One of the Most Important Small Town Papers of the Industrial Age Closing

February 7, 2026

TL;DR

Derrick Publishing Company will cease publication of The Derrick and the News-Herald on March 20.
The decision is attributed to long-term declines in newspaper support, regional economic losses, and reduced advertising revenue and readership.
Founded in 1871, The Derrick was renowned for its reporting on the oil industry, including price dispatches and statistical compendiums.
The newspaper's coverage was vital for investigative journalists like Ida Tarbell in her work on Standard Oil.
The closure reflects a national crisis in local journalism, with over 135 newspapers closing last year and a significant decrease in the total number of newspapers published since 2005.
The loss of The Derrick will leave Oil City without local news coverage, potentially weakening the community's social fabric and reducing government accountability.
Newspapers are struggling due to the evaporation of traditional revenue streams like legal notices, classifieds, retail advertising, and print subscriptions in the internet era.

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