The Indiana Publisher

Page 8 November 2020 To keep the program easy to manage for HSPA and for member newspapers to account, each member newspaper will allow HSPA to run one color ad not to exceed 30 column inches in their respective newspaper at no charge. The funds collected from the advertising client for this ad placement would directly offset the decline in dues revenue due to Indiana newspapers closing or reducing frequency of publication from daily to weekly status and the continuing decline in revenue from the three statewide advertis- ing programs (ICAN, ICAN Daily and Power of 2). "This is a program that has been utilized by other press associations or press foundations over the years to raise revenue without increasing the dues obligation of member newspa- pers," said Steve Key, executive director and general counsel for the Hoosier State Press Associa- tion. The revenue from the donated space will support the core functions of HSPA – lobbying of the General Assembly and other government affairs work, legal advice to our members on public access issues (Open Door Law and Access to Public Records Act), public notice laws, libel, periodical mail permits, Fair Housing Act and Equal Employ- ment regulations on advertising, political disclaimers and other advertising requirements. Here are the details to the proposal: Member Quarter Page Partnership Newspapers provide a color ad not to exceed 30 col. inches at no charge. HSPA would not provide the client with free advertising. The monies collected for the advertis- ing placed with these ads, would stay with HSPA. This ad placement would be sent to the advertising manager of the newspaper for placement. The coding on the placement would specify the HSPA MEMBER QUARTER PAGE PARTNER- SHIP. The ad would be marked at N/C (no charge). HSPA Advertising Services would not seek out local business from member newspapers. This placement would come from HSPA present clients or new clients. NMA commends senator's report on local news of local journalism that keeps its audience's wants and needs front and center, said Katrice Hardy, the regional editor for USA TODAY Network's Midwest region and executive editor of IndyStar. "Cindi's resume and experiences show how dedicated she is to serv- ing the communities she's lived in first," said Hardy. "She's commit- ted to ensuring that all voices in Evansville and beyond under her purview are heard and listened to and reflected in our news coverage and that no news organization shies away from asking and demanding when it must, answers and transpar- ency for its residents." Hardy said Andrews believes a news organization's most important work is as a watchdog of govern- ment, adding that Andrews is experienced with using both public records and database journalism. Amalie Nash, vice president for local news for the USA TODAY Network, said the company is thrilled to have Andrews back. "I've known Cindi for a num- ber of years and know how dedi- cated she is to serving readers," Nash said. "That is never more important than it is right now, as we navigate a pandemic and divi- sive election. "Evansville will have an edi- tor who works tirelessly to keep readers informed, who facilitates important dialogue and who ensures local journalism remains a strong bedrock of the community." The News Media Alliance commends Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Maria Cantwell (D-WA) for the release of her report, "Local Journalism: America's Most Trusted News Sources Threat- ened," outlining how changes in the information marketplace and the dominance of online plat- forms pose an existential threat to local news publishers. The report notes the vital importance of high-quality journalism to our communities and calls for the restoration of local journalism, including through Congressional action. The publication of the report comes ahead of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation's hearing on, October 28 examining Section 230 of the Communica- tions Decency Act, as well as the impact of big tech platforms on local news and consumer privacy. Cantwell's report explores both the history and current challenges facing news publish- ers. It highlights the ways in which Google and Facebook abuse their dominant positions as intermediaries between news publishers and their readers to prevent adequate monetization of quality news content. The report frequently cites the News Media Alliance's White Paper, "How Google Abuses Its Position as a Market Dominant Platform to Strong-Arm News Publishers and Hurt Journalism," published in June, for substantiated examples of such abuse. News Media Alliance President & CEO, David Chavern, stated, "As Senator Cantwell's report notes, local news is an essential part of the fabric that keeps our communi- ties informed and connected. But right now, local news is in crisis. Two companies, Google and Facebook, effectively regulate news publishers by determining how (and whether) journalism is distributed and monetized. The tech giants have refused to return real value back to the creators of quality news and information, even though they pay to license music and many other forms of content. Meanwhile, these companies also benefit from special, broad liability protections under federal law. We applaud Senator Cantwell for her unwavering focus and support of local news, and we hope she will raise these during the hearing on (Oct. 21)." Among other recommenda- tions in her report, Cantwell supports the ability of news publishers to collectively negotiate for better terms with the tech platforms, which would be made possible through passage of S. 1700, the Journal- ism Competition and Preserva- tion Act. Witnesses at the October 28 hearing will include the CEOs of Google, Twitter and Facebook, and will offer the Committee an opportunity to examine legisla- tive proposals to reform Section 230, which shields the online platforms from liability for the content they publish, exacerbat- ing the existing power imbal- ances in the digital ecosystem and facilitating other online harms. — News Media Alliance Partnership Continued from Page 1 Andrews Continued from Page 3

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