The Philadelphia Inquirer

Infobox Newspaper
name =


caption = The paper's January 9, 2008 front page
type = Daily newspaper
format = Broadsheet
foundation = June 1, 1829 (as "The Pennsylvania Inquirer")
price = USD 0.75 Monday-Saturday
USD 1.50 Sunday
owners = Philadelphia Media Holdings LLC
circulation = 334,150 Daily
630,665 Sunday
headquarters = 400 N. Broad Street
Philadelphia PA 19130
USA
chiefeditor = William K. Marimow
publisher = Brian Tierney
maneditor = Sandra Long
Michael Leary
assoceditor = Acel Moore, emeritus
staff = 472
language = English
ISSN = 0885-6613
website = [http://www.philly.com/inquirer/ www.philly.com/inquirer/]

"The Philadelphia Inquirer" is a morning daily newspaper that serves the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, metropolitan area of the United States. The newspaper was founded by John R. Walker and John Norvell in June 1829 as "The Pennsylvania Inquirer" and is the third-oldest surviving daily newspaper in the United States.cite web |last=Wilkinson |first=Gerry |url=http://www.phillyppa.com/inquirer.html |title=The History of the Philadelphia Inquirer |publisher=Philadelphia Press Association |accessdate=2006-05-27] Owned by the local group Philadelphia Media Holdings LLC, "The Inquirer" has the sixteenth largest average weekday U.S. newspaper circulation, and has won eighteen Pulitzer Prizes.cite web |url=http://www.burrellesluce.com/top100/2008_Top_100List.pdf |title=Top 100 Newspapers US Daily Newspapers |publisher=Audit Bureau of Circulations |accessdate=2008-05-20]

The paper has risen and fallen in prominence throughout its history. "The Inquirer" first became a major newspaper during the American Civil War when its war coverage was popular on both sides. The paper's circulation dropped after the war, then rose by the end of the 19th century. Originally supportive of the Democratic Party, "The Inquirer"'s political affiliation eventually shifted towards the Whig Party and then the Republican Party before officially becoming politically independent in the middle of the 20th century. By the end of the 1960s, "The Inquirer" trailed its chief competitor, the "Philadelphia Evening Bulletin", and lacked modern facilities and experienced staff. In the 1970s, new owners and editors turned the newspaper into one of the country's most prominent, winning 17 Pulitzers in 15 years. Its prestige has since waned because of cost-cutting and a shift of focus to more local coverage.

History

"The Philadelphia Inquirer" was founded as "The Pennsylvania Inquirer" by printer John R. Walker and John Norvell, former editor of Philadelphia's largest newspaper the "Aurora & Gazette". In an editorial, the first issue of "The Pennsylvania Inquirer" promised that the paper would be devoted to the right of a minority to voice their opinion and "the maintenance of the rights and liberties of the people, equally against the abuses as the usurpation of power." They pledged support to then President Andrew Jackson and "home industries, American manufactures, and internal improvements that so materially contribute to the agricultural, commercial and national prosperity."cite web |last=Williams |first=Edgar ‏|date=June 20, 2003 |url=http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/6135296.htm?1cc |title=A history of The Inquirer |publisher=The Philadelphia Inquirer |accessdate=2006-05-27 |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070219044935/http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/6135296.htm?1c |archivedate=2007-02-19] Founded on June 1, 1829, "The Philadelphia Inquirer" is the third oldest surviving daily newspaper in the United States. However, in 1962, an "Inquirer"-commissioned historian traced "The Inquirer" to John Dunlap's "The Pennsylvania Packet", which was founded on October 28, 1771. In 1850 "The Packet" was merged with another newspaper "The North American", which later merged with the "Philadelphia Public Ledger". Finally, the "Public Ledger" merged with "The Philadelphia Inquirer" in the 1930s and between 1962 and 1975, a line on "The Inquirer"'s front page claimed that the newspaper is the United States' oldest surviving daily newspaper.

