NEW YORK (JTA) — An Ohio Jewish newspaper was sold to a marketing and media company.
Financial troubles caused the New Standard, the larger of two Jewish newspapers in Columbus, to sell to Blue Streak Strategies for an undisclosed amount.
The first edition published under the ownership will hit the streets Jan. 22.
Daniel Newman, the founder, former editor in chief and publisher of the New Standard, started the publication in 2003 and it grew to a readership of more than 30,000. He had scaled the paper back from a biweekly to a monthly in early December.
"We started noticing a difference late in 2008," said Newman, who will serve in an advisory capacity for the new publication. The paper began to have trouble "collecting monies we were owed, as well as trying to attract advertisers to our product, despite having a distribution and demographic that they would desire."
Under Blue Streak’s ownership, the Standard plans to return to its biweekly format, develop its Web site and provide some lighter fare.
"The majority of the stories will be a little more casual, a little more fun," said Doug Smith, the director of Blue Streak.
Smith noted possible plans to "expand to other cities that don’t have publications." He also said Blue Streak was interested in "expanding, whether that be more readership or non-Jewish readership."
