A study was conducted to determine whether a relationship existed between the agricultural slump of 1924 and the economic vitality of rural weekly newspapers in Missouri. "Rural weekly newspaper" was defined as any weekly newspaper in a predominantly agrarian locale with a city population of fewer than 5,000 and a county population of fewer than 40,000. Farm income and newspaper circulation data indicated that while the number of weeklies grew from 1923 to 1925, the average circulation per newspaper fell during those years from 2,782 to 2,485. However the relationship between the agricultural economy and rural weekly is not as clear. In fact, as farm income rose, circulation declined. The results suggested that either measuring instruments were not adequate or rural weeklies were somehow insulated from slumps in the farm economy. Local Missouri weeklies that failed during the years 1923-25 were then surveyed. Researchers identified 88 newspapers that folded, merged, or changed names. Editorial comments from these newspapers revealed that Missouri rural weeklies failed and merged in this period because (1) the community was too small to support the paper; (2) there was competition from another paper; (3) growing production costs were not offset by rising earnings, and (4) advertisers demanded a newspaper with a broader market saturation. No mention of agricultural recession as a cause of the weeklies' difficulties was found. (A chart of statistics and 26 references are included.) (AEW)