Projo’s Parent Company Closes More Newspapers Across the United States
Saturday, September 08, 2018
GateHouse Media, the parent company of the Providence Journal and the Newport Daily News, is closing more newspapers around the country.
In Arkansas alone, the newspaper group has closed a total of five papers in recent weeks. The closures are leaving multiple communities without any news coverage.
GateHouse Media, which last week closed two newspapers in central Arkansas, will follow that up with three more closings in Hope, Arkadelphia and Prescott.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“A community loses part of its spirit when it loses its newspaper. We're saddened for the hard-working employees of these five newspapers that have a long history with our association,” said Ashley Wimberley in an email to GoLocal. She is the executive director of the Arkansas Press Association.
“September 14 will be the last day of operations for the Siftings-Herald in Arkadelphia, the Hope Star and the Nevada County Picayune-Times in Prescott,” reported the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
These GateHouse closures are just some of the closings being reported about GateHouse papers across the country.
GateHouse's financial situation has been struggling, especially as it reflects to print revenue. Ken Doctor, a leading media expert reports that 2018, 2nd quarter print revenue declined 13.3 percent over the same period in 2017. This during a period when advertising spend has been dramatically increasing across all business sectors.
Doctor also reports that GateHouse's circulation revenue is down 2.1 percent for Q2 year-over-year. And, total revenue (same store) is down 4.9 percent.
Other Newspaper Closures by GateHouse
Last month, GateHouse closed one of Missouri’s oldest newspapers, The Carthage Press, which had published since 1984.
In California, CBS Sacramento reported in August that “A newspaper unexpectedly shuttered its doors after nearly 140 years of serving the area. The Gridley Herald published the last issue of the weekly paper in its 137-year history on Friday.”
“Staff were abruptly told on Thursday that the newspaper issue they were putting together on Friday would be the last by representatives from its parent company, GateHouse Media,” according to the TV station.
One staffer, David Vantress, @sportsguydave66, Tweeted, “It’s with great sadness that I announce that today was my last day as sports reporter for the Gridley Herald. Our corporate owners at Gatehouse Media informed us today...while we were putting out Friday’s paper...that it would be our last. We are being shut down to save money. 7:59 PM - 30 Aug 2018 from Gridley, CA"
In April, GateHouse, the parent company of the Providence Journal, closed the Newport Mercury, a paper that dated back to 1758.
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