Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
💻

Chicago Tribune

technology Maturity 11-13 Next article →

The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois.

Chicago Tribune Logo
Chicago Tribune Logo

It is the most-read daily paper in the Great Lakes region. In the United States, it ranks as the sixth-largest newspaper by print circulation.

Flag of Illinois
Flag of Illinois

For a long time, the paper used a special slogan. It called itself the "World's Greatest Newspaper." This slogan even gave its radio and television stations their call letters, WGN.

Flag of Chicago, Illinois
Flag of Chicago, Illinois

The paper serves as a vital way for people to learn about their world.

How a newspaper works involves gathering news and printing it for readers. The Tribune used to print only in a large format called a broadsheet.

In 2009, they tried a smaller format called a tabloid for some sales. This change was not popular with many readers. By 2011, the paper went back to its original broadsheet style for everyone.

Newspaper nicu buculei 01
Newspaper nicu buculei 01

Today, the paper focuses heavily on news from Illinois and the Chicago area. This helps local people stay connected to what is happening nearby.

The history of the paper began in the mid-1800s. James Kelly, John E. Wheeler, and Joseph K. C. Forrest founded it.

Chicago Tribune Advertisement 1870
Chicago Tribune Advertisement 1870

They published the very first edition on June 10, 1847. Later, Joseph Medill became a leader at the paper. Under his guidance, the Tribune supported Abraham Lincoln.

Medill even helped Lincoln secure the presidency in 1860. The paper also helped grow the Republican Party in Chicago. It absorbed several other local publications during those early years.

In the 1900s, the paper changed in many interesting ways. A man named Robert R. McCormick took control in the 1920s.

Tribune Tower, Michigan Avenue, Streeterville, Chicago, IL (52863121784)
Tribune Tower, Michigan Avenue, Streeterville, Chicago, IL (52863121784)

He used the motto "The American Paper for Americans." The paper grew by adding comic strips like Little Orphan Annie.

Chicago Tribune, September 4, 1919
Chicago Tribune, September 4, 1919

It also became a leader in radio with the station WGN. In 1948, the paper made a very famous mistake. It printed a headline saying "Dewey Defeats Truman" during an election.

Dewey Defeats Truman
Dewey Defeats Truman

However, Harry S. Truman actually won the vote.

You can see the paper's influence in many places today. Its famous headquarters is the Tribune Tower, a beautiful building.

Tribune Tower, Michigan Avenue, Streeterville, Chicago, IL (52863121784)
Tribune Tower, Michigan Avenue, Streeterville, Chicago, IL (52863121784)

The paper has also been part of big historical moments. For example, it was the first to publish the Watergate tapes.

Pulitzer Medal - obverse
Pulitzer Medal - obverse

These were 246,000 words of recordings from President Richard Nixon. The paper's work helped lead to the president's resignation. This shows how a newspaper can change the course of history.

399 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (14)
File:Flag of Chicago, Illinois.svg
Flag of Chicago, Illinois.svg
File:Flag of Illinois.svg
Flag of Illinois.svg
File:Greater coat of arms of the United States.svg
Greater coat of arms of the United States.svg
File:Chicago Tribune Logo.svg
Chicago Tribune Logo.svg
File:DodgerBlue flag waving.svg
DodgerBlue flag waving.svg
File:Newspaper nicu buculei 01.svg
Newspaper nicu buculei 01.svg
File:Tribune Tower, Michigan Avenue, Streeterville, Chicago, IL (52863121784).jpg
Tribune Tower, Michigan Avenue,...
File:Dewey Defeats Truman.jpg
Dewey Defeats Truman.jpg
File:Tribune Tower, Michigan Avenue, Streeterville, Chicago, IL (52862957626).jpg
Tribune Tower, Michigan Avenue,...
File:Chicago Tribune Advertisement 1870.jpg
Chicago Tribune Advertisement 1870.jpg
File:Pulitzer Medal - reverse.png
Pulitzer Medal - reverse.png
File:Pulitzer Medal - obverse.png
Pulitzer Medal - obverse.png

+ 2 more

More to explore

🔗 What's this?

Concepts mentioned in this article

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.