America’s Newspapers. What a fantastic name and idea!
When I learned a few months ago that the boards of directors of SNPA and Inland had agreed to explore a potential merger, I immediately thought that it was a great idea that would add member value while better utilizing the organizations’ resources. It didn’t cross my mind then that I would become the new organization’s first CEO, but I am truly honored and thrilled to serve in that role. Both Inland and SNPA have strong legacies of serving their members well, and I have personally learned much and enjoyed attending the Mega-Conference and other past events of SNPA and Inland. The boards of directors of both organizations have been passionate, engaged and deliberate in creating a new organization that can provide more resources to its members, and America’s Newspapers is poised to be that organization.
There has never been a greater need for a news media association that can support, educate, promote and inspire its members. While our industry has been disrupted, I think we sometimes forget that many other industries are also in disruption. Banking, real estate, automotive and retail all have their own challenges and must transform if they are to survive, as do newspapers. We must continue to find new ways to connect with our audience and advertisers, but we must also remember that we own the local news and information segment and we should be proud of what we do as we continue to evolve.
The new merged organization, America’s Newspapers, is stronger than ever, and with a membership that covers the country, is able to utilize the strength in numbers to promote the value of newspapers in a more effective way than ever before. Our industry has learned that scale is important, and America’s Newspapers has the scale to successfully accomplish goals that can’t be done by a smaller organization. This is why the engagement of every member is so important. If America’s Newspapers is to achieve its goals and provide a louder voice, it will be through the participation of every member. The board of directors and staff all recognize the opportunities of our new organization, and every member will play an important part. We are planning significant initiatives that will make a difference, from creating a louder unified voice to promote the value of newspapers nationwide, to improving our voice in Washington. Your participation is needed to make this happen!
We have several great events coming up soon, including Executive Voices and the Mega-Conference. I hope you will consider one or more of these events, and I am looking forward to meeting you in person and working with you as we make all of America’s Newspapers stronger.
Dean Ridings can be reached at dridings@newspapers.org or at 850-212-8895.
