The community newspapers in Brazil, Greencastle, and Greene County, along with The Shopper in Linton, will have new ownership starting Monday, July 1.
Rust Communications, based in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, has announced the sale of its Indiana properties to Paxton Media Group, based in Paducah, Kentucky.
Rust purchased the Banner Graphic in 1999, the Brazil Times in 2001, and the former Linton Daily Citizen and Bloomfield Evening World in 2003. The two Greene County newspapers merged in 2005 to form the Greene County Daily World.
“We have loved serving everyone in Indiana,” said Jon K. Rust, president of Rust Communications. “And we’ve had great staffs over the years. Paxton Media is a strong company with a long history of taking good care of their communities.”
Paxton Media Group is a family-owned company founded in 1896. It is currently led by President & CEO Jamie Paxton who is the fifth-generation of the Paxton family to hold the title of President of the company.
The company publishes nearly 120 community newspapers in the Southeast and Midwest, as well as related websites in each of those communities. The newspapers are located in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
“We believe in local newspapers, and in their value to a community, and we are committed to continue the excellent tradition the Banner Graphic, Brazil Times, and Greene County Daily world has,” said Paxton.
Paxton Media Group also owns the following Indiana newspapers:
Princeton, Daily Clarion
Rockport, Spencer County Journal
Tell City, Perry County News
Paoli/Springs Valley, Herald
Jasper, Herald
Boonville, Warrick County Standard
Petersburg, Press Dispatch
Fort Branch, South Gibson Star Times
“We are excited to work with these great communities and with the staff of these three papers,” said Mike Weafer, PMG Group Publisher KY-IN, and Courtney Shots, who will be publisher of the three papers.
Chris Pruett, who served as publisher until the sale, began his career at the Linton Daily Citizen as sports editor in 1983. He also worked as the editor and general manager at the paper until becoming publisher of all three Rust Indiana properties in 2012.
“The newspapers in Indiana have been near and dear to my heart for 41 years. I worked with some outstanding people who gave their heart and soul to the newspapers. They love their community, and will continue to serve it well,” Pruett said.
“The employees have proven year after year to provide the most comprehensive news and sports coverage possible. All three newspapers have gone through many changes the past several years, but their focus has always been on their readers. That won’t change.”
Rust Indiana employees learned of the sale this week and met their new owners the same day.
Rust Communications also announced this week the sale of the Dyersburg State-Gazette in Tennessee to Paxton Media Group. Rust Communications still owns newspapers in Missouri, Arkansas, Nebraska, Kansas, and Idaho.