Miami Herald
An American daily newspaper serving South Florida through print, digital, investigative, and community-focused journalism.
Last updated October 26, 2026
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Overview
The Miami Herald is a South Florida newspaper founded in 1903. It began as the Miami Evening Record after Frank B. Stoneman moved and reorganized the Orlando Record in Miami. Financial difficulties following the recession of 1907 led to a change of ownership, and Frank B. Shutts acquired the publication with assistance connected to Henry Flagler. Shutts renamed it the Miami Herald in December 1910. The paper became one of the defining news institutions of Miami and the wider Florida peninsula, particularly during the population growth and real-estate expansion of the 1920s. The Herald has traditionally reported on Miami-Dade, Broward, and Monroe counties, while also covering Florida politics, the Caribbean, Latin America, immigration, organized crime, business, sports, culture, and the large Spanish-speaking population of South Florida. Its international edition, introduced in 1946, was distributed through partner newspapers in the Caribbean and Latin America and later expanded to Mexico. The paper also developed a Spanish-language publishing relationship that eventually produced El Nuevo Herald, which became an independent publication in 1998. In the twentieth century, the newspaper became associated with investigative reporting and major constitutional press-freedom cases. It won its first Pulitzer Prize in 1950 for reporting on organized crime and has accumulated 24 Pulitzer Prizes according to the newspaper's reference profile. The Supreme Court's decisions in Pennekamp v. Florida in 1946 and Miami Herald Publishing Co. v. Tornillo in 1974 reinforced important protections for press commentary and editorial independence. The Tornillo decision struck down Florida's right-to-reply statute, holding that government could not compel a newspaper to publish material it did not wish to print. The Herald was acquired by John S. Knight in 1939 and later became part of the Knight-Ridder newspaper group. Its notable journalists and contributors have included Dave Barry, Carl Hiaasen, Leonard Pitts Jr., Mirta Ojito, Fred Grimm, Dan Le Batard, Michelle Kaufman, Greg Cote, and Bea Hines. The organization has also maintained civic and educational programs, including the Silver Knight Awards for outstanding high-school students and spelling bees for students in its core South Florida counties. The newspaper has undergone the structural changes affecting metropolitan newspapers generally: declining print circulation, newsroom reductions, digital expansion, consolidation of printing, and a shift away from a seven-day print schedule. In 2011, its former Biscayne Bay headquarters site was sold to Genting Malaysia Berhad. The newsroom moved to Doral in 2013, and the former building was demolished in 2014. The Herald announced a six-days-a-week print format in 2019 and stopped printing its own editions in 2020 after transferring printing and packaging to the South Florida Sun Sentinel's facility. It remains an active digital and regional news brand under McClatchy, with its principal editorial emphasis on South Florida and substantial reach among digital readers.
History
The Miami Herald traces its origins to 1903, when Frank B. Stoneman moved and reorganized the Orlando Record in Miami. The first issue appeared on September 15, 1903, under the name Miami Evening Record. Following severe financial pressure after the 1907 recession, the paper was renamed the Miami Morning News-Record. Frank B. Shutts acquired it with financial assistance associated with Henry Flagler and adopted the Miami Herald name on December 1, 1910. The newspaper grew with South Florida's population and real-estate boom. During the 1920s Florida land boom it became one of the world's largest newspapers by advertising volume. The Great Depression brought the organization close to receivership, but it survived. John S. Knight purchased the paper in 1939, becoming editor and publisher, while his brother James L. Knight managed business operations. The Herald subsequently became part of the Knight-Ridder newspaper group, which grew into one of the major American newspaper chains. The paper's legal history includes two significant First Amendment cases. In Pennekamp v. Florida, decided in 1946, the Supreme Court reversed a contempt judgment arising from Herald publications criticizing a local court. In Miami Herald Publishing Co. v. Tornillo in 1974, the Court unanimously struck down Florida's right-to-reply statute. The ruling established that the government could not force a newspaper to publish content and became a leading statement of editorial autonomy for the print press. The Herald expanded its geographic and language reach during the postwar period. Its international edition began in 1946 through printing arrangements with newspapers in the Caribbean and Latin America. A Spanish-language supplement began in 1976, was renamed El Nuevo Herald in 1987, and became independent in 1998. The Herald also collaborated with Mexico City's El Universal on The Herald Mexico, an English-language publication that operated briefly from 2004 until 2007. The newspaper has reported extensively on organized crime, Florida government, migration, Cuba and the Caribbean, local development, sports, culture, and public institutions. It won its first Pulitzer Prize in 1950 for organized-crime reporting and has received 24 Pulitzer Prizes according to reference material. Its staff and contributors have included nationally recognized writers and commentators as well as journalists who pioneered coverage of underrepresented communities, including the first African American reporter at the Herald, Thirlee Smith Jr., and reporter Bea Hines, who joined in 1970. In the twenty-first century, the Herald diversified its products while adapting to the decline of metropolitan newspaper print advertising and circulation. It launched Home & Design magazine in 2002 and continued building digital journalism and subscription products. In 2011, the former Biscayne Bay property surrounding One Herald Plaza was sold to Genting Malaysia Berhad. The organization moved to Doral in 2013, and the former headquarters was demolished in 2014. The Herald later reduced print frequency, closed its Doral printing plant, and transferred production to the South Florida Sun Sentinel facility in 2020. It remains an active McClatchy newspaper focused primarily on digital and regional journalism.
