The News-Gazette (Champaign-Urbana)
 The News Gazette building in Champaign, Illinois | |
| Type | Daily newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Owner(s) | Professional Impressions Media Group |
| Publisher | John Foreman |
| Editor | Jim Rossow |
| Founded | 1919 (with heritage dating to 1852) |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters |
15 E. Main St. Champaign, IL 61820 United States |
| Circulation | 42,000 |
| Website |
www |
The News-Gazette is a daily newspaper serving eleven counties in the eastern portion of Central Illinois and specifically the Champaign–Urbana metropolitan area. Based in Champaign, Illinois, the paper is independently owned by the Stevick family's Professional Impressions Media Group, which also controls local radio stations WDWS, WKIO and WHMS.[1]
History
The paper traces its history to the Urbana Union, founded in 1852. By the turn of the century, it had moved to Champaign and become the Champaign Daily News. In 1919, David W. Stevick, owner and publisher of the Daily News, bought the Champaign Daily Gazette and merged them into the current paper. He died in 1935 and passed it to his widow, Helen M. Stevick. Helen died in 1967 and was succeeded by her daughter, Marajen Stevick Chinigo, who ran the paper until her death in 2002.[2]
In 1979, the paper's longtime rival, the Champaign-Urbana Courier, ceased publication. This left Champaign with only one daily newspaper for the first time. The two papers had long been equally alike, as both were afternoon newspapers. The Courier focused on news specifically from Urbana.
From its founding until June 2009, The News-Gazette published its main edition in the afternoon. The paper was well known in the area as being one of the only afternoon papers left. Beginning in the late 1990s, the paper printed an edition specifically geared towards Champaign and Urbana that was published in the morning. Due to the rising cost of printing the paper, The News-Gazette switched to morning publication only on June 1, 2009.
Since 1937, it has been co-owned with the area's oldest commercial radio station, WDWS. An FM sister was added in 1949; it is now WHMS. Another rock station, WUIL (now WKIO), was purchased in May 2010.
The News-Gazette has a circulation ranging from 39,000-45,000 (depending on the day of the week).
The News-Gazette is well-known and acclaimed for its sports section. It has consistently ranked among the top sports sections among small markets in the country. Loren Tate, a Champaign sports writer and broadcaster, has been covering the Illinois Fighting Illini for The News-Gazette and WDWS since 1965.
The News-Gazette has consistently been an Illinois Press Association award-winning newspaper for editorial and advertising excellence. Since 2008, The News-Gazette's advertising department has been awarded the Illinois Press Association's Annual James S. Copley Memorial Sweepstakes Award for Daily Newspaper Advertising Excellence 6 times. This is considered to be the top honor available and is awarded for overall excellence in advertising.
The News-Gazette often prints special reports or series from Associated Press writers about the state or national government.
The newspaper's website (www.news-gazette.com) is the most viewed commercial website in East Central Illinois. It is viewed by around 30,000-35,000 unique visitors a day, and receives 3.5 million page views per month.[3]
References
- ↑ "In Memoriam: 2000-2009". Smile Politely. Retrieved December 28, 2011.
- ↑ "History of The News-Gazette". Retrieved 2013-10-26.
- ↑ https://www.quantcast.com/p-a15Hs4ofKGnVw