Quebec’s oldest weekly newspaper, the Stanstead Journal, will no longer be publishing it’s weekly Wednesday edition for readers in the Eastern Townships, after a 174-year run.
In a note on its website, the newspaper said lack of income and government support has forced it to move to a monthly edition after publishing weekly since 1845, and focus more on its Internet presence.
“The Stanstead Journal is today publishing its last weekly edition. It is no longer a viable business and no real government help is forthcoming,” the paper’s statement reads. “The publisher still believes that this community needs a paper-based news source, but a weekly one for a market this size, with no community support, is unfeasible.”
A shift in the core market of older readers to getting more of their news on phones and tablets also played a role, the statement reads.
Subscribers will continue to get a paper “about 10 times a year” with local news and features, but no more crosswords and recipes. The paper’s physical office is closed to business as of June 3, and employees will be moving out as of July. The paper is not certain if it will keep a physical presence.
Copyright Postmedia Network Inc., 2019
