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36-398: The News and its sister newspapers printed their final edition on February 26, 2023, after almost 135 years of publication. Their digital operation, AL.com, survives. The Birmingham News was launched on March 14, 1888, by Rufus N. Rhodes as The Evening News , a four-page paper with two reporters and $ 800 of operating capital. At the time, the city of Birmingham was only 17 years old, but

72-448: A booming city, but also a rise in literacy rates and a middle class that was growing with increasing numbers of blue-collar jobs with increasing development of resources such as coal and cotton. At its peak, The Birmingham News reached more than 215,000 readers a week. On May 24, 2012, Advance Publications announced that its three Alabama newspapers would do away with print editions on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The move

108-554: A circulation of 17,000 in 1909. Staunchly progressive in its political stance, the News supported a straight-ticket Democrat platform in election seasons and championed progressive causes such as prohibition . The News led the drumbeat for the "Greater Birmingham" movement to annex suburban communities. The successful campaign caused the population of the City of Birmingham to grow from 40,000 in 1900 to 138,685 in 1910, at which time Birmingham

144-442: A falling out over a proposed public works project. Rhodes supported construction of a viaduct across "Railroad Reservation" dividing north and south Birmingham. The Herald ' s publisher opposed the project. The dispute ended with Rhodes leaving to launch the News with the slogan "Great is Birmingham and The News is its Prophet!" The "News Bridge" (21st Street Viaduct) was dedicated on July 4, 1891, which Rhodes' paper hailed as

180-400: A few blocks away, with the 2006 building on the market. In 2015, Infinity Property & Casualty Corp. purchased the old News building for $ 20 million. The Birmingham News in 1888 cost on average $ 5 a year and 25 cents for three months, compared to 2013, when it costs $ 35 for thirteen weeks. Between 1888 and 1895 it jumped from just 18,000 subscribers to 40,000. This leap was due to not only

216-402: A pretense that their reporting represents unadulterated neutrality, which is impossible. Instead, the civic journalism movement seeks to treat readers and community members as participants. With a small, but growing following, civic journalism has become as much of an ideology as it is a practice. The Wichita Eagle was at the forefront of this movement. For example, for elections held in 1990,

252-587: A rampant campaign of fining and towing motorists to corruptly keep the proceeds on fabricated charges. The team included a father-son duo in the two Archibalds. Kyle Whitmire won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary for a series called "State of Denial" on the legacy of the Confederacy in Alabama, and how it harmed and stunted the state. Rufus N. Rhodes Rufus Napoleon Rhodes (June 5, 1856– January 12, 1910)

288-663: A series about AIDS in Africa. In 2006 the News editorial staff were finalists for another Pulitzer for Editorial Writing for a series of editorials reversing the paper's longstanding support of the death penalty. That same year the paper won two Awards of Excellence from the Society for News Design for the paper's overall graphic layout. In 2007, reporter Brett Blackledge won the Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting for his series of articles exposing corruption in Alabama's two-year college system. In 2018, columnist John Archibald won

324-557: Is a daily newspaper published in Wichita, Kansas , United States. Originating in the early 1870s, shortly after the city's founding, it is owned by The McClatchy Company and is the largest newspaper in Wichita and the surrounding area. In the 1970s, merged with its longtime chief rival, the Wichita Beacon, it became The Wichita Eagle and Beacon or The Wichita Eagle-Beacon , until

360-535: Is dramatically bisected by a glass atrium. The 1917 building was demolished in 2008 in order to make room for a surface parking lot serving employees of the paper. The lot is between the new office building and the facility that houses The Birmingham News presses. On January 22, 2013, Alabama Media Group announced it was selling the building, saying the high-tech, modern and open facility was not conducive to its digital-first, print-last operations. In 2009, Advance Publications' three Alabama newspapers were organized into

396-822: The Birmingham News , on March 14, 1888 . He also served as a director of the Associated Press . Rhodes was a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions of 1892 and 1904, and served as a brigadier general in the Alabama National Guard in 1898. He was the first editor to endorse Grover Cleveland as president. He died in Birmingham, Alabama , and is buried in Birmingham's Elmwood Cemetery . The Wichita Eagle The Wichita Eagle

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432-741: The Eagle became part of The McClatchy Company when McClatchy bought Knight Ridder. On November 18, 1996, the Eagle launched its first website, Wichita Online , at wichitaeagle.com. On January 22, 2000, it shifted its primary content to the domain kansas.com. In spring 2016, McClatchy Company announced that it would transfer printing of the Eagle from Wichita to its Kansas City Star printing line in Kansas City, Missouri , which already prints other newspapers such as Lawrence Journal-World and Topeka Capital-Journal . The move eliminated 27 full-time and 47 part-time jobs. The building will be sold and

