La Prensa Libre AR, a Spanish-language newspaper serving Northwest Arkansas, will end its print circulation Dec. 28, with its final edition scheduled for Dec. 30. The closure follows job cuts by parent company WEHCO Media at the newspaper and the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Employees were informed of the decision Oct. 27, according to KNWA/KFTA. The publication has served the region since 1998 and has been described as the only all-Spanish print newspaper between Northwest Arkansas, Tulsa, Memphis and Kansas City.
The closure affects a publication that has operated within one of Arkansas' largest and fastest-growing regional economies. Editor Alexis “Alex” Charbonnier said the newspaper's readers include a Latino community of more than 105,000 people in Northwest Arkansas. In a statement, Charbonnier connected that population to local business activity and employment in industries including construction.
“The loss of La Prensa Libre AR is a severe blow to NWA’s Latino community, a fast-growing, youthful population of 105,000+ that ranks first in small business creation and drives key sectors, such as construction, which are essential to NWA’s growth.” — Alexis “Alex” Charbonnier, editor
Charbonnier also said the newspaper's end would remove a local Spanish-language publication that had been used as a classroom resource in Northwest Arkansas high schools. The paper's coverage included community news and helped introduce local performers and businesses to Spanish-speaking readers.
Jobs and regional business activity
WEHCO Media's layoffs affect both La Prensa Libre AR and the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The company owns the Democrat-Gazette, one of the region's established news organizations.
State Rep. Diana Gonzales Worthen of Springdale said the newspaper had served the community for more than two decades. Perla Álvarez of the local band Trio Hermanitas Álvarez said the publication had helped introduce the group to the Northwest Arkansas community.
- La Prensa Libre AR will stop circulating on Dec. 28.
- The final print edition is set for Dec. 30.
- WEHCO Media cut jobs at La Prensa Libre AR and the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
The planned closure comes as the region's Latino population participates in small-business creation and works in key sectors such as construction, according to Charbonnier. The newspaper's final edition will mark the end of more than 20 years of Spanish-language local print journalism in Northwest Arkansas.
