{{Short description|Newspaper in Rexburg, Idaho}} {{for|the Pennsylvania newspaper| The Standard-Journal (Milton, PA)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox newspaper | name = Rexburg Standard Journal | image = | caption = | type = Twice weekly newspaper | format = Broadsheet | founded = {{Start date| 1887}} | language = English | ceased_publication = | owners = Adams MultiMedia | publisher = Andy Pennington | editor = Jeremy Cooley | circulation = 2,350 | circulation_date = 2021 | circulation_ref = <ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-05-01 |title=Idaho Circulation Map |url=https://adamspg.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/21.04-Idaho-1.pdf |access-date=2023-04-25 |website=Adams Publishing Group}}</ref><br /> | headquarters = 23 S. 1st E. Rexburg, Idaho 83440 United States | oclc = 52042753 | ISSN = 1544-3639 | website = {{URL|rexburgstandardjournal.com}} }}
The '''''Standard Journal''''' is a newspaper based in Rexburg, Idaho. It publishes twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://gotoanr.com/database/|title=American Newspaper Representatives|website=gotoanr.com|language=en|accessdate=2018-07-22}}</ref> The paper is a member of the Newspapers Association of Idaho.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.newspaperassociationofidaho.com/members/|title=Members|work=Newspaper Association of Idaho|access-date=2018-07-23|language=en-US}}</ref>
== History == The ''Standard Journal'' has been published under various names since 1888.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History Of Standard Journal |url=https://www.rexburgstandardjournal.com/about/history/ |access-date=February 14, 2025 |website=Standard Journal}}</ref> It was founded in 1887 as the ''Rexburg Press''; it was later renamed the ''Silver Hammer'' and, in 1898, it was renamed ''Fremont County Journal''.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gtc8BQAAQBAJ&dq=Rexburg+Standard+Journal&pg=PA42|title=Rexburg|last1=Parkinson|first1=Lowell J.|last2=Parkinson|first2=Mardi J.|date=2014-10-06|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|isbn=9781439647646|language=en}}</ref> This paper evolved to become the ''Current-Journal''. Because of its strong ties with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the ''Current-Journal'' was heavily criticized<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 16, 1906 |title="Won't Stand for It" |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22118520/wont_stand_for_it/ |access-date=2018-07-23 |work=The Salt Lake Tribune |pages=4 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=April 9, 1905 |title=Which master? |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22121884/which_master/ |access-date=2018-07-23 |work=The Salt Lake Tribune |pages=6 |language=en}}</ref> in the early 1900s by ''The Salt Lake Tribune'', an anti-Mormon paper started by three excommunicated members of the Church.<ref>{{Cite news |last= |first= |title=The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] |url=https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045396/ |access-date=2025-02-14 |work=National Endowment for the Humanities |issn=0746-3502}}</ref>
In February 1908 Arthur Porter and his brother Frank acquired the ''Current-Journal''. According to Arthur Porter, they printed the ''Current-Journal'' and later the ''Rexburg Journal'', as it was later renamed in 1917,<ref name=":0" /> using one of the first printing presses in the west, known as the Prouty Power Press.<ref>{{Cite news |date=February 23, 1941 |title=Rexburg Journal Sells Old Time Prouty Power Press as Junk |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22117410/rexburg_journal_sells_old_time_prouty/ |access-date=2018-07-23 |work=The Post-Register |pages=12 |language=en}}</ref>
In January 1942, Arthur's son John C. Porter and his wife Annette purchased a competing paper called the ''Rexburg'' ''Standard''.<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 29, 1942 |title=Rexburg Man Buys Paper |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22117539/rexburg_man_buys_paper/ |access-date=2018-07-23 |work=The Post-Register |pages=4 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news |date=October 19, 1999 |title=Annette Oldham Porter (Obituary) |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22117217/annette_oldham_porter_obituary/ |access-date=2018-07-23 |work=The Mercury |pages=14 |language=en |publication-place=Manhattan, Kansas}}</ref> The ''Standard'' had been started as a Republican newspaper by William and Joseph Adams, who later brought James H. Wallis to a leadership role for the paper.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gtc8BQAAQBAJ&dq=Rexburg+Standard+Journal&pg=PA44|title=Rexburg|last1=Parkinson|first1=Lowell J.|last2=Parkinson|first2=Mardi J.|date=2014-10-06|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|isbn=9781439647646|language=en}}</ref>
The newspaper, now the ''Standard Journal'',<ref name=":2" /> remained in the hands of John C. Porter and eventually his son and daughter-in-law, Roger O. and Bernie Porter,<ref name=":1" /> until December 1999, when the ''Standard Journal'' was purchased by Pioneer News Group, a small family-owned media company composed of small- to medium-sized community newspapers throughout the Northwest.<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 26, 2000 |title=Pioneer Newspapers buys 2 Idaho Papers |work=The Salt Lake Tribune |pages=25}}</ref>
In November 2017, the ''Standard Journal'' was purchased by Adams Publishing Group as part of its acquisition of the Pioneer Media Group media division.<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 5, 2017 |title=Adams Publishing Group buys regional papers |url=http://www.postregister.com/articles/news-daily-email-todays-headlines/2017/10/05/adams-publishing-group-buys-regional-papers |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171213132510/https://www.postregister.com/articles/news-daily-email-todays-headlines/2017/10/05/adams-publishing-group-buys-regional-papers/ |archive-date=December 13, 2017 |access-date=February 14, 2025 |work=Post Register |language=en}}</ref>
== Notable coverage and national attention == An editorial in the ''Idaho State Times'' in 1974 called attention to the ''Standard Journal's'' reporting on magazine censorship in Rexburg.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Shumate |first=Gene |date=June 21, 1974 |title=Censorship in Rexburg |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22116894/censorship_in_rexburg/ |access-date=2018-07-23 |work=Idaho State Journal |pages=4 |language=en}}</ref> According to the author of the editorial, Rexburg's Prosecuting Attorney set up a committee to review and ban magazines they deemed as having objectionable content.
