A crisis is looming for public agencies in 2025 when The Star-Ledger and other publications cease publishing in print, and some attorneys are calling for the New Jersey Legislature to take emergency action.

Municipalities rely on newspapers for official public notices announcing legal proceedings, requests for qualifications, and government actions. Public entities are complaining that it is increasingly challenging to publish the notices, which are required by law. But now that NJ Advance Media announced that The Star-Ledger will cease to print a physical newspaper in February and that smaller outlets such as The Jersey Journal will close down completely, the struggle to figure out a solution is becoming an emergency, lawyers said.