“It’s economic reasons,” Champion said, referring further questions to a statement from the company.
“Our core business is focused on developing community news and information portals, in areas that are predominately rural and would not be served well otherwise,” Michael Bush, Civitas chief executive, said in the statement. “The suburban newspaper isn’t a fit in this business model. We have offered employment in the Civitas Media organization to the 12 employees who are being affected by this decision.”
Bush, reached by email, referred to the company’s statement.
Websites for the Kettering-Oakwood and Centerville-Washington Township papers published the company’s statement Thursday.
The company owns 14 weekly and daily newspapers in the Dayton area, according to its website. Those papers include the Beavercreek News-Current, the Fairborn Daily Herald, the Englewood Independent, the Piqua Daily Call and others. Elsewhere in Ohio, the company owns the Lima News.
The company is also closing five newspapers in the Raleigh, N.C. area. Altogether, Civitas said it publishes 35 daily, 28 weekend editions and 53 weekly publications for a combined circulation of over 1.6 million.
News and advertising about Springboro, Kettering, Oakwood, Centerville and Washington Twp. will still be provided by the Neighbors sections of the Dayton Daily News, which publishes on Thursdays.
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