Thirteen local newspapers in Illinois have stopped publishing with little warning. Five more counties now lack any local news coverage. The Daily Herald is set for a Tribune Publishing takeover.
Media professionals tracking local news coverage in Illinois face a significant shift as Paddock Publications has abruptly stopped publishing at least 13 of its 20 newspapers in the state. The closures, which came with minimal notice or explanation, have left five additional counties—Gallatin, Hamilton, Johnson, Pulaski, and Saline—without any local newspaper, effectively turning them into new news deserts.
In a related move, Paddock Publications reached an agreement in May to sell its Arlington Heights-based Daily Herald to Tribune Publishing, which is owned by Alden Global Capital. The transition is scheduled to close on June 22, after which the Daily Herald will operate under new ownership. The affected counties are all located in central and southern Illinois, further reducing access to local journalism in those regions.
