Daily Herald Media acquires weekly paper in central Illinois

Paddock Publications Inc., the employee-owned parent of the Daily Herald, added to its growing central Illinois presence Thursday with the acquisition of the Moultrie County News-Progress in Sullivan.

The weekly newspaper and a countywide shopper were purchased from Best Newspapers Inc. Siblings Robert and Kathleen Best were the second generation owners of the newspaper, which was originally purchased by their parents in 1961.

"Sullivan represents another opportunity to grow our community newspaper cluster in central Illinois with a community that is in the heart of our existing operation," said Douglas K. Ray, chairman, publisher and CEO of Paddock. "I am confident that the staff will continue its excellent community journalism and commitment to supporting local businesses through a variety of marketing programs. Combined with our other newspapers, the Daily Herald Media Group is fast becoming the most important media voice in central Illinois. I couldn't be more pleased that the Best family selected us to carry on its proud heritage."

The new acquisitions will be printed at Paddock's facility in Virden, along with all of Paddock's downstate newspapers.

All told, Paddock now operates 12 community publications in central Illinois and nine in southern Illinois.

Kathleen Best wrote this to her readers:

"As you've heard, the changes in the newspaper industry have caused many community newspapers to simply shut their doors, leaving their communities with no voice and with no watchdog to keep track of what government officials were doing. That could have been the story here. Paddock has...the scale to keep the News-Progress going. And they are a newspaper company committed to journalism, not a venture capitalist interested only in selling off assets. We hope you'll support them the same way you have supported our family all these years."