Litchfield Independent Review will cease operations April 28, the newspaper announced Thursday, bringing an end to its nearly 150 years of service to Litchfield and the Meeker County area.
The Independent Review’s shopper companion, Meeker County Advertiser, and its sister publications, the Hutchinson Leader and Leader Shopper, and the Crow River Press printing business in Hutchinson also will close.
The final edition of the newspapers will be Wednesday, April 24.
The newspapers’ management said it will refund the balance of paid subscriptions in the coming weeks.
The Independent Review and Leader, like many newspaper businesses around the country, have been challenged during the past decade or longer by changing lifestyle habits, especially by the dramatic shift in advertising revenue from local print publications to digital options such as Google, Facebook and Amazon.
The COVID-19 pandemic took a significant toll on newspaper businesses as well, with advertising revenue falling 25% to 50%. Local advertising revenue is the primary revenue source for most weekly newspapers. Hundreds of newspapers across the country have closed or downsized, reduced their publication schedules and made other cost-cutting measures.
The Litchfield Independent Review, Hutchinson Leader and Crow River Press — collectively known as Crow River Media — as well as sister newspapers in the southwest metropolitan area, are owned by MediaNews Group, a Denver-based media company which also owns the Saint Paul Pioneer Press.
In a related announcement today, Southwest News Media said its publications — Shakopee Valley News, Prior Lake American, Savage Pacer, Jordan Independent, Chaska Herald and Chanhassen Villager — also will cease operations April 28.
The Independent Review was founded in 1876, and the Hutchinson Leader was founded in 1880.
