The Star-Ledger
The Newark Daily Advertiser began printing in 1832, marking the start of daily journalism in that city. Amzi Armstrong served as its first president when the paper launched. William Burnet Kinney took over leadership after an unknown date and held the role until 1851. Thomas T. Kinney then led the publication from 1851 through 1895. James Smith Jr. managed operations between 1895 and 1915. Paul Block acquired ownership in 1915 and ran the business until 1939. Samuel Irving Newhouse Sr. purchased the Star-Eagle from Block Communications in 1939. He merged it with the Newark Ledger to create the Newark Star-Ledger. The newspaper dropped Newark from its masthead sometime during the 1970s. Residents still commonly refer to it as the Newark Star-Ledger despite the change.
Daily circulation exceeded the combined totals of the next two largest New Jersey newspapers in 2007. Sunday editions reached even higher numbers compared to three other papers combined according to Editor & Publisher data from April 2007. Print circulation fell to 180,000 copies per day by 2013. By 2015 that number had dropped further to 114,000 daily copies. The paper opened a satellite plant in Piscataway after competitors moved to high-traffic areas. This location provided quick access to Union, Monmouth, Somerset, and Middlesex counties. The Evening News shut down operations in 1972 after going on strike earlier that year. The Star-Ledger surpassed the Evening News in March 1971 due to that labor dispute. Daily circulation figures continued their steady decline throughout the following decades.
The newspaper won the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting in 2005. Editors covered Governor Jim McGreevey's resignation after he confessed to adultery with a male lover. James Willse ran the publication from 1995 until his successor took over. He was appointed following the retirement of Mort Pye who served as editor for 32 years. The National Press Foundation named Willse its 1999 recipient of the George Beveridge Editor of the Year Award. His team received recognition for coverage of racial profiling by the New Jersey State Police. Kevin Whitmer became managing editor in October 2009 before leaving in September 2015. Richard Vezza assumed the editor position after Whitmer departed. Vezza previously published the Kalamazoo Gazette in Michigan before moving to Newark.
Advance Publications announced on the 31st of July 2008 that it would sell the Star-Ledger unless staff accepted buyouts. Management required 200 non-union employees to voluntarily leave under the offer terms. Unionized truck drivers and mailers also needed to agree to concessions. Publisher George Arwady sent an email on September 16 stating progress had been made but no agreement existed with Drivers union. The company warned employees that operations might close on the 5th of January 2009 if negotiations failed. On the 24th of October 2008, newsroom staff reductions reached 40 percent after accepting 151 buyout offers from 168 applicants. Another round of layoffs occurred on the 16th of January 2013 involving 34 employees including 18 newsroom staff. The headquarters building sold to a New York developer in July 2014. Daily print publication officially ceased on the 2nd of February 2025 due to rising costs and reduced demand for physical copies.
The paper continued publishing seven days a week while retaining leased office space within Newark's Gateway Center complex. Advance Publications launched NJ Advance Media in 2014 to handle online content and advertising services. Sales and marketing teams relocated to Woodbridge offices in June 2014. The newspaper announced on the 14th of September 2023 it would stop Saturday print editions starting in 2024. Online versions of all three sister publications remain available despite ending daily print runs. Headquarters moved to One World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan where the company now operates. The Star-Ledger continues as a digital entity with no plans to restore daily physical distribution. Newsroom coverage remains unaffected by the transition to online-only formats.
Tony Soprano received home delivery of The Star-Ledger throughout the run of The Sopranos from 1999 to 2007. Several episodes opened with him picking up the paper at the end of his driveway. Creator David Chase credited a story by Guy Sterling in The Star-Ledger with inspiring the theme for season five in 2004. The newspaper appeared prominently in the 2021 Showtime series Yellowjackets. Comedian George Carlin referenced the publication in the 2004 film Jersey Girl written by Kevin Smith. Robert Kurson featured the newspaper in his 2004 novel Shadow Divers. Brad Parks based an award-winning mystery novel series on the fictionalized version of this paper. The Star-Ledger Trophy honors number one high school teams across New Jersey each year.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When did The Star-Ledger officially cease daily print publication?
Daily print publication officially ceased on the 2nd of February 2025 due to rising costs and reduced demand for physical copies. The newspaper continues as a digital entity with no plans to restore daily physical distribution.
Who was the first president of The Newark Daily Advertiser that became The Star-Ledger?
Amzi Armstrong served as its first president when the paper launched in 1832. William Burnet Kinney took over leadership after an unknown date and held the role until 1851 before Thomas T. Kinney led the publication from 1851 through 1895.
What Pulitzer Prize did The Star-Ledger win in 2005?
The newspaper won the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting in 2005. Editors covered Governor Jim McGreevey's resignation after he confessed to adultery with a male lover.
Why did Advance Publications announce the sale of The Star-Ledger in July 2008?
Advance Publications announced on the 31st of July 2008 that it would sell the Star-Ledger unless staff accepted buyouts. Management required 200 non-union employees to voluntarily leave under the offer terms while unionized truck drivers and mailers also needed to agree to concessions.
How many daily copies did The Star-Ledger print by 2015?
By 2015 that number had dropped further to 114,000 daily copies following a decline from 180,000 copies per day by 2013. Daily circulation figures continued their steady decline throughout the following decades.