2 Newspapers In Twin Cities Metro Will End; Coronavirus Blamed

WOODBURY, MN — The final editions of the Hastings Star Gazette and The Bulletin of Woodbury and Cottage Grove will be published in early May. RiverTown Multimedia, which operates the two newspapers, said the crisis caused by the spread of the new coronavirus is to blame, compounding the already-declining demand for print advertising.

"The disruption to the advertising revenue of the Hastings Star Gazette and The Bulletin has resulted in these two publications no longer remaining financially viable," publisher Neal Ronquist said in a statement.

"Advertising revenue accounts for approximately 70 percent of the revenue our paid newspapers generate," Ronquist said. The company said that the COVID-19 crisis has negatively affected the businesses that pay to advertise in its newspapers.

The final edition of The Bulletin is to be published May 6. The last edition of the Star Gazette is to come out May 7.

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