New GM named in Hot Springs, Ark.

Harry Porter

Our job is to be a mirror that reflects the true sense of the community. That image may, at times, not be positive, but I can promise you it will always be truthful and fair.”

Harry Porter

Harry Porter, a 20-year veteran of the newspaper industry, has been named the new general manager of The Sentinel-Record, a morning daily newspaper in Hot Springs, Ark.

In a column to readers, Porter wrote: "My commitment is to work with our talented staff to continue to publish a newspaper that informs and supports the region. The newspaper plays a vital role in a community, so the health and well-being of it is important – not only to me and our employees, but to our community."

He added, "Our job is to be a mirror that reflects the true sense of the community. That image may, at times, not be positive, but I can promise you it will always be truthful and fair. We will share with you the good and bad in hopes of continuing to improve our community. Think about it, if you don't know about something, how can you recognize and improve it. With our city, I'm sure the good will far exceed the bad and we want to continue to document all happenings so people can realize that Garland County is not only a great place to visit, but also an amazing place to live and work." Read the rest of his column

A native of Baton Rouge, La., Porter is a graduate of Mississippi County Community College, now Arkansas Northeastern College, in Blytheville, with a degree in business administration.

Porter started out in sales at The Jonesboro Sun, which at the time was owned by the Troutt family, and later purchased by Paxton Media Group. About six years ago, Porter said his former boss from The Jonesboro Sun called about an opening for a general manager at Paragould with the Paxton Group.

For the last three years, Porter held the position of publisher at The Searcy Daily Citizen, also with Paxton, where he managed the newspaper's advertising, circulation, editorial and accounting functions.

Porter said he has been very involved in the community in Searcy, serving on the Chamber of Commerce board of directors, with the Community Foundation and in Rotary club, and plans to be similarly involved in Hot Springs.