Chicago Tribune facts for kids
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The March 24, 2024, front page
of the Chicago Tribune |
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| Type | Daily newspaper |
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| Format | Broadsheet |
| Owner(s) | Tribune Publishing |
| Founder(s) |
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| Founded | June 10, 1847 |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | Freedom Center (Chicago) |
| Country | United States |
| Circulation | 73,000 Average print circulation |
| ISSN | 1085-6706 (print) 2165-171X (web) |
| OCLC number | 7960243 |
The Chicago Tribune is a well-known daily newspaper from Chicago, Illinois. It is owned by Tribune Publishing. Started in 1847, it used to call itself the "World's Greatest Newspaper." This slogan even gave the names to its radio and TV stations, WGN radio and WGN-TV. Today, it is still the most-read daily newspaper in the Chicago metropolitan area and the wider Great Lakes region. In 2022, it was the seventh most circulated newspaper in the United States.
In the 1850s, under Joseph Medill, the Chicago Tribune became a strong supporter of Abraham Lincoln. It also backed the progressive side of the Republican Party. Later, in the 1900s, Medill's grandson Robert R. McCormick led the paper. It became known for its strong conservative views and was against the New Deal government programs. The newspaper's stories and opinions reached many places outside Chicago.
The Tribune was first printed as a large-sized newspaper called a broadsheet. In 2009, it tried printing a smaller, more compact version called a tabloid for newsstands and commuters. However, readers did not like this change. So, in 2011, the Tribune went back to its original broadsheet size for all copies.
The Tribune was part of a bigger company called Tribune Publishing. In 2021, another company, Alden Global Capital, bought Tribune Publishing.
Contents
A Look at the Chicago Tribune's History
How the Newspaper Started: The 1800s
The Tribune was founded by James Kelly, John E. Wheeler, and Joseph K. C. Forrest. Their first newspaper came out on June 10, 1847. Over the next eight years, the paper had many different owners and editors. At first, the Tribune did not pick a political side. It usually supported the Whig or Free Soil parties against the Democrats.
Around 1854, Joseph Medill became the managing editor. Under his leadership, the Tribune became the main newspaper in Chicago for the Republican Party. The Tribune also bought out other Chicago newspapers, like the Democratic Press and the Chicago Democrat. Between 1858 and 1860, it was called the Chicago Press & Tribune. On October 25, 1860, it became the Chicago Daily Tribune.
Before and during the American Civil War, the newspaper strongly supported Abraham Lincoln. Medill even helped Lincoln become president in 1860. The paper also pushed for the end of slavery, known as abolitionism. The Tribune stayed an important part of Republican politics for many years. After the Great Chicago Fire in 1871, Medill even served as mayor of Chicago for one term.
The 1900s: Growth and Big Stories
In the 1900s, Colonel Robert R. McCormick took charge in the 1920s. The paper became very isolationist, meaning it wanted the U.S. to stay out of world conflicts. It used the slogan "The American Paper for Americans." From the 1930s to the 1950s, it strongly criticized the Democrats and President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal programs.
When McCormick became co-editor in 1910, the Tribune was the third-best-selling paper in Chicago. McCormick and his cousin Joseph Medill Patterson added fun features like advice columns and comic strips. They created famous comics like Little Orphan Annie and Moon Mullins. They also fought for political causes. By 1918, the Tribune had become the top newspaper in Chicago.
In 1922, the Chicago Tribune held a worldwide design competition for its new main building, the Tribune Tower. This competition was a great way to get publicity. The winning design was a neo-Gothic style building.
The Tribune was also a leader in radio. In 1924, it bought an early radio station and renamed it WGN. The letters WGN stood for the paper's slogan, "World's Greatest Newspaper." WGN Television started on April 5, 1948. These stations were owned by the Tribune for 90 years.
The Tribune's sports editor, Arch Ward, created the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in 1933. This was part of Chicago's "Century of Progress" fair.
One of the Tribune's biggest news stories was when it got the full text of the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919. Another major scoop was revealing U.S. war plans just before the attack on Pearl Harbor. On June 7, 1942, the Tribune announced that the United States had broken Japan's naval code. This was a top military secret. President Franklin D. Roosevelt was so angry that he thought about shutting down the Tribune.
