Pittsburgh Dispatch
Encyclopedia
The Pittsburgh Dispatch was a leading newspaper in Pittsburgh, PA, operating from 1846 to 1923. After being enlarged by publisher Daniel O'Neill
it was reportedly one of the largest and most prosperous newspapers in the United States. From 1880 to 1887 Nellie Bly
worked for the Dispatch writing investigative articles on female factory workers, and later reported from Mexico
as a foreign correspondent. The paper was politically independent and was particularly known for its in-depth court reporting.
in the United States and, having determined that the local market thought similarly lent an abolitionist
tone to the paper. He was also a strong supporter of woman suffrage. His daughter Rachel Foster Avery became a prominent worker in the National Woman Suffrage Association. He hired a woman to work in the newsroom and invited the protesting men to leave if they did not wish to work alongside her. Initially Foster acted not only as business manager and financier of the paper, but wrote extensively in it as well, even producing the copy on a hand press.
Foster joined the Army, but production of the paper continued. The paper had become successful due to its independent approach to the news and in-depth court reporting:
In 1857 the Dispatch was Pittsburgh's leading newspaper with a combined daily and weekly circulation of 14,000, compared with the number two Chronicle's 5,584. Fleeson remained with the paper until his death in 1863.
and Alexander W. Rook bought a half interest in the paper, eventually taking full control when Foster died in 1867. O'Neill had been city editor for several years and had his finger on the pulse of the city. Additionally, O'Neill forged an independent path on state and national issues, lending weight to the paper's editorial page. At this point the paper was still four sheets, but management bought new rotary presses and they significantly enlarged its coverage - eventually doubling its size making it one of the largest and most prosperous newspapers in the United States. While a risky move because of the expense, the cover price was increased from 6 to 15 cents per week and the public liked the results and circulation grew making the Dispatch the greatest circulation paper in Pittsburgh with a circulation of 14,000.
The two partners ran the paper until O'Neill's death in 1877. Following O'Neill's death, Eugene M O'Neill
, Daniel's brother, took a more leading role in the paper along with Rook. E. M. O'Neill continued his brother's independent approach to political and civic issues which the public enjoyed. The same year as Daniel's death, 1877, the firm suffered the loss of the printing plant due to fire. O'Neill replaced the rotary press with a state-of-the-art "perfecting press" which could print both sides of the paper at the same time. They simultaneously reduced the size of the printed sheet and doubled the number of pages. The smaller size and greater bulk made the Dispatch stand out from the competition most of whom were using the older blanket press in a broad sheet format. Another advantage gained by introducing new technology came from the press' ability to print and fold the paper. Boys who once were used to fold in the printing plant were sent into the street to sell the paper, redoubling the publisher's marketing effort.
O'Neill led the Pittsburgh papers on the news gathering side of the operation. At this time most newspapers relied on the Associated Press
newswire for their national news. Consequently all papers were printing the same stories word for word. O'Neill reinvested the savings realized from his advanced presses and engaged correspondents in Washington and the other news centers around the country. The result was a fresher perspective and different stories from competitive papers. This advantage showed particularly in the hotly contested presidential election of 1880 which saw James A. Garfield elected.
The paper published its first Sunday edition on 24 September 1883, targeting the leisure time of its audience on that day, and justifying its higher price by providing more in-depth articles and a wider selection than the daily paper. The strategy was an instant success.
Ownership of the paper was reorganized in corporate form under the title "The Dispatch Publishing Company" in 1888 with E.M. O'Neil as President, Bakewell Phillips, Treasurer, and C.A. Rook, Secretary. Phillips was the son of Ormby Phillips who was part owner of the paper until his death in 1884. Phillips, a former mayor of the City of Allegheny had been the business manager of the firm. Eugene O'Neil continued to oversee the paper until his retirement in 1902. Alexander Rook's son, Charles A Rook, purchased control of the corporation and took over as President and editor-in-chief of the paper, Eugene O'Neil became Vice President, and Daniel O'Neil's son Florence became Treasurer.
In 1908 Charles Wakefield Cadman
became the music editor and critic for the Dispatch.
into World War I
in 1917 began a period of paper shortages, especially newsprint
.. According to The Bureau of Business Research at Northwestern University
the price of newsprint doubled between 1916 and 1917. Making matters worse was an increasingly difficult task of sourcing paper at all for the next 5 years. Matters came to a head in 1920 when a number of newspapers nationwide simply couldn't source newsprint at all and had to publish extremely truncated editions. In 1940 the price of newsprint doubled again, reaching a level 4 times higher than the pre-war price. On 23 March the paper appeared with 86 news headlines on the front page and virtually no advertising except for customers under contract. The paper shortage was not caused by a decrease in nationwide production, which had been steadily rising, instead the strong post World War I
economy and the attendant advertising boom caused an increase in demand which the paper mills could not meet. In 1921 the paper had a circulation of 56,857.
