In 1968, the Chronicle set a Texas newspaper circulation record. None of the Chronicle's editors responsible for overseeing Ward's stories -- including then-managing editor Vernon Loeb -- assumed any responsibility for the fact that one of their reporters had been cheating for years right under their noses. Foster then joined the Houston Press as editor and continued his journalistic fervor until his death in 1938. Only two weekly papers in Houston mentioned it: Forward Times (which targeted the African-American community) and the Houston Tribune (an ultra-conservative paper). Glassdoor has 160 The Houston Chronicle reviews submitted anonymously by The Houston Chronicle employees. Susan Carroll is the investigations editor for the Houston Chronicle. "[37], The facility, 106 years old as of 2016[update], was originally four separate structures that were joined together to make one building. Martin's editor on the first two books in the series that would become TV's "Game of Thrones. New York-based Hearst Communications announced Riley’s appointment Thursday, saying his appointment came after an exhaustive nationwide search.. Riley has led several award-winning investigations and projects since joining the Chronicle in November 2017 … The paper announced it was retracting a total of eight stories.[31]. Because space in the newspaper … Kathy Huber has worked for the Houston Chronicle since May 1981. The Houston Public Library has the newspaper on microfilm from 1880 to 1995 and the Houston Post Index from 1976 to 1994. [64], In the weeks following the September 11 attacks, the Houston Chronicle published a series of opinion articles by University of Texas journalism professor Robert Jensen that asserted the United States was "just as guilty" as the hijackers in committing acts of violence and compared that attack with the history of U.S. attacks on civilians in other countries. In 1959, he was named to the board of Houston Endowment, and was promoted to president of the board in 1964. [3], The publication serves as the "newspaper of record" of the Houston area. ", Dudley Althaus – 1992 finalist in international reporting: "For his articles on the causes of the cholera epidemic in, Tony Freemantle – 1997 finalist in international reporting: "For his reporting from, Staff – 2009 finalist for breaking news coverage: "For taking full advantage of online technology and its newsroom expertise to become a lifeline to the city when Hurricane Ike struck, providing vital minute-by-minute updates on the storm, its flood surge and its aftermath.". Foster, who had been covering the Spindletop oil boom for the Post, invested in Spindletop and took $30 of the return on that investment — at the time equivalent to a week's wages — and used it to fund the Chronicle. The Houston Post was re-established with the merger of the Houston Morning Chronicle and the Houston Evening Journal on April 5, 1885. On October 14, 1901, the Houston Chronicle was founded in a squalid three-story building on Texas Avenue in the heart of downtown Houston. J. Howard Creekmore was born in Abilene, Texas in 1905. Though the majority of the news reported in the Houston Chronicle is local, the newspaper also reports state and national breaking news. The newspaper and its staff have several times been Pulitzer finalists: In September 2018, then-executive editor Nancy Barnes released a statement on the Chronicle's website notifying readers for the first time that the paper's Austin Bureau Chief, Mike Ward, had resigned and was the subject of an internal investigation after questions were raised by a staff member over fabricating sources. He held several positions in the Jones business empire. In addition, the M.D. I then said to him that I would give him 300,000 dollars in cash, having in mind that this would pay his debts and give him 100,000 spending money. It’s not just a memory. [61] None of the Chronicle's editors responsible for editing Ward's stories -- including then-managing editor Vernon Loeb -- assumed any responsibility for the fact that one of their reporters had been cheating for years right under their noses. The original building is a 1970s four story "New Brutalist" building. A staff photographer took a photo and gave her a copy . Creekmore remained as publisher until Houston Endowment sold the paper to the Hearst Corporation. [36], The Houston Chronicle building[citation needed] in Downtown Houston was the headquarters of the Houston Chronicle. "[72], In January 2006 the Chronicle hired Richard Murray of the University of Houston to conduct an election survey in the district of U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, in light of his 2005 indictment by District Attorney Ronnie Earle for alleged campaign money violations. The 1880–1900 microfilm is in the Texas and Local History Department of the Julia Ideson Building, while 1900–1995 is in the Jesse H. Jones Building, the main building of the Central Library. 