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| Type | Weekly newspaper (formerly daily) |
|---|---|
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Owner(s) | Postmedia Network |
| Editor | Steve Bartlett (last editor of the daily newspaper) |
| Founded | 1879, asThe Evening Telegram |
| Political alignment | Centre |
| Headquarters | 36 Austin Street St. John's,Newfoundland and Labrador A1B 3T7 |
| Circulation | 24,311 weekdays 37,975 Saturdays (as of 2010)[1] |
| ISSN | 1487-6019 |
| Website | thetelegram |
The Telegram is aweekly newspaper inSt. John's,Newfoundland and Labrador, published byPostmedia Network. First published in 1879, it was the first and longest-runningdaily in Newfoundland.
In August 2024, following its sale to Postmedia, the paper ceased daily publication and began to only publish print editions on Fridays.
The Evening Telegram was first published on April 3, 1879, byWilliam James Herder. It adopted its current name in 1998, although it was also briefly published under this name in 1881. Herder and his descendants owned and publishedThe Evening Telegram until it was sold to Thomson Newspapers (laterThomson Corporation) in 1970, and continued as publishers until the departure of Stephen R. Herder (William's grandson) in 1991.
William Herder began as a printer for the St. John's weeklyThe Courier. When it folded in 1878, Herder purchased one of the presses and began his own newspaper.[2]The Telegram was notable as the first daily (excluding Sundays) in Newfoundland. It is also the only 19th century Newfoundland newspaper to survive into the 20th (and now 21st) century. Over the course of its history, the paper has published news, stories and editorials of interest to readers in the dominion, and later province, of Newfoundland, and St. John's in particular. Coverage of the St. John'sGreat Fire of 1892 was hampered as theEvening Telegram head office on Duckworth Street was completely destroyed in the fire. Despite heavy losses, Herder rebuilt and was published from a temporary location on Water Street less than two months later.
In May 1996, Thomson sold to the paper toHollinger Inc. as one of several transactions between the companies in the mid-1990s.[3] In 2000, the paper was included in the newspaper assets that Hollinger sold toCanwest.[4] Less than two years later, Canwest sold its newspapers in Atlantic Canada to printing companyTranscontinental.[5]
On April 13, 2017, Transcontinental announced that it had sold all of its newspapers in Atlantic Canada toSaltWire Network, a newly formed parent company ofThe Chronicle Herald in Halifax.[6][7][8]
In April 2021, it was announced by SaltWire thatThe Telegram's standalone website would merge into SaltWire.com effective April 20.[9]
In July 2024, after filing for creditor protection, SaltWire announced its sale of most of its assets toPostmedia Network.[10] The sale, which closed August 24, includedThe Telegram but not itsprinting press, which would be decommissioned and closed.[11][12] On August 21, 2024,The Telegram announced that it would cut print distribution toonce per-week, with daily news coverage continuing online. Its final daily print edition was published on August 24, and weekly publication on Fridays began on August 30.[13]
Following the completion of the Postmedia acquisition, it was confirmed that the weekly paper would be printed outside the province and mailed to subscribers.[14] Other daily newspapers that were part of the transaction but are closer to the production facility, includingThe Guardian in Charlottetown, continued to publish at least five days a week following the sale.[15] Physical distribution was paused entirely later that year during the2024 Canada Post strike, though digital replicas were still produced for online distribution.[16]
In the 19th century,The Evening Telegram was known for its strong opinions on issues of the day, including theNewfoundland Railway, and earlyConfederation discussions. However, its editorial policy remained neutral during the heated Confederation debates of 1948/49. The same could not be said of formerEvening Telegram reporterJoey Smallwood, who worked for the paper from 1919 to 1922 (including a short stint as editor in 1923). After his association withThe Evening Telegram, Smallwood went on to found the pro-Confederation newspaperThe Confederate, lead Newfoundland intoconfederation with Canada, and become the first premier of the new Province ofNewfoundland. As Premier, Smallwood had a rocky relationship withThe Telegram, bringing a series of libel suits against it and threatening to withdraw all government advertising.
The paper has not explicitly endorsed candidates during recent general elections. It does not shy away from political criticism, however, and in the late 2000s, under Transcontinental ownership, the paper had been quite critical at various times of both the federalConservatives underStephen Harper,[17] and to a lesser extent the provincialProgressive Conservatives underDanny Williams.[18] However, during the same period, it did not express any particular confidence in opposing parties such as the Liberals.[19]
Well-known formerTelegram journalists include Newfoundland writersHarold Horwood,Ray Guy,[2] andAlbert Perlin. Other notable contributors toThe Telegram include former editor and authorMichael Harrington, artistRae Perlin, former Newfoundland Prime MinisterWilliam F. Lloyd and former provincial NDP leaderPeter Fenwick.The Telegram is the original publication venue of the monthlychurch history column by DrHans Rollmann.[20]
The Telegram has sponsored theTely 10 Mile Road Race annually since 1927, and the provincial men's senior hockey trophy, theHerder Cup, is named for William Herder.[2]
The Telegram is Newfoundland and Labrador's largest newspaper, and published seven days a week from 1989 to 2008, when it reverted to a single weekend paper published on Saturday asThe Weekend Telegram. Its tagline is "The People's Paper", accompanied by theprovincial flag. The title is printed inOld English Text font.
