June
 2004

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The word coming from the 2004 Newspaper Association of America annual conference is that the newspaper business is strong.

 “We’ve weathered the worst advertising recession since World War II and are now seeing signs of resurgence,” said Knight Ridder and NAA Chairman Tony Ridder. “Ad revenue industry-wide was up 2 percent last year - the first increase in three years.”

He also said help-wanted ads have started rebound, and, in some markets, are actually robust.

“Circulation and readership have all of our attention as they have never had it before.”

Ridder also said “our journalism is strong.”

“On our best days, we stimulate positive change in all kinds of ways; on our worst days we own up to our mistakes and still provide enough information to quality us as invaluable to most of our readers,” he said. “For every Jayson Blair and Jack Kelley, there are clearly tens of thousands of dedicated, reliable journalists churning out stories on everything from municipal scandals to investment perspective.”

Another indicator reflecting the industry’s health is its entrepreneurial spirit, Ridder said, citing such supplements as Red Eye in Chicago and CIN Weekly in Cincinnati.

“I see supplemental print products spring up and expanding everywhere,” Ridder said.

Jones new NAA chairman

Ridder handed his NAA chairmanship over to Gregg K. Jones, co-publisher of The Greeneville (Tenn.) Sun and president of Jones Media Inc., who was elected chairman at the annual meeting. Ridder will continue to serve on the NAA board as immediate past chairman.

Jones has served on NAA’s board since 1995, most recently as vice chairman, and has chaired the postal, industry development and NAA/ABC liaison committees.

He is also a past president, director and committee chairman of the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association and currently serves as a trustee of the SNPA Foundation.

 Other officers elected were Vice Chairman Jay R. Smith, president of Cox Newspapers Inc.; Secretary Boisfeuillet Jones Jr., publisher and CEO of The Washington Post; and Treasurer Susan Clark-Johnson, senior group president of Gannett Pacific Newspaper Group, and chief executive officer and publisher, The (Phoenix) Arizona Republic.