Journalism 009

This is the newspaper that I am currently writing for and a little bit of info in regards to Brockton itself...

The Brockton Enterprise is a $0.50 afternoon daily newspaper run out of Brockton, Massachusetts with a daily circulation of 35,040. The racial demographics of the 327,083 residents in the area of circulation are as follows: 83% white, 7% black, 3% Hispanic, 1% Asian, 6% other. In 1999, the Knight Foundation issued a report that found 2.3% of the Enterprise’s news staff to be non-white. The Quincy Patriot Ledger and the Enterprise share Chazy Dowaliby as editor. She’s been with the Ledger since 1998 and with the Enterprise since July, 2005 when she replaced Charlie Hickey, due to publisher Kirk Davis’ dissatisfaction with Hickey’s job. The Enterprise subscribes to AP services for national and foreign news coverage. Local coverage extends into Boston and throughout Massachusetts but mainly focuses around Brockton, Stoughton, Taunton and Holbrook.

The Enterprise is owned by GateHouse Media, formerly known as the Liberty Group Publishing, which owns 74 other newspapers throughout the country.

Founded in 1881, the Enterprise was owned by the Fuller-Thompson family for 115 years until it was bought in 1996 by James Plugh who reportedly paid somewhere between $20 million - $30 million. At that time the newspaper’s circulation was approximately 50,000. One year later, Plugh paid $60 million for Quincy’s Patriot Ledger, which has a circulation of approximately 65,000. In 2003 Plugh sold his majority stake in the two papers to a Boston-based investment firm, Heritage Partners Inc. Plugh remained publisher for one more year, until he hired Kirk Davis as publisher. Finally GateHouse Media bought the Enterprise in 2006 as part of a $225 million deal.

Brockton is the sixth largest city in Massachusetts, with a population of 94,304 and is situated in Plymouth county. The most famous local Brocktonian, was boxer Rocky Marciano. Brockton Mayor James E. Harrington moved to Brockton from Somerville in 1972 with his wife and continued work as an engineer until in 1990 he opened his own insurance agency, Harrington’s Insurance, and in 1996, he started a financial advisor company, Centre Street Financial Services, Inc. Harrington has served on the Brockton City Council for the past 20 years, including as City Council President three separate times. The next general election is in November of this year.

Brockton High School is home to 4,200 students. 80% of graduating seniors are admitted to colleges. The Brockton city school system is the 4th largest in Massachusetts, with approximately 19,000 students enrolled as of 2005. The Phoenix Alternative Programs serve approximately 200 students who have otherwise been expelled from the Brockton school system. Brockton’s other alternative school, is the Champion Charter Public high school for out-of-school youth that have either dropped out or have been set back for attendance reasons.

Representing the 9th district of Plymouth is Rep. Thomas P. Kennedy (D), Rep. Chrsitine E. Canavan (D) is the 10th district representative and Rep. Geraldine Creedon (D) is Plymouth county’s 11th district representative. Serving the second district Senate seat for Plymouth and Bristol is Sen. Robert S. Creedon, Jr.