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The Nevada Press Association Board of Directors has proposed amending the organization’s governing documents to allow online news sites, magazines and other types of news publishers in the Silver State to apply for full membership rights in the association. Under NPA’s current rules, only newspapers that are statutorily authorized to publish public notices in the state qualify for full membership in the association.
Under the new rules, non-newspaper publications that comply with professional standards of journalism would be eligible to join the association and exercise full membership rights, including standing for election for seats on the board of directors and voting on matters that come to a vote at the association’s annual meeting.
Although some state press associations have liberalized their membership rules over the past ten years, only a few have granted full membership rights to non-legacy news publishers (i.e., Colorado, New York, Maryland/Delaware/DC). To take effect, the proposed changes must be approved by a two-thirds vote of the members present at the organization’s 2019 Annual Meeting, which is scheduled on Saturday, Sept. 21 in Ely, Nevada.
“The distinction between newspapers and other kinds of news publishers continues to dwindle in the internet era,” said NPA President Glenn Cook, executive editor and vice president of news at the Las Vegas Review Journal. “We believe those differences are now so insignificant that it no longer makes sense to keep them baked into our membership rules.”
Cook also noted that online news publishers, magazines and alternative newspapers have been allowed to participate in NPA’s annual journalism and advertising contest for many years now. “We’ve already cracked the doors open a little to other news organizations to participate in our association,” said Cook. “Now it’s time to swing them open and welcome all legitimate news publishers to apply for full membership rights in our organization.”
The NPA Board of Directors has also proposed a number of other amendments to the association’s Constitution and Bylaws. Most importantly, they have suggested adding a provision in the second clause noting that one of the fundamental purposes of the organization is to “promote open government” by advocating for strengthening public records and open meetings laws, and for maintaining laws mandating the distribution of official, statutorily required public notice via newspapers.
They have also proposed about a dozen minor amendments that would eliminate antiquities, clarify meaning and consolidate similar provisions.
The suggested changes are laid out in the attached Microsoft Word document, which includes comments in the margins describing the objective and impact of most of the amendments.