Digital First Media operates Digital First Ventures, MediaNews Group and Journal Register Company. The combined companies, with approximately $1.4Billion in revenues and 10,000 employees, operate more than 800 digital and online products in 18 states serving more than 57 million customers per month. Paton is a career news media executive who has been responsible for both print and online divisions in the US, Canada and Europe.  John is the co-founder of impreMedia, the largest news and information company for Hispanics in the US. In April 2009 he was named Publisher of the Year by Editor & Publisher. He has been involved in more than $4 billion in media transactions and financings involving both private and public companies and is a director of MediaNews Group; Journal Register Company; Canada's largest newspaper company, Postmedia Network; Silicon Valley start-up Wanderful Media and is a member of the Board of Advisors for the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. Also, he recently became Director to the Board of both the Guardian Media Group and El País.
John 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 his alma mater Ryerson University honored him with their Alumni of Distinction Award.