The Plain Dealer: A Cleveland Institution

The Plain Dealer is a Cleveland institution that has been serving the community for over 200 years. Founded in 1842, it has a rich history of providing accurate and unbiased news to its readers.

The paper's early success can be attributed to its founder, Samuel Medary, who was a pioneer in the field of journalism. He was known for his innovative approach to reporting, which included using a telegraph to receive news from Washington D.C.

The Plain Dealer has undergone many changes over the years, but its commitment to serving the community has remained the same. Today, it is one of the largest newspapers in Ohio, with a circulation of over 200,000.

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The Plain Dealer has a rich history that spans over 180 years. It was established in January 1842 when two brothers, Joseph William Gray and Admiral Nelson Gray, took over The Cleveland Advertiser and changed its name to The Plain Dealer.

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The newspaper has had several owners throughout its history. Joseph William Gray owned the paper from 1842 until his death in 1862. A series of editors controlled the paper between then and 1885, when real estate investor Liberty Emery Holden purchased it.

Holden's ownership of the paper lasted until his death in 1913, when his heirs placed the ownership in trust. One of Holden's heirs, Thomas Vail, became the paper's editor and publisher in 1963.

The Plain Dealer was sold to Samuel Irving Newhouse Sr.'s newspaper chain in 1967 for $54.2 million, the highest price ever paid for a U.S. newspaper at the time. This sale marked a significant milestone in the paper's history.

Today, the Plain Dealer is owned by Advance Publications Inc., a New York-based media company owned by the heirs of S.I. Newhouse.

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The Plain Dealer has had a long and complex history of ownership. Joseph William Gray owned and edited the newspaper from 1842 until his death in 1862.

A series of editors controlled the paper between 1862 and 1885, when real estate investor Liberty Emery Holden purchased it.

Holden's great-grandson Thomas Vail became the paper's editor and publisher in 1963. He played a significant role in the paper's sale in 1967.

The Holden trustees, including Vail, sold the Plain Dealer to S.I. Newhouse's newspaper chain for $54.2 million in 1967. This was the highest price ever paid for a U.S. newspaper at the time.

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Joseph William Gray owned the Plain Dealer with his brother from 1842 until his death in 1862.

A series of editors controlled the paper between 1862 and 1885, when real estate investor Liberty Emery Holden purchased it.

Holden died in 1913, and ownership of the Plain Dealer was placed in trust for his heirs.

The Forest City Publishing Company, which owned the Plain Dealer, also published the Cleveland News until its closing in 1960.

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Thomas Vail, Holden's great-grandson, became the paper's editor and publisher in 1963.

The Holden trustees, including Vail, sold the Plain Dealer to Samuel Irving Newhouse Sr.'s newspaper chain for $54.2 million on March 1, 1967.

The sale was the highest price ever paid for a U.S. newspaper at the time.

Advance Publications Inc., a New York-based media company owned by Newhouse's heirs, continues to own the Plain Dealer.

Between 2006 and 2009, the newspaper underwent significant financial restructuring.

In 2006, about 64 employees accepted a buyout offer, reducing the newsroom staff from 372 to 308.

This was a major blow to the newspaper's workforce, with nearly 1/6 of the newsroom staff leaving.

The buyout offer was likely a difficult decision for many employees, but it helped the newspaper reduce costs.

In December 2008, the newspaper reduced its newsroom staff by 50 persons, or 20%, with 27 employees accepting a buyout offer and 23 more being fired.

Employees who remained were likely concerned about their job security, but the newspaper offered a two-year no-layoff agreement in exchange for a 12% pay cut in 2009.

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The Plain Dealer has been the sole major newspaper for Cleveland and Northeast Ohio since its two main 20th-century competitors closed down.

The Cleveland News and The Cleveland Press were the two main competitors that closed in 1960 and 1982 respectively, leaving a gap in the market.

However, since 2015, a number of nonprofit news outlets have begun reporting in the area, including the Cleveland Observer, Cleveland Documenters, The Land, and Signal Cleveland.

