Local Media Group, Inc., formerly Dow Jones Local Media Group and Ottaway Newspapers Inc., owned newspapers, Web sites and niche publications in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

and

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. It was headquartered in Campbell Hall, New York, near Middletown, New York, and its flagship was the

Times Herald-Record The ''Times Herald-Record'', often referred to as ''The Record'' or ''Middletown Record'' in its coverage area, is a daily newspaper published in Middletown, New York, covering the northwest suburbs of New York City. It covers Orange, Sullivan ...

. The Ottaway organization was founded in by James H. Ottaway Sr., owner of the ''Endicott Daily Bulletin'' of Endicott, NY, in 1936. It had grown to nine newspapers in the northeastern United States by 1970, when it was acquired by

Dow Jones & Company Dow Jones & Company, Inc. is an American publishing firm owned by News Corp and led by CEO Almar Latour. The company publishes ''The Wall Street Journal'', ''Barron's'', ''MarketWatch'', ''Mansion Global'', ''Financial News'' and ''Private Equ ...

, publisher of ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

'', and later a subsidiary of

Rupert Murdoch Keith Rupert Murdoch ( ; born 11 March 1931) is an Australian-born American business magnate. Through his company News Corp, he is the owner of hundreds of local, national, and international publishing outlets around the world, including ...

's News Corporation. Following its split into

21st Century Fox Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc., doing business as 21st Century Fox (21CF), was an American multinational mass media corporation that was based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It was one of the two companies formed on June 28, 2013, f ...

and

News Corp News Corporation, stylized as News Corp, is an American mass media and publishing company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The second incarnation of the News Corporation (1980–2013), original News Corporation, it was formed ...

, the company sold the Dow Jones Local Media Group to Newcastle Investment Corp., an affiliate of Fortress Investment Group, and merged into New Media Investment Group.

History

Ottaway newspapers

James H. Ottaway Sr. founded the company in November 1936, when he purchased the ''Bulletin'', a semi-weekly paper in Endicott, New York, that he converted to a daily within a year. Ottaway added the ''

Oneonta Star Local Media Group, Inc., formerly Dow Jones Local Media Group and Ottaway Newspapers Inc., owned newspapers, Web sites and niche publications in California, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon and Pennsylvania. It was headquarte ...

'' in 1944, followed two years later by the '' Pocono Record''. The company was a seller more often than a buyer in the 2000s (decade), however, and several observers—including the ''New York Post'', ''The Boston Globe'' and Ottaway's own ''Cape Cod Times''—speculated that News Corporation intended to sell all or part of the company in the near future."Ottaway Papers Might Be Sold, Including 16 in N.E."
''NEPA Bulletin'' (Boston, Mass.), December 2007
, page 3.

Dow Jones Local Media Group

Under Dow Jones' ownership, Ottaway sold several newspapers in recent years, however, most recently in December 2006, when the company dealt nearly half its daily newspapers to

Community Newspaper Holdings CNHI, LLC (formerly Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.) is an American publisher of newspapers and advertising-related publications throughout the United States. The company was formed in 1997 by Ralph Martin,

Inc. (CNHI) for $287.9 million (including real estate). Until December 2006, the following dailies and weeklies were also part of the Ottaway chain. Other than the California and Connecticut newspapers, they are all now part of CNHI. * ''

Santa Cruz Sentinel The ''Santa Cruz Sentinel'' is a daily newspaper published in Santa Cruz, California, covering Santa Cruz County, California, and owned by Media News Group. Ottaway Community Newspapers, a division of Dow Jones & Company bought the paper in 1982 ...

'' daily of Santa Cruz, California * '' The News-Times'' daily of

Danbury, Connecticut Danbury is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, located approximately northeast of New York City. Danbury's population as of 2022 was 87,642. It is the seventh largest city in Connecticut. Danbury is nicknamed the "Hat City ...

* '' The Spectrum'' weekly of

Milford, Connecticut Milford is a coastal city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, located between New Haven and Bridgeport. The population was 50,558 at the 2020 United States Census. The city includes the village of Devon and the borough of Woodmont. ...

* '' Traverse City Record-Eagle'' daily of

Traverse City, Michigan Traverse City ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Grand Traverse County, although a small portion extends into Leelanau County. It is the largest city in the 21-county Northern Michigan region. The population was ...

* '' The Grand Traverse Herald'' weekly of

* '' Cooperstown Crier'' weekly of

Cooperstown, New York Cooperstown is a village in and county seat of Otsego County, New York, United States. Most of the village lies within the town of Otsego, but some of the eastern part is in the town of Middlefield. Located at the foot of Otsego Lake in the C ...

* '' Daily Star'' of

Oneonta, New York Oneonta ( ) is a city in southern Otsego County, New York, United States. It is one of the northernmost cities of the Appalachian Region. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, Oneonta had a population of 13,079. Its nickname is "City of the Hil ...

* '' Press-Republican'' of

Plattsburgh, New York Plattsburgh ( moh, Tsi ietsénhtha) is a city in, and the seat of, Clinton County, New York, United States, situated on the north-western shore of Lake Champlain. The population was 19,841 at the 2020 census. The population of the surrounding ...

