Great Falls Just Got A New Owner For Its Newspaper

Great Falls Tribune Has A New Chance At Local News

For a long time, Great Falls hasn't really had much of a local voice when it comes to print news, as the Tribune became more focused on national news.

But now the Tribune has a new owner, and considering what's happened to the paper over the past several years, this is a pretty big deal for Great Falls.

Great Falls Tribune Has Lost Much Of Its Local News Coverage

Lee Enterprises announced on September 28 that it had acquired the Tribune from USA TODAY Co. With the purchase, Lee now owns newspapers in nearly all of Montana's major markets, including Helena, Missoula, Billings, Butte, and now Great Falls.

I know plenty of residents who have complained about the lack of local coverage, so I imagine this is going to be pretty welcome news for a lot of people.

The Tribune has had some big moments over the years, including winning a Pulitzer Prize in 2000 for a series about alcoholism and its impact on the community.

Unfortunately, the changing media landscape has also taken a toll on the paper.

Nick Northern TSM-GF//Canva

What Lee Enterprises Could Mean For Great Falls Tribune

Its longtime building near the Missouri River was sold in 2022, and according to the Montana Free Press, the Tribune currently has just one editorial staffer and rarely produces local community news outside of sports.

Which is why I think this is such big news for Great Falls.

Lee CEO Nathan Bekke says the company will listen to Great Falls residents and invest in journalism covering the city and north-central Montana. Jim Strauss, the former Tribune publisher, also said Lee's existing Montana network could immediately help the paper share resources and strengthen its local coverage.

What the future holds for the Great Falls Tribune, including whether we'll see more investment or more reporters, we still don't know. Lee hasn't released any specific staffing plans yet.

Still, I can't help but think that in the age of AI, when sometimes you don't even know who is reporting a story or where it's being reported from, having a local news source is something we should all welcome.