New York Post Is Going West

Go West, old newspaper. The New York Post, founded by Alexander Hamilton in 1801, has announced plans to launch a sister newspaper in California, where the Post already has millions of online readers, CNN reports. The newspaper's owners say they plan to publish the California Post starting early next year. "This is the next manifestation of our national brand," New York Post editor-in-chief Keith Poole said in a statement. "California is the most populous state in the country, and is the epicenter of entertainment, the AI revolution, and advanced manufacturing—not to mention a sports powerhouse. Yet many stories are not being told, and many viewpoints are not being represented."

The California Post will operate independently, though it will share some resources with the New York tabloid, owners say. There will be a print edition as well as the online publication. CNN describes California's current media landscape as "atrophied." Around a third of the state's newspapers have ceased publishing in the last 20 years, and those that remain have faced major newsroom cuts. The Post's owners say Los Angeles, where the Los Angeles Times has been hit by layoffs and controversies, is its second-largest market of online readers.

The Post, which leans conservative, like other papers under Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, is entering California as the race for governor is underway and state leaders are clashing with the Trump administration, the New York Times reports. "We are at a pivotal moment for the city and the state, and there is no doubt that The Post will play a crucial role in engaging and enlightening readers, who are starved of serious reporting and puckish wit," News Corp chief executive Robert Thomson said in a statement.