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The River Falls Times was one of the two weekly newspapers in River Falls, Wisconsin. Created in 1892, the newspaper only survived until 1933 when the other competing newspaper, the [River Falls Journal], bought it out. Clarence M. White, owner and editor of the River Falls Journal at the time, purchased the River Falls Times from Harry R. Roese and Nelly C. Roese on Thursday, April 6th, 1893. After the merge of the two newspapers, the plan was to change the name of the newspaper to the River Falls Journal-Times, but it has adapted to be known as just the River Falls Journal.

History: The newspaper typically contained a mixture of national, international and local news. Since the 1890’s the layout of the River Falls Times had greatly expanded the organization up until the point that it was bought. When comparing and contrasting the first and last published newspaper from the Times, it is important to note key differences in the social priorities as well as the commercial priorities. The growth of visual aids and special topics such as “What people talk about” and “Accidental happenings” are consistently included in the later issues of the newspaper.

The objective of this paper was to be an independent paper since the opposing newspaper was geared more to the Republican party. Before the River Falls Times was bought out, it was under the direction of Iver H. Smith but then passed over to Percy A. Roberts. Compared to the River Falls Journal, it devoted many of its stories to local city improvement and included many editorials regarding them.

The transition of the merge of the newspaper did not have a huge effect on the news reporting itself. The structure of the paper after the merge was not significantly different than the structure of both of the newspapers before. With the adaptation of different societal needs, the newspaper has changed with the new technologies and advancements.

Today: Today, the River Falls Journal is a daily newspaper that is not only a traditional newspaper but has its own online forum today making it easier for readers. The website is updated frequently throughout the day; ranging from stories about local news, national news, and even the weather. Many social changes have shaped the way that the newspaper is organized today such as inclusion for sports sections and notices for residents in the River Falls. The team that makes up the River Falls Journal consists of sixteen individuals all with a range of different beats and newsroom responsibilities. The current publisher is Neal Ronquist, a Minnesota native. Ronquist is also the publisher of the Duluth News Tribune. He has previously worked as a publisher of the Traverse City Record-Eagle in Michigan as well.

The River Falls Journal itself is owned by Forum Communications Company located in Fargo, North Dakota. The media firm owns many newspapers including many of the surrounding cities such as the New Richmond News, Woodbury Bulletin, and the Pierce County Herald. The network also has affiliations with radio stations as well as the CW and ABC.