Goodbye ad message from Tony

This full page advertisement was printed on page A3 of the Akron Beacon Journal on Tuesday, June 27, 2006

DEAR READER:

Today's edition of the Akron Beacon journal is the last that will be printed under the ownership of Knight kidder, the parent company that has owned this newspaper for the past 32 years. Since 1974, when the company was formed, Knight Ridder has sought to preserve a low-key, yet meaningful, profile with our readers and their communities. You may know us best by the logo and tagline at the bottom of each day's front page: > Knight Ridder > Information for Life. That is, information that you need to live your life and information that, cumulatively, shapes your understanding of trends and events over time. Giving you this information, in print and online, has been our job and we have taken it very seriously. Our goals have been to provide outstanding journalism to the Akron area, to improve its quality of life through both the involvement of our people in civic issues and financial contributions to local organizations, to bring value to our advertisers and to be a first-rate employer. As we depart, we hope that we have scored well on all counts - and that, as a legacy, we leave you with a strong and engaged Akron Beacon journal. Certainly, it has been our privilege to serve you Going forward, the same local leadership team will continue to bring-you the Akron Beacon Journal. Its commitment to editorial stewardship, value creation, community involvement and employee well-being will not change. All of which leaves us optimistic about the future We have loved the Akron Beacon journal, and we have loved the Akron area, and we want nothing more than for both to thrive.

[Signed P. Anthony Ridder, Chairman and CEO]

The news was reported with the story by AP listed below. There also was an uninspiring editorial headlined About that Knight. Click here to read the editorial.