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BOUNTIFUL — For more than a century, Davis County has delivered a weekly community newspaper to its residents as a long-time bastion of hyperlocal journalism.
But 2020 will be the final ride for the local weekly.
After just over 129 years of business, the Davis Clipper will print its final installment.
Clipper publisher R. Gail Stahle announced to staff members last week the Davis Clipper will cease publication after its Dec. 4 issue and made the announcement public Monday afternoon.
"My family has loved publishing the Clipper since 1891," Stahle said in a news release. "Each generation has cherished the opportunity and understood the value of a community newspaper. But as with almost all newspapers, advertising revenues and subscriptions have been continuously falling over the past decade, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exasperated the challenge. The operating model for the Clipper is just no longer viable."
Stahle's grandfather, John Stahle Sr., partnered with local businessman Lamoni Call to launch the "Little Clipper" in 1891, a publication that changed to the "Davis County Clipper" in 1892.
The weekly paper continued in the family for generations, passing to John Stahle Jr. in 1954 before Gail Stahle took over in 1989.
The paper won its share of awards, mostly from the Utah Press Association and the local chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, which presented Stahle with the chapter's Lifetime Achievement Award last spring.
But mostly, it's helped unite communities in Davis County, with hyperlocal city council and school board news to crime briefs to high school sports at Bountiful, Clearfield, Davis, Farmington, Layton, Woods Cross, Viewmont and beyond.
The newspaper's website, davisclipper.com, will also be shut down.
"I grew up in Bountiful, grew up basically at the Clipper, and it is heartbreaking to have to cease publication," Gail Stahle said. "I know the importance of getting community news out to residents, and I'm very thankful for the large number of editors, writers, typesetters, production people and printers who've served as part of our Clipper family for multiple generations. I wish them all well as they pursue their future careers."
The news comes as newspapers in Utah are facing increased financial pressure and making dramatic changes to operations. The Deseret News and Salt Lake Tribune announced last month that the two largest newspapers in the state will not renew their Joint Operating Agreement beyond this year, which led to both papers shifting print publication to a weekly publication while bolstering their online products. The Deseret News will also launch a monthly newsmagazine, Deseret.
