{{Short description|American newspaper}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox newspaper | name = The Flint Journal | image = The Flint Journal logo.png | caption = | type = Quad-weekly [[newspaper]] | format = [[Broadsheet]] | founded = {{start date and age|1876}} | ceased_publication = | owners = [[MLive Media Group]]<br>([[Advance Publications]]) | publisher = Dan Gaydou | associate_editor = | staff_writers = | language = | political_position = | circulation = 8,326 Daily<br/>17,576 Sunday | circulation_date = 2022 | headquarters = 540 S Saginaw St, Suite 504<br>Flint, Michigan, U.S. 48502<ref name=newbuilding/> | circulation_ref = <ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-02-01 |title=2022-2023 Michigan Press Association Member Directory |url=https://michiganpress.org/directory-flipbook/ |access-date=2023-04-22 |website=Michigan Press Association |language=en-US |archive-date=April 22, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230422211811/https://michiganpress.org/directory-flipbook/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> | sister_newspapers = ''[[The Saginaw News]]''<br>''[[The Bay City Times]]'' | oclc = | ISSN = | website = {{URL|mlive.com/flint}} }}
[[File:Flint July 2018 25 (Michigan State University College of Human Medicine - Flint Journal Building).jpg|thumb|right|The former [[Flint Journal Building]], designed by [[Albert Kahn (architect)|Albert Kahn]] in 1924, is now used by the [[Michigan State University College of Human Medicine]].]] '''''The Flint Journal''''' is a quad-weekly newspaper based in [[Flint, Michigan]], owned by [[Booth Newspapers]], a subsidiary of [[Advance Publications]]. Published Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, it serves [[Genesee County, Michigan|Genesee]], [[Lapeer County, Michigan|Lapeer]] and [[Shiawassee County, Michigan|Shiawassee]] Counties. As of February 2, 2012, it is headquartered in Downtown Flint at 540 [[Saginaw Trail|S Saginaw St]], Suite 504.<ref name=newbuilding>[http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2012/02/flint_journal_opens_new_downto.html Flint Journal opens new downtown offices, Harrison Street building remains open for customer service (with video)] ''The Flint Journal'' via MLive.com, February 2, 2012</ref> The paper and its sister publications ''[[The Saginaw News]]'' and ''[[The Bay City Times]]'' are printed at the Booth-owned Valley Publishing Co. printing plant in [[Monitor Township, Bay County, Michigan|Monitor Township]].<ref>[http://www.mlive.com/baycityforward/index.ssf/2009/03/a_look_back_at_bay_city_times.html The Bay City Times: A look back at Bay City Times history", 3/24/2009.]</ref>
==History== The ''Flint Journal'' was founded in 1876 during Flint's booming lumber years by Charles Fellows and Washington Irving Beardsley as a weekly newspaper<ref>.{{cite web |url=http://www.flinthistory.com/history/decades.shtml?1871-1880 |title=Major Events in Flint's History 1871–1880 |access-date=2008-04-08 |work=FlintHistory.com }} {{Dead link|date=November 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> The ''Journal''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s main competitors at the time were the ''[[Wolverine Citizen]]'', ''The [[Genesee Democrat]]'' and ''The [[Flint Globe]]''. The paper was sold in rapid succession to Doctor Carman, who sold ownership in December 1882 to George McConnolly and others until the ''Journal'' was purchased by the ''Flint Globe''<nowiki />'s owner, Howard H. Fitzgerald,<ref>"Changes in Flint and Pontiac." ''The Fourth Estate'', January 2, 1915, p. 7.</ref> and merged as the ''Weekly Globe and Daily Journal''. The Booth Publishing Company, owned by [[Ralph H. Booth]] of Detroit, along with his brothers George and Edmund,<ref>"Flint Journal Sold." ''Lansing (MI) State Journal'', June 15, 1911, p. 10</ref> purchased ownership of the ''Weekly Globe and Daily Journal'' in 1911.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.usgennet.org/usa/mi/county/lapeer/gen/ch16.html |title=Chapter XVI: The Press |access-date=2008-04-08 |work=The History of Genesee County, MI |archive-date=November 30, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161130151523/http://www.usgennet.org/usa/mi/county/lapeer/gen/ch16.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1919, the Journal had a paid circulation of 25,947, giving it the 4th largest paid circulation of any evening newspaper in the state.<ref>"14 Evening Papers Cover Michigan." ''Editor and Publisher'', March 8, 1919, p. 37.</ref> By the early 1920s, the Journal had not only consolidated with the ''Globe'' but also the ''Flint Daily News''.<ref>"Editorial Page." ''Flint Daily Journal'', July 7, 1922, p. 6.</ref> In July 1922, the Journal entered the field of radio broadcasting, becoming partners with local broadcaster Frank D. Fallain to put Flint's first station, WEAA, on the air.<ref>"WEAA, Flint's First Radio Broadcasting Station, Gives Its Initial Program Saturday." ''Flint Daily Journal'', July 7, 1922, p. 1.</ref> The newspaper was known as the ''Flint Daily Journal'' until 1935, when its name was shortened to the ''Flint Journal''.<ref>[https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn94060759/ "About the Flint Daily Journal." Library of Congress]</ref>
Along with the rest of the Booth properties, the ''Journal'' was sold to newspaper publisher S.I. (Sy) Newhouse's Advance Publications in November 1976 for an estimated $305 million.<ref>"Newhouse Buys Booth Papers." ''Baltimore Sun'', November 9, 1976, p. 17.</ref> On January 27, 2013, its old headquarters at 200 E First St was leased to the [[Michigan State University College of Human Medicine]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20131212233015/http://www.freep.com/article/20130127/BUSINESS06/130127027/Former-home-of-Flint-Journal-to-be-leased-by-Mich-St- Former home of Flint Journal to be leased by MSU] ''The Detroit Free Press'', January 27, 2013</ref>
Since the newspaper's conception, it has been eminently acknowledged for its coverage of local news. Major events that occurred in Flint, like the [[Flint sit-down strike|1936 Sit-Down Strike]], were reported with an up-and-close perspective.
