Cleveland News

Cleveland News was an American newspaper serving Cleveland, Ohio, and the surrounding Northeast Ohio market. It operated primarily as an afternoon daily and, for part of its history, also published a Sunday edition. Although the newspaper formally emerged under the Cleveland News name in 1905, its lineage reached back to the nineteenth century through evening editions associated with the Cleveland Leader and the Cleveland Herald. The immediate predecessor of the paper was the News & Herald, an evening edition whose naming history reflected the consolidation of Cleveland's newspaper market. In 1905, banker and businessman Charles Augustus Otis, Jr., who had acquired the Cleveland World the previous year, purchased the News & Herald and the Evening Plain Dealer. He combined those properties into a new afternoon newspaper called the World-News, which began publication on June 12, 1905. The title was changed to Cleveland News on September 13 of the same year. The paper changed ownership in 1912, when Daniel R. Hanna Sr. acquired it from Otis. Hanna consolidated its operations with those of the Cleveland Leader in the Leader Building at East Sixth Street and Superior Avenue. The Cleveland newspaper field was highly competitive, and the News operated alongside larger or more commercially successful rivals, particularly the Cleveland Press and the Plain Dealer. The Plain Dealer acquired the Cleveland Leader from Hanna in 1917, while the Sunday edition connected with the News evolved through the names Sunday News-Leader and Sunday News. Following World War I, Hanna sought to strengthen the paper's circulation and competitiveness. He hired Arthur B. “Mickey” McBride as circulation manager for the daily and Sunday editions. In 1926, the Cleveland News moved to a new publishing plant at East 18th Street and Superior Avenue. The relocation represented an effort to support the paper's continuing production and distribution in a period when Cleveland's newspaper businesses were investing in larger facilities and broader circulation operations. The newspaper survived the early pressures of the Great Depression, but its corporate structure changed in 1932. Hanna's heirs transferred the News to the newly established Forest City Publishing Company, which also controlled the Plain Dealer. Forest City discontinued the Sunday News on January 3, 1933, while retaining the daily newspaper. During this later period, the Cleveland News was characterized as a staunchly Republican publication, giving it a distinct editorial identity within Cleveland's competitive press market. By 1960, the News remained a substantial local daily but occupied a weaker position than the Cleveland Press. Forest City announced its sale to Scripps-Howard, the chain that owned the Press, on January 23, 1960. At the time, the News had reported net circulation of approximately 134,550, compared with roughly 314,000 for the Press. The transaction ended the Cleveland News as an independent newspaper. Its operations and identity were absorbed into a combined Cleveland Press and News, while the Plain Dealer moved into the former News headquarters. The Cleveland News therefore survives as a historical Cleveland newspaper brand rather than an active publication.

The Cleveland News developed from Cleveland's nineteenth-century evening newspaper tradition. In 1868, the Cleveland Leader used Evening News as the title of its late edition. After the Cleveland Herald ceased publication in 1885, the Leader acquired rights to that name and retitled the evening edition News & Herald. These predecessor titles established the lineage later associated with the Cleveland News. The modern newspaper was created in 1905 during a period of consolidation in Cleveland journalism. Charles Augustus Otis, Jr., an investment banker and businessman, had purchased the Cleveland World in 1904. The following year he acquired both the News & Herald and the Evening Plain Dealer. He merged the three properties into an afternoon daily called the World-News, which issued its first edition on June 12, 1905. On September 13, 1905, the paper adopted the Cleveland News name. In 1912, Daniel R. Hanna Sr. purchased the Cleveland News from Otis. Hanna also owned or controlled interests connected with the Cleveland Leader, and he brought the News's operations into the Leader Building at East Sixth Street and Superior Avenue. The Cleveland market remained intensely competitive, with the News contending for circulation, advertising, and editorial influence against the Cleveland Press and the Plain Dealer. In 1917, the Plain Dealer bought the Cleveland Leader from Hanna. The News's Sunday publishing identity changed over time, appearing as the Sunday News-Leader and later as the Sunday News. After World War I, Hanna attempted to improve the newspaper's competitive position, particularly against the more successful Cleveland Press. He appointed Arthur B. “Mickey” McBride as circulation manager for the daily and Sunday editions. Circulation management was strategically important for an afternoon paper, whose audience depended on timely delivery and whose commercial strength was measured substantially through paid distribution. In 1926, the News moved into a new publishing plant at East 18th Street and Superior Avenue. The newspaper faced the economic pressures associated with the beginning of the Great Depression but continued publication. In 1932, Hanna's heirs transferred the News to Forest City Publishing Company. Forest City also controlled the Plain Dealer, creating a corporate relationship between two Cleveland newspaper properties that had historically competed in the same market. Forest City discontinued the Sunday News on January 3, 1933, but retained the daily edition. The surviving daily was described as staunchly Republican in its editorial orientation. The newspaper's final ownership change came in 1960. On January 23, Forest City announced the sale of the Cleveland News to Scripps-Howard, owner of the Cleveland Press. The News was materially smaller than its acquiring rival by reported circulation: its net circulation was approximately 134,550, compared with about 314,000 for the Press. Forest City president Sterling E. Graham characterized the paper as having long occupied the position of a third newspaper in Cleveland's market. The acquisition ended the Cleveland News as an independent publication. Scripps-Howard combined the titles under the name Cleveland Press and News, effectively absorbing the older brand into its principal rival. The Plain Dealer subsequently moved into the former Cleveland News headquarters. The Cleveland News is therefore a defunct historical newspaper brand whose significance lies in the development, consolidation, and eventual concentration of Cleveland's metropolitan press industry.

