The Register-Herald
Encyclopedia
The Register-Herald is seven-day morning daily newspaper based in Beckley, West Virginia
, and also covering surrounding communities in Fayette
, Greenbrier
, Raleigh
, Summers
and Wyoming
counties, West Virginia
.
The newspaper traces its history to the Raleigh Register, the Raleigh Herald, and the Beckley Evening Post which were among a dozen weekly and monthly publications published in and around Beckley as early as the 1880s. The Raleigh Register developed into a modern daily newspaper and began seven-day publication on June 6, 1923. The Evening Post began daily publication on February 12, 1924. On May 31, 1926 the Herald and Evening Post combined as a morning daily newspaper known as the Beckley Post-Herald. On June 1, 1928 the Raleigh Register and Beckley Post-Herald came under common ownership
, with the Post-Herald publishing Monday-Friday mornings, the Register publishing Monday-Friday afternoons, with subscribers receiving a combined paper produced by the Post-Herald staff on Saturday and the Register staff on Sunday. Despite the common ownership the Register was generally a Democratic
newspaper, and the Post-Herald a Republican
alternative. This arrangement continued until the sale of the newspapers to the owners of the Charleston Daily Mail
in 1977. Following this, the editorial independence of the two publications declined, and the Register was slowly shut down. By 1981 the Register was simply an afternoon reprint and update of the Post-Herald, with a separate editorial page, and on January 1, 1985 the two newspapers were completely combined under the current name.
The newspaper changed hands three times in the 1990s, before being acquired by its current owners in 2000. Circulation has wained with the declining population of the area.
Beckley Newspapers, a division of Community Newspaper Holdings
Inc., publishes The Register-Herald and two weekly newspapers, The Fayette Tribune and The Montgomery Herald.
Beckley, West Virginia
Beckley is a city in Raleigh County, West Virginia, United States, which was founded on April 4, 1838. The 2008 population was estimated to be 16,832 by the U.S. Census Bureau. Early in its history, the town was known as Beckleyville and Raleigh Court House...
, and also covering surrounding communities in Fayette
Fayette County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 47,579 people, 18,945 households, and 13,128 families residing in the county. The population density was 72 people per square mile . There were 21,616 housing units at an average density of 33 per square mile...
, Greenbrier
Greenbrier County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 34,453 people, 14,571 households, and 9,922 families residing in the county. The population density was 34 people per square mile . There were 17,644 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile...
, Raleigh
Raleigh County, West Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 79,220 people, 31,793 households, and 22,096 families residing in the county. The population density was 130 people per square mile . There were 35,678 housing units at an average density of 59 per square mile...
, Summers
Summers County, West Virginia
Summers County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 13,927. Its county seat is Hinton. Summers County was created by an act of the West Virginia General Assembly on February 27, 1871 from parts of Fayette, Greenbrier, Mercer and Monroe...
and Wyoming
Wyoming County, West Virginia
Wyoming County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2010 census, the population was 23,796. Its county seat is Pineville. Wyoming County was created in 1850 from Logan County and named for the Delaware Indian word meaning "large plains."-Geography:According to the U.S...
counties, West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
.
The newspaper traces its history to the Raleigh Register, the Raleigh Herald, and the Beckley Evening Post which were among a dozen weekly and monthly publications published in and around Beckley as early as the 1880s. The Raleigh Register developed into a modern daily newspaper and began seven-day publication on June 6, 1923. The Evening Post began daily publication on February 12, 1924. On May 31, 1926 the Herald and Evening Post combined as a morning daily newspaper known as the Beckley Post-Herald. On June 1, 1928 the Raleigh Register and Beckley Post-Herald came under common ownership
Common ownership
Common ownership is a principle according to which the assets of an enterprise or other organization are held indivisibly rather than in the names of the individual members or by a public institution such as a governmental body. It is therefore in contrast to public ownership...
, with the Post-Herald publishing Monday-Friday mornings, the Register publishing Monday-Friday afternoons, with subscribers receiving a combined paper produced by the Post-Herald staff on Saturday and the Register staff on Sunday. Despite the common ownership the Register was generally a Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
newspaper, and the Post-Herald a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
alternative. This arrangement continued until the sale of the newspapers to the owners of the Charleston Daily Mail
Charleston Daily Mail
The Charleston Daily Mail is a Pulitzer Prize winning Monday-Friday morning newspaper in Charleston, West Virginia.-Publishing History:The Daily Mail was founded in 1914 by former Alaska Gov. Walter Eli Clark and remained the property of his heirs until 1987. Governor Clark described the newspaper...
in 1977. Following this, the editorial independence of the two publications declined, and the Register was slowly shut down. By 1981 the Register was simply an afternoon reprint and update of the Post-Herald, with a separate editorial page, and on January 1, 1985 the two newspapers were completely combined under the current name.
The newspaper changed hands three times in the 1990s, before being acquired by its current owners in 2000. Circulation has wained with the declining population of the area.
Beckley Newspapers, a division of Community Newspaper Holdings
Community Newspaper Holdings
Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc. is a publisher of newspapers and advertising-related publications throughout the eastern part of the United States. The company was formed in 1997 by Ralph Martin, and is based in Birmingham, Alabama. The company is financed by the Retirement Systems of...
Inc., publishes The Register-Herald and two weekly newspapers, The Fayette Tribune and The Montgomery Herald.