Cheshire's Changing News Landscape

 

Cheshire's Changing News Landscape: Residents Search for a New Community Voice

For generations,
local newspapers served as the connective tissue of Cheshire, Connecticut. They chronicled town government, school achievements, local sports, business openings, civic debates, community milestones, and the everyday stories that helped residents understand and participate in the life of their town.

Today, that information ecosystem looks very different.

The transformation of local news in Cheshire accelerated in 2023 when the Record-Journal and its affiliated publications were sold to Hearst Connecticut Media Group (HCMG), ending more than 150 years of family ownership and prompting a broader conversation about the future of community journalism in Cheshire.

While residents today have access to more information channels than ever before—including websites, newsletters, Facebook groups, Substacks, podcasts, and digital publications—many say something important has been lost: a single, trusted source that keeps the entire community informed and connected.

From Family-Owned Newspaper to Corporate Media Network

The modern history of local journalism in Cheshire is closely tied to the Record-Journal organization, whose roots date back to 1867 when it was first published as the Weekly Visitor.

Over the decades, the company expanded to include the Record-Journal and several community publications, including The Cheshire Herald, The Cheshire Citizen, The Southington-Plainville Citizen, The Town Times, The Berlin Citizen, and The North Haven Citizen.

For generations, the company remained under family ownership. It was led by fourth-generation family member Eliot White and later by his daughter, Liz White Notarangelo, who served as publisher and executive vice president.

When Hearst Connecticut Media Group acquired RJ Media Group in 2023, company leaders described the move as a new chapter for local journalism.

In a message to readers, HCMG Group Publisher and President Mike DeLuca wrote:

"Today marks the beginning of a journey where tradition meets innovation, and we embark on a shared commitment to delivering exceptional journalism and community engagement."

White Notarangelo acknowledged the emotional significance of the sale, stating:

"Although it is with a heavy heart that we announce the sale of our 156-year-old family-owned company, we are pleased that Hearst CT Media Group will be the new owner."

The acquisition added the Record-Journal publications to Hearst's growing Connecticut portfolio, which already included the Connecticut Post, New Haven Register, Greenwich Time, Stamford Advocate, The Middletown Press, The News-Times, The Norwalk Hour, and other publications.

For many Cheshire residents, however, the sale represented more than a business transaction. It marked a turning point in the town's relationship with local news.

Remembering the "Old Herald"

When longtime residents discuss local journalism today, they often make a distinction between the current Cheshire Herald and what they call "the old Herald."

For decades, the paper served as the town's common record.

Residents learned about:

• Town Council decisions
• Board of Education meetings
• School events and student achievements
• High school sports
• Local business openings
• Community fundraisers
• Civic controversies
• Births, weddings, and obituaries
• Letters to the editor
• Volunteer organizations and service clubs

Many residents argue that the newspaper's greatest strength was its singular focus on Cheshire.

Faith Fowler Brill summarized a common sentiment by noting that what distinguished the original publication was that it contained "ALL Cheshire news" and virtually no coverage of surrounding towns. She recalled a period when nearly every household subscribed to the paper.

Former Town Council candidate Tom Bartley connected the paper's decline to a broader civic knowledge gap.

"A simple truth," Bartley wrote, "when campaigning you talk to people. You listen and learn, but I have a sad observation. Many of us simply don't know very much about what's going on in our own town."

Bartley argued that the loss of the Herald removed a mechanism that once helped bind the community together, keeping residents informed about local controversies, accomplishments, and emerging issues.

Other residents expressed the sentiment more simply.

"We miss The Herald in our house," wrote Amy Schoepfer Cody.

Karla Russo Natale echoed the same feeling, while Michele Carlan Fredericks noted that she was increasingly finding herself unaware of community events.

The Departure of Familiar Voices

The transition also coincided with the departure of several journalists who had become familiar and trusted figures within the community.

Among them was John Rook, who spent 17 years with The Cheshire Herald, including 15 years as editor.

When he announced his departure, Rook thanked residents for years of conversations, news tips, debates, and engagement, describing his role at the newspaper as a privilege and expressing appreciation for the many community members who had contributed to its success.

His departure symbolized the end of an era for many readers.

The loss of longtime sports reporter Greg Lederer generated perhaps even greater public reaction.

For two decades, Lederer covered Cheshire athletics, chronicling the achievements of student-athletes from youth sports through high school and college competition.

Community member Brian Lopez described Lederer as "our most significant voice for our youth" and praised his ability to celebrate local athletes regardless of whether they won or lost.

Many residents viewed his coverage as one of the most important community functions the newspaper provided.

The Rise of Independent Community Media

As traditional newspaper coverage contracted, Cheshire residents began creating their own alternatives.

Rather than a single dominant publication, the town now relies on a collection of specialized information sources.

Cheshire Today

Founded by Ron Gagliardi and Ron Kochman, Cheshire Today emerged as a community-focused online magazine emphasizing local events, human-interest stories, entertainment, nostalgia, and positive community experiences.

The publication intentionally avoids political advocacy and focuses on preserving a sense of local identity and community engagement.

