Daily Press (Virginia)

Last updated
Daily Press
DailyPress(VirginiaNewspaper)Logo.jpg
DailyPress(Virginia)Newspaper.jpg
TypeDaily newspaper
Format Broadsheet, online
Owner(s) Tribune Publishing
PublisherPar Ridder (Interim General Manager)
EditorKris Worrell
Founded1896
Circulation According to the October 2, 2022 postal certificate printed in the paper, circulation is now just over 17,000. This number includes complimentary copies given to people who subscribe to the sister paper, The Virginia Gazette. This is a significant drop from 2016 numbers of 55,000 daily
85,000 Sunday At that time, the paper still employed local consumer marketing staff.
Website dailypress.com

The Daily Press Inc. is a daily morning newspaper published in Newport News, Virginia, which covers the lower and middle Peninsula of Tidewater Virginia. It was established in 1896 and bought by Tribune Company in 1986. Current owner Tribune Publishing spun off from the company in 2014. In 2016, The Daily Press has a daily average readership of approximately 101,100. It had a Sunday average readership of approximately 169,200. [1] Using a frequently used industry-standard readership of 2.2 readers per copy, the October 2022 readership is estimated to be 38,000. It is the sister newspaper to Norfolk's The Virginian-Pilot , which was its southern market rival until Tribune's purchase of that paper in 2018; the papers have both been based out of the Daily Press building since May 2020.

Contents

The Daily Press is distributed to the following cities and counties: Gloucester, Hampton, Isle of Wight, James City, Newport News, Poquoson, Smithfield, Williamsburg, and York. Through its website at dailypress.com, The Daily Press also covers stories on the "Southside", which includes Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach. Monthly, dailypress.com currently receives nearly 7 million page views. [2]

The Daily Press also owns and publishes The Virginia Gazette , a morning newspaper in Williamsburg, Virginia, which publishes on Wednesdays and Saturdays. It covers Williamsburg, James City County, and York County, and has an average readership of 29,324. [3] Annually, vagazette.com currently receives over 5 million page views. [4]

Additionally, The Daily Press also owns and publishes The Tidewater Review , a morning newspaper in West Point, Virginia, which publishes on Wednesdays. It covers King and Queen County, New Kent County, and King William County; and has a Wednesday readership of 3,100. [5] Monthly, tidewaterreview.com currently receives over 57,300 page views.

Beyond print and web, The Daily Press and its sister products also engage people on social media.

The Daily Press employs approximately 180 people. Included in that number are reporters, editors, graphic designers, photojournalists, advertising sales reps, press operators, crews that package and deliver the paper, and employees that maintain electronic systems. The Daily Press has an online publishing team, a marketing department, a finance department, and a human resources team.

History

The Daily Press published its first edition on January 4, 1896, just 12 days before the General Assembly declared Newport News a city on January 16, 1896. Charles E. Thacker owned and edited the paper from a small printing shop in the basement of the First National Bank at 28th Street and Washington Avenue. Thacker promised in his four-page first edition to "espouse the right and oppose the wrong wherever found." Thacker sold copies of his paper for one cent.

In 1910, Thacker sold his business to bankers Henry and George Schmelz, who formed The Daily Press Inc. In 1913, they bought The Times-Herald, giving them control of both the morning and afternoon newspapers in the area. Between 1913 and 1986, the papers were owned and managed by members of the Van Buren and Bottom families. The papers were relocated to several sites within the business and financial district of downtown Newport News until 1968, when a building was constructed on Warwick Boulevard. A Production Center was added to the building in 1983 and expanded in 2004. The newspapers are now printed at a facility in Hanover, Virginia. The Times-Herald published its final edition on August 30, 1991, leaving The Daily Press as the only major newspaper of the lower and middle Peninsula. In December 2014, The Daily Press relocated to its current location on Mariners Row in City Center at Oyster Point in Newport News.

