View source for The Hudson Reporter

{{Short description|Newspaper in Hudson County, New Jersey, US}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox newspaper
| image              = 6.30.22HudsonReporterByLuigiNovi1.jpg
| caption            = Headquarters in June 2021
| type               = Weekly [[newspaper]]
| format             = 
| owners             = Newspaper Media Group
| publisher          = 
| editor             = [[Caren Matzner]]
| opeditor           = 
| sportseditor       = 
| photoeditor        = 
| staff              = 
| foundation         = {{Start date and age|1983}}
| ceased publication = January 20, 2023
| headquarters       = 166-168 Broadway<br />[[Bayonne, New Jersey]] 07002
| publishing_country = United States
| circulation        = 
| ISSN               = 
| oclc               = 
| website            = {{URL|http://hudsonreporter.com/}}
| image_alt          = border
| alt                = 
| founders           = [[Joseph Barry]]
| circulation_date   = 
| image_size         = 
}}
'''''The Hudson Reporter''''' was a [[newspaper]] chain based in [[Hudson County, New Jersey]] mainly focus on local politics and community news. The oldest newspaper in the chain was the ''Hoboken Reporter'', founded in 1983. The chain stopped publication on January 20, 2023. It has subsequently become an [[online newspaper]] owned and operated by Newspaper Media Group.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://hudsonreporter.com/were-hiring/|title=We're Hiring - Hudson Reporter|date=October 27, 2021}}</ref>

The company published eight weekly newspapers<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hobokengirl.com/the-hudson-reporter-closing-2023/|title=''The Hudson Reporter'' Closes After 40 Years|author=Spear, Stephanie|language=en-US|url-status=live|publisher=The Hoboken Girl|date=January 23, 2023|access-date=March 2, 2023|archive-date=January 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230123203507/https://www.hobokengirl.com/the-hudson-reporter-closing-2023/}}</ref> and three local lifestyle magazines. The ''Reporters'' covered news and features in  [[Hoboken, New Jersey|Hoboken]], [[Jersey City]], [[North Bergen]], [[Weehawken]], [[Secaucus]], [[West New York]], [[Union City, New Jersey|Union City]], and [[Guttenberg, New Jersey|Guttenberg]]. In [[Bayonne, New Jersey|Bayonne]] it was known as ''[[Bayonne Community News]]''. The lifestyle magazines covered Bayonne (''Bayonne: Life on the Peninsula''), Hoboken (''07030''), and Jersey City (''Jersey City Magazine'').<ref name=HudRep6.12.16>{{cite web|author=Pasquariello, Rory|url=https://archive.hudsonreporter.com/2016/06/12/hudson-reporter-offices-move/|title=Hudson Reporter offices move: Newspaper chain relocates to new building in Bayonne|newspaper=The Hudson Reporter|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=June 12, 2016|access-date=October 10, 2023|archive-date=October 10, 2023|archive-url=https://archive.today/20231010142526/https://archive.hudsonreporter.com/2016/06/12/hudson-reporter-offices-move/}}</ref>

