May 5 NNA webinar will help community journalists cover elections; $20 for non-members, $5 for faculty, students

The National Newspaper Association will host a webinar at 4 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 5 to discuss the critical role election coverage plays in preserving democracy, as well as overall issues newsrooms face in the process.

Featured speakers are Al Cross and Jim Pumarlo. Cross, a former editor of rural newspapers and longtime political reporter for the Louisville Courier Journal, is the University of Kentucky's extension journalism professor. He is also the director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, which publishes The Rural Blog.

Pumarlo is a newsroom trainer who worked for 27 years at dailies in rural Minnesota and served 16 years as the communications director at the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. He is author of three books: "Bad News and Good Judgment: A Guide to Reporting on Sensitive Issues in a Small-Town Newspaper"; "Votes and Quotes: A Guide to Outstanding Election Campaign Coverage"; and "Journalism Primer: A Guide to Community News Coverage for Beginning Journalists."

The webinar is free for NNA members, $20 for non-member journalists, and $5 for students and professors. Click here for more information or to register.