The Cortland Standard, a family-owned business founded in 1867, announced its closing after filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection on Thursday, March 13. Due to the expected 25% tariff on newsprints, the decrease in readers, and the skyrocketing costs, The Cortland Standard had to stop operations.
An article posted on the Cortland Standards’ website confirmed that 17 employees who had been part of the publication lost their jobs. Staff members were informed of the closure on Wednesday, March 12, just one day before the final edition was distributed.
One of the employees, Paul Cifonelli, a sports editor for the Cortland Standard, said he and others were surprised at being let go so abruptly.
The Cortland Standard was the second-oldest family-owned newspaper in New York and one of the five oldest family-owned newspapers in America. Many longstanding readers are devastated by the loss of their reliable news source, the closing represents the end for local journalism in the area.
“I hoped this day would never come,” said Evan C. Geibel, editor and publisher of the Cortland Standard. “I’m so very grateful to my colleagues and the community for what they’ve done for me, my family, and each other.”
As part of the bankruptcy proceedings, all business and legal decisions regarding the Cortland Standard will be managed by a court-appointed trustee.
For more than a century, the Cortland Standard had been a vital part of the Cortland community, covering local events, politics, and stories that mattered most to residents. This is part of a wider trend in the business, as local newspapers are struggling with changing media consumption patterns and economic challenges.
The community now faces the challenge of finding new ways to stay informed and connected, as the paper’s departure will not be easily filled.
For more information on the closure and to access final publications, visit the Cortland Standard’s website.