Reporter & Farmer

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09/04/2025

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In light of the recent news about the four South Dakota newspapers that suddenly closed and then reopened, Freeman (SD) Courier Publisher Emeritus Tim L. Waltner has written an excellent column with frank assessments about what it will take for community newspapers to succeed going forward.

YOU CAN HELP PREVENT THE 'GUT PUNCH' OF NEWSPAPER CLOSURES

By Tim L. Waltner

“A gut punch.”

That’s how David Bordewyk, executive director of the South Dakota NewsMedia Association, described the abrupt closure of four newspapers in the state last month.

On Aug. 7, News Media Corporation, which published 25 different newspaper titles in Arizona, Illinois, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming, announced it was immediately shutting down all of its operations.

The (relatively) good news is that within a couple of weeks, Champion Media, a community newspaper company based in Mooresville, N.C., announced it was acquiring and restarting The Brookings Register, Huron Plainsman, Redfield Press and Moody County Enterprise at Flandreau.

But what happened in those four communities is a sobering reminder that many newspapers are struggling, not just in South Dakota but around the world.

The decline of community newspapers reflects a dramatic shift in the traditional business model for newspapers and changing readership trends as people increasingly rely on online sources for information.

To be fair, the industry was slow to adapt. I recall attending sessions at newspaper conventions in the late 1990s where “the experts” underestimated the impact of the internet on both revenue and readership and, for too long, failed to adjust to the changing landscape.

Historically, newspapers had relied heavily on advertising to pay for production costs, enabling them to keep subscription rates relatively low. It was the business model that sustained newspapers for decades.

Comparing the newspapers of the 1990s with the newspapers of today is sobering. The dramatic loss of display ads in the paper over the past three decades tells you all you need to know. I counted the number of ads in the Courier the first week of August 2005 – 42 display and 53 classified ads. The first week of August this year there were 24 display and four classified ads. While there are numerous contributing factors, the impact is significant.

The loss of that revenue means a dramatic shift to increased subscription prices. And fewer pages (and stories and photos). And staff cuts. And curtailed office hours. And other major adjustments in how newspapers do business.

And, in some cases, newspapers have closed. It’s only then that the people who live in the communities realize the impact of losing their newspaper. That was certainly the case last month.

An Aug. 8 Associated Press story noted “Brookings Mayor Ope Niemeyer said the closure of his town’s newspaper ‘absolutely’ leaves a big hole in the community.”

He said the Brookings Register “did a great job telling readers what was going on … It brings the community together. It’s an entity that’s going to be irreplaceable.”

And that’s the potential reality of hundreds of communities in which the survival of their community newspapers is tenuous.

As was the case with the Brookings Register, when a paper closes, there are immediate efforts to revive it. But that doesn’t always happen.

So what can be done?

First, newspapers need to take bold steps to remain vital and adapt to changing realities.

Second, newspapers need to be honest and direct with their readers about the challenges, struggles and realities of publishing a newspaper.

Third – critically – if the community wants to keep its newspaper, it needs to step up before a paper closes.

Here are some tangible and practical ways you can help do that.

• Subscribe to the newspaper's print or online edition. This provides a direct revenue stream and enables you to receive content regularly and remain in touch with your community.

• Subscribe for a friend or family member.

• Donate; many papers accept donations, even if they are not non-profit organizations.

• Interact and engage with your paper. Read, contribute stories and photos and offer suggestions. Write a letter. Volunteer to assist.

• Advocate. Talk to your family, friends and neighbors about the importance of supporting local news. Share stories and posts. Tell others about stories you read and encourage them to read – and subscribe.

• Advertise in your community newspaper. If you own a business or are part of an organization, promote your products and services. Recognize your staff. Share your history. Mark your business milestones. Sponsor special stories and sections. Give a shoutout to a community volunteer, leader or someone (or organization) who deserves a public pat on the back. Thank your customers for their patronage.

