Brace yourself: the holiday season will be here before you know it. But after the hustle and bustle has died down, have some fun with friends and colleagues at the Texas Press 2013 Midwinter Conference & Trade Show, Jan. 17-19.

This year, the biggest event in the Texas newspaper industry will be held at The Westin Galleria Houston, in the city’s Uptown district. The hotel is con-nected to The Galleria shopping center, home to 375 stores and restaurants and an ice rink.

The conference is a great opportuni-ty to meet new people, especially dur-ing the Trade Show, where vendors and

industry professionals will converge to discuss new products and ideas.

Friday night we’ll gather to honor our newspaper veterans — men and women who have made an outstand-ing contribution to Texas newspaper journalism — at the Texas Newspaper Foundation Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

With sessions on sales, photogra-phy, design and technology, there’s sure to be something on the itinerary for everyone. Follow Texas Press on Facebook and Twitter to get program updates.

To register for the conference visit texaspress.com. The deadline to re-

serve a room at the group rate of $124 per night is Jan. 2. Call 713-960-8100 to book your room with the hotel or go online to our event page on texaspress.com and click on “Hotel.”

Once again Texas Press is offering TexSCAN participants a deal that’s too good to pass up. Each member newspa-per that participated in the TexSCAN program throughout calendar year 2012 qualifies for one free registra-tion, including program meals and two nights’ stay at the hotel. TexSCAN participants can register for the confer-ence online at texaspress.com. (Texas Press will make hotel arrangements for you.) Don’t miss out!

Texas Press associaTion • TexasPress.com • OCTOBER 2012 • VoL. 87 no. 10

Texas PressMESSENGER

Continued on PAGE 4

HoUsTonJANUARY 17-19

TEXAS PRESS 2013 MIDWINTER CONFERENCE

& TRADE SHOW

Photo courtesy of The Westin Galleria Houston

Register now for the biggest event in the Texas newspaper industry

Reynolds Journalism Institute

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Despite declining readership and an economy that has battered rev-enues and forced painful cuts, the publishers of U.S. dailies remain optimistic about the future of newspapers.

In the largest survey of its kind, nearly two-thirds of responding publishers expressed optimism about the future of the newspa-per industry. Forty percent said they were “somewhat optimis-tic,” while 25 percent identified themselves as “very optimistic.” Thirty-one percent were neutral. Only 4 percent identified them-selves as “not optimistic;” no respondent chose “not optimistic at all.”

The question was asked as part of the RJI Publishers Confidence Index, the first in an annual series of surveys bench-marking opinions of newspa-per leaders about the future of the industry and their organi-zations’ ability to adapt to fast-changing market conditions. The Donald W. Reynolds Journalism

60 percent do not foresee a digital-only future

Publishers optimistic about future

Lone Star Journalism Writing Contest begins!PAGE 8

2 messenGer VoL. 87 no. 10 ocToBer 2012

“We Are Family” was a disco tune that enjoyed great popularity in the late 1970s and even became the theme song for the Pittsburgh Pirates dur-ing their march to a World Series title.

That song title also accurately portrays the relationship among the members of the Texas Press Association and this state’s commu-nity newspaper profession in gen-eral.

I know it has been said many times before but the close ties that develop between Texas newspaper folks truly do start to feel like family after a sur-prisingly short time.

With a big part of the TPA and regional press conventions geared for families, we get to know each other like family as we go on outings together to theme parks, museums and other locations.

We watch each others’ kids grow up in short glimpses during these annual or semi-annual gatherings. We exchange Christmas cards, cheer each other’s accomplishments, and grieve when one of us suffers a seri-ous illness or loss.

The ease of acquaintance comes in big part from simply knowing that we all share something in common that, in many cases, basically defines who we are.

We understand when one of our fellow publishers has to make a tough decision about an employee, when the editor of a neighboring newspaper complains about the city council holding a secret meeting, or when an ad manager on the other side of the state talks about dealing with a picky customer.

We’ve all “been-there, done-that” and can empathize with others who similarly work long hours to provide their community with the best news-paper possible.

And we’re always willing and ready to help each other out.

Such was the case this past spring when two young men who had attended one of the small schools outside Lamesa drowned during an outing to the Gulf of Mexico.

The tragic accident took place on Easter Sunday, and word spread quickly here among those who knew the two men or various members of their large family.