All About Cheshire CT

Created by longtime resident Richard "Reggie" Smith, All About Cheshire CT combines local news, historical research, community features, event coverage, and multimedia storytelling.

The site functions both as a news source and as a digital archive of Cheshire history, documenting everything from municipal issues and infrastructure projects to forgotten local stories and historical landmarks.

Cheshire Sports Media

Following his departure from the Herald, Greg Lederer launched Cheshire Sports Media, allowing him to continue covering local athletics through a sponsor-supported digital platform.

The website has become the primary source for detailed coverage of Cheshire's student-athletes and sports programs.

CheshireStack

Another addition to the local media landscape is CheshireStack, a Substack publication frequently authored by Town Councilor Jim Jinks and civic contributors including Fiona Pearson and Gregory Wolff.

The publication focuses on municipal government, budget discussions, school construction projects, public policy issues, and local political analysis.

Topics have included school modernization projects, budget negotiations, wastewater treatment infrastructure, and major policy debates facing the town.

Cheshire History Initiatives

Local historian James Parys recently launched a dedicated Cheshire history platform after gaining attention for detailed historical posts covering topics such as Hillside Cemetery, the Farmington Canal, Lock 12, Revolutionary-era residents, Jinny Hill, and other lesser-known aspects of Cheshire's past.

Parys described the effort as an attempt to preserve local history in a permanent and accessible format.

Social Media: Information and Fragmentation

Facebook groups now play a significant role in the town's information ecosystem.

Platforms such as the Cheshire Community Forum, Cheshire Uncensored, Friends of Cheshire Today, sports groups, neighborhood pages, and issue-specific discussion groups have become primary sources for breaking information.

Residents often learn about:

• Road closures
• Public safety incidents
• School updates
• Lost pets
• Community events
• Business openings
• Municipal developments

However, many residents acknowledge that social media has limitations.

Information is often fragmented across multiple groups, discussions can become polarized, and important details may be incomplete or difficult to verify.

Several community members have argued that while social media can distribute information quickly, it does not fully replace the role of professional journalism.

The Town Steps Into the Information Gap

Recognizing the challenges residents face in staying informed, the Town of Cheshire expanded its own communication efforts.

In February 2026, the town launched Cheshire Town Square, an official monthly newsletter designed to provide residents with updates from municipal departments, public safety agencies, infrastructure projects, community events, and town initiatives.

Town officials describe the newsletter as an effort to improve communication between local government and residents.

While many residents welcome the additional information, others note that a municipal newsletter serves a different function than an independent news organization. Government communications can explain what government is doing, but they do not replace independent reporting or investigative journalism.

The Debate Over Rebuilding Local Journalism

Perhaps the most active discussion within Cheshire today centers on whether a new community news organization could succeed.

Ideas range from volunteer-driven projects to professionally staffed nonprofit newsrooms.

Journalist Steven Kalb, who has more than five decades of experience in the industry, proposed partnerships with regional universities such as Quinnipiac University, Southern Connecticut State University, and Central Connecticut State University. Under his model, journalism students could gain practical experience while helping provide local coverage.

Others suggested creating a journalism club at Cheshire High School or recruiting recent graduates interested in reporting.

Those ideas drew skepticism from veteran journalists.

Tracey O'Shaughnessy, a longtime reporter and editor, argued that local journalism requires professional standards, training, and editorial discipline that cannot easily be replicated through volunteer efforts. Drawing on previous newsroom experiences, she advocated utilizing retired journalists as mentors and reporters while pursuing support from nonprofit organizations such as the Knight Foundation.

O'Shaughnessy emphasized that successful local journalism requires funding, infrastructure, and experienced leadership.

Academic Eric Anderson shared similar concerns, arguing that the collapse of local journalism has serious consequences for civic life and democratic participation.

He cautioned that simply creating additional websites may worsen the problem by further fragmenting public attention.

"We need objective, broad-spectrum, professional reporting," Anderson wrote, emphasizing the importance of having a trusted source that the entire community reads and relies upon.

Local publisher Richard Smith, drawing on experiences with Cheshire Today and All About Cheshire CT, echoed concerns about sustainability, noting that volunteer-driven models often struggle to maintain long-term operations without consistent revenue and organizational support.

Ultimately, resident Doug Levens summarized the central challenge facing any future effort:

"Everyone wants it, but who will pay and how much?"

A Community Looking for Common Ground

The debate surrounding local news in Cheshire is not merely about newspapers, websites, or technology.

At its core, it is about community.

Residents consistently describe missing the shared experience that came from reading the same publication, discussing the same stories, and participating in the same civic conversations.

Today, Cheshire possesses an increasingly diverse collection of information sources. Residents can access official newsletters, independent publications, sports websites, history pages, Facebook groups, blogs, and digital magazines with unprecedented ease.

Yet many continue to search for what local newspapers once provided: a trusted, comprehensive source capable of documenting the life of the town while bringing residents together around a common understanding of the community they share.

Whether that future takes the form of a nonprofit newsroom, a membership-supported digital publication, a public-private partnership, or an entirely new model remains uncertain. What is clear is that Cheshire's residents continue to value local journalism and remain actively engaged in the ongoing conversation about how to preserve it for future generations.