The Star-Ledger

History

Nineteenth century

The Newark Daily Advertiser, founded in 1832, was Newark's first daily newspaper. It subsequently evolved into the Newark Star-Eagle, owned by what eventually became Block Communications.

Twentieth century

In 1939, S. I. Newhouse bought the Star-Eagle from Block and merged it with the Newark Ledger to become the Newark Star-Ledger. The paper dropped Newark from its masthead sometime in the 1970s, but is still popularly called the Newark Star-Ledger by many residents of New Jersey.

During the 1960s, The Star-Ledgers chief competitor was the Newark Evening News, once the most popular newspaper in New Jersey. In March 1971, the Star-Ledger surpassed the Evening News in daily circulation, because the Newark News was on strike. The Evening News shut down in 1972.

After the Newark Evening News moved to a high-traffic area (with the potential of trapping its delivery trucks in inner-city traffic) the Star-Ledger opened a satellite plant in Piscataway. The Piscataway location offered quick access to Union, Monmouth, Somerset, and Middlesex counties.

The Star-Ledger was the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting in 2005 for its comprehensive coverage of the resignation of New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey, after he confessed to adultery with a male lover.

The paper awards the Star-Ledger Trophy each year to the number one high school teams in their respective sport in New Jersey.

Twenty-first century

In 2005, George Arwady became the publisher of The Star-Ledger. A graduate of Columbia University, Arwady was previously the publisher of the Kalamazoo Gazette in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Having worked closely with the Newhouse family for years, Arwady was asked to move to Newark to oversee a financial revamping of the newspaper.

Due to financial losses, the paper's parent company Advance Publications announced on July 31, 2008 that it would sell the Star-Ledger unless 200 non-union staff voluntarily left under a buyout offer, and its unionized truck drivers and mailers agreed to concessions. On September 16, publisher George Arwady sent employees an email saying that management felt progress had been made on the buyout and concessions from the mailers, but that management is "far from an agreement with the Drivers' union." The email continued: :Since it is doubtful that the Drivers will ratify an agreement by October 8, 2008, we will be sending formal notices to all employees this week, as required by both federal and New Jersey law, advising you that the Company will be sold, or, failing that, that it will close operations on January 5, 2009.

On October 24, 2008, the newspaper announced that 168 newsroom employees had offered to take the company's buyout offer, and that the company had accepted 151 of them, which resulted in a 40% reduction in newsroom staff.

On January 16, 2013, the newspaper announced the layoffs of 34 employees including 18 newsroom staff.

In July 2014, their Newark headquarters was sold to a New York developer, according to a news article released by the paper.

The Star-Ledger continued to publish seven days a week, and retained a presence in Newark in leased office space located within the downtown Gateway Center complex, where the publisher, the newspaper's editorial board, its columnists, its magazine staff and a handful of other jobs were based. Advance Publications, the owner of the newspaper, launched a new media company — NJ Advance Media — in 2014 to provide content, advertising and marketing services for its online presence at NJ.com, and many of its New Jersey newspapers out of the offices in Woodbridge. The sales and marketing staffs moved to Woodbridge in June 2014.

On September 14, 2023, the paper announced it would cease publication of its Saturday print edition, moving to an all-digital delivery of the Saturday edition beginning in 2024.

On October 30, 2024, the company announced it would cease daily print publication of the Star-Ledger on February 2, 2025, along with sister publications the Times of Trenton and South Jersey Times, due to rising costs, decreasing circulation and reduced demand for print. Online versions of the newspapers will continue to be offered, and newsroom coverage is not affected.

Management

Presidents

• Amzi Armstrong (1832–?)
• William Burnet Kinney (?–1851)
• Thomas T. Kinney (1851–1895)
• James Smith, Jr. (1895–1915)
• Paul Block (1915–1939)
• Samuel Irving Newhouse, Sr. (1939–1979)
• Donald Newhouse (1979–Incumbent)

Publishers

• Richard Vezza

Executive editors

In October 2009, managing editor Kevin Whitmer took over as editor. After Whitmer left in September 2015, Richard Vezza assumed the position as editor.

