Final day to register is Aug. 3
West Virginia Press Association
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Newspaper representatives from throughout the Mountain State are getting ready to gather for the annual West Virginia Press Association convention, and this year is shaping up to be both informative and entertaining.
For two days, Aug. 9, 10, at the Four Points by Sheraton in Charleston, attendees will hear from numerous presenters on everything from connecting with local advertisers to political reporting and the artificial intelligence (AI) effect.
In addition to education and networking opportunities, the WV Press Association will recognize the industry’s best advertising and editorial efforts during two award ceremonies.
On Friday, Aug. 9, attendees will get the chance to tour the Ron and Stephanie Stovash Mobile Nursing Lab, which was unveiled by the West Virginia Junior College School of Nursing at Mon Health in May 2023.
This highly customized RV was designed to expand access to nursing education. Used as a training lab, the RV contains simulated hospital rooms and manikins to provide students with opportunities to learn in realistic situations. By hitting the road, this mobile lab allows students in the state’s most rural regions to receive a quality education.
Additionally, attendees will hear a presentation, “The Legal Notice Landscape,” from West Virginia State Senator Jack David Woodrum, R-Summers, on the state of legal advertising and the West Virginia legislature.
Woodrum was lead sponsor of SB 264, a bill to amend and reenact §59-3-3 of the Code of West Virginia, introduced in the 2024 session, which ended up in the rules committee.
Also, on Friday, attendees will have the opportunity to learn how to better connect with local advertisers, using both print and digital advertising, during an educational session presented by Tony Dobies, senior director of marketing at West Virginia University (WVU), Rickie Huffman, director of undergraduate recruitment and parents marketing at WVU, and Joey Gresham, director of marketing and advertising for the Dutch Miller Automotive Group.
President Hannah Heishman
Friday will also feature the WV Press Association’s annual President’s Reception. This year, we will honor WV Press Association President Hannah Heishman, publisher of the Moorefield Examiner in Hardy County.
As the day winds down, attendees have the opportunity to enjoy a concert featuring Golden and Emmalea Deal & the Hot Mess during Charleston’s Live on the Levee event. Food trucks and a great view of the Kanawha River are right in the Four Points’ front yard!
On Saturday, attendees will hear a presentation on “Political Reporting and the AI Effect,” by Prashnna Gyawali, assistant professor in the Lane Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Natural Resources at WVU, and Tom Devine, teaching assistant professor.
The educational session will also feature Sam Workman, director of the WVU Institute for Policy Research and Public Affairs, John D. “Jay” Rockefeller School of Policy and Politics, professor, Department of Political Science, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, who will provide insights into how artificial intelligence might affect political reporting during the 2024 election.
“The West Virginia Press Association’s convention is such a great time for everyone to get together, network and learn,” said WV Press Association Coordinator of Special Events Stella Gill. “This year’s convention theme is ‘Defenders of Democracy.’ We want to celebrate our news organizations in their roles as watchdogs, disseminators of information and defenders of free speech. We always look forward to the two award ceremonies where we get to cheer for our award winners, and on Saturday we can’t wait to name ‘Newspaper of the Year.’ It is always such a great time for those in the media.”
As always, the West Virginia Press Association cannot provide quality programming without the support of sponsors and other groups, businesses and organizations.
This year’s sponsors include:
- West Virginia University Relations
- West Virginia Press Association Foundation
- West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine
- Asher Agency
- GameChanger
- Highmark West Virginia
- Huntington Bank
- The Health Plan
- Vandalia Health
- West Virginia Division of Tourism
- West Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association.
“For the second year, paid convention attendees can bring their family members at no additional cost,” Gill stated. “Guests may attend events, award presentations and see all that the city of Charleston has to offer.”
The last day for convention registration is Aug. 3. For more information, visit https://wvpress.org/.