I watched for updates on the Coast Guard website and talked to the Port Aransas police while a search effort went on for almost two days before the second body was recovered.

As the deadline for our Wednesday paper approached, however, I felt I still didn’t have everything I needed.

That’s when I finally decided to go ahead and make a call to my friends at the Port Aransas South Jetty, Murray and Mary Judson.

A few seconds after giving my name to the lady who answered the phone, Mary came on the line and immediately said, “I bet I know what you are calling about.”

Within just a few minutes I received not only the full story they had prepared for their own paper but also a photo that Murray had taken of police officers involved in the search effort along the beach.

Their willingness to share their material helped my readers in West Texas understand a bit more about a tragedy that played out on the other side of the state.

Most of you probably read the story by Laura King in last month’s Messenger about the fatal shooting of a deputy sheriff in Big Lake. The deputy was the brother-in-law of J.L. Mankin, staffer for the Big Lake Wildcat and son of TPA officer Randy Mankin.

Faced with covering a major story involving a family member, the Mankins got help during the sub-sequent standoff from fellow pub-lisher Melissa Perner at neighbor-ing Ozona, who kept the Wildcat’s Facebook page updated for readers.

Then Brownwood Bulletin report-er and photographer Amanda Leija stepped in and covered the deputy’s funeral for the Wildcat. That thought-ful action relieved the Mankins and their small staff of an extra burden.

Such good deeds between Texas newspaper folks often extend beyond the professional level.

Traveling across the state and meeting other family members along the way, a couple of times in recent years I’ve needed to leave a vehicle somewhere on the route for a few days. I specifically chose Eldorado and Ozona for the meeting sites because I figured both Randy and Melissa would let me park a car behind their office.

I was wrong. They both actually refused my request – but only the location. Instead, they insisted I leave the auto either in front of their home or in a family member’s driveway where they could personally watch over it until I returned.

I’m sure most of you have simi-larly benefitted from the kindness of other people in our business.

Or perhaps you’re the one who extended a helping hand or a gesture of support.

It is done without a moment’s hesi-tation.

Because that’s just what family members do for each other.

RamblingRussel SkilesTPa PresiDenT2012-2013

‘We Are Family’OFFICIAL PUBLICATION

OF THE

Texas Press Association718 West 5th Street

Austin, Texas 78701-2783(512) 477-6755 phone

(512) 477-6759 faxtexaspress.com

2012-2013TPA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OFFICERSPresident Russel Skiles, Lamesa Press-Reporter; First Vice President Greg Shrader, Lufkin Daily News; Second Vice President Randy Mankin, Eldorado Success; Treasurer Glenn Rea, Cuero

Record; Chairman Chad Ferguson, Banner Press Newspaper

BOARD MEMBERSElected: Bill Crist, Snyder Daily News; Sue

Brown, Pleasanton Express; Rochelle Stidham, Stephenville Empire-Tribune; Brandi Guy,

Thorndale Champion; Brett McCormick, Vernon Daily Record; Chad Engbrock, Wylie News

Appointed: Jeff Berger, Hondo Anvil Herald; Mark Henry, Mexia News; Melissa Perner, Ozona

Stockman; Ken Esten Cooke, Fredericksburg Standard-Radio Post; Roger Estlack, Clarendon

Enterprise; Randy Keck, Community News; Hank Hargrave, Normangee Star

Regional Presidents: Susan Reeves, Mount Vernon Optic-Herald, NETPA; Amanda Rogers, The Canyon News, PPA; Jason Jarrett, Westlake Picayune, STPA; Murray Judson, Port Aransas South Jetty, TGCPA; Mark Engebretson, Lake

Country Sun, WTPARegional Vice Presidents: Mark Engebretson,

Lake Country Sun, NETPA; Wanda Brooks, Moore County News, PPA; Cyndy Slovak-Barton, Hays Free Press, STPA; Danny Reneau, Silsbee Bee, TGCPA; Lisa Davis, Wise County Messenger,

WTPA

MESSENGER STAFF

PublisherMicheal Hodges

EditorLaura King

Advertising ConsultantDiane Byram

Volume 87 — Issue No. 10OCTOBER 2012

Subscription rate $6 per yearSingle issue 50 cents

© Texas Press Messenger, 2012 (ISSN 1521-7523). Published monthly by Texas Press Service, a business affiliate of Texas Press Association.

