The Post-Standard

The Post-Standard is a Syracuse, New York, newspaper brand with roots reaching back to 1829. It developed from The Onondaga Standard, which was created when Vivus W. Smith consolidated the Onondaga Journal and the Syracuse Advertiser. During the nineteenth century, the publication used several names, including The Weekly Standard, The Daily Standard, and The Syracuse Standard. A separate newspaper, The Syracuse Post, began publication in 1894. The two titles were combined at the end of the century, producing the first issue of The Post-Standard on January 1, 1899. The merged newspaper became one of Syracuse's principal news institutions. In 1944, publisher Samuel I. Newhouse acquired The Post-Standard, bringing it into the Newhouse publishing interests that later became Advance Publications. Newhouse had previously purchased Syracuse's evening newspapers, the Syracuse Herald and the Syracuse Journal, and combined them as the Syracuse Herald-Journal. For much of the twentieth century, the titles operated as related but editorially independent publications: The Post-Standard appeared in the morning, the Herald-Journal in the afternoon, and the Herald American on Sundays. Their operations were eventually consolidated under the collective identity Syracuse Newspapers. The local newspaper market could not indefinitely sustain two major daily papers. The Herald-Journal closed in September 2001, and much of its operation and coverage was folded into The Post-Standard. The newspaper also invested in production technology, replacing its older letterpress equipment with a large Wifag offset press in 2001. The new facility enabled substantially broader use of color and supported the publication's positioning as a modern regional newspaper. The Post-Standard was an early newspaper adopter of online publishing. In the early 1990s, its company experimented with telephone-delivered digital audio. In November 1994, it launched a web service that initially operated under the name Syracuse OnLine before becoming Syracuse.com. The site was developed with assistance from Syracuse University's iSchool at a time when relatively few newspapers operated independent websites. Syracuse.com subsequently became the principal digital companion to the print newspaper and a central part of the broader Advance Media New York portfolio. In 2012, Advance created Syracuse Media Group to integrate editorial, advertising, marketing, and digital operations around the newspaper and its online products. The organization moved many staff members to 220 South Warren Street, while printing and press functions remained at the Clinton Square facility. The company changed its name to Advance Media New York in 2015 as it expanded its regional digital strategy. Related offerings have included the ePost-Standard replica edition, Syracuse.com's high-school sports coverage, NewYorkUpstate.com, The Good Life: Central New York magazine, and a visitor guide. The Post-Standard publishes seven days a week, although its delivery pattern and print formats have changed in response to shifting newspaper economics and digital readership. Beginning in 2013, full-size editions were delivered on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, while the other days used smaller editions. The brand combines local reporting, state-government investigations, sports, opinion, community information, and digital services. Its coverage area includes Syracuse, Onondaga County, and the wider Central New York region, with particular attention to local government, education, economic development, public accountability, and the area's strong connections to Syracuse University and nearby Fort Drum. The newspaper has maintained a visible community role through events and civic programs, including a winter treasure hunt, a holiday fundraising drive, spelling competitions, high-school arts recognition, volunteer awards, sports tournaments, technology workshops, and public conversations with journalists. Its investigative work has examined New York State spending, tax incentives, public authorities, land transactions, legislative financing, and criminal-justice cases. The publication has also sent reporters and photographers to cover U.S. military deployments in Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq, often following service members connected to Central New York. The Post-Standard remains an active regional news brand within Advance Media New York, with Syracuse.com serving as its principal digital counterpart.

