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Outlet profile

The Philadelphia Inquirer

U.S. center-left

Owned byOwned by The Philadelphia Inquirer, LLC, a for-profit Public Benefit Corporation (B-Corp). The Lenfest Institute for Journalism, a nonprofit, holds the non-voting shares; a charitable Inquirer Trust holds the single voting share. Philanthropist H.F. (Gerry) Lenfest donated the paper to this structure in 2016.
FundingPrimarily subscriptions and advertising, supplemented by philanthropic grants (roughly 6% of revenue). Returned to operating profitability in 2025 for the first time in more than two decades.
On the administrationbroadly critical

Background

Founded on June 1, 1829 as the Pennsylvania Inquirer by printer John R. Walker and editor John Norvell, it is one of the three oldest continuously operating daily newspapers in the United States. It grew into a major regional paper through the 19th century, absorbing several rivals and establishing a large Philadelphia readership. For much of the 20th century it was owned by a succession of corporate chains, including Walter Annenberg's Triangle Publications and later Knight Ridder, which sold it to Philadelphia Media Network in 2006. A group of local investors bought the paper for $55 million in 2012 under the name Interstate General Media. In 2016, cable-television magnate H.F. (Gerry) Lenfest purchased the paper and immediately donated it to the newly created Lenfest Institute for Journalism, a nonprofit, restructuring it as a Public Benefit Corporation to protect its editorial independence from profit-driven ownership. The paper has won numerous Pulitzer Prizes across its history and maintains a reputation for strong local investigative journalism. Editorially, it has leaned center-left for decades, frequently endorsing Democratic candidates and publishing opinion pieces critical of conservative policy; its editorial board has been openly hostile to the Trump administration in both its first and second terms.

Sources

  1. The Philadelphia Inquirer — Wikipedia
  2. The Philadelphia Inquirer, LLC — Wikipedia
  3. The Philadelphia Inquirer — The Lenfest Institute for Journalism
  4. H.F. Lenfest Launches the Institute for Journalism — Lenfest Institute
  5. Three years into nonprofit ownership — Nieman Journalism Lab
  6. Philadelphia Inquirer chief explains turnaround to profitability — Tomorrow's Publisher
  7. Trump's failing 2025 performance reminded voters he's unfit for office — Inquirer Editorial Board
  8. Officials should be ready to protect Philadelphia from Trump's immigration overreach — Inquirer Editorial Board
  9. A History of the Philadelphia Inquirer — Historic Newspapers
  10. The Philadelphia Inquirer — Britannica

Profile compiled 2026-09-09; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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