On June 5, 1976, the city of Rexburg was severely damaged when the Teton Dam collapsed and flooded the Teton Valley.<ref name="CD404">{{cite book|title=Cadillac Desert|author=Marc Reisner|isbn=0-14-017824-4|year=1993|pages=[https://archive.org/details/cadillacdesertam00reis/page/404 404]}}</ref> The ''Standard Journal's'' printing equipment was destroyed when a wall of water 6 feet high passed through downtown Rexburg and flooded the building where the paper was published.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Lobb |first=Clark |date=June 8, 1976 |title=Rexburg Devastation Overwhelming - Real Story of Courage |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22117784/rexburg_devastation_overwhelming_real/ |access-date=2018-07-23 |work=The Salt Lake Tribune |pages=1 |language=en}}</ref> Roger O. Porter, publisher of the ''Standard Journal'', still published an edition of the paper three days later using the printing facilities at Ricks College (which later became BYU-Idaho).<ref name=":3" /> The paper's headline was "Devastating Flood Waters Can't Drown Our Spirits."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Raine |first=George |title=Flood-Hit Area Waits Redress From U.S. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22102082/spirits_high_despite_devastation_the/ |access-date=2018-07-22 |work=The Salt Lake Tribune |pages=17–18 |language=en}}</ref> Porter also documented the devastation by taking aerial photographs of the Teton Valley, many of which are now included in the book ''The Teton Dam Disaster''.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gOdCu_NSma0C&dq=Rexburg+Standard+Journal&pg=PA51|title=The Teton Dam Disaster|last=McDonald|first=Dylan J.|date=2006|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|isbn=9780738548616|language=en}}</ref> The Idaho Newspaper Association established a benefit fund for the paper,<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 11, 1976 |title=Help requested for paper ruined in Rexburg flood |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22118037/help_requested_for_paper_ruined_in/ |access-date=2018-07-23 |work=Idaho Free Press |pages=2 |language=en}}</ref> and Porter was able to secure Small Business Administration loans to rebuild the paper.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lichtenstein |first=Grace |date=January 2, 1977 |title=Residents Are Divided on Rebuilding of Teton Dam |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/01/02/archives/residents-are-divided-on-rebuilding-of-teton-dam.html |access-date=2018-07-23 |work=The New York Times |pages=20 |language=en}}</ref>
The city of Rexburg received international attention in 2008, one day after President Barack Obama's election, when the ''Standard Journal'' reported that school children riding the bus were chanting "assassinate Obama."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sunderland |first=Nathan |date=November 20, 2008 |title=Rexburg becomes center of the storm |url=https://www.rexburgstandardjournal.com/news/rexburg-becomes-center-of-the-storm/article_a832397a-e361-5d53-b04e-b17790972cc0.html |access-date=2018-07-23 |work=Standard Journal |language=en}}</ref> The story was later voted as one of the "Top 10 stories in 2008 in the upper valley" by the editors and reporters for the ''Standard Journal''.<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 31, 2008 |title=Top 10 stories in 2008 in the upper valley |url=https://www.rexburgstandardjournal.com/news/top-stories-in-in-the-upper-valley/article_996b8cad-a50d-598d-9601-e48dd9c01f98.html |access-date=2018-07-23 |work=Standard Journal |language=en}}</ref>
The paper was cited by numerous papers in 2017 for its reporting on the lead-up to the full solar eclipse that year.<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 13, 2017 |title=News from across the USA {{!}} Idaho |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22122078/rexburg_solar_eclipse/ |access-date=2018-07-23 |work=Green Bay Press-Gazette |pages=B4 |language=en |publication-place=Green Bay, Wisconsin}}</ref> The ''Standard Journal'' reported that the city of Rexburg's population was set to double on the day of the solar eclipse, due to its central viewing location.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Idaho Office of Emergency Management press release |first= |date=August 10, 2017 |title=Total solar eclipse expected to draw unprecedented numbers of visitors |url=https://www.rexburgstandardjournal.com/news/idaho/total-solar-eclipse-expected-to-draw-unprecedented-numbers-of-visitors/article_db988e95-0e8e-53f5-8b99-c9b91ac53f49.html |access-date=2018-07-23 |work=Standard Journal |language=en}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
Category:Madison County, Idaho Category:Newspapers published in Idaho Category:1887 establishments in Idaho Territory Category:Newspapers established in 1887