The MetroWest Daily News: Difference between revisions
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{{Infobox Newspaper |
{{Infobox Newspaper |
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name = MetroWest Daily News |
| name = The MetroWest Daily News |
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| type = [[Daily newspaper]] |
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format = [[broadsheet]] | |
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| format = [[Broadsheet]] |
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foundation = | |
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| foundation = 1897, as ''Framingham Evening News'' |
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| ceased publication = |
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| price = [[US$]]0.50 daily |
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| political = |
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| circulation = 22,705 daily, 27,686 Sunday in 2007<ref>[[Audit Bureau of Circulations]] "e-Circ" data for six months ending [[March 31]], [[2007]].</ref> |
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| ISSN = |
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| website = [http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/ metrowestdailynews.com] |
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'''''The MetroWest Daily News''''' is a morning and afternoon [[daily newspaper]] in [[Framingham, Massachusetts]], [[USA]], serving the [[MetroWest]] region of [[suburb]]an [[Boston]]. It is the flagship newspaper of [[Community Newspaper Company]], a division of [[GateHouse Media]]. |
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The newspaper covers several cities and towns in [[Norfolk County, Massachusetts|Norfolk]] and [[Worcester County, Massachusetts|Worcester]] counties, but until 1998 it named for [[Middlesex County, Massachusetts|Middlesex County]] (most recently as the '''''Middlesex News''''') or for the town of Framingham (through most of the mid-20th century, as the '''''Framingham News''''') |
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Between 2001 and mid-2006, the ''Daily News'' and Community Newspapers were owned by the ''[[Boston Herald]]''. Although the ''Herald'' has sold the suburban chain, it has retained, for the time being, reprinting rights to content that appears in Community Newspapers publications. |
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== History == |
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| ⚫ | The current name is the sixth |
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Originally a locally owned evening newspaper, the ''News'' was purchased by the [[Harte-Hanks]] newspaper chain in 1972. |
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By 1986, the paper sold 49,000 copies daily and 55,000 on Sunday, and also published four Framingham-area [[weekly newspaper]]s: the ''Town Crier'' papers in [[Sudbury, Massachusetts|Sudbury]], [[Wayland, Massachusetts|Wayland]] and [[Weston, Massachusetts|Weston]], and the ''Townsman'' in [[Wellesley, Massachusetts|Wellesley]]. That year, Harte-Hanks added the ''[[The Daily News Transcript|Daily Transcript]]'' of [[Dedham, Massachusetts|Dedham]] and the ''[[The Daily News Tribune|News-Tribune]]'' of [[Waltham, Massachusetts|Waltham]], and 17 weeklies, to its holdings, and merged its Massachusetts properties into a single organization that became known as [[News-Transcript Group]].<ref>Adams, Jane Meredith. "Harte-Hanks Acquires Transcript Group". ''The Boston Globe'', [[March 14]], [[1986]].</ref> |
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The term MetroWest was coined and adopted by the newspaper as a means of giving its circulation area more of a shared identity than earlier alternatives - "Greater Framingham" (which many towns in the paper's northern coverage area did not feel they belonged to) and "South Middlesex" (which did not apply to towns the paper covered in Worcester and Norfolk counties). Staff writer Greg Supernovich suggested the name - for which he received dinner for two. |
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Around that time, amid a review of the four local newspaper companies competing in the Framingham area, ''The Boston Globe'' gave the paper credit for wide-ranging coverage of foreign, national, local, sports, arts and lifestyle news, but [[Tab Communications]] publisher Russell Pergament said his daily competition left a niche for his community papers:<ref>Mehegan, David. "Suburban Newspapers Slug It Out for Ad Dollars". ''The Boston Globe'', p. 23, [[May 14]], [[1986]].</ref> |
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The [[internet|online]] edition of the ''MetroWest Daily News'' was launched in September 2001. Earlier, the ''Middlesex News'' was the first general-[[circulation]] paper in the U.S. to establish an Internet presence, a gopher site offering daily headlines and movie and restaurant reviews in 1993. The ''Middlesex News'' had gone online even earlier with [[Fred the Computer]] in 1987. |
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{{cquote|There's an undercurrent of resentment toward the ''Middlesex News''. People are not getting enough local news. Well, we're going to give them local news like they've never had it before -- we're going to out-''News'' the ''News''.}} |
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The ''News''<nowiki>'</nowiki> weekly competitors were mostly bought out by [[Fidelity Investments]] in the early [[1990s]], and became sister papers in 1994, when Harte-Hanks decided to sell its newspapers and Fidelity's [[Community Newspaper Company]] announced it would buy the News-Transcript Group. Before purchasing News-Transcript, CNC's only daily was the ''News'' rival ''[[Enterprise-Sun]]'' of [[Marlborough, Massachusetts|Marlborough]]. The ''News''<nowiki>'</nowiki> daily circulation at the time was given as 35,516, and 45,174 on Sunday.<ref>Devine, Matt. "Fidelity Buys 14 Papers, Including Middlesex News". ''The Patriot Ledger'' (Quincy, Mass.), p. 32, [[November 23]], [[1994]].</ref> |