In 1986, Tribune Company (now Tribune Publishing) bought The Daily Press and its affiliated operations, which included cable television stations in Newport News and Danville, Virginia. Tribune named Joseph D. Cantrell CEO and Publisher. Cantrell (1986-1994) was followed by Jack W. Davis Jr. (1994–1998), Kathleen Waltz (1998–2000), Rondra Mathews (2000–2006), Digby Solomon (2006–2016), and Marisa Porto (2016–2019). Par Ridder is currently the interim general manager. Marisa Porto was the first to take on the official title of Publisher and Editor-in-Chief after a structural change to Tribune Publishing in early 2016.

Porto became editor of the Daily Press and The Virginian-Pilot following Tribune Publishing's acquisition [6] of the Norfolk-based Pilot in May 2018. She departed in March 2019. [7] Kris Worrell was hired as editor of both publications in the summer of 2019. All of the publications fall under Tribune Publishing's Virginia Media.

Neither newsroom currently has a physical location. The Daily Press newsroom in Newport News' City Center was vacated [8] in September 2020.

Corporate affairs

The headquarters are in the City Center at Oyster Point complex. [9]

Products

The Daily Press – via Daily Press Media Group – offers a numerous variety of traditional and non-traditional print and digital products to businesses and companies looking to expand their reach in the Hampton Roads area. Variously sized print and deliver inserts and sticky ad notes can be targeted down and delivered to specific zip codes. Annual special section publications and events target niche audiences; examples include the MyTime Women's Show, Prime Time (55+), and Choice Awards ("Best Of"). The TidewaterBiz newsletter targets a professional audience with economic forecasts and business headlines. Products like ad mail, email reach extension, and Weather.com allow advertisers to target particular audiences beyond dailypress.com.

Virginia Press Association Awards

The Daily Press, Virginia Gazette, and Tidewater Review are multi-year recipients of Virginia Press Association (VPA) Awards.

Most recently, Daily Press Media Group received 55 awards during the 2015 awards banquet in April 2016. Among the 20 first place awards were seven for photo, video and multimedia work; and eight for advertising design. Daily Press reporter Ryan Murphy was named the state's best young journalist, an annual honor given for a body of work by someone under 30 years old. The best-in-show award for daily photography went to Daily Press photographer Jonathan Gruenke. The best-in-show award for advertising design went to Daily Press graphic designer Cathy Wall. Highlighting the 35 Daily Press awards were five first place awards for photography, including two by Rob Ostermaier for sports photography. Of the Virginia Gazette's 17 awards, reporter Kellen Holtzman won three for online video, breaking news writing and feature series or continuing story. Reporter Adrienne Mayfield won all three of the Tidewater Review's awards, including first place in public safety writing. [10]

In 2014, the VPA honored The Daily Press with its prestigious First Amendment Award, which recognizes journalists and news organizations that seek to advance, defend or preserve the First Amendment. The award is given to journalists who challenge closed governments and courtrooms, who successfully seek access to information, and who oppose threats to freedom of the press. The nominating letter submitted by The Daily Press specifically cited work done by reporters Dave Ress, Theresa Clift, Peter Dujardin, Prue Salasky, Robert Brauchle, Travis Fain and Ryan Murphy, as well as opinion editor Brian Colligan and deputy opinion editor C.W. Johnson.

In 2013, The Daily Press won the VPA's 2012 award for Journalistic Integrity and Community Service for "Selling Smoke," a continuing investigation of a Hampton police sting operation and its aftermath. Judge Paul Williams, a former editor of The Patriot Ledger in Massachusetts, called the Daily Press series a "tenacious, intrepid and persistent" investigation of "a police sting operation gone awry" and "the city government culture that wanted to keep it in the dark." Daily Press Publisher Digby Solomon said the series of stories was in keeping with the newspaper's mission: "to provide people with the information they need to run their lives."

Also in 2013, Rob Ostermaier won first place for General News Photo and third place for Breaking News Photo. Adrin Snider won second place for Photo-Illustration. Kevin Goyette was awarded second place for Headline Writing and third place for Front Page Design. Tamara Dietrich won first place for Column Writing, and Robert Brauchle placed second in Government Writing. David Teel won third place in Sports Column Writing.

