Post job

The Providence Journal company history timeline

1838

Daily publication proved less profitable, however, and in 1838 John Miller was forced to sell out his remaining interest in the paper, which was purchased by Joseph Knowles and William L. Burroughs.

1884

The business was incorporated as the Providence Printing Company in 1884, the year both Anthony and Danielson died, with ownership of the stock going to their families.

1885

In 1885 the name was changed to the Providence Journal Company, and the company began publication of the Providence Sunday Journal, which would eventually bring the paper its largest circulation figures.

1886

However, following the deaths of Danielson and Anthony, the paper began to take on a less biased perspective, and in 1886 published a series of criticisms of party boss Charles R. Bray ton and his cronies.

1917

When the United States finally entered the war in 1917 on the side of the Allies, it was partially due to the efforts of Rathom and the Journal to stir up public sentiment against the Central Powers.

1923

Rathom remained editor until his death in 1923, despite this embarrassment.

1925

In 1925 the paper became the first in the country to expand its coverage statewide, opening news bureaus that were located in such a way that, theoretically, no potential story was more than 20 minutes away.

1945

The paper won its first Pulitzer Prize in 1945, when chief editorial writer George W. Potter was honored for a series of essays.

1962

In 1962 the company formed a printing subsidiary, Providence Gravure, Inc., which eventually operated plants in four states that printed Sunday magazine sections and publications such as TV Guide and Time.

1978

The Journal Company entered television broadcasting directly in 1978 when it purchased WPHL in Philadelphia.

1985

The Providence Journal’s history of technical innovation added a new chapter in 1985 when it became the first United States newspaper to use flexographic printing presses.

1987

Hamblett had been CEO, publisher, and chairman since 1987 following the death of third-generation Journal publisher Michael Metcalf in a bicycle accident.

1990

In 1990 the Journal Company sold its cellular subsidiary to GTE Corporation for $750 million.

1996

In the spring of 1996, the Providence Journal Company went public, selling over $100 million worth of stock.

1998

In A.H. Belo’s year-end earnings report for 1998, the parent company noted that the Journal had had an “outstanding” year, with “double-digit cash flow growth.” Circulation of the daily Journal stood at nearly 170,000, with the Sunday edition at 244,000.

Work at The Providence Journal?
Share your experience
Founded
1829
Company founded
Headquarters
Providence, RI
Company headquarter
Get updates for jobs and news

Rate how well The Providence Journal lives up to its initial vision.

Zippia waving zebra

The Providence Journal jobs

Do you work at The Providence Journal?

Does The Providence Journal communicate its history to new hires?

The Providence Journal history FAQs

Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of The Providence Journal, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about The Providence Journal. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at The Providence Journal. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by The Providence Journal. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of The Providence Journal and its employees or that of Zippia.

The Providence Journal may also be known as or be related to Providence Journal, Providence Journal Company Inc, The Providence Journal and The Providence Journal Company.