Facebook Instant Articles Adds 5,700 Publishers In 2020 (mediapost.com)

The National Trust for Local News has concluded its deal to purchase 22 Maine newspapers, including five dailies and 17 weeklies. The nonprofit group purchased the papers, including The Portland Press Herald and The Sun Journal of Lewiston, from Masthead Maine. Masthead Media will be rebranded as Maine Trust for Local News, according to The Bangor Daily News, which says it is the only independently owned daily left in Maine.

First Quarter 2024 Results: *Sales and adjusted sales both increased 13% to $341.4 million, compared to $302.8 million during the same period last year. *Gross profit increased 20% to $194.8 million, or 57.1% of sales, compared to $161.9 million, or 53.5% of sales, in the first quarter of 2023. The 360 basis point increase in gross margin was primarily due to lower inbound freight costs and lower product costs. *Operating income increased 71.0% to $25.8 million, or 7.6% of sales, compared to $15.1 million, or 5.0% of sales during the prior year quarter. *Net income increased 50% to $15.9 million, or 4.6% of sales, compared to $10.6 million, or 3.5% of sales in the prior year quarter; Net income per diluted share was $0.18, compared to $0.12 in the prior year quarter.

Learning technology company HMH and NWEA, a not-for-profit, research and educational services organization serving K-12 students, announced today they have signed an agreement for HMH to acquire NWEA. Upon closing, NWEA will operate as a division of HMH, with its current offerings, including its flagship assessment—MAP Growth—remaining under the NWEA brand. NWEA assessment solutions will be integrated with HMH curriculum on HMH’s platform to create a combined offering that links interim assessment to instruction. HMH is a portfolio company of Veritas Capital, a private investment firm that focuses on companies that provide technology and technology-enabled solutions to government and commercial customers worldwide. By combining NWEA’s assessments with HMH’s curriculum, HMH is expected to deliver a holistic solution for educators that helps them understand how students are growing academically and what areas need the most focus to maximize that growth. Most importantly, this solution will turn insights from assessments into content recommendations that help teachers address student-specific skill gaps and advance student learning.