The Indiana Publisher

INSIDE Publisher The Indiana Volume 83, Issue 5 • May 2018 Published on second Thursday monthly Katie Duffey, Lindsay Owens named to new editor positions Page 2 Pete Van Baalen: First impressions are critical for media companies, Page 3 Hotline: Steve Key answers your legal, access questions. Page 6 Legacy Scholarship recipients selected The Hoosier State Press Associa- tion Foundation has awarded two scholarships to children of families tied to Indiana newspapers. The fi rst HSPA Foundation Legacy Scholarships were given to: Kathryn R. Gertin, daughter of Christopher and Leslie Gertin. Leslie Gertin works for The Scott County Journal in Scotts- burg as the bookkeeper. Leslie has been employed with The Scott County Journal for 23 years. Parker Marshall, son of Kevin and Cindy Marshall. Kevin Marshall works for The Indianapolis Star as a senior accounts manager. Kevin has worked for The Indianapolis Star for 23 years. Each scholarship is worth $1,000, which will go to pay for costs of the students to attend college. Kathryn has been accepted at Oakland City University where she plans to study environmental biology. Parker will attend the University of Cincinnati where he will major in mechanical engineering. "The HSPA Foundation Board created these new scholarships to give something back to the families that make newspapers happen across Indiana every day," said Mark Miller, chairman of the Foundation Board's Scholarship Committee. Miller is vice president and opinion page editor of The News-Banner in Bluffton. IDEM solicits additional input after 551 of 553 people reject proposed change moving notices from newspapers to department's website Steve Key HSPA If you sought input on a proposal and 551 out of 553 people rejected the idea, you'd probably drop the project. That's not the case with the Indiana Department of Environ- mental Management. They sought comments on a rule change that would allow IDEM to cease publishing notice of companies applying for air quality permits (permission to discharge pollutants into the air). Publication in the local newspa- per would be replaced by posting on IDEM's website. A website where the pages that contained such notices averaged 105 visitors a week in 2012 when HSPA last checked the amount of traffi c Meanwhile, American Opinion Research found last year that 3 million adult Hoosiers read a printed newspaper during an average week and that 63% of Hoosiers believe government agencies should be required to publish public notices in their local newspapers even if it can cost the government entity thousands of dollars. AOR also found that six out 10 adult Hoosiers report reading public notice advertising. let's do the math: 1.8 million Hoosiers who have the opportunity to read public notices every week versus 105 individuals who actually fi nd the notices on IDEM's website during a week. The Hoosier State Press Association reported these fi ndings to IDEM during the comment period for the rule change. HSPA's arguments against the change and the opposition of 550 other people or entities hasn't dampened IDEM's enthusiasm for the elimination of public notice advertising. Rather than drop the proposal, IDEM has asked for additional public comment with a deadline of May 18. IDEM's response to a 551-2 vote for newspaper publication – "IDEM recognizes that some Indiana residents still prefer to read newspapers as the main source of information for permit action" then attacks the effi ciency of newspaper distribution of public notices and claims electronic posting of notices is at least as effective, if not more effective, than newspaper publication. Better Newspaper Contest entries due May 25. More comments sought on proposal to eliminate publication of air permits Gertin Marshall See IDEM, Page 5 HSPA obtained copies of the emails sent to IDEM commenting on the proposed change that would eliminate publication of air permit notices in newspapers — 551 of 553 disagreed with the proposal. IDEM is asking for more input. See story jump on page 5 for information on contacting IDEM. The goal apparently is fast approval of permits, not determining whether the permits are in the best interest of Hoosiers and their environment.

• Cover