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Newspaper-Less Future Nears in Some Cities

Closings presage a future without the local paper

By Nick McMaster, Newser Staff

Posted Mar 12, 2009 12:14 PM CDT

(Newser) – With the Seattle Post-Intelligencer to print a final edition next week, it’s set to follow the path of Denver’s Rocky Mountain News, which closed two weeks ago, the New York Times reports; the Tucson Citizen will also likely close next week. A rival newspaper will remain in each of those cities, but as papers continue to lose money, a future where a major American city lacks a prominent local paper looks imminent.

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A man leaves the offices of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Jan. 9, 2009. (AP Photo)

With the iconic globe reflected in the windows behind, Seattle Post-Intelligencer employees pose for a photo outside their building on Monday. (AP Photo)

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In 2009 and 2010, all the two-newspaper markets will become one-newspaper markets, and you will start to see one-newspaper markets become no-newspaper markets.
- Mike Simonton, Fitch Ratings

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Newspaper-Less Future Nears in Some Cities