The Gazette Shutters Frederick County, Mt. Airy Editions

All press is good press for newsmakers, but too many news outlets vying for the attention of one community can be problematic. An increasingly saturated news market in Frederick County and Mt. Airy, one that includes print publications, multi-format television news and websites, is behind The Gazette's decision to shutter those editions, the newspaper said in a farewell editorial published last week:

In an announcement Wednesday afternoon, the chief executive of The Gazette's parent company called the decision regrettable but necessary. Karen Acton, who took over as chief executive of Post-Newsweek Media in January, 2012, said the company will continue to publish community weeklies in Montgomery, Prince George's and Fairfax (Va.) counties where the business models are strong.

The Gazette expanded to Frederick in October 1996, the editorial said. The newspaper purchased a weekly newspaper in Mt. Airy in the early 1980s.