• by Ray Schultz , January 20, 2025

Two Hearst newspapers in Northern Michigan have seen their print circulations rise at a time when many papers around the country are experiencing the opposite. 

One -- the Manistee News Advocate -- has enjoyed a 15% boost in subscriptions over its subscription total prior to the pandemic. 

“That… is the highest since 2017, representing the continued high-quality journalism and community involvement efforts by the News Advocate staff,” says Aaron DeKuiper, regional circulation director for Hearst Newspapers Midwest, the News Advocate reports. “More readers subscribe digitally nowadays than in print, but there is still a steady core of readers who prefer the print product, and we have every intention of continuing to provide that version as well.”

The increases are largely due to investments in infrastructure and content by Hearst, and are comparable to those seen by other Hearst community publications in Michigan and Illinois, according to the News Advocate. 

Of the News Advocate’s subscribers, 47% are print accounts and 53% digital, the paper reports. The print numbers are even better for the Benzie County Record Patriot -- 69% subscribe to the print product and 31% to the digital. 

Hearst acquired the Pioneer Group, which owned the News Advocate and Record Patriot, in 2017.