Times News Group has acquired the Narrabri Courier, the Gunnedah Times and the Wee Waa News, bringing the mastheads back a month after their recent closure.
The return of the newspapers comes at a time when regional news closures are becoming increasingly common across Australia.
“In the past five years we were able to save the McIvor Times in Heathcote, which is now 163 years old, and the Moorabool News, 154 years old, both being local news deserts had we not felt an obligation to try and save them,” said Times News Group managing director Warick Brown.
“When a local newspaper closes, communities lose far more than a publication. 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.”
First published in 1913, the Narrabri Courier has served the region for more than a century. Alongside the Gunnedah Times and Wee Waa News, it has chronicled droughts, floods, harvests, local elections, sporting triumphs, business developments and everyday stories.
Their return means readers, businesses, sporting clubs, schools, community groups and local organisations will once again have a dedicated platform focused on local news and local stories.
The acquisition strengthens Times News Group’s NSW network, adding to the Byron Coast Times, Ballina Times, Tweed Coast Times and Lismore Times in serving communities across the state.
“These newspapers have earned the trust of their communities over many decades,” added Brown.
“Our role is not to change what makes them special. Our role is to ensure they have a future.
“People want to read about their towns, their farms, their businesses, their sporting clubs and the issues affecting their communities.
“That’s what local newspapers do best.”
Brown has encouraged local businesses to contact Times News Group about restarting their advertising campaigns, with existing advertising rates to be honoured.
