The Indiana Publisher

Michael Reschke Herald-Times (Bloomington) COVID-19 has changed the way governing bodies of public agencies in Indiana, from city councils to school boards, conduct business. Allowing public meetings to take place virtually has provided benefits, but it has also led to concerns about whether the practice should be allowed to continue after the pandemic ends. "If you're not in the room, having to look the public in the eye when there are critical votes, is there as much accountability to be had?" said Steve Key, executive director and general counsel for the Hoosier State Press Associa- tion. Gov. Eric Holcomb signed an executive order in March that modified Indiana's public access laws in response to the pandemic. Among the changes was a provision allowing Publisher The Indiana Volume 85, Issue 10 • October 2020 Published on second Thursday monthly • Revised Publication Days? • Staffing Changes? • New Advertising Rates? • New Billing address? Attention Publishers, Editors: Keep HSPA in the loop with what is changing at your newspaper. Email info to sgoldsby@hspa.com. The Hoosier State Press Association and Ball State Student Media are teaming up to help HSPA members provide more content for their audiences, while giving student journalists an opportunity to earn profes- sional bylines. Multimedia content, including photos, graphics and videos from Ball State's College of Communi- cation, Information and Media students will be made available to HSPA member papers via our InfoNet site, which currently distributes other content options to participating newspapers across the state. The primarily evergreen pieces, distributed under the Cardinal News Service banner, aim to fill the gaps for publishers and editors in communities challenged by a changing media marketplace. Simple issues like staff vacations can create real headaches for publishers in some areas, and the HSPA partnership with Ball State Student Media can help alleviate some of the pressure felt by professional journalists. Steve Key, executive director and general counsel of the Hoosier State Press Association, Staff reports Parke County Sentinel (Rockville)) As the Parke County Sentinel celebrates its 190th year of continuous operation, staff members and friends surprised Publisher Mary Jo Harney and her daughters, Megan Wilson and Jessica Lynk, with a "Golden Anniversary" party marking 50 years since the Harney family became newspaper owners in Parke County. Mary Jo's late husband, Dick, a past president of the Hoosier State Press Association, came to Rockville in the fall of 1970 after seeing an ad for the Rockville Tribune, the Democrat paper in the county. Harney had worked at newspapers in Dekalb, Illinois and Elwood, Indiana and had also been executive secretary of the Elwood Chamber of Commerce. After securing a deal with publisher George Schwin, the Harneys took over in October, 1970. Three months later he went to talk to Bill Hargrave, publisher of the rival Rockville Republican and one of the founders of the Covered Bridge Festival, about agreeing to raise classified advertising rates at the Harney family celebrates 50 years running Sentinel How COVID changed Indiana's Open Door Law See BSU, page 8 BSU offering free content to Indiana papers via InfoNet See COVID, page 2 Parke County Sentinel staff members held a 50th Anniversary Open House Pictured (from left) Jessica Lynk, Mary Jo Harney and Megan Wilson. Photo by Kelly Nelson. See Anniversary, page 8 Initiative is a win-win for state's editors, students

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