Tucson Citizen to Cease Publication if No Buyer Found

Fresh from forcing an unpaid week long holiday on all non-union staff, Gannett has announced that the Tuscon Citizen is on the market and will close if no buyer is found by March 21st.

The Tucson Citizen is a daily newspaper servicing Tucson, Arizona and is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Arizona, having been founded (as the Arizona Citizen) in 1870.

President of Gannett U.S. Community Publishing Robert Dickey said in a statement to staff that:

“The Tucson Citizen has been part of Gannett since 1976, and we deeply regret having to take this step. But dramatic changes in our industry combined with the difficult economy — particularly in this region — mean it is no longer viable for our partnership with Lee Enterprises Incorporated to produce two daily newspapers in Tucson.”

The Citizen operates under a joint operating agreement with the Lee Enterprises owned Arizona Daily Star that includes print production, distribution, sales and other non-editorial functions.

The paper has a daily circulation of 17,000 copies.