Edward W. Scripps and the Building of a Newspaper Empire

Edward W. Scripps was an American newspaper publisher who founded his own publishing company, The E. W. Scripps Company. This company has diversified into a media conglomerate. He also founded the news service United Press. In 1958, United Press merged with International News Service, creating the United Press International (UPI). Ohio University honored Scripps by naming the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism after him.

Scripps was born on June 18, 1854 in Rushville, Illinois. Like many businessmen of his time, Scripps preferred to use his initial instead of writing his first and middle names. He started his career in newspaper publishing when his older half-brother, James, founded The Detroit News. He worked there with his half-sister, Ellen.

At The Detroit News, Scripps began as an office boy. There, he was exposed to the ins and outs of the newspaper publishing business. Using the amount he loaned from his half-brothers, Scripps founded The Penny Press in Cleveland in 1878. Later, the company became known as Cleveland Press. Ellen also granted him financial help in acquiring 25 small newspaper companies. This started Scripps’ hue media empire which known today as E. W. Scripps Company.

As his way of helping the young and promising local newspaper publishers, Scripps lent them his money. Scripps acquired at least 51% of the more successful ones and held on to these companies. Scripps knew that the local editors know better in running their own local newspapers so he rated them considerable autonomy while grooming them to become successful publishers. Scripps also started distributing newspapers to the suburbs.

Scripps founded the UPI in 1907 which created the best competition for Associated Press. Scripps also founded the Science Service (later known as Society for Science & the Public) to inform the public of scientific achievements. Today, the organization operates as a non-profit and continues to promote science. Scripps was also honored by the name of the Scripps University after him for his endowments that came largely from the fortunes he accumulated from his newspaper empire.