Considering the hemmoraging most print publications saw last year, it may have been a challenge for Editor & Publisher magazine to name a Publisher of the Year - but they have. impreMedia Chairman and CEO John Paton

"In just over five years he has created the first successful nationwide Hispanic Newspaper, Print and Online publishing company in the United States," the magazine reported.

E&P editor Greg Mitchell, said Paton was chosen "in recognition of his work that led to wide success for impreMedia across print, web and mobile in the past year."

impreMedia is the nation's largest Hispanic newspaper publisher reaching 63% of the U.S. Hispanic population. Its leading publications include La Opinión in Los Angeles and El Diario La Prensa in New York. Its Websites include, www.impre.com, www.imprerewards.com, www.lavibra.com, www.impreautos.com, www.laopinion.com, www.eldiariony.com, www.hoynyc.com, www.laraza.com, www.laprensafl.com, www.elmensajero.com, www.diariosrumbo.com, www.vistamagazine.com, and www.contigola.com.

The company is not immune to the print pains. 16 employees lost their jobs in late December when the free New York daily "Hoy" went Web only.

Press release after the jump...

ImpreMedia Chairman & CEO John Paton

Named Publisher of the Year by Editor & Publisher Magazine

New York, NY (April 6, 2009) – Editor & Publisher magazine announced today their choice of impreMedia Chairman and
Chief Executive Officer John Paton as Publisher of the Year.
"In just over five years he has created the first successful nationwide Hispanic Newspaper, Print and Online publishing
company in the United States," the magazine reported. Greg Mitchell, Editor of Editor & Publisher, said Mr. Paton was
chosen "in recognition of his work that led to wide success for impreMedia across print, web and mobile in the past year."

Previous honorees include Arthur Sulzberger Jr., Publisher of the New York Times and William Dean Singleton, Chief
Executive Officer of MediaNews Group.

"No one receives an honor like this without the support of their colleagues and I want to take this opportunity to
acknowledge all of impreMedia's employees and their efforts in building our great company," Mr. Paton said. "I also want
to commend Editor & Publisher for its foresight in recognizing both the size and significance of Hispanic media in the U.S."

The Editor & Publisher honor is the latest in a series of awards and media industry recognition Mr. Paton has received
since becoming Chairman and CEO of impreMedia.

In 2008, Mr. Paton was named a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award in Metro New York. In
2007, Ad Age magazine named him one of the Top 10 Players in Hispanic Media and in 2006 he was named a "Media
All-Star" and the recipient of Adweek magazine's Marketing y Medio's Print Award. In 2006, Mr. Paton was named the
2005 Media Executive of the Year at the 21st semi-annual Conference of the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies
by HispanicAd.com - the first ever non-broadcast executive to win the award.

A media executive for more than 30 years, Mr. Paton has been responsible for media operations in the U.S., Canada,
France and Spain. A former Vice-President of Sun Media Corporation in Canada, he is also the former CEO of
www.canoe.com; and served as Publisher and CEO of both the London Free Press and Ottawa Sun. He is a graduate of
Ryerson University's journalism program and has successfully completed the Finance for Senior Executives program at
the Harvard University Graduate School of Business Administration.

In 2006, Mr. Paton's alma mater, Ryerson University,
granted him the Alumni Award of Distinction.