Former DDT publisher takes post with Heartland

Executives with Heartland Publications have named John Clark the new publisher of LaGrange Daily News and one of its sister publications, the Thomaston Times. Clark is the former publisher of the Delta Democrat Times in Greenville.

Prince named ad director in Meridian

Ron Prince, former associate publisher of the DeSoto Appeal and advertising director for the Jackson (TN) Sun, has been named advertising director at The Meridian Star.

Prince is part of a true newspaper family. His brother, Mike Prince, is publisher of the Shelby County Reporter while his father, Shelton Prince, is former publisher of the Selma Times Journal, both in Alabama. Prince’s uncle, Randy Ponder, is a past MPA President and publisher of the Sea Coast Echo in Bay St. Louis.

Shocker: Cable news blowhard disses newspapers

Cable news talking head Dylan Ratigan says he wouldn’t read a newspaper unless someone “put a gun to his head.” Ratigan, 39, is the host of an eponymous afternoon show on MSNBC, which, as far we can tell, is a cable “news” channel no one watches.

For kicks and giggles, we dug up this report on Ratigan’s average viewership: 330,000 in the month of May. FYI, nearly 1.5 million Mississippians read a newspaper last week.

Clarion-Ledger editor to head MPB

Ronnie Agnew, who has served as executive editor of The Clarion-Ledger for nine years, has been named the new executive director of Mississippi Public Broadcasting.

Agnew, who came to the paper 10 1/2 years ago as managing editor, will begin his new job in mid-August.

MPB has been without permanent leadership since September when Judith Lewis resigned as executive director amid criticism over her decision to pull the popular national Fresh Air radio program. It drew criticism and national attention and sparked creation of a Facebook Fan page — “Bring Fresh Air back to Mississippi.”

 

Eide named general manager of Daily Leader

A number of staff changes have been announced at the Brookhaven Daily Leader, including the addition of two staff writers and the hiring of Rachel Eide, former managing editor of The Commercial Dispatch, as general manager for the paper.

Sun Herald endorses Dennis, Hewes

The Sun Herald has endorsed Dave Dennis for Mississippi governor and Sen. Billy Hewes for lieutenant governor.

Emmerich handicaps governor’s race

Mississippi has a good slate of candidates for governor. So says Past MPA President Wyatt Emmerich, publisher of The Northside Sun.

Prestridge new publisher in Columbia

Alabama native Adam Prestridge has been named publisher of The Columbian-Progress. He succeeds Julie Johnson, a longtime C-P staffer and Nashville native who came to the south Mississippi community in the mid 1990s. She has served as publisher for the past three years and is moving with her family to the Far East. Prestridge is being succeeded in his former job as publisher of the Atmore Advance by Kerry Whipple Bean, a one-time news staffer at The Natchez Democrat. Both the Atmore and Natchez papers are owned by Tuscaloosa-based Boone Newspapers.