The Indiana Publisher

Page 2 November 2017 HSPA staff Steve Key, executive director and general counsel skey@hspa.com • (317) 624-4427 Pamela Lego, MAP advertising director plego@hspa.com • (812) 350-7711 Yvonne Yeadon, office manager yyeadon@hspa.com • (317) 624-4433 Shawn Goldsby, statewide advertising manager sgoldsby@hspa.com • (317) 803-4772 Ruth Witmer, communications specialist news@hspa.com • (317) 624-4430 The Indiana Publisher is published monthly by Hoosier State Press Association, 41 E. Washington St., Suite 301, Indianapolis, IN, 46204, (317) 803-4772. ISSN 0019-6711 USPS 058-730. Periodicals-class postage paid at Indianapolis, Ind., and at additional mailing office. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Indiana Publisher, 41 E. Washington St., Suite 301, Indianapolis, IN, 46204, (317) 803-4772, Fax (317) 624-4428 Website: www.hspa.com Subscriptions $25 per year. Ad rates furnished upon request. HSPA Foundation Board of Directors HSPA Foundation Officers HSPA Foundation Board of Directors HSPA Board of Directors HSPA Officers President: Chuck Wells, AIM Media Indiana Vice President/Secretary: Patrick Lanman, Vevay Media Group HSPA Board Members Chris White, The Times Media Co. Pete Van Baalen, Fort Wayne Newspapers Beverly Joyce, CNHI Bill Connelly, LaGrange Publishing co. Cory Bollinger, Schurz Communications, Inc. Curt Kovener, The Crothersville TImes President: Michael J. Christman, Fort Wayne Newspapers Vice President: William "B.J." Riley, Horizon Publications Nancy Grossman, Leader Publishing Mark Miller, The News-Banner (Bluffton) John Rumbach, The Herald (Jasper) Bill Hackney, The News Dispatch (Michigan CIty) and The LaPorte County Herald-Argus Greg Perrotto, Kankakee Valley Post News HSPA Calendar Nov. 15 Nov. 22 Dec. 2 Early Bird discount deadline for annual Newsroom Seminar Final deadline for registration Annual Newsroom Seminar & Awards Luncheon at the Indianapolis Marriott North Indiana sports reporting icon Donald O. Jellison Jr., 80, passed away on Sunday, Oct. 29, 2017 at Harbour Manor Care Center in No- blesville. He was born on Feb. 25, 1937 to Donald O. and Ruth (Deal) Jellison in Marion, Ind. Jellison served as editor of the Hamilton County Report- er newspaper, was a sports writer and editor for the No- blesville Ledger and sports writer for the Times newspa- per. During that time, he re- ceived the Indiana District III Basketball Coaches Award for his outstanding contribu- tions to Indiana high school basketball and re- ceived the IHSAA Distinguished Media Service award for District III. He was named to the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame, Indi- ana Basketball Hall of Fame and the Hamilton County Basketball Hall of Fame. He was select- ed as the 2016 Noblesville Alumnus of the Year. Jellison served as state commissioner for Babe Ruth Baseball for 25 years and coached in the Noblesville Babe Ruth program and No- blesville Youth Baseball. He was a member of Fish- ers United Methodist Church. He had attended both Butler University and Earlham College. "I was recently asked, as the pub- lisher of the Report- er, how do you de- scribe Don in an article?" wrote Jelli- son's son Jeff in the Reporter. "Don was bigger than any newspaper. Don was a walking hard drive of sports history in Hamilton County, and from a news standpoint he challenged his community to be the best," Jellison wrote. He is survived by his wife, Mattijane Jellison; son, Jeff Jellison; step-children, Mar- tha King, Jonathan King and Marcie Judge; and seven grandchildren, Shelby Jelli- son, Zack Jellison, Drake Jel- lison, Vaughan Epperson, Matthew Epperson, Joshua Judge, and Cameron Judge. He was preceded in death by his parents, his son, David and sister, Jean Frye. Letters to the editor and re- membrances from Reporter staff members chronicle Jelli- son's influence and legacy. "For more than half a cen- tury Don covered sports in our county like the proverbi- al blanket. If you wanted lo- cal sports, you read Jelly's sports," wrote Fred Swift. The Reporter's Sports Edi- tor Ritchie Hall wrote: "I'll miss working and being friends with Don, but I think as long as I just remember that thought – 'How would Don handle this?' – he will never be far away." Indiana Baseball and Basketball Hall of Fame sports writer, Hamilton County Reporter editor dies at 80 For registration and other event information, visit hspa.com. Follow us on Twitter at @OurRight2Know. Staff Report The Reporter (Hamilton County) News in brief Melody Brunson, veteran editor of the Washington Times Herald, has been appointed publisher of the newspaper, effective immediately. Brunson will retain her editor title as well, said Robyn McCloskey, group publisher for the Times Her- ald's parent company, Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. "As a lifetime resident of Daviess County, Melody has the market knowl- edge and experience to serve in both roles and move the Times Herald for- ward," said McCloskey. "Her sense of community and understanding of con- tent that readers want and need make her a good fit for the dual role." — Washington Times Herald Tina West, a 40-year veteran