The publication's origins date to September 10, 1829, when Vivus W. Smith consolidated the Onondaga Journal and the Syracuse Advertiser under the name The Onondaga Standard. It was subsequently known under several variations, including The Weekly Standard, The Daily Standard, and The Syracuse Standard. The Syracuse Post was founded separately on July 10, 1894. On December 26, 1898, the owners of the two papers agreed to combine them, and the first issue of The Post-Standard appeared on January 1, 1899, from offices on East Genesee Street in Syracuse. Samuel I. Newhouse entered the Syracuse newspaper market in 1939 by acquiring the city's two evening papers and combining them into the Syracuse Herald-Journal. He later acquired The Post-Standard in 1944. For decades, the morning Post-Standard and afternoon Herald-Journal maintained separate news and editorial departments, while the Sunday Herald American served another part of the market. The newspapers were housed separately until a new Clinton Square building opened in 1971 and were commonly described as Syracuse Newspapers. By the late twentieth century, changing readership and market economics made continued competition between two major Syracuse dailies difficult. The Herald-Journal ceased publication in September 2001, with its news operation merged into The Post-Standard. That same year, the newspaper modernized its production plant with a Swiss-built Wifag offset press. The 750-ton, five-story machine was installed in a new glass-enclosed press hall and allowed extensive color printing. The company was also an early participant in online news. It experimented with telephone-based digital audio in the early 1990s and launched an online service in November 1994. Initially called Syracuse OnLine, the service later became Syracuse.com. Its development involved Syracuse University's iSchool and placed the newspaper among the early U.S. publishers to establish an independent web presence rather than relying solely on commercial online services. Advance's 2012 creation of Syracuse Media Group brought print and digital commercial and editorial functions into a more integrated structure. Staff offices moved to South Warren Street, while printing remained at the Clinton Square plant. The organization adopted the Advance Media New York name in 2015. This structure supports The Post-Standard, Syracuse.com, digital sports products, magazines, and other regional media offerings. The paper's public role has extended beyond daily reporting. Its investigative journalists have examined New York State tax incentives, public-authority borrowing, legislative spending, public land transactions, power-authority expenditures, and civil confinement practices. Its reporting on Empire Zone tax breaks contributed to litigation seeking public records and to the eventual termination of the program. The newspaper has also investigated the disappearance of Heidi Allen and questioned aspects of the resulting investigation and prosecution. Community programs have included an annual winter medallion hunt dating from 1988, a holiday fundraising effort whose origins reach back to 1932, spelling competitions, high-school theater recognition, a Volunteer of the Year award, sports tournaments, digital-literacy workshops, and public events featuring newsroom specialists. The publication has covered overseas conflicts involving American troops, including Bosnia, Afghanistan, and Iraq, often reporting on service members connected to Central New York. Its present identity is that of a regional newspaper and digital news organization operating within Advance Media New York.

• 2015

  Syracuse Media Group becomes Advance Media New York

  [1]The Post-Standarden.wikipedia.org

  The renamed organization broadens its regional identity and digital publishing ambitions.

• 2012

  Syracuse Media Group is formed

  [1]The Post-Standarden.wikipedia.org

  Advance creates a structure centered on digital integration and coordinated media operations.

• 2001

  The Herald-Journal is folded into The Post-Standard

  [1]The Post-Standarden.wikipedia.org

  The afternoon newspaper closes, consolidating Syracuse's principal daily newspaper operation.

• 1994

  Syracuse OnLine launches

  [1]The Post-Standarden.wikipedia.org

  The company launches an early online newspaper service that later becomes Syracuse.com.

• 1971

  A new Clinton Square newspaper building opens

  [1]The Post-Standarden.wikipedia.org

  The Syracuse newspaper operations move into a new building at Clinton Square.

• 1944

  Samuel I. Newhouse acquires the newspaper

  [1]The Post-Standarden.wikipedia.org

  The Post-Standard joins the Newhouse family's growing Syracuse newspaper interests.

• 1899

  The Post-Standard is created

  [1]The Post-Standarden.wikipedia.org

  The Syracuse Post and The Daily Standard are merged, with the new title publishing its first issue on January 1.

• 1894

  The Syracuse Post begins publication

  [1]The Post-Standarden.wikipedia.org

  A separate Syracuse newspaper called The Syracuse Post is launched.

• 1829

  The Onondaga Standard is founded

  [1]The Post-Standarden.wikipedia.org

  Vivus W. Smith consolidates two Syracuse-area newspapers and publishes the first issue of The Onondaga Standard.

A long-established, locally focused regional news organization serving Syracuse and Central New York through print journalism, digital publishing, investigations, sports coverage, and community engagement.

• Print newspaper · 1899

  The Post-Standard

  The flagship newspaper publishes local, regional, state, national, and international news, along with opinion, sports, business, arts, and community coverage. It serves Syracuse and Central New York and publishes seven days per week, with print delivery formats varying by day.

• Digital news platform · 1994

  Syracuse.com

  Syracuse.com is the principal digital counterpart to The Post-Standard. It carries breaking news, enterprise reporting, sports, local information, commentary, advertising, and community content for Syracuse and the surrounding region.

• Digital edition

  The ePost-Standard

  The ePost-Standard provides subscribers with a digital replica of the printed newspaper and may include additional subscriber-oriented content and digital access features.

• Sports media

  High School Sports Network

  This affiliated sports service covers high schools and teams in Section III of Central New York and selected schools beyond the area. Its material is distributed through Syracuse.com, smartphone products, and newspaper sports and community sections.

• Regional magazine

  The Good Life: Central New York

  A bimonthly glossy magazine focused on lifestyle and regional-interest material in Central New York. It has been distributed through newsstands and as part of the newspaper's broader media portfolio.

