Members present (12): Tom Martin (president), Pam Lannom (past president), Jim Slonoff (treasurer), Greg Rivara, Roger Ruthhart, Owen Phelps, Lois Self (executive secretary), Jim Killam (communications coordinator), Lonny Cain, Rich Rostron, Jay Dickerson, Pete Nenni.
Members absent (8): Jan Larsen, Joe Corrado (1st VP), Rick Nagel, Jeannine Otto, Wally Haas, Randy Swikle, Colin O'Donnell (2nd VP), John Etheredge.
Martin called the meeting to order at 10 a.m.
Minutes of the Jan. 23 board meeting were approved (Cain motion / Phelps second)
Treasurer's report:
Slonoff reported a Feb. 29 checking account balance of $3,219.57 and
a savings account balance of $5.94. Recent expenses include $1,656.85 to
NIU for Fall Conference expenses, $75 to the Newman Catholic Student Center
at NIU for parking and $52.25 for mailing the high-school scholarship applications.
With an estimated $2,415 in dues coming in during March, he estimated the
end-of-March balance to be $5,3123.59.
Treasurer's report approved (Lannom motion / Rostron second)
Executive secretary's report:
Self said NIU's journalism banquet is April 23. The Department of Communication
will award about $12,000 in scholarships.
Staffing again is a critical issue, with potential teaching needs for fall.
Northern Television Center has spent a significant amount of money and the
operation is almost completely digital now. And, effective next fall, all
photojournalism classes will be digital as well.
President's report:
Martin said NINA will ask a little more of board members this year in terms
of recruiting new member newspapers.
With the Resource Committee having been expanded, Martin asked that Killam
be appointed as committee chair. The board approved (Rivara motion, Self
second).
Program Committee report:
Cain (for Corrado) said the Spring Conference is set to go, from 9:15
a.m. to noon Friday, April 16, at Oak Trust Credit Union in Oakbrook Terrace.
Mike Berens, investigative reporter for the Chicago Tribune, will lead a
workshop on computer-assisted reporting.
Fall Conference: Friday, Oct. 22. The theme will be narrative writing. Potential
speakers include Tamara O'Shaughnessy from the Times of Northwest Indiana,
and Tom Hallman of the Oregonian.
Nenni raised the possibility of videotaping sessions like these and using
them as a resource later. Martin asked Self to check on this, and also to
see if someone could be available to tape the Spring Conference April 16.
Education committee report:
No report (O'Donnell absent). Rivara said Colin is working on setting up
a grammar workshop for June.
Also, Killam said Etheredge asked him to alert board members that judging
for the high-school scholarship competition will take place at 9 a.m. Friday,
April 9, at the Beacon News in Aurora.
Membership committee report:
Lannom distributed "buddy" assignments. Each board member is assigned
two newspapers, and has these responsibilities:
Buddy assignments are:
Lonny Cain - Daily Journal, Kankakee; Metamora Herald, Streator Times-Press
Joe Corrado - Morris Daily Herald, Plano Record, Ashton Gazette
Jay Dickerson - Forreston Journal, Mount Morris Times, Rochelle News Leader
John Etheridge - Daily Chronicle, DeKalb; Elburn Herald, Creston Observer
Wally Haas - Tri-County Press, Oregon; Freeport Journal Standard
Jim Killam - Northwest Herald; Beloit Daily News
Pam Lannom - Pioneer Press, Palos Regional News, Bloomington Pantagraph
Tom Martin - Bureau County Republican, Kendall County Record, Mendota Reporter
Rick Nagel - Elgin Courier News; Waukegan News Sun; The Midweek, DeKalb
Pete Nenni - Lakeland publications, The Bulletin/Kenosha News
Colin O'Donnell - Evanston Roundtable, Clinton Daily Journal
Jeannine Otto - Roanoke Review, Woodford County Journal, Amboy News
Owen Phelps - Belvedere Republican, Boone County Ink, Oregon Republican
Reporter,
Catholic Explorer
Greg Rivara - Sandwich Record, Minonk News-Dispatch
Rich Rostron - Genoa-Kingston-Kirkland News, Hampshire Register News,
Oswego Ledger-Sentinel
Roger Ruthart - LaSalle News Tribune; Oregon Ogle County Life, Moline Dispatch
Jim Slonoff - Star Newspapers, The Daily Southtown, Liberty Suburban Chicago
Communication coordinator's report:
Killam said the spring newsletter is out, with the summer one planned in
June.
Resource committee report:
Killam said the newly expanded committee met this morning for the first
time. Ideas included:
- A speakers bureau. Board members and others from member newspapers would
name a specialty or two they are willing to talk about at other newspapers,
in order to promote a culture of training.
- Certifying high-school newspapers, by developing a set of criteria and
having schools submit an application.
- Potentially developing a general-excellence contest for high-school newspapers,
which might be held in the spring to coincide with the scholarship competition.
Old business:
There are two vacant board seats. Several names were suggested. Board members
will contact these people and then contact Martin.
New business: None.
Shop talk:
Cain: The Daily Times' Progress edition is finished.
Rivara: Has been doing a weekly radio show to promote the paper. Noon to
1 p.m. Wednesdays on AM 1280, WBIG.
Martin: Taking a cue from Kevin Wendt's design workshop, Tom posted several
newspapers' front pages (including his own) in the newsroom, then asked
his staff to come up with five words that describe the papers' personalities.
Then, he asked for five words staffers wanted their newspaper to be.
Nenni: The Daily Herald is responding to a survey of Buffalo Grove subscribers
and former subscribers with a series of changes in that zoned edition.
They now are using the same idea to survey other areas.
Killam: Several Northern Star students are looking for full-time jobs or
summer internships. Also, Jim's book about the Rockford Rescue Mission,
"Rescuing the Raggedy Man," is due out in late April.
Slonoff: The Doings held a reception for its nine community columnists,
and got great response. Also, the paper is doing a volunteers-of-the-year
promotion, with a reception planned for the winners.
Next board meeting: Friday, Aug. 6, 2004, at the Northern Star office, Campus Life Building, NIU.
Meeting adjourned at 11:35 a.m.
Minutes submitted by Jim Killam,
communications coordinator, 4-12-04.