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Newsmakers

New hires, promotions and other staff changes at Texas newspapers as reported in the March edition of the Texas Press Messenger

JOHN R. MOSES, Corpus Christi Caller-Times

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Obituaries published in the March 2023 edition the Texas Press Messenger.

Teresa Lavonne Hair Phillips

Final weekend for 2022 TxBNC entry period

The 2022 Texas Better Newspaper Contest entry platform closes at 10 p.m. Monday, Feb. 20.
Contest information, including rules regarding eligibility and contest entry formats, is available for download on the TPA contest page. 
Contestants may register on the new ACES website, click here. The TPA contest code - TXPRESS - is included in the instructions right below the login buttons on the contest landing page.

Submit award nominations by March 1

March 1 is the deadline to submit nominations for Texas Press Association awards to be presented at the 2023 Convention and Trade Show June 1-3 at the Kalahari Resort in Round Rock.

The honors include:

• Fred Hartman Award for Outstanding Sports Writing

This year, the award honoring the late Fred Hartman of Hartman Newspapers will be presented to a sports writer working at a Texas newspaper of less than 10,000 circulation. The award includes a cash prize.

Registration opens for TPA Convention & Trade Show

Registration is open for the Texas Press Association Convention & Trade Show set June 1-3 at the unique Kalahari Resort in Round Rock. The African-themed resort features multiple restaurants and one of the largest indoor water parks and gaming areas in America.

The TPA event includes awards banquets, a trade show, silent auction, general session learning opportunities, hospitality receptions, and a live band.

Free training resources for TPA newspapers

Texas Press Association members have easy access to free educational resources via online and in-person training sessions.

Classes cover reporting and editorial topics, advice from experts, best practices for sales and tips for increasing readership and circulation. Many resources are available on demand.

Here’s an overview of the opportunities available to TPA members in 2023.

Earn Your Press Pass

Newsmakers

New hires, promotions and other recent changes at Texas newspapers published in the February 2023 edition of the Texas Press Messenger.

CLAIRE WILLIAMS

SEAN McCRORY

Denton Record-Chronicle

DENTON – Claire Williams, formerly digital editor, has been promoted to director of content for the Denton Record-Chronicle, succeeding executive editor Sean McCrory, who has become editor in chief of the Orlando Business Journal in Florida.

FOI Guest Column: Texas Public Information Act’s 50th anniversary an excellent time to strengthen the landmark law

Fifty years ago, responding to public demand in an era of reform, Texas enacted a sweeping law ensuring the people’s right to know about their government.
The Texas Public Information Act – originally known as the Open Records Act when it passed in 1973 – was one of the strongest transparency laws in the nation. It allowed Texans to hold their state and local governments accountable by obtaining all sorts of public records. 

By Kelley Shannon, Executive Director, Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas

How to make government accountable

Our Founding Fathers understood that nothing was more important to successful self-government than a robust free press.

Analysis by Donnis Baggett, Texas Press Association

Transparency and accountability weren’t political buzzwords back then, but those who crafted the framework of our republic made it clear that an unfettered press was the best watchdog for holding government accountable to its citizens.

Texas Better Newspaper Contest opens for entries Jan. 23

The Texas Better Newspaper Contest opening for entries Jan. 23 will be held on the ACES platform for the first time.

The contest entry period is Jan. 23 through Feb. 20. Material entered in the contest must have been published between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2022.

Contest information, including rules regarding eligibility and contest entry formats, is available for download on the TPA Contest page, www.texaspress.com/better-newspaper-contest-0.

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