Newspapers: The Good, The Bad … and Not Just the Ugly

Looking at the Missing Nuance of America’s Newspaper Story By Jerry Raehal When Gerri Peterson was wrapping up her college degree, she had no idea she’d soon be running a newspaper.“My dream job fell into my lap,” she says. After graduating from college, she spent six months shadowing the retiring publisher of the Hooker County Tribune in Nebraska. By the time she was 22, she wasn’t just reporting the news—she owned the paper. In Louisiana, Craig Franklin had a different path, but a similar sense of calling. He’d been connected to the Jena Times in Louisiana most of his life. His father ran it for 54 years, and when he passed away, Franklin knew what was at stake. Rather than risk the paper being sold to a chain that might not honor its editorial standards or community roots, he stepped in and bought it himself. Amy Johnson had zero media background when she bought the paper in Springview, Nebraska. In Colorado, Mike Wiggins and Erin McIntyre left bigger markets to “bet on themselves,” purchasing the Ouray County Plaindealer. Carrie Pitzer went from launching a digital news site, to acquiring 10 Nebraska newspapers and merging them into four. Joey and Lindsey Young not only bought a Kansas newspaper—they brought a shuttered one back to life in Joey’s hometown.These aren’t feel-good exceptions. They’re real people building successful local journalism. And yet, stories like theirs rarely get told. A recent Columbia Journalism Review article focused on small-town papers struggling to sell—a real problem. But despite interviewing several successful owners, the article leaned entirely into a narrative of decline.And this isn’t about one article. It’s about a pattern—coverage that treats community journalism like a relic instead of a living, evolving institution. Yes, it’s true some newspapers are in trouble. But it’s also true that others are thriving. What’s missing is nuance. Why Newspapers CloseClosures rarely come from a single cause. Instead, it’s a tangle of economic and logistical stress—especially in small towns.Corporate consolidation hasn’t helped. Alden Global Capital, for example, is known for buying papers, slashing staff, and extracting profits—often leaving behind ghost newsrooms. Even well-intentioned chains like Gannett, the nation’s largest owner, struggle to serve rural markets. Their models, built for urban scale, often leave just one staffer covering entire counties.But ownership isn’t the only factor. Community health matters, too. “If your town is dying, your newspaper is dying,” says Joey Young. When local businesses close and residents shift to online shopping, ad revenue dries up—weakening both the economy and the press.Succession is another issue. Some longtime owners want to sell, but overvalue their papers based on history, not market realities. Deals stall. Papers fold.Rising print and postal costs add pressure. And digital adoption, while essential, comes too slowly in some places. At the same time, the broader media landscape has splintered. The ad pie hasn’t disappeared—it’s just sliced thinner across social media, podcasts, streaming, and influencer platforms. That fractured ecosystem makes it harder for any one outlet to sustain itself—especially in towns with fewer businesses and shrinking populations.Some closures stem from mergers. These can succeed or fail depending on how well they’re executed. The best preserve identity and trust. The worst alienate readers and advertisers.What ties most failur es together isn’t one bad decision—but a slow erosion of connection, capacity, and clarity.It’s time to stop writing one-sided industry obituaries, and focus on writing business plans. Local-Community Ownership is a FactorLocal ownership isn’t nostalgia — it’s strategy.A 2022 Medill study found locally owned newspapers are more likely to survive market shocks, retain staff, and produce original content. Why? Proximity, visibility, and accountability.“If you aren’t part of the community and out and about, the newspaper will show that,” says Peterson. “Keep news local,” adds Amy Johnson—echoing a theme repeated by nearly every successful owner.Scale isn’t the issue. Pitzer owns five papers. The Youngs own four. What matters is mindset. Are you accessible? Are you rooted? Are you serving with purpose? Wiggins and McIntyre, for instance, prioritize transparency—especially on difficult stories. “Even small places deserve good journalism,” Wiggins says. “We try to give readers a peek behind the curtain so they understand the why and how.” Strong journalism builds audience. Audience drives advertising. And advertising drives sustainability. It’s called a newspaper for a reason.Still, journalism is a business.“It’s not the fun part like writing or taking photos,” says Pitzer, “but too many publishers aren’t watching revenue and expenses each week.” Without financial discipline, even mission-driven newsrooms struggle. Why It All MattersIf you listed essential community institutions—schools, grocery stores, banks, local government—where would you place the newspaper? It shouldn’t be low.Studies show towns that lose newspapers see higher taxes, more government spending, weaker schools, and even poorer health outcomes. Why? Because newspapers produce over 50% of all original reporting despite being less than 25% of the news ecosystem. They’re not just watchdogs. They’re connectors. They cover city council meetings and local sports. They print the honor roll and explain ballot issues. They show up, in all the ways that matter.“For the most part, I doubt the average citizen realizes the importance of community newspapers,” says Craig Franklin. “It’s only after they close their doors that people realize what they had.”Social media isn’t a replacement. It lacks trust, transparency, and tangibility. “It’s a marketplace of misinformation and partisanship,” Wiggins says. “It’s antithetical to bringing people together or operating from a basis of fact.” That said, not every town can support a newspaper forever. Rural flight is real. But that doesn’t mean newspapers are dying. It means they’re changing—just like churches and schools.“Technology keeps changing things, but that’s a fun challenge,” says Pitzer. “If you nurture your community, it will support you financially. Newspapers aren’t dying. They’re evolving. And the future is bright.” What makes it bright is the passion behind the print. “We may be small, but we’re mighty,” says Peterson. “We love what we do.”And even if you’re not in the newsroom, you can be part of the solution. Subscribe. Advertise. Share.Because when it comes to the news you receive, you're going to pay for it one way or another—either through real, vetted journalism or through the cost of a disconnected community that lost its voice. Jerry Raehal is the Chief Growth Officer at OnePress, which is the marketing arm of the Nebraska Press Association. You can contact him at jerry@onepressne.com

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