of the Indiana news industry, was named pub- lisher of the Wabash Plain Dealer by Paxton Media Group on Thursday. "I am pleased to announce the appointment of Tina West to pub- lisher of the Wabash Plain Dealer," said David Holgate, group president of Paxton Media Group in Indiana and Michigan. "Tina brings a wealth of knowledge to this position and will be an asset to the paper and community." Readers may know West as publish- er of the Peru Tribune and Huntington Herald Press. "My plan is to get out and meet businesses and see how we can work together as a newspaper and as busi- nesses," West said. "I'm excited to work with this community." — Wabash Plain Dealer The Evansville Courier & Press has named a new executive editor – George Spohr. Spohr was previously the execu- tive editor of the Journal & Courier in Lafayette, Indiana. He currently over- sees operations for six newsrooms in the USA TODAY Network's Indiana Group: Evansville; Lafayette; Muncie; Richmond; Henderson, Ky.; and Morganfield, Ky. Spohr will continue his statewide role, operating from Evansville, which is largest of those six newsrooms. "We're thrilled to have George moving to Evansville,' said Jeff Taylor, Midwest Regional Editor for the USA TODAY Network and edi- tor and vice president/news at The Indianapolis Star. — Evansville Courier & Press Long-time reporter Frank Phillips assumed the role as the paper's edi- tor, as former editor Pete Wilson resigned from his position to take a new job. Phillips has served as a full-time journalist in newspapers and radio since 1994 and served The Brazil Times from 2001-2007 and returned three years ago. "We have lived in Brazil for 16 years and have come to call Clay County our home," Phillips said. "I have loved every minute of being back at The Brazil Times and I am excited about the possibilities and new chal- lenges of returning to the editor's chair. Carey Fox continues his long tenure as The Brazil Times sports editor and Ivy Jacobs will continue as a Times reporter, and the paper is looking to fill a reporter position. — Brazil Times Editor Elliot Tompkin is retiring from the Madison Courier "Elliot has been a steady hand for his 20 years at The Courier," said Curt Jacobs, who followed his mother, Jane, as publisher when she died in 2014. "Following Graham Taylor as editor was not the easiest task with Graham's long tenure and local ties. Success in that transition is not a given. Elliot stepped right in and became part of this commu- nity and this newspaper." "The one thing I've required over the years … is to work for people who don't compromise on ethics," Tompkin said. "I think one of the attractive things about this place – Jane and now Curt are unwaver- ing in doing it right." He will leave a career that encompassed 24 years of working for corporate ownership and 20 years of working for a locally owned and operated newspaper. "This is a terrific town. We have so much to be proud of, and I just hope people realize that. My wish for Madison is that it continues to prosper," Tompkin said. Jefferson County native and long- time journalist Margaret Hillery will serve as interim editor — Madison Courier A Plainfield High School media adviser says she may face possible disciplinary action after her students published a magazine on dating and relationships. English teacher Michelle Burress, Plainfield Community Schools' 2017 Teacher of the Year, landed in the school board's cross hairs after the first issue of "The Shakedown" was distrib- uted to students last week. The magazine headlined "Plainfield High School's Dating Survival Guide Declassified" was created entirely by students in Burress' publications class. Polls about the prevalence of sex- ting, lists of cheap date ideas and cheesy pick-up lines appeared next to more serious pieces like a Q&A with a police officer on dating violence and interviews with teachers who met their spouses in high school. "Parents need to be aware that Plainfield High School has published and distributed to students a magazine telling our children that casual sex and even group (sex) is OK," Bret Allen wrote on Facebook. Allen, the daughter of the Plainfield Schools board president Michael Allen, pointed at one article penned by a ninth-grade boy who described a sleep- over with his girlfriend. Ryan Gunterman, executive direc- tor of the Indiana High School Press Association, said nothing in the 24-page magazine promotes or glamorizes sex. "This is well done, non-sensation- alist material here," Gunterman said. "We don't know what the big deal is, honestly." Kayla Mays, a junior and co-editor of the issue said students are worried about the school's administration try- ing to censor its young journalists, but another publication team is already working on the next issue. — Indianapolis Star Frank Phillips named Brazil Times editor Melody Brunson new Washington Times Herald publisher Tina West named publisher of Wabash Plain Dealer Don Jellison Courier & Press hires George Spohr as executive editor Elliot Tompkin retiring from Madison Courier Plainfield High School Teacher of the Year faces criticism for students' publication

• Cover