The Famous "Dewey Defeats Truman" Headline
The newspaper is famous for a big mistake it made during the 1948 presidential election. Many of its printing staff were on strike. Early results made the editors believe that the Republican candidate, Thomas Dewey, would win. So, an early edition of the next day's paper had the headline "Dewey Defeats Truman".
But Democrat Harry S. Truman actually won! Truman famously held up the newspaper with the wrong headline in a well-known picture. The article below the headline was also incorrect.
In 1969, the Tribune started to report news from a wider point of view. While its editorials still had a Republican and conservative slant, its news reporting became more balanced.
On May 1, 1974, the Tribune did an amazing job of journalism. It published the full text of the Watergate tapes—all 246,000 words—in a special 44-page section. This came out just 24 hours after the White House released the transcripts. The Tribune was the first newspaper to publish them.
After studying the tapes, the paper's editorial board said that President Richard Nixon had not met the high standards expected of a president. The Tribune called for Nixon to resign. This was a big deal because the Tribune had been a long-time supporter of Nixon.
The Tribune won 11 Pulitzer Prizes in the 1980s and 1990s. These awards are given for excellent journalism. Winners included cartoonists Dick Locher and Jeff MacNelly, and writers like Jack Fuller, Dean Baquet, Ann Marie Lipinski, Lois Wille, Clarence Page, Ron Kotulak, R. Bruce Dold, Paul Salopek, and Blair Kamin.
In September 1982, the Chicago Tribune opened a new printing building called Freedom Center. In 1984, the Tribune hired popular writer Mike Royko from its rival newspaper, the Sun-Times.
The Tribune was also a leader on the internet. In the early 1990s, it bought a part of America Online. Then, it launched its own websites like Chicagotribune.com (1995) and Metromix.com (1996). In 2002, the paper started a smaller, tabloid-style edition called RedEye for younger readers.
The 2000s and Beyond: Changes and Challenges
Ann Marie Lipinski was the paper's editor from 2001 to 2008. Gerould W. Kern took over as editor in July 2008.
The Tribune won five more Pulitzer Prizes in the early 2000s. Paul Salopek won for international reporting in 2001. A team of reporters won for explaining the U.S. air traffic system. In 2003, Cornelia Grumman won for editorial writing. Julia Keller won in 2005 for a story about a tornado. And in 2008, an investigative team won for their series on unsafe toys and baby products.
Like many newspapers, the Tribune faced financial challenges in the 2000s. It had to reduce staff through layoffs and buyouts several times. Many talented reporters and editors left the paper during these years.
In 2009, the Tribune revealed that some students were admitted to the University of Illinois because of connections to school leaders or politicians. This led to a big investigation.
On February 8, 2010, the Chicago Tribune made its newspaper an inch narrower. They said this new size was becoming common in the industry.
In October 2012, the Tribune started charging for access to its website. This meant readers had to pay a monthly fee for unlimited online articles.
On June 9, 2018, the Tribune moved out of its famous Tribune Tower headquarters after 93 years. It moved to One Prudential Plaza. The Tribune Tower was later turned into apartments.
In January 2021, the Chicago Tribune moved again, this time to the Freedom Center. In May 2021, Alden Global Capital bought the paper. This led to more staff reductions.
The Tribune's Views and Endorsements
Newspaper's Guiding Ideas
In 2007, the Tribune shared its main beliefs. It said it believes in limited government, personal responsibility, and freedom. It also supports free markets and free speech. These ideas are generally conservative, but the paper says they are guidelines, not strict rules.
The Tribune tries to bring a Midwestern way of thinking to public discussions. It is careful about new ideas. The newspaper also cares a lot about honest government and important private organizations. It believes people need to trust their leaders and government. The Tribune also supports the many different people and ideas in its community.
The Tribune has generally been conservative on economic issues. For example, it has been doubtful about raising the minimum wage. It has also criticized some government spending.
Who the Tribune Supports in Elections
For a long time, the Tribune usually supported the Republican Party in elections. For example, in 2004, it supported President George W. Bush for reelection.