2003: James Howard Gibbons received third place in the "Hearst Distinguished Journalism Awards," an internal contest held between Hearst's newspapers, for his editorial piece, Jason Witmer won first place in the 48 Hour–Web category of the National Press Photographers Association's annual Best of Photojournalism in 2010 for his piece, "Too Manly for Quilt Show. On May 1, 1987, the Hearst Corporation purchased the Houston Chronicle from Houston Endowment for $415 million. [38] The facility included a loading dock, office space, a press room, and production areas. The Chicago Tribune later called this column a pioneer and prototype of the modern newspaper "Action Line". Houston Chronicle Today at 5:43 PM Thirty years ago, Rodney Ellis carried a bill through the Texas Sena ... te that would require the word "negro" be removed from … Despite their efforts, the original publication ceased in October 1884. The fifth building was a production plant built north of the original four buildings. Deputy digital editor, Houston Chronicle / Executive producer, Chron.com. The Chronicle said that its poll showed "severely eroded support for U.S. Rep Tom DeLay in his district, most notably among Republicans who have voted for him before. "[66], In April 2004 the Houston Chronicle began carrying a Spanish-language supplement, the entertainment magazine La Vibra. The scandal had also become popular fodder among staffers who work at the capital. In many instances over the course of years, Loeb worked directly with Ward and even rewrote his stories for final publication. In 1937, Jesse H. Jones transferred ownership of the paper to the newly established Houston Endowment Inc. Jones retained the title of publisher until his death in 1956. "[7][8], Under Foster, the paper's circulation grew from about 7,000 in 1901 to 75,000 on weekdays and 85,000 on Sundays by 1926. [71], Internal memos obtained via FOIA from the Justice Department antitrust attorneys who investigated the closing of the Houston Post said the Chronicle's parent organization struck a deal to buy the Post six months before it closed. On October 18, 2008, the paper endorsed Senator Barack Obama for President of the United States in the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election, the first Democrat to be endorsed by the newspaper since 1964, when it endorsed Texan Lyndon B. [36], The document[which?] In 1911, City Editor George Kepple started Goodfellows. Originally from Los Angeles and a graduate of Loyola Marymount University, he has been a features reporter or editor at the Orange County Register, Miami Herald, and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. He informed his staff Feb. 10, and the resignation is effective immediately, according to multiple reports. [37], As of 2016 the building housed the Chronicle Production Department,[37] as well as the offices of the Spanish newspaper La Voz de Houston. [40] The facility was connected to the downtown Houston tunnel system. However, more than political philosophy was involved: Robert A. Caro revealed in his biography of Johnson that written assurance of this support from John T. Jones had been the price demanded by Johnson in January 1964 in return for approval of the merger of Houston's National Bank of Commerce, in which Jones had a financial interest, with another Houston bank, the Texas National. Barnes never explained why the Chronicle decided against being transparent to it readers immediately, instead of waiting for word to leak to the extent that other news outlets started planning stories. Jones agreed, and the resulting Chronicle Building was one of the finest in the South. But Austin-based NPR affiliate KUT interviewed Ward for the radio in the days after the story ran. D'Alessio (criminal justice professors from, Jesse H. Jones: "The Man and the Statesman", page 122 – 123, Heise, Kenan. He'd previously spent five years in book publishing, working with George R.R. One of his innovations was the creation of a regular help column called "Watchem", where ordinary citizens could voice their complaints. Ann Criswell, shown here in 1963, joined the Houston Chronicle in 1961, first covering society. [41] Jesse H. Jones erected the first Chronicle building, a narrow and long structure clad in granite, on the corner of Travis Street and Texas Avenue in 1910. He sold the rest of his interest to Jesse H. Jones on June 26, 1926, and promptly retired.[9]. The D.A. J. Howard Creekmore, president of the Houston Endowment, took John Jones' place at the Chronicle. She's been a frequent speaker at various garden events. Within 45 minutes of being contacted by a freelance reporter for the Texas Observer, Barnes hastily issued a press release announcing that one of her reporters bad been caught making up sources over the course of several years. It had ten stories above ground and three stories below ground. In the Downtown facility, the presses there were decommissioned in the late 2000s. It has grown into a citywide program that provides needy children between the ages of two and ten with toys during the winter holidays. She was Features Copy Desk chief before becoming the first full-time garden editor for the paper in 1988. [30], On Nov. 8, 2018, one day before Barnes left for a position as senior vice president of news at National Public Radio, the Houston Chronicle released some of Wood's findings. Cary Darling joined the Houston Chronicle in 2017 where he writes about arts, entertainment