The Maine Press Association is excited to be able to offer another webinar in our 2021 series, Cannabis Advertising, Legalities and Strategies.

Marketing cannabis-related products can be challenging.  Mark Dion will discuss the complex rules and laws that surround advertising retail marijuana. Mark Dion is a lawyer and graduate of the University of Maine School of Law.  He currently sits on the Portland City Council.  He has served as Sheriff of Cumberland County and was the Chair of the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee in the Maine State Legislature.

Our colleagues from the Portland Press Herald will share some of their successes capturing cannabis advertising and marketing revenue and what they are planning for the future.

Date: Thursday, April 29 at 3 p.m.
Cost: $10
Platform:  Zoom

Please use the link below to register:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mpa-conference-cannabis-advertising-legalities-and-strategies-tickets-151116396209

Thanks to a lot of heavy lifting on the part of the Maine Press Association’s Legislative Committee, Executive Director Diane Norton, and MPA’s lobby team — Chris Jackson and Mitchell Tardy Jackson (https://www.mitchelltardyjackson.com) — we watched the resounding committee defeat of LD 876, An Act to Promote Efficiency in County and Municipal Government during an April 14 work session.

That bill proposed allowing county and municipal governments to meet the public notice requirement by merely posting on respective websites, and not, a currently stipulated, in a newspaper of general circulation. https://legislature.maine.gov/statutes/1/title1sec601.html

The Local and State Government Committee http://legislature.maine.gov/committee/#Committees/SLG voted 10-0 in favor of an ought-not-to-pass motion.

Wednesday’s vote was a relief for MPA members for many reasons, including that the publication of public notices represent a substantial revenue stream for many newspapers.

MPA board members had testified against this bill, and personally called State and Local Committee members, carefully substantiating why public notices belong in newspapers, and not just at governmental websites. Our points were these:

• Newspapers provide accessibility, independence, verifiability and archivability — all essential elements of the public notices law.
• Citizens affected by public notices must have a realistic opportunity to read them. Newspapers and their websites draw far larger audiences than government websites and combined with their print reach, far exceed the reach of individual government websites.
• The bill especially disenfranchises low-income, minority, and older residents who are less likely to have internet access.
• The bill moves business away from a well established, functioning private industry system, and diverts it to the government with no established system or track record.
• Notices should be published by organizations independent of the government body or corporation whose plans or actions are subject to the notice. Newspapers provide third-party neutrality that ensures public notices run in accordance with the law.

Bills such as 876 have been crossing committee desks for the past decade, and we are certain the debate is not over.

Which means MPA and its members must better market its public notices, and our website, mainenotices.com.

Maine is not the only state with bills that have surfaced proposing to remove public notices from newspapers. It is a critical issue for the newspaper business, and the Americas Newspaper organization recently released marketing materials focused on protecting public notices.

The materials include print, digital and social media components.

Visit here  https://newspapers.org/marketing-public-notice-ads/  to join the campaign and download ads for your own newspapers and websites.

Sun Journal Editor Judy Meyer and Gannett New England Executive Lisa Strattan to Help Lead Coalition

The New England First Amendment Coalition is pleased to announce two additions to its Board of Directors: Judy Meyer, Executive Editor of the Sun Journal, Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel; and Lisa Strattan, vice president of News for Gannett New England.

“We are thrilled to have Judy and Lisa join our Board of Directors,” said Justin Silverman, NEFAC’s executive director. “Their experience and expertise will help strengthen our advocacy in Maine and throughout all New England states.”

JUDY MEYER | Sun Media Group

Judy Meyer is executive editor of the Sun Journal, Kennebec Journal, the Morning Sentinel and six weekly newspapers owned by the Sun Media Group. She serves as vice president of the Maine Freedom of Information Coalition and is a member of the Right to Know Advisory Committee to the Legislature.

A journalist since 1990 and former editorial page editor for the Sun Journal, she was named Maine’s Journalist of the Year in 2003. She serves on the New England Newspaper & Press Association Board of Directors and was the 2018 recipient of the Judith Vance Weld Brown Spirit of Journalism Award.

A fellow of the National Press Foundation and the Knight Center for Specialized Journalism, she attended George Washington University, lives in Auburn with her husband, Phil, and is an active member of the Bicycle Coalition of Maine.

LISA STRATTAN | Gannett New England

Lisa Strattan is currently vice president of News for Gannett’s New England region, leading a team of approximately 300 journalists and responsible for 16 daily publications; 84 weekly publications and more than 100 websites.

Prior to the merger of Gannett and Gatehouse, Strattan was Vice President of News developing and executing the editorial vision for 11 daily publications, 120 weekly publications and more than 180 websites across three states.

The Maine Press Association is awarding $4,000 in scholarships to three journalism students for the spring semester.

 Recipients of 2021 scholarships are Jack Allsopp, of Old Orchard Beach, a senior at the University of New England and editor-in-chief of The Bolt; Michael Corrado, of Medford, Mass., a senior at the University of Maine and contributor to Guy Boston Sports; and Bhavana Scalia-Bruce, of Portland, a senior at the University of Maine and business manager of the Maine Campus.

