• Newseum
• LOOKING FOR EFFICIENCY: Could NWA study mean end of local inserts to regional D-G such as Northwest Arkansas Times?

More on the hearbreaking news that the New Orleans Times-Picayune will no longer be a daily newspaper. It will be printed three days a week, but shift more attention to digital delivery. The owner of that newspaper is doing the same thing in Huntsville, Mobile and Birmingham. Four substantial Southern cities without a daily newspaper. Unbelievable. No Saturday paper to peruse high school football scores.

Here's an interesting report on what happened when this same plan was put in place in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Last night, the open line mentioned and readers engaged at some length on another piece of newspaper news closer to home. It was a report in The City Wire, an energetic on-line news "paper" for Fort Smith and Northwest Arkansas, that the Hussman-Stephens Northwest Arkansas newspaper combine was not producing the hoped-for profits. A New York consultant has been hired to search for "efficiency" and new revenue.

As I remarked last night, the problem seems self-evident. In preserving the three Stephens dailies as inserts to the regional Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the combine has duplicated printing and staff costs, apparently without achieving any meaningful revenue boost from selling people into one or the other or both. A unified regional daily newspaper seems the obvious solution, at some further significant cost to people, the major newspaper expense. That's just idle speculation, of course, but it has seemed the obvious outcome from the start of this venture. If increased revenue ideas are out there, this consultant will become the most-sought-after commodity in American newspapering, which has been on a cumulative downward trend in revenue for years.

It's a national dilemma. Has advertising changed fundamentally? Will readers pay sufficient money for digital subscriptions to support comprehensive reporting staffs? Are free TV websites — with most headlines, sports scores and weather — enough for most people? These are questions that may not be answered in my lifetime, though, as fast as things move and given my advancing age (almost 62), they might. The survival of the daily "paper"? That question HAS been answered, just not the second part — when is the final day?

A tipster told me last week that word would be coming soon about staff reductions at the Jonesboro Sun as the Paxton chain-owned newspaper consolidated page design and production jobs in Kentucky. News of that popped up further recently on sportsjournalists.com

It's only the tip of a national iceberg. Newspapers haven't yet reversed the steady decline in print advertising dollars. Web sales — either in paywalls for readers or advertising — haven't nearly covered the loss. So staffs are dwindling; page and ad production is being consolidated in regional "hubs"; copy editors are disappearing, and special project reporting teams are becoming a thing of the past at some of the country's most prestigious papers.

On that cheery note .... I need to think about something to write to note the Arkansas Times' 20th anniversary as a weekly newspaper-turned-multiplatform medium. Bottom line: We're still here.

• EYEWITNESS NEWS: Mel Hanks.

He's now an assistant professor of media studies at Fort Hays (Kansas) State University. He's migrated some of his VHS tapes from Channel 4 days to the Internet. News and TV junkies ought to get a kick out of looking back at such names in the news as Barry Lee Fairchild (executed), Johnny Burnette (murdered), Tommy Robinson (sheriff/congressman now runs a liquor store) and more, including an investigation of a suspected dognapping business that supplied medical researchers before it was busted.

You can catch about 10 minutes here, much of it about the dog operation and also about an abused child.

And another 9 minutes here on Fairchild and the Burnette slaying.

• Dixie Knight
• IN THE BEGINNING: Griffin Smith at his hiring announcement in 1992.

Fasten your seatbelts.

UPDATE: Multiple anonymous sources are now reporting that Executive Editor Griffin Smith has announced his resignation, effective tomorrow, and that Managing Editor David Bailey will be taking over supervision of the news department. He announced his resignation, not retirement, at a newsroom meeting attended by Democrat-Gazette Publisher Walter Hussman. No explanation was given for the change.

One staff member said the announcement came with what would be reassuring news for the staff, an end to regular "furloughs" as a cost-saving tool.

Smith has been executive editor of the paper since about July 1, 1992, just shy of 20 years. He's a lawyer and has a background in magazine writing.

According to a brief account on the newspaper website, Smith said it was the "right time" and Hussman said no replacement would be hired for the immediate future. Hussman, according to the account, praised Smith's work. There was no mention of whether Smith's wife, Libby, would continue as newspaper travel editor. According to the D-G account, she learned of his decision when he announced it to the staff. He remarked that she would become the family's main breadwinner.

Also to watch in the future: Whether some of Smith's favorite quirks will be continued under new leadership, notably his rewriting of history pertaining to the Little Rock school crisis to put Orval Faubus in a more favorable light and his insistence that seatbelt use not be mentioned in reports on fatal auto accidents. Could use of the word "vomit" be far behind? And, perish the thought, spokeswomen? And less attention to David O. Dodd's birthday? (UPDATE: I now have the statutory two sources who say don't expect vomit to grace the pages. That, I'm told reliably, is a word the publisher banned.)

The Democrat-Gazette has posted a story on-line that doesn't appear to be behind their pay wall.

