The Indiana Publisher

Publisher The Indiana Volume 79, Issue 6 • June 12, 2014 Published on second Thursday monthly Survey can help keep legals in newspapers HSPA seeks outside input on poll to reassure legislators T he Hoosier State Press Association continues to work on a public notice advertising survey. Some questions are being tweaked at the suggestion of state legislators. HSPA hired American Opinion Research to conduct the survey of Hoosier attitudes toward public notice advertising, also known as legals. The association asked for input from lawmakers to give them confidence that the results are not skewed to favor the newspaper industry. "The survey would be meaningless if legislators felt the questions were leading to get a desired result," said Steve Key, executive director and general counsel for the Hoosier State Press Association. "We want to capture the thoughts of Hoosiers on public notice advertising, not what we want them to think." Lawmakers reviewing the ques- tions include State Sens. Randy Head, R-Logansport, and Brandt Hershman, R-Buck Creek, and State Reps. Randy Mahan, R-Hartford City, and Jerry Torr, R-Carmel. HSPA decided to conduct the survey after a high number of bills introduced during the past two legislative sessions attacked the concept of publication of public notices as the best way to inform Hoosiers about what state and local gov- ernment units are doing or contemplating. American Opinion Research of Princeton, N.J., also conducted a state- wide readership survey for HSPA in 2004. The poll included questions about public notice advertising. The pollsters will collect 1,000 15-min- ute interviews of Hoosiers, including sessions conducted via the Internet, cell phones and landline phones to reflect the diversity of how people communicate. In American Opinion Research's 2004 HSPA survey, the majority of Hoosiers (73 percent) said local and state government units should be required to publish public notice advertising regularly in newspa- pers. More than two-thirds of Hoosiers sur- veyed recalled seeing public notices in a Ernie Pyle World War II Museum: Foundation chips in to support cause. You can too. Page 4 Legal Q&A: Can public school corporation keep resignation letter secret until board approval? Page 4 Key Points: Indianapolis media outlets meet with city leaders about daily police logs lacking basic information. Page 8 In photos: Interns impress with smart multimedia skills. Page 6 INSIDE Thurs., June 19 Ball State University Shooting, editing & posting video all from your smartphone REGISTRATION HSPAfoundation.org/ roadshow Smart Video ROAD SHOW FOR REPORTERS WORKSHOP Stay focused on the future HSPA Annual Conference for publishers, execu ves, adver sing & circula on HSPA & Foundation Annual Conference What: Seminars and idea-sharing designed to offer immediate ways newspaper pub- lishers, executives and advertising and circulation staffs can take action to improve revenue and busi- ness operations When: Thursday and Friday, Sept. 25-26 Where: JW Marriott, Indianapolis Deadline: Early- bird deadline Aug. 21 (payment may follow) Registration: www.HSPA foundation.org/ events and click on Annual Conference, or return the form newspapers received by mail Hotel: Group rate ends Aug. 21. Use the link via HSPAfoundation.org/ events Information: (317) 803-4772 or sgoldsby@ hspa.com H SPA members can focus on the future – now and in three months. Two postal buckets filled with brochures went out last week for the new combined Annual Conference Sept. 25-26 at the JW Marriott in downtown Indianapolis. For now members can focus on the program that gives lots of choices, mark their calendars and register online or with the bro- chure form. "Both the HSPA and Foundation boards will subsidize this event to keep costs in line with past years' conferences," said Steve Key, HSPA executive director and general counsel. "We look forward to a great event at the JW with publishers, advertising staff and circulation executives together." In addition to the board- approved subsidies, to date the Indiana Newspaper Advertising Executives Association secured more than $10,000 in sponsorships to help defray costs for all partici- pants. And the Indiana Circulation Executive Association offers cou- pons to circulators to lower their costs to previous circulation event rates. Golf for everyone The conference begins in full swing Thursday, Sept. 25 with Kevin Slimp, trainer and con- sultant, Institute of Newspaper Technology Val Hoeppner, trainer, media strategist and digital journalist Ken Paulson, president of the First Amendment Center and USA Today pioneer See Conference, Page 5 See Survey, Page 8 Variety of speakers Industry leaders will address front office, advertising and circulation issues

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