The Indiana Publisher

The Hoosier State Press Association hired The Corydon Group to provide government affairs support in 2020. Executive Director and General Counsel Steve Key will continue to lead HSPA's efforts before Indiana's three branches of government, but can now draw upon the resources of The Corydon Group to help in the efforts to protect the public's right to know and the viability of Indiana's newspapers. The Corydon Group or TCG is one of the state's most well-known and successful public-affairs firms. Over the past 19 years, TCG has strategically grown to become the largest independent public-affairs firm in Indianapolis, according to Chris Gibson, managing principal with TCG. "The Corydon Group is excited to work alongside Steve Key and the Hoosier State Press Association," Gibson said. "As a free and inde- pendent press is a cornerstone of our democracy, we are honored to help continue the legacy of a strong and independent free press in Indiana." Key said the integrity and respect that state legislators have for The Corydon Group will only strengthen HSPA's position with the General Assembly, which will convene on Jan. 6 in a short session. Because government transparen- cy issues can pop in multiple ways, HSPA must stay on top of all of the hundreds of bills filed each session. The Corydon Group can help HSPA identify bills of interest quickly, which will be a key in a short ses- sion that plans to conclude its work by March 11. "Just as credibility has been the keystone for successful journal- ism for our members, credibility is essential for HSPA as it deals with the legislative, judicial and executive branches of Indiana government. The Corydon Group brings a reputa- tion that supports our credibility," Key said. The Hoosier State Press Association, founded in 1933, is a trade association representing 160 daily and weekly paid-circulation newspapers in Indiana. HSPA pro- vides legal information, training, recognition and advertising services to its members. The three key laws supporting government transparency are the Open Door Law, Access to Public Records Act and Public Notice Law. HSPA routinely flags 20 to 40 bills connected to those three concepts during every session – either to sup- port, oppose or amend. "In the last 20 years, HSPA has dealt with 84 bills just pertaining to public notices to give you an example of the work before us," Key said." Depending upon the bill, Key will be able to draw upon the exper- tise of Chris Gibson, Steve Wolff, Carlin Yoder and Morgan Perrill of The Corydon Group's legislative team. Publisher The Indiana Volume 84, Issue 11 • November 2019 Published on second Thursday monthly HSPA hires Corydon Group to assist with 2020 session Each year HSPA offers nine paid college journalists to newspapers across Indiana through the Eugene S. Pulliam Internship program. The interns come to their papers with a variety of storytelling skills and leave with valuable hands-on experience. With the deadline approach- ing for newspapers to apply for summer 2020 interns, students who participated in the program this year shared thoughts on the favorite stories they contributed to their papers. Indiana University's Christine Stephenson interned with The Times-Mail (Bedford). Her favorite story was, " 'A total, total miracle': Couple recoups after vehicle-house crash." "It reinforced the idea that sometimes the best way to get someone to talk to you is just be brave, go to their house and let them know that you're a real person," Stephenson said. "And it was just special to me because those guys obvi- ously went through a lot in recent days but were still willing to let me into their home, and their lives, and make me feel like I'm doing something important," she said. Jayden Kennett, a University of Indianapolis student spent her summer at The Daily Journal (Franklin). For her, a story she worked Interns hone storytelling skills at papers across state Justin Hill, director of Haunted Hills Hospital, a haunted house that's open all year in northern Indiana, sits at the entrance to "Ward H." Indiana University junior Ty Vinson did the writing and photography for a story about the business for his summer 2019 Pulliam Intern- ship at The Times of Northwest Indiana. Photo by Ty Vinson. Public affairs firm to help flag bills affecting state's newspapers Apply for a 2020 Pulliam intern by Dec. 20 See Interns, page 9 Each year, newspapers across Indiana request paid college interns to work in their newsrooms during the summer. Nine students and newspapers are matched up. To request an intern, visit http://bit.ly/2BjN9C3. "In the last 20 years, HSPA has dealt with 84 bills just pertaining to public notices to give you an example of the work before us." Steve Key HSPA executive director, legal counsel

• Cover