The Forum of Fargo–Moorhead
![]() The Forum front page for April 16, 2008 | |
| Type | Daily newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Owner | Forum Communications Company |
| Founder | J.B. Hall |
| Publisher | Bill Marcil, Jr. |
| Editor | Matthew Von Pinnon |
| Founded | 1878 (as The Fargo Republican) |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | 101 5th Street North Fargo, ND 58102-4826 |
| Circulation | 10,000 digital subscribers[1] 34,029 (as of 2024)[2] |
| ISSN | 0895-1292 |
| OCLC number | 9563116 |
| Website | inforum |
The Forum of Fargo–Moorhead or more recently The Forum is an American, English language newspaper.[3] It is the major newspaper for Fargo, North Dakota and the surrounding region, including Moorhead, Minnesota. It is the flagship and namesake of Forum Communications.[4] It is the primary paper for southeast North Dakota, and also much of northwest Minnesota.
History
[edit]In September 1878, J.B. Hall founded The Fargo Republican.[5][6] In February 1884, Hall retired and A.C. Jordan replaced him.[7] In May 1877, A.C. Jordan sold out to his brother, J.J. Jordan.[8] On November 17, 1891, Major Alanson W. Edwards and H.C. Plumley published the first edition of a rival newspaper called The Fargo Forum.[9] In February 1892, J.J. Jordan was appointed postmaster.[10] In October 1894, Jordan sold the Republican to Edwards and Plumley who consolidated it into the Forum.[11]
In February 1908, Edwards died. Outside the Forum, his other accomplishments included founding the Fargo Argus, serving as Fargo mayor, as a member of the state assembly and as U.S. consul general in Montreal.[12] In August 1912, the Forum entered receivership,[13] and in November 1912 was sold at public auction to J.P. Dotson, editor of the Crookston Times, for $52,500.[14][15] At that time Plumley left the business.[16]
In May 1913, The Forum Publishing Co. was incorporated with Dotson as president.[17] In April 1917, Dotson sold the business to Norman B. Black, former general manager of the Grand Forks Herald, for over $100,000.[18] N.B. Black died in January 1931 at age 65,[19] and was succeeded as publisher by his son, Norman D. Black.[20] In January 1933, N.B. Black became one of the first two inductees in the North Dakota Newspaper Hall of Fame.[21]
In August 1951, Jenny C. Black, company president and widow of N.B. Black, died at age 81.[22] In August 1944, N.D. Black died of a sudden heart attack at age 57,[23] and then was succeeded as publisher by his son, Noman D. Black, Jr.[24] In November 1954, the Black family acquired the Moorhead Daily News.[25] In June 1957, the Daily News was merged into the Forum.[26]
In September 1969, N.D. Black, Jr. died at age 56,[27] and was succeeded as publisher by his nephew, William C. Marcil.[28] In May 1986, N.D. Black, Jr. was inducted into the state's newspaper hall of fame.[29] In May 2005, Marcil was also inducted.[30] In September 2010, Marcil retired and was succeeded by his son, Bill Marcil, Jr.[31] In May 2020, the Forum reduced its print schedule to Wednesdays and Saturdays and switched from carrier to postal delivery due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[32]
TV/Radio
[edit]The Forum is also co-owned with TV stations WDAY-TV and WDAZ-TV. It used to own KOYY under the call sign WDAY-FM and WDAY-AM. In spring 2008, The Forum's news staff merged with WDAY-AM's news team, forming one of the first joint radio-print news-gathering operations in the country.[33] This ended in 2025 when the Forum sold WDAY-AM.[34]

See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ McFeely, Mike (October 10, 2020). "McFeely: InForum passes online subscription milestone". The Forum. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
- ↑ "Minnesota Newspaper Directory 2024" (PDF). Minnesota Newspaper Association. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 15, 2024. Retrieved March 28, 2024.
- ↑ "About The Forum". LoC.gov. Library of Congress. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
- ↑ Patrick Springer (April 17, 2017). "Family observes 100 years of Forum ownership". The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead.
- ↑ "News Of Our Neighbors". Lake Superior News. Duluth, Minnesota. August 29, 1878. p. 1.
- ↑ "State Items". Bangor Daily Commercial. Bangor, Maine. September 28, 1878. p. 3.
