110 ARKHAM GAZETTE
350 W Hyde Street
Arkham’s first newspaper, the Gazette, was established in 1806 by Aaron Crane, who served as both editor and publisher. It began daily publication in 1894; before then, it was a fat weekly. The Crane family still owns the newspaper with Michael Crane, the managing editor—though he does little more these days than read the mail and curse his rival publisher, Harvey Gedney, at the Arkham Advertiser (131).
The Gazette is printed at 3:00 am every morning, six days a week; Sunday papers are printed on Saturday afternoon at 2:00 pm and distributed that evening. Though it has happened five times since 1900, it takes a momentous event for the Gazette to run a special edition. Weekday issues cost 4 cents, while the Sunday edition costs 8 cents—a touch more expensive than its rival—due to the Gazette having a higher page count, publishing about 20 percent more text daily than the Advertiser. The Gazette has never missed an edition in 100+ years of publishing.
Of the two newspapers in town, the Gazette is the more conservative, featuring town and valley news to the virtual exclusion of international events. It is especially notable for its large number of county correspondents who report family visits and other crossroads events.
The paper employs two full-time editors, three full-time reporters, two secretaries, a linotypist, two casemen, two pressmen, a circulation & advertising manager, and part-time help and correspondents as needed. Office hours at the Gazette are 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday, and 8:00 am to 12:00 noon on Saturdays.
Notable Folk
Publisher & editor Michael Crane, 62, is noticeably protective of Arkham’s businessmen, notables, and old families, and they reward his concern with larger display advertising and longer subscriptions. He is a particularly demanding boss and calculating in his anipulation of people to get what he wants, although age has mellowed such traits.
Willard Peck, 44, chief reporter for the Gazette. Peck heralds from an elite family of long standing in Arkham, and so his local connections are excellent. He knows a great deal about Arkham’s public and hidden sides, with contacts throughout the town’s social strata, although he would never consider risking his contacts in terms of his published stories, nor is he prone to flights of fancy. Thus, he feels it is his duty to protect the honest citizens of Arkham from scandal and unsubstantiated rumor. He is not a stooge for wrongdoers: he honestly respects the people of Arkham.
Historical
Stored in the basement is a complete collection of the Gazette’s back issues—at the Keeper’s discretion, a small portion might be missing (such as some issues in the periods 1845–1848 and 1864–1868). This collection is priceless, since no other exists. Beginning in the 1880s, issues were printed on acid-processed paper, and in later years these have become more fragile. Access to these archives is grudgingly given, especially so after a nameless young man recently attempted to run off with a whole stack of issues from 1846.
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