The Journal News was founded on October 12, 1998, through the merger of several daily community newspapers serving the lower Hudson Valley region of New York. The idea behind the merger was to create a more comprehensive news source for the area, combining the strengths of multiple local papers. While the current newspaper's name comes from the Rockland Journal-News, it actually incorporated larger papers like The Reporter Dispatch from White Plains and the Herald Statesman in Yonkers. Today, The Journal News is owned by Gannett Co., Inc., a major media conglomerate that acquired the newspaper in 2006 . Based in White Plains, New York, The Journal News covers a wide range of topics including local and national news, sports, entertainment, and politics. The newspaper primarily serves the counties of Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam in New York, an area known as the Lower Hudson Valley. In addition to its print edition, The Journal News also maintains a strong online presence through its website, lohud.com, which features daily news updates and over 40 blogs covering various topics . **One interesting fact**: Despite being a local newspaper, The Journal News gained national attention and sparked controversy in 2012 when it published an interactive map showing the names and addresses of all handgun permit holders in Westchester and Rockland Counties. This decision led to significant backlash and ultimately resulted in changes to state law regarding the privacy of gun owners' information .