December 2014 Published by Mississippi Press Services MPA EDUCATION FOUNDATION FORMER GOV. WILLIAM WINTER TO BE FETED AT 25TH ANNUAL ROAST MPA will roast one of Mississippi’s most respected public servants at a January benefit for the MPA Education Foundation. Former Gov. William Winter will be the guest of honor for the Jan. 29 event at the Hilton Jackson. Proceeds from the roast are used to underwrite the scholarship and internship programs of MPAEF. Winter served as Mississippi’s HAPPY HOLIDAYS! 57th chief executive from 1980- 1984. He is special counsel in the Jones Walker Law Firm CHRISTMAS BREAK: The offices Government Relations Practice Group. of MPA-MPS will be closed Dec. A native of Grenada, Winter, 25-26 and Jan. 1 for the holi- 91, previously served in several days. We wish all of our mem- elected roles, including Mississippi bers, clients and associates a lieutenant governor 1972–1976, safe, healthy and happy holiday state treasurer 1964–1968, state season. tax collector 1956–1964, and Representative in the Mississippi House of Representatives 1948– 1956. PEOPLE A veteran of World War II, Winter attained the rank of Captain in the U.S. Army and served in the Philippines. Reeves The Education Reform Act of named 1982 is considered his signature publisher in public policy achievement. In June 1997, Winter was Vicksburg appointed by President Clinton as a member of the National Page 3. Advisory Board on Race Relations. WINTER >> Page 5 By JOE ELLIS/The Clarion-Ledger MID-WINTER TO FOCUS ON SALES TECHNIQUES The annual Mid-Winter competing with direct mail. Conference returns to Jackson’s Tim Smith, a noted expert Hilton Hotel on County Line Road speaker on sales topics, will lead Jan. 30-31, 2015. several sessions at the meeting, A number of sessions on industry including one program on “How to and revenue topics are planned, Bundle and Sell Print in a Digital including presentations on “Just the World.” Basics” for new ad personnel and Jason Taylor, president and panel discussions on best practices publisher of The Clarion-Ledger, Ideas at ArkLaMiss for contract negotiations and SALES >> Page 10 Page 3. 2 >> Fourth Estate >> December 2014 PRESIDENT’s COLUMN Newspapers ARE CRITICAL TO OUR COMMUNITIES – AND MAKE FINE GIFTS here’s no better gift at Christ- the official voice of Vardaman Ram mastime than a subscription to sports, working the P.A. system at Ta newspaper. all their games. When we shared the Fourth Estate We’re certainly thankful at The picture of this week’s front page, as Calhoun County Journal in Bruce Joel we do every Wednesday morning, on The official newspaper of the that so many of our loyal readers McNeece The Journal’s Twitter account (@ Mississippi Press Association know that. Every December we have CalhCoJournal), Gillespie was quick many customers come into the office to retweet with the comment, “I’m 371 Edgewood Terrace, Jackson, MS 39206 renewing a long list of subscriptions on the front page of the paper!” 601-981-3060 | Fax 601-981-3676 they share with family and friends as Such a reaction might be expect- www.mspress.org annual Christmas gifts. ed if he was featured in the large, on whatever piece of scratch paper One customer recently, while half page picture The Journal is they could find. renewing a list of eight different sub- known for on page one, but he was MPA-MPS Staff At some point many years ago, scriptions he’s been giving for years, referring to the small “skybox” at the David Gillis it became clear to our readers that Layne Bruce said he made the mistake of acciden- top of the page previewing the story executive director director of sales the most effective way of getting [email protected] [email protected] tally omitting one last year. on the inside. their child’s letter to Santa was not “Believe me, I heard about that,” The printed newspaper remains, Monica Gilmer Andrea Ross through the U.S. Postal Service, but he said. as the American Opinion Research member services media buyer rather The Calhoun County Journal. [email protected] [email protected] We’re all familiar with the chal- survey found, the most trusted, The reason is clear – Santa reads the lenging phone calls from upset valued and beloved medium among Beth Boone Sue Hicks newspaper. foundation coordinator bus. development mgr. subscribers crying, “I didn’t get my Mississippians. I’m very proud of That is best exhibited through [email protected] [email protected] paper,” but those calls are a product The Journal’s popular and profit- the survey conducted by American of the vital importance of the news- able website, but nobody has ever Opinion Research in 2013. Their paper to that reader. asked me to put them on the web- The Fourth Estate serves as the official newspaper of the findings showed that more than 1.5 site. I’m routinely asked by Calhoun Mississippi Press