The Star-Ledger

The Star-Ledger

The May 24, 2012 front page of
The Star-Ledger
Type Daily newspaper
Format Broadsheet
Owner(s) Advance Publications
Publisher Richard Vezza
Editor Kevin Whitmer
Founded 1832
Headquarters 1 Gateway Center Suite 1100
Newark, New Jersey 07102
 United States[1]
Circulation 114,000 Daily[2](Sept 2015)
359,820 Sunday[3](Sept 2014)
Website nj.com
Star-Ledger logo in 2007

The Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.

In 2007, The Star-Ledger's daily circulation was reportedly more than the next two largest New Jersey newspapers combined and its Sunday circulation larger than the next three papers combined.[4] It has suffered great declines in print circulation in recent years, to 180,000 daily in 2013 and 114,000 "individually paid print circulation," that is the number of copies being bought by subscription or at newsstands, in 2015.[2]

In July 2013, The Ledger announced that it would sell its headquarters building in Newark.[5] In 2013, Advance Publications announced it was exploring cost-saving changes among its New Jersey properties, but was not considering mergers or changes in publication frequency at any of the newspapers, nor the elimination of home delivery.[6]

History

The Newark Daily Advertiser, founded in 1832, was Newark's first daily newspaper. It subsequently evolved into the Newark Star-Eagle, owned by what eventually became Block Communications. S. I. Newhouse bought the Star-Eagle from Block in 1939 and merged it with the Newark Ledger to become the Newark Star-Ledger. The paper dropped Newark from its masthead sometime in the 1970s, but is still popularly called the Newark Star-Ledger by many New Jersey residents.[7]

During the 1960s The Star-Ledger's chief competitor was the Newark Evening News, once the most popular newspaper in New Jersey. In March 1971, the Star-Ledger surpassed the Evening News in daily circulation, because the Newark News was on strike. The Evening News shut down in 1972.[8]

After the Newark Evening News moved to a high-traffic area (with the potential of trapping its delivery trucks in inner-city traffic) the Star-Ledger opened a satellite plant in Piscataway. The Piscataway location offered quick access to Union, Monmouth, Somerset, and Middlesex counties.[9]

The Star-Ledger was the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting in 2005 for its comprehensive and clear-headed coverage of the resignation of the Governor of New Jersey Jim McGreevey, after he confessed to adultery with a male lover.[10]

The paper awards the Star-Ledger Trophy each year to the number one high school teams in their respective sport in New Jersey.[11]

2000s financial troubles

In 2005, George Arwady became the publisher of The Star-Ledger. A graduate of Columbia University, Arwady had previously been the publisher of the Kalamazoo Gazette in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Having worked closely with the Newhouse family for years, Arwady was asked to move to Newark to financially revamp the paper.[12]

Because the paper was losing money, parent company Advance Publications said on July 31, 2008, that it would sell the Star-Ledger unless 200 non-union staff voluntarily left under a buyout offer, and its unionized truck drivers and mailers agreed to concessions.[13] On September 16 publisher George Arwady sent employees an email saying that management felt progress had been made on the buyout and concessions from the mailers, but that management is "far from an agreement with the Drivers' union.".[14] The email continued:[14]

Since it is doubtful that the Drivers will ratify an agreement by October 8, 2008, we will be sending formal notices to all employees this week, as required by both federal and New Jersey law, advising you that the Company will be sold, or, failing that, that it will close operations on January 5, 2009.

