About NJPA

So you're thinking of joining the NJPA?

Congratulations on a smart move! Your fellow members − 18 New Jersey dailies, three out-of-state dailies, 165+ weekly newspapers (15 independent weeklies and 17 groups with a total of 150+ papers), four non-English language and seven specialty publications − belong to a dynamic New Jersey community rooted in a noble tradition. Your first move should be to contact Member Services Manager Peggy Stephan Arbitell via phone at 609-406-0600, ext. 14, or via email at pastephan@njpa.org.

New Jersey Press Association has served its members since 1857. For a little background, read about our history, governing board and staff members.

Here's what NJPA will do for you:

Guard Your Interests
The NJPA Government Affairs Committee keeps a sharp watch on the New Jersey state legislature. Any new bill that could affect your newspaper in any way is posted on this website, listed in NJPA's monthly "newspaper for newspapers," and monitored regularly. NJPA staff and members write position papers, attend committee hearings and testify on your behalf. Furthermore, we draft new legislation and find appropriate sponsors to introduce it.

Put Advertising Dollars Into Your Revenue Stream
The New Jersey Newspaper Network channels advertising into your newspaper through the its sales and marketing efforts on behalf of all NJPA member newspapers. The accuracy and convenience of NJNN’s planning and placement services is an important customer service feature for ad agencies throughout the state. Owned and operated by NJPA member newspapers, NJNN placed over $15 million statewide in 2007.

Initiated in the late '80s, our Statewide Classified Advertising Network (SCAN) has grown steadily each year and is used by hundreds of advertisers to place ads inside New Jersey and out of state. Currently more than 135 New Jersey newspapers with a total circulation of over 2,100,000 participate in SCAN.

Motivate Your Staff
We provide a community for newspaper people across the state. Each year, we run 20 or more training seminars for all departments and a Better Newspaper Contest to reward the best in Advertising, Editorial, Circulation and Photography. In 2008, we received over 2,000 contest entries. For many of our small newspaper members, winning prizes in their state contest is the only recognition they and their staffers receive.

Our Advertising, Editorial, Photo and Circulation committees plan training and awards presentation events, and administer their respective annual contests. By coming together in friendly and informal groups, newspaper people can exchange ideas, hone their skills and get fresh ideas and information.

Keep You Informed
NJPA's monthly "newspaper for newspapers," InPrint, and our weekly e-mail bulletin, "NJPA Notes," keep you up to date with events and personalities, awards and honors in the industry.

We run a Job Candidate Bank that makes job candidates highly visible to potential employers, and a Help Wanted service that gets the word out as newspaper opportunities open up.

News stories, pending legislation, jobs and candidates are posted, as soon as we receive them, on this website and published in the next available issue of InPrint. We do our best to keep you informed of industry developments on both the state and national scenes.

Our annual NJPA Membership Directory, with complete listings of our daily, weekly and college member newspapers, has become the reference Bible of the New Jersey newspaper industry.

Give you the tools to do your job
Statewide Market/Readership Survey: In 2006, NJPA commissioned a statewide survey of the buying and reading habits of New Jersey residents. The published results have been a terrific aid to both newspaper members and NJNN in their ad sales efforts.

Legal Hotline: a quick, reliable source for our members to gain expert legal advice on questions about legal issues in most areas of law affecting newspapers. Our attorneys administer the plan at no charge to members. Hotline membership entitles newspapers to a discount on their libel insurance payments.

Insurance Programs: NJPA Libel Insurance Plan is a hit with our smaller members. It is an affordable way for them to secure this coverage. We also sponsor the NJPA Healthcare Plan.

Informational Resource: We at NJPA take pride in our ability to serve our members in many ways. The one most often utilized by our membership is the freedom to call, fax or e-mail our office with a variety of questions, all of which are answered immediately (or as soon as humanly possible).

Press Credentials through NJ State Police: NJPA works closely with the Office of the Attorney General and the New Jersey State Police in administering the distribution of New Jersey Press Credentials to qualified recipients. For more information and to apply:
    Press Credentials for newspapers
    Press Credentials for broadcasters

NJPA is looking ahead to our members' staffing and readership needs in years to come. The New Jersey Press Foundation (NJPF) awards several scholarships and internships to college students and high school journalism teachers, as well as scholarships for newspaper carriers and high school students.

To help the industry build readership among young people, the foundation supports a Newspaper in Education Program operated by NIE coordinators at New Jersey daily and weekly newspapers. NJPF also supports the New Jersey Collegiate Press Association, the annual Better College Newspaper Contest sponsored by the Editorial Committee of NJPA and the programs of the Garden State Scholastic Press Association.

To join us or for more information about any of our programs, contact Peggy Stephan Arbitell, Member Services Manager, 609-406-0600, ext. 14.

New Jersey Press Association
840 Bear Tavern Road, Suite 305
West Trenton, NJ 08628-1019
609-406-0600 / fax 609-406-0300