Serving as your president of the Tennessee Press Association has been a great honor and privilege. This organization means much to me personally and professionally. I have had the privilege of serving on various industry boards and committees, but to serve in a leadership position for TPA has been the highlight of my newspaper career. I went into this job with a three-point plan. A wise man pulled me aside early and offered the advice of devising a three-point action plan. I had no intention of following his suggestion, but in the end I realized the wisdom in this simple, sage advice. The three main action items during my time as president have been fairly obvious in need, and each has the potential to be far-reaching into the future of TPA. 1. I am very proud that TPA has taken the bold step of financing a full-time legislative liaison. Along with the help of many TPA publishers and our public policy director, Frank Gibson, TPA has been successful in thwarting several misguided bills during the last legislative session. These challenges will continue, and I feel TPA is better positioned than ever to successfully handle them. Creating and staffing this position wasn t without controversy. Gregg Jones and TPA immediate past president Art Powers are two of many who deserve thanks for their courage, vision and leadership in recognizing the problem and then fostering a solution. 2. The second issue that was identified very early in my term was the need for appropriate and formalized training for the officeholders of TPA. Your TPA Board of Directors took action to codify the procedure for moving through the chairs. We now have a specific policy in place that spells out the various TPA committees and different roles expected of nominees prior to their being eligible for office. 3. I have always favored a legislative remedy to define a YOUR PRESIDING REPORTER Jeff Fishman CORRECTION The Tennessee Press erred in the May issue in using the incorrect first name for the wife of David Wells, new TPS advertising director. Her name is Jessica. We apologize for the error. newspaper of general circulation. The Tennessee Code should apply the same logic to all public notice advertising just as is specified in the Election Code. The newspaper definition committee, co-chaired by Victor Parkins and Eric Barnes, has met numerous times to create language intended to be introduced in the next legislation session. The language should be approved soon for all TPA members to see. Potential legislative sponsors have been identified, so perhaps we are close to eliminating the vagueness of the state law regarding this important issue. Please indulge me a moment of personal privilege. I wish to recognize some people who are very important in my life. My business partners are my brother, Mike, and my father, Jack. The three of us have endured many challenges together, and through it all we remain close friends, not just family or business partners. Throughout the many trials of my life I was always steadied by the knowledge I could count on Mother to make things better. God does for you what you can t do for yourself. By putting Jacob in my life He has blessed me with the love of a child. I share, with fathers worldwide, that incredible feeling when your son says, Daddy, help me. You can always count on me, Jake. My wife, Karen, is an amazing woman. She is an incredible mother and advocate on behalf of Jacob. Although she may argue that putting up with me is more difficult than managing the challenges of being a mother! She is my friend, my lover and my wife. Those who have not come to this juncture to say farewell cannot appreciate my feeling of sadness and glee at this time. Saying goodbye brings up lots of mixed emotions. Thank you to this organization and the kindness of you people. I owe you much. I have participated in this organization for more than 40 years and have passed from a young boy to a man. I now leave office not knowing when or whether I may be asked to serve again, but rest assured I stand ready to help when called upon. Without the assistance of God and my loved ones, I cannot succeed at life, but with that assistance I cannot fail. Thank you for the opportunity to serve. JEFF FISHMAN is publisher of The Tullahoma News. AP s awards event set June 16 in Nashville The annual Tennessee Associated Press Managing Editors and Broadcasters awards presentation will be held Saturday, June 16, at the Sheraton Nashville Downtown. A reception will begin at 5:30 p.m. Registration information and the lists of finalists can be found at states/tennessee/index.html. Committee to meet A Government Affairs Committee meeting has been called for 10 a.m. Friday, July 13, in conjunction with the awards event in Nashville. 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, Tenn ; or ElenoraEdwards@Comcast.net. The deadline for the July issue is June 11.

