MOORESVILLE – Champion Media announced on Wednesday that it has acquired the North Carolina and South Carolina print, digital and local assets of Heartland, a Civitas Media company.

The acquisition includes six daily newspapers — Lumberton Robesonian, Mount Airy News, Rockingham Daily Journal, Clinton Sampson Independent, Laurinburg Exchange and Jefferson Post — as well as 16 weekly newspapers — Your Carolina Connection, Elizabethtown Bladen Journal, Wadesboro Anson Record, Surry Scene, Elkin Tribune, Elkin Advertiser, Yadkin Ripple, Stokes News, Pilot Mountain News, Carroll News, Union Times, Union Grapevine, Newberry Observer, Newberry Shopper, Easley Progress, and Pickens Sentinel. The announcement was made by Champion Media CEO Scott T. Champion. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The acquisition expands Champion Media Newspapers’ stable of news properties to six dailies and 21 weeklies in North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Minnesota, and Virginia.

“This investment strengthens Champion Family Newspapers’ commitment to the local communities of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia, serving as a local news source,” Champion said. “The strength of local newspapers is as vital today as they were fifty years ago. We are proud of all the employees that come together each day to bring their communities a credible news product, being either in print or digital.”

The new properties have a combined weekly circulation of approximately d 225,000 households and a monthly digital reach of more than 4 million unique visitors. Most of the newspapers have a rich history of serving their communities for well over 100 years.

“Civitas Media is a leading community newspaper group servicing many local markets in 11 states,” Champion said. “Civitas newspapers have been providing leading news coverage for decades and we intend engaging with its employees to continue enhancing our content coverage and important service across the North Carolina and South Carolina communities.”