Desert Dispatch
Corporate brand
UnclaimedDesert Dispatch was a newspaper published in Barstow, California, from 1958 until it ceased publication in 2017.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Desert Dispatch was a local newspaper brand serving Barstow, California, and surrounding communities in the Mojave Desert. Although the publication under the Desert Dispatch name began in 1958, it inherited a much older local newspaper lineage. That lineage started on July 15, 1910, when T.G. Nicklin published the first edition of the Barstow Printer. Nicklin sold the paper to F.M. LaSage in 1912. A second local title, the Barstow Weekly Review, was established by R.E. Forbush in 1933. In 1936, Caryl Krouser acquired the Barstow Printer from Lloyd E. Tiernan, who had operated it for roughly two decades, and Krouser subsequently combined the two local papers with Forbush. The resulting Barstow Printer-Review became the principal predecessor of the later Dispatch. The Desert Dispatch itself was launched by Charles K. Dooley, owner of the Colton Courier, with its first edition published on July 3, 1958. In October of that year, Dooley's Courier Enterprises acquired the Barstow Printer-Review from Krouser and absorbed it into the newer Desert Dispatch operation. The consolidation gave the Dispatch both a new identity and a substantial local publishing heritage. In October 1959, the newspaper expanded its print schedule to five days per week. At that time, its reported circulation was approximately 30,000, reflecting the importance of Barstow as a transportation and commercial center in the high desert. The paper invested in production capacity during the following decade, installing a new press in 1964. Ownership later moved beyond Dooley's company. In 1978, Dooley sold the newspaper to Thomson Newspapers. Thomson retained the Dispatch until 1995, when it traded the title to Freedom Communications. Under Freedom, the paper continued as a local daily, though its reported circulation had declined to 3,259 by 2011. The business was subsequently reshaped by consolidation in the American newspaper industry. In 2014, Freedom Communications sold the Desert Dispatch and the Victorville Daily Press to New Media Investment Group. The Desert Dispatch ultimately ceased publication in 2017. Its history illustrates the evolution of a community newspaper from an independently operated local title into a property controlled by successive regional and national newspaper groups. Its core role was the publication of local news and community information for Barstow and nearby high-desert communities, delivered primarily through a print newspaper and associated digital presence. No reliable source in the supplied material identifies a continuing newspaper operation under the Desert Dispatch name after 2017.
History
The Desert Dispatch developed from a succession of Barstow newspapers dating to the early twentieth century. T.G. Nicklin established the Barstow Printer and published its first edition on July 15, 1910. Nicklin sold the paper to F.M. LaSage in 1912. In 1933, R.E. Forbush introduced the Barstow Weekly Review, creating a second newspaper serving the community. In October 1936, Caryl Krouser purchased the Barstow Printer from Lloyd E. Tiernan, who had operated it for about twenty years. The following month, Krouser and Forbush combined their publications as the Barstow Printer-Review. This consolidated title remained the immediate predecessor to the Desert Dispatch. Charles K. Dooley, who owned the Colton Courier, launched the Desert Dispatch on July 3, 1958. In October of the same year, Dooley's Courier Enterprises purchased the Barstow Printer-Review from Krouser and folded it into the Dispatch. The transaction linked the new newspaper to the older Barstow publishing tradition while establishing the Desert Dispatch as the surviving brand. In October 1959, the newspaper expanded to five days of print publication per week. Its circulation was reported at 30,000 at that point, and a new press was installed in 1964. Dooley sold the newspaper to Thomson Newspapers in 1978. Thomson later traded the title to Freedom Communications in 1995. By 2011, the paper's reported daily circulation was 3,259. In 2014, Freedom sold the Dispatch, together with the Victorville Daily Press, to New Media Investment Group. The title ceased publication in 2017. The supplied reference material does not identify a successor publication operating under the same name or provide details about the final closure decision.
- 2017
Publication ends
[1]The Desert Dispatch ceased publication.
- 2014
New Media Investment Group acquires the Dispatch
[1]Freedom Communications sold the Desert Dispatch and Victorville Daily Press to New Media Investment Group.
- 2011
Reported daily circulation reaches 3,259
[1]The newspaper was reported to have a daily circulation of 3,259.
- 1995
Freedom Communications becomes owner
[1]Thomson Newspapers traded the title to Freedom Communications.
- 1978
Thomson Newspapers acquires the paper
[1]Charles K. Dooley sold the Desert Dispatch to Thomson Newspapers.
- 1964
New press installed
[1]The newspaper added a new press to its production operation.
- 1959
Publication schedule expands
[1]The Dispatch expanded its print edition to five days per week in October.
- 1958
Desert Dispatch launches
[1]Charles K. Dooley published the first Desert Dispatch edition on July 3. In October, Courier Enterprises acquired and absorbed the Barstow Printer-Review.
- 1936
Barstow Printer-Review is formed
[1]Caryl Krouser and R.E. Forbush merged the Barstow Printer and Barstow Weekly Review into the Barstow Printer-Review.
- 1933
Barstow Weekly Review is founded
[1]R.E. Forbush established the Barstow Weekly Review as a second local newspaper in Barstow.
Products and positioning
A community newspaper serving Barstow and the surrounding Mojave Desert region, with an emphasis on local reporting, public information, and community advertising.
Local newspaper · 1958
Desert Dispatch
The core offering was a Barstow-focused newspaper carrying local news and community information for the high-desert area. It began in 1958 as a print publication and expanded to five print days per week in 1959. The newspaper continued under several ownership groups before ending publication in 2017.
Predecessor newspaper · 1936
Barstow Printer-Review
Formed in 1936 through the combination of the Barstow Printer and Barstow Weekly Review, this title was acquired by Courier Enterprises in 1958 and absorbed into the Desert Dispatch.
Brand decisions
2014
Sale to New Media Investment GroupM&ABackground
Freedom Communications sold the Desert Dispatch together with the Victorville Daily Press.
Action taken
New Media Investment Group acquired both newspaper properties.
Aftermath
The Dispatch continued under New Media ownership until it ceased publication in 2017.
1959
Expansion to five weekly print editionsStrategyBackground
The newspaper was building its post-launch presence after consolidating with the Barstow Printer-Review.
Action taken
The Dispatch increased its print schedule to five days per week.
Aftermath
The paper was reported to have circulation of approximately 30,000 at the time.
1958
Absorption of the Barstow Printer-ReviewM&ABackground
The newly launched Desert Dispatch entered a local newspaper market that already included the established Barstow Printer-Review.
Action taken
Courier Enterprises acquired the Barstow Printer-Review from Caryl Krouser and integrated it into the Dispatch.
Aftermath
The Dispatch became the surviving newspaper brand while retaining the predecessor's local publishing lineage.
Sources1 sources
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