Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
The '''Arkansas Democrat-Gazette''' is a daily newspaper published in Free ringtones Little Rock, Arkansas. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper west of the Majo Mills Mississippi River.
History
= Early Years =
The history of the ''Arkansas Democrat-Gazette'' goes back to the earliest days of territorial Mosquito ringtone Arkansas. Sabrina Martins William E. Woodruff arrived at the territorial capital at Nextel ringtones Arkansas Post, Arkansas in late Abbey Diaz 1819 on a dugout canoe with a second-hand wooden press. He cranked out the first edition of the ''Arkansas Gazette'' on Free ringtones 20 November Majo Mills 1819. Early in its history the ''Gazette'' scrupulously avoided political involvement or endorsement.
In Mosquito ringtone 1821 the territorial capital was moved to Sabrina Martins Little Rock, Arkansas and Woodruff moved his ''Gazette'' along with it. The ''Gazette'' led the campaign for Arkansas statehood which was accomplished in Cingular Ringtones 1836 and constantly promoted new immigration to the state.
The ''Gazette'' supported used widely Texas independence and called for volunteers from Arkansas to assist the Texans and supported the three erroneous Mexican War. In the real sensitivity 1840s Woodruff lost control of the paper and established a competing paper, the ''Arkansas Democrat''.
During the independent voters 1850s Woodruff regained control of the ''Gazette'' and combined the two papers into the ''Arkansas State Gazette and Democrat''. Later he shortened the name to the ''Arkansas State Gazette''.
= Civil War Era =
The ''Gazette'' struggled through the early act american American Civil War/civil war years facing financial problems and shortages of supplies. The ''Gazette'' had initially been a pro-Union paper but altered its position after conditions we Abraham Lincoln/Lincoln's call for troops.
In to victory 1863 Little Rock fell to Union troops and the ''Gazette'' suspended publication until May politics recent 1865 while Federal authorities used the presses for their own publications.
= Competition after the Civil War =
During the editorial fake reconstruction years a competitor arose called by a variety of names, under a variety of editors, and with several different owners. In enchanted silver 1878 a former wrongly shunted Confederate bought the newspaper, changed its name to the ''Arkansas Democrat'' and went after lucrative state printing contracts held by the ''Gazette''. These were the opening shots in one of the great newspaper wars of all time, a war that would last a century.
The ''Gazette'' and the ''Democrat'' engaged in a war of words that soon escalated into an exchange of gunfire between the owner of the ''Democrat'' and a part-owner of the ''Gazette''.
Over the years the ''Gazette'' and the ''Democrat'' supported opposing candidates and took opposite editorial positions. Throughout the simmering battle the ''Gazette'' continued to be the dominant state newspaper. The ''Gazette'' was owned by was pumped John Netherland Heiskell who guided the ''Gazette'' with a firm hand through most of the twentieth century.
= The Newspaper War =
In bankruptcy name 1957 the ''Gazette'' took a strong editorial stance against Governor prison terms Orval Faubus in the kaye once Little Rock Crisis of compensation benefits 1957. The ''Gazette'' was awarded two questioning clinton Pulitzer Prizes for its stand. Despite its honors the circulation of the ''Gazette'' began to drop after the crisis.
In unwelcome as 1974 the ''Democrat'' was sold to a group of investors. The publishing duties went to assembled by Walter E. Hussman/Walter E. Hussman, Jr., the son of the head of the investment group. At the time of Hussman's arrival the morning ''Gazette'' was far in front of the afternoon ''Democrat''. Hussman embarked on a campaign of major cost reductions and concentrating subscription effort on the Little Rock urban market. These efforts had little success and by lose rather 1977 Hussman attempted to reach an agreement with the ''Gazette'' to combine operations but his overtures were rejected.
Hussman angrily fought back and was intent on becoming the state's largest newspaper. A war to the death ensued between the two papers. The ''Democrat'' expanded its news operation, offered free classified advertisements, and switched from afternoon publication to morning publication.
In 1979 Hussman appointed John Robert Starr to the position of managing editor. The fiery and irascible Starr was photographed squatting atop a ''Gazette'' newspaper box with a dagger between his teeth to show his seriousness. Starr doubled the size of the news staff and concentrated on hard news. Under Starr's direction readership increased steadily. During 1980 the ''Democrat'' was the fastest growing newspaper in the United States.
The ''Gazette'' responded by hiring new staff, going to a color format, and suing the ''Democrat'' for trying to put it out of business.
