The Tacoma News Tribune (often called The News Tribune or TNT) is the second-largest daily newspaper in Washington state. Its roots trace back to the late 19th century, with the modern form established in 1918.
Newspaper publishing in Tacoma began in the 1870s–1880s amid the city’s growth as a railroad and port hub. Precursors and related titles included the Tacoma Ledger (launched around 1880 and evolving into the Tacoma Daily Ledger by 1883) and other early papers like the Pacific Tribune (started in 1873 by Thomas Prosch, though not a direct predecessor).
In the early 1900s, competition was fierce. The Tacoma Daily Tribune, launched in 1908 by publisher R.F. Radebaugh, alongside separate publications such as The News, The Tribune and the Tacoma Times.
The Tacoma Times was an afternoon daily newspaper published from December 21, 1903, to March 31, 1949. It operated as a penny paper aimed at working-class readers, emphasizing local news, labor issues, crime, scandals, and community stories in a concise, accessible style.
The Tacoma Times was founded by media pioneer E.W. Scripps as part of his chain of low-cost, working-class-oriented newspapers along the West Coast (similar to the Seattle Star). Editorial staff were drawn from the Seattle Star, and the first issue appeared around Christmas 1903. Scripps provided modest startup capital (around $20,000, with him retaining majority ownership).
It competed in a crowded market, differentiating itself through affordability (one-cent price), brevity, and a populist tone that resonated with blue-collar workers, immigrants, and laborers in Tacoma’s railroad and port economy.
The Tacoma Times covered major regional and national events with a local lens, including:
Challenges to the Northern Pacific Railroad’s waterfront monopoly
Military expansions at Fort Lewis and McChord Field in the 1920s
The dramatic 1940 collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (“Galloping Gertie”)
The 1942 evacuation of Japanese Americans from the area during WWII
A 1947 UFO sighting reported near Maury Island that gained national attention
The paper was published by the Tacoma Times Publishing Company and later had associations with the Yakima Herald Publishing Company.
The Tacoma Times ceased publication with its final edition on March 31, 1949, after roughly 45 years. Reasons for closure were typical of mid-20th-century afternoon dailies: rising costs, competition from radio/television, shifting reader habits, and consolidation pressures in the newspaper industry.
The Tribune
Just after the turn of the 20th century, the Cleveland Plain Dealer was being published by one Elbert H. Baker. His son, Frank S. Baker, followed in his father’s footsteps to become a newspaperman. In 1912 the younger Baker left the Boston Traveler to purchase The Tacoma Tribune. (The Baker Foundation)
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The newspaper took its current foundational form on June 17, 1918, when The News and The Tribune merged into The Tacoma News Tribune. This resulted from negotiations by Elbert H. Baker, who acquired the papers after a chance meeting on a train. The first issue under the merged name appeared that day. A Sunday edition, the Ledger, continued separately for a time.
The Baker family (sometimes referred to as the Baker dynasty) took control around 1913 and maintained local ownership for 73 years. During this period, the paper grew with Tacoma’s economy, covering local news, business, and regional events. In 1979, it officially adopted the name Tacoma News Tribune.
Baker Family Era and Expansion (1918–1986)
Under Baker family leadership (including Elbert H. Baker II), the newspaper expanded its operations. Key milestones: It moved and upgraded facilities, including a long-time printing operation at St. Helens (occupied since 1918) and later a major Goss Metro offset press installed in a new State Street facility in the 1970s. In 1983, the parent company acquired the Pierce County Herald in Puyallup.
The Bakers emphasized local focus, and the paper became a staple for Tacoma and surrounding communities.
In October 1985, the Baker family agreed to sell the newspaper assets to McClatchy Newspapers for an estimated $112 million. The deal closed on August 1, 1986. (Non-newspaper assets like the KTNT TV franchise went to Viacom.) This ended 73 years of local Baker ownership.
In 1987, it became The Morning News Tribune. By 1993, it simplified to The News Tribune (dropping “Tacoma” from the masthead in some usages, though it is still widely associated with the city).
The paper continued as a daily print publication while building its digital presence at thenewstribune.com. In 2019, McClatchy outsourced printing operations (ending runs at its long-time Tacoma presses after 45 years), and the newsroom later relocated from its historic State Street headquarters.
As of 2026, The News Tribune remains a daily newspaper focused on local news, crime, business, sports, and South Sound issues. It continues under McClatchy ownership, though the broader McClatchy company has faced industry-wide challenges common to legacy newspapers (declining print circulation, shifts to digital, and ownership pressures). The paper maintains a high credibility rating for factual reporting. (mediabiasfactcheck.com)
Sources include: Tacoma News Tribune, The Tacoma Times, HistoryLink, The Seattle Times.
First real work experience
Jason S Remington • April 20, 2026
I remember getting up before sunrise on Sunday mornings to deliver the Tacoma News Tribune. That was a real chore. The afternoon edition on other days was easier to fold and throw (we wrapped large editions with rubber bands).