3 JUNE 2012 The Tennessee Press 3 TPA Summer Convention Thursday through Saturday, June Sheraton Read House Hotel Chattanooga Schedule Thursday, June 14 10:00 a.m. Newspaper Definition Committee 1:00 p.m. TPA Board of Directors Meeting 2:45 p.m. TPA Business Session 3:30 p.m. TPA Foundation Board of Trustees Meeting 5:30 p.m. (until 7:30) Reception at Hunter Museum of Art 9:30 p.m. (Optional) Riverbend Festival Friday, June 15 9:00 a.m. The Cost of Not Using Social Media - Panel led by John Moss 9:00 a.m. Customer Service - Kevin Slimp 10:30 a.m. Online Comments - Panel led by Alison Gerber 10:30 a.m. 75 Minutes of Everything: Tips from InDesign, Photoshop, Flash, Acrobat & More - Kevin Slimp Noon Luncheon: Clay Bennett, speaker, Drawn Conclusions 1:30 p.m. (until 4:30 p.m.) (Optional) Activities in area or see new movie Deadline, based on book by North Carolina journalist 5:30 p.m. (until 9:00 p.m.) Cocktails, dinner and TPA Presidential Installation on Lookout Mountain Saturday, June 16 9:00 a.m. (until 9:45) TPS Stockholders Meeting & membership presentation 10:00 a.m. 12 Quick Ideas to Generate Income on Newspaper Websites - Kevin Slimp 10:00 a.m. Challenges Ahead: A look at the public policy landscape and future threats, strengths, weaknesses and opportunities - Frank Gibson 11:15 a.m. (until 12:15) Generating Non-Traditional Revenue - Jason Taylor 12:30 p.m. (until 4:30) Optional activities 6:00 Bus to Riverbend Festival 6:30 Begin boarding the River Gorge Explorer 7:00-8:30 River Gorge Explorer: Enjoy cocktails and hors d oeuvres while cruising Tennessee s Grand Canyon, aboard the Tennessee Aquarium catamaran. 8:30-9:30 Riverbend VIP: The River Gorge Explorer will dock at the floating Coca-Cola Stage, where guests will enjoy VIP access and amenities. 9:30-11:30 Performance by Chattanooga native and American Idol runner-up Lauren Alaina 11:15 Fireworks Convention adjourns Proof that we walk the talk BY TERRI LIKENS Editor Roane County News, Kingston I regularly talk to people who have ended up on the wrong side of the law and want to keep the incident out of the newspaper. My answer is invariably a polite nocan-do. If the situation is a matter of our usual public record, it all goes in the paper. We make no exceptions. Employees of this newspaper are held to the same standard including me. Which brings me to the point of this column. On Saturday night, in a neighboring county, I was charged with DUI. I wanted you to hear it from me first. I can t go into the particulars right now, except to say my blood-alcohol test was below the legal limit, and I respectfully and fully cooperated with everyone involved. Based on the circumstances and the fact that my blood-alcohol test was below the legal limit I plan to plead not guilty and let the case play out in the legal system. You may ask why I am putting this bit of information on the front page when, for most people, it might end up on an inside page. As editor of this newspaper, I can be considered a public figure. Communities have the right to hold public figures to a higher standard, and when some other local public figures usually elected officials have fallen into trouble, you have read about it on our front page. As someone whose newspaper has to publish the troubles of others, it is only fair that I have to publish my own, when circumstances warrant it. And so I m choosing to make my own DUI charge front page news. I plan to let you know the outcome when this is settled. For now, though, I haven t even settled on an attorney. If there is anything good that comes from this, it s that you have proof that we hold ourselves to the same standards we hold others. So now you know: I believe in walking the talk. (May 2, 2012) CLAY BENNETT CHATTANOOGA TIMES FREE PRESS The above cartoon by Clay Bennett, Chattanooga Times Free Press, won first place in the United Nations Political Cartoons competition for It was sponsored by the U.N. Correspondents Association and the U.N. Society of Writers and Artists. Bennett will speak