California News Publishers Association

The California News Publishers Association (CNPA) is a nonprofit trade association founded in 1888 that represents the daily, weekly, monthly, and campus newspapers of California. Its diverse membership consists of over 700 newspapers that elect 35 individuals to its governing board of directors. CNPA's mission statement reads: To champion the ideals of a free press in our democratic society, and to promote the quality and economic health of California newspapers. The association influences legislation on behalf of free speech in Sacramento, sponsors an annual newspaper contest and convention, and offers seminars on media law, production, writing and editing, advertising, and circulation. Better Newspapers Contest CNPA sponsors an annual Better Newspapers Contest (BNC) to recognize the most outstanding journalistic achievements published by California newspapers. Daily and weekly publications compete in separate divisions based on circulation. CNPA also sponsors an annual Campus Excellence in Journalism offering separate divisions of competition for high schools, 2-year colleges, and 4-year universities. The Campus newspapers compete in many categories involving writing, photography and general excellence.