The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner: online archive and brief history

• The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner is the oldest daily newspaper in continuous operation in Alaska and is the second-largest by circulation in the state.
• It was founded in 1903 and was originally called the Weekly Fairbanks News. It was renamed in 1909 when it was merged with another newspaper called The Miner News.
• The newspaper has a long history of ownership, starting with George M. Hill and lately being owned by the Helen E. Snedden Foundation. Today, it is published seven days a week, has a daily circulation of around 10,000, and covers a wide range of topics
• You can access The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner online archive and browse over 146,000 pages from 1930–1977.

A brief History of The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner is the oldest daily newspaper in Alaska that has been in continuous operation, and by circulation, it is the second-largest daily newspaper in the state. It has been serving the community since 1903.

The News-Miner newspaper was established in 1903, originally called the Weekly Fairbanks News. It was renamed in 1909 when the newspaper was purchased by George M. Hill, who merged it with another publication called The Miner News. The editor at the time, William Fentress Thompson, led the newspaper through difficult financial times as the local gold mines were depleted. During this period, the News-Miner absorbed several other newspapers in Fairbanks, becoming the only newspaper in the city. In the 1920s, the News-Miner made history by delivering copies by aircraft to remote mining camps, making it one of the first newspapers in the world to use aircraft for regular deliveries. After Thompson's death in 1926, former Fairbanks mayor Alfeld Hjalmar Nordale became the editor.

In 1929, the newspaper was acquired by Alaska industrialist Austin E. Lathrop, who ran it with a succession of editors until 1950. That year, it was purchased by Charles Willis Snedden, who modernized the newspaper and made it one of the first in Alaska to print in color. The News-Miner also survived a fire and the largest flood in Fairbanks' history under Snedden's leadership.

The News-Miner was acquired by the Helen E. Snedden Foundation in 2016. Prior to this, the newspaper had been owned by the Snedden family for a significant amount of time.

Today, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner is published six days a week plus the Sunday Edition and has a daily circulation of around 10,000. It covers a wide range of topics, including local and national news, sports, politics, and community events. The newspaper also has a strong online presence, with a website and social media platforms that allow readers to stay up-to-date with the latest news and information.