Detroit Free Press

History

1831–1989: Competitive newspaper

The newspaper was launched by John R. Williams and his uncle, Joseph Campau, and was first published as the Democratic Free Press and Michigan Intelligencer on May 5, 1831. It was renamed to Detroit Daily Free Press in 1835, becoming the region's first daily newspaper. Williams printed the first issues on a Washington press he purchased from the discontinued Oakland Chronicle of Pontiac. It was hauled from Pontiac in a wagon over rough roads to a building at Bates and Woodbridge streets in Detroit. The hand-operated press required two people and could produce 250 pages per hour. The first issues were 14 x in size, with five columns of type. Sheldon McKnight became the first publisher, with his uncle John Pitts Sheldon as the editor.

In the 1850s, the paper was developed into a leading Democratic Party-aligned publication under the ownership of Wilbur F. Storey. Storey left for the Chicago Times in 1861, taking much of the staff with him. In the 1870s ownership passed to William E. Quinby, who continued its Democratic leanings and established a London, England edition.

In 1940, the Knight Newspapers (later Knight Ridder) purchased the Free Press. During the next 20 years, the Free Press competed in the southeastern Michigan market with The Detroit News and the Detroit Times, until the Times was purchased and closed by The News on November 7, 1960. The Free Press was delivered and sold as a night paper, with home deliveries made after 7:00pm until around 1966. A morning "Blue Streak Edition" was available at news stands beginning around 1965, meaning the Free Press actually printed two editions per day. During that period The Detroit News was sold and delivered as an afternoon newspaper.

1989–2014: Joint operating agreement

On July 13, 1995, Newspaper Guild-represented employees of the Free Press and News and the pressmen, printers and Teamsters working for the "Detroit Newspapers" distribution arm went on strike. By October, about 40% of the editorial staffers had crossed the picket line, and many trickled back over the next months while others stayed out for the two and a half years of the strike. The strike was resolved in court three years later, and the unions remain active at the paper, representing a majority of the employees under their jurisdiction.

In 1998, the Free Press vacated its former headquarters in downtown Detroit and moved to offices into The Detroit News building and began to operate from its new offices in that building on June 26 of that year.

On August 3, 2005, Knight Ridder sold the Free Press to the Gannett Company, which had previously owned and operated The Detroit News. Gannett, in turn, sold The News to MediaNews Group; Gannett continues to be the managing partner in the papers' joint operating agreement.

The Free Press resumed publication of its own Sunday edition, May 7, 2006, without any content from The News, other than that The News would print its editorial page in the Sunday Free Press.

On December 16, 2008, Detroit Media Partnership (DMP) announced a plan to limit weekday home delivery for both dailies to Thursday and Friday only. On other weekdays the paper sold at newsstands would be smaller, about 32 pages, and redesigned. This arrangement went into effect March 30, 2009.

The Free Press entered a news partnership with CBS owned-and-operated station WWJ-TV channel 62 in March 2009 to produce a morning news show called First Forecast Mornings. Prior to the partnership, WWJ aired absolutely no local newscast at all.

In February 2014, the DMP announced its offices along with those of the Free Press and The Detroit News would occupy six floors in both the old and new sections of the former Federal Reserve building at 160 West Fort Street. The partnership expected to place signs on the exterior similar to those on the former offices. The move took place beginning in October 2014.

2015–present: Ownership changes

In 2018, the Detroit Free Press received two Salute to Excellence awards from the National Association of Black Journalists.

In November 2019, the newspaper announced it would cut four staff positions ahead of the GateHouse Media conglomerate completing its purchase of Gannett. The Gannett board finalized the purchase agreement on November 19, 2019.

In December 2024, the newspaper moved from West Fort Street after receiving notice from the building owner, Dan Gilbert's Bedrock Management Services, that it was planning to redevelop the structure. Free Press offices moved to a facility on Clifford Street in the Grand Circus Park Historic District. The Detroit News moved its offices to a historic building at 6001 Cass Avenue.

In January 2025, Gannett announced it would close the paper's printing facility in Sterling Heights, Michigan with 115 jobs lost. The printing of 32 newspapers would be transferred to other plants. About six months later, Gannett announced it would not renew the joint operating agreement with The Detroit News which was set to expire at the end of the year. The joint operating agreement ended on December 28, 2025.

