nichi bei times is shutting down

I received word yesterday that the Nichi Bei Times, Northern California’s oldest Japanese American community newspaper, will be closing on September 30 after 63 years of business. Its last issue will be printed on September 10: Nichi Bei Times Decides to Close; Nonprofit Hopes to Continue Legacy.

This is unfortunate news. The paper, which began publishing after World War II in 1946, was considered a community institution for many Japanese Americans.

But it also doesn't come as a surprise. Like many mainstream newspapers across the country, the Nichi Bei Times succumbed to the economic realities of the industry -- a long, steady decline in circulation and advertising revenue, and the movement of readers to online sources for news.

However, this doesn't mean the end of the Nichi Bei imprint. A group of the paper's staff and community members plan to start the Nichi Bei Foundation, a charitable and educational nonprofit that will publish the paper and maintain its commitment "to keeping the community connected, informed and empowered."

There aren't a lot of specifics about what the new paper will look like, or how soon it will start publishing, but the Foundation is hoping that they can push forward with community support. More here: Leaders try to save Japanese American newspaper.