to TPA during the Summer Convention this month. REMINDER WHO: Newspaper families, friends and staff members WHAT: 143rd TPA Summer Convention WHEN: Thursday-Saturday, June WHERE: Sheraton Read House Hotel, 827 Broad St., Chattanooga, Tenn RESERVATIONS: The deadline for making hotel reservations at the special TPA rate has passed, but one can check with the hotel at (423) REGISTRATION: Contact TPA at (865) Kudos Kudos to Gregg K. Jones, Jones Media Inc., Greeneville, on being the first to register for the 143rd TPA Summer Convention. And kudos to Terri Likens, Roane County News, Kingston, who was the first to register for the July 13 SPC Awards Luncheon. TPA received her registration May 21. EDITOR S NOTE: The item at left ran in the May 2 issue of the Roane County News, Kingston. It tells of an unusual, prob- ably embarrassing, incident that happened to a community newspaper editor. She called the attention of The Tennessee Press staff to it and offered it for pub- lication. This surely wasn t an easy thing to do; but, the editor was being straightforward and transparent, as any editor should be. We decided to run the item to demonstrate to those in the business, perhaps particularly those new to it, how people dedicated to newspaper work might handle such an incident. Elenora E. Edwards Managing editor TPA to elect officers; TPS to elect, hear Wells Among the meetings scheduled during the Summer Convention are two important to the operation of Tennessee Press Association. On June 14 at 2:45 p.m. at the business session, TPA will elect new officers and directors from even-numbered districts. On June 16 at 9 a.m., Tennessee Press Service stockholders will elect two directors and hear from the new TPS advertising director, David Wells. TRACKS The Macon County Times, Lafayette, has a new employee as of April. She is Tilly Cryar, a staff reporter. She graduated from Lipscomb University in 2008 with a degree in journalism. William R. Barker, who worked at The Jackson Sun from 1983 until 1988, has been named president and publisher of The Tampa (Fla.) Tribune, a Media General newspaper. Earlier he was director of operations for the Richmond (Va.) Times-Dispatch from 1996 to Before that he held various posts with Gannett Co. and USA Today. The Southern Standard, McMinnville, lost two employees on April 13. Charlie Johnson, news editor, and Joyce Lawson, advertising representative, went to work for Warren County government. Johnson worked at the paper 10 years and Lawson, three JUNE 14: Newspaper Definition Committee, 10 a.m., Sheraton Read House Hotel, Chattanooga 14: TPA Board of Directors, 1 p.m., Sheraton Read House Hotel, Chattanooga 14-16: TPA Summer Convention, Sheraton Read House Hotel, Chattanooga 14-17: Investigative Reporters and Editors Conference, Boston Marriott Copley Place 16: TAPME awards event, 5:30 p.m., Nashville 27-July 1: International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors Conference, Bellingham, Wash. JULY 13: Government Affairs Committee, 10 a.m., Embassy Suites Nashville Airport Hotel 13: UT-TPA State Press Contests awards luncheon, Embassy Suites Nashville Airport Hotel 21: ETSPJ s Front Page Follies, 6 p.m., Knoxville Convention Center SEPTEMBER 13: Associated Press Media Editors Annual Conference, Nashville (tentative) Sept. 30-Oct. 2: NAA News Industry Summit (annual convention), The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, Fla. OCTOBER 4-7: NNA 126th Annual Convention, Embassy Suites Airport Convention Center, Charleston, S.C : 15th Institute of Newspaper Technology, UT-Knoxville Tennessee Press Service Advertising Placement Snapshot April 2012: Year* as of April 30: ROP: $374,435 $1,398,609 FORESIGHT version X.V See special section This issue of The Tennessee Press contains a special section that follows up on the Advertising/Circulation Conference held May 4 in Gatlinburg and lists the winners of the Ideas Contest. Network: $66,653 $293,189 *The Tennessee Press Service Inc. fi scal year runs Dec. 1 through Nov. 30.

