The Jamestown Press is a weekly newspaper published in Jamestown in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It was founded in April 1989 by Peter J. and Barbara Malloy.[2] The current owner of the Jamestown Press is Robert Berczuk.[3] The paper is published on Thursdays. Digital archives of the Jamestown Press are available through the Jamestown Philomenian Library.

Jamestown Press
An Independent Newspaper
TypeWeekly newspaper
FormatBroadsheet
Owner(s)Robert Berczuk
Founder(s)Peter J. and Barbara Malloy
PublisherRobert Berczuk
EditorTim Riel
Founded1989 (1989)
Headquarters45 Narragansett Avenue, Jamestown, Rhode Island United States
Circulation4,667 (as of January 2022)[1]
Websitejamestownpress.com

History

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The paper has served as the town of Jamestown's newspaper of record since 1991, providing an outlet for town announcements, school board reports, and other town-related news.[3]

Jeff McDonough owned the paper from 1990 to 2015, purchasing the paper from Peter J. Malloy shortly before Malloy died.[3] McDonough also owned the Block Island Times for a short period of time, before selling that paper to Bruce Montgomery and other employees of the Block Island Times, though he continued to publish the paper after he sold it to them.[4] Jeff McDonough later made local headlines when an ex-lover accused him of "playing hardball" with her competing paper, 02835:The Jamestown Journal, to remain the town's paper of record.[5] 02835:The Jamestown Journal had bid an ad rate of $4.35 per inch to the town, which was less than the town was paying for ad space in the Jamestown Press. McDonough and the Press counter-bid at $0 per inch and remained the town's designated paper of record.

Jamestown Press' weekly columnist, Sue Maden, was profiled in the New York Times in 2009 for her "Save the Best for Last" post-Thanksgiving dinners, which she began hosting in 1999 after her husband died.[6] The article noted that Maden, who co-authored the books Historic Tales of Jamestown,[7] Jamestown: A History of Narragansett Bay's Island Town,[8] and Legendary Locals of Jamestown,[9] invites colleagues from the Jamestown Press to join the dinners. In the Forward for their books, Maden and co-author Rosemary Enright (who also writes columns for the Jamestown Press) thank the paper for its support, including providing access to its photos and publications.[9] As of August 2018, Sue Maden and Rosemary Enright still write columns for the Jamestown Press.

In December 2015, McDonough sold the newspaper to journalist Robert Berczuk and retired from the newspaper industry.[3] As of 2018, the Press' writing staff consists of editor Tim Riel and reporters Ryan Gibbs and Matt Wunsch.[10] The newspaper also runs the nationally syndicated comic strip Wallace the Brave, which is drawn and written by Jamestown resident Will Henry Wilson.[11]

References

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  1. ^ "RING Rate Card - January 2022" (PDF). Rhode Island Newspaper Group. January 1, 2022. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 1, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  2. ^ "Our Viewpoint". Jamestown Press. April 21, 1989. Retrieved August 9, 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d "Press changes ownership". Jamestown Press. December 24, 2015. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  4. ^ "Employees buying Block Island Times". Providence Business News. November 22, 1999. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  5. ^ "Jamestown newspaper battle becomes personal". Block Island Times. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  6. ^ Sigal, Jane (November 25, 2009). "Remains of the Day". The New York Times. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  7. ^ Enright, Rosemary; Maden, Sue (May 25, 2016). Historic Tales of Jamestown. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9781625855039.
  8. ^ Rosemary Enright; Sue Maden; Jamestown Historical Society (July 16, 2010). Jamestown: A History of Narragansett Bay's Island Town. Inscribe Digital. ISBN 9781614232544 – via Scribd.
  9. ^ a b Enright, Rosemary; Maden, Sue (July 14, 2014). Legendary Locals of Jamestown. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9781439646182.
  10. ^ "View our 2018-08-30 edition". www.jamestownpress.com. Retrieved September 4, 2018.
  11. ^ Gibbs, Ryan (July 9, 2015). "Comic written by former Press cartoonist premieres". Jamestown Press. Retrieved December 27, 2018.