Founded in 1932 by brothers Albert and Robert Dix, the Record-Courier came into being to offer a unified and stronger news source for Portage County. The idea sparked when the brothers' family acquired two neighboring, rival town papers—the Ravenna Evening Record and the Kent Courier-Tribune. They decided that combining the two publications into one would be the best way to thoroughly cover the region. After being run by the Dix family for over 80 years, the publication was eventually sold, and today it is owned and operated by Gannett, the largest newspaper publisher in the country. Today, the Record-Courier is based in Northeast Ohio, serving the cities of Kent, Ravenna, and the surrounding areas. They are mainly focused on local happenings, providing daily coverage on regional political updates, community entertainment, and extensive reporting on sports, with a heavy emphasis on local high school athletics and Kent State University games. One interesting fact: A unique fact about the Record-Courier is its deep historical connection to a major national event. Because of its location in Kent, Ohio, it served as the primary local news source on the ground covering the historic and tragic Kent State University anti-war protests and shootings on May 4, 1970, providing crucial community-level reporting while the whole world was watching their town.