• by Ray Schultz , August 23, 2025

The devastating closure of News Media Corp. on August 6 has been further mitigated by the purchase of four newspapers in Northern Illinois. 

Shaw Media is acquiring Rochelle News-Leader, The Mendota Reporter, Ogle County Life and The Amboy News, Shaw Local reports. 

The company is interviewing discharged News Media Corp. employees and plans to rehire several. 

Previously, eight Wyoming papers were bought by Robb and Jen Hicks and Rob Mortimore. And Champion Media is acquiring four South Dakota papers that had been abruptly shuttered.

“The sudden closure of well-established newspapers in Ogle, Lee, and La Salle counties came as a surprise,” Rung said. “These communities deserve credible local reporting. Because the communities are within the existing footprint of Shaw Media, we see it as a good fit for our company."

Shawlocal.com will provide 24/7 coverage of the communities. 

Rochelle News-Leader is now printed twice a week, and The Mendota Reporter and Ogle County Life are printed weekly.

“I am sorry to say that, as of August 6, 2025, your employment with NMC and/or its affiliated companies will end permanently,” J.J. Thompson, CEO and president of the Illinois-based company, says in a letter announcing the closure to staffers.

“This decision was not made lightly,” Thompson writes. “Over the past months and years, we have explored every possible avenue to sustain our operations and preserve our team.”

Shaw owns print and digital publications in Illinois and Iowa, and radio stations in Illinois, Shaw Local reports. 

News Media Corp. ran 34 publications, including shoppers.