New publisher named for Mullen Newspapers

Victoria Howell has been named publisher of four Mullen Newspapers-owned papers: the Bitterroot Star, the Philipsburg Mail, the Seeley Swan Pathfinder and the Silver State Post. 

Howell joined the Mullen Newspapers team in 2021 as editor of the Bitterroot Star. Prior to that, she and her husband Michael owned and operated the Star for 35 years before selling it to Jesse Mullen in 2020. The Howells founded the Star in 1985 and grew it from a tiny paper that covered only Stevensville news to a 7000-per-week paper covering the entire Bitterroot Valley. 

"I'm happy to continue on in the newspaper industry in this new capacity," said Howell. "I like what Jesse and his brother Lloyd are doing with their company. They are acquiring smaller newspapers and working to keep them viable because they believe in the value of community journalism. If I can help them do it, that's great!"

"The four papers I will be involved with have solid foundations on which to build," added Howell. "I'm not planning to rock the boat. My goal is to allow each of these great papers to keep their unique identities while helping them improve their business models through increased advertising opportunities and related activities. Perhaps we can streamline some things by sharing resources. Right now I'm just getting to know everyone who's involved and how each paper works. It's very exciting."

Howell will be based out of Stevensville but will be visiting all the papers on a regular basis. She can be reached at victoria@mullennewspapers.com