Veteran newspaper executive Joseph Craig has been named publisher of The Alton (Ill.) Telegraph and the Jacksonville (Ill.) Journal Courier. The announcement was made Wednesday, March 11, 2015, by Ralph Martin, CEO of Civitas Media, the newspaper’s parent company.

Craig will lead all operations including newsroom, advertising, production and circulation departments. He will be based in Alton.

“Joe has deep, rich experience in our industry,” Martin said. “His strong leadership skills will serve us well in advancing the Telegraph’s already robust suite of products and services.”

Craig has more than 40 years in the newspaper business, working as a sales representative, department head, general manager, publisher and division vice president. Much of his career has been in the Midwest including Illinois, Missouri and Iowa. He’s also worked in markets in North Carolina, Nebraska, New York, Connecticut, Wisconsin and West Virginia.

Craig’s most recent role was chief revenue officer for Civitas Media, leading the company’s sales efforts.

“I’m pleased to call Alton my home,” Craig said. I look forward to connecting with the community and leading a newspaper that has a long, vibrant history in the region.”

Craig believes in fostering an atmosphere where employees work together to provide the best services for their customers.

“We’re nothing without our readers and advertisers,” Craig said. “Together, we achieve success.”

Civitas Media employs more than 1,200 dedicated, creative and innovative associates across 12 states including North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee. Civitas publishes more than 100 publications for a combined weekly distribution of more 1.6 million copies.