1325 H Street Modesto, CA 95354 209-578-2000 www.modbee.com www.modmomsclub.com The Paper The Community

The Paper

Mission Statement/Motto: We will provide news and information that exceeds our customers' expectations every day.

Founded: The Modesto Bee, under various names and ownership, has been published daily since 1884, when the paper was known as the Daily Evening News. In 1924 The Daily News merged with the Modesto News-Herald and became the Modesto News-Herald. The newspaper was purchased by Charles K. McClatchy in 1924 and officially became The Modesto Bee and News-Herald in 1933. However, the name on the masthead was shortened to The Modesto Bee in 1975.

Key Executives:
Eric Johnston, President & Publisher
Joseph Kieta, Editor & Senior Vice President of News
Timothy Ritchey, Vice President of Advertising
Walt Kletke, Regional Vice President of Finance
Cathy Allison, Vice President of Human Resources

General Hiring Contact: Peggy Nielsen, employment manager, 209-578-2093. Distinction: The Modesto Bee was given the California Newspaper Publishers Association "Best in the State" award for both its print product and its online site in the same year, 2005.

On a rainy spring day, Modesto's gateway arch, which welcomes visitors and residents to downtown Modesto, is accentuated by a rainbow.

Market: Modesto's best-of-both worlds location offers the natural wonders of the lush San Joaquin Valley and easy access to San Francisco, Sacramento and Yosemite all within 100 miles. Modesto is Stanislaus County's largest city and is one of the 20 largest cities in California with a population exceeding 210,000. Stanislaus County has 526,617 people who spend nearly $5 billion on retail purchases each year. Of the county's 973,000 acres, approximately 80 percent is farmed. It is ranked among the top 10 counties in the United States for agriculture production. The county is the leading producer of milk, milk products, poultry, eggs, nut crops, fruit and wine grapes. Modesto is also home to the world's largest winery (Gallo), wet process cannery and almond processing plant. The area is also ethnically diverse with 40 percent of the total population being Latino.

Circulation Area: The Modesto Bee is delivered to homes and business in six counties. They are Stanislaus County (the primary market), southern San Joaquin County, Merced County, Tuolumne County, Calavaras County and parts of Mariposa County.

Customers: An average daily Modesto Bee reader is aged 35+, equally male or female, with 36 percent having some college education and 17 percent with a college degree. Fifty-one percent have a household income greater than $50,000 and 48 percent have children in their household. The majority of readers are white, and 26 percent are of Hispanic origin. While 19 percent of readers consider their employment to be managerial or professional, 13 percent are operative, non-farm laborers or craftsmen.

Site: The Modesto Bee is located in the heart of Modesto's original downtown area.

Readership: Daily readers per copy are 2.5 for a total daily readership of 167,630. Sunday readers per copy is 3.0 for a total Sunday readership of 224,829.

Fall is harvest time for many of the San Joaquin Valley's crops and ag products. Here, walnuts are loaded into a trailer at a walnut orchard in west Modesto.

Circulation: 67,052 daily and 74,943 Sunday.

Size: Avg. Daily (Mon - Sat): 48 pages; Avg. Sunday: 50.0 pages.

Single-Copy Sales: 8% daily and 10%Sunday.

Color: Avg # Color pages (Mon-Sat): 10 pages; Avg # Color pages (Sunday): 14 pages.

Newspaper Website: www.modbee.com

Average Monthly Page Views/Unique Visitors: Average monthly page views: 23,828,178. Average monthly unique visitors: 553,849.

Employees: 111 full-time and 18 part-time employees.

Newsroom Staff: 45 full-time and 9 part-time journalists.

Major Awards: The California Newspaper Publishers Association awarded The Modesto Bee the 2005 General Excellence Award (Best in the State) for newspapers in the 75,000-200,000-circulation category. Modbee.com was named best website in the state in the same circulation category. Modbee.com also won Best News Web Site in the nation by the NAA Digital Edge Awards. The Modesto Bee has also received several McClatchy President's Awards.

Major Advertisers: Save Mart (locally owned grocery store chain), Macy's, Kohl's.

A farmer races to harvest almonds as rain threatens overhead. Wet almonds have to be dried before going to market, adding significantly to the farmer's expense.

Creative Ventures: The Modesto Bee has a number of front-page advertising positions including ad notes, A-1 strip ads and spadea opportunities. Advertisers love the exposure and response they receive from these premium positions.

The Bee continues to make investments in video coverage, from daily breaking news to feature stories. In 2010, "Bee Scene," a video-based series, was launched featuring features writer Lisa Millegan-Renner. Every Thursday, Lisa discusses what's going on locally in entertainment. Beee Scene is available for viewing on modbee.com and I-Tunes.

Special Publications: In 2005, The Modesto Bee launched Vida en el Valle, a bilingual weekly newspaper that originated at The Fresno Bee. Vida is now the largest weekly bilingual publication in the nation and has been voted "Best Bilingual Newspaper of its size" by the National Association of Hispanic Publications numerous times. The Modesto Bee publishes other titles intended to reach an expanding audience, including:

• MVP -- a direct mailed, mid-week non-subscriber publication
• Yes! -- an opt-in advertising product available only to non-subscribers on Sundays

Well-Known Newsroom Personality: Jeff Jardine writes a column several times a week focusing on local people, local events and local issues.

Community Involvement: Each year, The Modesto Bee gives back to the community in the form of promotional advertising. The newspaper supports more than 120 nonprofit organizations whose goals and values are consistent with those of the newspaper and its readers. The American Heritage Scholarship Series, awarding college scholarships for insight on specific aspects of American history, and Kids' Day, supporting the Salvation Army's Red Shield Center for at-risk and underprivileged children, are just two examples of The Modesto Bee's service to the community.

