The Beverly Hills Courier is a free weekly tabloid-sized print newspaper of circulation in Beverly Hills and the surrounding communities, and a daily web newspaper.
History
The publication was founded by March Schwartz in 1965.[1] His staff included managing editor Arthur M. Goldberg from 1966 to 2003. Both individuals were products of the long-defunct evening companion newspaper to the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles Mirror, where Schwartz was the classified sales manager and Goldberg was the editor. In 2004, the Courier's then-editor, Norma Zager, was awarded Journalist of the Year by the Los Angeles Press Club for her series on a lawsuit brought by Erin Brockovich.[2]
In 2004, after suffering a debilitating stroke, Schwartz reluctantly sold The Courier to The San Marino Tribune Company, Inc. whose owner, attorney Clifton S. Smith, Jr., assumed the role of publisher of the Courier.[3][4] Smith staffed the newspaper with former The Hollywood Reporter columnist George Christy[5] whose Courier column has appeared on foxnews.com.[6] Guest columnists included Joan Rivers. The late Rabbi Jacob Pressman also published a weekly column.[7] Courier articles have been cited by the Los Angeles Times.[8]
The Courier subscribes to Agence France-Presse and City News Service. Its website features updates throughout the day, seven days a week. The entire print edition is also available from the website. The paper is delivered free to residences each Friday. As of 2013, it self-reports a circulation of 40,000.[9]
Smith sold the Courier to entrepreneur Paula Kent Meehan, co-founder of the Redken hair-care company, in April 2014[10] – just two months before Meehan's death.[11] Associate publisher Marcia Wilson Hobbs replaced Smith as the publisher. BH Courier Acquisition, LLC acquired the "Courier" from the estate of Paula Kent Meehan in September, 2019.
Reception
The Courier has been described as "conservative" by LA Weekly blogger Dennis Romero[12] in a city which is "heavily liberal and Democratic".[13]Josh E. Gross, publisher of the competing Beverly Hills Weekly, described Clifton S. Smith Jr., the Courier's then owner/publisher, as "right-wing" and "bombastic".[14] A 2013 Los Angeles Times article about the Courier noted that "Smith delivers his opinions on civic matters in the heavily Democratic city through tart editorials that lean libertarian."[9]
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority has criticized the Courier for publishing errors and misleading statements with regards to the D Line Extension.[15][16] Damien Newton of LA streetsblog has accused the Courier of publishing libel with its coverage of seismology experts who weighed in on the geotechnical issues facing the subway extension.[17]
Two-time Beverly Hills mayor Barry Brucker accused the Courier of being biased in its coverage of the local city government and various development projects.[18] Then-Beverly Hills City Manager, Jeff Kolin, accused the Courier of printing false allegations with regard to an article alleging city staff had falsified documents concerning city water rates,[19] and has rebuked the paper for being misleading by confounding the city's 2012 budgetary surplus with unfunded pension liabilities.[20]
See also
References
- ^ ‘Beverly Hills Courier’ Founder/Publisher March J. Schwartz Dead At 97, The Beverly Hills Courier, September 07, 2014
- ^ "2004 Southern California Journalism Award Winners". Los Angeles Press Club. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
- ^ "San Marino Tribune Company Directory of Business Contacts". Salesforce's data.com. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
- ^ "Clifton S. Smith". LexisNexis. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
- ^ Weintraub, Bernard (May 28, 2001). "Hollywood Paper Suspends Column by George Christy". New York Times. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
- ^ "George Christy Archive". FOX News Network. April 22, 2011. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
- ^ Danielle Berrin, Rabbi Jacob Pressman takes a bow, The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles, December 3, 2008
- ^ Horowitz, Joy (June 27, 2007). "Schoolyard secrets". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
- ^ a b Rainey, James; Martha Groves (August 6, 2013). "Small paper in Beverly Hills has big voice". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 8, 2013. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
- ^ Groves, Martha (April 18, 2014). "Philanthropist Paula Kent Meehan buys the Beverly Hills Courier". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 22, 2014.
- ^ Arévalo, Penny (June 23, 2014). "OBIT: Paula Kent Meehan, Co-Founder of Redkin, Promoter of All Things Beverly Hills". Beverly Hills Patch. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
- ^ Romero, Dennis (January 9, 2012). "Ron Paul's Beverly Hills Street Art Removed". L.A. Weekly. Retrieved May 9, 2012.
- ^ Cole, Rudy (November 6, 2006). "Rodeo Or The O.K. Corral?" (PDF). Beverly Hills Weekly. Retrieved May 9, 2012.
- ^ Gross, Josh (October 21, 2009). "Why the Meshkaty Scandal Won't Go Away" (PDF). Beverly Hills Weekly. Retrieved May 9, 2012.
- ^ Hymon, Steve (November 3, 2011). "Subway Facts & History: Metro responds to errors in Beverly Hills Courier and allegations by Beverly Hills school district". Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved November 3, 2011.
- ^ Antolin, Daniel (May 8, 2011). "Courier Allegedly Misreported Subway Extension". Canyon News. Retrieved November 17, 2011.
- ^ Newton, Damien (November 18, 2011). "Bev. Hills Courier's Big Scoop: Metro Does Mailings". StreetsBlog. Retrieved November 19, 2011.
- ^ "Beverly Hills Mayor Accuses Courier Of "Scare and Panic" Tactics". Curbed Los Angeles. October 29, 2008. Retrieved November 24, 2011.
- ^ Kolin, Jeff (July 23, 2012). "City Manager Writes Open Letter to 'Courier' Calling for Retraction". Patch. Retrieved July 24, 2012.
- ^ Taglieri, Joe (February 18, 2013). "City Pensions: Kolin Responds to Courier". Patch. Retrieved February 20, 2013.