I spoke later with new newsroom leader Bailey, 62, who's been at the Democrat-Gazette since 1993. Contrary to what I indicated in first reports from various sources, the appointment wasn't characterized as an interim one. This would follow the pattern of the Hussman-owned Chattanooga paper, where a departing executive editor wasn't replaced and the managing editor assumed newsroom leadership.

He said the end of the one-day-a-month furlough had been under discussion for sometime and was met with warm applause from the staff. "I think things are looking up," he said.

Two programs on media bias in the next two days:

This evening, at the Clinton School for Public Service, Joseph Torres will talk about "News for All the People," a book he co-authored on the history of race and the American media. Starts at 6 p.m. Reserve your seats by emailing publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu, or calling 501-683-5239.

Tomorrow at 6 p.m., the UALR Department of Sociology and Anthropology is hosting a screening of "Miss Representation," a documentary about the media's portrayal of women, which will be followed by a panel discussion. Leslie Peacock and I will participate along with Times columnist Graham Gordy and AY's Angela Thomas. All happens in the EIT Auditorium. Free, but reservations required.

A reminder that Rosi Smith and I will be begging for money for KUAR/KLRE from 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. this morning.

Call 569-8485 or 1-800-952-2528 and make a pledge.

Or go to kuar.org

The blog match is in effect. Mention the blog and I'll add $10 to your total. $20 for Republicans.

Morning posting will be light to non-existent until I'm done.

I doubt we can top the showing today of the newlyweds, Jay Barth and Chuck Cliett today, but we'll do our best. It's the final day of the drive. Begging ends today.

UPDATE: We raised more than $15,000 this morning and had a healthy response to blog challenge, but I don't have final numbers. We even scored a couple of Republican donors.

• TO LRSD: Pamela Smith

She'll be replacing Tiffany Hoffman as the district's director of communications. Hoffman has moved into the real estate business.

Smith is to start April 2, the district said.

• A NEW CHAPTER: Lawsuit adds to this week's cover story.

Three Bryant aldermen — Adrian Henley, Brenda Miller and Danny Steele — filed a lawsuit yesterday in Saline Circuit court over anonymous comments made on local websites. They contend unnamed defendants, principally using mysaline.com, have defamed them. They say the comments were knowingly false, a standard necessary for a public official to make a defamation claim.

They also accuse the unnamed defendants with "cyberbullying." Said the lawsuit:

Defendants have transmitted, sent, or posted communications by electronic means with the purpose to frighten, coerce, intimidate, threaten, abuse, harass or alarm Plaintiffs and they have done so in furtherance of severe, repeated, or hostile behavior toward Plaintiffs.

While these aldermen have been a source of much resistance to Mayor Jill Dabbs stormy management, which earns them some sympathy here, I think this is a bad idea for any number of reasons. One is the rooting around they apparently intend to do to uncover who makes comments on websites. (!?!) Another is the further publicity they'll give to the very comments they don't like. Another is the exposure they might give opponents to their own private activities in the course of lawsuit discovery. Another, and most important, is the baseline fact that they are elected officials serving in a political hotspot partially of their own making. If you can't stand the heat ...

Cheree Franco, in her story this week, depicts Bryant as a fairly typical suburban community. Those who really care about politics are wrapped up in this controversy. But a much larger number seem to be mostly concerned about getting their kids to school and doing their jobs. Legal fights to settle essentially political disputes (best decided in elections) are rarely popular.

I'm sympathetic, too, to the small media outlet that will bear the brunt of the legal expenses in opposing the fishing expedition for the aldermen's critics. It's a chilling thing. The lawsuit includes a request (link corrected) for an order that Shelli Russell, operator of MySaline.com, preserve all information that could lead the plaintiffs to the identities of The Shadow, Lawchic, lawchic, up beat in bryant, Up Beat in Bryant, Upbeat in Bryant, Lady Bella, Shadidog, Sybil, Sybill and Concerned Citizen.

It's open. Closing out:

* POLITICS AND SOCIAL MEDIA: Michael Cook, who's a Democrat, writes at length about the obvious — Republicans are far advanced compared with Arkansas Democratic politicians on use of Facebook and Twitter. Democratic Chair Will Bond sounds defensive — Democrats are more interested in doing good deeds for people than making up cute Tweets. I think a great deal of Republican Facebooking and Twittering is echo chamber stuff. But it nourishes the base that uses social media. It sometimes — regrettably — plants bogus themes that find their way into mainstream media. It communicates in ways people today increasingly communicate. You have to do it all. Will Bond's crack reminds me of the piece I read the other day about a guy who told his kids in the 50s that TV was a passing fad and people would be back to concentrating on books in short order. The politician who doesn't do it all — knock on doors, make frequent public appearances, raise money, communicate by TV, radio, mail, telephone and social media — is a politician who won't win most of the time.

