191:," and the paper focused on national and sensational news rather than local news. Of the eight pages published each week, six consisted of national and international news while the only two were devoted to local news as well as advertisements. Curley was the paper's editor until 1938, when he gave up a half-interest in the paper as partial repayment of a mortgage debt, and sold the other half to the debt collector, G. Bowie McCeney.
27:
224:, two other papers owned by McCeney. From 1939 until the late 1950s, the Leader was a "one woman show," with Poe serving as advertising salesperson, graphic designer, copywriter, proofreader, and distributor as well as editor. Under Poe's leadership the focus of the paper shifted from national to local news, and increasingly catered to the local military population based at nearby
228:. In addition, the paper made a strong effort to focus on positive news in the city. In 1992 Poe was quoted in an interview stating: "Maybe I was a little lopsided...I still think the media in general focuses too much on the bad news...There are so many good people. That exposure in the paper means so much to them and their stories can inspire others."
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s editor rather than joining McCeney's firm as an attorney. "He hands me a copy with a grin and says, 'My career as an editor just ended. Yours is just beginning." Poe served as the Leader's editor until 1980, while McCeney remained the paper's publisher until 1978. In 1946 the paper's name was
239:. For her work, Poe received a number of major awards and honors. In 1958 she was the first woman elected president of the Maryland Press Association, the first woman elected to that position, and in 1967 was the second ever winner of the Emma C. McKinney Award given by the
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was Pete
Pichaske. In August 2008 he was replaced by Melanie Dzwonchyk, who began working at the Leader as a freelance writer in 1993 and joined the paper's staff in 1995, serving as features editor under Joe Murchison. Several months later, in December 2008, the
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attempted to assassinate
Wallace. Yengich oversaw an increased focus in the paper on photography and feature articles, with a strong interest in the city's growth. She was awarded the John Hay Whitney Award in 1988, which included a year spent working at the
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and appointed
Assistant Editor Karen Yengich as editor. Yengich had worked for the Leader for eight years; her first assignment was to cover George Wallace's speech at
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During Poe's tenure as editor the Leader covered major national news stories related to Laurel, including the attempted assassination of presidential candidate
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243:. In 1987 she was the first ever living person elected into the Maryland–Delaware–D.C. Press Association Hall of Fame, and in 2011 she was elected to the
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s offices moved to the
Patuxent Publishing Co. headquarters in Columbia, Maryland, and in December 2013 the Leader moved again, this time to the
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in
January 1994, and changed from a paid to free circulation model. While Murchison was editor of the paper, major stories which appeared in the
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since 1985, serving as acting editor in 1988–89 while
Yengich was taking a year of absence. Under Murchison's guidance, the paper shifted from a
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When
Yengich left the Leader in 1990 she was replaced by Joe Murchison, a longtime professional journalist who had previously worked for the
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In 1980, Poe retired as editor and sold the paper to newspaper chain
Patuxent Publishing Company, who renamed it
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After James Curley sold the paper to G. Bowie McCeney, McCeney served as editor for six months before appointing
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in
February 2015 and explored the paper's coverage of local and national news throughout its existence.
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a weekly newspaper serving the approximately 2,600 residents of the city of Laurel, MD. It replaced the
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announced the paper would no longer have Laurel-specific coverage but would share material from
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was the focus of a "Ripped from the
Headlines: Laurel in the News" exhibit which opened at the
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editor in 1939. Poe had previously worked in McCeney's office and had recently graduated from
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is a weekly newspaper which has been published continually since 1897, serving the greater
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in Laurel. Between 1897 and 1980, the ownership passed from Curley to G. Bowie McCeney to
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and the destruction of the 9th Street Bridge and several parts of downtown Laurel during
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had stayed at the Valencia Motel in Laurel prior to the attack.
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In January 2014, Dzwonchyk was appointed news editor of the
575:"Baltimore Sun Sold to Chairman of Sinclair TV Stations"
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which was a subsidiary of Times Mirror. In June 2000,
187:to "further his business interests and rally local
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502:"Maryland Women's Hall of Fame: Gertrude L. Poe"
600:"Ripped from the Headlines: Laurel in the News"
333:Melanie Dzwonchyk era and beyond (2008–present)
486:Louis Peddicord, "Gertude Poe, Lady Editor,"
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325:In 2007, Murchison retired as editor of the
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207:'s law school when she was hired as the
468:. Maryland State Archives. October 2010
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500:Maryland Commission for Women (2011).
175:In 1897 attorney James Curley founded
337:From 2007 to 2008, the editor of the
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367:, while continuing as editor of the
159:purchased Times Mirror and thus the
454:. January 30, 1997. pp. 20–22.
314:included its local coverage of the
298:and who had been a reporter at the
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663:Newspapers published in Maryland
573:Belson, Ken (January 15, 2024).
562:– via Laurel History Boys.
523:Sullivan, Mary (April 2, 2021).
382:and other Tribune publications.
673:1897 establishments in Maryland
609:. February 2015. Archived from
163:, Patuxent Publishing, and the
668:Newspapers established in 1897
466:"Biography of Gertrude L. Poe"
241:National Newspaper Association
141:In 1897, James Curley founded
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556:"Laurel Leader End of an Era"
282:Joe Murchison era (1990–2007)
251:Karen Yengich era (1980–1990)
245:Maryland Women's Hall of Fame
16:Newspaper in Laurel, Maryland
554:Leonard, Kevin (Fall 2021).
271:International Herald Tribune
195:Gertrude Poe era (1938–1980)
171:James Curley era (1897–1938)
122:operates as a subsidiary of
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607:Laurel Historical Society
504:. Maryland State Archives
318:terror attacks. Hijacker
216:, after merging with the
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392:Sinclair Broadcast Group
371:. She retired in 2017.
263:on May 18, 1972, where
450:"Leading the Leader".
390:in 2021, then sold to
261:Laurel Shopping Center
35:from November 26, 1897
222:The College Park News
644: (archive index)
616:on February 15, 2015
490:, Summer 1975, p. 42
388:Alden Global Capital
292:Richmond News Leader
394:executive chairman
360:Howard County Times
205:American University
75:Baltimore, Maryland
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579:The New York Times
402:In popular culture
157:Tribune Publishing
529:The Baltimore Sun
488:Maryland Magazine
452:The Laurel Leader
398:in January 2024.
376:The Baltimore Sun
288:Fauquier Democrat
257:The Laurel Leader
152:The Baltimore Sun
125:The Baltimore Sun
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189:Republicans
177:The Leader,
652:Categories
584:August 26,
534:August 26,
418:References
306:format to
304:broadsheet
226:Fort Meade
181:Free Quill
143:The Leader
120:The Leader
118:Counties.
108:Montgomery
33:The Leader
508:March 18,
472:March 18,
374:In 2021,
352:Baltimore
363:and the
61:Owner(s)
640:at the
384:The Sun
380:The Sun
344:Leader'
308:tabloid
209:Leader'
132:History
81:Website
55:Tabloid
408:Leader
369:Leader
327:Leader
312:Leader
300:Leader
294:, and
185:Leader
116:Howard
114:, and
51:Format
614:(PDF)
603:(PDF)
276:Paris
622:2015
586:2024
536:2024
510:2016
474:2016
406:The
316:9/11
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