USA Today

Published by the 90-newspaper group Gannet Company, USA Today was the creation of Allen H, Neuharth, who saw it as a national publication that could halt the decline of newspaper readership through innovations in writing typography and the use of extensive statistics, color and graphics.

Neuharth was born in the small town of Eureka, South Dakota. He was graduated from the University of South Dakota at Vermillion with a major in journalism.

By 1966 Neuharth was with Gannet, later the parent company of USA Today. In 1979, Neuharth took over the Gannet company as chairman, president and chief executive officer of the group of firms.

From its founding in September 15, 1981, USA Today caused as much debate and discussion as any media venture in US journalism history. USA Today provided the nation with its first truly national newspaper.

Because of its distinctive compressed writing style, USA Today it was immediately dubbed ‘McNewspaper’ reflecting industry criticism that its fast-paced approach to news presentation for a mobile population was merely trivializing the newspaper’s delivery of information much in the same way McDonald’s was selling fast-food at its drive-ups windows.

However, in the late 1980s Neuharth undertook a ‘BusCapade’ promotion tour, traveling to all 50 states to talk with people about USA Today. Neuharth succeeded in raising public awareness of his paper, which was credited for USA Today’s move into profitability.

The overseas success of USA Today led to the publication USA Today International which is now available in more than 60 countries.
USA Today

The Economist

The Economist is a prominent weekly newspaper well known among students of economics and financial affairs.

The Economist, one of the world’s foremost economic journals, was founded by James Wilson, a passionate believer in the socially improving effects of free trade. James Wilson was also a banker and politician originally addressed the concerns of business dealing in commodities, railroads, and other investments.

The journal was edited by his more famous son-in-law, Walter Bagehot, from 1860 to 1877, contained regular reports on the money market the stock market and the course of foreign trade.

James Wilson was its first editor and laid its foundations firmly on the classical economics of Adam Smith, Ricardo, James Mill and Tooke.

After his death Wilson’s six daughters retained severally or individually, a financial interest until the paper was taken over in 1938 by the maverick Tory MP Brendan Bracken.

The journal use of illustration other than business charts was minimal until the 1930s, but its department organization, broad scope and use of graphics is similar in the late 1980s to American news weeklies.

Today circulation is about 1.5 million (2012). Its coverage is thus international, with existence reporting on Europe, America and Asia as well as Britain.
The Economist

History of The Wall Street Journal

History of The Wall Street
Journal Publisher of the Journal, Dow Jones & Company was founded in 1882 in a small basement office at 15 Wall Street in New York. One of the founder names Edward Jones then converted Customers’ Afternoon Letter into The Wall Street Journal which was first published in year 1889. Customers Afternoon Letter actually first published in year 1883 before conversion.

The Wall Street Journal was designed for the business community: Its object is to give fully and fairly the daily news attending the fluctuation in prices of stocks, bonds and some classes of commodities.

Changed hand in 1902 bought by Clarence Barron, circulation was around 7000 copies at that time increased to 50,000 copies by the end of 1920s.

The Wall Street Journal nevertheless fell on uncertain times in the 1990s, as declining advertising and rising newsprint costs—contributing to the first-ever annual loss at Dow Jones in 1997—raised speculation that the paper might have to drastically change, or be sold.

It was the largest-circulation newspaper in the United States until November 2003, when it was surpassed by USA Today. Its main rival as a daily financial newspaper is the London-based Financial Times, which also publishes several international editions.

May 2007, Rupert Murdoch made an offer to buy the Paper about 80% higher than market price. As of December 13, 2007, the Wall Street Journal is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.
History of The Wall Street Journal