Under Scaife’s ownership, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review grew in size and influence. It acquired several smaller newspapers and expanded its coverage to include sports, politics, business news, and local interest stories. The paper became known for its conservative views and was often critical of liberal politicians and policies. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review also gained a reputation for its investigative journalism, earning several Pulitzer Prize nominations for its reporting on a range of topics, including state government corruption, environmental pollution, and other issues affecting the region.
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review was also the first American newspaper to use computer technology to produce its pages. This allowed the paper to produce high-quality color pages and to incorporate graphics and other elements that were not possible with traditional printing methods.
Despite the success of the paper under Scaife’s ownership, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review faced stiff competition from other newspapers in the region. In 1992, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the city’s largest newspaper, launched a Sunday edition to directly compete with the Tribune-Review. While the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review managed to remain profitable through most of the 1990s and early 2000s, the rise of the internet and the decline of print advertising took a toll on the paper’s finances.
In 2015, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review announced that it would stop publishing its print edition and would instead focus on its digital properties, including its website and mobile apps. The move was seen as a way for the paper to cut costs and to adapt to the changing media landscape.
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review published its final print issue on November 30, 2016, ending a 205-year run as a print newspaper. The paper’s website and mobile apps continue to operate, providing news and information to readers in western Pennsylvania and the surrounding areas.
The end of the print edition of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review marked the closure of one of the oldest and most influential newspapers in the United States. While the paper’s conservative voice and investigative reporting will be missed, its legacy will continue through the digital properties that it has left behind. The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review may no longer be a print newspaper, but its impact on the region and the industry as a whole will be felt for years to come.