EVERETT—Senior Vice President & Group Publisher at Carpenter Media Group (formerly Black Press), and publisher of the Everett Daily Herald, Josh O’Connor, has been named CEO of Wick Communications—an Arizona-based family-owned media company that operates community news publications and digital advertising agencies across 10 Western states, from Alaska to Minnesota. O’Connor will join Wick in early February.
“After a rewarding 26-year career with Black Press Media and 16 years with Sound Publishing, Inc., I’m thrilled to announce that I will be joining Wick Communications,” O’Connor posted to LinkedIn. “I’m deeply grateful to David Black and his family, Todd Carpenter, Tim Prince, and my incredible teammates at Black Press/Sound Publishing and Carpenter Media for their support over the years.”
O’Connor shared that he looks forward to “shaping the future” with his new team at Wick.
“The team at Wick is talented and innovative, and together I am looking forward to shaping the future of Wick Communications for generations to come,” O’Connor said. “I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to the family and Wick Communications’ board of directors.”
As CEO, O’Connor will be focused on driving revenue and innovation, while furthering the company’s community mission.
O’Connor previously served as the co-chief operating officer of Black Press since 2021, overseeing community publishing divisions in Washington, Alaska, British Columbia and Alberta. He was previously president of Sound Publishing and publisher of the Everett Daily Herald. During his tenure, the Daily Herald was named Newspaper of the Year in 2014 by the Local Media Association.
Black Press Media, the parent company of the Everett Herald, filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection in Delaware on January 16, 2024, owing some $101.2 million to creditors according to court documents. Carpenter Media Group, a Mississippi-based company, acquired Black Press in March of 2024, after the company was deemed insolvent.
In June, Everett Daily Herald staff threatened to walk out over the removal of the paper’s reporting on its own layoffs—12 newsroom employees who were given pink slips. On June 24, Herald staff commenced a two-day strike to protest the layoffs and their disappointment in the new ownership.
On Friday, December 6, the Everett NewsGuild, a unionized group of Everett Herald reporters, announced they will be rejecting Carpenter Media Group’s latest proposed bargaining agreement that included a minimum $20.50 per hour wage.
The demands of the Everett NewsGuild are for fair wages, no connection between wages and quotas, a renegotiated time-off and paid sick leave system, severance packages in the event of potential future layoffs, and protections from contracting work out to non-union members. There are currently seven Herald employees represented by the Everett NewsGuild as most of them were laid off in the summer.
Outgoing Wick CEO Francis Wick, who will continue to run the company until O’Connor’s arrival, said O’Connor is the right person to lead Wick Communications’ next chapter
“I’m grateful O’Connor is joining the organization,” Wick said. “With hands-on experience operating newspapers comparably sized to ours, a focus on revenue generation, and a sharp strategic mind, he will play a key role in advancing the company’s transformation.”
Wick, who has served as CEO since 2016, will remain closely involved as a third-generation family representative and member of the board of directors.
“As I move into a new chapter in my life, I do so knowing that Wick will be led by a leader of great experience, capabilities and resilience to navigate the current challenges of our industry,” he said.
The search for a new chief executive yielded a strong pool of candidates, but O’Connor stood out for his forward-thinking vision and operational expertise, Board Chairman John Romney said.
“We welcome Josh O’Connor as the new CEO of Wick Communications. His proven leadership and operational skills will be critical as we steward the Wick media operations for years to come,” Romney said. “The shareholders of Wick are committed to our media operations, notwithstanding the challenging industry dynamics. We value our subscribers and our advertising partners, and we have incredible employees, operators, journalists and publishers in our organization. The 98-year legacy of Wick is in strong hands and will be greatly enhanced by Josh’s leadership.”
Author: Mario Lotmore
