Broadsheet newspaper in Spokane, Washington, United States
The Spokesman-Review
is a daily
broadsheet
newspaper
based in
Spokane, Washington
, the city's sole remaining daily publication. It has the third-highest readership among daily newspapers in the state, with most of its readership base in
eastern Washington
and
northern Idaho
.
History
[
edit
]
The
Review Building
and tower was designed by
Chauncey B. Seaton
to make use of the unusually shaped plot and make it prominent in the center of Riverside Avenue. Seen here in 1907 and 2012.
The Spokesman-Review
was formed from the merger of the
Spokane Falls Review
(1883?1894) and the
Spokesman
(1890?1893) in 1893 and first published under the present name on June 29, 1894.
[3]
[4]
The
Spokane Falls Review
was a joint venture between local businessman, A.M. Cannon and
Henry Pittock
and
Harvey W. Scott
of
The Oregonian
.
[5]
[6]
The Spokesman-Review later absorbed its competing sister publication, the afternoon
Spokane Daily Chronicle
.
[7]
[8]
Long co-owned, the two combined their sports departments in late 1981 and news staffs in early 1983.
[9]
The middle name "Daily" was dropped in January 1982,
[10]
[11]
and its final edition was printed 32 years ago on Friday, July 31, 1992.
[7]
[8]
The newspaper formerly published three editions, a metro edition covering Spokane and the outlying areas, a
Spokane Valley
edition and an Idaho edition covering
northern Idaho
. After a large downsizing of the newsroom staff in November 2007, the paper moved to a single zoned edition emphasizing localized "Voices" sections staffed primarily by non-union employees. The "Voices" section still caters to the three original editions, publishing a Valley "Voices," a North Spokane "Voices" and a South Spokane "Voices."
Owner of both papers since 1897,
[9]
W.H. Cowles set the
Chronicle
on a course to be independent and
The Spokesman-Review
to support
Republican Party
causes.
Time
magazine related the papers' success gaining lowered rates for freight carried to the
Northwest
and an improved park system and that helped the region. Increasing its reputation for comprehensive local news and by opposing "gambling, liquor and prostitution,"
The Spokesman-Review
gained popularity. The paper's opposition to building the
Grand Coulee Dam
was not quite so universally applauded, and when it opposed the
New Deal
and the
Fair Deal
, it so disturbed
President
Harry Truman
that during a visit in 1948 he declared
The Spokesman-Review
to be one of the "two worst" newspapers in the nation (
Chicago Tribune
, the other).
[12]
[13]
[14]
The
Scripps League's Press
closed in 1939, making Cowles the only newspaper publisher in Spokane. Cowles created four weeklies, the
Idaho Farmer
,
Washington Farmer
,
Oregon Farmer
, and
Utah Farmer
.
[15]
Cowles died in 1946. When William H. Cowles Jr. succeeded his father as publisher, James Bracken received much more news and editorial control as managing editor.
[15]
The Spokesman-Review
has been described as moderate-to-liberal, especially in issues around
hate groups
in the region. In 1997, three
extreme-right
militants
were tried and eventually convicted of bombing the Spokane Valley office of
The Spokesman-Review
as well as an abortion clinic (see
Citizens Rule Book
).
[16]
The Spokesman-Review
is also one of the few remaining family-owned newspapers in the United States. It is owned by
Cowles Company
, which also owns
KHQ-TV
/Spokane and
The KHQ Television Group
. While the newspaper wins awards, it also draws opposition from local critics and activists who suspect the Cowles family of using its alleged vast local media influence to sway public opinion. In particular, a (1997?2004) issue regarding a public-private partnership wherein the Cowles family may have profited, some claim, up to $20 million. This is referred to as the "
River Park Square
Parking Garage" issue. The newspaper underwent an independent review by the Washington
News Council
regarding its River Park Square coverage and was found to be at fault for its news bias.
[17]
[18]
In 2004, Spokane
mayor
James E. West
became the target of a
sting operation
conducted by
The Spokesman-Review
.
[19]
[20]
Some journalists and academics criticized the paper for what they saw as a form of entrapment.
[21]
West was later cleared of criminal charges by the
FBI
but not before the mayor lost a
recall
vote by the citizens of Spokane in December 2005;
[22]
[23]
the following summer, West died of cancer.
[24]
[25]
[26]
According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, as reported in the
Puget Sound Business Journal
on April 29, 2010, the newspaper's average Sunday circulation totaled 95,939 and weekly circulation averaged 76,291. That represented a year-over-year decrease of about 10.5 percent; a trend widely reflected during the same year in newspapers throughout Washington state. With the demise of the print edition of the
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
,
The Spokesman-Review
is the state's third-largest paper, after the
Seattle Times
and
The News-Tribune
of
Tacoma
.
