CNPA Bulletin

Your grubbiest executive was tied to the production desk last week and took leave of this Bulletin’s inevitable deadline. Not since this long-standing Bulletin converted from snail-mail to …

This is a time of unparalleled discord. We are rightly horrified by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. We are legitimately frustrated by a pandemic that has threatened lives and livelihoods in unprecedented magnitude.

Thank you to the 33 CNPA Members and friends who joined our "2020 Vision" webinar on Friday morning, May 29. During the hour, new President and CEO Chuck Champion explained his plans for broadening the reach and impact of the organization ...

“CNPA proudly signed on to a letter, along with 115 other news media organizations, that was submitted this morning to the Minnesota officials this morning by the Reporters Committee for Freedom …

Fresno Flyer has applied to be a CNPA Active member. Kalian Tharp is publisher of the monthly tabloid and digital news site, founded in 2016. From its website: “Fresno and the Central Valley …

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, CNPA Services Inc. staff are working remotely. Staff will aim to avoid undue interruption in our operations and interactions with members and clients. We will continue …

CNPA is interested in stories about the impact of AB 5, both good and bad, on California businesses, independent workers and their families. It has created a new website …

Publisher Rollie Atkinson, who has consistently and diligently chronicled his company’s strategies and pivots, describes Sonoma West Times & News’ latest move, from print for the time …

Pivoting from the unforeseen cancellation of its annual Las Vegas Audience Development Summit in June, Great Western Audience Alliance is pleased to announce the launch of its Virtual Conference …

“Leading this newsroom has been the honor of my life.”  –Audrey Cooper, San Francisco Chronicle editor in chief since 2015, on her pending departure. …

Elizabeth Marie Himchak in April became editor of Union-Tribune Community Press’ Rancho Bernardo News Journaland Poway News Chieftain. She had been a staff reporter since 2006 and succeeded …

Unanimous Board choice brings extensive newspaper experience, business turnaround skill to industry leadership post Chuck Champion Sacramento, CA, May 28, 2020 – Charles F. “Chuck” Champion has been …

Join new CNPA CEO Chuck Champion and members of his staff discussing:  • A new vision for the association  • The status of COVID-19 legislation The vision includes expanded member categories, new …

Franklin Iovino On Thursday, CNPA featured two pre-eminent former journalists/editors and now professors who reviewed innovative business and content models for post-COVID-19 news consumers. Tim …

Franklin Iovino Join CNPA Members at 3 p.m. this Thursday, May 21 for a webinar featuring two pre-eminent former journalists/editors and now professors. Jim Iovino and Tim Franklin will reveal …

Dan Laidman CNPA is seeking nominees for its 2020 Freedom of Information Award. Nominees from CNPA-member companies should possess a continuing commitment to the public’s right to know and …

Ashley Bryant becomes assistant controller at CNPA Services Inc. this week. She had been administrative assistant and with the organization since April 2015.…

The staff will be offline for Memorial Day on Monday, May 25. We will be back to it first thing Tuesday morning. …

More than 70 students representing 11 Contra Costa County high school journalism programs won honors in the 2020 Lesher Awards competition. The competition is open to Contra Costa high schools as …

Aly Brown is now editor of The Independent in Livermore, Publisher Joan Seppala announced. Brown formerly was a reporter, copy editor and editor at the Brentwood Press. “We are all in full …

Silvestri Veteran publisher Tom Silvestri will direct the Relevance Project, America’s Newspapers reported.  The project was formed by members of Newspaper Association Managers Inc., to …

Herburger Publications Inc.’s Elk Grove Citizen will print its final Wednesday edition on May 27, The Citizen reports. The Sacramento County publication serves a community of 174,000 and will …

George Hostetter, a former reporter at The Fresno Bee who covered his beats with a detective’s precision and shoe-leather diligence, died May 7, 2020, at home in Fresno, GVWire reports. He was …

Beth Ashley, the former Marin Independent Journal columnist, died May 4, 2020, in Corte Madera of natural causes, The I-J reports. She was 93. “Ms. Ashley’s weekly column was like a …

Special thanks to the 40 CNPA Members and friends who attended our webinar Thursday on data collected in the Pulse Research COVID-19 Impact Shopping Survey.  The nationwide survey asked …

The South Pasadenan News has applied to be a CNPA Digital News Media member. Steven Lawrence is publisher of the news site, founded in 2017. The company bills its site as a “News & …