and pop culture, with an emphasis on film and media. Our subscriber services portal lets you manage your subscription to the Houston Chronicle. [11] On Christmas Eve 1911, Kepple passed a hat among the Chronicle's reporters to collect money to buy toys for a shoe-shine boy. In 1954, Jones led a syndicate that signed on Houston's third television station, KTRK-TV. Author of The Texas Flower Garden (Gibbs-Smith), Kathy is on various garden organization advisory boards. The Chronicle's first edition was published on October 14, 1901, and sold for two cents per copy, at a time when most papers sold for five cents each. [4] Previously headquartered in the Houston Chronicle Building at 801 Texas Avenue, Downtown Houston, the Houston Chronicle is now located at 4747 Southwest Freeway. [15], In the summer of 1965, Jones decided to buy a local television station that was already owned by the Houston Endowment. HOUSTON (AP) — Veteran investigations editor Steve Riley has been appointed the new executive editor of the Houston Chronicle. Johnson. Nancy Sarnoff Houston Chronicle reporter and host of the Looped In podcast. I considered the offer substantially more than the Chronicle was worth at the time. [5], It has two websites: chron.com and houstonchronicle.com. Say ‘happy holidays’ with amaryllis. Howard enrolled in Rice Institute, where he graduated with degrees in history and English. His parents died while he was young, so he was raised by his stepmother. [14], In 1964, the Chronicle purchased the assets of its evening newspaper competitor, the Houston Press,[7] becoming the only evening newspaper in the city. Maggie writes features enterprise stories for the Houston Chronicle. It was founded in 1901 by Marcellus E. Foster. A native of Moultrie, Ga., she graduated from Queens University of Charlotte, formerly Queens College. After graduation, he went to work for Jesse Jones as a bookkeeper. From its inception, the practices and policies of the Houston Chronicle were shaped by strong-willed personalities who were the publishers. In addition to delivering in-depth coverage of local issues, the Houston Chronicle is committed to covering state, national and international news. "[62], The Austin American Statesman, where Ward worked as a reporter for 25 years covering the state's political class prior to joining the Houston Chronicle in 2014, also conducted an internal review of "his final years" of work at the paper. In addition, I would give him a note for 500,000 secured by a mortgage on the Chronicle Building, the note to be payable (interest and principal) at the rate of 35,000 a year for thirty-five years, which I figured was about his expectancy. [71] The story was also picked up by the local Houston television stations and, a week later, the O'Reilly Factor. The Chronicle has bureaus in Washington, D.C. and Austin. HOUSTON – Hearst Newspapers announced that Nancy Barnes, 52, has been named editor and executive vice president, news, for the Houston Chronicle. The Houston Chronicle online editor Mike Read said that the Houston Chronicle decided to remove Houston Post articles from the website after the 2001 United States Supreme Court New York Times Co. v. Tasini decision; the newspaper originally planned to filter articles not allowed by the decision and to post articles that were not prohibited by the decision. Barnes said Houston Chronicle researchers had problems finding a number of sources quoted in Ward's story, so the newspaper hired investigative journalist David Wood, a Pulitzer Prize winner. "W. P. Steven, Ex-newspaper Executive. Jones had to comply. I would also pay him 20,000 dollars a year as editor of the paper and 6,000 dollars a year to continue writing the daily front-page column, 'MEFO,' on the condition that either of us could cancel the editorship and/or the MEFO-column contracts on six months notice, and that, if I canceled both the column and the editorship, I would give him an additional 6,000 dollars a year for life. With its 1995 buy-out of long-time rival the Houston Post, the Chronicle became Houston's newspaper of record. Yet, Loeb and other senior editors said they had been duped by the long-time political reporter. The Houston Chronicle is the largest daily paper owned and operated by the Hearst Corporation, a privately held multinational corporate media conglomerate with $10 billion in revenues. In 1918 the third Jones building, Milam Building, opened west of the theater. [29] Barnes opted not to disclose the source-fabrication or Ward's resignation to Chronicle readers and the general public until she was contacted by reporters at other outlets pursuing a story about the Chronicle's scandal -- one full week after Ward had resigned. ", Fernando Dovalina, Jr. (former assistant managing editor), Sunny Nash (contributor, columnist, photographer), This page was last edited on 18 February 2021, at 02:01. The, Barnes later went on to tell Columbia Journalism Review "that the widespread fabrication apparent in Ward’s articles was unprecedented, in her experience. The paper announced it was retracting a total of eight stories. Anderson Library at the University of Houston has the Houston Post available on microfilm from 