18 Small-Town Iowa Newspapers May Cease Publication

There's a good chance that over a dozen small-town Iowa newspapers will disappear entirely as a large company is making plans to discontinue several community papers, in a major blow to local journalism.

Per KCCI, Mid-America Publishing is looking to discontinue the publication of 18 small-town community newspapers. One of the papers is the Madrid Register-News, which has been printed since the late 1800s, and has provided generations of residents with information about their community.

READ MORE: Minneapolis Company Acquires Several Iowa Newspapers

Mid-America Publishing's Portfolio:

Here is a look at all the newspapers in Mid-America Publishing's portfolio. NOTE: Not all of these papers will be discontinued:

• Eagle Grove Eagle
• Wright County Monitor
• Butler County Tribune
• Clarksville Star
• Clear Lake Mirror Reporter
• Calmar Courier
• Eldora Herald-Ledger
• Grundy Register
• Hampton Chronicle
• Holstein Advance
• Ida County Courier
• Garner Leader
• Madrid Register-News
• Sigourney News-Review
• Ogden Reporter
• Parkersburg Eclipse News Review
• Postville Herald
• Winnebago County Tribune
• Monona Outlook

KCCI noted that Mary Swalla Holmes, a board member with the Madrid Historical Museum, commented on how losing their Madrid paper would mean losing an important record of their small community:

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I think people’s lives, history, the people that came here to work in the coal mines, work on the railroads — it’s all here - Mary Swalla Holmes, per KCCI

Why Mid-America is Moving to End Several Newspapers:

The family-owned Mid-America Publishing has owned papers in Iowa since 1961. The process to start offloading titles would begin in early April, which doesn't leave a lot of time to find potential buyers.

Matt Grohe, President of Mid-America Publishing, said the decision came after years of worsening financial strain:

We’re seeing the end of an era for print newspapers. The model just doesn’t match how people consume information anymore. Some of these publications just don’t make sense economically anymore - Matt Grohe, per The Des Moines Register

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Read more about Mid-America Publishing's decision to cease the publication of several newspapers on KCCI's website and The Des Moines Register's website.