4 4 The Tennessee Press JUNE 2012 ENGRAVINGS BY STAFF News Sentinel, Knoxville The Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville honored Charlie Daniel, the News Sentinel s longtime editorial cartoonist, at a luncheon today sponsored by Sen. Baker and his wife, Nancy Kassebaum Baker, former U.S. senator from Kansas. The event attracted more than 100 guests, including many of Daniel s colleagues from his days on the Knoxville Journal as well as the News Sentinel. Offering tributes to Daniel were Baker; Ginny Weatherstone, head of the Volunteer Ministry Center, where Daniel has long been a board member and volunteer; News Sentinel Columnist Sam Venable; and Marshall Ram- AMY SMOTHERMAN BURGESS NEWS SENTINEL, KNOXVILLE Former U.S. Sen. Howard Baker, left, speaks to the crowd to celebrate the work of News Sentinel, Knoxville, Editorial Cartoonist Charlie Daniel, right, May 17 at the Baker Center in Knoxville. Patsy Daniel, Daniel s wife, is on the cartoonist s right. News Sentinel Cartoonist Daniel honored at Baker Center luncheon SCJ names Tech outstanding chapter The Society of Collegiate Journalists (SCJ) has named the Tennessee Technological University (TTU), Cookeville, chapter the outstanding national chapter for Named for Edward E. McDonald, the McDonald Award for Outstanding National Chapter recognizes a group that upholds the highest ideals of college student journalism. I can always count on the Tennessee Tech chapter to induct great new members, said SCJ Executive Director Mary Beth Earnheardt. The advisers are active, and the chapter is thriving. This is their second McDonald Award, the first being in 2000, and they really deserve it. Will Housley, a senior communications major from Clinton, accepted the award on behalf of the chapter. He is managing editor of The Oracle, TTU s student newspaper. Advisers for SCJ at Tennessee Tech are Brenda Wilson and Russ Witcher, assistant professors of journalism. Former SCJ executive director Arthur H. Barlow nominated the TTU chapter for the award. Tech is a small and steady chapter. They regularly use the certificates and medals of merit to recognize good work on the Tennessee Tech campus. We re really proud to have them, said Barlow. (Herald-Citizen, Cookeville) sey, editorial cartoonist for the Jackson Clarion-Ledger, who as a student at UT in the 1990s was coached and encouraged by Daniel. Daniel s loving nature and gentle style of humor were cited by all of the speakers. The Baker Center has hosted several events focusing on the importance of humor in politics, and Daniel himself pointed to the late Sen. Sam Ervin s book Humor of a Country Lawyer as a source of inspiration. Ervin served with Baker on the Senate Watergate Committee. After serving in the U.S. Marines, Daniel began drawing cartoons in 1955 for the Daily Tar Heel while working on his political science degree at the University of North Carolina. He started working for the Knoxville Journal in He was hired by News Sentinel in 1992 by former Editor Harry Moskos, who also attended the luncheon. In reflecting on his career and longevity, Daniel noted that his mother worked until she was 90, and he hoped to match her mark. Saying he was surprised and totally flattered by the luncheon in his honor, Daniel said drawing comics is something he did from the time he first picked up a pencil. I think cartoonists are born, not made. You just have that urge, he said. I had this natural inclination for comic strips and comic books. You read them and started copying them. (May 17, 2012) The Jackson Sun won more awards than any other newspaper in its division in the annual Best of Gannett contest. It won five, including three firsts, in eight categories. Journalists from outside Gannett judged the entries in three circulation size divisions in the 35th year of the annual contest. The awards were as follows: PUBLIC SERVICE: Second place. Dan Morris, The Jackson Sun, for coverage of a college student s alcoholrelated death that led the state to consider clamping down on the sale of a Scripps