Periodicals postage paid at Austin, Texas, and additional mailing office, USPS 541-440.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Texas Press Messenger, 718 West 5th Street, Austin,

Texas 78701-2783. Printed by Hood County News in Granbury, Texas.

MESSENESSENESSE GERNGERNTexas Press

OFThe Texas Newspaper Foundation is seeking nominations for the 2013 class of honorees to be inducted into the TNF Hall of Fame. Visit texaspress.com or tnf.net to download a nomination form.

DEADLINE: OCT. 15

HALL FAME

messenGer VoL. 87 no. 10 ocToBer 2012 3

Q: Recently a neighboring weekly publication closed. I am interested in speaking to the communities that published their legal notices with them about using our publication. Is there a mile range that figures into this for cities and school districts or is it based on circulation in their ZIP codes? Also, is there some all-inclusive book of legal guidelines I can purchase?

A: Do you have subscribers in those cities and school districts? Government Code Chapter 2051, titled “Government Documents, Publications and Notices,” is the pri-mary source of guidance on your ques-tion. In support of that chapter is a 2005 Texas Attorney General opinion, GA-0380, that attempts to define the term “general circulation.” The opin-ion, which holds the force of law, says that general circulation means “more than a de minimis” number of sub-scribers. That means more than just a few. Whoever prepares your newspa-per’s postal statements can give you the number of subscribers you have in each of those communites.

Next, see Sec. 2051.044, titled “Type of Newspaper Required.” The law says:

(a) The newspaper in which a notice is published must:

(1) devote not less than 25 percent of its total column lineage to general interest items;

(2) be published at least once each week;

(3) be entered as periodical-class

postal matter in the county where published; and

(4) have been published regular-ly and continuously for at least 12 months before the governmental enti-ty or representative publishes notice.

(b) A weekly newspaper has been published regularly and continuously under Subsection (a) if the newspaper omits not more than two issues in the 12-month period.

Also, see Government Code Sec. 2051.045, titled “Legal Rate Charged for Publication.” It says, “The legal rate for publication of a notice in a newspaper is the newspaper’s lowest published rate for classified advertis-ing.”

So, when you call on those cities and school districts, be prepared to show some sample public notices and the cost of running each, based on your rate card. Show how you use your rate card to calculate the costs of running quarter-page public notices and classified-style public notices. Make sure to point out that public

notices that are printed in the news-paper are also posted on your newspa-per’s website, free of charge.

Texas Press Association has more than 2,000 public/legal notice law requirements in statute and in admin-istrative law listed in its Legal Notice Laws database under the Advertising tab at www.texaspress.com. Under the “Local Government” link, you will find public notices that cities and counties must publish in a newspaper.

Q: When I reference the Texas Railroad Commission in a story, what is the correct acronym to use on sub-sequent references? Is it TRC?

A: The generally recognized and almost invariably used acronym is RRC.

Q: Our county commissioners’ court must appoint a new justice of the peace to fill a sudden vacancy because it’s too late for the position to be placed on the November ballot. The current JP resigned and the resigna-tion will be officially accepted at the next meeting. Can the commission-ers’ court go into executive session to interview applicants for the position?

A: The Texas Open Meetings Act’s personnel exception allows a govern-mental body to go into executive ses-sion to have a discussion about poten-tial appointees, but not to interview them. For more information, you will find in the Texas Attorney General’s 2012 Open Meetings Handbook,

on page 52 under paragraph F, the header, “Who May Attend a Closed Session.”

Q: My county judge and one county commissioner were the only members of the commissioners’ court to vote on a certain action item on the meeting agenda. A quorum was present. The county judge made the motion and the one commissioner seconded it. A vote followed with three commissioners abstaining. Is a 2-0 vote in which the county judge participated enough to carry the motion?

A: “ABCs of County Government” found at www.dentoncounty.com/dept/forms/abccogov.pdf has this insight on pp. 4-5: “The county judge is the presiding officer of the commis-sioners court … (but) has no discre-tionary power to decide, for example, what business the court will hear, or what motions will be considered. The body as a whole decides this. The county judge is a voting member of the court, although in many counties, by custom s/he votes only in cases of ties. (And) there must be a quorum … to transact county business.” End of paraphrased quote.

