Last week I spent a couple of days in Madison, Wisconsin, attending the Wisconsin Newspaper Association convention.
It was actually the first time since purchasing our first newspaper, The Denmark News, that I had taken the time to attend the WNA gathering. Madison also happens to be a community I spent time in as a kid, so the trip carried a bit of nostalgia as well.
To be honest, I walked into the convention with fairly high expectations.
Just a few weeks earlier, we had attended the Iowa Newspaper Association convention, and it was an exceptional experience. From the moment the event began, the organization and professionalism were evident. The convention opened with an inspiring keynote speaker in a large banquet hall filled with journalists from across the state. Throughout the day there were valuable breakout sessions, practical presentations and opportunities to connect with others in the industry.
More than anything, the INA convention made you feel like journalism still mattered.
Newspaper people were treated like professionals who play an important role in their communities.
That’s a powerful thing.
Unfortunately, the WNA convention didn’t quite match that experience.
The opening portion of the event moved immediately into an informal breakout-style discussion with a few people gathered around a roundtable discussing a specific topic. While the conversation itself was interesting, the structure of the event felt disorganized and difficult to follow.
The highlight of the two days came during a presentation about artificial intelligence in the newsroom. The speaker offered thoughtful insights into how AI can assist journalists while still protecting the integrity of local reporting. It was easily the most valuable session of the convention.
After that, however, the afternoon breakout sessions felt scattered and poorly organized. Rather than sit through them, I ended up returning to my hotel room and working.
The evening banquet also carried a fairly steep price, and we ultimately decided not to attend.
I returned Friday morning hoping the second day might bring a different experience. The topics themselves were actually solid, but the setup made them difficult to follow. The room was crowded and hard to see or hear in. I’m 6-foot-2 and still couldn’t see the speakers from where I was sitting.
About halfway through the morning session, I decided to call it a week and head home.
So why share this story?
Because it made me realize just how fortunate we are in Iowa.
The Iowa Newspaper Association is an incredible organization. Their convention, their staff and their board do an outstanding job supporting newspapers across the state. They provide practical resources, thoughtful leadership and genuine support for local publishers trying to navigate an industry that is constantly changing.
That kind of support matters more than people realize.
Running local newspapers is not always easy. Margins are tight, staffing is difficult and the expectations from our communities are high. Having a strong statewide association that understands those challenges and works to help newspapers succeed is invaluable.
The INA does exactly that.
In fact, their executive director, Debbie Anselm, played a small but important role in helping us acquire The Osage Oracle. When we were working to finalize the purchase at the 11th hour, she helped connect me with the right people and made sure the process kept moving forward.
That kind of leadership and willingness to help is something I will never forget.
Local newspapers are still the heartbeat of many communities across Iowa. And organizations like the Iowa Newspaper Association play a critical role in making sure that heartbeat continues for generations to come.
For that, they deserve our appreciation.
And our support.