papers win awards for business news coverage A national journalism organization has awarded The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, three prizes for reporting in The Memphis newspaper received the awards March 17 from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, convening in Indianapolis. The society, housed in Phoenix at offices of Arizona State University, promotes high standards for economic journalism. The Commercial Appeal staffers singled out were: Daniel Connolly and Amos Maki for investigative reporting. Their piece, Landing Electrolux, analyzed public incentives received by Electrolux, the Swedish appliance maker building an assembly plant in Memphis. Daniel Connolly, Amos Maki, Michael Erskine and Grant Smith in the category of Creative Use Across Multiple Platforms. They created an online rendition of the Electrolux incentive package that included copies of records, links to additional sources of information, as well as additional stories. BY STAFF Bristol Herald Courier Reporter Michael L. Owens has won a 2011 D. Tennant Bryan Award for outstanding journalism in the community newspapers division of the Media Owens General company. It was the second year in a row that Owens captured the award and the fourth consecutive year a staff writer from the Bristol Herald Courier has taken the honor. In the publishing awards category, Owens received the news writing award for his series of stories investigating a law enforcement raid that resulted in the destruction of a private Ted Evanoff, in the category of explanatory reporting, wrote Genius at Work, which detailed the failure of mutual funds created and managed by Morgan Keegan & Co. These awards reflect our commitment to remaining the top Memphis source of news on the economy and business, said Roland Klose, business editor. In addition to The CA staff, Josh Flory of the News Sentinel, Knoxville, was awarded a prize in the investigative category for reporting on Knoxville s massive water system leaks. Both newspapers are owned by Cincinnati-based E. W. Scripps. The Memphis and Knoxville newspapers competed among U.S. newspapers with daily print circulations of 100,000 to 200,000. In all, the society recognized more than 200 newspapers, magazines, broadcasters and websites in its 17th annual business reporting awards session. (The Commercial Appeal, March 13, 2012) Owens wins 2011 Bryan Award residence. Owens Burning Down the House stories focused on how federal and local authorities accidentally burned down a Blountville home while pursuing a man charged with murder. The man wasn t inside and later turned himself in. The awards are presented each year to reporters and photographers working at Media General newspapers, TV stations and websites. The program is named in honor of the founder of Media General. Award winners were honored at a ceremony in Richmond. Owens joined the newspaper s staff in 2008, moving from The News Virginian in Waynesboro, Va. He graduated with a bachelor s degree in English from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va. (April 21, 2012) Sun wins three firsts in Best of Gannett contest 95-proof beverage. WATCHDOG REPORTING: First place, Dan Morris, The Jackson Sun, for a sophisticated investigation into Tennessee s criminal-sentencing system and for Steve Coffman s hard-hitting editorial. BREAKING NEWS: Second place, The Jackson Sun, for coverage of two back-to-back storms that hit between print cycles, which meant the dominant coverage of both was online. BEAT REPORTING: First place, Tajuana Cheshier, The Jackson Sun, for a wide range of education stories that showcased the reporter s knowledge of the subject and ability to make issues hit home for readers. DIGITAL JOURNALISM: First place, Aaron Hardin, The Jackson Sun, for a powerful multimedia package, including a gripping interview with the widow of a murder victim, that brought home the impact of Tennessee s flawed sentencing laws. Hardin and Cheshier remain with the paper. Morris, who was public service editor, retired.

