I can see/guess what is going on. In this new version of Newspaper, the theme is looking to see if there is an actual search string, probably using code like this:

if (get_search_query() != '') {

IF there is no theme search query, the search page uses archive-loop.php. This is what you see from our search results.

However, if there IS a theme search query, it uses instead sidebar.php

I cannot see, in search.php, how it is doing this, but, that file calls a theme function, which I suspect is calling another template. But, I cannot see where from, and I do not know enough of this theme to say.

It is not our plugin that is doing this though, but the theme, and over that we have little control.

What you could do is to use WPBakery Page Builder instead to make your search results page, using this guide (and the additional extension plugin you can download from there:

https://searchandfilter.com/documentation/3rd-party/wpbakery-page-builder-formerly-visual-composer/

It would appear that the latest changes to the newspaper theme mean that you can no longer use the ‘As an Archive’ display results method.