Gleaner Company
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA Jamaican newspaper publishing and media company founded in 1834 and best known for The Gleaner.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Gleaner Company is a Jamaican newspaper publishing and media enterprise headquartered in Kingston. Its principal publishing property is The Gleaner, a long-running morning broadsheet that developed from a weekly newspaper founded by brothers Jacob and Joshua de Cordova in 1834. The company also publishes the Sunday Gleaner and The Star, an afternoon tabloid, together with specialist sections, magazines, supplements, and overseas editions aimed at Jamaican and wider Caribbean communities abroad. The original newspaper began as The Gleaner and Weekly Compendium of News. It was initially issued on Saturdays, but the business expanded its publishing frequency after a 1836 combination with the deCordova Advertising Sheet. Over time, the title became an important source of Jamaican news, commentary, business reporting, sport, entertainment coverage, community information, and advertising. It was known as The Daily Gleaner for much of the twentieth century before reverting to The Gleaner in 1992. The company’s publishing portfolio has historically included the Sunday Gleaner, first issued in 1939; The Star, launched in 1951 as an afternoon tabloid; and the Weekend Star, which has emphasized Jamaican music, theatre, dance, and culture. Other recurring products and sections have included Children’s Own, Youthlink, Flair, the Financial Gleaner, Hospitality Jamaica, Track and Pools, and regional editions such as Western Focus. The company has also produced overseas weekly editions, including the Weekly Gleaner and related editions for the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Gleaner Company’s business has extended beyond print publishing. Its activities have included newspaper printing, online publishing, radio broadcasting, and media-related subsidiaries and investments. The company has been associated with Independent Radio Company, which operates Power 106 and Music 99 FM, as well as Gleaner Online and other publishing and investment entities. Its operations have depended not only on direct employees but also on contractors, vendors, delivery workers, rural agents, correspondents, photographers, freelancers, and other contributors throughout Jamaica. The company’s physical and technical development reflects the modernization of the Jamaican newspaper industry. It operated for many decades from premises on Harbour Street in Kingston, survived major fires and the 1907 earthquake, and moved to its present North Street facility in 1969 after continued growth. It adopted successive generations of printing and production technology, including steam-powered presses, linotype machines, rotary presses, computerized production systems, and digital pre-press capabilities. In 1997 it launched an online presence, allowing its journalism and Jamaican diaspora services to reach audiences beyond the island. Gleaner Company is a significant institution in Jamaican media history because its flagship newspaper has operated across political, technological, and social changes for nearly two centuries. Its current identity combines a historic national newspaper franchise with digital publishing, specialist media products, radio interests, and international distribution. The available reference material does not establish a current chief executive, controlling owner, exact employee count, or current financial performance.
History
Gleaner Company traces its origins to 1834, when Jacob and Joshua de Cordova began publishing a four-page weekly newspaper in Kingston. The first issue appeared on 13 September under the title The Gleaner and Weekly Compendium of News. It was initially a Saturday publication sold by subscription, and its title was later adjusted to emphasize family, literature, morality, the arts, sciences, and entertainment. In 1836, the newspaper was combined with the deCordova Advertising Sheet, enabling publication on every day except Sunday and broadening its commercial base. During the nineteenth century, the newspaper developed from a small weekly into an industrial printing operation. Steam-powered printing was introduced in 1875. The company suffered a major plant fire in 1882, temporarily using the Government Printing Office, and later became a public company in the late nineteenth century. The reference material gives both 10 June 1897 and 1898 as dates associated with its public-company status; the precise legal or listing chronology therefore requires verification. The early twentieth century brought further expansion and disruption. The company increased the paper’s size, added linotype machines, installed photo-engraving equipment, adopted rotary presses, and created motor delivery routes. A 1907 earthquake followed by fire destroyed its Harbour Street building, but the newspaper returned to the streets within days while temporary printing arrangements were made. These developments helped establish the company’s ability to maintain publication through serious operational shocks. The company expanded its editorial and geographic reach during the mid-twentieth century. The Sunday Gleaner began publication in 1939, Children’s Own appeared in 1950, and an overseas edition was introduced in 1951. The same year saw the launch of The Star, an afternoon tabloid intended to provide accessible news, investigative reporting, columns, and human-interest material. The Weekend Star subsequently developed a strong focus on music and Jamaican cultural life. Branch operations began outside Kingston, including an office in Montego Bay in 1960 and later advertising offices in Ocho Rios and Mandeville. In 1967 the company began constructing a new plant on North Street in central Kingston. The facility was completed in 1969, when the company moved its operations from its long-established Harbour Street premises. The new site included a large rotary press and became the company’s principal operating location. The modernization of production continued through the installation of color-capable presses, computerized systems, and more advanced page-production equipment. In 1982 the company installed a major computer system, making it an early adopter of newspaper production technology in the Caribbean. A Goss Urbanite press and a new pre-press system followed in the 1990s. The flagship title was renamed from The Daily Gleaner to The Gleaner in December 1992. The company entered online publishing with the launch of its website in February 1997. It also undertook commercial printing work, including a temporary arrangement to print the Miami Herald International Satellite Edition between 1997 and 1999. Digital and regional initiatives continued around the turn of the century, including the creation of a digital laboratory, local web properties, subscription-route expansion, and new overseas products for London and Canada. The publishing portfolio broadened through specialist supplements and magazines. These have addressed business and finance, women’s interests, youth and education, tourism, horse racing, western Jamaica, children, music, theatre, and community affairs. The company has also developed radio and online interests through subsidiaries and affiliated operations, including Independent Radio Company, Gleaner Online, and overseas corporate entities. Today, Gleaner Company is best understood as a Jamaican media group centered on a historic newspaper brand. Its reach extends beyond the domestic print market through digital services, radio, specialist products, and diaspora editions distributed in North America and the United Kingdom. The reference material confirms its Kingston headquarters and broad media activities but does not provide sufficient information to identify current executives, ownership, current finances, or the precise present-day status of every subsidiary.