* '' Daily Item'' of Sunbury, Pennsylvania * ''

The Danville News The ''Danville News'' is a newspaper published in Sunbury, Pennsylvania. The publication is owned by Community Newspaper Holdings CNHI, LLC (formerly Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.) is an American publisher of newspapers and advertising-r ...

'' weekdays only, of Danville, Pennsylvania These four daily newspapers were sold by Ottaway to CNHI for $182 million in 2002: * '' The Herald'' of

Sharon, Pennsylvania Sharon is a city in western Mercer County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city, located along the banks of the Shenango River on the state border with Ohio, is about northeast of Youngstown, about southeast of Cleveland and about northwest o ...

* ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' of Ashland, Kentucky * '' The Free Press'' of

Mankato, Minnesota Mankato ( ) is a city in Blue Earth County, Minnesota, Blue Earth, Nicollet County, Minnesota, Nicollet, and Le Sueur County, Minnesota, Le Sueur counties in the state of Minnesota. The population was 44,488 according to the 2020 United States ...

* '' The Joplin Globe'' of Joplin, Missouri Also, Ottaway sold the three daily newspapers of Essex County Newspapers Inc. to ''

The Eagle-Tribune ''The Eagle-Tribune'' (and ''Sunday Eagle-Tribune'') is a seven-day morning daily newspaper covering the Merrimack Valley and Essex County, Massachusetts, and southern New Hampshire. It is the largest-circulation daily newspaper owned by Communi ...

'' of

North Andover, Massachusetts North Andover is an affluent town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. At the 2020 census the population was 30,915. History Native Americans inhabited what is now northeastern Massachusetts for thousands of years prior to European c ...

, in 2002, for $70 million. ''The Eagle-Tribune'', along with the Essex papers listed below, was later purchased by CNHI. * '' Daily News of Newburyport'' of

Newburyport, Massachusetts Newburyport is a coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, northeast of Boston. The population was 18,289 at the 2020 census. A historic seaport with vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes part of Plum Island. The mo ...

* '' Gloucester Daily Times'' of

Gloucester, Massachusetts Gloucester () is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It sits on Cape Ann and is a part of Massachusetts's North Shore. The population was 29,729 at the 2020 U.S. Census. An important center of the fishing industry and a ...

* '' Salem Evening News'' of

Salem, Massachusetts Salem ( ) is a historic coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, located on the North Shore of Greater Boston. Continuous settlement by Europeans began in 1626 with English colonists. Salem would become one of the most significant seaports tr ...

Sale to Newcastle

On September 4, 2013,

announced that it would sell the Dow Jones Local Media Group to Newcastle Investment Corp.—an affiliate of Fortress Investment Group, for $87 million. The newspapers will be operated by GateHouse Media, a newspaper group owned by Fortress. News Corp. CEO and former ''Wall Street Journal'' editor Robert James Thomson indicated that the newspapers were "not strategically consistent with the emerging portfolio" of the company. GateHouse in turn filed prepackaged Chapter 11 bankruptcy on September 27, 2013, to restructure its debt obligations in order to accommodate the acquisition. Newcastle combined Local Media Group with the post-bankruptcy GateHouse Media later in 2013 to form New Media Investment Group.

Holdings

Holdings by frequency of publication

Dow Jones Local Media Group published eight daily and 15 weekly newspapers in seven U.S. states. Its circulation was given in 2005 as 282,000 daily, 316,000 Sunday and 119,000 daily unique visitors on newspaper Internet sites."Dow Jones Completes Sale of Six Local Newspapers." Dow Jones & Company press release, December 5, 2006. Daily newspapers are: * '' Ashland Daily Tidings'' of Ashland, Oregon (sold) * '' Cape Cod Times'' of Barnstable, Massachusetts * '' Mail Tribune'' of

Medford, Oregon Medford is a city in and the county seat of Jackson County, Oregon, in the United States. As of the 2020 United States Census on April 1, 2020, the city had a total population of 85,824 and a metropolitan area population of 223,259, making the Me ...

(sold) * '' Pocono Record'' of Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania * '' The Portsmouth Herald'' of

Portsmouth, New Hampshire Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. At the 2020 census it had a population of 21,956. A historic seaport and popular summer tourist destination on the Piscataqua River bordering the state of Maine, Portsmou ...

* ''

The Record The Record may refer to: Music * ''The Record'' (album), a 1982 studio album by the hardcore-punk band Fear * The Records, an English power pop band * '' Their Greatest Hits: The Record'', a 2001 greatest-hits album by the pop-music group Bee Ge ...

'' of

Stockton, California Stockton is a city in and the county seat of San Joaquin County, California, San Joaquin County in the Central Valley (California), Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. Stockton was founded by Carlos Maria Weber in 1849 after he acquir ...

* '' The Standard-Times'' of

New Bedford, Massachusetts New Bedford (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ) is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, Bristol County, Massachusetts. It is located on the Acushnet River in what is known as the South Coast (Massachusetts), South Coast region. Up throug ...

