The Homewood-Flossmoor Chronicle has been accepted as a member of the Illinois Press Association, one of the country’s largest state newspaper organizations.
Lynne Lance, the IPA’s director of member relations, notified the Chronicle last week that the association’s board voted unanimously to approve the online newspaper’s membership. She said the Chronicle is currently the IPA’s only online affiliate. The IPA has 455 member newspapers.
“The board was very impressed with your application, your dedication to news and your website,” Lance said.
The Chronicle made its debut on the web, Facebook and Twitter in June, 2014. Founder Eric Crump initially focused exclusively on Homewood news. By the end of the year, he was joined by experienced journalists Marilyn Thomas and Tom Houlihan. The publication changed its name to the H-F Chronicle and began reporting news from both Homewood and Flossmoor.
The purpose of joining IPA was to gain access to the collective wisdom of journalists statewide and to the resources that can help the Chronicle continue to improve its service to the community, Crump said.
“We’re delighted to be a part of Illinois Press Association,” Crump said. “As local journalists, we work hard to know our community well, but we also need to keep in touch with larger issues facing the profession and to always seek ways to improve what we do here. IPA resources will help us keep the Chronicle growing as a news organization and as a business.”
The IPA was founded in 1865 and is celebrating its 150th year of service. It has evolved from a fraternal organization to one whose agenda now focuses on a wide array of legislative, business, advertising, educational and legal services. The IPA is governed by a board of directors of 15 newspaper executives representing an equal number of weekly and daily newspapers from regional districts.
The board of directors determines the legislative and business practices that are carried out by the IPA’s full-time staff of 15 employees.
The IPA continues to provide professional education, government access and newspaper advertising promotion to members. It also provides assistance for Newspapers in Education and literacy programs, education and promotion of the First Amendment, information on evolving technology and new media and “hot button” seminars.
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