Jamestown Press Explained

Jamestown Press
Motto:An Independent Newspaper
Type:Weekly newspaper
Format:Broadsheet
Owners:Robert Berczuk
Founder:Peter J. and Barbara Malloy
Publisher:Robert Berczuk
Editor:Tim Riel
Circulation:4,667
Circulation Date:January 2022
Circulation Ref:[1]
Headquarters:45 Narragansett Avenue, Jamestown, Rhode Island United States

The Jamestown Press is a weekly newspaper published in Jamestown in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It was founded in April 1989 by Peter J. and Barbara Malloy.[2] The current owner of the Jamestown Press is Robert Berczuk.[3] The paper is published on Thursdays. Digital archives of the Jamestown Press are available through the Jamestown Philomenian Library.

History

The paper has served as the town of Jamestown's newspaper of record since 1991, providing an outlet for town announcements, school board reports, and other town-related news.

Jeff McDonough owned the paper from 1990 to 2015, purchasing the paper from Peter J. Malloy shortly before Malloy died. McDonough also owned the Block Island Times for a short period of time, before selling that paper to Bruce Montgomery and other employees of the Block Island Times, though he continued to publish the paper after he sold it to them.[4] Jeff McDonough later made local headlines when an ex-lover accused him of "playing hardball" with her competing paper, 02835:The Jamestown Journal, to remain the town's paper of record.[5] 02835:The Jamestown Journal had bid an ad rate of $4.35 per inch to the town, which was less than the town was paying for ad space in the Jamestown Press. McDonough and the Press counter-bid at $0 per inch and remained the town's designated paper of record.

Jamestown Press' weekly columnist, Sue Maden, was profiled in the New York Times in 2009 for her "Save the Best for Last" post-Thanksgiving dinners, which she began hosting in 1999 after her husband died.[6] The article noted that Maden, who co-authored the books Historic Tales of Jamestown,[7] Jamestown: A History of Narragansett Bay's Island Town,[8] and Legendary Locals of Jamestown,[9] invites colleagues from the Jamestown Press to join the dinners. In the Forward for their books, Maden and co-author Rosemary Enright (who also writes columns for the Jamestown Press) thank the paper for its support, including providing access to its photos and publications. As of August 2018, Sue Maden and Rosemary Enright still write columns for the Jamestown Press.

In December 2015, McDonough sold the newspaper to journalist Robert Berczuk and retired from the newspaper industry.[3] As of 2018, the Press' writing staff consists of editor Tim Riel and reporters Ryan Gibbs and Matt Wunsch.[10] The newspaper also runs the nationally syndicated comic strip Wallace the Brave, which is drawn and written by Jamestown resident Will Henry Wilson.[11]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2022-01-01 . RING Rate Card - January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230801065029/http://www.rinewspapergroup.com/pdf/ratecards/RINGRateCard.pdf . 2023-08-01 . 2023-08-01 . Rhode Island Newspaper Group.
  2. News: Our Viewpoint. 21 April 1989. Jamestown Press. 9 Aug 2018.
  3. News: Press changes ownership . Jamestown Press . December 24, 2015 . 2018-08-24. en.
  4. News: Employees buying Block Island Times. November 22, 1999. Providence Business News. August 23, 2018.
  5. News: Jamestown newspaper battle becomes personal. Block Island Times. 2018-08-24.
  6. News: Remains of the Day. Sigal. Jane. 25 November 2009. The New York Times. August 23, 2018.
  7. Book: Historic Tales of Jamestown . Enright. Rosemary . Maden. Sue . 2016-05-25. Arcadia Publishing. 9781625855039. en.
  8. Book: Jamestown: A History of Narragansett Bay's Island Town . Rosemary Enright . Sue Maden . Jamestown Historical Society . Inscribe Digital . July 16, 2010 . 9781614232544 . en . Scribd.
  9. Book: Legendary Locals of Jamestown . Enright. Rosemary . Maden. Sue . 2014-07-14. Arcadia Publishing. 9781439646182. en.
  10. Web site: View our 2018-08-30 edition . www.jamestownpress.com . 4 September 2018 . en.
  11. Web site: Gibbs . Ryan . July 9, 2015 . Comic written by former Press cartoonist premieres . Jamestown Press . 27 December 2018.