Kentucky Press Association
General Info

The Kentucky Press Association was founded January 13, 1869, in Frankfort. KPA is the nation's 10th oldest state press association.

The purpose of the Kentucky Press Association is defined in its By-Laws:

"The purpose of this corporation is to promote the interests of its members, the newspapers of Kentucky; to expand their field of endeavor; to maintain a high code of ethics among all journalists; to enhance the usefulness of the newspaper industry and to promote and maintain a spirit of fraternal regard among its members; and to do any and all things necessary to carry out the purposes of this corporation."

The Kentucky Press Association is governed by a Board of Directors. Included in this Board is the Executive Committee, consisting of the President, President-Elect, Past President, Vice President and Treasurer. Officers and directors take office at the close of each KPA Winter Convention.

Members of the Board of Directors are elected from 14 districts across the state. Board members are elected by newspapers within each district and serve a three-year term.

Additionally, four state-at large directors are appointed each year by the President and the chairmen of the KPA Associates Division, KPA Advertising Division, KPA News Editorial Division, New Media Division, and KPA Circulation Division are voting members of the Board of Directors. Also sitting on the Board as a non-voting member is a representative of one of Kentucky's five university journalism departments with the appointment rotating between journalism department directors.

The Board employs an Executive Director and other staff necessary to carry out the functions of the Kentucky Press Association.

Two affiliate corporations -- the Kentucky Press Service and the School of Journalism Foundation of Kentucky, Inc. -- are also operated by KPA at its headquarters in Frankfort.

Newspapers holding a Periodicals Class (Second Class) mailing permit and meeting other criteria of the U.S. Postal Service and the KPA membership requirements are eligible for membership in the Kentucky Press Association. Dues are paid annually and are based on advertising rates.

Newspapers without a Periodicals Class mailing permit but meeting other requirements for membership are accepted as Associate Member Newspapers. In addition, various organizations, companies, state agencies, and public relations and advertising firms doing business with Kentucky newspapers, are invited to join the KPA Associates Division. Membership dues for Associate Member Newspapers are based on the newspaper's circulation. The KPA Associates Division dues are $350 per calendar year.

This Guide to Member Services is published and updated periodically to give you an idea of the many services offered through your Kentucky Press Association.

THE STAFF:

OFFICE HOURS

The KPA Central Office is open Monday through Thursday, from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m and on Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. (Eastern time). The office is closed on weekends and most major holidays.

DIRECTIONS TO KPA CENTRAL OFFICE

The KPA Central Office is located at 101 Consumer Lane, Frankfort, near I-64. From I-64, take Exit 53A for Lawrenceburg (U.S. 127), turn left onto Burlington Lane, approximately one-quarter mile from the exit. Consumer Lane is the first street on the right off Burlington Lane. From the Bluegrass Parkway or U.S. 127, take U.S. 127 North to Frankfort, turning right onto Burlington Lane just before the I-64 interchange.

PRESS PASSES

The Kentucky Press Association does not offer its own press pass to member newspapers but Kentucky State Police Press Passes are available through KPA. Application forms are available at member newspapers or by calling KPA. The forms require a small photo and verification by the newspaper's editor, publisher or general manager. The form is then mailed to KPA, approved, and sent to the Kentucky State Police for the press pass to be issued. The process takes about three weeks, once the form is received by KPA.

Cost: There is no charge for the Kentucky State Police Press Pass.

RESUME SERVICE

Need a reporter, photographer, advertising sales representative? How about a publisher, pressman, or jack-of-all-trades? Another member service of KPA is a resume/referral service of experienced newspaper employees and recent college graduates looking for a job with a Kentucky newspaper. Resumes are sorted by job title and experience. Call KPA, identify the position you're wanting to fill and give us an idea of how much experience you're needing. We'll sort through the resumes, send you those who seem to fill the bill. And you take it from there - listed on website.

Cost: There is no charge for this service.

THE KENTUCKY PRESS

Our monthly tabloid newspaper, The Kentucky Press, is available to members and Associate members of KPA. Keep abreast of all the news affecting the newspaper industry, whether it's Kentucky or nationally. Find out who's where and what's what. Please send articles and photographs to KPA. Classified advertisements for Help Wanted, Equipment Wanted, Equipment for Sale, etc. are available to member newspapers for $10, up to 25 words. Call KPA for deadlines.

Cost: A subscription to the Kentucky Press is included with membership dues. Additional subscriptions are available at $8 per year.