Outlook Newspapers has acquired the Glendale News-Press, Burbank Leader and La Cañada Valley Sun, the Times Community News publications that had ended production in April. Terms were not disclosed. …

Among the winners in the 2020 Pulitzer Prizes are staffers from the Los Angeles Times and Associated Press. Finalists include staffers from The Times, AP and Kaiser Health News.…

Papert You are invited to join us at 3 p.m. this Thursday, May 7 for a presentation by Sammy Papert on data collected in the Pulse Research COVID-19 Impact Shopping Survey.  The nationwide …

In this morning’s “Small Business COVID-19 Revenue Opportunities” webinar, our two panelists discussed access to capital and strategies to ensure a good chance at funding following the federal …

Bay Area Reporter has applied to be a CNPA Active Weekly member. Michael Yamashita is publisher of the San Francisco-based newspaper, founded in 1971. Bay Area Reporter’s website bills it as …

Mark Daniel is now general manager at Santa Maria California News Media Inc.’s Hanford Sentinel. Parker Bowman becomes managing editor. … Rob Vardon becomes editor at La Jolla Light.…

Last week, in its first-ever Zoom board meeting, the CNPA Board of Directors announced its officer changes and covered a packed agenda. The board announced that Chuck Champion had resigned as CNPA …

Simon Birch, director of Membership and Contests at CNPA Services Inc., will retire on May 1. Birch joined the staff in June 2016 after a news career that included online manager at the Lodi …

Amid losses in advertising revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic and local stay-at-home orders, Times Community News’ Glendale News-Press, Burbank Leader and La Cañada Valley Sun are ending production …

Prior to the stay-at-home orders, New SV Media had prepared to combine its Greenfield News, Soledad Bee and Gonzales Tribune weeklies. The Salinas Valley Tribune launched April 1. Jeanie Johnson is …

Tom Missett, a former publisher of newspapers that became the old North County Times in San Diego County, died April 8, 2020, at home in Vista, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported. He was 79. …

“Newspapers at a Turning Point,” last Thursday’s CNPA-Member webinar, drew 48 registrants. Subtitled “Coping with Two Realities: Pandemic and Economic,” the roundtable …

Please join CNPA at 3 p.m. this Thursday for “Newspapers at a Turning Point. Coping with Two Realities: Pandemic and Economic.” This free webinar will feature insights on how publishers and editors …

To be honest, it never occurred to me I would be president of CNPA, and without a journalism pedigree, writing a column seems … weird. But my entire 21 years in the newspaper business has been …

Our View: Traveling this path together “We are both neighbors and co-workers. Let’s do this together.” — Editorial Board, Santa Maria Times Publisher’s letter: Celebrations in the midst of …

President and Publisher Gary Wortel is one of four top McClatchy executives to depart the Sacramento-based company in a move to reduce expenses and support its journalism, The Sacramento Bee …

By Jim Pumarlo The coronavirus pandemic is dominating headlines, generating stories on issues touching nearly every aspect of lives. Reports addressing the health and safety of citizens are obviously …

Q: Under most of the county Shelter In Place Orders, members of the media were specifically stated as essential businesses. Are news organizations considered Essential Critical Infrastructure Sectors …

Great Western Audience Alliance The Friday, April 3 “COVID-19 Business Continuity Planning Roundtable: Part Four” offered insights about the impacts of COVID-19 on audience, distribution operations, …

News cycle and business health John Watkins, The Daily Independent, Ridgecrest, wrote: “Personal health has been at the forefront, but now comes the continued worry about ‘business health.’” …

The Appeal-Democrat in Marysville will go to a Tuesday-through-Saturday frequency beginning next week, the executive team told readers. “We’re taking this posture because we absolutely intend on …

The top Public Service journalism awards in the annual George F. Gruner Prizes went to The Bakersfield Californian, Merced Sun-Star and The Business Journal, Fresno. The Fresno Bee has the complete …

Among those featured in Editor & Publisher’s annual recognition roll are Sarah Morse Cooney, VP-Marketing, San Francisco Chronicle; and Matt Johnson, assistant editor, Mariposa Gazette. …

Joe Baltake, a former critic at The Sacramento Bee who wrote more than 10,000 movie reviews during his career, died March 26, 2020, at home in Haddonfield, N.J., after a long battle with multiple …