In a Dec. 21 front-page article in The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, New York), John DeAugustine, the new owner of the Daily Gazette Family of Newspapers, wrote that he is honored and humbled to lead the newspapers into the future. The Daily Gazette Family of Newspapers includes the Daily Mail, Register-Star, Leader-Herald, Recorder and, its flagship paper, the Daily Gazette. He also has assumed ownership of the company's FedEx distribution business, Daily Gazette Logistics.
“For 130 years the Hume and Lind families have shepherded a legacy of award-winning journalism within our communities,” he wrote. “Now, my family is honored to continue that tradition with unwavering dedication to local journalism.”
He added, “A free press is the backbone of any thriving modern society and I am deeply committed to guiding the stewardship of this vital mission.”
The previous day, The Daily Gazette published a front-page article from outgoing co-owner and board of directors Chair Betsie Hume Lind.
America's Newspapers was honored to be recognized in her article for the knowledge and benefits that she, her brother Bill and their cousin Jack (John E.H. Hume III) — fourth-generation owners of the newspapers — received by participating in the Family Owners Meeting, begun by the Inland Press Association and now continued by America's Newspapers.
She wrote: “The newspaper industry presented many hurdles over time, with the advent of competitors in distributing news — radio, then television, then the internet, with Craigslist leading into sophisticated marketing platforms such as Google.
“This greatly diminished our advertising base. Add to that the woes of pension plans, which for many were business busters.
“Bill and I knew we needed to increase our knowledge of newspapering.
“We found a trade organization, Inland Press, now America’s Newspapers, that had conferences with a day set aside for family-owned papers. We started attending the meetings.
“From the beginning, the discussions were illuminating for the Hume and Lind families. We heard stories of what happened to many papers that did not have a family member to be the publisher, and about the potential challenges of either not having a succession plan or having such bad family chemistry that the business imploded.
“So when our cousin, Jack, was getting ready to retire in 2013, we knew to recruit a publisher for The Gazette.
“Eighty applicants later, John DeAugustine stood out as having a great background and being enthusiastic about the importance of newspapers for communities.”
Later, when the decision was made to sell the company, she said they began talking with DeAugustine about his family becoming the stewards — and a plan fell into place that she called “miraculous.”
To help further The Gazette’s commitment to community journalism well into the future, Lind wrote that “our family has decided to start a journalism fund to assist John in developing our local content. There are many opportunities to hire more journalists by being able to match grant money.” Lind and her niece, Kathryn, will be assisting with this effort to get it off the ground.
In addition to a Family and Independent Owners Meeting at the Senior Leadership Conference in Colorado Springs in November, America's Newspapers plans to hold several additional regional Family and Independent Owners meetings this year, including one on April 16 in Orlando, immediately following this year's Mega-Conference.
The Family and Independent Owners meeting is intended for owners and family members directly involved in the newspaper organization of independently-owned newspapers. The C-Suite/Senior Executive/Publisher of these newspapers can also be invited to attend by the organization’s owner to represent the company.
The April 16 Family and Independent Owners meeting is included with your registration to the 2025 Mega-Conference. Or, a special Wednesday-only rate is available:
Information about additional regional meetings will be available soon.