What Is the Oldest US Media? The Hartford Courant’s 260-Year Legacy
Hartford Courant Historical Timeline
Founded as Connecticut Courant
On October 29, 1764, the paper began publication in Hartford, Connecticut as a four-page broadsheet printed in a tavern. It was 13 years before the Declaration of Independence.
Published Declaration of Independence
The Courant published the full text of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, making it one of the first newspapers to do so.
Adopted Telegraph Technology
When the telegraph arrived in the 1840s, the Courant was one of the first newspapers to use it for reporting news.
Adopted Linotype Machines
When Linotype machines replaced hand-set type in the 1880s, the Courant adopted them, revolutionizing printing technology.
Became Largest Daily in Connecticut
By the 1900s, the Courant was the largest daily paper in Connecticut with over 500 employees and multiple Pulitzer Prizes.
Peak Circulation
Print circulation peaked at more than 300,000 readers. The paper was the largest daily paper in Connecticut.
Office Closure and Ownership Change
The paper closed its downtown Hartford office and moved staff remote. It was acquired by Alden Global Capital.
Connecticut Journalism Law
Connecticut passed a law to fund local journalism. The Courant received $487,000 to digitize its pre-1950 archives.
Digital Transition Plan
Media analysts predict the Courant will shift to a "digital-first, print-on-demand" model by 2035.
Current State
Today, the Courant has about 75 journalists. It has 92,000 weekday readers and 149,000 Sunday readers. Its website gets 2.5 million unique visitors monthly.
The Hartford Courant isn’t just a newspaper. It’s the oldest continuously published media outlet in the United States - older than the country itself. Founded on October 29, 1764, in Hartford, Connecticut, it began as a four-page broadsheet called the Connecticut Courant, printed on a hand-operated press in a tavern. That’s 13 years before the Declaration of Independence and 17 years before the U.S. Constitution was signed. While other businesses like Caswell-Massey (1752) and The Philadelphia Contributionship (1752) are older, they’re not media. The Courant has been reporting news - every single year - since before America was a nation.
How It Survived Revolution, War, and Technology
In its early years, the Courant didn’t just report news - it helped shape it. It published the full text of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, covered the Boston Tea Party, and printed letters from George Washington. During the Civil War, it took a strong anti-slavery stance. When the telegraph arrived in the 1840s, it was one of the first papers to use it. When Linotype machines replaced hand-set type in the 1880s, it adopted them. When radio and TV took over in the 1930s and 40s, it held on with investigative reporting and local coverage.
By the 1980s, the Courant had over 500 employees. It won Pulitzer Prizes. It was the largest daily paper in Connecticut. But the digital age hit hard. Print circulation peaked in the 1980s at more than 300,000. By 2020, it was down to under 100,000. In December 2020, the paper closed its downtown Hartford office. Staff moved remote. Printing was outsourced to Massachusetts. Today, it has about 75 journalists - a fraction of its peak.
What It Looks Like Today
The Courant still prints a physical paper every day, but fewer people buy it. Its weekday circulation is around 92,000, and Sunday circulation is about 149,000 - still the highest in Connecticut. But most readers now get their news online. Its website, courant.com, gets 2.5 million unique visitors a month. That’s more than half of Connecticut’s population.
But access isn’t free. You get three free articles a month. After that, you pay $24.99 a month or $199 a year for digital access. Want to read archives from before 1980? That’s another $49.99 a month. Many longtime readers say it’s too expensive. One subscriber told Connecticut Public Radio: “I keep my subscription for the Sunday crosswords and the historical anniversary features. I get my real news from NPR.”
Who Reads It Now?
The Courant’s audience is aging. Over 68% of its readers are 55 or older. Only 22% of people under 35 have ever visited its website. Its readers are mostly college-educated, with household incomes over $75,000. The paper’s strength is local - covering Hartford government, Connecticut schools, state politics, and community events. But it barely covers national news. You won’t find deep reporting on Washington, D.C., or international conflicts. That’s not its job anymore.
On social media, its historical posts - like photos of 1920s Hartford or old headlines - get 10 times more engagement than today’s breaking news. People love its past. But they don’t trust its present. Trustpilot reviews average 3.2 out of 5. Most complaints: “Not enough reporters,” “Too many paywalls,” “Stories feel rushed.”