Six months after "The Inquirer" was founded, with competition from eight established daily newspapers, lack of funds forced Norvell and Walker to sell the newspaper to publisher and "United States Gazette" associate editor Jesper Harding. After Harding acquired "The Pennsylvania Inquirer", it was briefly published as an afternoon paper before returning to its original morning format in January 1830. Under Harding, in 1829, "The Inquirer" moved from its original location between Front and Second Streets to between Second and Third Streets. When Harding bought and merged the "Morning Journal" in January 1830, the newspaper was moved to South Second Street. Ten years later "The Inquirer" again was moved, this time to its own building at the corner of Third Street and Carter's Alley. Harding expanded "The Inquirer"'s content and the paper soon grew into a major Philadelphian newspaper. The expanded content included the addition of fiction, and in 1840, Harding gained rights to publish several Charles Dickens novels for which Dickens was paid a significant amount. At the time the common practice was to pay little or nothing for the rights of foreign authors' works.

Civil War to 1920s

Harding retired in 1859 and was succeeded by his son William White Harding, who had become a partner three years earlier. William Harding changed the name of the newspaper to its current name, "The Philadelphia Inquirer". Harding, in an attempt to increase circulation, cut the price of the paper, began delivery routes and had newsboys sell papers on the street. In 1859, circulation had been around 7,000 and by 1863 it had increased to 70,000. Part of the increase was due to the interest in news during the American Civil War. Twenty-five to thirty thousand copies of "The Inquirer" were often distributed to Union soldiers during the war and several times the U.S. government asked "The Philadelphia Inquirer" to issue a special edition specifically for soldiers. "The Philadelphia Inquirer" supported the Union, but Harding wanted their coverage to remain neutral. Confederate generals often sought copies of the paper, believing that the newspaper's war coverage was accurate.

"Inquirer" journalist Uriah Hunt Painter was at the First Battle of Bull Run in 1861, a battle which ended in a Confederate victory. Initial reports from the government claimed a Union victory, but "The Inquirer" went with Painter's firsthand account. Crowds threatened to burn "The Inquirer"'s building down because of the report. Another report, this time about General George Meade, angered Meade enough that he punished Edward Crapsey, the reporter who wrote it. Crapsey and other war correspondents later decided to attribute any victories of the Army of the Potomac, Meade's command, to Ulysses S. Grant, commander of the entire Union army. Any defeats by the Army of the Potomac would be attributed to Meade.

During the war, "The Inquirer" continued to grow with more staff being added and another move into a larger building on Chestnut Street. However, after the war, economic hits combined with Harding becoming ill, hurt "The Inquirer". Despite Philadelphia's population growth, distribution fell from 70,000 during the Civil War to 5,000 in 1888. Beginning in 1889, the paper was sold to publisher James Elverson. To bring back the paper, Elverson moved "The Inquirer" to a new building with the latest printing technology and an increased staff. The "new" "Philadelphia Inquirer" premiered on March 1 and was successful enough that Elverson started a Sunday edition of the paper. In 1890, in an attempt to increase circulation further, the price of "The Inquirer" was cut and the paper's size was increased, mostly with classified advertisements. After five years "The Inquirer" had to move into a larger building on Market Street and later expanded into adjacent property.

After Elverson's death in 1911, his son by his wife Sallie Duvall, James Elverson Jr. took charge. Under Elverson Jr., the newspaper continued to grow, eventually needing to move again. Elverson Jr. bought land at Broad and Callowhill Streets and built the eighteen-story Elverson Building, now known as the Inquirer Building. The first "Inquirer" issue printed at the building came out on July 13, 1925. Elverson Jr. died a few years later in 1929 and his sister, Eleanor Elverson, Mrs. Jules Patenôtre, took over.

