• by Ray Schultz , July 9, 2025

Gannett is closing another print facility — the Columbia plant that printed the Columbia (Missouri) Daily Tribune and other publications — as it consolidates its operations.

Printing of the Tribune, the Springfield News-Leader and USA Today will move to Gannett’s print operation in Des Moines Iowa. The last issue to be printed in Columbia will be on Sunday Sept. 7, for the next day’s edition.

The Tribune reports that news deadlines and some advertising deadlines will change, but these changes have not yet been specified. 

No headcount numbers were released but the closure is expected to impact all production employees involved with printing and packaging, the Tribune reports.

Such closures are now a trend at Gannett and other publishing companies. 

Gannett announced earlier this year that it would close its Sterling Heights, Michigan plant that prints the Detroit Free Press and other publications in August. Outside estimates stated that 109 jobs would be lost. 

In addition, Gannett reported late last year that it would close the facility that printed The Providence Journal, and will move the paper’s printing to New Jersey -- resulting in the loss of 136 jobs, both full- and part-time, the Journal reported.

And, Gannett said it would close the Cherry Hill, New Jersey facility that served the Courier-Post and several other newspapers in southern New Jersey, effective in June. An estimated 140 jobs would be cut. 

This is occurring as Gannett reduces its print operations, cutting frequency and moving to delivery by the U.S. Postal Service. 

Last fall, Lee Enterprises announced it was moving printing of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch to Columbia, Missouri, to a facility owned by Gannett,

Meanwhile, Gannett argues that the Columbia closure will not harm the paper’s quality. 

“Where our newspaper is printed does not impact our ability to deliver outstanding journalism,” says a Gannett spokesperson. “The Columbia Daily Tribunewill continue to provide readers with quality, local content that matters most to them, and to connect our valued advertising partners with the customers they want to reach.”