With the abstentions, the vote doesn’t seem to hold water. However, a citizen would have to file a com-plaint with the district attorney over the conduct of the meeting in order to have the legalities of the situation addressed. The Attorney General’s Office does not enforce the Texas Open Meetings Act.

TPA HotlineEd SterlingTPa memBer serVicesDirecTor

Public notice law and neighboring communities

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4 messenGer VoL. 87 no. 10 ocToBer 2012

Chuck LindellAustin American-Statesman

A Texas law requiring many governmental bod-ies to make decisions in public is constitutional and does not improperly limit the free speech rights of elected officials, a federal appeals court ruled Tues-day (Sept. 25).

Fifteen city officials from across the state had filed suit arguing that the Texas Open Meetings Act unconstitutionally limits what they can say and in-appropriately targets one class of speaker — elected politicians — with a criminal penalty that hampers their ability to do their jobs.

But the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said laws prohibiting most public business from being discussed in private are intended to promote good government, not limit speech, in ways that discour-age corruption and foster trust in official decisions.

“Transparency is furthered by allowing the pub-lic to have access to government decision making,” a three-judge panel of the court ruled.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, whose law-yers defended the act, said the decision preserves a law that is essential to democracy.

“Making meetings accessible and allowing the public to see how decisions are made are the founda-tion of open government,” Abbott said. “A healthy democracy requires that the public have access to how government operates.”

Since 1967, the Open Meetings Act has required quorums of most government bodies to discuss most public business in a properly called meeting, gener-ally with at least 72 hours’ notice, that is open to the

public. Violators can receive up to six months in jail and a $500 fine.

Tuesday’s decision capped an eight-year legal battle that began when members of the Alpine City Council, prosecuted for discussing city business in private emails, filed a federal lawsuit arguing that the Open Meetings Act violated their First Amend-ment free speech rights. U.S. District Judge Robert Junell disagreed, ruling that the law does not im-properly limit speech but “simply requires speech to be open and public.”

But during the case’s first trip to the 5th U.S. Cir-cuit Court of Appeals in 2009, a three-judge panel reversed Junell, ruling that the Texas law compro-mised the Alpine officials’ free speech rights and might have to be overturned or rewritten.

Eighteen states, fearing the ruling jeopardized enforcement of similar open meetings laws, joined Texas in asking all 17 judges on the appeals court to reopen the case. The court agreed — a rarely taken step that typically signals displeasure with a ruling

— but the case was dismissed before a new opinion could be handed down because the Alpine officials had left office and no longer had standing to sue.

Noted Houston lawyer Dick DeGuerin, who rep-resented the Alpine politicians, responded by help-ing line up another group of officials — including Pflugerville City Council Member Victor Gonza-les — to file an almost identical lawsuit in Junell’s court.

Junell again ruled against the officials last March, this time with an even more sharply worded opinion that called their arguments “nonsensical.” DeGuerin, who was representing the officials at no charge, appealed — setting up Tuesday’s decision by a different three-judge panel than had ruled in his favor in 2009. DeGuerin could not be reached Tuesday.

Tuesday’s ruling rejected arguments that the law, known as TOMA, is overly broad because it crimi-nalizes all private speech about public policy by a quorum of officials.

“The plaintiffs’ argument fails because it ignores the other purposes of TOMA, such as increasing transparency, fostering trust in government and en-suring that all members of a governing body may take part in the discussion of public business,” said the opinion, written by Judge Jerry Smith.

The court also found that the law did not improp-erly single out elected officials. “Here, the statute does not apply to government officials because of any hostility to their views,” but instead targets private speech that “lessens government transpar-ency, facilitates corruption and reduces confidence in government,” Smith wrote.

Two-thirds of newspaper publishers optimistic about the future

Institute (RJI) at the Missouri School of Journalism is devoted to exploring new ideas, experiments and research that will improve and sustain journalism.

In the survey, 458 in-depth telephone interviews were conducted with pub-lishers, presidents, senior vice pres-idents or other senior managers or editors designated by the publisher. The interviews, conducted by the RJI Insight and Survey Center, represent one-third of the daily newspapers in the United States. In assembling the sample, researchers were careful to ensure it reflected the distribution of circulation sizes across the industry.

Circulation size was a key factor

associated with the degree of optimism expressed by publishers. Although publishers from every circulation size were included in both the “very opti-mistic” and “somewhat optimistic” groups, 83 percent of those in the “very optimistic” category lead papers with average weekday circulations below 50,000.

