About

John Paton covering the IMF conference in 1982.

John Paton is the CEO of Digital First Media which operates Digital First Ventures, MediaNews Group and Journal Register Company with more than 800 digital and print products in 18 states serving 57 million customers per month. Paton is a career newspaper executive who has been responsible for both print and online divisions in the US, Canada, France and Spain.

He is the co-founder of impreMedia, the largest news and information company for Hispanics in the US. In April 2009 he was named Publisher of the Year by Editor & Publisher. John, who has been involved in more than $4 billion in media transactions and financings involving both private and public companies, is a director of MediaNews Group, Journal Register Company, Postmedia Network and a member of the Board of Advisors for the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Newspaper Association of America and the International Board of Directors of the International News Marketing Association.

John is a graduate of Ryerson University’s journalism program and has successfully completed the Finance for Senior Executives program at the Harvard University Graduate School of Business Administration. In 2006 his alma mater Ryerson University honored him with their Alumni of Distinction Award.

John resides in New York City. He can be reached at jpaton@digitalfirstmedia.com.