NENPA weds workshops, awards in first convention

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“Now, more than ever, we need each other and the strength of this association,” Rowland told the 30 people who attended the annual meeting.

Her goals include ramping up training programs to occur year-round, undertaking a campaign to get former association members back on board, and improving the communication among news organizations.

“As we struggle to find new business models, I’d like NENPA to become a powerhouse of information and sharing,” she said. “If there’s an idea out there, we want to know it and share it with our members.”

Rowland is no stranger to the president’s role, having served as NEPA president from January 2009 through the merger. Rowland accepted the gavel from outgoing president Bob Laska, retired publisher of the Connecticut Post of Bridgeport.

Rowland thanked Laska for his service, praising him as “a leader, a listener, and a diplomat.”

Overall, almost 450 people representing 115 companies attended the more than 45 workshops at the two-day convention, Brenda Reed, NENPA’s executive director, said. Registration was up from last year, although Reed said she heard from some members that they wanted to send even more staff, but couldn’t in this economy.

“Next year we’re going to have to get more creative, to see how we can get those folks involved,” she said.

Reed shared the good news that NENPA was ahead of budget projections seven months into its current fiscal year, with net income of about $97,000 versus a projected $73,000. She said that would allow for additional investment in member programs and services.

“The past seven months have been about setting up shop, reaching out and getting to know one another,” Reed said. “Moving forward, it’s how do we put meat on those bones? How do we build on that?”

Cheryl Kaechele, president of the National Newspaper Association and publisher of Kaechele Publications Inc., based in Allegan, Mich., urged those at the annual meeting to act on federal policy issues that threaten the industry.

“Don’t forget the national things that affect you in your hometown,” she said.

The National Newspaper Association staff is tracking issues, including the proposal for five-day mail service, the elimination of public-notice requirements in newspapers, and a financial transparency bill requiring banks to publish quarterly reports in newspapers.

“We never know what’s going to pop up,” Kaechele said, warning about a “snowball” effect when policies take root in local or state governments.

Serving with Rowland on NENPA’s executive committee for the coming year will be Oreste “Rusty” D’Arconte, publisher of The Sun Chronicle of Attleboro, Mass., vice president; Terrence Williams, publisher of The Telegraph of Nashua, N.H., secretary; and Geordie Wilson, publisher of the Concord (N.H.) Monitor, treasurer. Laska will serve as past president.

This year’s convention included 15 vendors at the Trade Show, in a room that also hosted the opening breakfast Friday morning and a Friday evening reception attended by about 65 convention-goers. The Meet the Vendors reception Friday evening was co-sponsored by the New England New Media Association.

Convention business opened with a keynote speech by Anthony Casale, chief executive officer of American Opinion Research, based in Princeton, N.J. Casale’s remarks focused on what the industry will look like in 2015 and how newspapers can prepare for that.

At the Better Newspaper Contest awards dinner Saturday evening, Feb. 6, about 420 awards were presented in 63 categories. About 380 people attended the awards banquet, down slightly from about 410 in 2009, and this year there were about 3,000 content entries, down from almost 4,000 in 2009, Reed said.

The Newspaper of the Year awards will be given out at a separate event later this year.

The following won in key categories:

Weekly Journalist of the Year: Mike Miliard, The Boston Phoenix

Daily Journalist of the Year: Seth Koenig, The Times Record, Brunswick, Maine

Weekly Rookie of the Year: Kathryn Flagg, Addison County Independent, Middlebury, Vt.

Weekly Photographer of the Year: Nicole Harnishfeger, The Inquirer & Mirror, Nantucket, Mass.

Daily Photographer of the Year: Peter Pereira, The Standard-Times, New Bedford, Mass.

Overall Newspaper Web Site, Combined Dailies: The Day of New London, Conn.

Overall Newspaper Web Site, Weeklies: Old Colony Memorial, Plymouth, Mass.

General Excellence, Daily 2 (larger dailies): Patriot Ledger, Quincy, Mass.

General Excellence, Daily 1 (smaller dailies): The Telegraph of Nashua, N.H.

General Excellence, Weekly D (largest weeklies): The Ellsworth (Maine) American

General Excellence, Weekly C: Providence (R.I.) Business News

General Excellence, Weekly B: Watertown (Mass.) Tab & Press

General Excellence, Weekly A (smallest weeklies): The Cabinet, Milford, N.H.

General Excellence, Biweekly/Monthly: Vermont Woman of South Burlington, Vt.

Bar graph above shows the New England Newspaper and Press Association's net income for the first seven months of its current fiscal year, which is almost $24,000 ahead of NENPA's budget projection for that period. Each colored bar represents a month in the quarters shown.

POSTED 2/7/10