Oro Valley

Phoenix, AZ – The Arizona Republic’s final copies printed in Phoenix will roll off the presses Oct. 5, marking the end of major daily newspaper printing in Arizona and concluding a 135-year tradition of large-scale newspaper production within the state’s borders.

The move to Las Vegas represents the final chapter in Arizona’s major daily newspaper printing consolidation, following the Arizona Daily Star’s earlier transition from Tucson to Phoenix in 2019. With both of the state’s largest dailies now printed outside their home markets, Arizona loses its last major metropolitan newspaper printing operation, though smaller community and weekly publications may continue local printing.

Financial Pressures Drive the Decision
The printing relocation comes amid significant financial challenges for Gannett, the newspaper’s parent company. The Arizona Republic bled over 25,700 subscriptions from 2022 to 2023, with daily, Sunday, and digital-only subscriptions totaling about 184,700 last year, compared to over 210,400 in 2022.

This 12% subscription decline mirrors broader industry trends affecting Gannett properties nationwide. The company has implemented various cost-cutting measures, including facility closures and workforce reductions, as it adapts to the digital transformation of news consumption.

The Phoenix printing facility, located at 22600 N 19th Avenue, has served as the production hub for Arizona’s largest newspaper for decades. The closure represents not just an operational change, but the elimination of dozens of printing and distribution jobs in the Phoenix area.

Arizona Daily Star’s Earlier Transition
The Republic’s move follows the path taken by Tucson’s Arizona Daily Star, which ended its local printing tradition in 2019. The Daily Star, which had maintained printing operations in Tucson since 1877, transitioned its production to Phoenix facilities, making it the first major Arizona daily to move printing outside its home market.

That transition meant Arizona Daily Star copies were already being printed approximately 100 miles from the newspaper’s current editorial offices at 4061 W Costco Drive in Tucson. The Daily Star had previously operated from 4850 S. Park Ave, but sold that building for more than $2 million at auction in September 2020, relocating to its current headquarters.

Now, with the Republic’s Las Vegas move, the Daily Star will likely need to find new printing arrangements as well, potentially following the Republic to Nevada or seeking alternative regional printing facilities.

Historical Significance for Major Dailies
The Arizona Republic was founded May 19, 1890, under the name The Arizona Republican, making it one of the oldest continuous business operations in the Phoenix area. For 135 years, the newspaper maintained printing operations within Arizona, surviving the Great Depression, two world wars, and numerous economic downturns.

The end of major daily newspaper printing represents more than just a business decision – it marks the conclusion of large-scale newspaper production that once employed hundreds of workers and served as a cornerstone of Arizona’s media infrastructure. The familiar sound of high-speed printing presses running through the night, once synonymous with journalistic deadlines and next-day delivery of major dailies, will no longer be heard in Arizona.

Industry-Wide Consolidation of Major Papers
The Arizona Republic’s move reflects a broader strategy by Gannett and other newspaper chains to centralize printing operations of major dailies in fewer, more efficient facilities. This consolidation allows companies to reduce overhead costs while maintaining distribution to multiple markets from single locations.

Similar consolidations have occurred across the country as major newspaper companies struggle with declining readership, reduced advertising revenue, and the ongoing shift to digital news consumption. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated many of these trends, forcing publishers to make difficult decisions about which large-scale operations could be sustained locally.

Logistical Challenges Ahead
The transition to Las Vegas printing will require careful coordination to ensure Arizona readers continue receiving their newspapers on time. The distance between Las Vegas and major Arizona population centers – approximately 300 miles to Phoenix and 430 miles to Tucson – presents logistical challenges that didn’t exist with local printing.

Delivery schedules, weather delays, and transportation costs will all become new variables in newspaper distribution. The Arizona Republic will need to work closely with delivery services to maintain the reliability that readers expect, particularly in rural areas of the state that are already challenging to serve.

