The Repository Explained

The Repository is an American daily local newspaper serving the Canton, Ohio area. It is currently owned by Gannett and is part of the USA TODAY Network. The Repository is the oldest continuously run business in Stark County, the oldest continuously published newspaper in Ohio and (as of 2015) the 11th oldest in the U.S.

History

Historically, the newspaper had strong Republican connections, most notably with President William McKinley, who was married to Ida Saxton McKinley, the granddaughter of the paper's founder. The paper eventually changed names from The Ohio Repository to The Canton Repository then to The Repository, currently interchanging the latter two.

• 1815- It was founded on March 30, 1815, by John Saxton, starting as a weekly called The Ohio Repository.^[3]
• 1892- The paper began publishing seven days a week.^[4]
• 1927- Brush-Moore Newspapers purchased The Repository.
• 1930- The Repository moved into its offices at 500 Market Avenue South, Canton.^[5]
• 1967- Thomson Newspapers purchased Brush-Moore and The Repository.
• 2000- Copley Press bought the paper in 2000 when Thomson decided to leave the newspaper business.
• 2007- In April 2007 it was acquired by GateHouse Media.^[6]
• 2013- In an efficiency consolidation, the Canton Repository and the Akron Beacon Journal reached agreement to print Akron's newspaper at the Repository’s Canton plant.^[7]
• 2019- GateHouse Media and Gannett merged. Gannett Co., Inc. became The Repository's next owner.
• 2022- In March publishing reduced to six days a week. Saturday's issue was no longer printed though remained available as an online e-Edition. This transition also occurred at numerous other USA TODAY Network publications.^[8]
• 2024- In April newspaper distribution transitioned to U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail delivery, citing significant workforce and economic challenges maintaining carrier routes. Adopting USPS' Monday to Saturday delivery schedule, the previous Sunday issue was rebranded the Weekend edition. The Massillon Independent and The Alliance Review also implemented this delivery change.^[9]

The Canton Daily News acquisition

The Repository purchased The Canton Daily News in 1927, the year after the gangland assassination of its editor Don Mellett.^[10] Months before it was purchased, The Canton Daily News was awarded the 1927 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service, "for its brave, patriotic and effective fight for the ending of a vicious state of affairs brought about by collusion between city authorities and the criminal element, a fight which had a tragic result in the assassination of the editor of the paper, Mr. Don R. Mellett".^[11] Established in 1833 as the Stark County Democrat, The Canton Daily News ceased publication July 3, 1930.^[12]

Features and operations

Though the newspaper began with strong Republican Party affiliations, current content has moderated. The Repository is a news aggregator contributing limited-to-nil original political content. Reliability is rated Fair with a content bias ranging from Center^[13] to Medium-Conservative,^[14] ratings based on company policy, political sentiments and article language bias.

Newsprint Coverage

The Repository newspaper contains daily sections for nation & world, opinion, Stark & Ohio, obituaries, classified ads, sports, advise and comics. Weekly covered sections, some with inconsistent publication days, are:

• (varying)- Real estate, home improvements, food & recipes, restaurant & brewery reviews, Faith, entertainment and activities
• Weekend edition- Births, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries

Circulation

Selected Circulation Histories

Year	Daily Print	Sunday Print	Paid e-copy	Net Distribution
2004[15]	65,598	-	-	65,598+
2018[16]	26,824	37,854	-	37,854+
2024[17]	9,168	0	2,337	11,505

Internet Expansion

The company's domain name, cantonrep.com, was created Oct 31, 1996.^[18] Articles from The Repository are available on-line in a free preview mode or in full view via subscription.

The CantonRep Facebook page, created January 29, 2009,^[19] provides full view coverage of selected articles.

Co-Sponsored Community Events

• Best of the Best Reader's Choice Contest and awards ceremony^[20] covers 200+ categories of professional services and commerce in the Stark County area. It is conducted annually by The Repository and sponsored by the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce.^[21]
• Stark County Home and Garden Show; presented annually by The Repository and the Building Industry Association (“BIA”) of Stark County^[22]
• Best of Stark Preps high-school athletic awards, Athletes of the Year; presented by The Repository and partners Pro Football Hall of Fame (HOF), Jerzees Sports Grill, Aultman Hospital, Huntington Bank and Kent State University.^{[23] [24]}
• The Canton Repository (HOF Enshrinement) Grand Parade; presented by The Repository.^[25]
• The Canton Repository's Regional Final Spelling Bee, hosted by Kent State University at Stark, draws candidates from nearby counties. 2024's 78th spell-off had 34 contestants from Carroll, Holmes, Stark and Tuscarawas counties with the winner advancing to the Scripps National Spelling Bee held in Maryland.^[26]

Sister publications

The Repository is related to other Northeast Ohio publications, including:^[27]

• The Independent of Massillon, a daily
• The Times-Reporter of New Philadelphia, a daily
• The Alliance Review of Alliance, a daily
• Calendar of Ohio
• Friday Night Ohio
• The Suburbanite in southern Summit County, a weekly

External links

• The Repository website
• Review website
• Times-Reporter website
• The Independent website
• The Suburbanite website

