THE Jamaica Observer newspaper hit the news stands on Sunday, March 7, 1993 as a weekly publication, under the ownership of hotelier Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart and banker Delroy Lindsay.

The paper was printed at Florida Offset, part of the Gannett group, which also publishes USA Today, in Miramar, Florida. Stewart is currently the sole owner. The Observer went to a twice-weekly publication in June 1993 and a daily newspaper on December 11, 1994.

From the outset, the newspaper established itself as a trendsetter in the industry, when it became the first newspaper in the Caribbean to print in full colour.

Throughout the years, the newspaper has distinguished itself as a premier media organisation in the Caribbean. We currently publish several highly acclaimed magazine features appearing daily in our core products, the Daily Observer and the Sunday Observer. These include All Woman; Vows; Observer Central; Observer North and East on Mondays; TeenAge Observer on Tuesdays; the Business Observer on Wednesdays; Thursday Life, Thursday Food and Observer West on Thursdays; Splash, Auto, and Caribbean Business Report on Fridays; Sporting World and Under the Dryer, and Buy Me on Saturdays; and Bookends, the Style Observer, The Agenda, Sunday Finance, Career & Education, and Life Tributes on Sundays,

To mark the celebration of our 15th anniversary, The Jamaica Observer launched Chat!, the nation’s second daily afternoon paper since 1951, on March 7, 2008. Publication of Chat! has since been suspended.

As an expression of our commitment to education, we also produce, with the aid of educators, the JOL Lecture Series and the GSAT Mathematics textbooks. These books contain practice tests and answers, activities and study notes which are published weekly in the popular Study Centre which appears on Tuesdays for students reading for those examinations. In 2012, we added the Leaning Corner containing the Junior Study Centre aimed at the primary schools.

The Jamaica Observer has also implemented a full electronic version of the newspaper — ePaper — an exact replica of the daily printed newspaper, providing online subscribers with access to the latest news and features, supplemented by our redesigned and leading website www.jamaicaobserver.com, known for its up-to-the-minute breaking news throughout the news day.

The Jamaica Observer hosts three annual corporate events that solidify our brand as number one in the areas of business, food, lifestyle, fashion and style. These include:

The Jamaica Observer Business Leader Awards

The Jamaica Observer Table Talk Food Awards

The Jamaica Observer Style Awards

Spearheaded by Novia McDonald-Whyte, we introduced the overwhelmingly successful Observer Celebration of Fashion’s Night Out which has been embraced by the business community.

The newspaper covers Jamaica from regional offices in Kingston, the capital; Montego Bay, St James; Mandeville, Manchester; and Ocho Rios, St Ann.

Our co-editors are Vernon Davidson, executive editor – publications and Desmond Allen, executive editor – operations.