Careers at Digital First Media
Mission
Offering news reporting and third party advertising and directory opportunities through more than 800 multi-platform products.
History
Digital First Media is one of the largest players in the newspaper publishing and marketing industry. With over 67 daily papers, 180 weekly publications and a combined readership of over 66 million, Digital First Media has become one of the largest newspaper chain management companies in the United States.
The company traces its origins back to the Media News Group and the Journal Register Company, which was founded by Dean Singleton in 1983. One of the first newspapers the company acquired was the Long Beach Press-Telegram. This acquisition was followed by a period of rapid growth fuelled by aggressive acquisitions and expansion.
It was not until 2011 that Digital First Media was established, and Media News Group and Journal Register Co. came under its auspices. Under the leadership of CEO John Paton, DFM manages a number of companies besides Media News Group, including Southern California News Group, Digital First Ventures and 21st Century Media. Prior to his appointment, Paton worked for Knight Ridder, the second largest newspaper publisher in the United States. Knight Ridder is one of DFM’s main competitors today.
Digital First Media is owned by a hedge fund, Alden Global Capital, and has found its niche in buying struggling regional and local newspapers. The strategy has seen a number of successes, such as the acquisitions of the Orange County Register and the Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California. The company has also had to consolidate or sell off other less successful newspapers in recent years.
John Paton remains the company’s CEO and Michael Koren is its CFO. The company has over 10,000 employees and is headquartered in Denver, Colorado.