Although the survey revealed increased effort being poured into development of new digital products at newspapers, many publishers are counting on the print edition to con-tinue to play a significant role in future success.

Responding to the question, “Do you ever envision a time when your organization will not publish a print-ed edition,” 62 percent replied “no.”

One-third of the respondents replied “yes,” and 5 percent said “maybe.” Circulation size also was associated with answers to this question, with publishers of smaller papers less likely to envision a time without a printed edition.

Of those publishers who envision a day when their companies will no longer print, 19 percent expect that to happen in less than 10 years; 46 per-cent estimated it would happen in 10-20 years; 14 percent expect it will not hap-pen for at least 20 years.

When asked whether the leader-ship of their companies has considered eliminating a day of publication, as Advance Publications is doing with its New Orleans newspaper and others, 77 percent said “no.” Seventeen per-

cent said “yes,” and 5 percent replied they already have. Advance announced in May its plans to reduce the New Orleans Times-Picayune’s printing fre-quency from 7 to 3 days a week, while interviewing for the survey was under way.

Interviews were conducted from May through July. The response rate of the survey was 77.6 percent. For results based on the entire sample, the margin of sampling error is plus or minus 5 percentage points.

Other aspects of the survey — relat-ing to print and digital revenue, paid online models, mobile and tablet devel-opment and perceived threats to long-term success — will be released over the coming two months at www.rjion-line.org.

From PAGE 1

Court upholds Texas Open Meetings Act

messenGer VoL. 87 no. 10 ocToBer 2012 5

Richard GreeneTh e Pilot Point Post-Signal

Richard Greene was named man-aging editor of The Pilot Point Post-Signal. Greene started working for The Post-Signal in 1999 while he was a journalism student at the University of North Texas. He graduated from UNT with a journalism degree in 2000 and left The Post-Signal to work as a sports writer at the Denton Record-Chronicle.

Greene returned to The Post-Signal as assistant editor in August 2001. In August 2007, he left to become the founding editor of the Lindsay Letter. Two years later, he was named sports editor of the Wise County Messenger.

Newsmakers

Keith MacPhersonGainesville Daily Register

Keith MacPherson joined the Gainesville Daily Register as sports editor.

MacPherson grew up playing sports.He is a former resident of Gainesville. He attended Gainesville High School and lived in the area for eight years. He graduated from the University of North Texas in Denton in 2009 with a degree in journalism.

For the past three years, MacPher-son was sports editor at the Conroe Courier. Prior to that, he served as sports editor at the North Texas Daily, UNT’s student newspaper.

Dale BuieTh e Light and Champion

Dale Buie was named associate pub-lisher of The Light and Champion in Center.

Buie worked for several daily news-paper companies in Colorado and Mis-sissippi before joining The Light and Champion in 1992 to help rebuild the press and upgrade the printing depart-ment. The six-month press project turned into almost 20 years at the pa-per.

Originally from Colorado, Buie be-gan his newspaper career as a paper boy at the age of 12 and was a journey-man pressman by 16.

Dave WedelHearst Corporation

Dave Wedel will move into the Hearst Corporation’s finance office in San Antonio, the Midland Reporter-Telegram reported in September.

Wedel will continue to serve as di-rector of Hearst’s West Texas New-papers group, which includes the Reporter-Telegram, the Plainview Herald, the Canyon News and the Muleshoe Journal, until a replace-ment is found.

Wedel has worked at the Reporter-Telegram for 23 years and has served as publisher since 2011. He was named publisher of the Herald in 2011.

The deadline for filing your Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation (PS Form 3526) with the United States Post-al Service was Oct. 1! Please send a com-pleted copy of your statement to TPA at 718 West 5th Street, Austin, TX 78701 or fax to 512-477-6759, if you haven’t already done so.

The filing and publication of this form is a requirement to maintaining Periodical mailing privileges. Dailies must publish a completed copy of the form in the newspa-per by Oct. 10 and non-dailies by Oct. 31.

