Birmingham Post-Herald
Encyclopedia
The Birmingham Post-Herald was a daily newspaper
in Birmingham, Alabama
with roots dating back to 1850, before the founding of Birmingham. The final edition was published on September 23, 2005. In its last full year, its average daily circulation was 7,544, down from 8,948 the previous year.
, established the Elyton Herald, Jefferson County
's first newspaper. The early years of the newspaper were marked by frequent changes of name and ownership. In the 1860s, Cantley sold the weekly paper to Henry A. Hale. In 1871, the year that the new industrial center of Birmingham was incorporated, Hale sold the business to R. H. Henley, who was also Birmingham's first mayor. Henley renamed the paper the Birmingham Sun and published it himself for the first six months, before selling it to Thomas McLaughlin and James Matthews, who again changed the name to The Jefferson Independent. The Independent lasted for two years before it was bought by Willis Roberts and Frank M. Grace, who again changed the name, this time to The Weekly Iron Age.
In 1881, the paper again changed hands. The new owners, W.C. Garrett and R.H. Thornton, again changed the name to The Daily Birmingham Age and began daily publication for the first time. With the addition of national and world news items from the Associated Press
the Age reached a peak of success, ranking second only to The Atlanta Constitution
in the Southern
market in advertising dollars.
In 1887 Rufus N. Rhodes
founded a rival newspaper, The Daily Herald appeared on the streets of Birmingham. After a year as competitors, the two papers merged on November 8, 1888, to form The Birmingham Age-Herald. This combined paper was sold in 1896 to an upstart rival, The Daily State. For two years it was published under the Daily State Herald masthead before controlling interest was sold to E. W. Barrett and the Age-Herald name restored.
During this time, E. W. Barrett died and his widow sold the Age-Herald to Frederick I. Thompson, Donald Comer and B. B. Comer
. In 1927 the paper was sold to another rival, Victor H. Hanson, publisher of The Birmingham News
. Hanson published both papers simultaneously, the Age-Herald in the morning and The Birmingham News in the evenings. On Sundays, a joint Birmingham News Age-Herald edition was distributed.
Another merger occurred in 1950 when the Age-Herald joined with the Scripps-Howard-owned Birmingham Post, which had grown to a large circulation since its founding in 1921 by Ed Leech. By the terms of the merger, the News and Post-Herald became independent papers published under a joint operating agreement. Circulation, advertising and printing were provided by The Birmingham News Company. The Post-Herald published on weekday mornings while the News became the sole evening and Sunday paper.
The Post-Herald figured in several episodes of the civil rights movement. Post-Herald photographer Tommy Langston's 1961 image of Ku Klux Klan
members attacking Freedom Riders attracted national attention because it showed FBI informant Gary Thomas Rowe in the violent mob. Langston himself was badly beaten after making the picture. In 1962, Post-Herald editor Jimmy Mills was arrested for publishing an election-day editorial suggesting how citizens should vote. Mills fought his conviction all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court
, which held in Mills v. Alabama that the state could not prohibit campaigning on election day.
.
The long-expected closure was announced to staffers and then to the public by E. W. Scripps executives on the morning of September 22, 2005, the day before the final edition. The announcement said that the Birmingham market could simply no longer support two newspapers, thus continuing a trend of big-city afternoon newspapers either folding or merging with morning newspapers. Writer Clarke Stallworth held the distinction of writing the lead story for the front page of both the first and last editions of the Post-Herald.
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
in Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
with roots dating back to 1850, before the founding of Birmingham. The final edition was published on September 23, 2005. In its last full year, its average daily circulation was 7,544, down from 8,948 the previous year.
History
In 1850 John Cantley, a merchant from TuscaloosaTuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
, established the Elyton Herald, Jefferson County
Jefferson County, Alabama
Jefferson County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Alabama, with its county seat being located in Birmingham.As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Jefferson County was 658,466...
's first newspaper. The early years of the newspaper were marked by frequent changes of name and ownership. In the 1860s, Cantley sold the weekly paper to Henry A. Hale. In 1871, the year that the new industrial center of Birmingham was incorporated, Hale sold the business to R. H. Henley, who was also Birmingham's first mayor. Henley renamed the paper the Birmingham Sun and published it himself for the first six months, before selling it to Thomas McLaughlin and James Matthews, who again changed the name to The Jefferson Independent. The Independent lasted for two years before it was bought by Willis Roberts and Frank M. Grace, who again changed the name, this time to The Weekly Iron Age.
