Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine)

The Sun Journal is a newspaper published in Lewiston, Maine, United States, which covers the west of Maine. In addition to its main office in Lewiston, the paper maintains satellite news and sales bureaus in the Maine towns of Farmington, Norway and Rumford. Its daily circulation is approximately 18,600, making it one of the most-read dailies in the state.[1]

Sun Journal
Front page on April 4, 2007
TypeDaily newspaper
FormatBroadsheet
Owner(s)Sun Media Group
PublisherReade Brower
EditorJudy Meyer
FoundedMay 20, 1847
Headquarters104 Park Street
Lewiston, Maine, U.S.
CountryUnited States
Websitesunjournal.com

Though its history dates back to 1847, the Sun Journal has existed in its current iteration since 1989, when Lewiston's two largest newspapers, the morning Lewiston Daily Sun and afternoon Lewiston Evening Journal were combined into one publication. Long owned and published by the Costello family, Reade Brower, owner of MaineToday Media purchased it in 2017.

History

The lineage of the Sun Journal can be traced back to May 20, 1847, when printer William Waldron and future Governor of Maine, Dr. Alonzo Garcelon founded Lewiston's first paper, a weekly called the Lewiston Falls Journal. In 1857, former employee Nelson Dingley Jr. became owner and publisher, and the paper entered into full-time daily publication in April 1861. It rebranded in 1866 as the Lewiston Evening Journal.

In 1893, The Lewiston Daily Sun emerged as a competitor and would, under the stewardship of George W. Wood, became the leading morning daily in the region. The two papers maintained a fierce rivalry until Wood purchased the Journal from the Dingley family on February 1, 1926, moving production from the Dingley Building to The Sun's facility at 104 Park Street in Lewiston.[2] By 1945, when Wood died, the Sun and Journal were the fourth and fifth most-read dailies in the state with circulations of 27,480 and 14,088, respectively.[3]

Wood's heir was Louis B. Costello, who began as The Sun's business manager in 1898 and was promoted to general manager and treasurer of the papers' publishing company in 1926. He, in turn, left the papers to his son Russell, who, in 1989, combined the two papers form the Sun Journal. In 2017, the Sun Media Group was sold by the Costello family to Reade Brower, owner of MaineToday Media.[4][5]

Prices
The Sun-Journal office at 104 Park Street.

The Sun Journal prices are: $1.50 daily, $2.50 Sunday.

Sister weeklies

On October 1, 2007, the Sun Journal purchased Kirkland Newspapers of Farmington, the publisher of four weekly newspapers:[6]

  • The Franklin Journal of Farmington (4,500 twice-weekly circulation)
  • The Rangeley Highlander of Rangeley (2,300 biweekly)
  • The Penobscot Times of Old Town (3,300 weekly)
  • Livermore Falls Advertiser of Livermore Falls (2,300 weekly)

The Sun Journal also owns The Forecaster, a free regional paper.

The Advertiser Democrat, Bethel Citizen, and Rumford Falls Times (weeklies) are published by the Sun Journal as well.

References
  1. "Owner of Portland Press Herald to buy Sun Journal in Lewiston". pressherald.com. 17 July 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  2. "Lewiston Journal Plant Is Sold". The Boston Globe. January 25, 1926. p. 10. Retrieved November 19, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Constantly Climbing". Bangor Daily News. October 15, 1945. p. 5. Retrieved November 19, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. Skelton, Kathryn (2007-07-17). "Sun Journal sold to MaineToday Media owner Reade Brower". Sun Journal. Retrieved 2017-10-28.
  5. Carpenter, Murray (26 November 2017). "Meet the Media Mogul of Maine". Retrieved 9 April 2018 – via NYTimes.com.
  6. "Lewiston, Maine, Newspaper Firm Buys 4 Other Maine Papers". NEPA Bulletin (Boston, Mass.), page 3, October 2007.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.