Two Connecticut Daily Newspapers and nearly a dozen weekly papers could be shutting down the presses in January, if a buyer doesn't come forward.
The Bristol Free Press and the Herald in New Britain are owned by the financially troubled Journal Register Company of Yardley, Pennsylvania. Now, Connecticut's Governor and Attorney General say they want to help keep the papers going. Governor M. Jodi Rell and Richard Blumenthal have said they would be interested in taking part in a bipartisan effort to save the papers.
The Bristol Free Press reports Blumenthal said: “That kind of closing would be a huge loss to me and learning about what’s happening in this community. It’s really the oxygen of democracy. People take it for granted,” until it’s gone and they can’t breathe.
Advocates point to the fact that local papers provide vital news about what is going on in the community, from zoning meetings to city council actions, as well as things such as firehouse fundraisers, parent-teacher organization activities and school sports. In addition, they provide a record of births, marriages and deaths, he said.
The Journal Register Company has said if the papers aren't in sale negotiations by January 12, they will be closed that day or within the following 14 days.
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