The ''Argus-Courier'' is an American weekly paid newspaper which serves the city of

Petaluma Petaluma (Miwok: ''Péta Lúuma'') is a city in Sonoma County, California, located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. Its population was 59,776 according to the 2020 census. Petaluma's name comes from the Miwok village nam ...

and surrounding

Sonoma County, California Sonoma County () is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 488,863. Its county seat and largest city is Santa Rosa, California, Santa Rosa. It is to the n ...

. It is published weekly on Thursday, with an estimated circulation of 7,400. It is edited by Matt Brown.

History

The ''Courier'' traces its history to 1876, with its establishment by W. M. Shattuck, and after a series of sales was purchased in 1900 by the Olmstead family. ''The Argus'' dates back to 1859, founded by J. J. Pennypacker. The two papers co-existed for some time, with their respective leadership playing prominent roles in the newly formed North of Bay Counties Press Association. In 1928, the Olmsteds bought the ''Argus'', and the ''Argus-Courier'' was first issued in July 1928 after the merger of the two papers. In 1995, the Olmsted family sold the paper to

Scripps League Newspapers Scripps League Newspapers, Inc. was a newspaper publishing company in the United States founded by Josephine Scripps in 1921 and managed beginning in 1931 by her son Ed Scripps (1909-1997). Based in Herndon, Virginia, the chain was separate from t ...

. In 1993, the paper, which had been daily since 1928, cut down to a two day a week schedule, citing financial pressures. The move left Santa Rosa's ''Press Democrat'' as the county's only daily.

Pulitzer Publishing Company Pulitzer, Inc. was an American media company who owned newspapers, television stations and radio stations across the United States. Founded by Joseph Pulitzer (who also funded the Pulitzer Prizes, which are not affiliated with the company), its p ...

bought Scripps League for about $230 million in 1996.

The New York Times Company The New York Times Company is an American mass media company that publishes ''The New York Times''. Its headquarters are in Manhattan, New York City. History The company was founded by Henry Jarvis Raymond and George Jones in New York City. T ...

bought the ''Argus-Courier'' in 2001. The New York Times Company sold its regional papers to

Halifax Media Halifax Media Group was an American newspaper company owning more than 30 newspapers in five Southeastern U.S. States. It was founded on March 31, 2010 when a group of investors purchased ''The Daytona Beach News-Journal'' from the Davidson famil ...

in 2012; Halifax sold the ''Argus-Courier'' to Sonoma Media Investments later that year.

National coverage and awards

''Argus-Courier'' reporting has been featured in national news reporting, as with the story of Petaluma resident Polly Klaas's murder, where the paper served as a source of reporting, and its staff served as commentators on the culture of the town. In 2017, the ''Petaluma Argus-Courier'' won 1st place in the General Excellence category in its division of California's Better Newspapers Contest, as well as awards in environmental reporting, breaking news, and online photo essays.

References

{{reflist Sonoma County, California Weekly newspapers published in California

External links

Official site