{{short description|Daily newspaper published in Knoxville, Tennessee}} {{for|the newspaper published in Knoxville, Iowa|Journal-Express}} {{Use mdy dates|date=December 2021}} {{Infobox newspaper | name = The Knoxville Journal | image = The Knoxville Journal Wed Apr 14 1886.jpg | caption = ''The Knoxville Journal'' for Wednesday, April 14, 1886, the first issue bearing this title | type = Daily newspaper | format = Broadsheet | founded = {{Start date and age|1885}} | ceased_publication = {{end date|1991|12|31}} | owners = Persis Corporation | president = | editor = | circulation = 40,316 (1990){{r|Leaf900111}} | headquarters = | oclc = | ISSN = }}
'''''The Knoxville Journal''''' was a daily newspaper published in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States, between 1886 and 1991. It operated first as a morning and then as an afternoon publication.
On December 31, 1991, its last owner, the Persis Corporation of Honolulu, shuttered the paper at the end of its joint operating agreement (JOA) with the larger ''Knoxville News-Sentinel''.
==Establishment== thumb|upright|First issue of ''The Knoxville Daily Journal'', Thursday, February 26, 1885 thumb|upright|Last issue titled ''The Knoxville Daily Journal'', Tuesday, April 13, 1886 Captain William Rule launched ''The Knoxville Daily Journal'' on February 26, 1885, after previous experience in the Tennessee newspaper industry. The paper claimed a history reaching to the ''Whig'' in Elizabethton, where Rule worked for William G. Brownlow; the two men had also launched the ''Chronicle and Whig'' in the 1870s but sold it in 1882.<ref name="te">{{Cite web |last=Vanlandingham |first=Beth |date=March 1, 2018 |title=Knoxville Journal |url=https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/knoxville-journal/ |access-date=November 24, 2021 |website=Tennessee Encyclopedia |language=en-US |archive-date=April 25, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190425221836/https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/knoxville-journal/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The title changed to ''The Knoxville Journal'' on April 14, 1886. Under Rule, the publication focused on local news; it established a Republican Party editorial stance on most national issues but was generally neutral on political topics of local import.{{r|te}} Luke Lea, a Democrat, purchased the ''Journal'' in 1928 but retained its existing editorial positions. However, in the wake of the Great Depression, the ''Journal'' fell into receivership in 1930.{{r|te}}
==Lotspeich ownership== [[File:"V.J." Day - Jackson Square Oak Ridge (6986740160).jpg|left|thumb|250px|Children from Oak Ridge hold up the extra edition of the ''Journal'' from August 14, 1945, proclaiming the end of World War II ]] After six years, mill owner Roy Lotspeich purchased the ''Journal'' in 1936.{{r|te}} The next year, Lotspeich hired Guy Smith, a Republican who kindled a more active editorial stance for the newspaper and remained with it until his death in 1968.{{r|te}} In local politics, Smith was an advocate for urban renewal and development projects; annexation of surrounding municipalities into Knoxville; and a failed proposal to consolidate Knoxville and Knox County.<ref name="dudley">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89511952/journal-editor-guy-l-smith-left/|date=January 1, 1992|page=A19|first=Dudley|last=Brewer|title=Journal editor Guy L. Smith left lasting influence on city of Knoxville|newspaper=The Knoxville News-Sentinel|location=Knoxville, Tennessee|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=November 25, 2021|archive-date=November 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211125040936/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89511952/journal-editor-guy-l-smith-left/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Wed --> His most significant crusade, however, was advocating for one person, one vote apportionment in the state legislature, which would favor Republican interests in East Tennessee.{{r|te|dudley}}
In the late 1940s, the ''Journal'' made a brief incursion into broadcasting; it started WKPB (93.3 FM), an early FM station in the city, on October 15, 1947.<ref>{{cite news|title=FM Outlet of 'Knoxville Journal' Takes the Air|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1947/1947-10-27-BC.pdf|access-date=October 18, 2014|work=Broadcasting|date=October 27, 1947|page=29}}</ref> The ''Journal'', citing the uncertainty created by the advent of television, shuttered the station on April 15, 1949,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/37956084/|work=The Greeneville Sun|title=Knoxville Radio Station Off Air|access-date=October 27, 2019|date=April 19, 1949|page=3}}</ref> and sold its equipment to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville (which started WUOT)<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/37972176/|title=Commission OK's FM Station at U-T|date=July 8, 1949|access-date=October 27, 2019|work=Knoxville News-Sentinel|page=9|archive-date=November 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211125172506/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/37972176/commission-oks-fm-station-at-u-t/|url-status=live}}</ref> and its records to the general public.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/37956089/|work=The Knoxville Journal|date=April 20, 1949|title=For Sale! WKPB Records|page=14|access-date=October 27, 2019|archive-date=November 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211125040944/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/37956089/for-sale-wkpb-records-popular-and/|url-status=live}}</ref>
The ''Journal'' published in the morning; in the afternoon, Knoxvillians read the ''News-Sentinel'', owned by Scripps-Howard. The two publications maintained a healthy rivalry and often took opposite sides on issues. It was thus a surprise when, in 1957, the ''Journal'' and ''News-Sentinel'' entered into a joint operating agreement, combining many back-office functions; only the ''News-Sentinel'' published on Sunday.{{r|te}}
