Richard Betts Scudder (May 13, 1913 – July 11, 2012) was an American newspaper pioneer, newspaper publisher, journalist, and co-founder of the MediaNews Group, the second largest newspaper company in the United States. He served as MediaNews' chairman from 1985 until 2009. Scudder is also considered an innovator and pioneer of newspaper recycling. He founded the Company, which later became one of the world's largest newspaper recycling companies.