==History==
''The Hudson Reporter'' was founded in 1983 by Hoboken-based developer [[Joseph Barry]], founder of the development company Applied Housing, who bought the weekly ''Hoboken Pictorial'' and its group of local newspapers. Its first newspaper was ''The Hoboken Reporter'',<ref name=HudRep2.6.04>{{cite web|url=https://archive.hudsonreporter.com/2004/02/06/hudson-reporter-chain-expands-newspaper-company-purchases-bayonne-community-news-2/|title=Hudson Reporter chain expands Newspaper company purchases Bayonne Community News|newspaper=The Hudson Reporter|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=February 6, 2004|access-date=October 10, 2023|archive-date=October 10, 2023|archive-url=https://archive.today/20231010142825/https://archive.hudsonreporter.com/2004/02/06/hudson-reporter-chain-expands-newspaper-company-purchases-bayonne-community-news-2/}}</ref><ref name="MTLaurelSun">{{cite web|author=Riker, Melissa|url=https://thesunpapers.com/2018/06/08/newspaper-media-group-acquires-the-hudson-reporter-newspaper-chain-7/|title=Newspaper Media Group acquires the Hudson Reporter newspaper chain|newspaper=The Mt. Laurel Sun|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=June 8, 2018|access-date=February 18, 2023|archive-date=February 18, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230218210040/https://thesunpapers.com/2018/06/08/newspaper-media-group-acquires-the-hudson-reporter-newspaper-chain-7/}}</ref> which Barry published out of a small building in downtown Hoboken. It subsequently moved to a basement office on 14th Street. As Barry's real estate holdings in Hudson County grew throughout the 1980s, the organization bought a chain of local newspapers and consolidated them into a coordinated weekly paper group. In 1995 the chain moved to a large, historic bank building at 1400 Washington Street, across the street from the basement office.<ref name=HudRep6.12.16/><ref name=HudRep2.6.04/> Lucha Malato joined the company in 1983 and David Unger in 1985.<ref name=MTLaurelSun/> both becoming his minority partners.<ref name=HudRep2.6.04/> In 1987, the chain began ''The Secaucus Reporter''. In addition to articles written by the reporting staff, the paper's letters-to-the-editor page spawned a book of letters, ''Yuppies Invade My House at Dinnertime'', in 1987.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/04/17/books/paperbacks-people-are-getting-out-of-hand.html|title=Paperbacks; People Are Getting Out of Hand|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=17 April 1988|last1=Clements|first1=Marcelle}}</ref>

It eventually added similar papers as part of its ''Reporter'' brand for [[Jersey City]], [[North Bergen]], [[Weehawken]], [[Union City, New Jersey|Union City]], and [[West New York]]. The company purchased the ''Bayonne Community News'' in 2004 and relocated to Bayonne in 2016.<ref name=MTLaurelSun/> In 1999, with the real estate market becoming even busier, Barry no longer had time to dedicate to the newspapers, and sold his majority share in the company to Malato and Unger.<ref name=HudRep6.12.16/><ref name=HudRep2.6.04/><ref name=MTLaurelSun/>

[[File:1.20.10HudsonReporterByLuigiNovi.jpg|thumb|left|The building on the corner of 14th Street and Washington Street in Hoboken, that housed the ''Reporter'' from 1995 to June 2016]]
After both offices lost power during [[Hurricane Sandy]] in October/November 2012, the staff worked out of [[Palisades Medical Center]].<ref>"About this special edition". ''The Hudson Reporter''. November 4, 2012. Page 1</ref>

In early June 2016, after 33 years in Hoboken, the paper moved its main office to 447 Broadway in Bayonne, three blocks from the [[22nd Street (HBLR station)|22nd Street Light Rail station]]. The consolidation of the staff at the new location also saw the closing of the small satellite office in Bayonne that published the ''Bayonne Community News'' for years. Among the reasons Malato cited for the move was the amount of unused space at the previous Hoboken location, such as the large [[darkroom]] that became obsolete since the staff's adoption of digital photography around 2000. The company continued using its distribution facility in North Bergen.<ref name=HudRep6.12.16/>

On June 10, 2018, it was announced that publishers Lucha Malato and David Unger had sold the Hudson Reporter Assoc. LP, the company that publishes their papers, to the Newspaper Media Group (NMG) of [[Cherry Hill, New Jersey]], a publisher of more than 50 weekly community newspapers in Central and Southern New Jersey and Philadelphia, as well as a monthly newspaper on [[Staten Island]]. NMG owner and CEO Richard Donnelly stated, "The decision to purchase the Hudson Reporter was an easy one. The award-winning publications fit perfectly into our successful business model of community newspapers. Pooling resources and talent will ensure an even greater success story down the road. We are excited to add this exceptional group of papers to our growing family."<ref name=MTLaurelSun/><ref name=PhillyWeekly>[http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/news/newspaper-media-group-nmg-acquires-hudson-reporter-assoc-lp-a/article_5bf6604e-6a91-11e8-8ad7-97463e8f71b9.html "Newspaper Media Group (NMG) acquires Hudson Reporter Assoc. LP, a group of 8 weekly local newspapers"]. ''[[Philadelphia Weekly]]''. June 8, 2018</ref><ref>[http://hudsonreporter.com/view/full_story/27575855/article-Reporter-newspaper-chain-sold-to-Newspaper-Media-Group "Reporter newspaper chain sold to Newspaper Media Group"]. ''The Hudson Reporter''. June 9, 2018.</ref>

