2010 INF Training Schedule
PLEASE NOTE: These dates and locations are all tentative. Watch the INA website and INA Bulletins for finalized dates and locations.

To register or to get more information for any of these seminars, click here or call:

Jana Anderson
INF Program Director
515-244-2145, ext. 159
or email: janderson@inanews.com

Current webinars:

For a list of upcoming webinars presented by the Iowa Newspaper Foundation and Online Media Campus, click here.

Des Moines Register is 2010 Newspaper of the Year

The Des Moines Register has been named the Iowa Newspaper Association’s 2010 Newspaper of the Year. The presentation of the Newspaper of the Year as well as other awards in the INF Better Newspaper Contests, culminated two full days of educational sessions, social gatherings and trade show exhibitions that made up the 2010 INA Convention and Trade Show featuring the Midwest Newspaper Summit 2, Feb. 4-5. The event was held at the downtown Des Moines Marriott.

Hundreds of newspaper staffers turned out to learn new ways to operate, increase circulation and maintain advertising revenues in the digital age. A total of 800 people registered for the convention, making INA’s the best attended of any state press association in the country for the fifth consecutive year. Eighty-nine weeklies and 34 dailies were represented.

Thursday’s Midwest Newspaper Summit 2 had approximately 300 attendees, including 45 from ten states in addition to Iowa.

INA again partnered with the Iowa College Media Association to allow interaction between college students interested in journalism careers and journalism professionals. A total of 161 ICMA students and advisers took part in the activities. Students were invited to attend all Midwest Newspaper Summit 2 and INA Convention sessions and were able to meet and mingle with publishers, advertising and editorial professionals from across the Midwest during Thursday’s lunch. Programs specifically geared towards students studying various journalism fields were offered Friday as well.

A Welcome Reception Wednesday evening at the Des Moines Register gave attendees an opportunity to meet and interact before the official program began.

Thursday’s program focused on the continued search for new business models and revenue streams for the news industry. Speakers included William Grueskin, current Dean of Academic Affairs at Columbia University and former managing editor of The Wall Street Journal Online; Randy Hill of The Modellers, a market research firm that has established itself as a premier supplier of decision-making intelligence for the nation’s media companies; Adam Penenberg, a journalism professor and assistant director of the Business and Economic Program at New York University and the author of Viral Loop: From Facebook to Twitter, How Today’s Smartest Businesses Grow Themselves; and Mike Blinder of The Blinder Group, an expert at training traditional sales people on how to embrace new concepts in selling media.

Bill Monroe, retired INA Executive Director, spoke during Thursday’s lunch. He updated the group on the activities of the Multi-State Digital Task Force, which is discussing the possibility of forming a new, for-profit company “that collects, stores, digitizes, protects and markets newspaper content.”

The mission of this corporation would be to provide news organizations with a means to digitize and archive their content for research, historical and commercial purposes. The Task Force believes that newspapers can leverage their collective power to create a substantial competitive advantage in the information marketplace.

Following the Summit sessions, the association’s three boards of directors held their annual meetings and elections and the Publisher’s Golden Idea Exchange was held.
The INF Live Auction took place during Thursday evening’s Trade Show Reception. During the reception, music by Sid V and the Human Resources had attendees singing and dancing while they socialized and perused the products, services and ideas of 25 trade show exhibitors.

Friday’s highlights included:
• Kent Stock, the real-life coach of the state-champion Norway baseball team featured in the movie The Final Season, kicked off the day’s events, motivating the audience with a glimpse into his inspirational journey to the top.
• Roundtable sessions and the display of INF Better Newspaper Contest winners allowed newspapers to share and gather winning ideas.
• Techie-favorite Kevin Slimp returned to offer tips on Photoshop and building online ads while also providing a look at the history and future of digital journalism.
• David Stoeffler shared leadership and management knowledge and inspiration with publishers and general managers.
• National sales trainer Mike Blinder talked about what it takes to win in sales during challenging economic conditions.
• Other sessions covered investigative reporting, selling online advertising, branding your newspaper products and how to maintain ethical standards while covering breaking news in an electronic world.
• Three Iowa journalists sat on a panel along with Nathan Wright, offering a look into how media organizations use social media.
• Kate Butler, Vice President-Newspaper Markets, Associated Press, provided those attending the Past President’s Awards Luncheon a glimpse into AP’s 3P Network…Protect, Point, Pay. Using microdata imbedded in news stories, AP is able to track newspaper content with the intention to eventually identify those that are reusing content without permission and require that they pay for the reuse of content.

Friday honorees
Both up-and-coming writers and seasoned newspaper professionals were honored throughout the day Friday.

During Friday evening’s Awards Banquet, 2010 Master Editor-Publisher awards were given to recipients who have worked hard, thought soundly, influenced unselfishly, and lived honorably. The winners were Ron Peterson, publisher of the Sioux City Journal; Peter Wagner, publisher of the Sheldon N’West Iowa Review; and Amy Duncan, publisher of the Indianola Record-Herald and Tribune.

