Statesman Journal
Encyclopedia
The Statesman Journal is the major daily newspaper published in Salem
, Oregon
, United States
. Founded in 1851, the Oregon Statesman later merged with the Capital Journal to form the current newspaper, the second-oldest in Oregon. The Statesman Journal is distributed in Salem, Keizer
, and much of the mid-Willamette Valley
. The average daily circulation is 38,099 Monday-Friday, 37,602 Saturday, with Sunday readership of 46,745.
, a Democrat
, in response to the Whig
-controlled Portland
-based paper, The Oregonian
. Congressional delegate Samuel Thurston assisted Bush in starting the newspaper while Thurston was in Washington, DC. Printed using a hand press, the paper was originally based in Oregon City
, but moved to Salem in June 1853 when the Oregon State Capitol
was relocated to that city. The paper was used as a mouthpiece of the Democratic Party and of the Salem Clique that ran the party in Salem.
In March 1863, Bush sold the paper and entered the banking field. The name of the paper was changed to the Salem Statesman and became less of a partisan newspaper. In 1866, the Statesman ceased publication, only to resume in 1869 under the guidance of editor Samuel A. Clarke and under the new moniker of The Statesman and Unionist. The Unionist portion was removed from the name within a short amount of time, and in 1884 R. J. Hendricks became the paper's manager and editor, positions he held for 44 years. Also in 1884, ownership passed to Jasper Wilkins and Alonzo Gesner
, with Gesner selling out his part within a year. Will H. Parry established the Capital Journal on March 1, 1888, initially as a for-profit venture and an outlet for the Republican Party
. Parry sold the Journal by the end of the year, one of many ownership changes in subsequent years.
Around 1918, George P. Putnam
purchased the Capital Journal and served as editor for 30 years before selling to Bernard Mainwaring
in 1953. Meanwhile, Charles A. Sprague
, who went on to become governor of Oregon
, bought the Statesman in 1929. In 1954, Mainwaring and Sprague agreed that their respective papers should cooperate closely. The Journal moved into the Statesmans new facility and the two papers began sharing printing facilities while keeping independent writers and editors.
In 1973, both papers were sold to national publisher Gannett, the company that publishes USA Today
. In 1980, they were combined to form the Statesman Journal. Dating to the Statesman's inception, it is the second-oldest Oregon newspaper. The paper won ten first-place awards in the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association's annual Better Newspaper Contest in 2001, the most in its division. In the 2006 contest, the paper took first place in its division for overall excellence, best editorial page, and best editorial. In July 2008, Steve Silberman was named the publisher of the newspaper.
. Coverage includes state politics, Salem area news, area sports, business news, and lifestyle news. Circulation
is focused on Marion
and Polk
counties with a market size of 323,3000 residents, with some additional circulation in neighboring Linn
, Lincoln
, Yamhill
, and Benton
counties. In 2008 The Statesman Journal had circulation of 46,826 from Monday through Saturday, and 53,367 Sunday. In 2010, average daily circulation had declined to 38,099 Monday-Friday and 37,602 Saturday, with Sunday readership of 46,745. The newspaper also operates the StatesmanJournal.com website along with The Stayton Mail of Stayton
and the Appeal Tribune of Silverton
.
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Founded in 1851, the Oregon Statesman later merged with the Capital Journal to form the current newspaper, the second-oldest in Oregon. The Statesman Journal is distributed in Salem, Keizer
Keizer, Oregon
Keizer is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States, along the 45th parallel. It was named for Thomas Dove and John Brooks Keizer, two pioneers who arrived in the Wagon Train of 1843, and later filed donation land claims. The population was 36,278 at the 2010 census...
, and much of the mid-Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is the most populated region in the state of Oregon of the United States. Located in the state's northwest, the region is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and the valley's floor is broad, flat and fertile because of Ice Age conditions...
. The average daily circulation is 38,099 Monday-Friday, 37,602 Saturday, with Sunday readership of 46,745.
History
The Oregon Statesman was founded on March 28, 1851, by Asahel BushAsahel Bush
Asahel Bush was an American newspaper publisher and businessman in Salem, Oregon. As publisher the Oregon Statesman newspaper, he moved the paper to Salem when the territorial capital moved to that city...
, a Democrat
Democratic Party of Oregon
The Democratic Party of Oregon, based in Portland, is the official Oregon affiliate of the United States Democratic Party. It is recognized by the state of Oregon as a major political party, along with the Oregon Republican Party...
, in response to the Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
-controlled Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
-based paper, The Oregonian
The Oregonian
The Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
. Congressional delegate Samuel Thurston assisted Bush in starting the newspaper while Thurston was in Washington, DC. Printed using a hand press, the paper was originally based in Oregon City
Oregon City, Oregon
Oregon City was the first city in the United States west of the Rocky Mountains to be incorporated. It is the county seat of Clackamas County, Oregon...
, but moved to Salem in June 1853 when the Oregon State Capitol
Oregon State Capitol
The Oregon State Capitol is the building housing the state legislature and the offices of the governor, secretary of state, and treasurer of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located in the state capital, Salem. The current building, constructed from 1936 to 1938, and expanded in 1977, is the third...
was relocated to that city. The paper was used as a mouthpiece of the Democratic Party and of the Salem Clique that ran the party in Salem.
