Walt Lafferty (Photo: Gatehouse Media)
The publisher of The State Journal-Register in Springfield and The Lincoln Courier has left GateHouse Media Inc.
Brad Dennison is vice president of publishing-large daily division at GateHouse Media. The State Journal-Register reports (http://bit.ly/MapK53 ) he announced Walt Lafferty’s departure on Friday. Longtime newspaper publisher Dick Johnston will take over for Lafferty starting Aug. 6.
Johnston most recently was publisher of The Pantagraph in Bloomington from 2007 to 2011. He also has been publisher of The Journal Times in Racine, Wis., The Southern Illinoisan in Carbondale, The Courier in Ottumwa, Iowa, and The Star Courier in Kewanee. He worked with Lee Enterprises for 37 years.
Michael Petrak, vice president of sales and digital services for GateHouse’s large daily division, will be interim publisher until Johnston takes over. (AP)
Walt is gone!!!’ Finally the SJ-R gets rid of somebody who added zero value.