Newspapers Revived in Wyoming and South Dakota After Swift Sales

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) – A dozen recently shuttered newspapers across Wyoming and south Dakota are set to publish again, after buyers stepped up within days to prevent the rural communities from becoming “news deserts” where little or no local media remains.

The swift rescues stand out in an industry where roughly two and a half newspapers disappear each week, according to a 2024 report from the Medill School of Journalism. The editor at one revived paper said his new owner saw ongoing profitability, while other outlets will be grabbed by publishers motivated by a sense of civic duty.

“It’s a little overwhelming, to be honest,” said Kayla Jessen, general manager of the Redfield Press, one of the rescued papers in South Dakota. “We’re all excited that we can bring news back to the community again.”

The turnarounds happened quickly. Illinois-based News Media corporation announced on Aug. 6 it was immediately closing 31 outlets in five states as of financial problems. In less than two weeks, a publishing group in Wyoming said it would buy eight papers in the state, while a company in North Carolina said it would purchase four newspapers in South dakota. Both buyers say all staff will be offered a chance to return.

The fate of other papers in Arizona, Illinois and Nebraska remains unclear.

After the closures, journalists and their communities scrambled for options to save the publications. In addition to regional news, many of the papers serve as their towns’ official outlet for legal notices.

Rural areas ofen don’t have local radio or TV stations, said Benjy Hamm, director at the University of Kentucky’s Institute for rural Journalism and Community Issues. That can leave a lone newspaper as the only media outlet in the area.

“If it goes out, it has a significant impact on the community itself, not just the media,” Hamm said.