Modesto sits in the fertile San Joaquin Valley, where agriculture and rural life still define much of the landscape.

Market: Modesto's central location puts you within a short drive of the ocean, mountains and some of the nation's most renowned parks. Day trip options from Modesto include San Francisco, Sacramento, and Yosemite National Park -- among many others.

Our mild climate makes outdoor activities enjoyable year round. Modesto is in the heart of one of the greatest agricultural areas in the nation, the fertile San Joaquin Valley. Dairy products, nuts, fruits, wine grapes, and poultry products are some of the top commodities. Visit during the early spring and the beautiful orchards in bloom will delight. May through November is harvest season. You can "taste Modesto" at the Farmers Market and the many fresh produce stands in the area. You simply can't go wrong in Modesto. There’s something for everyone. It's a cozy community with exciting new attractions.

Location: The saying goes, "When you're in Modesto, you are two hours or less from everywhere." Modesto sits about 77 miles south of Sacramento, about 100 miles west of Yosemite National Forest, about 91 miles southeast of San Francisco, close to 120 miles northeast of the beautiful beaches of Monterey and Carmel and about the same distance southeast of the Napa Valley wine region.

Transportation: Modesto sits just off U.S. Highway 99, a major highway that runs the length of the state. Modesto has its own airport and is 90 minutes or less from three major international airports, Sacramento, Oakland and San Francisco. There's an Amtrak station in Modesto, and there’s an extensive railway system used for transporting the produce grown in the area.

City Population: Modesto is home to 206,930 people, placing it among the top 20 largest cities in the state.

City Households: 69,325

Household Growth Rate: Annual household growth runs about 2% in both the city of Modesto and Stanislaus County.

Education: 25% high school education, 26% some college, 19% college, 5% post college.

Ethnic Makeup: 70% white, 4% African American, 1% American Indian, 6% Asian, 26% Hispanic.

Median Age: 34

Average Income: $50,971

Median Home Value: $140,000

Average Rent: $995

Climate: Modesto has great weather. The average summer high is 87 degrees, but there can be 100-degree temperatures in July and August. The average summer low is 58 degrees. In the winter months (if you can call it winter), the average high is 63 degrees and the average low is 44 degrees. Modesto averages 13 inches of rainfall per year.

Spectators take photos as the professional cyclists competing in the Amgen Tour of California pass through downtown Modesto in May of 2010.

Major Employers/Industries: Agriculture is the primary industry, but major employers include health care, education and government. Some specific companies include Gallo Winery and Gallo Glass, Foster Farms, Doctor's Hospital and Memorial Hospital.

Major Retailers: Macy's; JCPenney; Sears; Target; Costco; Rite-Aid; Bed, Bath & Beyond; Walmart; Walgreen's; Best Buy; Michaels; Office Depot; Big 5; Petsmart; Save Mart Supermarkets; Raley's Supermarkets, Valley Sporting Goods; Al's Furniture.

Higher Learning: California State University, Stanislaus; University of California, Merced; Modesto Junior College.

Culture: Modesto is home to the Modesto Symphony Orchestra, Townsend Opera Players, Modesto Civic Theatre, Central West Ballet, the Central California Art League, three museums and the Gallo Center for the Arts.

Sports: Modesto Nuts minor league baseball.

Major Annual Events: X-Fest (Exclamation Fest), Oakdale Chocolate Festival, Patterson Apricot Festival, Riverbank Wine and Cheese Festival, Hughson Fruit and Nut Festival, Ripon Almond Blossom Festival, Modesto Graffiti Weekend, and the Stanislaus County Fair.

Tourist Attractions: The McHenry Mansion, McHenry Museum.

Recreation: In the city of Modesto alone there are more than 50 parks, four private golf courses/clubs, and more than 10 public golf courses/ranges. Three main rivers run through the area: the Stanislaus River, Tuolumne River and San Joaquin River. There are also several lakes and reservoirs close by that make for excellent fishing.

The Mancini Bowl, an open-air amphitheater in Modesto's Graceada Park, is a popular spot to enjoy summer concerts and other performances.

Nightlife: Downtown Modesto has undergone a dramatic transformation from an undesirable location for businesses and citizens to a bustling, vibrant city center. The downtown area is now filled with local eateries and fine dining establishments, nightclubs, a cigar bar, movie theaters, and coffee houses. The Gallo Center for the Performing Arts also bring a whole new level of culture and entertainment to the area.

Claim to Fame: Modesto is the hometown of George Lucas and his movie "American Graffiti" relates the days of his youth cruising the main drag of Modesto.

Famous Citizens: Carol Channing, Ray Lankford (former center fielder with the St. Louis Cardinals and San Diego Padres); former NASCAR racer Ernie Irvin; Olympic swimmer Mark Spitz; winemakers Ernest and Julio Gallo.

Trivia: What Broadway and film star married her junior high school sweetheart, Modesto businessman Harry Kullijian, in 2003 and now calls Modesto home? Answer: Carol Channing.

Area Information: www.visitmodesto.com or Modesto Convention & Visitors Bureau, 1150 Ninth Street, Suite C, Modesto, CA 95354. Phone: 888-640-8467, 209-526-5588. Fax: 209-526-5586.

Recent Issues of the Newspaper: Modesto Bee Library/Info Center, 209-578-2333.

(This profile was last updated on May 29, 2012)

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