A close call during this year’s legislative session put the fear of god into newspaper industry leaders in Indiana. The Hoosier State Press Association responded by convening a Public Notice Summit, which was held Sept. 13 during the association’s annual conference and advertising awards gala.

“We had a big scare in our last session,” said HSPA Executive Director Steve Key, referring to a bill that was introduced in the state House that would have eliminated foreclosure notices in Indiana newspapers. “The bill got a hearing but died in a Senate committee.”

This wasn’t the first year HSPA was forced to advocate for newspaper notice, of course. Over the past two decades, the association has fought 84 different bills that would have eliminated or reduced newspaper notice, noted Key.

The Sept. 13 event attracted about 50 publishers. “We had a good discussion and showed that publishers need to get engaged with local and state officials,” Key said.

In the past, he could count on most member papers having a publisher who was involved in a variety of community activities, from chairing the local United Way to participating in Rotary or serving as a board member of the Chamber of Commerce, Key said. That community involvement made a difference.

But in today’s business environment, many chain papers have consolidated their operations and installed regional publishers who don’t live in the communities where their newspapers are located, according to Key.

“We have to redouble our efforts to get our members engaged with their local governments and their legislators and to carry the flag for keeping public notices in newspapers,” he said.

In an editorial published following the conference, summit attendee Greg Perrotto of Kankakee Valley Publishing (pictured on the right) wrote, “As a newspaper, we need to take a better approach at making sure that our readers are aware of what content we include in our newspapers. Whether it’s public notices, obituaries, sports or Susie’s grandma turning 100, we need to make sure our readers know the importance of their local newspapers