30-plus Missouri newspapers change ownership in last year

The sale of a newspaper is nothing new, with ownership changing for a variety of reasons, including handing the reins to the next generation of publishers or consolidating publications into a larger ownership group.

It was the latter situation that seemed to mark many of the Missouri newspaper sales in 2025, as Carpenter Media Group grew its presence here and Paxton Media Group established itself as one of the Show-Me State’s publishers.

CherryRoad paves new ground

Last year began with the closing of a deal that was announced in 2024 as Lakeway Publishers sold its Missouri newspapers to CherryRoad Media. Those newspapers include the Centralia Fireside Guard, Elsberry Democrat, Hermann Advertiser Courier, Lincoln County Journal, (Monroe City) Lake Gazette, Pike County News, Troy Free Press and Vandalia Leader.

In September, CherryRoad also launched an entirely new newspaper with the Trenton Telegraph.

CherryRoad ended 2025 with the acquisition of Community News, which covers St. Charles and St. Louis counties. That newspaper was purchased from Westplex Media.

The company started this year with another acquisition in Carrollton, purchasing the Democrat newspaper there from Main Street Media.

Carpenter builds up

Carpenter Media Group announced in January it would purchase Salem Publishing Company from Donald and Felicia Dodd. That transaction included the Salem News, Phelps County Focus and Pulaski County Weekly.

In late 2024, Carpenter bought Phillips Media Group and its 10 Missouri newspapers, among other publications and the Nowata printing plant in Springfield.

Hoffmann makes moves

One of the most surprising ownership changes of the year, came in June when it was announced The Missourian Media Group, which operates the Washington Missourian, had been sold to The Hoffmann Family of Companies. The Missourian would become part of the Hoffmann Media Group, which also operates publications in California, Colorado, Florida and Michigan. David Hoffmann, chairman of the company, is a native of Washington, Mo.

Later in the year, it was announced David Hoffmann and other investors would purchase $50 million in Lee Enterprises stock, which also gave him control of the company’s board of directors. Lee is one of the nation’s largest newspaper companies, publishing in 25 states; however the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is its only Missouri newspaper.

WEHCO sells state capital newspaper

Among the transactions that were announced in 2025’s closing days was that WEHCO Media would sell its three Missouri newspapers, the Jefferson City News-Tribune, California Democrat and Fulton Sun, to Faughn Media, which is owned by Scott Faughn. WEHCO will retain ownership of its printing plant in Jefferson City, along with the corresponding commercial print business.

Faughn Media publishes the Missouri Times, a political news outlet that covers Missouri state politics in and around the Capitol building. WEHCO continues to own and operate the McDonald County Press in Pineville, Mo., which maintains close ties to the company’s Arkansas operations due to its proximity to the state border.

Main Street Media exits Missouri

In September, Melanie Latamondeer’s J3 Marquee Ventures purchased the Glasgow Missourian from Main Street Media. Latamondeer previously started the Chariton Marquee in nearby Salisbury and had been running that newspaper for three years.

Main Street Media later announced it would sell its four remaining Missouri newspapers, including the Carrollton Democrat, Higginsville Advance, Lexington News and Santa Fe Times, Alma.

At the end of 2025, Main Street Media told readers that ownership of the newspapers in Lexington, Higginsville and Alma would be under the Lexington Chamber of Commerce after that group’s membership approved the purchase in December. The sale was finalized at the end of January.

The Carrollton Democrat was sold to CherryRoad at the beginning of this year.

Paxton enters Missouri

The fall brought even more newspaper changes as it was announced in September that Kentucky-based Paxton Media Group purchased seven Missouri newspapers from Illinois publisher Better Newspapers Inc. The transaction also included several more of the company’s newspapers in Illinois.

Missouri newspapers affected by the sale included The Park Hills Daily Journal, The Fredericktown Democrat News, Farmington Press, Wayne County Journal Banner in Piedmont, the Reynolds County Courier, The Ironton Mountain Echo and The Ste. Genevieve Herald.

Paxton Media Group publishes nearly 120 community newspapers, primarily in the Southeast and Midwest.

Two Springfield newspapers, one new owner

Marty Goodnight had served as publisher of the Springfield Business Journal (SBJ) for the last two years before officially taking over as owner of the newspaper at the beginning of 2026. He purchased the newspaper from Jennifer Jackson, who served as publisher after her mother and the newspaper’s founder, Dianne Elizabeth Osis, retired.

Goodnight and his wife, Shallina, also purchased the Springfield Daily Events at the end of 2025 from Jeff Schrag. That newspaper is being operated separately from the SBJ under an independent sister company.

The sale of the Daily Events also marked Schrag’s retirement from the newspaper industry. MPA’s 2017 president, Schrag is currently serving as mayor of the city of Springfield.

Expanding the Missouri Method

One of the more unorthodox purchases of 2025 was that of the Boone County Journal by the Missourian Publishing Association, which operates the Columbia Missourian. Both newspapers are located in Boone County, however the Journal’s main coverage areas are Ashland and Hartsburg in the county’s southern reaches.

The Boone County Journal was added to the University of Missouri School of Journalism’s Missouri News Network and serves as an additional learning lab for the Missouri Method lessons the school teaches its students, giving them a new environment in which to “learn by doing.”

The return of a Hall of Famer

Missouri Newspaper Hall of Fame member Steve Tinnen sold the Clinton County Leader in Plattsburg in 2021 with plans to retire and spend more time with his family. But when it was announced in June the company that published the Trenton Republican-Times and the Clinton County Leader would shutter both newspapers, Tinnen found himself back in the publisher’s chair.

While the Trenton newspaper did close, Tinnen as the former owner of the Leader didn’t want to see that happen to the newspaper his family had operated for more than 50 years.

Stepping out of retirement, Tinnen, along with one full-time employee and a team of part-timers, put out weekly editions with a goal to bring circulation numbers back up and give readers a local newspaper to be proud of.

And the retirement of a past president

In April 2025, Roger and Carol Dillon sold the Shannon County Current Wave in Eminence to Kenny and Valerie Schulz. New owner Valerie Schulz is sister to veteran Current Wave employee Gayla Phipps, herself the daughter-in-law of Roger and Carol.

Roger Dillon purchased the newspaper in 1984 and served as MPA president in 2022. His plans for retirement call for playing golf, traveling and working around the house.

Wardens lock down more mid-Missouri

Dennis and Connie Warden, along with their son, Jacob, purchased Three Rivers Publishing from Rob Viehman in June. The deal included the Cuba Free Press, Saint James Press and Steelville Star-Crawford Mirror and along with the Gasconade County Republican, Maries County Advocate and Osage County Unterrified Democrat in Linn brought the Wardens’ publications to six.

To some extent, Missouri Press helped connect the Wardens with Viehman with the latter acknowledging he was contacted after publishing a free “for sale” ad in Missouri Press’ weekly eBulletin and on the Association’s website, mopress.com. Check out https://mopress.com/job-bank/ to learn how Missouri Press can help you find your next hire, sell some old equipment or even buy a newspaper.