Martinez News-Gazette prints final newspaper after 161 years

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Sunday, December 29, 2019
Martinez News-Gazette prints its final issue after 161 years
The Martinez News-Gazette newspaper prints its final issue after 161 years.

MARTINEZ, Calif. (KGO) -- Some may be picking up your Sunday morning edition of the paper for the final time.

The Martinez News-Gazette is one of the longest-running papers in our state, but on Sunday, it's stopping the presses after 161 years.

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"It's a good day, but a sad day because the paper is going to be missed I'm sure."

A group of current and former employees got together back on Friday to say goodbye to what is a Martinez institution.

James Buchanan was president back in 1858 when the paper first started.

Its current editor says it's a "true neighborhood newspaper."

"We don't rely on wire services and we don't cover Sacramento or even San Francisco area stuff," Editor Rick Jones said. "We focus just on things within our community."

Staff says the owner hasn't given a specific reason for the closure, but it's no secret that small-town newspapers are losing money competing with online news and their big-city cousins.