Suburban Newspapers of America

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May 9, 2008
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About SNA
SNA Foundation

The SNA Foundation is affiliated with Suburban Newspapers of America (SNA), the largest suburban and community newspaper trade association in North America, representing nearly 2,400 newspapers in the US and Canada.

The SNA Foundation understands that community newspaper markets are unique and differ from large metropolitan daily markets. That is why sponsoring specialized research and educational programs is critical in helping our industry continue to evolve as information needs change.

The SNA Foundation is the only organization of its kind that focuses exclusively on suburban and community newspapers and supports their role as the leading local information providers, now and in the future. The SNA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable trust and all donations are tax deductible.

Mission

To provide information which guides community and suburban newspaper publishers to better identify and better fulfill the future communication needs in changing communities through research and education.

Research and Education

The SNA Foundation is honored to be receiving a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation for a new community journalism e-learning initiative. The foundation will partner with The Poynter Institute’s News University (NewsU.org) to develop e-courses designed specifically to help suburban and community journalists make the transformation to a multi-media world. These specialized courses are expected to be available beginning in early 2008.

Other recent initiatives sponsored by the SNA Foundation include:

  • The Belden Community Website Research Project
    Conducted to identify what consumers want from a community website and also to identify best practice sites among SNA members whose markets were surveyed. This unprecedented research provides valuable benchmarks and guidance to local publishers on developing their own internet strategy. To view the Study, click here (PDF)
  • The American Press Institute’s Newspaper Next Innovation Project
    The SNA Foundation sponsored SNA member website WickedLocal.com as one of seven demonstration projects in the American Press Institute’s transformation report. Disruptive innovation education is used to challenge newspapers to develop innovative, sustainable opportunities and solutions for the future. For a copy of the Newspaper Next Blueprint for Transformation report, click here.

We Need Your Help

Donations to the SNA Foundation help offset the cost of research projects, analysis of best practices and development of educational materials and seminars. Donations of any amount are greatly appreciated and are tax deductible. Please contact Susan Karol, SNA Foundation Executive Director, at susan.karol@suburban-news.org or 847-251-2401 for information on specific donor programs.

SNA Foundation Board of Directors

Some of the brightest minds from the community newspaper industry make up the SNA Foundation Board of Directors. There is a good mix of companies represented including large publicly-traded and smaller privately-owned. The board also represents a mix of dailies and weeklies but all are the dominant source of local, community news in the markets that they serve. The Foundation Board welcomes your comments, input and ideas for future projects.

Officers

 
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
Kirk Davis
President and Publisher
GateHouse Media New England
Needham, MA
VICE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD
Betsy Wilson
Publisher
Montgomery Newspapers
Ft Washington, PA
TREASURER
Jack Robb
Vice President of Revenue
Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.
Birmingham, AL
SECRETARY
Ben Hall
Director of Online Application Development
Cape May County Herald
Rio Grande, NJ

Directors

 
Al Bonner
General Manager
Lawrence Journal-World
Lawrence, KS
Harrison Cochran
Publisher
Aurora Publishing Company
Aurora, CO
Ann Hoffman
Publisher
The Daily Advance, Cox North Carolina Group
Elizabeth City, NC
Chris Krug
General Manager & Executive Editor
Northwest News Group of Greater Chicago
Crystal Lake, IL
Steve Parker
Co-Publisher
Recorder Community Newspapers
Bernardsville, NJ

Staff

 
SNA FOUNDATION PRESIDENT
Nancy Lane
President
SNA
Myrtle Beach, SC
SNA FOUNDATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Susan Karol
Executive Director
SNA Foundation
Chicago, IL

More Information

Contact Susan Karol, SNA Foundation Executive Director at 847-251-2401 or susan.karol@suburban-news.org.