Narragansett Times

Newspaper published in Wakefield, Rhode Island

Narragansett TimesType| Weekly newspaper

|

Format| Broadsheet
Owner(s)| Rhode Island Suburban Newspapers
Publisher| Southern Rhode Island Newspapers
Editor| Seth Bromley
Founded| 1858 (1858)
Headquarters| 187 Main St. Wakefield, Rhode Island 02879-3504 United States
Circulation| 3,006
ISSN| 1040-1938
OCLC number| 12736501
Website| ricentral.com/narragansett_times/

The Narragansett Times is a publication of Southern Rhode Island Newspapers that serves the Rhode Island towns of Narragansett and South Kingstown.[1] It is published on Wednesdays and Fridays. Its estimated circulation is 3,006 copies.[2]

## History

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The paper was founded as the South County Journal in 1858 by Thomas P. Wells, Duncan Gillies, Isaac M. Church, and A.G. Palmer.[3][4][5] The first issue was published on June 12, 1858, and the paper was printed only on Fridays. In June 1859, Gillies changed the name of the paper to the Narragansett Times and Thomas P. Wells named as the printer of the paper. Thomas P. Wells was succeeded as printer by David Dunlop in 1861, but the change of ownership was short-lived. In August 1864, Duncan Gillies returned to Wakefield by urgent request to resume printing the paper.[3]

In 1880, a fire on the largest block in Wakefield burned and destroyed several businesses, including the printing offices of the Narragansett Times.[6][7] The block was also occupied by a dry goods store, a grocery store, a tailor, a barber, a bowling alley, and a Masonic Hall.[8] After recovering from the fire, Gillies continued to print the paper until his death in August 1881.[3]

After Gillies' death, his sons took over the business and published under the name D. Gillies' Sons.[9] John Gillies Jr.[4] learned about printing from his father at age 7 or 8.

Frederick J. Wilson Jr. purchased the Narragansett Times from the Gillies family in 1946.[10][11] Frederick, who had met John F. Kennedy when he was in the Navy and stationed in Chelsea, Massachusetts, received a loan from Kennedy of $2,000 (20 shares of stock) to help him buy the Narragansett Times.[12] Because of this loan, John F. Kennedy was named vice president of the Board of the Narragansett Times Publishing Company, a post which he later resigned and sold his stock when he ran for office.[13]

When Frederick J. Wilson Jr. died in 1978, his sons Frederick "Rick" III and Jamie Wilson took over as publishers. Rick and Jamie ushered in a time of expansion, hiring more reporters, improving the quality of writing and photography, increasing the circulation to 14,000 papers per week, and increasing the publication to twice weekly.[11]

In 1983, the Narragansett Times and its sister paper, the Standard-Times of North Kingston, were purchased by Capital Cities Communications Corporation for an undisclosed price.[14] Rick Wilson III remained as publisher of both papers, despite the new ownership, until he left the Times in 1995. Wilson left when the paper was purchased by Journal Register Company;[15][16] He went on to create a competing newspaper company, South County Newspapers, which published the South County Independent and the Northeast Independent.[17] After Wilson left, Betty Cotter, who had been co-editor of the paper under Wilson, left due to difficult conditions (cut staff, failure to pay overtime work, disagreements about advertising placements) caused by the paper's new owner, the Journal Register Company.[16] The company was later sued, and settled for $15,000 for its failure to pay overtime to staff reporters and photographers.[18] Michael Pare became the editor of the Times, instituting the paper's first weekly business section.[19]

In 2005, David J. Dear became the publisher of the Times and all Southern Rhode Island Newspapers. Rhode Island Suburban Newspapers, a company started by David Radler's daughter, Melanie Radler, acquired Southern Rhode Island Newspapers, including the Times, as part of an 8.3 million dollar deal in 2007.[20][21] David Radler, and his associate Conrad Black, were indicted for non-compete payments they received associated with the sale of Hollinger newspapers (Radler was charged with five counts of mail fraud and two counts of wire fraud). Weeks before David Radler's criminal trial began, his daughter Melanie filed paperwork to launch Rhode Island Suburban Newspapers and purchased 8 papers from the Journal Register Company, including the Times.

The current regional publisher for the Narragansett Times, and its news group Southern Rhode Island Newspapers, is Jody A. Boucher.[22] The Managing Editor of Southern Rhode Island Newspapers is Gabrielle Falletta. Southern Rhode Island Newspapers are still owned by Rhode Island Suburban Newspapers.

