Beginning in the 1980s , the '' News Leader '' began experiencing a steady decline in circulation ; the decline , like those of other afternoon newspapers at the time , was due primarily to the growth of television news outlets . By the end of the 1980s , it was obvious Richmond was no longer big enough to support separate morning and evening papers . In 1991 , Media General announced that it would merge the '' News Leader '' and the '' Times-Dispatch '' into a single morning paper under the '' Times-Dispatch '' banner , effective June 1 , 1992 . '' News Leader '' publisher J. Stewart Bryan III , in referencing the company 's dual-ownership of both newspapers , said , " The '' News Leader '' is a grand old name , but we could no longer afford the luxury of competing with ourselves . " The final edition of the '' News Leader '' was printed on May 30 , with the single headline , " Nevermore . " On the same day , the paper also printed a special commemorative magazine showing past front pages from the '' News Leader '' reporting on historic events from the 1890s to the 1990s , including the Hindenburg disaster , the attack on Pearl Harbor , the John F. Kennedy assassination , the Challenger disaster , and the First Persian Gulf War . The magazine also featured letters to the editor by local readers , many of whom had read the '' News Leader '' for decades , who wrote about numerous personal experiences tied with the paper . Staff members were transferred to the '' Times-Dispatch '' after the merger took place
Hindenburg disaster
Hindenburg disaster
The Richmond News Leader