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The Top 10 Michigan Daily Newspapers by Circulation

Michigan’s first newspaper, entitled The Michigan Essay: or the Impartial Observer, was founded in 1809. Michigan’s second-ever newspaper, the Detroit Gazette, appeared in 1817 and was published partly in French.

Updated February 2020

  • 1. The Detroit Free Press
    Published by Gannett and founded in 1831, the Free Press serves Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston, Washtenaw, and Monroe counties.
  • 2. The Detroit News
    Founded in 1873, the News has won three Pulitzer Prizes and claims to the first newspaper in the world to also operate a radio station (station 8MK, founded in 1920).
  • 3. The Grand Rapids Press
    Founded in 1890, the Press is owned by Boone Newspapers and is published in Grand Rapids.
  • 4. Kalamazoo Gazette
    The Gazette was founded in 1833 as the Michigan Statesman. It currently publishes seven days a week.
  • 5. The Macomb Daily
    The Daily primarily serves Clinton Township in Macomb County (part of Metro Detroit), and was founded in 1964 after the merger of The Mt. Clemens Monitor Leader, The South Macomb News and The Tri City Progress.
  • 6. The Muskegon Chronicle
    Founded in 1857 and published by Booth Newspapers in Muskegon, the Chronicle primarily serves Muskegon, Newaygo, Oceana, and Ottawa counties.
  • 7. Lansing State Journal
    Published by Gannett in Lansing, the State Journal was founded in 1855 as the Lansing Republican.
  • 8. Traverse City Record-Eagle
    Published in Traverse City, the Record-Eagle is known as Grand Traverse County’s newspaper of record.
  • 9. The Daily Telegram
    Published Monday-Saturday in Adrian, the Daily Telegram serves Lenawee and southern Jackson counties including Adrian, Tecumseh, Blissfield, Clinton, Addison, Deerfield, Hudson, Morenci, Onsted, and Brooklyn.
  • 10. The Oakland Press
    Published daily in Oakland County, the Press was founded in 1842 and has its headquarters in Troy.

Newspaper circulations and rankings are determined by Fullintel’s media intelligence analysts in combination with data supplied by LexisNexis.

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