468-504: The Eagle in the morning, the Beacon in the evening, the Eagle and Beacon on Sunday. In 1973, the Murdock family sold the paper to Ridder Publications. Ridder and Knight Newspapers merged in 1974 to form Knight Ridder , which combined the two newspapers into The Wichita Eagle-Beacon in 1980. In 1989, the Beacon name was dropped, and the newspaper became The Wichita Eagle . In 2006,

504-593: The News acquired Birmingham magazine from the Birmingham Business Alliance. The Birmingham News maintained bureaus in Montgomery and Washington, D.C. The Washington bureau was closed in September 2012. The Birmingham News moved out of its 2006 building in 2014, after its owners cut back publication and could no longer afford to occupy the large building. The News moved into a renovated old warehouse

540-479: The Pulitzer Prize for Commentary for his columns about former governor Robert J. Bentley , former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore and corruption in state politics. In 2023, the newspaper won two Pulitzer Prizes. John Archibald, Ashley Remkus, Ramsey Archibald, and Challen Stephens won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting for a series on a scandal in Brookside, Alabama where police officers had engaged on

576-461: The "grandest of all municipal achievements of great and glorious Birmingham." The News circulation grew from 628 in 1888 to more than 7,000 in 1891, when it became the largest daily in Alabama and won the contract to publish the General Laws of Alabama. The name changed first to The Evening News , then The Daily News , and, in 1895, The Birmingham News . The newspaper continued to grow, reaching

612-566: The Advance Alabama Group, headed by Ricky Mathews, publisher of the Mobile newspaper. Although Advance had owned the News since 1956, the Hanson family continued to run the business until December 1, 2009, when Victor H. Hanson III (1956–), retired at the age of 52. Hanson was replaced by Pam Siddall, previously the publisher of The Wichita Eagle and The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer . In 2011,

648-533: The Beacon moniker was dropped in 1989. In 1870, The Vidette was the first newspaper established in Wichita by Fred A. Sowers and W. B. Hutchinson. It operated briefly. On April 12, 1872, The Wichita Eagle was founded and edited by Marshall M. Murdock, and it became a daily paper in May 1884. His son, Victor Murdock , was a reporter for the paper during his teens, the managing editor from 1894 to 1903, an editor from

684-611: The editing staff will move to a smaller location in downtown Wichita. In fall 2016, Cargill announced that it would move its "Protein Group" headquarters from downtown Wichita into a new $ 60 Million building on the site of the former Eagle building at 825 East Douglas Avenue in Old Town. In January 2017, the paper announced it had signed a deal for office space in the Old Town area of downtown Wichita. It plans to move newsroom and advertising employees to 330 North Mead (from 825 East Douglas) in

720-414: The evening paper. This move reinforced the News's preeminent role as morning papers were the norm. On August 10, 2006, the News cut the ribbon on their new headquarters building across 4th Avenue from their 1917 plant. The $ 25 million, 4-story, 110,000-square-foot (10,000 m) brick and limestone building, designed by Williams-Blackstock Architects, borrows several details from the older building and

756-511: The largest sum that had been paid at the time for a daily newspaper. The privately held Advance continues to own the News as well as The Huntsville Times and Mobile's Press-Register , the three largest newspapers in Alabama, as well as their shared website, al.com. In 1997, the News Company switched the morning and evening publications, making the News the morning paper and the Post-Herald

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792-449: The mid-1920s until his death in 1945. In October 1872, The Wichita Daily Beacon was founded by Fred A. Sowers and David Millison. It published daily for two months, then weekly until 1884 when it went back to daily. In 1907, Henry Allen purchased the Beacon and was publisher for many years. The Eagle and Beacon competed for 88 years, then in 1960 the Eagle purchased the Beacon . Both newspapers continued to be published,

828-536: The new Birmingham Post-Herald into the Birmingham News building. The News press printed both papers and handled advertising and subscriptions sales while the editorial and reporting staffs remained independent. The agreement lasted until the Post-Herald ceased publication in September 2005, leaving the News as Birmingham's only daily newspaper. In 1956, the Hanson family sold the News to S. I. Newhouse Sr. 's Advance Publications in New York for $ 18 million,

864-524: The paper in 2017, when offering a political endorsement, it generally skews toward the Republican Party with a few exceptions. The paper endorsed Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 United States presidential election , and on November 18, 2017, it endorsed Democrat Doug Jones in the 2017 U.S. Senate special election in Alabama . Former Birmingham News reporter Victor Gold was in 1964 an aide to U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater and subsequently

