Berks-Mont group sold to Journal Register
Jim Webb, publisher and owner of Berks-Mont Newspapers announced this week that the company has been acquired by Journal Register Co.

Berks Mont publishes newspapers in Boyertown, Hamburg, Kutztown, Hellertown, Birdsboro and Quakertown.

The Berks-Mont publications will join Journal Register's Greater Philadelphia Cluster.

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PNA recognizes Senator Mowery with Bill Northrop Award
State Sen. Harold Mowery Jr. of Cumberland County has been named the recipient of the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association’s Bill Northrop Award for distinguished work supporting open government.

Mowery sponsored Senate Bill 1039, which passed and was signed into law July 15. The law amended the Sunshine Act, requiring the Board of Governors for Dickinson School of Law to meet in public. Dickinson School of Law has been a part of Penn State University since 1999.

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House recognizes National Newspaper Week
Thanks to state Rep. Paul Clymer and the House of Representatives for the unanimous passage of House Resolution 878, which recognizes National Newspaper Week in Pennsylvania!

The resolution recognized the week of Oct. 3-9, saying, "the House of Representatives acknowledge the vital role played by the newspaper industry as a pillar of our democracy and congratulate the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association and its membership and affiliates upon the celebration of 'Newspapers: The People's Product' during 'National Newspaper Week' and for its role in encouraging an active citizenry and an informed public."

Deadline for 'fax consent' extended
The Federal Communications Commission has ruled to extend the Jan. 1, 2005 deadline until July 1, 2005 for businesses to obtain fax consent forms. 

Under current federal rules, you cannot send unsolicited faxes to businesses or consumers unless you have an "established business relationship" with the recipient.

The now-delayed FCC regulations would have eliminated the "established business relationship" exception and would have required a signed consent form before you could send an unsolicited fax to any number.

The National Newspaper Association and other groups have lobbied to retain the "established business relationship" exception, which would allow newspapers to continue to send faxes to recent customers. With bills pending in both houses of Congress, it is possible that a new law will protect the "established business relationship" exception by the July 1 deadline.

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Front page gallery: Next up, election returns
Following the success of PNA's online front page gallery for the recent flooding, PNA will again be collecting front pages for Nov. 10 as election results are reported. Alert your staff today to plan on sending a front page PDF to mikes@pa-news.org, after the paper goes to bed on election night, and PNA will begin posting images on Nov. 10.

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15 seconds to sling mud or a place to explain ideas, outline positions and qualifications? Political ads in newspapers make sense, period
For many reasons, newspaper advertising is an underused tool for political candidates. While television viewers get turned off by the tone and makeup of political spots -- not to mention those who use commercials for snack and soda breaks -- informed newspaper readers view advertising messages every day in a medium that lets them review the message for as long as they would like.

"A newspaper advertisement that makes good use of its space to convey a message is going to tell the public more about the candidate than 1,000 yard signs ever could or 30-seconds of sound bites aired over and over to the point of being annoying and turning people off," writes Herb Field of The Patriot-News in a recent column.

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Have you submitted your directory form?
The deadline has come and gone to return membership update forms for the 2005 Pennsylvania Newspaper Directory. For those of you who have not sent them back, we need you to do so immediately. If we do not receive your directory form we will assume that all the information is correct and it will be printed in the new 2005 Directory. 

PNA needs these forms to calculate members' dues for the next year. If this information is not provided, PNA will assess your dues increase -- up to 5 percent. If you need us to fax or mail you a copy of your directory form, contact Luann Smith at 717-703-3075 or email luanns@pa-news.org. Thanks for all your assistance!

Are you ready for a sunny getaway? Purchase your raffle tickets today!
The Foundation is offering the chance to pre-order raffle tickets and a chance to pre-bid on action items. If you can not attend the auction, this is great way to offer your support to the foundation. You will have a 1-in-20 chance to win 5 terrific prizes, including hotel accommodations to the Winter Management meeting in St. Martin. If you bid now, you can get a leg up on the other bidders and help support the efforts of the Foundation at the same time. Please click on the auction link for more details.

For more information on the PNA Foundation Auction, visit our web site.

From the Hotline:  What disclaimers must appear in political ads?
PNA Media Law Counsel Teri Henning explains the requirements that apply in different circumstances.

Want to become a better reporter or editor? Work on it during your commute or in the shower
Yes, there have been times where we thought writing coach Jim Stasiowski was giving out strange-sounding advice. But when we heard he was saying about getting better at writing during a shower or a drive to work, we realized he may be onto something.

Check out this classic column, pulled from the Staz archive and posted online this week.

Worse than 'Groaners?' Ban it for life
Last week, Headlines & Deadlines linked to the "worst groaners," a collection of tired language that makes its way into broadcast news, and eventually, newspapers. This week we offer "Banned for Life," a web site where journalists and others nominate words and phrases to be banned for life.

Have you heard too many things called "The Perfect Storm?" Too many features about somebody who "turned his life around?" Perhaps "fast forward" was a novel transition at one point, but it's also been nominated.

For sports writers who think they just hit a seeing eye grounder through the infield, check out the Sports Cliches collection. Sure, you hear most of these from announcers through the game, but they just keep working their way into newspapers, don't they?

Enter the 2005 Print Quality Contest, brought to you by PNA and America East
Have you registered for the 2005 Print Quality Contest? The entry forms and rules for the contest have been mailed and are available here on the America East Web site.

Last year's Best in Show was The Scranton Times. Could your newspaper be this year's best? 

All entrants receive a detailed evaluation to promote print quality improvement. 

The contest is sponsored by Flint Ink and US Ink.

Questions on the contest? Please contact Elissa Doyle at (717) 703-3069 or elissad@pa-news.org. 

Suspicious powder sent to newspapers
The FBI is investigating envelopes containing suspicious powder that were sent to several newspapers in the last several days. 

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Supreme Court will not hear telemarketers' appeal
The Supreme Court turned away a challenge Oct. 4 to the federal do-not-call registry, ending telemarketers' bid to invoke free-speech arguments to get the popular ban on unwanted phone solicitations thrown out. 

The court, without comment, let stand a 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision that upheld the registry of more than 64 million phone numbers as a reasonable government attempt to safeguard personal privacy and reduce telemarketing abuse. 

Under the 2003 federal law, businesses face fines of up to $11,000 if they call people who sign up for the registry — unless they have recently done business with them. Charities, pollsters and callers on behalf of politicians, however, are exempt. 

Telemarketing groups had filed the appeal, arguing in filings that the registry violated First Amendment rights because it singled businesses out while exempting other groups. They also said 2 million of their 6.5 million workers will lose their jobs within two years if the do-not-call rules stand. 

A federal judge in Denver agreed with the telemarketers, but the circuit court upheld the registry in February 2004 after concluding there was no evidence suggesting that charitable or political callers were as intrusive to consumers' privacy. 

Newspaper, other parties ask judge to unseal name of accuser in Kobe Bryant rape scandal
Denver's Rocky Mountain News and attorneys for Kobe Bryant have both asked a federal judge to lift the anonymity of the woman who accused the Los Angeles Lakers star of rape, saying her decision to file a federal lawsuit against him should require that she be treated equally with the defendant. 

"The plaintiff's desire to have it both ways -- preserving her anonymity while exposing the intimate details of her sexual encounter with Bryant and requiring him to bear alone the burden of constant public scrutiny -- suggests that" her lawsuit is more about putting pressure on the NBA star than anything else, Bryant's attorneys wrote. 

The Rocky Mountain News said in its motion that courts rarely allow parties in civil suits to remain anonymous, even cases of alleged sexual assault.