Rocky Mountain News, February 27, 2009

The Rocky Mountain News published its last issue on February 27, 2009, after E.W. Scripps & Company failed to find any buyers. The Rocky had an editorial staff of 200 employees and won four Pulitzer Prizes from 2000-2006. In March, several former staffers from the paper announced they needed 50,000 subscriber pledges by April 23 in order to launch the full site of the In Denver Times, an online local newspaper (currently existing in truncated form). As of this date, they have yet to reach their goal, though the paper's managing editor commented on March 18th that the subscription drive was "going well."

Tribune Company - Dec. 8, 2008

The nation's second largest newspaper publisher, the Tribune Company filed for bankruptcy on December 8, 2008, facing high debts after borrowing $8 billion from a private investor. The Tribune Company is responsible for the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, and the Baltimore Sun, among others.

Philadelphia Newspapers (Inquirer/Daily News) - Feb. 22, 2009

Philadelphia Newspapers L.L.C., which owns The Inquirer, the Philadelphia Daily News, and Philly.com, filed for bankruptcy on February 22, 2009. The company released a statement saying the $400 million debt would not interrupt its daily operations.

Seattle P-I - Mar. 17, 2009

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer published its final print edition on March 17, 2009 and went web-only. Most of the P-I's 167 staffers were laid off because of the move; the owner, the Hearst Corporation, announced that only 20-25 journalists would retain jobs with seattlepi.com, and 10-20 additional people would be hired to work in online advertising.

Minneapolis Star Tribune - Jan. 15, 2009

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune, the nation's 15th-largest daily newspaper, filed for bankruptcy on January 15, 2009. The paper started running "print exclusives" -- stories that appeared only in the paper and not on the website -- on March 15 in an effort to protect its print franchise.

Ann Arbor News - July 2009

The Ann Arbor News recently announced that in July of this year, it would close regular operations and open a daily online edition and bi-weekly print edition. The paper serves multiple counties in Michigan, has been in print for 174 years, and currently has a staff size of about 100.

Capital Times (Madison, WI) - April 26, 2008

The Capital Times newspaper of Madison, Wisconsin printed its last daily edition on April 26, 2008 and made the move online to captimes.com. The paper continues to print 2 free weekly supplements, but the change in format cost more than 20 staffers at Capital Times their jobs -- about 40 remain in the newsroom.

Christian Science Monitor - April 2009

The Christian Science Monitor published its final daily edition on March 27, 2009. Editor John Yemma said that the award-winning newspaper would still print a weekly edition for subscribers and a printable three-page daily news digest by email but that "the main focus will be on its [recently relaunched] website, CSMonitor.com."

Sun-Times Media - March 31, 2009

The Sun-Times Media Group filed for bankruptcy on March 31, 2009. The company operates 59 newspapers around the country, including the Chicago Sun-Times.

Who's Next?

A multitude of other newspapers across America are fighting growing debt and staggering drops in circulation. So which paper will buckle next? Three top contenders: the Boston Globe, which the Times Co. is threatening to close unless they get $20 million in union concessions; the Miami Herald, which is up for sale but has no buyers in sight; and the San Francisco Chronicle -- the owners announced in March that they would either sell it or shut it down.