BALATON — A local newspaper in the area has closed its doors for good. The owner of the Balaton Press Tribune announced last week that the paper would be stopping publication as of Thursday, with its final paper being on May 31.

An article in the May 24 edition of the Press Tribune cited challenges like competition from social media, fewer local advertisers, and a lack of staff in the decision to close the paper.

“In recent times, it has been continually difficult to keep a small town paper going,” the article said. The biggest reason behind the closure was a lack of help. The article said the Balaton Press Tribune had advertised for a reporter, a sports writer and a sales representative for the past two years, without success.

Publisher Randy Miller purchased the Press Tribune in 2017 because he wanted to keep the paper local, the article said.

Balaton’s first local newspaper, the Balaton Journal, was founded in 1887, the Press Tribune reported. Balaton had a few different papers until 1910, when the Balaton Press and the Balaton Tribune combined into a single newspaper. The Press Tribune had a few different owners over the years. Former Tracy Headlight Herald publisher Seth Schmidt also published the Balaton Press Tribune from 1997 until 2017, when Miller and Kara Schmidt bought the paper.