 |
|
|
Your connection to industry & member news | Jan. 29, 2026
|
Congrats News Contest winners!Submit corrections by Feb. 2Winners from the 2025 News Contest have been posted online for proofing.
The list includes winners from the News, Associate/Individual and Collegiate contests.
The deadline to proof your organization’s winners is Monday, Feb. 2. Submit all corrections to Jen Madden.
Winners are not for official release in your newspaper or on your news organization's website until March 6.
Secret winners, President's Cup winners, comments for first place winners and Best of the Best will be announced at the SCPA Annual Meeting on March 6. Check out the schedule of events and register today!
| |
Use caution in Super Bowl adsSuper Bowl LX is set for Feb. 8, which means SCPA member newspapers should be cautious about using NFL trademarked words and logos in advertising promotions.
The NFL has more than 100 federally registered trademarks, including "Super Bowl" and "Super Sunday." The Super Bowl logo, NFL shield and team names and designs are also trademarked. These words and designs cannot be used in newspaper ads or for any other commercial purposes without the NFL's permission.
While you are OK using vague terms like "the big game," any ads that suggest a connection to the Super Bowl should be called back.
It is acceptable to use these words and graphics in news stories about the Super Bowl.
If you have any specific questions about the legality of an ad or promotion and you'd like an SCPA attorney to review it before publication, contact SCPA.
| |
Urgent update from America's Newspapers on privacy issues Website privacy compliance has quickly become an immediate risk for newspaper publishers nationwide. In the past week, several America’s Newspapers members have been served with legal actions tied to California’s privacy laws. These are not isolated incidents — they are an early warning sign of a broader shift as more states enact and enforce new privacy regulations.
This is an issue every publisher needs to pay attention to, regardless of location or audience.
The full article explains what’s driving these claims, why newspaper websites are being targeted and what publishers should do now. It also includes a practical checklist every publisher should review to confirm compliance and reduce risk.
From America's Newspapers | Read more
| |
|
P&C’s Heatherly named to LMA board
Chase Heatherly, chief revenue officer of The Post and Courier and Evening Post Publishing, has been named to the Local Media Association Board. Heatherly was one of four new directors recently elected.
He took over as the company’s chief revenue officer in 2022, previously serving as publisher of the Free Times.
[Heatherly served on the S.C. Press Association's Executive Committee from 2021-2023.]
From Local Media Association | Read more
| |
 | CNN commentator Bakari Sellers (left) is pictured with publisher Nathaniel Abraham Jr. of Carolina Panorama.
|
| Carolina Panorama publisher awarded 2026 Drum Major Award
On Jan. 17, the Brotherhood Ministry of Brookland Baptist Church in West Columbia hosted its annual MLK Birthday Celebration Breakfast. During the event, Carolina Panorama Publisher Nathaniel Abraham Jr. was awarded the Brotherhood’s Drum Major Award.
The Brotherhood bestows the award upon individuals who represent King’s legacy in some manner that positively impacts the community. Nathaniel Abraham Jr., the owner and publisher of the Carolina Panorama newspaper, has kept the “Dream” alive by continuing to present positive news to the African American community. The company is celebrating its 40th year of providing “Positive News for a Positive Community.”
Abraham is immediate past president of SCPA.
From Carolina Panorama | Read more
| |
❄️ S.C. newspapers cover winter storm ❄️
| |
SC Gov. McMaster argues for transparency in NIL deals between schools, athletes
Gov. Henry McMaster said Thursday he has concerns over a legislation that would keep revenue-sharing contracts between schools and athletes secret.
However, it remains unclear whether he would veto the bill, which passed the first week of session out of the House and has been sent over to the state Senate.
McMaster, while speaking to reporters, said he does not like payments to student athletes through name, image and likeness deals.
“It ought to be public, and it shouldn’t be happening in the first place,” McMaster said. “I think, NIL is ruining college sports.”
But McMaster, a former attorney general who favors transparency and has pushed for transparency in how money is spent on budget earmarks, has concerns about keeping payments secret.
McMaster wants transparency but doesn’t want to compromise the competitiveness of collegiate athletics, spokesman Brandon Charochak said after the governor’s Thursday media availability.
“I don’t think we’ll understand the impact that it’s having on sports unless we know how much money is being paid. I don’t think it ought to be a secret,” McMaster said. When asked if he would want to know how much a specific athlete is being paid by a university, McMaster said “yes.”
House members last week argued how much is being paid to individual student athletes through revenue sharing agreements needs to kept secret in order for schools such as Clemson and the University of South Carolina to remain competitive.
Schools this year can pay athletes up to $20.5 million from revenue sharing money, which comes from athletic department income such as through television deals or ticket sales.
By Joseph Bustos, The State | Read more
| |
Lessons from the Knight x LMA BloomLab: How local newsrooms win philanthropic support
In today’s funding environment, it can be challenging for local news organizations to determine the most effective approach to securing philanthropic support.
Since April of 2025, Local Media Association has been consulting five local news organizations participating in the Knight x LMA BloomLab on the importance of identifying and pursuing philanthropic funding opportunities.