5 JUNE 2012 The Tennessee Press 5 OBITUARIES Rick Alley Artist, cartoonist BY MICHAEL LOLLAR The Commercial Appeal, Memphis At Christian Brothers High School, Rick Alley was the student who sat in the back of the class drawing while the teacher tried to impart the real lessons. That s the way former classmate Calvin Foster remembered him after Alley died in Melbourne, Fla. a few months after being diagnosed with lung cancer. Alley, 61, was the third generation of his family to work as an artist for The Commercial Appeal. His grandfather, J. P. Alley, won a Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning in 1923, and Alley s father, Cal Alley, followed in his father s footsteps as an editorial cartoonist. Foster, a graphic design professor at the University of Memphis, said Alley had amazing wit, charm and talent, and I ve never met anyone before or since who had such an innate ability to draw caricatures. His favorite medium was watercolors, but with a few strokes in a pen and ink drawing, Alley could turn out a caricature revealing parts of a person s personality or character that others often missed, according to fellow artists. Colin Ruthven, artist and former director of the art department for the newspaper, described him as one of the best artists I ve ever run across just from a standpoint of raw talent. He had very little training, but he had amazing skill with caricatures and whatever you put in front of him. Alley joined the newspaper as a copy clerk in 1970 and soon became a staff artist. In a career that lasted more than 30 years, he did hundreds of caricatures, including one of legendary Alabama football coach Bear Bryant that led to a highly sought-after print. But his art was more inclusive. He did a lot of paintings from portraits to landscapes, said his daughter, Elizabeth Alley, an artist and technical writer. He sold his work sometimes, but a lot of times he did it just to give to people. Son Richard said that as a child, it was amazing to watch. I would go to bed at night when he was sitting down to work on something. I would wake up in the morning, and there was this wonderful watercolor there. It was like Christmas every morning. Alley said his father continued to paint after his diagnosis, doing beach scenes and sunsets. Alley s first cousin, Dan Conaway, a marketing and advertising consultant and freelance writer, said that Alley improved on an inherited talent. Rick comes from a long line of very talented artists and cartoonists, and I think Rick was the most talented. His dad and granddad were more about political cartooning than art. It was all about the visual side to Rick. Alley also leaves another daughter, Katherine Borden of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and a sister, Jehl Palvado of Gulf Shores, Ala. Nancy C. Carney Retired from CTFP Nancy Carolyn Carney, a former newspaper employee, died April 12 in Mt. Pleasant. She was an Alabama native who was predeceased by a twin, Donna Wallace. She earned a bachelor s degree in journalism from Trinity University. She retired from the Chattanooga Times Free Press and earlier was a lifestyles editor at the Cleveland Daily Banner. She leaves a son, James Carney of Summerville, S.C. William F. Lee Formerly with Leaf-Chronicle William Frederick Lee, once a printer at The Leaf-Chronicle, Clarksville, died April 12. The Dover native was 96. After graduating from Clarksville High School, he worked at The Clarksville Star and The Leaf-Chronicle. With the onset of World War Two, he enlisted in the Navy as a hospital corpsman. He served on Paris Island, South Carolina, Sydney, Australia, New Guinea, the Philippines, Saipan, Okinawa and Wake Island aboard surface ships, including the USS Pennsylvania. He married his sweetheart, Martha Rubel, on March 22, 1945 while at home on leave. At war s end they moved to the Glenwood area of Clarksville, and he resumed his printing career with The Leaf-Chronicle. In 1949 they moved to Nashville. He continued a career as a Linotype operator, working for the Rich Printing Co. and then for the Newspaper Printing Corp. He retrained in his mid-50s when offset printing replaced hot metal. He was a member of Inglewood Baptist Church and a Meals on Wheels volunteer. He was predeceased by his wife after 62 years of marriage. He leaves his children, Jean Ann Sullins, W. Fred Lee Jr. and Amanda Crabtree; and 10 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. Eddie Parman Worked for newspapers Edwin (Eddie) Burton Parman Jr. died April 21 of leukemia. He was 56. His residence was in Ooltewah. Eddie was born July 27, 1955 in West Palm Beach, Fla. He was reared in Nashville by his mother, Betty Fuller. Starting at a young age in Nashville, Eddie became a hard worker. He