The Daily Gazette, Schenectady’s newspaper that has been family owned since 1894, will be sold to the paper’s publisher of the last decade.
The Daily Gazette on Wednesday announced it will be sold by the Hume-Lind family to publisher John DeAugustine.
DeAugustine, a Saratoga Springs resident who has served as publisher since 2013, told WAMC he jumped at the chance to own the paper.
“You know, creating and distributing outstanding local journalism is impactful. And I can't think of doing anything else. So, the opportunity to own the company that I work for is something that I cherish,” said DeAugustine.
Since 1990, the Daily Gazette has operated out of its headquarters on Maxon Road. Under an existing plan, the building will be sold, but DeAugustine says it’s his goal for the paper to remain on site.
“Without a doubt, we're not leaving Schenectady. I love Schenectady. I think the team in charge here is doing a phenomenal job. So, our company's staying here,” said DeAugustine.
While terms of the sale were not disclosed, DeAugustine said the goal is to finalize the sale by the end of the year.
Daily Gazette family of newspapers editor Miles Reed said the day-to-day operations will not change.
“The intention is, and we talked about this today with the staff, that the structure of the whole company is going to stay the same. And that includes the news structure. We're totally committed to covering local news. John, as the publisher for the last 10 years, has been totally committed to covering local news. And we've actually been expanding, as I think you know, in recent years, where we've tried to expand our reach. We've tried to get more coverage in the region. And we intend to do that,” said Reed.
Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarthy said the sale to DeAugustine and the decision to keep the Gazette in the Electric City “bodes well for local media.”
“And it transitions some of the real estate that’s on Maxon Road in to higher and more productive potential uses. So, we’re excited about it and look forward to working with them as they go forward,” said McCarthy.
In recent years, the Daily Gazette has expanded beyond the Schenectady region. The Gazette last year acquired the Catskill Daily Mail and Hudson Register-Star, and affiliated website Hudson Valley 360. It also purchased the Amsterdam Recorder, the Gloversville Leader-Herald, and arts blog Nippertown.
As small news operations continue to face existential challenges, DeAugustine says there could be more acquisitions in the future.
“I really hope that we have the opportunity to continue to acquire newspapers locally or news websites or whatever else comes our way. But we are still definitely in the market for growth,” said DeAugustine.
Former Daily Gazette editor Judy Patrick, a regular WAMC guest and Vice President of the New York Press Association, is pleased to see the Gazette remain a family operation under the sale to DeAugustine, and celebrated the legacy of the Hume-Lind family.
“And they carried it on from generation to generation. And I just appreciate the Hume family,” said Patrick.
In a statement, Gazette Board Chair Betsie Hume-Lind said her family appreciates the commitment of DeAgustine and his family to journalism and the newspaper’s future success.
The newspaper says it has a paid daily circulation of more than 35,000. According to the announcement, the Gazette’s historical documents and artifacts will be curated and stored locally and the Board of Trustees will remain in place during the transition.
