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Youngstown's daily newspaper is closing up shop.

The Vindicator, Youngstown’s daily newspaper, will close after 150 years - cleveland.com
https://www.cleveland.com/news/2019/06/t...-150-years.html

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — The Vindicator, which recently marked its 150th publication anniversary and is Youngstown’s only daily newspaper, told employees Friday afternoon that it will close.

The news was first reported by 21 WFMJ-TV, a Youngstown television station that is owned by the same family as The Vindicator. The news was independently confirmed by The Plain Dealer.

WFMJ quoted a letter sent to station employees Friday by Mark Brown, the paper’s general manager. According to the station, a letter by Brown and Vindicator Publisher Betty J. H. Brown Jagnow explaining the decision will be published in Saturday’s Vindicator. A source confirmed to The Plain Dealer that The Vindicator’s owners had sought out buyers, but were unable to find one. The paper will stop printing at the end of August.

“It’s stunning news for us, internally, and it’s going to be stunning for the community over the next days and weeks, especially a community that’s endured as much as the Valley has, most recently with the [General Motors] Lordstown closure,” said Todd Franko, Vindicator editor-in-chief. “We’re as vintage a brand as GM, and it’s tough for all of us. Obviously my first concerns are for my coworkers and the people who have spent decades here, but I’m also sad for the Valley and what they’re going to lose. It’s a loss for thousands.”

In interviews, current and former Vindicator staff members expressed sadness, both for employees of the paper and for the Mahoning Valley community.

Bertram de Souza, The Vindicator’s editorial page editor and a columnist, recalled that when he joined the staff 40 years ago this month, the paper staffed multiple bureaus across the Valley and reached some 100,000 readers per day. “Unfortunately, the reality of our industry hit home – literally. It’s painful, for somebody like me, who has dedicated my life.”

De Souza initially planned to stay in the Valley for two years, but stayed on because of the close bond he formed with the paper’s owners and because they gave him the freedom to pursue the stories about organized crime and public corruption he wanted to tell.

“We have been at the forefront of fighting public corruption in the Valley,” he said. And on top of that, he noted, the paper has provided a daily record of weddings and deaths and club meetings – “all of the stuff that makes a local newspaper important to a community.”

Kalea Hall, who was a reporter at the paper for five years, recalled growing up reading The Vindicator with her grandmother. “It was the paper that first taught me the importance of journalism. It was always scrappy and going after corrupt officials. I was in awe of that,” she said. She noted the paper’s role in shedding light on systemic public corruption in the Valley.

“I can’t explain how difficult it is to see this happen, but I understand given the conditions of the newspaper industry. I beg people to support local journalism. It’s essential to democracy,” she said. “I only hope that someone, somewhere picks up the slack and continues to ask the hard questions like The Vindicator reporters did for years and get the news out there that people need to know.”

The closure of the paper will leave a community of hundreds of thousands without a daily newspaper. Mahoning County alone has more than 200,000 residents.

Just days ago, The Vindicator celebrated the 150th anniversary of its publication. As veteran politics and city hall reporter David Skolnick reported, the paper first launched as the weekly Mahoning Vindicator on June 25, 1869. It was first published by James H. Odell.

William F. Maag Sr. acquired the paper in 1887. Under his leadership, it became a daily newspaper. Under the leadership of his son, William F. Maag Jr., it became the only daily newspaper in Youngstown after Maag bought out a rival paper, The Vindicator reported.

The leadership of the paper passed from Maag to his nephew, William J. Brown, then in 1981 to Brown’s widow, Betty J. H. Brown Jagnow, who remains publisher and president.

The closure comes amid a challenging time for local newspapers. In the last decade and a half, nearly one in five newspapers has shuttered, according to research by the University of North Carolina’s Center for Innovation and Stability in Local Media. UNC research from last year calculated a net loss of almost 1,800 local newspapers since 2004. UNC notes that this does not count newsrooms whose resources have been so severely diminished that they are unable to adequately cover their communities.

The shuttering of the Vindicator comes on the heels of other recent economic blows to the Valley, most notably the closure of the Lordstown GM plant earlier this year.

The news is causing concern among community members, one of whom called De Souza on Friday. When the longtime reader asked what she would read now, all he could tell them was that he didn’t know.

But with 60 days left to print, journalists at The Vindicator say they plan to continue the work they’ve always done. “We have 60 days to continue putting out the best paper we can. And we will,” De Souza said.

