''The Journal-Register'' existed in various incarnations for more than 100 years as the community newspaper of
Medina, New York
Medina is a Administrative divisions of New York#Village, village in the Towns of Shelby, New York, Shelby and Ridgeway, New York, Ridgeway in Orleans County, New York, Orleans County, New York (state), New York, United States. It is located app ...
, United States. As a
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 poli ...
, and later as a three-day (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) evening publication, the publication covered several towns and villages of
Orleans County.
Alonzo L. Waters (editor-publisher 1919-1980) joined the ''Medina Daily Journal'' (founded 1903) shortly after college and became a full-time staff writer following World War I. He and business partner W. John Hinchey developed the daily publication, which had been founded by David Benson and William Baker. They saw it through the
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
and in the early 1930s installed the first newspaper printing press in the county to print from a continuous roll (web). Waters acquired full ownership in the 1940s and in 1949 was joined by his son
Robert E. Waters Robert took the helm in 1980 after the death of his father, and the paper continued year-over-year growth.
The ''Daily Journal'' (1903) and the ''Medina Register'' merged to become ''The Medina Daily Journal-Register'' in 1970, and investments in new technologies followed including an investment of more than $150,000 in a new bank of Goss Printing Presses and fully computerized typesetting systems. The paper became a Western New York leader in that respect. The investments led to growth in both employment and reader base. Even as it modernized, the newspaper maintained a family feel among employees and readers.
During this time, Waters acquired the ''Albion Weekly Advertiser'', ''Medina Penny Saver'' and incorporated a TV guide booklet. These publications with ''The Journal-Register'' formed a group called Lake Plains Publications.
In 1984, Robert E. Waters sold all assets of The Medina Daily-Journal Register, Inc., and its subsidiary the ''Albion Advertiser,'' to the
Roy H. Park Newspaper Group, headquartered in
Ithaca, New York
Ithaca () is a city in and the county seat of Tompkins County, New York, United States. Situated on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York (state), New York, Ithaca is the largest community in the Ithaca metrop ...
. Shareholders at the time of the sale included Robert E. Waters, Barbara B. Waters, and Lewis H. Waters.
It was later owned by
Greater Niagara Newspapers, a division of
Community Newspaper Holdings
CNHI, LLC (formerly Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.) is an American publisher of newspapers and advertising-related publications throughout the United States. The company was formed in 1997 by Ralph Martin, Inc.
The final print issue of ''The Journal-Register'' was published on May 30, 2014.
References
External links
CNHI WebsiteRobert E. Waters Tribute: Publisher-Emeritus of The Journal-Register
Daily newspapers published in New York (state)
Orleans County, New York
Newspapers established in 1821
1821 establishments in New York (state)
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