Journalism 2.0

Last month I traveled through what seemed like a time warp. I was transported back in time to a place where newspaper publishers gather in first-class accommodations, party with old friends and celebrate a business they love.

Publishers gathered at the Otesaga Hotel and Resort in Cooperstown

At the annual publishers’ conference for the New York Press Association, I was introduced to a vibrant organization hosting a two-day conference in Cooperstown. I haven’t been to the annual conferences of all other state press associations (just a handful), but NYPA appears to be in a league of its own.

How? For starters, most of the newspapers in attendance were run by independent ownership. Without massive corporate debt (resulting from ill-conceived acquisitions) weighing it down, a community newspaper can still thrive in the digital age (contrary to what is reported about the national landscape).

In one session titled “web pricing models,” the presenter asked who was experiencing declining ad revenues. None of the 15 publishers attending the session raised a hand. (I was a shocked.)

The NYPA is experiencing growth, too. The association has approximately 500 member newspapers “and that number continues to grow each year,” according to Jill Van Dusen, assistant general manager at NYPA. Approximately 300 people attended the Spring Convention, too.

The newspaper publishers at the conference – in its 156th year – were not resting on their laurels, however. They were actively discussing digital strategies and looking for ways to improve their business with web and mobile.

And through it all, there was a vibe I hadn’t felt at a newspaper conference in a long time. It’s the vibe you get at a tech conference or at the recent Online News Association conference in San Francisco. I spent considerable time with publishers at the dinners and lunches and attended other sessions. There was no dark cloud and “doom and gloom. “Instead, measured optimism and pride in good work being done permeated the conversations.

Michelle Rea, the NYPA’s stylish executive director, asked me to speak at the next NYPA conference in March. Of course, I said yes. I can’t wait to return to the great newspaper time warp.