USA Today Co.

USA Today Co., Inc., formerly known as Gannett, is an American mass-media holding company headquartered in New York City. Its principal business is newspaper publishing, including the national newspaper USA Today and a large portfolio of local and regional titles. The company is widely described as the largest newspaper publisher in the United States by total daily circulation. The business traces its origins to a newspaper enterprise established by Frank Gannett in Elmira, New York, in 1906. Gannett formally organized the company in 1923 and built it through the acquisition and development of independent newspapers. This acquisition-led strategy reflected a broader twentieth-century trend in which regional newspaper chains sought economies of scale in printing, distribution, advertising, and administration while retaining local editorial identities. Under leaders including Paul Miller and Al Neuharth, the company expanded beyond its Rochester base and developed a substantial Florida presence. One important example was the launch of Today in Cocoa, later Florida Today, which achieved profitability within several years. Gannett also broadened its media interests through the 1978 acquisition of Combined Communications, adding major newspapers, television stations, radio stations, and outdoor advertising operations. The national USA Today newspaper was announced in 1982 and began publication that September, establishing a nationally distributed title with a distinctive visual format and broad general-news orientation. During the 1980s and 1990s, Gannett moved its headquarters from Rochester to the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area and pursued both newspaper and television production activities. It later invested in digital publishing, multimedia journalism, online classified businesses, and audience-subscription systems. Beginning in 2005, the Fort Myers News-Press helped pioneer the company’s mobile multimedia journalist, or “mojo,” model, in which reporters gathered text, photography, audio, and video outside traditional newsroom structures. The company experienced significant restructuring as print advertising and circulation faced long-term digital disruption. In 2015, the former Gannett was separated into a broadcasting and digital company, which became Tegna, and a publishing company that retained the Gannett name. The publishing company subsequently expanded through the acquisition of Journal Media Group. In 2019, New Media Investment Group acquired Gannett and combined it with GateHouse Media. Mike Reed became chief executive of the enlarged organization. The company announced in November 2025 that it would rename Gannett as USA Today Co.; the rebranding was reported as taking effect on November 18, 2025. The new corporate identity emphasizes the USA Today brand while the company continues to operate a broad collection of national, metropolitan, and community publications. Its business scope includes print newspapers, digital news websites, advertising, subscriptions, events, and related audience and marketing services. Its portfolio includes USA Today and titles such as the Detroit Free Press, The Indianapolis Star, The Cincinnati Enquirer, The Columbus Dispatch, The Tennessean, The Arizona Republic, The Des Moines Register, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and the Courier-Journal.

USA Today Co. developed from a newspaper business begun by Frank Gannett in Elmira, New York, in 1906. Gannett organized the company in 1923 and expanded by acquiring small independent newspapers. The company’s early growth followed a chain-publishing model that combined local titles with centralized capabilities in printing, management, distribution, and advertising. Paul Miller succeeded Frank Gannett as president and chief executive officer in 1957. During the following decade, the company increased its presence in Florida. Al Neuharth, who had joined the organization after working at the Miami Herald, became an important figure in this expansion. Gannett acquired the Cocoa Tribune in 1965, later purchased the Titusville Star Advocate, and launched Today in Cocoa. The publication eventually became Florida Today and reached profitability after an initially rapid circulation build-up. Neuharth succeeded Miller as chief executive officer in 1973. Gannett expanded its media portfolio in 1978 through the acquisition of Combined Communications Corporation. The transaction added newspapers including the Oakland Tribune and The Cincinnati Enquirer, television and radio stations, and an outdoor-advertising operation. The company also pursued television production and news programming partnerships during the 1980s. Its most consequential publishing initiative was USA Today, announced in April 1982 and launched in September of that year in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., metropolitan areas. The national newspaper used strong color, concise presentation, and broad coverage to appeal to a mass audience. John Curley became president and chief operating officer in 1984 and chief executive officer in 1985. In 1986, Gannett moved its headquarters from Rochester to Arlington County, Virginia. Douglas H. McCorkindale later succeeded Curley as chief executive officer in 2000 and chairman in 2001, when the headquarters moved to Tysons Corner, Virginia. The company experimented with new formats and digital workflows as the newspaper sector changed. Beginning in 2005, the Fort Myers News-Press developed the “mojo” model of mobile multimedia journalists, who produced text, photographs, audio, and video from within local communities. Gannett also introduced a new corporate logo and tagline in 2011 and announced a paywall program for many newspaper websites in 2012, while USA Today’s website remained an exception to the standard limited-access arrangement at that time. Gannett continued to expand its broadcasting operations in the early 2010s. It acquired Belo Corporation in 2013 after regulatory review and required divestiture arrangements, and acquired six stations from London Broadcasting Company in 2014. These transactions increased the scale of its television portfolio, but the company soon reorganized its overall structure. In 2015, the broadcasting and digital operations became Tegna, while the publishing business retained the Gannett name. The publishing company then acquired Journal Media Group in 2015, adding newspapers across more than one hundred Midwestern and Southern markets. In 2019, New Media Investment Group acquired Gannett and merged it with GateHouse Media. Mike Reed was named chief executive officer. The enlarged company operated a national newspaper, numerous local publications, and digital products in a market characterized by declining print advertising, changing consumer habits, and increased reliance on digital subscriptions and audience services. In November 2025, the company announced a corporate rename to USA Today Co., aligning the holding-company identity more closely with its best-known national newspaper brand.

