The McClatchy Company The McClatchy Company Type Public Founded February 3 , 1857 Headquarters Sacramento , CA Key people James McClatchy , founder of the Sacramento Bee Industry Newspaper publishing Website The McClatchy Company The McClatchy Company NYSE : MNI is an American publishing company based in Sacramento , California , that operates a number of newspapers and websites . History The company originated in The Sacramento Bee , which was first published on February 3 , 1857 , after the California Gold Rush . James McClatchy took over as editor of the Bee within a week . Having purchased Knight Ridder , the United States ' second-largest newspaper company ( see below ) ( Gannett Company is the largest ) , McClatchy operates 32 daily newspapers in 29 markets , with a total circulation of 3.3 million . In addition , McClatchy operates a number of community papers that are printed with less frequency . The Minneapolis - St . Paul 's Star Tribune , acquired in 1998 , has the highest circulation of all McClatchy newspapers . The company has two classes of stock , allowing the founding McClatchy family to retain control . In the Knight Ridder purchase , for example , McClatchy shareholders did n't need to act at all in approving the purchase because the family had already voted their shares in favor . Most of the company 's history has been in newspapers of the Golden State 's Sacramento Valley and San Joaquin Valley . It acquired its first out-of-state newspapers in 1979 and through acquisitions has grown into a nationwide company . In its first moves outside its home state , McClatchy bought the Anchorage Daily News in Anchorage , Alaska , and the Tri-City Herald in Kennewick , Washington in 1979 . In 1990 , McClatchy acquired three dailies in South Carolina : The Herald in Rock Hill , The Island Packet in Hilton Head , and The Beaufort Gazette of Beaufort . In 1995 , it acquired The News & Observer of Raleigh , North Carolina . In 1998 , it bought the Star Tribune of Minneapolis . In January 2004 , McClatchy bought the Merced Sun-Star of Merced , and five affiliated non-dailies in California 's San Joaquin Valley . McClatchy purchased Knight Ridder , formerly the United States ' second-largest chain of daily newspapers , on June 27 , 2006 . The purchase price of $ 40 per share and 0.5118 shares of McClatchy Class A stock is valued at about $ 4 billion in cash and stock and assumption of $ 2 billion in debt . This purchase added 20 papers to be retained with immediate sale of 12 publications , including the San Jose Mercury News and The Philadelphia Inquirer . Those sales were completed on Aug. 2 , 2006 . Editor and Publisher reported in October 2006 that McClatch revenue ending August 2006 was down over one percent from August 2005 . McClatchy has an Internet subsidiary , McClatchy Interactive ( formerly known as Nando Media ) , which provides business support and material for Internet media nationwide ( part of the News & Observer purchase ) . Other operations include Newsprint Ventures Inc. , a consortium that operates the Ponderay newsprint mill near Spokane , Washington . As of 2004 , the company has about 9 , 300 employees . Dailies Anchorage Daily News ( Anchorage , Alaska ) – acquired 1979 The Beaufort Gazette ( Beaufort , South Carolina ) – acquired 1990 Belleville News-Democrat ( Belleville , Illinois ) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase The Bellingham Herald ( Bellingham , Washington ) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase Centre Daily Times ( State College , Pennsylvania ) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase The Charlotte Observer ( Charlotte , North Carolina ) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase Columbus Ledger-Enquirer ( Columbus , Georgia ) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase The Fresno Bee ( Fresno , California ) The Herald ( Bradenton ) ( Bradenton , Florida ) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase The Herald ( Rock Hill ) ( Rock Hill , South Carolina ) – acquired 1990 The Idaho Statesman ( Boise , Idaho ) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase The Island Packet ( Hilton Head , South Carolina ) – acquired 1990 The Kansas City Star ( Kansas City , Missouri ) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase Lexington Herald-Leader ( Lexington , Kentucky ) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase Merced Sun-Star ( Merced , California ) – acquired 2004 The Miami Herald ( Miami , Florida ) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase The Modesto Bee ( Modesto , California ) The News & Observer ( Raleigh , North Carolina ) – acquired 1995 El Nuevo Herald ( Miami , Florida ) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase The Olathe News ( Olathe , Kansas ) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase The Olympian ( Olympia , Washington ) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase The Sacramento Bee ( Sacramento , California ) – founded 1857 , original paper Fort Worth Star-Telegram ( Fort Worth , Texas ) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase Star Tribune ( Minneapolis , Minnesota ) – acquired 1998 , ranked first in circulation The State ( Columbia , South Carolina ) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase Sun Herald ( Biloxi , Mississippi ) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase Sun News ( Myrtle Beach , South Carolina ) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase Tacoma News Tribune ( Tacoma , Washington ) – acquired 1986 The Telegraph ( Macon ) ( Macon , Georgia ) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase The San Luis Obispo Tribune ( San Luis Obispo , California ) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase Tri-City Herald ( Kennewick , Washington ) – acquired 1979 Wichita Eagle ( Wichita , Kansas ) – acquired 2006 in Knight Ridder purchase Dailies acquired in Knight Ridder purchase and sold Aberdeen American News ( Aberdeen , South Dakota ) ( Completed June 27 , 2006 ) Akron Beacon Journal ( Akron , Ohio ) ( Completed Aug. 2 , 2006 ) The Herald ( Monterey , California ) ( Completed Aug. 2 , 2006 ) San Jose Mercury News ( San Jose , California ) ( Completed Aug. 2 , 2006 ) Fort Wayne News-Sentinel ( Fort Wayne , Indiana ) ( Completed June 27 , 2006 ) Philadelphia Daily News ( Philadelphia , Pennsylvania ) ( Completed June 29 , 2006 ) The Philadelphia Inquirer ( Philadelphia , Pennsylvania ) ( Completed June 29 , 2006 ) Saint Paul Pioneer Press ( St . Paul , Minnesota ) ( Completed Aug. 2 , 2006 ) Contra Costa Times ( Walnut Creek , California ) ( Completed Aug. 2 , 2006 ) Duluth News Tribune ( Duluth , Minnesota ) ( Completed June 27 , 2006 ) Grand Forks Herald ( Grand Forks , North Dakota ) ( Completed June 27 , 2006 ) Times Leader ( Wilkes-Barre , Pennsylvania ) ( Completed Aug. 2 , 2006 ) References Seelye , Katherine , and Andrew Ross Sorkin ( March 12 , 2006 ) . Knight Ridder Newspaper Chain Agrees to Sale . New York Times External links The McClatchy Company The McClatchy Company McClatchy newspapers Anchorage Daily News  • The Beaufort Gazette  • Belleville News-Democrat  • The Bellingham Herald  • Bradenton Herald  • Centre Daily Times  • The Charlotte Observer  • Columbus Ledger-Enquirer  • Fort Worth Star-Telegram  • The Fresno Bee  • Rock Hill  ( S.C. )  Herald  • The Idaho Statesman  • Hilton Head  ( S.C. )  Island Packet  • The Kansas City Star  • Lexington Herald-Leader  • The Macon Telegraph  • Merced Sun-Star  • The Miami Herald  • Minneapolis Star Tribune  • The Modesto Bee  • The Sun News  ( Myrtle Beach ,  S.C. )  • El Nuevo Herald  • The Olathe News  • The Olympian  • Raleigh News  &  Observer  • The Sacramento Bee  • The San Luis Obispo Tribune  • The State  ( Columbia ,  S.C. )  • The Sun Herald  • Tacoma News Tribune  • Tri-City Herald  • The Wichita Eagle Categories : Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange | McClatchy | Newspaper companies of the United States | Sacramento , California The McClatchy Company Public February 3 , 1857 Sacramento , CA James McClatchy , founder of the Sacramento Bee Newspaper publishing The McClatchy Company MNI 