Annenberg years

Eleanor Elverson Patenôtre ordered cuts throughout the paper, but was not really interested in managing it and ownership was soon put up for sale. Cyrus Curtis and Curtis-Martin Newspapers Inc. bought the newspaper on March 5, 1930. [cite journal |quotes=no |year=1930 |month=March 17 |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,738833-1,00.html |title=Again, Curtis-Martin |journal=Time ] Curtis died a year later and his step son-in-law, John Charles Martin, took charge. Martin merged "The Inquirer" with another paper, the "Public Ledger", but the Great Depression hurt Curtis-Martin Newspapers and the company defaulted in payments of maturity notes. Subsequently ownership of "The Inquirer" returned to the Patenôtre family and Elverson Corp. [cite journal |quotes=no |year=1936 |month=August 10 |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,762298,00.html |title=Philadelphia Purchase |journal=Time ] Charles A. Taylor was elected president of The Inquirer Co. and ran the paper until it was sold to Moses L. Annenberg in 1936. During the period between Elverson Jr. and Annenberg "The Inquirer" stagnated, its editors ignoring most of the poor economic news of the Depression. The lack of growth allowed J. David Stern's newspaper, the "Philadelphia Record" to surpass "The Inquirer" in circulation and become the largest newspaper in Pennsylvania.cite book |last=Ogden |first=Christopher |year=1999 |title=Legacy: A Biography of Moses and Walter Annenberg |publisher=Little, Brown and Company |location=New York |isbn=0-316-63379-8]

Under Moses Annenberg, "The Inquirer" turned around. Annenberg added new features, increased staff and held promotions to increase circulation. By November, 1938 "Inquirer"'s weekday circulation increased to 345,422 from 280,093 in 1936. During that same period the "Record"'s circulation had dropped to 204,000 from 328,322. In 1939, Annenberg was charged with income tax evasion. Annenberg pleaded guilty before his trial and was sent to prison where he died in 1942. Upon Moses Annenberg's death, his son, Walter Annenberg, took over. Not long after, in 1947, the "Record" went out of business and "The Philadelphia Inquirer" became Philadelphia's only major daily morning newspaper. While still trailing behind Philadelphia's largest newspaper, the "Evening Bulletin", "The Inquirer" continued to be profitable. In 1948, Walter Annenberg expanded the Inquirer Building with a new structure that housed new printing presses for "The Inquirer" and, during the 1950s and 60s, Annenberg's other properties, "Seventeen" and "TV Guide". In 1957 Annenberg bought the "Philadelphia Daily News" and combined the "Daily News"' facilities with "The Inquirer"'s.

A thirty-eight day strike in 1958 hurt "The Inquirer" and, after the strike ended, so many reporters had accepted buyout offers and left that the newsroom was noticeably empty. Furthermore, many current reporters had been copyclerks just before the strike and had little experience. One of the few star reporters of the 1950s and 60s was investigative reporter Harry Karafin. During his career Harry Karafin exposed corruption and other exclusive stories for "The Inquirer", but also extorted money out of individuals and organizations. Karafin would claim he had harmful information and would demand money in exchange for the information not being made public. This went on from the late 1950s into the early 60s before Karafin was exposed in 1967 and convicted of extortion a year later. By the end of the 1960s, circulation and advertising revenue was in decline and the newspaper had become, according to "Time" magazine, "uncreative and undistinguished."

Corporate ownership

In 1969 Annenberg was offered US$55 Million for "The Inquirer" by Samuel Newhouse, but having earlier promised John S. Knight the right of first refusal of any sale offer, Annenberg sold it to Knight instead. "The Inquirer", along with the "Philadelphia Daily News", became part of Knight Newspapers and its new subsidiary, Philadelphia Newspapers Inc. Five years later, Knight Newspapers merged with Ridder Publications to form Knight Ridder.

When "The Inquirer" was bought, it was understaffed, its equipment was outdated, many of its employees were underskilled and the paper trailed its chief competitor, the "Evening Bulletin", in weekday circulation. However, Eugene L. Roberts Jr., who became "The Inquirer"'s executive editor in 1972, turned the newspaper around. Between 1975 and 1990 "The Inquirer" won seventeen Pulitzers, six consecutively between 1975 and 1980, and more journalism awards than any other newspaper in the United States. "Time" magazine chose "The Inquirer" as one of the ten best daily newspapers in the United States, calling Roberts' changes to the paper, "one of the most remarkable turnarounds, in quality and profitability, in the history of American journalism." By July 1980 "The Inquirer" had become the most circulated paper in Philadelphia, forcing the "Evening Bulletin" to shut down two years later. "The Inquirer"'s success was not without hardships. Between 1970 and 1985 the newspaper experienced eleven strikes, the longest lasting forty-six days in 1985. "The Inquirer" was also criticized for covering "Karachi better than Kensington". This did not stop the paper's growth during the 1980s, and when the "Evening Bulletin" shut down, "The Inquirer" hired seventeen "Bulletin" reporters and doubled its bureaus to attract former "Bulletin" readers.cite journal |quotes=no |first=Michael |last=Shapiro |year=2006 |month=March/April |title=Looking for Light |journal=Columbia Journalism Review |url=http://www.cjr.org/issues/2006/2/shapiro.asp] By 1989 Philadelphia Newspapers Inc.'s editorial staff reached a peak of 721 employees.

