Closure of Local Newspapers in the Midwest and West: A Devastating Blow to Communities
Dozens of communities in the Midwest and West learned Thursday they had lost their newspapers after an Illinois-based publisher announced it would abruptly close because of financial problems.
News Media Corp., which owns local newspapers across five states, said it will close 14 operations in Wyoming, seven in Illinois, five in Arizona, four in South Dakota and one in Nebraska.
Touting itself as “the voice of small town America,” NMC’s closure affects longtime newspapers that were often the primary source of news in numerous small towns, worsening the problem of news deserts in rural areas.
The closure follows a decades-long pattern of financial challenges for local newspapers — the U.S. has lost over one-third of its print newspapers and two-thirds of its newspaper journalists since 2004 as the news media has struggled to adopt to a changing readership and revenue landscape, according to the Medill Local News Initiative at Northwestern University.
“Unfortunately, due to financial challenges, a significant economic downturn impacting our industry, revenue losses and increasing expenses, and the recent failure of an attempt to sell the company as a going concern, we have reached a point where continuing business is no longer feasible,” company CEO J.J. Tompkins wrote in a letter to staff Wednesday.
News Media Corp. is based in Rochelle, Illinois.
Hundreds of employees were terminated immediately, and Tompkins wrote that the company will make “reasonable efforts to pay you all remaining compensation you have earned.”
Staff took to social media to express their shock and disappointment at the news.
“No one in Huron, nor any of the other papers, knew this was coming today,” Benjamin Chase, managing editor of the Huron Plainsman in South Dakota, said in a social media post. “We’re all in shock and attempting to figure out how to move forward.”
Josh Linehan, managing editor of the Brookings Register in South Dakota, wrote in a letter to readers, “It’s no secret that it’s tough times out there for all print media, and we’re no exception.”
He added, “But make no mistake — we’re closed for now as a result of poor corporate management.”
News Media Corp. did not return a request for comment.
Brookings Mayor Ope Niemeyer said the closure of his town’s newspaper “absolutely” leaves a big hole in the community. He said it’s devastating for the newspaper’s employees and disadvantages the city, County Commission and other local boards that used the newspaper for legal notices.
Less than a year ago, Brookings lost the news on its local radio station, which left just the newspaper, now gone, he said.
“Obviously we all have websites and Facebook and LinkedIn and Instagram and all that, but there’s a generation that doesn’t use that,” said Niemeyer, who at 65 prefers a printed newspaper.
He liked the newspaper’s commentary for fostering conversations. The reporters did a great job telling readers what was going on in Brookings, a city of about 25,000 people, he said.
“It brings the community together,” the mayor said. “It’s an entity that’s going to be irreplaceable.”
The reasons behind newspaper closures are complex, with multiple factors at play, said Teri Finneman, a professor at the University of Kansas’ journalism school and publisher of The Eudora Times. The newspaper industry is using a business model that is two centuries old and unsustainable in 2025, she said.
The public also has greater reluctance to pay for local news, too few subscribers are paying too low rates and a lack of social cohesion in the U.S. has led to fracturing and mistrust in news, Finneman said. This has been coupled with declining populations in many rural areas and corporate ownership that often is unfamiliar with running such papers, she said.
“This really needs to be a wake-up call to every town in this nation that your newspaper could be at risk as well and it is incumbent upon people to start supporting their newspapers through subscriptions and through advertising if we are going to keep critical news in these communities,” Finneman said.
On Thursday, the Sioux Falls-based Dakota Scout newspaper said it plans to expand coverage in Brookings in response to the closures.
Closure of Local Newspapers in the Midwest and West: A Devastating Blow to Communities
Dozens of communities in the Midwest and West learned Thursday they had lost their newspapers after an Illinois-based publisher announced it would abruptly close because of financial problems.
News Media Corp., which owns local newspapers across five states, said it will close 14 operations in Wyoming, seven in Illinois, five in Arizona, four in South Dakota and one in Nebraska.
Touting itself as “the voice of small town America,” NMC’s closure affects longtime newspapers that were often the primary source of news in numerous small towns, worsening the problem of news deserts in rural areas.
The closure follows a decades-long pattern of financial challenges for local newspapers — the U.S. has lost over one-third of its print newspapers and two-thirds of its newspaper journalists since 2004 as the news media has struggled to adopt to a changing readership and revenue landscape, according to the Medill Local News Initiative at Northwestern University.
“Unfortunately, due to financial challenges, a significant economic downturn impacting our industry, revenue losses and increasing expenses, and the recent failure of an attempt to sell the company as a going concern, we have reached a point where continuing business is no longer feasible,” company CEO J.J. Tompkins wrote in a letter to staff Wednesday.
News Media Corp. is based in Rochelle, Illinois.
Hundreds of employees were terminated immediately, and Tompkins wrote that the company will make “reasonable efforts to pay you all remaining compensation you have earned.”
Staff took to social media to express their shock and disappointment at the news.
