Public Notice Resources Nna

Protecting, Promoting and Enhancing Community Newspapers Since 1885 Public notices in newspapers are part of the three-legged stool of government accountability. Public notices help to inform the public on activities by the government and other public entities. Public notices have been included in newspapers from the beginning of the Republic. Now they are also on many newspapers’ websites. A valid public notice should have four key elements:

The public notices in most newspapers appear in the classified section. In some states, that is because state law considers them classified ads. In others, it's simply tradition — they've been there for all of our lives. Lewis and Clark used public notices. Most state constitutions were drawn up with the help of public notices. Learning from the master: How Jim Lockwood weaves award-winning journalism out of public notices

Protecting, Promoting and Enhancing Community Newspapers Since 1885 National Newspaper Association provides postal consulting services for its members. Learning from the master: How Jim Lockwood weaves award-winning journalism out of public notices A recent study found local newspapers as the most “trusted” source (of all mediums tested) when it comes to learning about candidates for public office. 2022 Community Newspaper Readership Survey Public notices inform citizens of the everyday activities of government.

From government spending to developing new policies, it is important for people to be informed of actions taken by public officials that affect citizens’ everyday lives. Public Notices are essential to a democracy and an informed citizenry. Without Public Notices, citizens cannot properly and adequately make informed decisions. While the Internet is a great resource for information, public notices have been and remain most effective in newspapers. Newspapers are the watchdogs of their local communities and can most effectively monitor the actions of their respective local governments. This not only allows local residents to be informed but it also forces local public officials to be held accountable.

Additionally, Notices in newspapers are permanent records that cannot be altered or deleted. They are also more accessible as anyone can have access to a newspaper as opposed to the internet. Published public notices provide actual notice to the public about government actions like tax and fee increases, land use and environmental decisions, delinquent taxpayer notices that can lead to a government seizure and sale... To be effective, public notices must have these attributes: • Publication is in a forum independent of the government. • The published notice is a preserved and secure tangible record that is archived.

Savvy reporters regularly review the notices published in their papers for a potential source of news about local government operations. Reporting on that information helps ensure that matters important to their communities — including, for example, zoning applications, development plans, foreclosure auctions or filings, government and corporate disposal of private property — receive the... PNRC’s Michael Kramer Public Notice Journalism Award highlights the best newspaper reporting based on public notices. Started in 2014, the contest celebrates the reporters and editors who bring these important stories to life. Here are the contest winners since 2014. The 2024 competition will be administered by the National Newspaper Association Foundation as a category in NNAF’s Better Newspaper Contest.

NNA members can submitted entries online by clicking this link; non-members can email their entries to NNA’s Lynne Lance at lynne@nna.org. The category description and what judges will be looking for are noted below. Entries are free of charge and must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on April 28, 2024. Protecting, Promoting and Enhancing Community Newspapers Since 1885 2023 was a lot like 2022: A pretty good year marred primarily by the vote of a GOP-dominated state legislature to allow some local governments to publish notices on their own websites in lieu...

Last year it was Florida; this year Ohio. Twenty-one states saw bills in 2023 that would have significantly curtailed newspaper notice, a number that is at the high end of the normal range for these kinds of bills. The only one to pass was Ohio HB-33. The legislative data this year were similar to those in the recent past in other respects, as well. In total, PNRC tracked about 200 bills that had the potential to affect public notice; 50 were signed into law. Most of these new statutes will have little impact, equally divided between those that will have a marginally positive effect on government transparency and those that will slightly enhance official secrecy.

[Spreadsheet analyzing 2023 public notice legislation available at https://bit.ly/3RroX7l] [Rubric for bill types is available at https://bit.ly/3GGWdSS] Protecting, Promoting and Enhancing Community Newspapers Since 1885 Public notices in newspapers are part of the three-legged stool of government accountability. Public notices help to inform the public on activities by the government and other public entities. ... Learning from the master: How Jim Lockwood weaves award-winning journalism out of public notices

Days after eight small Wyoming towns were rescued from the brink of losing their weekly newspapers, a reader contacted the new owners with a simple request. SIGNiX’s fast, secure and fully digital affidavit notarization will now be available in SCS’s Community Advertising System, making it easy for publishing teams to process legal notices without ... This time of year, legislative activity tends to be at a slower pace. PNRC anticipates the new year will bring increased activity as legislators aim to move bills before they enter the election cycle. Many of the state legislative bodies are not in session right now. PNRC urges people to keep an eye on what local governments are doing as well as the state house.

One example occurring right now: Across the country, massive new data center projects tied to expanding the artificial intelligence industry are being announced. These facilities take up huge swaths of land and require a lot of energy. It’s incumbent on local governments and state houses to provide complete transparency and notice of these facilities. Publication should be in print AND in digital format Print: Publication must have a fair price and a preexisting audience apart from public notice. Digital: There should be no cost to readers to access digital notices. Public notices in print should be readable Readers should be able to find them.

The best publishers provide enhanced services (e.g., email subscription) to specialized audiences at a reasonable price. Publishers should make reasonable effort to direct attention to notices Efficient indexing for ease of reader use, quick access to web links, and reporting on news embedded in important notices are among the tools... Print publication is self-authenticating Publishers should be prepared to provide an affidavit of publication. Digital authentication is evolving. Print authentication is particularly critical for real estate. Public notices should be archived for proof of publication Archives should be open to public during reasonable office hours and copies should be available at publisher’s cost.

Archives should be preserved for historians Care should be taken to retain archives when systems or owners change. The Public Notice Resource Center is here to support your effort to retain public and legal notices in newspapers. Your donation helps PNRC track legislation and be a resource for your legislative efforts. The PNRC Board is available to speak at your convention, reminding publishers about the best practices for public notices and staff an informational table. When a newspaper does not follow best practices, it can jeopardize notices for all. PNRC is willing to discuss strategies for legislative efforts and help successfully identify legislative efforts in other states.

PNRC is funded by donations from state press associations and members of American Courts and Commercial Newspapers. Without the continued support PNRC would not be the resource for keeping notices public. Promoting news literacy, protecting the First Amendment and enhancing the capabilities of community newspapers Learning from the master: How Jim Lockwood weaves award-winning journalism out of public notices Local governments are putting the finishing touches on 2026 operations as this year nears a close. Budgets and tax levies have been presented to citizens, debated and adopted.

Publishers' Auxiliary (Pub Aux) is the only national publication serving America's community newspapers. The Stevenson family, owners of Sidney (Nebraska) Sun Telegraph, The Saratoga (Wyoming) Sun, Pine Bluffs (Wyoming) Post and Western Nebraska Observer in Kimball, Nebraska, have sold the newspapers to the ... Promoting news literacy, protecting the First Amendment and enhancing the capabilities of community newspapers Learning from the master: How Jim Lockwood weaves award-winning journalism out of public notices Public notice journalism is an art, according to Jim Lockwood, award-winning city government reporter for the Scranton Times-Tribune (read here). But he promises that with practice, any reporter can become an expert in ferreting out important news articles from public notice advertising and keep readers in the know.

Lockwood’s three Rs of public notice journalism Be an early bird: Lockwood advises daily newspaper reporters to read their paper’s public notices first thing in the morning. Sometimes they announce meetings, hearings and other events and initiatives taking place that same day. “Don’t wait until 5 p.m. or you might miss something important,” he said. Weekly newspaper reporters shouldn’t dally, either.

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