The State Media Company

The State Media Company

Quality Journalism: The State newspaper’s journalistic quality has been recognized repeatedly across the country and state, most recently as one of the top 10 in the country for sports, features and business sections. The paper also has won awards for watchdog journalism, including the Associated Press Managing Editors First Amendment award for articles detailing the unauthorized public spending for the excavation, recovery and preservation of a sunken Confederate submarine, the H.L. Hunley.

Our strengths are in our outstanding journalism covering local news, University of South Carolina and Clemson athletics, and state and local politics.

Founded: The State Media Company was founded on February 18, 1891 by the Gonzales brothers (N.G., Ambrose and William). The name and the state tree, the Palmetto, which accompanies the name, symbolized the brothers’ commitment to the state of South Carolina.

Sons of an aristocratic planter’s daughter and a Cuban revolutionary who also was a Confederate colonel, the Gonzales brothers wanted to create a powerful voice and led the newspaper to become the largest and most influential in the state.

The newspaper was family-owned until 1986, when it was purchased by Knight Ridder. It was bought by The McClatchy Company in 2006 with McClatchy’s acquisition of Knight Ridder.

Market: The State is a statewide capital city newspaper; Columbia is the state capital of South Carolina.

Circulation Area: Richland, Lexington and southern Kershaw counties make up the core market. The city of Columbia is in Richland County and contains the South Carolina State Capitol, The University of South Carolina and the U.S. Army’s Fort Jackson. The city of Lexington is located in Lexington County.

Other Websites: In August 2010, GoGamecocks.com, a website devoted to sports at the University of South Carolina, was re-launched with new features and content. Content features include coverage of games and practice, press conference audio and video, exclusive interviews with players, coaches and recruits. Complete recruiting coverage on athletes from the Palmetto State, and student-athletes that South Carolina is recruiting. Text alerts from Gamecock games and breaking news stories keep Gamecock fans in the know at all times. For the die-hard Gamecock fan, GoGamecocks.com is available from anywhere, via the internet or mobile. GoGamecocks.com represents outstanding, exclusive coverage by The State’s award-winning sports reporting team.