07/04/2022
David and Jennie Porter, owners of the Tuscola Review, Arcola Record-Herald and Lebanon Advertiser, have announced they have sold their three newspapers effective July 1 to Better Newspapers, Inc., in Mascoutah. David Porter will continue to work for the new owners in an editorial capacity.
This week marks the final editions for the Tuscola Review and Lebanon Advertiser. The current subscribers to those newspapers will receive another local paper covering those communities. Review subscribers will receive The Journal and Lebanon subscribers will receive The Herald. They will still be receiving local news coverage plus coverage of a wider geographic area.
The Arcola Record-Herald will continue its’ publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Douglas County founded in 1866.
Porter said the sale assures that the communities served by the newspapers will continue to have local news coverage and advertising opportunities. “As most people know, it has become increasingly more difficult to maintain newspapers large and small across the country,” Porter said. “The pandemic made things worse with the loss of event advertising. But steep increases in printing costs, postage and personnel also added expense during a two-year revenue drought.”
However, those were not the only factors in the decision to sell, he said. “My wife and I are nearing retirement age, so we knew this was a probability within the next several years. We were not yet actively seeking a buyer, but in today’s economic climate, it would be a huge risk to turn down a legitimate offer.”
He said Better Newspapers, Inc., is a logical fit because many of their newspapers are located in the MetroEast and in Douglas County where his newspapers circulate. “We’ve been chopping the pot in those markets,” he said, “so it makes sense to pool our resources. I’m proud of the work we’ve done, and I’m looking forward to being a part of the solution to ensure that our communities will continue to be served by newspapers that they can be proud of, too.”
Publisher Greg Hoskins welcomed Porter to the staff and said he believes the communities will be served even better through this consolidation. The merger will bring more resources to the papers, and Porter will be able to focus on editorial content without the burden of overseeing the business and delivery side of three newspapers.
“We have a lot of exciting plans for these communities,” Hoskins said. “David is well-known in the communities and in the industry for his writing and reporting skills. Our team will be stronger with him on board, and the communities will be better served as well.”
Better Newspapers, Inc. owns more than 30 newspapers in Illinois and Missouri.