- 2004
Hospitality Jamaica introduced
[1]The company launched Hospitality Jamaica, a publication focused on the tourism industry.
- 2001
Youthlink and digital expansion
[1]Youthlink magazine was launched, while local web properties and other digital initiatives expanded the company’s media portfolio.
- 1997
Online publishing launched
[1]The company launched its website and began extending its newspaper operation into digital distribution.
- 1992
The Daily Gleaner renamed
[1]The flagship newspaper dropped the word “Daily” and became The Gleaner again.
- 1982
Computerized production
[1]A major computer system was installed as part of the company’s transition toward modern newspaper production.
- 1969
Move to North Street headquarters
[1]Operations moved from Harbour Street to the company’s new plant at 7 North Street in Kingston.
- 1960
Regional branch expansion
[1]The company established a branch office in Montego Bay and later added advertising offices in other Jamaican towns.
- 1951
Overseas Gleaner and The Star launched
[1]The company introduced its first overseas edition and published the first issue of The Star, its afternoon tabloid.
- 1950
Children’s Own introduced
[1]The company launched Children’s Own as a publication for younger readers during the school year.
- 1939
Sunday Gleaner launched
[1]The company published the first Sunday Gleaner on 10 September.
Products and positioning
A Jamaican national newspaper and diversified media house serving domestic readers, specialist audiences, and Jamaican and Caribbean communities overseas.
Morning newspaper · 1834
The Gleaner
The company’s flagship morning broadsheet, published Monday through Saturday. It combines national and international news with opinion, sport, business reporting, features, community coverage, and advertising. Its specialist content has included business, women’s issues, youth affairs, regional reporting, and other recurring sections.
Sunday newspaper · 1939
Sunday Gleaner
The company’s Sunday newspaper, first published in 1939. It provides a weekend edition of Gleaner journalism and has historically reached a larger readership than the weekday daily, with extended features, commentary, culture, and magazine-style material.
Afternoon tabloid · 1951
The Star
An afternoon tabloid launched in 1951. Known as “the people paper,” it has carried news, investigative reports, columns, human-interest stories, and entertainment coverage for a broad Jamaican audience.
Entertainment newspaper supplement · 1962
Weekend Star
A weekend publication associated with The Star and focused on Jamaican music, dance, theatre, entertainment, and cultural life. It was introduced in 1962 as a substantial entertainment-oriented edition.
Children’s newspaper · 1950
Children’s Own
A youth-oriented publication first issued in 1950 and produced weekly during the academic term. It was designed to provide children with age-appropriate reading and educational material.
Youth magazine · 2001
Youthlink
A magazine launched in 2001 covering educational issues, youth concerns, and achievements of young people. It broadened the company’s audience beyond conventional newspaper readers.
International weekly newspaper · 1951
Weekly Gleaner
An overseas edition serving Jamaican and Caribbean communities outside Jamaica. Related editions have been distributed in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, carrying Jamaican news and diaspora-relevant coverage.
Business publication
Financial Gleaner
A specialist section or publication aimed at business and financial readers, providing coverage relevant to Jamaica’s commercial and investment communities.
Tourism-industry publication · 2004
Hospitality Jamaica
A publication focused on Jamaica’s tourism and hospitality sector, first introduced in 2004 as the company expanded into specialized industry journalism.
Brand decisions
2004
Launch of Hospitality JamaicaProduct launchBackground
Tourism is a major part of Jamaica’s economy and media market, creating demand for specialized coverage of the hospitality sector.
Action taken
The company introduced Hospitality Jamaica on 13 October 2004.
Aftermath
The publication extended Gleaner Company’s specialist business-to-industry publishing activities.
2001
Launch of YouthlinkProduct launchBackground
The company sought to serve younger readers and address educational and youth-related topics through a dedicated magazine.
Action taken
The first issue of Youthlink was published on 20 March 2001.
Aftermath
Youthlink expanded the company’s magazine and audience portfolio, although the reference material does not establish its current publication status.
1997
Launch of online publishingProduct launchBackground
The company was adapting its newspaper operations to the growing importance of electronic news distribution and overseas audiences.
Action taken
Gleaner Company launched its website in February 1997.
Aftermath
The launch created a digital channel for the company’s journalism and supported its reach beyond Jamaica.
1992
Restore the flagship title to The GleanerStrategyBackground
The company had used the name The Daily Gleaner for much of the twentieth century, but the reference chronology records a return to the shorter historic title.
Action taken
On 7 December 1992, the newspaper was renamed from The Daily Gleaner to The Gleaner.
Aftermath
The change re-established the historic Gleaner name as the principal identity of the flagship newspaper.
Sources1 sources
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