Syracuse Post-Standard
Encyclopedia
The Post-Standard is the major daily newspaper
servicing the greater Syracuse, New York
, metro area. Affiliated with Syracuse.com, it is owned by Advance Publications
. The Post-Standard features regular political commentary from Sean Kirst and local commentary by Dick Case. It is home-delivered in the four counties that make up the Syracuse metro area. Additionally, it is available in many retail outlets throughout the North Country
and Southern Tier
of New York
.
By 1900, Syracuse, New York
, had a population of 135,000 and the publication had a "sworn circulation" of 17,575 daily, 12,571 semi-weekly and 15,195 on Sunday. It was touted as the "A clean, wholesome, aggressive, up-to-date newspaper." The newspaper soon bragged that "The Post-Standard has a larger circulation than any other daily paper between Greater New York
and Rochester
."
During this time, the Syracuse Herald-Journal also co-existed. The Herald-Journal was the result of the merger of the Syracuse Journal and the Evening Herald in 1939. Soon afterward, William Randolph Hearst
's paper, the Sunday American, became known as the Herald American. The Herald-Journal, Herald American, and The Post-Standard all were purchased in 1944 by Samuel I. Newhouse, later benefactor of Syracuse University's acclaimed S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
For the most part, the papers operated independently from each other, outside of ownership. The Post-Standard was published in the morning, the Herald-Journal in the afternoon, and the Herald American on Sundays (which technically served as both the Post and the Herald). These newspapers were known collectively as the Syracuse Newspapers and indeed the Post-Standard is often still referred to today by this term by some locals.
In 1993, the local feature desks were merged into one section, CNY, in reference to Central New York. In 2001, the Herald-Journal folded, leaving one paper, The Post-Standard.
Today, the papers are still owned by the Newhouse family, whose company is named Advance Publications. Along with the Syracuse paper, Advance also publishes Parade
, the Staten Island Advance
, The Star-Ledger
and The Jersey Journal in New Jersey,The Times-Picayune in New Orleans, The Oregonian
in Portland
, and The Plain Dealer in Cleveland.
The Post-Standard publishes three additional editions: Cayuga, Madison
, and Oswego for the other three counties of the metropolitan area. It has seven news bureaus throughout Central New York, as well as one in Albany
(the state capital) and Washington, DC.
Before the merger with the evening paper, the Post-Standard was named as among the "10 best newspapers in America with a circulation of under 100,000" by Al Neuharth of USA Today
(run by a competing organization). Since the merger, circulation has increased to over 120,000. Even outside of its four-county delivery area, the paper is available in many convenience stores and supermarkets from the Canadian
to the Pennsylvania
n border. The newspaper partly caters to this audience as well, covering many stories from the Ithaca
, Utica
, and Watertown areas. Since opening a new printing press in 2002, the paper calls itself "America's Most Colorful Newspaper," as almost every page contains color. The Post-Standard partners with Syracuse.com to provide its content online.
The Post-Standard gained some national exposure when mentioned briefly in Laurie Halse Anderson's Catalyst in 2002.
, including Gov. George Pataki
's office and the New York Legislature
. Recent investigations have focused on the allocation of state-borrowed money by the leaders of the State Senate and Assembly; and also on the controversy over the secretive sale of public land
s along the Erie Canal
by the New York State Canal Corporation
for less than the land's market value
.
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...
servicing the greater Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
, metro area. Affiliated with Syracuse.com, it is owned by Advance Publications
Advance Publications
Advance Publications, Inc., is an American media company owned by the descendants of S.I. Newhouse Sr., Donald Newhouse and S.I. Newhouse, Jr. It is named after the Staten Island Advance, the first newspaper owned by the Newhouse family...
. The Post-Standard features regular political commentary from Sean Kirst and local commentary by Dick Case. It is home-delivered in the four counties that make up the Syracuse metro area. Additionally, it is available in many retail outlets throughout the North Country
North Country, New York
The North Country is a region of the U.S. state of New York that encompasses the state's extreme northern frontier, bordering Lake Ontario on the west, the Saint Lawrence River and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec on the north and northwest, and Lake Champlain and Vermont on the east...
and Southern Tier
Southern Tier
The Southern Tier is a geographical term that refers to the counties of New York State west of the Catskill Mountains along the northern border of Pennsylvania. It is a loosely defined term that generally includes the counties that border Pennsylvania west of Delaware County inclusive...
of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
History
The Post-Standard was founded in 1829 as the Onondaga Standard. It became The Syracuse Standard in the 1880s and was also known as The Daily Standard and The Weekly Standard. The newspaper merged with the Syracuse Post on New Year's Day in 1899 and at that time the name was changed to The Post-Standard.By 1900, Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
, had a population of 135,000 and the publication had a "sworn circulation" of 17,575 daily, 12,571 semi-weekly and 15,195 on Sunday. It was touted as the "A clean, wholesome, aggressive, up-to-date newspaper." The newspaper soon bragged that "The Post-Standard has a larger circulation than any other daily paper between Greater New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
."