• Digital regional media · 2015

  NewYorkUpstate.com

  Launched as a broader Upstate New York digital publication, NewYorkUpstate.com extends the company's coverage beyond the immediate Syracuse market.

• 2015Syracuse High School Theatre Awards

  Central New York

  The newspaper company partnered with the Landmark Theatre to recognize high-school theater productions and student performers.

  Outcome. The program expanded the brand's role in local arts and student achievement.

  Source
• 2013Volunteer of the Year

  Central New York

  The company introduced an annual award recognizing a local volunteer for service to the community.

  Outcome. The selected honoree receives a $5,000 award.

  Source
• 1988Winter Medallion Hunt

  Central New York

  The newspaper hides a medallion in an Onondaga County public park during the winter season and publishes daily clues with Syracuse.com. The activity is associated with Syracuse Winterfest and the school winter break.

  Outcome. The finder receives a cash prize, with a larger award for newspaper subscribers, and the event has become a recurring community tradition.

  Source
• 1932Holiday Fund Drive

  Central New York

  Originally organized to help families obtain coal during the Great Depression, the annual drive evolved into a holiday campaign supporting local families through the Christmas Bureau, United Way, and Salvation Army.

  Outcome. The campaign has raised more than $50,000 in some recent years and provides gifts, food, clothing, and related assistance.

  Source

• 2015

  Rename Syracuse Media Group as Advance Media New YorkStrategy

  Background

  The company was expanding its digital coverage and commercial ambitions beyond Syracuse proper.

  Action taken

  Syracuse Media Group adopted the Advance Media New York name.

  Aftermath

  The new identity aligned the newspaper and its digital products with a broader Upstate New York media strategy.

  Source

• 2013

  Change print delivery frequency and formatStrategy

  Background

  The newspaper adjusted its print model in response to changing newspaper consumption and operating economics.

  Action taken

  Full-sized home-delivered editions were scheduled for Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, while other days used smaller editions.

  Aftermath

  The brand retained daily publication while placing greater emphasis on digital distribution and selected high-volume print days.

  Source

• 2012

  Create Syracuse Media GroupStrategy

  Background

  Advance sought to coordinate the newspaper's print and digital businesses as reader behavior and advertising moved online.

  Action taken

  Editorial, advertising, and marketing personnel were incorporated into Syracuse Media Group, while printing and press support remained at the Clinton Square site.

  Aftermath

  The organization became the operating platform for a more digital-focused regional media portfolio and was later renamed Advance Media New York.

  Source

• 2001

  Replace the letterpress with a Wifag offset pressGeneration change

  Background

  The newspaper needed a modern production system capable of supporting more color and updated print presentation.

  Action taken

  It installed a large Swiss-built Wifag offset press in a newly constructed press hall at the Clinton Square facility.

  Aftermath

  The newspaper gained the ability to use color on nearly every page and promoted itself with the slogan “America's Most Colorful Paper.”

  Press and building expansion cost. $39.5 million (2001)

  Source

• 2015

  Advance Media New York name adopted[1]The Post-Standarden.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Syracuse Media Group was renamed Advance Media New York to reflect a broader regional digital and media strategy.

• 2015

  The Post-Standard receives New York Newspaper of Distinction recognition[1]The Post-Standarden.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The New York State Associated Press Association recognized the newspaper with its Newspaper of Distinction award.

• 2013

  The newspaper changes its print delivery pattern[1]The Post-Standarden.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The Post-Standard moved to full-size home-delivered editions on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays, with smaller editions on other days.

• 2012

  Syracuse Media Group is established[1]The Post-Standarden.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Advance reorganized the newspaper's editorial, advertising, marketing, and digital functions under Syracuse Media Group to support a stronger digital operating model.

• 2001

  The Herald-Journal closes and is merged into The Post-Standard[1]The Post-Standarden.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The closure of Syracuse's afternoon Herald-Journal consolidated the city's major newspaper reporting operation within The Post-Standard.

• 2001

  New offset press expands color production[1]The Post-Standarden.wikipedia.org

  Product generation

  The newspaper began using a large Wifag offset press, replacing an older letterpress system and enabling color on nearly every page.

• 1994

  The Post-Standard launches Syracuse OnLine[1]The Post-Standarden.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  The newspaper company introduced an early web service that later became Syracuse.com, establishing a digital publishing presence unusually early for a regional newspaper.

1. 1The Post-Standarden.wikipedia.org
2. 2The Post-Standard official pagesyracuse.com