Wick Communications (formerly known as Wick Newspaper Group) is a family-owned media company with 18

newspapers 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 ...

in 10 states. They also publish websites and other specialty publications. The home offices are in

Sierra Vista, Arizona Sierra Vista (; ) is a city in Cochise County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 Census, the population of the city is 45,308, and is the 27th most populous city in Arizona. The city is part of the Sierra ...

, and it has newspapers in

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state, state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota people, Dakota Sioux ...

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

and Washington.

The Wick family

While in college, brothers Milton I. Wick and James Lester Wick started a business employing college students to sell books to farmers during the summer months. The two purchased their first newspaper in 1926. Over the years Milton managed the business and acquired 27 papers across the country. At the same time his business partner James worked as a foreign correspondent in Europe and focused on politics. After returning stateside he became editor of the newsletter ''What's Happening in Washington.'' In 1952, James published a book titled "How Not to Run for President, A Handbook for Republicans." In 1953, James organized a European tour with a group of 37 newspaper editors, including his brother. The venture was called Wick Editors Tours. The group were the first Americans to enter and report from Hungry and Romania after the raising of the

Iron Curtain The Iron Curtain was the political and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. On the east side of the Iron Curtain were countries connected to the So ...

. The Wick brothers were among the first party of U.S. journalists allowed inside the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

after the death of Joseph Stalin. At the time of his death in 1964, James was the editor and publisher of '' Human Events'', a Conservative newsletter. Right before passing, he sold his interest in Wick Newspapers to his brother Milton's sons Walter M. Wick and Robert J. Wick. The two took full ownership of the family business when their father Milton died on November 30, 1981. At that time the Wick Newspaper Group owned and operated 40 newspapers. Milton I. Wick was inducted posthumously into the Arizona Newspapers Hall of Fame in 1996, and Walt M. Wick and Robert J. Wick were also inducted in September 2004. In 2016, Robert's son Francis Wick was named CEO of Wick Communications. That same year Walter M. Wick died of pancreatic cancer. Robert J. Wick died in 2022. In August 2024, Francis Wick announced he will step down as company CEO. He was replaced by Josh O'Connor, an executive with

Black Press Black Press Group Ltd. (BPG) is a Canadian commercial printer and newspaper publisher founded in 1975 by David Holmes Black. Based in Surrey, British Columbia, it was previously owned by the publisher of ''Toronto Star'' ( Torstar, 19.35%) and B ...

Acquisitions and sales

The company originated in 1926 when the Wick family purchased the ''Niles Daily Times'' in

Niles, Ohio Niles is a city in Trumbull County, Ohio, United States. The population was 18,443 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Located at the confluence of the Mahoning River and Mosquito Creek Lake, Mosquito Creek, Niles is a suburb in the Ma ...

. The company bought '' The Daily Herald'' in 1947 and '' Williston Herald'' in 1961. Also in 1961, the Wick sold the ''Niles Daily Times'' and three nearby newspapers (the ''Girard News'', the ''Hubbard News'' and the ''Suburban Reporter'') to a newly formed enterprise. In 1962, Wick purchased a stake in the '' Sidney Herald''. The Wicks acquired the '' Sierra Vista Herald'' in 1967, the '' Argus Observer'' in 1968, '' Bisbee Review'' in 1974 and ''Green Valley News'' in 1978, '' Eastern Arizona Courier'' in 1983, KFMM and KCUZ in 1983, the ''Parker Pioneer'' in 1985, the ''L'Observateur'' in 1986, '' Half Moon Bay Review'' in 1986, ''Richland County Leader'' in 1988, ''Douglas Daily Dispatch'' in 1989; '' The Daily Territorial'', ''The Weekly Territorial'' and ''Ore Valley Territorial'' in 1990, '' Inside Tucson Business'' in 1992, ''Montrose Daily Press'' in 1997, '' Tucson Weekly'' in 2000, '' Capital Journal'' in 2005;'' Anchorage Press'' and '' Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman'' in 2006. Wick sold the LaPlace ''L'Observateur'' and '' Bogalusa Daily News'' in April 2014 to Carpenter Media Group, a division of Boone Newspapers. That same month, Wick sold the '' Tucson Weekly'' and '' Inside Tucson Business'' to 10/13 Communications. In January 2018, Wick sold '' The Daily Herald'' to

Paxton Media Group Paxton Media Group of Paducah, Kentucky, is a privately held media company with holdings that include newspapers and a TV station, WPSD-TV in Paducah. David M. Paxton is president and CEO. The company owns 32 daily newspapers and numerous wee ...

and also sold the '' Half Moon Bay Review'' in May 2018. The company purchased '' The Wenatchee World'' in March 2018 ''Acadiana LifeStyle'' in July 2018, ''Delta County Independent'' in Colorado in May 2019 and '' The Daily Journal'' in June 2019. The company closed the ''Independent-Enterprise'' of Payette, Idaho in 2020. Wick purchased the ''Madison Daily Leader'' in South Dakota in March 2021. In September 2023, Wick bought the '' Arizona Daily Sun'' from

Lee Enterprises Lee Enterprises, Inc. is a publicly traded American media company. It publishes 72 daily newspapers in 25 states, and more than 350 weekly, classified, and specialty publications. Lee Enterprises was founded in 1890 by Alfred Wilson Lee and is b ...

. In April 2024, Wick Communications sold '' The Daily Iberian'' and ''Acadian LifeStyle'' to Carpenter Media Group. In October 2024, the company purchased the television station, NCWLife channel.

River City Newspapers

River City Newspapers, LLC is a

joint venture A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four reasons: to acce ...

between Wick Communications and Western News & Info. It was established in August 1995 to manage the ''Today's News-Herald,'' a newspaper based in Lake Havasu City, Arizona formed from the merger of Wick's ''Daily Herald'' and Western's ''Today's Daily News.'' Wick also transferred ownership of the ''Parker Pioneer'' over to River City. In 2022, River City purchased the '' Mohave Valley Daily News'', ''Wickenburg Sun, Laughlin Times'' and ''Needles Desert Star'' from Brehm Communications. Also, River City acquired ''

The Kingman Daily Miner ''The Kingman Miner'' is a local newspaper in Kingman, Arizona Kingman is a city in and the county seat of Mohave County, Arizona, United States. It is named after Lewis Kingman, an engineer for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad. The popul ...

'' and the Central Printing Facility in Golden Valley, Arizona from Western News&Info.

Newspapers

References

External links

* {{Wick Communications Companies based in Arizona Cochise County, Arizona Newspaper companies of the United States Publishing companies established in 1984 1984 establishments in Arizona Family-owned companies of the United States American companies established in 1984