• Advertising is not limited to businesses and organizations. If you’re having a garage or rummage sale, promote it in your newspaper. Recognize someone for their birthday, anniversary or accomplishment. Give a shoutout to a business or organization for a job well done. Share a message that you’d like the community to see. Place an ad to spark support for a pet project or issue. Use your newspaper to invite people to join your organization.

Community newspapers keep us connected, informed and engaged. And their impact transcends the issues they publish. They provide continuity, stability and a living history for our communities. They link us to businesses, government and each other in ways that social media simply cannot – as Brookings Mayor Niemeyer put it, “an entity that’s going to be irreplaceable.”

The sobering reality is that if your paper shuts down, there will likely be a call to do many of the things I’ve outlined here to resurrect it.

Why wait?

Avoid the trauma and the scramble. Actively support your community newspaper now – before the “gut punch” of closing becomes your reality.

Tim L. Waltner became a community journalist with the Freeman Courier in 1973. He retired in 2020.

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Social media sympathy doesn’t pay the bills. If you want to show your support, subscribe, advertise, step up.
08/20/2025

Social media sympathy doesn’t pay the bills. If you want to show your support, subscribe, advertise, step up.

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL NEWSPAPER, LOCAL JOURNALISM

This column by Billy McMacken was published on the front page of The Brookings Register today, the first printed edition under new ownership for the newspaper. Billy worked at the Register from 1990 to 2022. For his final 22 years in Brookings, he was publisher of the Register. He now lives in Illinois where he owns nine community weekly newspapers. Billy’s message about the urgent need to support the community’s newspaper and local journalism is one that needs to resonate everywhere today. Local journalism is essential to an informed community and a healthy democracy.

By Billy McMacken
Special to The Brookings Register

The Brookings community was stunned recently by the sudden announcement that News Media Corporation — the Register’s longtime parent company — was shutting down operations in four states, including South Dakota. After decades of service to this community, it looked like the paper’s presses might go silent for good.

Then, almost as quickly as the news broke, the Champions stepped in. This week it has been announced that Champion Media is the new owner of the Register, plus three other papers in South Dakota.

I’ve known Corey Champion for a number of years now, and I’ve also gotten to know his dad, Scott. They are the kind of people who act decisively when it matters most. In this case, their quick action meant saving The Brookings Register from closure and preserving an irreplaceable voice for this community.

But here’s the truth: saving the paper is just the first step. Keeping it strong will take all of us.

I so appreciate the familiar faces I used to see stop in every year to pay their subscription bill. But over the years, too many people stopped taking the paper for various reasons. Advertising revenue declined each year, and like so many community newspapers, the Register was feeling the squeeze.

A community newspaper MUST be supported by the community it serves. It’s heartbreaking to see hordes of people on Facebook expressing sadness over the Register’s potential loss — when many of them were not, and have not been, subscribers. Words of support are meaningful, but subscriptions and advertising dollars are what keep the lights on and the presses rolling.

The Champions have given Brookings a second chance to keep its newspaper alive.

Now it’s up to the community to step up, subscribe, advertise, and make sure the Register remains a fixture for generations to come. To Corey, Scott, and the entire Champion Media team — thank you. You didn’t just buy a newspaper; you kept a community institution alive. I have every confidence the Register is in good hands, but its future depends on the people of Brookings rallying behind it.

# # #

Don't forget to check out the Back to School Citywide Rummage Sales tomorrow! Be sure to also check out the sponsors of ...
08/01/2025

Don't forget to check out the Back to School Citywide Rummage Sales tomorrow! Be sure to also check out the sponsors of the listing which ran in this week's paper.

06/26/2025

CONGRESS MUST ACT TO PULL USPS BACK FROM THE BRINK

By Martha Diaz Aszkenazy
National Newspaper Association

The United States Postal Service is on the brink of a self-induced collapse. The failed policies of the Delivering for America Plan have driven away customers through a combination of sky-high rate increases and degraded service. David Steiner, who will take over as Postmaster General on July 14, 2025, has a tough job to do and little time to do it with some estimates indicating the USPS could be insolvent as soon as 2028.