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION HOTLINE

When you have a question about open meetings/open records, potentially libelous materials, problems with wording in an ad, court closures -- just about anything affecting your editorial or advertising department, help is one phone call away. The KPA FOI Hotline puts you in touch with two of the state's top media attorneys -- Jon Fleischaker and Kim Greene at Dinsmore & Shohl, Louisville.
The FOI Hotline number is (502) 540-2300. Give them a call, identify yourself and your newspaper, and ask your questions. And 99 percent of the time, you'll get your answer with that first phone call. Kim and Jon will also do a pre-publication review of a news story if you're concerned it contains libelous material.

Cost: This is a member service and the basic fees are paid for by KPA. The only cost is for the long distance telephone call to Dinsmore & Shohl.

CONVENTIONS

The Kentucky Press Association sponsors a Winter Convention the third week of January. Winter Conventions alternate between Lexington or Louisville. The convention begins on Thursday afternoon and ends Friday night. Friday afternoon programs at each Winter Convention are scheduled by division interest -- breakout sessions for News Editorial, Advertising and Circulation personnel, and the KPA Associates members.

Each KPA Winter Convention also includes a Trade Show. Companies with all types of newspaper equipment and supplies are invited to the Trade Show.

Cost: Registration and payment of registration and meal fees for the convention is required for attendance. Trade Show booths are $275 and include one set of registration and meal tickets.

SEMINARS

Seminars of interest to various newspaper departments are held periodically throughout the year. Designed for a more specific audience than conventions, the focus of each seminar is on one or two topics of interest to the editorial, advertising, circulation and management staffs.

While there is no set schedule for seminars, typically the Advertising seminars are in mid- to late-April, and mid-September; editorial seminars are typically in late spring and mid-fall.

Cost: Registration and payment of registration fees for seminars is required.

CONTESTS

The Kentucky Press Association sponsors two contests each year -- one for writing, design and photography; and, one for advertising.

Awards for the Excellence in Kentucky Newspapers Contest (deadline in early October) are presented each year at the Winter Convention. The Excellence in Kentucky Newspapers Contest is designed for reporting, writing and photography entries.

The KPA Advertising Excellence in Kentucky Contest (deadline in late winter) is designed for advertising staffs with a variety of categories available. The awards are presented at the conclusion of each KPA Advertising Spring Seminar.

Judging for both contests is arranged through reciprocal agreements with other state press associations.

Cost: Each newspaper entering a KPA contest pays $10 for the registration fee plus $4 per entry.

SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM FOUNDATION OF KENTUCKY, INC.

Giving college journalism students experience in print journalism while providing a service to member newspapers is the purpose of the School of Journalism Foundation of Kentucky, Inc., internship program.

The program will offer up to 20 paid summer internships at selected KPA member newspapers that participate in the Kentucky Statewide Classified Program. Only those newspapers are eligible to apply for an intern. Students and newspapers are required to apply for participation in the internship program.

College journalism students and Kentucky Press Association member newspapers wanting more information about the internship program should contact the School of Journalism Foundation of Kentucky, Inc., which is based at the Kentucky Press Association central office in Frankfort.

The School of Journalism Foundation of Kentucky

Beginning in 1993, the School of Journalism Foundation of Kentucky began an innovative internship program for college and university students. With a belief that students needed on-hand experience during their college years as an impetus for a career in the newspaper industry, the foundation restructured its long-standing scholarship program. In its place, the foundation began offering 10-week summer internships to college and university students.

The foundation awards up to 20 internships each summer with Kentucky newspapers in editorial, advertising, photography and on-line journalists. Each internship is worth $3000 and is paid from the foundation to the newspaper and in turn that amount is paid to the newspaper's intern for summer employment.

Applications for students and for Host Newspapers are made available each September. Host Newspapers are selected by the Kentucky Press Association Past Presidents and all student intern applications are then shared among the Host Newspapers, who are responsible for interviewing the students and then selecting the newspaper's intern.

Any college student who has completed his/her sophomore year is eligible to apply for a School of Journalism Foundation of Kentucky, Inc., internship. Students do not have to be a journalism or communications major to be considered for the program.

Kentucky High School Journalism Association

Through most of the 1980s and 1990s, Kentucky was the only state without a statewide high school press association. The School of Journalism Foundation of Kentucky, Inc., recognizing the importance such an organization has for journalism teachers and students, worked to fill that void in mid-1997 by establishing the Kentucky High School Journalism Association.

This is the only statewide high school association being operated by a state press association.

A variety of high school news media-related programs are eligible for membership in the Kentucky High School Journalism Association including journalism classes, student newspapers, yearbooks/annuals, radio and TV classes and on-line services operated by the high schools.

In its first year in 1997, the high school association was funded by generous contributions from many of Kentucky newspapers, media foundations and KPA Associates Division members.

The high school association will be offering up to four regional seminars each year and one annual convention, bringing together high school journalism students from across the state.

Cost: Membership in the Kentucky High School Journalism Association is available to all media segments operated by Kentucky public and private schools. Annual dues are $50 per school.

