By CHRIS COLLINS and JULIE CUNNINGHAM
(Northampton, MA) – The Western Mass. newspapers of record will no longer be printed in Western Mass.
Michael Moses, publisher of The Daily Hampshire Gazette, the Greenfield Recorder, Athol Daily News and the Valley Advocate has announced that Newspapers of New England Inc. is closing the Gazette’s in-house printing operation. Moses said in a statement that, starting in late July, the paper will be printed by a commercial printer in Auburn, Mass. Moses also said that the Gazette is ending its commercial printing operation, which also ran out of the Conz Street, Northampton building.
“While our decision to get out of the business of manufacturing newspapers was economically motivated, it also reflects our desire to focus on the Gazette’s core mission,” Moses said. “Content, particularly local news content, is unequivocally that mission.”
The closure comes only a few years after NNE did a major upgrade of the Northampton press operation, which grew to incorporate the Recorder, Valley Advocate, the Athol Daily News, and a number of other publications. Moses says the change will result in the loss of 29 jobs, nine of which are full-time positions. He said all employees will be eligible for severance packages.
“We are grateful for their hard work but, as we all know from experience, times change,” Moses said. “This is, without question, the business model that best positions us for the future, allowing us to continue the award winning coverage our readers require.”