WEHCO Newspapers buys Gannett newspaper

WEHCO Newspapers Inc., the parent company of the Chattanooga Times Free Press and Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, will be buying the Pine Bluff Commercial newspaper in Arkansas from Gannett.

The paper will now continue publication as part of the Democrat Gazette, said Walter Hussman Jr., publisher of the Democrat-Gazette.

The Commercial will feature four pages, including local news, daily records, obituaries, an opinion page and sports. The pages will be included seven days a week in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette’s digital replica format.

Hussman said:

“What we’re doing here today is really unique in American newspaper publishing.

“If this works in Pine Bluff, this is going to be great for community journalism in America because it’s going to show a model and a path forward for other newspapers to be sustainable and survivable.”