Local newspapers set to return weeks after closure

The Narrabri Courier, Gunnedah Times and Wee Waa News will return on June 11, a month after publishing what many believed would be their final editions.

The three newspapers, which ceased publication on May 7, have been acquired by Times News Group and are expected to resume serving their communities in the coming weeks.

The announcement brings an abrupt end to fears that Narrabri, Gunnedah and Wee Waa could lose their local newspapers permanently.

For generations, the three mastheads have reported on everything from droughts and floods to council decisions, sporting triumphs, agricultural developments and community milestones.

Times News Group managing director Warick Brown said the company moved quickly after learning the newspapers would close.

“When a local newspaper closes, communities lose far more than a publication,” he said.

“They lose a watchdog, a storyteller, a historical record and one of the few institutions dedicated entirely to covering local issues.

“We believed these newspapers were too important to lose.”

The acquisition adds the three north-west NSW titles to Times News Group’s growing regional newspaper network.

Mr Brown said maintaining the local identity of each publication would be central to the newspapers’ future.

“People want to read about their towns, their farms, their businesses, their sporting clubs and the issues affecting their communities,” he said.

“That’s what local newspapers do best.”

The company says the newspapers will continue operating under their existing names and remain focused on local news, agriculture, business, sport and community coverage.

Local businesses that had been advertising with the newspapers before their closure are being encouraged to resume their campaigns, with existing advertising rates set to be honoured.

Readers are also being encouraged to support the newspapers through subscriptions and regular purchases as the titles return to publication.

For communities that feared losing one of their longest-running institutions, the message is simple.

“Your local newspaper is coming back,” Mr Brown said.