Keizer's hometown newspaper printed its last edition Friday, Aug. 28, ending a 47-year run as the Keizertimes merges with Salem Reporter effective Tuesday, Sept. 1.

The consolidation brings three Keizertimes staff members into Salem Reporter's downtown Salem newsroom at 494 State St. and closes the Keizer office at 142 Chemawa Rd. N.

Publisher Les Zaitz, a two-time Pulitzer finalist who owns both outlets with his wife, Scotta Callister, said the move reflects how readers consume news now.

"People turn to websites and social media for their news," Zaitz said in the Keizertimes announcement. "A print newspaper is increasingly archaic – and increasingly costly to produce."

Zaitz and Callister acquired the Keizertimes in 1987, eight years after its 1979 founding, and later added a digital edition. They launched Salem Reporter in 2018.

Reporter Krista Kroiss will join Salem Reporter's staff and continue covering Keizer, according to Salem Reporter's announcement.

Her work will appear on the website and in weekday morning, afternoon and Sunday newsletters. Robin Barney, Keizertimes general manager, joins as a sales contractor. Justin Wilkinson, head of the production department, transfers to handle graphic design for the combined operation.

Zaitz said Kroiss joins a staff of seven. He said Keizer readers will also gain access to reporting from Salem Reporter's two-person education team and reporters covering homelessness, data centers, business and the economy.

The merger comes as local newsrooms across Oregon shrink or disappear. The Chronicle, a weekly covering Springfield, Cottage Grove, Creswell and Pleasant Hill in Lane County, published its final edition on Aug. 12 after 117 years.

Keizertimes print subscribers need to provide an email address to convert to Salem Reporter's digital system. They can email [email protected] or mail a note to Keizertimes, 142 Chemawa Rd. N., Keizer, OR 97303.