If you haven’t completed your State-ment of Ownership, you can download and complete the new PS Form 3526 (dated Au-gust 2012) from texaspress.com. (TPA has created an interactive form for more con-venience. Now you can just type into the

form.) If you are claiming electronic subscrib-

ers on line 16, you need to complete a worksheet, PS Form 3526-X. Electronic subscribers are not to be included on line b(4) or any other line on the Statement of Ownership. They are only entered on PS Form 3526-X. If you are claiming electronic subscribers, publish PS Form 3526-X along with PS Form 3526. Go to texaspress.com and click on “Statement of Ownership” un-der the “Other Services” tab for more in-formation about claiming paid electronic subscribers.

If you have questions concerning your Statement of Ownership, please contact TPA Periodicals Consultant Joel Allis at jallis@texaspress.com or 512-413-4122.

Did you send a copy of your Statement of Ownership to TPA?

Check out TPA’s new interactive Statement of Ownership form on texaspress.com

6 messenGer VoL. 87 no. 10 ocToBer 2012 -30-Dick Tarpley(1920 — 2012)

Dick Tar-pley, former editor of the Abilene Re-porter-News, died Sept. 17 in Abilene. He was 92.

T a r p l e y worked at the Reporter-News for 52 years, starting in 1946. He has served as a reporter, wire editor, sports editor, news editor, assistant managing editor, managing editor and editor. After retiring as editor in 1986, he continued writing his popu-lar Sunday column for 12 more years.

Tarpley was born in Arlington and grew up in Weslaco — he attended Edinburg High School. He began his newspaper career, while still in high school, as sports editor of the Edin-

burg Valley Review in 1937. After graduating from the Uni-

versity of Texas in 1941, Tarpley worked a year as sports editor at the Wichita Falls Record-News before enlisting in the Army in 1942. He won five campaign stars in Africa and Europe and was awarded the Bronze Star.

Tarpley moved to Abilene after World War II and helped form the Abilene National Guard artillery battalion. He remained with the unit when it became an engineer battalion and served as commander from 1969 to 1971. He graduated with honors from Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth, Kan., and retired as a lieutenant col-onel in September 1972 after 30 years of military service.

In 1953 he married Abilene attor-ney Beverly Potthoff. The couple has two children.

Tarpley was president of the Texas Associated Press Managing Editors Association in 1973 and was first chairman of the Harte-Hanks Editorial Advisory Board in 1977.

TARPLEY

Ann Arnold(1945 — 2012)

Texas jour-nalist Ann Ar-nold died Sept. 1. She was 67.

In her 50-year profes-sional career, Arnold was a reporter for the Dallas Times-Herald and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the first female press secretary to a Texas governor and the longtime president of the Texas Association of Broadcast-ers.

A Mississippi native, Arnold spent her early years in Arkansas and moved with her family to Fort Worth in the 1960s. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1968. She worked three jobs to pay her

way through college, including a po-sition with the Capitol bureau of the Dallas Times-Herald. She also worked for The Daily Texan, UT’s student newspaper.

After graduating from UT, she joined United Press International’s Capitol bureau and married her high school sweetheart, Reg Arnold. She has two sons.

Arnold went on to work for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in 1980 and later took a position as press secretary for Texas Gov. Mark White.

When White left office in 1987, she was diagnosed with leukemia and told she had six months to two years to live. She joined an experimental treatment program at UT’s M.D. An-derson facilities in Houston and lived more than 20 years with the disease.

In 2001 Arnold received the James Madison Award from the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas for open government efforts.

Texas broadcasters honored her legacy in 2008 by selecting her to be the recipient of the association’s first lifetime achievement award.

ARNOLD

messenGer VoL. 87 no. 10 ocToBer 2012 7

Fred HartmanHartman Newspapers L.P.

One of the big issues that practically all Texas politi-cians claim to support is open gov-ernment, but unfortunately, in many cases they’re only paying lip ser-vice.

Last month, I was among Texas newspaper rep-

resentatives in the state Senate interim committee working group that is looking into how to reduce costs for governmental agencies that run public notices for procurement. State law requires these notices to be published in newspapers of general circulation.

Newspapers make a small amount of advertising revenue from procure-ment notices, but we’ve always felt the larger purpose is informing citi-zens how their cities, counties and school districts spend tax dollars.

Procurement notices are required to be published two times in the county where the governmental enti-ty is located. In addition to that,

newspapers also publish the same information on their websites at no extra charge.

Cities, counties and school districts would like to see the law changed to where these notices would have to only be published once, but newspa-pers think the current law passed in the early 1970s is working just fine.

