The Oakland Tribune

The ''Oakland Tribune'' is a weekly newspaper published in Oakland, California, by the Bay Area News Group (BANG), a subsidiary of MediaNews Group.

Founded in 1874, the ''Tribune'' rose to become an influential daily newspaper. With the decline of print media, in March 2016, parent company Digital First Media announced that the ''Tribune'' would fold into a new newspaper entitled the ''East Bay Times'' along with the company's other newspapers in the East Bay starting April 5, 2016. The former nameplates of the consolidated newspapers will continue to be published every Friday as weekly community supplements.

Origin

The ''Tribune'' was founded February 21, 1874, by George Staniford and Benet A. Dewes. The ''Oakland Daily Tribune'' was first printed at 468 Ninth St. as a 4-page, 3-column newspaper, 6 by 10 inches. Staniford and Dewes gave out copies free of charge. The paper had news stories and 43 advertisements.

Staniford, the editor and Dewes, the printer, were credited with producing a paper with fine typographical look and editorial nature. The competition was the ''Oakland News'' and ''Oakland Transcript''. The first editorial stated, "There seems to be an open field for a journal like the ''Tribune'' in Oakland, and we accordingly proceed to occupy it, presenting the ''Tribune'', which is intended to be a permanent daily paper, deriving its support solely from advertising patronage."

Later that year, Staniford sold his half interest to Dewes; then, Dewes sold a half interest to A.B. Gibson. The ''Tribune'' moved, January 30, 1875, to 911 Broadway and Gibson sold his half interest to the paper to A. E. Nightingill. In 1876, Dewes and Nightingill, found a buyer for the ''Tribune''.

The William Dargie era

The ''Tribune'' became a major paper under William E. Dargie (1854–1911), who acquired the paper July 24, 1876. ''The Tribune Publishing Company'', was created with William Edward Dargie as Manager and (Albion Keith Paris) A. K. P. Harmon, Jr., Secretary.

The ''Tribune'' was a solid Republican newspaper under Dargie and (later) the Knowlands. Dargie was a news innovator in several ways: 1876, wire service dispatches; 1877, a book and job department added; 1878, when the Bell Telephone System arrived in Oakland, one of the first telephones was installed at the ''Tribune''- Number 46; 1883, a Saturday edition was introduced; 1887, special editions; 1888, an extra for the presidential election.

On August 28, 1891, the name ''Oakland Tribune'' was officially adopted. Prior names include ''Oakland Daily Tribune'', the ''Oakland Evening Tribune'' and the ''Oakland Daily Evening Tribune''. Dargie had news offices in New York and Chicago. Dargie also acquired a patent approved R. Hoe & Co. double cylinder press.

The ''Tribune'' was a charter member of the Associated Press upon its founding in 1900.

Among Dargie's hires, at the turn of the century, was Jack Gunin, a one-eyed lensman, the first full-time photojournalist in the Western United States.

In 1906, the ''Tribune'' added a Sunday edition.

1906 earthquake

The newspapers of San Francisco were destroyed in the earthquake and fire of April 18, 1906. The ''Tribune'' printed many "extras." Dargie lent the ''Tribune''s presses for a joint edition of the ''San Francisco Call-Chronicle-Examiner''. In the aftermath of the conflagration, San Francisco Mayor Eugene E. Schmitz, declared the ''Oakland Tribune'' the official San Francisco newspaper.

The circulation grew as displaced San Franciscans moved to Oakland and Alameda County. The ''Tribune''s editorial direction was then under Managing Editor John Conners. After 35 years as publisher, William E. Dargie died on February 10, 1911. Former Oakland Mayor Melvin C. Chapman served as acting president of the Tribune Publishing Company. Bruno Albert Forsterer (1869–1957), was publisher and general manager. He was executor of Dargie's estate. Bruno and his son, Harold B. Forsterer, also served the Knowlands and the ''Tribune''.

The Knowland Family era

After five terms in the United States House of Representatives, Joseph R. Knowland (1873–1966) purchased the ''Oakland Tribune'' from Dargie's widow, Hermina Peralta Dargie. In his first edition as publisher of the Oakland Tribune, November 14, 1915, he wrote, "It is perfectly understood that what the ''Tribune'' does, rather than what it promises, will determine the true measure of its worth; and with that understanding, the ''Tribune'', under its new control, girds to its work."

Knowland moved the ''Tribune'' to a new location at 13th and Franklin Streets on March 25, 1918. Under Knowland, the ''Tribune'' became one-third of a triumvirate of California Republican newspapers with conservative viewpoints, along with the ''Los Angeles Times'' and ''San Francisco Chronicle''. The ''Tribune'' endorsed Republican candidates and "J.R." (as Knowland was widely known) often picked and controlled Republican elected officials. The Tribune would make many political careers, the most noted being Knowland's own son William F. Knowland and Earl Warren.

