''The State Journal-Register'' is the only local daily

newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, 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 p ...

for Springfield, Illinois, and its surrounding area. It was founded in 1831 as the ''Sangamo Journal'' by William Bailhache and Edward Baker, and describes itself as "the oldest newspaper in Illinois". As such, it and its editor, Edward L. Baker, supported the political career of the Springfield-based

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

in the years before the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

; in fact, it was in the ''Journal''s office that Lincoln and his friends waited for the

telegraph Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...

ic news from Chicago to find out who would be the Republican presidential nominee in 1860. Later in publication, the name was changed to ''Illinois State Journal''. The cover-price is $2 daily, $4.50 on Sunday.

Copley Press Copley Press was a privately held newspaper business, founded in Illinois, but later based in La Jolla, California. Its flagship paper was ''The San Diego Union-Tribune''. History Founder Ira Clifton Copley launched Copley Press c. 1905, eventu ...

bought the ''State Journal'' in 1927. In 1942, it bought Springfield's afternoon paper, the ''Illinois State Register''. For years, the two papers maintained separate editorial stances, with the ''State Journal'' tilting Republican and the ''State Register'' tilting Democratic. The two papers merged in 1974 as ''The State Journal-Register''.

Fairport, New York Fairport is a village located in the Town of Perinton, which is part of Monroe County, New York, United States. Fairport is a suburb east of Rochester. It is also known as the "Crown Jewel of the Erie Canal". In 2005, it was named as one of t ...

-based GateHouse Media bought ''The State Journal-Register'', along with most of Copley's other Midwestern titles, in 2007. Since the change in ownership, the paper has downsized its staff, leading to internal controversy and at least one editor resigning in protest. In 2022, the paper announced it would stop printing its Saturday edition.

References

External links

''The State Journal-Register'' websiteIllinois Digital Newspaper Collections: Sangamo Journal/Illinois State Journal (1831–1853)
Gannett publications Newspapers published in Illinois Springfield, Illinois Companies based in Sangamon County, Illinois Publications established in 1831 {{Illinois-newspaper-stub