Hugh Osteen comes from a newspaper family. He was so well-acquainted with SNPA that he applied for the NEX GEN program as soon as he could – too soon, in fact.

It was suggested that Osteen get some more experience and develop his skill set before re-applying. A couple of years later he joined the 2016-17 class of the mentoring program for up-and-coming executives.

"I've been going to SNPA conferences since I was five years old," said Osteen, 28. "I am the sixth generation in our family in the newspaper business, so I kind of grew up going to all these things."

Read about his NEX GEN experience.

The Sumter Item has named its first non-family publisher in the newspaper's 123-year history.

William Vincent "Vince" Johnson Jr., former publisher of the Forsyth County News in Cumming, Ga., is the fifth publisher of the locally owned, independent South Carolina newspaper.

The Sumter Item's new TV book sold out of advertising before its first issue, making Editor and Publisher Jack Osteen a believer in the concept.

"If you don't have it, and you don't already have a good TV product on the weekends, then it's worth doing," Osteen said.

The Sumter (S.C.) Item has published its final Saturday print edition. The paper is now officially printing five days a week, and has a wide range of plans for expanding its growing digital services …

The Sumter Item has introduced a new look that features two nameplates (for vertical and horizontal layout options on the front page), as well as a five-column grid for ads and editorial. In a few weeks, a new look is coming to its website, as well.