ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The Ann Arbor News will print its last edition in July and replace it with an online product.
In a letter published Monday, Publisher Laurel Champion said the 174-year-old daily newspaper is starting a new online media company called AnnArbor.com LLC and will share local news and information with the community.
The newspaper is owned by the Newhouse family’s Advance Publications. Three other Advance newspapers in Michigan also announced Monday that they will reduce their printed editions to three days a week.
The developments came a week after Hearst Corp. ceased printing its Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper, turning it into an online-only operation.
Champion told staff in a morning meeting that the decision to stop printing the Ann Arbor newspaper was incredibly difficult, but “by no means the end of local journalism in Ann Arbor.” She cited steep losses for 2008 and said the News has been struggling as a daily newspaper.
Champion said current News employees can apply for positions with the new company, but job losses will be unavoidable.
Meanwhile, The Flint Journal, The Saginaw News and The Bay City Times will publish print editions only on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, starting June 1. They currently print seven days a week.
The newspapers said their Web site, mlive.com, will continue to carry breaking news, photos, video and other content.