However, in 2008, the Tribune did something new. It supported the Democratic candidate, Barack Obama, who was a U.S. Senator from Illinois. This was the first time the paper had ever supported a Democrat for president. The Tribune supported Obama again in 2012. In 2020, it endorsed another Democrat, Joe Biden.
Sometimes, the Tribune has supported candidates from other parties. In 1872, it backed Horace Greeley, who was a former Republican newspaper editor. In 1912, the paper supported Theodore Roosevelt, who ran for the Progressive Party. In 2016, the Tribune supported the Libertarian Party candidate, Gary Johnson, instead of Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton.
Even when it mostly supported Republicans for president, the Tribune sometimes endorsed Democrats for other positions. For example, it supported Barack Obama when he ran for the Senate.
The Tribune Company
The Chicago Tribune was the first part of a larger company called Tribune Company. This company grew to own many newspapers and TV stations across the country. In Chicago, Tribune Media owned the WGN radio station and WGN-TV. The Tribune Company also owned the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Cubs baseball team. The Cubs were sold in 2009. The newspapers became a separate company, Tribune Publishing, in 2014.
The Tribune Company owned the New York Daily News from its start in 1919 until 1991. The founder of the News, Joseph Medill Patterson, was a grandson of Joseph Medill and a cousin of Tribune editor Robert McCormick.
From 1925 to 2018, the Chicago Tribune was located in the Tribune Tower on North Michigan Avenue. This building has a neo-Gothic style. In June 2018, the Chicago Tribune moved to the Prudential Plaza office complex.
Pulitzer Prizes Won by the Tribune'
For many years, Colonel McCormick did not let the Tribune enter the Pulitzer Prize competition. But over time, the paper has won 28 of these important awards for journalism.
The Tribune won its first Pulitzer after McCormick in 1961. Carey Orr won for editorial cartooning. Other winners include George Bliss (1962), Bill Jones (1971), and a reporting team in 1973. William Mullen and photographer Ovie Carter won in 1975 for international reporting. In 2022, Cecilia Reyes and Madison Hopkins won a Pulitzer Prize for local reporting. They examined how the city failed to enforce building and fire safety rules, which led to many deaths.
Current Writers
- Amy Dickinson
- Chris Jones
- Clarence Page
- Michael Phillips
- Nina Metz
- Laura Washington
Past Writers
- Skip Bayless
- Bob Greene
- Blair Kamin
- John Kass
- Ann Landers
- Ring Lardner
- Jack Mabley
- Mike Royko
- Mary Schmich
- Gene Siskel
- Arch Ward
- Eric Zorn
Changes in Design
In September 2008, the Tribune changed its design. This was seen by many as a way to save money. Since then, the newspaper has gone back to a style that mixes its old look with a new, modern feel.
Sam Zell's Ownership and Bankruptcy
In December 2007, a Chicago real estate investor named Sam Zell bought the Tribune Company. He became the company's new chairman. About a year later, in December 2008, the Tribune Company had to file for bankruptcy. This happened because the company had a lot of debt.
The company came out of bankruptcy in January 2013. It was then partly owned by investment firms. The plan was to sell off many of its properties.
Tribune Publishing Becomes Separate
Tribune Publishing, which owned the Chicago Tribune and several other newspapers, became a separate public company in August 2014. The original Tribune Company was renamed Tribune Media. This separation helped avoid certain taxes.
See also
In Spanish: Chicago Tribune para niños
- Chicago Tribune Syndicate
- Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball
- Chicago Tribune Silver Football
Images for kids
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Logo of the Chicago Tribune
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The March 24, 2024, front page of the Chicago Tribune
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An 1870 advertisement for Chicago Tribune subscriptions
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The lead editorial in the Chicago Tribune following the Great Chicago Fire
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Tribune in 1919
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Truman was widely expected to lose the 1948 election, and the Chicago Tribune ran the incorrect headline, "Dewey Defeats Truman".
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Tribune Tower, the newspaper's headquarters, opened in Chicago in 1925.
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Chicago Tribune building