 The Maine Press Association awards at least one scholarship every year to a junior or senior with financial need who plans to pursue a career in journalism. The scholarships are possible through the generosity of bidders at the Maine Press Association’s annual scholarship auction and the donors who provide the auction items.

 To inquire about the 2022 scholarship, contact scholarship committee Chair Sindhu Manjesh at sindhu.manjesh@maine.edu.

The Maine Press Association (MPA), founded in 1864, is one of the oldest professional news organizations in the nation. We strive to promote and foster high ethical standards in journalism and the best interests of the journalists and media organizations that constitute our membership; to encourage best business and editorial practices and a better media environment in Maine; and to protect the principles of freedom of the press and the public’s right to know.

Not to worry. MPA has posted videos of the 2020 Hall of Fame honorees, live auction, and awards ceremony, the latter lead by our indefatigable host Greg Rec.

If you missed the ceremonies, or want to relive the always inspiring and entertaining events, see them here:

2020 Hall of Fame

2020 Auction and Awards 

The 2020 MPA Conference: By the #s

Thanks to everyone who participated in this year’s MPA Conference. While we missed being together in person to celebrate, we made the most of the virtual platform with plenty of emojis, applause, and shout-outs to our comrades and friends. And take a look at those Scholarship Fund donations, hailing from the Silent Auction, Live Auction (thanks Aimsel!), and MPA Store. See below for your chance to own some commemorative logowear and keep that Fund # growing!

• 40 Attendees at the Hall of Fame Induction
• 100+ Attendees at the Live Auction & Awards Presentation
• 60 Better Newspaper Contest Awards, 3 Divisions, 34 entrant newspapers
• $3,642 and counting raised for the MPA Scholarship Fund via the Live & Silent Auctions, and MPA Store

Survey Says? Please Take This Brief Conference Survey

Conference organizers would appreciate hearing your thoughts regarding the 2020 MPA Conference, featuring the Hall of Fame Induction ceremony, Live Auction, and Awards Presentation. If you have feedback or suggestions you’d be willing to share anonymously, please go to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2CLP578

2020 Better Newspaper Contest Award Winners

Looking for a list of the 2020 Winners? You’ll find the complete list plus the 2020 Awards Supplement on the MPA Website. Visit http://mainepressassociation.org/mpa-contest/2020-contest-winners/

Buy some MPA Logowear, Fund a Scholar

Now’s your chance to score some 2020 MPA Commemorative Logowear while contributing to the MPA Scholarship Fund. We’re getting ready to award 2021 Scholarships and the more money we have in the Fund, the more scholarships we can bestow. Choose from Hoodies, T-Shirts, and Hats, all bearing the “Adapt, Adjust, Inform 2020 Conference” Logo; and Newsprint Cotton Masks, handsewn by the team at the Boothbay Register. All are available on a first-come, first-served basis. 100% of the proceeds benefit the MPA Scholarship Fund. Inventory is below. Email Diane Norton at mainepressmail@gmail.com to place your order.

• Hoodies | $40 $30: 1 Small (1 Light Blue) | 1 Med (Light Blue) | 2 Large (1 Ash, 1 Light Blue)
• Crew T-Shirts | $25 $15: 1 Small (Heather Navy) | 3 Med (2 Ash, 1 Heather Navy) | 2 Large (1 Ash, 1 Heather Navy)
• Ladies V-Neck T-Shirts | $25 $15: 1 Small (White) | 2 Med (1 White, 1 Navy) | 2 Large (1 White, 1 Navy)
• Hats | $15 $10: 3 Black | 4 Navy
• Cotton Newsprint Masks | 3 for $25 $3 for $15

Maine Press Association Programs Commence with Focus on FOAA

The first session of MPA’s virtual program initiative will take place in late January.  Stay tuned for details on how to register and participate. The January topic will be: Project journalism and how to optimize Maine’s Freedom of Access Act

Clockwise from top left: Randy Billings, Journalist of the Year; Meg Robbins, Bob Drake Young Writer; Carl Natale, Unsung Hero; Joanne Alfiero, Advertising Person of the Year.

CAMDEN – For the second consecutive year The Portland Press Herald, The Ellsworth American, the York County Coast Star and the Maine Sunday Telegram have been honored by the Maine Press Association for General Excellence in print newspapers.

CentralMaine.com, The Maine Monitor, and The Camden Herald took top honors for digital General Excellence in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest.

The awards were presented Saturday afternoon during the association’s annual conference, this year held virtually due to COVID-19.

Earlier in the day, the association inducted two new members to its Hall of Fame: the late Arthur Guesman, who served as the faculty advisor of the Maine Campus newspaper and a professor of journalism at the University of Maine for 20 years; and Terry Carlisle, who recently retired after 42 years at The Ellsworth American, serving in key management positions where she led with innovation, excellence, and total enjoyment of her job.

In the General Excellence competition for print newspapers, The Portland Press Herald was judged the best daily in Maine for the second consecutive year while the Maine Sunday Telegram was the weekend Newspaper of the Year for the tenth time in eleven years.

