Parker elected to Suburban Newspapers of America board
Jennifer Parker, editor and publisher of CrossRoadsNews in DeKalb County, has been elected to the board of directors of Suburban Newspapers of America.

The 15-member board manages the affairs of the community newspaper trade association. SNA represents more than 2,000 free and paid daily and weekly newspapers in the U.S. and Canada. The newspapers have more than 22 million in circulation.

CrossRoadsNews, an associate member of GPA, is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year and publishes 26,000 copies each week for a readership of 102,800.
-- CrossRoadsNews


Telephone rings up another national honor for NIE program
For the fourth consecutive year, the Sylvania Telephone has earned a first-place award from National Newspaper Association for its Newspapers in Education sponsorship program.

The award -- for nondaily publications -- was presented to the Telephone at NNA's annual convention last month.

"This community never ceases to impress me," said Enoch Autry, publisher-editor of the Telephone, in a story in the newspaper. "Winning anything is great, but winning four straight years is phenomenal. These awards are a credit to you as businesses, organizations and private individuals. Thank each of you for understanding the importance of education."

The Telephone now has eight NIE honors in the last four years. Six have come from NNA, while another was from Newspaper Association of America. The eighth was a first-place honor from GPA last year for advertising excellence in newspaper promotion for "National Newspapers In Education Week."

The most recent NIE award from the NNA was based on the 2009-2010 school year, during which the Telephone was able to provide 730 newspapers to students throughout Screven County. Each one of those newspapers was paid for through sponsorships.
To send a newspaper to a student, it costs less than half of an annual in-county subscription of $11.

Thanks to its NIE sponsors, the Telephone provides newspapers to the local elementary, middle and high schools, Community Christian School, Ogeechee Technical College and AMIKids Savannah River.

"The Telephone staff appreciates all the support this program receives locally, and I can assure you that the students appreciate your generosity too," said Autry in the story.
-- Sylvania Telephone


Gainesville Times website chosen best in South
For the second time in three years, the website of The Times of Gainesville has been named the South's best among newspapers its size in Southern Newspaper Publishers Association's annual Better Newspaper Contest.

SNPA chose gainesvilletimes.com as the Best Web Site Design for papers in the under-50,000 circulation category.

Publisher Dennis Stockton said he was proud of the newspaper's website and the quality news coverage it provides.

"We think gainesvilletimes.com provides a great option for those who prefer to get information online instead of, or in addition to, our traditional print newspaper," Stockton said.

"The quality of the content on our website is indicative of the effort we make to serve as the primary source of credible news and information for the communities we serve," he said. "To be acknowledged by our peers in the industry as one of the nation's best is certainly an honor, and a tribute to the hard work of an exceptional team of employees. But the true measure of our online success can be found in the nearly 2 million page views our site receives every month."

The Times relaunched gainesvilletimes.com in October 2007 as an interactive site with video and other multimedia along with regular news updates 24 hours a day. The site also won the SNPA's top website award in 2008. The site finished second in 2009.

Reporters and editors from all newsroom departments have produced hundreds of videos and audio clips since the relaunch in 2007.

"This award is a testament to the people in our newsroom who are fully committed to producing a vibrant, interactive and up-to-date website," said Executive Editor Mitch Clarke. "This talented group of journalists believes in our mission to be the best, most respected news organization in Northeast Georgia, and it shows in the quality of both our print and online products. I couldn't be happier for them."
-- The Times, Gainesville


Tribune & Georgian
Brad Spaulding has joined the Tribune & Georgian of St. Marys as its marketing director.

Spaulding, a veteran of the Community Newspapers Inc. family, joined the CNI-owned newspaper on Oct. 18.

He began his sales career for the company in 2006 in Athens and has also worked for the Fernandina Beach (Fla.) News-Leader.

"I am excited to have Brad assuming the leadership role in the advertising department at the Tribune & Georgian," said Foy Maloy, regional publisher of the paper for CNI. "He brings a very successful track record in newspaper advertising sales to the paper, coupled with a passion for the community newspaper business."

"Brad has an impressive track record from his previous positions in CNI, and I think he will bring some great ideas to our advertising department," said Jill Helton, publisher of the Tribune & Georgian.

