A Dozen Shut Newspapers Are Back in Business

A dozen recently shuttered newspapers across Wyoming and South Dakota are set to publish again, after buyers stepped up within days to prevent the rural communities from becoming "news deserts" where little or no local media remain. The swift rescues stand out in an industry where roughly 2½ newspapers disappear each week, according to a 2024 report from the Medill School of Journalism. The editor at one revived paper said his new owner saw ongoing profitability, the AP reports, while other outlets will be grabbed by publishers motivated by a sense of civic duty.

"We're all excited that we can bring news back to the community again," said Kayla Jessen, general manager of the Redfield Press, one of the rescued papers in South Dakota. The turnarounds happened quickly. Illinois-based News Media Corp. announced on Aug. 6 it was immediately closing 31 outlets in five states because of financial problems. In less than two weeks, a publishing group in Wyoming said it would buy eight papers in the state, while a company in North Carolina said it would purchase four newspapers in South Dakota. Both buyers say all employees will be offered a chance to return. The fate of other papers in Arizona, Illinois, and Nebraska remains unclear.

The publishers in Wyoming said they stepped in because they couldn't imagine more newspapers going dark in their state. "We believe in the importance of a newspaper in a community," said Jen Hicks, co-publisher the Buffalo Bulletin. "We know that in communities without newspapers, that civic engagement goes down and specifically, voter participation goes down, which is a really tangible way to see the decline in civic life." Jen and her husband, Robb Hicks, teamed up with Rob Mortimore, president of Wyoming Papers Inc., on a purchase agreement with News Media Corp. for its eight publications in the state. In South Dakota, Benjamin Chase, managing editor of the rescued Huron Plainsman, said nearly a dozen offers came in to purchase one, two, or all four of the closed newspapers. Champion Media, a North Carolina-based company, ultimately struck the deal.