Four Northeastern Pennsylvania newspapers, including those in Hazleton and Pottsville, have been sold to the Colorado-based MediaNews Group, owned by Alden Global Capital, an investment firm with extensive newspaper holdings.

Times-Shamrock Communications has sold the Standard Speaker in Hazleton, Republican-Herald in Pottsville, Times Tribune in Scranton, and the Citizens’ Voice in Wilkes-Barre.

Its CEO, Jim Lewandowski, announced the sale, which includes the newspapers’ weekly and periodic newspapers, commercial printing operations, Absolute Distribution Inc. and Times-Shamrock Creative Services, as well as the real estate for the printing operation in Scott Township.

The sale at an undisclosed price was approved by the Times-Shamrock’s four voting shareholders, but was not unanimous.

In the Standard Speaker, George V. Lynett, publisher emeritus, who opposed the sale, expressed his family’s disappointment in the shareholders’ decision. In an Associate Press story, he said, “Selling to a company with such a devastating reputation in the industry runs against everything we believe in.”

Alden Global Capital is a New York hedge fund that has been buying up newspapers across the country and faced criticism for slashing budgets and cutting jobs.

Reportedly, the nine-member board of directors of the Times-Shamrock recommended the sale to the voting members, who, in addition to George V. Lynett, include William R. Lynett, Cecelia Lynett Haggerty and Edward J. Lynett Jr.

The chairman of that board, Bill Goodspeed, indicated the issues of declining readership and circulation and advertising revenue prompted the board’s recommendation.

The sale was revealed during an all-staff Zoom meeting yesterday. A document provided to employees stated the MediaNews Group is offering employment “to virtually all of the employees, except for a few crossover team members who serve both print and radio, with whom we will be speaking to directly.”

“The decision to sell our newspapers in Northeastern Pennsylvania was a difficult one for our entire family,” a statement from the Lynett-Haggerty family reads. “We are deeply grateful to our loyal employees, our readers, and our advertisers, who have supported us over the years.”