Spaulding said he was looking forward to his new assignment. "I enjoy the primary market because it allows me more opportunities to interact with the community and local business leaders," he said.

"I want to make sure our paper and products stand out with the variety of advertising options that are out there. Businesses are spending a lot less money and there are a lot more options out there for them. We need to make them aware of our products."
-- Tribune & Georgian, St. Marys

New Covington News site up and running
The Covington News has unveiled a new look for visitors at www.covnews.com.

The site redesign made its debut in late October and promises to give the newspaper greater flexibility for news coverage now and in the future.

The redesign makes use of larger photos and allows the paper to customize coverage depending on the day and its news events.

The News plans to roll out new features on the site in coming months, including a feature-rich crime map.
-- Tyler Smith, Covington News


Red & Black awarded a Pacemaker
The Red & Black took home five national awards in late October.

The newspaper received a newspaper Pacemaker, an online Pacemaker and three individual awards.

The Pacemaker Awards are given out by the Associated Collegiate Press, and the award is one of the highest honors a collegiate newspaper can receive. Only three other daily newspapers in the country were awarded Pacemakers this year, including the Indiana Daily Student of Indiana University, the Daily Northwestern at Northwestern University and The Daily of the University of Washington.

"It's really nice to see that all of our hard work has paid off," said Carolyn Crist, former editor-in-chief and second-place winner in the "Feature Story" category. "We had several good news series and feature ideas. And it's cool to know that these kinds of ideas and stories are recognized on the national level."

Hayley Peterson won first in the "News Story" category and Chelsea Cook was recognized for a story in the "Diversity" category.
-- The Red & Black


Appen Newspapers announces promotion, new hires
Appen Newspapers Inc. has welcomed several new faces to its group of north Atlanta newspapers while promoting another longtime employee.

"We have recently added some incredible people to our staff in three departments," said Ray Appen, publisher. "Their talent is deep, and combined, they bring a world of professional news experience to the company."

Jennifer Chapman, editor of the Johns Creek Herald, is adding the title of editor of Appen's Northside Woman publication.

New hires include:
- Aldo Nahed and Keith Still, who join the company's newsroom. Nahed is a reporter and Still is a copy editor.
- Geoffrey Thurow, who will handle page layout with the production department.
- Linda Cohen and DeShea Looft, new account executives in the advertising department.

Appen Newspapers is a media associate member of GPA and also publishes the Roswell and Alpharetta Revue & News, Milton Herald, Forsyth Herald, Real Estate Report and Answer Book.
-- Appen Newspapers


AJC increasing community focus
ATLANTA (Nov. 8, 2010) - In early November The Atlanta Journal-Constitution expanded its content with community news coverage and a new savings section as it continues to invest in the printed newspaper.

On Nov. 9, the AJC launched more comprehensive community news pages, reflecting the entire metro Atlanta area. Based upon feedback from AJC readers, they desire more news about their neighborhood and neighbors. This expanded section six days a week in the Metro section will meet those needs. Some new features include a column listing volunteer opportunities and Helping Hands, which will showcase community associations and events.

On Nov, 11, a new weekly savings section called Deal Spotter made its debut. Deal Spotter spotlights expert advice from consumer advocate Clark Howard and exclusive bargains from deal-hunting experts like Jessica Shops and Coupon Mom. The section also includes dining and travel tips, and readers can spot lots of great deals and special offers from local businesses.

"We understand that readers depend on us for tough investigative reporting, local news coverage and news and information they can't get anywhere else," said Julia Wallace, editor of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and ajc.com. "We're working hard to make the AJC a must-read for all our readers."

This week's enhancements are in addition to improvements the AJC has made throughout the year. The creation of the newspaper's largest investigative reporting team has broken several major stories such as the Atlanta Public School cheating scandal and uncovering government waste. Readers have responded strongly to enhanced investigative reporting and deeper reports that probe the real stories behind the headlines.

Partnering with its parent company, Cox Media Group, the AJC has also recently launched dealswarm.com, a strong local player in the group-buying discount segment.
-- The Atlanta Journal-Constitution