SSIP SI PI IS M Official Newspaper of the Mississippi Press Association mspress.org » Spring/Summer 2017 PROFILE JOINT CONVENTION ‘Real News’ Dallas Morning News editor to give keynote at convention The importance of local Longtime MPA exec, journalism as being a source of “Real News” will highlight journalism dean to portions of the Joint MPA-LPA join MPA Hall of Fame Convention on the Mississippi » Page 6 Gulf Coast this summer. Scores of media professionals from the Miss-Lou region are expected PRESIDENT’S COLUMN to attend. Registration is now open. Our communities need Reservations are being accepted at the Golden Nugget us to be the providers Hotel and Casino in Biloxi, site of “real” local news of the July 6-8 meeting. » Page 2 Events begin Thursday with individual state board meetings Wilson and the opening reception. paper’s efforts at innovation, as TRIBUTE Panel discussions are planned well as his response to claims Friday, July 7, on the “Fake the media has become an News” phenomenon, as well as “enemy” of the public interest. “Threats to Transparency and Wilson began his career at the Public’s Right to Know.” the Miami Herald, where he The editor of The Dallas worked for 12 years as a writer Morning News will give the and editor. He joined the St. keynote address at Friday’s Petersburg Times in 1994, opening luncheon. serving for 18 years as a writer, Mike Wilson, who joined editor and, finally, managing the paper in February 2015, editor. The newspaper won two will speak during the opening Pulitzers during his tenure. luncheon. He’ll discuss the NEWS » Page 9 Remembering Minor, state’s ‘conscience’ Wayne County publisher takes reins of MPA » Page 5 JACKSON Board of Directors. He career in 1978 in Texas as Paul Keane, editor will serve the remainder of a sportswriter. He moved INDEX and publisher of The Norman’s term and then to Fairhope, AL, in 1996 to Bylines ....................................................Page 3 Wayne County News in stand for election for his serve as sports coordinator March of Events ...................................Page 4 Waynesboro, has assumed own full term as president for a group of six weekly Convention agenda .............................Page 6 the presidency of MPA-MPS at the annual Membership newspapers in the region. He Deaths ....................................................Page 8 after the recent retirement Meeting during the MPA-LPA joined Boone Newspapers in Law Bytes ..............................................Page 9 of Don Norman from the Joint Convention this July in 2000 and served as general Ad Libs ................................................. Page 10 Starkville Daily News. Biloxi. manager of The Winston Keane was appointed Keane has served on the County Journal, The Copyright © 2017 to serve April 27 during a MPA-MPS board since 2009. Choctaw Plaindealer and Mississippi Press Services meeting of the MPA-MPS He began his newspaper KEANE » Page 11 Keane 2 » Fourth Estate » Spring/Summer 2017 PRESIDENT’S COLUMN WE DIDN’T TAKE THESE JOBS FOR THE PAY; IT WAS FOR SOMETHING MORE MEANINGFUL WAYNESBORO Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat or any ack in March, when Layne Bruce of our local TV or radio stations do that. called to inform me that Don They won’t because they don’t have the BNorman was retiring — and I would experience that we have under our belts. become President of this Association So while we’ve taken our lumps, faster than planned — it was a little Paul we’re still going strong. Yes, we’ve had The official newspaper of the daunting. I knew that, eventually, I Keane to change our platforms and add new Mississippi Press Association would move up to the top spot but I wrinkles, bells and whistles to the mix, was expecting to have roughly 15 more but we’ll do this to complement our print 371 Edgewood Terrace, Jackson, MS 39206 months to plan. editions – they’re not going anywhere 601-981-3060 | Fax 601-981-3676 www.mspress.org After the call and telling my wife, anytime soon. It’s called survival and Doris, of the situation, I did what any We’re the ones who have documented meeting members of our community MPA-MPS Staff newspaper person would do — went out a community’s history for 100, 200 or where they are. It’s not much different Layne Bruce Andrea Ross and covered a story. In this case, it was a more years. We cover children in the than what we’ve been doing for centuries executive director media director big baseball game between two rivals. community from birth all the way to high in this profession. We just have to keep [email protected] [email protected] While sitting in the dugout during school graduation and beyond. We record doing it because we have the foundation, Monica Gilmer