Zoutpansberger
Opinion

The closure of a newspaper is a gut punch for a community

It’s an entity that’s going to be irreplaceable.

By Zoutpansberger • 3 October 2025

If the community wants to keep its newspaper, it needs to step up before a paper closes.

By Tim L. Waltner Publisher Emeritus, Freeman Courier Freeman, South Dakota

“A gut punch.” That’s how Dave Bordewyk, executive director of the South Dakota NewsMedia Association, described the abrupt closure of four newspapers in the state last month.

What happened in those 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 tradit...

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