The 1990s saw gradually dropping circulation and advertisement revenue for "The Inquirer". The decline was part of a nationwide trend, but the effects were exacerbated by, according to dissatisfied "Inquirer" employees, the paper's resisting changes that many other daily newspapers implemented to keep readers and pressure from Knight Ridder to cut costs. During most of Roberts' time as editor, Knight Ridder allowed him a great deal of freedom in running the newspaper. However, in the late 1980s, Knight Ridder had become concerned about "The Inquirer"'s profitability and took a more active role in its operations. Knight Ridder pressured "The Inquirer" to expand into the more profitable suburbs, while at the same time cutting staff and coverage of national and international stories. Staff cuts continued until Knight Ridder was bought in 2006, with some of "The Inquirer"'s best reporters accepting buyouts and leaving for other newspapers such as "The New York Times" and "The Washington Post". By the late 1990s, all of the high level editors who had worked with Eugene Roberts in the 1970s and 80s had left, none at normal retirement age. Since the 1980s, the paper has won just one Pulitzer, a 1997 award for "Explanatory Journalism." [cite book |last=Merritt |first=Davis |authorlink=W. Davis Merritt |year=2005 |title=Knightfall: Knight Ridder and How the Erosion of Newspaper Journalism is Putting Democracy at Risk |publisher=AMACOM |location=New York |id=ISBN 0-8144-0854-0] In 1998 "Inquirer" reporter Ralph Cipriano filed a libel suit against Knight Ridder, "The Philadelphia Inquirer" and "Inquirer" editor Robert Rosenthal over comments Rosenthal made about Cipriano to "The Washington Post". Cipriano had claimed that it was difficult reporting negative stories in "The Inquirer" about the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia [cite journal |quotes=no |first=Frank |last=Lewis |year=2001 |month=January 11–18 |title=So Sorry |journal=Philadelphia City Paper |url=http://www.citypaper.net/articles/011101/cb.om.sorry.shtml] and Rosenthal later claimed that Cipriano had "a very strong personal point of view and an agenda...He could never prove [his stories] ." [cite journal |quotes=no |first=Frank |last=Lewis |year=1998 |month=June 18–25 |title=Bob and Weave |journal=Philadelphia City Paper |url=http://www.citypaper.net/articles/061898/om.bob.shtml] The suit was later settled out of court in 2001.

Knight Ridder was bought by rival The McClatchy Company in June 2006. "The Inquirer" and the "Philadelphia Daily News" were among the twelve less-profitable Knight Ridder newspapers that McClatchy put up for sale when the deal was announced in March. [cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4802304.stm |title=Knight Ridder bought for $4.5bn |publisher=BBC News |date=March 13, 2006 |accessdate=2006-05-28] On June 29, 2006 "The Inquirer" and "Daily News" were sold to Philadelphia Media Holdings LLC, a group of Philadelphian area business people, including Brian P. Tierney, Philadelphia Media's chief executive. The new owners planned to spend US$5 million on advertisements and promotions to increase "The Inquirer"'s profile and readership.cite journal |quotes=no |first=Joseph N. |last=DiStefano |year=2006 |month=June 30 |title=Job 1 for new owners: Raise papers' profile |journal=The Philadelphia Inquirer] In the months following Philadelphia Media Holding's acquisition, "The Inquirer" has seen larger than expected revenue losses, mostly from national advertising. The revenue losses caused management to cut seventy-one editorial staff members in the first month of 2007. [cite journal |quotes=no |first=Joann |last=Loviglio |year=2007 |month=January 3 |title=Philadelphia Inquirer lays off 71 people |journal=BusinessWeek] On August 21, 2007 Philadelphia Media Holdings announced that it was selling The Inquirer Building. Brian Tierney said they have planned to sell the half empty building since Philadelphia Media Holdings bought "The Inquirer" and "Daily News" and that a new location has not been determined. [cite journal |quotes=no |first=Bob |last=Fernandez |year=2007 |month=August 21 |title=Inquirer Building to be sold |journal=The Philadelphia Inquirer]

