CherryRoad_Media

CherryRoad Media

CherryRoad Media

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CherryRoad Media is an American newspaper publisher based in New Jersey. It is the communications division of CherryRoad Technologies and was founded in 2020 by its CEO Jeremy Gulban. The company specializes in weekly publications in rural communities.

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History

Origins

In 1983, Michael Gulban started a technology company in New Jersey called DataStudy Inc. The business' name was changed 20 years later to CherryRoad Technologies,[1] which came from the firm’s original address.[2] The company's roots were in complex software implementation and financial reporting systems, often for local government agencies. Over time it became an internet service provider offering cloud platforms and programs for hosting multiple websites.[2]

Michael Gulban's son Jeremy Gulban, a graduate of Drew University where he majored in economics and minored in political science,[2] took over operations in 2008[1] after working 10 years in Chicago.[3] After the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States in 2020, CherryRoad created software applications for virtual meetings and remote learning and offered them for free to school districts and local governments, but none were interested.[3] So Jeremy Gulban said the company turned its attention toward using the technology to improve community newspapers.[3]

In November 2020, Jeremy Gulban founded CherryRoad Media with the purchase of the Cook County News-Herald, a weekly newspaper in Minnesota.[1] The previous owners Hal and Deidre Kettunen had owned the newspaper since 2008.[4]

2021

In February, CherryRoad purchased five former properties of Rust Communications in Missouri: Carroll County News in Berryville, the Lovely County Citizen in Eureka Springs, the Salem News, the Villager Journal of Cherokee Village and the Clay County Times-Democrat of Piggott/Rector.[3]

In June, CherryRoad purchased four weekly newspapers in Arkansas: The Mountaineer Echo of Flippin, the Marshall Mountain Wave, the Clay County Courier in Corning and the Pocahontas Star Herald.[3]

CherryRoad tried to buy the International Falls Journal from Alden Global Capital, but the company chose to close the paper instead[2] in June.[5] Alden had owned the paper since 2020 as part of its acquisition of Minnesota-based Red Wing Publishing Co.[5] In response to the closure, CherryRoad launched the Rainy Lake Gazette about three weeks later[2] in July.[1]

In September, CherryRoad purchased 20 publications from Gannett. The sale included 13 Kanas papers: the Hays Daily News, the Garden City Telegram, the Leavenworth Times, the St. John News, the Kiowa County Signal, the Dodge City Daily Globe, the McPherson Sentinel, the Butler County Times-Gazette, the Wellington Daily News, the Ottawa Times, the Newton Kansan, the Pratt Tribune and the Penny Press in Hiawatha.[6]

The Gannet sale also included two newspapers in Nebraska: Nebraska City News Press and Syracuse Journal-Democrat; four Missouri papers: Independence Examiner, Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune, Boonville Daily News, Linn County Leader; and the Hamburg Reporter in Iowa.[7] The purchase of the newspapers went into effect Oct. 1.[6]

In December, CherryRoad purchased four Colorado newspapers from Gannet: La Junta Tribune-Democrat, the Fowler Tribune, Bent County Democrat and Ag Journal.[8] That same month the CherryRoad Media announced its acquisition of seven rural Minnesota newspapers from Gannett:[9] the Crookston Times, Granite Falls Advocate Tribune, Montevideo American-News, Redwood Falls Gazette, St. James Plaindealer, Sleepy Eye Herald-Dispatch and Tri-County News in Cottonwood.[1]

At some point in 2021, CherryRoad acquired the The Clayton Record in Alabama.[1]

2022

In January, CherryRoad founded its second start up newspaper, the Lake County Press, in Lake County, Minnesota.[1] In February, CherryRoad purchased several Gannett-owned newspapers in Texas and Oklahoma.[10]

In September, CherryRoad purchased four weekly papers in Massachusetts purchased from Gannett. The sale included The Landmark in Holden, the Leominster Champion, the Millbury-Sutton Chronicle and The Grafton News. The acquisition averted the planned Sept. 15 closure of The Landmark.[11]

That same month CherryRoad acquired three weekly Utah newspapers from Brehm Communications Inc., including The Richfield Reaper, The Vernal Express and the Uintah Basin Standard.[12]

In November, CherryRoad purchased The Star-News in Idaho from Central Idaho Publishing.[13] That same month CherryRoad purchased The Clinton Item, another Massachusetts paper, from Gannett.[14]

2023

In August, CherryRoad purchased several Kansas newspapers from the family owned The News-Press Gazette & Company, including the Miami County Republic, the Atchison Globe and the Hiawatha World. The sale also included two papers based in Liberty, Missouri: the Courier-Tribune and the Gladstone Dispatch.[15]