worked at various restaurants, but his passion was working at the newspaper. For 23 years, he worked as a district manager for The Tennessean, Nashville. A new career opportunity arose that took him to work at the Chattanooga Times Free Press, where he was a district manager for the East Ridge area. There he received accolades such as District Manager of the Year in 2007, Employee of the Month in August 2011 and several other smaller awards. He leaves his wife of 33 years, Judy Parman; four children, Richard, Rebecca Rohr, Michael and Heather; and six grandchildren. Besides enjoying his role as a father and grandfather, Parman was a simple man and loved working, running and doing yard work. Allene Sykes Was at Post-Athenian Allene Sykes, who assisted her late husband, Robert, in the administration of The Daily Post-Athenian, Athens, for many years and served as the newspaper s business manager before retiring in 1993, died at her home May 6 in Athens. She was 90. Sykes held a variety of duties with The DPA after moving to Athens with her husband, Robert, who was the newspaper s publisher from 1963 until his death in Multimedia Boot Camp offered at two times A Multimedia Boot Camp will be offered twice in coming months. The first session will be Aug. 15 through 19, and the second, Nov. 14 through 18, at the John Seigenthaler Center in Nashville. The camp is an intense five-day hands-on training program in audio and video skills used in multimedia storytelling. It is designed for beginners or those with limited multimedia skills. Attendees will learn how to do the following: Produce multimedia on a budget, including cheap ways to record and edit audio; use basic tools in Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Bridge such as toning, cropping and batch processing; produce an audio slideshow; use Final Cut for video storytelling and editing; use shotgun, stick and wireless microphones; find and buy the right gear; use smart phones and mobile devices to gather news. One can register online for either camp. See or contact Val Hoeppner, director of education, at (615) or vhoeppner@freedomforum.org. Who and what An editor is a person who knows more about writing than writers do but who has escaped the terrible desire to write. E.B. White, writer, 1954 Bradford was all smiles, plaids BY JIM CHARLET Brentwood The reciprocating role of a Tennessee newspaper with its Charlet local community has lost its iconic champion with the March 23 death of Tutt Bradford. But as one who grew up in the Tennessee Press Association when Tutt was in his hay day in Maryville, my indelible memory of him is his pearly smile and ever-changing plaids. It was plaid jackets, plaid shirts, plaid slacks and sometimes plaid shoes. If it was time for a solid color sports jacket, you can bet he was wearing a plaid necktie of some sort. And there was always that wide pearly smile. Besides the plaids and smile, Tutt Bradford was the antithesis to the Meercat yuk-yuk idea that a newspaperman s payback for his community s generosity was a one-time charity contribution. Tutt Bradford was not one to callit-even with a one-time donation of a golf hat and towel. That was just not Tutt Bradford s style. You see, Tutt Bradford was not a community-taker. He was a community-giver who delighted in contradicting the community-taker approach to running newspapers. Most times he was low key and quiet about his give-back initiatives. And that was particularly so when it came to helping fellow Tennessee newspaper families. Tom Hill, retired publisher of The Oak Ridger newspaper, recalls sharing his tales of woe with Tutt Bradford about the production mechanics of placing advertising inserts in his Oak Ridge newspaper. Hill says his ruminations with Bradford about production processing of newspaper inserts brought understanding empathy. So when Bradford upgraded his inserting machinery at the printing plant of The Maryville Daily Times, Hill received Bradford s phone call alerting him to expect truck transfer of the Maryville inserter at the loading dock of The Oak Ridger. Hill says Bradford told him if he accepted shipment of the inserter equipment, it was on the condition that he was not to pay for it. Hill notes that was typical of Tutt Bradford s generosity with fellow Tennessee newspapers. Another example of Bradford s compassionate generosity touched Rick Rae in 1980 who was then publisher of The Gatlinburg Press and Sevier County News-Record when fire reduced to ashes Rae s production facility. Tutt Bradford was the first to telephone his help, and for the next nine months he leased to Rae The Maryville Daily Times printing press and production equipment to keep the Sevier County newspapers in production. Tutt Bradford also made several