Baltimore Sun

Baltimore Sun is a daily newspaper published in Baltimore, Maryland, and is one of the oldest newspapers in the United States, with a history dating back to May 17, 1837. The newspaper was founded by Arunah Shepherdson Abell, William Swain, and Azariah H. Simmons, and has since become a major source of news and information for the Baltimore metropolitan area, covering topics such as politics with The New York Times, sports with ESPN, and entertainment with Variety (magazine). The Baltimore Sun has a long history of covering major events, including the American Civil War, World War I, and World War II, with notable journalists such as H.L. Mencken and Edgar Allan Poe contributing to the newspaper. The newspaper has also been at the forefront of investigative journalism, with notable investigations into the Watergate scandal and the Iran–Contra affair, alongside The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times.

● History

The Baltimore Sun was first published on May 17, 1837, by Arunah Shepherdson Abell, William Swain, and Azariah H. Simmons, and was initially published as a pamphlet-style newspaper with a focus on local news and advertising, similar to the Boston Globe and Chicago Tribune. Over the years, the newspaper has undergone several changes in ownership and format, including a switch to a broadsheet format in 1861, and the introduction of a Sunday edition in 1865, following the example of The New York Times and USA Today. The Baltimore Sun has also been a leader in innovation, introducing a website in 1996, and launching a mobile app in 2010, alongside other major newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal and Financial Times. The newspaper has covered major events, including the Great Baltimore Fire of 1904, the Baltimore riot of 1968, and the Baltimore protests of 2015, with contributions from notable journalists such as Nicholas Kristof and Sarah Kendzior.

● Ownership

The Baltimore Sun is currently owned by Tribune Publishing, a media conglomerate that also owns other major newspapers such as the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, and Orlando Sentinel, as well as television stations such as WGN-TV and KTLA. The newspaper has had several owners throughout its history, including A.S. Abell Company, which owned the newspaper from 1837 to 1986, and Times Mirror Company, which owned the newspaper from 1986 to 2000, with notable investors such as Warren Buffett and Carl Icahn. The newspaper is published by Trif Alatzas, who has been the editor and publisher of the newspaper since 2014, and has worked with other notable publishers such as Arthur Sulzberger Jr. and Michael Golden.

● Awards_and_recognition

The Baltimore Sun has won numerous awards and recognitions for its journalism, including several Pulitzer Prizes, Peabody Awards, and Emmy Awards, alongside other major newspapers such as The New York Times and The Washington Post. The newspaper has also been recognized for its investigative journalism, including a Pulitzer Prize for Public Service in 1998, and a Peabody Award for its coverage of the Baltimore riots in 2015, with contributions from notable journalists such as Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras. The newspaper has also been recognized for its editorial cartooning, with editorial cartoonist Kevin Kallaugher winning a Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning in 2015, alongside other notable cartoonists such as Herblock and Bill Mauldin.

● Circulation_and_readership

The Baltimore Sun has a daily circulation of over 200,000 copies, and a Sunday circulation of over 300,000 copies, making it one of the largest newspapers in the United States, alongside other major newspapers such as USA Today and The Wall Street Journal. The newspaper is read by a diverse audience, including politicians such as Nancy Pelosi and Mitch McConnell, business leaders such as Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, and celebrity entertainers such as Beyoncé and Jay-Z. The newspaper is also widely read by academics and researchers, including those at Johns Hopkins University and University of Maryland, Baltimore County, as well as policy makers at the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

● Controversies

The Baltimore Sun has been involved in several controversies over the years, including a lawsuit filed by the City of Baltimore in 2018 alleging that the newspaper had engaged in defamation and libel, alongside other major newspapers such as The New York Times and The Washington Post. The newspaper has also faced criticism for its coverage of certain topics, including its coverage of the Baltimore riots in 2015, which some critics argued was biased and sensationalized, with notable critics such as Noam Chomsky and Glenn Greenwald. The newspaper has also faced criticism for its editorial stance on certain issues, including its support for the Iraq War and its opposition to the Affordable Care Act, with notable opponents such as Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

● Notable_staff

The Baltimore Sun has a long history of employing notable journalists and editors, including H.L. Mencken, who worked as a reporter and editor at the newspaper from 1899 to 1948, and Edgar Allan Poe, who worked as a reporter and editor at the newspaper from 1835 to 1837, alongside other notable writers such as Mark Twain and Ernest Hemingway. The newspaper has also employed several notable columnists, including Thomas Schaller and Dan Rodricks, as well as notable photographers such as Baltimore photographer A. Aubrey Bodine, who worked at the newspaper from 1924 to 1970, and Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Algerina Perna. The newspaper has also been home to several notable editors, including Trif Alatzas, who has been the editor and publisher of the newspaper since 2014, and Timothy E. Ryan, who served as the editor of the newspaper from 2000 to 2004, alongside other notable editors such as Arthur Sulzberger Jr. and Michael Golden.

Category:Newspapers published in Maryland