Nevada Press Association The best in Nevada journalism since 1924
The NPA Board of Directors approved the membership applications of four news websites on Tuesday, marking the first time in its 96-year history the association has welcomed non-newspapers into the organization as full-fledged members.
The membership applications of Nevada Current, The Nevada Independent, This is Reno and The Sierra Nevada Ally were all approved unanimously at the board’s teleconference on Tuesday. All four online news organizations are now eligible to participate in all NPA programs, to vote on organizational matters, and to have representatives run for election to the board of directors.
NPA amended its Constitution and Bylaws at the association’s annual meeting in September, 2019, to allow non-newspaper news organizations to qualify for the same member benefits as newspapers. Prior to the change, such organizations were only allowed to join as Associate Members, which are not eligible for the full panoply of benefits.
Under the new rules, applying organizations must publish news and meet the following criteria to be eligible for Affiliate Membership:
“(P)ublish regularly and consecutively for one year prior to applying; adhere to recognized standards of professional journalism; revise content on a regular basis — not less than once per weekday in the case of online news publishers, and not less than once per quarter in the case of print publications; publish under a fixed title or name and display publication dates; are principally devoted to the dissemination of original local or general news of interest to residents of Nevada and other editorial content available to the general public; devote at least 25 percent of their content to news and editorial matter; maintain a Nevada-based office of operation where business or publishing is conducted during regular business hours; and do not serve primarily as a platform to promote the interests and/or opinions of a government entity or a special interest group, individual or cause.”
“Our board of directors have made it clear that we want to be the trade organization that represents all non-broadcast news organizations in Nevada,” said Richard Karpel, NPA executive director. “We hope the news websites that became Affiliate Members this week play a major role in the future of the organization and the survival of local, independent journalism in Nevada.”