In 1881, the paper again changed hands. The new owners, W.C. Garrett and R.H. Thornton, again changed the name to The Daily Birmingham Age and began daily publication for the first time. With the addition of national and world news items from the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
the Age reached a peak of success, ranking second only to The Atlanta Constitution
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is the only major daily newspaper in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, and its suburbs. The AJC, as it is called, is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is the result of the merger between The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta...
in the Southern
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
market in advertising dollars.
In 1887 Rufus N. Rhodes
Rufus N. Rhodes
Rufus Napoleon Rhodes was the founder and managing editor of the Birmingham News from 1888 until his death....
founded a rival newspaper, The Daily Herald appeared on the streets of Birmingham. After a year as competitors, the two papers merged on November 8, 1888, to form The Birmingham Age-Herald. This combined paper was sold in 1896 to an upstart rival, The Daily State. For two years it was published under the Daily State Herald masthead before controlling interest was sold to E. W. Barrett and the Age-Herald name restored.
During this time, E. W. Barrett died and his widow sold the Age-Herald to Frederick I. Thompson, Donald Comer and B. B. Comer
B. B. Comer
Braxton Bragg Comer was an American Democratic politician who was the 33rd Governor of Alabama from 1907 to 1911.-Early Life and Education:...
. In 1927 the paper was sold to another rival, Victor H. Hanson, publisher of The Birmingham News
The Birmingham News
The Birmingham News is the principal daily newspaper for Birmingham, Alabama, United States, and the largest newspaper in Alabama. The paper is owned by Advance Publications...
. Hanson published both papers simultaneously, the Age-Herald in the morning and The Birmingham News in the evenings. On Sundays, a joint Birmingham News Age-Herald edition was distributed.
Another merger occurred in 1950 when the Age-Herald joined with the Scripps-Howard-owned Birmingham Post, which had grown to a large circulation since its founding in 1921 by Ed Leech. By the terms of the merger, the News and Post-Herald became independent papers published under a joint operating agreement. Circulation, advertising and printing were provided by The Birmingham News Company. The Post-Herald published on weekday mornings while the News became the sole evening and Sunday paper.
The Post-Herald figured in several episodes of the civil rights movement. Post-Herald photographer Tommy Langston's 1961 image of Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
members attacking Freedom Riders attracted national attention because it showed FBI informant Gary Thomas Rowe in the violent mob. Langston himself was badly beaten after making the picture. In 1962, Post-Herald editor Jimmy Mills was arrested for publishing an election-day editorial suggesting how citizens should vote. Mills fought his conviction all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
, which held in Mills v. Alabama that the state could not prohibit campaigning on election day.
Decline
In 1996, the News Company instigated a switch between the morning and evening publications, again creating a joint weekend edition (distributed on Saturdays). This move reinforced The News pre-eminent role in a time when morning papers are the norm. Toward the end of its existence, the Post-Herald adopted a niche of emphasizing more detailed local stories and featuring well-known local columnists, including Paul FinebaumPaul Finebaum
Paul Finebaum is an American sports author, television and radio personality and former columnist based in Birmingham, Alabama. His primary focus is sports, particularly those in the Southeast. Finebaum was born in Memphis, Tennessee and attended the University of Tennessee, where he received a...
.
The long-expected closure was announced to staffers and then to the public by E. W. Scripps executives on the morning of September 22, 2005, the day before the final edition. The announcement said that the Birmingham market could simply no longer support two newspapers, thus continuing a trend of big-city afternoon newspapers either folding or merging with morning newspapers. Writer Clarke Stallworth held the distinction of writing the lead story for the front page of both the first and last editions of the Post-Herald.
External links
- Birmingham Post-Herald's website
- Scripps Closing 'Birmingham Post-Herald,' Dissolving JOA, a September 2005 Editor & PublisherEditor & PublisherEditor & Publisher is a monthly magazine covering the North American newspaper industry. It is based in New York City. E&P calls itself "America's Oldest Journal Covering the Newspaper Industry" and describes itself on its website as "the authoritative journal covering all aspects of the North...
article - official closing-press release