Editing The State (newspaper)

{{short description|Daily morning newspaper published in Columbia, South Carolina}}
{{Use American English|date=October 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{Infobox newspaper
| name = The State
| image = The State front page.jpg
| caption = The paper's July 27, 2005 front page
| type = [[Newspaper]]
| format = [[Broadsheet]]
| foundation = 1891
| owners = Chatham Asset Management <ref name="mcclatchydc.com">{{cite news|url=https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/article245490390.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730011927/https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/article245490390.html |archive-date=2021-07-30|title=Hedge fund Chatham completes purchase of McClatchy, names two independent board members|date=2020-09-08|orig-date=2020-09-04|last=Hall|first=Kevin G.|work=McClatchyDC}}</ref>
| circulation = 36,541 Daily<br /> 45,103 Sunday
| circulation_date = 2020
| circulation_ref = <ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-02-14 |title=McClatchy {{!}} Markets |url=https://www.mcclatchy.com/our-impact/markets/the-state/ |access-date=2023-04-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220214081947/https://www.mcclatchy.com/our-impact/markets/the-state/ |archive-date=2022-02-14 }}</ref>
| headquarters = Currently no physical location <ref>{{Cite web |date=May 27, 2020 |title=The State to add newsroom jobs, move printing to Charlotte |url=https://www.thestate.com/news/local/article243035546.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730011925/https://www.thestate.com/news/local/article243035546.html |archive-date=2021-07-30 |access-date=2025-03-22 |website=The State}}</ref>
| chiefeditor = Brian Tolley
| publisher = Brian Tolley
| staff = approximately 33<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thestate.com/customer-service/contact-us/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813213407/https://www.thestate.com/customer-service/contact-us/|title=Contact Us|work=The State|archive-date=2021-08-13}}</ref>
| language = English
| ISSN = 0038-9994
| oclc = 1333898093
| website = {{official URL}}
}}

'''''The State''''' is an American [[newspaper]] published in [[Columbia, South Carolina]]. The newspaper is owned and distributed by [[The McClatchy Company]] in the Midlands region of the state. It is by circulation, the second-largest newspaper in South Carolina after ''[[The Post and Courier]]''.

==History==
The newspaper, first published on February 18, 1891.<ref name="McClatchy profile">{{cite web|url=http://www.mcclatchy.com/146/story/367.html|title=The McClatchy Company Newspapers: The State|publisher=The McClatchy Company|access-date=2006-11-07|archive-date=2006-11-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061105223454/http://www.mcclatchy.com/146/story/367.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="About The State">{{cite web|url=http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/contact_us/about_np1/|title=Contact Us: About The State|publisher=The State|access-date=2006-11-07|archive-date=2007-02-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070202185316/http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/contact_us/about_np1/|url-status=live}}</ref> was founded by two brothers, [[Narciso Gener Gonzales|N.G. Gonzales]] and [[Ambrose E. Gonzales|A.E. Gonzales]].<ref name="about">{{Cite web |date=2007-04-18 |title=The State {{!}} About |url=http://www.thestate.com/229/ |access-date=2023-08-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070418160450/http://www.thestate.com/229/ |archive-date=2007-04-18 }}</ref>  In 1903, N. G. Gonzales was fatally shot by [[Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina|lieutenant governor]] [[James H. Tillman]], who was later acquitted of murder charges.

In 1945, ''The State'' bought its rival, the  ''[[Columbia Record]]'', with the parent company becoming ''The State-Record Company.'' The paper's owners diversified in 1971 by founding "State Telecasting Company". State Telecasting purchased two television stations in New Mexico and Texas, along with a station in South Carolina. [[KCBD]] in [[Lubbock, Texas]], and its full-time satellite [[KOBR|KSWS]] in [[Roswell, New Mexico]], were acquired in 1971 for $6 million from the Joe Bryant estate. WUSN-TV in nearby [[Charleston, South Carolina]], was acquired and the call letters changed to [[WCBD-TV]] to conform with those of KCBD. The paper remained in the hands of the Gonzales family until 1986, when [[Knight Ridder]] purchased the State-Record Company and six subsidiaries (including the ''[[Sun Herald]]'' and ''[[The Sun News]]'') for $311 million. In 2006, Knight Ridder was purchased by McClatchy.

In 2020, McClatchy filed for bankruptcy and was purchased by hedge fund, Chatham Asset Management for $312 million.<ref name="mcclatchydc.com"/>

On April 22, 2024 ''The State'' started printing Sunday, Wednesday and Friday only and delivering through the mail.<ref name=Tolley>{{cite news|url=https://www.thestate.com/news/local/article285519697.html|title=The State to change print publication days, delivery method in next step of digital push|last=Tolley|first=Brian|work=The State|date=February 16, 2024|access-date=June 10, 2024}}</ref>

== Background ==
Its news staff was a [[Pulitzer Prize]] finalist in [[Pulitzer Prize for General News Reporting|general news reporting]] for its [[Hurricane Hugo]] coverage in 1989. Its cartoonist, [[Robert Ariail]], was a Pulitzer finalist in 1995 and 2000. Reporter Gina Smith and current projects editor broke the [[Mark Sanford's disappearance and extramarital affair|Mark Sanford scandal]] story on June 24, 2009, when she interviewed Sanford at [[Atlanta Hartsfield Airport]] as he returned from [[Argentina]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-06-26 |title=Sanford admits affair: 'I've let down a lot of people' - Sanford - The State |url=http://www.thestate.com/sanford/story/839231.html |access-date=2023-08-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090626065707/http://www.thestate.com/sanford/story/839231.html |archive-date=2009-06-26 }}</ref>

According to the newspaper's Web site, it has 440 full-time employees and another 31 who work part-time, not including an on-premises "McClatchy Customer Care Center for subscriber assistance." ''The State'' has a {{convert|260000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} building completed in 1988, {{convert|3|mi|km|spell=in}} south of downtown.<ref name="about" />

In 2017, the McClatchy Company listed the State's Columbia headquarters building for sale for $17,000,000.<ref>{{Cite web|title=CBRE, Inc. - 1401 Shop Rd, Columbia, SC|url=http://www.loopnet.com/xNet/Looplink/tmplengine/ListingProfilePage.aspx?LID=6518541&STID=cbre|access-date=2017-10-28|website=www.loopnet.com|archive-date=2017-10-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171028144804/http://www.loopnet.com/xNet/Looplink/tmplengine/ListingProfilePage.aspx?LID=6518541&STID=cbre|url-status=live}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|United States|Journalism}}
* [[List of newspapers in South Carolina]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* {{Official website}}
* [https://business.mcclatchy.com/columbia The State Self-Service Advertising - McClatchy Ad Manager]
* [http://www.winwithmcclatchy.com McClatchy Advertising - WinWithMcClatchy.com]

{{McClatchy}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:State (newspaper), The}}
[[Category:Mass media in Columbia, South Carolina]]
[[Category:McClatchy publications]]
[[Category:Newspapers published in South Carolina]]
[[Category:Newspapers established in 1891]]
[[Category:1891 establishments in South Carolina]]