The Indiana Publisher

September 2018 IP

Hoosier State Press Association - The Indiana Publisher

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The voice vote was unanimous. The Interim Committee on Government, chaired by Rep. Kevin Mahan, R-Hartford City, instructed its staff Wednesday to draft a report that supports the continued publication of annual financial report information by cities and towns. The summer committee will formally vote on the Legislative Services Agency report at its Oct. 3 final meeting. "It's good to see the commit- tee recognizes that newspapers, not government websites, remains the best way to inform the public of what their local government officials are doing or contemplating," said Steve Key, Hoosier State Press Association executive director and general counsel. Accelerate Indiana Municipali- ties (AIM) was the only entity to testify Wednesday. Rhonda Cook, deputy director; chief federal & state policy officer, for the association of cities and towns, limited her recommendation to the elimination of the annual report publication, not all public notices in newspapers. She called the published part of the annual report "not relevant," but AIM's solution was elimination, not improvement of the public notice. She noted that the entire annual financial report was on the state's Gateway portal. This is the same portal that HSPA testified last month only saw 7,000 unique visitors to the posted proposed budgets of local government units throughout 2017, compared to the 2.9 million Hoosiers who read at least one newspaper a week. Rep. Bruce Borders, R-Jason- ville, noted the lack of unique visitors to the Gateway Portal and said print remains the best option Publisher The Indiana Volume 83, Issue 9 • September 2018 Published on second Thursday monthly Blue Ribbon Newspaper, First Freedom Award among honors given at annual conference in Indianapolis See Public Notice, page 10 Interim committee supports continued publication of financial reports See related column, page 11 Three Indianapolis Star journalists, who reported USA Gymnastics' failure to deal with abuse of athletes, received the First Freedom Award from the Hoosier State Press Associa- tion Foundation Saturday, Sept. 15. The journalistic work of Mark Alesia, Tim Evans and Marisa Kwiatkowski resulted in a criminal conviction against U.S. Olympics Dr. Larry Nassar for 10 counts of sexual assault and leadership changes at both USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University, thus far. This is the highest honor bestowed by the state's newspaper industry. It's the first time reporters have been honored since the First Freedom Award was created in 1978, when Father Theodore Hesburgh of the University of Notre Dame was the first recipient. The last time the award was given was 2007. Former Indiana Senate President pro tempore Robert Garton was that recipient for his efforts to legislatively pass the state's Open Door Law and Access to Public Records Act. The award to the trio of reporters is only the 14th time the First Freedom Award has been presented in 40 years. During the Better Newspaper Contest Awards Luncheon, the top daily and non-daily newspapers were announced. The South Bend Tribune was honored with the Blue Ribbon Award as the best Indiana daily newspaper. The Herald-Tribune (Batesville) earned the Blue Ribbon Award as the best non-daily Hoosier newspaper. The staff of the Brown County Democrat (Nashville) won the Best Story Award. Lauren Cross from The Times (Muster) received the Best Photo Award. Other special award winners were Anderson City Council member Ty Bibbs, who received the clear glass Frank O'Bannon Sunshine Award symbolizing government transparency. First awarded in 2005, the O'Bannon Sunshine Award honors an individual, group or organization demonstrating outstanding effort to protect and enhance open government in Indiana. It is named for former Gov. O'Bannon who was a longtime advocate for government transparency. Ken de la Bastide of The Herald Bulletin (Anderson) received the Charlie Biggs Community Service Award. It is named after the former publisher of The Hope Star-Journal, who devoted his life to his commu- nity. See more coverage of the news & advertising conferences on pages 4-7. Indianapolis Star reporters Mark Alesia, Tim Evans and Marisa Kwiatkowski receive the First Freedom Award from HSPA Executive Director Steve Key Sept. 15, 2018.

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