''The Mercury'' is a daily
newspaper
A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background.
Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports a ...
published in
Pottstown, Pennsylvania
Pottstown is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Pottstown was laid out in 1752–53 and named Pottsgrove in honor of its founder, John Potts. The old name was abandoned at the time of the incorporation as a borough in 1815. In 1888 ...
, United States.
Awards
''The Mercury'' is the smallest circulation newspaper in the U.S. to have its staffers win two Pulitzer Prizes. In 1979, staff photographer
Thomas J. Kelly III won in the
Spot News Photography category.
In 1990, staff Tom Hylton won in the
Editorial Writing category.
''The Mercury'' has won hundreds of other state and national awards in the past 89 years.
Campaigns
Some of its investigative work has led to changes in state and federal laws. In its most recent public service campaign, ''The Mercury'' led the battle to overturn a middle-of-the-night pay raise that
Pennsylvania lawmakers voted themselves in July 2005. The newspaper published a series of editorials by editor Nancy March and
op-ed
An op-ed, short for "opposite the editorial page", is a written prose piece, typically published by a North-American newspaper or magazine, which expresses the opinion of an author usually not affiliated with the publication's editorial board. O ...
columns by City Editor Tony Phyrillas demanding the repeal of the pay raise. The newspaper also collected 10,000 letters from readers demanding repeal of the pay raise and delivered them to the state Capitol in Harrisburg. One month after the letters were delivered, the legislature voted to repeal the pay raise. ''The Mercury'' celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2006 and continues as a crusading small-town newspaper. ''The Mercury'' covers parts of
Montgomery,
Chester
Chester is a cathedral city and the county town of Cheshire, England. It is located on the River Dee, close to the English–Welsh border. With a population of 79,645 in 2011,"2011 Census results: People and Population Profile: Chester Loca ...
and
Berks counties in southeastern Pennsylvania. ''The Mercury'' won seven awards in the 2007 editorial excellence contest sponsored by Suburban Newspapers of America. Located at the corner of Hanover and King streets in Pottstown, ''The Mercury'' has a daily circulation of 27,500 and also posts stories at its Web site. ''The Mercury'' is owned by the
MediaNews Group, formerly Journal Register Company, one of the largest newspaper chains in the country.
References
External links
*
Journal Register Company
Daily newspapers published in Pennsylvania
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
21st Century Media publications
{{Pennsylvania-newspaper-stub