The Indiana Publisher

Postal facilities targeted to close Promote activities that use news NIE ads endorse your newspapers as teaching tools T he U.S. Postal Service has given its six-month notice of a plan to close up to five Indiana mail-processing locations. The number is the most poten- tial plant closings in one state as the Postal Service targets 82 processing centers in the second phase of its reorganization. The five Indiana facilities that could close at the end of 2014 are in Gary, Kokomo, Lafayette, Muncie and South Bend. Kokomo, Lafayette and Muncie mail would be shipped to Indianapolis for process- ing. South Bend mail would be shipped to Fort Wayne, and Gary mail would go to Bedford Park, Illinois. Steve Key, HSPA executive director and general counsel, cautions northern Indiana news- papers that mail facility closings could impact delivery times, particularly for out-of-county subscribers. The closing of the Terre Haute mail processing facility resulted in delayed delivery of southeast- ern Indiana newspapers in 2012. Out-of-county subscribers did not receive their papers in the same amount of time after the Terre Haute facility closed, according to Key. At least one newspaper success- fully petitioned for its mail to go to Evansville, rather than Indianapolis, for processing to improve delivery time. National Newspaper Associ- ation President Robert M. Williams Jr., publisher of the Blackshear (Ga.) Times, strongly objected to the proposed closings as a lowering of service stan- dards for periodicals and first- class mail. In a letter to Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe, Williams said: "We deeply regret our long-time partnership with the Postal Service is about to be further stressed by another degradation of service. NNA A lthough most schools are closed in July, parents and summer- school teachers can find fresh activities for teaching with the newspaper during the summer on the HSPA Foundation website. The Indiana Newspaper in Education Foundation and the Indiana State Reading Association still fund the project year-round. Instead of offering new material every week at www.HSPAfoundation.org/ UseTheNews, the activities change every other week from mid-June through mid- August. But newspapers need to remind their communities of the availability of this service. The Herald (Jasper) regu- larly runs the Foundation's teaser ads promoting NIE weekly activities, said Justin Rumbach, managing editor of The Herald and chair of the Indiana NIE Advisory Board "We want to point teach- ers and parents to a great resource available to them for free," Rumbach said. "Not only do the activities support childhood literacy, they help drive children to the newspa- per and teach them that it's a source of great information." The resource offers teachers interesting background mate- rial for events in history each week. HSPA Foundation Director Karen T. Braeckel said she learned a few things herself while scanning the activities for early July. "History was never my strong suit," Braeckel said. "Somehow I got through all those classes never realizing See Postal, Page 2 See NIE, Page 3 See Conference, Page 4 Advertising: Sales reps can help small businesses develop an advertising budget. A short quiz gets them started. Page 4 Key Points: Indiana judge to rule on whether emails that approve public business constitute a meeting. Page 8 Pro print: Study finds newspapers to be the most engaging form of media. Page 6 Hey can they do that? Steve Key answers your legal questions. Page 5 INSIDE Sept. 25-26 Downtown Indianapolis For publishers, executives and advertising and circulation staffs REGISTRATION HSPAfoundation.org/ events Annual Conference HOOSIER STATE PRESS ASSOCIATION & HSPA FOUNDATION Publisher The Indiana Volume 79, Issue 7 • July 10, 2014 Published on second Thursday monthly FOCUS ON THE FUTURE What: Seminars and idea-sharing designed to offer immediate ways newspaper publishers, executives and advertising and circulation staffs can take action to improve revenue and operations When: Thursday and Friday, Sept. 25-26 Where: JW Marriott, Downtown Indianapolis Deadline: Early-bird deadline Aug. 21 (payment may follow) Registration: Visit www.HSPA foundation.org/events and click on Annual Conference, or return the form newspapers received by mail. Hotel: Group rate ends Aug. 21. Use the link via www.HSPA foundation.org/events to make reservations. Participants in HSPA's ICAN program receive additional discount. Information: (317) 803-4772 or sgoldsby@hspa.com HSPA & Foundation Annual Conference THE IS NOW future T he HSPA and Foundation Annual Conference promises a trove of information and hobnobbing for Indiana newspaper professionals. Mark your calendars for the yearly meeting of media minds, designed to offer industry ideas and opportunities for increasing revenue and collaborating. The event Sept. 25-26 will bring together the state's newspaper publishers, executives and advertising and circulation staffs at the JW Marriott in downtown Indianapolis. Register by Aug. 21 for early-bird rates. Registration is available online by clicking the Annual Meeting link at www.HSPA foundation.org/events or via brochures newspapers received by mail. The conference includes a fundraising golf outing Sept. 25 followed by the Governor's Recep tion that evening. Gov. Mike Pence Calling all publishers, executives, advertising & circulation professionals HSPA & FOUNDATION ANNUAL CONFERENCE Ken Paulson, president of the First Amendment Center and USA Today pioneer, will speak at the HSPA & Foundation Annual Conference.

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