1880 to 1995, and the Houston Post Index from 1976 to 1979 and from 1987 to 1994. The Chronicle , which sold for two cents a copy, had a circulation of 4,378 at the end of its first month of publication, remarkable in a city of 44,638. shares something with those he's supposed to be probing: campaign support, Houston Press, January 15, 2004, Joseph T. Ainsworth Volunteer Community Award, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, "Circulation of select newspapers in the U.S. 2015", "Hearst Communications Inc.: Houston Chronicle", Capital punishment, execution publicity and murder in Houston, Texas, "Letter to our readers announcing HoustonChronicle.com", theatlantic.com "Houston's Shackled Press", "Richard J.V. The Austin American Statesman, where Ward worked as a reporter for 25 years covering the state's political class prior to joining the Houston Chronicle in 2014, also conducted an internal review of "his final years" of work at the paper. Goodfellows continues today through donations made by the newspaper and its readers. Houston Post staff wrote an article about the change, but top management killed it. The memos, first obtained by the alternative paper the Houston Press, say the Chronicle's conglomerate and the Post "reached an agreement in October, 1994, for the sale of Houston Post Co.'s assets for approximately $120 million. He came to the Chronicle in 2004 from Rolling Stone, where he spent five years writing about music. [15] The two major newspapers in Houston never mentioned Steven for many years thereafter. He got a ticket to ride and he don’t care. Katherine Feser. [20][21] It endorsed Mitt Romney in 2012,[22] but endorsed Hillary Clinton in 2016, [23] and Joe Biden in 2020. The opinion piece resulted in hundreds of angry letters to the editor and reportedly over 4,000 angry responses to Jensen. An annex was built on the north side of the main building in 1938, and that annex gained a fifth floor in the 1960s. Within 45 minutes of being contacted by a freelance reporter for the Texas Observer, Barnes hastily issued a press release announcing that one of her reporters bad been caught making up sources over the course of several years. By the time Barnes informed the public about what would turn into the biggest journalism scandal of 2018, it had already become one of the worst kept secrets in Austin among the capitol press corps that writes about Texas politicians. Eventually, Chronicle publisher Jack Sweeney contacted the Sandoval family to apologize. Houston Chronicle Building, 4747 Southwest Fwy.. 1963: William Porterfield won an Ernie Pyle Award. Barnes never explained why the Chronicle decided against being transparent to it readers immediately, instead of waiting for word to leak to the extent that other news outlets started planning stories. [67][68], Harris County District Attorney Rosenthal later dismissed the Chronicle's complaint, finding it without merit on the grounds that the statute did not apply. In September 2018, then-executive editor Nancy Barnes released a statement on the Chronicle's website notifying readers for the first time that the paper's Austin Bureau Chief, Mike Ward, had resigned and was the subject of an internal investigation after questions were raised by a staff member over fabricating sources. Johnson: September 22, 1930 – January 14, 2006", "These are unsettling times that require a steady hand", "A Handy Guide to the Major Texas Newspaper Endorsements", "Houston Chronicle reporter accused of faking sources resigns", "A note from the editor of the Houston Chronicle", "Former Statesman reporter suspected of fabricating sources at Houston paper", "For Most Affected By Harvey, Anger At Government Has Subsided", "Houston Chronicle to move downtown employees to Southwest Freeway facility", "Chronicle buys La Voz Spanish newspaper", "The Chronicle leaves the ghosts behind at 801 Texas", "The old Houston Chronicle building is officially gone", "Finalist: Joe Holley and Evan Mintz of Houston Chronicle", Four months later, no regrets for writing against U.S. policy, Radio talk show host launches boycott against local newspaper, Troubles erode support for DeLay in 22nd District, "Houston Post archives permanently unavailable online, maybe, likely, really...", Bellaire/Memorial/River Oaks/West U Examiner, The Collegian (Houston Baptist University), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Houston_Chronicle&oldid=1007423296, Daily newspapers published in the United States, Articles containing potentially dated statements from April 2016, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2013, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2012, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2016, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from November 2020, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from February 2021, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Barnes said Houston Chronicle researchers had problems finding a number of sources quoted in Ward's story, so the newspaper hired investigative journalist David Wood, a Pulitzer Prize winner. [39] The presses were two stories below ground and one above. The paper employs nearly 2,000 