- ↑ "Dakota". The Winona Daily Republican. Winona, Minnesota. February 23, 1884. p. 2.
- ↑ "Territorial Gleanings". The Hope Pioneer. Hope, North Dakota. May 13, 1887. p. 1.
- ↑ "The Fargo Forum". Moorhead Daily News. Moorhead, Minnesota. November 17, 1891. p. 2.
- ↑ "J.J. Jordan's Plum | The Editor of The Fargo Republican Is Appointed Postmaster Yesterday". Fargo Daily Argus. February 4, 1892. p. 1.
- ↑ "Edwards Buys a Paper". The Saint Paul Globe. October 26, 1894. p. 1.
- ↑ "Maj. Edwards Dead | North Dakota Editor and Politician Passes Away". Montana Sunlight. Whitehall, Montana. February 14, 1908. pp. A2.
- ↑ "Emery Is Receiver | The Court Has Named Him Receiver Of The Fargo Forum". Moorhead Daily News. Moorhead, Minnesota. August 21, 1912. p. 4.
- ↑ "Fargo Forum Sold To Dotson OF Crookston". Grand Forks Herald. November 12, 1912. p. 1.
- ↑ "Fargo Forum Sold To Crookston Man". The Weekly Times-Record. Valley City, North Dakota. November 14, 1912. p. 3.
- ↑ "Two Old Editors Quit". Grand Forks Herald. November 18, 1912. p. 4.
- ↑ "Forum Publishing Co. Has Been Incorpated". The Fargo Forum, Daily Republican, and Moorhead Daily News. May 19, 1913. p. 1.
- ↑ "Fargo Forum Sold To N.B. Black". Jamestown Weekly Alert. Associated Press. April 19, 1917. p. 10.
- ↑ "Norman B. Black, Fargo Publisher, Died This Morning". The Hope Pioneer. January 8, 1931. p. 1.
- ↑ "Norman D. Black Succeeds Father As Forum Pub". Morning Pioneer. Mandan, North Dakota. January 22, 1931. p. 1.
- ↑ "Honor Paid To Black, Winship | Members of Newspaper Craft Dedicate Press Hall of Fame". The Fargo Forum, Daily Republican, and Moorhead Daily News. Fargo, North Dakota. January 21, 1933. p. 2.
- ↑ "Mrs. N.B. Black Passes; Was President Of Forum". The Fargo Forum, Daily Republican, and Moorhead Daily News. Fargo, North Dakota. August 16, 1951. p. 1.
- ↑ "Norman D. Black, Fargo Publisher, Dies Suddenly". The Bismarck Tribune. Associated Press. August 4, 1944. p. 1.
- ↑ "Norman D. Black Jr. Is New Forum Publisher". Morning Pioneer. Mandan, North Dakota. August 18, 1944. p. 1.
- ↑ "Daily News Sold To Fargo Forum Co". Moorhead Daily News. Moorhead, Minnesota. November 30, 1954. p. 1.
- ↑ "Daily News, Forum To Merge". Moorhead Daily News. Moorhead, Minnesota. June 28, 1957. p. 1.
- ↑ "Norman Black Jr. Is Dead at 56; Forum Publisher". The Bismarck Tribune. Associated Press. September 25, 1969. p. 1.
- ↑ "Marcil Becomes Forum Publisher". Grand Forks Herald. Associated Press. October 1, 1969. p. 13.
- ↑ "Sinner says N.D. special session likely". The Forum. Fargo, North Dakota. May 3, 1986. p. 13.
- ↑ "William Marcil inducted into Newspaper Hall of Fame". The Bismarck Tribune. Associated Press. May 9, 2005. p. 10.
- ↑ Nowatzki, Mike (September 15, 2010). "Marcil Jr. to become publisher; Case expands role to CEO". The Forum. Fargo, North Dakota. p. 1.
- ↑ Von Pinnon, Matthew (May 26, 2020). "Von Pinnon: The Forum will soon print newspapers twice a week and move to all-mail delivery". The Forum. Fargo, North Dakota. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
- ↑ Roepke, Dave (January 19, 2008). "Forum, radio team up". The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. Forum Communications Company. Retrieved January 21, 2008.
- ↑ Ellis, Jon (October 6, 2024). "Forum Sells WDAY Radio After 89 Years of Ownership". NorthPine.com. Retrieved July 4, 2026.