The Pittsburgh Dispatch published its last issue on 14 February 1923, its property, plant, and goodwill having been sold to the other Pittsburgh papers: the Pittsburgh Post, the Pittsburgh Gazette-Times and the Pittsburgh Press. The circulation of the paper was merged with the other papers, and the Rook Building at 1331-1335 Fifth Avenue in Pittsburgh was sold. The paper's membership in the Associated Press was transferred to the Pittsburgh Sun. The papers taking over the Dispatch also took over the assets of the Pittsburgh Leader at around the same time.
Daniel O'Neill (editor)
Daniel O'Neill immigrated to the United States from Ireland in 1851, settling in Pittsburgh, PA. He became editor and owner of the Pittsburgh Dispatch newspaper along with his brother Eugene M O'Neill. O'Neill served several terms on the Pittsburgh City Council.-Early life:Daniel, born Daniel...
it was reportedly one of the largest and most prosperous newspapers in the United States. From 1880 to 1887 Nellie Bly
Nellie Bly
Nellie Bly was the pen name of American pioneer female journalist Elizabeth Jane Cochran. She remains notable for two feats: a record-breaking trip around the world in emulation of Jules Verne's character Phileas Fogg, and an exposé in which she faked insanity to study a mental institution from...
worked for the Dispatch writing investigative articles on female factory workers, and later reported from Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
as a foreign correspondent. The paper was politically independent and was particularly known for its in-depth court reporting.
The Foster years
The Pittsburgh Dispatch was established on 8 February 1846 by Col J. Heron Foster. It was the first penny paper published in western Pennsylvania, initially comprising only four pages. The paper was almost unique in the industry for being profitable almost from the very beginning despite being started during an economic recession. Foster was a strong opponent to slaverySlavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
in the United States and, having determined that the local market thought similarly lent an abolitionist
Abolitionism
Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
tone to the paper. He was also a strong supporter of woman suffrage. His daughter Rachel Foster Avery became a prominent worker in the National Woman Suffrage Association. He hired a woman to work in the newsroom and invited the protesting men to leave if they did not wish to work alongside her. Initially Foster acted not only as business manager and financier of the paper, but wrote extensively in it as well, even producing the copy on a hand press.
Foster & Fleeson
In 1847 Foster brought in a partner, RC Fleeson and the firm changed names to Foster & Fleeson. At the outbreak of the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
Foster joined the Army, but production of the paper continued. The paper had become successful due to its independent approach to the news and in-depth court reporting:
- "A leading feature of the Dispatch was its elaborate, accurate and interesting reports of the various courts of the county. In regard to the latter, judges and lawyers were profuse in their praise of the legal intelligence in the paper daily, and on more than one occasion lawyers, addressing juries in important cases, analyzed the testimony as it appeared in the Dispatch, and that, too, from longhand reports — there were no stenographers in those days."
In 1857 the Dispatch was Pittsburgh's leading newspaper with a combined daily and weekly circulation of 14,000, compared with the number two Chronicle's 5,584. Fleeson remained with the paper until his death in 1863.
O'Neill & Rook
Following the war, in 1865 two employees of the paper, Daniel O'NeillDaniel O'Neill (editor)
Daniel O'Neill immigrated to the United States from Ireland in 1851, settling in Pittsburgh, PA. He became editor and owner of the Pittsburgh Dispatch newspaper along with his brother Eugene M O'Neill. O'Neill served several terms on the Pittsburgh City Council.-Early life:Daniel, born Daniel...
and Alexander W. Rook bought a half interest in the paper, eventually taking full control when Foster died in 1867. O'Neill had been city editor for several years and had his finger on the pulse of the city. Additionally, O'Neill forged an independent path on state and national issues, lending weight to the paper's editorial page. At this point the paper was still four sheets, but management bought new rotary presses and they significantly enlarged its coverage - eventually doubling its size making it one of the largest and most prosperous newspapers in the United States. While a risky move because of the expense, the cover price was increased from 6 to 15 cents per week and the public liked the results and circulation grew making the Dispatch the greatest circulation paper in Pittsburgh with a circulation of 14,000.
Technology upgrade
Eugene M O'Neill
Eugene M O'Neill was an Irish-born American lawyer and newspaper owner.-Biography:O'Neill was born in Clonroche, County Wexford, Ireland, the son of Hugh O'Neill, headmaster of town school, and Kate O'Neill...
