Mullen Newspaper Company

Founded| 2018
Founder| Jesse Mullen
Headquarters| 312 Missouri Ave,
Deer Lodge, MT 59722

Key people

| Alex Barta (CEO)
Owner| Jesse Mullen
Lloyd Mullen
Website| mullennewspapers.com

Mullen Newspaper Company is a privately owned publisher of daily, non-daily and weekly newspapers based in Deer Lodge, Montana, United States. With 20 publications, the publisher operates in six states, Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, and Washington.[1]

## History

[edit]

Jesse Mullen founded the Mullen Newspaper Company in 2018[2] with the purchase of Philipsburg Mail and Silver State Post in Montana. Both those papers were merged together two years later.[3]

In December 2020, Mullen purchased the Bitterroot Star from Michael and Victoria Howell, who founded the newspaper in 1985.[4]

In May 2021, Mullen purchased Idaho based newspaper St. Maries Gazette Record, founded in 1902 and operated by the Hammes family since 1958.[5]

In December 2021, Mullen purchased the Johnson Newspaper Group in Nebraska and Colorado The sale included the Grant Tribune-Sentinel, Imperial Republican and Holyoke Enterprise.[6][7]

In March 2022, Mullen acquired four Montana newspapers that Kavanagh family, including Cut Bank Pioneer Press, Shelby Promoter, Browning Glacier Reporter and The Valierian.[8][9]

In December 2022, Mullen acquired six Kansas newspapers from the Haynes family. The sale included Colby Free Press, Goodland Star-News, Oberlin Herald, Norton Telegram, St. Francis Herald/Bird City Times and the Rawlins County Square Deal.[10][11][12]

In May 2023, Mullen stepped down as CEO and was replaced by Alex Barta, publisher of the St. Maries Gazette Record.[13]

In January 2025, Mullen purchased the Havre Weekly Chronicle.[14]

## List of publications

[edit]

Title  | Location  | Info

|
|

Bird City Times | Bird City, Kansas  | [15]
Bitterroot Star | Stevensville, Montana  |
Colby Free Press | Colby, Kansas  |
The Country Advocate | Colby, Kansas  |
Cut Bank Pioneer Press | Cut Bank, Montana  |
St. Maries Gazette Record | Saint Maries, Idaho  |
Goodland Star News | Goodland, Kansas  |
Grant Tribune | Grant, Nebraska  |
Glacier Reporter | Browning, Montana  |
Havre Weekly Chronicle | Havre, Montana  |
Holyoke Enterprise | Holyoke, Colorado  |
Imperial Republican | Imperial, Nebraska  |
Oberlin Herald | Oberlin, Kansas  |
Philipsburg Mail | Philipsburg, Montana  |
Port Townsend Leader | Port Townsend, Washington  |
Saint Francis Herald | Saint Francis, Kansas  |
Seeley Swan Pathfinder | Seeley Lake, Montana  |
Shelby Promoter | Shelby, Montana  |
Silver State Post | Deer Lodge, Montana  |
The Valierian | Valier, Montana  |

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Mullen Newspaper Company acquires 6 Kansas newspapers". www.nna.org.
2. ^ "Mullen Family". postalmuseum.si.edu.
3. ^ Adams, Duncan (April 16, 2024). "Sharing pages for the ages: Silver State Post, Philipsburg Mail combine printing". Montana Standard. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
4. ^ "Bitterroot Star changes hands". Bitterroot Star. December 2, 2020. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
5. ^ "New owners take reins at Gazette Record". St. Maries Gazette Record. May 5, 2021. Archived from the original on June 11, 2023. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
6. ^ "Johnson Publications sells newspapers in Grant, Imperial and Holyoke". The Grant Tribune-Sentinel. December 12, 2021. Archived from the original on November 25, 2021. Retrieved June 11, 2023.
7. ^ "Mullen brothers purchase Johnson Publications Inc. ⁠— northeast Colorado and southwest Nebraska newspapers". National Newspaper Association. December 14, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
8. ^ Erickson, Kay (March 11, 2022). "A century of family ownership ends with sale of Hi-Line newspapers". Yellowstone Public Radio. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
9. ^ "Kavanagh family sells four Montana newspapers to Ponderosa Publications". Fairfield Sun Times. May 24, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
10. ^ "Couple sells six Nor'West newspapers". Kansas Press Association. December 8, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2025.
11. ^ Jackson, Destry (December 8, 2022). "Longtime NW Kan. publishers retire, sell six-paper chain". Hays Post. Retrieved May 11, 2023.
12. ^ "Northwest Kansas newspapers sold to Mullen Newspapers". Associated Press. December 7, 2022. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
13. ^ "Alex Barta takes over as CEO at Mullen Newspapers". MullenNewspapers.com. Mullen Newspaper Company. May 17, 2023. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
14. ^ "The Havre Weekly Chronicle sold". Havre Weekly Chronicle. January 23, 2025. Retrieved January 23, 2025.
15. ^ "About Mullen Newspaper Company". Mullen Newspaper Company. Retrieved May 23, 2023.

* v
* t
* e

Newspapers in Montana

Glacier Country
(Northwest)|

* Bigfork
* Bigfork Eagle
* Kalispell
* Daily Inter Lake
* Flathead Beacon
* Libby
* The Western News
* Missoula
* Missoulian
* Montana Kaimin
* Stevensville
* The Bitterroot Star

Southwest Montana
(Southwest)|

* Anaconda
* Anaconda Leader
* Boulder
* The Boulder Monitor
* Butte
* The Montana Standard
* Helena
* Independent Record
* Lincoln
* Blackfoot Valley Dispatch

Central Montana
(North Central)|

* Cascade
* Cascade Courier
* Chinook
* Blaine County Journal News-Opinion
* Great Falls
* Great Falls Tribune
* Havre
* Havre Weekly Chronicle

Yellowstone Country
(South Central)|

* Belgrade
* Belgrade News
* Big Timber
* The Big Timber Pioneer
* Bozeman
* Bozeman Daily Chronicle

Missouri River Country
(Northeast)|

* Sidney
* Sidney Herald

Southeast Montana
(Southeast)|

* Billings
* Billings Gazette
* Billings Times
* Broadus
* Powder River Examiner
* Hardin
* Big Horn County News
* Miles City
* Miles City Star
* Red Lodge
* Carbon County News

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