Wyoming newspapers still strong despite closings

There were five Wyoming counties last week that no longer had a newspaper of record. Eight communities had lost a news source and roughly 30 industry professionals were suddenly out of work, without warning. 

Wednesday was a sad day for the newspaper industry in the state, but it’s not a sign of affairs for the industry as a whole in Wyoming. In a sign of resilience, many of the shuttered newspapers are already working to reopen under new ownership. And the closures, whether permanent or not, are not a sign of how Wyoming newspapers do business.

This was a case of one company, based in Illinois, closing a group of Wyoming newspapers that, according to the head of the Wyoming group (newspapers were also shuttered in two other states) were successful and profitable, if lightly staffed. 

Within hours of the closings there were already rumblings of newspaper owners around the state looking for ways to resurrect papers such as the Torrington Telegram, Uinta County Herald and Pinedale Roundup which were unceremoniously closed by corporate ownership even as dedicated journalists were working to put out a paper for the week. 

As the Wyoming Press Association said in part in a statement released at the end of this sad day (full disclosure, I’m on the WPA board), “These publications were staffed by hardworking professionals who had their communities’ best interests at heart.''

“The loss of these newspapers is already shocking loyal readers and advertisers, and the impacts of these closures will undoubtedly have a ripple effect. We regret that News Media Corporation’s decision to cease business operations is impacting tens of thousands of Wyomingites, and dozens of loyal employees.

“The sudden actions taken by News Media Corporation are not indicative of the state of newspapers in Wyoming. There are still dozens of newspapers who are fierce advocates for their communities, whether through reporting on local high school sports or holding their local governments accountable. Newspapers represent the soul of Wyoming, both speaking for and to the communities they serve.”

We at the Tribune strive to be one of those fierce community advocates, which is why we send our sports reporter across the state to cover what our Powell sports programs are doing, why we cover endless amounts of meetings to remain a watchdog over local government, why we ensure our paper not only has quality content, but looks good.  We are committed to delivering a quality product from the time our designers finish with it to when it comes off the press. 

It’s why we work to get as many local businesses and organizations to share their updates through our well designed ads. 

It’s why we’re available for people to walk into the office, right in downtown Powell, and talk to any number of us about news tips, to share obituaries, to answer questions. 

As a family-owned newspaper in business since before the town’s founding in 1909, we remain strong and committed to serving this community.