Three Connecticut daily newspapers under the same ownership announced coordinated reductions to their print schedules this week, eliminating Monday editions as they transition from six-day to five-day weekly print schedules.
The New Britain Herald, Bristol Press and The Chronicle of Willimantic will continue printing Tuesday through Saturday, with expanded Saturday editions incorporating content typically featured in Monday’s paper, including comics, puzzles and features.
The three newspapers are owned by Rhode Island Suburban Newspapers (RISN Operations Inc.), which acquired The Herald, Bristol Press and The Chronicle from Central Connecticut Communications in April 2022.
The newspapers announced the changes in identical messages posted on their website this week. The schedule reductions take effect Sept. 27 and Sept. 29.
The move reflects the newspaper owner’s strategy of standardizing its operations across Connecticut, as it adapts to economic pressures and changing reader habits.
In the announcements, Regional Publisher Jody Boucher and Executive Editor Bradford Carroll cited “the changing landscape of how news is consumed and the economic costs of printing and delivery” as driving factors.
RISN Operations is a privately owned publisher founded by Illinois-based newspaper executives in early 2007. The company purchased the three Connecticut newspapers from Michael Schroeder, who had owned The Herald and Bristol Press since January 2009, and The Chronicle since May 2017.
The Rhode Island-based company operates a network of publications in the small state, including dailies The Westerly Sun, Kent County Daily Times, The Call of Woonsocket and The Times of Pawtucket, along with several weekly publications.
Despite the print schedule changes, the three newspapers said they will continue to deliver breaking news and sports coverage through their respective websites, with five-day-per-week online editions remaining available to digital subscribers.
The New Britain Herald traces its roots to 1877, when R.J. Vance launched the New Britain Observer. The Vance family controlled the publication from 1887 to 1995, when it was sold to Journal Register Co. of New Jersey.
The Herald’s coverage area includes New Britain, Berlin, Plainville, Newington and Southington, while The Bristol Press serves Bristol and the surrounding communities, and The Chronicle covers the greater Willimantic area in eastern Connecticut.
The Herald’s print schedule reduction comes amid dramatic consolidation across Connecticut’s newspaper industry, with corporate ownership increasingly concentrated among a handful of players.
The state’s newspaper market is dominated by Hearst Connecticut Media Group, which has become its largest news organization through multiple acquisitions. Hearst owns 10 daily newspapers in Connecticut, after purchasing the Journal Inquirer in Manchester (June 2023), the Record-Journal in Meriden (November 2023) and most recently the Republican-American in Waterbury (February 2025).
Hearst Connecticut’s portfolio also includes the Connecticut Post in Bridgeport, New Haven Register, The Advocate in Stamford, News-Times in Danbury, The Hour in Norwalk, Greenwich Time and The Middletown Press, along with more than 20 weekly publications and Connecticut Magazine.
The consolidation has left the Nutmeg State with limited independent daily newspaper ownership. The Hartford Courant is owned by hedge fund Alden Global Capital through Tribune Publishing, following a controversial acquisition completed in May 2021.
Among the state’s daily newspapers, The Day in New London remains independent and locally owned by a public trust.
