El Paso Journal Newspaper

The El Paso Journal Newspaper was founded in 1975 by William C. McGaw. The El Paso Journal, was a hard hitting feisty weekly newspaper whose motto was, "All the news that fits, we print." For approximately 10 years Bill produced, edited and reported the news in and around El Paso. The El Paso Journal in those days went up against two major dailies the El Paso Times owned mostly by the Gannett Company, Inc. A publisher with interests in newspapers including USA Today, television and the internet. And the El Paso Herald Post a Scripps Howard publication.

After continuous publication for 116 years on Saturday October 17, 1997 the El Paso Herald-Post put a final punctuation mark on what had been a weeklong good-bye for Texas' largest afternoon paper, a victim of sharply declining circulation. Which was a testimonial as to how competitive the market had become. Where two powerful dailies and a strong weekly went head to head for the 300.000 plus citizens in the general El Paso area. That did not include two major Spanish El Paso newspapers vying for El Paso readers and the one million or so Juarez residents just across the Rio Grande River which marked the border between the Twin cities, the two countries and three states Texas, New Mexico and Chihuahua Mexico. Which makes it the largest international city in the US.

The El Paso Journal captured the flavor of the multi-cultural community and the El Paso Texas politics. It was the real watch dog in the city that exposed corruption. It reflected the emotions that most El Pasoans felt which the two bigger dailies were hesitant to print or chose not to, to avoid inflaming there larger advertising base.

In the early 1980's the El Paso Journal hit upon hard times circulation problems and other woes. The giant El Paso Times was striving to monopolize the limited available El Paso advertising dollar.

The El Paso Times is now the only primary print English-language newspaper for the U.S. city of El Paso, Texas. The paper was founded in 1881 by Marcellus Washington Carrico. It originally started out as a weekly but within a year's time, it became the daily newspaper for the frontier town.

Currently Wikipedia reports that the El Paso times newspaper has only a daily circulation of 73,172 and 88,410 on Sundays. In December 2005, Gannett became a minority partner in the El Paso Times, handing the majority of the partnership and management to Denver-based MediaNews.

The paper is currently the only print English-language daily in El Paso, but often competes with the Spanish-language El Diario de El Paso, an offshoot of El Diario de Juárez.

Because of declining newspaper circulations nationwide, the El Paso Times has recently expanded its online capabilities and introduced continuous online updates. But is presently competing with the popular on-line El Paso Journal newspaper.

To help turn things around for the El Paso Journal Mr. McGaw sold his interest of the newspaper to investors Judge Woodrow Bean Sr. Joe Morgan ESQ., investigative reporter Michael Webster and other silent local investors. Mr. Webster as majority stock holder was voted chairman of the board and the new publisher of the El Paso Journal. After selling his interest in the Journal to local El Pasoans. Mr. McGaw thereafter partnered up and became editor of the new national "Investigator Magazine" and worked with the other investors famous Washington Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Jack Anderson and the world renowned Jay J. Armes private

Later Mr. Webster published the "Fifth Estate News Magazine" and the contemporary magazine "The Paso Del Norte" with local heavy hitters Attorney Joseph (Sib) Abraham and son Billy. Mr. McGaw was the editor.

The El Paso Journal went from a small weekly print El Paso newspaper to its current position of being one of the oldest on-line new sources on the web.

The El Paso Journal is the best source of news for the El Paso/Juarez Metro Borderplex,With streaming live news, & video webcasts!

Today the El Paso Journal is a key player in the business, cultural and political life of El Paso Texas. It has become a local resource treasured by its community of readers.

The El Paso Journal has evolved into the first serious, professional news site on the World Wide Web -- long before CNN, MSNBC, El Paso Times and other followers. It originated in the early 1990s as The Journal Family of on-line news source. The current principal effort involves gathering and producing news for digital presentation. It is now a world leader in on-line journalism.

You can locate the current publication at its sister publication the Laguna Journal by going to



William C. McGaw passed away on Friday, September 10, 2004, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Born on May 14, 1914, in Kokomo, Indiana, Bill lived the life most men only dream of. He was a newspaperman, publisher, boxing and show business promoter, restaurateur, historian, politician, racehorse owner, actor, all-around character and Mr. Webster's mentor. Known to his friends and enemies' as Wild Bill McGaw he soon proved that title with his colorful and interesting tales. Wild Bill was one hell of a storyteller albeit in person seating at the local watering hole or putting it to paper he could spin a real tale.



For more historical information on Bill McGaw and Michael Webster go to:



CURRICULUM VITAE MICHAEL WEBSTER

Copies of the old print El Paso Journal Newspapers can be viewed at the El Paso Public Library. They are bond & kept in the Heritage room.