George H. Cogswell III, an experienced newspaper executive with expertise in the areas of advertising, circulation and marketing and a strong focus on improving the consumer experience on print and digital platforms, has been named publisher of The Commercial Appeal in Memphis.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning Commercial Appeal is one of the oldest and largest news organizations in The E.W. Scripps Company’s portfolio. Known for delivering high-quality journalism and creating valuable marketplaces for businesses in the mid-South, the Commercial Appeal engages readers and serves advertisers across a growing array of print and digital platforms.
“George is a proven leader and has been a high-performing member of the Scripps newspaper team for 15 years,” said Tim Stautberg, Scripps senior vice president of newspapers. “During his tenure with Scripps, he has taken on many new challenges and has demonstrated his ability to energize and lead employees, create effective sales and marketing strategies, and manage Scripps newspapers in a way that best serves the needs of their communities. With George’s leadership, the unwavering focus of our employees on Union Avenue will continue to be on providing community-changing journalism for the consumers of our print and digital products, and delivering solutions that increase sales for our advertisers.”
Since 2007 Cogswell has served as the president and publisher of the Scripps-owned Ventura County (Calif.) Star. Before that he spent four years as president and publisher of the Abilene (Texas) Reporter-News after leading the circulation and marketing efforts for the Scripps Treasure Coast newspapers in Florida. He was director of circulation and marketing for the Treasure Coast newspapers – The Stuart News, The Tribune in Fort Pierce and the Vero Beach Press-Journal – for three years. He previously had been circulation director of the Wichita Falls (Texas) Times Record News from 1997 to 2000.
Before joining Scripps, Cogswell worked from 1993 to 1996 for Freedom Communications, first at the company’s newspaper in Fort Pierce (before it was acquired by Scripps) and then at Freedom’s Colorado Springs (Colo.) Gazette Telegraph.
Cogswell began his newspaper career in 1985 as a circulation district manager at the Middlesex News in Framingham, Mass. From 1986 to 1993 he held various positions in the circulation department at the Worcester (Mass.) Telegram & Gazette before serving a year as circulation director for The Call in Woonsocket, R.I.
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