The Spokesman Review Newspaper is set to transition its publishing operations to Hagadone Media following an announcement by its current publisher, Northwest Offset Publishing (NOP), regarding its closure. This shift is partly attributed to the overwhelming challenges faced by the printing industry, which led to the loss of 68 jobs as NOP will cease operations in September.
The Spokane Area Journal of Business reported that NOP, which has published not only the Spokesman Review but also numerous other periodicals including lifestyle magazines and real estate publications, will no longer be in the publishing business. Cowles Publishing, the family-owned company behind the Review, had previously donated its assets to the non-profit Comma Community Journalism Lab, which aims to partner with educational institutions and other non-profits to promote local journalism.
Hagadone Media, which prints several regional newspapers such as the Coeur d’Alene Press and the Bonner County Daily Bee, will now oversee the publication of the Spokesman Review. Despite being competitors, both companies acknowledged that this move was a sound business decision. Over the coming months, they will work on installing new equipment to facilitate this transition.
While the job loss is unfortunate, company officials expressed hope that the affected employees will stay onboard until the transition is complete and will be offered severance packages. This situation is not isolated, as many newspapers across the country have faced similar challenges, leading to reduced publishing frequencies and, in some cases, closures.
Looking ahead, this change represents an opportunity for the Spokesman Review to rejuvenate its operations under a new management structure, which might lead to innovative strategies in addressing the evolving landscape of local journalism.