Rust Communications

Rust Communications is an American privately owned media company based in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The Southeast Missourian is its flagship publication.

The company has its origins in 1967, when Gary Rust and his wife Wendy purchased the small Cape Girardeau Weekly Bulletin.[1] In 1982, he purchased his first daily paper, the Dexter Statesman.[2] In 1986, he purchased the Southeast Missourian, the daily paper in town, from Thomson Newspapers.[1]

By 1993, the company owned part or all of four newspapers.[3] As of 2009, the family-owned company had full or part ownership of 18 daily papers, 30 weekly papers, and 17 radio stations in eight states.[4][5]

In 2001, Gary Rust retired from daily management of the company, and turned over the reins to sons Jon, who is on the Board Of Directors for the Associated Press, and Rex Rust, as well as COO Walter Lage. In 2003, Rust was inducted into the Missouri Press Association's Newspaper Hall of Fame.[1]