Economic Impact on Arizona’s Major Media Operations
The closure of major daily newspaper printing facilities in both Phoenix and Tucson represents a loss of blue-collar manufacturing jobs in Arizona’s media sector. Large-scale printing operations typically employed skilled pressmen, distribution workers, and support staff who have few comparable job opportunities in the changing media landscape.

The Phoenix facility represents significant real estate that will need to find new purposes. The transition reflects broader economic changes in Arizona as traditional large-scale industries give way to technology and service-based businesses.

Smaller Publications May Continue Local Printing
While the Arizona Republic’s move ends major daily newspaper printing in Arizona, the state retains smaller printing operations serving weekly newspapers, community publications, specialty papers, and regional publications. These smaller-scale operations serve local communities and niche markets that may not be economically viable for large regional printing facilities.

The distinction is important: Arizona is losing its large-scale, high-volume daily newspaper printing capacity, but local journalism and smaller publication printing will continue in various forms throughout the state.

The Future of Local News Production
While major daily printing operations leave Arizona, both the Arizona Republic and Arizona Daily Star maintain their editorial operations and local coverage. The Republic continues to serve as the state’s largest news organization, and the Daily Star remains Tucson’s primary daily newspaper.

However, the physical separation between news production and news printing symbolizes a fundamental change in how major metropolitan journalism operates. The immediate, tangible connection between reporting, editing, and printing that once defined large newspaper operations has been severed in favor of digital workflows and remote production.

Conclusion
As the final Arizona Republic copies roll off Phoenix presses on October 5, they will mark the end of an era of major daily newspaper printing that began when Arizona was still a territory. The transition to Las Vegas printing, while economically necessary for Gannett, represents a profound change in Arizona’s major media landscape.

The consolidation of large-scale newspaper printing reflects broader challenges facing major metropolitan journalism nationwide. While the content and editorial mission of Arizona’s largest newspapers continue, the loss of major daily printing operations removes one more connection between large news organizations and the communities they serve.

For readers opening their Arizona Republic or Arizona Daily Star in the coming months, the words will be the same, but they will have traveled hundreds of miles from Las Vegas printing facilities, carrying Arizona news from a distant desert to the communities that still depend on major metropolitan journalism. The era of large-scale daily newspaper printing in Arizona concludes, even as smaller local publications may continue to serve their communities through various printing arrangements.

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Current Situation: Arizona Daily Star Printing Location
KEY FACTS:

1. The Arizona Daily Star has been printed at the Arizona Republic’s Phoenix facility since May 21, 2019, after ending its Tucson printing operations and the Daily Star’s printing, packaging operations moved to Phoenix .
2. Current Arrangement: The newspapers are trucked about 140 miles south from the Republic’s printing facility in Deer Valley, on the northern edge of Phoenix .
3. Upcoming Challenge: With the Arizona Republic moving its printing to Las Vegas on October 5, 2025, the Daily Star faces the same relocation challenge.

The Big Question: What Happens After October 5?
The search results don’t provide a definitive answer about where the Arizona Daily Star will be printed after the Phoenix facility closes. However, there are likely scenarios:
Most Probable Options:

1. Follow to Las Vegas: The Daily Star will likely also move to the same Las Vegas printing facility that will handle the Arizona Republic
2. Alternative Regional Facility: Find another regional printing partner, possibly in Arizona, California, or Nevada
3. Different Gannett/Lee Enterprises Facility: Since the Daily Star is owned by Lee Enterprises (not Gannett like the Republic), they might arrange printing elsewhere

What We Don’t Know:
• Whether Lee Enterprises (Daily Star’s owner) has made a deal to use the same Las Vegas facility as Gannett’s Arizona Republic
• If they’re exploring other regional printing options
• The exact logistics and timeline for this transition

This represents a significant logistical challenge for the Arizona Daily Star, as they’ll need to arrange new printing and distribution from wherever they relocate, potentially making the delivery distance to Tucson even greater than the current 140-mile journey from Phoenix.

The Cornerstone’s current search doesn’t reveal the Daily Star’s specific plans post-October 5, suggesting this decision may still be in progress or hasn’t been publicly announced yet.