MASCOUTAH, Ill. – The Hoskins family, owners of Better Newspapers, Inc. has sold 15 newspapers in Illinois and Missouri to Paxton Media Group, according to John Cribb, Cribb & Associates who represented the Hoskins family in the transaction. Terms were not disclosed.
Illinois newspapers included in the sale are: The Morning Sentinel, Centralia; Union Banner, Carlyle; Washington County News, Nashville; Greenville Advocate, Greenville; Salem Times Commoner, Salem; The Breeze Courier, Taylorville; The Daily Record, Robinson; and Daily News, Robinson.
Missouri newspapers included in the sale are: The Daily Journal, Park Hills; The Democrat News, Fredericktown; The Farmington Press, Farmington; Wayne County Journal Banner, Piedmont; Reynolds County Courier; The Mountain Echo, Ironton; and The Ste. Genevieve Herald, Ste. Genevieve.
Better Newspapers, Inc was founded in 1991 by Greg Hoskins. BNI grew to over 40 publications and radio stations in Illinois and Missouri. Following his death in 2024, Scott Hoskins took over as president. BNI still operates and publishes several publications and radio stations in Illinois and Missouri.
“I would like to thank our employees, our readers and the communities we serve for their long standing support of us,” Hoskins said. “It is time for our family to move on, and we believe we found the best steward for our family legacy in Jamie Paxton and Paxton Media Group.”
“We are very excited to add these newspapers into the PMG portfolio,” said Jamie Paxton, PMG president and CEO. “PMG believes strongly in the value of local newspapers and the vital role they play in the communities that they serve. We appreciate the Hoskins family choosing us to be the new stewards of these important community assets.”
The Hoskins family and Better Newspapers, Inc. were represented by John Cribb of Cribb & Associates. C&A is a leading merger and acquisition firm headquartered in Montana.
