The Indiana Publisher

June 2021 Page 3 The Nina Mason Pulliam Environmental Journalism Award was created through a grant by the Pulliam Trust to the Hoosier State Press Association Foundation to recognize Indiana journalists for outstanding reporting on environ- mental issues. The award was part of the HSPA Better Newspaper Contest for the first time in 2018. The 2021 recipient will be honored this year along with the other BNC award winners. Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust $1,000 Environmental Journalism Award Hoosier State Press Association Foundation Tonda Rush National Newspaper Association The United States Postal Service announced on May 28 a planned adjustment of postage rates as of August 29, 2021, for the public and commercial mail users. For community newspa- pers using Periodicals mail to reach readers, the average rate increase will be nearly nine per- cent. The First-Class Stamp will move from 55 to 58 cents. The rate increase is part of a new USPS business plan that also includes a weakening of service standards for mail that is moving across the country. The proposed new rates must be reviewed by the Postal Regulatory Commission. But the PRC has already granted USPS the authority to elimi- nate an inflation-based price cap on rates. It gave USPS a new set of parameters that allows it to charge more for mail that remains in the postal system while digital technol- ogy provides new competition for delivery of messages and advertising. Brett Wesner, chair of National Newspaper Association and president of Wesner Publications, Cordell, Oklahoma, said the rate announcement was grim news for community newspapers that have been fielding months of complaints that subscribers are not receiving their copies on time. "Nothing about this sce- nario is good," Wesner said. "These increases will require many newspapers to increase subscription prices to cover this new cost and readers will think we have lost our minds to charge more when USPS can- not get the paper to so many on time. But times are tough in our world. We have to pay these bills. "The increase in the stamp USPS announces starkly higher postage rate increases For community newspapers using periodicals mail, the average rate increase will be nearly nine percent. The proposed new rates must be reviewed by the Postal Regulatory Commission. But the PRC has already granted USPS the author- ity to eliminate an inflation-based price cap on rates. See USPS, page 4 "Nothing about this scenario is good." — Bret Wesner, chair, National Newspaper Association

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