User:Mntipps/The Bellingham Herald

The Bellingham Herald is a daily newspaper published in Bellingham, Washington, in the United States. Founded on March 10th 1890, the Herald specializes in documenting local events while touching lightly on national and breaking news. Originally titled 'The Fairhaven Herald,' this local newspaper changed its name to 'the Bellingham Herald' after Bellingham became an official city in 1903. Prior to the internet, the herald printed in its own basement. Nowadays, they digitally forward their material to Skagit County for printing. The Bellingham Herald pride themselves on being the "most widely read local news source in Whatcom County, reaching more than 57,000 local readers each day." They now employ around 60 employees. It is currently owned by The McClatchy Company. Segments produced on a weekly basis include News, Sports, Politics, Business, Entertainment, Living, Opinion, Obituaries, Video, Weird News, and the McClatchy Editorial Cartoon of the Week.

History
The Bellingham Herald began publication on March 10, 1890, as the tri-weekly Fairhaven Herald. The newspaper went through several changes in its early years, including temporary suspension and a merger with a competing weekly. The first editor went by the name William "Lightfoot" Visscher, though he only worked for the paper for 18 months before falling out with Nelson Bennet, the landowner. Visscher was fired in April 1891 and returned to his previous occupation in Tacoma, WA. In 1900 the newspaper purchased the first linotype on the West Coast. When neighboring communities of Sehome, Whatcom and Fairhaven consolidated into the city of Bellingham in 1903, the paper was first printed as The Bellingham Herald.

Federated Publications bought The Herald in 1967. This reign of ownership lasted less than a decade as Federated Publications merged with Gannett Corporation in 1971. The Herald switched to morning delivery in May 1997. Knight Ridder acquired The Bellingham Herald in 2005. Knight Ridder was purchased by McClatchy in 2006, making the newspaper part of its acquisition. "'There were many who filled these roles over the years but perhaps the most notable was the Sefrit-Carver team under the ownership of Sidney Albert 'Sam' Perkins, which began in 1911 and lasted in to the 1950s. William Coston Carver was managing editor from 1912 until 1958 with Frank Sefrit as general manager and editor from 1911 until he died in 1950. Sefrit's legacy succeeded when sons Charles and Ben followed in the senior's footsteps. The lengthy ownership of Perkins, and later his heirs, continued until 1967 when the family sold The Herald to Federated Publications. In 1971 Federated Publications merged with Gannett Co., Inc.'"Currently, Rusty Dodge is the General Manager & VP of Advertising and Julie Shirley serves as the Executive Editor.

=== Milestones ===


 * 1) In 2019, The Bellingham Herald relocated their offices to Barkley Village
 * 2) In 2017, the Herald's website averaged 620,000 monthly unique visitors
 * 3) In 2006, McClatchy purchased the Bellingham Herald as part of its acquisition of Knight Ridder Inc.
 * 4) In 2005, Knight Ridder acquired the Bellingham Herald for $2.35 million
 * 5) In 2000, BellinghamHerald.com went live
 * 6) In 1997, the Bellingham Herald officially converted to a morning paper
 * 7) In 1981, Jack Carver, the newspaper's photographer, retired
 * 8) In 1967, Federated Publications purchased the Bellingham Herald
 * 9) In 1926, the paper moved into the newly constructed Herald Building
 * 10) In 1911, Sefrit-Carver team (belonging to Sidney Albert "Sam" Perkinds) took over as editor
 * 11) In 1903, Bellingham becomes an official city and local newspaper publishes its last issue as 'The Fairhaven Herald' and publishes its first issue as 'The Bellingham Herald.'
 * 12) In 1900, 'The Fairhaven Herald' was the first newspaper on the West Coast to purchase a linotype printer
 * 13) In 1891, the Chief Editor, William "Lightfoot" Visscher, was fired

