Swift Buyouts Save Wyoming and South Dakota Newspapers from Extinction—But How Long Will They Last?

Across the heartland of America, where community ties run deep and local news once knit neighborhoods together, a critical warning bell is sounding. Recently shuttered newspapers in Wyoming and South Dakota are being resurrected following swift buyouts—but the broader trend of disappearing local media raises urgent questions about the vitality of our nation’s information landscape. When Illinois-based News Media Corporation abruptly closed 31 outlets across five states citing financial troubles on August 6, it threatened to plunge numerous rural communities into "news deserts"—places where little or no reporting survives. For these towns, losing their newspaper isn’t just about fewer stories;...