Other ''Free Press'' publications

• Screen & Radio Weekly (1934–1940)

Notable people

• Mitch Albom
• Edward A. Batchelor
• Jack Berry
• Eva Best
• Donna Britt
• Frank Bruni
• Mike Downey
• Joe Falls
• John Gallagher
• David Gilkey
• Robin Givhan
• Susan Goldberg
• Ellen Goodman
• Gary Graff
• Sam Greene
• Edgar Guest
• Dick Guindon
• Ken Hamblin
• Stephen Henderson
• Jemele Hill
• Lee Hills
• Royce Howes
• Clark Hoyt
• Joe S. Jackson
• David Cay Johnston
• Dorothy Misener Jurney
• Michelle Kaufman
• David Lawrence Jr.
• John C. Lodge
• Kurt Luedtke
• Myra MacPherson
• Dori J. Maynard
• Eric Millikin
• Elvis Mitchell
• Al Neuharth
• Jack Ohman
• Rob Parker
• William E. Quinby
• Rochelle Riley
• James Risen
• Gene Roberts
• Neal Rubin
• Lyall Smith
• Jennie O. Starkey
• Wilbur F. Storey
• Joe Stroud
• Neely Tucker
• David Turnley
• Rob Wagner
• Lewis Walter
• Taro Yamasaki

References

References

1. (18 December 2024). "The long goodbye of Florida's newspapers – read all about it". Florida Bulldog.
2. Ballentine, Summer. (2025-12-28). "End of newspaper JOA heralds new era of competition in Detroit".
3. Reindl, JC. (April 14, 2014). "Free Press' Stephen Henderson wins 2014 Pulitzer Prize for commentary". Detroit Free Press.
4. (September 22, 2009). "Detroit Free Press wins 4th Emmy Award for Christ Child House". Michigan Federation for Children and Families.
5. (2009). "Oakland County".
6. "Detroit Free Press".
7. Willard Grosvenor Bleyer. (1936). "Storey, Wilbur Fisk".
8. (October 1996). "Indiana State Historic Architectural and Archaeological Research Database (SHAARD)". Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology.
9. Grimm, Joe. "600 W. Fort: Built for newspapering". Detroit Free Press.
10. Seelye, Katharine Q.. (2005-08-04). "2 Huge Publishing Chains Swap Newspapers". [[The New York Times]].
11. (August 4, 2005). "Detroit papers change hands in 3-company deal". [[Tampa Bay Times]].
12. "Detroit News, The".
13. (March 31, 2009). "Detroit's Daily Papers Are Now Not So Daily". The New York Times.
14. Marcucci, Carl. (March 29, 2009). "Free Press will join WWJ-TV for reports". [[Cox Media Group.
15. (February 20, 2014). "Free Press, News moving to new home in core of downtown Detroit". Detroit Free Press.
16. Aguilar, Louis. (April 23, 2014). "Detroit News, Free Press, DMP will occupy 6 floors in old Federal Reserve building". The Detroit News.
17. Rubin, Neil. (October 24, 2014). "News moving out, leaving century of memories behind". The Detroit News.
18. Reindl, JC. (June 29, 2015). "Gannett, owner of Detroit Free Press, splits into two". Detroit Free Press.
19. "2018 Salute to Excellence Winners".
20. (November 13, 2019). "Layoffs Planned At Detroit Free Press Ahead Of Sale To Hedge Fund-Backed Group". Deadline Detroit.
21. Bomey, Nathan. (November 19, 2019). "CEOs of new Gannett: 'Pivot' needed for digital transformation as merger is completed". [[USA Today]].
22. (October 1, 2024). "Detroit Free Press looking for new home, to vacate newsroom in former Federal Reserve". Detroit Free Press.
23. Pinho, Kirk. (December 13, 2024). "Detroit's 2 daily newspapers move into separate buildings". Crain's Detroit Business.
24. Noble, Breana. (December 12, 2024). "The Detroit News is moving newsroom into Albert Kahn-designed building near New Center". The Detroit News.
25. (January 21, 2025). "Detroit Free Press' printing facility in Sterling Heights to shutter in August". Detroit Free Press.
26. Rubin, Neal. (June 16, 2025). "Detroit Free Press, Detroit News to end joint operating agreement at end of 2025". Detroit Free Press.
27. (February 15, 2007). "Veteran Detroit-Area Sportswriter Jack Berry Named Recipient of PGA Lifetime Achievement in Journalism Award".