''The Burlington Free Press'' (sometimes referred to as "BFP" or "the Free Press") is a digital and print community news organization based in Burlington, Vermont, and owned by

Gannett Gannett Co., Inc. () is an American mass media holding company headquartered in McLean, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.USA Today Network and offers local news coverage both in print and online. Free Press Media, a division of the ''Burlington Free Press'', is a comprehensive media company that creates, implements and manages online and print marketing campaigns for local and national businesses. ''Free Press Media'' is the B2B marketing branch of the ''Burlington Free Press'' and is able to utilize the reach and coverage of the news organization to target audiences on behalf of local companies.

Current format

The Burlington Free Press print product is a “tall tab” newspaper that contains specialized sections that cover business, arts & entertainment, sports, food and local history. As a part of the USA Today Network, the Free Press also includes a daily inserted section from USA TODAY that covers national politics, entertainment and sports.

Coverage area

The Burlington Free Press mainly reports on stories that occur in Chittenden County with a focus on the towns of Burlington, Essex,

South Burlington South Burlington is a city in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. Along with neighboring Burlington, it is a principal city of the Burlington metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 20,292. It is home to the head ...

, Williston, Colchester, Winooski and Shelburne. Stories from the

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. n ...

and from the national USA Today Network are also pulled in to the Burlington Free Press website and printed paper to help round out coverage.

Online presence

The Burlington Free Press website carries both local and national stories, videos and live streams and offers a digital-only subscription as an alternative or supplement to print delivery. Non-subscribers are limited to five articles per month before they need to subscribe to see more content.

History

Early history

The ''Burlington Free Press'' began as a weekly publication on June 15, 1827. It was created by lawyers Seneca Austin and Luman Foote in response to the 1828 presidential election cycle. ''The Burlington Sentinel'', another Burlington newspaper, favored

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame a ...

while the Free Press, under Austin and Foote, supported incumbent President John Quincy Adams. The format of the weekly ''Burlington Free Press'' was four pages, with five columns of copy on each page. The paper itself was 18 inches long. The weekly newspaper published every Friday. Burlington Free Press motto

The ''Burlington Free Press'' became a daily newspaper on April 1, 1848, in response to the invention of the telegraph that brought more up-to-date news to the Burlington area. The first telegraph message was received in Burlington on February 2, 1848. Editor DeWitt Clinton Clarke (1846-1853) made the following statement regarding the telegraph:

''“We trust it did not escape the notice of our readers that our Saturday evening’s paper contained news from New York of that very afternoon – half past two o’clock! The wonders achieved by the telegraph are absolutely incredible if one attempts to reflect on the subject.”''

The daily ''Burlington Free Press'' was published in the evening every day except Sunday to offset the leading Burlington morning paper, ''The Daily Sentinel''. The weekly edition was continued on Fridays until March 29, 1923. The format of the daily ''Burlington Free Press'' consisted of one column of editorial, three columns of political and general news, half a column of state and local news and 100 words or less of telegraphic news (reported from afar and transferred via telegraph to Burlington). 15 columns were dedicated to advertisements and “uncalled for letters”, a list of people who had not collected their mail from the postmaster. The daily ''Burlington Free Press'' paper cost subscribers $4 a year and was not an immediate success. It had only 275 subscribers in its first year. The population of Burlington was 7,000 at the time. Compare this to the weekly Burlington Free Press which had a circulation of 1,200. Early coverage included letters from the battlefields of the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polic ...

women's suffrage Women's suffrage is the women's rights, right of women to Suffrage, vote in elections. Beginning in the start of the 18th century, some people sought to change voting laws to allow women to vote. Liberal political parties would go on to gran ...

and prohibition. Under ownership of George Wyllys Benedict and his son

George G. Benedict George Grenville Benedict (December 10, 1826 – April 8, 1907) was an American soldier who fought in the American Civil War. Benedict was awarded the country's highest award for bravery during combat, the Medal of Honor, for his action during ...

(owners 1853–1897), the paper was strongly and vocally opposed to

slavery Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

, which was the issue of the day. In 1868, the Free Press Association was formed and purchased the ''Burlington Daily Times'', a daily morning newspaper founded by former ''Burlington Free Press'' owner and editor DeWitt Clinton Clarke after he sold the ''Burlington Free Press'' in 1853 to G.W. Benedict. The ''Burlington Free Press'' absorbed the ''Burlington Daily Times'' and was suddenly publishing both a morning and an evening edition. In 1872, ''The Daily Sentinel'', the ''Burlington Free Press''’ major competitor in the morning newspaper market closed its doors. The Free Press ceased publishing the evening edition and continued as a morning paper in 1882. In 1890, circulation of the daily Free Press was 3,250. In 1894, the Free Press employed

