Ohio Newspaper Association

Established in 1933, The Ohio Newspaper Association formally consolidated the activities of two loosely-knit groups of publishers which had existed since the late 1800’s -- The Buckeye Press Association for weekly newspapers and The Associated Ohio Dailies. These forerunner organizations banded together to share trade information and to jointly sell advertising.

From these roots has evolved a strong state trade association which represents all of Ohio’s daily newspapers and weekly newspapers which qualify for periodicals class mail privileges. ONA administers a full program of member services that include: government relations and lobbying, publications, seminars and employee training, legal assistance, group insurance, and advertising services.

Ohio Newspaper Services, Inc.

As a wholly-owned subsidiary of ONA, Ohio Newspaper Services, Inc. sells newspaper advertising in ways that are designed to make the process as easy as possible for the advertiser. ONS handles display and classified advertising, legal notices and preprints.

The ONS concept is “one order, one bill, one check” for any size buy, from local to statewide -- even regionally through other cooperating state associations. The ONS staff generates all insertion orders, schedules the ads, collects tearsheets and provides an itemized bill. ONS service also includes electronic ad transmission.

OhioSCAN, a statewide classified network of dailies and weeklies, offers member newspapers the chance to generate revenue from local ads submitted to the network. A fully-electronic network, OhioSCAN distributes ads weekly to its member newspapers. A similar network distributes 2 x 2 display ads.

ONS billings exceed $5 million annually. ONS clients include small businesses, large companies and some of Ohio’s premier advertising agencies. ONS also maintains a sophisticated database of reader demographics.

Ohio Newspapers Foundation
The Ohio Newspapers Foundation was formed by ONA members in 1976. This 501 (c)(3) charitable organization is operated with contributions that are made outside of the association dues structure. The Foundation’s mission is to achieve the highest standards of excellence and professionalism in journalism and newspaper publishing through research and educational activities. These include:

• High School Journalism Scholarship Program which includes minority scholarships, the Harold K. Douthit Regional Scholarship, the University Journalism Scholarship and the Ohio Newspaper Women's Scholarship

• Student Internships

• The Harry R. Horvitz Seminar for Editorial Excellence

• Ohio Newspapers in Education Committee

• Ohio Newspaper Carrier Achievement Awards

• Seminars with Ohio’s journalism schools

• Assistance to high school newspapers

• Projects to promote adult and youth literacy

Ohio Coalition For Open Government

The Ohio Coalition for Open Government (OCOG) is a tax-exempt affiliate of the Foundation. The Coalition serves as a clearinghouse for media and citizen grievances that involve open meetings and open records, as well as offering guidance to media reporters in local situations. The Coalition’s activities include a legal defense fund, legal assistance telephone hotline, newsletter, and the publication “A Guide to Public Records and Open Meetings Laws in Ohio.”

The Coalition’s seven-member board includes representatives of newspapers, journalism schools, and citizen organizations.

For a complete listing of all ONA staff and where to direct your questions, click here.