Wyoming Newspaper Veterans Save Eight Local Papers from Sudden Shutdown

In a move that’s already being called a lifeline for Wyoming journalism, longtime state newspaper leaders Robb and Jen Hicks and veteran publisher Rob Mortimore have struck a deal to buy and reopen eight community newspapers that were abruptly shuttered last week by their Illinois-based corporate owner.

The announcement came just six days after News Media Corporation stunned employees and readers alike by shutting down its Wyoming titles — from the Torrington Telegram to the Pinedale Roundup — laying off 30 staff members with no warning. The closures left entire counties without a newspaper of record and communities scrambling to figure out where to publish public notices required by law.

Now, those same reporters, editors, and staffers are back on the job — with paychecks coming by week’s end. For many, the news brought tears.

“What better news could you get?” said Marie Hamilton, managing editor for the Platte County Record-Times and Guernsey Gazette. “There were a lot of tears, but good tears.”

Mortimore, who grew up in Torrington and had been overseeing the papers for News Media Corporation, said the closure blindsided him just as much as his employees. But within hours, he and the Hicks family — owners of the Buffalo Bulletin — began brainstorming how to rescue the publications.

“It’s the perfect scenario for these properties in Wyoming — Wyoming owned, Wyoming operated. It’s just the Wyoming way,” Mortimore said.

Under the purchase agreement, all eight newspapers will resume publishing immediately, and every former employee will be rehired. The titles include the Platte County Record-Times, Guernsey Gazette, Torrington Telegram, Pinedale Roundup, Lusk Herald, Uinta County Herald in Evanston, Bridger Valley Pioneer in Lyman, and Kemmerer Gazette.

The Hicks family has been part of Wyoming’s newspaper world for more than 70 years, running the Buffalo Bulletin since 1996. Mortimore, now set to continue as group publisher for the eight papers, is equally rooted in the state’s news culture.

For Hamilton, the local ownership matters.

“Wyoming problems need Wyoming solutions from Wyoming people,” she said.

When News Media Corporation pulled the plug, citing “financial challenges” and a failed sale, it was part of a larger shutdown affecting 21 publications across five states. But in Wyoming, the blow hit especially hard: eight of the state’s 39 legal newspapers vanished overnight.

Some staffers kept working without pay to preserve archives and keep content flowing, determined to keep their communities informed until a solution appeared. That solution arrived with the Hicks-Mortimore partnership.

Darcie Hoffland, executive director of the Wyoming Press Association, said the turnaround was remarkable.

“There’s a lot of people who care about these communities [and] are working really, really hard to get these papers open as quickly as possible.”

By Tuesday, the rescued papers were already posting the good news on Facebook, and print editions are set to hit mailboxes again this week. Mortimore says the whirlwind has only reinforced what he already knew: local journalism here is far from dead.

“The outpouring of support from these towns has been overwhelming and humbling,” he said. “We want to get back to writing the news. We don’t want to be the news.”

WyoFile and Cowboy State Daily contributed to this report.