The Star-Ledger will stop publishing print newspapers and close its Montville manufacturing facility in February 2025. The decision was made by the Star-Ledger’s owner, Newark Morning Ledger Co., due to rising costs, declining circulation and declining print demand. Received by. .

Advance Local, which also owns NJ Advance Media, and NJ.comThe Times of Trenton and the South Jersey Times, as well as the weekly Hunterdon County Democrat, announced that they are ending print publication. online newspapers for Star Notebook,Trenton Times And South Jersey Times It will continue to be produced seven days a week for subscribers. The online newspaper offers subscribers more than 10 exclusive daily pages of additional local and national content not available in the current print newspaper.

The final print editions of the Star-Ledger, Times of Trenton and South Jersey Times will be published on February 2, 2025. The final weekly print edition of the Hunterdon County Democrat will be published on January 30, 2025, and subscribers will have access to the Star-Ledger online newspaper.

“Today’s announcement represents the next step towards the digital future of journalism in New Jersey,” said Steve Alessi, President of NJ Advance Media. “It is important to emphasize that this is a forward-looking decision that allows us to invest more deeply than ever before in our journalism and serving our communities.”

Alessi said discontinuing print will allow NJ Advance Media to reallocate resources to strengthen its main newsroom. He said there are more reporters in the newsroom than a year ago and that the organization plans to continue growing in 2025 as it looks to bolster reporting in previously under-covered areas of the state.

NJ Advance Media’s journalists will continue to produce content on the following sites:NJ.comAlso in online newspapers Star Notebook,Trenton Times And South Jersey Times.

While assessing the status of the company’s newsroom, Alessi pointed out that there was an outstanding performance in journalism last year and that it was recognized by prestigious national organizations, including the USA. Punch Sulzberger Innovator of the Year award for journalist Adam Clark from the Poynter Journalism Awards and two Sigma Delta Chi awards For feature story by Spencer Kent “Stranger in the Mirror” and a portfolio of sports writing by Steve Politi.

He also noted investigative and watchdog journalism efforts, such as the ongoing reporting of Matthew Stanmyre. Financial mismanagement of New Jersey charter schoolsThe situation led to multiple school administrators being fired, others with their salaries cut, and state lawmakers vowing to hold hearings on the issue.

Additionally, Alessi talked about the company’s numerous innovation efforts, including true crime podcasts “In the Shadow of Princeton” And “My Father Wants Us to Die” By Webby Award-winning podcaster Rebecca Everett; a suite recently launched newsletters focused on politics, food and culture; And Mosaic website They are dedicated to diverse communities in New Jersey as examples of the newsroom’s efforts to reach beyond its traditional audience and welcome new users into the fold.

Alessi said: “As an organisation, we have strongly embraced the digital world and its full potential to reach new audiences and provide value, reaching audiences through podcasts, TikTok and Instagram, and even WhatsApp message groups. “We will continue to invest in the digital future and advanced technologies that can enrich the quality of our journalism and deliver more timely and more frequent news to our users.”

In August, the most recent month for which data is available, NJ.com was the nation’s No. 1 local news site, according to media measurement and analysis company Comscore. That month, the site reached 15.2 million unique visitors, placing it ahead of national news brands like Wired, The Atlantic and Slate in the Comscore rankings.

“This is a healthy, solid and dedicated newsroom that is perfectly positioned to sustain itself and grow in a challenging industry,” Alessi said.

The Hudson County-based Jersey Journal also announced it would cease publication, as the Montville factory with which it contracted to print the newspaper was closed and it was facing its own financial difficulties. The final edition will be published on February 1, 2025. The Jersey Journal is owned by the Evening Journal Association.

Star-Ledger leaders acknowledged the changes would have a significant impact on the company’s current employees and loyal readers of the company’s print products.

But they said the shift in reader habits from print to digital was in line with national trends in consumer and behavior. So far in 2024, Star-Ledger print circulation is down 21% compared to last year.

The production and distribution costs of newspapers have increased rapidly in recent years. At the same time, record numbers of users are now accessing news and information digitally from numerous platforms, including websites, online newspapers and newsletters.

“This decision was not made lightly, but the reality is that the print news model is unsustainable,” said Wes Turner, an executive at The Star-Ledger.

Turner said the company will offer generous severance and transition assistance packages to affected employees.

Alessi emphasized that the demise of NJ Advance Media’s print newspapers and the decisions by The Star-Ledger and Jersey Journal to cease print publications do not mean that readers and subscribers in New Jersey will be abandoned; He said the exact opposite.

“On any given day, you can visit NJ.com or access our online newspaper and discover dynamic, eye-opening work,” Alessi said. “Whether…or ‘Project Extreme’ a series that exposes the disturbing political excesses raging across the state, or our award-winning investigation 2023 deadly Newark Harbor fire and how to prevent it—or the generosity of our delightful, deeply informed service journalism that celebrates New Jersey’s success. best pizza or simit.

“Our journalists are on the ground, in our communities, turning corners and shining a light on important issues,” he said. “We think the future of journalism and our newsroom in New Jersey is very healthy.”