By June 2021, the company's headquarters had moved down further south to 166-168 Broadway.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hudsonreporter.com/2021/06/12/bayonne-briefs-241/|newspaper=The Hudson Reporter|title=Bayonne Briefs|author=Israel, Daniel|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=June 12, 2021|access-date=June 21, 2022|archivedate=June 19, 2021|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210619104439/https://hudsonreporter.com/2021/06/12/bayonne-briefs-241/}}</ref>

On the afternoon of January 20, 2023, during the ''Hudson Reporter''{{'}}s staff's weekly editorial meeting, Media Group General's owners, speaking via a [[Zoom (software)|Zoom]] call, informed employees, including reporters, sales staff, and art staff, that the paper was ceasing operations<ref>{{cite web|url=https://patch.com/new-jersey/hoboken/longtime-weekly-nj-newspaper-chain-hudson-reporter-announces-closing|title=Longtime Weekly NJ Newspaper Chain, Hudson Reporter, Announces Closing|author=[[Lissner, Caren]]|publisher=[[Patch Media|Patch]]|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=January 20, 2023|access-date=March 2, 2023|archive-date=January 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230120214154/https://patch.com/new-jersey/hoboken/longtime-weekly-nj-newspaper-chain-hudson-reporter-announces-closing}}</ref> that day. The announcement was a surprise to its staff (which included two reporters and one managing editor), who were informed by newspaper Media Group General Manager Brandon Chamberlain that the reason for the closure was that the revenue generated by the chain did not justify its expenses. Between five and ten staff members lost their jobs without [[severance pay]].<ref>{{Cite web |author=Zeitlinger|first=Ron |date=January 20, 2023|title=Hudson Reporter newspaper chain closes down|url=https://www.nj.com/hudson/2023/01/hudson-reporter-newspaper-chain-closes-down.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230121003543/https://www.nj.com/hudson/2023/01/hudson-reporter-newspaper-chain-closes-down.html|archive-date=January 21, 2023|access-date=January 20, 2023|language=en-US|via=[[NJ.com]]|newspaper=[[The Jersey Journal]]}}</ref> The closure affected both the print and online versions of the publications, according to reporter Daniel Israel, a three-year veteran of the chain, in a tweet posted on January 20, the staff's final day at work.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/danisraelnj/status/1616524492406128640|author=Israel, Daniel|title=Untitled|publisher=Daniel Israel|via=[[Twitter]]|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=January 20, 2023|access-date=January 21, 2023|archive-date=January 21, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230121163002/https://twitter.com/danisraelnj/status/1616524492406128640}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://hudsoncountyview.com/hudson-reporter-abruptly-closing-after-40-years-of-local-news-reporting/|author=Heinis, John|title=Hudson Reporter abruptly closing after 40 years of local news reporting|publisher=Hudson County View|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=January 20, 2023|access-date=January 21, 2023|archive-date=January 20, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230120205411/https://hudsoncountyview.com/hudson-reporter-abruptly-closing-after-40-years-of-local-news-reporting/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://hudpost.com/hudson-county-loses-iconic-community-newspapers-the-hudson-reporter/ | title=Hudson County Loses Iconic Community Newspaper | date=20 January 2023 }}</ref>

