| Type | Dailynewspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Owner | Gannett[1] |
| Editor | Tom Graser |
| Founded | 1877 |
| Headquarters | 163 E. Center St., Ste. 100 Marion, Ohio 43302 United States |
| Circulation | 13,929 Afternoon 13,790 Sunday[2] |
| ISSN | 1087-7495 |
| OCLC number | 18114262 |
| Website | MarionStar.com |
The Marion Star (formerly known asThe Marion Daily Star) is a newspaper inMarion, Ohio. The paper is owned by theGannett Newspaper organization. The paper is also notable as having once been owned and published byWarren G. Harding (prior to his election as President of the United States), and his wifeFlorence Kling Harding.
Founded as theDaily Pebble, the format of the small daily grew and becameThe Marion Daily Star. Harding acquired the struggling newspaper in 1884, for $300 with Johnny Sickel and Jack Warwick. Not long after the joint purchase, Harding became sole owner, with Sickel exiting out of frustration with the available equipment, and Warwick leaving for work on a bigger city paper. Harding began editing at the newspaper right after he acquired it and continued to until at least 1920.[3] The dubious financial position ofThe Marion Daily Star improved following the marriage of Harding to Florence Kling DeWolfe, who promptly set about to straighten out the accounting, and increase circulation.American Civil Liberties Union founder andSocialist candidate for PresidentNorman Thomas worked for theDaily Star while growing up in Marion.[4]
Under Harding the newspaper's editorial position leaned toward the Republican Party platform, but remained somewhat neutral because of its position of the daily newspaper and record for Marion County. However, Harding also launchedThe Marion Weekly Star, a once-a-week summary newspaper designed for mail delivery and rural circulation, which showed less restraint in its Republican stance. The Weekly Star was published from the 1890s into the 1910s when it was discontinued.
The Hardings retained ownership in the paper until mid-1923 when they sold the business toBrush-Moore Newspapers. For a number of years, the paper was part of theThompson Newspaper chain based inCanada, who acquired Brush-Moore Newspapers in 1967. Under their ownership, the name was briefly changed toThe Star in an attempt to broaden the marketability of the paper beyond the Marion County region. Now, again known asThe Marion Star, the paper is owned and operated byGannett, who purchased the paper from Thomson in 2000. Under Gannett, editorial, business offices, and retail advertising are maintained in Marion, while printing and classified advertising operations have been moved to a regional press house inMansfield, Ohio.
The Marion Ohio Public Library and The Ohio Historical Society maintain microfilm libraries of newspaper for public research; the paper is also accessible for a monthly subscription fee throughAncestry.com and NewspaperArchives.com.
Starting April 2024, the newspaper will switch from carrier to postal delivery.[5]
The next President of the United States will be a middle-aged newspaper man from Ohio. His name will be either Warren G. Harding or James M. Cox.