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{{US-newspaper-stub}} |
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In 2000, after adding more weeklies to its fold, Fidelity sold CNC to the publisher of the ''[[Boston Herald]]''.<ref>Jurkowitz, Mark. "Boston Herald to Buy Community Newspapers". ''The Boston Globe'', p. A1, [[September 29]], [[2000]].</ref> The new owner instituted a content-sharing arrangement between CNC and the ''Herald'', resulting in a regular stream of ''Daily News'' stories appearing in the Boston newspaper. |
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That arrangement continued even after the ''Herald'' sold CNC to Liberty Group Publishing (later renamed [[GateHouse Media]]) in 2006.<ref>Gatlin, Greg. "Herald to Sell Suburban Papers". ''Boston Herald'', [[May 6]], [[2006]].</ref> |
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== Name == |
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{{main|MetroWest}} |
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| ⚫ | The current name is the sixth for the ''Daily News''. Known at the start of 20th century as the ''Framingham Evening News'', it became simply the ''Framingham News'' in 1926 and carried that moniker until 1971, when the ''South Middlesex Daily News'' was adopted. Six years later, that name was shortened to ''South Middlesex News'', then in 1979 to ''Middlesex News'', which held firm until 1998. |
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The regional term [[MetroWest]] was promoted to the nameplate [[October 19]], [[1998]], as a response to the dissoloution of [[county government]] in Middlesex County, and a recognition of the newspaper's reach into Norfolk and Worcester counties.<ref>"Middlesex News to Get New Name Next Month". ''The Patriot Ledger'' (Quincy, Mass.), p. 6, [[September 15]], [[1998]].</ref> The name had been coined and adopted by the newspaper in the [[1980s]] as a means of giving its circulation area more of a shared identity than earlier alternatives -- "Greater Framingham" (which many towns in the paper's northern coverage area, western Middlesex County, did not feel they belonged to) and "South Middlesex" (which excluded towns in other counties). Reporter Greg Supernovich suggested the name -- for which he received dinner for two.<ref name="Metro">Higgins, Richard. "Metrowest: Gimmick or Identity?" ''The Boston Globe'', p. 1, [[October 18]], [[1998]].</ref> |
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== Online == |
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{{see|Fred the Computer}} |
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As befits a newspaper covering [[Massachusetts]]' high-tech corridor -- an earlier alternative to "MetroWest" was "Databelt"<ref name="Metro"/> -- the ''Daily News'' was among the pioneers in electronic publishing. |
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Along with 10 other members of the [[Associated Press]], the ''Middlesex News'' in 1980 offered a digital text edition to [[CompuServe]]. The bulletin board service's subscribers could then, via [[dial-up]], access ''News'' stories on their personal computers.<ref>"Eleven Newspapers Chosen for Electronic Delivery Test". ''The Boston Globe'', p. 1, [[June 27]], [[1980]].</ref> |
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In 1987, the paper debuted its own [[BBS]], called [[Fred the Computer]]. Subscribers could dial into Fred and see the next day's headlines, submit press releases and write letters to the editor. In 1993, the ''News'' set up a [[Gopher (protocol)|Gopher]] site, making it the first general-circulation [[United States]] newspaper on the Internet. |
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Today's [[internet|online]] edition of ''The MetroWest Daily News'' was launched in September 2001. It shares templates and systems with other [[Community Newspaper Company]] properties' Websites, at [http:///www.townonline.com townonline.com]. |
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== References == |
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{{Reflist}} |
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== External links == |
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* [http://www.townonline.com Community Newspaper Company] |
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* [http://www.gatehousemedia.com GateHouse Media] |
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{{CNC}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:MetroWest Daily News}} |
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[[Category:Framingham, Massachusetts]] |
[[Category:Framingham, Massachusetts]] |
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[[Category:Middlesex County, Massachusetts]] |
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[[Category:MetroWest]] |
[[Category:MetroWest]] |
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[[Category:Newspapers published in Massachusetts|MetroWest]] |
[[Category:Newspapers published in Massachusetts|MetroWest]] |
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Revision as of 03:29, 11 August 2007
| Type | Daily newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Owner(s) | GateHouse Media |
| Publisher | Kirk A. Davis |
| Editor | Richard K. Lodge |
| Founded | 1897, as Framingham Evening News |
| Headquarters | 33 New York Avenue, Framingham, Massachusetts 01701  United States |
| Circulation | 22,705 daily, 27,686 Sunday in 2007[1] |
| Website | metrowestdailynews.com |
The MetroWest Daily News is a morning and afternoon daily newspaper in Framingham, Massachusetts, USA, serving the MetroWest region of suburban Boston. It is the flagship newspaper of Community Newspaper Company, a division of GateHouse Media.