Also in August, CherryRoad acquired the Hutchinson, Kansas, printing operations from Gannett. At the time, the facility printed most of CherryRoad's Kansas publications as well as numerous other newspapers in the area.[16] That same month, CherryRoad acquired eight community newspapers and Eagle Print from Delphos Herald, Inc. The sale included Ohio papers the Delphos Herald, Van Wert Times Bulletin, the Putnam County Sentinel, the Paulding Progress, the Ada Herald, the Putnam County Vidette, Monroe County Beacon and The Register in Lawrenceburg, Indiana.[17]

On Sept. 7, the Villager Journal of Cherokee Village and the Salem News, which CherryRoad purchased in February 2021, were merged together into a single publication called Areawide News.[18]

2024

In January, CherryRoad purchased Page 1 Printers, a commercial printer based in Slayton, Minnesota, from Graphic Arts Advisors, LLC.[19]

Publications

As of July 2023, CherryRoad Media owns 75 newspapers across 17 states.[20]

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References

  1. [1]
    Choiniere, Alyssa (2022-08-02). "CherryRoad Media expands through rapid growth spurt". Editor & Publisher. Archived from the original on August 2, 2022. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  2. [2]
    Borzi, Pat (2022-02-04). "Why a New Jersey technology firm bought a bunch of newspapers in Greater Minnesota. And what it wants to do with them". MinnPost. Archived from the original on February 4, 2022. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  3. [3]
    Massey, Kyle (May 23, 2022). "NJ Buyer Dives Into Weeklies, Finds Arkansas Star". Arkansas Business. Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  4. [4]
    Larsen, Brian (December 4, 2020). "Cook County News-Herald has been sold". Boreal Community Media. Archived from the original on May 16, 2021. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  5. [5]
    Gilyard, Burl (2021-06-25). "Minnesota loses another newspaper as International Falls Journal ceases publication". MinnPost. Archived from the original on June 25, 2021. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  6. [6]
    Stultz, Mark Roundtree and Jennifer. "Several Kansas Gannett papers are being purchased by CherryRoad Media". The Topeka Capital-Journal. Archived from the original on September 23, 2021. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  7. [7]
    "CherryRoad Media Acquires 20 Newspapers in Four States". CherryRoad Technologies. 2021-09-24. Archived from the original on October 11, 2021. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  8. [8]
    "CherryRoad Media acquires four Colorado newspapers". Editor & Publisher. 2021-12-06. Archived from the original on December 8, 2021. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  9. [9]
    "Media company to buy area newspapers as of Jan. 1". The Journal . December 10, 2021. Archived from the original on December 19, 2023. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  10. [10]
    Denwalt, Dale (January 24, 2022). "CherryRoad Media to buy Gannett newspapers in Texas, Oklahoma". The Oklahoman. Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  11. [11]
    Cleary, Tara (2022-09-14). "CherryRoad Media buying four MA newspapers Gannett planned to close". New England Newspaper & Press Association. Archived from the original on September 15, 2022. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  12. [12]
    "CherryRoad Media acquiring three Utah newspapers". Editor & Publisher. 2022-09-23. Archived from the original on October 6, 2022. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  13. [13]
    Robertson, Autum (2022-11-03). "Star-News in McCall sold to New Jersey-based media company". BoiseDev. Archived from the original on November 3, 2022. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  14. [14]
    Dore, David (October 25, 2022). "CherryRoad Media acquires The Item from Gannett; deal to close Nov. 1". Telegram & Gazette. Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  15. [15]
    Carder, Doug (2023-08-02). "CherryRoad Media acquires The Miami County Republic". The Miami County Republic. Archived from the original on August 2, 2023. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  16. [16]
    "CherryRoad Media Acquires Hutchinson Kansas Printing Operations from Gannett". KXAN-TV. Aug 29, 2023. Archived from the original on September 4, 2023. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  17. [17]
    "CherryRoad Media acquires 8 newspapers, including Times Bulletin". Times Bulletin. 2023-08-29. Archived from the original on September 2, 2023. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
  18. [18]
    Marshall, Vincent (September 5, 2023). "Changes coming to The News, Villager newspapers". Salem News. Archived from the original on December 17, 2023. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  19. [19]
    "Graphic Arts Advisors finds strategically aligned buyer and announces the sale of Page 1 Printers to CherryRoad". Editor & Publisher. 2024-01-24. Archived from the original on January 25, 2024. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  20. [20]
    "CherryRoad Media Owns and Operates These Newspapers". CherryRoad Media. Retrieved 2023-09-04.
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