[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 23 (Wednesday, February 7, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E290]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             McCLATCHY COMPANY SESQUICENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY

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                          HON. DORIS O. MATSUI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 7, 2007

  Ms. MATSUI. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the 
McClatchy Company's 150 years of journalism in Sacramento. On this date 
in 1857, the first issue of the Daily Bee was published in Sacramento 
marking the historic establishment of what is now the second largest 
newspaper company in the United States. Headquartered in Sacramento, 
the McClatchy Company and the Sacramento Bee have earned a legacy of 
providing reliable news for Sacramentans and the nation.
  The rise of the McClatchy Company began with founding editor James 
McClatchy who moved west from New York during the height of the Gold 
Rush. The company's newspapers would be owned and operated by McClatchy 
family members for the next 130 years. James McClatchy helped craft the 
company's values of quality journalism, free expression and community 
service.
  The Sacramento Bee was one of the first newspapers on the West Coast. 
In the newspaper's first editorial, McClatchy explained the name of the 
newspaper: ``The name of The Bee has been adopted as being different 
from that of any other paper in the state and as also being emblematic 
of the industry which is to prevail in its every department.'' Over the 
years, the McClatchy Company expanded on that name and characterization 
by establishing the Fresno Bee in 1922 and acquiring the Modesto Bee in 
1927.
  In recent times, the McClatchy Company has continued to expand its 
portfolio. In 2006, it acquired 32 daily newspapers when it purchased 
Knight Ridder. Today, the McClatchy Company is the second largest 
newspaper company in the United States and publishes 32 newspapers in 
16 different states with unparalleled market success. These 
achievements were evident in 1999, when the McClatchy Company revenues 
exceeded $1 billion. By 2004, the McClatchy Company entered its 20th 
consecutive year of daily circulation growth, an achievement unmatched 
by any other newspaper company in the United States.
  Throughout the decades, the McClatchy Company newspapers have been 
honored for their journalistic integrity through numerous awards. 
McClatchy's flagship newspaper, the Sacramento Bee, has earned numerous 
distinctions, including Pulitzer prizes for Editorial writing, Beat 
Reporting and twice for the Public Service Gold Medal.
  Madam Speaker, I am honored to pay tribute to the McClatchy Company 
for its distinguished commitment to journalistic integrity and success 
throughout the years. As the McClatchy Company's colleagues and friends 
gather to honor their 150th anniversary, I ask all my colleagues to 
join me in wishing them continued prosperity.

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