* FREEDOM OF INFORMATION: Important decision today allows at least some window into the record of police officer use of force by the Little Rock police. But issues remain. They still have not released to me the name of the officer who killed a man who carried a weapon when a SWAT team broke into his Oak Forest house Jan. 17 on a no-knock search for a drug bust. The name should be released. So should his record, if any, of use of force. I suggest no wrongdoing on his part or second-guessing of actions that day. But openness is critical for accountability and confidence in a public agency with the power to use summary force. UPDATE: Though I was denied this information several days after the fact, Lt. Terry Hastings says the officer's name, Jeff Holt, was released the day after the shooting. I'll take him at his word on that, though I have a copy of an e-mail he sent me six days after the shooting saying the name was being withheld because of threats by people related to the man killed. I still have a request pending on use of force reports he's made, if any.

* ARKANSAS TECH TO FIX THEATER: Now that the administration has rid itself of former theater director Ardith Morris, the college is willing to spend some money to make the theater there usable. The Tech Board of Trustees today approved spending $176,000 to renovate the theater workshop, cited for safety problems.

* DRUG BUSTS CONTINUE: More federal drug indictments — nine of them in Pine Bluff covering 24 defendants. Pine Bluff crowd has a lot to learn from Helena 'bangers. Not a single funky nickname among those named. Speaking of the Delta Blues bust in eastern Arkansas: A third police officer has pleaded guilty. At some point, they might start assembling a list of potential cooperating witnesses sufficient to move up the judicial system food chain.

* BLYTHEVILLE PROBE SOUGHT: Prosecuting Attorney Scott Ellington of Jonesboro has asked for a State Police investigation following completion of a legislative audit that shows the city of Blytheville is $2 million behind in payment of withholding to the IRS.

* WOMEN STEAMROLLERED: On top of Darrell Issa's all-male anti-birth control show trial in the House today, the Virginia Assembly has voted to give personhood to fertilized eggs and to require transvaginal examination of women — even if they don't want it — before they may receive even a medical abortion. Shouldn't there be a gender gap coming? Will a technical override of rape-by-instrument statutes be high on the Arkansas Republican agenda in 2013? Sadly, I think I know the answer.

I can't judge this case, but I do believe that public officials will continue to play games with the Freedom of Information Act if there are never consequences for those who act in bad faith.

So, this case developing in Fayetteville could be important.

Marilyn Heifner, executive director of the Fayetteville Advertising and Promotion Commission, has been placed on paid leave while a prosecutor investigates whether she violated the FOI. The Northwest Arkansas Times had asked her about a deal to sell the old postoffice in Fayetteville. She was, to put it mildly, not fully forthcoming. Her fallback is that she fully complied once she received a written FOI request. The law does not require a written request for public documents.

FYI: The law wasn't written for reporters. It was written for the public — every citizen of Arkansas.

PS — All references here are to the Arkansas FOI law. The federal law is more complicated and, as reader bopbamboom noted, it DOES require written requests for records.

• Today's THV
• NEW LOTTERY DIRECTOR: Bishop Woosley

The Arkansas Lottery Commission tonight at 7:45 p.m. named William Bishop Woosley as the new Director of the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery. Woosley, the Lottery’s Chief Legal Counsel since its startup in mid-2009, will be paid $165,000 annually.

The decision followed a day-long meeting of the Commissioners with all nine members present. Seven candidates were interviewed on Saturday prior to the Commissioners’ deliberations and decision.

The appointment is effective immediately.

Surprised? I am a little bit. But he doesn't lack experience in the field. He carries no political baggage.

The Commission vote to hire Woosley after almost 12 hours of closed meetings was 6-2. Commissioner Bruce Engstrom did not vote, as expected. Commissioners George Hammons and Raymond Frazier voted no. They joined in the unanimous vote setting Woosley's salary. He had been making about $115,000.

It is safe to assume several of the seven candidates had champions in the closed session (Hammons and Frazier apparently supported Bob Nash, for example). Woosley, a stabilizing influence on the lottery staff after the departure of startup leader Ernie Passailaigue, comes to the job with some general appreciation among staff for his leadership, along with Interim Director Julie Baldridge.

Before choosing Woosley, the Commission met briefly in executive session on a pay raise for Baldridge. She was increased from $109,000 to $130,000 in recognition of her work during the interim. She also willl continue as a high-level employee. The commission has two deputy commissioner slots that are open and may not be filled. They were held, at $225,000 each, by assistants Passailaigue had brought with him from South Carolina. All three departed in short order after a series of controversies over pay, leave policy and travel expenses.

The field of candidates included lottery officials from other states, a former race track executive and a couple with Arkansas political connections — Bob Nash, a former aide to Bill Clinton, and Bill Stovall, a House speaker and top House staff member now.

Woosley was in private practice for eight years, most of them in Stuttgart, before going to work in the attorney general's office in 2007 then joining the lottery in 2009. He's a 1996 graduate of the University of Central Arkansas and a 1999 graduate of the UALR Law School

These were the candidates interviewed today.