''The Free Press'' is an American, English language daily newspaper based in Kinston,

Lenoir County, North Carolina Lenoir County is a county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 55,122. Its county seat is Kinston, located on the Neuse River, across which the county has its territory. Lenoir County comprises the K ...

. It has served the city of Kinston and Lenoir County, North Carolina since 1882. ''The Free Press'' was owned by

Freedom Communications Freedom Communications, Inc., was an American media conglomerate that operated daily and weekly newspapers, websites and mobile applications, as well as ''Coast Magazine'' and other specialty publications. Headquartered at 625 N. Grand Avenue in ...

until 2012, when Freedom sold its Florida and North Carolina papers to

Halifax Media Group 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 fami ...

. In November 2014, Halifax announced the sale of The Free Press and its other properties to

New Media Investment Group Gannett Co., Inc. () is an American mass media holding company headquartered in McLean, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.New Media Investment Group Gannett Co., Inc. () is an American mass media holding company headquartered in McLean, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.Gannett in 2019.

Printing

It was a broadsheet-format daily until June 1, 2009, when it and two sister dailies, the New Bern, North Carolina '' Sun Journal'' and the

Jacksonville, North Carolina Jacksonville is a city in Onslow County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 72,723, which makes Jacksonville the 14th-largest city in North Carolina. Jacksonville is the county seat and most populous commu ...

'' Daily News'' converted to a Berliner-style format. Since the format change all three papers are laid out and are published in Jacksonville. The Free Press (and its sister publications in New Bern and Jacksonville) returned to the broadsheet format on May 1, 2014, after readers requested the change. The ''Free Press'' is available on the Internet ( for full access) and on Facebook for dissemination of news and interaction with readers.

History

The ''Free Press'' was founded in 1882 by

Josephus Flavius Josephus (; grc-gre, Ἰώσηπος, ; 37 – 100) was a first-century Romano-Jewish historian and military leader, best known for '' The Jewish War'', who was born in Jerusalem—then part of Roman Judea—to a father of priestly ...

and his brother Charles Daniels. The newspaper was an active supporter of

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...

and the Democratic party. The name has changed several times since then. * ''The Kinston Free Press'' (1882–1923), * ''The Daily Free Press'' (1902–1923), * ''The Kinston Free Press'' (1882–1923, * ''The Daily Free Press'' (1902–1923), * ''The Kinston Daily Free Press'' (1923–1991), * ''The Free Press'' (1991–current), In November 2022 Paxton Media Group acquired The Free Press and five other North Carolina newspapers from Gannett Co., Inc.

Awards

The ''Free Press'' is a member of the

North Carolina Press Association The North Carolina Press Association (NCPA) is an American, nonprofit organization devoted to protecting and promoting newspapers and freedom of the press Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the fundamental principle that communicat ...

. The ''Free Press'' won 47 North Carolina Press Association awards from 2010 to 2012, the most in a three-year period in the paper's history. It was named the top newspaper in North Carolina's Class D (Daily, 12,000-and-under) in 2014.

References

{{Gannett Lenoir County, North Carolina Daily newspapers published in North Carolina Newspapers established in 1882 Gannett publications

Printing

History

Awards

See also

References