The Mercury (Pennsylvania)
Encyclopedia
The Mercury is a daily newspaper
published in Pottstown, Pennsylvania
in the United States
.
category. In 1990, staff Tom Hylton won in the Editorial Writing
category. The Mercury has won hundreds of other state and national awards in the past 75 years.
voted themselves in July 2005. The newspaper published a series of editorials by editor Nancy March and op-ed
columns by City Editor Tony Phyrillas demanding the repeal of the pay raise. The newspaper also collected 10,000 letters from readers demanding repeal of the pay raise and delivered them to the state Capitol in Harrisburg. One month after the letters were delivered, the legislature voted to repeal the pay raise. The Mercury celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2006 and continues as a crusading small-town newspaper. The Mercury covers parts of Montgomery
, Chester
and Berks counties in southeastern Pennsylvania. The Mercury won seven awards in the 2007 editorial excellence contest sponsored by Suburban Newspapers of America. Located at the corner of Hanover and King streets in Pottstown, The Mercury has a daily circulation of 27,500 and also posts stories at its Web site. The Mercury is owned by the Journal Register Company
, one of the largest newspaper chains in the country.
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...
published in Pottstown, Pennsylvania
Pottstown, Pennsylvania
Pottstown is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States northwest of Philadelphia and southeast of Reading, on the Schuylkill River. Pottstown was laid out in 1752–53 and named Pottsgrove in honor of its founder, John Potts. The old name was abandoned at the time of the...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Awards
The Mercury is the smallest circulation newspaper in the U.S. to have its staffers win two Pulitzer Prizes. In 1979, staff photographer Tom Kelly won in the Spot News PhotographyPulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography
The Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography was awarded from 1968 – 1999, thereafter being renamed as the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography.-List of winners:...
category. In 1990, staff Tom Hylton won in the Editorial Writing
Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing
The Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing has been awarded since 1917 for distinguished editorial writing, the test of excellence being clearness of style, moral purpose, sound reasoning, and power to influence public opinion in what the writer conceives to be the right direction...
category. The Mercury has won hundreds of other state and national awards in the past 75 years.
Campaigns
Some of its investigative work has led to changes in state and federal laws. In its most recent public service campaign, The Mercury led the battle to overturn a middle-of-the-night pay raise that Pennsylvania lawmakersPennsylvania General Assembly
The Pennsylvania General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The legislature convenes in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. In colonial times , the legislature was known as the Pennsylvania Provincial Assembly. Since the Constitution of 1776, written by...
voted themselves in July 2005. The newspaper published a series of editorials by editor Nancy March and op-ed
Op-ed
An op-ed, abbreviated from opposite the editorial page , is a newspaper article that expresses the opinions of a named writer who is usually unaffiliated with the newspaper's editorial board...
columns by City Editor Tony Phyrillas demanding the repeal of the pay raise. The newspaper also collected 10,000 letters from readers demanding repeal of the pay raise and delivered them to the state Capitol in Harrisburg. One month after the letters were delivered, the legislature voted to repeal the pay raise. The Mercury celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2006 and continues as a crusading small-town newspaper. The Mercury covers parts of Montgomery
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010, the population was 799,874, making it the third most populous county in Pennsylvania . The county seat is Norristown.The county was created on September 10, 1784, out of land originally part...
, Chester
Chester County, Pennsylvania
-State parks:*French Creek State Park*Marsh Creek State Park*White Clay Creek Preserve-Demographics:As of the 2010 census, the county was 85.5% White, 6.1% Black or African American, 0.2% Native American or Alaskan Native, 3.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian, 1.8% were two or more races, and 2.4% were...
and Berks counties in southeastern Pennsylvania. The Mercury won seven awards in the 2007 editorial excellence contest sponsored by Suburban Newspapers of America. Located at the corner of Hanover and King streets in Pottstown, The Mercury has a daily circulation of 27,500 and also posts stories at its Web site. The Mercury is owned by the Journal Register Company
Journal Register Company
The Journal Register Company is an American media company, serving an audience of 21 million Americans in 992 communities. The company operates more than 350 multi-platform products in 992 communities. The company is led by CEO John Paton who openly blogs about the changes he is making to transform...
, one of the largest newspaper chains in the country.