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February 11, 2010

Catching up

Steve Woodhouse The Zope Gazette Thu Feb 11, 2010, 01:51 PM CST

Knoxville — This is an extreme disappointment to me, but the trade show at the Iowa Newspaper Association convention was sponsored by the Iowa Gaming Association and the Iowa Department of Economic Development.

INA Executive Director Chris Mudge explained to me that sponsorship is necessary to keep costs down for attendees. IDED’s interest was in the advanced technology and growth of the newspaper industry in Iowa.

I’m in favor of helping my industry, but it bothers me to see the taxpayers footing the bill at a time of budget cuts and the current scrutiny IDED is under. What kind of message does that send?

Here is the text of the letter I am sending to the INA board members:

Dear Board Member,

I always look forward to the Iowa Newspaper Association convention each year. It offers a tremendous opportunity to meet fellow industry colleagues to share ideas, concerns and solutions.

However, I believe the 2010 event was tainted. When I saw the welcome sign with the phrase, “Sponsored by the Iowa Department of Economic Development,” my heart sank.

It is our job to be watchdogs. How can we do this properly when we gleefully accepted what is essentially public funding from the very people we are supposed to watch?

This is even more disturbing, given the recent allegations tied to the Iowa Film Office, a division of the Iowa Department of Economic Development. What kind of an example does this set if the defenders of the public trust are tied to those who have betrayed it?

A majority of your members, Iowa’s small-town newspapers, have survived this recession as we have for decades. However, for those larger ones who are struggling, why compound the problem and increase suspicion of our industry by allying ourselves in this way?

I believe in the newspaper industry. I know what we are supposed to stand for and this is not it. Our job is to be on the outside of government, not a subsidized extension of it. I hope you will consider this in the future. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Steve Woodhouse

Editor, Knoxville Journal-Express

The good news is we won another award last Friday. The article I wrote about the support Knoxville showed Pastor Jim Mead and his family during a difficult time is one I was very pleased to write. As I explained to Jim at the time, I believe his recovery is a miracle and I don’t know how many true miracles I’ll ever have the opportunity to write about.

In the years I’ve attended the INA convention, it seemed as though the Best News Story award winners were about negative subjects. In fact, the top prize went to a guy who wrote about a robbery sentencing. I wanted to check to see if it was possible for a story with a happy ending and positive theme to win. It did and that’s awesome.

Finally, Sunday is Valentine’s Day. I want to send some love out to my lady, Marcy. As I’ve mentioned, I have the good fortune of being married to a spectacular woman, one who does not care about the hype around Valentine’s Day. Nevertheless, happy Valentine’s Day, Marcy.

Take care of yourself and thank you for reading.

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