End of service: After 25-plus years, the IBJ signs off
By Melissa Crockett Meske
Managing Editor (July 2022-July 2026)
Illinois Business Journal
Better Newspapers Inc. has made the decision to cease its operations of the Illinois Business Journal as of July 31, 2026. The publisher and president of Better Newspapers has shared with me that it was a difficult decision to make, but that it was necessary due to ongoing declines in revenues across the board.
It’s been a good 25-plus years for the IBJ since its beginnings back in 2000, and I know its founder, my predecessors, and all of those who have been involved with the Illinois Business Journal throughout its run are nothing short of honored and humbled to have been the source for you over all those years for everything business, industry and nonprofit development news-related throughout southwestern Illinois and the St. Louis Metro East.
What more can I say personally other than: THANK YOU.
Please continue supporting the local news outlets that are still surviving in our region, and again, I share a very heartfelt thanks to all of you for providing us at the IBJ with the experience of a lifetime for more than a quarter century.
Sorry to see the IBJ closing. The newspaper was a service to the community under the leadership of Melissa Meske and her predecessor Dennis Grubaugh, two outstanding journalists.
Thank you, Mike, for your words here and for all the years of support you have shown me as well as the IBJ. ~ Melissa Meske