Tricia Johnston named CNHI West Virginia publisher

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Tricia Johnston has been promoted to West Virginia publisher of the Times West Virginian in Fairmont, The Register-Herald in Beckley and the Bluefield Daily Telegraph.

She succeeds publisher Titus Workman in Fairmont, and publisher Randy Mooney in Beckley and Bluefield. They recently announced their retirements after 46 and 42 years, respectively, in the newspaper business.

The papers are owned by the CNHI, LLC community newspaper group headquartered in Montgomery, Alabama.

Johnston has been publisher of the CNHI Goshen News in Indiana for the past two years. Previously, she served in advertising, marketing and publisher positions with papers in Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Workman has held executive positions at 11 different newspapers in four states: West Virginia, Louisiana, North Carolina and Michigan. He began his career at his hometown paper, The Logan Banner, in 1975.

“One of the things I’ve tried really hard to do in my career is to make sure the newspaper I worked for was balanced in its presentation of the news — not going too far left or too far right,” said Workman, a graduate of Marshall University.

Mooney has served as publisher of the Bluefield Daily Telegraph for eight years. His responsibility was expanded to The Register-Herald nearly five years ago. He has also worked for newspapers in New York State, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Georgia and Oklahoma.

“Not everybody has the opportunity to work in a career where you are making a difference in people’s lives and serving the public interest,” he said. “That’s important when you consider the role of newspapers in our society is critical to the success of democracy. If we do not hold those in power accountable, who will?”

A native of St. Albans, West Virginia, and a journalism graduate of West Virginia University, Mooney has been a part of significant changes resulting from automated production processes and delivering news and advertising online as well as in print.

Johnston’s first newspaper job occurred 34 years ago as an advertising account executive with The News-Herald in Willoughby, Ohio, eventually becoming the paper’s advertising director. Later she served in advertising, marketing and publisher positions with papers in Michigan and Pennsylvania in addition to Indiana.

She has a master’s degree in business administration from John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio, and a bachelor’s degree in English from St. Bonaventure University in Allegany, New York.

“I’m honored to be entrusted with the proud tradition of community journalism our West Virginia newspapers represent,” said Johnston. “My goal is to build on their foundation of excellence.”

Tricia Johnston, Times West Virginian-Fairmont, The Register-Herald-Beckley, Bluefield Daily Telegraph, CNHI