A 2017 Rotary Club article stated that under editor Rob Curley, hired in 2016, circulation increased from 68,000 to 82,000 in one year.
[27]
In April 2020, the paper ceased printing its Saturday edition.
[28]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Masthead"
.
The Spokesman-Review
. Retrieved
March 2,
2017
.
- ^
"The Decline of Local News and Its Impact on Democracy"
(PDF)
.
League of Women Voters of Washington Education Fund
. November 14, 2022.
- ^
Dyar, Ralph E. (1952).
News for an Empire: The Story of the Spokesman-Review of Spokane, Washington, and of the Field It Serves
. Caldwell, Idaho: Caxton.
- ^
Kershner, Jim (May 19, 2007).
"Bumpy beginning, but quite a ride"
.
Spokesman-Review
. Retrieved
November 17,
2016
.
- ^
Reeves, Ian.
"Review Tower"
. Eastern Washington University. Spokane Historical
. Retrieved
August 30,
2021
.
- ^
"Then and Now: The Spokane Falls Review tower | the Spokesman-Review"
.
- ^
a
b
"It's been great..."
Spokane Chronicle
. July 31, 1992. p. A1.
- ^
a
b
Bonino, Rick (August 1, 1992).
"
Chronicle
gives way to new era"
.
Spokesman-Review
. p. B1.
- ^
a
b
"Paper was part of history it covered"
.
Spokane Chronicle
. July 31, 1992. p. H8.
- ^
"Final fireside edition"
.
Spokane Daily Chronicle
. January 9, 1982. p. 1.
- ^
"Final edition"
.
Spokane Chronicle
. January 11, 1982. p. 1.
- ^
"This Congress history's worst says Truman"
.
Eugene Register-Guard
. Associated Press. June 9, 1948. p. 1.
- ^
Felknor, Rhea (June 9, 1948).
"Truman blames 2 newspapers for "worst U.S. Congress"
"
.
Spokesman-Review
. p. 1.
- ^
"When Harry Gave Us Hell"
.
Spokesman-Review
. Cowles Publishing Company. September 9, 2007
. Retrieved
November 17,
2016
.
- ^
a
b
"The Inland Empire's Voice"
.
TIME
. January 7, 1952. Archived from
the original
on January 8, 2012
. Retrieved
October 28,
2007
.
- ^
Morlin, Bill (November 5, 1997).
"Spokane Bombers Get Life Terms Barbee, Berry Still Reject Court's Dominion Over Them"
.
The Spokesman-Review
. Retrieved
October 7,
2020
.
- ^
Pryne, Eric (May 11, 2007).
"Report faults Spokane paper for news bias"
.
Seattle Times
.
- ^
Richards, Bill; Rowe, Clifford G. (May 2007).
"Reporting On Yourself ? An Independent Analysis of The Spokesman-Review's Coverage of and Role in the Spokane River Park Square Redevelopment Project"
. Washington News Council. Archived from
the original
on May 16, 2008
. Retrieved
August 18,
2008
.
- ^
Smith, Steven A. (May 5, 2005).
"Stories result of a 3-year investigation"
.
Spokesman-Review
. p. A1.
- ^
"West tied to sex abuse in '70s, using office to lure young men"
.
Spokesman-Review
. May 5, 2005. p. A1.
- ^
Postman, David (December 2, 2005).
"Even the mayor wonders: Who is the real Jim West?"
.
The Seattle Times
. Retrieved
January 3,
2009
.
- ^
Camden, Jim (December 7, 2005).
"Voters recall West"
.
Spokesman-Review
. p. A1.
- ^
Wiley, John K. (December 7, 2006).
"Spokane Mayor Jim West says he is at peace after recall"
.
Moscow-Pullman Daily News
. (Idaho-Washington). Associated Press. p. 4A.
- ^
"A Hidden Life"
.
Frontline
. November 14, 2006.
PBS
.
- ^
Wiley, John K. (July 24, 2006).
"Former Spokane mayor James E. West dies"
.
Moscow-Pullman Daily News
. (Idaho-Washington). Associated Press. p. 4A.
- ^
"West, James E."
Spokesman-Review
. (obituary). July 25, 2006. p. C6.
- ^
Rehberg, Charles (December 18, 2017).
"Spokesman Review -- Rob Curley"
.
The Rotary Club
. Retrieved
December 22,
2019
.
- ^
"Content will shift after S-R's final day of Saturday home delivery"
.
The Spokesman-Review
. April 18, 2020
. Retrieved
November 7,
2020
.
Further reading
[
edit
]
External links
[
edit
]
47°39′28″N
117°25′34″W
/
47.6578°N 117.4262°W
/
47.6578; -117.4262
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Cowles Publishing Company
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Television stations
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Other properties
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- 1
KYUS is owned by the
Marks Radio Group
; Cowles operate the station as a satellite of KULR.
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