===Reduced publication dates=== On June 1, 2009, the ''Journal'' and its sister papers, ''[[The Saginaw News]]'' and ''[[The Bay City Times]]'', reduced publishing to three times a week—Thursday, Friday and Sunday, while increasing their interactive media capabilities.<ref>[http://www.mlive.com/baycityforward/ Bay City Times: "The Bay City Times announces big changes", 3/23/2009.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327110439/http://www.mlive.com/baycityforward/ |date=2009-03-27 }}</ref> The changes came after the three papers laid off 35% of their staff in March 2009.<ref>[http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2009/03/flint_journal_to_publish_3days.html Flint Journal: "Flint Journal to publish 3 days a week", 3/23/2009.]</ref> Also at that point, all three newspapers increased their online presence, in partnership with MLive.com.
The ''Flint Journal'' added a Tuesday print edition starting on March 23, 2010, bringing the number of publishing days a week to four.<ref>[http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2010/03/flint_journal_to_return_to_new.html Flint Journal: "Flint Journal to return to Newsstands on Tuesdays starting March 23", 3/7/2010.]</ref> Unlike the other three daily editions, Tuesdays were originally "news stand only;"<ref>"Flint Paper Restarts Tuesday Edition." ''Lansing (MI) State Journal'', March 10, 2010, p. 4.</ref> however, since June 7, 2011, the Tuesday edition has also been delivered to subscribers.<ref>[http://www.flintjournal.com/suscriptions/ Flint Journal subscription information]{{Dead link|date=June 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }}</ref> If [[Metro Detroit]] is not counted, Flint is the fifth-largest city in the [[United States]], and second largest in [[Michigan]], without a daily newspaper. {{citation needed|date=November 2013}} In 2012, the Journal donated its archives, consisting of more than 100,000 ''Flint Journal'' newspaper clippings, books, microfilm, microfiche and photographs, to Flint's Sloan Museum.<ref>Blake Thorne. "MLive-Flint Journal donates archives to Sloan museum, historic records available for public view." MLive.com, November 20, 2012. [https://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2012/11/flint_journal_archives_move_to.html]</ref>
In 2014, the MLive Media Group newspapers including the ''Flint Journal'' introduced digital editions via apps for tablets and smartphones on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday to complement the four print editions, which are also available in digital editions.<ref>{{cite web|title=Digital Edition – 7 days a week|url=http://benefits.mlive.com/digital/|website=mlive.com|publisher=Mlive Media Group|access-date=December 11, 2014}}</ref>
==Circulation==
In March 2012, the ''Journal'' had an average Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday circulation of 49,685, and a Sunday circulation of 66,622.<ref name="Circ">{{cite web |url=http://abcas3.accessabc.com/ecirc/newstitlesearchus.asp |title=Audit Bureau of Circulations, Circulation averages for the six months ended: 3/31/2012 |access-date=2012-09-20 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121027085243/http://abcas3.accessabc.com/ecirc/newstitlesearchus.asp |archive-date=2012-10-27 }}</ref> At the end of 2017, the ''Flint Journal'' had a paid circulation of 33,215 for the weekly editions, and 45,051 for the Sunday edition.<ref>[http://gotoanr.com/documents/database/michigan.pdf American Newspaper Representatives]</ref>
==See also== *[[Barry Edmonds]] *[[William M. Gallagher]]
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.mlive.com/flint/ Official website]
{{Advance Publications}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Flint Journal}} [[Category:Newspapers published in Michigan]] [[Category:Mass media in Flint, Michigan|Journal]] [[Category:Advance Publications]] [[Category:Newspapers established in 1876]] [[Category:1876 establishments in Michigan]]