Congress has a key role to play in helping him right the ship but must get off the sidelines and act. A useful step occurred earlier this week with a hearing before the House Oversight Subcommittee on Government Operations. The National Newspaper Association (NNA) provided a statement for the hearing that lays out key actions Congress can take to help restore the USPS.

We emphasized that NNA members serve their communities, providing news on local events and civic matters that are not covered anywhere else, and that they depend on the USPS to get their papers to subscribers. The USPS — and by extension the small businesses in the communities they serve — faces an immediate and existential crisis. We urge Congress to act swiftly and compel meaningful reform at the USPS.

Here are three actions Congress can take right now to get the USPS back on track and keep commerce in America moving:

Demand the USPS Board halt the Delivering for America Plan including the large rate increase planned for July 13, 2025. This increase, far above the rate of inflation will only deepen the hole and ties the hands of incoming Postmaster General David Steiner, who should have the opportunity to assess the situation. The same holds true for the network consolidations and service cuts. Every customer that is lost through these increases and service reductions is one less Steiner can rely on in the future.

Modernize and empower the USPS regulator. Effective checks and balances are needed to keep the USPS on track. Congress needs to update and modernize the postal regulatory process to better safeguard against excessive rates and poor service by passing H.R. 3004, The USPS SERVES US Act.

Measure newspaper costs accurately. Congress should compel accurate measurement of newspaper service and hold the USPS accountable for maintaining and improving service quality by enacting H.R. 2098/S.1002, the Deliver for Democracy Act

These are all commonsense steps Congress can take to address what has been clearly a failed approach by USPS management. Steiner has a huge job ahead of him and will need all the help he can get.

Congress must act now to make sure the nation’s next Postmaster General is not the last one.

Martha Diaz Aszkenazy is chair of the National Newspaper Association and publisher of The San Fernando Valley (Calif.) Sun/El Sol Newspapers.

Have you heard? The Reporter & Farmer is now handling the citywide rummage sales! Get your listing in today! (No, seriou...
04/21/2025

Have you heard? The Reporter & Farmer is now handling the citywide rummage sales! Get your listing in today! (No, seriously, don't delay – the deadline is Wednesday morning)

Hit us up with your best fish recipes for a chance to have it featured in our upcoming 2025 Glacial Lakes Guide! Drop th...
04/06/2025

Hit us up with your best fish recipes for a chance to have it featured in our upcoming 2025 Glacial Lakes Guide! Drop them in the comments below!

01/03/2025

The Reporter & Farmer is seeking any person in Day County or the surrounding area, or with connections to the area, who may have had interactions or involvement in a campaign or connection to the late President Jimmy Carter. Please contact us at [email protected] or call (605) 345-3356.

Send a message to learn more

12/09/2024
10/11/2024

As National Newspaper Week winds down, we say thank you to the staffs of South Dakota's 100+ newspapers for the work you do every day and every week throughout the year to tell the important stories of your communities. And thank you to those who subscribe and advertise. Your support keeps the hometown newspaper alive!

10/07/2024

CELEBRATING NATIONAL NEWSPAPER WEEK

South Dakota's newspapers tell the stories of their communities. From recaps of Friday night football games to human interest stories to school board meetings and much more, newspapers are vital to connecting and informing the communities they serve.

Support your local hometown newspaper!

07/10/2024

Day County residents specifically may also call the Day County Sheriff’s Office at (605) 345-3222 if there is an emergency.

06/17/2024

‼️ ‼️ UPDATE ‼️ ‼️

Day County 6 (133rd St) is back open from Highway 25 to Grenville

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🚧ROAD CLOSURE🚧
Beginning Tuesday, June 18, the Day County Highway Department will be replacing a culvert between 438th Ave and 439th Ave on County Road 6 (133rd St from Highway 25 to Grenville).

The road will be closed until the project is completed. Please use an ALTERNATE ROUTE (other than 133rd st between Highway 25 and Grenville) if headed to Grenville, Pickerel Lake, or Enemy Swim.

Address

516 Main Street
Webster, SD
57274

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

Telephone

(605) 345-3356

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