Named Outstanding Young Iowa Journalists for their achievements in the newspaper industry were Eileen Mozinski, Dubuque Telegraph Herald; Sara Sleyster, Indianola Record-Herald and Tribune; and Jessica Lowe, Newton Daily News. The Young Iowa Journalist award is presented jointly by the Iowa Newspaper Foundation and the journalism schools at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and Drake University.

One couple and four individuals were inducted into the Iowa Newspaper Foundation’s Individual Heritage Club based on generous donations they have made. They were Alan Mores, Harlan Newspapers; Brian Cooper, Dubuque Telegraph Herald; Dave and Rhonda Storey, Cedar Rapids Gazette; Ken Chaney, Sigourney News Review; and the late Edward “Mike” Lyon of the Mapleton Press. The recipients join 60 other individuals or couples who are already members of this elite group. With the gifts of those recognized at the banquet, the Individual Heritage Club now represents a total of $340,000 in contributions to the Iowa Newspaper Foundation.

Also during the Awards Banquet, the inaugural Bill Monroe INA Innovation Award was presented by its namesake. The award is designed to encourage INA member newspapers to develop new and cutting-edge products and services outside the confines of established newspaper products. The Davenport Quad-City Times was the award’s inaugural winner.

Recognized as General Excellence winners in their respective circulation classes were the Muscatine Journal, Des Moines Register, Sergeant Bluff Advocate, Shenandoah Valley News and Iowa Falls Times-Citizen.

Best of Class Advertising trophies for their respective classes went to the Fort Madison Daily Democrat, Des Moines Register, Tripoli Leader, Fayette Leader and Iowa Falls Times-Citizen.

Three Distinguished Service Award winners were honored for their outstanding service to the newspaper profession and their communities at Friday’s Past Presidents’ Luncheon. Recipients of this honor included Alan Mores, co-publisher of Harlan Newspapers; Jim Normandin, publisher of the Dubuque Telegraph Herald; and Jeff Grant, editor of the Sheldon N’West Iowa Review.

Also during the luncheon, two newspaper veterans were inducted into the 50-Year Club, recognizing their fifty-plus years of service to the newspaper industry. They were Larry Bushman, Fort Dodge Messenger and Gordon Tustin, Monona Outlook.

INF Auctions raise $12k
The INF’s Live and Silent Auctions raised an outstanding $12,038.

Jim Normandin, publisher of the Dubuque Telegraph Herald, and Dave Storey, publisher of the Cedar Rapids Gazette, served as auctioneers for Thursday evening’s live auction. Items sold at the live auctions raised $7,800 for the Foundation. The biggest ticket item was a personalized comic created by legendary Iowa cartoonist Brian Duffy. Bidding was so fierce for the item that Duffy graciously offered to donate an additional cartoon. The artwork garnered $1,700 from each Jo Martin of the Iowa Falls Times-Citizen and Tom Yunt of Woodward Communications.

Receipts from the INF’s Silent Auction totaled $4,238. Several weekend getaway packages and gift baskets each brought in $50-plus for the Foundation.

The INA board elected new officers and directors during Thursday’s annual meetings. INA Board officers elected were Mary Ungs-Sogaard, Dyersville Commercial, president; Ron Peterson, Sioux City Journal, vice president; and Mark Rhoades, Missouri Valley Times-News, secretary-treasurer. Elected to the INA board were Kim Adams, Jesup Citizen-Herald, to serve an additional three-year term; John Cullen, Storm Lake Times, to serve an additional three-year term; Kevin Johnson, Des Moines Register, to serve a first three-year term; Jeff Wagner, Sheldon N’West Iowa Review, to serve a first three-year term; Jim Normandin, Dubuque Telegraph Herald, to serve a first three-year term; and Gene Hall, Charles City Press, to serve a first two-year term.

The following directors were appointed to the INA Services Co. board during its annual meeting: Mary Ungs-Sogaard, Dyersville Commercial; Don Dauterive, Iowa Farm Bureau Spokesman; Dan Brown, Iowa City Press-Citizen; Tom Stangl, Le Mars Daily Sentinel; Mark Rhoades, Missouri Valley Times-News; Tim Kurtz, Oskaloosa Herald and Ron Peterson, Sioux City Journal.

The INF board also elected new officers during its annual meeting: Brad Hicks, Hampton Chronicle, president; Janine Kock, Westside Observer, first vice president; David Braton, Waterloo Courier, second vice president; and Rich Paulsen, Creston News Advertiser, third vice president. John Goossen, Ames Tribune; Dave Storey, Cedar Rapids Gazette; and Michael Ralston, Iowa Association of Business and Industry were elected to three-year INF board terms.

Visit www.INAnews.com to review the full slate of contest winners and to view the slide show that was presented during the Awards Banquet. To order duplicate award plaques or certificates, contact Jennifer Asa at jasa@inanews.com or 515-422-9070.

Click here to see photos from the 2010 INA Convention and Trade Show

Click here to see a list of Better Newspaper Contests winners

The 2010 INA Convention and Trade Show is sponsored in part by:

Industry Sponsor-

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