St. Louis Post-Dispatch (stltoday.com)

U.S. center-left

Background

Joseph Pulitzer founded the Post-Dispatch on December 12, 1878, by purchasing the bankrupt St. Louis Dispatch at auction and merging it with the St. Louis Evening Post. From its first issue, Pulitzer pledged independence from political parties and pursued campaigns against corruption, monopolies, and social ills — a tradition that earned the paper 19 Pulitzer Prizes over the following century. The Pulitzer family retained editorial control until 2005, when, with no heir willing to take over Pulitzer, Inc., the family sold the company and its 14 newspapers to Lee Enterprises of Davenport, Iowa, for $1.46 billion. Lee, a regional chain operating papers across the Midwest and Mountain West, continued the Post-Dispatch's center-left editorial stance while pursuing digital subscription growth amid steady declines in print advertising. In December 2025, Florida-based entrepreneur David Hoffmann closed a deal to acquire a 52% controlling stake in Lee Enterprises for $35 million, also becoming board chair; the transaction allowed Lee to restructure high-interest debt, wiping an estimated $18 million in annual interest payments. Under Hoffmann, Lee replaced its longtime CEO, consolidated some printing operations, and in mid-2026 Hoffmann separately purchased KMOX radio and five other St. Louis stations, expanding his local media footprint. The Post-Dispatch's editorial board has remained consistently critical of the Trump administration on issues including immigration enforcement, executive power, and military actions taken without congressional authorization.

Sources

1. St. Louis Post-Dispatch – Wikipedia
2. Hoffmann's takeover of Post-Dispatch parent co. means change—but how much? | St. Louis Magazine
3. David Hoffmann buys controlling stake in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch | Columbia Missourian
4. Florida billionaire takes control of Lee Enterprises | Poynter
5. Post-Dispatch sold to Lee Enterprises | St. Louis Public Radio
6. How This Billionaire Plans To Save The Nation's Local Newspapers | Forbes
7. Billionaire David Hoffmann to Chair Lee Enterprises | Hoodline
8. St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Trump's new refugee policy is racist, cruel and probably illegal | JG-TC
9. Endorsements by St. Louis Post-Dispatch | Ballotpedia
10. Hoffmann, owner of Post-Dispatch, to buy KMOX and 5 other St. Louis radio stations | STLPR

Profile compiled 2026-07-15; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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