During this time, the Syracuse Herald-Journal also co-existed. The Herald-Journal was the result of the merger of the Syracuse Journal and the Evening Herald in 1939. Soon afterward, William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst
William Randolph Hearst was an American business magnate and leading newspaper publisher. Hearst entered the publishing business in 1887, after taking control of The San Francisco Examiner from his father...
's paper, the Sunday American, became known as the Herald American. The Herald-Journal, Herald American, and The Post-Standard all were purchased in 1944 by Samuel I. Newhouse, later benefactor of Syracuse University's acclaimed S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.
For the most part, the papers operated independently from each other, outside of ownership. The Post-Standard was published in the morning, the Herald-Journal in the afternoon, and the Herald American on Sundays (which technically served as both the Post and the Herald). These newspapers were known collectively as the Syracuse Newspapers and indeed the Post-Standard is often still referred to today by this term by some locals.
In 1993, the local feature desks were merged into one section, CNY, in reference to Central New York. In 2001, the Herald-Journal folded, leaving one paper, The Post-Standard.
Today, the papers are still owned by the Newhouse family, whose company is named Advance Publications. Along with the Syracuse paper, Advance also publishes Parade
Parade (magazine)
Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
, the Staten Island Advance
Staten Island Advance
The Staten Island Advance is a daily newspaper published in the borough of Staten Island in New York City. The only daily newspaper published in the borough, and the only borough to have its own major daily paper, it covers news of local and community interest, including borough politics. As of...
, The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...
and The Jersey Journal in New Jersey,The Times-Picayune in New Orleans, 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...
in 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...
, and The Plain Dealer in Cleveland.
The Post-Standard publishes three additional editions: Cayuga, Madison
Madison County, New York
Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 73,442. It is named after James Madison, fourth President of the United States of America...
, and Oswego for the other three counties of the metropolitan area. It has seven news bureaus throughout Central New York, as well as one in Albany
Albany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
(the state capital) and Washington, DC.
Before the merger with the evening paper, the Post-Standard was named as among the "10 best newspapers in America with a circulation of under 100,000" by Al Neuharth of 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...
(run by a competing organization). Since the merger, circulation has increased to over 120,000. Even outside of its four-county delivery area, the paper is available in many convenience stores and supermarkets from the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
to the Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
n border. The newspaper partly caters to this audience as well, covering many stories from the Ithaca
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
, Utica
Utica, New York
Utica is a city in and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 62,235 at the 2010 census, an increase of 2.6% from the 2000 census....
, and Watertown areas. Since opening a new printing press in 2002, the paper calls itself "America's Most Colorful Newspaper," as almost every page contains color. The Post-Standard partners with Syracuse.com to provide its content online.
The Post-Standard gained some national exposure when mentioned briefly in Laurie Halse Anderson's Catalyst in 2002.
Editorial viewpoint
In former years, the Syracuse newspapers were known for their conservative, pro-business slant. However, during the 2000s, the Post-Standard has taken a significantly more liberal viewpoint on local, state and especially national issues; its editorial style is best described as left of center.Investigations
In 2004 and 2005, the Post-Standard published in-depth investigative pieces focusing especially on the inner workings of AlbanyAlbany, New York
Albany is the capital city of the U.S. state of New York, the seat of Albany County, and the central city of New York's Capital District. Roughly north of New York City, Albany sits on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River...
, including Gov. George Pataki
George Pataki
George Elmer Pataki is an American politician who was the 53rd Governor of New York. A member of the Republican Party, Pataki served three consecutive four-year terms from January 1, 1995 until December 31, 2006.- Early life :...
's office and the New York Legislature
New York Legislature
The New York State Legislature is the term often used to refer to the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York. The New York Constitution does not designate an official term for the two houses together...
. Recent investigations have focused on the allocation of state-borrowed money by the leaders of the State Senate and Assembly; and also on the controversy over the secretive sale of public land
Public land
In all modern states, some land is held by central or local governments. This is called public land. The system of tenure of public land, and the terminology used, varies between countries...
s along the Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
by the New York State Canal Corporation
New York State Canal Corporation
The New York State Canal Corporation is a subsidiary of the New York State Thruway Authority. It is responsible for the oversight, administration and maintenance of the New York State Canal System, which consists of the Erie Canal, Cayuga–Seneca Canal, Oswego Canal and Champlain Canal...
for less than the land's market value
Market value
Market value is the price at which an asset would trade in a competitive auction setting. Market value is often used interchangeably with open market value, fair value or fair market value, although these terms have distinct definitions in different standards, and may differ in some...
.
External links
- Syracuse.com, which hosts the paper online