Webbs leave strong legacy of challenging community
Long stint with Jasper Newsboy to end
By GEORGIA PURDY

When Willis Webb retires this month, he will end a 59- year career that spans the full spectrum of the newspaper business. From paperboy to editor-publisher, his hands-on experience ends at the helm of The Jasper Newsboy, Texas' oldest (continuously printed under the same name) weekly newspaper.

Webb became publisher of The Newsboy in May 1991, and his wife, Julie, began teaching in Jasper schools in the fall. He immediately set about making changes in the paper, changes that were not immediately popular for some.

“For decades there had been no editorial page,” he said. “I heard from a lot of people and they were shocked that we would have a viewpoint page. Some thought we were trying to tell the community how to run the town.”

Eventually, the community got used to the new freedom to express opinions and the viewpoint page became a popular and sometimes heated forum for the exchange of ideas.

“A viewpoint page can help people with how to overcome adversity,” he said. “Also, many views are presented and that is healthy.”

At the same time, his goal was to increase circulation and ensure economic success. The things that make his eyes light up, though, are far from commercial success.

“Sometimes people don't want to hear the bad news, like the James Byrd murder case (1998) and I understand that, but you have to report everything and consider the impact on the community. You also have to give people information so they can evaluate what goes on.”

The Byrd murder and subsequent trials kept Jasper in the world's spotlight for months. The n e g a t i v e impact on the community did cause some, he said, to question The Newsboy's continuous coverage of every new development. But the measure of a newspaper's integrity is its willingness to present the news whether it is palatable or not.

One outcome of news coverage during that troubled time was that the Texas Press Association chose three Newsboy columns, two by Willis and one by Julie, to include in a book celebrating the 125-year anniversary of the association.

“One of mine was called ‘Two Sets of Eyes’,” he said. “The whole world was looking at us. Beneath the surface, people here were looking up at our community leaders. One of the harsh realities is that bigotry exists in every community. What we do to overcome that is a measure of true leadership. There were so many people here who worked very hard to overcome that image.”

A point of pride is The Newsboy's coverage of local and county government and editorials urging citizens to get involved with government.

“It is important to make people aware of things that go on and how that affects their daily lives, especially governmental affairs,” he said.

Coverage of local school news also increased, spotlighting the accomplishments of young people and keeping the populace informed about educational needs, problems and achievements.

Eddie Hopkins, president of the Jasper Independent School District Board of Trustees, said that a positive working relationship between the district and the media exists, in large part, because of meetings between Dr. Eddie Dunn and Willis Webb.

“We (the Board) wanted better communication and when Dr. Dunn came, one of the first things he did was to meet with the media. He met with Willis and it was Willis who actually suggested that we have a liaison person.”

Because of The Newsboy's extensive focus on school news, the Webbs' work with the high school newspaper staff and the creation of a student internship, Willis and Julie were nominated and received the prestigious Harris Wofford Award in 2005, a national award presented by Youth Service America and named for the former senator.

In addition to support for education, Willis was the founding president of the local Boys and Girls Club and led that organization for 10 years.

“The Boys and Girls Club is one of the major things in my life and not just in Jasper,”he said. “My greatest disappointment is that the community doesn't support it financially. It is a great haven for kids.”

Despite his already busy schedule, Webb found time to serve as president of the Texas Press Association.

“I spent almost half my career on the board and as an officer,” he said. “TPA has become a great resource for

training and education for community news people. I've seen this organization develop into a more member service oriented group that is now recognized as one of the best state associations in the country.”

Willis was also recipient of the Hearst Corporation's Eagle Award, the first ever awarded to a weekly newspaper person. It is given to people who have made exceptional contributions to the success of Hearst Newspapers.

During his tenure, The Newsboy has not only grown but has become an awardwinning publication, garnering numerous awards from various press associations.

“Our paper has been recognized as one of the best large weeklies in the state,” he said. “None of that is ever accomplished without a good staff, and we are inspired by the community. You never really do anything by yourself.”

Webb will trade his Pineywoods spot on Holmwood Pond for a new home on the Lampasas River, but he still has hopes for prosperous Jasper.

“This has always been a regional trade center and I see that growing. It is also becoming a health center. In addition, we have a growing tourist industry and it is a place for retirees. The leadership thinking has to catch up with where we are headed and I'm not sure that is happening. We need progressive policies and guidelines for healthy growth rather than haphazard growth. Leadership has to be both selfless and selfish in that if the community thrives, they benefit, but also selfless in using ideas that will help the most people in the community.

“Julie and I love this community. We always will. There are a lot of good people here who jump up to help others when they are in need. The most defining characteristic of this community is the ability to do that.”