 
Nation's First Mass Medium
In 1878, Edward W. Scripps (1854-1926)borrowed $10,000 from
his brothers to set off America's first information revolution - beginning with
the launch of a newspaper in Cleveland aimed at
an emerging - but yet unserved - mass audience of urban workers. "The Penny
Press," named for its affordable price, was clear, concise, and politically
independent. It quickly became the model for the nation's first mass medium.
 In the early 1920s, Scripps added "Howard" to the
company's operating name to recognize the growing contribution of Roy W. Howard,
an aggressive young newsman who rose to become president and chairman of the
concern.
A few years later, Scripps launched
United Press as a competitor to the Associated Press (AP). In 1958, United
Press merged with Hearst's International News Service, and became
United
Press International (UPI). The
E. W.
Scripps Company next expanded to owning television stations and went
public in 1988 on the New York Stock Exchange.
Scripps also nurtured a syndicated features
service, initially built around the writing of his sister, into a licensing and
syndication company that thrives today as "United Media."
 The next venue for expansion proved to be cable
television, with the launch of Home & Garden Television in 1994. E. W. Scripps
then developed the Do It Yourself channel in 1999, and Fine Living in 2002. E.W.
Scripps also owns Summit American Television, which consists of 5 television
stations, including Shop At Home, the fourth-largest home shopping network.
The
E. W.
Scripps Company is now the ninth-largest newspaper publisher in the United
States, with 21 daily newspapers and a combined total circulation of 1.2
million. Newspapers account for 50 percent of revenue, while its ten television
stations (including the Food Network and HGTV) make up another 20 percent.
Did You Know?
- The E.W. Scripps Company is a diverse media
concern with interests in newspaper publishing, broadcast television, national
television networks and interactive media.
- Scripps operates 21 daily newspapers, 10
broadcast TV stations and three cable television networks, with plans to
launch a fourth.
- Scripps national television network brands
include Home & Garden Television, Food Network, Do It Yourself and Fine
Living, launched in 2002.
- The company also operates
Scripps Howard News Service, United Media, the worldwide licensing and
syndication home of PEANUTS and DILBERT, and 31 Web sites, including
hgtv.com,
foodtv.com,
diynet.com and
comics.com.
- Scripps often ran his business from his
homes.
- One legacy of Edward W. Scripps also
continues in the form of Science Service,
a nonprofit science education and publishing organization founded by Scripps
more than 80 years ago. Founded in 1921, Science Service advances public
understanding and appreciation of science around the globe through
publications and educational programs. Science Service has encouraged
students, parents, teachers, and communities to explore the vast world of
science. Science Service is the parent of the
Intel International Science and
Engineering Fair and the weekly
Science News magazine.
Through publications and programs, science fairs and scholarship
competitions, Science Service helps young people utilize and strengthen
their knowledge in science, math, and engineering. Many credit these
experiences as a decisive factor in choosing a scientific career. A member
of the Ohio Academy of Science, the late
David Dietz (1897-1984) was
the first science editor on an American newspaper (the Cleveland Press in
1921) and one of the first board members of Science Service.
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