Politics

John Norvell left the "Aurora & Gazette" and his job as editor because he disagreed with what he felt was the newspaper's editorial approval of a movement towards a European class system. When Norvell and John Walker founded "The Inquirer" they wanted the newspaper to represent all people and not just the higher classes. The newly launched newspaper supported Jeffersonian democracy and President Andrew Jackson, and it declared support for the right of the minority's opinion to be heard. A legend about the founding of "The Inquirer" states that Norvell said, "There could be no better name than "The Inquirer". In a free state, there should always be an inquirer asking on behalf of the people: 'Why was this done? Why is that necessary work not done? Why is that man put forward? Why is that law proposed? Why? Why? Why?'" [cite journal |quotes=no |last=Shapiro |first=Howie |date=May 23, 2006 |title=Asking 'Why?' since 1829 |publisher="The Philadelphia Inquirer" |accessdate=2006-07-10]

When Norvell and Walker sold their newspaper to Jesper Harding, Harding kept the paper close to the founder's politics and backed the Democratic Party. However, disagreeing with Andrew Jackson's handling of the Second Bank of the United States he began supporting the anti-Jackson wing of the Democrats. During the 1836 Presidential election Harding supported the Whig party candidate over the Democratic candidate and afterwards "The Inquirer" became known for its support of Whig candidates. Before the American Civil War began, "The Inquirer" supported the preservation of the Union, and was critical of the antislavery movement which many felt was responsible for the Southern succession crisis.cite book |author=Weigley RF et al (eds): |title=Philadelphia: A 300-Year History |publisher=W. W. Norton & Company |year=1982 |location=New York and London |id=ISBN 0-393-01610-2 |pages=pages 388, 404 - 405] Once the war began "The Inquirer" maintained an independent reporting of the war's events. However "The Inquirer" firmly supported the Union side. At first "The Inquirer"'s editors were against emancipation of the slaves, but after setbacks by the Union army "The Inquirer" started advocating a more pro-war and pro-Republican stance. In a July 1862 article "The Inquirer" wrote "in this war there can be but two parties, patriots and traitors."

Republican Bible

Under James Elverson, "The Philadelphia Inquirer" declared, "the new "Inquirer" shall be in all respects a complete, enterprising, progressive newspaper, moved by all the wide-awake spirit of the time and behind in nothing of interest to people who want to know what is going on every day and everywhere...steadily and vigorously Republican in its political policy, but just and fair in its treatment of all questions..." During the 1900 Republican convention in Philadelphia, Elverson set up a large electric banner over Broad Street that declared "Philadelphia Inquirer – Largest Republican Circulation in the World." At the turn of the 20th century the newspaper began editorial campaigns to improve Philadelphia, including the paving of major streets and stopping a corrupt plan to buy the polluted Schuylkill Canal for drinking water. The newspaper continued similar politics under Elverson Jr., and by the 1920s "The Inquirer" became known as the "Republican Bible of Pennsylvania".