## Awards

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Numerous editors and writers for the Times editors are honored in the Rhode Island Press Association Journalism Hall of Fame.[11][23][24] They are:

* Arline A. Fleming - Arline was the first Arts and Living Section editor of the Narragansett Times. She was inducted in April 2016.
* Frederick J. Wilson, III - Frederick "Rick" was the publisher of the Times after his father's death in 1978 until 1955. He was inducted in May 2010.
* Marcia Grann O'Brien - Marcia took over as editor in the 1990s and, under her management, the Times won a first place award in General Excellence. She was inducted in May 2010.
* Gerald Goldstein - Gerald began as a reporter, and later editor, for the Times during which time he helped the paper win several awards. He was inducted in November 2003.[23]
* Frederick J. Wilson, Jr. - Fred purchased the Times in 1946 from the Gillies family and he pioneered the paper's technological change from letterpress to offset printing. He was posthumously awarded the "Goddard Award" for his contributions to excellence in journalism by the Rhode Island Newspaper Association. He was inducted in October 1987.[24]

## National Attention

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In 1985 the Narragansett Times was involved in a libel suit filed by a local flea market operator.[25] The businessman claimed that an editorial column in the paper, which suggested that he might be selling stolen goods, had forced him to close his business. The Judge, Thomas Needham ruled in favor of the paper, saying that the accuracy of the editorial was not disputed and that the article was fair and reasonable.

In 1992, the Narragansett Times was heavily criticized for publishing photos of aborted human fetuses.[3] The images were part of an 8-page anti-abortion circular/supplement included in the paper and paid for by Catholics for Life. The pictures were credited to two anti-abortion groups, the Center for the Documentation of the American Holocaust and Human Life International. Amid the ensuing controversy, executives for the Narragansett Times said that they did not know pictures of aborted fetuses would be published in the supplement, and they issued a front page apology on September 16, 1992.[3]

In 1995, the co-editors of the Narragansett Times were featured in a piece by Gerald Carbone about employees who share a job with another employee to help manage work and home life.[26] Betty Cotter and Mary Beth Reilly McGreen, co-editors of the Times, shared the job of editor of the paper and highlighted the challenges of such an arrangement.

## References

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1. ^ "About Us". Southern Rhode Island Newspapers. Retrieved 9 Aug 2018.
2. ^ "Narragansett Times newspaper - MondoTimes.com". www.mondotimes.com. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
3. ^ a b c d e Pieroth, Susan W. "Rhode Island and Providence Plantations: The Printer and the Press, 2". theusgenweb.org. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
4. ^ a b Representative Men and Old Families of Rhode Island. J.H. Beers & Company. 1908. pp. 600–601.
5. ^ Brown, Harry Glenn; Brown, Maude O. (1958). A directory of printing, publishing, bookselling & allied trades in Rhode Island to 1865. New York Public Library. p. 157\. ISBN 9780871040626.
6. ^ "Fire Record". The Boston Globe. 10 Apr 1880. Retrieved 9 Aug 2018.
7. ^ "Largest block in Wakefield, South Kingston, R.I., burned - Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
8. ^ "A Large Block Burned in Kingston, R.I. - Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
9. ^ Ayer Directory of Publications. Ayer Press. 1941.
10. ^ "Odd Items from Everywhere". The Boston Globe. 8 Feb 1946. Retrieved 9 Aug 2018.
11. ^ a b c "Rhode Island Journalism Hall of Fame". Rhode Island Press Association. Retrieved 9 Aug 2018.
12. ^ "Frederick J. Wilson III: JFK, Rhode Island newspaper mogul". providencejournal.com. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
13. ^ "JFK was a member of the board of the Narragansett Times Publishing Company - Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
14. ^ "Rhode Island Papers Sold to Shoreline Chain - Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
15. ^ "Journal Register Company Acquires Hometown Newspapers, Inc. Acquisition Includes the Kent County Daily Times. - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
16. ^ a b Walton, Mary (May 1999). "The selling of small-town America". American Journalism Review. 21: 58–72. ProQuest 1554044507.
17. ^ Healy, Patrick (February 12, 2001). "Wilson stepping down as Independent Publisher". Providence Business News. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
18. ^ "Waterbury, Conn.-Area Papers to Pay Reporters, Photographers to Settle Suit". Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. April 18, 2002. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
19. ^ "Pare appointed editor of PBN". Providence Business News. August 13, 2001. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
20. ^ Tedesco, Theresa (July 4, 2007). "Radler quietly expands his media empire; Teams Up With Daughter To Buy Small-Town Papers". National Post. ProQuest 330526894.
21. ^ Grimaldi, Paul (February 6, 2007). "Journal Register sale of 8 papers fetches $8.3 million". Providence Journal. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
22. ^ "Personnel". RICentral.com. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
23. ^ a b "The Rhode Island Press Association | Hall of Fame 2000-2009". The Rhode Island Press Association. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
24. ^ a b "The Rhode Island Press Association | Hall of Fame 1986-1989". The Rhode Island Press Association. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
25. ^ "Newspaper Wins Case - Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2018-08-29.
26. ^ "Job sharing: One way to juggle family and work - Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2018-08-29.