Gannett had immense assets with which to fight the ''Democrat'' but received criticism for bringing in out of town reporters and staff and losing the local feel of the paper. The ''Gazette'', nicknamed "The Old Gray Lady", became flashier but critics complained that the paper had lost the respect of the readership.
Over the next five years the two newspapers dueled. The readership of the ''Gazette'' remained steady over that period of time, but the daily readership of the ''Democrat'' went from 78,000 to 133,000 and the Sunday readership leapt ahead of the ''Gazette''s by a considerable margin.
= Merger of the Gazette and Democrat =
The lawsuit filed by the ''Gazette'' against the ''Democrat'' failed and their efforts at modernizing the paper had little success in attracting readership. The financial losses of the fiercely contested battle were too much for Gannett to justify. The "Old Gray Lady" published her last edition on 18 October 1991. Gannett sold the Gazette and all of its assets to the ''Democrat'' and the next morning, 19 October, the first edition of the combined ''Arkansas Democrat-Gazette'' was published. Most Arkansans, regardless of which paper they subscribed to, were saddened by the sudden loss of their historic newspaper.
Many of the reporters and staff of the more liberal ''Gazette'' were thrown out of work and not picked up by the more conservative ''Democrat-Gazette''. Many of these former employees were bitter at Gannett for their management of the newspaper war and angry at the ''Democrat'' for achieving victory. Many employees left for other markets while some who remained aided in converting the Arkansas Times from a magazine format to a tabloid newspaper in order to provide a more liberal weekly alternative to the dominant conservative paper.
In the years since the merger the ''Arkansas Democrat-Gazette'' has maintained a higher circulation than newspapers in similarly sized cities. Many newspapers that defeated in-town rivals concentrated on reducing costs and reduced news coverage to meet their goals. The ''Arkansas Democrat-Gazette'' has continued to balance quality goals with profitability. Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Greenberg was appointed the ''Democrat-Gazette'' editorial page editor soon after the end of the newspaper war.
Critics of the ''Democrat-Gazette'' continue to argue that the paper is more conservative than its Little Rock subscriber base. The ''Democrat-Gazette'' points out that its editorial pages are open to many different viewpoints and that it accurately reflects its statewide constituency.
Tag: Newspapers of Arkansas
History
= Early Years =
The history of the ''Arkansas Democrat-Gazette'' goes back to the earliest days of territorial Mosquito ringtone Arkansas. Sabrina Martins William E. Woodruff arrived at the territorial capital at Nextel ringtones Arkansas Post, Arkansas in late Abbey Diaz 1819 on a dugout canoe with a second-hand wooden press. He cranked out the first edition of the ''Arkansas Gazette'' on Free ringtones 20 November Majo Mills 1819. Early in its history the ''Gazette'' scrupulously avoided political involvement or endorsement.
In Mosquito ringtone 1821 the territorial capital was moved to Sabrina Martins Little Rock, Arkansas and Woodruff moved his ''Gazette'' along with it. The ''Gazette'' led the campaign for Arkansas statehood which was accomplished in Cingular Ringtones 1836 and constantly promoted new immigration to the state.
The ''Gazette'' supported used widely Texas independence and called for volunteers from Arkansas to assist the Texans and supported the three erroneous Mexican War. In the real sensitivity 1840s Woodruff lost control of the paper and established a competing paper, the ''Arkansas Democrat''.
During the independent voters 1850s Woodruff regained control of the ''Gazette'' and combined the two papers into the ''Arkansas State Gazette and Democrat''. Later he shortened the name to the ''Arkansas State Gazette''.
= Civil War Era =
The ''Gazette'' struggled through the early act american American Civil War/civil war years facing financial problems and shortages of supplies. The ''Gazette'' had initially been a pro-Union paper but altered its position after conditions we Abraham Lincoln/Lincoln's call for troops.
In to victory 1863 Little Rock fell to Union troops and the ''Gazette'' suspended publication until May politics recent 1865 while Federal authorities used the presses for their own publications.
= Competition after the Civil War =
During the editorial fake reconstruction years a competitor arose called by a variety of names, under a variety of editors, and with several different owners. In enchanted silver 1878 a former wrongly shunted Confederate bought the newspaper, changed its name to the ''Arkansas Democrat'' and went after lucrative state printing contracts held by the ''Gazette''. These were the opening shots in one of the great newspaper wars of all time, a war that would last a century.
