News-media roundup: Standout Iowa weekly sold to small chain; Gannett says it laid off 400 and cut 400 open slots ...

Louie Mullen

One of America's standout weekly newspapers, The North Scott Press of Eldridge, Iowa, near Davenport, is being sold. Bill and Linda Tubbs announced this week that they have sold it and its two sister papers, the Wilton-Durant Advocate News and the West Liberty Index, to J. Louis "Louie" Mullen of Buffalo, Wyo., who owns more than 30 weeklies in Wyoming, Washington, Oregon, the Dakotas, Michigan and in southwest Iowa: the Harlan Tribune, the Red Oak Express and the Glenwood Opinion-Tribune.

Linda and Bill Tubbs

Bill Tubbs, who has been at the Press for 51 years, says he will continue to write for it. He said in his latest column, "We strived to find a succession plan that would be true to our values amidst a changing newspaper publishing environment: strong, independent newspapers staffed by individuals who advocate for the publishers, put the reader first, and want their communities to succeed. When looking for a buyer, this was more important to us than price." Mullen said, "The Tubbses have made it their life’s work to assure your community has a trusted voice in the newspaper, and I intend to honor that tradition."

One early testimony to the paper's impact was a comment by judges who gave it the Iowa State Education Association's 1977 education-coverage award: "North Scott is the only place in Iowa

where a community was formed by a newspaper." Tubbs explained to The Rural Blog: "Our 210-square-mile school district encompasses nine towns. Before the district was formed in 1958, kids went to high schools in six different neighboring cities. There was no local newspaper until 1968. Our focus from the start was creating unity, giving each town equal importance and telling stories in a way that created a whole which was rallied around the school district, now recognized among the best in the state."

UPDATE, Sept. 2: Mullen has also purchased the Gladwin County Record & Beaverton Clarion in Gladwin, Mich., from Adams Publishing Group.

In other news-media news:

After weeks of silence, Gannett Co. revealed that it laid off 400 employees and cut 400 open positions; the total was 3 percent of its workforce, The Poynter Institute reports.

Republicans have long feuded with mainstream news media; now some are shutting them out of events or putting conditions on admission, NPR reports.

A study shows people can be “inoculated” against misinformation, by giving them early warnings about the lies they’re likely to encounter: 

The Journalist’s Resource at Harvard University has tips for covering student-loan forgiveness. 

A study found that many journalists’ mental health is suffering from stresses of the past few years.