Lee Enterprises Group Publisher Bill Masterson has been selected as president and publisher of the Rapid City Journal in Rapid City, South Dakota, and Lee group publisher. Masterson succeeds Matthew Tranquill, who was named general manager and director of local advertising sales of the Morning News in Florence, South Carolina.
“We’re very delighted to have Bill back as the leader in Rapid City,” said Lee Operating Vice President and Vice President of Consumer Sales and Marketing Nathan Bekke. “He’s a talented leader with deep understanding and great passion for Rapid City and the Black Hills communities.”
Masterson will maintain responsibilities as a group publisher, overseeing Lee properties in Alabama, Florida, Texas, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Nevada. He held a similar role with the former Berkshire Hathaway Media Group (BHMG) before the company was acquired by Lee in 2020. His career also includes president and publisher of the Tulsa World in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and he was the BHMG’s vice president of their south region. Masterson was publisher of the Rapid City Journal from 2000 to 2006 and later served within Lee as publisher of The Times of Northwest Indiana and as a group publisher.
“Reconnecting to Rapid City in this role is exciting and energizing,” Masterson said. “The Black Hills is a vibrant collection of communities with a unique story to tell, and the Journal tells that story very well through its digital and print platforms. We have a strong audience, and we want to help local advertisers connect.”