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The Plain Dealer has received numerous awards and recognition for its outstanding journalism. The newspaper won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary, awarded to Connie Schultz.

The Plain Dealer's editorial cartooning was also recognized with the 1953 Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning, awarded to Edward D. Kuekes for his work "Aftermath".

The newspaper's lifestyle journalism has been praised, with Diana Keough winning the 2008 Missouri Lifestyle Journalism Award for her piece "Coping when all is hopeless".

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The Plain Dealer's Sunday Magazine and Karen R. Long's article "In Balraj's Realm" took home the 2006 Missouri Lifestyle Journalism Award.

Doug Clifton was awarded the 2003 Editor & Publisher Editor of the Year Award.

The newspaper's photographers have also received recognition, with the Ohio News Photographer's Association Award being given to the Plain Dealer 12 times between 2001 and 2013.

The Plain Dealer has also won numerous Ohio Associated Press Awards, including nine General Excellence Awards and two First Amendment Awards.

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The Plain Dealer has had a long history of strong leadership, with many notable editors and publishers guiding the newspaper over the years.

Thomas Vail was the first editor and publisher of The Plain Dealer, serving from 1963 to 1992.

The newspaper has had a total of eight editors-in-chief since its inception.

Here is a list of the editors-in-chief of The Plain Dealer, in reverse chronological order:

The tenure of each editor-in-chief has been significant, with some serving for over two decades.

Cleveland.com is the sister company of The Plain Dealer, launched by Advance Publications in 1997. It's the premier news and information website in the state of Ohio, according to its owners.

Cleveland.com has only an online presence, while The Plain Dealer provides a print newspaper only, not a digital edition. Content from each is cross-posted on the other site.

The corporate structure behind these changes was the launch of a "new, digitally focused company" called the Northeast Ohio Media Group (NEOMG) in 2013. This company was later renamed Advance Ohio in 2016.

This new company took responsibility for operating cleveland.com and Sun Newspapers, a group of smaller, weekly, suburban-oriented newspapers in the Greater Cleveland metro area. NEOMG also gained responsibility for all ad sales and marketing for The Plain Dealer, Sun News, and cleveland.com.

The Plain Dealer Publishing Company kept responsibility for The Plain Dealer, only, while NEOMG handled the online presence. Both companies provide content to The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com.

In 2019, cleveland.com was attracting an average of 9.9 million users monthly.

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The Plain Dealer has faced its fair share of challenges and controversies over the years. The newspaper was strongly opposed to Abraham Lincoln's reelection in the 1864 presidential election, publishing an editorial that was openly racist and opposed to Lincoln's policies.

One notable controversy occurred in 2005, when editor Douglas Clifton announced that the newspaper would withhold two stories of profound importance after Judith Miller and Matthew Cooper were ordered to reveal confidential sources. The decision was seen as a violation of the trust between reporters and their sources, and Clifton was criticized for having no backbone.

The controversy ended when the Cleveland Scene published a similar story, and the Plain Dealer then printed its withheld story about a federal corruption probe. However, the second withheld story has yet to be revealed. The Plain Dealer has also faced criticism for its handling of the 2014 shooting of Tamir Rice by Cleveland Police, with some accusing the newspaper of justifying the shooting by reporting on the criminal backgrounds of Rice's parents.

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In 2013, the newspaper underwent significant cuts, with nearly one-third of the newsroom staff eliminated through layoffs and voluntary resignations. The union filed a complaint with the NLRB, which it settled in August 2014.

The Plain Dealer has also faced criticism for its handling of its music critic, Donald Rosenberg, who was told to stop covering performances of the Cleveland Orchestra after criticizing its conductor, Franz Welser-Möst. Rosenberg sued the newspaper and the orchestra, alleging a conspiracy to have him demoted.

