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 The October 22, 2012, front page of the Argus Leader, after the death ofGeorge McGovern | |
| Type | Dailynewspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Owner | USA Today Co. |
| Founded | 1881 (as theSioux Falls Argus) |
| Headquarters | 710 N Western Ave Sioux Falls, South Dakota 57104 |
| Circulation | 7,000 Digital Subscribers[1] 26,720 Daily 44,550 Sunday (as of 2015)[2] |
| Website | argusleader |
TheArgus Leader is the dailynewspaper ofSioux Falls, South Dakota. It is the largest newspaper by total circulation inSouth Dakota.[3][4]
It is owned byUSA Today Co. and part of theUSA Today Network.[citation needed]
TheArgus Leader traces its history back to 1881 when the weeklySioux Falls Argus began publication. TheArgus-Leader (then hyphenated) was the result of theSioux Falls Argus' merger with theSioux Falls Leader in 1887.[5]
The paper was aligned with theDemocratic Party until the1896 election when it switched to theRepublican Party and was notably supportive ofWilliam McKinley.[5][6] (It is no longer aligned with any political party.)
Speidel newspapers bought theArgus Leader in 1963.
In 1977, Gannet purchased Speidel creating one of the largest holding companies of newspapers with 73 papers.[7] It was the second-largest newspaper purchase in U.S. history at the time.[8]
In 2021, the paper made the decision to shut down its print production plant in Sioux Falls and consolidate those operations with other Gannett-owned newspapers in Des Moines, Iowa.[9] This announcement led to speculation that theArgus Leader building itself may be for sale.[10] The following year, theArgus Leader building was sold.[11] At the time, the newspaper had an agreement which could be extended to continue occupying part of the building.[11]
In March 2022,TheArgus Leader moved to a six day printing schedule, eliminating its printed Saturday edition.[12]
In November 2023, the newspaper announced it was moving its newsroom at 200 S. Minnesota Avenue in downtown Sioux Falls after nearly 70 years occupying the same space. The team of seven to 10 reporters will join the rest of its distribution team at 710 N. Western Avenue.[13]
TheArgus Leader is South Dakota's largest newspaper in total circulation as of 2023.[3] The weekday circulation for the newspaper was 23,721 as of October 2017.[14] The Sunday edition has a circulation of 32,981 as of October 2017.
Its website boasts the most traffic and unique visitors in its market, according toComscore data.[15] The company claimed to have over 786,000 unique users visit the site every month in 2018.[16]
The newspaper publishes an economic weekly, theSioux Falls Business Journal, as part of its Sunday publication.
The company estimates that it informs and engages 75% of adults inSioux Falls MSA in a typical week and 84% over a month across its print and digital brands.[17]
In 2011, the newspaper sought information about the federal food stamps program through aFreedom of Information Act request.[18] The request was denied, and eight years later, theUnited States Supreme Court ruled in favor of the government by a 6–3 decision.[19]
The newspaper reported that theFBI had 'mined secrets about the past' of 1972 presidential candidateGeorge McGovern in more than 1,400 files requested by aFreedom of Information Act.[20]
