Cox named Republic-Monitor publisher

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Former managing editor Robert Cox has been named publisher for the Perry County Republic-Monitor and president of Perry County Newspapers, Inc.
A native of Charleston, Mo., Cox, 50, served as the Republic-Monitor’s managing editor for four years before joining the staff of Carroll County Newspapers, publisher of three weekly newspapers, a monthly tourism magazine and a quarterly regional magazine in Berryville, Ark., where he served as associate editor, lead designer and online editor.
“I’m excited to be back in Perryville,” said Cox, who began his journalism career in 1988 as a sports writer for the Enterprise-Courier in Charleston before attending the University of Missouri at Columbia and Southeast Missouri State in Cape Girardeau. “My decision to leave wasn’t an easy one, but the decision to come back most certainly was. I look forward to my new role with the Republic-Monitor and will strive to ensure we continue to serve the community as a source of informed, factual news.
“I’m southeast Missouri-born and bred, and despite my short time here, Perry County has become my home.”
Cox also spent more than 16 years as a copy editor and page designer in the sports department of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in Little Rock, where he worked for several years with CCN general manager and editor Scott Loftis.

“Rob has done a fantastic job here, as I knew he would,” Loftis said. “He is a very versatile journalist — he’s a great writer and reporter but he also can take photos and he’s done an outstanding job in making both our print newspapers and our websites more attractive and dynamic. I’m glad he was part of our team and I’m sorry to see him go.”
During his time in Berryville, Cox, a veteran journalist with more than 30 years of experience, spearheaded a redesign of the print editions of both the Carroll County News and the Lovely County Citizen and increased the online presence of both newspapers by more than a third.
Earlier this year, he helped lead Carroll County News to its fifth General Excellence award in the past six years from the Arkansas Press Association while winning numerous awards for design and writing. In addition, he was recognized by the National Newspaper Association Foundation, earning awards in both the Best Breaking News and Best Profile Feature Story categories.
During his previous stint in Perryville, Cox earned recognition as an award-winning columnist and reporter, winning dozens of awards from the Missouri Press Association for both writing and design, along with another NNA award for Best Investigative or In-Depth Story or Series, and in 2019, he was presented with an award from the Inland Press Association for Explanatory Reporting.
“I’ve got a big job ahead of me with a lot to learn and an even bigger responsibility,” Cox said. “In the coming days, I look forward to reconnecting with my staff and the community at large.”