In 1921, Knowland started radio station KLX and his newspaper library. The 305 feet tall Tribune Tower, an Oakland landmark, was completed in 1923. The Tribune moved its business into the tower in 1924. ''The Tribune Publishing Corporation'', was founded by Knowland on January 4, 1928. The publishing corporation held interests in KLX, part owner of a paper mill in Tacoma, Washington and subsidiary businesses, U-Bild, Tower Graphics and Tribune Features, Inc.

In the mid-1930s, J.R. tied in with the Associated Press Wirephoto Service. He had a direct wire link for international news from London, England. The mast head logo, which became an icon of the paper, showed Oakland, a port to the world and nation. The logo changed with the times: the Tower, transport ship and steam locomotive; in later years, the Tower, the Bay Bridge, larger transport ship, diesel engine, the china clipper and later, a jet airplane.

On September 1, 1950, the ''Tribune'' became the sole Oakland daily newspaper, with the demise of its competitor, William Randolph Hearst's ''Oakland Post Enquirer''.

In 1960, Joseph R. Knowland's son, former U.S. Senator William F. Knowland (1908–1974), was named editor; he had shared being assistant publisher with his brother, Joseph Russell "Russ" Knowland, Jr. (1901–1961), since 1933. Russ Knowland's 1961 death made his brother Bill sole successor to their father.

On February 1, 1966, Joseph R. Knowland died at the age of 92. William F. Knowland was appointed president and publisher. His son, Joseph William Knowland became vice-president and general manager. Bill Knowland added to the logo, ''A Responsible Metropolitan Newspaper''. The Senator had assumed duties as the ''Tribune''s publisher and editor. He became the president of ''The Tribune Publishing Corporation''.

Under Bill Knowland's ownership, the ''Tribune'' had a conservative editorial position and a reputation for being strongly pro-business. As the city of Oakland became more ethnically and politically diverse in the 1960s and 1970s, the Tribune was unable to respond quickly enough to the demographic changes (and the political and social unrest exemplified, among other factors, by the University of California, Berkeley, student uprisings and the Black Panther movement).

The ''Tribune''s readership declined after the early 1960s as a large portion of the paper's traditional subscription base relocated to the newly developing suburbs south and east of Oakland. In southern Alameda County, the readership went to Floyd Sparks's '' The (Hayward) Daily Review'' and in Contra Costa County to Dean Lesher's ''Contra Costa Times''.

In 1973, Bill Knowland wrote in Fortune magazine, "Any city needs a means of communication between the diverse members of its community. Communication is essential."

Bill Knowland's personal life would soon affect the ''Oakland Tribune''. Two days after the ''Tribune'' celebrated its 100th anniversary on February 21, 1974, William F. Knowland committed suicide. On the death of their father, Joseph William Knowland (1930- ), became the ''Tribune''s editor and publisher; Emelyn K. Jewett (1929–1988) became president of ''The Tribune Publishing Corporation''.

The California Press Association honored Joseph W. Knowland, as the winner of the 1975, ''Publisher of the Year'' award. This honor was bestowed on Joe Knowland for his progressive innovations in the operations and makeup of the newspaper.

End of the Knowland Era: CCC and Gannett

In 1977, the Knowland Family sold the ''Oakland Tribune'' to Combined Communications Corporation, owned by Arizona-based outdoor sign mogul Karl Eller. ''The Tribune Publishing Corporation'', was dissolved by the Knowland Family. Eller had recently acquired ''The Cincinnati Enquirer''. In 1979, CCC merged with the East Coast-based media conglomerate Gannett Company, Gannett CEO, used the ''Tribune'' as a pilot project with a new morning paper called ''East Bay Today'', which served as an early prototype of Gannett's later national paper ''USA Today''. In 1979, Gannett named Robert C. Maynard (1937–1993) editor, becoming the first African-American editor in the paper's history. In 1983, Maynard—who by this time had become publisher and with Gannett's blessing—consolidated the ''Tribune'' and ''East Bay Today'' into a single morning newspaper under the ''Tribune'' name.

The Maynard era

In 1983, Maynard and his wife, Nancy Hicks Maynard, purchased the ''Tribune'' from Gannett for $17 million (financed by a loan from Gannett) in the first management-led leveraged buyout in U.S. newspaper history. It was also historic for the ''Tribune'' becoming the first major metropolitan daily newspaper owned by an African-American. This was seen as especially notable as Oakland was developing a relatively large African-American community which, by the 1980s, was becoming increasingly influential in local business and politics. Maynard helped restore the paper's reputation, earning a Pulitzer Prize in 1990.

But for all of its editorial kudos under Maynard, the ''Tribune'' still was plagued by financial difficulties beyond Maynard's control. Facing a debt of $31.5 million and on the brink of folding in August 1991, the ''Tribune'' was saved by the Freedom Forum, Allen H. Neuharth's media foundation. The Freedom Forum paid Gannett

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