Sharon Burton, publisher of the Adair County Community Voice and Farmer’s Pride in Columbia, took over as 2021 President of the Kentucky Press Association Friday. The exchange of the gavel took place on the same day and same place she would have received it from 2020 President Jeff Jobe had the 2021 Convention taken place. It came during a “hybrid” […]
Make public affairs coverage relevant and timely
By Jim Pumarlo, Newsroom Trainer How many newsrooms have received complaints about coverage of local public affairs – specifically meetings? It might be the city council, school board, county board or one of the numerous other government bodies under your microscope. From an elected official: “You didn’t give the full story. Where was my quote?” From a person who spoke […]
One Kentucky record tradition keeps on during Jan. 20 Inauguration
(Editor’s Note: Former Lexington Herald and Louisville Courier-Journal sportswriter Mike Ruehling, who served as press secretary for Sen. Wendell Ford for part of his time in office, was quite involved in planning a Presidential Inauguration. Senator Ford was on the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies charged with planning the inauguration. In fact, Senator Ford was on five Inauguration planning […]
My sister had to do some reading; I wanted to make her but then she already had done it
My sister, Anne, is on a public agency board in New Haven, KY. We were talking last week and she told me she had to think of me and Open Meetings and Open Records. I was puzzled until she told me she was doing some reading from a booklet she received when the agency members were sworn into office. “It […]
FCC seeks public comments by January 24 on broadband project
The FCC is seeking public comment on how to best administer a new $3.2 billion emergency broadband benefit program to assist consumers with broadband internet costs during the current COVID-19 emergency. The program is part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and aims to provide consumers with up to $50 a month, through carrier subsidies, to use on internet services and associated equipment. The benefit would increase to $75 per month for consumers on Federally-recognized Tribal lands. Participating providers that also supply […]
The KPA Freedom of Information Hotline is there. USE IT!
You just had a call from an attorney for the subject of a Letter to the Editor. The attorney said the letter was published with reckless disregard, contained a number of untruths and is threatening a lawsuit. Your reporter just called to say the local school board went into an executive session and did not quote the Open Meetings Law […]
Deaths in Kentucky up 6,000 over previous two years, with 55,064 total; 12.7 percent increase
Midway through the year, after a friend asked if any newspaper had done research on the total number of deaths in Kentucky during the COVID-19 year in 2020. Not that I knew of but I went searching for some information. I contacted Sid Fogle, executive director at the Kentucky Funeral Directors Association, seeking help on where to find that information. […]