8 Wyoming Newspapers Rescued & Will Reopen

It did not take long for 8 Wyoming Newspapers that were closed down just last week to find community support and buyers.

The Buffalo Bulletin announced on Tuesday that they have acquired the papers from the Illinois-based media company News Media Corp.

Robb and Jen Hicks, of Buffalo, and Rob Mortimore announced Tuesday they have reached an agreement in principle with News Media Corporation to purchase the company’s Wyoming publications and resume publication immediately. (Buffalo Bulletin).

The newspaper recently shut down, along with 8 others across Wyoming that were owned by the same company.

This left giant information holes in these areas.

The agreement includes rehiring all of the newspapers’ staff members and immediately resuming publication of all titles..

“We are honored to assume stewardship of these legacy community newspapers,” Robb Hicks said. “Our foremost priority has been to ensure that these counties are not left without a credible, enduring source of local journalism.”

“We also owe an immense debt of gratitude to JJ Thompkins,” added Mortimore. “It would have been far simpler for him to yield to the demands of creditors. Instead, he chose to work with us to safeguard the future of these Wyoming communities, to preserve their newspapers, and to ensure that every employee was paid and retained.” (Buffalo Bulletin).

Residents in Platte County were weighing the options of a group of locals or maybe somebody with deep pockets picking up the paper and restarting it.

Reporter Marie Hamilton of the Platte Record Times told me that there are "things in the works" when she called me over the weekend. But she was unable to give details at that time.

Early Wednesday of last week, News Media Corp, which owns small-town newspapers across America, suddenly shut down 8 local Wyoming papers.

There is nothing on the News Media Corp website about these shutdowns.

There was no warning for their employees or the communities that they serve.

Employees received phone calls and Emails telling them that everything was shut down, including their healthcare.

Those papers include:
Pinedale Roundup,
Platte County Record-Times
Guernsey Gazette,
Torrington Telegram,
Lusk Herald,
Uinta County Herald,
Bridger Valley Pioneer
Kemmerer Gazette.