Lee Enterprises, a major newspaper chain, has purchased the Great Falls Tribune, enhancing its presence across Montana, which already includes newspapers in cities like Helena, Missoula, Billings, and Butte. This strategic acquisition, announced via its Montana newspapers and an investor update, signals Lee’s ambition to broaden its journalistic reach in the region.
“We’re proud to expand the communities we serve in Montana to include Great Falls, a city with a strong identity and an important story to tell,” stated Nathan Bekke, Lee’s CEO and president. He emphasized Lee’s commitment to reflecting the local community in its journalism.
The acquisition from USA Today Co., previously Gannett, also includes three South Dakota newspapers. USA Today Co. will now own the Arizona Daily Star entirely, previously co-owned with Lee. These transactions are in strategic agreement stages.
Jim Strauss, former executive editor and publisher at the Tribune, endorsed the move as financially and editorially sound. He noted that Lee’s extensive state bureau would enhance the Great Falls Tribune’s local news coverage, benefiting its readers.
Strauss acknowledged that shared resources with other Montana newspapers under Lee could provide administrative and editorial advantages. Since 1990, the Great Falls Tribune was USA Today Co.’s sole Montana outlet.
After leaving the Tribune, Strauss managed the Missoulian, another Lee paper, until 2022. He observed that the resources available during his early tenure at the Tribune diminished over time, reflecting the broader industry tumult.
“Since then our industry has gone through a lot of tumult,” he said. “I think that as Gannett realigned, let’s be honest — the resources I had to work with are not there anymore.”
Winning a Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting in 2000, the Tribune has long been influential in Great Falls. However, its local editorial coverage has dwindled, with its historic building sold in 2022 and many archives preserved by a local philanthropist.
Despite the Tribune’s decline in local reporting, it remains active in sports coverage. Staffing plans for the Tribune under Lee’s management remain undisclosed as of Monday.
Lee Enterprises, prior to this acquisition, owned 193 media brands across 28 states, showcasing its extensive reach in the media landscape.
—
Read More Montana News