Sue Hicks the game, pondering my good fortune to the engagements, marriages, births, knowledge and experience of providing member services mgr. bus. development mgr. take this position with MPA, the team I deaths and even the blemishes of our local news to our communities better than [email protected] [email protected] was covering started a big rally. Watching communities. anyone else can do it. Julie Darling the excitement in the dugout and just the And on one does it better than us. During my time on the MPA-MPS marketing manager general “energy” on the field got me to [email protected] Why else would local TV and radio Board, I’ve had the privilege of serving thinking even more. stations constantly “lift” our material under some wonderful Presidents, The Fourth Estate serves as the official newspaper of the This was the reason I entered the Mississippi Press Association, recording the history of the and use it as their own? Why do people including Reese Terry, Wyatt Emmerich, organization, its members and associates. Copies are distrib- newspaper industry roughly 38 years ago. constantly tell us to “take my picture” Jimmy Clark, James E. Prince, Joel uted at no charge to members and are available by contact- ing the MPA office. Just being around the “action” is what and then remind us to “be sure and run McNeece and Don Norman. I hope that I lured me into this industry and has kept that one in the paper?” And why do some can serve this Board and this Association Commentary columns published herein are the opinion of their respective authors and not necessarily those of the me going for nearly four decades. engagement/wedding announcements as well as those men have over the years. MPA, its board of directors or staff. Just for the record, I began my still have the tag line at the end that says, And, as long as my tenure at the helm MPA-MPS Board of Directors newspaper career at the age of 14 as a “Family and friends are invited through lasts, I hope I can help us all rekindle stringer for my local paper. I was covering the medium of the press?” some of that spark that was burning so Paul Keane Kevin Cooper President Second Vice President high school athletics, something I’ve It is because we’ve been around longer brightly in all of us when we first began Wayne County News The Natchez Democrat continued to do throughout my career. than any other media outlet. Despite our careers. We owe it not only to the Waynesboro Natchez Everyone in this Association has communities we serve, but to ourselves politicians trumpeting the “fake news” Jack Ryan James Arrington Goff similar stories. We all entered the and the “truth in journalism” horns, we as well. Second Vice President Treasurer newspaper business for a specific reason. are still the most trusted source for local With that said, I invite you to attend Enterprise-Journal The News-Commerical We know it wasn’t for the pay, benefits or McComb Collins news. We’re the ones covering the Little the Summer Convention in Biloxi July vacation time, so it has to be something League tournaments, going out and 6-8. Get around some like-minded people Joel McNeece Layne Bruce deeper and more meaningful. shooting pictures at the beauty pageants, who share your passion for this crazy Immediate Past President Executive Director Calhoun County Journal MPA/MPS With the way our industry has been printing the honor rolls and basically business. It might help rekindle that spark Bruce beaten upon over the last few years, documenting every day life in our inside of you. perhaps it is time to recapture those John P. “Pat” Brown Joe B. Coates respective communities. The Magee Courier Copiah County Courier feelings and rediscover the purpose for And we don’t do it in “sound bite” MPA-MPS President Paul Keane is publisher Magee Hazlehurst us being in what many erroneously call a fashion. We give each story its proper of The Wayne County News in Waynesboro. “dying profession.” due, meaning we don’t just offer His email address is publisher@thewayne- Clay Foster H. Ray Mosby countynews.com Daily Journal Deer Creek Pilot Remember when you saw your 140-character “updates.” Let’s see Tupelo Rolling Fork byline on a front page for the first time? Stephanie Patton Tim Reeves Remember when you made that first big The Leland Progress The Vicksburg Post sale that resulted in a big commission? PUBLISHERS-GMs-EDITORS Leland Vicksburg Remember when you took that picture George R. Turner that everyone in town praised? Remember Greene County Herald when you designed that “perfect” page 2017 PHOTO ID Leakesville that just flowed together so beautifully? Those are the moments we need to PRESS CARDS recapture, because we’re in one of the AVAILABLE best professions around.