PNA reflects on 2024 achievements
As 2024 draws to a close, we take this opportunity to reflect on the incredible strides we have made at the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association. The year was filled with exciting new initiatives, steadfast legislative advocacy, and the launch of our 100th anniversary celebration – all which contributed to our unwavering support for our members.
Legislative advocacy: A strong voice for our members
Maintaining a robust lobbying presence at the Capitol, PNA continued to promote for the interests of our members. In a dynamic legislative environment, the association stood firm in support of policies that fostered a vibrant and free press. We are especially proud that after more than 10 years actively advocating for comprehensive anti-SLAPP law reform to protect public expression our efforts finally came to fruition. The passage of this bipartisan First Amendment legislation is a huge victory for news media and all Pennsylvanians.
PNA’s director of legislative affairs, Barbara Hough Huesken, retired in August after many decades of distinguished service to the news media industry.
Jan Murphy joined PNA in November as director of government affairs. As an advocate for the news media industry at the Pennsylvania Capitol, she will fight for the First Amendment, government transparency and accountability as well as accessibility, and robust local journalism.
Her four-decades-long reporting career began in Indiana at the Frankfort Times before she returned to her home state of Pennsylvania. She won many journalism awards while working at The Sentinel in Carlisle, The Montgomery County Record/The Intelligencer in Doylestown and The Patriot-News/PennLive, where she covered state government for over two decades.
Barbara Hough Huesken, PNA’s former director of legislative affairs
Legal Hotline: Providing guidance and answers to our members
In the face of legal uncertainties, the association’s Legal Hotline remained a crucial resource. About 2,000 calls were answered, providing timely and expert guidance to members navigating complex legal challenges. PNA reaffirmed its commitment to being a reliable ally for our members, offering support when it was needed most.
Empowering members through innovative training
Education is a key cornerstone of PNA Foundation’s mission. In 2024, PNAF, in partnership with the Local Media Association, launched the first statewide Lab for Journalism Funding for publishers in Pennsylvania. The lab helped news organizations develop and execute strategies to fund essential local journalism via philanthropy.
The foundation is actively developing two new initiatives for 2025 – diversity and equity in the newsroom and media literacy in education and beyond – in addition to planning virtual and in-person training sessions.
Tanya Henderson joined PNAF as its executive director in April. She has more than 25 years of experience in news media, having worked for daily newspapers in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Virginia as well as technology partners in the media space and a national media trade association.
PNA marks 100 years of serving Pennsylvania news media organizations
In celebration of our 100th anniversary in 2025, we hosted a series of launch events this fall along with a festive gala in November that included the induction of 100 Hall of Fame honorees. We reflected on the impact our leaders and members have made in their local communities, commemorated the resilience of an industry marked by profound transformation, and planned for the next century by embracing technological advancements, fostering audience trust and upholding journalistic excellence.
Joseph Beegle, 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award honoree and PNA President & CEO Bill Cotter.
Julie Flandreau, associate editor of the SPIRIT Media Group, PNAF Executive Director Tanya Henderson and SPIRIT Media Group Publisher Paul Bennett.
Paula Knudsen Burke, 2024 Benjamin Franklin Award for Excellence honoree and PNA President & CEO Bill Cotter.
PNA expands communications efforts
To help our members better navigate the PNA website, we launched our newly reorganized and redesigned site in May. The “How we can help” section provides quick links to our most popular pages. Be sure to visit our special 100th anniversary page that includes a detailed timeline about PNA’s history.
We expanded our social media presence on LinkedIn and Facebook through more frequent posts, incorporating videos and highlighting more member images. Both the number of followers and level of engagement have increased considerably as a result of our efforts.
MANSI earnings help to support PNA and foundation efforts
As the association’s for-profit arm, MANSI Media is committed to supporting PNA’s and PNAF’s programs through its efforts and earnings. The MANSI sales and operations teams worked in unison to post stronger returns this year than last, despite the same headwinds our members are facing.
During a recent strategic planning session, new initiatives were identified that will help support the existing membership benefits and expanded programming of the association, as well as bolster the economic sustainability of member news media organizations in 2025.
Looking ahead: A future of innovation and collaboration
As we look ahead to the new year and begin our second century of supporting the news media industry, we are filled with optimism and determination. The challenges facing our industry are real, but so are the opportunities. Together, we will continue to innovate, advocate and uphold the highest standards of journalism.
We are grateful for the dedication, passion and support we receive from our members, partners and industry friends and wish you an abundance of hope, happiness and health this holiday season and in the new year.
Your PNA executive team,
Bill Cotter, president and CEO
Diane Brinser, vice president, finance
Bob Schnarrs, vice president, operations
Tanya Henderson, executive director, PNA Foundation
Jane Hungarter, director, marketing and membership
Melissa Bevan Melewsky, media law counsel
Jan Murphy, director, government affairs
John Derr, director, MANSI Media sales and PNA strategic partnerships