Guild members at The Press Democrat read today’s sale announcement with great interest and optimism.

We appreciate the efforts of our previous owners and wish them well, but we believe local ownership offers the best chance to achieve what we all want, and that is for The Press Democrat to continue being the North Bay’s premier source for quality local journalism.

We understand the newspaper and its online operations may form the core of an exciting new venture that includes other media outlets serving Sonoma County and the North Bay. This regional approach under new ownership promises a bold fresh start for all of us.

For several months, we have engaged in negotiations for a new Guild contract. We believe it’s best to leave the details to the negotiators. But we intend to do all we can to reach terms quickly with the new ownership group to ensure a sustainable future for our members and for the company.