Howard Publications was a family-owned company ofnewspapers in the United States. It was based inOceanside, California and owned 16 daily newspapers when it sold toLee Enterprises for $694 million in 2002.^[1]

Robert "Bob" Staples Howard was born on October 23, 1924. His parents operated a small weekly newspaper inWheaton, Minnesota called theWheaton Gazette. Bob Howard left theUniversity of Minnesota to serve as aSecond lieutenant in theUnited States Army Air Corps flying bombers in the South Pacific duringWorld War II. He earned aPurple Heart after being shot down in theBattle of Leyte. After the war, he returned to University and then helped his widowed mother operate theGazette.^[2]

Howard then worked for a number of papers across the country until he purchased theDalles Chronicle in December 1948.^[3]Scripps League Newspapers became a co-owner with Howard in June 1949, with the joint-venture called Western Publishing Company.^[4] In October 1949, Western Publishing purchased a stake in the Tribune Journal Company, which published theIdaho State Journal. Howard then moved from The Dalles, Oregon to Pocatello, Idaho to help manage the business.^[5][6] After moving, Howard helped manage theDaily Inter Lake in Montana, which Scripps owned.^[2]

In October 1955, Howard purchased theChester Times,^[7] which was later renamed to theDelaware County Daily Times.^[8] This acquisition marked the start of the Howard Publications newspaper chain.^[2] At this time Howard left Scripps and disposed of any interests he had with the company.^[7]

In August 1958, Howard became co-owner ofThe Glasgow Courier.^[9] He sold theDaily Times in June 1961.^[10] He then purchased theCasper Tribune-Herald andCasper Morning Star in October 1961,^[8]The Times ofNorthwest Indiana in May 1962,^[11] soldThe Glasgow Courier in March 1964, andLogansport Pharos-Tribune in January 1966.^[12] Howard became co-owner of Coastline Publishers in September 1966. The company publishedThe Coastline Dispatch,San Clemente Sun-Post andDana Point Lamplighter.^[13] The subsidiary purchased theSan Clemente Independent in January 1967.^[14]

Howard Publications acquired theOceanside Blade-Tribune in March 1967,^[15]Twin Falls Times-News in April 1968,^[16]Carlisle Sentinel in May 1968,^[17]The Post-Star andThe Glens Falls Times in December 1970.^[18] Howard became of co-owner of theSioux City Journal with Hagadone Corporation, an affiliate ofScripps League Newspapers, in December 1971.^[19] The company then acquired theCorning Leader in May 1972,^[20]Times-Courier in December 1972,^[21]Journal Gazette in March 1973,^[22][23]The Auburn Citizen in July 1975,^[24]Freeport Journal Standard in September 1976,^[25]San Dieguito Citizen in May 1979,^[26]The Ledger Independent in October 1980,^[27]The Times and Democrat in May 1981,^[28]Waterloo Courier andCedar Falls Record in January 1983.^[29] TheOceanside Blade-Tribune,San Dieguito Citizen and two other papers were merged to form theNorth County Blade-Citizen in June 1989.^[30] Howard purchasedThe Longview Daily News in June 1999.^[31]

In March 1993, Howard sold theSan Clemente Sun-Post toFreedom Communications.^[32] In July 1995, Howard agreed to acquire the Times Advocate Company, a subsidiary ofTribune Company. The sale included theEscondido Times-Advocate, The Californian of Temecula, andThe Enterprise of Fallbrook. Howard operated a subsidiary called South Coast Newspapers, which published theNorth County Blade-Citizen of Oceanside.^[33] TheTimes-Advocate andBlade-Citizen were merged to form theNorth County Times.^[34]

In August 1995, Howard traded theLogansport Pharos-Tribune toThomson Corporation in exchange for TheValparaisoVidette-Messenger, later renamed to theVidette Times.^[35] On February 12, 2002,Lee Enterprises announced that it would acquire Howard Publications for $694 million, with a closing later that year.^[36] At the time of the sale, Howard employed 2,400 people, and its papers had a total daily circulation of 479,000.^[36] Company founder R.S. Howard died in February 2022.^[2]

• Newspaper companies of the United States
• Lee Enterprises publications
• Mass media companies established in 1961
• Mass media companies disestablished in 2002
• 2002 mergers and acquisitions
• 1961 establishments in California
• 2002 disestablishments in California