The Herald Building
The Herald Building is located in downtown Bellingham at 2211 Rimland Dr #301, Bellingham, WA 98226. The Herald Building in downtown Bellingham is located on the corner of N State St and Chestnut St. Built in 1926, this six-story office space features a Gothic Revival architecture style complete with white terracotta tile. At the entrance, a custom stain-glass window features a herald playing his trumpet in honor of the newspaper. "It was also the first concrete-and-steel building built in the downtown district, using steam heat that was cutting-edge technology at the time and is still in use today", said owner Kane Hall of Daylight Properties. The Bellingham Herald's main offices were located on the second floor. Tenant businesses also occupied the remaining space, including a dentist, a restaurant, and even the Bellingham Chamber of Commerce. Prior to the construction of the Bellingham Towers in 1930, the Herald Building held the record for the tallest building in Bellingham. It is currently owned by Daylight Properties and due to its infamous reputation is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as well as the State Historic Register. With the decline in demand for print newspapers, the size of the company decreased until there were only 60 employees remaining. Since then, the employee offices have been relocated to the Barkley district where they have a unit more fitting for their smaller size.

The Herald Sign
The iconic lighted "HERALD" sign atop the Herald Building served sailors as a navigation aid for many years. The Herald letters, standing 40'x10', are currently managed by Kane Hall of Daylight Properties. Morse Hardware had a similar sign saying "MORSE" on top of it for decades - and boaters would use the two signs at night for navigation.The original sign was lit by more than 300 incandescent bulbs before changing to neon four years later, according to a 2016 article in The Bellingham Herald. In 2016, Daylight Properties installed modern aluminum lights, "creating a programmable LED lighting system that shows a variety of colors beyond the traditional neon red. The colors change to a bright red and green for the holiday season and can often be seen displaying multiple colors in accordance to local festivals and holidays.

Subscription
The Bellingham Herald produces newspaper articles in print and digital form. Paper copies can be purchased at local grocery outlets in greater Whatcom Country as well as purchased through their website for home delivery.

Newsletter Subscription Options

 * Morning Report sign up to receive emails (weekdays at 6am) consisting of headline news


 * Afternoon Update sign up to receive emails (weekdays at noon) containing top stories and blog updates
 * Breaking News sign up to get notified regarding major local and national news
 * eEdition sign up to get email (daily at 5:30am) notifications when the eEdition articles are published and accessible
 * Openings & Closings sign up to get an email notification regarding business developments in Bellingham, WA
 * Uplift sign up to read inspirational stories, available in Friday's subscriber-only eEditions

Advertising and Reach
The Bellingham Herald staffs media consultants support local business by offering advanced solutions in video, mobile, and targeted digital advertising to help reach customers by using data from their website and reader surveys to learn what readers value most. This allows the Herald to source alternative profits while finding a way to give back to the community. Advertisements placed can range anywhere from the local glass shop, Louis Auto Glass, to personal ads from citizens.

Media
The Bellingham Herald can be found on popular social media platforms; Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and at their website.

Website:


 * https://www.bellinghamherald.com/
 * Went live 2000

Facebook:


 * https://www.facebook.com/bellinghamherald/
 * 34,517 followers as of February 6th 2020

Twitter:


 * @Bhamherald
 * 23,000 followers as of February 6th 2020
 * Joined January 2009
 * @Bhamcrime
 * 6,571 Followers as of February 6th 2020
 * Joined October 2010
 * @Bhamheraldbiz
 * 3,250 Followers as of February 6th 2020
 * Joined September 2019
 * @Bhamdealsaver
 * 742 followers as of February 6th 2020
 * Joined September 2009

YouTube:


 * https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdvNyVMVK2rOqXk3drYgkag
 * 5,730 subscribers as of February 6th 2020
 * Joined June 2007

Applications:


 * Bellingham Herald
 * Available in the App Store and through Google Play for both Android and iPhone users

Contact
Phone (360) 676-2600

Customer Service 360-483-4324

Mailing Address 2211 Rimland Drive, Suite 301, Bellingham, WA 98226