Newspaper slump deepens as 2Q ad sales fall 29 pct

Things continue to go from bad to worse for the newspaper industry and it's a real shame. As this article shows, advertisers are shifting their ad dollars and marketing strategies to other avenues. The local newspaper is no longer the only game in town. For counties, it's not enough anymore just to communicate through the local newspaper. Counties have to think about other ways to reach the public such as Facebook, My Space, Twitter, and good old fashion public outreach efforts (county government days, open houses, etc.).

Discount card program comes to Western New York

It was good to see the NACo Prescription Discount Card Program mentioned in The Buffao News (my hometown newspaper!). The Cattaraugus County Department of Aging said it had received its "allotment of free prescription discount cards" for county residents. "The cards are in, displays are ready, PR is going out, and posters are here," according to the county department of aging director. "We're expecting to have this in place so everyone is eligible who has no insurance coverage."

Olmsted County, Minn. Commissioner Paul Wilson

Very positive story today in the Rochester (Minn.) Post-Bulletin by Jeffrey Pieters about Olmsted County Commissioner Paul Wilson getting appointed to NACo's Board of Directors and chair of NACo's Human Services and Education Steering Committee. Commissioner Wilson's quotes were right on point about how active participation in NACo is beneficial for the home county.

NACo survey mentioned in Reuters story

A Reuters story out of the Chicago Bureau mentioned the most recent NACo survey about the state of the nation's larger counties and how they are coping with declining revenues and budget shortfalls. The article, by reporter Karen Pierog, did a very nice job of describing the budget situation in the city of Chicago, which was closed/furloughed Monday because of the city's budget crisis. The article mentioned that counties are facing similar budget challenges:

"Depleted revenue also has counties turning to unpaid worker days. A recent survey by the National Association of Counties found 14 percent of larger counties eyeing furloughs."

NACo News Watch is here

Welcome to the launch of NACo News Watch. This official NACo blog is authored through NACo's Public Affairs Department in Washington, D.C. The primary objective of NACo News Watch is to bring greater attention to media coverage of counties and issues important to counties in a centralized location. If you are a county official concerned about national issues affecting local government, this blog is for you. If you are a journalist or broadcaster or blogger interested in the local government perspective to consider for your reports, this blog is for you too.