“No one in Huron, nor any of the other papers, knew this was coming today,” Benjamin Chase, managing editor of the Huron Plainsman in South Dakota, said in a social media post. “We’re all in shock and attempting to figure out how to move forward.”
Josh Linehan, managing editor of the Brookings Register in South Dakota, wrote in a letter to readers, “It’s no secret that it’s tough times out there for all print media, and we’re no exception.”
He added, “But make no mistake — we’re closed for now as a result of poor corporate management.”
News Media Corp. did not return a request for comment.
Brookings Mayor Ope Niemeyer said the closure of his town’s newspaper “absolutely” leaves a big hole in the community. He said it’s devastating for the newspaper’s employees and disadvantages the city, County Commission and other local boards that used the newspaper for legal notices.
Less than a year ago, Brookings lost the news on its local radio station, which left just the newspaper, now gone, he said.
“Obviously we all have websites and Facebook and LinkedIn and Instagram and all that, but there’s a generation that doesn’t use that,” said Niemeyer, who at 65 prefers a printed newspaper.
He liked the newspaper’s commentary for fostering conversations. The reporters did a great job telling readers what was going on in Brookings, a city of about 25,000 people, he said.
“It brings the community together,” the mayor said. “It’s an entity that’s going to be irreplaceable.”
The reasons behind newspaper closures are complex, with multiple factors at play, said Teri Finneman, a professor at the University of Kansas’ journalism school and publisher of The Eudora Times. The newspaper industry is using a business model that is two centuries old and unsustainable in 2025, she said.
The public also has greater reluctance to pay for local news, too few subscribers are paying too low rates and a lack of social cohesion in the U.S. has led to fracturing and mistrust in news, Finneman said. This has been coupled with declining populations in many rural areas and corporate ownership that often is unfamiliar with running such papers, she said.
“This really needs to be a wake-up call to every town in this nation that your newspaper could be at risk as well and it is incumbent upon people to start supporting their newspapers through subscriptions and through advertising if we are going to keep critical news in these communities,” Finneman said.
On Thursday, the Sioux Falls-based Dakota Scout newspaper said it plans to expand coverage in Brookings in response to the closures.
Midwest and West Communities Reeling as News Media Corp. Closes 31 Local Newspapers
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Dozens of communities across the Midwest and West are grappling with the sudden loss of their local newspapers following an announcement from News Media Corp. (NMC) that it will close 31 of its operations due to severe financial difficulties. The Illinois-based publisher, which has long touted itself as “the voice of small-town America,” will shutter 14 newspapers in Wyoming, seven in Illinois, five in Arizona, four in South Dakota, and one in Nebraska.
This abrupt closure exacerbates the growing issue of news deserts in rural areas, where local newspapers often serve as the primary source of information for residents. The impact is particularly profound in small towns, where these publications have been vital for community engagement and local governance.
In a letter to staff, NMC CEO J.J. Tompkins cited a “significant economic downturn” and “revenue losses” as key factors leading to the decision. “Unfortunately, due to financial challenges… we have reached a point where continuing business is no longer feasible,” he wrote. The company has struggled to adapt to a rapidly changing media landscape, a challenge that has led to the loss of over one-third of U.S. print newspapers and two-thirds of newspaper journalists since 2004, according to the Medill Local News Initiative at Northwestern University.
The closure has left hundreds of employees without jobs, with Tompkins stating that the company would make “reasonable efforts to pay you all remaining compensation you have earned.” Many staff members took to social media to express their shock and disappointment. Benjamin Chase, managing editor of the Huron Plainsman in South Dakota, lamented, “No one in Huron, nor any of the other papers, knew this was coming today. We’re all in shock and attempting to figure out how to move forward.”
Josh Linehan, managing editor of the Brookings Register, echoed these sentiments, attributing the closure to “poor corporate management” rather than the broader challenges facing the industry. “It’s no secret that it’s tough times out there for all print media, and we’re no exception,” he wrote in a letter to readers.
Local leaders are also voicing their concerns. Brookings Mayor Ope Niemeyer stated that the closure leaves a significant void in the community, particularly for local governance that relied on the newspaper for legal notices. “It’s devastating for the newspaper’s employees and disadvantages the city,” he said, adding that the loss of the newspaper is irreplaceable.
Experts point to a complex web of factors contributing to the decline of local newspapers. Teri Finneman, a journalism professor at the University of Kansas, noted that the industry is operating on a business model that is increasingly unsustainable. “This really needs to be a wake-up call to every town in this nation that your newspaper could be at risk as well,” she warned, urging communities to support their local publications through subscriptions and advertising.
In a glimmer of hope amid the turmoil, the Sioux Falls-based Dakota Scout newspaper announced plans to expand its coverage in Brookings in response to the closures. As communities come to terms with this loss, the future of local journalism hangs in the balance, underscoring the urgent need for support and innovation in the industry.
As the Midwest and West mourn the loss of their local voices, the question remains: how can communities rally to ensure that their stories continue to be told?
