Janet Reynolds, a 20-year veteran of New Mass. Media, steps down as part of company-wide restructuring

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 10, 2007

Chris Morrill, VP/Interactive & New Mass. Media at The Hartford Courant, announced a number of management changes across New Mass. Media, as part of a company-wide restructuring.

As part of that restructuring, Janet Reynolds, Group Publisher of the Valley Advocate and Hartford Advocate has tendered her resignation after almost 20 years of dedicated service. Janet began with the company as a listings editor at the Hartford Advocate in 1986, was promoted to a reporter and then managing editor. After a brief stint at the Litchfield County Times in the mid-’90s, she returned to Hartford as editor and was later promoted to publisher. In 2003, she became Group Publisher, with responsibilities for the Valley Advocate as well as Hartford.

In addition to her work with the newspapers, Janet was also the founding publisher of both Preview Connecticut (now CTSlant) and Preview Massachusetts. She has represented New Mass. Media in the community with her active participation on the boards of the Greater Hartford Arts Council, the Northampton Chamber of Commerce, The Bushnell Performing Arts Center, First Night Hartford, and Planned Parenthood of Connecticut.

In an announcement to staff, Morrill described Reynolds as “a relentless believer in alternative journalism. Her creativity, determination and all-around smarts have been invaluable.”

“I have been truly lucky to get to work with this amazing group of tireless, hardworking, innovative group of people,” said Reynolds. “Publishing a newspaper has always been a challenging business particularly in the last few years. I feel that I met many of those challenges and am able to leave them in good shape and in good capable hands that will take them to the next level.”

Her last day will be September 28th. She has not announced any future employment plans.

Morrill also announced that Josh Mamis, Group Publisher of the New Haven Advocate and Fairfield County Weekly will assume responsibility as Group Publisher for all four of the weeklies, the growing websites and other related products. Josh has spent most of his career in the alternative press, as editor of the Vermont Vanguard Press followed by 10 years as editor of the New Haven Advocate. He was promoted to Group Publisher of the New Haven Advocate and Fairfield County Weekly in 2004. Additionally, Sean Hitchcock and Do-Han Allen will assume Associate Publisher roles in Fairfield and the Valley respectively.

New Mass. Media, Inc. has been the leading alternative publisher in Western Massachusetts and Connecticut for over 33 years. Through its four alternative newsweeklies (Valley, Hartford & New Haven Advocate, Fairfield County Weekly) two magazine titles (CTSlant and Preview Massachusetts) and custom publishing, NMM publications circulate close to 1M copies monthly and deliver a totally unique media footprint that reaches from Southern Vermont to New York City. More information on New Mass. Media may be obtained at www.newmassmedia.com.