Presses stop, news goes on, in New Haven

The New Haven Register, as part of the parent company Journal Register Co.’s “Digital First” plans,  began out-sourcing its printing this week to The Hartford Courant.

Journal Register/Digital First operates media companies in 10 states. In Connecticut, along with the New Haven daily, it owns Connecticut Magazine, The Register Citizen in Torrington, The Middletown Press, and weeklies.

The Courant, founded in 1764, is not part of the conglomerate. It was for many years the oldest independent newspaper in America. Today it is owned by the Chicago-based Tribune Corp., which purchased Los Angeles-based Times Mirror in 2000, some 20 years after that chain had taken over The Courant.

The Register, the online-only New Haven Independent and Connecticut Public Radio covered the final press run in New Haven. A search of the Courant website turned up no story about the press run, but did locate a story on the planned printing takeover when it was announced in January. That item said the Courant was also negotiating to print other Journal Register titles. Stories:

• New Haven Register presses run for last time as printing moves, pressmen reflect on end of era (Register, with video, photos)
• The Last Headline Rolls Off The Presses (NH Independent)
• New Haven Register Celebrates its 200th Anniversary
  …AND CLOSES ITS PRINTING PRESSES FOR GOOD (WNPR)
• New Haven Register to Lay Off 105 as Courant Takes Over Printing (The Courant, Jan. 10)

Note: Embracing the “Digital First” philosophy, I used Twitter to check with Matt DeRienzo, group editor for Journal Register in Connecticut. He confirmed that the Courant will be printing the New Haven, Torrington and Middletown dailies, plus weeklies. “Backup in NY, plus historic gentlemen’s agreements in CT,” he added.