Veteran newspaper executive to become RJ interim publisher
Jim Hopson, a longtime publishing executive, will become the interim publisher of the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Hopson dropped by the Review-Journal offices Thursday to meet people and shake hands in advance of his April 17 start date. He succeeds Mark Ficarra, who is leaving to do part-time work on revenue growth with GateHouse Media, which last month took over management of the Review-Journal.
“To be clear, (Hopson) is not seeking a long-term publisher position,” GateHouse CEO Kirk Davis wrote Thursday in a note to staff. “That said, he enjoys the short-term challenge of helping companies through periods just like this.”
New Media Investment Group of New York in March closed on the purchase of the Review-Journal and seven other newspapers owned by Stephens Media LLC. New Media’s operating arm is GateHouse Media.
Hopson said he won’t be the publisher for long — a couple months or so. He retired in 2007 as publisher of the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison.
“GateHouse is beginning to search for a permanent publisher, and I’ll be here until then,” Hopson, 67, said.
Since retiring, he’s joined and led newspapers through short-term transitions typically associated with an ownership change. In that role, he has worked at the News-Journal of Daytona Beach, Fla; the Press of Atlantic City, and the Worcester (Mass.) Telegram &Gazette.
Hopson said his goals are to learn about the Review-Journal and the Las Vegas community. He expressed optimism about the region’s growth potential.
“It’s a really interesting place,” Hopson said. “The growth and vitality of this market underpin the opportunities for this newspaper.”
“This is a really interesting newspaper opportunity and finding the right person to lead this organization is an important task for GateHouse,” he said.
Before his 2007 retirement, Hopson worked in senior management positions at Harte-Hanks Communications, the Press of Atlantic City, Community Newspaper Company in Boston and Thomson Newspapers in Central Ohio. He graduated from the University of Missouri and holds an MBA from Harvard University.
Contact Ben Botkin at bbotkin@reviewjournal.com or 702-405-9781. Find him on Twitter: @BenBotkin1.
