The Morning News (American newspaper)
Encyclopedia
The Morning News is a daily newspaper
with a circulation of about 35,000, based in Florence, South Carolina
. It is owned by Media General
.
It was founded as the Farmers' Friend in 1887, and was part of several mergers and name changes. In its early history it was aligned with the Democratic Party
.
The first edition of the newspaper as the Weekly News and Review, appeared on March 18, 1922. Its immediate predecessor was the Florence News and Review, and its name was later changed to the Morning News Review.
In February 1928 it purchased the Florence Daily Times and the name was changed to the Florence Morning News.
In 1945 it became the Florence Morning News. In 1956, then-editor Jack O'Dowd, the son of the newspaper's publisher, enraged the Ku Klux Klan
by supporting the U.S. Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education
desegregation decision and he was run out of town, going to a job with the Chicago Sun-Times
. The only other South Carolina newspaper that took the progressive stance in the 1950s and 1960s was the Greenwood Index Journal. O'Dowd was replaced by James A. Rogers, who while also somewhat progressive editorial, took a less confrontational posture. Rogers wrote several books on the region and was instrumental in the creation of Francis Marion College in 1970, now Francis Marion University
. He retired as editor in 1975.
The Florence Morning News was purchased by Thomson Newspapers, later The Thomson Corporation in December 1981. Thomson worked to expand the newspaper from a Florence-focused newspaper to more regional coverage. It was extensively redesigned in 1992 and again in 1998 to emphasize coverage of the nine-county Pee Dee
region of South Carolina.
The newspaper was sold to Media General
in 2000.
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...
with a circulation of about 35,000, based in Florence, South Carolina
Florence, South Carolina
-Municipal government and politics:The City of Florence has a council-manager form of government. The mayor and city council are elected every four years, with no term limits...
. It is owned by Media General
Media General
Media General, Inc. is a media company based in the Southeastern United States. Its major properties include newspapers such as The Tampa Tribune, the Winston-Salem Journal, and the Richmond Times-Dispatch, as well as numerous television stations, such as flagship station WFLA-TV.The company was...
.
It was founded as the Farmers' Friend in 1887, and was part of several mergers and name changes. In its early history it was aligned with the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
.
The first edition of the newspaper as the Weekly News and Review, appeared on March 18, 1922. Its immediate predecessor was the Florence News and Review, and its name was later changed to the Morning News Review.
In February 1928 it purchased the Florence Daily Times and the name was changed to the Florence Morning News.
In 1945 it became the Florence Morning News. In 1956, then-editor Jack O'Dowd, the son of the newspaper's publisher, enraged the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
by supporting the U.S. Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 , was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which...
desegregation decision and he was run out of town, going to a job with the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
. The only other South Carolina newspaper that took the progressive stance in the 1950s and 1960s was the Greenwood Index Journal. O'Dowd was replaced by James A. Rogers, who while also somewhat progressive editorial, took a less confrontational posture. Rogers wrote several books on the region and was instrumental in the creation of Francis Marion College in 1970, now Francis Marion University
Francis Marion University
Francis Marion University is a state-supported liberal arts university located six miles east of Florence, South Carolina, USA...
. He retired as editor in 1975.
The Florence Morning News was purchased by Thomson Newspapers, later The Thomson Corporation in December 1981. Thomson worked to expand the newspaper from a Florence-focused newspaper to more regional coverage. It was extensively redesigned in 1992 and again in 1998 to emphasize coverage of the nine-county Pee Dee
Pee Dee
The Pee Dee region of South Carolina is the northeastern corner of the state. It is the area of the lower watershed of the Pee Dee River, named after the Pee Dee Native American tribe. Its center is Florence...
region of South Carolina.
The newspaper was sold to Media General
Media General
Media General, Inc. is a media company based in the Southeastern United States. Its major properties include newspapers such as The Tampa Tribune, the Winston-Salem Journal, and the Richmond Times-Dispatch, as well as numerous television stations, such as flagship station WFLA-TV.The company was...
in 2000.