Scripps League Newspapers, Inc. was a newspaper publishing company in the United States founded by Josephine Scripps in 1921 and managed beginning in 1931 by her son Ed Scripps (1909 - 1997). Based in Herndon, Virginia, the chain was separate from the larger E. W. Scripps Company begun by Ed's grandfather, Edward Willis Scripps.[1]
The chain eventually grew to 51 small newspapers including The Daily Herald of Provo, Utah; Napa Valley Register of Napa, Calif.; Newport Daily Express of Newport, Vt., The Hanford Sentinel of Hanford, Calif., Arizona Daily Sun of Flagstaff, Ariz.,[2] and Haverhill Gazette in Massachusetts.[3]
In December 1975, Scripps League Newspapers spun off a number of numbers to form a new company called Pioneer Newspapers, Inc. (which later became Pioneer News Group). This enterprise would be owned and operated by James George Scripps,[4] [5] who was the brother of Scripps League chairman Edward W. Scripps.[6]
In May 1976, the partnership between Scripps League Newspapers and Hagadone Newspapers Co. ended after 47 years. Hagadone purchased six newspapers and eleven became fully owned by Scripps.[7]
Pulitzer Publishing Company bought Scripps League for about $230 million in 1996. In 2005, Lee Enterprises bought the Pulitzer newspaper division.[8]