* ''

'' of Middletown, New York Weekly and twice-weekly newspapers include the following: * ''

The Barnstable Patriot ''The Barnstable Patriot'' is a weekly newspaper published in and for the town of Barnstable, Massachusetts, United States. Although it bills itself as "an independent voice since 1830", ''The Patriot'' has been owned, since 2019, by Gannett. ...

'' of Barnstable, Massachusetts * '' The Inquirer & Mirror'' of

Nantucket, Massachusetts Nantucket () is an island about south from Cape Cod. Together with the small islands of Tuckernuck and Muskeget, it constitutes the Town and County of Nantucket, a combined county/town government that is part of the U.S. state of Massachuse ...

* Hathaway Publishing, published alongside ''The Standard-Times'': ** ''

The Advocate An advocate is a professional in the field of law. The Advocate, The Advocates or Advocate may also refer to: Magazines * ''The Advocate'' (LGBT magazine), an LGBT magazine based in the United States *''The Harvard Advocate'', a literary magazin ...

'' of

Fairhaven, Massachusetts Fairhaven (Massachusett: ) is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is located on the South Coast of Massachusetts where the Acushnet River flows into Buzzards Bay, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean. The town shares a harbor wit ...

** '' The Chronicle'' of

Dartmouth, Massachusetts Dartmouth (Massachusett: ) is a coastal town in Bristol County, Massachusetts. Old Dartmouth was the first area of Southeastern Massachusetts to be settled by Europeans, primarily English. Dartmouth is part of New England's farm coast, which co ...

** '' The Fall River Spirit'' of Fall River, Massachusetts ** ''

Middleboro Gazette The ''Middleboro Gazette'' is a weekly newspaper founded in 1852. Based in Middleborough, Massachusetts, its coverage area includes Lakeville, Middleboro, and occasionally Freetown Freetown is the capital and largest city of Sierra Leone. ...

'' of Middleborough, Massachusetts ** ''

The Spectator ''The Spectator'' is a weekly British magazine on politics, culture, and current affairs. It was first published in July 1828, making it the oldest surviving weekly magazine in the world. It is owned by Frederick Barclay, who also owns ''The ...

'' of Somerset, Massachusetts ** '' The New England Business Bulletin'' of Southeastern Massachusetts *

Seacoast Media Group Seacoast Media Group is a unit of Local Media Group. Seacoast publishes five weekly newspapers and one daily, ''The Portsmouth Herald'', along the coasts of New Hampshire and York County, Maine, United States. The group publisher is John Tabor; its ...

, published alongside ''The Portsmouth Herald'': ** '' The Exeter News-Letter'' of

Exeter, New Hampshire Exeter is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 16,049 at the 2020 census, up from 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county offices were moved to neighboring Brentwood. ...

(twice-weekly) ** '' The Hampton Union'' of Hampton, New Hampshire (twice-weekly) ** '' The Rockingham News'' of Plaistow, New Hampshire ** '' York County Coast Star'' of

Kennebunk, Maine Kennebunk is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 11,536 at the 2020 census (The population does not include Kennebunkport, a separate town). Kennebunk is home to several beaches, the Rachel Carson National Wildlife R ...

** '' The York Weekly'' of York, Maine * Hudson Valley Media Group, published alongside the ''Times Herald-Record'': ** ''

The Gazette The Gazette (stylized as the GazettE), formerly known as , is a Japanese visual kei Rock music, rock band, formed in Kanagawa Prefecture, Kanagawa in early 2002.''Shoxx'' Vol 106 June 2007 pg 40-45 The band is currently signed to Sony Music Recor ...

'' of Port Jervis, New York

Holdings by location

;California * The Desert Dispatch, Barstow, CA * The Record, Stockton, CA * The Daily Press, Victorville, CA ;Massachusetts * The Advocate * Barnstable Patriot * Cape Cod Times * Cape Cod View * The Chronicle * The Fall River Spirit * The Inquirer and Mirror, Nantucket, MA * Middleboro Gazette * Nantucket Today * New England Business Bulletin * The Spectator * The Standard-Times, New Bedford, MA ;New Hampshire * The Exeter News-Letter * Foster's Daily Democrat * The Hampton Union * The Portsmouth Herald * York County Coast Star * The York Weekly ;New York * Limelight Deals, Middletown, NY * Marketing Blacksmith, Middletown, NY * Orange Magazine * Times Herald-Record, Middletown, NY ;Oregon * Ashland Daily Tidings (sold) * Medford Mail Tribune (sold) * The Nickel, Medford, OR (sold) ;Pennsylvania * Pocono Record, Stroudsburg, PA

Footnotes

{{Gannett American companies established in 1936 Publishing companies established in 1936 Mass media companies established in 1936 Companies based in Orange County, New York Gannett Ottaway Community Newspapers Mass media in California Mass media in Massachusetts Mass media in New Hampshire Mass media in New York (state) Mass media in Oregon Mass media in Pennsylvania Newspaper companies of the United States 2013 mergers and acquisitions Former News Corporation subsidiaries