The Florida Times-Union
Encyclopedia
The Florida Times-Union is a major daily newspaper
in Jacksonville, Florida
, USA. Widely known as the oldest newspaper in the state, it began publication as the Florida Union in 1864. Its current incarnation started in 1883, when the Florida Union merged with another Jacksonville paper, the Florida Daily Times and the Florida Union. A Southeast Georgia
edition, called The Georgia Times-Union, serves the Brunswick
area.
For much of its history, the Times-Union was owned by the then St. Augustine
-based Florida East Coast Railway
, along with the St. Augustine Record
. Under this ownership, the paper was notorious for relegating news of any railroad mishap to its back pages while giving front page coverage to trucking accidents. In fact, an oft repeated joke around Jacksonville was that "In North Florida, trains don't hit cars. Cars hit trains." In 1959, Florida Publishing Company (its parent company) purchased the evening newspaper the Jacksonville Journal
. The two newspapers remained sister publications until October 28, 1988 when the Journal ceased publication.
During the 1960s, The Florida Times-Union and Jacksonville Journal played different roles in two major events in city history. Civil rights activists criticized both newspapers for their failure to cover the race riots at downtown',’s Hemming Park in 1960. Segregation was so ingrained in the city that the Times-Union also published a ‘Star’ edition for the local black community. The newspapers adopted a more crusading role in the latter part of the decade when they exposed corruption on various levels of city and county government. In addition to attention from WJXT-TV, the two newspapers’ stories helped lead to the consolidation of Jacksonville and Duval County.
In 1983, Morris Communications
of Augusta, Georgia
, purchased Florida Publishing Company. The Times-Union became the largest newspaper of this chain, which owns a number of newspapers around the country. As of 2009 its editor is Frank Denton, and the editorial page editor is Michael P. Clark.
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...
in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...
, USA. Widely known as the oldest newspaper in the state, it began publication as the Florida Union in 1864. Its current incarnation started in 1883, when the Florida Union merged with another Jacksonville paper, the Florida Daily Times and the Florida Union. A Southeast Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
edition, called The Georgia Times-Union, serves the Brunswick
Brunswick, Georgia
Brunswick is the major urban and economic center in southeastern Georgia in the United States. The municipality is located on a harbor near the Atlantic Ocean, approximately 30 miles north of Florida and 70 miles south of South Carolina. Brunswick is bordered on the east by the Atlantic...
area.
For much of its history, the Times-Union was owned by the then St. Augustine
St. Augustine, Florida
St. Augustine is a city in the northeast section of Florida and the county seat of St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorer and admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, it is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United...
-based Florida East Coast Railway
Florida East Coast Railway
The Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida; in the past, it has been a Class I railroad.Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a project of Standard Oil principal Henry Morrison...
, along with the St. Augustine Record
St. Augustine Record
The St. Augustine Record is a daily morning newspaper published in St. Augustine, Florida. The newspaper was founded in 1894 and is owned by Morris Communications of Augusta, Georgia.- External links :*...
. Under this ownership, the paper was notorious for relegating news of any railroad mishap to its back pages while giving front page coverage to trucking accidents. In fact, an oft repeated joke around Jacksonville was that "In North Florida, trains don't hit cars. Cars hit trains." In 1959, Florida Publishing Company (its parent company) purchased the evening newspaper the Jacksonville Journal
Jacksonville Journal
Jacksonville Journal is a now-defunct afternoon newspaper in the Jacksonville, Florida area. It began publication as the Metropolis in 1887. Renamed The Florida Metropolis in the early 1900s, it was renamed the Jacksonville Journal in 1922 upon its purchase by John H. Perry. The Journal's new...
. The two newspapers remained sister publications until October 28, 1988 when the Journal ceased publication.
During the 1960s, The Florida Times-Union and Jacksonville Journal played different roles in two major events in city history. Civil rights activists criticized both newspapers for their failure to cover the race riots at downtown',’s Hemming Park in 1960. Segregation was so ingrained in the city that the Times-Union also published a ‘Star’ edition for the local black community. The newspapers adopted a more crusading role in the latter part of the decade when they exposed corruption on various levels of city and county government. In addition to attention from WJXT-TV, the two newspapers’ stories helped lead to the consolidation of Jacksonville and Duval County.
In 1983, Morris Communications
Morris Communications
Morris Communications of Augusta, Georgia is a privately held media company with diversified holdings that include newspaper and magazine publishing, outdoor advertising, radio broadcasting, book publishing and distribution, visitor publications and online services. Newspapers are the foundation...
of Augusta, Georgia
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
, purchased Florida Publishing Company. The Times-Union became the largest newspaper of this chain, which owns a number of newspapers around the country. As of 2009 its editor is Frank Denton, and the editorial page editor is Michael P. Clark.