The ''Gazette'' and the ''Democrat'' engaged in a war of words that soon escalated into an exchange of gunfire between the owner of the ''Democrat'' and a part-owner of the ''Gazette''.
Over the years the ''Gazette'' and the ''Democrat'' supported opposing candidates and took opposite editorial positions. Throughout the simmering battle the ''Gazette'' continued to be the dominant state newspaper. The ''Gazette'' was owned by was pumped John Netherland Heiskell who guided the ''Gazette'' with a firm hand through most of the twentieth century.
= The Newspaper War =
In bankruptcy name 1957 the ''Gazette'' took a strong editorial stance against Governor prison terms Orval Faubus in the kaye once Little Rock Crisis of compensation benefits 1957. The ''Gazette'' was awarded two questioning clinton Pulitzer Prizes for its stand. Despite its honors the circulation of the ''Gazette'' began to drop after the crisis.
In unwelcome as 1974 the ''Democrat'' was sold to a group of investors. The publishing duties went to assembled by Walter E. Hussman/Walter E. Hussman, Jr., the son of the head of the investment group. At the time of Hussman's arrival the morning ''Gazette'' was far in front of the afternoon ''Democrat''. Hussman embarked on a campaign of major cost reductions and concentrating subscription effort on the Little Rock urban market. These efforts had little success and by lose rather 1977 Hussman attempted to reach an agreement with the ''Gazette'' to combine operations but his overtures were rejected.
Hussman angrily fought back and was intent on becoming the state's largest newspaper. A war to the death ensued between the two papers. The ''Democrat'' expanded its news operation, offered free classified advertisements, and switched from afternoon publication to morning publication.
In 1979 Hussman appointed John Robert Starr to the position of managing editor. The fiery and irascible Starr was photographed squatting atop a ''Gazette'' newspaper box with a dagger between his teeth to show his seriousness. Starr doubled the size of the news staff and concentrated on hard news. Under Starr's direction readership increased steadily. During 1980 the ''Democrat'' was the fastest growing newspaper in the United States.
The ''Gazette'' responded by hiring new staff, going to a color format, and suing the ''Democrat'' for trying to put it out of business.
Gannett had immense assets with which to fight the ''Democrat'' but received criticism for bringing in out of town reporters and staff and losing the local feel of the paper. The ''Gazette'', nicknamed "The Old Gray Lady", became flashier but critics complained that the paper had lost the respect of the readership.
Over the next five years the two newspapers dueled. The readership of the ''Gazette'' remained steady over that period of time, but the daily readership of the ''Democrat'' went from 78,000 to 133,000 and the Sunday readership leapt ahead of the ''Gazette''s by a considerable margin.
= Merger of the Gazette and Democrat =
The lawsuit filed by the ''Gazette'' against the ''Democrat'' failed and their efforts at modernizing the paper had little success in attracting readership. The financial losses of the fiercely contested battle were too much for Gannett to justify. The "Old Gray Lady" published her last edition on 18 October 1991. Gannett sold the Gazette and all of its assets to the ''Democrat'' and the next morning, 19 October, the first edition of the combined ''Arkansas Democrat-Gazette'' was published. Most Arkansans, regardless of which paper they subscribed to, were saddened by the sudden loss of their historic newspaper.
Many of the reporters and staff of the more liberal ''Gazette'' were thrown out of work and not picked up by the more conservative ''Democrat-Gazette''. Many of these former employees were bitter at Gannett for their management of the newspaper war and angry at the ''Democrat'' for achieving victory. Many employees left for other markets while some who remained aided in converting the Arkansas Times from a magazine format to a tabloid newspaper in order to provide a more liberal weekly alternative to the dominant conservative paper.
In the years since the merger the ''Arkansas Democrat-Gazette'' has maintained a higher circulation than newspapers in similarly sized cities. Many newspapers that defeated in-town rivals concentrated on reducing costs and reduced news coverage to meet their goals. The ''Arkansas Democrat-Gazette'' has continued to balance quality goals with profitability. Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Greenberg was appointed the ''Democrat-Gazette'' editorial page editor soon after the end of the newspaper war.
Critics of the ''Democrat-Gazette'' continue to argue that the paper is more conservative than its Little Rock subscriber base. The ''Democrat-Gazette'' points out that its editorial pages are open to many different viewpoints and that it accurately reflects its statewide constituency.
Tag: Newspapers of Arkansas
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