Familiar newspaperman receives ‘honor of a lifetime’

George “Scoop” Sample, owner and CEO of Sample News Group based in Huntingdon, Pa., which The Owego Pennysaver is a part of, was honored recently as the 2022 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Pennsylvania News Media Association. The prestigious award was presented at PNA’s annual dinner meeting.

Sample’s name will be familiar to many in the Valley as publisher of the Evening Times for several years in the 1980s before he and his wife, Marlene, purchased the Huntingdon Daily News and began to expand their Sample News Group (SNG). In 2008, that expansion included the Morning Times, joined by Kelly Luvison.

PNA’s Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes exceptional service and outstanding accomplishments spanning a career in journalism. Sample’s media career has spanned more than 50 years.

“It is a great and humbling honor to be in the company of so many great Pennsylvania newspaper giants,” said Sample. “This award has marked an enjoyable 50 years with some of the best colleagues you could imagine.”

Sample’s professional newspaper career began at the Punxsutawney Spirit after college in 1973, but his knowledge of the industry goes deeper than that.

“Growing up in Corry, Pennsylvania, I started out stuffing papers when I was six or seven years old. By 13 or 14 years old, I was writing news,” he said.

Sample was general manager of the Punxsutawney newspaper before he was 21 years old.

Sample learned the industry from one of the best — his father, George R. Sample Jr., longtime publisher of the Corry Journal.

Sample moved up through the ranks of the American Publishing Company chain before he and his family founded Sample News Group in 1991, and with the purchase of the Huntingdon newspaper and The Daily Herald in Tyrone. Since then he has acquired more than 70 publications in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Vermont.

“Sample News Group really started in Huntingdon in 1991 when Joe Biddle selected me to succeed his family,” said Sample. “Joe wanted to sell to another family, not a chain — someone who would care about Huntingdon County. I think we have met his wishes.”

Since then, SNG has grown to a five-state, 500-employee media company that thrives on serving small-town America.

“This award is for all of the 500 people who work diligently every day to produce a good local newspaper,” he said.

In their nominating letter, Luvison, Bedford Gazette publisher Joseph Beegle and Gettysburg Times publisher Harry Hartman wrote, “Scoop reminds us each day with his phone calls that start at 6 a.m. that we have built the ‘biggest small-town newspaper company’ through hard work and by caring about our small towns and trying to make them a better place to live and work.”

“My decision in 2008 to join Scoop and Sissie Sample – to return to the private-family newspaper space – was undoubtedly the best career and life decision I ever made,” said Luvison. “Precious few people will ever question Scoop’s sense of fairness or compassion, his passion for hometown newspapers, or his sincere desire to provide opportunities for the people on our team.”

Luvison, who serves as president of Sample News Group’s northern division, presented the lifetime achievement award to Sample in Harrisburg with more than 20 SNG managers on hand, along with and some 100 fellow Pennsylvania newspaper colleagues and executives.

“While the changes I have seen have been monumental, starting with linotypes in my first two newspapers, the camaraderie of people who have loved this business has been unparalleled,” said Sample. “We’ve had a lot of fun, done a lot of hard work, and hopefully we’ve made our communities better. We know the work we do each day is important to a bright future.”

Sample, a graduate of Denison University in Granville, Ohio, served as Daily News publisher until 2015, and now continues as owner and CEO of Sample News Group. Marlene Sample, meanwhile, is publisher of State College Magazine, a Sample News Group publication.

The Samples, along with their daughter Morgan and her son McKinley, reside in Huntingdon and also enjoy time at a home in Florida.

Sample News Group includes newspapers in six states, including 13 dailies. The stable of publications also includes weekly newspapers, shopping guides and magazine products.

Despite 50 years, and many changes in the newspaper industry, Sample said the mission remains unchanged.

“I love small town journalism and the positive effect we have on communities,” said Sample. “Our mission is the same — to be the community square, to discuss issues and be a place where people can turn for respected news.”