NORTHAMPTON — Shawn Palmer, publisher of the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Greenfield Recorder and Athol Daily News, is set to add being president and chief executive officer of Newspapers of New England to his responsibilities.
Palmer on July 5 officially succeeds Chuck Goodrich, who is retiring after five years in the role for the family-owned company that has published local news in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont for 138 years.
“I am honored by the confidence placed in me to lead Newspapers of New England into its next chapter,” Palmer said. “Our success has always been rooted in strong local journalism, deep community engagement and the dedication of our employees. I look forward to working alongside our talented teams to continue serving our readers, advertisers and communities while positioning the company for long-term growth and
sustainability.”
Palmer has overseen editorial, advertising, audience and operations for NNE across western Massachusetts since early 2021, bringing more than three decades of New England news media leadership to the position. Prior to coming to the region, Palmer held senior executive and publisher posts at Hearst Connecticut Media, The Day Publishing Company in New London, Connecticut, and RJ Media Group.
Throughout his career he has been credited with building a reputation for steady management, growing audience and digital revenue, and deepening the ties of publications to the communities they serve.
Goodrich is one of the most experienced news media executives in New England, with a career spanning more than 40 years across the region’s leading local media companies. He was inducted into the New England Newspaper Hall of Fame in 2022. In retirement, Goodrich will continue to advise the company as a member of its board of directors.
“Chuck has done a tremendous job — he led this company with a steady hand through the
post-pandemic world and he’s leaving the company stronger than he found it,” said Aaron
Julien, chairman of Newspapers of New England. “I’m thrilled he isn’t going far. Having him on our board means we keep his judgment and his deep knowledge of this business right where we can reach it.”
Of Palmer, Julien said, “He knows our company, our communities, and our readers, and he’s exactly the right person to lead us forward. Between Shawn and a deep, seasoned leadership team across our digital and print publications and operations, I’m confident we have a great team in place.”
Palmer said he was grateful to Goodrich for his “leadership, guidance and mentorship over the past five years.”
“His support has been invaluable, and I look forward to working even more closely with Aaron Julien as we build on the company’s strong foundation. Most of all, I am proud to lead this family-owned company, which for nearly 140 years has remained committed to independent local journalism and to the communities that rely on it every day.”
Goodrich said he appreciates the support he received during his tenure and confident in
Palmer’s leadership: ”I’m grateful to Aaron and the owners for their support and trust during the past five years, and I’m confident in Shawn’s ability to lead the company going forward.”
In addition to the Massachusetts publications, Newspapers of New England’s digital and print titles include the Concord Monitor, the Valley News and the Monadnock Ledger-Transcript. The company also operates a digital advertising unit and a commercial printing company in New Hampshire.