defining value-added contributions to journalism education in Tennessee. Bradford In 1974, he created the first yearround on-site student co-op training program for newspaper advertising students at Knoxville s University of Tennessee. That program required journalism students to work fulltime on-site at The Maryville Daily Times and then return to full-time university classes the next term. Thus began the first cooperative news-editorial and advertising journalism education program at the University of Tennessee. In 1983, he created the Bradford Family Endowment Fund at the University of Tennessee with a gift of $100,000 for news editorial and advertising student journalism scholarships. Bradford also financially underwrote expenses for University of Tennessee journalism faculty to attend seminars on editorial writing, photo editing, newspaper layout and design and business news reporting with grants from The Maryville Daily Times. The South Carolina native was once publisher of the Bristol Herald Courier, the Cleveland Daily Banner, was TPA president in , once a director of Southern Newspaper Publishers Association and Audit Bureau of Circulations, and president of a myriad of area civic betterment groups. He served one term as vice president of the Tennessee Press Association Foundation and once chaired its nominating and investment committees. But most of all, the focus of Tutt Bradford was most always on running a community-responsive and profitable newspaper. And he gave back more than he got, while leaving us all with memories dressed in his changing plaids and pearly smile. Jim Charlet is the retired editor and publisher of the Clarksville Leaf- Chronicle, and former copy and makeup editor at The Atlanta Constitution. In memory of Tutt Bradford, former publisher of The Daily Times, Maryville, by Jim Charlet, Brentwood

6 6 The Tennessee Press JUNE 2012 TPAERS JUDGE TEXAS PRESS CONTEST IN NASHVILLE Frank Gibson, public policy director, TPA, left, and Kent Flanagan, executive director of Tennessee Co- alition for Open Government Maria De Varenne, The Tennessean, Nashville Tim Adkins, Ashland City Times Mike Towle, Gallatin News Ex- aminer Eric Miller, Robertson County Times, Springfield, in front, and Jim Charlet, Brentwood, TPA honorary mem- ber Ron Schaming, The Courier, Savannah Larry McCormack, The Tennessean, Nashville, left, and Jim Charlet, Brentwood, TPA honorary member Foreground to back, Shirley Nanney and Kar- en Weathers, Carroll County News-Leader, Huntingdon; Tim Adkins, Ashland City Times; Sadie Fowler, Shelbyville Times-Gazette PHOTOS BY ROBYN GENTILE TPA Foreground to back, Janet Higdon, Carroll County News-Leader, Hunting- don; David Melson and Sadie Fowler, Shelbyville Times-Gazette Susan Campbell, The Tullaho- ma News TPAERS JUDGE TEXAS PRESS CONTEST IN KNOXVILLE Terri Likens, Roane County News, Kingston, left, and Dorothy Bowles, Knoxville Tommy Wilson, The Daily Post-Athenian, Athens, and Laura King, Texas Press Association Jim Zachary, Grainger Today, Bean Sta- tion, foreground, and Brian Cutshall, The Greeneville Sun Tommy Wilson, The Daily Post-Athenian, Athens Thank You! Ann Cason, Grainger To- day, Bean Station TPA wishes to thank our members and friends who judged the Texas Press Association s contests April We appreciate the efforts and giving of time by each of you! Special thanks to The Tennessean for hosting the April 19 judging and to Beverly Burnett for her logistical support! David Popiel, The Newport Plain Talk, and other judges Tim Adkins, Ashland City Times Dorothy Bowles, Retired-UT Knoxville Susan Campbell, The Tullahoma News Dave Cantor, The Daily Herald, Columbia Ann Cason, Grainger Today, Bean Station Jim Charlet, Honorary Member Brian Cutshall, The Greeneville Sun Maria De Varenne, The Tennessean, Nashville Meg Downey, The Tennessean, Nashville Marcus Fitzsimmons, The Daily Times, Maryville Kent Flanagan, TCOG Sadie Fowler, Shelbyville Times-Gazette Frank Gibson, Tennessee Press Association Janet Higdon, Carroll County News Leader, Huntingdon Terri Likens, Roane County News, Kingston Larry McCormack, The Tennessean, Nashville Melissa McDonald, Gallatin News Examiner David Melson, Shelbyville Times-Gazette Eric Miller, Robertson County Times, Springfield Thad Mitchell, The Courier, Savannah Clay Morgan, The Lebanon Democrat Shirley Nanney, Carroll County News Leader, Huntingdon David Popiel, The Newport Plain Talk Ron Schaming, The Courier, Savannah Tom Stanford, The Tennessean, Nashville Sonya Thompson, The Portland Leader Mike Towle, Gallatin News Examiner Karen Weathers, Carroll County News Leader, Huntingdon Tommy Wilson, The Daily Post-Athenian, Athens Jim Zachary, Grainger Today, Bean Station Photography Staff, The Tennessean, Nashville