From left, Paul Myers and Reggie Ellis have purchased three newspapers on Fresno County's west side: The Kerman News, Firebaugh-Mendota Journal and West Side Advance. Photo via Mineral King Publishing

Mineral King Publishing, the parent company of The Sun-Gazette and Mid Valley Times newspapers in the Central Valley, will expand its footprint on Oct. 1 with the addition of three longtime newspapers: The Kerman News, Firebaugh-Mendota Journal and West Side Advance.

The three weeklies were formerly under KerWest Inc. 

The news was announced Monday morning in a story at thesungazette.com. 

The Kerman News was established in 1905; West Side Advance, which covers San-Joaquin and Tranquility, in 1924; and  Firebaugh-Mendota Journal in 1947.

After the purchase, Mineral King Publishing will own seven local newspapers.

Merlin Kilen purchased the KerWest papers in 1961, with his children Merlyn and Mark eventually overseeing operations. 

Paul Myers, the vice president and executive editor of Mineral King Publishing, gave credit to the Kilen family for helping preserve local news despite some industry struggles throughout the years.

“If it weren’t for Merlyn and Mark these papers would have dried up and blown away like so many others in this Valley, much less the United States,” Myers said in the story . “We’re lucky to have the opportunity to purchase these publications and keep local journalism in a place that badly needs it.”

Myers and Reggie Ellis, the president and publisher, stated that the acquisitions aim to strengthen local journalism at a time when many outlets are shrinking.

“Journalism has always been the fourth pillar that kept the other three institutions honest. Whether national or local, it’s vital for democracy,” Ellis said. 

Jim Boren, executive director of the Institute for Media and Public Trust at Fresno State and former Fresno Bee executive editor, said that the acquisition is a step in the right direction for the news industry in the Central Valley.

“The acquisition of these three local publications by Mineral King Publishing is a positive development for the news ecosystem in the San Joaquin Valley,” Boren said in an email to The Business Journal. “Mineral King has a proven history of supporting community journalism, and its commitment to strengthening local news outlets reflects a deep understanding of its importance.”

The acquisition follows Mineral King Publishing’s 2023 purchase of the Mid-Valley Times, which covers Reedley, Sanger, Dinuba, Parlier and Orange Cove. Since 2023, they have expanded to covering Fowler, Selma and Kingsburg.

“Everything we make is reinvested into the company to make our coverage, customer service and products better,” Ellis said. “Expansion lets us do that. If other publishers are selling, we’re looking to buy.” 

As part of the 2023 acquisition, they purchased the former Sanger Herald press that prints more than 30 newspapers and newsprint products.

Out of the 11 adjudicated papers in Fresno County — able to publish public notice advertising — Mineral King Publishing owns seven of them. 

The expansion also underscores the importance of printed news, according to the Sun-Gazette article. While many receive their news online, Myer and Ellis “believe in investing in a medium that carries more weight than endless scrolling on a 6.7-inch screen.”

“We’ve lived with the internet in our pockets for almost 20 years now, and most people are very confused about the news,” Myers said. “Most headlines are crafted for clickbait, and if you do click on a story you can barely see the text through the ads—and then something on there is making noise you can’t turn off.”