Growing Community Media donates publications to nonprofit news group NEWSWELL

The papers will continue their regular print schedules under new ownership focused on local journalism.

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The Growing Community Media (GCM) papers - Wednesday Journal, Austin Weekly News, Riverside-Brookfield Landmark and Forest Park Review - are now part of the nonprofit journalism group NEWSWELL's portfolio of publications. GCM will dissolve as an entity following a transition period, with the organization donating its publications to NEWSWELL. All of GCM's employees are being offered employment by NEWSWELL, including Executive Director Max Reinsdorf and longtime Editor Dan Haley.

Why it matters

This deal represents a path to financial sustainability for the long-struggling GCM papers, which had been facing ongoing financial issues. NEWSWELL, a nonprofit affiliated with Arizona State University, provides centralized support to bolster local publications in areas like legal support, business strategy, audience development, and more, allowing the papers to focus on reporting and editing.

The details

The GCM papers are NEWSWELL's first titles outside of California and the only regular weekly print publications in the group's portfolio. No immediate changes for the papers are anticipated, and their newsgathering and editorial processes will remain unchanged, except for some additional support on investigative projects that NEWSWELL will provide.

  • GCM terminated its lease for the Oak Park office space in the summer of 2025.
  • NEWSWELL was founded in 2024.

The players

Growing Community Media

The organization that previously owned and operated the Wednesday Journal, Austin Weekly News, Riverside-Brookfield Landmark and Forest Park Review newspapers.

NEWSWELL

A nonprofit journalism group affiliated with Arizona State University that provides centralized support to bolster local publications.

Max Reinsdorf

The Executive Director of Growing Community Media, who will be offered employment by NEWSWELL.

Dan Haley

The longtime Editor of the Growing Community Media papers, who will also be offered employment by NEWSWELL.

Nicole Carroll

The Executive Director of NEWSWELL and a professor of practice at Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Our struggles showed that we didn't necessarily have a guaranteed path to continued news coverage for the decades to come, and that was a realization that the GCM board had over the summer.”

— Max Reinsdorf, Executive Director, Growing Community Media (forestparkreview.com)

“Donating these assets to NEWSWELL allows us to get the expertise and the resources that GCM had been seeking that had been out of reach for us. From a financial perspective, there's revenue upside and there's also savings to be had by NEWSWELL taking over the backend functions.”

— Max Reinsdorf, Executive Director, Growing Community Media (forestparkreview.com)

“I'm really impressed with the four news titles, all of them make a difference in their communities, all of them are the source of truth for their communities, they're all respected. That's really important for NEWSWELL; when we partner with someone … it's important that they do solid journalism, that they're of their communities and that they're respected by those communities. The four titles check all those boxes.”

— Nicole Carroll, Executive Director, NEWSWELL (forestparkreview.com)

“The goal we have had since the very start was to create intensely local, authentic, independent journalism. This step is a big step, but it's in my mind an extension of everything we've done up until now. This is another variation on the goal of creating an independent viable local news model, and I'm really excited about what this offers us.”

— Dan Haley, Founder, Wednesday Journal (forestparkreview.com)

What’s next

The transition of the GCM papers to NEWSWELL ownership is expected to be completed in the coming months, with no immediate changes anticipated for the publications' print schedules or editorial operations.

The takeaway

This deal represents a significant step forward in ensuring the long-term financial sustainability of these respected community newspapers, which have struggled with ongoing funding challenges. The partnership with NEWSWELL provides the resources and expertise needed to support the papers' mission of providing high-quality, locally-focused journalism to their communities.