29-05-2025
Four newspapers in northwest Minnesota have closed
Four newspapers in northwest Minnesota have closed originally appeared on Bring Me The News.
Wednesday was a sad day for news in Minnesota, as four papers in the northwest of the state issued their final editions.
The Leader Record, Grygla Eagle, Red Lake County Herald, and McIntosh Times have all gone dark. The papers are run by Richards Publishing, founded in 1972 by Dick and Corrine Richards, who will continue the commercial printing arm of the company.
"After months of thoughtful conversation, difficult number-crunching and heartfelt discussions, we've come to a decision that was very difficult to make," Grygla Eagle editor Kari Sundburg wrote to readers and business partners. "Richards Publishing will be closing its four newspapers."
Commercial printing makes up 80% of the company's revenue, with a decline in subscriptions and advertising putting the newspapers at just 20%. However, the newspapers, which were issued weekly, account for more than 20% of the costs, Richards told the Grand Forks Herald.
Between the four papers, they had roughly 25,000 subscribers, per the Star Tribune.
"Like so many small, hometown newspapers across the country, we've faced growing financial challenges over the past several years," Sundburg wrote. "Advertising dollars, which have always been the backbone of keeping a paper alive, have declined significantly in today's digital age. While we explored all possible avenues, including the idea of going fully digital to cut printing and postage costs, the numbers simply couldn't support the path forward."
Richards told the Grand Forks Herald that the troubles likely go back to Walmart entering the rural communities, closing down grocery stores and other local businesses. That impact was heightened during the pandemic, when advertising dollars dried up. Afterward, advertisers didn't come back, opting instead to stick with digital ad options.
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The closures are part of a troubling trend as more and more communities, especially in rural areas, become news deserts. A University of Minnesota study, released in 2024, found that 12% of Minnesota's local news outlets have closed since 2018, "a pace of more than 11 per year."
Those closures have largely been print publications and in rural areas, like the four issued by Richards Publishing.
According to a project on news deserts from the Hussman School of Journalism and Media, these closures leave just one paper in Clearwater County, three in Marshall County, two in Red Lake County, and a handful in Polk County, where these papers were located.
"Yes, emotions ran high. Yes, this feels heavy. But it is not a failure," Sundburg wrote. "It's the closing of a remarkable, successful chapter. For over five decades, these papers have been a trusted voice in our communities, covering everything from town festivals and meetings to high school sports, community events, hometown heroes, elections and everything in between."
While their closures will limit coverage of local news and politics in the region, Sundburg has announced she is launching a "100% digital news source" called The Northern Neighbor in mid-June.
"Thank you for reading," Sundburg's letter concludes. "Thank you for believing in local news. And thank you for allowing us to be part of your stories."This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on May 29, 2025, where it first appeared.
