The Athens News has now vacated newspaper distribution boxes throughout Athens after halting it's print publication, ending nearly 50 years of free weekly circulation.
According to its website, Athens News was established in 1977. The final printed edition was released Jan. 14, and for the past four weeks, the publication has operated exclusively online.
Adams MultiMedia, a family-owned community newspaper company that owns publications in 20 states, including Athens News and The Athens Messenger, made the decision.
Paul Reynolds, the regional president of Adams MultiMedia, said the free publication could no longer sustain print operations because of declining advertising revenue.
“When you have something like The Athens Messenger, which is a local, hyperlocal news, the communities need those papers,” Reynolds said. “We need to be there. We're the watchdogs for the community.”
The Athens Messenger, which prints three times a week, will continue publication.
Reynolds said print media plays a more critical role in smaller, rural communities, where there are fewer alternative sources of local coverage than in larger urban areas.
The decline of print is seen globally. According to the Associated Press, daily newspaper circulation, which averaged between 50 million and 60 million in 2000, now stands at just over 15 million.
Corinne Colbert, co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Athens County Independent, previously served as editor of Athens News. She said the publication was a significant part of her life for nearly four decades.
“It’s a shame that Adams MultiMedia never seemed to see its value as a unique standalone publication … but corporate media isn’t known for its vision or innovation,” Colbert wrote in an email.
Colbert said many Athens readers prefer print, but that preference alone is not enough to financially sustain a printed publication.
She said the circulation of information in Athens County is “pretty scattered,” with The Athens Messenger operating behind a paywall and some government entities posting information primarily on social media.
“That’s a problem because not everyone has or wants to be on social media,” Colbert wrote. “One of our aims at the Athens County Independent is to aggregate public information about meetings, events, announcements and resources and make it available to anyone on their phone or other device, for free.”
As publications shift online, reading habits have also changed. Colbert said many online readers consume only headlines or the first paragraph of stories. To address this, the Athens County Independent uses subheadings to break up long-form articles.
A Penn State analysis conducted between 2017 and 2020 found that 75% of people who shared an article on social media did not click the link themselves.
AP News reported that young people most frequently find news through smartphone searches. Influencers on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram are also becoming more prominent sources of news, although they often focus on national stories.
While many rural areas in Southeast Ohio receive limited reporting, Athens County has some of the highest levels of local coverage in the region.
“It’s not back to pre-2000 levels, but we’re moving out of the ‘Oh my God local news is dying’ and more toward ‘How can we make local news sustainable?’,” Colbert said. “I’m active in professional associations for nonprofit newsrooms and digital newsrooms, and there is enormous optimism about the future of U.S. news,” Colbert wrote.
Colbert said she does not view other Athens-area outlets as competitors.
“I don’t think of The Athens Messenger, Athens News or WOUB as competition — we’re all part of an information ecosystem that people rely on to be active and involved in their community,” Colbert said. “There’s plenty of news to go around, and we are stronger working together.”