On October 24, 2008, the newspaper announced that 168 newsroom employees had offered to take the company's buyout offer, and that the company had accepted 151 of them, which resulted in a 40% reduction in newsroom staff.[15]

On January 16, 2013, the newspaper announced layoffs of 34 employees including 18 newsroom staff.[16]

The Newark headquarters of the Star-Ledger, home to the state's largest newspaper for nearly 50 years, was sold to a New York developer in July 2014, according to a news article released by the paper.[17]

The Star-Ledger, which Vezza said will continue to be published seven days a week, will retain a presence in Newark in leased office space located within the downtown Gateway Center complex — where the publisher, the newspaper's editorial board, its columnists, its magazine staff and a handful of other jobs will be based. Advance Publications, the owner of the newspaper, launched a new media company this year — NJ Advance Media — that will provide content, advertising and marketing services for its online presence at NJ.com, and many of its New Jersey newspapers out of the offices in Woodbridge.[18] The sales and marketing staffs moved to Woodbridge in June 2014.

Management

Presidents

Publishers

Executive editors

In October 2009, managing editor Kevin Whitmer took over as editor.[21]

Prior to Whitmer, James Willse manned the helm from 1995. He was appointed following the retirement of 32-year veteran editor Mort Pye. Willse was the former editor and publisher of the New York Daily News. Prior to accepting the Ledger's editor position, Willse headed up the review of electronic information options for all Newhouse newspapers. He also expanded the Ledger' use of color and encouraged a more aggressive editorial team. The National Press Foundation named Willse its 1999 recipient of the George Beveridge Editor of the Year Award in recognition of Ledger's coverage of racial profiling by the New Jersey State Police.

Prices

The Star-Ledger prices are $1.50 weekdays, $2 Saturdays & $3 Sundays/Thanksgiving Day. May be higher outside New Jersey.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "How to contact The Star-Ledger". NJ.com. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  2. 1 2 https://medium.com/@dicktofel/the-sky-is-falling-on-print-newspapers-faster-than-you-think-c84a2f9a9df4#.wh7wcg7w5
  3. ↑ http://www.journalism.org/media-indicators/average-circulation-at-the-top-25-u-s-sunday-newspapers/
  4. ↑ New Jersey Press Association - Member Newspapers - Dailies, New Jersey Press Association; Star-Ledger data from Editor & Publisher April 2007 article.
  5. ↑ "Star-Ledger HQ on block". The New York Post. July 5, 2013. Retrieved July 5, 2013.
  6. ↑ Sherman, Ted (December 5, 2013). "Owners of Star-Ledger, NJ.com and sister newspapers studying possible consolidations". NJ.com. Retrieved 2013-12-07.
  7. ↑ "Inside the Massacre at the Newark Star-Ledger, The Paper That Makes Chris Christie Squirm - The Daily Beast". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  8. ↑ "THE NEWARK NEWS: IN MEMORIAM". The New York Times. 30 August 1981. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  9. ↑ "The Press and the Suburbs". Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  10. ↑ "The Pulitzer Prizes". Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  11. ↑ "Wrestling: The history of The Star-Ledger Trophy". NJ.com. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  12. ↑ "Larry McDermott, publisher of The Republican, announces retirement; to be replaced by Newark Star-Ledger publisher George Arwady". masslive.com. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  13. ↑ Star-Ledger gives staff a deadline for buyouts from nj.com
  14. 1 2 'Star-Ledger' Publisher Threatens January 2009 Shutdown, September 2008, Editor & Publisher Archived September 18, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  15. ↑ Official: 40% of 'Star-Ledger' Newsroom Exiting, October 24, 2008, Editor & Publisher Archived October 27, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  16. ↑ "Star-Ledger axing 34 employees". CBS local. January 16, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Newark headquarters of Star-Ledger sold to New York real estate development firm". NJ.com. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  18. ↑ "Advance Publications forms new unit". NJ.com. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  19. ↑ "Advance Publications, Inc.: Private Company Information - Businessweek". Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  20. ↑ Roger Yu (June 27, 2013). "Future of some major newspapers about to change". USA Today. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
  21. ↑ "Star-Ledger Editor Jim Willse announces retirement, names successor". NJ.com. Retrieved 1 April 2016.
  22. ↑ "Jersey cases inspire new 'Sopranos' season". NJ.com. 2003-01-09. Retrieved 2016-08-10.
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