The media landscape in the southwest metro will change later this month with the closure of newspapers in Carver County’s two largest cities.
Southwest News Media announced on April 4 that it would be shuttering both the Chanhassen Villager and Chaska Herald, with the final editions of both newspapers being delivered on April 25.
Southwest News Media will also end publications serving Jordan, Shakopee, Prior Lake, and Savage by the end of the month.
In addition, Crow River Media announced that both the Hutchinson Leader and the Litchfield Independent Review will shutter on April 24 and April 28, respectively. The Crow River Press printing facility in Hutchinson will also close in the same time frame.
In announcing the closures, Southwest News Media pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic as a primary driver of the decisions, noting that advertising revenue had fallen between 25 and 50 percent since 2020.
“The news about Southwest News Media and Crow River Media closing down at the end of this month is incredibly sad. There is a long and storied history with those publications helping residents remain connected and informed for decades,” said Keith Anderson, news director for APGECM, the parent company of the Patriot. “Closer to home, the Chaska Herald and Chanhassen Villager have a substantial track record of journalistic excellence and they will be deeply missed. The loss of any community news outlet is a loss for us all.”
Both local media companies are owned by MediaNews Group, a Denver-based arm of the Alden Global Capital group, with MediaNews Group having scooped up both companies in 2020. Alden Global Capital also owns the venerable Pioneer Press in St. Paul, which was purchased in 2012. In all, Alden Global Capital either outright owns or has a stake in nearly 200 newspapers across the nation. In fact, only one company – Gannett/Gatehouse – owns more publications at 390. In 2019, Alden reportedly attempted a hostile takeover of Gannett.
Alden has developed a reputation in media circles for purchasing struggling publications, and then gutting newsroom operations in an effort to maximize profits.
Joe Pompeo, a media expert with Vanity Fair magazine, wrote in 2020 about the “hedge fund vampire that bleeds newspapers dry,” saying at the time that, “Alden Global Capital has eliminated the jobs of scores of reporters and editors, and decimated journalism in cities all over the country: Denver, Boston, San Jose, Trenton, etc.”
According to Minnesota media outlet Bring Me the News, staff at Southwest News Media learned on April 4 of the decision to shutter the publications, with some having been hired just last month.
With the closure of the Chanhassen Villager and Chaska Herald, the Patriot is the last remaining newspaper dedicated to coverage in Carver County.
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