Glenwood, Red Oak Newspapers Under New Ownership

It’s a new day at The Opinion-Tribune.The Opinion-Tribune and its sister newspaper, the Red Oak Express, are under new ownership. Harlan Newspapers and its parent company Blackbird LLC have purchased the longstanding southwest Iowa newspapers from Kentucky-based Paxton Media Group. The sale was finalized Sept. 1, less than three months after Paxton assumed ownership of The Opinion-Tribune and Express as part of its acquisition of the Landmark Community Newspapers group.Editor Joe Foreman and General Manager Tess Nelson said the ownership change ensures and strengthens the newspaper’s commitment to the Mills County community. Foreman said he is particularly pleased to have The Opinion-Tribune owned and managed by a company with an established footprint in western Iowa. “It’s become clear right away that members of our new ownership and management team share our passion for community journalism and our appreciation of western Iowa culture and values,” Foreman said.Nelson also believes the new ownership is a good fit for the Glenwood and Red Oak newspapers.“It is exciting to be under the ownership of an organization that shares the same beliefs and values,” said Nelson. Regional Publisher Joshua Byers said he’s already enjoyed talking ‘shop’ with staff and community members.“We’re less than a week in and it’s exciting,” he said. “I don’t take this lightly. These communities deserve a strong journalistic voice and I’m committed to making that happen.”Blackbird LLC owner J. Louie Mullen grew up in Sioux City, Iowa, and was a paperboy for the Sioux City Journal when he was a child. He’s worked in multiple capacities during his newspaper career, including reporter and publisher. His father is a longtime community newspaper publisher and two of his brothers are tied to the publishing industry.“This acquisition means small community journalism will stay alive in Glenwood and Red Oak,” Mullen said. “I’ve been lucky enough to find success in this market and wouldn’t pursue investments in our industry if I didn’t see a bright future.”In addition to the Iowa publications, Blackbird owns community newspapers in Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oregon and Washington.