100-year-old weekly newspaper in the mountains of Virginia begs for a buyer; tomorrow's edition might be its last

Front-page notice in the July 28 edition (Photo by Patty Lucas)

The weekly Virginia Mountaineer has served rural Buchanan County for a century, but tomorrow's edition might be its last if a buyer can't be found. It's still going full speed for now, providing vital updates via Facebook for readers after the recent flooding that devastated the region.

The paper would be missed if it stopped running, locals in the county seat of Grundy told Greg Jordan of the Bluefield Daily Telegraph. "It’s the best weekly newspaper consistently published in this area that I’ve ever seen," Buchanan County Public Library director Brian Shortridge told Jordan. "It shocked me when I picked up the paper today and saw that. They have such a rich history. My whole week is based around the Wednesday paper, and it’s been that way almost my entire life."

Buchanan County, Virginia
(Wikipedia map)

Publisher Sam Bartley cited familiar reasons for considering the move: declining population, not enough local and regional advertisers, and competition from digital news media, Jordan reports. The latest edition is essentially a cry for help, asking any interested parties to call about buying the paper. "I’m just hoping for the best for the paper," Bartley said.

The announcement is an opportunity for locals who might be able to save the paper through volunteer work and nonprofit funding, said Al Cross, director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky, which publishes The Rural Blog. Buyers might expand the paper's digital footprint, which is limited to its Facebook page and a stub website.