Pressure of Truth
Exposing the spin on all sides of the news.
Outlet profile

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

U.S. center-left (editorial page); news coverage generally mainstream

Owned byOwned by Lee Enterprises, an Iowa-based publicly traded newspaper chain. In early 2026, billionaire David Hoffmann (Hoffmann Family of Companies, St. Louis) invested $35 million in Lee, took a majority stake, and became chairman. Hoffmann's family is also buying KMOX and five other St. Louis radio stations.
FundingMainly print and digital subscriptions and advertising, with some revenue from digital marketing services. Lee also raised outside capital, including the 2026 investment led by Hoffmann.
On the administrationbroadly critical

Background

The Post-Dispatch was formed in 1878 when Joseph Pulitzer bought the St. Louis Dispatch and merged it with the Post. It became one of the country's leading liberal-leaning metropolitan dailies and helped establish the Pulitzer Prizes. The Pulitzer family owned it for over a century, until Pulitzer Inc. sold it to Lee Enterprises in 2005. Under Lee, staff and circulation shrank, as at many regional papers, and the paper moved to a heavily digital, subscription-based model. Its editorial board has historically backed Democratic candidates and criticized Republicans. In January 2021 it ran an editorial titled 'Trump must go — and take Hawley with him.' It has since stopped endorsing in partisan general elections, though it still endorses in primaries, local nonpartisan races and ballot measures. In 2026 Hoffmann, a Republican-leaning donor with other media holdings, took control of Lee's board and chairmanship. How this ownership change might affect the paper's editorial direction is not yet clear from the available record.

Sources

  1. Billionaire David Hoffmann to Chair Lee Enterprises Following $35 Million Investment in St. Louis Post-Dispatch Owner
  2. David Hoffmann to become chair of Post-Dispatch owner after $35 million deal
  3. Hoffmann, who owns Post-Dispatch, to buy KMOX and 5 other St. Louis radio stations
  4. St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Wikipedia)
  5. Editorial: Trump must go — and take Hawley with him

Profile compiled 2026-10-14; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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