More than 200 Years of News, Change and Serving the Community
1920 Newsboys
1808 The Reporter
1808 William Sample
1870 Reporter Office
1920 Newsies Picnic
1935 newsboy picnic
1940 John Stewart
1958 150TH Anniversary Wagon
How much has one industry changed in 200 years? When it comes to the newspaper business, you could say the change has been dramatic. Back in 1808, when William Sample printed his first copy of The Reporter, he ink typed by hand and pulled a lever to print the first copy. By the time John L. Stewart bought The Washington Observer in 1902, Theodore Roosevelt became the first American president to ride in an automobile, aviator Charles Lindbergh was just born and the first Rose Bowl game was played in Pasadena, CA.
Today, those combined papers as The Observer-Reporter reach more than 35,000 subscribers in print, plus readers across the country and around the world via www.observer-reporter.com. As times change, the newspaper business evolves.
One fact that has remained the same is the family ownership of the Observer Publishing Company and its publications since 1908. Stewart’s grandsons, John and Bill Northrop, were at the helm through mid-century naming their sons, Thomas and William B. Jr., as co-publishers in 1997. In 2000, the Northrop brothers officially handed over the company to their sons. Tom Northrop assumed the title of sole publisher and president in 2004. His sister, Lucy Northrop Corwin, now serves as director of news. Northrop insists his parents never put any pressure on him or his sister to go into the family business.
“If it’s something we wanted to do, that’s great,” he said. “I was a history major then got married and moved to Lake Placid, NY. I moved back here in 1980.”
Both siblings eventually found their way back to the family business as fourth generation leaders at the helm of an ever-changing industry.
Back in 1967, The Observer and The Reporter newspapers merged into the Observer-Reporter and by 1981, the twice daily publication morphed into a morning-only paper. The Sunday Observer-Reporter was launched in April 1986. Circulation in the 1980s hit 40,000 subscribers. Now, publication includes daily and weekly newspapers and related websites, monthly magazines such as Total Health and Living In Washington County and special interest publications with circulation reaching readers in Washington, Greene and southern Allegheny counties.
News is change and there is constant change in the publishing business. Northrop remembers some notable changes in the newspaper industry since his career began.
“Probably since I’ve been here, it’s been the color press in 1993 and certainly the internet,” he said.
The early 2000s brought a migration of readers and advertisers to the internet, while recession late in the decade dealt a blow to advertising. Many newspapers did not survive and others were bought by corporations. The O-R is one of fewer than 140 single family-owned newspapers remaining in the United States. Corwin notes changes the digital world has spawned.
“The internet hurt and cell phones changed everything because now you don’t need to be sitting at your desk to read it,” she said. “You can be anywhere and the news comes to you. Mobile has disrupted more than anything.”
Still, Corwin said she’s excited about the new challenges of creating digital content and trying to reach readers on various platforms with the products and news they crave.
At one point in the late 1990s, seven family members worked for the company. Northrop’s youngest daughter now works at the O-R selling digital advertising and managing social media. She’s the first member of the fifth generation to work at the company.
“Although it is challenging to have this business right now, it’s also very exciting,” Corwin said. “To be an independent business, it’s a unique thing. We’re very committed to quality.”
Northrop also notes the company and its owners are heavily invested in and committed to the community.
“It’s so important to be an independent newspaper,” he said. “Even though it’s really hard, I think we play a vital role in the community and I think our town is better because of us. We hold people accountable.”
This article is sponsored by the Observer Publishing Company.