On August 6, 2025, News Media Corporation—the parent company of the Arizona Silver Belt and Copper Country News—shut down all operations without warning. Employees were told the company was closing permanently, effective immediately, and the doors were locked the same day.
It was a sudden and ignominious end for a newspaper that had endured more than a century of economic depressions, political upheavals, and social change while maintaining continuous publication. In its early years, the Silver Belt was guided by notable figures like Judge Aaron Hackney and his son Joseph Hamill. Over a century later, it became the first of many rural papers acquired by NMC founder John C. Tompkins, who often referred to it as his favorite and vowed never to sell it—something he kept true to throughout his lifetime.
Just before Tompkins’ passing in 2023, leadership passed to his son J.J. Three years later, under mounting financial pressure and reportedly failed attempts to find a buyer, NMC shut down all 25 of its newspapers across Arizona, Illinois, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
(See list below)
An editor of a South Dakota newspaper was quoted as saying, “It’s no secret that it is tough times out there for all print media…but make no mistake- we’re closed for now as a result of poor corporate management.”
That rings true for me, as I have never believed that print is dead if it is done right.
I was deeply saddened by the recent news, but after I got over the shock, what immediately came next was a conviction that this closure cannot mean the loss of a weekly newspaper for our community.
As your local monthly, Globe Miami Times has focused on the people, culture, and events that define our region—distinct from the role of the weekly. That will not change.
But we will expand.
Beginning in September, we plan to launch a new bi-monthly paper designed to fill the gap left by the Silver Belt. Look for the first issue to come out on September 3.
We are working with a team of professionals to help us take this step and ensure we land on our feet, so we can deliver a product worthy of your time. We will start small, but if my hunch is right, we will grow.
Because as Diane Sylvester of E&P Magazine wrote recently, “Trust, relevance and community connection may still be local journalism’s secret weapon.” And we are betting on that.
Stay tuned for more.
(Inquiries for content and advertising can be directed to me: gross@globemiamitimes.com or 928-961-4297.)
Arizona
Illinois
South Dakota
Nebraska
Wyoming
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