New England Press Association

News Digest

• Briefs
• Circulation News
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• Advertising News
• Obituaries
• Transitions
• Industry News
• Online News
• Financial News

CONNECTICUT

Matt DeRienzo has been promoted by Yardley, Pa.-based Journal Register Co. to publisher of its Central Connecticut properties. The company also has named Paula Walsh as regional director of niche publications. DeRienzo’s role has expanded to oversee the Middletown Press, West Hartford News, and the Housatonic Media Group, which includes the Litchfield County Times of New Milford. DeRienzo has been publisher of The Register Citizen of Torrington and the Foothills Media Group, based in Torrington and including eight other publications. Before 2008, DeRienzo was corporate director and editor of the Register Citizen. He also has been executive editor of The Eagle Times of Claremont, N.H. Walsh was publisher of the Litchfield County Times, Housatonic Times, and Passport magazine, all of New Milford, before her latest appointment

MAINE

Michelle Passmore, previously advertising director of The Times Record of Brunswick, has been named general manager of The Journal Tribune of Biddeford. Before working at the Times Record, Passmore was a graphic designer at the Elkland (Pa.) Journal and in advertising sales at The Star Gazette of Elmira, N.Y. She continued in ad sales at The Leader of Corning, N.Y., where she eventually became advertising director. continued in ad sales at The Leader of Corning, N.Y., where she eventually became advertising director.

MASSACHUSETTS

Margaret Smith is the new editor of The Beacon of Acton. She has been arts editor and calendar and special sections editor for GateHouse Media New England’s northwest division, based in Concord. In 2003, Smith began her career at the newspaper grouop now owned by GateHouse Media New England as a news editor for the Billerica Minuteman.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Shana Hoch has become vice president of digital media for The Telegraph of Nashua and NH.com, in place of Ernesto Burden. Hoch has been director of national, classified and digital media advertising at the Telegraph. Before that, she was director of sales at The Cabinet Press Inc., a Milford-based sister newspaper group of the Telegraph, and was retail and real estate sales manager at the parent company. Hoch also has been the company’s assistant advertising sales manager and major accounts representative. She has been in advertising sales with Needham, Mass.-based Community Newspaper Company and with the Seacoast Media Group, based in Portsmouth. Hoch was corporate market share development trainer in advertising sales for Tucson (Ariz.) Newspapers for a year in 2003-2004. Burden left the Telegraph to be group publisher at PennWell Aerospace and Defense Media Group in Nashua. Before becoming vice president of digital media at the Telegraph, Burden was digital media director for the Rutland (Vt.) Herald and The Times Argus of Barre and Montpelier, Vt,, and was online editor at the Telegraph and NH.com. He also has been editor of the Cape May (N.J.) Star and Wave and a reporter and editor for the North Adams (Mass.) Transcript.

The Transitions were written, at least in part, from published reports by Bulletin correspondents Oshane Davis, Kristen McCleary and Ann M. Musheno, undergraduate students at Northeastern University.