The newspaper covers several cities and towns in Norfolk and Worcester counties, but until 1998 it named for Middlesex County (most recently as the Middlesex News) or for the town of Framingham (through most of the mid-20th century, as the Framingham News)
History
Originally a locally owned evening newspaper, the News was purchased by the Harte-Hanks newspaper chain in 1972.
By 1986, the paper sold 49,000 copies daily and 55,000 on Sunday, and also published four Framingham-area weekly newspapers: the Town Crier papers in Sudbury, Wayland and Weston, and the Townsman in Wellesley. That year, Harte-Hanks added the Daily Transcript of Dedham and the News-Tribune of Waltham, and 17 weeklies, to its holdings, and merged its Massachusetts properties into a single organization that became known as News-Transcript Group.[2]
Around that time, amid a review of the four local newspaper companies competing in the Framingham area, The Boston Globe gave the paper credit for wide-ranging coverage of foreign, national, local, sports, arts and lifestyle news, but Tab Communications publisher Russell Pergament said his daily competition left a niche for his community papers:[3]
There's an undercurrent of resentment toward the Middlesex News. People are not getting enough local news. Well, we're going to give them local news like they've never had it before -- we're going to out-News the News.
The News' weekly competitors were mostly bought out by Fidelity Investments in the early 1990s, and became sister papers in 1994, when Harte-Hanks decided to sell its newspapers and Fidelity's Community Newspaper Company announced it would buy the News-Transcript Group. Before purchasing News-Transcript, CNC's only daily was the News rival Enterprise-Sun of Marlborough. The News' daily circulation at the time was given as 35,516, and 45,174 on Sunday.[4]
In 2000, after adding more weeklies to its fold, Fidelity sold CNC to the publisher of the Boston Herald.[5] The new owner instituted a content-sharing arrangement between CNC and the Herald, resulting in a regular stream of Daily News stories appearing in the Boston newspaper.
That arrangement continued even after the Herald sold CNC to Liberty Group Publishing (later renamed GateHouse Media) in 2006.[6]
Name
The current name is the sixth for the Daily News. Known at the start of 20th century as the Framingham Evening News, it became simply the Framingham News in 1926 and carried that moniker until 1971, when the South Middlesex Daily News was adopted. Six years later, that name was shortened to South Middlesex News, then in 1979 to Middlesex News, which held firm until 1998.
The regional term MetroWest was promoted to the nameplate October 19, 1998, as a response to the dissoloution of county government in Middlesex County, and a recognition of the newspaper's reach into Norfolk and Worcester counties.[7] The name had been coined and adopted by the newspaper in the 1980s as a means of giving its circulation area more of a shared identity than earlier alternatives -- "Greater Framingham" (which many towns in the paper's northern coverage area, western Middlesex County, did not feel they belonged to) and "South Middlesex" (which excluded towns in other counties). Reporter Greg Supernovich suggested the name -- for which he received dinner for two.[8]
Online
As befits a newspaper covering Massachusetts' high-tech corridor -- an earlier alternative to "MetroWest" was "Databelt"[8] -- the Daily News was among the pioneers in electronic publishing.
Along with 10 other members of the Associated Press, the Middlesex News in 1980 offered a digital text edition to CompuServe. The bulletin board service's subscribers could then, via dial-up, access News stories on their personal computers.[9]
In 1987, the paper debuted its own BBS, called Fred the Computer. Subscribers could dial into Fred and see the next day's headlines, submit press releases and write letters to the editor. In 1993, the News set up a Gopher site, making it the first general-circulation United States newspaper on the Internet.
Today's online edition of The MetroWest Daily News was launched in September 2001. It shares templates and systems with other Community Newspaper Company properties' Websites, at townonline.com.
References
- ^ Audit Bureau of Circulations "e-Circ" data for six months ending March 31, 2007.
- ^ Adams, Jane Meredith. "Harte-Hanks Acquires Transcript Group". The Boston Globe, March 14, 1986.
- ^ Mehegan, David. "Suburban Newspapers Slug It Out for Ad Dollars". The Boston Globe, p. 23, May 14, 1986.
- ^ Devine, Matt. "Fidelity Buys 14 Papers, Including Middlesex News". The Patriot Ledger (Quincy, Mass.), p. 32, November 23, 1994.
- ^ Jurkowitz, Mark. "Boston Herald to Buy Community Newspapers". The Boston Globe, p. A1, September 29, 2000.
- ^ Gatlin, Greg. "Herald to Sell Suburban Papers". Boston Herald, May 6, 2006.
- ^ "Middlesex News to Get New Name Next Month". The Patriot Ledger (Quincy, Mass.), p. 6, September 15, 1998.
- ^ a b Higgins, Richard. "Metrowest: Gimmick or Identity?" The Boston Globe, p. 1, October 18, 1998.
- ^ "Eleven Newspapers Chosen for Electronic Delivery Test". The Boston Globe, p. 1, June 27, 1980.
External links