John Rung

Publisher

John Rung is the Publisher and Chief Operating Officer of Shaw Suburban Media in Crystal Lake, IL. Shaw Suburban Media publishes three daily newspapers in Crystal Lake, DeKalb, IL and St. Charles, IL, along with numerous weekly and monthly publications. The company also owns and operates multiple Web sites and a video-production division. Before joining Shaw in 2002, Rung worked for Freedom Communications, serving as the vice president of advertising for The Gazette, a 100,0000-circulation daily in Colorado Springs, CO. Rung is a native of Aurora, Il. and a graduate of Western Illinois University. He is married with three children and resides in Johnsburg.

[IL 0101] - Part 1: Intro and Contribution (5:05)

John Rung, publisher, Northwest Herald, explains the key role the formation of his newspaper played in developing a sense of community among separate towns and villages in McHenry County, Ill.

[IL 0102] - Part 2: Strategic Changes (4:56)

John Rung, publisher, Northwest Herald, explains how the consolidation of administrative services among four regional Shaw Suburban Media Group newspapers and a decision to out-source printing helped the Northwest Herald to streamline costs and remain competitive.

[IL 0103] - Part 3: The Future & Career Prospects (6:08)

John Rung, publisher, Northwest Herald, expects that print publications will remain the major source of revenue for his newspaper organization in the next five years, but he also expects the revenues from digital products to continue to grow, especially via mobile platforms.

[IL 0104] - Part 4: Paywall (6:15)

John Rung, publisher, Northwest Herald, explains why he believes it is too late to erect successful paywalls for online newspaper websites, but he sees the emergence of mobile digital platforms as a more likely source for incremental newspaper revenues.