KPA NEWS BUREAU

Ever find yourself in need of a reporter or photographer in Frankfort? Is there a record or report from a state agency that you need? Is there a court case or press conference in Frankfort you'd like to have covered?

One of the unique member services offered by the Kentucky Press Association is the KPA News Bureau. This member service is designed to give KPA member newspapers an editorial employee based in Frankfort. The service is free to KPA member newspapers.

Assignments are given to the News Bureau Director by member newspapers and in case of scheduling conflict, the assignment time is on a first-come, first-served basis.

The service includes checking records and other documents of state agencies for background information on stories being prepared by newspapers; interviewing state officials or obtaining information from state officials as background material on stories; regular coverage of the Regular and any Special Session of the Kentucky General Assembly. Stories on legislative activities are filed weekly by the KPA News Bureau and available to all member newspapers. The News Bureau will also provide photographic coverage of specific events in Frankfort when requested by member newspapers.

Regular information available includes circuit court records; Supreme Court decisions; Attorney General opinions; decisions of the Kentucky Parole Board; and decisions of the Kentucky Medical Licensure Board.

Assignments should be directed to the KPA News Bureau Director with as much advance notice as possible to avoid scheduling conflicts.

Cost: There is no charge to the newspaper unless copying fees are charged to the association for any documents needed by the newspaper. When shipping overnight is requested by a newspaper, the newspaper will be charged an overnight shipping fee.

ADVERTISING PLACEMENT SERVICE

Available through the Kentucky Press Service, the advertising placement service began as a full time KPS department in January, 1984. The KPS Advertising Director calls on advertisers and advertising agencies in Kentucky and surrounding states, encouraging them to advertise in Kentucky newspapers.

The service, known as One-Order, One-Bill, One-Check, allows advertisers using a multiple number of newspapers to use one source for placement, collection of tearsheets, and payment. The KPS Advertising Office prepares the insertion orders, mails the ad and insertion order to the newspapers, collects all tearsheets and issues the client one invoice. The client then pays KPS for the advertising placed and KPS issues monthly checks to the newspapers.

By policy of the KPS Board of Directors, payments are made to member newspapers within 60 days of placement, regardless of the status of collection. KPS uses national/commissionable newspaper rates and the service is paid for by member newspapers. There is no service charge to advertisers or advertising agencies unless materials must be prepared by the KPS Advertising Service. As a part of this 60-day agreement, the newspaper will be given five (5) days to comply with a tearsheet request. If the tearsheet is not received, the ad will be considered a "did not run" and no payment will be made to the newspaper for that ad.

KPS' Advertising Placement Service also works with the ADNET-Southeast placement service for advertising in newspapers throughout the southeastern region of the U.S.

Cost: KPS' commission is taken from the newspaper's national advertising rate. If an agency or retailer requests local/non-commissionable rates, the advertiser is charged a five percent service fee.

KPA YEARBOOK AND DIRECTORY

Published each year and available during the KPA Winter Convention, the KPA Yearbook and Directory is the most complete and accurate directory about Kentucky newspapers. Specifically designed for use by advertisers and advertising agencies, the Yearbook and Directory includes a variety of information about KPA member newspapers -- personnel, addresses, telephone and FAX numbers, publication days and page size.

Information is arranged alphabetically by town in the front section listing of member newspapers. Newspapers are also listed by county and KPA district in the "Marketing Section" in the back of the directory. Marketing Section information includes all newspapers with pertinent information about each county -- population, number of households, total retail sales and effective buying income per household. The directory also includes a listing of Associate Member Newspapers and members of the KPA Associates Division.

The front cover of each directory is a four-color photograph taken by a photographer for a KPA member newspaper. The selection of the front cover photograph is chosen from entries submitted for the KPA Photo Exhibit.

Cost: Member newspapers and Associate Division members receive a complimentary copy. Additional copies are available at $25 each.

NEWS RELEASE SERVICE

Mailing news releases to all Kentucky newspapers, even radio and television stations in the state, can be a major headache. The KPS News Release Mailing Service is the prescription prescribed most.

With the original copy of a release, KPS reproduces sufficient copies of the news release to cover the targeted media.

Envelopes are addressed to specific individuals in the editorial departments at newspapers in Kentucky. The service is also available to cover radio and TV stations in the Commonwealth.

It's the best medicine for a news release headache.

Cost: Charges for this service vary with the media used and the number of pages of the release. For a quote on using the News Release service, call the Central office.

LEGISLATIVE LOBBYING The main reason the Kentucky Press Association is in Frankfort is because it's the headquarters of state government in Kentucky. KPA has designated itself a watchdog on issues concerning the newspaper industry, particularly during the Regular and Special Sessions of the Kentucky General Assembly.

