The New York Times Company is in advanced discussions to sell its regional newspapers, including The Gainesville Sun.
The company announced Monday that Halifax Media Holdings LLC is preparing to buy Regional Media Group, which is composed of 16 newspapers and related websites.
Other Florida newspapers that will be affected are The Sarasota Herald-Tribune, The Lakeland Ledger, The Ocala Star-Banner and the Winter Haven News Chief.
“The Times is apparently doing this to finance and focus on its digital-first business model as it looks to the future of the news — not newspaper — business,” UF journalism professor Ron Rodgers wrote in an e-mail.
He expressed concern about the effect the sale might have on UF journalism students.
Students who intern at The Gainesville Sun and at The New York Times wire service housed inside the Sun get a lot of hands-on experience, he wrote.
He hopes Halifax will continue to offer the same opportunities to student interns.
“Indeed, maybe with this fresh start our journalism department could work out some kind of medical-school model with the new owners in which students, professors, and the working professionals at the paper work together to publish the paper,” Rodgers wrote.
The Gainesville Sun’s publisher, Jim Doughton, confirmed The New York Times’ announcement but wasn’t able to offer any more information.
The New York Times declined further comment.