Between 1929 and 1936, while under Patenotre and Curtis-Martin, "The Inquirer" continued to support the Republican party and President Herbert Hoover, noticeably by not reporting on the news of the Great Depression. Statistics on unemployment or business closings were ignored, even when they came from the government. Information about Philadelphia banks closing was relegated to the back of the financial section. When Moses Annenberg took over "The Philadelphia Inquirer", he announced that the paper would "continue to uphold the principles of the Republican Party," but in a meeting with newspaper editors shortly after, he proposed that the paper go independent and support President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the upcoming election. The editors rejected this idea and the paper remained Republican. In the late 1930s Annenberg disagreed with Roosevelt's New Deal programs and his handling of strikes. This prompted editorials criticizing the policies of Roosevelt and his supporters. He strongly opposed Democratic Pennsylvania governor George Earle and had "The Inquirer" support the Republican candidates in the 1938 Pennsylvania state elections. When Republicans swept the election there was a celebration at "The Inquirer" headquarters with red flares and the firing of cannons. The attacks against Democrats and the support given towards Republicans caught the attention of the Roosevelt administration. Annenberg had turned "The Philadelphia Inquirer" into a major challenger to its chief competitor the Democratic "Record", and after Annenberg began focusing on politics, Democratic politicians often attacked Annenberg and accused him of illegal business practices. In 1939 Annenberg was charged with income tax evasion, pled guilty before the trial, and was sent to prison for three years. Annenberg's friends and his son, Walter, claimed that the whole trial was politically motivated and despite Annenberg actually being guilty, they claimed his sentence was harsher then it should have been.

Independent

When the "Record" shut down in 1947 "The Inquirer" announced that it was now an independent newspaper and, frustrated with corruption in Philadelphia, supported Democratic candidates in the 1951 election. While Walter Annenberg had made "The Inquirer" independent he did use the paper to attack people he disliked. Sometimes when a person or group angered Annenberg, they were blacklisted and not mentioned anywhere within "The Inquirer". People on the blacklist were even airbrushed out of images. People who were on the list at one point included Nicholas Katzenbach, Ralph Nader, Zsa Zsa Gabor, and the basketball team the Philadelphia Warriors, who were not mentioned for an entire season. In 1966 Walter Annenberg used "The Inquirer" to attack Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Milton Shapp. During a press conference an "Inquirer" reporter asked Shapp if he had ever been a patient in a mental hospital; having never been one Shapp said no. The next day's headline in "The Inquirer" read "Shapp Denies Ever having been in a Mental Home." Shapp attributed his loss of the election to Annenberg's attack campaign.

Annenberg was a backer and friend of Richard Nixon. In the 1952 presidential election critics later claimed Annenberg had "The Inquirer" look the other way when covering accusations Nixon was misappropriating funds. Later, to avoid accusations of political bias, Annenberg had "The Inquirer" use only news agency sources such as the Associated Press for the 1960 and 1968 presidential elections. When Nixon was elected president in 1968, Annenberg was appointed the U.S. ambassador to the Court of St. James's. A year later when Annenberg sold the newspaper to Knight Newspapers, a part of the deal stipulated that Annenberg's name would appear as Editor and Publisher Emeritus in "The Inquirer"'s masthead. In 1970 Annenberg, already unhappy with changes in the newspaper, had his name removed from the paper after a critical editorial on Richard Nixon appeared.

Under Knight Ridder, "The Inquirer" continued to be editorially independent. However, conservative blogs and commentators have labeled "The Inquirer" left leaning. [cite web |url=http://mediamatters.org/items/200602160010 |title=In List of "Left-Wing Papers," O'Reilly Included Five that Endorsed Bush for President |publisher=Media Matters For America |accessdate=2006-07-09] [cite news |last=Smerconish |first=Michael |title=Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss? |publisher="Philadelphia Daily News" |year=2006 |month=July 13 |accessdate=2006-08-07] Throughout the 1990s and into the 21st century, groups supportive of Israel such as the Zionist Organization of America often accused "The Inquirer" of being anti-Israel. [cite web |url=http://zena.secureforum.com/Znet/zmag/articles/barherman.htm |title=Edward Herman Beyond Hypocrisy: Decoding the News |author=Interviewed by David Barsamian |date=July 14, 1993 |accessdate=2006-07-09] At the same time Edward S. Herman, a University of Pennsylvania media analyst, has written many articles accusing "The Inquirer" of caving into conservative pressure and including a conservative slant in the paper's reporting and editorial page. [cite web |last=Herman |first=Edward |authorlink=Edward S. Herman |url=http://musictravel.free.fr/political/political16.htm |title=The Philadelphia Inquirer's New "Right Stuff" Program |accessdate=2006-07-09] In 2006, "The Inquirer" became one of the only major United States newspapers to print one of the "Jyllands-Posten" Muhammad cartoons. Afterwards, protesting the printing of the cartoon, Muslims picketed outside The Inquirer Building. [cite journal |quotes=no |year=2006 |month=February 13 |title=Muslims Protest Philadelphia Newspaper's Publishing of Cartoon |journal=Associated Press |url=http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/news.aspx?id=16470]