Of primary importance are issues related to Open Meetings, Open Records, Public Notice Advertising and environmental issues affecting the newspaper industry.

During each Regular Session, KPA member newspapers are kept aware of the latest legislative news with a weekly KPA Legislative Bulletin. The bulletin is sent to publishers, editors and advertising managers, giving a synopsis of each legislative bill of interest and stating the position taken on the measure, if any, by KPA.

Positions on various legislative concerns are taken by KPA only after discussing the issue with the KPA Legislative Committee and the KPA Board of Directors.

Two KPA representatives are registered lobbyists during all General Assembly sessions.

Periodically, member newspapers are asked for help in supporting or defeating a particular piece of information by getting in touch with their local legislators.

The Kentucky Press Association also publishes "Kentucky Laws Affecting Newspapers." This publication is designed to keep newspaper staffs aware of all laws involving the newspaper industry and is published every other year, following the Regular Session of the Kentucky General Assembly. All state laws and regulations are also available by contacting the KPA Central Office.

RETAIL MARKETING HABITS SURVEY

Who reads newspapers? What are they thinking? When are they most likely to buy specific products?

Knowing what readers think; how they use newspaper advertising for information; their age, education and income levels -- that's the emphasis of the Kentucky Retail Marketing Habits Survey. Every two to three years, the Kentucky Press Association undertakes an extensive research project designed to give member newspapers all the information possible about readers and readers' habits.

Up to 2000 Kentucky households are contacted during each survey period and asked a variety of questions about the media in Kentucky and about their own buying and spending habits. The research is then compiled in an easy-to-understand format to assist newspaper advertising staffs in giving information about readers to retailers and agencies.

The survey is paid for by the Kentucky Press Association as a member service. The results of the information are shared with and explained to newspaper advertising staffs in seminar format.

Cost: The cost for the Retail Marketing Habits Survey is paid for by KPA as a member service. Fees are charged to newspapers for attending the seminars.

STATEWIDE CLASSIFIED PROGRAM

The Kentucky Statewide Classified Program was established by the Kentucky Press Association in July, 1984, as an effort for classified advertisers to have the opportunity to place a classified in newspapers throughout the state by making one call.

Under the plan, clients may place a classified through a participating newspaper and have that classified appear in some 69 newspapers representing about 1 million circulation.

Newspapers participating in the program agree to publish all submitted ads at no cost. In turn, participating newspapers selling a classified ad for the program receive commission from the program for each ad sold by the newspaper.

Newspapers selling classified ads for the Statewides receive $125 of the $250 basic price for 25 words, sending the ad and a check for $125 to KPA. For ads with more than 25 words, there is an additional $7 per word charge.

The Kentucky Statewide Classified Program can also place classified ads in a number of other states with similar programs. For a list of participating newspapers in Kentucky, and a list of other states and placement costs, please contact the KPA Central Office.

Statewide classified ads are posted online and e-mailed to participating newspapers each Thursday afternoon for placement the following week.

Cost: $250 for 25 words, with $7 charged for each word over 25.

ADS REACHING KENTUCKIANS

Better known as ARK, this program allows advertisers to place small display ads in a network of Kentucky newspapers. Ads are required to be two columns wide with a minimum of two inches deep to a maximum of four inches in depth.

The cost of the program depends on the number of column inches but the ad will appear in all newspapers signing up to participate in the network. Newspapers are paid according to the ad size. Newspapers agreeing to participate in the program are required to remain in the network for a full year since advertising quotes given to clients are calculated at the beginning of each year.

Cost: There is no cost for a member newspaper to participate in the Ads Reaching Kentuckians program also only network newspapers receive the display ads.

SPEAKERS' BUREAU

The Kentucky Press Association has established a Speakers' Bureau of journalists wanting to talk about their careers in newspapers. Civic clubs and organizations, high school and college journalism classes and any other group needing a speaker on a variety of newspaper-related topics and issues are welcomed to contact the Kentucky Press Association for names of speakers. Additionally, companies are invited to use this service on topics from working with the media to how to write a news release to placing an advertisement in newspapers.

OTHER SERVICES AVAILABLE

Several other services are available to KPA member newspapers. These include:

• health insurance, currently being offered through Blue Cross/Blue Shield's Option 2000 Advantage program and United HealthCare

• life and disability insurance for employees

• property and casualty insurance coverage for newspaper offices

• libel insurance

• Workers Compensation insurance

• low cost long distance telephone service

• Please contact the Kentucky Press Association for more information and for the name of the agent or company representing your part of the state.

• Cost: Various costs or fees are associated with these other member services. The costs are reviewed and approved annually by the KPA Board of Directors.