These publishers won't sell out. But staying independent keeps getting harder. - Poynter

"Publisher Les Zaitz spent three years trying to save his pride and joy. His Malheur Enterprise weekly newspaper on Oregon's eastern border had an acclaimed reputation for hard-hitting investigative reporting. To keep it open, Zaitz was willing to make a deal. He even offered to train his successor to smooth the transition. Eventually, his patience ran out. Unable to lure a new owner to rural Malheur County, Zaitz took the excruciating step of closing The Enterprise in May."

"Zaitz embodies an alarming trend in local news: the shrinking ranks of independent publishers. Like Zaitz, many independent publishers are reluctantly throwing in the towel because they can't find a successor or investor willing to take on the risk as revenues and audiences decline. Medill's 2025 State of Local News Report confirmed this troubling pattern. Fewer than half of all U.S. newspapers, 46%, are independently owned. That's down from 54% two decades ago."

Publisher Les Zaitz closed The Malheur Enterprise after failing to find a successor or buyer despite offers to train a replacement. Many independent publishers are closing or selling because of declining revenues, shrinking audiences, rising costs, and competition for readers' attention. Fewer than half of U.S. newspapers are independently owned, down from 54% two decades ago, and fewer than 15% of dailies remain independent. Of 136 newspaper closures and mergers since July 2024, most had been independently owned. Consolidation can reduce costs but often shrinks newsroom staffs and reduces diversity of local coverage, leaving communities more vulnerable to national pressures.

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