Phone call and ‘Thank-yous’

By Jacob BartelsonSports Reporter, Kane County Chronicle, Shaw Media NINA editor’s note: Below is Jacob Bartelson’s “View from the Sidelines” newsletter story sent via email blast to Kane County Chronicle readers. It isn’t available as a link. What follows is his explanation of why he wrote it. I felt bad for making the phone call, …

8 Ways Student Journalism Is Different During a Pandemic

BY SHELLEY HENDRICKS, Northern Star Adviser, NINA Board Secretary At the beginning of the pandemic, much was said about the merits of working from home. Some people could even be heard saying they’d gladly never go back to the office. I was not one of those people. I can’t wait until I can be in …

Grammar Moses: Why Print Delivery Is Going To The Dogs

BY JIM BAUMANN Like any good newshound, I dip my toe into all manner of social media channels to see what actual humans are talking about. Yes, even Nextdoor, where, it seems, one’s entire sphere of awareness is informed by what someone else in the group tells them is going on. In my Nextdoor group, …

NINA Simplifies Annual Dues Structure

This article is written by Pat Szpekowski, APR, freelance writer and NINA's second vice president. Staying strong and remaining a positive voice for newspapers and journalists remains a top priority for the Northern Illinois Newspaper Association. While our mission is unchanged, NINA is always looking to the future and evolving with the times. We have …

Fuller: Newspapers Need To Explain Reasons For, Value of The Paywall

Editor's Note: This article is written by Jim Fuller, senior writer with the Daily Herald newspaper, college newspaper adviser and immediate past president of the Northern Illinois Newspaper Association.  Click this link to read his blog directly and subscribe to additional posts. I feel my blood pressure rise when I see comments like this on …

Top 10 Reasons to Attend NINA’S Saturday, Sept. 21, Trusting News Workshop in Naperville

BY PAT SZPEKOWSKI, PR STRATEGIES, NINA BOARD MEMBER Stop what you're doing right now and email Shelley Hendricks at shendricks@niu.edu to let her know you're coming to the Northern Illinois Newspaper Association's "Trusting News" workshop on Sept. 21 at NIU's Naperville campus. Need a reason? Here are 10: (1) Have some FREE continuing education. Where …

NINA Keynote Heidi Stevens: ‘We Need to Listen, And We Also Need to Lead’

“We need to serve as watchdogs and gatekeepers and eyes and ears and voices for our readers, but we also need to remind people how to talk to one another."

Block Club: Pioneers of a New, Ad-Free Business Model

BY JIM FULLER, Daily Herald Senior Writer and NINA Board Vice President It's exciting to be on the innovative track for the future of our industry." — Shamus Toomey The sudden closure of DNAinfo last November may become the best "worst thing" that ever happened to the founding members of the new Block Club Chicago …

Retired Editor Won’t Forget The People

"It’s impossible to thank all who helped make my career such a joy. I never had a day when I woke up in the morning and dreaded going to work. Each day was truly a new adventure."

Quick! What Are 5 Most Important Things High School Journalists Should Know?

A few weeks back, Jason Akst asked fellow journalists what skills they think young journalists are likely to need in the not-so-distant future. Here's what a few had to say.