Travis Kriens – KORN News Radio Sports Director
This week marks a somber chapter in South Dakota’s journalistic history. The sudden closure of four long-standing newspapers—the Huron Plainsman, Brookings Register, Redfield Press, and Moody County Enterprise—signals more than just the loss of print publications. It’s the loss of local voices, watchdog journalism, and the connective tissue that binds communities together.
For decades, these newspapers have been pillars of their towns—reporting on local government decisions, school board meetings, high school sports, and community events. They’ve chronicled births, achievements, and tragedies. They’ve held leaders accountable and given everyday citizens a platform to be heard.
Their disappearance leaves a void. Without local news coverage, smaller towns risk slipping into information deserts, where rumors flourish and critical issues go unnoticed. The shuttering of these papers, part of a wider national trend driven by economic struggles and changing media consumption habits, is a stark reminder of the fragile state of local journalism.
News Media Corporation’s financial difficulties and failed attempts to sustain or sell its portfolio highlight the broader challenges facing traditional news outlets. But the real tragedy is not the business failure itself. It’s the communities left behind, stripped of an essential democratic tool.
As we reflect on this loss, it’s vital for readers, leaders, and policymakers to consider how to support and reinvent local journalism. Whether through nonprofit models, community funding, or innovative digital platforms, the survival of local news is critical, not just for stories, but for the health of our democracy and the strength of our neighborhoods.
Because when local newspapers die, so do the stories that define us.