The contest judges, who hailed from The Oklahoma Press Association, wrote of The Portland Press Herald, “Beautiful page design and use of photos throughout. Strong reporting and local coverage. Good ad design and service directory.”

“Amazing CMP investigation with six pages of stories, photos and coverage that tell the full story,” said the judges about the Maine Sunday Telegram. “Striking feature and news photos. Strong reporting, beautiful front-page feature designs and solid ad design.”

In the Weekly 1 division, for newspapers with less than 3,000 print circulation, the York County Coast Star took the top prize. Judges said,  “This is the complete package – good news coverage, well written; good layout with strong headline writing and good photos/reproduction; and excellent political coverage” while the Weekly 2 winner, The Ellsworth American, was lauded for its, “Good mix of local news, strong editorial page, great classified section, well-designed ads, and colorful and well-composed photos.” This was the second consecutive win for both newspapers.

The Maine Monitor won the Freedom of Information first-place award in the Weekly division while the Sun Journal took top honors in the daily/weekend division.

Randy Billings of the Portland Press Herald was named the Journalist of the Year and Joanne Alfiero of the Portland Press Herald was the Advertising Person of the Year.

Meg Robbins, formerly of the Morning Sentinel and now of The Maine Monitor, won the Bob Drake Young Writer’s Award, and Carl Natale of the Sun Journal was honored by the MPA as the Unsung Hero of the Year.

A complete list of 2020 award winners will be posted later this week on the MPA’s website: www.mainepressassociation.org

1. Did you newspaper register you as part of a group? If so, you need to register yourself individually in order to have access to all of the events happening Saturday, and future programming.

It’s easy to do: Go to the conference site (https://mpa.vehlovenue.com/) and register individually, using the guest code provided to you by your employer. You’ll also need to enter your own payment information under “My Account” for auction bidding or donations. Questions? Contact Diane Norton at mainepressmail@gmail.com.

All of the events will take place at the conference site (On Saturday, look for the link at the top of the page, next to “Register Now” that says “Go to Event”).

2. Web Browser: Users will experience the site differently on a Mac(iOS)/Safari vs Mac(iOS)/Chrome or Windows/Chrome. The preference is via the latest version of Chrome (on either type of system). However, for those users who are on a Mac(iOS)/Safari, the only option is to join the event via the App. Here are the instructions for those Mac users:

Option 1: If using a Mac device and you have never used Zoom before (Zoom is NOT installed on your device):

1. Click on Join via App
2. pkg will download
3. Click show downloads
4. install Zoom.pkg
5. Welcome to the Zoom installer window, click “Continue”
6. Select a destination > Choose “Install for all users of this computer” or INstall for me only
7. Click “install”
8. Enter your password (prompt)
9. CLose the “installation was successful” window
10. Go back to Safari window and click on “Launch Meeting” blue button
11. Enter your name in the Enter your name window and click “Join”

Option 2: If using a Mac device and you HAVE used Zoom before (Zoom IS installed on your device):

1. Click on Join via App
2. Click on “Launch Meeting” blue button
3. Enter your name in the Enter your name window and click “Join”

You can still register for the event :  The $20.00 registration fee includes access to all 10/24 Conference events and programming for the coming year. Register here: https://mpa.vehlovenue.com/

10/24/20 Schedule of Events: 

9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. (via Zoom) | Annual Business Meeting

You have the right to attend and participate in the Maine Press Association’s annual business meeting! The annual meeting includes the election of new board members and reelection of those members whose terms end at the annual meeting. Every “regular” member of the Maine Press Association — all those other than associate and individual members — has one vote in this election. The annual meeting is open to all members and to the general public. We welcome you to attend.
– Maine Press Association 2019-2020 President J.W. Oliver

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/71188107028?pwd=OUlFUGVkTVQ3N2JsWGZPVVBWOElaZz09

Meeting ID: 711 8810 7028 | Passcode: 2e9V69

10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. | Induction of Terry Carlisle and the late Art Guesman into the MPA Hall of Fame

4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. | Live Auction with Aimsel Ponti and Awards Presentation & Celebration with Greg Rec, honoring winners of the 2020 Better Newspaper Contest, as well as the Individual Awards: Journalist of the Year, Advertising Person of the Year, Bob Drake Young Writer, and Unsung Hero.

The Silent Auction is Live: Once you’ve registered for the event, you can access the Silent Auction which will be open for bidding through conference day with a stop time of 9:00 p.m.

Live Auction items are also visible once you’ve registered. Take a look and get your auction paddle ready. Don’t forget to check out The MPA Store for 2020 commemorative logo wear and other fun items.

All proceeds of both Auctions and The MPA Store benefit the MPA Scholarship Fund and we’ve added a Donation button to the event site for those who choose to make a straight donation to the MPA Scholarship Fund.

A big thank you to our Conference Sponsors: Mitchell Tardy Jackson and Broadreach Public Relations

To learn more and to Register, go to: https://mpa.vehlovenue.com/

We look forward to seeing you at the 2020 MPA Conference.