Reporters Committee, 29 other media groups urge Supreme Court to open secret case in support of Legal Intelligencer
On Oct. 14 the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, on behalf of itself and 29 other leading media organizations, filed a friend-of-the-court brief in support of The Legal Intelligencer, Philadelphia, in the case Doe v. C.A.R.S. Protection Plus Inc. The brief asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a decision that allowed all records in this federal employment discrimination case to be hidden from the public.

"This case has been conducted for seven years in complete secrecy," the brief noted, "a testament to the need for the Court's guidance regarding the right of access to civil hearings and records."

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Survey: Help us make Headlines & Deadlines better for you
Every so often, it’s good to take a long, hard look at yourself and decide if you like what you see. Recently, we put Headlines & Deadlines under the microscope and concluded that it needs a bit of a facelift.

But we need your help. If you haven't already filled out this survey, please do. We're interested in what you think!

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Your news here!
Here at PNA we are changing the way we present news to you. What better way to do that than by asking you to share your news with us? We encourage all of you to send press releases and articles about your organization so that we can publish them for your fellow PNA members to see. Please send news items to coreyb@pa-news.org.

PNA Portal: Gearing up for Annual Convention
Next week we'll gather in Pittsburgh for PNA’s 84th Annual Convention. The theme of “Changing Lanes” couldn't be more appropriate -- fast-paced, agile and mobile. Corinna Wilson, PNA's COO, gives you a preview of what to look forward to in Pittsburgh.

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Foundation Update: Pay It Forward to be a Convention highlight
The halls of PNA have been bustling with activity as Annual Convention is next week. The festivities in Pittsburgh will feature an entertaining Foundation Auction, lunch with Catherine Ryan Hyde, author of Pay It Forward, and our very own Pay It Forward program's tribute video. Don't miss out!

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HR: Helping employees through organizational change
No matter what changes an organization needs to make, if the changes call for employees to change, managers will need to deal with the issue of change itself. How can you do this? PNA's VP of Human Resources Janet McNally gets into the details.

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Notice: New federal regulation requires media to wear safety vests on highways
The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has issued new requirements that it interprets as requiring the media to wear high visibility safety vests when covering incidents on public highways, effective Nov. 24, 2008. The PNA is researching the best prices on these vests and is also willing to make a group purchase to make things easier on you. Get more details:

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PNA Annual Convention
Oct. 22-24
The Omni William Penn, Pittsburgh
We’re “Changing Lanes” at this year’s publishers’ convention. We know where we’ve been and where we are. But, where are we going and how do we get there? Newspapers are evolving into leaner, meaner media companies with unexplored roads to be navigated and new destinations to be reached. A terrific slate of sessions and speakers is planned; don’t miss any of them.

Venture onto unexplored highways by attending the session “Newspaper Outlook 2009: Converting Cultural Bandwidth to Innovation” on Friday, Oct. 24. You’ll be some of the first to hear breaking news from a "Newspaper Outlook 2009" report scheduled to be published in October by the International Newsmedia Marketing Association. Earl Wilkinson, executive director and CEO of INMA, will explore the value creation prospects for media companies in the coming year. Wilkinson will compare the U.S. newspaper industry's strategic search for value with the magazine, movie, music and book industries, as well as what peer companies are doing in Europe, Asia, Latin America and elsewhere.

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PNA Annual Membership Meeting
Oct. 23
Join us for the PNA Annual Membership Meeting on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2008, at The Omni William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh. Breakfast will be served at 8 a.m. and the meeting will commence at 8:30 a.m.

Please respond to Rae Elise Williard at (717) 703-3062 or raeelisew@pa-news.org if you plan on attending this meeting. RSVPs preferred but not required. For more details on this meeting and others at our Annual Convention:

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From the Legal Hotline:
Q: Can our newspaper accept Pennsylvania casino ads and if so, are there any advertising requirements we should be aware of?

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Use this link to visit the PNA Legal Department's archive of "From the Legal Hotline" columns.  

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Oct. 23: The Art of Multimedia Storytelling - Pittsburgh
How does a multimedia journalist actually do multimedia? How do you decide what's the best way to tell your story? Which formats work? Multimedia consultant Naka Nathaniel will help you master the art of using digital technology.

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Oct. 23: Benchmark Your Media Site: Revenue and Share - via webinar
Get caught up on industry benchmarks for Web revenue. We have a market-by-market glimpse at how well local media sites are competing with the pure-play Internet companies for local ad dollars.

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Oct. 30: Close the Sale: Making the Most Money Online - via webinar
Our sales coaches will show you the best methods for expanding your online banners, video and e-mail for maximum new revenue generation.

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Oct. 31: API's Newspaper Next "2.0" - Philadelphia
The one-day program, titled “Making the Leap Beyond `Newspaper Companies,’” sets out that pragmatic vision: what newspaper companies can become in the next five years, along with the tools and processes to get there. BONUS: As a PNA member, you're eligible for a 10 percent tuition discount! Just type in "PNA" in the promotional code box near the end of the online registration form.

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Nov. 6: What is Your Web Site Worth? - via webinar
Maximize and maintain your site's value! Is your Web site worth more than your newspaper? If not, it may be in a few years.

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Nov. 13: PNA On the Road - King of Prussia
Learn everything you ever wanted to know about revenue generation in tough times -- all for only $15!

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Nov. 13: Journalistic Ethics in a Digital World - Hackensack, N.J.
With the rapid move to online journalism, how do we keep up with the fast pace and still remain true to our ethics? Steve Buttry, editor of The Gazette and Gazetteonline in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, will help navigate these unchartered waters.

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Nov. 14: Judges/Journalists Workshop - Pittsburgh
This free workshop brings Pa. Judges and journalists together to discuss the media/judiciary relationship. This workshop is part of a joint undertaking of the PNA and the AOPC.

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Ad Geek: 8 Web tools that can simplify your life
Hey, media types! We know your life is probably getting busier by the day. But you're in luck -- we have a list of tools that can help make your job easier. Take a peek.

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Ad growth vanishes for newspaper Web sites
We all know that this economy is not exactly favorable for U.S. newspapers. But, even worse, the growth in online advertising, formerly our bright spot, has slowed. As newspapers we've been focusing on our Web components -- adding blogs, slide shows and podcasts. But online revenue for newspaper sites is falling nonetheless. What now?

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MySpace's MyAds targets small advertisers
MySpace has unveiled "MyAds," an advertising technology geared toward small businesses and individuals. This platform uses the HyperTargeting system that MySpace debuted just under a year ago and allows advertisers to allocate exactly how much to spend -- between $25 ad $10,000.

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Mainstream news outlets start linking to other sites
It's been engrained in us as news outlets never to link to outside sites. The idea was that you wanted to keep users on your own site.

But times are changing. The concept of "link journalism" is quickly being adopted in newsrooms across the country, and it's a completely different mindset. Maybe your newsroom can change, too.

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Newspapers mired in debt even before economic crisis
Newspapers are in troubled times, and that's even before feeling the impact of the credit crisis. Sadly newspaper companies have been skipping loan payments, missing financial targets in debt agreements and accepting higher interest rates in exchange for more flexibility for some time now. With the current state of the economy will things only get worse?

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