Uncategorized | Vanessa Wheeler
From Pharmacy Press to Pulitzer Prizes: The Story of the Tampa Bay Times
On July 25, 1884, a small newspaper began publication that would eventually become one of Florida’s most respected news organizations. Founded as the West Hillsborough Times in Dunedin, the paper started as a modest weekly publication printed in the back of a local pharmacy with a circulation of only 480 copies.
The newspaper changed ownership several times during its early years before moving to St. Petersburg in 1892. In 1898, it became the St. Petersburg Times, reflecting its new home in a growing community along Florida’s Gulf Coast.
A major turning point came in 1912, when Indiana publisher Paul Poynter purchased the paper. His son, Nelson Poynter, later expanded its reputation for independent journalism and, after his death in 1978, established the ownership structure that placed the majority of the newspaper’s stock with the nonprofit Poynter Institute.
The newspaper changed its name to the Tampa Bay Times in 2012 to reflect its role as a regional publication. Today, it remains one of Florida’s most recognized newspapers and has earned numerous Pulitzer Prizes for journalism.
Share Article:
