The Capital and Maryland Gazette merge into a single publication

The Capital and the Maryland Gazette, two long-standing newspapers serving Annapolis and Anne Arundel County, have merged into a single daily publication under the Capital Gazette banner. This consolidation, effective in June, marks the end of separate identities for these historic papers.

Traditionally, The Capital, a daily newspaper, covered news of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County from just north of Severna Park to the county’s southern border with Calvert County, while the twice-weekly Maryland Gazette covered news in northern Anne Arundel County.

The merger follows the January 2024 acquisition of the Baltimore Sun, owner of Capital Gazette, by David D. Smith, executive chairman of Sinclair Inc., and Armstrong Williams, a conservative political commentator.

The Maryland Gazette was one of the oldest newspapers in the country. Founded in 1727 by British journalist William Parks, the Maryland Gazette recorded several achievements during its illustrious history. In 1767 Anne Catharine Green became the first female newspaper publisher in the country and the newspaper fought the dreaded stamp tax that started the American Revolution.

The Evening Capital was founded by William Abbott in 1884 as a newspaper serving Annapolis. Abbott purchased the Maryland Gazette shortly before World War I. The Evening Capital became The Capital in 1981.