When Philadelphia Media Holdings L.L.C. bought the paper in 2006, Brian P. Tierney and the business people behind the group signed a pledge promising that they would not influence the content of the paper. Brian P. Tierney, a Republican activist who represented many local groups in the Philadelphia area, criticized "The Inquirer" in the past on behalf of his clients. One of Tierney's clients was the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia which he represented during the Cipriano affair. The group includes other local business people including Bruce E. Toll, vice chairman of Toll Brothers Inc. Tierney says the group is aware that the fastest way to ruin their investment is to threaten the paper's editorial independence. [cite journal |quotes=no |first=Ken |last=Dilanian |year=2006 |month=May 24 |title=Frequent critic of media takes newspapers' helm |journal=The Philadelphia Inquirer]

Production

"The Philadelphia Inquirer" is headquartered in The Inquirer Building in Center City Philadelphia along with "The Philadelphia Daily News". "The Inquirer" is printed daily, seven days a week at the Schuylkill Printing Plant in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, "The Inquirer" is the sixteenth most circulated weekday newspaper in the United States. The Sunday edition's circulation is around twice as large as the average weekday circulation. "The Inquirer"'s publisher is Brian Tierney. Tierney replaced Joseph Natoli who resigned on August 1, 2006. [cite journal |quotes=no |first=Joseph N. |last=DiStefano |year=2006 |month=August 2 |title=Tierney to fill role of Inquirer publisher |journal=The Philadelphia Inquirer] "The Inquirer"'s editor and executive vice-president is William Marimow. Marimow, a former Pulitzer winning "Inquirer" reporter, became "The Inquirer"'s editor in November 2006, replacing previous editor Amanda Bennett. [cite journal |quotes=no |first=Joseph N. |last=DiStefano |year=2006 |month=November 8 |title=Bennett steps down as Inquirer editor; Marimow to take over |journal=The Philadelphia Inquirer] "The Inquirer" is operated by Philadelphia Newspaper LLC which replaced Philadelphia Newspapers Inc. when Philadelphia Media Holdings LLC bought PNI in 2006. Since 1995, "The Inquirer" has been available on the internet at Philly.com, which, along with the "Philadelphia Daily News" and several other regional publications, is part of Philadelphia Newspaper LLC

"The Inquirer"'s local coverage covers Philadelphia, southeastern Pennsylvania, and southern New Jersey. In Pennsylvania, "The Inquirer" maintains bureaus in Conshohocken; Doylestown; Media; West Chester; and Norristown while in New Jersey it has bureaus in Cherry Hill and Margate. [cite web |url=http://www.pnionline.com/pnipublications/regionalpublications/phila_inquirer.asp |title=Philadelphia Inquirer |publisher=Philadelphia Media Holdings |accessdate=2007-12-30] In 2004 "The Inquirer" partnered with Philadelphia's NBC station WCAU. The partnership includes using WCAU's weather forecast. [cite journal |quotes=no |first=Eva |last=Blackwell |year=2005 |month=August 1 |title=NBC 10 And Inquirer Announce News Partnership |journal=NBC10.com |url=http://www.nbc10.com/station/3674064/detail.html]

See also

*
* Gold Seal Novel
* List of newspapers in Pennsylvania
* List of newspapers in the United States by circulation
* Media of Philadelphia

References

External links

* [http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/ "The Philadelphia Inquirer" Online]
* [http://www.pnionline.com/ Philadelphia Media Holdings website]
* [http://www.info-news.com.ar/pagina.php?idpagina=argentina The Philadelphia Inquirer Frontpage (Updated)]