In March 1863, Bush sold the paper and entered the banking field. The name of the paper was changed to the Salem Statesman and became less of a partisan newspaper. In 1866, the Statesman ceased publication, only to resume in 1869 under the guidance of editor Samuel A. Clarke and under the new moniker of The Statesman and Unionist. The Unionist portion was removed from the name within a short amount of time, and in 1884 R. J. Hendricks became the paper's manager and editor, positions he held for 44 years. Also in 1884, ownership passed to Jasper Wilkins and Alonzo Gesner
Alonzo Gesner
Alonzo Gesner was an American land surveyor, Indian agent, and politician in the state of Oregon. A native of Illinois, he immigrated as a boy to the Oregon Country with is family where he became a deputy surveyor for the United States government...
, with Gesner selling out his part within a year. Will H. Parry established the Capital Journal on March 1, 1888, initially as a for-profit venture and an outlet for the Republican Party
Oregon Republican Party
The Oregon Republican Party is the state affiliate of the United States Republican Party in Oregon, headquartered in Lake Oswego. The first state party convention was held in Salem on April 21, 1859, and its first nominee for Congress, Portland attorney David Logan...
. Parry sold the Journal by the end of the year, one of many ownership changes in subsequent years.
Around 1918, George P. Putnam
George P. Putnam
George Palmer Putnam was an American publisher, author and explorer. Known for his marriage to and being the widower of Amelia Earhart, he had also achieved fame as one of the most successful promoters in the United States during the 1930s.-Early life:Born in Rye, New York, he was the son of John...
purchased the Capital Journal and served as editor for 30 years before selling to Bernard Mainwaring
Bernard Mainwaring
-Selected filmography:* The Crimson Candle * Line Engaged * Old Roses * The Public Life of Henry the Ninth * Cross My Heart * Jennifer Hale * Member of the Jury...
in 1953. Meanwhile, Charles A. Sprague
Charles A. Sprague
Charles Arthur Sprague, was the 22nd Governor of the US state of Oregon from 1939 to 1943. He was also the editor and publisher of the Oregon Statesman from 1929 to 1969...
, who went on to become governor of Oregon
Governor of Oregon
The Governor of Oregon is the top executive of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon. The title of governor was also applied to the office of Oregon's chief executive during the provisional and U.S. territorial governments....
, bought the Statesman in 1929. In 1954, Mainwaring and Sprague agreed that their respective papers should cooperate closely. The Journal moved into the Statesmans new facility and the two papers began sharing printing facilities while keeping independent writers and editors.
In 1973, both papers were sold to national publisher Gannett, the company that publishes USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
. In 1980, they were combined to form the Statesman Journal. Dating to the Statesman's inception, it is the second-oldest Oregon newspaper. The paper won ten first-place awards in the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association's annual Better Newspaper Contest in 2001, the most in its division. In the 2006 contest, the paper took first place in its division for overall excellence, best editorial page, and best editorial. In July 2008, Steve Silberman was named the publisher of the newspaper.
Details
The newspaper primarily covers news in the Salem-Keizer metropolitan area in the middle section of the Willamette ValleyWillamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is the most populated region in the state of Oregon of the United States. Located in the state's northwest, the region is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and the valley's floor is broad, flat and fertile because of Ice Age conditions...
. Coverage includes state politics, Salem area news, area sports, business news, and lifestyle news. Circulation
Newspaper circulation
A newspaper's circulation is the number of copies it distributes on an average day. Circulation is one of the principal factors used to set advertising rates. Circulation is not always the same as copies sold, often called paid circulation, since some newspapers are distributed without cost to the...
is focused on Marion
Marion County, Oregon
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It was originally named the Champooick District, after Champoeg, a meeting place on the Willamette River. On September 3, 1849, the territorial legislature renamed it in honor of Francis Marion, a Continental Army general of the...
and Polk
Polk County, Oregon
Polk County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county is named for James Knox Polk, the 11th president of the United States. In 2010, its population was 75,403. The seat of the county is Dallas....
counties with a market size of 323,3000 residents, with some additional circulation in neighboring Linn
Linn County, Oregon
Linn County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is named in honor of Lewis F. Linn, a U.S. Senator from Missouri who advocated the American occupation of the Oregon Country. By the 2010 US census the population of Linn county was 116,672 showing a 13.2% growth since the 2000 census...
, Lincoln
Lincoln County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge *Siletz Bay National Wildlife Refuge*Siuslaw National Forest -Demographics:...
, Yamhill
Yamhill County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Siuslaw National Forest *Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 84,992 people, 28,732 households, and 21,376 families residing in the county. The population density was 119 people per square mile . There were 30,270...
, and Benton
Benton County, Oregon
-National protected areas:*Siuslaw National Forest *William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 78,153 people, 30,145 households, and 18,237 families residing in the county. The population density was 116 people per square mile . There were 31,980...
counties. In 2008 The Statesman Journal had circulation of 46,826 from Monday through Saturday, and 53,367 Sunday. In 2010, average daily circulation had declined to 38,099 Monday-Friday and 37,602 Saturday, with Sunday readership of 46,745. The newspaper also operates the StatesmanJournal.com website along with The Stayton Mail of Stayton
Stayton, Oregon
Stayton is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States, located southeast of the state capital, Salem, on Oregon Route 22. It is south of Sublimity and east of Aumsville. Located on the North Santiam River, Stayton is a regional agricultural and light manufacturing center. The population was...
and the Appeal Tribune of Silverton
Silverton, Oregon
Silverton is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States, along the 45th parallel. The population was 7,414 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
.
See also
- List of newspapers in Oregon
- Statesman Journal building in Salem