Walla Walla, Wash. – The Walla Walla Union‑Bulletin, a subsidiary of The Seattle Times, announced it will end its own printing operations on Sept. 15. Production will be outsourced to the Lewiston Tribune in Idaho, a shift that reflects a broader industry trend toward remote printing.
Why the change?
Charles Horton, senior director of operations and affiliates for The Seattle Times, cited recent staffing departures and rising operating costs as making the Walla Walla press unsustainable. “After careful consideration, we determined that continuing to operate the facility is no longer sustainable,” Horton said.
Impact on workers and readers
Ten full‑ and part‑time positions will be eliminated. Times CEO Alan Fisco acknowledged the difficulty of job losses, adding the company is working to mitigate the impact. Despite the closure, the Union‑Bulletin newsroom will remain at its current size, and print editions will continue on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Greg Halling, executive editor of the Yakima Herald‑Republic and senior news director for The Times’ affiliate papers, said the paper is communicating that the closure does not mean the Union‑Bulletin itself is shutting down. “We’re doing our best to make sure people understand this doesn’t mean the U‑B is closing and it doesn’t mean the print editions are going away,” Halling said.
Industry context
The move follows similar decisions by other Washington papers. The Spokesman‑Review last year outsourced printing to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, cutting 68 jobs. The Yakima Herald‑Republic, another Times subsidiary, moved its production to the Walla Walla press in 2021 and will now print in Kent.
Historically, newspapers owned their presses, but decades of closures, mergers and cost cuts have left only a handful of in‑state facilities, including those in Wenatchee, Vancouver, Mount Vernon and Seattle.
What this means for the community
Outsourcing production helps keep the Union‑Bulletin in print and provides additional customers for the Idaho facility, potentially stabilizing the paper’s financial footing. While the loss of local printing jobs is regrettable, the shift reflects the reality of a news industry increasingly consumed online.
Original reporting: Renton Reporter — read the source article.
