Gannett Co., Inc. has announced that Wendy Naugle will be joining as executive editor of entertainment for the USA TODAY Network. In her role, Naugle will oversee all entertainment strategy for a broad portfolio, working with entertainment editors across the USA TODAY Network and over 200 local publications. more

Joe Soprano, executive editor at the Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania), died Sunday, July 6, after a long battle with cancer. more

The Independent Newspaper Group has announced the appointment of Heidi Wright as its new executive director. She succeeds Don Farley, who has led the organization for the past five years and helped strengthen its role as a voice and resource for independent publishers nationwide. more

Veteran journalist and Boone County native Phil Perry has been named president of HD Media, which publishes The Herald-Dispatch, the Charleston Gazette-Mail and a host of weekly publications across West Virginia, Virginia and Ohio. more

Michelle Robinson will be responsible for operational duties of the newspaper as well as retaining her role as chief revenue officer. more

Adams Publishing Group has announced that current interim general manager Brian Doane will officially become the company’s new regional president for Wyoming, effective July 1. more

Dr. Catherine Staub, dean of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Drake University, will be stepping down from her role as dean, effective June 30.  Dean Staub will serve in a consulting role to the new SJMC dean until her official retirement on Sept. 1. more

The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication has hired Shelby Grossman as its inaugural Professor of Practice in AI and Investigative Journalism — a position funded by a $1 million grant from the Scripps Howard Foundation.  more

The Argus Observer announced that longtime editor Leslie Thompson has been named as its next publisher. more

The Lufkin (Texas) Daily News and The Daily Sentinel in Nacogdoches, Texas,  will undergo exciting changes on June 30, Southern Newspapers Inc. President Leonard Woolsey announced. more

Longtime newsroom manager and reporter Laura Gunderson has been named editor and vice president of content for The Oregonian/OregonLive. more

Sheila Mondeau has been named the new publisher of The Argus-Press in Owosso, Michigan, marking a leadership transition for the historic local newspaper. more

The company publishes The Messenger, TroyLife magazine and troymessenger.com, as well several niche publications and magazines. more

The Houston Chronicle has named Rachel Nostrant its new energy reporter. She will be an integral part of the business team covering the oil and gas industry, a driving force in the Houston economy.  more

Joe Miranda will be joining Gannett as chief technology and data officer. In his role, Miranda will lead the adoption of new technologies to improve digital media and marketing solutions systems and products, including AI, machine learning and big data analytics across the enterprise. more

Doug Skaff Jr., a West Virginia newspaper executive and former Democratic legislative leader, died June 10 following an accident on Interstate 79. He was 48. more

Ray Carlsen, 86, resident of Naperville, Illinois, died on June 8 at Johnson Health Care Center at Windsor Park, Carol Stream, Illinois. more

Rick Rouan, who has been named managing editor of The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch, succeeds Encarnacion Pyle, who accepted a top editor role in Richmond, Virginia, earlier this year. more

In a memo to staff, AP Washington Bureau Chief Anna Johnson announced a pair of key promotions. more

Nancy Meyer, president and publisher of the Houston Chronicle, said that Evan I. Mintz had been named editor of Opinion and Community Engagement. more