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Two more suburban weeklies die

By David Brauer | 05/05/09

Fargo-based Forum Communications has shuttered its Stillwater Courier and Lake Elmo Leader, editor Yvonne Klinnert announced late Tuesday afternoon.

Klinnert cited "the same economic pressures that are rocking so many businesses, and the news business especially" for killing off the 2,000-circulation papers. Ironically, American Community Newspapers, which owns Courier daily competitor Stillwater Gazette, declared bankruptcy last week, though that paper remains open.

In February, ACN killed off its South St. Paul/Inver Grove Heights paper, but this is Forum's first closure. The Courier and Leader were part of its RiverTown Newspapers Group, which includes four western Wisconsin papers and affiliates such as the Hastings Star-Gazette, Red Wing Republican-Eagle, Woodbury Bulletin, and three other Minnesota papers.

According to one source, six of seven employees were terminated with three days severance. Staffers include a full-time reporter, photographer, sports writer and two graphics workers. Employees were told the Stillwater and Lake Elmo papers were the only RiverTown publications to fold, the source says.

The Courier won the Minnesota Newspaper Association's Mills Trophy, signifying the state's best weekly, twice since 2005. Forum purchased the paper that year, and launched the Lake Elmo paper two years earlier, according to Klinnert.

Forum owns many dailies around the state, including the Duluth News-Tribune, Bemidji Pioneer, West Central Tribune and the Worthington Globe.

Comments (7)

Submitted by Jeff Kline on May 6, 2009 - 3:29am.

I'm not; along with many, not surprised by this. With the boon of the Internet and most people realizing some level of connectivity and computer use, the demise of "The Paper" was coming. At least it's not sensationalized on here like it is elsewhere. You'd think that by some accounts, the sky is falling. Change is inevitable and with a soured economy, it's just pouring fuel on the burn.

Submitted by Robert Stjern on May 6, 2009 - 8:35am.

I've been in the local newspaper business 25 years and I've never heard of either of these two papers. How low will you go to scrap up doom and gloom? How 'bout checking with local churches to see if any have discontinued their newsletters? Consider turning the lens around and finding a bright story or two. Anyone out there weathering the storm? Better than average ratings, readers, viewers, listenings, etc?

Submitted by David Brauer on May 6, 2009 - 8:53am.

Robert -

How's it going at your place? If it's a good news story, let me know.

The two big papers are cutting. So is MPR. So are all four major TV stations. So are the alt-weeklies and new media news sites.

You're right both those papers are small, but the demise of an operation is news, especially when Minnesota's largest daily publisher (by titles) is pulling the plug.

The problem is, the ad depression and media die-off IS the big story. Believe me, I look for good news in the numbers, but either a) don't find it or b) find puffery behind the odd good stat.

I cast a wide net, but lots of fish skeletons right now. If there's a good news story I'm missing, please let me know. That's a sincere request, not sarcasm.

Submitted by Jane McClure on May 6, 2009 - 10:08am.

I freelanced for the Courier when it was owned by the Liberty family and I am very sorry to see it close. It was a good little paper and a good alternative to the Gazette and Valley Press. Most of the staff and freelancers in those days had been cast out of the Gazette when it was sold and the Libertys are to be commended for starting their own paper. They and my former editor, Sharon Baker, were great to work with
Yvonne was one of my editors at the Washington County Bulletin and she knows her stuff. Good luck to her and the rest of the Courier crew.

Submitted by Pat Sirek on May 6, 2009 - 12:09pm.

Robert, if you've been in the local newspaper business in the metro area, I can't believe you haven't heard of these papers. Each has been around a good, long time. It's definitely news when, one by one, community newspapers are dying. Yours might be next. It's not "gloom and doom." It's reality. Which bites more than ever these days.

Submitted by Doug Seitz on May 6, 2009 - 12:43pm.

As a "local," I enjoyed the Courier and looked forward each week to reading it. It had a great staff. They deserved better than three days severance. For a small community, we were probably over-served with print media (not that I'm complaining), what with two weekly papers, a Monday-Friday daily, and a monthly magazine. It was a nice position to be in, but with the downtown in the economy and the internet, it couldn't be maintained. If there's a bright side, maybe The Courier's demise will strengthen the Gazette and St. Croix Valley Press. Good-bye Courier and its staff; go, knowing you'll be missed.

Submitted by S Schwartz on May 6, 2009 - 3:01pm.

The Courier did fantastic things and cleaned up at the Minnesota Newspaper Association awards with a small staff. I'm sure they will be missed in Stillwater.