Notable employees and alumni

Tony Snow served as editorial page editor from 1982 to 1984 and went on to become a nationally syndicated columnist and White House press secretary under President George W. Bush from April 2006 until September 2007.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norfolk Tides</span> Minor League Baseball team

The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's location on the Chesapeake Bay. The team plays their home games at Harbor Park, which opened in 1993. The Tides previously played at High Rock Park in 1961 and 1962, Frank D. Lawrence Stadium from 1961 to 1969, and at Met Park from its opening in 1970 until the end of the 1992 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Williamsburg, Virginia</span> Independent city in Virginia, United States

Williamsburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 15,425. Located on the Virginia Peninsula, Williamsburg is in the northern part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. It is bordered by James City County on the west and south and York County on the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hampton, Virginia</span> Independent city in Virginia, United States

Hampton is an independent city in Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 137,148. It is the 7th-most populous city in Virginia and 204th-most populous city in the nation. Hampton is included in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, the 37th-largest in the United States, with a total population of 1,799,674 in 2020. This area, known as "America's First Region", also includes the independent cities of Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Suffolk, as well as other smaller cities, counties, and towns of Hampton Roads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hampton Roads</span> Body of water and metropolitan area in the U.S. states of Virginia and North Carolina

Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James, Nansemond, and Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point where the Chesapeake Bay flows into the Atlantic Ocean, and the surrounding metropolitan region located in the southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina portions of the Tidewater Region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport</span> Airport in Newport News, Virginia

Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport is in Newport News, Virginia, United States, and serves the Hampton Roads area along with Norfolk International Airport in Norfolk. The airport is owned and operated by the Peninsula Airport Commission, a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia. PHF covers 1,800 acres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WTKR</span> CBS affiliate in Norfolk, Virginia

WTKR is a television station licensed to Norfolk, Virginia, United States, serving the Hampton Roads area as an affiliate of CBS. It is owned by E. W. Scripps Company alongside Portsmouth-licensed CW affiliate WGNT. Both stations share studios on Boush Street near downtown Norfolk; WTKR's transmitter is located in Suffolk, Virginia.

WGNT is a television station licensed to Portsmouth, Virginia, United States, serving the Hampton Roads area as an affiliate of The CW. It is owned by the E. W. Scripps Company alongside Norfolk-licensed CBS affiliate WTKR. Both stations share studios on Boush Street in downtown Norfolk, while WGNT's transmitter is located in Suffolk, Virginia.

<i>The Virginian-Pilot</i> Newspaper in Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.

The Virginian-Pilot is the daily newspaper for Hampton Roads, Virginia United States. Commonly known as The Pilot, it is Virginia's largest daily. It serves the five cities of South Hampton Roads as well as several smaller towns across southeast Virginia and northeast North Carolina. It was a locally owned, family enterprise from its founding in 1865 at the close of the American Civil War until its sale to Tribune Publishing in 2018. Its headquarters is in Newport News, and prior to 2020 was in Norfolk.

The Virginia Gazette is the local newspaper of Williamsburg, Virginia. Established in 1930, it is named for the historical Virginia Gazette published between 1736 and 1780. It is published twice a week in the broadsheet format.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia State Route 168</span> State highway in Virginia, United States

State Route 168 is a primary state highway in the South Hampton Roads region of the U.S. state of Virginia. It runs from the border with North Carolina through the independent cities of Chesapeake and Norfolk where it ends in the Ocean View area near the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.

