SAN DIEGO NEWSPAPER:

THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE

There was a time when San Diego didn’t have a newspaper. That was from 1860 to 1868. In that year,  Philip Crosthwaite, who lived in San Diego, paid a visit to his sister in San Andreas. He knew about the lack of a decent newspaper in San Diego, and proposed his sister’s husband Colonel Gatewood, who was running the San Andreas Register in San Andreas, to move the business to San Diego and start a newspaper there. Gatewood was immediately interested, and he came to San Diego to found the San Diego Union. The San Diego population was enthusiastic about the idea of a newspaper, this way they could finally publish their classified ads somewhere. The first San Diego Union came out on October 10, 1868. Colonel Gatewood announced the first publication as follows:

To the Public:
On Saturday next I will issue the first number of The San Diego Union. Those who wish to advertise will confer a favor upon me by sending in their advertisements as early next week as possible. In order to insure an insertion on the first page of the paper, the copy must be handed into the office by next Tuesday night. I presume that the business men of San Diego appreciate the advantages of advertising, and will therefore accept with avidity the opportunity now offered them.
To read more see below text in italics

On December 2, 1895, another newspaper was founded: The Evening Tribune. The two newspapers were published together from 1901. They were published by two families: the Spreckels and the Copleys. On February 2, 1992, the two San Diego newspapers developed into one morning edition.

The Copley and Spreckels families have publsihed the San Diego newspapers through the whole of the twentieth century. In 1973, when then-publisher James Strohn Copley died from cancer, his widow took over the paper and remained publisher until her retirement in 2001. She then appointed her son David C. Copley as chief executive. He fulfils that position until the day of today.

Over the years, the Union-Tribune has won several prizes, including three Pulitzer Prizes: in 1907 the San Diego Union-Tribune received a Pulitzer in the category Commentary, in 1979 in the category Breaking News Reporting, and in 2006 in the category National Reporting.

Besides the daily San Diego Union-Tribune, the publishing house Union-Tribune also publishes Enlace, a weekly Spanish paper, and publishes news on its website http://www.SignOnSanDiego.com.

Read more San Diego Newspapers:

San Diego Reader: www.sdreader.com

San Diego Union-Tribune: www.signonsandiego.com

www.sdnews.com

www.nctimes.com

Obtained from www.sandiegohistory.org

To the Public:
On Saturday next I will issue the first number of The San Diego Union. Those who wish to advertise will confer a favor upon me by sending in their advertisements as early next week as possible. In order to insure an insertion on the first page of the paper, the copy must be handed into the office by next Tuesday night. I presume that the business men of San Diego appreciate the advantages of advertising, and will therefore accept with avidity the opportunity now offered them.
I will be thankful for any local item of general or special importance, and particularly request to be furnished with names of vessels arriving and departing from our harbor, and with all matters of importance to shippers.
From those who purpose farming I will be pleased to learn the character of crop they intend planting and the prob­able quantity of acres they will cultivate. I respectfully in­vite from all branches of business such communications as will tend to advance the multifarious interests of San Diego county, and promote the general prosperity of our citizens.
Neither political tirades, nor personal abuse will find place in the columns of the Union. As my object—and such is my agreement with my patrons—is to publish to the world the ad­vantages of the harbor, climate and soil of this vicinity, I hope that no imposition, exaggeration or prevarication will ever be tolerated by those who may afford local information to the Union. In my humble judgment they need no such subter­fuges; but the plain, unvarnished truth of our harbor, climate and soil is all that need be told, to insure the wonder and win the admiration of the world.
As the Union is to be politically neutral, I know of no way by which I can prevent the expression of my political predi­lections except by steering entirely clear of politics, therefore, the Union will maintain politically a wise and masterly silence.
For the many favors I have received at the hands of the citizens of San Diego I return my sincere heartfelt thanks, and only bespeak of them the same kindness, courtesy and consideration for my little pet, to be born on next Saturday.

WM. JEFF GATEWOOD.