1. 1960Sale to Scripps-Howard ends independent publication

   Forest City sold the News to Scripps-Howard, which owned the Cleveland Press; the titles were combined as Cleveland Press and News.

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2. 1933Sunday edition discontinued

   Forest City stopped publishing the Sunday News on January 3 while retaining the daily edition.

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3. 1932Forest City Publishing takes control

   Hanna's heirs transferred the newspaper to Forest City Publishing Company.

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4. 1926New publishing plant opens

   The Cleveland News moved to a new plant at East 18th Street and Superior Avenue.

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5. 1917Plain Dealer acquires the Cleveland Leader

   The Plain Dealer purchased the Cleveland Leader from Hanna, altering the ownership relationships among Cleveland's newspapers.

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6. 1912Hanna acquires the newspaper

   Daniel R. Hanna Sr. bought the Cleveland News from Otis and consolidated its operations with the Cleveland Leader.

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7. 1905World-News launches

   Charles Augustus Otis, Jr. merged the Cleveland World, News & Herald, and Evening Plain Dealer into the World-News, which debuted on June 12.

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8. 1905The paper becomes Cleveland News

   The World-News name was replaced by Cleveland News on September 13.

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9. 1885News & Herald title emerges

   After the Cleveland Herald ended publication, the Cleveland Leader acquired rights to the name and used News & Herald for its evening edition.

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10. 1868Evening News appears as a Cleveland Leader late edition

    The Cleveland Leader used Evening News for its late edition, establishing an early predecessor of the later newspaper brand.

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A locally focused Cleveland afternoon newspaper with a historically Republican editorial orientation in its later decades. It competed for readers and advertisers in a crowded metropolitan newspaper market, particularly against the Cleveland Press and the Plain Dealer.

• Cleveland News daily editionDaily newspaper1905

  The principal Cleveland News product was an afternoon daily newspaper serving Cleveland and the surrounding region. It carried local and regional reporting, editorial material, advertising, and circulation-supported news distribution. The daily edition continued after the Sunday publication was discontinued in 1933 and remained the core product until the title was absorbed by the Cleveland Press in 1960.

• Sunday NewsSunday newspaper

  The Sunday product appeared under related titles including Sunday News-Leader and Sunday News. It extended the newspaper's weekly coverage and advertising presence beyond the daily afternoon editions. Forest City Publishing discontinued the Sunday News on January 3, 1933, while continuing the daily Cleveland News.

• World-NewsPredecessor newspaper1905

  World-News was the consolidated afternoon newspaper created by Charles Augustus Otis, Jr. from the Cleveland World, News & Herald, and Evening Plain Dealer properties. It began publication on June 12, 1905, and was renamed Cleveland News later that year.

• 1960Sale and absorption by Scripps-HowardM&A

  The Cleveland News faced a stronger competing afternoon paper in the Cleveland Press and had a smaller reported circulation at the time of the transaction.

  What changed. Forest City sold the News to Scripps-Howard, which combined it with the Cleveland Press under the name Cleveland Press and News.

  Aftermath. Cleveland News ceased to operate as an independent newspaper brand. The Plain Dealer later moved into the former News headquarters.

  Net circulation. 134,550 for Cleveland News; 314,000 for Cleveland Press (1960)

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• 1933Discontinuation of the Sunday NewsStrategy

  After Forest City Publishing took control of the newspaper during the Depression era, it reviewed the role of the Sunday edition within its Cleveland newspaper holdings.

  What changed. Forest City stopped publishing the Sunday News on January 3, 1933, while continuing the daily Cleveland News.

  Aftermath. The brand continued as a daily newspaper but no longer maintained its separate Sunday product.

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• 1905Consolidation into the World-NewsStrategy

  Charles Augustus Otis, Jr. controlled several Cleveland newspaper properties and sought to combine them into a single afternoon daily.

  What changed. He merged the Cleveland World, News & Herald, and Evening Plain Dealer into the World-News, later renamed Cleveland News.

  Aftermath. The consolidation created the modern Cleveland News brand and reduced the number of separately operated newspaper properties in the local market.

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• 1960Cleveland News is sold to Scripps-Howard

  Forest City announced the sale of the News to Scripps-Howard, owner of the competing Cleveland Press.

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• 1960Cleveland News is absorbed by the Cleveland Press

  The transaction ended the News as an independent title; the combined publication was known as the Cleveland Press and News.

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• 1933Forest City ends the Sunday News

  Forest City discontinued the Sunday edition while continuing to publish the daily Cleveland News.

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• 1932Forest City Publishing assumes control

  Hanna's heirs transferred the News to Forest City Publishing Company, which also controlled the Plain Dealer.

  M&ALeadership change
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• 1926Cleveland News moves to a new publishing plant

  The newspaper relocated to a publishing facility at East 18th Street and Superior Avenue.

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• 1912Daniel R. Hanna Sr. acquires Cleveland News

  Hanna purchased the newspaper from Otis and consolidated its operations with the Cleveland Leader in the Leader Building.

  M&ALeadership change
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• 1905World-News begins publication

  Charles Augustus Otis, Jr. combined the Cleveland World, News & Herald, and Evening Plain Dealer properties into the new afternoon World-News.

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• 1905World-News adopts the Cleveland News name

  The World-News title was changed to Cleveland News several months after the new paper launched.

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1. Cleveland News