Independent Record

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article may need to be wikified to meet Wikipedia's quality standards.
Please help improve this article, especially its introduction, section layout, and relevant internal links. (help)

The Independent Record (often abbreviated to IR) is a daily paid-for newspaper printed and distributed in Helena, Montana. Its has a daily and Sunday circulation of approxiamately 14,000, according to a 9/30/05 Audit Bureau of Circulations Publisher Statement. The newspaper is part of the Lee Enterprises group which owns 58 newspapers in 23 states, making Lee Enterprises the fourth largest newspaper company in the country in terms of dailies owned.[1]

[edit] History

The roots of today's IR lie in two newspapers first published more than 130 years ago. The Independent began as a weekly in Deer Lodge in 1867, three years after gold was discovered in Helena. The paper was published in Deer Lodge until 1874, when it moved to Helena after a fire that consumed the Gazette in Montana’s one-time capital.

The Independent was published daily from that date until Nov. 22, 1943, when it merged with the Montana Record-Herald. That newspaper was the result of the Herald, first printed in 1867, and the Montana Daily Record, a Republican paper first produced in 1900.

The Independent Record, which has been known by that name since 1943, was owned by mining giant Anaconda Company from 1925 until 1959, when it was purchased by Lee Enterprises.

The IR converted from hot metal to photo type in 1973, and in 1975 put in one of the first newsroom computer systems.

In the summer of 2002 a new press plant was opened, housed in a new, 30,000-square-foot printing and distribution center. [2]

The IR is also known for its Friday editorial, "Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down," in which it gives its stamp of either approval or disapproval to both local and national/global events.

Current publisher is Pat Schlauch, and editor is Dave Shors.