Editing The Telegraph (Nashua, New Hampshire)

{{Short description|Daily newspaper in Nashua, New Hampshire}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox newspaper
| name               = The Telegraph
| image              = [[File:The Telegraph (Nashua, New Hampshire) front page.jpg|175px|border]]
| caption            = The July 27, 2005 front page of<br />''The Telegraph''
| type               = [[Daily newspaper]]
| format             = [[Broadsheet]]
| foundation         = {{start date|1832|10|20}}, as ''New-Hampshire Telegraph''
| ceased publication = 
| owners             = [[Ogden Newspapers]]
| publisher          = Matthew A. Burdette
| editor             = Matthew A. Burdette
| circulation        = 8,250
| circulation_date   = 2021
| circulation_ref    = <ref>{{Cite web |title=2021 Media Kit |url=https://ogden_images.s3.amazonaws.com/www.nashuatelegraph.com/images/2021/01/12172319/Nashua_Media_Guide.pdf |access-date=2023-05-05 |website=The Telegraph}}</ref>
| headquarters       = 110 Main St., Suite 1,<br />[[Nashua, New Hampshire|Nashua]], [[New Hampshire]] 03060, [[United States]]
| ISSN               = 
| oclc               = 22532489
| website            = {{URL|nashuatelegraph.com}}
}}

'''''The Telegraph''''', for most of its existence known as the '''''Nashua Telegraph''''', is a daily [[newspaper]] in [[Nashua, New Hampshire|Nashua]], [[New Hampshire]]. It was founded as the ''Nashua Daily Telegraph'' in 1869, although a weekly version dates back to 1832. Through the 2000s it was the second-largest newspaper in the state in terms of daily print circulation, behind the ''[[New Hampshire Union Leader]]'' of [[Manchester, New Hampshire|Manchester]].

In 2020 ''The Telegraph'' reduced its print run to Saturday only, when it produces a weekend edition under the ''Sunday Telegraph'' banner. In the announcement, the paper said it will continue to report news for its website every day.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://indepthnh.org/2020/04/26/nashua-telegraph-moves-mostly-online-as-covid-19-alters-nh-newspapers/|title=Nashua Telegraph Moves Mostly Online As COVID-19 Alters NH Newspapers|first=Nancy|last=West|date=April 26, 2020|website=InDepthNH.org}}</ref>

After being family-owned for a century, ''The Telegraph'' was bought in the 1980s by Independent Publications of [[Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania|Bryn Mawr]], Pennsylvania, which owned several smaller daily and weekly newspapers around the United States as well as some other businesses.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040917/IPI/40917071 |title=Independent Publications, Inc. |website=www.nashuatelegraph.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051127191300/http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040917/IPI/40917071 |archive-date=2005-11-27}}</ref> In 2005, the paper's owner bought the Cabinet Press, publisher of weekly newspapers based in nearby [[Milford, New Hampshire|Milford]], New Hampshire.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://cabinet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/99999999/ABOUT/60915001/-1/about |language=en |access-date=2023-05-12 |title=About The Cabinet Press |date=July 14, 2007 |website=cabinet.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070715025306/http://www.cabinet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F99999999%2FABOUT%2F60915001%2F-1%2Fabout |archive-date=2007-07-15}}</ref> In April 2013, it was bought by [[Ogden Newspapers]] of [[Wheeling, West Virginia|Wheeling]], West Virginia.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Berry|first1=Jake|title=New publisher on job with Telegraph|url=http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/opinion/editorials/1001063-465/the-telegraph-end-of-an-era-start.html|work=The Telegraph|date=21 April 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=The Telegraph Editorial: End of an era, start of new one|url=http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/opinion/editorials/1001063-465/the-telegraph-end-of-an-era-start.html|work=The Telegraph|date=21 April 2013}}</ref>

== 1980 presidential primary debate ==
On February 23, 1980, the ''Telegraph'' received national attention during the [[New Hampshire primary|New Hampshire presidential primary]], when it hosted a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] debate paid for by the campaign of former [[California]] Governor [[Ronald Reagan]].  During a discussion over which candidates should be allowed to participate, ''Telegraph'' editor Jon Breen (1935–2017), acting as [[discussion moderator|moderator]], ordered sound man Bob Molloy to shut off Reagan's microphone, which was met with shouts of protest from the audience; Molloy refused to comply.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/ovnRIGgtxss Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20190901181733/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovnRIGgtxss&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovnRIGgtxss |title=Interview with sound man Bob Molloy over his refusal to shut off Reagan's microphone |publisher=YouTube |date=2015-08-28 |access-date=2018-12-17}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Mispronouncing his name, Reagan rebuked Breen saying, "I am paying for this microphone, Mr. Green!" [''sic''], which was cheered by the audience and applauded by most of his fellow opponents.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/OO2_49TycdE Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20100328202942/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OO2_49TycdE Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OO2_49TycdE |title=YouTube of Reagan "I am paying for this microphone" comment |publisher=YouTube |date=2008-02-22 |access-date=2013-11-19}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The phrase entered the political lexicon and the publicity helped to boost Reagan's successful run for the presidency.

Reagan later recounted the incident as a "brief and seemingly small event, one lasting only a few seconds", that he said he thought, "helped take me to the White House". He continues:

{{blockquote|When the ''Nashua Telegraph'' offered to sponsor a debate between the two of us [Reagan and [[George H. W. Bush|George H.W. Bush]]] on the Saturday evening preceding the election, we both accepted. Understandably, this brought howls from the other candidates. In protest, one of them, Senator [[Bob Dole]], complained to the [[Federal Election Commission]] that by financing a debate between only two of the seven candidates, the newspaper was making an illegal contribution to the Bush and Reagan campaigns. The commission agreed with him, so my campaign offered to pay the full cost of the debate—a few thousand dollars—and they accepted. I thought it had been unfair to exclude the other candidates from the debate.}}

Arriving at the debate, Reagan found two seats prepared, one each for himself and for Bush on either side of Breen. The other candidates were confused, as was the audience.

{{blockquote|I decided I should explain to the crowd what the delay was all about and started to speak. As I did, an editor of the Nashua newspaper shouted to the sound man, "Turn Mr.&nbsp;Reagan's microphone off." Well, I didn't like that—we were paying the freight for the debate and he was acting as if his newspaper was still sponsoring it. I turned to him, with the microphone still on, and said the first thing that came to my mind: "I am paying for this microphone, Mr.&nbsp;Green!" [''sic''] Well, for some reason my words hit the audience, whose emotions were already worked up, like a sledgehammer. The crowd roared and just went wild. I may have won the debate, the primary—and the nomination—right there.<ref name=book>{{cite news|last1=Dunham|first1=Richard|title=New book tells inside story of pivotal Bush-Reagan debate in Nashua|url=http://blog.chron.com/txpotomac/2009/10/new-book-tells-inside-story-of-pivotal-bush-reagan-debate-in-nashua/|work=[[The Houston Chronicle]]|date=20 October 2009}}</ref>}}

== See also ==

{{portal|New Hampshire}}
* [[List of newspapers in New Hampshire]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/ }}

{{Ogden Newspapers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Telegraph Nashua}}
[[Category:Newspapers published in New Hampshire]]
[[Category:Nashua, New Hampshire]]
[[Category:Hudson, New Hampshire]]
[[Category:Hillsborough County, New Hampshire]]
[[Category:Newspapers established in 1832]]
[[Category:1832 establishments in New Hampshire]]