In February 2023, Newspaper Media Group sold the ''Hudson Reporter''{{'}}s [[web domain]] to an undisclosed buyer and the new owners began publishing articles to the site. Former staff reporters accused the outlet of posting articles written by [[Generative AI]] with bylines from people who don't exist. In April 2024, the Jersey City city council passed a resolution honoring the paper's legacy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lissner |first=Caren |date=2024-10-09 |title=NJ Journalists Claim They Were Replaced With AI Reporters |url=https://patch.com/new-jersey/hoboken/hudson-county-reporters-claim-they-were-replaced-ai |access-date=2024-11-09 |website=Hoboken, NJ Patch |language=en}}</ref>

==Accolades==
The chain and its writers have won numerous awards for investigative reporting,<ref name=MTLaurelSun/> going beyond the norm for weekly newspapers. The company has become a training ground for reporters and writers in the New York area, having sent two to ''[[The New York Times]]'', and several to other top publications including ''[[The Star-Ledger]]'' and news organizations like [[Associated Press]].{{citation needed|date=June 2016}}

Other writers, like Caren Matzner, have published novels.<ref>{{cite web|author=Steinberg, Becki|url=http://www.thedp.com/article/college-alumnus-re-release-lauded-novel|title=College alumnus to re-release lauded novel|newspaper=[[The Daily Pennsylvanian]]|language=en-US|url-status=dead|date=June 10, 2010|access-date=June 13, 2010|archivedate=June 22, 2010|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100622011036/https://thedp.com/article/college-alumnus-re-release-lauded-novel}}</ref>

==Publications==
{{anchor|Community newspapers}}

===Newspapers===
*''Jersey City Reporter''<ref name=MTLaurelSun/><ref name=PhillyWeekly/>
*''Hoboken Reporter''<ref name=MTLaurelSun/><ref name=PhillyWeekly/>
*''Union City Reporter''<ref name=MTLaurelSun/><ref name=PhillyWeekly/> 
*''West New York Reporter''<ref name=MTLaurelSun/><ref name=PhillyWeekly/> 
*''Weehawken Reporter''<ref name=MTLaurelSun/><ref name=PhillyWeekly/> 
*''North Bergen Reporter''<ref name=MTLaurelSun/><ref name=PhillyWeekly/> 
*''Secaucus Reporter''<ref name=MTLaurelSun/><ref name=PhillyWeekly/> 
*''[[Bayonne Community News]]''<ref name=MTLaurelSun/><ref name=PhillyWeekly/>

===Magazines and guides===
*''Jersey City Magazine'',<ref name=MTLaurelSun/><ref name=PhillyWeekly/><ref>[http://www.jerseycitymagazine.com/ ''Jersey City Magazine''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090208092759/http://www.jerseycitymagazine.com/|date=February 8, 2009}}</ref> printed twice annually
*''07030'', a magazine about Hoboken<ref name=MTLaurelSun/><ref name=PhillyWeekly/>
*''Bayonne: Life on the Peninsula''<ref name=MTLaurelSun/><ref name=PhillyWeekly/>
*''Hudson Current'', an arts and entertainment publication{{citation needed|date=June 2018}}
*''Gateway Guide'', a quarterly New Jersey tourism magazine published until late 2006{{citation needed|date=June 2018}}

==See also==
*''[[The Jersey Journal]]''
* ''[[The Observer (Kearny, New Jersey)|The Observer]]''
* ''[[El Especialito]]''
* [[List of newspapers in New Jersey]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{official website|http://www.hudsonreporter.com/}}

{{Hudson County, New Jersey}}
{{Hudson County, New Jersey Government}}
{{Hudson County, New Jersey School Districts}}
{{Hudson County Parks, New Jersey}}
{{Hudson County Transportation Network}}
{{NRHP in Hudson County, New Jersey}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hudson Reporter, The}}
[[Category:Mass media in Hudson County, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Newspapers published in New Jersey]]
[[Category:Companies based in Hudson County, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Defunct newspapers published in New Jersey]]
[[Category:2023 disestablishments in New Jersey]]
[[Category:Bayonne, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Newspapers established in 1983]]
[[Category:1983 establishments in New Jersey]]