In a thoughtful letter to New England newspaper professionals, Warren C. Dews Jr., president of NEACE (New England Association of Circulation Executives), announces the dates for the organization’s Spring Conference, scheduled for Sunday, May 22 and Monday, May 23 at the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge, MA.
Dews also challenges us to think about the meaning of circulation in modern publishing and reveals that the 105-year-old organization is expanding its focus and will now be covering Marketing, Advertising, Production/Operations, and Circulation.
Dear Newspaper Colleagues and Friends,
My name is Warren C. Dews Jr., President of NEACE (New England Association of Circulation Executives). I am excited to announce our organization’s upcoming plans, but first let me start by asking a simple question: what is circulation?
Think about your answer but keep reading.
It has been almost three years since we were able to meet for our amazing NEACE Spring Conference. It was one of the most humbling experiences in my life to be named the very first African-American to hold the President position in the 102-year history of this prestigious organization. Three years later, we are now 105-years old and, like so many other organizations across the country, we have emerged from extremely difficult and challenging times.
We are still here, and we aren’t going anywhere. Our Spring Conference “The Pivot, The New Normal,” is the next chapter in our story and will lay out the next steps for our future.
I’m here to officially let you know that N.E.A.C.E. will expand its focus. We will now be covering Marketing, Advertising, Production/Operation, and Circulation. Our name will stay the same, but our focus will be changing, and we will change the meaning of circulation.
So, again, I ask: what is circulation? It is what is needed to grow your business. Circulation, also known as readership, means reaching a diverse audience. You must understand how to market and advertise your brand. You must be able to produce a product and deliver it to your consumer the way they want and need it. Print and digital are undeniably important: learning how to pivot with the changing environment via both platforms is essential to survival. You must be what and where your consumer’s needs are found. N.E.A.C.E. is now the New England Association of Circulation Executives. Yes, same name, but with a twist.
Come to this year’s Spring Conference in the beautiful Berkshires of Massachusetts at the famous and illustrious Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge. This is happening Sunday, May 22, and Monday, May 23 – so mark your calendars. We will cover how to increase readership by using influencers through digital partnerships. You will gain a wealth of knowledge from an expert with over 20 years of experience in digital advertising and marketing. You will learn the best ways for your market to grow revenue by still focusing on digital and print revenue. We will also have an expert discussing the best ways to monetize your content and/or use your content to better understand your customer funnel flow. You will leave this meeting with powerful nuggets of knowledge to bring back to your company.
Come and join the new N.E.A.C.E. Because circulation is everything and a lot more – you’ll see.
Sincerely,
Warren C. Dews Jr., President
Worcester Telegram & Gazette to Receive NEFAC’s 2022 Freedom of Information Award
The New England First Amendment Coalition will honor the Worcester Telegram & Gazette with its 2022 Michael Donoghue Freedom of Information Award.
The FOI Award is given each year to a New England journalist or team of journalists for a body of work from the previous calendar year that protects or advances the public’s right to know under federal or state law.
Preference is given to those who overcome significant official resistance.
The Telegram & Gazette began what would become multi-year legal battle against the Worcester Police Department for access to internal affairs reports in 2018. A judge ruled in its favor last year and in January of this year awarded punitive damages — the first time a court has done so since the Massachusetts public records law was reformed in 2016.
The Telegram & Gazette will receive the FOI Award at NEFAC’s 12th annual New England First Amendment Awards online ceremony from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. on April 13.
Ticket and registration information can be found here. All ticket proceeds will benefit civics and First Amendment education in New England.
The coalition will also present its Stephen Hamblett First Amendment Award and Antonia Orfield Citizenship Award during the program. Raney Aronson-Rath, executive producer of FRONTLINE, will receive the First Amendment Award. The Citizenship Award recipient will be announced soon.
Previous recipients of the FOI Award are The Bangor Daily News (2021); Hearst Connecticut Media Group (2020); the Hartford Courant (2019); Todd Wallack of The Boston Globe (2018); The Sun Journal in Lewiston, Maine (2017); Jenifer McKim of the New England Center for Investigative Reporting (2016); James W. Foley (posthumously), the war correspondent and New Hampshire native killed by the Islamic State (2015); Brent Curtis of the Rutland Herald in Vermont (2014); and Don Stacom of the Hartford Courant (2013).