Tribune Publishing Company is an American newspaper print and online media publishing company. The company, which was acquired by Alden Global Capital in May 2021, has a portfolio that includes the Chicago Tribune, the New York Daily News, The Baltimore Sun, the Orlando Sentinel, South Florida's Sun-Sentinel, The Virginian-Pilot, the Hartford Courant, additional titles in Pennsylvania and Virginia, syndication operations, and websites. It also publishes several local newspapers in its metropolitan regions, which are organized in subsidiary groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City Center at Oyster Point</span> Business district in Newport News, Virginia, US

City Center at Oyster Point is a business district in the Oyster Point section of Newport News, Virginia. It is a 52-acre (210,000 m2) high density mixed-use development that has 230,000 sq ft (21,000 m2). of Retail Shops and Restaurants and 1,000,000 sq ft (100,000 m2). of Class A office space. It is inspired by the maritime history of the city, landscaped in a southern living style with views to a 5-acre (20,000 m2) fountain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newport News station</span> Railway station in Newport News, Virginia

Newport News station is an Amtrak intercity train station in Newport News, Virginia. The station is the southern terminus of two daily Northeast Regional round trips. It has a single side platform adjacent to a large CSX rail yard. An Amtrak Thruway motorcoach connection to Norfolk station effectively doubles the frequency between each station and Washington.

Parke Shepherd Rouse Jr. was an American journalist, writer and historian in Tidewater Virginia.

Lloyd Allen Dobyns Jr. was an American news reporter and correspondent. He worked for NBC from 1969 to 1986, hosting Weekend, NBC News Overnight, and Monitor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick Henry Mall</span> Shopping mall in Virginia, United States

Patrick Henry Mall is a shopping mall in Newport News, Virginia. It is located on Interstate 64 Westbound and Jefferson Ave at exit 255A. The mall is anchored by Dillard's, Dick's Sporting Goods, J. C. Penney and Macy's. In 2017 Patrick Henry lost Old Navy - a major tenant - when it chose to leave and move to Jefferson Commons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sentara Healthcare</span> Healthcare organization serving Virginia and northeastern North Carolina

Sentara Health is a not-for-profit healthcare organization serving Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. It is based in Norfolk, Virginia and offers services in 12 acute care hospitals, with 3,739 beds, 853,000 members in its health plan, 10 nursing centers, and three assisted living facilities across the two states. Sentara Healthcare operates its own managed-care plan in Optima Health which covers 450,000 subscribers in the region. It also operates four medical groups.

The 1899 William & Mary Orange and White football team was an American football team that represented the College of William & Mary as an independent during the 1899 college football season. Led by William H. Burke in his first and only season as head coach, the Orange and White compiled a record of 2–3.

The 1956 William & Mary Indians football team represented the College of William & Mary as a member of the Southern Conference (SoCon) during the 1956 NCAA University Division football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Jack Freeman the Indians compiled an overall record of 0–9–1 with a mark of 0–5 in conference play, and finished tenth in the SoCon. William & Mary played home games at Cary Field in Williamsburg, Virginia.

References

  1. ↑ Scarborough R2 2015, Base Norfolk DMA, Target Newport News Daily Press PMA
  2. ↑ Adobe Sitecatalyst by Omiture, Daily Press Media Group, Jan 2016
  3. ↑ Scarborough R2 2015, Base Newport News Daily Press PMA, Target Non-Daily Newspapers Average Issue The Virginia Gazette
  4. ↑ Scarborough R1 2014 Base Williamsburg Zip Codes 23185 and 23188
  5. ↑ Scarborough R1 2013 Norfolk DMA
  6. ↑ Sidersky, Elisha Sauers, Kimberly Pierceall, Robyn. "After more than a century, Norfolk family sells The Virginian-Pilot for $34 million". pilotonline.com. Retrieved 2021-04-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ↑ "Virginian-Pilot, Daily Press editor leaving newspapers". Associated Press. 2019-03-22. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
  8. ↑ "Daily Press office set to close in Newport News at end of Sept". Virginia Business. 2020-09-15. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
  9. ↑ Pierceall, Kimberly (2020-02-18). "The Virginian-Pilot to move headquarters to Newport News". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved 2023-12-26.
  10. ↑ "Daily Press Media Group wins state journalism, advertising awards". Virginia Peninsula Daily Press. April 10, 2016. Archived from the original on April 28, 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.