The Gardner News

Infobox Newspaper
name = The Gardner News


caption =
type = Daily newspaper
format = Broadsheet
foundation = 1869
ceased publication =
price =
owners = Alberta S. Bell
publisher = Alberta S. Bell
editor =
language =
political =
circulation = 6,039 in 2006 [Audit Bureau of Circulation "e-circ" data, accessed December 10, 2006.]
headquarters = 309 Central Street, Gardner, Massachusetts 01441 USA
ISSN =
website = [http://www.thegardnernews.com/ thegardnernews.com]

"The Gardner News" is a family-owned daily newspaper serving seven cities and towns in northwest Worcester County, Massachusetts. In addition to the city of Gardner, where it is headquartered, it also covers the rural towns of Ashburnham, Hubbardston, Phillipston, Templeton, Westminster, and Winchendon, Massachusetts.

"The News" publishes every day except Sunday. It is noteworthy for printing on one of the widest newsprint "webs" in New England daily newspapering. Its text is also printed in a larger font size than usual.

Its chief competitors are the county's two largest newspapers, the Fitchburg "Sentinel & Enterprise" and Worcester "Telegram & Gazette".

History

Bell family

A family business since its founding as a weekly in 1869, "The Gardner News" has been a daily since 1897 and part of the Bell family since 1973, when C. Gordon Bell became president and publisher (he had been general manager of the company for a decade). During Gordon Bell's tenure as publisher, the newspaper modernized and was recognized as a leader among small New England dailies. ["News Publisher C. Gordon Bell." Obituary. "Telegram & Gazette" (Worcester, Mass.), February 9, 1992.]

Upon Gordon Bell's death in 1992, his wife Alberta Bell became publisher of the newspaper where she had worked since 1986.

The Leominster Times

During Alberta Bell's tenure as publisher, "The Gardner News" made one attempt at expanding its footprint, a six-month attempt in late 1994 to establish a new newspaper for Fitchburg and Leominster, Massachusetts. "The Leominster Times" was marketed as a general-interest newspaper, but Bell said she would make special efforts to cover minorities in Fitchburg and Leominster. [King, Ernest. "Gardner News Co-Owner Plans New Newspaper." "Telegram & Gazette" (Worcester, Mass.), May 1, 1994]

Initially launched as a six-day daily newspaper (Monday through Saturday) in July 1994, "The Times" five months later cut back to a twice-weekly schedule and focused its coverage on Leominster only. Its January 6, 1995 issue was its last. ["Leominster Times." "Telegram & Gazette" (Worcester, Mass.), January 18, 1995.]

References

External links

* [http://www.thegardnernews.com "The Gardner News" Website]