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The Plain Dealer underwent significant staff reductions between 2006 and 2020. In 2006, about 64 employees, or 1/6 of those in the newsroom, accepted a buyout offer to leave the newspaper, reducing the newsroom staff from 372 to 308.

Between 2008 and 2009, the paper reduced its newsroom staff by 50 persons, or 20%, with 27 accepting a buyout offer and 23 more being fired. Employees agreed to accept a 12% pay cut in exchange for a two-year no-layoff agreement.

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In 2012, the Newspaper Guild reported that The Plain Dealer management planned to eliminate about one-third of the newspaper's staff, cutting 58 of 168 union positions. The guild endorsed an agreement with Plain Dealer management accepting the expected layoffs, but restoring some pay cuts and setting a severance package.

On July 31, 2013, nearly one-third of the newsroom staff was eliminated through layoffs and voluntary resignations. The union filed a complaint with the NLRB, which it settled in August 2014.

Here is a summary of the staff reductions:

The final four union journalists were laid off in May 2020, leaving the Plain Dealer with no unionized staff members.

The Plain Dealer has faced its fair share of criticism and controversies over the years. One notable instance was when the paper was strongly opposed to Abraham Lincoln's reelection in 1864, publishing an editorial that asked voters if they wanted four more years of war and the destruction of the Constitution.

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In 2014, the paper's coverage of the Tamir Rice shooting was criticized for publishing stories about Tamir's parents' criminal backgrounds. This move was condemned by the Huffington Post and internal Plain Dealer staffers.

The paper has also faced backlash for its handling of music critic Donald Rosenberg. In 2008, Rosenberg was told he would no longer cover the Cleveland Orchestra after criticizing its performances under conductor Franz Welser-Möst. Rosenberg sued the paper and several staff members, alleging a conspiracy to demote him.

The paper's editor, Susan Goldberg, was on the orchestra's board, which raised questions about potential conflicts of interest. Rosenberg dropped some of his claims against the paper in 2009, but a jury ultimately rejected his remaining claims.

The Plain Dealer's decision to withhold two stories in 2005, known as the "held stories" controversy, sparked national headlines. Editor Douglas Clifton announced that the paper would not print the stories, citing concerns about being sued. However, the alternative weekly Cleveland Scene published a similar story, and the Plain Dealer eventually printed its withheld story, which reported on a federal corruption probe of former Mayor Michael R. White.

Here are some notable controversies and criticisms faced by the Plain Dealer:

The Plain Dealer has made some significant changes in recent years. The paper dissolved its news guild and will now publish coverage exclusively from cleveland.com.

The remaining journalists at The Plain Dealer have been offered jobs at cleveland.com, and the paper has shifted its focus to cover five outlying counties in Northeast Ohio: Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, and Portage.

The paper has also undergone layoffs, with 22 staff members let go at the end of last week.

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The Plain Dealer has undergone significant changes, affecting its staff and coverage. The paper is dissolving its news guild and will publish coverage exclusively from cleveland.com.

Most of the remaining 14 journalists at The Plain Dealer have been offered jobs at cleveland.com to continue their work. The four remaining journalists at The Plain Dealer have been offered jobs at cleveland.com to continue their work, according to Editor-in-Chief Tim Warsinskey.

The Plain Dealer is shifting its focus to cover five outlying counties: Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, and Portage. The 14 remaining reporters will cover these counties instead of Cleveland or Cuyahoga and Summit counties.

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The paper has also laid off 22 staff members and 10 more journalists are leaving the newsroom after recent layoffs and a change in direction for the Cleveland paper. Twenty-two staffers were laid off at the end of last week.

Here's a list of the five counties The Plain Dealer will cover:

The Plain Dealer has a rich history, dating back to 1842. It was founded by Elisha W. Butler and has been a trusted source of news for over 180 years.

The newspaper has undergone significant changes in the 21st century, including a decline in circulation and advertising revenue.

In 2013, the Plain Dealer launched Politifact Ohio, a fact-checking website that aims to provide accurate information to readers.

