General Info

The Journal Gazette in Mattoon, Ill., and the Times-Courier in Charleston, Ill., are located nearly 10 miles apart in Coles County in east-central Illinois. The company circulates throughout more than five counties and has a daily circulation of more than 18,000. Charleston's first newspaper, The Courier, began publishing in 1840. A former Courier employee, Betty Boyer, began the Daily Times in 1966. The two papers merged, under her leadership, in 1968 to become the Times-Courier. The Weekly Independent Gazette was started in Mattoon in 1856, while the Mattoon Journal started in 1865. The two papers merged in 1905. Both the Journal Gazette and the Times-Courier were purchased by Howard Publications in 1971. In April 2002, Lee Enterprises bought all 16 Howard newspapers. Lee has a daily circulation of more than 1 million in nearly 45 newspapers throughout more than 15 states. The Journal Gazette and Times-Courier are zoned editions of the same newspaper.