- 2020
Local printing ends
[1]The Herald stops printing its own editions and uses the South Florida Sun Sentinel's production facilities.
- 2013
Newsroom moves to Doral
[1]The Herald and El Nuevo Herald relocate from their Biscayne Bay headquarters to a new Doral facility.
- 1998
El Nuevo Herald becomes independent
[1]The Spanish-language publication separates editorially and organizationally from the Miami Herald.
- 1976
Spanish-language supplement launches
[1]The Herald begins publishing a Spanish-language supplement that later becomes El Nuevo Herald.
- 1974
Tornillo decision protects editorial independence
[1]The Supreme Court strikes down Florida's compulsory right-to-reply law as inconsistent with press freedom.
- 1959
Silver Knight Awards begin
[1]The newspaper launches its student-recognition program in Miami-Dade County.
- 1950
First Pulitzer Prize
[1]The Herald receives its first Pulitzer Prize for reporting on organized crime in Miami.
- 1946
Pennekamp press-freedom decision
[1]The Supreme Court reverses a contempt judgment against the Herald and an editor over criticism of a local court.
- 1939
John S. Knight purchases the newspaper
[1]Knight becomes editor and publisher, beginning the ownership era that later developed into Knight-Ridder.
- 1910
The Miami Herald name is adopted
[1]Frank B. Shutts acquires the financially troubled newspaper and renames it the Miami Herald.
Products and positioning
A regional newspaper of record for South Florida, positioned around local accountability journalism, investigative reporting, political coverage, community service, and digital access for readers in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Monroe counties.
Newspaper · 1903
Miami Herald print edition
The traditional newspaper product covering South Florida news, politics, business, sports, culture, opinion, and community affairs. The publication shifted to six print days per week in 2019 and stopped producing its own physical editions in 2020, while continuing to offer newspaper content through print distribution and digital channels.
Digital news
Miami Herald digital platform
The newspaper's principal contemporary platform provides local and regional reporting, investigations, breaking news, sports, opinion, visual journalism, and subscription access. Digital delivery is central to the brand as paid print circulation has declined.
International newspaper edition · 1946
Miami Herald International Edition
An international edition introduced after the Second World War and printed through partner newspapers in the Caribbean and Latin America. It was distributed especially in tourist areas and was later extended to Mexico.
Magazine · 2002
Home & Design
A home and design magazine launched by the Miami Herald as a specialized lifestyle publication.
Civic and education program · 1959
Silver Knight Awards
A student awards program recognizing high-school seniors for academic achievement and service. It operates in Miami-Dade and Broward counties across categories including arts, athletics, business, journalism, science, mathematics, music, and vocational study.
Controversies
2020
Miami Herald apologizes for false Nate Diaz report
The Miami Herald apologized after initially incorrectly reporting that mixed martial arts fighter Nate Diaz had been arrested in a domestic-violence case. The newspaper's initial report stated that Diaz had been arrested in connection with a domestic-violence case; the Herald subsequently acknowledged the report was incorrect and issued an apology. The incident is noted as a case in which a news organization publicly corrected and apologized for an erroneous report about a public figure.
2020
Miami Herald responds to controversy over paid insert
The Miami Herald said it was investigating how it published a paid insert containing commentary it called racist and anti-Semitic. Its publisher and the managing editor of El Nuevo Herald apologized to readers, and the publisher said the company was appalled by multiple instances of such commentary in past issues.
2020
Miami Herald apologizes and ends LIBRE supplement relationship
Editors at The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald apologized for including a LIBRE insert containing racist and anti-Semitic commentary. They said they were investigating internal failures and announced that they would end the supplement relationship and no longer publish, print, or distribute its content.
2006
Payments to journalists connected to U.S.-funded Cuban broadcasting
Three Herald journalists were dismissed after receiving payments for work connected to Radio Martí or TV Martí. The dismissals and subsequent reinstatements generated intense criticism within Miami's Cuban-American community, and president Jesús Díaz Jr. resigned after acknowledging that the newspaper's policies had been communicated and enforced inconsistently.
2005
Jim DeFede recording controversy
Columnist Jim DeFede secretly recorded a telephone conversation with Miami commissioner Arthur Teele. After Teele died by suicide in the Herald's lobby, the newspaper fired DeFede for violating Florida law and its ethics rules. Journalists and readers criticized the decision as disproportionate, although management did not reinstate him.