Pricing, distribution, and circulation are also important aspects of the newspaper's operations. Unfortunately, these details are not publicly available.

The Plain Dealer has faced criticism and controversies, particularly regarding its coverage of Cleveland.com. This has led to concerns about the quality of journalism and the impact on readers.

The Plain Dealer has also been criticized for its handling of certain issues, which has sparked debate among readers and media experts.

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Cleveland.com is the sister company of The Plain Dealer, launched by Advance Publications in 1997.

It has an online presence only, while The Plain Dealer provides a print newspaper, with content from each cross-posted on the other site.

Cleveland.com is described as the premier news and information website in the state of Ohio by its owners, Advance Publications.

Cleveland.com was operated by a separate company and had separate staff and offices, despite being under the same ownership as The Plain Dealer.

In 2013, Advance Publications launched the Northeast Ohio Media Group (NEOMG), which took responsibility for operating cleveland.com and Sun Newspapers.

NEOMG was later renamed Advance Ohio in 2016, after a major reorganization of the newsroom that included layoffs.

The original parent company, Plain Dealer Publishing Company, kept responsibility for The Plain Dealer, only.

In 2019, cleveland.com was attracting an average of 9.9 million users monthly.

Chris Quinn, previously metro editor at The Plain Dealer, was named editor and publisher of Advance Ohio in 2017.

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The Plain Dealer has a rich history, and we can break it down into various sections.

The history of The Plain Dealer is covered in the first section. This section provides an overview of the newspaper's past.

The newspaper has experienced a decline in readership in the 21st century, as stated in the "Shrinking in the 21st century" section.

Politifact Ohio is a part of The Plain Dealer, as mentioned in the article. This section provides more information about Politifact Ohio.

The pricing, distribution, and circulation of The Plain Dealer are covered in the "Pricing, distribution, circulation" section. This section provides details on how the newspaper is distributed and sold.

The newspaper has faced criticism from Cleveland.com, as mentioned in the "Cleveland.com criticism and controversies" section.

The Plain Dealer has also faced criticism from the public, as stated in the "PD criticism and controversies" section.

For more information on The Plain Dealer, you can check out the references and further reading sections.

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The Plain Dealer has undergone significant changes in its size and delivery over the years.

In 2005, the paper ceased publication of its weekly Sunday Magazine, a move attributed to rising expenses and a poor economy.

The Sunday Magazine had been a staple of the paper since 1919, but its demise led to a shift in focus, with stories now integrated into other areas of the paper.

In 2008, the paper announced it would cut four sections and an average of 32 pages per week.

This reduction in size was a significant change for readers who were accustomed to a more comprehensive paper.

The Plain Dealer continued to adapt, announcing in 2013 that it would reduce home delivery from seven days a week to three.

This change went into effect on August 5, 2013, and allowed subscribers to access the digital edition seven days a week.

Subscribers to the three print editions now receive premium editions on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday, as well as a bonus version on Saturday.

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Donald Rosenberg, a music critic for The Plain Dealer, was told he'd no longer cover performances of the Cleveland Orchestra in 2008.

Rosenberg had been criticizing the orchestra's performances under conductor Franz Welser-Möst, although he'd written positive reviews of Welser-Möst's work in operas.

Rosenberg's criticism of Welser-Möst was not new, as the conductor had also faced criticism during his earlier tenure at the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

The London critics had given Welser-Möst the nickname "Frankly Worse than Most".

Rosenberg sued the newspaper and several staff members in 2008, alleging a conspiracy to demote him.

A jury rejected the remaining claims against the newspaper in 2009.

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The Plain Dealer's editorial page has been known to take conservative positions, despite serving a predominantly Democratic readership base. This has led to criticism from liberal columnists.

In 2004, the editorial board even voted to endorse Democratic US Senator John Kerry, but publisher Alex Machaskee overruled them, ordering the board to write an endorsement of Republican George W. Bush.

The paper's editorial page editor, Brent Larkin, persuaded Machaskee to withhold any endorsement.

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