900-573: The paper made good use of its new space by purchasing the rival Birmingham Ledger , increasing the size of its staff to 748 and its circulation to 60,000. In 1927 the Birmingham Age-Herald was sold to Hanson, who continued publishing both papers. In 1950 Scripps-Howard , which already owned the Birmingham Post , bought the Age-Herald but entered into a joint-operating agreement that moved

936-420: The paper polled 500 residents to identify their top concerns for the state. Then, over the course of the elections, reporters for the paper attempted to pin down the candidates on how they felt about these issues, and printed a pull-out section each week with a list of the issues and where the candidates stated they stood. If the candidate refused to take a stand, that was also reported. This is in stark contrast to

972-519: The press secretary to Vice President Spiro T. Agnew . He was also affiliated with President George H. W. Bush . In 1991, Ron Casey, Harold Jackson and Joey Kennedy received a Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing for their editorial campaign analyzing inequities in Alabama's tax system and proposing needed reforms. In 2006, staff photographer Bernard Troncale took top honors at the Society of Professional Journalists' Green Eyeshade Awards for his work on

1008-626: The second-largest city in the United States to not be served by a daily newspaper; New Orleans became the largest that same day. New Orleans lost that dubious distinction when Baton Rouge's daily newspaper, The Advocate , began publication of a daily edition in New Orleans; further, on June 24, 2013, The Times-Picayune resumed daily publication with a tabloid edition called "TP Street" sold only through newsstands and retailers. The owners of The Advocate bought The Times-Picayune in 2019 and merged

1044-671: The spring of 2017. The new site is located southeast of the Warren Old Town Theater. Effective October 23, 2023, the paper's daily print edition will be delivered via the U.S. Mail instead of delivery by a local carrier. The paper built its national reputation largely under the editorship of W. Davis "Buzz" Merritt Jr. , one of the earliest and most vocal proponents of civic journalism (also known as public journalism) which believes that journalists and their audiences are not merely spectators in political and social processes, and that journalists should not simply report dry facts as

1080-403: The time of the move, the News published this opinion: "The News is proud of its new home and believes it to be the handsomest and best equipped in the entire South. Publishers from other cities have been kind enough to say that nowhere in the land was there a more adequate, convenient and efficient newspaper plant. Many thousands of dollars have been expended with that end in view." A year later

1116-426: The title of "The South's Greatest Newspaper". In 1912, the evening paper launched a Sunday edition in direct competition with the morning Age-Herald . By 1920, the News dominated the lucrative Sunday market. Its edition had a circulation of 48,055, compared to 29,795 for the Age-Herald . In 1917 the News moved to a new six-story Jacobean-style office building on the corner of 4th Avenue North and 22nd Street. At

The Birmingham News - Misplaced Pages Continue

1152-704: The two into one daily newspaper. With the changes in New Orleans, Birmingham became the largest city in the country without its own daily newspaper and remained so until the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reduced publication from daily to five editions per week in 2018, then to twice a week in 2021. On November 3, 2022, Advance management announced that the News, as well as its sister newspapers in Huntsville and Mobile, would discontinue its print edition on February 26, 2023, and convert to an all-digital operation. According to

1188-457: Was a result of the continuing decline in advertising revenue and circulation for its traditional print products. The move places increased emphasis on their website, al.com, and reorganizes the Alabama properties into two companies: Alabama Media Group, the editorial and advertising side; and Advance Central Services Alabama, which handles production, distribution and back-office services. The changes took effect on October 1, 2012, making Birmingham

1224-460: Was an already booming industrial city and a beacon of the " New South " still recovering from the aftermath of the American Civil War and Reconstruction . Newspapers joined with industrial tycoons, academics and real-estate speculators in relentless boosterism of the new city. Prior to starting the paper, Rhodes worked as editor of the city's Daily Herald. However, he and the publisher had

1260-842: Was the founder, publisher, and managing editor of the Birmingham News in Alabama from 1888 until his death. Rhodes was born in Mississippi . He was a lawyer by profession. Rhodes practiced law in Clarksville, Tennessee , for four years. For a time, he was a private secretary to United States Senator James E. Bailey of Tennessee , and served for one term in the Tennessee House of Representatives . He later practiced law for four years in Chicago, Illinois . He then moved to Birmingham, Alabama . Rhodes launched The Evening News , later renamed

1296-653: Was the third largest city in the South . That same year, Rhodes died and was succeeded by his vice-president and general manager, Victor H. Hanson (1876–1945). Hanson, only 33 years old, was already an accomplished newspaperman, having at age 11 founded the City Item in Macon, Georgia , which he sold four years later for $ 2,500. Hanson helped modernize the newspaper's format, tone and operations and oversaw an increase in subscriptions from 18,000 in 1910 to 40,000 in 1914, when he boldly claimed

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