After they close, with 60 days left, you no longer have to pretend to be all about, well you know, tow the co. line.

These kids today, not reading the paper, what are we going to do, how are they going to get the news.

The advantage of a newspaper is, you can read it now, you can pick it up and read it again later, or someone else can read it,

With the internet? it's just not the same, all these opening and closing and having to get access and find passwords and logging in and being followed by profile police.

Plus Newspapers had so many good uses, like smacking a dog, or starting a fire, magic tricks of holding milk, potty training a pet, temporary curtains,
Newspapers Rock!

I haven't bought a newspaper since the 80s. Books and newspapers were great when we didn't have movies or tv. It's like cassette tapes and vhs nobody wants them anymore.

I fear that the hits will keep coming to the Valley. What a sad state of affairs, so many good, hard-working people, living in a place that just can't catch a break. Vindy has been a great part of the community for 150 years... sad day indeed.

Newspapers are going the way of the

And don't forget it was used to wrap garbage to throw into the garbage can before the plastic bag can into being.

I haven't seen a pay phone in more than a decade. Until I went to Colorado.


As to the thread, the printed press - especially newspapers, is slowly going away. A local paper I get went from 6 days a week, down to 5 days a week. The Toledo Blade, which I used to get, has cut back as well.

It's a shame, but reality. The worst part is, you used to be able to read an article that wasn't biased.........that changed a while back.

But now? It's all internet 'clicks' to make money.

I could not tolerate the sports section as it became almost all Pi--burp priority all front page then Browns and Tribe info. For awhile The Browns info was two days late and only an AP snippet. Called and questioned as to why this was happening and why Pi--burp teams have priority since we are in Ohio no Pa,was told Mark Brown and sports editor are Pi--burp fans. Mrs Jagnow and son Mark Brown both were members of same church I attended before church joined with another local church of same demomination due to both having declining membership and lack of or small youth membership.

Looks like the Warren Tribune has bought the name/masthead, subscriber list, and website domain. Good news for those who will keep their employment in one way or another, and for those who rely on the daily newspaper. (like my mom)

Tribune Chronicle acquires The Vindicator subscription list, mas - WFMJ.com News weather sports for Youngstown-Warren Ohio
http://www.wfmj.com/story/40928651/tribu...head-and-domain

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -
The Vindicator general manager, Mark Brown, announced that an agreement has been reached for the Tribune Chronicle to acquire The Vindicator’s subscription list, The Vindicator masthead and the vindy.com domain.

Under the agreement, the Tribune Chronicle is authorized to produce an edition under the name of The Vindicator and has agreed to provide a newspaper for the remainder of the unexpired terms of all current subscribers.

“We have always felt strongly about the need to have a local newspaper. The agreement announced today provides The Vindicator’s subscribers with continued delivery of a daily print newspaper focused on their communities, Mahoning County and the Valley,” said Mark Brown, General Manager of The Vindicator. “We are very happy to be able to provide our readers with a daily print newspaper from a family-owned company. The Nutting family and Ogden Newspapers have been in the publishing business since 1890.”

The Vindicator announced on June 28 that the newspaper would cease publication on August 31 citing unprofitability in recent years.

The Tribune Chronicle first announced that it would attempt to fill the void left by The Vindicator by publishing a Mahoning County edition beginning on September 1.

“We are extremely happy and honored to be able to preserve the long-respected name of the newspaper that has served this region for a century-and-a-half,” said Charles Jarvis, publisher of the Tribune Chronicle. “We look forward to delivering approximately 30,000 of the new The Vindicator editions to the people who have supported The Vindicator through the years and have developed a printed newspaper reading habit.”

Officials say The Tribune Chronicle has been planning to increase Mahoning County coverage and that The Vindicator edition will be the area’s best source for Mahoning Valley news and will offer a strong advertising medium to support local businesses.

The Tribune Chronicle is planning to continue many of The Vindicator’s features in the new edition, including all of the daily comics and most of the Sunday comics.

Additionally, The Tri-County Funeral Directors' Association members who have traditionally published obituaries in The Vindicator are planning to use the new edition, The Vindicator edition, of the Tribune Chronicle. Local and state governmental agencies have also indicated they will use The Vindicator edition to publish their legal advertisements.

The Tribune Chronicle is planning to contract with as many current carriers as possible to provide a seamless transition on September 1.