WINCHESTER, Ontario – On Friday, Jan. 3 the Winchester Press published on their social media that they would not be publishing further issues and that they would be closing their doors after 131 years.
“January 1, 2020 was the last issue of the Winchester Press,” reads a statement on their Facebook page. “Due to circumstances beyond the control of the staff, the Press is officially closed. We would like to thank our loyal customers for their support over the more than 131 years this publication was printed.”
On Sunday, Jan. 5, the Winchester Press Facebook page shared an update said to be a statement from owner Beth Morris.
“It was my plan to give the staff eight weeks notice that we would be closing down in an orderly manner,” the statement reads. “That would have given time for us to find someone to take over publishing the Press. Unfortunately, rumours spread quickly, and the staff published a statement that the Winchester Press was officially closed. This inaccurate and false statement may force us into bankruptcy. That statement did not come from me, and those who posted it did not call me to confirm that it was true. In fact, what the staff was told was that we would not be printing an issue on Jan. 8.”
Morris states that over the 39 years that she and her late husband have owned the paper, that they have spent a lot of money to keep it, and their other publication the Prescott Journal running.
“I have used all of my savings, plus a full year of my pension income just to meet payroll and other expenses. There are those on staff who believe it was my responsibility to invest more money to take the business in a different direction, even though at age 81, all I have left is my pension fund,” Morris claims in the statement on social media.
Morris said that the office would stay open while she sought a new owner to keep the Press alive.
“The office is not “closed”. Staff will be working, contacting customers, collecting receivables, etc. The office will be open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings,” Morris stated. “I am working on getting a new owner for the company to continue publishing the newspaper. That takes a bit of time, and details will have to be worked out. Please be patient while we try and make this happen. I believe there is still a need for community newspapers. Years ago, with the advent of television, everyone thought that radio would disappear. It didn’t disappear, it just changed. Newspapers are an important part of any community. If I didn’t believe that, I would not have invested my life’s savings in both the Prescott Journal and the Winchester Press.”
The Prescott Journal announced, also on Jan. 3, that it would be cutting both its Jan. 8 and Jan. 15 editions.