Association, recording the history of the million Mississippians read a news- organization, its members and associates. Copies are distrib- Countians to put their picture in the uted at no charge to members and are available by contact- Santa reads the paper paper each week. In fact, the survey ing the MPA office. newspaper and we try to oblige as Like many of our member news- showed that seven of 10 adults in often as possible. Commentary columns published herein are the opinion of papers across the state, The Jour- Mississippi access a printed news- their respective authors and not necessarily those of the I expect we will all field many MPA, its board of directors or staff. nal’s Christmas edition is our largest paper or newspaper website at least of those requests this month as we of the year. Virtually every business weekly. cover annual Christmas parades, in Calhoun County feels compelled A Pew Research study in 2007 holiday programs and other festivi- MPA-MPS Board of Directors to place a Christmas greeting ad showed that the most informed, ties in our respective communities thanking customers for their busi- knowledgeable citizens in their like no other medium can. Joel McNeece Don Norman ness throughout the year, which we survey were regular readers of a President First Vice President Appreciate those requests, they Calhoun Co. Journal Starkville Daily News appreciate because we need all those newspaper. Santa certainly fits that are further evidence of what all Bruce Starkville ads to have enough pages to share category. the surveys have said, newspapers all of the letters to Santa Claus from Paul Keane James E. Prince III remain a critical component of every Second Vice President Immediate Past President area children. community. Wayne County News Neshoba Democrat We receive stacks of letters from Put me in the paper Waynesboro Philadelphia I was reminded of the significance teachers that asked for letters from of the local newspaper just this week Layne Bruce John P. “Pat” Brown their students. Mothers bring in Executive Director The Magee Courier in a tweet from a Vardaman High MPA-MPS President Joel McNeece is individual letters from each of their MPA/MPS Magee School student. publisher of The Calhoun County Jour- children, and we have a few kids nal. His email address is joelmcneece@ We published a feature on VHS ju- Kevin Cooper Clay Foster who drop off their own scribbled off gmail.com. The Natchez Democrat Daily Journal nior John Gillespie who has become Natchez Tupelo James Arrington Goff H. Ray Mosby The News-Commerical Deer Creek Pilot Collins Rolling Fork Athlon Media Group (AMG) million via 1,600 newspapers. The announced it has entered an move will add Parade, the largest- Stephanie Patton Jack Ryan Athlon Media The Leland Progress Enterprise-Journal agreement to purchase Parade and circulation magazine in the U.S. Leland McComb Dash magazines with associated at 32 million households, and Group acquires digital assets from Parade Media Dash, a food & family magazine Group, LLC. with 8.8 million circulation, to the Parade AMG’s stable of newspaper- AMG portfolio. Parade.com and distributed magazines, including DashRecipes.com are also part of American Profile, Relish, Spry the acquisition. Magazine Living and Athlon Sports, have a Parade magazine is distributed Mississippi Press Association | Established 1866 combined circulation reach of 38+ Mississippi Press Services | Established 1978 PARADE >> Page 6 MPA Education Foundation | Established 1983 December 2014 >> Fourth Estate >> 3 BYLINES Mississippi Business Journal Jack Weatherly, a former business editor for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, has joined the Mississippi Business Jour- nal as a Jackson-based correspondent. He previously was a business editor for The Clarion-Ledger and editor of The Star- Herald in Kosciusko… Also at the MBJ, longtime correspondent Wally Northway is planning to soon retire from the job he’s held since 1997. Prior to joining the Business Journal, Northway was a recruiting administrator for William Carey University. The Neshoba Democrat Summer Hines has been named advertising director for The Neshoba Democrat. She previously was in advertising sales for Meridian television stations and for Kosciusko-based Boswell Media. The News Commercial Joanna Holbert recently returned to The News-Commercial in Collins as news editor. She previously worked for the newspa- per and its sister magazine publication “Our South.” Rankin Record Steven G. Watson has been named publisher and editor of The Rankin Record in Flowood. He previously has served as pub- lisher in Forest and Winona. All papers are owned by Jackson- Around the square table based Emmerich Newspapers. Watson most recently was on Publishers and newspaper managers from the region discuss relevant issues Thursday morning, Nov.