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News Media Corporation

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Not to be confused with New Media Corporation.
News Media Corporation
Company typePrivate
IndustryMedia
Founded1975
FounderJohn Tompkins
HeadquartersRochelle, Illinois
Key people
John Tompkins (Chairman)
JJ Tompkins(CEO/President)[1] Billy McMacken (COO) Michael Jordan (CFO)
ProductsNewspapers
SubsidiariesNews Media Digital
Websitenewsmediacorporation.com

News Media Corporation (NMC) is an American family-owned newspaper corporation that publishes 25[2] different newspaper titles in five[3] states across the United States. Currently, it operates in smaller cities and towns with populations between 5,000 and 50,000 in the states of Arizona, Illinois, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

History

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News Media Corporation was founded in 1975 by John C. Tompkins when at age 21 he purchased The Rochelle News-Leader.[4]

The company purchased The Clinton Daily Journal in 1980[5] and acquired Lindsey Publishing and seven of its Wyoming newspapers in 1987. The sale included the Record-Times, Torrington Telegram, Lingle Guide, Platte County Record-Times, Daily Telegram and Wyoming Government Report newspapers.[6]

NMC went on to buy the Brookings Register and Huron Plainsman in 1999,[7] Siuslaw News in 2000,[8] Lake Powell Chronicle in 2005,[9] Cottage Grove Sentinel in 2006,[10] Newport News Times in 2007,[11] and Arizona Silver Belt in 2008.[12]

In August 2023, NMC sold its cluster of Colorado newspapers to Louie Mullen. The sale included the Valley Courier daily in Alamosa, Monte Vista Journal, The Del Norte Prospector, The Conejos County Citizen, Center Post-Dispatch, The Mineral County Miner, The South Fork Times and SLV Lifestyles.[13] In September, NMC sold its cluster of Oregon newspapers to Country Media, Inc. The sale included the Newport News Times, the Siuslaw News and the Cottage Grove Sentinel.[14]

In July 2024, NMC agreed for Carpenter Media Group to manage its papers with the option to acquire the company. NMC leaders J.J. Tompkins and Billy McMacken assumed leadership roles with CMG.[4]

People

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In August 2018, Nick Monico joined NMC as President and John C. Tompkins was named Chairman. Before joining NMC, Monico was Chief Operations Officer of Wick Communications, vice president of community publishing for GateHouse Media, vice president/COO and chief strategic officer for Trib Total Media in Pittsburgh, president of Gannett Media Network of Central Ohio and COO of Thomson Newspapers’ Chicago and Kansas City divisions.[15]

Nick left News Media Corporation in October 2019[16] and John Shank was promoted to Chief Operating Officer.[17] Shank, who has worked his entire 31-year multimedia publishing career with NMC, is based in Rochelle and will oversee the company’s entire operation, while continuing on in a dual role as Illinois group publisher.[18]

In January 2022, JJ Tompkins was promoted to CEO and president to lead the family-owned business into the second generation. The same year Billy McMacken, longtime Brookings Register publisher, became COO to help lead NMC.[19]

Atascadero News controversy

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In 2015, a lawyer for News Media Corporation sent a cease and desist letter to the owner of an online news site also titled Atascadero News, claiming trademark infringement (NMC publishes a paper with the same name).[20] The letter demanded that the owner stop using the name and a similar Twitter handle. The owner of the news site then changed the name to A-Town Daily News, referencing the town’s commonly used nickname.[21]

Publications

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Arizona

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Illinois

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Nebraska

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South Dakota

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Wyoming

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References

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  1. ^ [1]
  2. ^ "Number of states"
  3. ^ "States of operation listed on Corp. website"
  4. ^ a b "News Media Corporation announces management agreement with CMG". The Rochelle News-Leader. 2024-07-25. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  5. ^ Petrina, Dave (August 9, 1980). "Rochelle chain buys Clinton newspaper". Herald & Review. p. 4.
  6. ^ "Publishing company sold". The Billings Gazette. August 15, 1987. p. 15.
  7. ^ "World-Herald Co. Sells S.D. Papers". Omaha World-Herald. January 28, 1999. p. 20.
  8. ^ "After 42 years, Florence newspaper sold to News Media, Illinois". The World. 2000-09-15. p. 3. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  9. ^ Schuster, John (February 23, 2006). "Media Watch". Tucson Weekly. Retrieved 2024-10-14.
  10. ^ Moran, Jack (October 25, 2006). "Cottage Grove Newspaper Sold". Eugene Register-Guard. Retrieved 2011-02-20.
  11. ^ "Lee Enterprises Will Sell Shoppers, Other Publications and Commercial Printing Operations in Pacific Northwest". Lee Enterprises. September 7, 2006. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
  12. ^ "GateHouse Media Sells Arizona Silver Belt in Globe, Arizona to News Media Corporation". Dirks, Van Essen & April. May 5, 2008. Retrieved 2024-10-14.
  13. ^ "News Media Corporation sells Colorado cluster to Louie Mullen". Editor and Publisher. 2023-08-02. Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  14. ^ "News Media Corporation sells Oregon cluster to Country Media, Inc". Editor and Publisher. 2023-09-05. Retrieved 2023-09-06.
  15. ^ "Nick Monico's employment history"
  16. ^ "Nick Monico joins Adams Publishing as COO". Adams Publishing Group. 2019-10-28. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  17. ^ "News Media Corp. announces promotions". The Clinton Journal. 2019-11-07. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  18. ^ "News Media Corporation announces promotions". The Rochelle News-Leader. 2019-11-02. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  19. ^ "News Media Corporation names JJ Tompkins CEO and Billy McMacken COO". Editor and Publisher. 2022-03-01. Retrieved 2024-07-25.
  20. ^ Kinkade, Jono (July 29, 2025). "Media war ends in concession from the online news site formerly known as Atascadero Daily News". New Times San Luis Obispo.
  21. ^ https://www.newtimesslo.com/files/news_AtascaderoNewsletter2_7-30.pdf [bare URL PDF]
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