1. 2025Corporate rename to USA Today Co.

   The company announced a rename from Gannett to USA Today Co., reported as effective November 18, 2025.

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2. 2019New Media Investment Group combines with Gannett

   New Media Investment Group acquired Gannett and combined it with GateHouse Media.

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3. 2015Publishing and broadcasting split

   The broadcasting and digital operations became Tegna, while the spun-off publishing company retained the Gannett name.

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4. 2013Belo acquisition

   Gannett acquired Belo Corporation after regulatory conditions that included the divestiture of KMOV in St. Louis.

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5. 2005Mobile multimedia journalist model begins

   The Fort Myers News-Press pioneered Gannett’s mobile multimedia journalist approach to community reporting.

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6. 1982USA Today launches

   Gannett introduced USA Today as a nationally distributed newspaper, with initial publication beginning in September.

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7. 1978Combined Communications acquisition

   Gannett acquired Combined Communications, adding newspapers, television and radio stations, and outdoor advertising operations.

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8. 1965Gannett acquires the Cocoa Tribune

   The acquisition strengthened Gannett’s Florida expansion and preceded the development of Today in Cocoa, later Florida Today.

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9. 1923Gannett Company is organized

   Frank Gannett formally organized the newspaper company that carried his name.

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10. 1906Frank Gannett begins a newspaper business in Elmira

    The enterprise that eventually developed into the Gannett newspaper group began in Elmira, New York.

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A large-scale American news publisher combining a nationally recognized general-news brand with an extensive network of local newspapers and digital products.

• USA TodayNational newspaper1982

  The company’s flagship national newspaper, launched in 1982. USA Today is designed for broad national readership and is known for accessible general-news coverage, concise presentation, strong visual treatment, and distribution across print and digital channels.

• Local newspaper portfolioLocal and regional newspapers

  A network of metropolitan, regional, and community newspapers serving markets across the United States. Titles include the Detroit Free Press, The Indianapolis Star, The Cincinnati Enquirer, The Columbus Dispatch, The Tennessean, The Arizona Republic, The Des Moines Register, and the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

• Digital news and subscription servicesDigital media2012

  Digital editions, news websites, mobile products, and subscription-access services supporting the company’s national and local publications. Gannett introduced varying forms of metered access and paywalls across many newspaper websites during the 2010s.

• 2019Combine Gannett with GateHouse MediaM&A

  New Media Investment Group sought to combine its GateHouse newspaper operations with Gannett to create a larger publishing network.

  What changed. New Media Investment Group acquired Gannett and merged the businesses, retaining the Gannett name for the combined newspaper publisher.

  Aftermath. The transaction created what was described as the largest newspaper publisher in the United States, with Mike Reed becoming chief executive officer.

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• 2015Separate publishing from broadcasting and digital operationsStrategy

  Gannett operated newspapers alongside television and digital businesses, but the businesses faced different competitive conditions and investment priorities.

  What changed. The company separated its publishing operations from its broadcasting and digital operations. The broadcasting company became Tegna, while the publishing company continued as Gannett.

  Aftermath. The restructuring created two independently traded media companies and left Gannett focused on newspaper publishing.

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• 2025Gannett announces rename to USA Today Co.

  The company announced that Gannett would be renamed USA Today Co., with the rebranding reported as effective November 18, 2025.

  Leadership change
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• 2019New Media Investment Group acquires Gannett

  New Media Investment Group acquired and combined its GateHouse Media subsidiary with Gannett, creating a larger newspaper-publishing organization.

  M&A
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• 2015Gannett completes separation and broadcasting company becomes Tegna

  The separation was completed, with the broadcasting and digital company operating as Tegna and the publishing company continuing under the Gannett name.

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• 2014Gannett announces separation into publishing and broadcasting companies

  The company announced a plan to separate its newspaper publishing business from its broadcasting and digital operations.

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• 1982Gannett announces launch of USA Today

  The company announced a national newspaper and began initial publication in September 1982.

  Product launch
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1. USA Today Co.