ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS

:''This article is about the Minnesota newspaper. For the chain of Illinois weeklies, see Pioneer Press.''
The '''St. Paul Pioneer Press''' is a newspaper based in St. Paul, Minnesota, primarily serving the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Circulation is heaviest in the eastern metro region, including Ramsey, Dakota, and Washington counties, along with western Wisconsin, eastern Minnesota and Anoka County, Minnesota. The paper primarily competes with the ''Star Tribune'', based in neighboring Minneapolis.
The ''Pioneer Press'' is owned by MediaNews Group, which bought it from The McClatchy Company in August 2006. McClatchy had acquired the paper in June 2006 when it bought Knight Ridder, the ''Pioneer Press’'' corporate owner. As owner of the ''Star Tribune,'' McClatchy had to sell the ''Pioneer Press'' because of antitrust concerns. [1] The ''Star Tribune'' was subsequently sold by McClatchy in December 2006.

Contents

History

Notable reporters

See also

External links

References

History

The ''Pioneer Press'' traces its history back to both the ''Minnesota Pioneer'', Minnesota's first daily newspaper (which was founded in 1849 by James M. Goodhue), and the ''St. Paul Dispatch'' (which was launched in 1868). Ridder Publications acquired the ''Minnesota Pioneer'' and the ''Dispatch'' in 1927. The two papers were operated for many years as separate morning and evening papers, but were merged into an all-day publication in 1985 as the ''St. Paul Pioneer Press and Dispatch'' and made the transition to morning-only newspaper in 1990, when they dropped the word "Dispatch". It is sometimes referred to as the "Pi Press", by reference to the nickname of "Strib" used for the ''Star Tribune''.
From 1947 to 1949, the newspaper printed the comic strip ''Li'l Folks'', by St. Paul native Charles M. Schulz. This comic introduced a number of characters who would later return in 1950 in the syndicated comic strip ''Peanuts'', including Charlie Brown and a dog strongly resembling Snoopy.
In 1952, the ''Dispatch'' began sponsoring a treasure hunt as part of the Saint Paul Winter Carnival. Clues to finding a medallion are printed in the paper, and the first person to find it wins a sum of money. The prize started off at $1,000, but has risen to $10,000 as of 2004.
The paper has won three Pulitzer Prizes in 1986, 1988, and 2000.
Reporters and some editors are members of the Minnesota Newspaper Guild
Typographical Union. The union's current contract with the Pioneer Press runs through July 31, 2007.

Notable reporters

★ Mark Kellogg (reporter), the first Associated Press correspondent to die in the line of duty when he was killed at the Battle of the Little Bighorn.

★ John Sandford/John Camp, author of the "Prey" series of crime novels.

See also

★ ''City Pages''

★ ''Minnesota Daily''

★ ''Star Tribune''

External links

★ ''Pioneer Press website''

References