The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is Wisconsin's largest and most influential newspaper.

It was created in April 1995, when two proud and powerful papers - already owned by the same company - merged the best of their resources. Now, building on the traditions of The Milwaukee Journal and Milwaukee Sentinel, the newspaper has forged a new identity, a new mission.

One of only a handful of employee-owned newspapers in the United States, the Journal Sentinel is focused on providing the best possible coverage of local news, while reaching out far beyond the metro area's boundaries to put events around the world in context. The newspaper is a community of creative people working together, telling stories, anticipating the issues that will be important to the community while reflecting what it's like to live in this place, at this time.

History, Awards and Outreach

In terms of age, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is a youngster, but its predecessors have long and storied histories.

The Milwaukee Sentinel is the oldest continuing business in Wisconsin. It was founded as a weekly in 1837 by Solomon Juneau, a fur trader, land speculator and Milwaukee's first mayor. Among its editors were Rufus King, a civil leader and visionary, and Christopher Latham Sholes, an abolitionist and inventor of the typewriter. The Journal Company bought the Sentinel from the Hearst newspaper chain in 1962.

Long known for its aggressive local news coverage, the Sentinel was the only newspaper to win the prestigious University of Missouri/Inland Press Association community service award three times.
The awards recognized the paper's Forum for Progress, an annual seminar of community interest and concern that continues to this day under the auspices of the Journal Sentinel.

The Milwaukee Journal began publishing in 1882. Its first editor was Lucius Nieman, who remained at the helm until his death in 1935. Nieman, for whom the Nieman Fellowships at Harvard University are named, worked to build The Milwaukee Journal into a newspaper that would be based on the premise that news should not be influenced by special interests. The attitude was a breath of fresh air in an era when many newspapers were voices for political parties or groups.

The Milwaukee Journal won five Pulitzer Prizes, and numerous other awards over the years. Like its predecessors, the Journal Sentinel regularly sweeps the competitions sponsored by the Milwaukee Press Club and the Wisconsin Newspaper Association.

In addition, numerous reporters have won national awards and fellowships for their work, such as the Loeb Award and the Nieman Fellowship. And both the Sports and Business sections have been honored as among the best in the nation. Journal Sentinel staffers are strong members of national journalism organizations, and the newspaper regularly participates in journalism conferences and seminars across the country.

Size

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has one of the strongest readership penetration rates in the nation. The Sunday Journal Sentinel ranks #1 among the 50 largest populated metropolitan markets with 71% of adults reading an average issue, and the daily newspaper ranks 3rd according to the Scarborough Research 2005 multi-market project.

The newsroom employs more than 300 full-timers and about three dozen part-timers.

Four editions of the newspaper - based on geographic zones - are produced each day.

Journal Interactive

Journal Interactive, the Internet division of Journal Sentinel Inc., produces several award-winning Web sites, chief among them JSOnline.com, the most heavily trafficked news and information Web site in Wisconsin. With an emphasis on breaking news, up-to-the-minute coverage and unprecedented breadth, JS Online features best-of-the-Web coverage of Milwaukee and Wisconsin, delivering complete, concise news information as it happens.

Dedicated to being the No. 1 Internet source for Wisconsin news, sports, business and entertainment information 365 days a year, seven days a week, 24 hours a day, JSOnline frequently has been cited among the best newspaper Web sites in the nation. In addition to continuous updates, JS Online also features Internet archives, classified advertising, and multimedia services.

Another product is Packer Insider, Journal Interactive's award-winning online subscription service delivering the most complete, insightful, to-the-point coverage of the Packers on the Internet. Packer Insider earned one of the interactive newspaper industry's highest honors when it was selected for a 2002 Digital Edge Award by the Newspaper Association of America's New Media Federation. Packer Insider also won an award from Editor & Publisher in 2004 for Best Sports Internet Site.

Holding company

Journal Communications Inc., the holding company of Journal Sentinel Inc., which publishes the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, is one of America's leading independent media and communications companies.

Journal Communications employs more than 6,000 people across the United State. Journal Sentinel Inc. is the largest of the seven Journal Communications companies.