Carpenter Media Group has named John Carr as publisher of The Bulletin and the Redmond Spokesman, and senior vice president of the media group’s Oregon division.

Carr brings 30 years of experience to the job, most recently as regional manager of 16 multimedia community publications in North Carolina and Kentucky. Since 2020, Carr has served as publisher of the Salisbury Post and Stanly News & Press in North Carolina, according to the company’s website.

“Our focus is on the communities we serve, and since all communities are unique, we do not have a cookie cutter approach,” Carr said. “Instead, we work to be an essential source for local news and information, some of which we are often the exclusive source for. The Bulletin and Spokesman already work hard in this regard. For example, there is more outdoor content than you will find in just about any paper anywhere. Here, we think this is essential to our readers. Our goal is to continue with our best work and always try to improve.”

Carr will oversee publications in Oregon and North Carolina, according to a statement from the company.

“John is an excellent community publisher committed to our mission of serving local communities through high-quality journalism and partnering with local businesses and members of our team to achieve their goals,” said Tim Prince, Carpenter Media Group CEO, said in a prepared statement. “We feel fortunate to work with John and are looking forward to seeing all that he and the team in Oregon will accomplish in the years to come.”

Carpenter Media Group, among the largest privately owned media companies in the United States, acquired The Bulletin and Spokesman on Nov. 1. The company says its mission is to provide sustainable community journalism.

“It is no secret community journalism has its challenges, and that the future will continue to be challenging,” Carr said. “While we may be best known as the ‘local paper,’ a brand we treasure, we have been much more for many years. In most community papers our digital audience has become much larger than print. We will continue to shift and adjust as the media landscape does. We will reach readers with information that is important to their lives however they wish to support getting it. Print, digital, social media, podcasts. We believe that as long as local information is important to people and they seek to know about things like local schools, crime, land use, growth, local taxes and what city and county officials are doing, we will find the best way to deliver that information.”

Carpenter Media Group, based in Mississippi, has acquired 48 news and community publications in Oregon this year, including Pamplin publications in the Portland area, according to a company statement. Carpenter Media lists a portfolio of media outlets in 20 states and several Canadian provinces and territories. Today, it owns nearly 200 titles.

The group purchased The Bulletin and Redmond Spokesman and about two dozen newspapers, magazines and newsletters from EO Media Group on Nov. 1. EO Media bought The Bulletin and Redmond Spokesman in 2019 during a Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection for $3.65 million from Western Communications. Carr replaces Heidi Wright as publisher of The Bulletin and the Spokesman.