The Citizen in Laconia will cease publishing on Sept. 30, ending a storied 90 years of serving readers and advertisers in and around Belknap County. The decision to close the newspaper comes amid growing financial pressure on the newspaper industry, particularly in smaller markets being served by multiple publications.
"We have tried for several months to sell the paper, but, unfortunately, we were unable to find a buyer, said Sample News Group CEO George Sample. "We have enjoyed our six years serving the Lakes Region, and we're proud of the efforts our team has made in producing a very good hometown newspaper."
For the past 16 years, Laconia has been the lone city north of Boston served by two local daily newspapers. The other paper, the Laconia Daily Sun, reported that many of the 14 employees of the Citizen will be offered jobs in Sample News Group. The company will also help with job placement.
During that time, The Citizen became the number one source for online news, Sample said. But the advertising needed to sustain that effort, and the high cost of printing and distributing the newspaper simply hasn't followed.
While the daily newspaper and website will cease operations, weekly distribution of pre printed major retailer coupons will continue without interruption through the U.S. Post Office.
"We will focus our energy on our other New Hampshire newspapers, which include The Eagle Times of Claremont, The Argus-Champion, Weekly Flea and Message For the Week—all part of Eagle Printing and Publishing Company," Sample said.
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