==Demise== [[File:Knoxville-journal-arcade-tn1.jpg|The Journal Arcade, formerly the home of the newspaper's press room, on Gay Street|right|thumb|250px]] The Lotspeich family sold the ''Journal'' to Gannett in 1981. As part of the renewal of the JOA, in February 1986, Gannett agreed to swap with the ''News-Sentinel'' and become an afternoon publication starting June 20, with Gannett receiving an additional 2.5 percent of the joint venture (raising its stake to 25 percent). It then put the ''Journal'' up for sale; one source believed Gannett had essentially used the Knoxville publication as leverage to improve its deal in another JOA with a Scripps newspaper in El Paso, Texas.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89512698/|first=Tom|last=Ebien|title=Howard Baker may buy Knoxville paper|page=34A|work=Atlanta Journal and Constitution|date=March 9, 1986|access-date=November 25, 2021|archive-date=November 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211125040938/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89512698/howard-baker-may-buy-knoxville-paper/|url-status=live}}</ref> Howard Baker considered a purchase, but Gannett ultimately found a buyer in a consortium of ''Journal'' editor Ron McMahan and William C. McKinney, publisher of the Gannett-owned ''The Reporter'' in Lansdale, Pennsylvania.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89513019/|agency=UPI|page=57|work=Citizens Voice|date=July 17, 1986|title=Gannett to sell Knoxville Journal|access-date=November 25, 2021|archive-date=November 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211125040938/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89513019/gannett-to-sell-knoxville-journal/|url-status=live}}</ref> McKinney and McMahan sold the newspaper to Thurston Twigg-Smith's Persis Corporation, whose holdings included ''The Honolulu Advertiser'', in 1988; it was the first publication in an eastern state owned by Persis, whose other holdings on the U.S. mainland were all in Washington state.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89513204/|title=Persis Corp. buying Tennessee paper|page=B-3|work=The Honolulu Advertiser|date=June 8, 1988|access-date=November 25, 2021|archive-date=November 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211125041114/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89513204/persis-corp-buying-tennessee-paper/|url-status=live}}</ref>
In December 1989, Persis acquired ''The Daily Times'' in Maryville. Scripps alleged that this violated the JOA. It contended that Blount County was part of the marketing area of the ''News-Sentinel'', which had begun producing a regional edition for that area, and that Persis would have information on ''News-Sentinel'' marketing strategies that might benefit their new acquisition. As a consequence, Scripps sued Persis, asking for the dissolution of the JOA (which otherwise ran through 2005) or for Persis to lose power to set advertising rates for the ''Journal''.<ref name="Leaf900111">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89511429/knoxville-news-sentinel-sues-to/|date=January 11, 1990|page=7B|agency=Associated Press|title=Knoxville News-Sentinel Sues To Dissolve Joint Operations With Knoxville Journal|newspaper=The Leaf-Chronicle|location=Clarksville, Tennessee|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=November 25, 2021|archive-date=November 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211125040939/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89511429/knoxville-news-sentinel-sues-to/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Thu --> The two parties agreed to dissolve the JOA effective December 31, 1991, with Persis receiving $40 million in payments it would have otherwise received through 2005.<ref name="Tenn900609">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89512334/knoxville-newspapers-split-up/|date=June 9, 1990|page=1D|agency=Associated Press|title=Knoxville newspapers split up: 'News-Sentinel,' 'Journal' to go separate ways December 1991|newspaper=The Tennessean|location=Nashville, Tennessee|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=November 25, 2021|archive-date=November 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211125040939/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89512334/knoxville-newspapers-split-up/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Sat -->
On December 2, 1991, Persis opted to shutter the paper at the end of the month, which also marked the end of the JOA.{{r|Murf911202}} Per plans that were floated at the time, a new weekend publication, ''Weekend Journal'', would be printed by the Persis-owned ''Daily Times'',{{r|Murf911202}} a plan that almost failed due to lack of investment;{{r|Comm920101}} all 69 ''Journal'' staff would lose their jobs.<ref name="Murf911202">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89510225/|title=Knoxville Journal will cease daily publication|agency=Associated Press|page=2|work=The Daily News Journal|date=December 2, 1991|access-date=November 25, 2021|archive-date=November 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211125041008/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89510225/knoxville-journal-will-cease-daily/|url-status=live}}</ref> In addition, 49 ''News-Sentinel'' circulation staff positions were eliminated.<ref name="Comm920101">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89510634/journal-closes-leaving-knoxville-with/|date=January 1, 1992|page=A21|agency=Associated Press|title=Journal closes, leaving Knoxville with 1 daily|newspaper=The Commercial Appeal|location=Memphis, Tennessee|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=November 25, 2021|archive-date=November 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211125040940/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89510634/journal-closes-leaving-knoxville-with/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Wed -->
The ''Weekend Journal'' only ran until August 28, 1992, when it printed its last edition, citing weak advertising sales due to the early 1990s recession.<ref name="Knox920829">{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89513569/weekend-journal-folds-cites-weakened/|date=August 29, 1992|page=C6|title=Weekend Journal folds, cites weakened advertising sales|newspaper=The Knoxville News-Sentinel|location=Knoxville, Tennessee|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=November 25, 2021|archive-date=November 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211125041212/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/89513569/weekend-journal-folds-cites-weakened/|url-status=live}}</ref><!-- Sat --> {{clear}}
==References== {{reflist}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Knoxville Journal, The}} Category:1885 establishments in Tennessee Category:1991 disestablishments in Tennessee Category:Mass media in Knoxville, Tennessee Category:Defunct newspapers published in Tennessee Category:Daily newspapers published in the United States Category:Newspapers established in 1885 Category:Newspapers disestablished in 1991 Category:Defunct daily newspapers