Main Street Media announces sale of Missouri newspapers

Main Street Media (MSM) is selling its four remaining Missouri newspapers, after having sold the Glasgow Missourian in September.

Frank Mercer, publisher of MSM, recently penned an announcement to readers and advertisers of the company’s other newspapers that MSM was placing its entire Missouri newspaper division up for sale. Publications included are The Carrollton Democrat, Higginsville Advance, Lexington News and Santa Fe Times, Alma.

The main goal of MSM since its founding, Mercer wrote, has been to keep newspapers alive in small towns. Company founder, the late Jack Krier often said when towns lost their school or their newspaper, they lost their identity.

Readers were told the newspapers will continue operating as usual while the search for a buyer is underway.

“Our hope is that by publicly announcing the search for a buyer, the right company, group of people, or individual will step forward to keep these newspapers alive and vital in the communities they serve,” Mercer wrote. “Sometimes a fresh set of eyes makes all the difference to a long running operation.”

MSM sold The Glasgow Missourian to J3 Marquee Ventures, LLC, led by Salisbury-based owner and editor Melanie Latamondeer late last month.

The acquisition expands Latamondeer’s portfolio to two community weeklies. Both The Missourian and The Marquee will continue to operate as independent publications, serving Glasgow and Chariton County respectively. 

“When I launched The Chariton Marquee in 2022, it was with nothing more than a computer and a dream of keeping local news alive. Now, just a few years later, I have the privilege of continuing The Glasgow Missourian, a publication that began in 1867. It’s a rare honor to carry forward both a startup built from scratch and a paper with more than a century of history — each with the same purpose: preserving our communities’ stories and fostering hometown pride for generations to come.” said Latamondeer. 

Frank Mercer, publisher of MSM, said, “Having seen Melanie’s devotion to local journalism through her startup of the Chariton Marquee, we knew the Glasgow Missourian would be in good hands under her leadership.” 

The October 2 edition marks the first issue of The Missourian under new ownership. 

Dirks, Van Essen & April, a media merger and acquisition firm based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, handled the deal for the Glasgow Missourian and will head up the sale of MSM’s Missouri division.