Walter J. Bigelow Walter J. Bigelow (January 22, 1865 - May 2, 1935) was an American newspaper editor, author, and politician from Vermont. A Republican, he was most notable for serving as mayor of Burlington from 1907 to 1909 and owning and publishing the '' St. ...

as night editor. He remained in this position until 1909. A Republican, he served as mayor of Burlington from 1907 to 1909. The Free Press installed the first Linotype printing press in Vermont in 1895. In 1900, circulation of the daily Free Press was 4,649. That increased to 7,366 in 1907, 8,569 in 1914 and 11,459 in 1922. In the end of 1922, the ''Burlington Free Press'' stopped publication of the Friday weekly edition. In 1927, the Free Press had 14,468 subscribers. Photo-engraving was added to the ''Burlington Free Press''’ capabilities in 1929 and the paper was able to produce photo news coverage. In 1932, the circulation of the daily Free Press was 16,554 and increased to 23,500 only fifteen years later in 1947. In 1950, the Free Press had 26,703 subscribers. That number rose to 33,225 in 1962. In the 1960s and 1970s, The ''Burlington Free Press'' remained a Republican newspaper in a state that was slowly moving across the political spectrum toward

Democratic Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

. The Free Press stood behind Richard Nixon throughout the Watergate scandal. The ''Burlington Free Press'' merged with Gannett. Co., Inc. based in Rochester, N.Y. in 1971. The Sunday edition of the ''Burlington Free Press'' was introduced in 1975 and it became the first seven-day newspaper in Vermont.

Recent history

In June 2012, the ''Burlington Free Press'' switched from broadsheet to all-color tall tabloid format. March 30, 2014 was the first edition of the Free Press that included the USA TODAY insert showing national news and national sports reporting. In June 2015, Gannett Company split into two entities: TEGNA and Gannett Company, Inc. The ''Burlington Free Press'' fell under the new Gannett Company Inc., which is the publishing side of the old Gannett Company. Gannett Co. Inc. owns USA TODAY, over 100 daily newspapers and nearly 1,000 weekly newspapers.

Headquarters

From the creation of the Burlington Free Press in 1827 to 1833, the offices were located in Burlington, Vermont on the north side of Court House Square, now City Hall Park, on College St. between Church and St. Paul Streets. In 1833, new owner Henry B. Stacy built new offices on College Street between South Winooski Avenue and Church Street. He retained the upper floors of the building as a residence for his family. The offices on College Street continued to grow, and additional space surrounding the building was purchased until it comprised twelve buildings. The buildings were connected by ramps, tunnels and sky-walks to allow freedom of movement for workers in the winter months. In September 2013, seven of the twelve buildings were sold to the Handy family. The Burlington Free Press held on to the five buildings on South Winooski Ave. that housed the printing press, mail room and circulation department. On January 20, 2014, the Burlington Free Press offices moved from College Street to occupy the new facility at 100 Bank St.

Size and format changes

The Burlington Free Press has had many size changes and format changes throughout its history, the most drastic of which was in June 2012 when it switched from broadsheet to an all-color “tall tab” format.

Burlington Free Press (weekly edition)

Burlington Free Press (daily edition)

Awards

The ''Burlington Free Press'' has won numerous awards and accolades honoring both its reporters and its online presence. Under ownership and management of the Benedict family (1853-1897), the Free Press was listed several times on the 100 best newspapers in the United States list.

Pulitzer Prize

The ''Burlington Free Press'' was a finalist for a

Pulitzer Prize The Pulitzer Prize () is an award for achievements in newspaper, magazine, online journalism, literature, and musical composition within the United States. It was established in 1917 by provisions in the will of Joseph Pulitzer, who had made ...

in 2012 for Editorial Writing by Aki Soga and Michael Townsend. Specifically for their campaign that resulted in the state's first reform of open government laws in 35 years.

RTDNA Edward R. Murrow Awards

The Free Press has won many

Edward R. Murrow Awards The Edward R. Murrow Award may refer to one of several awards named after American journalist Edward R. Murrow: * Edward R. Murrow Award (Corporation for Public Broadcasting), given out to individuals in public radio since 1977 * Edward Murrow Awa ...

, a distinction that has historically been reserved for television and radio publications.

New England Newspaper and Press Association

The Free Press, in the category "Daily newspapers, Circulation <30,000" has won several awards from the ''New England Newspaper and Press Association'' (also known as "NENPA").

Vermont Press Association

Scripps Howard National Journalism Awards

The Burlington Free Press won the "Distinguished Service to the First Amendment" award from the Scripps Howard Foundation in 2010 for its editorial work focusing on open government during the 2010 elections. It was a finalist in 2008 for the same award.

