Wyoming publisher, Matthew Adelman, named NNA president

Nov 1, 2019

Milwaukee, Wisconsin — Matthew Adelman, publisher of the Douglas (Wyoming) Budget and Glenrock (Wyoming) Independent, was elected president of the National Newspaper Association during the association’s 133rd annual convention and trade show Oct. 5, 2019. He had been vice president.

Adelman said the next year or two will be critical to NNA and to the industry, so his focus for the board will be on membership — from thanking current members for their support to welcoming back old friends, as well as shaking hands with new ones, as we reach out to all those community newspaper people who benefit from our hard work.

“Your NNA Board has worked tirelessly during the last few years to stabilize our financial situation, and it has worked well,” Adelman said. “Now, our attention is being turned to membership. We know many of our members — some long-term dedicated supporters — are struggling to balance their own operations. NNA dues, like other association costs, may look like an easy place to cut, but it is not a good move either financially or for your undying dedication to our newspapering institutions. NNA is the only community newspaper association that relies primarily on its members — on you — to succeed where others falter, to help you survive even in economically difficult situations. Think of the newsprint tariff battle, which we won. Think of the many proposed postal rate increases that would have devastated your bottom line but were held in check by your association’s efforts. Think of the many First Amendment and public notice/government accountability struggles we have not only endured but overcome.

"To do any and all of that, we must have everyone participate. We need numbers — large membership numbers — when we go to Capitol Hill to battle on your behalf. Numbers matter to Congress and the bureaucrats who make decisions that can hit your paper or help it. We need your membership dollars to sustain those skirmishes and to plan for the bigger, more costly wars ahead.

“Without you and your membership, we cannot be successful. So, thank you, for your membership and your participation in those efforts and others. Then, when you see your dues statement, think of it not as an expense but an investment in your business, in our industry and in our nation.”

Adelman succeeds Andrew Johnson, publisher of the Dodge County Pionier in Mayville, Wisconsin, who became immediate past president.
Mike Fishman, publisher of the Citizen Tribune in Morristown, Tennessee, was elected vice president. He had been treasurer.
Brett Wesner, president of Wesner Publications, was named treasurer. He had been Region 9 director.

NNA regions and directors are: Region 1 Director Jeanne Straus, owner, Straus Media, New York, New York (Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont); Region 2 Director Dennis Richardson, owner of Magic Valley Publishing in Camden, Tennessee (District of Columbia, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia); Region 3 Director Bo Bolton, publisher, The Monroe Journal, Monroeville, Alabama (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina and Puerto Rico); Region 4 Director John Galer, publisher, the Hillsboro (Illinois) Journal-News (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio and Pennsylvania); Region 5 Director Jeremy Waltner, co-publisher, the Freeman (South Dakota) Courier (Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin); Region 6 Director Randy Keck, publisher, the Community News, Aledo, Texas (Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas; Region 7 Director J. Louie Mullen, publisher, Blackbird LLC, Buffalo, Wyoming (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington) and Region 8 Director Robb Hicks, publisher, Eclipse, Newcastle, Wyoming (Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming).
Adelman appointed Martha Diaz Aszkenazy, publisher of the San Fernando (California) Valley Sun Members to the board. Members in Region 9, be on the lookout for a ballot.

Continuing on the board is Bradley Thompson, publisher of the Detroit (Michigan) Legal News, representing American Court and Commercial Newspapers, and Beth Bennett, executive director, Wisconsin Newspaper Association, representing the Newspaper Association Managers.

Named to the board as an at-large director was Jeanie Hankins, publisher of The Wickenburg (Arizona) Sun.