The Independent Record (often abbreviated to IR) is a daily newspaper printed and distributed in Helena, Montana. The newspaper is owned by Lee Enterprises.[2]

Independent Record
TypeDaily newspaper
FormatBroadsheet
Owner(s)Lee Enterprises
PublisherDave Worstell
EditorMatthew Kiewiet
FoundedAugust 2, 1867, as The Daily Herald and October 12, 1867, as The Weekly Independent
LanguageEnglish
HeadquartersHelena, Montana
CountryUnited States
Circulation14,083 Daily (as of 2023)[1]
ISSN2326-9588 (print)
2326-9596 (web)
OCLC number11978496
Websitehelenair.com

History edit

 
Early Helena newspapers included The Daily Independent and The Helena Weekly Independent.

The roots of the IR lie in two newspapers that were founded in 1867, The Daily Herald of Helena and The Weekly Independent of Deer Lodge.

The Daily Herald started publishing in Helena on August 2, 1867.[3] The Weekly Independent started publishing in Deer Lodge on October 12, 1867,[4] and then moved to Helena in March 1874,[5] and began publication as The Daily Independent, and then, in 1875, as The Helena Independent.[6]

The Herald later merged with The Montana Daily Record, which was founded in August 1900.[7] The new publication was renamed The Montana Record-Herald.[8] Additionally, on November 22, 1943, another merger followed: this time with The Helena Independent, to become the Independent Record.[9]

After over thirty years of ownership by the Anaconda Copper Mining Company, the IR was sold to Lee Enterprises in 1959. The IR converted from hot metal to phototype in 1973, and in 1975, installed one of the first newsroom computer systems. In the summer of 2002, a new press plant was opened and housed in a new 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m2) printing and distribution center.

Starting July 11, 2023, the print edition of the newspaper will be reduced to three days a week: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Also, the newspaper will transition from being delivered by a traditional newspaper delivery carrier to mail delivery by the U.S. Postal Service.[10]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Lee Enterprises. "Form 10-K". investors.lee.net. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  2. ^ "About Lee". Lee Enterprises. Retrieved November 12, 2011.
  3. ^ "About The Daily herald. [volume] (Helena, M.T. [i.e. Mont.]) 1867-186?". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  4. ^ "About The weekly independent. [volume] (Deer Lodge City, Mont.) 1867-1875". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  5. ^ "About The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  6. ^ "About The Daily independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1874-1875". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  7. ^ "About The Montana daily record. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1900-1916". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  8. ^ "About The Montana record-herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1916-1943". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  9. ^ "About The independent-record. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1943-current". Chronicling America. Library of Congress. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
  10. ^ "Your expanded Helena Independent Record coming soon". The Independent Record. 2023-06-11. Retrieved 2023-06-24.

External links edit