Voices Newspaper Ends Print Publication

The 11-community Connecticut weekly published its final edition on Nov. 4, while its website stays online.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Media

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Voices, a community newspaper published by Prime Publishers in Southbury since 1968, has stopped publishing after its Nov. 4 edition. The paper covered 11 communities, including Oxford and Seymour, and its website will remain online for the foreseeable future.

Why it matters

The closure extends a regional decline in local print media, as the lower Naugatuck Valley has lost several non-daily publications since 2009. For residents of Connecticut's Naugatuck Valley communities, it removes a long-running source of local news.

About 20 years ago Voices had a Wednesday circulation of about 28,000 copies and a Sunday readership of about 22,500, while industry-wide advertising revenue fell 80 percent between 2006 and 2022. The current circulation and financial figures behind the closure were not disclosed.

The players

Prime Publishers

Prime Publishers is the Southbury-based company that published Voices.

The Republican-American

The Republican-American is a Waterbury newspaper that Voices sued in 2001.

The details

Voices was distributed as a free weekly community newspaper by mail, and rising printing, trucking, postage and other operating costs combined with steadily declining advertising revenue. Public contributions such as press releases, community announcements, photos and sports stories can still be sent to the website, but reporter news coverage has been suspended.

1968: Voices begins publishing.
2001: Voices files a lawsuit against The Republican-American of Waterbury.
2009: The lower Naugatuck Valley begins losing non-daily publications.
2026-11-04
Voices publishes its final edition.

Industry Context

Industry advertising revenue for newspapers fell 80 percent between 2006 and 2022, a decline that has coincided with the loss of several non-daily publications in the lower Naugatuck Valley since 2009. The closure of Voices follows that pattern of shrinking local print coverage.

Residents of the 11 communities Voices covered lose a free weekly source of local news delivered by mail. Community members can still submit press releases, announcements, photos and sports stories through the website, which remains online.

The takeaway

Local readers who want to keep community news flowing can submit announcements and photos directly to the Voices website, which will stay online. Checking other regional outlets remains the practical way to stay informed as local print options shrink.