Missouri Press Association
Serving Missouri Newspapers Since 1867
Chad Stebbins is Missouri Press Association’s next executive director, succeeding Mark Maassen, who will officially retire from the role later this month.
A former communications professor at Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Stebbins is also executive director of the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors.
Stebbins started with Missouri Press in January and has already had a busy first few weeks with the Association, including his first Day at the Capitol. But he took the time to answer some questions from Missouri Press News so MPA’s members will better know the person leading their organization into its next chapter.
Where are you from?
I was born in Kansas but have lived in the Joplin area since the age of 9 − except for time away at graduate schools. I grew up reading The Joplin Globe and later The Kansas City Star so I could more closely follow the Royals and the Chiefs. I became a sportswriter for The Globe in college.
Who has influenced your life the most?
Richard Massa was my mentor while I was a student at Missouri Southern State University. Everyone called him “Mr. Massa.” He grew up in Joplin and received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Missouri School of Journalism. He was the adviser to the student newspaper, The Chart, and taught all the journalism courses.
Mr. Massa instilled in all of us the desire to produce a professional newspaper that did a considerable amount of in-depth and investigative reporting. We tackled all sorts of stories, even doing some reporting from the State Capitol. When he stepped down as The Chart adviser in 1984 to devote more time to the newly established Department of Communications, I replaced him. Fifteen years later, I succeeded him as the director of the Institute of International Studies at MSSU. Mr. Massa was a visionary, a risk-taker, and the most intelligent person I have ever met. I had the honor of giving the eulogy at his funeral in 2019.
What is your greatest professional accomplishment so far?
I suppose my long career in higher education. Even though my father taught biology at MSSU for 30 years, I never envisioned going into teaching.
For starters, I always had a fear of public speaking. I put off taking it in college until my senior year. When I was thrust into a teaching role just two years later, I quickly had to overcome my stage fright. I even had to teach two or three sections of public speaking every semester. I would always tell the students how terrified I had once been.
Which part of teaching did you enjoy most?
Wednesday evenings were production nights when I advised the student newspaper. I enjoyed working closely with the editors in putting the paper together, even though we seldom finished before midnight. If I thought a particular story didn’t have a strong enough lead, I would call for the “lead doctor” to “scrub up.” One of the editors would come over and attempt to write something more compelling.
Even though Wednesday nights could be quite stressful − such as when our Compugraphic processing system broke down – so many of my former students say how much they miss those long hours we spent together.
What is your greatest personal achievement?
I have written two books: “All the News Is Fit to Print: Profile of a Country Editor,” published by the University of Missouri Press in 1998; and “Joplin’s Connor Hotel,” published by The History Press in 2021. The former told the story of Arthur Aull, editor and publisher of the Lamar Democrat from 1900 to 1948. Aull’s reporting of every sensational incident that occurred in Barton County brought him subscribers in all 48 states plus Canada and England.
How do you think Missouri newspapers are doing?
I think they are holding their own. Some are struggling, but others have found ways to turn a modest profit. (The 2024 election year surely helped.) Amanda Mendez, publisher of the Howell County News, often refers to a “renaissance” of print news occurring in her community. The renaissance is due to her holding public officials accountable, hosting debates and public forums, conducting reader polls, and being relentlessly local in her coverage of Willow Springs and surrounding communities.
Amanda isn’t doing anything particularly new, but she has a zest for aggressive local news coverage that has caught the community’s attention and resulted in a 14 percent circulation increase since she and her husband, Ron, bought the paper in 2019.
What do you think is the industry’s biggest hurdle right now?
Figuring out how to stem the tide of declining revenues while securing new funding sources and models. While printing and postage costs continue to increase, attempts to generate new revenue sources have largely stalled. It may take legislation in the form of tax breaks or requiring Google to compensate papers for republishing their content.
Personally, I always grumble when I hear someone complaining about having to pay for a story that’s behind a paywall. They expect newspapers to give away their content but think nothing of paying $5 for a coffee at Starbucks.
What is the industry’s greatest strength?
Newspapers provide the only reliable source of local news in a community; nothing else compares. The local paper is often regarded as the lifeblood or bedrock of the community. Next to the school system, it’s the most important institution in town. When a community loses its paper, it loses part of its identity. It becomes a lesser town and doesn’t matter as much as it once did. There is nothing else that can hold public officials accountable on a regular basis.
What do you do for fun?
I like to hike, spend time with the grandchildren, follow the Chiefs and Royals, and research local history. My latest project has been writing the text and finding the photos for a series of storyboards on the new Joplin Heritage Trail. I’m also a news junkie – I subscribe to six digital newspapers. I’d like to start playing tennis again, too.
What’s the last book you read?
I’m currently reading “The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War,” by Erik Larson. He’s my favorite author. I highly recommend his “The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America,” and have given away numerous copies. I usually read only non-fiction.