Ownership and the Fight to Survive
In 2020, the Courant was bought by Alden Global Capital, a hedge fund known for cutting newsrooms to the bone. Since then, the paper’s editorial budget has dropped by $12.7 million a year. Staff has been cut by 80% since 2000. The paper’s revenue mix is 52% print subscriptions, 18% digital, 25% ads, and 5% from archives and events. Compare that to The New York Times, where 67% of revenue comes from digital subscriptions. The Courant’s model is falling apart - but it’s still alive.
In 2023, Connecticut passed a law to fund local journalism. The Courant got $487,000 to digitize its pre-1950 archives. So far, 78% of those 256 years of issues have been scanned. The Library of Congress picked 500 pages from its earliest years to preserve permanently. That’s not just local history - it’s American history.
Why It Still Matters
Dr. Janice Hume, a journalism professor at the University of Georgia, calls the Courant “the living embodiment of American journalism.” It’s the only media outlet that’s been publishing continuously since before the nation existed. Its archives contain the original reports on the Stamp Act, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and the rise of industry. Genealogists use it to find ancestors. Historians rely on it to understand how ordinary people lived.
But here’s the hard truth: the Courant’s future is uncertain. Alden plans to cut even more staff by the end of 2024. Print may vanish by 2030. But its digital archive? That’s being saved. The paper’s legacy isn’t in its current staff or circulation numbers. It’s in the words it printed for 260 years - words that recorded a nation’s birth, struggles, and changes.
How to Access Its History
If you want to explore the Courant’s past, here’s how:
- Visit courant.com for current news (paywall applies after 3 free articles).
- Use the Historical Archive section (subscription required) to search issues from 1764 to 1980.
- Go to the Connecticut State Library in Hartford for free access to original print copies before 1850 - you need to book 72 hours in advance.
- Search the Library of Congress’s National Digital Newspaper Program - they’ve digitized 500 pages of the Courant’s earliest issues for public use.
Many people still subscribe for tradition - the Sunday crossword, the obituaries, the local sports scores. But if you’re interested in American history, the Courant’s archive is unmatched. No other paper in the U.S. has been running this long, this consistently.
What’s Next for the Courant?
Media analyst Alan Mutter predicts the Courant will shift to a “digital-first, print-on-demand” model by 2035 - meaning you’ll only get a printed copy if you ask for it. That’s already happening at papers like The Salt Lake Tribune. The Courant might not survive as a daily print newspaper, but its digital archive will. And that’s what matters.
The oldest media in America isn’t just a relic. It’s a record. A witness. A voice that’s been speaking for over two centuries - through wars, depressions, revolutions, and technological upheavals. It’s still here. And for now, it’s still telling the story.
Is the Hartford Courant still in print?
Yes, the Hartford Courant still prints a physical newspaper every day. However, it closed its downtown Hartford office in 2020 and now outsources printing to a facility in Massachusetts. Print circulation has dropped significantly since the 1980s, but it remains Connecticut’s largest daily paper with about 149,000 Sunday readers.
How old is the Hartford Courant?
The Hartford Courant was founded on October 29, 1764, making it 260 years old as of 2024. It predates the United States by 17 years and is the oldest continuously published newspaper in the country.
Who owns the Hartford Courant today?
The Hartford Courant is owned by Alden Global Capital, a hedge fund that acquired it through its purchase of Tribune Publishing in 2021. Alden is known for cutting newsroom staff and budgets, and since taking over, the Courant has reduced its editorial team by over 80% since 2000.
Can I read old issues of the Hartford Courant for free?
Partial access is free. The Courant’s website allows three free articles per month. For full access to its digital archive - which includes issues from 1764 to the present - you need a premium subscription costing $49.99 per month. Some early issues (1764-1800) are available for free through the Library of Congress’s National Digital Newspaper Program.
Why is the Hartford Courant important to American history?
The Hartford Courant is the only American media outlet that has published continuously since before the nation’s founding. It printed the Declaration of Independence, covered the Revolutionary War, documented the Civil War, and reported on every major event in U.S. history since 1764. Its archives are a primary source for historians and genealogists, making it an irreplaceable record of American life.
Does the Hartford Courant still win journalism awards?
Yes. The Courant has won two Pulitzer Prizes in its history and was a finalist in 2013 for its coverage of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. While its newsroom is smaller today, its investigative team still produces award-winning local reporting, particularly on Connecticut state government and education.
For researchers, students, and history lovers, the Courant isn’t just a newspaper - it’s a time machine. You can read the same headlines that colonists read in 1770. You can find your great-grandfather’s obituary from 1912. You can trace how Connecticut changed over 260 years. That’s not just journalism. That’s legacy.
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