Associated Press Media Editors Association Journalism Excellence Awards

Content

Format

Today, the Burlington Free Press is printed in full color and produced in ‘butterfly’ format. Each section is layered on top of each other and then the whole paper is folded in half to create one booklet. The sections can be separated, or read together.

Sections

Main

The ‘Main’ or ‘A’ section of the ''Burlington Free Press'' contains news coverage including politics, society, weather, crime, education and sports. It also contains obituaries, birth announcements, wedding announcements and advertisements from both local and national businesses. Depending on the day of the week, the section can be anywhere from 16 to 32 pages in length.

USA TODAY

The USA TODAY section is included every day as the ‘B’ section of the paper. It is produced at the national USA TODAY office and is inserted into the ''Burlington Free Press'' at the time of printing. It contains national news, politics, entertainment and business.

Innovate

The ''Burlington Free Press'' publishes its business and technology news in a weekly Innovate section on Thursdays. This section also includes the jobs listings.

Weekend

The Weekend section publishes on Thursdays. It contains arts and entertainment news from around Burlington and Chittenden County. This section also includes the crossword puzzle, jumble, comics and TV guide.

Savorvore

Printed on Fridays, Savorvore is the ''Burlington Free Press''’ food section. It features recipes, restaurant profiles and an area restaurant guide.

History Space

Printed on Sundays, the History Space features local history profiles written by community members, professors and historians.

Premium Editions

The Free Press publishes Premium Editions of the paper that focus on certain national or local topics. The edition costs $1 extra and is included in the Sunday paper four times a year.

Writing style

The Burlington Free Press follows AP Style.

Additional print products

Freshies

Freshies
is a ski and snowboarding magazine produced by the ''Burlington Free Press'' and Free Press Media. It features articles written by experts, photography and advertisements for winter equipment, resorts, restaurants and beer. It publishes two times a year: Spring and Fall.

Hometown Weekly

Hometown Weekly is a community news publication that is mailed out to households that do not subscribe to the ''Burlington Free Press'' within Chittenden County. It features photos and stories focused on community and local events. Total distribution of this product is 42,000 homes.

Buyers Digest

Buyers Digest Mega is a community news publication that is mailed out to non-subscribers in Franklin County, Vermont and select homes in Addison County and Lamoille County. It features advertisements tailored to that community as well as photos and short articles.

Real Estate Extra

Real Estate Extra (also referred to as "REX") is a monthly glossy magazine featuring advertisements and home listings from Vermont's largest real estate companies. It is delivered with the ''Burlington Free Press'' to homes in Chittenden County and Franklin County and is placed in racks in various retail locations around Burlington.

Podcasts

The ''Burlington Free Press'' co-produces a craft-beer podcast called It's the Beer Talking with Farrell Distributing, Vermont's largest beverage distribution company. The hosts, Jeff Baker and Jason Strempek both work for Farrell Distributing as does co-producer Ryan Chaffin. The podcast is co-produced, edited and recorded by Sophia Trigg, News and Social Media assistant at the ''Burlington Free Press''. Episodes are released weekly on Tuesdays and are 20–40 minutes in length. Each episode begins with a beer-sampling segment called “What’s in the Fridge?”. It then features an interview with a leader in the beer industry. Past guests have included

Ken Grossman Ken Grossman (born November 11, 1954) is an American billionaire businessman, founder of Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. Early life Grossman was born to a Jewish family in southern California on November 11, 1954. He studied at Butte College an ...

, founder/CEO of

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primarily ...

, and guests from large brands like Goose Island Brewery and Citizen Cider.

Staff

Ownership history

Executive editors

Notable staff members

Madeline Kunin, former governor of Vermont, joined the ''Burlington Free Press'' in 1957 after graduating at Columbia University's journalism school. She left the Free Press in 1958 to take a job at the Brussels World's Fair. In 1984, Kunin was elected Vermont's first female governor.

Major coverage

Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign

Because The ''Burlington Free Press'' is from the hometown of Sen. Bernie Sanders, their staff led the charge on behalf of the USA Today Network during Bernie Sanders’

presidential primary The presidential primary elections and caucuses held in the various U.S. state, states, the Washington, D.C., District of Columbia, and territories of the United States form part of the nominating process of candidates for United States preside ...

campaign in 2015–16. Free Press reporters and editors traveled to campaign stops across the country and reported back on Sanders’ progress. Videographer Ryan Mercer created an award-winning video reflection on the Sanders campaign in November 2016.

References

External links

*
Historic Newspaper Pages (1866-1920) on Chronicling America
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burlington Free Press

Free Press Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the fundamental principle that communication and expression through various media, including printed and electronic media, especially published materials, should be considered a right to be exerc ...

Newspapers published in Vermont Gannett publications Publications established in 1827 1827 establishments in Vermont