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Royal Oak Tribune, The Voice cease operations

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  Published in Media and Entertainment on Wednesday, October 29th 2025 at 18:51 GMT by Detroit News
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Royal Oak Tribune, Dearborn Voice, and Other Community Press Guides Shut Their Doors in a Quiet Blow to Local Journalism

In a development that reverberates across Metro Detroit’s news ecosystem, the Royal Oak Tribune and The Voice of Dearborn—two long‑standing weekly guides that have served their communities for decades—announced on Friday that they will cease publication. The decision, announced by the parent company, the Royal Oak Press Group, came after a thorough review of the guides’ financial health and the broader challenges facing local journalism in the digital age.

The Royal Oak Tribune has been a staple of the Royal Oak community since its founding in 1947. Its pages historically chronicled everything from high school sports and civic events to neighborhood real estate listings and local business advertising. The Voice of Dearborn, established in 1958, mirrored the Tribune’s role for Dearborn residents, offering in‑depth coverage of city council meetings, school board decisions, and community festivals. Both guides had long been prized by residents for their local focus and the sense of community they helped foster.

The closure notice, posted on the Royal Oak Press Group’s website and distributed to subscribers via email, explained that despite efforts to adapt to the digital era, the guides could no longer sustain operations under the current revenue model. “We’ve explored multiple avenues—from shifting to a full‑digital format to revising our advertising strategy—yet the decline in print circulation and the rise of online competitors have made it impossible to maintain a profitable business,” said James Carter, the group’s chief financial officer. “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the shutdown of the Royal Oak Tribune and The Voice of Dearborn.”

The announcement cited a series of concrete metrics. For the Tribune, the print circulation in the last quarter fell from 12,000 copies in 2022 to just 4,500 in 2024, a decline of 62 percent. Advertising revenue, once a reliable lifeline, dropped by 48 percent in the same period, largely as local businesses shifted to cheaper, more targeted online platforms. The Voice of Dearborn faced similar numbers: circulation dropped from 9,200 to 3,800 copies, and ad sales fell by 55 percent. The Royal Oak Press Group indicated that these trends were part of a larger pattern affecting independent local newspapers across Michigan, many of which have either been bought out by larger conglomerates or shuttered altogether.

While the decision was inevitable, the community’s reaction has been swift and passionate. Several Royal Oak residents took to the city’s Facebook groups and local radio stations to voice their dismay. “We’re losing a vital source of information about our city,” said local historian and long‑time subscriber, Linda Martinez. “The Tribune gave us a sense of belonging, a place where the local voices mattered.” Similar sentiments echoed from Dearborn, where former editor Maria Gonzalez expressed concern that the loss of the Voice would leave a void in coverage of city council proceedings and school board meetings—issues that often go underreported by regional media.

The Royal Oak Press Group’s spokesperson noted that the guides had been part of a larger portfolio that includes the Royal Oak Times and the Dearborn Gazette. Both of those publications continue to operate, albeit with reduced print runs and an increased emphasis on digital content. “While the Tribune and the Voice will close their print editions, the parent company remains committed to supporting local journalism in other formats,” the spokesperson said. “We plan to archive all content from the guides and make it available online, ensuring that the legacy of these publications lives on.”

A look into the guides’ archives reveals a rich history of community reporting. In 1995, the Royal Oak Tribune published a comprehensive investigative series on the impact of highway expansion on local businesses, a piece that won a regional journalism award. The Voice of Dearborn, meanwhile, had a long‑running column titled “Dearborn Matters” that covered the city’s cultural scene and served as an early platform for young writers. The archives also contain a trove of advertisements from decades past, offering a window into the economic history of the region’s small businesses.

In the weeks following the announcement, the Royal Oak Press Group released a detailed financial report that broke down the guides’ operating costs. Print production, distribution, and staff salaries accounted for 68 percent of total expenses, while marketing and digital development made up the remaining 32 percent. The report highlighted that a shift to a leaner digital model would cut costs by an estimated 35 percent, but would also reduce the guides’ reach among older demographics who still relied on print for their news.

The closure of the Royal Oak Tribune and The Voice of Dearborn underscores a broader narrative affecting local journalism nationwide: the struggle to balance the cost of quality reporting with the realities of a fragmented advertising market and shifting consumer habits. Several academic studies, such as the 2024 Michigan Journalism Survey, have documented a 40 percent decline in local news outlets over the past decade, with an associated rise in misinformation and reduced civic engagement. Community leaders in both Royal Oak and Dearborn have called on state legislators to consider new funding models for local journalism, including tax incentives for digital media and support for nonprofit news organizations.

As the guides’ final editions are printed and distributed this weekend, residents in both cities are left to grapple with the loss of a familiar, trusted voice. While the Royal Oak Press Group has pledged to preserve the guides’ content online, the question remains whether digital archives alone can replace the sense of community that the Tribune and the Voice of Dearborn provided for more than 70 years. In the meantime, local civic groups and independent journalists are already brainstorming ways to fill the void, from launching community newsletters to establishing cooperative news platforms that prioritize local issues.

The shutdown of the Royal Oak Tribune and The Voice of Dearborn may signal an end for these particular publications, but it also serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of local journalism in an era dominated by digital giants. Whether the region’s residents will find new ways to stay informed and engaged remains to be seen, but the legacy of these guides—captured in decades of reporting and community service—will undoubtedly influence the next generation of local news producers.