Business News

Journal Register Company Names Matt DeRienzo Central Connecticut Publisher

Friday 11. February 2011 - Journal Register Company, a leading local news and information company, announced today the appointment of Matt DeRienzo as publisher of the Company's Central Connecticut properties.

DeRienzo, who has served as publisher of The Register Citizen and Foothills Media Group since February 2008, will also oversee The Middletown Press, The West Hartford News and the Housatonic Media Group, including The Litchfield County Times, named Newspaper of the Year by the Suburban Newspapers of America in 2010.
“Matt’s innovation and record of success — including the launch of the Open Newsroom and the growth in audience and revenue — made him the right choice for this promotion,” said Tom Wiley, Senior Publisher of Journal Register Company’s Connecticut Group, noting that The Register Citizen’s digital audience has grown to six times that of its print and that digital revenue is up 111% over last year. “Matt will play a large part in the changing media landscape in Connecticut.”
The Register Citizen was recently named the first-ever Innovator of the Month by the Associated Press Managing Editors for their Open Newsroom which features a Newsroom Café, free WiFi, open archives, a community meeting space and classroom, and workstations for members of the Community Media Lab.
“The foundation of the Open Newsroom in Torrington is an open dialogue where our audience is part of all we do. I look forward to working with our staff across Connecticut to expand this approach,” said Mr. DeRienzo.
“Lots of people talk about the future of local news but Matt is building it,” said Jeff Jarvis of Journal Register Company’s Advisory Board. “Matt and Journal Register are creating the means to support and sustain local coverage that matters to these communities.”
Prior to serving as publisher at The Register Citizen, Mr. DeRienzo was Corporate Director of News for Journal Register Company and prior to that he served as editor of The Register Citizen. Mr. DeRienzo also worked for The Eagle Times in Claremont, New Hampshire.
Mr. DeRienzo resides in Torrington, Connecticut where he is a member of the Torrington Rotary Club and serves on the board of directors for the United Way of Northwest Connecticut and for the Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce.