The News-Star

The News Star began in 1893 as the Monroe Evening News, published by John Travis Nixon, a native of Illinois, and a partner, Julius Cheney. A few years later, Nixon began what is now the Crowley Post Signal.[1]

In 1909, The Evening News merged with The Daily Star to form the afternoon newspaper, The Monroe News-Star.[2] In 1908, Robert Wilson Ewing, I (1859–1931), while still the publisher of the since defunct New Orleans Daily States, purchased The Shreveport Times. In 1929, Ewing bought the since defunct Monroe Morning World. In 1930, he acquired the News-Star, since switched from an afternoon to a morning publication. Ewing was accordingly among the two or three most influential persons in the Louisiana journalism community.[3] The two Monroe newspapers remained in the Ewing family until the Gannett acquisition on June 16, 1977. The Morning World and News-Star consolidated on August 4, 1980, to become The News-Star-World. The name was later changed and the first edition of The News Star was printed on May 22, 1988.[2]

John D. Ewing (1892–1952), one of the five sons of Robert Ewing, was editor and publisher of The Shreveport Times and the Monroe News-Star-World from 1931 until his death. John Ewing moved to Shreveport in 1915 to become the associate publisher of The Shreveport Times. When his father died, Ewing became the publisher of the Shreveport Times and both Monroe papers. All three newspapers were known for their conservative editorials.[4]

Robert Ewing, III (1935–2007), a nephew of John Ewing, was a nature photographer and served as a News Star board member.[5] Another Ewing relative, Edmund Graves Brown (1921–2008), was a News Star executive who served as the assistant general manager until Gannett, an Arlington, Virginia, firm, purchased the combined News-Star-World.[6] In 1980, "World" was dropped from the name, which became the News Star, without a hyphen.

Beginning in October 2017, The News-Star will be published at the printing press of the Jackson Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Mississippi. For the past several years, The News-Star had been published in Shreveport at The Shreveport Times regional distribution center, which will close. The Shreveport Times will instead be published at the Longview News-Journal, another Gannett paper. The change is designed to reduce printing and labor costs. The change is not expected to impact delivery schedules. The commute from Monroe to Jackson is 120 miles one-way, 22 miles more than the trip from Monroe to Shreveport.[7]

The News Star has usually endorsed conservative candidates. In 2004, it supported successful Republicans Rodney Alexander for the United States House of Representatives and David Vitter for the United States Senate.[8] In 2007, the paper endorsed Royal Alexander, a former Rodney Alexander staff member (no relation), who unsuccessfully carried the Republican Party banner for Louisiana attorney general in the 2007 elections. Royal Alexander of Shreveport was handily defeated by Buddy Caldwell of Tallulah, after incumbent Charles Foti was eliminated in the first round of balloting.[9]

Building housing the Newsroom of the paper.

• Sam Hanna, Sr. (1933–2006), former political editor; later publisher of Ouachita Citizen in West Monroe, Franklin Sun in Winnsboro, and Concordia Sentinel in Ferriday
• Wiley W. Hilburn, former staffer and retired long-term head of the Journalism Department at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston
• Robert "Bob" Mann, reporter in early 1980s; holds the Douglas Manship Chair of Journalism at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, author of political history[10]
• Dale Thorn, journalist at Monroe Morning World in late 1960s, Louisiana State University professor, and press secretary to Governor Edwin Edwards[11]

• Official website
• Official mobile website