Notes and References

1. Web site: New editor takes over The Canton Repository . www.cantonrep.com . The Repository, a publication of Gannett Co., Inc. . 21 October 2020 . 27 April 2020 . 23 October 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201023071630/https://www.cantonrep.com/news/20200427/new-editor-takes-over-canton-repository . live .
2. Web site: About The Ohio Repository . Chronicling America . . May 24, 2012 . September 13, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130913121622/http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84024563/ . live .
3. Web site: Sereno . Dave . Repository set to celebrate 200 years . www.cantonrep.com . 11 October 2024 . February 28, 2015.
4. Web site: The Repository . Canton Repository . https://web.archive.org/web/20070927192700/http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?external=static%2Fabout_us.php . September 27, 2007 . June 8, 2009 . dead .
5. Web site: Spear . Jane . Brown . Gary . A page from history: The Repository moves into its new home . cantonrep.com . 1 November 2020 . 28 September 2016 . 24 November 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201124041404/https://www.cantonrep.com/news/20160928/page-from-history-repository-moves-into-its-new-home . live .
6. Web site: GateHouse Media Completes Acquisition of 9 Publications in Northeastern Ohio and Central Illinois . GateHouse Media, Inc. . April 11, 2007 . October 21, 2020.
7. Web site: Beacon Journal to be printed in Canton . www.beaconjournal.com . The Beacon Journal . 7 October 2024 . October 8, 2013.
8. Web site: Repository staff report . Canton Repository announces print delivery changes . www.cantonrep.com . The Canton Repository . 8 April 2024 . January 12, 2022 . 6 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240406160200/https://www.cantonrep.com/story/news/2022/01/12/canton-repository-announces-print-delivery-changes/9185851002/ . live .
9. News: Rick Armon . Newspaper delivery transitions to the mail starting Monday . 9 April 2024 . USA TODAY NETWORK . The Canton Repository . March 29, 2024 . 9 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240409160936/https://www.cantonrep.com/story/business/2024/03/29/canton-repository-massillon-independent-delivery-transitions-to-mail/73121722007/ . live .
10. Web site: Donald R. Mellett, 1969. Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame . Kalan . Sherry . . 2018-07-22.
11. Web site: Canton (Ohio) Daily News . The 1927 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Public Service . The Pulitzer Prizes . 2018-07-22 .
12. Web site: About Canton daily news. (Canton, Ohio) 1912-1930 . Chronicling America . Library of Congress . 2018-07-22 . 2018-07-23 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180723003543/https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84028495/ . live .
13. Web site: Canton Repository Media Bias Rating . www.biasly.com . December 10, 2023 . 2023-12-10 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231210144651/https://www.biasly.com/sources/canton-repository-bias-rating/ . live .
14. Web site: Canton Repository Media Bias Rating . www.biasly.com . 5 October 2024.
15. Web site: Dedman . Bill . Doig . Stephen K. . Newsroom diversity report for The Repository, Canton . powerreporting.com . 4 October 2024 . June 2005.
16. Web site: 2018 . 2018 Legacy NEWM Annual Reports . investors.gannett.com.
17. Voegele . Rick . USPS Form 3526: Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation . The Canton Repository . October 3, 2024 . 209 . 158 . 4A.
18. Web site: why-and-how-to-check-domain-age-of-any-website . www.webnots.com . 29 October 2020 . 11 September 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240911123347/https://www.webnots.com/seo-tools/domain-age-checker . live .
19. Web site: The Canton Repository / CantonRep.com . www.facebook.com . 29 October 2020.
20. Web site: Walsh Named Stark County’s Best University by Canton Repository Readers . www.walsh.edu . Walsh University . 28 October 2020 . 28 May 2019 . 31 October 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201031060523/https://www.walsh.edu/news-archive/walsh-named-stark-county-s-best-college-by-canton-repository-readers.html . live .
21. Web site: Hall . Malcolm . Repository and local Chamber of Commerce recognize outstanding businesses . the-review.com . The Alliance Review . 31 October 2020 . 16 May 2019 . 15 April 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210415233540/https://www.the-review.com/news/20190516/repository-and-local-chamber-of-commerce-recognize-outstanding-businesses . live .
22. Web site: Race . Joe . Schuring . Darlene . About the Show . 28 October 2020 . 28 October 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201028122740/http://www.starkhomeandgardenshow.com/ . live .
23. News: Weir . Josh . Best of Stark Preps banquet to transform to star-studded webcast . 28 October 2020 . The Alliance Review . 31 October 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201031055646/https://www.the-review.com/news/20200413/best-of-stark-preps-banquet-to-transform-to-star-studded-webcast . live .
24. News: Beaven . Chris . A look at the finalists for Canton Repository Athlete of the Year for boys and girls . 28 October 2020 . Ashland Times-Gazette . 12 June 2016 . 1 November 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201101054357/https://www.times-gazette.com/sports/20160612/look-at-finalists-for-canton-repository-athlete-of-year-for-boys-and-girls?template=ampart . live .
25. Web site: The Canton Repository Grand Parade . cantonchamber.org . Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce . 28 October 2020 . 2 November 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201102005951/https://www.cantonchamber.org/the-canton-repository-grand-parade . live .
26. Web site: Shaffer . Bev . Uhrichsville speller wins Repository spelling bee, heads to Scripps event . news.yahoo.com . The Repository . 10 April 2024 . March 18, 2024 . 11 September 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240911123441/https://www.yahoo.com/news/uhrichsville-speller-wins-repository-spelling-000405115.html?guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmluZy5jb20v&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAAFT0pQ-bsNM_Q-2gc-BFmNNxN6ig8VLrMeaFZsIX1aMSf_nek4gtesBbrzc6tiTimIF4fhC38fVPvwW-sIUY5geNal-gVXYTk_XwmHjE3I1tfh_OHqd8JSrN_CTCSFDsdUV3HEIIBt0uUGdYLGtmKcak_SFGDxNZ2XKoTZ2akNm . live .
27. Web site: The Repository. The Repository. 2015-11-02. 2015-11-03. https://web.archive.org/web/20151103090546/http://www.cantonrep.com/. live.