Belleville News-Democrat

Infobox Newspaper
name = Belleville News-Democrat


caption = Photo of the Lifestyle section of the Belleville News-Democrat
type = Daily newspaper
format = Broadsheet
foundation = 1858
ceased publication =
price =
owners = The McClatchy Company
publisher = Jay Tebbe
editor = Jeffry Couch
language =
political =
circulation = 53,967 Daily
64,282 Sunday
headquarters = 120 South Illinois St.
Belleville, IL 62220-2130
United States
ISSN =
website = [http://www.bnd.com/ bnd.com] : "For the Kentucky newspaper, please see News Democrat & Leader."The "Belleville News-Democrat" is a McClatchy newspaper and Web site with its headquarters in Belleville, Illinois, in the United States. The News-Democrat for 150 years has been based in St. Clair County, Illinois, emphasizing local news in Southwestern Illinois. It publishes content in print as well as online at [http://www.bnd.com bnd.com] .

History

The "Belleville News-Democrat" was founded in 1858 as the Weekly Democrat. In the early 1860s, it merged with the Belleville News to become the Belleville News-Democrat. It was a family-owned newspaper until 1972, when it was purchased by Capital Cities/ABC Inc. When Disney acquired ABC, it briefly owned the News-Democrat until Knight Ridder acquired the newspaper in 1997. McClatchy acquired the paper in 2006 with its purchase of Knight Ridder.

Distinction

The "Belleville News-Democrat" has been featured on 60 Minutes, Dateline and Nightline as an example of investigative reporting. In 2003, an article in Editor & Publisher called the News-Democrat one of "Ten newspapers that do it right" under the leadership of former publisher, Gary Berkeley, and former editor, Greg Edwards. It is also the only newspaper in Illinois or Missouri to grow net paid circulation for ten years in a row and is a frequent winner in state and regional journalism awards.

In 2007, News-Democrat reporters Beth Hunsdorfer and George Pawlaczyk won the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award for "Lethal Lapses," a series investigating errors of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services that resulted in the deaths of 53 children.

Current statistics

The News-Democrat employs approximately 280 people, plus about 75 at its weekly ancillary papers. The newsroom staff consists of 26 reporters, 12 editors, seven copy editors, four photographers, three newsroom assistants and an editorial cartoonist.

It publishes separate editions in Madison County and St. Clair County.

The News-Democrat also publishes the following weekly papers: The Highland News Leader, the Tri-County Leader, O'Fallon Progress, Command Post (serving Scott Air Force Base), the Legal Reporter, the Penny Saver, the Democrat, the Journal Messenger and the Sparta News-Plaindealer.

Counties Served

Illinois

* St. Clair
* Madison
* Bond
* Clinton
* Washington
* Monroe
* Marion
* Randolph
* Perry
* Jefferson

Missouri

* St. Louis
* St. Louis City

References

External links

* [http://www.bnd.com/ bnd.com official site]
* [http://www.mcclatchy.com/146/story/342.html The McClatchy Company's subsidiary profile of the "Belleville News-Democrat"]
* [http://www.rfkmemorial.org/legacyinaction/2007BJAnnounce/ The Robert F. Kennedy Award of 2007] and [http://www.bnd.com/236/index.html the Lethal Lapses series] .