The Day The News Died

Anyone who has read my stuff for a while knows that I have a castle up north. It is a beautiful area and I often find refuge there when the city, the blogging and the everyday hassles of life get to be too burdensome. The peacefulness and beauty goes a long way to recharge my mental batteries.

I also got a kick out of the small town newspapers up there, the Waupaca County Post and the Iola Herald. The crime reports would involve a couple of drunk drivers, someone's shed getting broken into, and complaints that the neighbor's cow hate their petunias.

Then disaster struck. Journal Communications Inc. bought out the Iola Herald. For those that live in a cave, Journal Communications Inc. is the parent company of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (motto: All the right wing propaganda fit to print).

My small town paper turned into a branch of the ever declining MJS. The paper then combined with the Manawa Advocate and turned into a right wing propaganda rag.

So what happens next? You guessed it. From the Waupaca County Post (sorry no link):

Journal Community Publishing Group Inc., a Journal Communications company based in Waupaca, has purchased the Waupaca County Post, and six other publications owned by Waupaca Publishing Company.

The two companies expect the sale to close on October 6.

Sigh. And I had just renewed my subscription.