John Paton is the CEO of the Journal Register Company – one of the largest newspaper companies in the United States. Paton is a career newspaper executive who has been responsible for both print and online divisions in the US, Canada, France and Spain.

He is the co-founder of impreMedia, the largest news and information company for Hispanics in the US. In April 2009 he was named Publisher of the Year by Editor & Publisher. In  December 2009 he gave a keynote address on transforming newspaper companies into multi-platform media companies at the World Association of Newspapers annual congress in India. Paton, is a member of the Board of Advisors for the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism.