SAN ANTONIO – The Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas is hosting an Open Government Seminar in San Antonio on Tuesday, June 7, featuring training in state open meeting and public records laws. The event is free and open to the public.
The non-profit FOI Foundation works in cooperation with the Texas Attorney General’s Office in presenting the half-day seminar. It is designed for government employees, journalists, attorneys, citizen activists and anyone interested in the Texas Public Information Act and Texas Open Meetings Act.

You know, I’ve been fortunate enough to be a member of the Texas Press Association for a long time now. A really looooong time.
And I think I have earned the distinction of being the longest serving TPA board member in the history of the TPA.
In all this time I have observed a few things I’d like to share with those of you who are just beginning your trek through the TPA jungle.

What you need to know before taking flight
A cheaper, safer and more innovative way of reporting from the Texas skies has become available after a federal court struck down a state law that threatened civil and criminal penalties for using drones for newsgathering.

By Michael J. Lambert,
Media/First Amendment Attorney, Haynes and Boone, LLP in Austin

Alesia Woolridge made history in 2014 when she became the first African American managing editor of The Eagle Lake Headlight, a newspaper started in the 1890s. 
Eagle Lake is located in Colorado County, about an hour west of Houston. 
She served as managing editor there until February 2016, when she accepted the position of managing editor for The Colorado County Citizen newspaper in Columbus. 
Shattering another ceiling for African Americans with this move, she was the first African American managing editor there as well. 

By RUSSELL VIERS, 
Digiveristy.tv
Between Takes: Thoughts from the Set of Digiveristy.tv is a new column.
If the list of new features for newspapers in the recent Creative Cloud release from Adobe left you underwhelmed, you’re not alone. However, one of InDesign’s new features, Share for Review, can be especially useful for newspapers in ad proofing and workflow.

The International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors (ISWNE) is accepting entries for its annual Golden Quill editorial writing contest. Deadline is Feb. 1.
Entries should reflect the purpose of the ISWNE: Encouraging the writing of editorials or staff-written opinion pieces that identify local issues that are or should be of concern to the community, offer an opinion, and support a course of action.

Texas Press Association has partnered with Column to modernize TPA's Statewide Legal Notice website (texaslegalnotices.com) and strengthen legislative efforts to keep newspapers as the primary publishers of legal notices in Texas.
Column has helped 13 other state press associations improve access to notices by making critical improvements to accessibility, as well as adding improved search and alert functionality for the public.

By Jim Pumarlo, consultant

InDesign’s New Share for Review Can Speed Up Your Proofing Processes

By RUSSELL VIERS, Digiveristy.tv

Local Journalists Initiative
The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) Local Journalists Initiative, www.cfr.org/localjournalists, is dedicated to helping print, broadcast, and digital native journalists working for regional publications and media outlets draw connections between the local issues they cover and national and international dynamics.