The Telegram

Infobox_Newspaper
name =


type = Daily newspaper
format = Broadsheet
foundation = 1879
owners = Transcontinental Media
political = Centre
headquarters = 1 Columbus Drive, St. John's, Newfoundland
editor = Russell Wangersky
website = [http://www.thetelegram.com http://www.thetelegram.com ]

"The Telegram" is a daily newspaper published in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador.

History

"The Evening Telegram" was first published on April 3, 1879 by William James Herder. It adopted its current name in 1998, although it was also briefly published under this name in 1881. Herder and his descendants owned and published the newspaper until it was sold to Thomson Newspapers (now Thomson Corporation) in 1970, and continued as publishers until the departure of Stephen J. Herder (William J.'s Grandson) in 1991. Order of Canada recipient Miller Ayre has held the position of publisher since 1994. Since 2004, The Telegram has been a division of Montreal media giant Transcontinental Media, which also owns its sister paper, The Western Star, in Corner Brook, NL.

William Herder began as a printer for the St. John's weekly The Courier. When it folded in 1878, Herder purchased one of the presses and began his own newspaper [Porter] . "The Telegram" was notable as the first daily (excluding Sundays) in Newfoundland. It is also the only 19th century Newfoundland newspaper to survive into the 20th (and now 21st) century. Over the course of its history, the paper has published news, stories and editorials of interest to readers in the Dominion/Province of Newfoundland and St. John's in particular. Coverage of the St. John's Great Fire of 1892 was hampered as the Evening Telegram head office on Duckworth Street was completely destroyed in the fire. Despite heavy losses, Herder rebuilt, and was publishing from a temporary location on Water Street less than two months later.

Politics

In the 19th century, "The Evening Telegram" was known for its strong opinions on issues of the day, including the Newfoundland Railway, and early Confederation discussions. However, its editorial policy remained neutral during the heated Confederation debates of 1948/49. The same could not be said of former Evening Telegram reporter Joey Smallwood, who worked for the paper from 1919 to 1922 (including a short stint as editor in 1923). After his association with "The Evening Telegram", Smallwood went on to found the pro-Confederation newspaper "The Confederate", lead Newfoundland into confederation with Canada, and become the first premier of the new Province of Newfoundland. As Premier, Smallwood had a rocky relationship with The Telegram, bringing a series of libel suits against it and threatening to withdraw all government advertising.The Telegram, like most papers in Newfoundland and Labrador, is currently owned by Transcontinental, one of the largest printer/publishers in North America.

Community Ties and Current Status

Well-known former Telegram journalists include Newfoundland writers Harold Horwood, Ray Guy [Porter] , and Albert Perlin. Other notable contributors to The Telegram include former editor and author Michael Harrington, artist Rae Perlin, former Newfoundland Prime Minister William F. Lloyd and former provincial NDP leader Peter Fenwick.

The Telegram has sponsored the Tely-10 10 mile road race annually since 1927, and the provincial men's senior hockey trophy, the Herder Cup, is named for William Herder. [Porter]

The Telegram is Newfoundland and Labrador's largest newspaper, and has published 7 days a week since 1989. It also has an on-line version, [http://www.thetelegram.com The Telegram] . Its by-line is "The People's Paper", accompanied by the Provincial flag. The title is printed in a distinctive Gothic font.

External links and references

* [http://www.thetelegram.com/index.cfm?pid=1193 The Telegram: History]
* [http://www.library.mun.ca/qeii/newspapers/index.php]