Prior to Whitmer, James Willse ran the newspaper from 1995. He was appointed following the retirement of 32-year veteran editor Mort Pye. Willse was the former editor and publisher of the New York Daily News. Prior to accepting the Ledgers editorship, Willse headed the review of electronic information options for all Newhouse newspapers. He also expanded the Ledger use of color and encouraged a more aggressive editorial team. The National Press Foundation named Willse its 1999 recipient of the George Beveridge Editor of the Year Award in recognition of Ledgers coverage of racial profiling by the New Jersey State Police.

In popular culture

• The Star-Ledger is featured in the 2021 Showtime series Yellowjackets.
• Between 1999 and 2007, The Star-Ledger was featured prominently various times in the hit television series The Sopranos, an HBO drama series set in New Jersey. Tony Soprano received home delivery of The Star-Ledger, and several episodes opened with him picking it up at the end of his driveway.
  • The Sopranos creator David Chase credited a story by Guy Sterling in The Star-Ledger with inspiring the theme for the series' fifth season in 2004.
• The Star-Ledger serves as the inspiration for a fictional newspaper in an award-winning series of mystery novels by Brad Parks.
• The newspaper was referenced by comedian George Carlin in the 2004 comedy-drama Jersey Girl, which was written and directed by Kevin Smith, a New Jersey native.
• In 2004, The Star-Ledger was featured in Robert Kurson's 2004 novel Shadow Divers.

References

References

1. "How to contact The Star-Ledger". The Star-Ledger.
2. [http://www.njpa.org/njpa/member_newspapers/daily_newspaper_members.html Member Newspapers - Dailies], New Jersey Press Association; Star-Ledger data from Editor & Publisher April 2007 article.
3. Tofel, Richard. (2016-01-20). "The sky is falling on print newspapers faster than you think".
4. (July 5, 2013). "Star-Ledger HQ on block". [[New York Post]].
5. Sherman, Ted. (December 5, 2013). "Owners of Star-Ledger, NJ.com and sister newspapers studying possible consolidations". The Star-Ledger.
6. (February 1, 2025). "A Storied Newspaper Prepares to Print Its Own Obituary". [[The New York Times]].
7. Nuzzi, Olivia. (April 4, 2014). "Inside the Massacre at the Newark Star-Ledger, The Paper That Makes Chris Christie Squirm". [[The Daily Beast]].
8. "About Star-ledger. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1964-current".
9. Mackin, Tom. (30 August 1981). "THE NEWARK NEWS: IN MEMORIAM". [[The New York Times]].
10. (2014). "The Press and the Suburbs". Transaction Publishers.
11. "The 2005 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Breaking News Reporting: Staff of The Star-Ledger, Newark, NJ". The Pulitzer Prizes.
12. Kratch, James. (February 11, 2013). "Wrestling: The history of The Star-Ledger Trophy". The Star-Ledger.
13. (December 15, 2009). "Larry McDermott, publisher of The Republican, announces retirement; to be replaced by Newark Star-Ledger publisher George Arwady". [[The Republican (Springfield, Massachusetts).
14. Chambers, Steven. (August 1, 2008). "The Star-Ledger announces large-scale buyout offer". The Star-Ledger.
15. Strupp, Joe. (September 2008). "'Star-Ledger' Publisher Threatens January 2009 Shutdown". [[Editor & Publisher]].
16. (October 24, 2008). "Official: 40% of 'Star-Ledger' Newsroom Exiting". Editor & Publisher.
17. (January 16, 2013). "Star-Ledger axing 34 employees". [[WCBS-TV]] News.
18. "Newark headquarters of Star-Ledger sold to New York real estate development firm". The Star-Ledger.
19. Mueller, Mark. (March 28, 2014). "Advance Publications forms new unit". The Star-Ledger.
20. (2023-09-14). "Star-Ledger to end publication of Saturday print edition".
21. "Star-Ledger ending print edition and closing production facility in 2025". The Star-Ledger.
22. "Advance Publications, Inc.: Private Company Information". [[Bloomberg L.P.]].
23. Yu, Roger. (June 27, 2013). "Future of some major newspapers about to change". [[USA Today]].
24. "Star-Ledger Editor Jim Willse announces retirement, names successor". NJ.com.
25. "Kevin Whitmner". Linkedin.
26. "Administration". The Star-Ledger.
27. "Benjamin C. Bradlee Editor of the Year Award". National Press Foundation.
28. (January 9, 2003). "Jersey cases inspire new 'Sopranos' season". The Star-Ledger.