The Tidewater News Franklin VA

In 2005, The Tidewater News marked its 100th year of continuous publication and service to Franklin, Southampton County and Isle of Wight County.

In its debut edition on Oct. 20, 1905, The Tidewater News editorialized of its intention to “give our readers a clean, newsy and progressive sheet, printing impartially all the news of interest that is fit to print and making The Tidewater News a safe and welcome visitors into your home.” Through three ownership changes over the past century, that commitment to first-rate community journalism prevails today. 

Founder Paul Scarborough served as editor and owner of the newspaper until his declining health prompted its sale to W.F. Atkinson, Lloyd A. Darden and Edgar Jackson in March 1947. The Tidewater News was sold six years later, on Feb. 1, 1953, to F. Clyde Tuttle, who would serve as its publisher until selling the newspaper to Kenneth R. Byerly in 1957. The newspaper increased from weekly to twice-weekly distribution in 1959.

Byerly’s son, Hanes, was named publisher in 1960 and continued in that role for nearly five decades, publishing 4,772 issues until his retirement in June 2006, when Byerly Publications sold the newspaper to Tidewater Publications LLC. The Virginia company is majority owned by Todd H. Carpenter, president and chief operating officer of Boone Newspapers Inc , and is managed by BNI. Others with ownership are President Steve Stewart, BNI and its key personnel.

The newspaper grew from twice to three-times weekly in 2006, and is currently led by Tony Clark, who was named publisher in 2013. The Tidewater News has been recognized by the Virginia Press Association as the top newspaper in its circulation class for three consecutive years, beginning in 2012. The Virginia Farm Bureau Federation has bestowed a similar honor over the same time period, naming The Tidewater News winner of the 2015 Ishie-Quann award winner as the best media outlet in the state for agricultural reporting and news coverage.