, Daniel's brother, took a more leading role in the paper along with Rook. E. M. O'Neill continued his brother's independent approach to political and civic issues which the public enjoyed. The same year as Daniel's death, 1877, the firm suffered the loss of the printing plant due to fire. O'Neill replaced the rotary press with a state-of-the-art "perfecting press" which could print both sides of the paper at the same time. They simultaneously reduced the size of the printed sheet and doubled the number of pages. The smaller size and greater bulk made the Dispatch stand out from the competition most of whom were using the older blanket press in a broad sheet format. Another advantage gained by introducing new technology came from the press' ability to print and fold the paper. Boys who once were used to fold in the printing plant were sent into the street to sell the paper, redoubling the publisher's marketing effort.
O'Neill led the Pittsburgh papers on the news gathering side of the operation. At this time most newspapers relied on 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...
newswire for their national news. Consequently all papers were printing the same stories word for word. O'Neill reinvested the savings realized from his advanced presses and engaged correspondents in Washington and the other news centers around the country. The result was a fresher perspective and different stories from competitive papers. This advantage showed particularly in the hotly contested presidential election of 1880 which saw James A. Garfield elected.
Eugene M O'Neill years
When Alexander Rook died in 1880 Eugene M O'Neill took control of the paper and its editorial direction and eventually bought full ownership from Rook's estate. E.M. continued in charge of both the editorial and business departments for the next 12 years.The paper published its first Sunday edition on 24 September 1883, targeting the leisure time of its audience on that day, and justifying its higher price by providing more in-depth articles and a wider selection than the daily paper. The strategy was an instant success.
Ownership of the paper was reorganized in corporate form under the title "The Dispatch Publishing Company" in 1888 with E.M. O'Neil as President, Bakewell Phillips, Treasurer, and C.A. Rook, Secretary. Phillips was the son of Ormby Phillips who was part owner of the paper until his death in 1884. Phillips, a former mayor of the City of Allegheny had been the business manager of the firm. Eugene O'Neil continued to oversee the paper until his retirement in 1902. Alexander Rook's son, Charles A Rook, purchased control of the corporation and took over as President and editor-in-chief of the paper, Eugene O'Neil became Vice President, and Daniel O'Neil's son Florence became Treasurer.
In 1908 Charles Wakefield Cadman
Charles Wakefield Cadman
Charles Wakefield Cadman was an American composer.Cadman’s musical education, unlike that of most of his American contemporaries, was completely American. Born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, he began piano lessons at 13...
became the music editor and critic for the Dispatch.
Paper shortage
The entry of the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
into World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in 1917 began a period of paper shortages, especially newsprint
Newsprint
Newsprint is a low-cost, non-archival paper most commonly used to print newspapers, and other publications and advertising material. It usually has an off-white cast and distinctive feel. It is designed for use in printing presses that employ a long web of paper rather than individual sheets of...
.. According to The Bureau of Business Research at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
the price of newsprint doubled between 1916 and 1917. Making matters worse was an increasingly difficult task of sourcing paper at all for the next 5 years. Matters came to a head in 1920 when a number of newspapers nationwide simply couldn't source newsprint at all and had to publish extremely truncated editions. In 1940 the price of newsprint doubled again, reaching a level 4 times higher than the pre-war price. On 23 March the paper appeared with 86 news headlines on the front page and virtually no advertising except for customers under contract. The paper shortage was not caused by a decrease in nationwide production, which had been steadily rising, instead the strong post World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
economy and the attendant advertising boom caused an increase in demand which the paper mills could not meet. In 1921 the paper had a circulation of 56,857.
Closure and liquidation
The combination of rapidly rising costs and higher spending on new press technology led to a trend toward industry consolidation in the 1910s and 1920s. Multi-city newspaper syndicates, such as Scripps-Howard bought up independent papers and either consolidated them or closed them to cut costs. The days of a large city having 5 or 10 local papers was drawing to a close.The Pittsburgh Dispatch published its last issue on 14 February 1923, its property, plant, and goodwill having been sold to the other Pittsburgh papers: the Pittsburgh Post, the Pittsburgh Gazette-Times and the Pittsburgh Press. The circulation of the paper was merged with the other papers, and the Rook Building at 1331-1335 Fifth Avenue in Pittsburgh was sold. The paper's membership in the Associated Press was transferred to the Pittsburgh Sun. The papers taking over the Dispatch also took over the assets of the Pittsburgh Leader at around the same time.