News & Updates | December 2025

Welcome Amasico Rainer

to the APA team!

Amasico (pronounced a-mace-ee-o) started on Dec. 1 as the new Print & Digital Marketing Specialist for APA’s advertising service. He will be handling outside sales and promoting your newspapers, affiliated magazines and special publications, websites and newsletters, as well as our Networks and other digital capabilities to potential clients.

Originally from Mississippi, Amasico graduated from The University of Mississippi in December 2006, with a BA in journalism. His affinity for the journalism industry, along with his background in sales, made him the winning candidate. In fact, he has worked at and written stories for a couple of our member newspapers on a contract basis, and said he was eager to get back into the journalism industry.

Most recently, he served as director of philanthropy and donor relations for Civitan International for more than a year. And prior to that, he worked for over five years at Birmingham’s local NPR station, WBHM, selling corporate sponsorships – what we call ads – and increasing their revenue with marketing and digital sponsorship opportunities. 

We are confident he will help us continue to find new business for APA and our member newspapers.

Auburn University Journalism Council announces return of annual awards program

The Auburn University Journalism Advisory Council is pleased to announce the return of its annual awards program, recognizing outstanding journalists with ties to Alabama. The next class of honorees will be

presented at an award ceremony on Auburn’s campus on April 10, 2026. The exact time and location are to be determined.

The Auburn Journalism Council Awards honor distinguished bodies of work and careers across five categories. A panel of judges will select recipients based on nominations from the journalism community.

"We're excited to bring back this tradition of celebrating exceptional journalism across our state," said Dr. Justin Blankenship, associate director for journalism at Auburn. "After a hiatus since the pandemic, we're ready to once again recognize the vital work journalists do in our communities and honor those who have made lasting contributions to the profession."

Award Categories:

• John W. Stevenson Distinguished Alabama Community Journalist: Honoring distinguished work or career in community-based or local journalism in Alabama.
• Distinguished Alabama Sports Journalist: Honoring distinguished work or career in sports journalism in Alabama.
• Roy Bain Distinguished Achievement in Journalism: Honoring distinguished work or career, enhancing or beneficially reflecting upon the practice of journalism, achieved in the state or by one who has lived, worked, or attended college in Alabama.
• Distinguished Digital Media Achievement: Honoring distinguished work or career in mass media, digital or broadcast disciplines, achieved in the state or by one who has lived, worked, or attended college in Alabama.
• Distinguished Auburn Journalism Alumnus: Honoring distinguished work or career by an Auburn University journalism alumnus. This award is not restricted to the practice of journalism, recognizing that Auburn journalism alumni have succeeded admirably in other fields.

Nominations are now being accepted through Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. Those interested in nominating a candidate should complete the nomination form available at forms.gle/w1nXzcd235eR9JzX6. When nominating, specify the category and provide sufficient information to allow judges to evaluate nominees. Previous nominees who were not selected are encouraged to be nominated again.

For more information or assistance with nominations, contact board member Katie Brumbeloe at

kbrumbeloe@gmail.com or 256-223-1234.

A new category has been introduced in the APA media awards contest, featuring a $5,000 cash prize dedicated to honoring integrity and objectivity in news reporting.

This award is made possible by an industry-inspired $210,000 grant from the Southern Newspaper Publishers Association (SNPA) Foundation, which is funding the Center for Integrity in News Reporting (CFINR). Through this initiative, the CFINR will establish $5,000 prizes across 14 Southeastern states, including Alabama.

The integrity award will be included in the traditional categories of the 2025 news contest cycle. It follows a recently announced $15,000 prize from the A-Mark Foundation aimed at recognizing investigative reporting in Alabama.

Brad English, Executive Director of APA, expressed gratitude for the support, stating, "We are extremely grateful to CFINR and the SNPA Foundation for this generous contribution. Alabama newspapers employ some of the most dedicated journalists in our industry. This grant allows us to recognize their hard work with more than just a pat on the back.”

Founded in 2024 by Walter E. Hussman, Jr., chairman of WEHCO Media, Inc., CFINR operates across six states, managing 11 daily newspapers and cable television companies.

“The Center for Integrity in News Reporting is honored to partner with The SNPA Foundation in advancing our shared mission to restore public trust in journalism,” said Rufus Friday, Executive Director, Center for Integrity in News Reporting.

“Through these state-by-state Integrity in Journalism Awards, we will recognize and celebrate journalists whose work reflects the highest standards of impartial, fair, and objective news reporting in their respective states.”

The award will be announced at the APA summer conference, June 26-28, at the Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach.  

Alabama Press Association

Alabama Newspaper Advertising Service Inc.

2180 Parkway Lake Drive | Hoover, AL 35244

(205) 871-7737

Staff

Brad English, Exec. Director/Gov. Affairs

Leigh Leigh Tortorici, Advertising Manager

Jaclyn Langan, Membership Coordinator

Amasico Rainer, ANAS Print and Digital Marketing Specialist

Lauren Franks, Tearsheet Clerk

Evans Bailey, General Counsel

Scott Goldsmith, APA Accountant

alabamapress.org | Contact Brad, Leigh Leigh, Jaclyn, or Amasico