Marketing campaigns
- 2020Silver Knight virtual awards ceremony
South Florida
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Silver Knight ceremony was delivered through a livestream from a video studio, with nominees participating remotely by videoconference.
Outcome. The awards program continued despite restrictions on in-person events.
- 1959Miami Herald Silver Knight Awards
Miami-Dade County and later Broward County
The Herald established a long-running education and community-recognition program for high-school students who combine strong academic performance with service to their schools and communities. Broward County participation began in 1984.
Outcome. The program became one of the newspaper's best-known civic initiatives.
- Miami Herald spelling bees
Miami-Dade · Monroe · and Broward counties
The newspaper hosts spelling competitions whose county winners proceed to the Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Outcome. The competitions remain part of the Herald's community and education activities.
Brand decisions
2020
Outsourcing of printing and packagingStrategyBackground
The Herald announced that its Doral printing plant would close as part of an operational response to falling print demand.
Action taken
Printing and packaging moved to the South Florida Sun Sentinel's facility in Deerfield Beach, and the Herald stopped printing its own editions on April 26.
Aftermath
The brand continued as a newspaper and digital publisher while reducing its direct physical-production infrastructure.
2019
Reduction to six print daysStrategyBackground
The newspaper faced the continuing migration of readers and advertising to digital channels and long-term declines in print economics.
Action taken
The Herald announced that it would no longer publish a printed edition seven days a week.
Aftermath
The change preceded the closure of the newspaper's own printing plant and reinforced the organization's digital transition.
2011
Sale of Biscayne Bay headquarters propertyStrategyBackground
The newspaper decided to sell the 14-acre waterfront property surrounding its longtime One Herald Plaza headquarters.
Action taken
The property was sold to Genting Malaysia Berhad, with the Herald and El Nuevo Herald planning a move to Doral.
Aftermath
The publications relocated in 2013, and the former headquarters was demolished in 2014.
Property sale price. $236 million (2011)
1974
Challenge to Florida's right-to-reply lawOtherBackground
A Florida statute required newspapers to publish a political candidate's reply to criticism. The Herald challenged the law after Pat Tornillo requested space in response to an editorial.
Action taken
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that government could not compel a newspaper to publish content against its editorial judgment.
Aftermath
Miami Herald Publishing Co. v. Tornillo became a leading American press-freedom precedent and confirmed the editorial autonomy of print newspapers.
1946
Challenge to contempt judgment in Pennekamp v. FloridaOtherBackground
The Herald and editor John D. Pennekamp were held in contempt after publications criticized the operation of a local court.
Action taken
The case was taken to the Supreme Court, which reversed the contempt judgment because the alleged threat to judicial administration was not sufficiently clear and immediate.
Aftermath
The ruling strengthened constitutional protection for newspaper criticism of courts and public institutions.
Recent events
Miami Herald responds to controversy over paid insert[6]
Reported:
The Miami Herald said it was investigating how it published a paid insert containing commentary it called racist and anti-Semitic. Its publisher and the managing editor of El Nuevo Herald apologized to readers, and the publisher said the company was appalled by multiple instances of such commentary in past issues.
Herald papers terminate relationship with LIBRE[8]
Reported:
The Herald editors announced that they had terminated their relationship with LIBRE and would no longer publish, print, or distribute its content, following the controversy over the insert.
Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald respond to racist and anti-Semitic insert[8]
Reported:
The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald apologized to readers for a racist and anti-Semitic column in a paid insert. Editors said they were investigating internal failures after finding multiple instances of racist and anti-Semitic commentary.
Miami Herald apologizes over antisemitic advertising insert[7]
Reported:
The Miami Herald apologized for running an advertising insert containing antisemitic and racist commentary, said the content had appeared since January, and said it was investigating internal failures.
Miami Herald apologizes and ends LIBRE supplement relationship[9]
Reported:
Editors at The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald apologized for including a LIBRE insert containing racist and anti-Semitic commentary, said they were investigating internal failures, and announced they would end the supplement relationship and no longer publish, print, or distribute its content.
Miami Herald apologizes for false Nate Diaz report[5]
Reported:
The Miami Herald apologized after initially incorrectly reporting that mixed martial arts fighter Nate Diaz had been arrested in a domestic-violence case.
Sources9 sources
- 1Miami Heralden.wikipedia.org
- 2Miami Herald official websitemiamiherald.com
- 3Miami Herald Publishing Co. v. Tornillosupreme.justia.com
- 4Pennekamp v. Floridasupreme.justia.com
- 5Miami Herald apologizes for false Nate Diaz reportimediaethics.org
- 6Miami Herald responds to controversy over paid inserttoronto.citynews.ca
- 7Miami Herald responds to controversy over paid insertisraelnationalnews.com
- 8Miami Herald responds to controversy over paid insertnydailynews.com
- 9Miami Herald apologizes and ends LIBRE supplement relationshipnbcnews.com
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