We Believe In Newspapers

"We believe in newspapers." 

That was the theme of this year's Illinois Press Association convention, held in Springfield June 8 and June 9. And it couldn't' be more true.  Our family definitely believes in newspapers, and has for generations. 

First family photo at the IPA convention

I'm the fourth generation in my family to work at The Journal-News over the years, and I couldn't be more proud of the way that my family has contributed to our community for more than 70 years.  Yes, we definitely believe in newspapers. 

As far as Kyle and I can remember, Grace has attended each of the Illinois Press Association conventions since she has been born. She has also joined us for several Southern Illinois Editorial Association conventions, and is always the bell of the ball. 

Getting ready for a swim

So, we were very excited this year to have Charlotte join us at this year's Illinois Press Association convention as the newest member of the newspaper family.  She ended up sleeping through most of it, but she certainly stole the show when she was awake! 

Just splashing around

This year, we headed up to Springfield after Kyle got off work on Thursday night so we could spend the night. I was asked to help with one of the sessions in the morning, so it was easier to be in Springfield already.  And it gave us a chance to take the girls swimming the hotel pool.  Grace has always been a water bug, and it was fun to see Charlotte swim for the first time too.  They only made it about a half an hour in the water, but it was one of the best parts of the trip. 


The next morning, Kyle graciously offered to take Grace to physical therapy across town, so that I could help with one of the workshops.  The IPA had asked me to interview Art Cullen, editor of the Storm Lake Times in Iowa, and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing.   

I was so honored they asked me to interview him for a session called "Why Real News Matters." Mr. Cullen took on some big agricultural companies in Iowa as part of his editorial series and talked about why it's so important for journalists to keep fighting the good fight and making a difference in their communities.  Charlotte was thoroughly impressed  - she slept through the whole thing on my mom's lap. 

After that, it was time to meet Kyle and Grace for the annual awards luncheon.  Kyle had to stop at Kohl's after physical therapy, because I might have forgotten to pack any clothes for him to wear to the luncheon. I have to say he was a pretty good sport about the whole thing, and got a beautiful new purple dress shirt and tie out of the deal.

We found a table in the back with my mom and dad, that way we could make a quick escape if Charlotte was unhappy.  But she did great, and we enjoyed the meal and conversation with other fellow journalists as well. This year, the newspaper won 12 awards in advertising and 11 awards in editorial content. I was most proud to win an award for my column writing, A Grace-Filled Journey, many of which can be found here in this blog.  Kyle also won an award for his sports column, and we were very honored to be recognized. 

Charley's first IPA convention

It's always nice to win awards, but it never changes what we do here at the paper.  We will continue to cover the communities of Montgomery County to the best of our ability, sharing news that makes a difference. We are so grateful to all of our readers who have joined us in the fight to #beatINAD and follow our Grace-Filled Journey.   

Yes, in our family, we believe in newspapers, because we know they make a difference. It's one reason we have been able to raise so much funding and awareness for INAD. And we won't stop until families around the world don't have to fight this battle anymore.  My dad has always said I have ink in my veins, and I wouldn't have it any other way. 

mlh