Spotlight On: The Republican
Our Member Relations Committee and members of the Board of Directors were pleased to surprise The Republican as our September 2026 Member Spotlight Presented by Ted & Barbara Hebert of Teddy Bear Pools & Spas. The Spotlight was received by Mark French, Chief Revenue Officer of The Republican, who gave us a wonderful, informative tour of the Republican!
The Republican is a newspaper based in Springfield, Mass, covering news in the Greater Springfield area, Boston, Worcester, Connecticut, and nationwide news. The Republican, one of Massachusetts oldest operating newspapers, dates back over 200 years. Home to the Republican from 1858 - 1867 is the “Republican Block” right on 1365 Main Street in Springfield, now recognized nationally as a historic place. The Republican headquarters are now located just a little further down the road, on 1860 Main Street in Springfield.
The Republican was established in 1824 by Samuel Bowles II, who traveled up the Connecticut River from Hartford with his family and his printing press, with hopes to start a newspaper in Springfield. The first edition was published on September 8th, 1824, now over 202 years in business, as The Republican just celebrated their 200th Anniversary in 2024. What began as a local, rural weekly paper, transitioned to a daily paper in 1844, along with the introduction of their popular Sunday edition in the late 19th century, as well. Articles that focused on local news expanded to towns along the Connecticut Valley, and it became one of the most widely-read daily papers in America, with much of the rich history of the region and nation has been reported upon and published in the pages of The Republican.
After remaining under the succession of the Bowles family for generations, Samuel I. Newhouse acquired the paper in 1960. The Republican is currently owned by Newhouse Newspapers, a division of Advance Publications, who also owns MassLive in which Republican articles are published online. While it was once mass-producing printed newspapers, the Republican has shifted to a lower print volume and greater online articles through MassLive, though is still the largest commercial newspaper printing facility in the northeast. Today, The Republican constructs, prints, and publishes more than 100,000 copies of the daily and Sunday Republican every week and distributes the newspaper 365 days per year!
The Republican has become a multi-media, multi-services company, affiliated with: MassLive.com, Reminder Community Newspapers, El Pueblo Latino, POP Point-of-Purchase digital out-of-home screen Network, Magazines/Niche Publications: Go Local, Prime, Savvy, Cannabis Review, and many more. The Republican is a also a book publisher, in-House boutique agency – Headline Studio Massachusetts, Full Service Commercial Printing Facility, Event Hosts for Spring & Fall Dream Destination Travel Shows and the Annual Reader Raves Winner’s Celebration.
The Republican has remained a highly respected paper, and regarded in excellence in journalism, and has won many awards over the years for their merit. The New England Newspaper and Press Association have honored the newspaper frequently: The Sunday Republican, Newspaper of the Year (2022), and The Republican weekday edition, Distinguished Newspaper of the Year (2022, 2019), and the notable New England First Amendment Award (2015) for The Republican’s Port in a Storm Series.
Thank you to our friends over at The Republican, for all you do to keep our communities connected, informed, and engaged!
