PNA Foundation, May 15

Foundation Update: Times are tough but training is still top-quality

By Lauren Lee, Director
PNA Foundation

The Foundation has long been recognized for offering excellent professional training to people working in all areas of newspapers. Today I want to remind members that we continue to bring you top-notch, affordable, seminars led by industry experts. Amidst the backdrop of budget pressures and limited resources, we recognize the value of training as a key factor in helping members confront the challenges facing today’s newspapers.

At the beginning of the year, we made the decision to focus on two key professional development themes; multimedia technology and revenue generation. One of the first steps we took in enhancing our multimedia training was to hire digital journalism expert Robb Montgomery. A former reporter and graphic designer from Chicago, Robb is helping assisting the Foundation in identifying training topics and instructors as well as developing step-by-step tutorials for the Web site. On June 17, Robb will lead a one-day workshop at PNA called Everyday Multimedia Journalism. The class is open to editorial staff at the beginner, intermediate and advanced level. Robb encourages participants to bring their own equipment to gain practical skills they can truly take back to their newsroom. For more information: [CLICK HERE]

As the topic of the hour, we could probably offer a revenue generation seminar every day and it would be well-received. This year’s PNA On the Road series, Carving a Niche for Your Small Market Newspaper, is devoted entirely to helping ad reps grow their customer base through both print and online sales. The next PNA On the Road will be held in York on June 12. Divided into four sessions and led by several PNA staffers, the agenda allows ample time for questions and group discussion. In the fall, we’ll move further east as we offer the one-day workshop in Wilkes-Barre and King of Prussia.

These are just two of the many training courses being offered by the Foundation. Please visit www.pa-newspaper.org and click on Calendar to learn about more upcoming seminars. In addition to providing you with valuable training to ease the transition of the newspaper into the digital age, we are introducing new delivery methods for your convenience. Free monthly audioconference calls on current trends and topics as well as a recent partnership with the State System of Higher Education to bring you video teleconference sessions are two examples of how the Foundation is embracing the digital age. Next on the horizon – webinars and tutorials giving you the chance to participate on your own time and without ever having to leave your desk.

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