Portland's alt-weekly, the Portland Mercury, is back in print, putting fresh ink on newsracks at a time when most local outlets are trimming or ditching paper editions entirely. The monthly print comeback follows nearly two years under new ownership and a deliberate push to rebuild the newsroom and bring in more money.
The return to print was confirmed by publisher James Deeley and owner Brady Walkinshaw, who told reporters, "I think print is coming back," according to KPTV. Staffers say advertisers have already started to follow the paper back onto the street as copies reappear around town.
Noisy Creek's buying spree and local pedigree
Noisy Creek, the Seattle-based media company led by Walkinshaw, bought the Portland Mercury in July 2024 and also owns Seattle's The Stranger, according to OPB. The company has since moved beyond the Pacific Northwest and acquired the Chicago Reader in 2025 as part of a broader plan to connect well-known alt-weeklies into a national network, Nieman Journalism Lab reports.
Staff investments, wages and newsroom growth
The change in ownership came with new hires and a union-negotiated wage floor. Newsroom employees ratified their first contract in December, locking in a minimum full-time salary of about $70,000 a year, per NW Labor Press. Deeley also told reporters the Mercury has brought on additional news writers, a full-time music editor, a social media manager and a marketing manager as it rebuilds its in-house team, KPTV reports.
A business model beyond ads
Walkinshaw says Noisy Creek is experimenting with a mix of revenue streams that go beyond traditional display advertising, leaning on events, ticketing and philanthropic support. The company operates the EverOut events guide and Bold Type Tickets and has turned to donor and labor investment to secure runway for growth, according to Nieman Journalism Lab.
For Portland readers, the near-term payoff could be beefed-up arts and events coverage along with a better-resourced local newsroom. Whether the model works in the long run will depend on the Mercury's ability to keep ad and ticket revenue flowing while holding onto editorial independence. Editor-in-chief Wm. Steven Humphrey and the staff have signaled their excitement over the relaunch in recent editorial notes, according to the Portland Mercury.
