A few years ago, threatened by media giant Gannett’s attempt to control local print distribution via The Distribution Network (TDN), the Jackson Free Press and other local publishers banded together to form the Mississippi Independent Publishers’ Alliance (MIPA). MIPA then began a process of buying, placing and managing its own system of multi-publication news boxes around the city.

It looks like MIPA’s efforts paid off. JFP publisher Todd Stauffer tells AAN News that the Gannett-owned Jackson Clarion-Ledger has quietly picked up all their TDN boxes and apparently closed out their program.

“I’m not sure if this is a trend company-wide for Gannett, but it looks like the ‘control-free-distribution’ chapter is no longer in the Gannett playbook for Jackson,” Stauffer says.

Meanwhile, MIPA continues on with over 100 group-distribution locations that it manages, including a contract to manage free distribution racks in area Kroger stores that became available when Distributech opted to leave the market earlier this year.