Hearst and a local group are competing for wine country’s newspaper

A newly formed local group is bidding to acquire The Press Democrat, the regional newspaper based in Santa Rosa, California, that serves Sonoma County and its renowned wine country. It was reported a month ago that huge, privately-held Hearst was in the process of acquiring The Press Democrat from its current owners, another local group of wealthy individuals.

Hearst did not confirm the negotiations, but a member of the current ownership group told The San Francisco Standard that he and others are “aging” and looking to find a responsible buyer.

The Press Democrat has long been considered a jewel among small city papers, winning the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news reporting for its coverage of wine country wildfires. It was acquired by The New York Times Co. in 1985 while the Times still had a regional newspaper group and owned The Boston Globe. It was sold to locals in 2012.

Gem or not, The Press Democrat is not fetching big money. Cindy Gallaher, a member of the so-far unnamed group, said in a news release Tuesday that it is offering $12 million and understands Hearst’s bid to be $8 million.

Unions are backing the new group, which has pledged to keep staffing local. Hearst would likely consolidate business functions at its nearby San Francisco Chronicle.

Hearst has been on a buying binge already this year, acquiring the Austin American-Statesman from Gannett and adding the Waterbury Republican-American to its Connecticut holdings, both in February.

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