Based on our work with these organizations, we’ve compiled a list of key dos and don’ts to help local newsrooms successfully pursue philanthropic dollars to sustain and grow their journalism.
DO: Build strong funder relationships
Building and sustaining relationships with funders is essential for local news organizations. Too often, organizations seeking philanthropic support only reach out when a request for proposals or a grant opportunity appears to align with their values. In BloomLab, we encourage publishers to take a more proactive approach—making time to connect with local foundations, meeting with funders in person or virtually to understand their priorities and periodically sharing updates on new developments within their organizations....
DON’T: Chase funding that poorly aligns with community needs
I often remind publishers in our Funding Shared Service group that not every funding opportunity is worth pursuing simply because it is available. Applying to misaligned grants can force local news organizations to contort their work to fit a funder’s priorities—trying to force a square peg into a round hole. Instead, organizations should focus on opportunities that clearly align with their community’s needs and priorities. Before applying, ask what specific issue the funding would help to address and whether the associated work and deliverables realistically fit within the organization’s internal capacity and day-to-day operations.
By John Celestand, Local Media Association | Read more
| |
Casey Jones, managing editor at MyHorryNews, dies at 63
Casey Jones always said he was going to write his own obituary.
It never felt grim or even morbid when he said that. It actually made me think how great it would actually be.
But as we all know — death has unexpected deadlines.
So here we are — a far less talented writer, and editor, trying to write one for him.
Casey Jones, the managing editor of MyHorryNews and one of the most talented writers Waccamaw Publishers has ever employed, died Saturday, Jan. 17 at Conway Medical Center. He was 63.
He died from complications from the flu according to his family.
His journalism career, which spanned over four-decades, began in college as a correspondent in Clearfield, Pa., while he studied journalism at Penn State University.
After graduating from school, his talents carried him across the country, from reporting in Idaho, Montana, Pennsylvania and West Virginia to writing as a columnist for the Salt Lake Tribune in Utah and serving as an editor in Arizona, California and South Carolina.
He and his wife, Lois, even launched two newspapers in San Diego County, which he'd often describe as an "expensive hobby" but something he learned a lot from.
Though small in stature, his charisma and dry sense of humor filled every corner of the room he entered, particularly in our weekly news team meetings.
He was never without a good one-line joke. He pitched story ideas in a way that was entirely his own — armed with an arsenal of clever jokes and punchlines that moved fast and trusted you to keep up. You didn’t always catch them right away, but that was part of the charm of his own iconic, Casey Jones sense of humor.
The best journalists are both smart and creative, and Casey was exactly that.
His storytelling was unmatched, with a gift for seeing the big picture and guiding readers through it. Whether covering the complexities of a city council meeting or writing about a handicapped rabbit wheeling around Conway, he made every story engaging — a skill that's increasingly rare in today’s short-attention-span world.
By Andrew S. Brown, MyHorryNews | Read more
| |
Former News and Press editor Cathy Elliott dies
Cathy Best Elliott, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, passed away on Jan. 21, at the age of 65.
Cathy was born on March 19,1960, in Belhaven, North Carolina, and was raised in the small fishing town of Stumpy Point, North Carolina. She was preceded in death by her parents, Roger and Wanda Best.
She is survived by her devoted husband of 23 years, John Elliott; her children, Patrick and Maggie and her grandson Hunter. She is also survived by her stepchildren: Elizabeth (Cory), Stephanie (Herbert), and Christopher (Victoria); and many extended family members and friends who loved her dearly.
Cathy graduated from Manteo High School and went on to attend the University of North Carolina. She built a remarkable and creative career in journalism and publishing, serving as the editor of the News and Press in Darlington, editor and publisher of The List, and editor and owner of Five O’Clock Friday. Cathy later became a published author and also served as Pubic Relations Director at Darlington Raceway. Her talent, voice, and passion for storytelling left a lasting impact on the communities she served. Read full obituary.
| |
|  Jonathan Vickery at The People-Sentinel has a set of cubicles (desk space for two) for sale. He's open to offers. Please reach out to him if you're interested.
| |
| | |
 | By John Foust, Advertising Trainer
|
| One way to get better information from advertisers
You may have heard the old computer saying, “Garbage in, garbage out.” It means that the quality of input that goes into a system will determine the quality of the output. Good input equals good output and bad input equals bad output.
This is certainly true in the advertising business. What you learn in researching information for an ad campaign will influence the quality of the advertising you produce. That’s why I’ve found it helpful to use the “Five Ws,” a technique commonly used in journalism – Who, What, When, Where and Why. For our purposes, we’ll add an “H” for How.
Not all of this information should appear in a campaign. This approach is simply intended to dig a foundation for the end result of the advertising itself. Of course, the questions can be customized as needed. Let’s take a closer look:
A logical WHO question is, “Who is your target audience?” Don’t accept “everyone” for an answer. Ads that try to appeal to everyone actually appeal to no one. Narrow it to a specific and relevant group of people – business owners, first-time homebuyers, weekend gardeners, etc. Read more
| |
|
|
|