Cities, counties and school dis-tricts claim that reducing the num-ber of publication times would save tax dollars, but if truth be told, they would rather put legal notices on their respective websites and never publish any notices in a newspaper.

The problem with this position is people don’t go to governmental web-sites to see what local governments are doing. They go to an independent voice, such as their community’s newspaper or even that paper’s web-site, to insure the information they get is accurate. The fox shouldn’t get to guard the henhouse.

If the law didn’t require news-paper notices, fewer people would know what is going on. As we’ve seen from history, a lack of sunshine can lead to all sorts of bad things such as graft and corruption.

The most belligerent of the anti-notice bunch is the Texas Municipal League, the lobby group represent-ing more than 1,121 Texas cities. It has a long history of bellyaching about measures that make govern-ment more transparent and respon-sible to citizens.

Even though a small amount of

money is spent with newspapers on procurement notices, the TML wrote on its website that newspapers are the real “taxpayer funded lobby” fol-lowing the meeting that I referenced above.

This statement shows a lot of nerve by an organization that generates its revenue from the tax dollars of member cities. The organization also states on its website that it doesn’t use any member fees to conduct its lobbying efforts, either. That doesn’t exactly sound credible.

If TML had its way, it would do away with other public notices that deal with such important issues as annexations, zoning and tax increas-es.

Its leadership thinks current laws are outdated. Newspapers beg to dif-fer.

As some of my colleagues in the newspaper business have correctly stated, TML has long been one of the most consistent and effective oppo-nents of open government in Texas.

TML tends to forget that the peo-ple who pay their dues are employees of the taxpayers. And the taxpayers want to know how their money is being spent.

Fred Hartman is vice chairman of Hartman Newspapers L.P., which owns and operates 12 communi-ty newspapers in Texas. He can be reached at fbh@hartmannews.com.

Texas Press Association mem-ber newspapers have permission to reprint this column.

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8 messenGer VoL. 87 no. 10 ocToBer 2012

The Interscholastic League Press Conference and Texas Press Association are once again teaming up to organize a contest designed specifically for high school journalism students throughout Texas.

The contest, known as the Lone Star Journalism Writing Contest, involves a student writing a gen-eral interest feature and publishing the article in the local paper. Cash prizes will be awarded to the win-ners of the contest. Since University Interscholastic League Academics does not have an amateur rule, students may participate in this contest as well as UIL journalism (or any academic contest).

We encourage students to write and submit sev-eral general interest features to a local paper. Each student should send his/her published entry to the ILPC office for judging. Entries at the state contest will be broken down into small school (A-3A) and large school (4A-5A) categories. Newspapers may choose to have a local contest before submitting entries to ILPC.

First place in each category will receive a $125

cash prize, second place will receive a $100 cash prize and third place will receive a $75 cash prize. Winners will be notified after the Texas Press 2013 Midwinter Conference & Trade Show in Houston, Jan. 17-19.

RULES1. The entry must have been published in a local paper. The paper’s editor has the right to edit the story or return it to the student for re-write before publishing it.

2. Students may only submit one entry.

3. The story can be any length, but must be consid-ered a general interest feature. It does not have to focus on the school. The feature can be about any-thing dealing with the community or something that has had some effect on the community. Good feature writing skills are encouraged and expected.

4. A first, second and third place winner in the small school category and a first, second and third place winner in large school category will receive cash prizes as listed above.

5. Deadline for publication is Nov. 14. All local win-ners must have their entries postmarked to the state office no later than Friday, Nov. 16. Winners will be notified by mail.

6. There is no entry form, but on the back of each entry, please include the writer’s name, school, local newspaper name, date published and a phone num-ber or email where the contestant can be reached. Also include your school address.

7. Send entries to: ILPC, c/o Jeanne Acton, PO Box 8028, Austin, TX 78713-8028. Contact Jeanne Acton with questions at 512-232-4924 or jacton@uiltexas.org.

12th annual Lone Star Journalism Writing Contest begins!

TEXAS NEWSPAPER DIRECTORYCOVER CONTESTYOU DesiGn. YOU JUDGe.

DEADLINE IS

OCTOBER 22

Visit texaspress.com for details.

PUBLICATION DEADLINE: NOV. 14POSTMARK DEADLINE: NOV. 16