people, including approximately 300 journalists, editors, and photographers. The family moved to Houston in 1920. According to the Handbook of Texas online, the Chronicle generally represented very conservative political views during the 1950s: Jones, a lifelong Democrat who organized the Democratic National Convention to be in Houston in 1928, and who spent long years in public service first under the Wilson administration, helping to found the Red Cross during World War I, and later famously under the Roosevelt administration, described the paper's mission in these terms: Under Jones' watch, the Chronicle bought KTRH, one of Houston's oldest radio stations, in 1937. The Atlantic Monthly credited the growth to the changes instigated by Steven. By then, the Chronicle had a circulation of 254,000 – the largest of any paper in Texas. On September 2, 1965, Jones made a late-night visit to the Steven home, where he broke the news that the Endowment board had ordered him to dismiss Steven. HOUSTON (AP) — Jack Loftis, a former editor of the Houston Chronicle who shepherded the newspaper through 15 years of changing ownership and technology, has died. Both papers had rather small circulations and no influence among the city's business community. J. L. Watson was the business manager and Rienzi M. Johnston was the editor. ", Staff - 2018 finalist for breaking news. The Houston Chronicle editorial staff receives hundreds of requests for stories and event announcements every day. In 1929 he was succeeded by William O. Huggins, who served until 1934. Silverman manages the TechBurger website, writes about personal technology for HoustonChronicle.com and the print edition. On September 3, the paper published a story announcing that Everett Collier was now the new editor.[15]. The scandal had also become popular fodder among staffers who work at the capital. Dwight Silverman, the technology editor at the Houston Chronicle, has accepted the paper’s buyout and is leaving after 30 years.. His last day will be Jan. 15, 2021. John J. Jones left the Chronicle not long after Steven's ouster. Houston oilman John Mecom offered $85 million for the newspaper, its building, a 30 percent interest in Texas National Bank of Commerce, and the historic Rice Hotel. From its inception, the practices and policies of the Houston Chronicle were shaped by strong-willed personalities who were the publishers. As of April 2016[update], it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. [34], On July 21, 2014, the Chronicle announced that its Downtown employees were moving to the 610 Loop campus,[35] at the intersection of the 610 Loop and U.S. Route 59/I-69 (Southwest Freeway). At the end of its first month in operation, the Chronicle had a circulation of 4,378 — roughly one tenth of the population of Houston at the time. Nancy Barnes has an image of her first day as editor in chief at the Houston Chronicle. was online for only an hour, but long enough to be viewed by some readers. He'd previously spent five years in book publishing, working with George R.R. Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Show More Show Less 2 of 6 Steve Riley, left, is named the Houston Chronicle's new executive editor … In December 2004 the Chronicle acquired the Spanish-language newspaper La Voz de Houston. The Houston Chronicle’s editors decided to stop posting slideshows of people who have been arrested but not convicted and who are still presumed innocent under law. Jones described the buyout of Foster as follows: Wanting to be liberal with Foster if I bought him out, since he had created the paper and originally owned most of the stock, and had made a success of it, I thought for a while before answering and finally asked him how much he owed. How to grow spring bulbs in Southeast Texas, Camellias add cool-season color to the SETX garden. He insisted that Mecom pay the $84 million debt immediately in cash. He'd previously spent five years in book publishing, working with George R.R. Dwight Silverman, the technology editor at the Houston Chronicle, has accepted the paper’s buyout and is leaving after 30 years.. His last day will be Jan. 15, 2021. Subsequent editors have been George W. Cottingham (1934–48), M. E. Walter … Browse Houston Chronicle obituaries, conduct other obituary searches, offer condolences/tributes, send flowers or create an online memorial. The Houston Chronicle is housed in the Houston Chronicle Building which is located on the infamous Southwest Freeway in Houston, TX. The Atlantic hires the Houston Chronicle’s Vernon Loeb as politics editor. Loftis distinguished himself for "an approach to fairness that really stood very well for the Chronicle and also for Houston during that particular time," said Tony Pederson, a former Chronicle executive editor who met Loftis in 1974. He got a ticket to ride and he don’t care. Creekmore passed the bar exam in 1932 and returned to work for Jones. Nancy Sarnoff. The sources being questioned in Ward's reporting were the product of "man-on-the-street" interviews from a story dealing with rebuilding efforts following Hurricane Harvey. She was Features Copy Desk chief before becoming the first full-time garden editor for the paper in 1988.