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School of Journalism and New Media
University of Mississippi

Ole Miss journalism grad elected MPA president

Posted on: July 12th, 2012 by

James E. “Jim” Prince

A veteran newspaper journalist has been elected President of the Mississippi Press Association and Mississippi Press Services, Inc., during the Association’s annual convention July 6 in Miramar Beach, FL.

James E. “Jim” Prince, III will serve a one-year term as president of the state newspaper association and its subsidiary advertising services division. Prince was first elected to the MPA-MPS Board of Directors in 2004.

He is president of Prince Newspaper Holdings Inc., which publishes The Neshoba Democrat in Philadelphia, the Madison County Journal in suburban Jackson and the Kemper County Messenger in DeKalb.

The company also publishes Madison Magazine and Neshoba Magazine.

A Philadelphia native and 5th generation Mississippian, Prince began his newspaper career while in high school, working summers at The Neshoba Democrat until he graduated from college. He was two-term editor of The Reflector at Mississippi State University.

He holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Mississippi and an undergraduate degree in business administration from Mississippi State University.

Prince succeeds Vicksburg Post general manager Jimmy Clark who becomes chairman of the MPA Education Foundation.

In remarks after accepting the President’s gavel, Prince called on editors and publishers in attendance to stay true to the mission of community newspapers and continue to provide what no other media can.

“Look back to the founding of your newspapers and the principles on which they were established,” he said. “Assess the present and, if necessary, renew those principles and build on them. Innovate, adapt and embrace the digital future, but do not forsake print as your core product and brand any time soon.

“Hold elected officials accountable,” he said. “Report the truth fairly and accurately. Have a voice.”

He encouraged farm team development by hiring young interns who could make a career choice, said the association must promote sales expertise and marketing and that members must work to continue building relationships with each other.

“Good newspapers will prevail, particularly in communities where citizens value liberty highly and possess that sense of place Miss Eudora (Welty) and Willie (Morris) wrote about,” he said.

Also elected to leadership positions at the 2012 convention were Daily Corinthian publisher Reece Terry, who will serve as Vice-President for Dailies; Calhoun County Journal publisher Joel McNeece, elected Vice-President for Weeklies; and Bolivar Commercial publisher Mark Williams, who was elected treasurer. Clark will continue serving on the board as immediate past president.

Elected to three-year terms as Directors were John P. “Pat” Brown, editor and publisher of The Magee Courier; Kevin Cooper, publisher of The Natchez Democrat; H. Ray Mosby, editor and publisher of The Deer Creek Pilot in Rolling Fork; and Jack Ryan, editor and publisher of the Enterprise-Journal in McComb.

Established in 1866, MPA is the trade association for 125 member publications. Mississippi Press Services, founded in 1978, is a business subsidiary to MPA that provides advertising representation for member papers.